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At least 865 records · Page 48

Insight into the Chemistry of PETN Under Shock Compression Through Ultrafast Broadband Mid-Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

In this study, thin films of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) were shock compressed using the laser driven shock apparatus at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Two spectroscopic probes were available to this apparatus: visible white light transient absorption spectroscopy (VIS) from 400 to 700 nm and mid-infrared transient absorption spectroscopy (MIR) from 1150 to 3800 cm –1 . Important PETN vibrational modes are the symmetric and antisymmetric NO 2 stretches at 1280 and 1650 cm –1 , respectively, as well as CH stretches at ~2900 cm –1 . Shock strength was varied from approximately 3 to 55 GPa to span from the chemically unreactive regime to the regime in which fast chemical reaction took place on the 250 ps time scale of the measurements. VIS and MIR results suggest irreversible chemistry was induced in PETN at pressures above 30 GPa. At lower shock pressures, the spectroscopy showed minimal changes attributable to pressure induced effects. Under the higher-pressure reactive conditions, the frequency region at the antisymmetric NO 2 stretch mode had a significantly increased absorption while the region around the symmetric NO 2 stretch did not. No observable increased absorption occurred in the higher frequency regions where CH-, NH-, and OH- bond absorptions would be observed. A broad absorption appeared on the shoulder at the red-edge of the CO 2 vibrational band around 2200 cm –1 . In addition to the experiments, reactive molecular dynamics were carried out under equivalent shock conditions to correlate the evolution of the infrared spectrum to molecular processes. The simulations show results consistent to experiments up to 30 GPa but suggest that NO and NO 2 related features provided the strongest contributions to the shocked infrared changes. Proposed mechanisms for shocked PETN chemistry are analyzed as consistent or inconsistent with the data presented here. Our experimental data suggests C≡O or N 2 O bond formation, nitrite formation, and absence of significant hydroxyl or amine concentrations in the initial chemistry steps in PETN shocked above 30 GPa.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Microfractures produced by a laboratory scale hypervelocity impact into granite

Differential strain analysis and scanning electron microscopy are employed to study the microcracks produced in a granite block by shock waves from a hypervelocity impact. The anisotropy of the pre-shock cracks appears to control the orientations of the microcracks. Over the range 2 to 20 kbar, total crack porosity proves to be linearly related to shock pressure. The effect of the peak shock pressure on the width and median closure pressure of the crack spectra is also investigated. The results of the microcrack study may be useful in interpreting lunar samples.

Siegfried, R. W., II↗

Understanding the relation between wind- and pressure-driven sea level variability

Sea surface adjustment to combined wind and pressure forcing is examined using numerical solutions to the shallow water equations. The experiments use coastal geometry and bottom topography representative of the North Atlantic and are forced by realistic barometric pressure and wind stress fields. The repsonse to pressure is essentially static or close to the inverted barometer solution at periods longer than a few days and dominates the sea level variability, with wind-driven sea level signals being relatively small. With regard to the dynamic signals, wind-driven fluctuations dominate at long periods, as expected from quasi-geostrophic theory. Pressure becomes more important than wind stress as a source of dynamic signals only at periods shorter than approximately three days. Wind- and pressure-driven sea level fluctuations are anticorrelated over most regions. Hence, regressions of sea level on barometric pressure yield coefficients generally smaller than expected for the inverted barometer response known to be the case in the model. In the regions of significant wind-pressure correlation effects, to infer the correct pressure reponse using statistical methods, input fields must include winds as well as pressure. Because of the nonlocal character of the wind response, multivariate statistical models with local wind driving as input are not very successful. Inclusion of nonlocal wind variability over extensive regions is necessary to extract the correct pressure response. Implications of these results to the interpretation of sea level observations are discussed.

Ponte, Rui M.↗

Development of Testing Methodologies for the Mechanical Properties of MEMS

This effort is to investigate and design testing strategies to determine the mechanical properties of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) as well as investigate the development of a MEMS Probabilistic Design Methodology (PDM). One item of potential interest is the design of a test for the Weibull size effect in pressure membranes. The Weibull size effect is a consequence of a stochastic strength response predicted from the Weibull distribution. Confirming that MEMS strength is controlled by the Weibull distribution will enable the development of a probabilistic design methodology for MEMS - similar to the GRC developed CARES/Life program for bulk ceramics. However, the primary area of investigation will most likely be analysis and modeling of material interfaces for strength as well as developing a strategy to handle stress singularities at sharp corners, filets, and material interfaces. This will be a continuation of the previous years work. The ultimate objective of this effort is to further develop and verify the ability of the Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures Life (CARES/Life) code to predict the time-dependent reliability of MEMS structures subjected to multiple transient loads.

