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At least 883 records · Page 49

Estimating Alpine Snow Depth by Combining Multi-Frequency Passive Radiance Observations with Ensemble Snowpack Modeling

This paper presents a physically-based snow depth retrieval algorithm adapted for deep mountainous snowpack and airborne multifrequency (10.7, 18.7, 37.0 and 89.0 GHz) passive microwave (PM) radiance observations from a single flight. The algorithm employs a single forecast-analysis cycle of a traditional sequential assimilation scheme. It uses an ensemble of multi-layer snowpack model runs to resolve snow microstructure and melt-refreeze crusts, andmicrowave radiative transfer models to relate snow properties to microwave measurements.Snow depth was retrieved at a 120 m spatial resolution over three 1 km2 Intensive Study Area (ISA) within the Rabbit Ears Meso-Cell Study Area (MSA) from the NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) in Colorado (United States) for one date in February 2003. When evaluated against in situ observations, root mean square error (RMSE) of the snow depth from the assimilation was 13.3 cm for areas with low (<5 %) forest cover, which was a reduction of 48 % in the RMSE compared with the modeled snow depth when the PM observations were not assimilated; indicating a ~5% relative error of the posterior snow depth with respect to the average snow depth (200 cm) measured at these pixels. For pixels with forest cover ranging from 5-15% and 15-30%, results were improved (R2 increased from 0.65 to 0.71 and from 0 to 0.38, respectively) by introducing a forest radiative transfer model during the assimilation.

Airborne Multifrequency↗

Expanding the application of soil moisture monitoring systems through regression-based transformation

Relative to other geophysical variables, soil moisture (SM) estimates derived from land surface models (LSMs) and land data assimilation systems (LDAS) are difficult to transfer between platforms and applications. This difficulty stems from the highly model-dependent nature of LSM SM estimates and differences in the vertical support of discretized SM values. As a result, operational SM estimates generated by one LSM (or LDAS) cannot generally be directly applied to a hydrologic monitoring or forecast system designed around a second LSM. This lack of transferability is particularly problematic for LDAS applications, where the time, expertise, and computational resources required to generate an operational LDAS analysis cannot be practically duplicated for every LSM-specific application. Here, we develop a set of simple regression tools for translating SM estimates between LSMs and multiple LDAS analyses. Results demonstrate that simple multivariate linear regression - utilizing independent variables based on multi-layer and temporally lagged SM estimates - can significantly improve upon baseline transformation approaches using direct percentile matching. The proposed regression approaches are effective for both the LSM-to-LSM and LDAS-to-LDAS transformation of multi-layer SM percentiles. Application of this approach will expand the utility of existing, high-quality (but LSM-specific) operational sources of SM information like the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive Level-4 Soil Moisture product.

Soil Moisture↗

Transition Delay via Vortex Generators in a Hypersonic Boundary Layer at Flight Conditions

The potential of realizable, stationary streaks undergoing non-modal growth to stabilize a hypersonic boundary-layer flow and, subsequently, delay the laminar-turbulent transition onset, is studied via numerical computations. The geometry and flow conditions are selected to match a relevant trajectory location from the ascent phase of the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment, namely, a 7-degree half-angle cone with 2.5 mm nose radius, freestream Mach number of 5.30, freestream unit Reynolds number equal to 13.42 x 10(exp 6)/m, and wall-to-adiabatic temperature ratio of approximately 0.35 over most of the test article. This paper investigates flow modifications induced by wall-mounted vortex generators (VGs), followed by an analysis of the modal instability of the perturbed, streaky boundary-layer flow. Results are presented both for a single array of VGs that was designed on the basis of optimal growth theory and for a VG configuration involving two separate arrays with opposite orientations that ware designed to provide staged control of flow instabilities while simultaneously reducing the amplification of streak instabilities resulting from the control devices. Earlier research had shown that the onset of transition during the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment, which did not include any control devices, correlated with an amplification factor of N = 14.7 for the planar Mack modes. If one assumes that the transition N -factor is not affected by the introduction of the VGs, then the control configurations based on a single array of VGs and two separate arrays would result in a transition delay of 17% and 40%, respectively. These findings suggest a passive flow control s to induce streaks that would delay transition in hypersonic boundary dominated by Mack-mode instabilities.

