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NASA NTRS1982

Measurement of solar radiation at the Earth's surface

The characteristics of solar energy arriving at the surface of the Earth are defined and the history of solar measurements in the United States presented. Radiation and meteorological measurements being made at solar energy meteorological research and training sites and calibration procedures used there are outlined. Data illustrating the annual variation in daily solar radiation at Ann Arbor, Michigan and the diurnal variation in radiation at Albuquerque, New Mexico are presented. Direct normal solar radiation received at Albuquerque is contrasted with that received at Maynard, Massachusetts. Average measured global radiation for a period of one year for four locations under clear skies, 50% cloud cover, and 100% cloud cover is given and compared with the solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere. The May distribution of mean daily direct solar radiation and mean daily global solar radiation over the United States is presented. The effects of turbidity on the direct and circumsolar radiation are shown.

Bartman, F. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Thermal vacuum testing of flexible radiator systems

Flexible fin radiators are being developed to meet spacecraft requirements of light weight, compact launch volume, modular growth, reusability, and the capability of an on-orbit deployment and retraction. Two prototype versions of deployable/retractable, flexible finspace radiators (soft and hard tube) were tested simultaneously under thermal vacuum conditions. A map of the heat rejection performance of each radiator panel under various environmental conditions is given. The soft tube radiator deployment system demonstrated minimal gas pressure and was capable of maintaining partial deployment; temperature control was achieved by varying the deployment length. The radiator could be recovered after an inadvertant freezing of the coolant in the Teflon tube. The hard tube radiator deployment mechanism performed adequately throughout the testing, but did exhibit some undesirable performance characteristics. The hard tube radiator pressure drop was higher than expected, but was not affected by the length of deployment. The radiator operated at less than full deployment, and the manifolds were found to have a significant effect on heat rejection. At low-load conditions, the hard tube radiator appeared to bypass its deployed area.

Rankin, G.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Annual Conference on Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects, 19th, Las Vegas, NV, July 20-22, 1982, Proceedings

The results of research concerning the effects of nuclear and space radiation are presented. Topics discussed include the basic mechanisms of nuclear and space radiation effects, radiation effects in devices, and radiation effects in microcircuits, including studies of radiation-induced paramagnetic defects in MOS structures, silicon solar cell damage from electrical overstress, radiation-induced charge dynamics in dielectrics, and the enhanced radiation effects on submicron narrow-channel NMOS. Also examined are topics in SGEMP/IEMP phenomena, hardness assurance and testing, energy deposition, desometry, and radiation transport, and single event phenomena. Among others, studies are presented concerning the limits to hardening electronic boxes to IEMP coupling, transient radiation screening of silicon devices using backside laser irradiation, the damage equivalence of electrons, protons, and gamma rays in MOS devices, and the single event upset sensitivity of low power Schottky devices.

Long, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Potential theory of radiation

A theoretical method is being developed by which the structure of a radiation field can be predicted by a radiation potential theory, similar to a classical potential theory. The introduction of a scalar potential is justified on the grounds that the spectral intensity vector is irrotational. The vector is also solenoidal in the limits of a radiation field in complete radiative equilibrium or in a vacuum. This method provides an exact, elliptic type equation that will upgrade the accuracy and the efficiency of the current CFD programs required for the prediction of radiation and flow fields. A number of interesting results emerge from the present study. First, a steady state radiation field exhibits an optically modulated inverse square law distribution character. Secondly, the unsteady radiation field is structured with two conjugate scalar potentials. Each is governed by a Klein-Gordon equation with a frictional force and a restoring force. This steady potential field structure and the propagation of radiation potentials are consistent with the well known results of classical electromagnetic theory. The extension of the radiation potential theory for spray combustion and hypersonic flow is also recommended.

