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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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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Photochemistry and molecular ions in carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes

An earlier theory of ionization of C-rich circumstellar envelopes based on the photochemical model is extended to include the temperature dependence of ion-molecule reactions with polar molecules, particularly HCN, and line self-shielding of CO dissociating radiation. The results are applied to the abundances of HCO(+) and HNC in C-rich circumstellar envelopes. With standard parameters for IRC + 10216, the model is found to be consistent with the new upper limit to the antenna temperature of the J = 1-0 line of HCO(+) obtained with the IRAM 30-m telescope. The photochemical model provides a natural explanation of the relatively large ratio of HCN to HNC observed for C-rich circumstellar envelopes, and good agreement is obtained for the H(C-13)N/HNC antenna temperature ratio measured for IRC + 10216.

Glassgold, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Photochemistry and molecular ions in oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes

A theory for the ionization of the circumstellar envelopes around O-rich red giants is developed from the photochemical model. The main source of ionization is photoionization of H2O, OH, and C by the interstellar UV radiation field, supplemented by cosmic-ray ionization of hydrogen. Significant amounts of H3O(+) and HCO(+) are produced, with peak abundances of about 10 to the -7th at intermediate distances from the star. Although H3O(+) may be difficult to detect with current instrumentation, HCO(+) is probably detectable in nearby O-rich envelopes with large millimeter-wave telescopes.

Mamon, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Static Properties and Stark Effect of the Ground State of the HD Molecular Ion

We have calculated static properties of the ground state of the HD(+) ion and its lowest-lying P-state without making use of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, as was done in the case of H2(+) and D2(+) [Phys. Rev. A 58, 2787 (1998)]. The ion is treated as a three-body system whose ground state is spherically symmetric. The wavefunction is of generalized Hylleraas type, but it is necessary to include high powers of the internuclear distance to localize the nuclear motion. We obtain good values of the energies of the ground S-state and lowest P-state and compare them with earlier calculations. Expectation values are obtained for various operators, the Fermi contact parameters, and the permanent quadrupole moment. The cusp conditions are also calculated. The polarizability was then calculated using second-order perturbation theory with intermediate P pseudostates. Since the nuclei in HD(+) are not of equal mass there is dipole coupling between the lowest two rotational states, which are almost degenerate. This situation is carefully analyzed, and the Stark shift is calculated variationally as a function of the applied electric field.

Bhatia, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The use of transition heights for the representation of ion composition

Several characteristic transition heights can be found in ionospheric ion-composition profiles. These are the boundaries between the regions dominated by light ions, atomic oxygen ions, molecular ions, and cluster ions, respectively. Ion-composition modeling can benefit from the use of these transition heights. Special emphasis is given to the 'upper' transition height H sub T (light ions to atomic oxygen) and to the 'lower' transition height h sub t (atomic oxygen to molecular ions). Transition-height models deduced from rocket and satellite measurements are compared with the heights predicted by the International Reference Ionosphere. Considerable discrepancies are found between the different models as well as between the models and independent measurements.

Bilitza, Dieter↗
NASA NTRS1979

A model for nitrogen chemisorption in ion thrusters

A theoretical model describing the formation of nitrogen species subject to chemisorption on ion thruster discharge chamber surfaces is presented. Molecules, atoms, atomic ions and molecular ions are identified as the important species in the analysis. Current densities of the atomic and molecular ions predicted by the model are compared to current densities measured in the beam of a SERT II thruster. The predicted and measured values of these two current densities are shown to agree within about + or - 100%. The mechanisms involved in the erosion of a surface subjected to simultaneous nitrogen chemisorption and sputter erosion by high energy ions are also discussed.

Wilbur, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Thermodynamic properties and theoretical rocket performance of hydrogen to 100,000 K and 1.01325 x 10 to the 8th power N/sq m

The composition and thermodynamic properties were calculated for 100 to 110,000 K and 1.01325 x 10 to the 2nd power to 1.01325 x 10 to the 8th power N/sq m for chemical equilibrium in the Debye-Huckel and ideal-gas approximations. Quantities obtained were the concentrations of hydrogen atoms, protons, free electrons, hydrogen molecules, negative hydrogen ions, hydrogen diatomic molecular ions, and hydrogen triatomic molecular ions, and the enthalpy, entropy, average molecular weight, specific heat at constant pressure, density, and isentropic exponent. Electronically excited states of H and H2 were included. Choked, isentropic, one-dimensional nozzle flow with shifting chemical equilibrium was calculated to the Debye-Huckel and ideal-gas approximations for stagnation temperatures from 2500 to 100,000 K. The mass flow per unit throat area and the sonic flow factor were obtained. The pressure ratio, temperature, velocity, and ideal and vacuum specific impulses at the throat and for pressure ratios as low as 0.000001 downstream were found. For high temperatures at pressures approaching 1.01325 x 10 to the 8th power N/sq m, the ideal-gas approximation was found to be inadequate for calculations of composition, precise thermodynamic properties, and precise nozzle flow. The greatest discrepancy in nozzle flow occurred in the exit temperature, which was as much as 21 percent higher when the Debye-Huckel approximation was used.

