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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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NASA NTRS1988

The temperature structure, mass, and energy flow in the corona and inner solar wind

Remote-sensing and in situ data are used to constrain a radiative energy balance model in order to study the radial variations of coronal temperatures, densities, and outflow speeds in several types of coronal holes and in an unstructured quiet region of the corona. A one-fluid solar wind model is used which takes into account the effects of radiative and inward conductive losses in the low corona and the chromospheric-coronal transition region. The results show that the total nonradiative energy input in magnetically open coronal regions is 5 + or - 10 to the 5th ergs/sq cm, and that most of the energy heating the coronal plasma is dissipated within 2 solar radii of the solar surface.

Withbroe, George L.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Carbon Monitoring System Flux Estimation and Attribution: Impact of ACOS-GOSAT X(CO2) Sampling on the Inference of Terrestrial Biospheric Sources and Sinks

Using an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE), we investigate the impact of JAXA Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite 'IBUKI' (GOSAT) sampling on the estimation of terrestrial biospheric flux with the NASA Carbon Monitoring System Flux (CMS-Flux) estimation and attribution strategy. The simulated observations in the OSSE use the actual column carbon dioxide (X(CO2)) b2.9 retrieval sensitivity and quality control for the year 2010 processed through the Atmospheric CO2 Observations from Space algorithm. CMS-Flux is a variational inversion system that uses the GEOS-Chem forward and adjoint model forced by a suite of observationally constrained fluxes from ocean, land and anthropogenic models. We investigate the impact of GOSAT sampling on flux estimation in two aspects: 1) random error uncertainty reduction and 2) the global and regional bias in posterior flux resulted from the spatiotemporally biased GOSAT sampling. Based on Monte Carlo calculations, we find that global average flux uncertainty reduction ranges from 25% in September to 60% in July. When aggregated to the 11 land regions designated by the phase 3 of the Atmospheric Tracer Transport Model Intercomparison Project, the annual mean uncertainty reduction ranges from 10% over North American boreal to 38% over South American temperate, which is driven by observational coverage and the magnitude of prior flux uncertainty. The uncertainty reduction over the South American tropical region is 30%, even with sparse observation coverage. We show that this reduction results from the large prior flux uncertainty and the impact of non-local observations. Given the assumed prior error statistics, the degree of freedom for signal is approx.1132 for 1-yr of the 74 055 GOSAT X(CO2) observations, which indicates that GOSAT provides approx.1132 independent pieces of information about surface fluxes. We quantify the impact of GOSAT's spatiotemporally sampling on the posterior flux, and find that a 0.7 gigatons of carbon bias in the global annual posterior flux resulted from the seasonally and diurnally biased sampling when using a diagonal prior flux error covariance.

biased sampling↗
NASA NTRS2016

B33C-0612: Evaluation of Simulated Biospheric Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Atmospheric Concentrations Using Global in Situ Observations

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emission sources and biospheric sources/sinks. Global biospheric fluxes of CO2 are controlled by complex processes facilitating the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. These processes which play a key role in these terrestrial ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges are currently not fully understood, resulting in large uncertainties in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Current models with these inherent deficiencies have difficulties simulating the global carbon cycle with high accuracy. We are developing a new modeling platform, GEOS-Chem-CASA by integrating the year-specific NASA-CASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) biosphere model with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) chemical transport model to improve the simulation of atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange. We use NASA-CASA to explicitly represent the exchange of CO2 between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere by replacing the baseline GEOS-Chem land net CO2 flux and forest biomass burning CO2 emissions. We will present the estimation and evaluation of these "bottom-up" land CO2 fluxes, simulated atmospheric mixing ratios, and forest disturbance changes over the last decade. In addition, we will present our initial comparison of atmospheric column-mean dry air mole fraction of CO2 predicted by the model and those retrieved from NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) satellite instrument and model-predicted surface CO2 mixing ratios with global in situ observations. This evaluation is the first step necessary for our future work planned to constrain the estimates of biospheric carbon fluxes through "top-down" inverse modeling, which will improve our understanding of the processes controlling atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges, especially over regions which lack in situ observations.

in situ observations↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar-surface UV Photometric Investigation of Exospheres (LUPINE): Thermal Modeling of Payload in a Relevant Daylit Environment

