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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Abundance and properties of dark radiation from the cosmic microwave background

We study the cosmological signatures of new light relics that are collisionless like standard neutrinos or are strongly interacting. We provide a simple and succinct rephrasing of their physical effects in the cosmic microwave background, as well as the resulting parameter degeneracies with other cosmological parameters, in terms of the total radiation abundance and the fraction thereof that freely streams. In these more general terms, interacting and noninteracting light relics are differentiated by their respective decrease and increase of the free-streaming fraction, and, moreover, the scale-dependent interplay thereof with a common, correlated reduction of the fraction of matter in baryons. We then derive updated constraints on various dark-radiation scenarios with the latest cosmological observations, employing this language to identify the physical origin of the impact of each dataset. The “PR4” reanalyses of Planck CMB data prefer a larger primordial helium yield and therefore also slightly more radiation than the 2018 analysis; we investigate the differences between the two releases that drives these shifts. Smaller free-streaming fractions are disfavored by the excess lensing of the CMB measured in lensing reconstruction data from Planck and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. On the other hand, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument drive marginal detections of new, strongly interacting light relics due to that data's preference for lower matter fractions. Finally, we forecast measurements from the CMB-S4 experiment.

cosmological parameters from CMBR↗
DOE OSTI2021

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Radiation Hazard Scale (Expanded Data Product Feedback Report)

During radiation emergencies, it is important to communicate clearly as radiation risks are often unfamiliar to many members of the general public and emergency responders, including public health workers. To partially address this issue, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the Radiation Hazard Scale to communicate radiation risk to the general public, community leaders, and decision makers. The simple numeric scale does not require a background in radiation physics or health effects and can be used to assist people in understanding their risk and motivate protective action compliance. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has assisted the US Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration and the CDC in the development of Radiation Hazard Scale data products. This report documents the feedback received from Federal response officials on an expanded data product set. This expanded set accounts for the effects of building protection on radiation exposure and allows for the comparison between different response actions, including sheltering in place, based on the LLNL developed Regional Shelter Analysis methodology.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1978

The cosmic gamma-ray background from the annihilation of primordial stable neutral heavy leptons

The spectra and intensities of gamma radiation from (1) a homogeneous cosmic lepton background (2) a possible lepton halo around the Galaxy, and (3) integrated background radiation from possible lepton halos around other galaxies and from rich galaxy clusters are examined. Heavy-lepton annihilation radiation from the halos of other galaxies accounts for at most 0.005 of the background intensity, and the radiation from rich clusters account for at most 0.00005 of the background intensity. It is suggested that lepton annihilation fluxes from a galactic halo would be confused with cosmic-ray produced radiation and would therefore be difficult to observe. Radiation from a homogeneous cosmological lepton background might account for approximately 0.0001 of the observed cosmic gamma ray background. Energy spectrum and isotropy are considered.

Stecker, F. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Inhomogeneous cosmology. III - Primordial gravitational waves and dust

In this paper, the properties of a special class of inhomogeneous cosmological models and the interaction of the inhomogeneities with the evolution of the background geometry and matter are studied. The cosmological model is chosen so that the initial inhomogeneities evolve into 'plane' gravitational waves propagating through a smooth Bianchi I dust background. It is shown how the inhomogeneities interact with matter, 3 K radiation, and the background geometry, causing the expansion to slow down in some regions and speed up in others. It is also shown how the gravitational waves can produce a 'dragging of the inertial frame' which will affect the observed distribution of matter and 3 K radiation. In particular, this frame-dragging effect can account for a major fraction of the obsserved dipole component between the 3 K background radiation and the rest frame of global matter, an effect usually assumed to have been produced by large-scale local motion.

