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NASA NTRS2005

Impurity Studies of Cd(0.8)Zn(0.2)Te Crystals Using Photoluminescence and Glow Discharge Mass Spectroscopy

Cd(1-x)Zn(x)Te semiconductor crystal is a highly promising material for room temperature x- and gamma-ray detector applications because of its high resistivity, long carrier lifetime, and relatively high hole and electron mobilities. This paper reports the investigation of the impurities in several Cd(1-x)Zn(x)Te (x = 0.20) crystals grown using the vertical Bridgman method under a Cd overpressure. The impurity concentrations were measured using glow discharge mass spectroscopy (GDMS). The energy states of the impurities were studied using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy at liquid helium temperature. The PL spectra showed a series of sharp high energy lines which are associated with free excitons and excitons bound to impurities as donors and acceptors in the crystals. The impurities also contributed to donor-acceptor pair recombination. The correlation between the GDMS and PL results will be reported.

Su, Ching-Hua↗

NASA NTRS2014

Temporal Precedence Checking for Switched Models and its Application to a Parallel Landing Protocol

This paper presents an algorithm for checking temporal precedence properties of nonlinear switched systems. This class of properties subsume bounded safety and capture requirements about visiting a sequence of predicates within given time intervals. The algorithm handles nonlinear predicates that arise from dynamics-based predictions used in alerting protocols for state-of-the-art transportation systems. It is sound and complete for nonlinear switch systems that robustly satisfy the given property. The algorithm is implemented in the Compare Execute Check Engine (C2E2) using validated simulations. As a case study, a simplified model of an alerting system for closely spaced parallel runways is considered. The proposed approach is applied to this model to check safety properties of the alerting logic for different operating conditions such as initial velocities, bank angles, aircraft longitudinal separation, and runway separation.

Duggirala, Parasara Sridhar↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Computational Tools to Design Molten Salt Electrolytes for High-Temperature Environments

Current Li-ion batteries are designed for a small operating window of 5 °C to 55 °C. Modifications to the electrolyte for operation in Mars atmosphere extended this range on the lower bound to ~ -40 °C. These operating-temperature ranges are far from those presented in high-temperature environments, such as the Venus surface, where temperatures are around 450 °C. Protecting the state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries require insulations that decreases the volumetric capacity and limiting the operational time-window. These unique challenges require a paradigm shift in materials used for designing high-temperature batteries. Molten salt electrolyte-based batteries offer a plausible route to designing high-temperature batteries. ZEBRA batteries are known to be one of the safest energy storage devices operating at 270-350 °C. Nitrate based eutectics, operating at 150 °C have also been used in Li-O2 batteries. In this study, we will examine molten-salt electrolyte transport and electrochemical properties using first-principles computations and benchmark against experiments. Further, we will present thermodynamics-based models for designing and predicting melting point of molten salt mixtures. Based on these computational tools, new molten salt mixtures designed with desired operating temperatures and electrochemical windows will be presented. Implications of these new eutectics in the context of high-temperature environment exploration will also be discussed.

Balachandran Radhakrishnan↗

NASA NTRS2001

Endo-Fullerene and Doped Diamond Nanocrystallite Based Models of Qubits for Solid-State Quantum Computers

Models of encapsulated 1/2 nuclear spin H-1 and P-31 atoms in fullerene and diamond nanocrystallite, respectively, are proposed and examined with ab-initio local density functional method for possible applications as single quantum bits (qubits) in solid-state quantum computers. A H-1 atom encapsulated in a fully deuterated fullerene, C(sub 20)D(sub 20), forms the first model system and ab-initio calculation shows that H-1 atom is stable in atomic state at the center of the fullerene with a barrier of about 1 eV to escape. A P-31 atom positioned at the center of a diamond nanocrystallite is the second model system, and 3 1P atom is found to be stable at the substitutional site relative to interstitial sites by 15 eV, Vacancy formation energy is 6 eV in diamond so that substitutional P-31 atom will be stable against diffusion during the formation mechanisms within the nanocrystallite. The coupling between the nuclear spin and weakly bound (valance) donor electron coupling in both systems is found to be suitable for single qubit applications, where as the spatial distributions of (valance) donor electron wave functions are found to be preferentially spread along certain lattice directions facilitating two or more qubit applications. The feasibility of the fabrication pathways for both model solid-state qubit systems within practical quantum computers is discussed with in the context of our proposed solid-state qubits.

Park, Seongjun↗

NASA NTRS1986

Magnetostrophic balance in planetary dynamos - Predictions for Neptune's magnetosphere

With the purpose of estimating Neptune's magnetic field and its implications for nonthermal Neptune radio emissions, a new scaling law for planetary magnetic fields was developed in terms of externally observable parameters (the planet's mean density, radius, mass, rotation rate, and internal heat source luminosity). From a comparison of theory and observations by Voyager it was concluded that planetary dynamos are two-state systems with either zero intrinsic magnetic field (for planets with low internal heat source) or (for planets with the internal heat source sufficiently strong to drive convection) a magnetic field near the upper bound determined from magnetostrophic balance. It is noted that mass loading of the Neptune magnetosphere by Triton may play an important role in the generation of nonthermal radio emissions.