Ekwaro-Osire, Stephen↗

Activity Coefficients of Siderophile Elements in Fe-Si Liquids at High Pressure

Metallic core formation in differentiated bodies in the inner solar system can takeplace between low pressures (near 1 bar) to much higher pressures (up to 100 GPa). Mostthermodynamic models of metal-silicate equilibria utilize activity coefficients for metallic tracersin Fe liquids, nearly all of which have been carried out at low pressures. This study focuses onthe effect of pressure on activity coefficients for Au, P, V, Mn, Ga, Zn, Cd, Sn, W, Pb, and Nb inliquid Fe-Si alloys. From a series of experiments at 10 GPa, 2373 K containing variable Sicontent in a metallic liquid we have derived epsilon interaction parametersin FeSi liquids (εMSi). Comparison of 1 GPa and 10 GPa data shows no difference except for Nb. Epsilonparameters derived from low pressure experiments can thus be used to calculate activitycoefficients for application to higher pressure processes (at least to 10 GPa).

K Righter↗

Effects of varying subatmospheric pressure on stationary plasma arc welds

An experimental study was performed examining the variation of penetration, fluid behavior, heat-affected zone and arc in plasma arc welding (PAW) with respect to subatmospheric ambient pressure. The results reveal nonlinear variation of keyhole size, time of penetration, and size of the heat-affected zone with pressure. In a restricted range of pressure, dynamic components of fluid flow directed out of the molten pool appear and have a profound effect on keyhole formation. The generated plasma arc is observed to decrease in intensity with decreasing pressure, resulting in a reduction of penetration at lower pressures.

Chin, J. J.↗

A search for upstream pressure pulses associated with flux transfer events: An AMPTE/ISEE case study

On September 19, 1984, the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracers Explorers (AMPTE) United Kingdom Satellite (UKS) and Ion Release Module (IRM) and International Sun Earth Explorers (ISEE) 1 and 2 spacecraft passed outbound through the dayside magnetopause at about the same time. The AMPTE spacecraft pair crossed first and were in the near-subsolar magnetosheath for more than an hour. Meanwhile the ISEE pair, about 5 R(sub E) to the south, observed flux transfer event (FTE) signatures. We use the AMPTE UKS and IRM plasma and field observations of magnetosheath conditions directly upstream of the subsolar magnetopause to check whether pressure pulses are responsible for the FTE signatures seen at ISEE. Pulses in both the ion thermal pressure and the dynamic pressure are observed in the magnetosheath early on when IRM and UKS are close to the magnetopause, but not later. These large pulses appear to be related to reconnection going on at the magnetopause nearby. AMPTE magnetosheath data far from the magnetopause do not show a pressure pulse correlation with FTEs at ISEE. Moreover, the magnetic pressure and tension effects seen in the ISEE FTEs are much larger than any pressure effects seen in the magnetosheath. A superposed epoch analysis based on small-amplitude peaks in the AMPTE magnetosheath total static pressure (nkT + B(exp 2)/2 mu(sub 0)) hint at some boundary effects, less than 5 nT peak-to-peak variations in the ISEE 1 and 2 B(sub N) signature starting about 1 min after the pressure peak epoch. However, these variations are much smaller than the standard deviations of the B(sub N) field component. Thus the evidence from this case study suggests that upstream magnetosheath pressure pulses do not give rise to FTEs, but may produce very small amplitude signatures in the magnetic field at the magnetopause.

Elphic, R. C.↗

Supersonic Jet Mixing Enhancement due to Natural and Induced Screech

Outline of presentation are: (1) Review of experimental apparatus. (2) Effect of natural screech of jet mixing; converging nozzle, underexpanded jet and converging-diverging nozzle, design pressure.(3) Effect of induced screech on jet mixing: produced by paddles in shear layers, similar to edge tones, and converging-diverging nozzle, design pressure. (4) Effect of paddles on near-field jet noise. and (5) Concluding remarks.

Rice, E. J.↗

Vibration-rotation double resonance effects in symmetrical top molecules.