Adams, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Nuclear Radiation Fields on the Mars Surface: Risk Analysis for Long-term Living Environment

Mars, our nearest planet outward from the sun, has been targeted for several decades as a prospective site for expanded human habitation. Background space radiation exposures on Mars are expected to be orders of magnitude higher than on Earth. Recent risk analysis procedures based on detailed dosimetric techniques applicable to sensitive human organs have been developed along with experimental data regarding cell mutation rates resulting from exposures to a broad range of particle types and energy spectra. In this context, simulated exposure and subsequent risk for humans in residence on Mars are examined. A conceptual habitat structure, CAD-modeled with duly considered inherent shielding properties, has been implemented. Body self-shielding is evaluated using NASA standard computerized male and female models. The background environment is taken to consist not only of exposure from incident cosmic ray ions and their secondaries, but also include the contribution from secondary neutron fields produced in the tenuous atmosphere and the underlying regolith.

Brooke M Anderson↗
NASA NTRS1974

Radio astronomy

The origins, generation, detection, and interpretation of radio signals are discussed for signals with an assumed random polarization. After defining the basic parameters, the discussion moves to such topics as synchrotron radiation, plasma effects, changes in the electron energy spectrum in the radiating regions, energy loss to ionization, bremsstrahlung, radio astronomical observations of high-energy particles, emission by energetic particles, observation of supernova remnants and pulsars, galactic background continuum radiation, and others.

Alexander, J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Primary $\gamma$-ray intensities and $\gamma$-strength functions from discrete two-step $\gamma$-ray cascades in radiative proton-capture experiments

Background: Reaction rates of radiative capture reactions can play a crucial role in the nucleosynthesis of heavy nuclei in explosive stellar environments. These reaction rates depend strongly on $\gamma$-ray decay widths in the reaction products, which are, for nonresonant capture reactions at high excitation energies, derived from the $\gamma$-ray strength function and the nuclear level density. Recently, the ratio method was applied to primary $\gamma$ rays observed from ($\textit{d, p}$) reactions and nuclear resonance fluorescence measurements to extract the dipole strength in atomic nuclei and to test the generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis. Purpose: The purpose of this work is to apply the ratio method to primary $\gamma$-ray intensities of the 63,65 Cu($\textit{p},\gamma$) reactions to extract $\gamma$-ray strength information on the nuclei 64,66 Zn. Here, the impact of spin distribution, total $\gamma$-ray decay widths, level densities, and width fluctuations on the application of the ratio method will be discussed. Additionally, by comparing the relative $\gamma$-ray strength at different excitation energies, conclusions on the validity of the generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis can be made. Method: The radiative proton capture reaction measurements have been performed at the HORUS $\gamma$-ray spectrometer of the University of Cologne at one excitation energy for each reaction. Primary $\gamma$-ray intensities have been determined by normalizing secondary $\gamma$-ray transitions in two-step cascades using their absolute branching ratio. The ratio method was applied to the measured primary $\gamma$-ray intensities as well as to previous measurements by Erlandsson et al. at different excitation energies. Results: The relative strength function curve for 64 Zn from our measurement shows no significant deviation from the previous measurement at a different excitation energy. The same is true for 66 Zn where both measurements were at almost the same excitation energy. Absolute $\gamma$-strength function values have been obtained by normalizing the relative curves to quasiparticle random phase approximation calculations because of the absence of experimental data in the respective energy region. Conclusion: The generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis, i.e., the independence of the strength function on the excitation energy, seems to hold in the studied energy region and nuclei. The method to obtain primary $\gamma$-ray intensities from two-step cascade spectra was shown to be a valuable and sensitive tool although its uncertainties are connected to the knowledge of the low-energy level scheme of the investigated nucleus. The scaling in the ratio method should be taken with care, because the relative strength is not a simple sum of $f_{E1}$ and $f_{M1}$ but a somewhat complex linear combination dependent on the excitation energy of the nucleus.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2015

Surface Temperature Measurements from a Stator Vane Doublet in a Turbine Engine Afterburner Flame Using a YAG:Tm Thermographic Phosphor

