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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 793 records · Page 44
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

EBF noise suppression and aerodynamic penalties

Acoustic tests were conducted at model scale to determine the noise produced in the flyover and sideline planes at reduced separation distances between the nozzle exhaust plane and the flaps of an under-the-wing (UTW) externally blown flap (EBF) configuration in its approach attitude. Tests were also made to determine the noise suppression effectiveness of two types of passive devices which were located on the jet impingement surfaces of the configuration. In addition, static aerodynamic performance data were obtained to evaluate the penalties produced by these suppression devices. Broadband low frequency noise reductions were achieved by reducing the separation distance between the nozzle and flaps. However, mid and high frequency noise was produced which exceeded that of the reference configuration. Two passive noise suppression devices located on the flaps produced moderate to large noise reductions at reduced separation distances. Consideration of the static aerodynamic performance data obtained for the configurations tested suggests that specific broadband noise suppression characteristics may be obtained through a trade-off with aerodynamic performance penalties by the careful selection of suppression devices.

Mckinzie, L. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Unsteady aerodynamic characterization of a military aircraft in vertical gusts

The effects of 2.5-m/sec vertical gusts on the flight characteristics of a 1:8.6 scale model of a Mirage 2000 aircraft in free flight at 35 m/sec over a distance of 30 m are investigated. The wind-tunnel setup and instrumentation are described; the impulse-response and local-coefficient-identification analysis methods applied are discussed in detail; and the modification and calibration of the gust-detection probes are reviewed. The results are presented in graphs, and good general agreement is obtained between model calculations using the two analysis methods and the experimental measurements.

Lebozec, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Ion flow at comet Halley

The three-dimensional positive ion analyzer aboard the Giotto spacecraft has been used to study the interaction between protons and alpha-particles in the solar wind and positive ions from comet Halley. Although the first impression of the overall structure is that the plasma flow evolves smoothly as the nucleus is approached, three sharp transitions of relatively small amplitude can be identified on both the inbound and outbound legs of the trajectory. The outermost one, at about one million km from the nucleus, appears to be a multiple crossing of a weak bow shock. The innermost one, at 80,000 km, is the boundary where the flowing plasma becomes depleted. On a microscopic scale, the turbulence created by the interaction between the two ion populations extends to a distance of several million km from the nucleus. At Giotto's closest approach to the nucleus, the plasma produced around the spacecraft by dust and gas impacts was much more energetic than had been expected.

Johnstone, A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

On local approximations of the pressure-strain term in turbulence models

The results of numerical simulations of turbulent channel flows were used to examine the validity of the local approximation of the pressure-strain term in the Reynolds stress transport equation. Outside of the viscous sublayer the local approximation compares very well with the exact pressure strain. This agreement is due, at least in part, to the high correlation between the rapid pressure and its Laplacian, which suggests that only the near parts of the flow contribute to the rapid pressure at a point. In the viscous sublayer the distance over which the mean shear can be considered constant is comparable to the length scale in the normal direction of the correlations of velocity gradients, leading to failure of the local approximation.

Bradshaw, P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Upstream waves at Mercury, Venus and earth - Comparison of the properties of one Hertz waves

Previous studies have shown that the Venus foreshock region contains low-frequency upstream waves similar to those in the terrestrial foreshock, but perhaps with different amplitudes than at earth. This paper compares the properties of a second class of upstream waves, analogous to the so-called 1 Hz waves at earth. The waves observed at Mercury, Venus, and earth have very similar properties, i.e., propagation angles less than 55 degrees to the magnetic field and less than 35 degrees to the solar wind flow direction. The waves occur exclusively on the field lines connected to the bow shock. They are most commonly left-hand elliptically polarized with similar fractional amplitudes, approximately 0.1 of the background field strength. Their amplitudes decrease with increasing distance from the shock. The observed frequencies are similar for Mercury, Venus, and earth when scaled by the interplanetary magnetic field. If, as generally assumed at earth, these waves arise in regions of backstreaming electrons, these results imply that similar electron foreshocks occur at earth, Venus and Mercury despite differences in bow shock size and the nature of the obstacle to the solar wind.

