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At least 55 records · Page 3

Replacement Technologies for Precision Cleaning of Aerospace Hardware for Propellant Service

The NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is developing cleaning and verification processes to replace currently used chlorofluorocarbon-l13- (CFC-113-) based processes. The processes being evaluated include both aqueous- and solvent-based techniques. Replacement technologies are being investigated for aerospace hardware and for gauges and instrumentation. This paper includes the findings of investigations of aqueous cleaning and verification of aerospace hardware using known contaminants, such as hydraulic fluid and commonly used oils. The results correlate nonvolatile residue with CFC 113. The studies also include enhancements to aqueous sampling for organic and particulate contamination. Although aqueous alternatives have been identified for several processes, a need still exists for nonaqueous solvent cleaning, such as the cleaning and cleanliness verification of gauges used for oxygen service. The cleaning effectiveness of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), ethanol, hydrochlorofluorocarbon 225 (HCFC 225), HCFC 141b, HFE 7100(R), and Vertrel MCA(R) was evaluated using aerospace gauges and precision instruments and then compared to the cleaning effectiveness of CFC 113. Solvents considered for use in oxygen systems were also tested for oxygen compatibility using high-pressure oxygen autogenous ignition and liquid oxygen mechanical impact testing.

Harold Beeson↗

Digital quantum magnetism on a trapped-ion quantum computer

Digital quantum matter—realized when discrete quantum gates approximate continuous time evolution—is susceptible to heating into chaotic, structureless states. If digitization errors are adequately suppressed, a long-lived transient regime of approximately energy-conserving dynamics can be observed on gate-based quantum computers. Conservation of energy, in turn, enables the exploration of a wide variety of complex behaviours observed in equilibrium systems, ranging from the non-trivial microscopic origins of thermalization itself to the stabilization of effective models hosting exotic emergent properties. Here we use Quantinuum’s H2 quantum computer to simulate digitized dynamics of the quantum Ising model, suppressing digitization errors well enough to observe thermalization on timescales that severely challenge classical simulation methods. Relaxation of an inhomogeneous state reveals an emergent hydrodynamics owing to approximate energy conservation and we compute the associated diffusion constant. By reprogramming our simulations to take place on a triangular lattice with periodic boundary conditions, we observe thermalization consistent with emergent gauge and topological constraints resulting from lattice frustration. Furthermore, our results were enabled by continued advances in two-qubit gate quality (native partial entangler fidelities of 99.94(1)%) and establish digital quantum computers as powerful tools for studying (effectively) continuous-time dynamics.

Information theory and computation↗

Inter-Comparison of CHARM Data and WSR-88D Storm Integrated Rainfall

A localized precipitation network has been established over a 4000 sq km region of northern Alabama in support of local weather and climate research at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) in Huntsville. This Cooperative Huntsville-Area Rainfall Measurement (CHARM) network is comprised of over 80 volunteers who manually take daily rainfall measurements from 85 sites. The network also incorporates 20 automated gauges that report data at 1-5 minute intervals on a 24 h a day basis. The average spacing of the gauges in the network is about 6 kin, however coverage in some regions benefit from gauges every 1-2 km. The 24 h rainfall totals from the CHARM network have been used to validate Stage III rainfall estimates of daily and storm totals derived from the WSR-88D radars that cover northern Alabama. The Stage III rainfall product is produced by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center (LMRFC) in support of their daily forecast operations. The intercomparisons between the local rain gauge and the radar estimates have been useful to understand the accuracy and utility of the Stage III data. Recently, the Stage III and CHARM rainfall measurements have been combined to produce an hourly rainfall dataset at each CHARM observation site. The procedure matches each CHARM site with a time sequence of Stage III radar estimates of precipitation. Hourly stage III rainfall estimates were used to partition the rain gauge values to the time interval over which they occurred. The new hourly rain gauge dataset is validated at selected points where 1-5 minute rainfall measurements have been made. This procedure greatly enhances the utility of the CHARM data for local weather and hydrologic modeling studies. The conference paper will present highlights of the Stage III intercomparison and some examples of the combined radar / rain gauge product demonstrating its accuracy and utility in deriving an hourly rainfall product from the 24 h CHARM totals.

