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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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49 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

DarkNESS: Characterization of Space Multi-Chip Module Skipper-CCDs

The DarkNESS mission is to send a 6U CubeSat fitted with an array of skipper-CCDs to see how well these sensors operate in Low Earth Orbit: take measurements of x-rays from the galactic center and strongly interacting sub-GeV dark matter from Cygnus X-1. Skipper-CCDs allow for low-noise astronomical observations which can extend the discovery reach for direct dark matter search experiments. This paper will discuss the characterization of the space Multi-Chip Module (sMCM) equipped with skipper-CCDs, and the challenges it faces during testing in the lab environment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Skipper-CCD Quantum Efficiency Analysis

Scientific skipper-CCDs with single-electron resolution present dozens of possibilities for detecting dark matter candidates. Fermilab's Cosmic Physics Center contributes to the DarkNESS mission, which aims to place a skipper multi-chip module in a 6U CubeSat designed for low earth orbit. The DarkNESS nanosat will have the capability to search for 1-10keV band X-rays that may originate from DM decays. One of the challenges of detection in space is the large amount of cosmic radiation contributing to sensor noise. To mitigate this, an aluminum shield is proposed to be placed on the sensor. This project aims to test and characterize the energy resolution with a shield of various thicknesses (0-100nm) using a single CCD and an iron-55 x-ray source. ROOT analysis was used to parse data from several runs into sections based on shield thickness, create strategic data cuts, and characterize Fano plus signal shot noise in the sensor.

Wells, Megan E. [U. Illinois, Chicago]↗
DOE OSTI2024

The DarkNESS mission: probing dark matter with a Skipper-CCD satellite observatory

The invention of Skipper-CCDs with sub-electron noise has paved the way for groundbreaking low-threshold dark matter (DM) experiments, such as SENSEI and DAMIC. Conventionally, these experiments are deployed underground to mitigate cosmogenic backgrounds; however, some DM signatures are inaccessible to underground experiments due to attenuation in the Earth’s atmosphere and crust. The DarkNESS mission will deploy an array of Skipper-CCDs on a 6U CubeSat in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to search for electron recoils from strongly-interacting sub-GeV DM as well as X-ray line signatures from sterile neutrino decay. Using a series of observations from LEO, the DarkNESS mission will set competitive upper limits on the DM-electron scattering cross section and help resolve the experimental conundrum associated with the purported observation of a 3.5 keV X-ray line, potentially produced from sterile neutrino decay. This work will describe the DarkNESS instrument, the technical challenges in operating Skipper-CCDs in the space environment, the scientific objectives of the DarkNESS mission, and the DM parameter space that DarkNESS will probe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Global X-Ray Properties of the Vela and Puppis A Supernova Remnants

The Vela and Puppis A supernova remnants (SNRs) comprise a large emission region of ∼8° diameter in the soft X-ray sky. The HaloSat CubeSat mission provides the first soft X-ray (0.4–7 keV) observation of the entire Vela SNR and Puppis A SNR region with a single pointing and moderate spectral resolution. HaloSat observations of the Vela SNR are best fit with a two-temperature thermal plasma model consisting of a cooler component with kT{sub 1}=0.19{sub −0.01}{sup +0.01} keV in collisional ionization equilibrium and a hotter component with kT{sub 2}=1.06{sub −0.27}{sup +0.45} keV in nonequilibrium ionization. Observations of the Puppis A SNR are best fit with a single-component plane-parallel shocked plasma model with kT=0.86{sub −0.05}{sup +0.06} keV in nonequilibrium ionization. For the first time, we find the total X-ray luminosities of both components of the Vela SNR spectrum in the 0.5–7 keV energy band to be L{sub X}=4.4{sub −1.4}{sup +1.4}×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} for the cooler component and L{sub X}=4.1{sub −1.5}{sup +1.8}×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} for the hotter component. We find the total X-ray luminosities of the Vela and Puppis A SNRs to be L{sub X}=8.4×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} and L{sub X}=6.7{sub −0.9}{sup +1.1}×10{sup 36} erg s{sup −1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Total X-Ray Emission from the LMC Observed with HaloSat

