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At least 685 records · Page 38

High-energy continuum emission from solar flares

The properties of solar flare continuum emission at energies of greater than 300 keV have been determined from observations obtained during the 21st solar maximum by gamma-ray detectors aboard the SMM and Hinotori satellites. The temporal structure of the high-energy continuum is modeled by two-step acceleration and particle trapping. The results suggest that the very high-energy emission noted must be a mixture of pion-decay radiation and primary electron bremsstrahlung.

Vestrand, W. Thomas↗

Formation of particulates by ion bombardment of cryogenic ice mixtures

An analysis of the particulates which form upon the bombardment of a gaseous mixture reflecting cosmic molecular abundances with H2(+) ions accelerated at 350 keV. The model of Black and Dalgarno (1977) for the Zeta Oph cloud and an observational determination of the interstellar Ar abundances (Simpson et al., 1986) are used to determine the abundances of the gas mixture. The characteristics of the resulting residue are examined, including photographs and absorbance spectra. The possible astrophysical implications of the experiment are discussed.

Wdowiak, T. J.↗

Ion and relativistic electron transport in solar flares

Recent models for the ion and relativistic electron transport in solar flare magnetic loops are reviewed, focusing on the ways in which the models handle loop structure, particle acceleration, and particle transport. Results are presented from Monte Carlo simulations of ion and relativistic ion transport. Consideration is given to results concerning the depth distributions of gamma-ray production, the attenuation of gamma-ray lines, the time dependences of the various emissions and the angular distribution of the bremsstrahlung.

Ramaty, R.↗

Flexural waves induced by electro-impulse deicing forces

The generation, reflection and propagation of flexural waves created by electroimpulsive deicing forces are demonstrated both experimentally and analytically in a thin circular plate and a thin semicylindrical shell. Analytical prediction of these waves with finite element models shows good correlation with acceleration and displacement measurements at discrete points on the structures studied. However, sensitivity to spurious flexural waves resulting from the spatial discretization of the structures is shown to be significant. Consideration is also given to composite structures as an extension of these studies.

Gien, P. H.↗

Theoretical studies of the physics of the solar atmosphere

Significant advances in our theoretical basis for understanding several physical processes related to dynamical phenomena on the sun were achieved. We have advanced a new model for spicules and fibrils. We have provided a simple physical view of resonance absorption of MHD surface waves; this allowed an approximate mathematical procedure for obtaining a wealth of new analytical results which we applied to coronal heating and p-mode absorption at magnetic regions. We provided the first comprehensive models for the heating and acceleration of the transition region, corona, and solar wind. We provided a new view of viscosity under coronal conditions. We provided new insights into Alfven wave propagation in the solar atmosphere. And recently we have begun work in a new direction: parametric instabilities of Alfven waves.

Hollweg, Joseph V.↗

Stiffnesses of a solid-rocket motor from an ambient vibration survey

Experience with many spacecraft configurations boosted by a variety of launch vehicles indicates that the maximum loads experienced throughout most of the structure are inertial in origin. These loads arise from the dynamic elastic response of the flight vehicle to the transient disturbances of launch and flight, and are highly dependent on the dynamic characteristics of both the spacecraft and the launch vehicle. It has proved to be most advantageous, in the analysis of this critical dependency of loads upon vehicle dynamic properties, to establish a mathematical model in terms of normal mode characteristics. In this way, the vibration behavior of an elastomechanical structure (or substructure) can be described by means of the so-called modal or natural degrees of freedom. The conduct of a mode survey test and the use of a suitably test-verified model in loads analyses is essential to the flight worthiness certification process of space systems. The desirability of such tests is confirmed by the fact that, almost invariably, significant deficiencies in the analytical models are revealed by the results. Therefore, this experimental program was undertaken to determine those properties of a solid-propellant rocket motor (SRM) which are required to characterize a dynamic model. Random ambient-excited accelerations were measured at a series of stations along the motor for the purpose of identifying the motor beam-like stiffnesses in bending, shear, and torsion. From a system identification point of view, it is significant that stiffness properties of a subsystem (the motor) are determined from modes of the full system (motor/stand configuration) using mode shape data of the subsystem only. This contrasts with traditional system identification approaches which rely upon complete system mode shapes.