Incompressible boundary layer↗

High Interfacial-Energy and Lithiophilic Janus Interphase Enables Stable Lithium Metal Anodes

The stability of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers is critical for developing lithium (Li) metal batteries. However, the fabrication of stable SEI layers is plagued by un-controlled structures, properties, and functions. In this work a controllable design of an ordered LiF-rich and lithiophilic hybrid Janus interphase (LiF-HJI) is reported using organic fluorination reagent as a functional SEI precursor. The LiF-HJI with a lower crystalline LiF layer and an upper Li organosulfide layer provides high interfacial energy with the Li metal and strong Li-ion affinity, allows homogenous Li-ion distribution, fast and uniform Li-ion transport, and excellent mechanical and passivation properties, enabling stable Li metal anodes under harsh conditions, such as high deposition capacities (6 mA h cm -2 ), current densities (10 mA cm -2 ), and rates (5 C). Stable LiF-HJI@Li greatly improves cycling stability and capacity retention (80.1% after 300 cycles) of Li||LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 cells at a commercial-level areal capacity (≈4.2 mA h cm -2 ). Even under a lean-electrolyte condition of 3 g Ah -1 , 80% capacity retention can be maintained after 100 cycles, demonstrating excellent cycling performance under such harsh conditions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Enhanced Menshutkin S N 2 Reactivity in Mesoporous Silica: The Influence of Surface Catalysis and Confinement

A significant enhancement in the Menshutkin S N 2 reaction between 1-methylimidazole (MeIm) and methyl thiocyanate (MeSCN) is observed when the reaction is confined in the nanoscale silica pores of MCM41 and SBA15. The experiments in the silica pores are conducted without surrounding bulk reaction mixture. The influences of temperature, pore radius, and surface chemistry on the kinetics of the confined reaction are analyzed with time-dependent infrared spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and ab initio calculations. The rate constant of the pseudo-first order reaction increases with decreasing pore size, and the activation energy is found to decrease by 5.6 kJ/mol in the smallest pore studied (2.8 nm) relative to the bulk reaction. The rate constant dependence on pore size is accurately described by a two-state model in which molecules within the 4.6 Å interfacial layer experience a 2.4-fold rate constant increase relative to those reacting at the bulk rate further away from the interface. The removal of polar silanol groups from the silica surface via passivation with trimethylsilyl chloride results in bulk-like kinetics despite a reduction in the pore diameter, demonstrating the role of silanols as catalytic sites. Here, electronic structure calculations of the energy profile on a model silica surface confirm that silanol groups, particularly those of the vicinal type, can reduce the activation energy and reaction endothermicity through the donation of hydrogen bonds to the reactant, transition state, and product complexes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A model for microwave intensity propagation in an inhomogeneous medium

A combined analytic and phenomenological approach, utilizing Maxwell's equations in the Born approximation with radiative transfer theory, is used to describe the propagation of microwave intensity in a scattering medium characterized by three-dimensional random fluctuations in refractive index, as well as nonrandom variations in permittivity, temperature, and loss. This approach yields microwave intensities as a function of polarization, direction, and position. Numerical techniques are presented to solve the transport equations, which include cases of spatially varying coefficients, and highly peaked phase functions. Some computed results illustrating the behavior of microwave intensity in various media are presented. Included are the angular and frequency spectra of thermal emission from semi-infinite media, and the diffuse transmission and reflection response of a scattering layer. The effects of scatterer geometry and scale sizes; correlation function; and gradients in temperature, loss, and scattering parameters are also demonstrated. This model should be particularly useful in interpreting active and passive remote sensing data.

Fisher, A. D.↗

Solid rocket booster water impact test

Water impact drop tests were performed on the space shuttle solid rocket boosters (SRB). Peak water impact pressures and pressure/time traces were measured for various impact velocities using a two-dimensional, full-scale SRB aft skirt internal ring model. Passive burst disc-type pressure transducers were calibrated for use on flight SRB's. The effects on impact pressure of small ring configuration changes and application of thermal protection system cork layers were found to be negligible.