We constrain the global parameters of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by modeling the first soft X-ray (0.4–6.8 keV) observations of the entire LMC produced in a single pointing with moderate spectral resolution by the HaloSat CubeSat. These data are best fit with the sum of two thermal plasma components in collisional ionization equilibrium and a power law. We find cool (0.210 ± 0.014 keV) and hot (0.89 ± 0.14 keV) components. The total X-ray luminosity of the LMC is (1.08 ± 0.14) × 10{sup 39} erg s{sup −1}. X-ray binaries make up a large fraction of the emission with a luminosity of (6.0 ± 0.8) × 10{sup 38} erg s{sup −1}, followed by cool gas from superbubbles, supernovae, and diffuse emission with a luminosity of (3.0 ± 0.3) × 10{sup 38} erg s{sup −1}. The hot gas from star formation contributes the smallest fraction, with a luminosity of (1.9 ± 0.5) × 10{sup 38} erg s{sup −1}. We estimate the total volume of the cool gas to be between (0.2–1.2) × 10{sup 10} pc{sup 3} and the hot gas to be between (1.0–5) × 10{sup 7} pc{sup 3} for filling factors of f = 1 and 0.2. These volumes result in a total thermal energy for the cool gas between (1.4–3) × 10{sup 54} erg for electron densities of 0.017–0.04 cm{sup −3}, and a thermal energy for the hot gas between (1.7–4) × 10{sup 53} erg for electron densities of 0.12–0.3 cm{sup −3}. This yields cooling timescales for the cool and hot gas of (1.5–3) × 10{sup 8} yr and (1.8–6) × 10{sup 7} yr, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Terminus: A Versatile Simulator for Space-based Telescopes

Space-based telescopes offer unparalleled opportunities for characterizing exoplanets, solar system bodies, and stellar objects. However, observatories in low-Earth orbits (e.g., Hubble, CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite, Twinkle, and an ever-increasing number of cubesats) cannot always be continuously pointed at a target due to Earth obscuration. For exoplanet observations consisting of transit, or eclipse, spectroscopy, this causes gaps in the light curve, which reduces the information content and can diminish the science return of the observation. Terminus, a time-domain simulator, has been developed to model the occurrence of these gaps to predict the potential impact on future observations. The simulator is capable of radiometrically modeling exoplanet observations as well as producing light curves and spectra. Here, Terminus is baselined on the Twinkle mission, but the model can be adapted for any space-based telescope and is especially applicable to those in a low-Earth orbit. Terminus also has the capability to model observations of other targets such as asteroids or brown dwarfs.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Achievement of the Planetary Defense Investigations of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission was the first to demonstrate asteroid deflection, and the mission's Level 1 requirements guided its planetary defense investigations. Here, we summarize DART's achievement of those requirements. On 2022 September 26, the DART spacecraft impacted Dimorphos, the secondary member of the Didymos near-Earth asteroid binary system, demonstrating an autonomously navigated kinetic impact into an asteroid with limited prior knowledge for planetary defense. Months of subsequent Earth-based observations showed that the binary orbital period was changed by –33.24 minutes, with two independent analysis methods each reporting a 1 σ uncertainty of 1.4 s. Dynamical models determined that the momentum enhancement factor, β , resulting from DART's kinetic impact test is between 2.4 and 4.9, depending on the mass of Dimorphos, which remains the largest source of uncertainty. Over five dozen telescopes across the globe and in space, along with the Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids, have contributed to DART's investigations. These combined investigations have addressed topics related to the ejecta, dynamics, impact event, and properties of both asteroids in the binary system. A year following DART's successful impact into Dimorphos, the mission has achieved its planetary defense requirements, although work to further understand DART's kinetic impact test and the Didymos system will continue. In particular, ESA's Hera mission is planned to perform extensive measurements in 2027 during its rendezvous with the Didymos–Dimorphos system, building on DART to advance our knowledge and continue the ongoing international collaboration for planetary defense.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-speed Boulders and the Debris Field in DART Ejecta

On 2022 September 26 the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collided with Dimorphos, the moon of the near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos, in a full-scale demonstration of a kinetic impactor concept. The companion Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube) spacecraft documented the aftermath, capturing images of the expansion and evolution of the ejecta from 29 to 243 s after the impact. We present results from our analyses of these observations, including an improved reduction of the data and new absolute calibration, an updated LICIACube trajectory, and a detailed description of the events and phenomena that were recorded throughout the flyby. One notable aspect of the ejecta was the existence of clusters of boulders, up to 3.6 m in radius, that were ejected at speeds of up to 52 m s −1 . Our analysis of the spatial distribution of 104 of these boulders suggests that they are likely the remnants of larger boulders shattered by the DART spacecraft in the first stages of the impact. The amount of momentum contained in these boulders is more than 3 times that of the DART spacecraft, and it is directed primarily to the south, almost perpendicular to the DART trajectory. Recoil of Dimorphos from the ejection of these boulders has the potential to change its orbital plane by up to a degree and to impart a non-principal-axis component to its rotation state. Damping timescales for these phenomena are such that the Hera spacecraft, arriving at the system in 2026, should be able to measure these effects.

