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NASA NTRS1989

Two-dimensional high temperature strain measurement system

Two-dimensional optical strain measurements on high temperature test specimens are presented. This two-dimensional capability is implemented through a rotatable sensitive strain axis. Three components of surface strain can be measured automatically, from which the first and second principal strains are calculated. One- and two-dimensional strain measurements at temperatures beyond 750 C with a resolution of 15 microstrain are demonstrated. The system is based on a one-dimensional speckle shift technique. The speckle shift technique makes use of the linear relationship between surface strain and the differential shift of laser speckle patterns in the diffraction plane. Laser speckle is a phase effect that occurs when spatially coherent light interacts with an optically rough surface. Since speckle is generated by any diffusely reflecting surface, no specimen preparation is needed to obtain a good signal. Testing was done at room temperature on a flat specimen of Inconel 600 mounted in a fatigue testing machine. A load cell measured the stress on the specimen before and after acquiring the speckle data. Strain components were measured at 0 C (parallel to the load axis) and at plus or minus 45 C, and plots indicate the calculated values of the first and second principal strains. The measured values of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are in good agreement with handbook values. Good linearity of the principal strain moduli at high temperatures indicate precision and stability of the system. However, a systematic error in the high-temperature test setup introduced a scale factor in the slopes of the two-dimensional stress-strain curves. No high temperature effects, however, have been observed to degrade speckle correlation.

Lant, Christian T.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Multi-velocity component LDV

A laser doppler velocimeter uses frequency shifting of a laser beam to provide signal information for each velocity component. A composite electrical signal generated by a light detector is digitized and a processor produces a discrete Fourier transform based on the digitized electrical signal. The transform includes two peak frequencies corresponding to the two velocity components. Ames Research Center, Mail Code 200-11A, Moffett Field, California, 94035. Approved NASA forms for application for nonexclusive or exclusive license are available from the above address.

Johnson, Dennis A.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Multi-Velocity Component LDV

Johnson, Dennis A.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Digital Fringe Counting for Intrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometers

A digital dual-wavelength method of demodulating long (17cm) Intrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometers (IFPI) is presented. The method builds upon previous techniques using small shifts in the lasing wavelength of a laser diode induced by changes in the driving current. The intensity of the light reflected from the IFPI is sampled at two carefully selected values of laser diode drive current. Digital logic is then used to count fringes based upon these two sampled values. Experimental verification of the method is described.

Froggatt, Mark↗

NASA NTRS2006

Phase Sensor for Aligning a Segmented Telescope Mirror

A phase sensor has been developed for use in aligning a segmented telescope mirror to within a fraction of a wavelength in piston. (As used here, piston signifies displacement of a mirror segment along the optical axis of the telescope.) Such precise alignment is necessary in order to realize the full benefit of the large aperture achievable through segmentation. This phase sensor is achromatic. It is based on two-wavelength shearing interferometry, and can be modified to utilize an extended or broad-band (e.g., white) light source. The sensor optics include a ruled diffraction grating and an imaging lens. The sensor can measure the piston shift between segments as well as aberrations of the segments. It can measure the surface error of an individual segment, making it possible to compensate for the error with optimal amount(s) of piston and/or tilt. The precise capture range of the sensor depends partly on the telescope design; the largest relative piston shifts measurable by use of this sensor are of the order of 100 m. The accuracy of the sensor also depends partly on the telescope design; in general, the accuracy is sufficient to enable alignment to within approximately half a wavelength. The interferometric image is digitized and processed by a simple algorithm in real time, and the output of the algorithm can be used to maintain alignment in real time, even in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. The sensor is robust. Through calibration, it can be made insensitive to (and, hence, tolerant of) misalignments and aberrations of its own optics, most aberrations of the telescope as a whole (in contradistinction to aberrations of individual segments), and most aberrations introduced by atmospheric turbulence

Stahl, Philip↗

NASA NTRS2012

Improvement in Rayleigh Scattering Measurement Accuracy

Spectroscopic Rayleigh scattering is an established flow diagnostic that has the ability to provide simultaneous velocity, density, and temperature measurements. The Fabry-Perot interferometer or etalon is a commonly employed instrument for resolving the spectrum of molecular Rayleigh scattered light for the purpose of evaluating these flow properties. This paper investigates the use of an acousto-optic frequency shifting device to improve measurement accuracy in Rayleigh scattering experiments at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The frequency shifting device is used as a means of shifting the incident or reference laser frequency by 1100 MHz to avoid overlap of the Rayleigh and reference signal peaks in the interference pattern used to obtain the velocity, density, and temperature measurements, and also to calibrate the free spectral range of the Fabry-Perot etalon. The measurement accuracy improvement is evaluated by comparison of Rayleigh scattering measurements acquired with and without shifting of the reference signal frequency in a 10 mm diameter subsonic nozzle flow.

