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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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At least 757 records · Page 42

High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS)

The major objectives of the high resolution telescope and spectrograph (HRTS) are: (1) the investigation of the energy balance and mass balance of the temperature minimum, chromosphere, transition zone, and corona in quiet regions on the Sun as well as in plages, flares, and sunspots; (2) the investigation of the velocity field of the lower corona to study the origin of the solar wind; (3) the investigation of preflare and flare phenomena. The HRTS instruments consists of a telescope, an ultraviolet spectrograph, and ultraviolet spectroheliograph, and an H alpha slit display system, all housed in a thermal control canister mounted on an instrument pointing system.

Moore, R. L.↗

The development of a high energy cosmic ray detector for Spacelab-2

A large cosmic ray detector aimed at measurements of the energy spectra and of the elemental abundances of cosmic ray nuclei at very high energies, up to several TeV/nucleon was constructed. The instrument is an electronic counter telescope with a geometric factor of 5 sq ster. It accomplishes measurements of the particle energies through the use of gas Cerenkov counters and of transition radiation detectors. The solutions of a number of technological problems that are encountered when developing such instrumentation for Shuttle missions are discussed.

Lheureux, J.↗

A halo event created at 200 m above the Chacaltaya emulsion chamber

The results of analysis on a cosmic-ray induced nuclear event with the total visible energy approx. = 1300 TeV which is characterized by the central (halo) part of a strong energy concentration and the outer part of a large lateral spread are presented. The event (named as P06) was detected in the 18th two-storied emulsion chamber exposed at Chacaltaya by Brasil-Japan Collaboration. As the nuclear emulsion plates were inserted at every layer of the concerned blocks in the upper and the lower chambers together with RR- and N-type X-ray films, it is possible to study the details of the event. Some results on P06 have already been reported 1 based on the general measurement of opacity on N-type X-ray films: (1) the total energy of halo is approx. = 1000 TeV; (2) the shower transition reaches its maximum at approx. 16 cu; and (3) the radius of halo is 6.5 mm (at the level of 10 to the 6th power electrons/sq.cm.). The results in more details will be described.

Amato, N. M.↗

High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS)

The major objectives of the high resolution telescope and spectrograph (HRTS) are: (1) the investigation of the energy balance and mass balance of the temperature minimum, chromosphere, transition zone, and corona in quiet regions on the Sun as well as in plages, flares, and sunspots; (2) the investigation of the velocity field of the lower corona to study the origin of the solar wind; and (3) the investigation of preflare and flare phenomena. The HRTS instruments consists of a telescope, an ultraviolet spectrograph, an ultraviolet spectroheliograph, and an H alpha slit display system, all housed in a thermal control cannister mounted on an instrument pointing system.

Moore, R.↗

Torsionally excited methanol in hot molecular cloud cores

Torsionally excited methanol lines were detected in the direction of four galactic molecular cloud regions by means of scans in the 20-24 GHz interval with the Effelsberg 100 m radiotelescope. Transitions in both the first torsionally excited state, with excitation energies of about 450 K, and the ground state were seen in the direction of the hot, molecular cloud cores of the Orion-KL region, W3(OH), NGC 7538 and W51. The emission in Orion originated from a hot region in the southern ridge cloud 4 arcsec from the hot core. The greatest deviations from LTE occurred when a strong compact continuum source was present.

Menten, K. M.↗

(2 + 1) resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization of H2 via the E,F 1Sigma(+)g state

In this paper, the results of ab initio calculations of photoelectron angular distributions and vibrational branching ratios for the (2 + 1) resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of H2 via the E,F 1Sigma(+)g state are reported, and these are compared with the experimental data of Anderson et al. (1984). These results show that the observed non-Franck-Condon behavior is predominantly due to the R dependence of the transition matrix elements, and to a lesser degree to the energy dependence. This work presents the first molecular REMPI study employing a correlated wave function to describe the Rydberg-valence mixing in the resonant intermediate state.

Rudolph, H.↗

Influence of electron radiation and temperature on the cyclic, matrix dominated response of graphite-epoxy

The effects of electron radiation and elevated temperature on the matrix-dominated cyclic response of standard T300/934 and a chemically modified T300/934 graphite-epoxy are characterized. Both materials were subjected to 1.0 x 10 to the 10th rads of 1.0 MeV electron irradiation, under vacuum, to simulate 30 years in geosynchronous orbit. Cyclic tests were performed at room temperature and elevated temperature (121 C) on 4-ply unidirectional laminates to characterize the effects associated with irradiation and elevated temperature. Both materials exhibited energy dissipation in their response at elevated temperature. The irradiated modified material also exhibited energy dissipation at room temperature. The combination of elevated temperature and irradiation resulted in the most severe effects in the form of lower proportional limits, and greater energy dissipation. Dynamic-mechanical analysis demonstrated that the glass transition temperature, T(g), of the standard material was lowered 39 C by irradiation, wereas the T(g) of the modified material was lowered 28 C by irradiation. Thermomechanical analysis showed the occurrence of volatile products generated upon heating of the irradiated materials.

