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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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NASA NTRS1985

On the evaluation of expected performance cost for partially observed closed-loop stochastic systems

New methods are presented for evaluating the expected performance cost of partially observed closed-loop stochastic systems. When the variances of the process statistics are small, a linearized model of the closed-loop stochastic system is defined for which the expected cost can be evaluated by recursion on a set of purely deterministic difference equations. When the variances of the process statistics are large, the linearized model can be used in the control variate method of variance reduction for reducing the number of sample paths required for effective Monte Carlo estimation.

Bayard, D. S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Applications of Sequential Estimation to Numerical Weather Prediction

The main objective of this cooperative research with NASA's Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences (GLAS) is to use information about the atmosphere acquired from new types of observations, especially from satellites, in order to deepen our understanding of its behavior on time scales from hours to years. This is achieved by: (1) improving the methods for processing point observations into complete fields in space and time, using sequential estimation theory; and (2) analyzing low-frequency atmospheric variability by the methods of dynamical system theory, suitably modified to enhance practical predictability.

Ghil, M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The cosmic Mach number - Direct comparisons of observations and models

A robust method is used to derive the cosmic Mach number, M, from existing peculiar velocity data sets. For the IR Tully-Fisher distances of spirals in the Local Supercluster of Aaronson et al. (1979, 1982), M of 1.03 and a characteristic distance from the Local Group of 1464 km/s are found. For the elliptical galaxy sample of Faber et al. (1987, 1988), M of 0.57, with a characteristic distance of 2572 km/s is found. These results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations of the observational realizations drawn from numerical simulations of the universe based on various scenarios, including the standard cold dark matter (CDM) scenario. The effect of velocity bias on the derived Mach number is found to be small. Only 5 percent of the CDM simulations have M as large as or larger than that derived for the Aaronson et al. sample.

Strauss, Michael A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Nano-engineered Multiwall Carbon Nanotube-copper Composite Thermal Interface Material for Efficient Heat Conduction

Efforts in integrated circuit (IC) packaging technologies have recently been focused on management of increasing heat density associated with high frequency and high density circuit designs. While current flip-chip package designs can accommodate relatively high amounts of heat density, new materials need to be developed to manage thermal effects of next-generation integrated circuits. Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) have been shown to significantly enhance thermal conduction in the axial direction and thus can be considered to be a candidate for future thermal interface materials by facilitating efficient thermal transport. This work focuses on fabrication and characterization of a robust MWNT-copper composite material as an element in IC package designs. We show that using vertically aligned MWNT arrays reduces interfacial thermal resistance by increasing conduction surface area, and furthermore, the embedded copper acts as a lateral heat spreader to efficiently disperse heat, a necessary function for packaging materials. In addition, we demonstrate reusability of the material, and the absence of residue on the contacting material, both novel features of the MWNT-copper composite that are not found in most state-of-the-art thermal interface materials. Electrochemical methods such as metal deposition and etch are discussed for the creation of the MWNT-Cu composite, detailing issues and observations with using such methods. We show that precise engineering of the composite surface affects the ability of this material to act as an efficient thermal interface material. A thermal contact resistance measurement has been designed to obtain a value of thermal contact resistance for a variety of different thermal contact materials.

Ngo, Quoc↗

NASA NTRS2008

Black Hole Mergers as Probes of Structure Formation

Intense structure formation and reionization occur at high redshift, yet there is currently little observational information about this very important epoch. Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole (MBH) mergers can provide us with important clues about the formation of structures in the early universe. Past efforts have been limited to calculating merger rates using different models in which many assumptions are made about the specific values of physical parameters of the mergers, resulting in merger rate estimates that span a very wide range (0.1 - 104 mergers/year). Here we develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model of MBH mergers that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters, which we then turn around to determine how well observations with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z 5 - 30 structure formation era. We do this by generating synthetic LISA observable data (total BH mass, BH mass ratio, redshift, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. This allows us to constrain the physical parameters of the mergers. We find that our methodology works well at estimating merger parameters, consistently giving results within 1- of the input parameter values. We also discover that the number of merger events is a key discriminant among models. This helps our method be robust against observational uncertainties. Our approach, which at this stage constitutes a proof of principle, can be readily extended to physical models and to more general problems in cosmology and gravitational wave astrophysics.