Luminescence-based surface temperature measurements were obtained from a YAG:Tm-coated stator vane doublet exposed to the afterburner flame of a J85 test engine at University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). The objective of the testing was to demonstrate that reliable surface temperatures based on luminescence decay of a thermographic phosphor producing short-wavelength emission could be obtained from the surface of an actual engine component in a high gas velocity, highly radiative afterburner flame environment. YAG:Tm was selected as the thermographic phosphor for its blue emission at 456 nm (1D23F4 transition) and UV emission at 365 nm (1D23H6 transition) because background thermal radiation is lower at these wavelengths, which are shorter than those of many previously used thermographic phosphors. Luminescence decay measurements were acquired using a probe designed to operate in the afterburner flame environment. The probe was mounted on the sidewall of a high-pressure turbine vane doublet from a Honeywell TECH7000 turbine engine coated with a standard electron-beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) 200-m-thick TBC composed of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) onto which a 25-m-thick YAG:Tm thermographic phosphor layer was deposited by solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS). Spot temperature measurements were obtained by measuring luminescence decay times at different afterburner power settings and then converting decay time to temperature via calibration curves. Temperature measurements using the decays of the 456 and 365 nm emissions are compared. While successful afterburner environment measurements were obtained to about 1300C with the 456 nm emission, successful temperature measurements using the 365 nm emission were limited to about 1100C due to interference by autofluorescence of probe optics at short decay times.

thermographic phosphor↗
DOE OSTI2022

Proton Therapy in Supradiaphragmatic Lymphoma: Predicting Treatment-Related Mortality to Help Optimize Patient Selection

In some patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), proton beam therapy (PBT) may reduce the risk of radiation-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) and second cancers (SC) compared with photon radiation therapy (RT). Our aim was to identify patients who benefit the most from PBT in terms of predicted 30-year absolute mortality risks (AMR{sub 30}) from CVD and SC, taking into account individual background, chemotherapy, radiation, and smoking-related risks.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Models of Space Radiation Induced Cancer, Circulatory Disease, and Central Nervous System Effects

The risks of late effects from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE) are potentially a limitation to long-term space travel. The late effects of highest concern have significant lethality including cancer, effects to the central nervous system (CNS), and circulatory diseases (CD). For cancer and CD the use of age and gender specific models with uncertainty assessments based on human epidemiology data for low LET radiation combined with relative biological effectiveness factors (RBEs) and dose- and dose-rate reduction effectiveness factors (DDREF) to extrapolate these results to space radiation exposures is considered the current "state-of-the-art". The revised NASA Space Risk Model (NSRM-2014) is based on recent radio-epidemiology data for cancer and CD, however a key feature of the NSRM-2014 is the formulation of particle fluence and track structure based radiation quality factors for solid cancer and leukemia risk estimates, which are distinct from the ICRP quality factors, and shown to lead to smaller uncertainties in risk estimates. Many persons exposed to radiation on earth as well as astronauts are life-time never-smokers, which is estimated to significantly modify radiation cancer and CD risk estimates. A key feature of the NASA radiation protection model is the classification of radiation workers by smoking history in setting dose limits. Possible qualitative differences between GCR and low LET radiation increase uncertainties and are not included in previous risk estimates. Two important qualitative differences are emerging from research studies. The first is the increased lethality of tumors observed in animal models compared to low LET radiation or background tumors. The second are Non- Targeted Effects (NTE), which include bystander effects and genomic instability, which has been observed in cell and animal models of cancer risks. NTE's could lead to significant changes in RBE and DDREF estimates for GCR particles, and the potential effectiveness of radiation mitigator's. The NSRM- 2014 approaches to model radiation quality dependent lethality and NTE's will be described. CNS effects include both early changes that may occur during long space missions and late effects such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD effects 50% of the population above age 80-yr, is a degenerative disease that worsens with time after initial onset leading to death, and has no known cure. AD is difficult to detect at early stages and the small number of low LET epidemiology studies undertaken have not identified an association with low dose radiation. However experimental studies in mice suggest GCR may lead to early onset AD. We discuss modeling approaches to consider mechanisms whereby radiation would lead to earlier onset of occurrence of AD. Biomarkers of AD include amyloid beta (A(Beta)) plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) made up of aggregates of the hyperphosphorylated form of the micro-tubule associated, tau protein. Related markers include synaptic degeneration, dentritic spine loss, and neuronal cell loss through apoptosis. Radiation may affect these processes by causing oxidative stress, aberrant signaling following DNA damage, and chronic neuroinflammation. Cell types to be considered in multi-scale models are neurons, astrocytes, and microglia. We developed biochemical and cell kinetics models of DNA damage signaling related to glycogen synthase kinase-3(Beta) (GSK3(Beta)) and neuroinflammation, and considered multi-scale modeling approaches to develop computer simulations of cell interactions and their relationships to A(Beta) plaques and NFTs. Comparison of model results to experimental data for the age specific development of A(Beta) plaques in transgenic mice will be discussed.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cherenkov and Transition Radiation as Low-Energy Background Sources in SuperCDMS Detectors

The Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) has historically been a prime candidate for dark matter due to its elegant compatibility with the Minimally Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Recent dark matter experiments have ruled out much of the GeV-TeV mass range predicted by the MSSM, however, and the newest generation of direct detection experiments, such as SuperCDMS SNOLAB, have begunto explore sub-GeV dark matter. As experiments push towards lower masses, sensitivity to eV-scale electron recoil events has become increasingly important. A variety of unexplained excesses at energy deposits of 1-100 eV have been found inmany such low-mass experiments, across different detection techniques and at different excess rates. These low-energy events are not thought to be dark matter, and they must be understood and effectively removed to further improve detector energy resolution. This thesis will outline the simulation of one possible source of low-energy excess at SuperCDMS: optical photons produced from charges in uniform motion, specifically from Cherenkov radiation (CR), transition radiation (TR), and the intermediate hybrid transition-Cherenkov radiation (HR). In the latter case, the standard formulae for HR contain divergences at certain angles in transparent media, which are an artifact of their derivation and become problematic to simulate. To rsolve this, we present a novel approach to normalize the divergent HR peaks, which allows HR to transition smoothly between TR and CR in a numerical simulation. We also add TR and CR as a physics process to the SuperCDMS Monte Carlo simulation package SuperSim, based on the Geant4 simulation toolkit. To verify the physics of our addition, we show some test simulations in comparison to theoretical predictions of optical radiation intensity. We also use the simulation to make some preliminary predictions on the contribution of TR and CR to the low energy background, with the expectation that more thorough analyses will be conducted in the future.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1993

An improved patch for radiative coolers

A unique structure for constructing the emissive patch of a spaceborne radiative cooler is shown. The structure has very high emissivity for all angles up to a designed-in maximum angle and near zero emissivity for greater angles. The structure also allows the use of high emissivity, nonconducting paints while fully complying with the NASA Electrostatic Discharge Susceptibility requirements for spacecraft. To accomplish these tasks, two previous disadvantages of prior art methods are addressed; eliminating background thermal radiation sources and problems concerning the high emissivity paints used in association with the black body radiator. A reflector consisting of an array of parabolic concentrators is separated from a black body element by an electrically conductive spacer. The concentrators serve to limit the field of view while the conductive spacer eliminates the need to use a conductive paint on the emissive element.

