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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Probing the Early Universe with the SZ Effect

The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) which we observe today is relic radiation which last interacted with matter more than 10 billion years ago, when the expanding universe cooled to the point that free electrons and ionized nuclei recombined to form atoms. Prior to recombination, scattering between photons and free electrons was a very frequent occurrence, and the distance light could penetrate was small; afterwards, with free electrons out of circulation, the universe became largely transparent to light. Thus, the CMBR photons we observe today give us a clear view of the state of the early universe. Measured deviations in the intensity of the CMBR trace the small perturbations in the primordial matter density, which have been amplified by gravitational forces to form the magnificent, complex structures which comprise the present-day universe.

Joy, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Chemical Source Inversion using Assimilated Constituent Observations in an Idealized Two-dimensional System

We present a source inversion technique for chemical constituents that uses assimilated constituent observations rather than directly using the observations. The method is tested with a simple model problem, which is a two-dimensional Fourier-Galerkin transport model combined with a Kalman filter for data assimilation. Inversion is carried out using a Green's function method and observations are simulated from a true state with added Gaussian noise. The forecast state uses the same spectral spectral model, but differs by an unbiased Gaussian model error, and emissions models with constant errors. The numerical experiments employ both simulated in situ and satellite observation networks. Source inversion was carried out by either direct use of synthetically generated observations with added noise, or by first assimilating the observations and using the analyses to extract observations. We have conducted 20 identical twin experiments for each set of source and observation configurations, and find that in the limiting cases of a very few localized observations, or an extremely large observation network there is little advantage to carrying out assimilation first. However, in intermediate observation densities, there decreases in source inversion error standard deviation using the Kalman filter algorithm followed by Green's function inversion by 50% to 95%.

Tangborn, Andrew↗
NASA NTRS2014

Calibration of the NASA Glenn Research Center 16 in. Mass-Flow Plug

The results of an experimental calibration of the NASA Glenn Research Center 16 in. Mass-Flow Plug (MFP) are presented and compared to a previously obtained calibration of a 15 in. Mass-Flow Plug. An ASME low-beta, long-radius nozzle was used as the calibration reference. The discharge coefficient for the ASME nozzle was obtained by numerically simulating the flow through the nozzle from the WIND-US code. The results showed agreement between the 15 and 16 in. MFPs for area ratios (MFP to pipe area ratio) greater than 0.6 but deviate at area ratios below this value for reasons that are not fully understood. A general uncertainty analysis was also performed and indicates that large uncertainties in the calibration are present for low MFP area ratios.

Davis, David O.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Calibration of the NASA GRC 16 In. Mass-Flow Plug

The results of an experimental calibration of the NASA Glenn Research Center 16 in. Mass-Flow Plug (MFP) are presented and compared to a previously obtained calibration of a 15 in. Mass-Flow Plug. An ASME low-beta, long-radius nozzle was used as the calibration reference. The discharge coefficient for the ASME nozzle was obtained by numerically simulating the flow through the nozzle from the WIND-US code. The results showed agreement between the 15 in. and 16 in. MFPs for area ratios (MFP to pipe area ratio) greater than 0.6 but deviate at area ratios below this value for reasons that are not fully understood. A general uncertainty analysis was also performed and indicates that large uncertainties in the calibration are present for low MFP area ratios.

Davis, David O.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Scaling Relation for Occulter Manufacturing Errors

An external occulter is a spacecraft own along the line-of-sight of a space telescope to suppress starlight and enable high-contrast direct imaging of exoplanets. The shape of an external occulter must be specially designed to optimally suppress starlight and deviations from the ideal shape due to manufacturing errors can result loss of suppression in the shadow. Due to the long separation distances and large dimensions involved for a space occulter, laboratory testing is conducted with scaled versions of occulters etched on silicon wafers. Using numerical simulations for a flight Fresnel occulter design, we show how the suppression performance of an occulter mask scales with the available propagation distance for expected random manufacturing defects along the edge of the occulter petal. We derive an analytical model for predicting performance due to such manufacturing defects across the petal edges of an occulter mask and compare this with the numerical simulations. We discuss the scaling of an extended occulter test-bed.