Patch, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Dissociative recombination in planetary ionospheres

Ionization in planetary atmospheres can be produced by solar photoionization, photoelectron impact ionization, and, in auroral regions, by impact of precipitating particles. This ionization is lost mainly in dissociative recombination (DR) of molecular ions. Although atomic ions cannot undergo DR, they can be transformed locally through ion-molecule reactions into molecular ions, or they may be transported vertically or horizontally to regions of the atmosphere where such transformations are possible. Because DR reactions tend to be very exothermic, they can be an important source of kinetically or internally excited fragments. In interplanetary thermospheres, the neutral densities decrease exponentially with altitude. Below the homopause (or turbopause), the atmosphere is assumed to be throughly mixed by convection and/or turbulence. Above the homopause, diffusion is the major transport mechanism, and each species is distributed according to its mass, with the logarithmic derivative of the density with repect to altitude given approximately by -1/H, where H = kT/mg is the scale height. In this expression, T is the neutral temperature, g is the local acceleratiion of gravity, and m is the mass of the species. Thus lighter species become relatively more abundant, and heavier species less abundant, as the altitude increases. This variation of the neutral composition can lead to changes in the ion composition; furthermore, as the neutral densities decrease, dissociative recombination becomes more important relative to ion-neutral reactions as a loss mechanism for molecular ions.

Fox, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Analysis of Flow From Arc-Jet Spectra

Materials testing is carried out at the JSC Atmospheric Reentry Materials and Structures Facility. A flow diagnostics program is under development to characterize the energy distribution in arc-jet flows used to simulate atmospheric entry. Heat transfer to materials depends on flow properties which includes the composition of and energy distribution among the atoms, ions, molecules, and molecular ions which make up the flow. This project involves analysis of shock layer characteristics from the radiation emitted and experimentally collected from near the front of the shock to near the surface of the material. The analysis has yielded information on relative populations of neutral molecules and molecular ions within the layer. In determining non-equilibrium temperatures within the layer, some insight into the spectral constants used to compute radiative emission has been gained.

Blackwell, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Median density altitude profiles of the major ions in the central nightside Venus ionosphere

Altitude profiles of median values for total ion density, constituent ion densities, and the molecular ion group of the central nightside Venus ionosphere are presently derived from the Pioneer Venus retarding potential analyzer's measurements during the first five seasonal passages of the spacecraft through the nightside hemisphere. The altitude profiles for total ion density, constituent ions and the molecular ion group are compared with previously predicted profiles derived from numerical models in which the ionization source was O(+) ions transported from the dayside ionosphere and electron impact-produced ionization. The electron impact-produced profiles for O(+) is 2 orders of magnitude smaller than that observed.

Knudsen, William C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Charge exchange of metastable 2D oxygen ions with molecular oxygen - A new source of thermospheric O2/+/ ions

Reactions involving metastable ions are difficult to study in the laboratory. Much new information on these reactions has been derived from satellite measurements of aeronomic parameters. In this paper, Atmosphere Explorer D data are used to study charge exchange of metastable O(+)(2D) ions with O2. Using direct measurements of the O2 at 200 km to compute O2 densities at 300 km and supporting ionic concentrations and temperature observations, we find the rate coefficient for this reaction to be 1 + or - 0.6 times 10 to the minus 9th cu cm/sec. The process constitutes a significant source of O2(+) ions in the F2 layer at times when the N2 and O2 densities are enhanced. This finding leads to the conclusion that charge exchange with O2 must be a major sink for O(+)(2D) and an important source of O2(+) ions in the E region, because of the increase in the O2 concentration/N2 concentration ratio with decreasing altitude. The results imply that 80% of all O(+) ions formed in the E region are converted to O2(+) and that only about 20% of the metastable O(+) ions are converted into N2(+) through charge exchange with N2.

Torr, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Nuclear-pumped He/3/-Ar laser modeling

A first-order model of He(3)-Ar 1.79-micron laser is developed, compared to experimental results, and used to explain the qualitative features of this system. Results indicate that direct excitation of the argon upper level is at best very inefficient for population inversion. For argon concentrations which give the most efficient laser operation, the He-3(n,p)He-3(n,p)He-3 energy is used to produce atomic He ions that quickly convert into He molecular ions. These molecular ions subsequently form argon atomic ions through charge transfer. The dominant pumping mechanism is collisional-radiative recombination of the argon atomic ion and subsequent radiative cascading into the upper laser level.

Wilson, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Empirical modeling of ion composition in the middle and topside ionosphere

The paper reviews the efforts to represent the global and temporal variations of the ionospheric ion composition in the altitude range from 100 km to 1000 km. The ground and space data sets that have been collected for the ion densities over the past decades are listed. Empirical models are discussed including models for the densities and compositions of O(+), H(+), He(+), O(2+), and NO(+) ions, and for the characteristic transition heights from light ions to atomic oxygen ions and from atomic oxygen ions to molecular ions. The status of the ion composition model in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) is reviewed, and shortcomings are pointed out. Possible improvements of IRI with the help of recent modeling studies are summarized.

Bilitza, Dieter↗
NASA NTRS1966

Mass spectrometry without ions.

Molecular flow mass spectrometer analysis of porous metal membranes for gases of different molecular weights

POROUS MATERIAL↗