Orlowski, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Relativistic fireballs and their impact on external matter - Models for cosmological gamma-ray bursts

We discuss the production of cosmological gamma-ray bursts intense enough to be detected at cosmological distances. Events such as the coalescence of compact binaries can create sufficient energy on time scales much less than 1 s. A short 'primary' burst is expected when the resultant fireball becomes optically thin, but this may be weak because the bulk of the radiative energy has been converted into kinetic energy while still trapped within the fireball. But when this expanding material impacts on an external medium, its bulk kinetic energy can be rerandomized. The requirements on the composition of the fireball itself are less stringent than for other interpretations of cosmological gamma-ray bursts. Moreover, our model suggests that the spectra and time structure of the bursts may depend in interesting ways on the environment in which the energy-generating event occurs.

Meszaros, P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Flow in the Proximity of the Pin-Tool in Friction Stir Welding and Its Relation to Weld Homogeneity

In the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process a rotating pin inserted into a seam literally stirs the metal from each side of the seam together. It is proposed that the flow in the vicinity of the pin-tool comprises a primary rapid shear over a cylindrical envelope covering the pin-tool and a relatively slow secondary flow taking the form of a ring vortex about the tool circumference. This model is consistent with a plastic characterization of metal flow, where discontinuities in shear flow are allowed but not viscous effects. It is consistent with experiments employing several different kinds of tracer: atomic markers, shot, and wire. If a rotating disc with angular velocity w is superposed on a translating continuum with linear velocity omega, the trajectories of tracer points become circular arcs centered upon a point displaced laterally a distance v/omega from the center of rotation of the disc in the direction of the advancing side of the disc. In the present model a stream of metal approaching the tool (taken as the coordinate system of observation) is sheared at the slip surface, rapidly rotated around the tool, sheared again on the opposite side of the tool, and deposited in the wake of the tool. Local shearing rates are high, comparable to metal cutting in this model. The flow patterns in the vicinity of the pin-tool determine the level of homogenization and dispersal of contaminants that occurs in the FSW process. The approaching metal streams enfold one another as they are rotated around the tool. Neglecting mixing they return to the same lateral position in the wake of the tool preserving lateral tracer positions as if the metal had flowed past the tool like an extrusion instead of being rotated around it. (The seam is, however, obliterated.) The metal stream of thickness approximately that of the tool diameter D is wiped past the tool at elevated temperatures drawn out to a thickness of v/2(omega) in the wiping zone. Mixing distances in the wiping zone are multiplied in the unfolded metal. Inhomogeneities on a smaller scale than the mixing length are obliterated, but structure on a larger scale may be transmitted to the wake of a FSW weld.

Nunes, Arthur C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Cosmological Constraints from Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect and X-ray data for 37 Galaxy Clusters

We present a sample of 37 clusters of galaxies (0.14<=z<=0.89) for which we have Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect data and Chandra X-ray imaging and spectroscopy. We use a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to determine the spatial properties and surface brightness of the X-ray emitting gas, the X-ray temperature and abundance, and the SZE decrement for each cluster. From these observables, we infer each cluster's total mass, gas mass fraction, and angular diameter distance. The sample properties are used to constrain the Hubble parameter and Omega Matter, and scaling relations between integrated SZE flux and cluster mass and temperature are constructed. We also investigate the cosmological constraints that could be obtained if the X-ray/SZE sample were extended to a redshift of z approximately 2.

Bonamente, Massimiliano↗
NASA NTRS1993

Laser Metrology Gauges for OSI

Heterodyne interferometers have been commercially available for many years. In addition, many versions have been built at JPL for various projects. This activity is aimed at improving the accuracy of such interferometers from the 1-30 nanometer level to the picometer level for use in the proposed OSI and SONATA missions as metrology gauges. In the null-gauge configuration, we obtained a precision of 0.6 picometers at time scales of 2,500 seconds. In the relative-gauge configuration, we obtained an accuracy of 3.5 picometers rms in vacuum at time scales of few minutes. An absolute gauge with an accuracy of 10 microns over a distance of 10 meters is under construction.