Sirbu, Dan↗
NASA NTRS2023

Heat Transfer and Interfacial Flow Physics of Microgravity Flow Boiling in Single-Side-Heated Rectangular Channel with Subcooled Inlet Conditions – Experiments Onboard the International Space Station

This study is the culmination of a long-term collaborative effort between researchers from the Purdue University Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (PU-BTPFL) and the NASA Glenn Research Center to investigate gravitational effects on flow boiling and flow condensation. The science and design concepts for this large-scale effort were initiated in 2011 and included several studies detailing various aspects of two-phase fluid physics in both Earth gravity and microgravity, culminating in construction of the large-scale experimental facility named “Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE)”. The experiment was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021. Following the successful installation of FBCE, equipped with the Flow Boiling Module (FBM), onboard the ISS and completion of several safety checks, flow boiling experiments were performed for five months from February 2022 until July 2022. This resulted in a large flow boiling database covering broad ranges of operating parameters and heating configurations spanning several research objectives. This study investigates microgravity flow boiling of n-perfluorohexane with subcooled inlet in a single-side-heated rectangular channel of dimensions 114.6-mm heated length, 2.5-mm heated width, and 5.0-mm height. Key operating parameters investigated are mass velocity (199.90 – 3200.13 kg/m 2 s), inlet subcooling (0.10 – 45.76°C), and inlet pressure (113.30 – 164.29 kPa). Images and image sequences acquired via high-speed-video are presented to elucidate the interfacial flow physics. To analyze and explain the effects of various parameters in microgravity, heat transfer results are presented as flow boiling curves, streamwise profiles of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient, and parametric trends of local and averaged heat transfer coefficient. Mass velocity and inlet subcooling significantly influenced most of the aforementioned aspects of flow boiling, whereas effects of inlet pressure were comparatively insignificant. Although the data and observed flow physics might be different, the parametric effects and trends in microgravity are similar to vertical upflow in Earth gravity. Some cases, especially low mass velocities, high heat fluxes, and large degrees of inlet subcooling, experienced temporally anomalous flow behaviors caused by two-phase flow instabilities manifesting as flow reversals and resulted in deviations in overall trends. Severe thermodynamic non-equilibrium is observed throughout the channel. Overall, FBCE’s ISS experiments were successful for subcooled inlet with single-sided heating of rectangular channel, and the collected data well established the various effects on flow boiling physics in highly controlled long-term microgravity conditions.

flow boiling↗
NASA NTRS1979

Cosmic ray isotope abundances from chromium to nickel

IRIS, a telescope consisting of a large-area precision Cerenkov detector, scintillators, spark chambers, and a passive stack of Lexan polycarbonate track detectors, was exposed to the primary cosmic radiation for 6.6 sq m sr hr in a balloon flight in 1976. This measurement has yielded the isotopic composition of the iron-group elements Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni with an average mass resolution of 0.65 amu for the energies 320-500 MeV per amu at the detector. This experiment places the most severe constraints to date on deviation from solar-system composition of the source of the cosmic radiation. Upper limits of 10 percent are placed on the ratios Fe-54/Fe-56 and Fe-58/Fe-56, which are inconsistent with large departures from solar system source composition reported by other workers. The isotopic measurements of Fe and Ni preclude the possibility that these cosmic rays were produced in a single e-process zone. The mean mass of Mn is less than 55, indicating the presence of electron-capture species produced by spallation.

Tarle, G.↗
DOE OSTI2019

A strategy for a general search for new phenomena using data-derived signal regions and its application within the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes a strategy for a general search used by the ATLAS Collaboration to find potential indications of new physics. Events are classified according to their final state into many event classes. For each event class an automated search algorithm tests whether the data are compatible with the Monte Carlo simulated expectation in several distributions sensitive to the effects of new physics. The significance of a deviation is quantified using pseudo-experiments. A data selection with a significant deviation defines a signal region for a dedicated follow-up analysis with an improved background expectation. The analysis of the data-derived signal regions on a new dataset allows a statistical interpretation without the large look-elsewhere effect. The sensitivity of the approach is discussed using Standard Model processes and benchmark signals of new physics. As an example, results are shown for 3.2 fb –1 of proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2015, in which more than 700 event classes and more than 10 5 regions have been analysed. Furthermore, no significant deviations are found and consequently no data-derived signal regions for a follow-up analysis have been defined.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Validation and uncertainty quantification of detector response functions for a $1"×2"$ NaI collimated detector intended for inverse radioisotope source mapping applications