Alicea-Munoz, E.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Diagnosis of Magnetic Structures and Intermittency in Space Plasma Turbulence using the Method of Surrogate Data

Several observations in space plasmas have reported the presence of coherent structures at different plasma scales. Structure formation is believed to be a direct consequence of nonlinear interactions between the plasma modes, which depend strongly on phase synchronization of those modes. Despite this important role of the phases in turbulence, very limited work has been however devoted to study the phases as a potential tracers of nonlinearities in comparison with the wealth of literature on power spectra of turbulence where phases are totally missed. We present a method based on surrogate data to systematically detect coherent structures in turbulent signals. The new method has been applied successfully to magnetosheath turbulence (Sahraoui, Phys. Rev. E, 2008, in press), where the relationship between the identified phase coherence and intermittency (classically identified as non Gaussian tails of the PDFs) as well as the energy cascade has been studied. Here we review the main results obtained in that study and show further applications to small scale solar wind turbulence. Implications of the results on theoretical modelling of space turbulence (applicability of weak/wave turbulence, its validity limits and its connection to intermittency) will be discussed.

Sahraoui, Fouad↗

NASA NTRS1987

Radiometric calibration of the Earth observing system's imaging sensors

Philosophy, requirements, and methods of calibration of multispectral space sensor systems as applicable to the Earth Observing System (EOS) are discussed. Vicarious methods for calibration of low spatial resolution systems, with respect to the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), are then summarized. Finally, a theoretical introduction is given to a new vicarious method of calibration using the ratio of diffuse-to-global irradiance at the Earth's surfaces as the key input. This may provide an additional independent method for in-flight calibration.

Slater, P. N.↗

NASA NTRS1977

On determining magnetospheric diffusion coefficients from the observed effects of Jupiter's satellite Io

A method is derived for determining the radial diffusion coefficient from observed satellite effects of the inner Jovian satellites on the energetic particle fluxes. The method is based on data from L values which are significantly removed from the actual sweeping region. With regard to the large losses to the protons at Io's L shell, it is suggested that in addition to satellite sweepup, the losses may be associated with an enhanced precipitation due to resonant interaction with ion cyclotron waves near Io's orbit. It is noted that such additional loss mechanisms may also apply to electrons, and that such losses may significantly affect the estimated diffusion coefficient.

Thomsen, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Estimation of time averages from irregularly spaced observations - With application to coastal zone color scanner estimates of chlorophyll concentration

The sampling error of an arbitrary linear estimate of a time-averaged quantity constructed from a time series of irregularly spaced observations at a fixed located is quantified through a formalism. The method is applied to satellite observations of chlorophyll from the coastal zone color scanner. The two specific linear estimates under consideration are the composite average formed from the simple average of all observations within the averaging period and the optimal estimate formed by minimizing the mean squared error of the temporal average based on all the observations in the time series. The resulting suboptimal estimates are shown to be more accurate than composite averages. Suboptimal estimates are also found to be nearly as accurate as optimal estimates using the correct signal and measurement error variances and correlation functions for realistic ranges of these parameters, which makes it a viable practical alternative to the composite average method generally employed at present.

Chelton, Dudley B.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Magnetic Field Intermittency in the Solar Wind: Parker Solar Probe and SolO Observations Ranging from the Alfvén Region up to 1AU

Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and SolO data are utilized to investigate magnetic field intermittency in the solar wind (SW). Small-scale intermittency (20−100 di) is observed to radially strengthen when methods relying on higher-order moments are considered (SFq; SDK), but no clear trend is observed at larger scales. However, lower-order moment-based methods (e.g., partial variance of increments; PVI) are deemed more appropriate for examining the evolution of the bulk of coherent structures (CSs), PVI ≥ 3. Using PVI, we observe a scale-dependent evolution in the fraction of the data set occupied by CSs, fPVI≥3. Specifically, regardless of the SW speed, a subtle increase is found in fPVI≥3 for ℓ = 20 di, in contrast to a more pronounced radial increase in CSs observed at larger scales. Intermittency is investigated in relation to plasma parameters. Though, slower SW speed intervals exhibit higher fPVI≥6 and higher kurtosis maxima, no statistical differences are observed for fPVI≥3. Highly Alfvénic intervals display lower levels of intermittency. The anisotropy with respect to the angle between the magnetic field and SW flow, ΘVB is investigated. Intermittency is weaker at ΘVB ≈ 0° and is strengthened at larger angles. Considering the evolution at a constant alignment angle, a weakening of intermittency is observed with increasing advection time of the SW. Our results indicate that the strengthening of intermittency in the inner heliosphere is driven by the increase in comparatively highly intermittent perpendicular intervals sampled by the probes with increasing distance, an effect related directly to the evolution of the Parker spiral.