Gursel, Yekta↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

International Space Station Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model Update for Short Thruster Pulse Widths

The International Space Station (ISS) Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model has been a vital tool for characterizing the thruster plume-induced contamination environment at the ISS but was not intended to be used for very short thruster pulse widths. This paper presents an updated model that ensures full start-up and shut-down phases are modeled for each thruster firing, when the majority of liquid phase contaminant mass is released. The updated ISS Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model prevents potential under-prediction of thruster plume-induced contamination due to visiting vehicle proximity operations and provides a way to take advantage of thruster start-up and shut-down data performance data gathered during thruster test programs, if available. The International Space Station (ISS) Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model developed by Boeing Space Environments is a semi-empirical model anchored in flight experiment data and has been a vital tool for characterizing the thruster plume-induced contamination environment at the ISS.[1] The current model utilizes flight experiment data from the Plume Impingement Contamination (PIC) and Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX) studies, which include Orbiter 3870 N Primary Reaction Control System (PRCS) and Russian 130 N thrusters operating in pulse mode with 80-100 ms.[2] As the next generation of crew and cargo visiting vehicles are developed and arrive at ISS, minimum pulse widths of vehicle thrusters used for ISS proximity operations have decreased significantly below 80 ms. An update to the ISS Bipropellant Contamination Model is needed to prevent potential under-prediction of thruster plume-induced contamination for these very short pulse widths. Contamination due to thruster plumes occurs in the liquid phase (i.e., unburned or partially burned propellant in the plume). Liquid phase releases primarily occur during thruster start-up and shut-down phases, with the steady state phase contributing a small amount to the total contaminant mass released. The current ISS Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model includes functional dependencies on thruster parameters (thrust, mass flow rate, specific impulse (Isp)), distance to receiver surface, and angle off plume centerline. For modeling purposes, contaminant mass released scales linearly with pulse width. This is a conservative approach for pulse widths greater than 80 ms but could under-predict contamination for very short pulse widths (i.e., with little or no steady state phase). This paper presents a model update to add a functional dependency on commanded pulse width to ensure the portion of the pulse spent in start-up and shut-down phases is appropriately modeled, when the majority of liquid phase contaminant mass is released. The updated model prevents potential under-prediction of thruster plume-induced contamination due to visiting vehicle proximity operations while providing a way to take advantage of thruster start-up and shut-down data gathered during test programs, if available. Developing the plume model for a specific thruster using the ISS Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model must be done in consideration of all available thruster performance data. Example thruster data will be used to illustrate this point and options for implementing the model update with existing ISS Bipropellant Plume Contamination Model code will be discussed.

plume contamination↗
NASA NTRS2022

MOA-2020-BLG-135Lb: A New Neptune-class Planet for the Extended MOA-II Exoplanet Microlens Statistical Analysis

We report the light-curve analysis for the event MOA-2020-BLG-135, which leads to the discovery of a new Neptune-class planet, MOA-2020-BLG-135Lb. With a derived mass ratio of q=1.52 +0.39 -0.31 x10 -4 and separation s ≈ 1, the planet lies exactly at the break and likely peak of the exoplanet mass-ratio function derived by the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) Collaboration. We estimate the properties of the lens system based on a Galactic model and considering two different Bayesian priors: one assuming that all stars have an equal planet-hosting probability and the other that planets are more likely to orbit more-massive stars. With a uniform host mass prior, we predict that the lens system is likely to be a planet of mass m planet = 11.3 +19.2 -6.9 M ⨁ and a host star of mass M host =0.23 +0.39 -0.14 M ⨀ , located at a distance 𝐃 𝐋 =7.9 +1.0 -1.0 kpc. With a prior that holds that planet occurrence scales in proportion to the host-star mass, the estimated lens system properties are m planet =25 +22 -15 M ⨁ , M M host =0.53 +0.42 -0,32 M ⨀ , and D L =8.3 +0.9 -1.0 .This planet qualifies for inclusion in the extended MOA-II exoplanet microlens sample.