Chiu, Huei-Huang↗

NASA NTRS1990

Measuring and modeling near-surface reflected and emitted radiation fluxes at the FIFE site

Information is presented pertaining to the measurement and estimation of reflected and emitted components of the radiation balance. Information is included about reflectance and transmittance of solar radiation from and through the leaves of some grass and forb prairie species, bidirectional reflectance from a prairie canopy is discussed and measured and estimated fluxes are described of incoming and outgoing longwave and shortwave radiation. Results of the study showed only very small differences in reflectances and transmittances for the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of grass species in the visible and infrared wavebands, but some differences in the infrared wavebands were noted for the forbs. Reflectance from the prairie canopy changed as a function of solar and view zenith angles in the solar principal plane with definite asymmetry about nadir. The surface temperature of prairie canopies was found to vary by as much as 5 C depending on view zenith and azimuth position and on the solar azimuth. Aerodynamic temperature calculated from measured sensible heat fluxes ranged from 0 to 3 C higher than nadir-viewed temperatures. Models were developed to estimate incoming and reflected shortwave radiation from data collected with a Barnes Modular Multiband Radiometer. Several algorithms for estimating incoming longwave radiation were evaluated and compared to actual measures of that parameter. Net radiation was calculated using the estimated components of the shortwave radiation streams, determined from the algorithms developed, and from the longwave radiation streams provided by the Brunt, modified Deacon, and the Stefan-Boltzmann models. Estimates of net radiation were compared to measured values and found to be within the measurement error of the net radiometers used in the study.

Blad, Blaine L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Nonequilibrium radiative heating prediction method for aeroassist flowfields with coupling to flowfield solvers

A method for predicting radiation adsorption and emission coefficients in thermochemical nonequilibrium flows is developed. The method is called the Langley optimized radiative nonequilibrium code (LORAN). It applies the smeared band approximation for molecular radiation to produce moderately detailed results and is intended to fill the gap between detailed but costly prediction methods and very fast but highly approximate methods. The optimization of the method to provide efficient solutions allowing coupling to flowfield solvers is discussed. Representative results are obtained and compared to previous nonequilibrium radiation methods, as well as to ground- and flight-measured data. Reasonable agreement is found in all cases. A multidimensional radiative transport method is also developed for axisymmetric flows. Its predictions for wall radiative flux are 20 to 25 percent lower than those of the tangent slab transport method, as expected, though additional investigation of the symmetry and outflow boundary conditions is indicated. The method was applied to the peak heating condition of the aeroassist flight experiment (AFE) trajectory, with results comparable to predictions from other methods. The LORAN method was also applied in conjunction with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code LAURA to study the sensitivity of the radiative heating prediction to various models used in nonequilibrium CFD. This study suggests that radiation measurements can provide diagnostic information about the detailed processes occurring in a nonequilibrium flowfield because radiation phenomena are very sensitive to these processes.

Hartung, Lin C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Summary of ionizing radiation analysis on the Long Duration Exposure Facility

The ionizing radiation measurements flown on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) were contained in 15 experiments which utilized passive detectors to pursue objectives in astrophysics and to measure the radiation environment and dosimetric quantities. The spacecraft structure became sufficiently radioactive to permit additional important studies. The induced activity allows extensive radiation mapping in the structure, and independent comparison with experiment dosimetric techniques, and significant studies of secondary effects. The long exposure time, attitude stability, and number and types of measurements produced a unique and critical set of data for low Earth orbit that will not be duplicated for more than a decade. The data allow an unprecedented test, and improvement if required, of models of the radiation environment and the radiation transport methods that are used to calculate the internal radiation and its effects in spacecraft. Results of measurements in the experiments, as well as from radioactivity in the structure, have clearly shown effects from the directional properties of the radiation environment, and progress was made in the dosimetric mapping of LDEF. These measurements have already influenced some Space Station Freedom design requirements. Preliminary results from experiments, reported at this symposium and in earlier papers, show that the 5.8 years exposure considerably enhanced the scientific return of the radiation measurements. The early results give confidence that the experiments will make significant advances in the knowledge of ultra heavy cosmic rays, anomalous cosmic rays, and heavy ions trapped in the radiation belts. Unexpected phenomena were observed, which require explanation. These include stopping iron group ions between the energy ranges anticipated for anomalous and galactic cosmic rays in the LDEF orbit. A surprising concentration of the Be-7 nuclide was discovered on the 'front' surface of LDEF, apparently transported up from the stratosphere with exceptional efficiency.