Reed, Susan M.↗

A cosmic superfluid phase

The universe may have undergone a superfluid-like phase during its evolution, resulting from the injection of nontopological charge into the spontaneously broken vacuum. In the presence of vortices this charge is identified with angular momentum. This leads to turbulent domains on the scale of the correlation length. By restoring the symmetry at low temperatures, the vortices dissociate and push the charges to the boundaries of these domains. The model can be scaled (phenomenologically) to very low energies, it can be incorporated in a late time phase transition and form large scale structure in the boundary layers of the correlation volumes. The novel feature of the model lies in the fact that the dark matter is endowed with coherent motion. The possibilities of identifying this flow around superfluid vortices with the observed large scale bulk motion is discussed. If this identification is possible, then the definite prediction can be made that a more extended map of peculiar velocities would have to reveal large scale circulations in the flow pattern.

Gradwohl, Ben-Ami↗

Resonance transition radiation X-ray laser

A free electron laser is proposed using a periodic dielectric and helical magnetic field. Periodic synchronism between the electrons and the optical wave is obtained at the period of the dielectric and not at the period of the helical magnetic field. The synchronism condition and the gain of the new device are derived. The effects on the gain from dephasing and beam expansion due to elastic scattering of the electrons in the periodic medium are included in the gain calculation. Examples of the resonance transition radiation laser and klystron are given. Operation at photon energies between 2.5 and 3.5 keV with net gain up to 12 percent is feasible using high electron-beam energies of 3 and 5 GeV. Moderate (300-MeV) beam energy allows operation between 80 to 110 eV with up to 57 percent net gain using a klystron design. In both cases, rapid foil heating may limit operation to a single electron-beam pulse.

Reid, Max B.↗

Far-infrared line images of dwarf galaxies

Irregular dwarf galaxies are about ten times more widespread in the universe than regular spiral galaxies. They are characterized by a relatively low metallicity, i.e., lower abundance of the heavier elements (metals) with respect to hydrogen than in the solar neighborhood. These heavier elements in the form of molecules, atoms, or ions, which have radiative transitions in the infrared play a decisive role in the energy balance of the ISM and thereby for the formation of stars. Dwarf galaxies are thus model cases for the physical conditions in the early phase of the universe. Large Magellanic Cloud: 30 Doradus. The two nearest dwarf galaxies are the Magellanic clouds at a distance approximately 50 kpc. The LMC contains 30 Dor, a region with young, extremely massive stars which strongly interact with the surrounding ISM on account of their stellar winds and intense UV radiation. 30 Dor is the brightest object in the LMC at almost all wavelengths.

Poglitsch, A.↗

Kinetic description of electron beams in the solar chromosphere

We formulate the relativistic Fokker-Plank equation for a beam of accelerated electrons interacting with a partially ionized plasma. In our derivation we conserved those terms contributing to velocity diffusion and found that this effect cannot be neglected a priori. We compute the terms accounting for elastic and inelastic collisions with neutral hydrogen and helium. Collisions with neutral hydrogen are found to be dominant throughout the chromosphere, except at the uppermost layers close to the transition region. As an application, we compute the loss of energy and momentum for a power-law beam impinging on the solar chromosphere, for a particular case in which the Fokker-Planck equation can be integrated analytically. We find that most of the beam energy is deposited in a relatively thin region of the chromosphere, a result which is largely insensitive to the theoretical method employed to compute the energy deposition rate.

Gomez, Daniel O.↗

Laboratory studies of 3.3 micron emission from naphthalene induced by 193 and 248 nanometer excitation

Laboratory studies of infrared emission from gas-phase naphthalene in the 3.3 micrometer region following ultraviolet laser excitation are used to interpret the unidentified infrared bands observed in many astronomical objects. A time-resolved Fourier transform infrared emission technique acquires the time and spectrally resolved data. Two excitation wavelengths are employed: 193 nm and 248 nm. The infrared emission features are strongly dependent on the initial excitation energy. Wavelength-resolved spectra recorded 6.8 microseconds after the laser pulse show a 45/cm redshift from the gas-phase absorption spectra for 193 nm excitation and 25/cm for 248 nm excitation. We hypothesize that a series of sequence bands originating from the highly vibrationally excited ensemble of molecules is responsible for the observed shift. As collisional and radiative deactivation removes energy from the highly vibrationally excited molecules, the maximum in the emission profile gradually approaches the customary absorption maximum. This indicates that the amount of redshift is strongly dependent on the amount of internal vibrational energy in the molecule at the time of the vibrational transition.

Williams, Richard M.↗

Shape-Memory-Alloy Actuator For Flight Controls

Report proposes use of shape-memory-alloy actuators, instead of hydraulic actuators, for aerodynamic flight-control surfaces. Actuator made of shape-memory alloy converts thermal energy into mechanical work by changing shape as it makes transitions between martensitic and austenitic crystalline phase states of alloy. Because both hot exhaust gases and cryogenic propellant liquids available aboard launch rockets, shape-memory-alloy actuators exceptionally suited for use aboard such rockets.