Fagan, Amy F.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Fabrication and Test of an Optical Magnetic Mirror

Traditional mirrors at optical wavelengths use thin metalized or dielectric layers of uniform thickness to approximate a perfect electric field boundary condition. The electron gas in such a mirror configuration oscillates in response to the incident photons and subsequently re-emits fields where the propagation and electric field vectors have been inverted and the phase of the incident magnetic field is preserved. We proposed fabrication of sub-wavelength-scale conductive structures that could be used to interact with light at a nano-scale and enable synthesis of the desired perfect magnetic-field boundary condition. In a magnetic mirror, the interaction of light with the nanowires, dielectric layer and ground plate, inverts the magnetic field vector resulting in a zero degree phase shift upon reflection. Geometries such as split ring resonators and sinusoidal conductive strips were shown to demonstrate magnetic mirror behavior in the microwave and then in the visible. Work to design, fabricate and test a magnetic mirror began in 2007 at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) under an Internal Research and Development (IRAD) award Our initial nanowire geometry was sinusoidal but orthogonally asymmetric in spatial frequency, which allowed clear indications of its behavior by polarization. We report on the fabrication steps and testing of magnetic mirrors using a phase shifting interferometer and the first far-field imaging of an optical magnetic mirror.

Hagopian, John G.↗

NASA NTRS2018

A search for variability in exoplanet analogues and low-gravity brown dwarfs

We report the results of a J-band survey for photometric variability in a sample of young, low-gravity objects using the New Technology Telescope (NTT) and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). Surface gravity is a key parameter in the atmospheric properties of brown dwarfs and this is the first large survey that aims to test the gravity dependence of variability properties. We do a full analysis of the spectral signatures of youth and assess the group membership probability of each target using membership tools from the literature. This results in a 30 object sample of young low-gravity brown dwarfs. Since we are lacking in objects with spectral types later than L9, we focus our statistical analysis on the L0–L8.5 objects. We find that the variability occurrence rate of L0–L8.5 low-gravity brown dwarfs in this survey is 30(+16,−8) per cent⁠. We reanalyse the results of Radigan (2014) and find that the field dwarfs with spectral types L0–L8.5 have a variability occurrence rate of 11(+13,−4) per cent⁠. We determine a probability of 98 per cent that the samples are drawn from different distributions. This is the first quantitative indication that the low-gravity objects are more likely to be variable than the field dwarf population. Furthermore, we present follow-up J(S) and K(S) observations of the young, planetary-mass variable object PSO 318.5–22 over three consecutive nights. We find no evidence of phase shifts between the J(S) and K(S) bands and find higher J(S) amplitudes. We use the J(S) light curves to measure a rotational period of 8.45 ± 0.05 h for PSO 318.5–22.

Johanna M. Vos↗

NASA NTRS2022

UV Spectropolarimetry with Polstar: Massive Star Binary Colliding Winds

The winds of massive stars are important for their direct impact on the interstellar medium, and for their influence on the final state of a star prior to it exploding as a supernova. However, the dynamics of these winds is understood primarily via their illumination from a single central source. The Doppler shift seen in resonance lines is a useful tool for inferring these dynamics, but the mapping from that Doppler shift to the radial distance from the source is ambiguous. Binary systems can reduce this ambiguity by providing a second light source at a known radius in the wind, seen from orbitally modulated directions. From the nature of the collision between the winds, a massive companion also provides unique additional information about wind momentum fluxes. Since massive stars are strong ultraviolet (UV) sources, and UV resonance line opacity in the wind is strong, UV instruments with a high resolution spectroscopic capability are essential for extracting this dynamical information. Polarimetric capability also helps to further resolve ambiguities in aspects of the wind geometry that are not axisymmetric about the line of sight, because of its unique access to scattering direction information. We review how the proposed MIDEX-scale mission Polstar can use UV spectropolarimetric observations to critically constrain the physics of colliding winds, and hence radiatively-driven winds in general. We propose a sample of 20 binary targets, capitalizing on this unique combination of illumination by companion starlight, and collision with a companion wind, to probe wind attributes over a range in wind strengths. Of particular interest is the hypothesis that the radial distribution of the wind acceleration is altered significantly, when the radiative transfer within the winds becomes optically thick to resonance scattering in multiple overlapping UV lines.