Detector response functions (DRFs) are often used for inverse analysis. We compute the DRF of a sodium iodide (NaI) nuclear material holdup field detector using the code named g03 developed by the Center for Engineering Applications of Radioisotopes (CEAR) at NC State University. Three measurement campaigns were performed in order to validate the DRF’s constructed by g03: on-axis detection of calibration sources, off-axis measurements of a highly enriched uranium (HEU) disk, and on-axis measurements of the HEU disk with steel plates inserted between the source and the detector to provide attenuation. Furthermore, this work quantifies the uncertainty of the Monte Carlo simulations used in and with g03, as well as the uncertainties associated with each semi-empirical model employed in the full DRF representation. Overall, for the calibration source measurements, the response computed by the DRF for the prediction of the full-energy peak region of responses was good, i.e. within two standard deviations of the experimental response. In contrast, the DRF tended to overestimate the Compton continuum by about 45–65% due to inadequate tuning of the electron range multiplier fit variable that empirically represents physics associated with electron transport that is not modeled explicitly in g03. For the HEU disk measurements, computed DRF responses tended to significantly underestimate (more than 20%) the secondary full-energy peaks (any peak of lower energy than the highest-energy peak computed) due to scattering in the detector collimator and aluminum can, which is not included in the g03 model. We ran a sufficiently large number of histories to ensure for all of the Monte Carlo simulations that the statistical uncertainties were lower than their experimental counterpart’s Poisson uncertainties. The uncertainties associated with least-squares fits to the experimental data tended to have parameter relative standard deviations lower than the peak channel relative standard deviation in most cases and good reduced chi-square values. The highest sources of uncertainty were identified as the energy calibration polynomial factor (due to limited source availability and NaI resolution) and the Ba-133 peak fit (only a very weak source was available), which were 20% and 10%, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantifying replication through repeated analysis of UVM-A, a liquid reference material for cosmogenic 10 Be and 26 Al studies

In this study, in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclide sample preparation and analysis is a complicated, multi-step process with numerous possible sources of error, many of which have not been robustly quantified. Here, we use a liquid reference material (UVM-A) to test whether the analytic precision associated with individual isotopic ratios (n = 96) measured at two Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facilities (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory) accurately represents the range of values determined for aliquots prepared in a single laboratory over a period of five years. We find that 10 Be/ 9 Be ratios measured at the different accelerator facilities (n = 26 and n = 70) have statistically indistinguishable central tendencies, matching to within 0.1 %. Based on this large dataset, we suggest preliminary consensus values for UVM-A of 1.45 ± 0.06 x 10 -13 for 10 Be/ 9 Be (mean, one standard deviation, n = 96) and 4.47 ± 0.22 x 10 -13 for 26 Al/ 27 Al (mean, one standard deviation, n = 27). For both 10 Be/ 9 Be and 26 Al/ 27 Al, the relative standard deviations of the measured ratios are similar to the reported analytic uncertainties of sample measurement, suggesting that sample preparation introduced little if any additional scatter beyond the uncertainty of isotopic analysis. This dataset demonstrates that robust sample preparation and measurement can generate isotope ratio data reproducible at the level of counting statistics.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Imperfect Dark Matter

We consider cosmology of the recently introduced mimetic matter with higher derivatives (HD). Without HD this system describes irrotational dust—Dark Matter (DM) as we see it on cosmologically large scales. DM particles correspond to the shift-charges—Noether charges of the shifts in the field space. Higher derivative corrections usually describe a deviation from the thermodynamical equilibrium in the relativistic hydrodynamics. Thus we show that mimetic matter with HD corresponds to an imperfect DM which: i) renormalises the Newton's constant in the Friedmann equations, ii) has zero pressure when there is no extra matter in the universe, iii) survives the inflationary expansion which puts the system on a dynamical attractor with a vanishing shift-charge, iv) perfectly tracks any external matter on this attractor, v) can become the main (and possibly the only) source of DM, provided the shift-symmetry in the HD terms is broken during some small time interval in the radiation domination époque. In the second part of the paper we present a hydrodynamical description of general anisotropic and inhomogeneous configurations of the system. This imperfect mimetic fluid has an energy flow in the field's rest frame. We find that in the Eckart and in the Landau-Lifshitz frames the mimetic fluid possesses nonvanishing vorticity appearing already at the first order in the HD. Thus, the structure formation and gravitational collapse should proceed in a rather different fashion from the simple irrotational DM models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Small scatter and nearly isothermal mass profiles to four half-light radii from two-dimensional stellar dynamics of early-type galaxies