Jedlovec, Gary J.↗

Retrofitting avionics - Closing the performance 'Generation gap'

The retrofitting of advanced avionics to in-service aircraft in order to increase operational safety and flexibility, and reduce operating costs is analyzed. Research in flight management planning and airborne guidance for full-and cost-effective flight is examined. The use of CRTs and thin film electroluminescent displays in aircraft is described. The development of more accurate and reliable fuel gauges using nuclear-based techniques or volumetric measurements to evaluate fluid levels is studied. Advances in airspace systems, such as the Microwave Landing System, and Air Traffic Control Beacon System/Select Mode, the Traffic Advisory and Collision Advance System, and satellite-based communications, navigation, and surveillance are discussed.

Spitzer, C. R.↗

Contrasts Between Precipitation over Mediterranean Sea and Adjacent Continental Areas Based on Decadal Scale Satellite Estimates

Most knowledge concerning the last century's climatology and climate dynamics of precipitation over the Mediterranean Sea basin is based on observations taken from rain gauges surrounding the sea itself. In turn, most of the observations come from Southern Europe, with many fewer measurements taken from widely scattered sites situated over North Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. This aspect of research on the Mediterranean Sea basin is apparent in a recent compilation of studies presented in book form concerning climate variability of the Mediterranean region [Lionello, P., P. Malanotte-Rizzoli, and R. Boscolo (eds.), 2006: Mediterranean Climate Variability. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 9 chapters.] In light of this missing link to over-water observations, this study (in conjunction with four companion studies by Z. Haddad, A. Mugnai, T. Nakazawa, and G. Stephens) will contrast the nature of precipitation variability directly over the Mediterranean Sea to precipitation variability over the surrounding land areas based on three decades of satellite-based precipitation estimates which have stood up well to validation scrutiny. The satellite observations are drawn from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) dataset extending back to 1979 and the TRMM Merged Algorithm 3b42 dataset extending back to 1998. Both datasets are mostly produced from microwave measurements, excepting the period from 1979 to mid-1987 when only infrared satellite measurements were available for the GPCP estimates. The purpose of this study is to emphasize how the salient properties of precipitation variability over land and sea across a hierarchy of space and time scales, and the salient differences in these properties, might be used in guiding short-term climate models to better predictions of future climate states under different regional temperature-change scenarios.

Smith, Eric A.↗

On the interplay between magnetic field and anisotropy in holographic QCD

We investigate the combined effects of anisotropy and a magnetic field in strongly interacting gauge theories by the gauge/gravity correspondence. Our main motivation is the quark-gluon plasma produced in off-central heavy-ion collisions which exhibits large anisotropy in pressure gradients as well as large external magnetic fields. We explore two different configurations, with the anisotropy either parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field, focusing on the competition and interplay between the two. A detailed study of the RG flow in the ground state reveals a rich structure where depending on which of the two, anisotropy or magnetic field, is stronger, intermediate geometries with approximate AdS 4 × $\mathbb{R}$ and AdS 3 × $\mathbb{R}$ 2 factors arise. This competition is also manifest in the phase structure at finite temperature, specifically in the dependence of the chiral transition temperature on anisotropy and magnetic field, from which we infer the presence of inverse magnetic and anisotropic catalyses of the chiral condensate. Finally, we consider other salient observables in the theory, including the quark-antiquark potential, shear viscosity, entanglement entropy and the butterfly velocity. We demonstrate that they serve as good probes of the theory, in particular, distinguishing between the effects of the magnetic field and anisotropy in the ground and plasma states. We also find that the butterfly velocity, which codifies how fast information propagates in the plasma, exhibits a rich structure as a function of temperature, anisotropy and magnetic field, exceeding the conformal value in certain regimes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Shock tunnel studies of scramjet phenomena, supplement 5