Ultraviolet Astronomy↗

DOE OSTI2014

A topological analysis of large-scale structure, studied using the CMASS sample of SDSS-III

We study the three-dimensional genus topology of large-scale structure using the northern region of the CMASS Data Release 10 (DR10) sample of the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We select galaxies with redshift 0.452 < z < 0.625 and with a stellar mass M {sub stellar} > 10{sup 11.56} M {sub ☉}. We study the topology at two smoothing lengths: R {sub G} = 21 h {sup –1} Mpc and R {sub G} = 34 h {sup –1} Mpc. The genus topology studied at the R {sub G} = 21 h {sup –1} Mpc scale results in the highest genus amplitude observed to date. The CMASS sample yields a genus curve that is characteristic of one produced by Gaussian random phase initial conditions. The data thus support the standard model of inflation where random quantum fluctuations in the early universe produced Gaussian random phase initial conditions. Modest deviations in the observed genus from random phase are as expected from shot noise effects and the nonlinear evolution of structure. We suggest the use of a fitting formula motivated by perturbation theory to characterize the shift and asymmetries in the observed genus curve with a single parameter. We construct 54 mock SDSS CMASS surveys along the past light cone from the Horizon Run 3 (HR3) N-body simulations, where gravitationally bound dark matter subhalos are identified as the sites of galaxy formation. We study the genus topology of the HR3 mock surveys with the same geometry and sampling density as the observational sample and find the observed genus topology to be consistent with ΛCDM as simulated by the HR3 mock samples. We conclude that the topology of the large-scale structure in the SDSS CMASS sample is consistent with cosmological models having primordial Gaussian density fluctuations growing in accordance with general relativity to form galaxies in massive dark matter halos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Energy Optimization of Light and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Cohorts of Mixed Connectivity, Automation and Propulsion System Capabilities via Meshed V2V-V2I and Expanded Data Sharing (Final Scientific and Technical Report)

Vehicle connectivity and automated driving technologies individually have the potential to decrease energy consumption and/or increase safety on light, medium or heavy duty vehicles to varying degrees depending on the traffic infrastructure and specific driving scenarios. Due to advances in sensing, perception and computing power, research and development emphasis in the mobility sector has shifted away from connectivity. Prior research has shown that driving automation with the absence of connectivity can in certain circumstances increase energy consumption. The effectiveness of synergizing connectivity and driving automation technologies is the focus of this work, specifically applied to vehicle cohorts of mixed composition, light and heavy duty, and powertrains ranging from all electric to conventional internal combustion engine. The project team is led by Michigan Technological University (MTU) and partnered with AVL Mobility Technologies Inc. (AVL), Borg Warner (BW), Traffic Technology Services (TTS), American Center for Mobility (ACM) and Navistar (NAV). The main thrusts for the team are to develop a micro-traffic simulation environment with specific VD&PT system attributes and CAV capabilities, 2) field a vehicle test fleet of mixed classification, propulsion and CAV capacity, 3) develop artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) based multi-agent optimization methods for various traffic infrastructures, 4) integrate the virtual environment and the optimization methods then deploy the system as a CAV hardware in the loop (HiL) for the vehicle test fleet and 5) conduct closed track and public road testing to validate simulation and demonstrated energy and mobility improvements at multiple scales. For a cohort of mixed vehicles, the team will demonstrate a reduction of energy consumption of 10-50% at intersection, arterial roadway and limited access highway scenarios through connectivity and automation in simulation and at a closed test track. The energy reduction objectives of the project are summarized in Table 1, indicating the infrastructure and over what distances are relevant considered. Single scenario energy reductions are not relevant and thus, the research team took the approach to vary parameters associated with the infrastructure, vehicle cohort composition and dynamic behavior to generate energy consumption distributions for both unconnected and connected scenarios.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1975

CNO abundances and hydrodynamic models of the Nova outbursts. 4: Comparison with observations

A variety of observations of novae are discussed in light of theoretical models. It is proposed that the nearly constant bolometric luminosity of FH Ser originates in the non-degenerate hydrogen-burning region at the bottom of the hydrogen-rich envelope which remains after the primary ejection. The shift of the wavelength of peak emission from the visual to shortward of the ultraviolet is caused by the decrease of the photospheric radius of the remnant envelope as the bolometric luminosity stays nearly constant. The oscillations in the light curve of GK Per during the transition stage can be explained by a pulsation of the remnant envelope when it is the size of the Roche lobe. The CNO over-abundances in novae reported by various observers are strongly suggestive of this nova mechanism. Finally, the implications of the upper limits of C-13 and N-15 in DQ Her are discussed.