Direct upward remote sensing of the moon’s exosphere from a surface vantage can address production of water-related lunar volatiles as well as their exospheric loss, ballistic transport, and ultimate adsorption in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). Far UV (FUV) dayside measurements of atomic oxygen, liberated from regolith by energetic solar protons and micrometeorite impact, can provide critical insight into the endogenic lunar water cycle by constraining total column density [O] at site of production. A notional Lunar-surface UV Photometric Investigation of Exospheres (LUPINE) instrument is designed to exploit solar-pumped atomic oxygen fluorescence at 130.4-nm, in a manner similar to the Apollo 17 UV Spectrometer (UVS) experiment [Fastie 1973; Feldman and Morrison, 1991] and the LRO Lyman-alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) spectrograph [Cook et al., 2013], by implementing a zenith-directed FUV photometer from the lunar surface at low (± 10°) selenographic latitude during the lunar day. Atomic oxygen production from solar energetic particle impact sources is thought to maximize in near solar noon [Sarantos et al., 2012], and the lander-embedded zenith-directed LUPINE photometer, in contrast to UVS and LAMP twilight measurements from orbit, can potentially capture the full column abundance of lunar regolith liberated oxygen. Herein we describe adaptation of FUV reflective optics, pulse-counting electronics, and scattered-light-suppression technologies developed for LEO FUV photometry for the challenging thermal environment of the daylit lunar surface. Preliminary thermal modeling and TVAC measurements of heritage FUV photometer components suggests that, if allowed to shed ~8W of waste heat into the bus of a reference Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) lander, the LUPINE photometer will be kept sufficiently cool to limit dark current to less than 20 counts/s. This level of dark signal enables an OI 130.4-nm 3-sigma detection threshold of ~1 mR for assumed 2-hour integrations.

Lunar UV Photometer↗
NASA NTRS2023

Overview and Statistical Analysis of Boundary Layer Clouds and Precipitation Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean

Due to their fast evolution and large natural variability in macro- and microphysical properties, the accurate representation of boundary layer clouds in current climate models remains a challenge. One of the regions with large intermodel spread in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 ensemble is the western North Atlantic Ocean. Here, statistically representative in situ measurements can help to develop and constrain the parameterization of clouds in global models. To this end, we performed comprehensive measurements of boundary layer clouds, aerosol, trace gases, and radiation in the western North Atlantic Ocean during the NASA Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) mission. In total, 174 research flights with 574 flight hours for cloud and precipitation measurements were performed with the HU-25 Falcon during three winter (February–March 2020, January–April 2021, and November 2021–March 2022) and three summer seasons (August–September 2020, May–June 2021, and May–June 2022). Here we present a statistical evaluation of 16 140 individual cloud events probed by the fast cloud droplet probe and the two-dimensional stereo cloud probe during 155 research flights in a representative and repetitive flight strategy allowing for robust statistical data analyses. We show that the vertical profiles of distributions of the liquid water content and the cloud droplet effective diameter (ED) increase with altitude in the marine boundary layer. Due to higher updraft speeds, higher cloud droplet number concentrations (N liquid ) were measured in winter compared to summer despite lower cloud condensation nucleus abundance. Flight cloud cover derived from statistical analysis of in situ data is reduced in summer and shows large variability. This seasonal contrast in cloud coverage is consistent with a dominance of a synoptic pattern in winter that favors conditions for the formation of stratiform clouds at the western edge of cyclones (post-cyclonic). In contrast, a dominant summer anticyclone is concomitant with the occurrence of shallow cumulus clouds and lower cloud coverage. The evaluation of boundary layer clouds and precipitation in the N liquid ED phase space sheds light on liquid, mixed-phase, and ice cloud properties and helps to categorize the cloud data. Ice and liquid precipitation, often masked in cloud statistics by a high abundance of liquid clouds, is often observed throughout the cloud. The ACTIVATE in situ cloud measurements provide a wealth of cloud information useful for assessing airborne and satellite remote-sensing products, for global climate and weather model evaluations, and for dedicated process studies that address precipitation and aerosol–cloud interactions.