Nikos Sioulas↗

NASA NTRS1990

Minimum-size design of regulation systems and the application to Space Station

A method is proposed to determine the sizes of the regulator and observer and to design the feedback and Kalman gain matrices for the reduced system. The sizes determined are minimum in the sense of satisfying the specified eigenvalue limits when the interaction between the regulator and the observer can be neglected. The resulting sizes will depend on the properties of the original system and the desired response. If the interaction between the regulator and the observer becomes substantial, more modes in the observer should be included, or other methods should be used for reducing the observation spillover or control spillover.

Reddy, A. S. S. R.↗

NASA NTRS2004

ICESat Observations of Inland Surface Water Stage, Slope, and Extent: a New Method for Hydrologic Monitoring

River discharge and changes in lake, reservoir and wetland water storage are critical terms in the global surface water balance, yet they are poorly observed globally and the prospects for adequate observations from in-situ networks are poor (Alsdorf et al., 2003). The NASA-sponsored Surface Water Working Group has established a framework for advancing satellite observations of river discharge and water storage changes which focuses on obtaining measurements of water surface height (stage), slope, and extent. Satellite laser altimetry, which can achieve centimeter-level elevation precision for single, small laser footprints, provides a method to obtain these inland water parameters and contribute to global water balance monitoring. Since its launch in January, 2003 the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), a NASA Earth Observing System mission, has achieved over 540 million laser pulse observations of ice sheet, ocean surface, land topography, and inland water elevations and cloud and aerosol height distributions. By recording the laser backscatter from 80 m diameter footprints spaced 175 m along track, ICESat acquires globally-distributed elevation profiles, using a 1064 nm laser altimeter channel, and cloud and aerosol profiles, using a 532 nm atmospheric lidar channel. The ICESat mission has demonstrated the following laser altimeter capabilities relevant to observations of inland water: (1) elevation measurements with a precision of 2 to 3 cm for flat surfaces, suitable for detecting river surface slopes along long river reaches or between multiple crossings of a meandering river channel, (2) from the laser backscatter waveform, detection of water surface elevations beneath vegetation canopies, suitable for measuring water stage in flooded forests, (3) single pulse absolute elevation accuracy of about 50 cm (1 sigma) for 1 degree sloped surfaces, with calibration work in progress indicating that a final accuracy of about 12 cm (1 sigma) will be achieved for clear atmosphere conditions, suitable for detection of stage changes through time, (4) ability to precisely point the spacecraft so as to position the laser profile on the Earth the surface with a cross-track accuracy of 50 m (1 sigma), enabling small water bodies and specific locations to be targeted and re-observed through time, (5) adequate signal levels from specular water surfaces up to 5 degrees off-nadir, enabling complete global access to any location on the Earth's surface from the ICESat repeat orbit by off-nadir pointing, and (6) day and night operation with successful laser ranging to the Earth's surface through thin to moderate cloud cover, enabling more frequent measurements than can be achieved by passive optical sensors. Here we illustrate these capabilities by showing ICESat observations through time for selected river and lake locations.

Harding, David J.↗

NASA NTRS2002

A Method to Retrieve Rainfall Rate over Land from TRMM Observations

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) observations over mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) reveal that there are localized maxima in the rain rate with a scale of about 10 to 20 km that represent thunderstorms (Cbs). Some of these Cbs are developing or intense, while others are decaying or weak. These Cbs constitute only about 20 % of the rain area of a given MCS. Outside of Cbs, the average rain rate is much weaker than that within Cbs. From an analysis of the PR data, we find that the spatial distribution of rain and its character, convective or stratiform, is highly inhomogeneous. This complex nature of rain exists on a scale comparable to that of a Cb. The 85 GHz brightness temperature, T85, observations of the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer taken over an MCS reflect closely the PR rain rate pattern over land. Local maxima in rain rate shown by PR are observed as local minima in T85. Where there are no minima in T85, PR observations indicate there is light rain. However, the TMI brightness temperature measurements (Tbs) have poor ability to discriminate convective rain from stratiform rain. For this reason, a TMI rain retrieval procedure that depends primarily on the magnitude of Tbs performs poorly. In order to retrieve rain rate from TMI data on land one has to include the spatial distribution information deduced from the T85 data in the retrieval method. Then, quantitative estimation of rain rate can be accomplished. A TMI rain retrieval method developed along these lines can yield estimates of rain rate and its frequency distribution which agree closely with that given by PR. We find the current TRMM project TMI (Version 5) rain retrieval algorithm on land could be improved with the retrieval scheme developed here. To support the conceptual frame work of the rain retrieval method developed here, a theoretical analysis of the TMI brightness temperatures in convective and stratiform regions is presented.