Gravitational microlensing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Maintaining the Continuity of the Global Climate Data Record of Lightning from Space

Lightning is a natural hazard, an indicator of changes in convective storm behavior across multiple spatial and temporal scales, and a major influence on climate-affecting chemicals such as ozone and methane. Lightning also has substantial impacts on the near-space environment. As such, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated lightning as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV); that is, a measurement that is really important for understanding Earth’s climate. Spaceborne lightning observations are the gold standard for measuring global lightning, as the detection efficiency is more spatially uniform compared to ground-based lightning measurements. In addition, spaceborne is the only practical method for measuring total lightning (i.e., both intracloud and cloud-to-ground) at the global scale, as ground-based networks have limited ability to detect intracloud lightning at long distances (e.g., over oceans, far from land-based sensors). Since 1995, with only a two-year gap (2015-2017), lightning has been observed globally using a combination of Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) instruments. However, the year 2023 is the planned end for the International Space Station (ISS) LIS mission, and there is no designated low-Earth orbit (LEO) successor yet identified. Since 2017, geostationary (GEO) observations of lightning have become increasingly available. These include the U.S. Geostationary Lightning Mappers (GLMs), China’s Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI), and Europe’s Lightning Imager (LI). While GEO provides continuous, quasi-hemispheric coverage of lightning and thunderstorms, there are current gaps preventing global coverage, particularly in portions of Asia and the western Pacific, as well as high-latitude regions. Moreover, integration of the GEO constellation into a Climate Data Record (CDR) of lightning is a major challenge only recently begun to be addressed by the WMO. Furthermore, recent work has demonstrated some deficiencies in the global record of lightning from space. For example, small lightning flashes are very common in severe weather, but are difficult to observe using the present set of spaceborne lightning imagers. Moreover, some types of lightning are best observed using frequencies other than the commonly used near-infrared (777-nm), including ultraviolet and the radio spectrum. Finally, it is not possible to assess the vertical distribution of lightning globally, even though this measurement is highly relevant to thunderstorm behavior as well as lightning’s effects on greenhouse gases and the near-space environment. This presentation will provide a current assessment of lightning measurements from space, will identify significant current and future gaps in these observations, and will evaluate potential solutions for improving the overall CDR of global lightning.

Timothy Lang↗
DOE OSTI2022

Charm mass effects in the static energy computed in 2+1+1 flavor lattice QCD

We report our analysis for the static energy in (2+1+1)-flavor QCD over a wide range of lattice spacings and several quark masses. We obtain results for the static energy out to distances of nearly 1 fm, allowing us to perform a simultaneous determination of the lattice scales $r_2$, $r_1$ and $r_0$ as well as the string tension, $\sigma$. While our results for ${r_0}/{r_1}$ and $r_0$$\sqrt{\sigma}$ agree with published (2+1)-flavor results, our result for ${r_1}/{r_2}$ differs significantly from the value obtained in the (2+1)-flavor case, likely due to the effect of the charm quark. We study in detail the effect of the charm quark on the static energy by comparing our results on the finest lattices with the previously published (2+1)-flavor QCD results at similar lattice spacing. The lattice results agree well with the two-loop perturbative expression of the static energy incorporating finite charm mass effects.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Using the Baryonic Tully–Fisher Relation to Measure H{sub o}

We explore the use of the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation (bTFR) as a new distance indicator. Advances in near-IR imaging and stellar population models, plus precise rotation curves, have reduced the scatter in the bTFR such that distance is the dominant source of uncertainty. Using 50 galaxies with accurate distances from Cepheids or the tip magnitude of the red giant branch, we calibrate the bTFR on a scale independent of H {sub o}. We then apply this calibrated bTFR to 95 independent galaxies from the SPARC sample, using CosmicFlows-3 velocities, to deduce the local value of H {sub o}. We find H {sub o} = 75.1 ± 2.3 (stat) ±1.5 (sys) km s{sup −1} Mpc{sup −1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