Rubin, S.↗

UVCS/SOHO empirical models of solar coronal holes

A self-consistent empirical model for the major plasma parameters in a solar-minimum coronal hole was developed using the ultraviolet coronagraph spectrometer (UVCS) operating onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The radial and latitudinal distribution of density, velocity, and kinetic temperature for electrons, neutral hydrogen, and ionized oxygen was obtained. The data were acquired during November 1996 and April 1997. The model provides experimental values which can be used to constrain theoretical models of the fast solar wind. The implications on various models of coronal heating and acceleration are discussed.

Cranmer, S. R.↗

Commercial Contributions to the Success of the HEDS Enterprise: A Working Model

The future of NASA involves the exploration of space beyond the confines of orbit about the Earth. This includes robotic investigations and Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS). The HEDS Strategic Plan states: "HEDS will join with the private sector to stimulate opportunities for commercial development in space as a key to future settlement. Near-term efforts will emphasize joint pilot projects that provide clear benefit to Earth from the development of near-Earth space." In support of this endeavor, NASA has established the Commercial Development of Space as a prime goal and is exploring all the ways in which NASA might make contributions to this development. NASA has long supported the development of space for commercial use. In 1985 it formally established and provided funds to support a program which created a number of joint ventures between universities and industry for this purpose. These were known as Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS). In 1999 NASA established a broader policy on commercialization with the aim of encouraging near-term commercial investment in conjunction with the International Space Station. Joint pilot projects will be initiated to stimulate this near-term investment. The long-term development of commercial concepts utilizing space access continues through the activities of the Commercial Space Centers (CSC), a sub-set of the original CCDS group. These Centers primarily require access to space for the conduct of their work. The remainder of the initial Centers focus on the development of tools and infrastructure to support users of the space environment. It is in this arena that long term development for commercial use and infrastructure development will occur. This paper will provide a retrospective examination of the Commercial Centers, the variety of models employed, the lessons learned, and the progress to date. This review will provide the bases for how successful models can be employed to accelerate private investment in the development of the infrastructure necessary for the success of the HEDS enterprise.

Nall, Mark↗

Energy Spectra of H and He from the ATIC-2 Experiment

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) experiment measures the energy spectra of individual elements, from H to Fe, in the energy region from about 100 GeV to tens of TeV. The ATIC instrument was flown twice in long-duration balloon flights around the South Pole in 2000-2001 (ATIC-1) and 2002-2003 (ATIC-2). ATIC-2 gathered about 18 days of data at an altitude of 36 km. In this paper we discuss the separation of protons from helium and present preliminary energy spectrum of each component, including deconvolution of the measured energy deposit spectra. The results are compared to previous data and to different cosmic ray propagation models, including a diffusion model with weak re-acceleration.

Wefel, J. P.↗

Hypovolemia Induced Orthostatic Hypotension in Presyncopal Astronauts and Normal Subjects Relates to Hypo-Sympathetic Responsiveness