Curtis, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Task sequence planning in a robot workcell using AND/OR nets

An approach to task sequence planning for a generalized robotic manufacturing or material handling workcell is described. Given the descriptions of the objects in this system and all feasible geometric relationships among these objects, an AND/OR net which describes the relationships of all feasible geometric states and associated feasibility criteria for net transitions is generated. This AND/OR net is mapped into a Petri net which incorporates all feasible sequences of operations. The resulting Petri net is shown to be bounded and have guaranteed properties of liveness, safeness, and reversibility. Sequences are found from the reachability tree of the Petri net. Feasibility criteria for net transitions may be used to generate an extended Petri net representation of lower level command sequences. The resulting Petri net representation may be used for on-line scheduling and control of the system of feasible sequences. A simulation example of the sequences is described.

Cao, Tiehua↗

NASA NTRS1991

The SiH vibrational stretch as an indicator of the chemical state of interstellar grains

The infrared spectra of amorphous silicate grains and films formed in a variety of laboratory experiments have been measured. It is found that the frequency of the SiH fundamental stretch is extremely sensitive to the chemical environment of the grain in which the silicon is bound and varies from 2270/cm in oxidized grains to 2110/cm in a reducing environment. It is proposed that features previously observed in W33A could be due to -SiH groups in amorphous silica, partially reduced silica, silicon nitride or slightly oxidized silicon carbide. It is predicted that observations at 2270/cm will reveal a feature due to -SiH groups in highly oxidized interstelar and circumstellar grains. Such a feature might also appear in the spectra of comets.

Moore, Marla H.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Initial turbulence effect on jet evolution with and without tonal excitation

The effect of initial turbulence level on the development of a jet and on the susceptability of the jet to discrete tone excitation was experimentally investigated. Turbulence intensity was varied, over the range 0.15 to 5 percent, by using screens and grids placed upstream of an 8.8 cm diameter nozzle. Top-hat mean velocity profiles with approximately identical initial boundary layer states were ensured in all cases; the turbulence spectra were broadband. It was found, contrary to earlier reports, that the natural jet decay remained essentially unchanged for varying initial turbulence. For a fixed amplitude of the tonal excitation, increasing the initial turbulence damped out the growth of the instability wave; as a result, the excitability, assessed from the mean velocity decay on the axis, was found to diminish. However, the degree of damping in the amplification of the instability wave was only slight compared to the large increase in the initial turbulence. The jet with 5 percent turbulence could be measurably altered by excitation with a velocity perturbation amplitude as little as 0.25 percent of the jet velocity. The amplitude effect data indicate an upper bound of the extent to which a jet could be excited, and thus its plume shortened, by the plane wave, single frequency excitation. An additional data set with no grid or trip, yielding a nominally laminar boundary layer, re-emphasizes the profound effect of initial boundary layer state on jet evolution as well as on its excitability. This jet decayed the fastest naturally, and consequently, it was the least excitable in spite of its turbulence being the least.

Raman, G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Initial turbulence effect on jet evolution with and without tonal excitation

The effect of initial turbulence level on the development of a jet and on the susceptibility of the jet to discrete tone excitation was experimentally investigated. Turbulence intensity was varied, over the range 0.15 to 5 percent, by using screens and grids placed upstream of an 8.8 cm diameter nozzle. Top-hat mean velocity profiles with approximately identical initial boundary layer states were ensured in all cases; the turbulence spectra were broadband. It was found, contrary to earlier reports, that the natural jet decay remained essentially unchanged for varying initial turbulence. For a fixed amplitude of the tonal excitation, increasing the initial turbulence damped out the growth of the instability wave; as a result, the excitability, assessed from the mean velocity decay on the axis, was found to diminish. However, the degree of damping in the amplification of the instability wave was only slight compared to the large increase in the initial turbulence. The jet with 5 percent turbulence could be measurably altered by excitation with a velocity perturbation amplitude as little as 0.25 percent of the jet velocity. The amplitude effect data indicate an upper bound of the extent to which a jet could be excited, and thus its plume shortened, by the plane wave, single frequency excitation. An additional data set with no grid or trip, yielding a nominally laminar boundary layer, re-emphasizes the profound effect of initial boundary layer state on jet evolution as well as on its excitability. This jet decayed the fastest naturally, and consequently, it was the least excitable in spite of its turbulence being the least.

Raman, G.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Minimum weight design of structures via optimality criteria

The state of the art of automated structural design through the use of optimality criteria, with emphasis on aerospace applications is reviewed. Constraints on stresses, displacements, and buckling strengths under static loading, as well as lower bound limits on natural frequencies and flutter speeds are presented. It is presumed that the reader is experienced in finite element methods of analysis, but is not familiar with optimal design techniques.