Parnell, T. A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Radiation model predictions and validation using LDEF data

Radiation dosimetry aboard LDEF, as well as post-flight measurements of the radioactivity induced in numerous LDEF spacecraft components, provide unique data for evaluating the accuracy of current models for predicting both the space radiation environments (trapped proton intensity, spectra, and directionality; cosmic ray fluence) and the radiation environments induced in spacecraft components (fluence, energy spectra, secondary particle, linear energy transfer, etc.). By determining the accuracy of such models using LDEF data, and with model updates where required, improved radiation environment predictions can be made for future missions, which in turn allows improved predictions for specific radiation effects for future spacecraft components (single event upsets of microelectronics, radiation damage to focal plane arrays, noise in sensitive instrumentation, etc.). Herein, the status and results from radiation model predictions and comparisons with LDEF data is given. The calculations are made using radiation transport codes coupled with a 3-D geometry/mass model of LDEF, together with current models of the space radiation environment.

Armstrong, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Radiation pressure: A possible cause for the superrotation of the Venusian atmosphere

The superrotation of the venusian atmosphere relative to the planet's surface has long been known. Yet the process by which this vigorous circulation is maintained is poorly understood. The purpose of this report is to show that a mechanism by which the solar radiation interacts with the cloudy atmosphere of Venus could be the principle cause of the superrotation. It has been long known that Venus has a high albedo due to the scattering (similar to the reflection process) of solar radiation by the cloud droplets in its atmosphere. The radiation not scattered, but intercepted by the planet and its atmosphere, is mainly absorbed within the cloud layers. Therefore, momentum (equal, more or less, to that of the solar radiation intercepted) is continually transferred to the venusian atmosphere. The atmospheric system presents a symmetrical surface (same radiation-matter interaction) toward the solar radiation at its morning and evening limbs. If the cross-sectional areas at both limbs were equal, the momentum transfer at the morning limb would decelerate the atmosphere's rotation while at the evening limb the same transfer would accelerate the rotation an equal amount. The net result of this is that the overall rate of rotation would be unchanged. Such a symmetrical configuration is not likely since the atmosphere must be warmed as it rotates across the planet's day hemisphere and cooled as it rotates across the planet's night hemisphere. This warming and cooling must result in a formation of an asymmetrical configuration. It is apparent that the momentum transfer at the evening limb must be greater than that at the morning limb because the atmosphere's greater cross section at the evening limb intercepts a greater amount of solar radiation. It should be noted that very little of the solar radiation is transmitted through the cloud layers, especially at or near the limbs where the atmospheric path length of the radiation is long. This net momentum transfer must be continually added to the angular momentum of the atmospheric system at the same time angular momentum is continually removed from the atmosphere by the frictional drag imposed on the atmosphere by the slowly rotating planet's surface. This completes the description of this mechanism.

Krause, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Preliminary design of a radiator shading device for a lunar outpost

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is designing a thermal control system for an outpost to be placed permanently on the Moon. One of the functions of the thermal control system is to reject waste heat, which can be accomplished through a radiator. At the lunar equator and during the lunar midday, an unshaded radiator absorbs more heat than it rejects. This problem can be solved by using a shading device to reduce radiation incident on the radiator. The design team was asked to develop concepts for reducing the radiation incident on the radiator and for deploying the radiator and shade system for a 10 kW and a 25 kW heat rejection system. The design team was also asked to develop the best concepts into preliminary design. From the several alternatives developed by the design team, the best one was selected using a decision matrix. Preliminary design of the best concept include support structure, stress analyses, and thermal performance. In addition, the team developed ideas for removing lunar dust from the shading device. The final design solution consisted of a winged radiator shading system with a rail support structure and a scissors mechanism for deployment. The total radiator area required was calculated to be 389 sq m for the 10 kW heat rejection system and 973 sq m for the 25 kW heat rejection system.