Circulating blood volume is reduced during spaceflight, leaving astronauts hemodynamically compromised after landing. Because of this hypovolemia, crew members are able to withstand a postflight 10 minute upright tilt test only if they are able to mount a hyper-sympathetic response. Previous work from this laboratory has shown that about 30% of astronauts, primarily female, have postflight sympathetic responses to tilt that are equal to or less than their preflight responses and thus, they become presyncopal. Part of the mission of the cardiovascular lab at the Johnson Space Center is to identify susceptible crewmembers before flight so that individualized countermeasures can be prescribed. The goal of this study was to develop a ground based model of hypovolemia that could be used for this purpose We tested the hypothesis that hypovolemia alone, in the absence of spaceflight, would reproduce the landing day rate of presyncope during upright tilt in normal volunteers. Further, we hypothesized that, during hypovolemia, subjects who had sympathetic responses that were equal to or less than their normovolemic responses would become presyncopal during upright tilt tests. We studied 20 subjects, 13 male and 7 female, on two separate occasions: during normovolemia and hypovolemia. We induced hypovolemia with intravenous furosemide 40 hours prior to the experiment day, followed by a 10MEq Na diet. On the normovolemia and hypovolemia test days, plasma volume, tilt tolerance and supine and standing arterial pressure, heart rate and plasma norepinephrine levels were measured. A two factor, repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to examine the differences between group (presyncopal vs. non-presyncopal) and day (normovolemia vs. hypovolemia) effects. There were no differences in baseline arterial pressure between normovolemia and hypovolemia or between presyncopal and non-presyncopal groups, but heart rates were higher with hypovolemia in both groups (presyncopal: 70 5 bpm vs. 63 3 bpm, P = 0.003, non-presyncopal: 59 2 bpm vs. 52 2 bpm, P = 0.003). Similar to patterns reported after flight, non-presyncopal subjects had greater norepinephrine responses to tilt during hypovolemia compared to normovolemia (580 79 vs. 298 37 pg/ml, P < 0.05), but presyncopal subjects did not (180 44 vs. 145 32 pg/ml, P = NS). This new model has the potential to accelerate the development of countermeasures and save flight resources. It can be used to identify astronauts who will become presyncopal on landing day, so that prospective, individualized countermeasures can be developed. In addition, it can also be used to screen candidate countermeasures prior to requests for bed rest or inflight resources.

Meck, Janice V.↗

An Analysis of the Internal Truth Files for a CAST 4000 GPS Simulator for Two Rocket Launches and One Weather Balloon Flight

The CAST GPS 4000 simulator can create scenarios using external trajectories. The following information must be provided: time from a given epoch (a constant sampling rate must be used); position, velocity and acceleration in Earth Centered Earth Fixed (ECEF) coordinates; elements of the matrix that transforms from the body-axis coordinate system to the ECEF frame; and the angular velocity of the body-axis system relative to ECEF coordinates. The initial latitude, longitude, altitude, and UTC time must also be provided during the scenario setup. The simulator recomputes the positions and velocities using the given accelerations and a constant jerk model. The results are the internal "truth file".

Simpson, James C.↗

Public-Private Collaborations with Earth-Space Benefits

The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) was established in October 2010 to promote collaborative problem solving and project development to advance human health and performance innovations benefiting life in space and on Earth. The NHHPC, which now boasts over 135 corporate, government, academic and non-profit members, has convened four successful workshops and engaged in multiple collaborative projects. The center is currently developing a streamlined partner engagement process to capture technical needs and opportunities of NHHPC members, facilitate partnership development, and establish and manage collaborative projects for NASA. The virtual center facilitates member engagement through a variety of vehicles, including annual inperson workshops, webcasts, quarterly electronic newsletters, web postings, and the new system for partner engagement. The most recent NHHPC workshop was conducted in November 2013 on the topic of "Accelerating Innovation: New Organizational Business Models," and focused on various collaborative approaches successfully used by organizations to achieve their goals. The powerful notion of collaboration across sectors to solve intractable problems was recently highlighted in Williams Eggers' book "The Solution Revolution,"i which provides numerous examples of how business, government and social enterprises partner to solve tough problems. Mr. Eggers was a keynote speaker at the workshop, along with Harvard Business School, Jump Associates, and the Conrad Foundation. The robust program also included an expert panel addressing collaboration across sectors, four interactive breakout sessions, and a concluding keynote on innovative ways to increase science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by NASA Associate Administrator for Education, Leland Melvin. The NHHPC forum also provides a platform for international partners to interact on many topics. Members from around the world include ISS International Partner JAXA; the World Biomimetic Foundation in Spain who is interested in advancing the use of biomimicry to provide technical solutions in many industries; Satellite Application Catapult in London, England who interested in pursuing U.S. collaborations with the Space and Life Sciences Innovation Centre under development in Scotland; and DLR in Cologne, Germany who developed :envihab, a collaborative facility for partners to pursue research and technology projects of mutual interest. The NHHPC has sponsored two global networking forums on innovation by partners Wyle, NASA, and DLR, was featured in the 2013 Humans in Space Symposium Panel on "NHHPC and :envihab - reach out to Future Markets," and is working on an international meeting for Spring 2014 in Cologne with :envihab.

