Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Radiation Environment Modeling”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 595 records · Page 33

Solar Particle Events Observed by the Odyssey MARIE Instrument at Mars: Dose and Model Calculations

One of the primary concerns prior to human exploration of Mars is the need to accurately characterize the charged particle radiation environment both for the surface stay, and for the transit period to and from the planet. The Odyssey spacecraft, currently in Mars orbit includes a charged particle radiation detector, MARIE, which can measure particle fluxes with energies above approx. 30 MeV and charges between 1 and 10. Two classes of particles are of particular interest: the Galactic Cosmic Rays, (GCR), and those charged particles associated with Solar Particle Events, (SPE). The GCR are present continuously throughout the solar activity cycle, and their numbers vary inversely with the level of solar activity. They are characteristically more energetic than those particles originating from solar activity, and hence less influences by the solar magnetic field.

Cleghorn, T. F.↗

Measurements of Photoelectric Yield and Physical Properties of Individual Lunar Dust Grains

Micron size dust grains levitated and transported on the lunar surface constitute a major problem for the robotic and human habitat missions for the Moon. It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron/sub-micron size dust grains. Transient dust clouds over the lunar horizon were observed by experiments during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics is believed to have a severe impact on the human habitat and the lifetime and operations of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the phenomena and the charging properties of the lunar dust in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. We will present results of some recent laboratory experiments on individual micro/sub-micron size dust grains levitated in electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. The experiments involve photoelectric emission measurements of individual micron size lunar dust grains illuminated with UV radiation in the 120-160 nm wavelength range. The photoelectric yields are required to determine the charging properties of lunar dust illuminated by solar UV radiation. We will present some recent results of laboratory measurement of the photoelectric yields and the physical properties of individual micron size dust grains from the Apollo and Luna-24 sample returns as well as the JSC-1 lunar simulants.

Abbas, M. M.↗

RadLab: A Comprehensive Database and Graphical and Programming Interfaces for Space Radiation Data

RadLab, a component of the NASA Open Science Data Repository (OSDR), is a database of radiation measurements from multiple instruments and spacecraft that provides visual and programmatic interfaces for interrogation and retrieval of these data. The attributes of data available through RadLab include spacecraft, types of radiation sensing instruments, locations within the spacecraft (e.g. ISS modules), associated celestial bodies, trajectories, and spacecraft coordinates; the primary type of data is the absorbed dose rate, as well as flux and dose equivalent rate where available. The application programming interface (API) implements a request syntax for retrieval of timestamped data filtered by various combinations of such attributes; the graphical user interface (GUI) extends this functionality with visualizations (time series plots, comparison plots, geospatial visualizations) which provide easy means to assess data availability, iteratively refine search parameters, interactively inspect the data, and export target data subsets. Datasets are continuously being added to the RadLab database as part of the rolling release process. Investigators from multiple countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Russia and the Czech Republic, have committed to provide data from their instruments in and beyond low Earth orbit. The current release contains datasets provided by US and international collaborators and includes readings from multiple modules of the ISS, the BioSentinel CubeSat, Chang’e 4, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the ExoMars Orbiter, and the Curiosity rover. Datasets are associated with respective RadLab knowledgebase articles which include instrument descriptions and provide bibliographical references. RadLab aims to provide a comprehensive, dynamic compendium of space radiation data, enabling the scientific community to perform analyses of data from multiple detectors and to determine the radiation environment of research missions and experiments. Some of its applications include inference of absorbed radiation dose for NASA GeneLab payloads, and training predictive models as part of the 2024 FDL-X challenge. The platform is actively expanding and seeking additional data, with plans to also cover past (e.g. Shuttle, Mir) and future (e.g. Artemis) missions. The RadLab Working Group has been created to aid in this process as well as to foster collaborations among data contributors and users, to develop standards for data harmonization, and to guide the development of the platform, with the goal to establish the use of RadLab in space radiation research and to advance our understanding of the radiation environment in outer space.