Aerosol↗
DOE OSTI2026

Beam-water Interaction System for PFAS Treatment

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants that resist conventional water treatment due to the strength of their carbon fluorine bonds. Electron-beam irradiation has shown potential for PFAS degradation; however, its effectiveness is limited by shallow energy penetration, restricting treatment to the upper region of the water surface. This project addresses this limitation through the design of a compact mixing chamber and recirculation system to enhance surface renewal and improve treatment efficiency. The system, constrained to approximately 10 cm 20 cm 20 cm, was developed using computer-aided design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and MATLAB-based hydraulic analysis to evaluate flow behavior, head loss, and pump compatibility. A perforated-baffle geometry and controlled flow range of 1 3 GPM were implemented to promote uniform mixing while maintaining a stable free surface for electron-beam exposure. Modeling results indicate improved flow distribution and reduced dead zones, supporting more consistent interaction between contaminated water and the beam. The final design enhances hydrodynamic performance within system constraints, contributing to scalable electron-beam water treatment technologies for improved PFAS degradation.

Ramos, Gerardo [Northern Illinois U.]↗
DOE OSTI2020

Direct Visualization of Current-Stimulated Oxygen Migration in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7–δ Thin Films

The past years have witnessed major advancements in all-electrical doping control on cuprates. In the vast majority of cases, the tuning of charge carrier density has been achieved via electric field effect by means of either a ferroelectric polarization or using a dielectric or electrolyte gating. Unfortunately, these approaches are constrained to rather thin superconducting layers and require large electric fields in order to ensure sizable carrier modulations. In this work, we focus on the investigation of oxygen doping in an extended region through current-stimulated oxygen migration in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7–δ superconducting bridges. The underlying methodology is rather simple and avoids sophisticated nanofabrication process steps and complex electronics. Here, a patterned multiterminal transport bridge configuration allows us to electrically assess the directional counterflow of oxygen atoms and vacancies. Importantly, the emerging propagating front of current-dependent doping δ is probed in situ by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The resulting imaging techniques, together with photoinduced conductivity and Raman scattering investigations, reveal an inhomogeneous oxygen vacancy distribution with a controllable propagation speed permitting us to estimate the oxygen diffusivity. These findings provide direct evidence that the microscopic mechanism at play in electrical doping of cuprates involves diffusion of oxygen atoms with the applied current. The resulting fine control of the oxygen content would permit a systematic study of complex phase diagrams and the design of electrically addressable devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Interconnection of Aerosol‐Cloud Interactions and Cloud Feedback Through Warm Rain Process

Recent research has revealed a correlation within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations: models exhibiting more pronounced warming due to positive cloud feedback simultaneously show enhanced cooling from aerosol‐cloud interactions (ACI). However, the interplay between ACI and cloud feedback is not well understood in these models. Our study addresses this gap by modifying the autoconversion rate in two Earth system models (ESMs), elucidating how ACI could connect with cloud feedback through the warm rain process. We find that higher autoconversion rates, which are associated with stronger ACI, suppress the increase in cloud liquid water path (LWP) and cloud optical depth with warming by enhancing the precipitation efficiency over the extratropical regions, leading to a larger positive cloud feedback. This study offers new insights into the compensatory mechanism between ACI and cloud feedback through the warm rain process and highlights the importance of constraining the autoconversion parameterization in models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exploring and enhancing the accuracy of interior-scaled Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction

The Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction (PZ-SIC) improves the performance of density functional approximations for the properties that involve significant self-interaction error (SIE), as in stretched bond situations, but overcorrects for equilibrium properties where SIE is insignificant. This overcorrection is often reduced by local scaling self-interaction correction (LSIC) of the PZ-SIC to the local spin density approximation (LSDA). Here, we propose a new scaling factor to use in an LSIC-like approach that satisfies an additional important constraint: the correct coefficient of the atomic number Z in the asymptotic expansion of the exchange–correlation (xc) energy for atoms. LSIC and LSIC+ are scaled by functions of the iso-orbital indicator z σ , which distinguishes one-electron regions from many-electron regions. LSIC+ applied to the LSDA works better for many equilibrium properties than LSDA-LSIC and the Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation (GGA), and almost close to the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA. LSDA-LSIC and LSDA-LSIC+, however, fail to predict interaction energies involving weaker bonds, in sharp contrast to their earlier successes. It is found that more than one set of localized SIC orbitals can yield a nearly degenerate energetic description of the same multiple covalent bond, suggesting that a consistent chemical interpretation of the localized orbitals requires a new way to choose their Fermi orbital descriptors. To make a locally scaled down SIC to functionals beyond the LSDA requires a gauge transformation of the functional’s energy density. Here, the resulting SCAN-sdSIC, evaluated on SCAN-SIC total and localized orbital densities, leads to an acceptable description of many equilibrium properties including the dissociation energies of weak bonds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Data-driven predictions of the time remaining until critical global warming thresholds are reached