Barron, Carlos↗

NASA NTRS1992

Radiation Monitoring Equipment Dosimeter Experiment

Spacecraft crews risk exposure to relatively high levels of ionizing radiation. This radiation may come from charged particles trapped in the Earth's magnetic fields, charged particles released by solar flare activity, galactic cosmic radiation, energetic photons and neutrons generated by interaction of these primary radiations with spacecraft and crew, and man-made sources (e.g., nuclear power generators). As missions are directed to higher radiation level orbits, viz., higher altitudes and inclinations, longer durations, and increased flight frequency, radiation exposure could well become a major factor for crew stay time and career lengths. To more accurately define the radiological exposure and risk to the crew, real-time radiation monitoring instrumentation, which is capable of identifying and measuring the various radiation components, must be flown. This presentation describes a radiation dosimeter instrument which was successfully flown on the Space Shuttle, the RME-3.

Hardy, Kenneth A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Arctic ocean radiative fluxes and cloud forcing estimated from the ISCCP C2 cloud dataset, 1983-1990

Radiative fluxes and cloud forcings for the ocean areas of the Arctic are computed from the monthly cloud product of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) for 1983-90. Spatially averaged short-wave fluxes are compared well with climatological values, while downwelling longwave fluxes are significantly lower. This is probably due to the fact that the ISCCP cloud amounts are underestimates. Top-of-the-atmosphere radiative fluxes are in excellent agreement with measurements from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). Computed cloud forcings indicate that clouds have a warming effect at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere during winter and a cooling effect during summer. The net radiative effect of clouds is larger at the surface during winter but greater at the top of the atmosphere during summer. Overall the net radiative effect of clouds at the top of the atmosphere is one of cooling. This is in contrast to a previous result from ERBE data showing arctic cloud forcings have a net warming effect. Sensitivities to errors in input parameters are generally greater during winter with cloud amount being the most important paarameter. During summer the surface radiation balance is most sensitive to errors in the measurements of surface reflectance. The results are encouraging, but the estimated error of 20 W/sq m in surface net radiative fluxes is too large, given that estimates of the net radiative warming effect due to a doubling of CO2 are on the order of 4 W/sq m. Because it is difficult to determine the accuracy of results with existing in situ observations, it is recommended that the development of improved algorithms for the retrieval of surface radiative properties be accompanied by the simultaneous assembly of validation datasets.

Schweiger, Axel J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Comptonization of diffuse ambient radiation by a relativistic jet: The source of gamma rays from blazars?

Recent Energy Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) observations of blazars have revealed strong, variable gamma-ray fluxes with no signatures of gamma-ray absorption by pair production. This radiation probably originates from the inner parts of relativistic jets which are aimed nearly toward us. On sub-parsec scales, the jet will be pervaded by radiation from the broad-line region, as well as by photons from the central continuum source (some of which will be scattered by thermal plasma). In a frame moving with the relativistic outflow, the energy of this ambient radiation would be enhanced. This radiation would be Comptonized by both cold and relativistic electrons in the jet, yielding (in the observer's frame) a collimated beam of X-rays and gamma rays. On the assumption that this process dominates self-Comptonization of synchrotron radiation, we develop a self-consistent model for variable gamma-ray emission, involving a single population of relativistic electrons accelerated by a disturbance in the jet. The spectral break between the X-ray and gamma-ray band, observed in 3C 279 and deduced for other blazars, results from inefficient radiative cooling of lower energy electrons. The existence of such a break strongly favors a model involving Comptonization of an external radiation field over a synchrotron self-Compton model. We derive constraints on such model parameters as the location and speed of the source, its dimensions and internal physical parameters, the maximum photon energies produced in the source, and the density and distribution of ambient radiation. Finally, we discuss how observations might discriminate between our model and alternative ones invoking Comptonization of ambient radiation.