A series of reports are presented on SCRAMjet studies, shock tunnel studies, and expansion tube studies. The SCRAMjet studies include: (1) Investigation of a Supersonic Combustion Layer; (2) Wall Injected SCRAMjet Experiments; (3) Supersonic Combustion with Transvers, Circular, Wall Jets; (4) Dissociated Test Gas Effects on SCRAMjet Combustors; (5) Use of Silane as a Fuel Additive for Hypersonic Thrust Production, (6) Pressure-length Correlations in Supersonic Combustion; (7) Hot Hydrogen Injection Technique for Shock Tunnels; (8) Heat Release - Wave Interaction Phenomena in Hypersonic Flows; (9) A Study of the Wave Drag in Hypersonic SCRAMjets; (10) Parametric Study of Thrust Production in the Two Dimensional SCRAMjet; (11) The Design of a Mass Spectrometer for use in Hypersonic Impulse Facilities; and (12) Development of a Skin Friction Gauge for use in an Impulse Facility. The shock tunnel studies include: (1) Hypervelocity flow in Axisymmetric Nozzles; (2) Shock Tunnel Development; and (3) Real Gas Efects in Hypervelocity Flows over an Inclined Cone. The expansion tube studies include: (1) Investigation of Flow Characteristics in TQ Expansion Tube; and (2) Disturbances in the Driver Gas of a Shock Tube.

Casey, R.↗

High-Energy Collision of Quarks and Mesons in the Schwinger Model: From Tensor Networks to Circuit QED

With the aim of studying nonperturbative out-of-equilibrium dynamics of high-energy particle collisions on quantum simulators, we investigate the scattering dynamics of lattice quantum electrodynamics in 1 + 1 dimensions. Working in the bosonized formulation of the model and in the thermodynamic limit, we use uniform-matrix-product-state tensor networks to construct multiparticle wave-packet states, evolve them in time, and detect outgoing particles post collision. This facilitates the numerical simulation of scattering experiments in both confined and deconfined regimes of the model at different energies, giving rise to rich phenomenology, including inelastic production of quark and meson states, meson disintegration, and dynamical string formation and breaking. We obtain elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections, together with time-resolved momentum and position distributions of the outgoing particles. Furthermore, we propose an analog circuit-QED implementation of the scattering process that is native to the platform, requires minimal ingredients and approximations, and enables practical schemes for particle wave-packet preparation and evolution. Furthermore, this study highlights the role of classical and quantum simulation in enhancing our understanding of scattering processes in quantum field theories in real time.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Neutralizing topological obstructions to bubbles of nothing

Theories with compact extra dimensions can exhibit a vacuum instability known as a bubble of nothing. These decay modes can be obstructed if the internal manifold is stabilized by fluxes, or if it carries Wilson lines for background gauge fields, or if the instanton is incompatible with the spin structure. In each of these cases the decay can proceed by adding dynamical charged membranes or gauge fields. We give a general, bottom-up procedure for constructing approximate bubble of nothing solutions in models with internal spheres stabilized by flux and study the influence of the brane tension on the tunneling exponent, finding two branches of solutions that merge at a minimal superextremal value of the tension. In the case of Wilson operators and incompatible fermions, the relevant bubble is shown to be the Euclidean Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, and the ordinary decay exponent is modified by 1/g 2 effects. We examine the Dirac operator on this background and comment on the relevance for models of supergravity with gauged R-symmetry.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Light scalar meson and decay constant in SU(3) gauge theory with eight dynamical flavors

The SU(3) gauge theory with N f = 8 nearly massless Dirac fermions has long been of theoretical and phenomenological interest due to the near-conformality arising from its proximity to the conformal window. One particularly interesting feature is the emergence of a relatively light, stable flavor-singlet scalar meson σ ( J P C = 0 + + ) in contrast to the N f = 2 theory QCD. In this work, we study the finite-volume dependence of the σ meson correlation function computed in lattice gauge theory and determine the σ meson mass and decay constant extrapolated to the infinite-volume limit. We also determine the infinite-volume mass and decay constant of the flavor-nonsinglet scalar meson a 0 . Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Regional Climate and Variability of the Summertime Continental United States in Reanalyses