Leveraging artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained on climate model output, we use the spatial pattern of historical temperature observations to predict the time until critical global warming thresholds are reached. Although no observations are used during the training, validation, or testing, the ANNs accurately predict the timing of historical global warming from maps of historical annual temperature. The central estimate for the 1.5 °C global warming threshold is between 2033 and 2035, including a ±1σ range of 2028 to 2039 in the Intermediate (SSP2-4.5) climate forcing scenario, consistent with previous assessments. However, our data-driven approach also suggests a substantial probability of exceeding the 2 °C threshold even in the Low (SSP1-2.6) climate forcing scenario. While there are limitations to our approach, our results suggest a higher likelihood of reaching 2 °C in the Low scenario than indicated in some previous assessments—though the possibility that 2 °C could be avoided is not ruled out. Explainable AI methods reveal that the ANNs focus on particular geographic regions to predict the time until the global threshold is reached. Our framework provides a unique, data-driven approach for quantifying the signal of climate change in historical observations and for constraining the uncertainty in climate model projections. Given the substantial existing evidence of accelerating risks to natural and human systems at 1.5 °C and 2 °C, our results provide further evidence for high-impact climate change over the next three decades.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Interpretation of Lyman opacity measurements in JET with the ITER-like wall using a particle balance approach

Recent measurements of the Ly β /D α ratio in the JET ITER-like wall (ILW) divertor show comparatively more pronounced Ly β reabsorption relative to previous results in JET with the carbon wall (JET-C). At the outer horizontal target ion current rollover point a Ly β reabsorption rate of 60% is measured, increasing to 80% in more pronounced detachment, implying a Ly α reabsorption rate of 90%–98%. The radially resolved Ly β /D α measurements are used to constrain Lyman opacity corrections to atomic rate coefficients using the population escape factor technique in order to capture the local changes to the excited state population structure in the high Lyman opacity regions at and outboard of the outer strike point. To check the self-consistency of the Lyman opacity measurements, a detailed spectroscopic interpretation of the outer divertor particle balance is presented, in which the impact of opacity corrections to the Ly α inverse photon efficiency coefficients is assessed. A five-fold deficit in the estimated D + source rate obtained with optically thin plasma assumptions is reconciled once the opacity corrections are factored into the Ly α photon rate to ionization rate conversion. The experiment results are reproduced in EDGE2D-EIRENE density scan simulations in which an imposed ad hoc Lyman reabsorption rate is recovered spectroscopically using synthetic measurements, and a similar shortfall in the D + source rate estimates is reconciled using Lyman opacity corrected atomic data. The model limitations prevent a more detailed self-consistent analysis of the Lyman opacity impact on divertor parameters and detachment evolution, and hence motivate renewed efforts to re-establish routine exploitation of the photon transport modelling capabilities in the EIRENE code package. Lyman opacity corrections to atomic data coefficients are necessary for spectroscopic interpretation of the JET-ILW divertor plasma, with significant influence on the divertor plasma also a likely consequence of the presence of strong Ly α reabsorption. Finally, a scan of auxiliary heating powers spanning L-mode and H-mode conditions reveals a strong correlation of the measured Ly β opacity with the outer target temperature, suggesting new possibilities for using Lyman opacity measurements in establishing detachment scalings.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Heavy dark matter in rapidly evolving massive stars