Sikora, Marek↗

NASA NTRS2000

Parametric Study of Variable Emissivity Radiator Surfaces

The goal of spacecraft thermal design is to accommodate a high function satellite in a low weight and real estate package. The extreme environments that the satellite is exposed during its orbit are handled using passive and active control techniques. Heritage passive heat rejection designs are sized for the hot conditions and augmented for the cold end with heaters. The active heat rejection designs to date are heavy, expensive and/or complex. Incorporating an active radiator into the design that is lighter, cheaper and more simplistic will allow designers to meet the previously stated goal of thermal spacecraft design Varying the radiator's surface properties without changing the radiating area (as with VCHP), or changing the radiators' views (traditional louvers) is the objective of the variable emissivity (vary-e) radiator technologies. A parametric evaluation of the thermal performance of three such technologies is documented in this paper. Comparisons of the Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS), Electrochromics, and Electrophoretics radiators to conventional radiators, both passive and active are quantified herein. With some noted limitations, the vary-e radiator surfaces provide significant advantages over traditional radiators and a promising alternative design technique for future spacecraft thermal systems.

Grob, Lisa M.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Thermal Radiator Pointing for International Space Station

In order to provide thermal radiation environments that result in adequate beat rejection, the single-phase, liquid ammonia (NH3) heat rejection system on the International Space Station (ISS) requires that its two thermal radiator wings be dynamically rotated as the ISS travels through its orbit. This paper discusses the closed-loop, thermal radiator pointing system that is used on ISS to ensure adequate heat rejection by the radiators, while preventing freezing of the ammonia under low heat loads and cold-environmental conditions. Although initial designs used an open-loop approach for radiator pointing, concerns about performance robustness, algorithm complexity, memory requirements, and sustaining support drove the development of a more robust, simpler, closed-loop system. Hence, the challenge of the closed-loop system was to utilize existing sensors, actuators and computers to fit into the existing hardware and software architecture of the ISS. Using a proportional-integral (PI) control architecture with limited output and an anti-windup integrator, the temperature of the ammonia coming out of the radiator is measured and controlled by adjusting the radiator wing orientation. The radiator wing orientation for the local minimum environment is fed forward to the control system, and the closed-loop controller is used to generate a bias off of that local minimum environment in order to heat up the ammonia when necessary to avoid freezing. In the earth's shadow, the controller is suspended and the radiator wing is oriented to face the earth, the local maximum thermal environment which further prevents freezing of the ammonia. This control architecture is shown to provide adequate heat rejection and avoid freezing of the ammonia, even though the physical system consists of large transport delays and time-varying dynamics which change dramatically due to orbit motion and variable heat loads.

Green, Scott↗

NASA NTRS2000

Intercomparison of Models Representing Direct Shortwave Radiative Forcing by Sulfate Aerosols

The importance of aerosols as agents of climate change has recently been highlighted. However, the magnitude of aerosol forcing by scattering of shortwave radiation (direct forcing) is still very uncertain even for the relatively well characterized sulfate aerosol. A potential source of uncertainty is in the model representation of aerosol optical properties and aerosol influences on radiative transfer in the atmosphere. Although radiative transfer methods and codes have been compared in the past, these comparisons have not focused on aerosol forcing (change in net radiative flux at the top of the atmosphere). Here we report results of a project involving 12 groups using 15 models to examine radiative forcing by sulfate aerosol for a wide range of values of particle radius, aerosol optical depth, surface albedo, and solar zenith angle. Among the models that were employed were high and low spectral resolution models incorporating a variety of radiative transfer approximations as well as a line-by-line model. The normalized forcings (forcing per sulfate column burden) obtained with the several radiative transfer models were examined, and the discrepancies were characterized. All models simulate forcings of comparable amplitude and exhibit a similar dependence on input parameters. As expected for a non-light-absorbing aerosol, forcings were negative (cooling influence) except at high surface albedo combined with small solar zenith angle. The relative standard deviation of the zenith-angle-averaged normalized broadband forcing for 15 models-was 8% for particle radius near the maximum in this forcing (approx. 0.2 microns) and at low surface albedo. Somewhat greater model-to-model discrepancies were exhibited at specific solar zenith angles. Still greater discrepancies were exhibited at small particle radii and much greater discrepancies were exhibited at high surface albedos, at which the forcing changes sign; in these situations, however, the normalized forcing is quite small quite small. Discrepancies among the models arise from inaccuracies in Mie calculations, differing treatment of the angular scattering phase function, differing wavelength and angular resolution, and differing treatment of multiple scattering. These results imply the need for standardized radiative transfer methods tailored to the direct aerosol forcing problem. However, the relatively small spread in these results suggests that the uncertainty in forcing arising from the treatment of radiative forcing of a well-characterized aerosol at well-specified surface albedo is smaller than some of the other sources of uncertainty in estimates of direct forcing by anthropogenic sulfate aerosols and anthropogenic aerosols generally.