Understanding climate variability at regional scales is an important for research and societal needs. Atmospheric retrospective-analyses (or reanalyses) integrate multitudes of observing systems with numerical models to produce continuous data that include variables not easily observed, if at all. The breadth of variables as well as observational influence included in reanalyses make them ideal for investigating climate variability. In this paper, we assess NASA s Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Application (MERRA) regional variability in North America, specifically the United States, in conjunction with current satellite data reanalyses. Emphasis is placed on summertime precipitation because 1) it is a difficult parameter to capture in the most difficult season, 2) significant observational resources exist to benchmark comparisons, and 3) accurate assessment of precipitation variability is crucial to a multitude of sectors and applications. Likewise, we have also begun to evaluate surface air temperature. While precipitation biases are identified, year to year variability of the precipitation variations, in many cases, are quite reasonable. However, some spurious long term trends and sudden shifts in the time series are also identified. In surface air temperature, analysis of station observations provides ERA Interim a clear overall advantage. However, in a number of regions, all the reanalyses are quite comparable in variability and trend. In other regions, significant precipitation biases may occur, which has implications for the ancillary process data in a reanalysis, such as surface fluxes. We also characterize the reanalyses ability to capture variability related to ENSO. In general, the summertime variations of precipitation in the reanalyses are more highly correlated (positively) to ENSO (using ENSO34) than are the observations. The Northwestern US shows the largest positive correlations to ENSO34, and reanalyses agree with that, and correlate highly with the gauge observations there. Additional evaluation of the data assimilation using the MERRA Gridded Innovations and Observations (GIO) data, which consists of the assimilated observations as well as forecast an analysis error fields. This work represents an initial evaluation of using the MERRA reanalysis to study regional climate variations of the United States, and identifying its applied limitations

Bosilovich, M G.↗

Development of advanced high-temperature heat flux sensors

Various configurations of high temperature, heat flux sensors were studied to determine their suitability for use in experimental combustor liners of advanced aircraft gas turbine engines. It was determined that embedded thermocouple sensors, laminated sensors, and Gardon gauge sensors, were the most viable candidates. Sensors of all three types were fabricated, calibrated, and endurance tested. All three types of sensors met the fabricability survivability, and accuracy requirements established for their application.

Atkinson, W. H.↗

Large inflationary logarithms in a nontrivial nonlinear sigma model

Loops of inflationary gravitons are known to induce large temporal and spatial logarithms that can cause perturbation theory to break down. Nonlinear sigma models possess the same kind of derivative interactions and induce the same sorts of large logarithms, without the complicated index structure and potential gauge problem. Previous studies have examined models with zero field space curvature that can be reduced to free field theories by local, invertible field redefinitions. Here we study a model that cannot be so reduced and still shows the same sorts of large logarithms. Additionally, we compute the evolution of the background at 1-loop and 2-loop orders, and we find the 1-loop β and γ functions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Nature of Global Large-scale Sea Level Variability in Relation to Atmospheric Forcing: A Modeling Study

The relation between large-scale sea level variability and ocean circulation is studied using a numerical model. A global primitive equaiton model of the ocean is forced by daily winds and climatological heat fluxes corresponding to the period from January 1992 to February 1996. The physical nature of the temporal variability from periods of days to a year, are examined based on spectral analyses of model results and comparisons with satellite altimetry and tide gauge measurements.

ocean circulation circulation models ocean models ↗

Evolution of Spaceflight Renal Stone Risks and Update to the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Renal Stone Evidence Report and Integrated Concept of Operations

BACKGROUND: The NASA HRP Evidence Report on the Risk of Renal Stone Formation is being updated based on new information obtained from 9 years of data from NASA’s astronaut renal stone surveillance program. In addition, the Concept of Operations for missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was created to supplement the Evidence Report, and the NASA clinical practice guideline(CPG)for renal stone surveillance was updated. OVERVIEW: A literature review was performed to evaluate the state of literature regarding renal stone prevention, mitigation, and management both in terrestrial and spaceflight environments. Current renal stone treatment guidelines for the ISS, which were created by the Inflight Clinical Medicine Working Group and approved by the Multilateral Medical Operations Panel (MMOP)were reviewed, as well as recent ultrasound technology demonstrations onboard the ISS. This information was used in conjunction with emerging evidence from the surveillance program to update the Evidence Report and in-flight Concept of Operations. DISCUSSION: There are known and emerging renal stone prevention strategies including astronaut selection, the use of medications and resistive exercise, early diagnosis with regular urine studies and ultrasound imaging. In-flight treatment options include pharmaceuticals, use of lithotripsy and propulsive ultrasound, placement of percutaneous drains and other modalities. This information is useful to gauge future risks and update our strategies for prevention and management of renal stones in astronauts to reduce the risk of in-flight renal stone colic that could cause morbidity and mission impact.