We study the impact of heavy dark matter (DM) captured in massive stars via scattering(s) with the star constituents. We focus on the first stars and use stellar evolution simulations to track down how DM capture evolves over time from the zero-age main sequence to the late metal-rich stages of stellar evolution. During the early hydrogen-helium-dominated phase, the capture process is well described by scattering with two targets. As a star evolves, metal production leads to the formation of a dense core surrounded by a lighter envelope. The core significantly enhances the capture of ultra-heavy DM; in this case, three distinct nuclear species are required to accurately describe multiple-scattering capture. We use the Eddington inversion method to obtain a realistic DM velocity distribution, better suited when the star is near the center of a halo, than the widely used Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. We find that heavy DM would be able to thermalize and achieve capture-annihilation equilibrium within a massive star's lifetime for regions of the parameter space not excluded by direct detection. For non-annihilating DM, because of the high amount of targets available for capture and despite massive stars being short-lived, it would even be possible for DM to achieve self-gravitation and collapse to a black hole, which eventually could swallow the star from within before the expected end of the star's life, for non-excluded regions of the parameter space. Our results highlight the dependence of DM capture on the stellar evolutionary stage, composition, and halo location, demonstrating that accurate modeling of massive stars is essential for constraining heavy DM with primordial stellar populations.

dark matter theory↗
DOE OSTI2023

A resolved study of the inner regions of nearby galaxies with an excess of young massive stars: missing link in the AGN–starburst connection?

ABSTRACT We have selected galaxies with very high levels of H α emission (EQW(H α) >700 Å.) in their central regions from the final data release of the MaNGA survey. Our study focuses on 14 very well-resolved nearby galaxies with stellar masses in the range 9.5 < log M*/(M⊙) < 11.5. We investigate a variety of procedures for selecting galaxy regions that are likely to harbour excess populations of young massive stars, finding that selection in the 2D space of extinction-corrected H α EQW and [S iii]/[S ii] line ratio produces the best results. By comparing stacked spectra covering these regions with stacked spectra covering normal starburst regions with 100 Å<EQW(H α) <200 Å, we obtain the following main results: (1) Clear signatures of excess Wolf–Rayet stars are found in half of the H α excess regions, (2) galaxy regions containing excess Wolf–Rayet stars are more often associated with the presence of high-ionization emission lines characteristic of accreting black holes. Excess [Ne iii] is detected in 4 out of 8 of the WR regions and there are tentative [Fe x] detections in 2 galaxies. (3) Regions of the galaxy with excess Wolf–Rayet stars are located where the interstellar medium has larger ionized gas turbulent velocities and higher neutral gas overdensities. We make a first attempt to constrain changes in the high-mass end of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) using the HR-pyPopStar evolutionary population synthesis models that include high-wavelength-resolution theoretical atmosphere libraries for Wolf–Rayet stars.

Kauffmann, Guinevere↗
DOE OSTI2024

Statistically-driven Experimental Design to Improve Reference-free Quantification of Small Molecules by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Non-targeted analysis of small molecules and metabolites in unknown, complex samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry remains challenging. One of the main bottlenecks is the extensive unannotated regions of metabolomics mass spectrometry data, resulting in knowledge gaps. Small molecule annotation in mass spectrometry data has conventionally relied on reference standards and libraries for compound identification and confirmation, which can constrain compound identification to those molecules already known, thus limiting the ability to discover new knowledge and new markers. Retention time prediction can facilitate and expedite unknown compound identification in non-targeted analysis of complex metabolomics samples. Additionally, accurate retention time predictions can also inform sample mixture design for LC-MS/MS analyses. However, current machine learning-based methods for retention time prediction are typically developed for specific chromatographic platforms and are not generalizable across scales. And while technologies and methods to improve reference-free metabolite identification for more comprehensive annotation of unknowns has received much attention, development of the same for quantitation without reference standards has been much more limited, despite its importance in toxicological, environmental, food safety, forensics, and clinical applications. We believe that a reference-free quantitation strategy that exploits mass spectrometry data already collected for reference-free identification can provide much more insight on unknowns, and move the metabolomics field for more complete unknowns characterization. As such, we pursue two efforts to improve upon current state-of-the-art methods in non-targeted analysis: (1) machine learning-based retention time prediction and (2) statistical design of experiments framework for reference-free quantitation. In this work, we develop and demonstrate (1) a generalizable retention time prediction capability across chromatographic conditions and scales, and (2) a statistical design-based framework for response factor contribution elucidation and reference-free quantitation. Evaluation of our retention time prediction model, PrediToR, showed approximately 24% improvement over current models, and we observed approximately 10X improvement in concentration estimation accuracy from our statistical design-based response factor model over a primarily ionization efficiency-based model. We expect that future efforts to improve upon these new capabilities will further advance non-targeted analysis of small molecules towards truly reference-free metabolomics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1989