Boucher, O.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Sea-Surface Radiation Data Set for Climate Applications in the Tropical Western Pacific and South China Sea

The sea-surface shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes have been retrieved from the radiances measured by Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite 5. The surface radiation data set covers the domain 40S-40N and 90E-170W. The temporal resolution is 1 day, and the spatial resolution is 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg latitude-longitude. The retrieved surface radiation have been validated with the radiometric measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measuring (ARM) site on Manus island in the equatorial western Pacific for a period of 15 months. It has also been validated with the measurements at the radiation site on Dungsha island in the South China Sea during the South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) Intensive Observing Period (May and June 1998). The data set is used to study the effect of El Nino and East Asian Summer monsoon on the heating of the ocean in the tropical western Pacific and the South China Sea. Interannual variations of clouds associated with El Nino and the East Asian Summer monsoon have a large impact on the radiative heating of the ocean. It has been found that the magnitude of the interannual variation of the seasonal mean surface radiative heating exceeds 40 W/sq m over large areas. Together with the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) shortwave fluxes at top of the atmosphere and the radiative transfer calculations of clear-sky fluxes, this surface radiation data set is also used to study the impact of clouds on the solar heating of the atmosphere. It is found that clouds enhance the atmospheric solar heating by approx. 20 W/sq m in the tropical western Pacific and the South China Sea. This result is important for evaluating the accuracy of solar flux calculations in clear and cloudy atmospheres.

Chou, Ming-Dah↗

NASA NTRS2000

Performance Characterization of Digital Optical Data Transfer Systems for Use in the Space Radiation Environment

Radiation effects in photonic and microelectronic components can impact the performance of high-speed digital optical data link in a variety of ways. This segment of the short course focuses on radiation effects in digital optical data links operating in the MHz to GHz regime. (Some of the information is applicable to frequencies above and below this regime) The three basic component level effects that should be considered are Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Displacement Damage Dose (DDD) and Single Event Effects (SEE). In some cases the system performance degradation can be quantified from component level tests, while in others a more holistic characterization approach must be taken. In Section 2.0 of this segment of the Short Course we will give a brief overview of the space radiation environment follow by a summary of the basic space radiation effects important for microelectronics and photonics listed above. The last part of this section will give an example of a typical mission radiation environment requirements. Section 3.0 gives an overview of intra-satellite digital optical data link systems. It contains a discussion of the digital optical data link and it's components. Also, we discuss some of the important system performance metrics that are impacted by radiation effects degradation of optical and optoelectronic component performance. Section 4.0 discusses radiation effects in optical and optoelectronic components. While each component effect will be discussed, the focus of this section is on degradation of passive optical components and SEE in photodiodes (other mechanisms are covered in segment II of this short course entitled "Photonic Devices with Complex and Multiple Failure Modes"). Section 5.0 will focus on optical data link system response to the space radiation environment. System level SEE ground testing will be discussed. Then we give a discussion of system level assessment of data link performance when operating in the space radiation environment.

Reed, Robert A.↗