Rotational transitions in symmetrical top molecules in the wavelength regions of 1-3 mm are sufficiently strong to be observed directly on an oscilloscope. Changes in the vibrational level populations induced by laser radiations affect the intensity of the rotational transitions. Observation of the microwave lines under the influence of chopped laser radiation shows a variety of interesting and potentially informative effects. At pressures above a few tenths of a torr the effect of laser radiation is to reduce the microwave response. This is true for all microwave lines at all those laser frequencies which are absorbed by the gas, and this effect is roughly proportional to the absorption coefficient. The rise and decay times of this effect increase with pressure and the the linear dimensions of the absorption cell. At low pressures the microwave response may increase, decrease, or remain unaffected depending on the observed microwave transitions and the specific laser line applied to the gas.

Marantz, H.↗

Gaseous environment of the Shuttle early in the Spacelab 2 mission

A cold-cathode ionization gage was flown on Space Shuttle flight STS-5IF as part of the Spacelab 2 payload. Neutral pressure data that were taken in the payload bay during the first few hours on orbit are presented. These data show that when the payload bay is oriented such that the atmospheric gases are ramming into it, the pressure rises to a peak of 4 x 10 to the -6th Torr. Pressure is also slightly higher during the sunlit portion of each orbit. Outgassing of the payload bay causes the pressure to be elevated to a few times 10 to the -6th Torr early in the mission. In addition, several effects on pressure have been identified that are due to chemical releases. Substantial increases (50-150 percent) are seen during another experiment's gas purge. Orbiter chemical-release effects include: pressure increases of 200 percent up to 7 x 10 to the -6th Torr due to Orbital Maneuvering System burns, minor perturbations in pressure due to vernier thruster firings and little or no increase in pressure due to water dumps. In the case of vernier thruster firings, effects are seen only from down-firing thrusters in the back of the Orbiter, which are probably due to reflection of thruster gases off Orbiter surfaces.

Pickett, Jolene S.↗

Investigation of pressurized toroidal shells

The effect of internal pressure and external load on thin-walled toroidal shells was investigated. The result of the analysis agreed with experimental results on a 54-inch-diameter toroidal shell subjected to both pressurization and axial loading.

Source record↗

Constant-Pressure Combustion Charts Including Effects of Diluent Addition

Charts are presented for the calculation of (a) the final temperatures and the temperature changes involved in constant-pressure combustion processes of air and in products of combustion of air and hydrocarbon fuels, and (b) the quantity of hydrocarbon fuels required in order to attain a specified combustion temperature when water, alcohol, water-alcohol mixtures, liquid ammonia, liquid carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, or their mixtures are added to air as diluents or refrigerants. The ideal combustion process and combustion with incomplete heat release from the primary fuel and from combustible diluents are considered. The effect of preheating the mixture of air and diluents and the effect of an initial water-vapor content in the combustion air on the required fuel quantity are also included. The charts are applicable only to processes in which the final mixture is leaner than stoichiometric and at temperatures where dissociation is unimportant. A chart is also included to permit the calculation of the stoichiometric ratio of hydrocarbon fuel to air with diluent addition. The use of the charts is illustrated by numerical examples.

Turner, L Richard↗

The effect of initial flaw configuration on leak critical pressure vessel design

The effect of initial flaw shape and depth on the cycles required to produce a pressure leak condition in parent and welded 2219-T87 aluminum was examined for thicknesses from 0.04 to 0.3 inch. Initial flaw aspect ratios of 0.5, 0.3, and 0.15 were examined for tests conducted at a frequency of 4 Hz at room temperature and at 300 F. A computer program developed by Forman was used to predict the cycles to leak curve as a function of initial crack aspect ratio, material thickness, and specimen type and the results compared with the experimental data. Sources of error in the crack propagation analysis and the interface with NDI capabilities are discussed.

Pettit, D. E.↗

Asteroid entry in Venusian atmosphere: Pressure and density fields effect on crater formation

The objectives are to look at time scales of overpressure compared to cratering and to determine: what are the transient pressure and density due to atmospheric entry; do shock waves evacuate ambient gas; do transient atmospheric disturbances 'settle down' during cratering; can the pressure/density field be approximated as quasi-static; how does disturbance scale with impactor size; and what is the role of atmospheric thickness. The general approach is to perform inexpensive exploratory calculations, perform experiments to validate code and observe crater growth, and to follow up with more realistic coupling calculations. This viewgraph presentation presents progress made with the objective to obtain useful scaling relationships for crater formation when atmospheric effects are important.

Schmidt, Robert↗