Sparks, W. M.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of the Approach Direction of the Human Landing System to a South Pole Landing Site Subject to Lighting and Communication Constraints

The NRHO used as the staging orbit for crewed missions to the lunar surface by the HLS remains nearly perpendicular to the Earth-Moon line of sight, however, due to the libration of the Moon the location of the South Pole is ever shifting beneath it. DTE communication as well as ground illumination conditions near the South Pole coincide with lunar libration, with approximately 2-week cycles of DTE communication and solar availability. Additionally, the constant shifting of the South Pole region with respect to the NRHO leads to variations in the nominal HLS approach path to the surface in order to maintain near in-plane alignment of the NRHO, LLO, and approach phase. Making adjustments to the nominal approach path to achieve desired communication and lighting conditions quickly raises in-space ∆V. This analysis compares the ∆V impact of several trajectory strategies that could be used to alter the HLS approach path.

HLS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of the Approach Direction of HLS to a South Pole Landing Site Subject to Lighting and Communication Constraints

The NRHO used as the staging orbit for crewed missions to the lunar surface by the HLS remains nearly perpendicular to the Earth-Moon line of sight, however, due to the libration of the Moon the location of the South Pole is ever shifting beneath it. DTE communication as well as ground illumination conditions near the South Pole coincide with lunar libration, with approximately 2-week cycles of DTE communication and solar availability. Additionally, the constant shifting of the South Pole region with respect to the NRHO leads to variations in the nominal HLS approach path to the surface in order to maintain near in-plane alignment of the NRHO, LLO, and approach phase. Making adjustments to the nominal approach path to achieve desired communication and lighting conditions quickly raises in-space ΔV. This analysis compares the ΔV impact of several trajectory strategies that could be used to alter the HLS approach path.

HLS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Isotope effects and spectroscopic assignments in the non-dissociative photoionization spectrum of N{sub 2}

Photoionization efficiency spectra of {sup 14}N{sub 2}, {sup 15}N{sup 14}N, and {sup 15}N{sub 2} from 15.5 to 18.9 eV were measured using synchrotron radiation at the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with a resolution of 6 meV, and significant changes in peak energies and intensities upon isotopic substitution were observed. Previously, we reported the isotope shifts and their applications to Titan's atmosphere. Here, we report more extensive experimental details and tabulate the isotope shifts of many transitions in the N{sub 2} spectrum, including those for {sup 15}N{sup 14}N, which have not been previously reported. The isotope shifts are used to address several long-standing ambiguities in spectral peak assignments just above the ionization threshold of N{sub 2}. The feature at 15.677 eV (the so-called second “cathedral” peak) is of particular interest in this respect. The measured isotope shifts for this peak relative to {sup 14}N{sub 2} are 0.015 ± 0.001 eV for {sup 15}N{sub 2} and 0.008 ± 0.001 eV for {sup 15}N{sup 14}N, which match most closely with the isotope shifts predicted for transitions to the (A {sup 2}Π{sub u} v{sup ′} = 2)4sσ{sub g} {sup 1}Π{sub u} state using Herzberg equations for the isotopic differences in harmonic oscillator energy levels plus the first anharmonic correction of 0.0143 eV for {sup 15}N{sub 2} and 0.0071 eV for {sup 15}N{sup 14}N. More generally, the isotope shifts measured for both {sup 15}N{sub 2} and {sup 15}N{sup 14}N relative to {sup 14}N{sub 2} provide new benchmarks for theoretical calculations of interferences between direct and indirect autoionization states which can interact to produce intricate resonant structures in molecular photoionization spectra in regions near ionization thresholds.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Evaluation of B and W UO{sub 2}/ThO{sub 2} VIII Experimental Core: Criticality and Thermal Disadvantage Factor Analysis