A defect stream function, law of the wall/wake method for compressible turbulent boundary layers

The application of the defect stream function to the solution of the two-dimensional, compressible boundary layer is examined. A law of the wall/law of the wake formulation for the inner part of the boundary layer is presented which greatly simplifies the computational task near the wall and eliminates the need for an eddy viscosity model in this region. The eddy viscosity model in the outer region is arbitrary. The modified Crocco temperature-velocity relationship is used as a simplification of the differential energy equation. Formulations for both equilibrium and nonequilibrium boundary layers are presented including a constrained zero-order form which significantly reduces the computational workload while retaining the significant physics of the flow. A formulation for primitive variables is also presented. Results are given for the constrained zero-order and second-order equilibrium formulations and are compared with experimental data. A compressible wake function valid near the wall has been developed from the present results.

Barnwell, Richard W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (HIFI)

At Mauna Kea Observatory, researchers conducted optical, imaging spectrophotometric studies of selected active galaxies using both the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6m and University of Hawaii 2.2m telecopes (Tully, Bland and Cecil 1988). To maximize spatial resolution, researchers select galaxies independent of luminosity but known to possess interesting morphologies or high-velocity, extranuclear ionized gas (Walker 1968; Rubin and Ford 1968). They study both the large-scale patterns produced in IR-luminous, starburst systems (e.g., M82, NGC 253, NGC 6240) and those with compact, but spatially extended, circumnuclear, narrow line regions (e.g., M51, NGC 1068, NGC 4151). Current studies are restricted to the optical (SII), (NII) and (OIII) lines and the brightest Balmer recombination lines. These lines are, in principle, sufficient to constrain the dynamical structure and dominant excitation mechanism of the ionized component.

Bland, Jonathan↗
NASA NTRS2005

Analysis of the Tectonic Lineaments in the Ganiki Planitia (V14) Quadrangle, Venus

The Ganiki Planitia quadrangle, located between the Atla Regio highland to the south and the Atalanta Planitia lowland to the north, is deformed by many tectonic lineaments which have been mapped previously but have not yet been assessed in detail. As a result, neither the characteristics of these lineaments nor their relationship to material unit stratigraphy is well constrained. In this study we analyze the orientation of extensional and compressional lineaments in all non-tessera areas in order to begin characterizing the dominant tectonic stresses that have affected the region.

Venechuk, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Chondritic Models of 4 Vesta: Comparison of Predicted Internal Structure and Surface Composition/Mineralogy with Data from the Dawn Mission

Understanding the physical and chemical processes which led to the formation of the terrestrial planets remains one of the principal challenges of the Earth and planetary science communities. However, direct traces of the earliest stages of planet building have generally been wiped out on larger bodies such as the Earth or Mars, obscuring our view of how that process occurred. On the other hand, the planet building process would appear to have been arrested prematurely in the region between Mars and Jupiter, now populated by several hundred thousand compositionally diverse objects that escaped accretion into larger planets. Of these, the asteroid 4 Vesta is of particular interest as it is large (520 km diameter), and known to have a basaltic surface dominated by pyroxenes [1, 2]. Furthermore, visible-IR spectra of Vesta obtained by ground and space-based telescopes are remarkably similar to laboratory spectra measured on meteorites of the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite clan (HED), leading to the paradigm that the HEDs came from Vesta [2]. Geochemical and petrological studies of the HEDs confirm the differentiated nature of the near-surface region of their parent body, and imply that crust extraction occurred well within the first 10Ma of solar system history [3]. Vesta is therefore a prime target for studies that aim to constrain the earliest stages of planet building, and for that reason it is currently the subject of the Dawn mission [4].

Toplis, M. J.↗