Kiusalaas, J.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Combustion of porous solids at reduced gravitational conditions

A ground-based experimental and analytic study considered the utility and the feasibility of a space shuttle-based experimental study of the combustion poroussolids at reduced gravitational conditions. This ground-based study employed the Lewis Research Center's g = 0 (drop tower) facility. Experimental g = 1 studies were performed both at the Lewis Research Center and at State University of New York at Stony Brook. It is found that the considered space shuttle-based experimental program is expected to yield vital fundamental combustion information that is not obtainable from earth-bound studies alone. The considered space shuttle-based study is entirely feasible and a detailed approach to these experiments is presented.

Berlad, A. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Cloud fluid compression and softening in spiral arms and the formation of giant molecular cloud complexes

With regard to the galactodynamics of the cloudy interstellar medium, the paper considers the response of such a gas to a forcing potential in the tight-winding density wave theory. The cloud fluid is treated in the hydrodynamic limit with an equation of state which softens at high densities. It is shown that in the inner regions of the galaxy, cooling of the cloud fluid in the arms can result in gravitational instability and the formation of large bound complexes of clouds which are identified with the giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Masses, dimensions, distributions, and scale heights of the GMCs are predicted by the theory. It is suggested that the interstellar gas density in the disk is regulated by the gravitational instability mechanism in the arms which siphons material into star formation. Implications for the evolution of individual GMCs and for galactic morphology are discussed.

Cowie, L. L.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Coded error probability evaluation for antijam communication systems

We present a general union-Chernoff bound on the bit error probability for coded communication systems and apply it to examples of antijam systems. The key feature of this bound is the decoupling of the coding aspects of the system from the remaining part of the communication system which includes jamming, suboptimum detectors, and arbitrary decoding metrics which may or may not use jammer state knowledge

Omura, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Sensitivity analysis of limit state functions for probability-based plastic design

The evaluation of the total probability of a plastic collapse failure P sub f for a highly redundant structure of random interdependent plastic moments acted on by random interdepedent loads is a difficult and computationally very costly process. The evaluation of reasonable bounds to this probability requires the use of second moment algebra which involves man statistical parameters. A computer program which selects the best strategy for minimizing the interval between upper and lower bounds of P sub f is now in its final stage of development. The relative importance of various uncertainties involved in the computational process on the resulting bounds of P sub f, sensitivity is analyzed. Response sensitivities for both mode and system reliability of an ideal plastic portal frame are shown.

Frangopol, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1939

Photoelastic Analysis of Three-dimensional Stress Systems Using Scattered Light

A method has been developed for making photoelastic analyses of three-dimensional stress systems by utilizing the polarization phenomena associated with the scattering of light. By this method, the maximum shear and the directions of the three principal stresses at any point within a model can be determined, and the two principal stresses at a free-bounding surface can be separately evaluated. Polarized light is projected into the model through a slit so that it illuminates a plane section. The light is continuously analyzed along its path by scattering and the state of stress in the illuminated section is obtained. By means of a series of such sections, the entire stress field may be explored. The method was used to analyze the stress system of a simple beam in bending. The results were found to be in good agreement with those expected from elementary theory.

Weller, R↗

NASA NTRS1995

Screening Effects on Nonrelativistic Bremsstrahlung in the Scattering of Electrons by Neutral Atoms

Atomic screening effects on nonrelativistic electron-atom bremsstrahlung radiation are investigated using a simple analytic solution of the Thomas-Fermi model for many-electron atoms. The Born approximation is assumed for the initial and final states of the projectile electron. The results show that the screening effect is important in the soft radiation region and is decreasing with increasing radiation. These results help provide correct information about the behavior of bound electrons in the target atom in bremsstrahlung processes.

Jung, Young-Dae↗

NASA NTRS2004

Adding Assurance to Automatically Generated Code

Code to estimate position and attitude of a spacecraft or aircraft belongs to the most safety-critical parts of flight software. The complex underlying mathematics and abundance of design details make it error-prone and reliable implementations costly. AutoFilter is a program synthesis tool for the automatic generation of state estimation code from compact specifications. It can automatically produce additional safety certificates which formally guarantee that each generated program individually satisfies a set of important safety policies. These safety policies (e.g.. array-bounds, variable initialization) form a core of properties which are essential for high-assurance software. Here we describe the AutoFilter system and its certificate generator and compare our approach to the static analysis tool PolySpace.

Denney, Ewen↗

NASA NTRS2005

Distributed Optimization

We demonstrate a new framework for analyzing and controlling distributed systems, by solving constrained optimization problems with an algorithm based on that framework. The framework is ar. information-theoretic extension of conventional full-rationality game theory to allow bounded rational agents. The associated optimization algorithm is a game in which agents control the variables of the optimization problem. They do this by jointly minimizing a Lagrangian of (the probability distribution of) their joint state. The updating of the Lagrange parameters in that Lagrangian is a form of automated annealing, one that focuses the multi-agent system on the optimal pure strategy. We present computer experiments for the k-sat constraint satisfaction problem and for unconstrained minimization of NK functions.

Macready, William↗