Kirill Grigorev↗

RadLab: A Comprehensive Database and Graphical and Programming Interfaces for Space Radiation Data

RadLab, a component of the NASA Open Science Data Repository (OSDR), is a database of radiation measurements from multiple instruments and spacecraft that provides visual and programmatic interfaces for interrogation and retrieval of these data. The attributes of data available through RadLab include spacecraft, types of radiation sensing instruments, locations within the spacecraft (e.g. ISS modules), associated celestial bodies, trajectories, and spacecraft coordinates; the primary type of data is the absorbed dose rate, as well as flux and dose equivalent rate where available. The application programming interface (API) implements a request syntax for retrieval of timestamped data filtered by various combinations of such attributes; the graphical user interface (GUI) extends this functionality with visualizations (time series plots, comparison plots, geospatial visualizations) which provide easy means to assess data availability, iteratively refine search parameters, interactively inspect the data, and export target data subsets. Datasets are continuously being added to the RadLab database as part of the rolling release process. Investigators from multiple countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Russia and the Czech Republic, have committed to provide data from their instruments in and beyond low Earth orbit. The current release contains datasets provided by US and international collaborators and includes readings from multiple modules of the ISS, the BioSentinel CubeSat, Chang’e 4, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the ExoMars Orbiter, and the Curiosity rover. Datasets are associated with respective RadLab knowledgebase articles which include instrument descriptions and provide bibliographical references. RadLab aims to provide a comprehensive, dynamic compendium of space radiation data, enabling the scientific community to perform analyses of data from multiple detectors and to determine the radiation environment of research missions and experiments. Some of its applications include inference of absorbed radiation dose for NASA GeneLab payloads, and training predictive models as part of the 2024 FDL-X challenge. The platform is actively expanding and seeking additional data, with plans to also cover past (e.g. Shuttle, Mir) and future (e.g. Artemis) missions. The RadLab Working Group has been created to aid in this process as well as to foster collaborations among data contributors and users, to develop standards for data harmonization, and to guide the development of the platform, with the goal to establish the use of RadLab in space radiation research and to advance our understanding of the radiation environment in outer space.

Kirill Grigorev↗

Space Radiation Effects on Human Cells: Modeling DNA Breakage, DNA Damage Foci Distribution, Chromosomal Aberrations and Tissue Effects

Future long-tem space travel will face challenges from radiation concerns as the space environment poses health risk to humans in space from radiations with high biological efficiency and adverse post-flight long-term effects. Solar particles events may dramatically affect the crew performance, while Galactic Cosmic Rays will induce a chronic exposure to high-linear-energy-transfer (LET) particles. These types of radiation, not present on the ground level, can increase the probability of a fatal cancer later in astronaut life. No feasible shielding is possible from radiation in space, especially for the heavy ion component, as suggested solutions will require a dramatic increase in the mass of the mission. Our research group focuses on fundamental research and strategic analysis leading to better shielding design and to better understanding of the biological mechanisms of radiation damage. We present our recent effort to model DNA damage and tissue damage using computational models based on the physics of heavy ion radiation, DNA structure and DNA damage and repair in human cells. Our particular area of expertise include the clustered DNA damage from high-LET radiation, the visualization of DSBs (DNA double strand breaks) via DNA damage foci, image analysis and the statistics of the foci for different experimental situations, chromosomal aberration formation through DSB misrepair, the kinetics of DSB repair leading to a model-derived spectrum of chromosomal aberrations, and, finally, the simulation of human tissue and the pattern of apoptotic cell damage. This compendium of theoretical and experimental data sheds light on the complex nature of radiation interacting with human DNA, cells and tissues, which can lead to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis later in human life after the space mission.