Bly, Vincent T.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Comparisons of Air Radiation Model with Shock Tube Measurements

This paper presents an assessment of the predictive capability of shock layer radiation model appropriate for NASA s Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle lunar return entry. A detailed set of spectrally resolved radiation intensity comparisons are made with recently conducted tests in the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility at NASA Ames Research Center. The spectral range spanned from vacuum ultraviolet wavelength of 115 nm to infrared wavelength of 1400 nm. The analysis is done for 9.5-10.5 km/s shock passing through room temperature synthetic air at 0.2, 0.3 and 0.7 Torr. The comparisons between model and measurements show discrepancies in the level of background continuum radiation and intensities of atomic lines. Impurities in the EAST facility in the form of carbon bearing species are also modeled to estimate the level of contaminants and their impact on the comparisons. The discrepancies, although large is some cases, exhibit order and consistency. A set of tests and analyses improvements are proposed as forward work plan in order to confirm or reject various proposed reasons for the observed discrepancies.

Bose, Deepak↗
NASA NTRS1981

Mutagens and carcinogens - Occurrence and role during chemical and biological evolution

The roles of mutagenic and carcinogenic substances in early biologic evolution is examined, along with terrestrial and extraterrestrial sources of mutagens and carcinogens. UV solar radiation is noted to have served to stimulate prebiotic life while also causing harmful effects in plants and animals. Aromatic compounds have been found in meteorites, and comprise leukemogens, polycyclic hydrocarbons, and nitrasamine precursors. Other mutagenic sources are volcanoes, and the beginning of evolution with mutagenic substances is complicated by the appearance of malignancies due to the presence of carcinogens. The atmosphere of the Precambrian period contained both mutagens and early carcinogens and, combined with volcanic activity discharges, formed an atmospheric chemical background analogous to the background ionizing radiation. Carcinogenesis is concluded to be intrinsic to nature, having initiated evolution and, eventually, cancer cells.

Giner-Sorolla, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Measurement of the nighttime infrared luminosity of Spacelab 1 in the H- and K-bands

Infrared measurements of the Spacelab 1, Space Transportation System 9, were made from the Maui Optical Station tracking facility using a sensitive photometer n two infrared bands, the H-band centered at a wavelength of 1.6 microns and the K-band centered at 2.3 micrometers. The objective was to measure radiation from the vicinity of the Shuttle arising from interaction of Shuttle surfaces with atmospheric particles. It was necessary to include the Shuttle itself in the field of view of the photometer. The integrated brightness of the entire Shuttle at a distance of 400 km was found to be equivalent to that of a star of magnitude +6.6 or 1.6 microns; it was much fainter in the visible. Most of the emission at 1.6 microns appears to be attributable to the Shuttle glow phenomenon. It is hundreds of times brighter than the zodiacal background. The radiation at 2.3 microns can be accounted for primarily by diffusely scattered thermal radiation from Earth's surface.

Witteborn, F. C.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Axion Perturbations: A General Analytical Treatment

Cosmological data provides us two key constraints on dark matter (DM): it must have a particular abundance, and it must have an adiabatic spectrum of density perturbations in the early universe. Many different cosmological scenarios have been proposed that establish the abundance of axion DM in qualitatively different ways. In this paper we emphasize that, despite this variety of backgrounds, the perturbations in axion DM can be understood from universal principles. How does a feebly interacting axion field acquire perturbations proportional to those of photons? How do the isocurvature power spectrum and non-Gaussianity depend on the background evolution of the universe? We answer these questions for a completely general choice of cosmological background and temperature-dependent axion potential. We show that the most general solution to the axion field equation on super-horizon scales is entirely determined by the family of background solutions for different initial field values . This holds for both the component in the field perturbation solution contributing to the DM isocurvature perturbation (enhanced at late times by the sensitivity of the DM abundance to the initial condition, , which can be large for initial conditions near the hilltop), and the other component that contributes to the DM curvature perturbation. In particular, we explain that an unperturbed axion field in the early universe evolving into one with nontrivial adiabatic perturbations is guaranteed by Weinberg's theorem on adiabatic modes. These results have been derived before with various assumptions, such as a radiation dominated background or a quadratic potential. Our aim is to give a clear, simple derivation that is manifestly independent of those assumptions, and thus can be applied to any cosmological axion scenario.

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.C↗