Davis, Jeffrey R.↗

The Effect of Drive Signal Limiting on High Cycle Fatigue Life Analysis

It is common practice to assume a Gaussian distribution of both the input acceleration and the response when modeling random vibration tests. In the laboratory, however, shaker controllers often limit the drive signal to prevent high amplitude peaks. The high amplitudes may either be truncated at a given level (socalled brick wall limiting or abrupt clipping), or compressed (soft limiting), resulting in drive signals which are no longer Gaussian. The paper first introduces several methods for limiting a drive signal, including brick wall limiting and compression. The limited signal is then passed through a linear time-invariant system representing a device under test. High cycle fatigue life predictions are subsequently made using spectral fatigue and rainflow cycle counting schemes. The life predictions are compared with those obtained from unclipped input signals. Some guidelines are provided to help the test engineer decide how clipping should be applied under different test scenarios.

Kihm, Frederic↗

Public-Private Collaborations with Earth-Space Benefits

The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) was established in October 2010 to promote collaborative problem solving and project development to advance human health and performance innovations benefiting life in space and on Earth. The NHHPC, which now boasts over 150 corporate, government, academic and non-profit members, has convened four successful workshops and engaged in multiple collaborative projects. The virtual center facilitates member engagement through a variety of vehicles, including annual in-person workshops, webcasts, quarterly electronic newsletters, web postings, and the new system for partner engagement. NHHPC workshops serve to bring member organizations together to share best practices, discuss common goals, and facilitate development of the collaborative projects. The most recent NHHPC workshop was conducted in November 2013 on the topic of "Accelerating Innovation: New Organizational Business Models," and focused on various collaborative approaches successfully used by organizations to achieve their goals. Past workshops have addressed smart media and health applications, connecting through collaboration, microbiology innovations, and strategies and best practices in open innovation. A fifth workshop in Houston, Texas, planned for September 18, 2014, will feature "Innovation Through Co-Development: Engaging Partners". One area of great interest to NASA is mobile health applications, including mobile laboratory analytics, health monitoring, and close loop sensing, all of which also offer ground-based health applications for remote and underserved areas. Another project being coordinated by NASA and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute is the pursuit of one to several novel strategies to increase medication stability that would enable health care in remote terrestrial settings as well as during space flight. NASA has also funded work with corporate NHHPC partner GE, seeking to develop ultrasound methodologies that will enable NASA to further understand the eye changes related to long-duration space flight. The adaptation of ultrasound to this type of eye examination could also expand the use of ultrasound in health care on the Earth in settings where MRIs are not available. To further engage NHHPC members and facilitate partnership development for NASA, the NHHPC created and deployed an engagement system in 2014 that facilitates identification and evaluation of technical needs and opportunities among all NHHPC members.

Davis, Jeffrey R.↗

Additive Manufacturing: From Rapid Prototyping to Flight

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers tremendous promise for the rocket propulsion community. Foundational work must be performed to ensure the safe performance of AM parts. Government, industry, and academia must collaborate in the characterization, design, modeling, and process control to accelerate the certification of AM parts for human‐rated flight.