High-Dimensional Similarity Search with Quantum-Assisted Variational Autoencoder

Recent progress in quantum algorithms and hardware indicates the potential importance of quantum computing in the near future. However, finding suitable application areas remains an active area of research. Quantum machine learning is touted as a potential approach to demonstrate quantum advantage within both the gate-model and the adiabatic schemes. For instance, the QVAE has been proposed as a quantum enhancement to the discrete VAE. We extend on previous work and study the real-world applicability of a QVAE by presenting a proof-of-concept for similarity search in large-scale high-dimensional datasets. While exact and fast similarity search algorithms are available for low dimensional datasets, scaling to high-dimensional data is non-trivial. We show how to construct a space-efficient search index based on the latent space representation of a QVAE. Our experiments show a correlation between the Hamming distance in the embedded space and the Euclidean distance in the original space on the MODIS dataset. Further, we find real-world speedups compared to linear search and demonstrate memory-efficient scaling to half a billion data points.

Data mining, similarity search, quantum machine le↗
NASA NTRS1990

Small-scale structure in the diffuse interstellar medium

The initial results of a study to probe the small-scale structure in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) through IUE and optical observations of interstellar absorption lines toward both components of resolvable binary stars is reported. The binaries (Kappa CrA, 57 Aql, 59 And, HR 1609/10, 19 Lyn, and Theta Ser) observed with IUE have projected linear separations ranging from 5700 to 700 Au. Except for Kappa CrA, the strengths of the interstellar absorption lines toward both components of these binaries agree to within 10 percent. In the case of Kappa CrA, the optically thin interstellar Mg I and Mn II lines are about 50 percent stronger toward Kappa-2 CrA than Kappa-1 CrA. Higher resolution observations of interstellar Ca II show that this difference is concentrated in the main interstellar component at V(LSR) = 9 + or - 2 km/s. Interestingly, this velocity corresponds to an intervening cloud that may be associated with the prominent Loop I shell in the local ISM. Given the separation (23 arcsec) and distance (120 pc) of Kappa CrA, the line strength variations indicate that this cloud has structure on scales of 2800 AU or less.

Meyer, David M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A laser velocimeter system for large-scale aerodynamic testing

A unique laser velocimeter was developed that is capable of sensing two orthogonal velocity components from a variable remote distance of 2.6 to 10 m for use in the 40- by 80-Foot and 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnels and the Outdoor Aerodynamic Research Facility at Ames Research Center. The system hardware, positioning instrumentation, and data acquisition equipment are described in detail; system capabilities and limitations are discussed; and expressions for systematic and statistical accuracy are developed. Direct and coupled laboratory measurements taken with the system are compared with measurements taken with a laser velocimeter of higher spatial resolution, and sample data taken in the open circuit exhaust flow of a 1/50-scale model of the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel are presented.

Reinath, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Nonlinear Dynamics and Nucleation Kinetics in Near-Critical Liquids

The objective of our study is to model the nonlinear behavior of a near-critical liquid following a rapid change of the temperature and/or other thermodynamic parameters (pressure, external electric or gravitational field). The thermodynamic critical point is manifested by large, strongly correlated fluctuations of the order parameter (particle density in liquid-gas systems, concentration in binary solutions) in the critical range of scales. The largest critical length scale is the correlation radius r(sub c). According to the scaling theory, r(sub c) increases as r(sub c) = r(sub 0)epsilon(exp -alpha) when the nondimensional distance epsilon = (T - T(sub c))/T(sub c) to the critical point decreases. The normal gravity alters the nature of correlated long-range fluctuations when one reaches epsilon approximately equal to 10(exp -5), and correspondingly the relaxation time, tau(r(sub c)), is approximately equal to 10(exp -3) seconds; this time is short when compared to the typical experimental time. Close to the critical point, a rapid, relatively small temperature change may perturb the thermodynamic equilibrium on many scales. The critical fluctuations have a hierarchical structure, and the relaxation involves many length and time scales. Above the critical point, in the one-phase region, we consider the relaxation of the liquid following a sudden temperature change that simultaneously violates the equilibrium on many scales. Below T(sub c), a non-equilibrium state may include a distribution of small scale phase droplets; we consider the relaxation of such a droplet following a temperature change that has made the phase of the matrix stable.

Patashinski, Alexander Z.↗