We study the total mass–density profile for a sample of 14 fast-rotator early-type galaxies (stellar masses 10.2≲logM{sub ∗}/M{sub ⊙}≲11.7). We combine observations from the SLUGGS and ATLAS{sup 3D} surveys to map out the stellar kinematics in two dimensions, out to a median radius for the sample of four half-light radii R{sub e} (or 10 kpc) and a maximum radius of 2.0–6.2 R{sub e} (or 4–21 kpc). We use axisymmetric dynamical models based on the Jeans equations, which allow for a spatially varying anisotropy; employ quite general profiles for the dark halos; and, in particular, do not place any restrictions on the profile slope. This is made possible by the availability of spatially extended two-dimensional kinematics. We find that our relatively simple models provide a remarkably good description of the observed kinematics. The resulting total density profiles are well described by a nearly isothermal power law ρ{sub tot}(r)∝r{sup −γ} from R{sub e}/10 to at least 4R{sub e}, the largest average deviation being 11%. The average logarithmic slope is 〈γ〉=2.19±0.03 with observed rms scatter of just σ{sub γ}=0.11. This scatter out to large radii, where dark matter dominates, is as small as previously reported by lensing studies around r ≈ R{sub e}/2, where the stars dominate. Our bulge–halo conspiracy places much tighter constraints on galaxy formation models. It illustrates the power of two-dimensional stellar kinematics observations at large radii. It is now important to test the generality of our results for different galaxy types and larger samples.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Four direct measurements of the fine-structure constant 13 billion years ago

Observations of the redshift z = 7.085 quasar J1120+0641 are used to search for variations of the fine structure constant, a, over the redshift range 5:5 to 7:1. Observations at z = 7:1 probe the physics of the universe at only 0.8 billion years old. These are the most distant direct measurements of a to date and the first measurements using a near-IR spectrograph. A new AI analysis method is employed. Four measurements from the x - shooter spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) constrain changes in a relative to the terrestrial value (α 0 ). The weighted mean electromagnetic force in this location in the universe deviates from the terrestrial value by Δα/α = (α z - α 0 )/α 0 = (-2:18 ± 7:27) × 10 -5 , consistent with no temporal change. Combining these measurements with existing data, we find a spatial variation is preferred over a no-variation model at the 3:9σ level.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cation and Vacancy Disorder in U 1-y Nd y O 2.00-X Alloys

In this study, the intermixing and clustering of U/Nd, O, and vacancies were studied by both laboratory and synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction in U 1-y Nd y O 2-X alloys. It was found that an increased holding time at the high experimental temperature during initial alloy preparation results in a lower disorder of the Nd distribution in the alloys. Adjustment of the oxygen concentration in the U 1-y Nd y O 2-X alloys with different Nd concentrations was accompanied by the formation of vacancies on the oxygen sublattice and a nanocrystalline component. The lattice parameters in the U 1-y Nd y O 2-X alloys were also found to deviate significantly from Vegard's law when the Nd concentration was high (53%) and decreased with increasing oxygen concentration. Such changes indicate the formation of large vacancy concentrations during oxygen adjustment at these high temperatures. Finally, the change in the vacancy concentration after the oxygen adjustment was estimated relative to Nd concentration and oxygen stoichiometry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Elucidating the Dynamics of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking through Study of High-Multiplicity Boson Final States at the LHC