Prater, Tracie↗

Development of a Refined Space Vehicle Rollout Forcing Function

For several decades, American manned spaceflight vehicles and the associated launch platforms have been transported from final assembly to the launch pad via a pre-launch phase called rollout. The rollout environment is rich with forced harmonics and higher order effects can be used for extracting structural dynamics information. To enable this utilization, processing tools are needed to move from measured and analytical data to dynamic metrics such as transfer functions, mode shapes, modal frequencies, and damping. This paper covers the range of systems and tests that are available to estimate rollout forcing functions for the Space Launch System (SLS). The specific information covered in this paper includes: the different definitions of rollout forcing functions; the operational and developmental data sets that are available; the suite of analytical processes that are currently in-place or in-development; and the plans and future work underway to solve two immediate problems related to rollout forcing functions. Problem 1 involves estimating enforced accelerations to drive finite element models for developing design requirements for the SLS class of launch vehicles. Problem 2 involves processing rollout measured data in near real time to understand structural dynamics properties of a specific vehicle and the class to which it belongs.

James, George↗

Exoplanet Yield Sensitivity for the Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph from end-to-end modeling for LUVOIR-A

NASA's future direct imaging flagship mission will require telescope mirror segmentation to survey a statistically significant population of nearby stellar systems by increasing aperture size beyond that achieved by traditional space-borne monolithic apertures thus far. Segmentation is a path for the size expansion, but it entails a challenge due to the introduction of temporal pupil discontinuities in terms of both phase and amplitude. Modeling of the integrated performance of the coronagraph with the expected dynamical profile of the telescope is an important step toward realistic estimates of the mission's science yields. We present results of a study using the hybrid Lyot coronagraph with a 15-m on-axis, segmented optical telescope assembly (OTA), akin to that of the Large UV / Optical /Infrared (LUVOIR) mission. We have developed a high-fidelity, end-to-end model as part of the Segmented Coronagraph Design and Analysis (SCDA) study that includes diffractive optical propagations at the 1e-10 contrast level across the optical train including the OTA and intermediate re-imaging optics inside the coronagraph instrument. We perform a sensitivity analysis to assess the contrast sensitivity to wavefront perturbations for a set of key telescope terms including segment-level low-order and mid-spatial frequency aberrations and evaluate expected exoplanet yields obtained in the presence of these sets of aberrations. Industry-provided segment-level wavefront aberration datasets involving the following mechanisms are input to the end-to-end model: (1) thermal gradients and accelerations, and (2) telescope dynamics including line-of-sight and segment jitter. Dynamically averaged PSFs in the presence of aberrations are fed into AYO (Altruistic Yield Optimization), a mission design reference simulator, that then assesses the scientific yield sensitivities.

high-contrast imaging↗

Calibration of Airframe and Occupant Models for Two Full-Scale Rotorcraft Crash Tests

Two full-scale crash tests of an MD-500 helicopter were conducted in 2009 and 2010 at NASA Langley's Landing and Impact Research Facility in support of NASA s Subsonic Rotary Wing Crashworthiness Project. The first crash test was conducted to evaluate the performance of an externally mounted composite deployable energy absorber under combined impact conditions. In the second crash test, the energy absorber was removed to establish baseline loads that are regarded as severe but survivable. Accelerations and kinematic data collected from the crash tests were compared to a system integrated finite element model of the test article. Results from 19 accelerometers placed throughout the airframe were compared to finite element model responses. The model developed for the purposes of predicting acceleration responses from the first crash test was inadequate when evaluating more severe conditions seen in the second crash test. A newly developed model calibration approach that includes uncertainty estimation, parameter sensitivity, impact shape orthogonality, and numerical optimization was used to calibrate model results for the second full-scale crash test. This combination of heuristic and quantitative methods was used to identify modeling deficiencies, evaluate parameter importance, and propose required model changes. It is shown that the multi-dimensional calibration techniques presented here are particularly effective in identifying model adequacy. Acceleration results for the calibrated model were compared to test results and the original model results. There was a noticeable improvement in the pilot and co-pilot region, a slight improvement in the occupant model response, and an over-stiffening effect in the passenger region. This approach should be adopted early on, in combination with the building-block approaches that are customarily used, for model development and test planning guidance. Complete crash simulations with validated finite element models can be used to satisfy crash certification requirements, thereby reducing overall development costs.

Annett, Martin S.↗