In the framework of the OECD/NEA International Reactor Physics Experiment (IRPHE) Project, an evaluation of core VIII of the Babcock and Wilcox (B and W) Spectral Shift Control Reactor (SSCR), critical experiment program was performed. The SSCR concept, moderated and cooled by a variable mixture of heavy and light water, envisaged changing of the thermal neutron spectrum during the operation to encourage breeding and to sustain the core criticality. Core VIII contained 2188 fuel rods with 93% enriched UO{sub 2}-ThO{sub 2} fuel in a moderator mixture of heavy and light water. The criticality experiment and measurements of the thermal disadvantage factor were evaluated. Benchmark criticality results using different cross-section libraries are reported. ENDF/B-VI.6 calculation was run using the S(α, β) model based on ENDF/B-VI.3 data while ENDF/B-VII.0 and ENDF/BVII.1 used an S(α, β) model based on ENDF/B-VII.0 data. JEFF calculations were run using the S(α, β) model based on JEFF 3.1.1 data except for the aluminum isotope, for which the S(α, β) model was missing. The maximum absolute deviation from the benchmark model was obtained using the JEFF-3.1.1 cross sections while closer results were obtained using ENDF/ B-VII.0 and ENDF/B-VII.1. Only ENDF/B-VII.1 and ENDF/B-VII.0 results are inside the 3σ uncertainty band (+2.8σ and 2.4σ, respectively), having deviations on the order of 300 pcm. The maximum deviation is -827 pcm (-6.1σ), using JEFF.3.1.1. Sample calculations of the TDF benchmark were also performed, studying the effects of the main nuclear data libraries. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2015

An orange emitting phosphor Lu{sub 2−x}CaMg{sub 2}Si{sub 2.9}Ti{sub 0.1}O{sub 12}:xCe with pure garnet phase for warm white LEDs

A new silicate garnet phosphor, Lu{sub 2−x}CaMg{sub 2}Si{sub 2.9}Ti{sub 0.1}O{sub 12}:xCe was synthesized by a high temperature solid-state reaction under reductive atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the powder was pure garnet phase. The emission and excitation spectrum indicated that the Lu{sub 2−x}CaMg{sub 2}Si{sub 2.9}Ti{sub 0.1}O{sub 12}:xCe phosphors could absorb blue light in the spectral range of 400–550 nm efficiently and exhibit bright yellow–orange emission in the range of 520–750 nm. With the increase of Ce{sup 3+} concentration, the emission band of Ce{sup 3+} showed a red shift. Interestingly, the concentration quenching occurred when the Ce{sup 3+} concentration exceeded 4 mol%. The temperature-dependent luminescent properties of the phosphors were discussed and the Lu{sub 1.96}CaMg{sub 2}Si{sub 2.9}Ti{sub 0.1}O{sub 12}:0.04Ce phosphors showed good performances in color temperature (2430 K) and potential applications for warm white LEDs. - Graphical Abstract: This image shows that the phosphor of Lu{sub 1.96}CaMg{sub 2}Si{sub 2.9}Ti{sub 0.1}O{sub 12}:0.04Ce can generate a uniform yellow tint under natural light illumination and emit orange–red light when excited by blue light. With a fixed 467 nm emission light, warm white light can be produced by this phosphor, which indicates that the phosphor is potentially applicable in warm white light emitting diodes based on GaN chips. - Highlights: • A new silicate garnet phosphor was synthesized by solid-state method. • Secondary phases can be avoided when a small amount of Si{sup 4+} were replaced by Ti{sup 4+}. • A broad emission band of Ce{sup 3+} in the phosphors was described. • The phosphors are potentially applicable in warm white light emitting diodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

Investigation of long-term light stability of negative charge injected into oxide-nitride-oxide passivation stack of crystalline silicon solar cells

A negatively charged oxide-nitride-oxide stack for field-effect passivation of crystalline silicon solar cells is discussed. The negative charge was injected into the stack by a plasma charge injection technology. Charge stability was studied by exposing samples to AM1.5 simulation visible light and full-spectrum light at temperatures ranging from 55 to 78 °C for up to 300 h. Charge injection and loss were quantified based on shifts in the flatband voltage of capacitance–voltage curves measured with a mercury probe. The most probable mechanism of charge loss was found to be diffusion of negative charged hydrogen atoms through nitride and bottom oxide. The optimum recipe for each layer of the stack was investigated to minimize the loss of injected charge. The flatband voltage decay of the optimized stack was found to fit a power-law trend, suggesting the dispersive transport of hydrogen atoms with a dispersion parameter of ~0.06–0.07. The optimized stack is projected to maintain a negative charge density of about 3.6 × 10 12 cm –2 or more after 25 years of field operation in an environment such as Arizona, which would be sufficient for field-effect passivation under one-sun illumination. Furthermore, the high stability of the negative injected charge makes the plasma charging technology a safer and lower cost alternative to Al 2 O 3 -passivation technology commonly used to passivate p-type surfaces.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