Ponomarev, A. L.↗

Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): Overview of Science Objectives, Instrument Design, Data Products, and Model Developments

The highly variable solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is the major energy input to the Earth's upper atmosphere, strongly impacting the geospace environment, affecting satellite operations, communications, and navigation. The Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) onboard the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will measure the solar EUV irradiance from 0.1 to 105 nm with unprecedented spectral resolution (0.1 nm), temporal cadence (ten seconds), and accuracy (20%). EVE includes several irradiance instruments: The Multiple EUV Grating Spectrographs (MEGS)-A is a grazingincidence spectrograph that measures the solar EUV irradiance in the 5 to 37 nm range with 0.1-nm resolution, and the MEGS-B is a normal-incidence, dual-pass spectrograph that measures the solar EUV irradiance in the 35 to 105 nm range with 0.1-nm resolution. To provide MEGS in-flight calibration, the EUV SpectroPhotometer (ESP) measures the solar EUV irradiance in broadbands between 0.1 and 39 nm, and a MEGS-Photometer measures the Sun s bright hydrogen emission at 121.6 nm. The EVE data products include a near real-time space-weather product (Level 0C), which provides the solar EUV irradiance in specific bands and also spectra in 0.1-nm intervals with a cadence of one minute and with a time delay of less than 15 minutes. The EVE higher-level products are Level 2 with the solar EUV irradiance at higher time cadence (0.25 seconds for photometers and ten seconds for spectrographs) and Level 3 with averages of the solar irradiance over a day and over each one-hour period. The EVE team also plans to advance existing models of solar EUV irradiance and to operationally use the EVE measurements in models of Earth s ionosphere and thermosphere. Improved understanding of the evolution of solar flares and extending the various models to incorporate solar flare events are high priorities for the EVE team.

Woods, T. N.↗

Biophysical aspects of heavy ion interactions in matter

The biological effects of high energy, high charge nuclei (HZE particles) occupy a central role in the management of space radiation hazards due to galactic cosmic rays. For the energy range of interest, the mean free path for nuclear interactions of these heavy ions is comparable to the thickness of the material traversed, and a significant fraction of stopping particles will undergo a nuclear reaction with the nuclei of the stopping material. Transport methods for HZE particles are dependent on models of the interaction of man-made systems with the space environment to an even greater extent than methods used for other types of radiation. Hence, there is a major need to validate these transport codes by comparison with experimental data. The basic physical properties of HZE particles will be reviewed and illustrated with the results of nuclear fragmentation experiments performed with 670A MeV neon ions incident on a water absorber and with measurements of multiple Coulomb scattering of uranium beams in copper. Finally, the extent to which physical measurements yield radiobiological predictions is illustrated for the example of neon.

Schimmerling, Walter↗

Experimental and Multiscale Modeling Insights for Radiation-Driven Neptunium Redox Processes at Elevated Temperatures

Studies of the radiation-driven reactions of actinide elements at elevated temperatures are extremely limited, but important given that radiation heating of used nuclear fuel can affect the radiolytically promoted actinide redox processes occurring in hydroprocessing environments. Under these conditions, the high concentration of nitric acid present makes the reaction of actinides, such as neptunium, with nitric acid radiolysis products significant. Therefore, here we present derivation of the rate coefficients for the reaction of pentavalent neptunium with the nitrate radical at elevated temperature, resulting in Eyring and Arrhenius parameters for this important reaction. Here, we also revisit our previously published multiscale model predictions for radiation-induced neptunium redox chemistry and present an iteration which successfully operates over a wider range of nitric acid concentrations, 0.1–6.0 M.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Radiative transfer modeling applied to sea water constituent determination

Optical radiation from the sea is influenced by pigments dissolved in the water and contained in discrete organisms suspended in the sea, and by pigmented and unpigmented inorganic and organic particles. The problem of extracting the information concerning these pigments and particulates from the optical properties of the sea is addressed and the properties which determine characteristics of the radiation that a remote sensor will detect and measure are considered. The results of the application of the volume scattering function model to the data collected in the Gulf of Mexico and its environs indicate that the size distribution of the concentrations of particles found in the sea can be predicted from measurements of the volume scattering function. Furthermore, with the volume scattering function model and knowledge of the absorption spectra of dissolved pigments, the radiative transfer model can compute a distribution of particle sizes and indices of refraction and concentration of dissolved pigments that give an upwelling light spectrum that closely matches measurements of that spectrum at sea.