Prabhakara, C.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Drop Axis Ratio Distributions in Stratiform and Convective Rain

A fully calibrated low profile 2D video disdrometer (2DVD) has been recording many different rainfall events in Northern Alabama (USA) since June 2007. An earlier publication reported drop shapes and axis ratio distributions determined for some of the events. For one of the cases examined, a noticeable shift in the 3.5 - 3.75 mm drop axis ratio distribution was noted. In this paper, we extend the earlier work by separating the 2DVD measurements into stratiform and convective rain. The separation is made possible by using the minute-by-minute drop size distribution (DSD) measured by the 2DVD. The 1-minute DSDs are fitted to a gamma distribution, and using a simple indexing technique which involves two of the fitted parameters, periods of convective and stratiform rain are separated for a given event. The output of the DSD indexing technique is qualitatively confirmed by comparing with simultaneous time series observations from a co-located UHF profiler which continuously records height profiles of reflectivity, Doppler mean and spectral width, all of which enable the identification of bright-band periods and, furthermore, periods of moderate and deep convection. Excellent consistency is found between the output of the DSD-based separation method and the profiler observations. Next, we utilize the output of DSD index-based separation method to flag the periods of severe convection for a given event. Drop axis ratios during the flagged periods are derived and compared with those during stratiform rain periods. Five cases have been considered. Axis ratio distributions do not show appreciable differences between stratiform and convective periods for four of the cases. The fifth case (the same case as reported earlier) shows a shift in the 3.5 - 3.75 mm drop axis ratios during a prolonged period of convection. The contoured shapes for these drops determined from the 2DVD camera data indicate the possibility of non-axisymmetric oscillations, compared with the contoured images for other events which fit well to our reference drop shapes. For all of above cases, observations from a C-band polarimetric radar - situated 15 km away are examined. The variations between the co-polar radar reflectivity and the differential reflectivity as well as the specific differential phase are compared with the 2DVD data based scattering calculations for the 5 events. The implications will be discussed.

Thurai, M.↗

NASA NTRS1947

Theoretical Additional Span Loading Characteristics of Wings with Arbitrary Sweep, Aspect Ratio, and Taper Ratio

The Weissinger method for determining additional span loading has been used to find the lift-curve slope, spanwise center of pressure, aerodynamic center location, and span loading coefficients of untwisted and uncambered wings having a wide range of plan forms characterized by various combinations of sweep, aspect ratio, and taper ratio. The results are presented as variations of the aerodynamic characteristics with sweep angle for various values of aspect ratio and taper ratio. Methods are also included for determining induced drag and the approximate effects of compressibility. Despite the limitations of a lifting line method such as Weissinger's, the good agreement found between experimentally and theoretically determined characteristics warrants confidence in the method. In particular, it is believed that trends observed in results of the Weissinger method should be reliable. One of the most significant results showed that for each angle of sweep there is a taper ratio for which aspect ratio has little effect on the span loading and for which the loading is practically elliptical. This elliptic loading is approached at a taper ratio of 1.39 for 30 degree of sweepforward, 0.45 for zero degree of sweepback. (author)

Deyoung, John↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Predictions of the Azimuthal Variation of the Noise from Chevron Jets using an Acoustic Analogy

An existing acoustic analogy formulation is used to make predictions of the turbulent mixing noise from a series of chevron jets tested at NASA Glenn Research Center. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solutions are used as input to provide the mean flow and turbulence quantities needed to compute the Green’s function and parameterize the source model. The Green’s function for the non-axisymmetric mean flows generated by these nozzles is computed using a second-order finite volume method. A slightly modified version of an existing source model originally developed for round jets is used to assess its capability in these non-axisymmetric flows. Prediction results are compared with experimental data for a range of azimuthal orders of the nozzle geometry and flow speeds. The results show that the RANS-based acoustic analogy prediction method is able to capture the observed azimuthal variation of the sound field fairly well at relatively low jet exit velocities. At higher speeds, the prediction method still captures the observed trends in azimuthal directivity but not the absolute levels, particularly at higher frequencies. Areas for potential improvement of the method are suggested.

Jet Noise↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Predictions of the Azimuthal Variation of the Noise from Chevron Jets using an Acoustic Analogy

Jet Noise↗

NASA NTRS1973

Free geometric adjustment of the DOC/DOD cooperative worldwide geodetic satellite (BC-4) network

The application of observations from the ANNA satellite to solve geodetic problems is discussed. The establishment of a worldwide network of optical observing stations by the National Geodetic Survey is reported. The geodetic network is composed of 49 observing stations, more or less evenly distributed throughout the world. A method for using correlated satellite observations for the accurate recovery of ground station positions and applying the result to the adjustment of the National Geodetic Survey worldwide network was developed.

Reilly, J. P.↗