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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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This research has laid a foundation for continued study of permafrost polygons on Mars using the models and understanding discussed here. Further study of polygonal patterns on Mars is proceeding (under new funding) which is expected to reveal more results about the origin of observed martian polygons and what information they contain regarding the recent history of tile martian climate and of water ice on Mars.
M87 is the nearest radio galaxy with a powerful jet, and hence is one of our best opportunities to study non-thermal emission in these types of galaxies. The primary objectives of this project were: a) Study the structure of the X-ray emission from both the jet and extended halo, and its relationship to the radio and optical emission regions, b) Search for variable in the X-ray emission form the galaxy core and jet using multi-epoch ROSAT images, c) Constrain possible emission mechanisms for the both the jet and diffuse X-rays.
Numerous measurements taken with a variety of airborne, balloon borne and ground based instruments over the past decade have revealed a complex multiscaled 3D structure in both chemical and dynamical fields in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. The variability occurs on scales that are well below the resolution of satellite measurements, leading to problems in measurement validation. We discuss some statistical ideas that can shed some light on the contribution of the natural variability to the inevitable differences in correlative measurements that are not strictly colocated, or that have different spatial resolution.
The millions of ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft measurements of long-lived tracers in the Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere (UT/LS) hold enormous potential as a source of statistical information about subgrid scale dynamics. Extracting this information however can be extremely difficult because the measurements are made along a 1-D transect through fields that are highly anisotropic in all three dimensions. Some of the challenges and limitations posed by both the instrumentation and platform are illustrated within the context of the problem of using the data to obtain an estimate of the dissipation scale. This presentation will also include some tutorial remarks about the conditional and two-point statistics used in the analysis.
We studied galaxy clusters Abell 119, Abell 754, and Abell 1750, using data from the ASCA and ROSAT satellites. In addition, we completed the paper "Merging Binary Clusters". In this paper we study three prominent bi-modal X-ray clusters: A3528, A1750 and A3395. Since the sub-clusters in these systems have projected separations of 0.93, 1.00 and 0.67 Mpc respectively, we examine their X-ray and optical observations to investigate the dynamics and possible merging of these sub-clusters. Using data taken with ROSAT and ASCA, we analyze the temperature and surface brightness distributions. We also analyze the velocity distributions of the three clusters using new measurements supplemented with previously published data. We examined both the overall cluster properties as well as the two sub-cluster elements in each. These results were then applied to the determination of the overall cluster masses, that demonstrate excellent consistency between the various methods used. While the characteristic parameters of the sub-clusters are typical of isolated objects, our temperature results for the regions between the two sub-clusters clearly confirm the presence of merger activity that is suggested by the surface brightness distributions. These three clusters represent a progression of equal-sized sub-cluster mergers, starting from initial contact to immediately before first core passage.
We will discuss the fractal nature of surface structures on asteroid 433 Eros. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
We present aircraft measurements of near-surface atmospheric boundary layer roll signatures and radar-derived sea surface roughness. The open-ocean data were collected at an altitude of 20 m using NOAA's Long-EZ aircraft. In addition, the flight was coincident with a RADARSAT SAR overpass where presumed boundary layer roll impacts are prevalent in the SAR backscatter image. The Long-EZ air and sea data are completely coincident in space and time and this unique feature allows us to validate the supposed link between SAR backscatter signatures and organized large eddy surface impacts. We find remarkable correlation between measured modulations in the along-wind component of wind speed and radar backscatter for the atmospheric eddy scale of 1 to 1.5 km. Close agreement between normalized modulation amplitudes suggests the radar-inferred surface slope variance is changing linearly with wind speed. Implications for SAR usage in coastal regions and for boundary layer study will be discussed.
This project used Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (EP TOMS) along-track ozone retrievals, in conjunction with ancillary meteorological fields and modeling studies, for high resolution investigations of upper troposphere and lower stratosphere dynamics. Specifically, high resolution along-track (Level 2) EP TOMS data were used to investigate the beautiful fine-scale structure in constituent and meteorological fields prominent in the evolution of highly non-linear baroclinic storm systems. Comparison was made with high resolution meteorological models. The analyses provide internal consistency checks and validation of the EP TOMS data which are vital for monitoring ozone depletion in both polar and midlatitude regions.
Patchiness is perhaps the most salient characteristic of plankton populations in the ocean. The scale of this heterogeneity spans many orders of magnitude in its spatial extent, ranging from planetary down to microscale. It has been argued that patchiness plays a fundamental role in the functioning of marine ecosystems, insofar as the mean conditions may not reflect the environment to which organisms are adapted. Understanding the nature of this patchiness is thus one of the major challenges of oceanographic ecology. The patchiness problem is fundamentally one of physical-biological-chemical interactions. This interconnection arises from three basic sources: (1) ocean currents continually redistribute dissolved and suspended constituents by advection; (2) space-time fluctuations in the flows themselves impact biological and chemical processes, and (3) organisms are capable of directed motion through the water. This tripartite linkage poses a difficult challenge to understanding oceanic ecosystems: differentiation between the three sources of variability requires accurate assessment of property distributions in space and time, in addition to detailed knowledge of organismal repertoires and the processes by which ambient conditions control the rates of biological and chemical reactions. Various methods of observing the ocean tend to lie parallel to the axes of the space/time domain in which these physical-biological-chemical interactions take place. Given that a purely observational approach to the patchiness problem is not tractable with finite resources, the coupling of models with observations offers an alternative which provides a context for synthesis of sparse data with articulations of fundamental principles assumed to govern functionality of the system. In a sense, models can be used to fill the gaps in the space/time domain, yielding a framework for exploring the controls on spatially and temporally intermittent processes. The following discussion highlights only a few of the multitude of models which have yielded insight into the dynamics of plankton patchiness. In addition, this particular collection of examples is intended to furnish some exposure to the diversity of modeling approaches which can be brought to bear on the problem. These approaches range from abstract theoretical models intended to elucidate specific processes, to complex numerical formulations which can be used to actually simulate observed distributions in detail.