Faller, K. H.↗

Formation Process of Particles and Cloud Condensation Nuclei Over the Amazon Rainforest: The Role of Local and Remote New-Particle Formation

Understanding the formation processes of particles and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in pristine environments is a major challenge in accurately assessing anthropogenic radiative forcing. Here, using a state-of-the-art model that systematically simulates the chemical processes controlling new-particle formation (NPF) and multi-scale chemical transport, we find that NPF contributes ~90% of the particle number and ~80% of the CCN at 0.5% supersaturation (CCN0.5%) in the pristine Amazon boundary layer during the wet season. The corresponding contributions are only ~30% and ~20% during the dry season because of prevalent biomass burning. In both seasons, about half of the NPF-induced particles and ~85% of the NPF-induced CCN0.5% in the boundary layer originate from the long-range transport of new particles formed hundreds to thousands of kilometers away. Moreover, about 50–65% of the NPF-induced particles and 35–50% of the NPF induced CCN0.5% originate from the downward transport of new particles formed in the free troposphere.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Background Adaptive Radiation Detection (BARD) v1.0.0

The Background Adaptive Radiation Software can be deployed with static sensors in urban environments. It provides a real-time robust radiation detection based on a unique adaptive learning approach. Local radiation background models are automatically learnt for various environmental conditions, and monitored/re-trained, and selected over time for optimal radiation anomaly detection, informed by source templates directly derived from the data.

Abgrall, Nicolas↗

The radiation environment of OSO missions from 1974 to 1978

Trapped particle radiation levels on several OSO missions were calculated for nominal trajectories using improved computational methods and new electron environment models. Temporal variations of the electron fluxes were considered and partially accounted for. Magnetic field calculations were performed with a current field model and extrapolated to a later epoch with linear time terms. Orbital flux integration results, which are presented in graphical and tabular form, are analyzed, explained, and discussed.

Stassinopoulos, E. G.↗

A study of inner zone electron data and their comparison with trapped radiation models

A summary and intercomparison of recent inner radiation zone electron data are presented. The morphology of the inner radiation zone is described and the data compared with the current generation of inner zone trapped electron models. An analytic representation of the inner zone equatorial pitch angle distribution is presented. This model was based upon data from eight satellites and was used to reduce all data to the form of equatorial flux. Although no Starfish-free high energy electron measurements were available from the inner portion of the inner radiation zone, it was found that the AE-6 model provided a good description of the present solar maximum environment.

Teague, M. J.↗

The dynamics of submicron-sized dust particles lost from Phobos

The dynamics of submicron-sized dielectric particles lost from the Martian moon Phobos are studied in connection with the possible detection of dust by the Phobos 2 spacecraft. The motion of these small dust grains is influenced not only by gravity but also by solar radiation pressure and electromagnetic forces. The plasma environment of Mars is described by applying a hybrid gasdynamic-cometary model. Some of the submicron-sized grains ejected at speeds on the order of a few tens meters per second can stay in orbit around Mars for several months forming a nonuniform and time-dependent dust halo.

Horanyi, M.↗

Model of the Frictional Heating of Inconel 718 and Titanium (ti-6al-4v) in Helium

A computer model of the frictional heating of metals in an inert environment has been developed. The model incorporates the effects of the heat loss from the samples due to conduction, radiation, and convection to the surroundings. This model allows the measured temperatures to be used to determine the amount of heat produced at the interface during the experiment by the sliding contact of two different metallic samples. The results of the simulation for an experiment run at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) show that for the same heat production at the interface the heat losses have a significant effect on the temperatures in the samples. But, the heat losses do not significantly affect the different calculated heat flows (or friction coefficients), at the interface, that are necessary to correlate the measured temperatures.

Skowlund, Christopher T.↗