asteroid dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2023

DarkNESS: Characterization of Space Multi-Chip Module Skipper-CCDs and Readout Electronics

The DarkNESS mission has the goal of deploying a 6U CubeSat fitted with an array of skipper-CCDs in Low Earth Orbit (~400 km). The new instrument will take measurements of diffuse x-rays and look for signatures of dark matter decay in the spectrum. DarkNESS will also perform a direct search for strongly interacting sub-GeV dark matter in regions of the parameter space not accessible to ground based experiments [1]. Skipper-CCDs allow for low-noise astronomical observations which can extend the discovery reach for direct dark matter search experiments. This paper will discuss the laboratory characterization of the two key components of the scientific payload: the space Multi-Chip Module (sMCM), and their readout electronics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

X-ray characterization of fully-depleted p-channel Skipper-CCDs for the DarkNESS mission

The Dark matter Nanosatellite Equipped with Skipper Sensors (DarkNESS) mission is a 6U CubeSat designed to search for X-ray lines from decaying dark matter using Skipper-CCDs. Thick, fully-depleted p-channel Skipper-CCDs provide low readout noise and high quantum efficiency for 1-10 keV X-rays, but their X-ray performance has not yet been demonstrated in the space environment. DarkNESS will operate in low-Earth orbit, where trapped protons induce displacement damage in the sensor that increases charge-transfer inefficiency and degrades the X-ray energy resolution. This work measures the X-ray line response of Skipper-CCDs before and after proton irradiation and quantifies the associated degradation. A sensor was exposed to 217 MeV protons at a fluence of 8.4 x 10^10 protons cm^-2, corresponding to a displacement-damage dose more than an order of magnitude above the three-year expectation for representative mid-inclination and Sun-synchronous low-Earth orbits. A 55Fe source was used to compare the energy resolution of the beam-exposed quadrant to adjacent unexposed quadrants and a non-irradiated reference sensor. These measurements provide a quantitative assessment of radiation-induced spectral degradation in Skipper-CCDs and enable an estimate of the end-of-life X-ray energy resolution expected for DarkNESS operation in low-Earth orbit.

Alpine, Phoenix [Illinois U., Urbana] (ORCID:00090↗
DOE OSTI2026

Phosphonic-Acid-Reinforced Polymer Hole Transport Layers for Deployable p-i-n Perovskite Photovoltaics

The long-term durability prospects of halide perovskite solar cells are rapidly improving; however, the interface between the hole transport layer (HTL) and the perovskite remains a source of degradation. Alone, polymer- or carbazole-based HTLs suffer from incomplete coverage of the underlying indium tin oxide glass, leading to degradation and compromised performance. Here, we show a multi-HTL approach whereby a polymer HTL is reinforced using a phosphonic acid modification leading to better protection of the buried perovskite interface and more columnar growth of perovskite film, resulting in an ~40-mV open-circuit voltage (VOC) improvement indicative of suppressed interfacial recombination across multiple p-i-n device architectures. Solar cells with this reinforced HTL show higher tolerance to several accelerated stress tests. We report, among the best durabilities for unencapsulated cells, a T90 ~3,000 h (T80 ~5,900 h) at 65 degrees C under continuous 1.2 sun AM 1.5G illumination and maximum power point tracking, representing a nearly 4-fold increase compared with [2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (2PACz)-only devices. Furthermore, we deployed a device with this reinforced HTL on a cube satellite, with long-duration operational space testing results exceeding T80 for the complete mission duration of ~100 days in low Earth orbit.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

ESRA Mission Overview for MMO [Slides]

The Experiment for Space Radiation Analysis (ESRA) is a pathfinder for rapid Demonstration and Validation (DemVal) missions that the Los Alamos National Laboratory will fly on a 4-year cadence. The primary goal is to provide TRL maturation and risk reduction for next generation systems.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