We have conducted a deep Q-band (lambda-7 mm) search with the Very Large Array (VLA) toward OMC-1 for the lowest energy conformation (conformer I) of glycine (NH2CH2COOH) in four rotational transitions: the 6(sub 15)- 5(sub 14), 6(sub 24)-5(sub 23), 7(sub 17- 6(sub 16), and 7(sub 07)-6(sub 06). Our VLA observations sample the smallest-scale structures to date in the search for glycine toward OMC-1. No glycine emission features were detected. Thus if glycine exists in OMC-1, either it is below our detection limit, or it is more spatially extended than other large molecules in this source, or it is primarily in its high energy form (conformer II). Our VLA glycine fractional abundance limits in OMC-1 are comparable to those determined from previous IRAM 30m measurements -- somewhat better or worse depending on the specific source model -- and the entire approximately 1 foot primary beam of the VLA was searched while sensitive to an areal spatial scale approximately 150 times smaller than the 24 inch beam of the IRAM single-element telescope. In the course of this work, we detected and imaged the 4(sub 14)-3(sub 13) A and E transitions of methyl formate (HCOOCH3) and also the 2(sub 02) - 1(sub 01) transition of formic acid (HCOOH). Since formic acid is a possible precursor to glycine, our glycine limits and formic acid results provide a constraint on this potential formation chemistry route for glycine in OMC-1.
The objective of the 2003 study is to develop a mechanically processed, high temperature TiAl alloy for use in the Turbine Based Combined Cycle compressor. An aging study with 3 temperatures and 4 time periods at each temperature will be conducted to determine the optimum aging condition. High-magnification microscopic analyses shall be employed to define the size distribution of carbide as a function of aging temperature/time. The contractor shall define optimum materials' conditions by conducting tensile and creep testing for two over-aging conditions for both alloys and fatigue testing for one over-aging condition for each alloy.
This report describes a guidance system for agile vehicles based on a hybrid closed-loop model of the vehicle dynamics. The hybrid model represents the vehicle dynamics through a combination of linear-time-invariant control modes and pre-programmed, finite-duration maneuvers. This particular hybrid structure can be realized through a control system that combines trim controllers and a maneuvering control logic. The former enable precise trajectory tracking, and the latter enables trajectories at the edge of the vehicle capabilities. The closed-loop model is much simpler than the full vehicle equations of motion, yet it can capture a broad range of dynamic behaviors. It also supports a consistent link between the physical layer and the decision-making layer. The trajectory generation was formulated as an optimization problem using mixed-integer-linear-programming. The optimization is solved in a receding horizon fashion. Several techniques to improve the computational tractability were investigate. Simulation experiments using NASA Ames 'R-50 model show that this approach fully exploits the vehicle's agility.
The dynamics and stability of systems of interfaces is central to a range of technologies related to the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS). Our premise is that dramatic shape changes can be manipulated to advantage with minimal input, if the system is near instability. The primary objective is to develop the science base to allow novel approaches to liquid management in low-gravity based on this premise. HEDS requires efficient, reliable and lightweight technologies. Our poster will highlight our progress toward this goal using the capillary switch as an example. A capillary surface is a liquid/liquid or liquid/gas interface whose shape is determined by surface tension. For typical liquids (e.g., water) against gas on earth, capillary surfaces occur on the millimeterscale and smaller where shape deformation due to gravity is unimportant. In low gravity, they can occur on the centimeter scale. Capillary surfaces can be combined to make a switch a system with multiple stable states. A capillary switch can generate motion or effect force. To be practical, the energy barriers of such a switch must be tunable, its switching time (kinetics) short and its triggering mechanism reliable. We illustrate these features with a capillary switch that consists of two droplets, coupled by common pressure. As long as contact lines remained pinned, motions are inviscid, even at sub-millimeter scales, with consequent promise of low-power consumption at the device level. Predictions of theory are compared to experiment on i) a soap-film prototype at centimeter scale and ii) a liquid droplet switch at millimeter-scale.
Proxemy Research had a grant from NASA to perform science research on upwelling and volcanism on Venus. This was a 3 year Planetary Geology and Geophysics grant to E. Stofan, entitled Coronae and Large volcanoes on Venus. This grant closes on 12/31/05. Here we summarize the scientific progress and accomplishments of this grant. Scientific publications and abstracts of presentations are indicated in the final section. This was a very productive grant and the progress that was made is summarized. Attention is drawn to the publications and abstracts published in each year. The proposal consisted of two tasks, one examining coronae and one studying large volcanoes. The corona task (Task 1) consisted of three parts: 1) a statistical study of the updated corona population, with Sue Smrekar, Lori Glaze, Paula Martin and Steve Baloga; 2) geologic analysis of several specific groups of coronae, with Sue Smrekar and others; and 3) determining the histories and significance of a number of coronae with extreme amounts of volcanism, with Sue Smrekar. Task 2, studies of large volcanoes, consisted of two subtasks. In the first, we studied the geologic history of several volcanoes, with John Guest, Peter Grindrod, Antony Brian and Steve Anderson. In the second subtask, I analyzed a number of Venusian volcanoes with evidence of summit diking along with Peter Grindrod and Francis Nimmo.
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