E Stratton↗

In-Plane Liftout and Push-to-Pull for In Situ Mechanical Testing of Irradiated Inconel X-750

A streamlined sample preparation method for nanomechanical testing is needed to improve the quality of specimens, reduce the cost, and increase the versatility of specimen fabrication. This work outlines an in-plane liftout focused ion beam (FIB) fabrication procedure to prepare electron-transparent specimens for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanomechanical testing. Ion etching and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques were used to lift out a [110] oriented grain from a neutron-irradiated bulk X-750 alloy. Careful control of voltages and currents ensured precision. Top surface thinning sweeps prevented resurfacing and redeposition while dog-bone geometries were shaped with a 1:4 gauge width-to-milling pattern diameter ratio. Nanotensile testing in the TEM with a picoindenter allowed for the estimation of an ultimate tensile strength of 2.41 GPa, and inspection revealed a high density of bubbles in the X-750 matrix. The proposed fabrication procedure is significant for preparing samples from radioactive materials, studying complex structures that are orientation-dependent, and analyzing desired planar areas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Improved fast response pressure gauge for shock reflection studies in ionized gases.

An improved design is presented for a fast response pressure gauge (0.1 microsec risetime) suitable for short duration measurements on the end wall of a shock tube. The design includes standard components to facilitate gauge construction, and it utilizes dual capacitive sensing elements together with a signal differencing scheme to permit use of the gauge in ionized gases. Pressure-time records obtained with the gauge are presented showing details of pressure profiles on the shock tube end wall for reflecting shock waves in ionized gases.

Hanson, R. K.↗

A Sub-Neptune and a Non-Transiting Neptune-Mass Companion Unveiled by ESPRESSO Around the Bright Late-F Dwarf HD 5278 (TOI-130)

Context. Transiting sub-Neptune-type planets, with radii approximately between 2 and 4R⊕, are of particular interest as their study allows us to gain insight into the formation and evolution of a class of planets that are not found in our Solar System. Aims. We exploit the extreme radial velocity (RV) precision of the ultra-stable echelle spectrograph ESPRESSO on the VLT to unveil the physical properties of the transiting sub-Neptune TOI-130 b, uncovered by the TESS mission orbiting the nearby, bright, late F-typestar HD 5278 (TOI-130) with a period of Pb=14.3 days. Methods. We used 43 ESPRESSO high-resolution spectra and broad-band photometry information to derive accurate stellar atmospheric and physical parameters of HD 5278. We exploited the TESS light curve and spectroscopic diagnostics to gauge the impact of stellar activity on the ESPRESSO RVs. We performed separate as well as joint analyses of the TESS photometry and the ESPRESSORVs using fully Bayesian frameworks to determine the system parameters. Results. Based on the ESPRESSO spectra, the updated stellar parameters of HD 5278 are Teff=6203±64K, logg=4.50±0.11dex, [Fe/H] =−0.12±0.04dex,M?=1.126+0.036−0.035M, and R?=1.194+0.017−0.016R. We determine HD 5278 b’s mass and radius to be Mb=7.8+1.5−1.4M⊕ and Rb=2.45±0.05R⊕. The derived mean density, %b=2.9+0.6−0.5g cm−3, is consistent with the bulk composition of a sub-Neptune with a substantial (∼30%) water mass fraction and with a gas envelope comprising ∼17% of the measured radius. Given the host brightness and irradiation levels, HD 5278 b is one of the best targets orbiting G-F primaries for follow-up atmospheric characterization measurements with HST and JWST. We discover a second, non-transiting companion in the system, with a period of Pc=40.87+0.18−0.17days and a minimum mass of Mcsinic=18.4+1.8−1.9M⊕. We study emerging trends in parameters space (e.g., mass, radius, stellar insolation, and mean density) of the growing population of transiting sub-Neptunes, and provide statistical evidence for a low occurrence of close-in,10−15M⊕companions around G-F primaries withTeff&5500K.

planetary systems↗