To understand the full story of the electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) and how the universe arrived at today’s universe, the structure of the Higgs potential needs to be probed. We must carefully select and study processes at the LHC that are sensitive to the Higgs potential. In this context, longitudinal vector boson scattering (VBS) processes, V L V L →V L V L , and di-Higgs production, including V L V L →HH at the LHC have been studied for any potential deviation from SM prediction. However, many classes of models beyond the Standard Model (BSM) may result in the 2→2 process being perfectly well-behaved and SM-like but show interesting deviations in 2→3, 2→4, or 2→n(3) processes. If we are to complete the mission objectives the P5 laid out, then a large swath of 2→n(3) must be thoroughly searched and checked. The research supported by this award used data collected at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to explore VBS produced VVH process in the semi-merged channel. In addition, in the electroweak sector, there are open questions in the multi-gauge boson couplings and the Higgs couplings to the gauge bosons. The research supported by the award also studied the triboson production WWZ process at the LHC, which is a crossed diagram of a VBS process. During the funded period of 9 months, the analysis designs have been finalized.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1996

Analysis of condensation on a horizontal cylinder with unknown wall temperature and comparison with the Nusselt model of film condensation

Theoretical analysis and numerical computations are performed to set forth a new model of film condensation on a horizontal cylinder. The model is more general than the well-known Nusselt model of film condensation and is designed to encompass all essential features of the Nusselt model. It is shown that a single parameter, constructed explicitly and without specification of the cylinder wall temperature, determines the degree of departure from the Nusselt model, which assumes a known and uniform wall temperature. It is also known that the Nusselt model is reached for very small, as well as very large, values of this parameter. In both limiting cases the cylinder wall temperature assumes a uniform distribution and the Nusselt model is approached. The maximum deviations between the two models is rather small for cases which are representative of cylinder dimensions, materials and conditions encountered in practice.

Bahrami, Parviz A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Relation of Cloud Occurrence Frequency, Overlap, and Effective Thickness Derived from CALIPSO and CloudSat Merged Cloud Vertical Profiles

A cloud frequency of occurrence matrix is generated using merged cloud vertical profile derived from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR). The matrix contains vertical profiles of cloud occurrence frequency as a function of the uppermost cloud top. It is shown that the cloud fraction and uppermost cloud top vertical pro les can be related by a set of equations when the correlation distance of cloud occurrence, which is interpreted as an effective cloud thickness, is introduced. The underlying assumption in establishing the above relation is that cloud overlap approaches the random overlap with increasing distance separating cloud layers and that the probability of deviating from the random overlap decreases exponentially with distance. One month of CALIPSO and CloudSat data support these assumptions. However, the correlation distance sometimes becomes large, which might be an indication of precipitation. The cloud correlation distance is equivalent to the de-correlation distance introduced by Hogan and Illingworth [2000] when cloud fractions of both layers in a two-cloud layer system are the same.

Kato, Seiji↗
NASA NTRS2010

Concentrations and Origins of Atmospheric Lead and Other Trace Species at a Rural Site in Northern China

In this study we analyze the ambient levels of lead and other trace species in the bulk aerosol samples from a rural site approx.70 km ESE of Beijing in spring 2005. Lead (0.28+/-0.24 micro-g/cu m, average +/- standard deviation), along with several pollution \related trace elements, was enriched by over 100 fold relative to the Earth's crust. The ambient lead levels showing large synoptic variations were well-correlated with other anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., CO and SO2). The Unmix receptor model resolved four factors in the aerosol composition data: a biomass burning source, an industrial and coal combustion source, a secondary aerosol source, and a dust source. The first three sources were strongest in weak southerly winds ahead of cold fronts, while the dust source peaked in strong northerly winds behind cold fronts. The second source, primarily representing emissions from industrial processes and relatively small \scale coal burning such as in home and institutional heating, was identified as the main source of ambient lead in this study. Mobile sources might also contribute to this factor, but there was no distinct evidence of emissions due to combustion of leaded gasoline, despite a correlation between lead and CO. Potential source contribution function, calculated from backward trajectories and aerosol composition, further reveals that lead observed in this study was predominantly from the populated and industrialized areas to the south and SW of Xianghe, rather than Beijing to the west. Our results and several recent studies show that the lead levels in suburban areas near big cities in China, although generally lower than those in industrial districts and urban areas, are substantial (near or above 0.15 micro-g/cu m). More extensive studies on airborne lead and its emission sources in China are called for.

Li, Can↗