Barret, Chris↗

Energy Calibration of the Scintillating Optical Fiber Calorimeter Chamber (SOFCAL)

The Scintillating Optical Fiber Calorimeter (SOFCAL) detector is designed to make direct measures of the primary cosmic ray spectrum from -200 GeV/amu - 20 TeV/amu. The primary particles are resolved into groups according to their charge (p, He, CNO, Medium Z, Heavy Z) using both active and passive components integrated into the detector. The principal part of SOFCAL is a thin ionization calorimeter that measures the electromagnetic cascades that result from these energetic particles interacting in the detector. The calorimeter is divided into two sections: a thin passive emulsion/x-ray film calorimeter, and a fiber calorimeter that uses crossing layers of small scintillating optical fibers to sample the energy deposition of the cascades. The energy determination is made by fitting the fiber data to transition curves generated by Monte Carlo simulations. The fiber data must first be calibrated using the electron counts from the emulsion plates in the calorimeter for a small number of events. The technique and results of this calibration will be presented together with samples of the data from a balloon flight.

Christl, M. C.↗

Experimental Cross Sections for Excitation of the 2s S-2 yields 2p P-2 Transition in C(3+)

Experimental cross sections are presented for excitation of the 2s yields 2p transition in C(3+). Use is made of the energy-loss method with merged beams. Also described is use of a multipole "electronic aperture" to discriminate against elastically-scattered electrons. Comparisons are made with previous experimental energy-loss and optical-emission data, and with results of several theoretical calculations.

Chutjian, A.↗

Purification of the small mechanosensitive channel of Escherichia coli (MscS): the subunit structure, conduction, and gating characteristics in liposomes

The small mechanosensitive channel, MscS, is a part of the turgor-driven solute efflux system that protects bacteria from lysis in the event of osmotic downshift. It has been identified in Escherichia coli as a product of the orphan yggB gene, now called mscS (Levina et al., 1999, EMBO J. 18:1730). Here I show that that the isolated 31-kDa MscS protein is sufficient to form a functional mechanosensitive channel gated directly by tension in the lipid bilayer. MscS-6His complexes purified in the presence of octylglucoside and lipids migrate in a high-resolution gel-filtration column as particles of approximately 200 kDa. Consistent with that, the protein cross-linking patterns predict a hexamer. The channel reconstituted in soybean asolectin liposomes was activated by pressures of 20-60 mm Hg and displayed the same asymmetric I-V curve and slight anionic preference as in situ. At the same time, the single-channel conductance is proportional to the buffer conductivity in a wide range of salt concentrations. The rate of channel activation in response to increasing pressure gradient across the patch was slower than the rate of closure in response to decreasing steps of pressure gradient. Therefore, the open probability curves were recorded with descending series of pressures. Determination of the curvature of patches by video imaging permitted measurements of the channel activity as a function of membrane tension (gamma). Po(gamma) curves had the midpoint at 5.5 +/- 0.1 dyne/cm and gave estimates for the energy of opening DeltaG = 11.4 +/- 0.5 kT, and the transition-related area change DeltaA = 8.4 +/- 0.4 nm(2) when fitted with a two-state Boltzmann model. The correspondence between channel properties in the native and reconstituted systems is discussed.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗

Cosmos 1887: morphology, histochemistry, and vasculature of the growing rat tibia

Light microscopy, electron microscopy, and enzyme histochemistry were used to study the effects of spaceflight on metaphyseal and cortical bone of the rat tibia. Cortical cross-sectional area and perimeter were not altered by a 12.5-day spaceflight in 3-month-old male rats. The endosteal osteoblast population and the vasculature near the periosteal surface in flight rats compared with ground controls showed more pronounced changes in cortical bone than in metaphyseal bone. The osteoblasts demonstrated greater numbers of transitional Golgi vesicles, possibly caused by a decreased cellular metabolic energy source, but no difference in the large Golgi saccules or the cell membrane-associated alkaline phosphatase activity. The periosteal vasculature in the diaphysis of flight rats often showed lipid accumulations within the lumen of the vessels, occasional degeneration of the vascular wall, and degeneration of osteocytes adjacent to vessels containing intraluminal deposits. These changes were not found in the metaphyseal region of flight animals. The focal vascular changes may be due to ischemia of bone or a developing fragility of the vessel walls as a result of spaceflight.

Non-NASA Center↗

Heats of Segregation of BCC Binaries from ab Initio and Quantum Approximate Calculations

We compare dilute-limit heats of segregation for selected BCC transition metal binaries computed using ab initio and quantum approximate energy methods. Ab initio calculations are carried out using the CASTEP plane-wave pseudopotential computer code, while quantum approximate results are computed using the Bozzolo-Ferrante-Smith (BFS) method with the most recent LMTO-based parameters. Quantum approximate segregation energies are computed with and without atomistic relaxation, while the ab initio calculations are performed without relaxation. Results are discussed within the context of a segregation model driven by strain and bond-breaking effects. We compare our results with full-potential quantum calculations and with available experimental results.

Good, Brian S.↗