Bugg, F.↗

Diffusion barriers

The choice of the metallic film for the contact to a semiconductor device is discussed. One way to try to stabilize a contact is by interposing a thin film of a material that has low diffusivity for the atoms in question. This thin film application is known as a diffusion barrier. Three types of barriers can be distinguished. The stuffed barrier derives its low atomic diffusivity to impurities that concentrate along the extended defects of a polycrystalline layer. Sacrificial barriers exploit the fact that some (elemental) thin films react in a laterally uniform and reproducible fashion. Sacrificial barriers have the advantage that the point of their failure is predictable. Passive barriers are those most closely approximating an ideal barrier. The most-studied case is that of sputtered TiN films. Stuffed barriers may be viewed as passive barriers whose low diffusivity material extends along the defects of the polycrystalline host.

Nicolet, M. A.↗

Adaptive Mesh Refinement for Microelectronic Device Design

Finite element and finite volume methods are used in a variety of design simulations when it is necessary to compute fields throughout regions that contain varying materials or geometry. Convergence of the simulation can be assessed by uniformly increasing the mesh density until an observable quantity stabilizes. Depending on the electrical size of the problem, uniform refinement of the mesh may be computationally infeasible due to memory limitations. Similarly, depending on the geometric complexity of the object being modeled, uniform refinement can be inefficient since regions that do not need refinement add to the computational expense. In either case, convergence to the correct (measured) solution is not guaranteed. Adaptive mesh refinement methods attempt to selectively refine the region of the mesh that is estimated to contain proportionally higher solution errors. The refinement may be obtained by decreasing the element size (h-refinement), by increasing the order of the element (p-refinement) or by a combination of the two (h-p refinement). A successful adaptive strategy refines the mesh to produce an accurate solution measured against the correct fields without undue computational expense. This is accomplished by the use of a) reliable a posteriori error estimates, b) hierarchal elements, and c) automatic adaptive mesh generation. Adaptive methods are also useful when problems with multi-scale field variations are encountered. These occur in active electronic devices that have thin doped layers and also when mixed physics is used in the calculation. The mesh needs to be fine at and near the thin layer to capture rapid field or charge variations, but can coarsen away from these layers where field variations smoothen and charge densities are uniform. This poster will present an adaptive mesh refinement package that runs on parallel computers and is applied to specific microelectronic device simulations. Passive sensors that operate in the infrared portion of the spectrum as well as active device simulations that model charge transport and Maxwell's equations will be presented.

Cwik, Tom↗

Design Exploration of a Slotted-Wing Common Research Model

A knowledge-based aerodynamic design method, Constrained Direct Iterative Surface Cur-vature (CDISC), has been leveraged for the computational design exploration of a Common Research Model with Reduced-Sweep and Slotted Wings (CRMRS-SW). Cruise-slotted-wing airfoils include a slot near the trailing edge of a main airfoil component to introduce stream air to the low-momentum, upper-surface boundary layer on a flap airfoil component with the goal of allowing for a more aft loading, relative to supercritical airfoils, without shock-induced separation. Ultimately, the cruise slotted wing is a passive technology that allows for an in-crease in the drag divergence Mach number and/or an increase in aerodynamic efficiency at agiven cruise condition. These aerodynamic benefits may be realized at the vehicle level through a trade space that includes the following design options: increasing cruise Mach number, in-creasing wing thickness, decreasing wing sweep, increasing lift coefficient and/or decreasing drag coefficient. The present study aimed to evaluate the slotted-wing concept’s potential as adrag-saving technology in application to a single-aisle transonic transport aircraft at a given cruise condition. The CDISC design method was used to develop a better understanding of the slotted-wing design variables that have a significant impact on the variability in aircraft drag and leverage this newly-developed knowledge to quantify the aerodynamic performance benefits enabled by the cruise slotted wing.

Brett R. Hiller↗

Chapter 10 - Remote Sensing Measurements of Aerosol Properties

Satellite instruments have proven especially capable at monitoring the quantity of airborne particles in columns of atmosphere, globally. This chapter describes the principles of satellite measurements and retrieval algorithms, and surveys current instruments and their capabilities. We outline the issues associated with retrieval algorithms, such as surface characterization and aerosol proximity to clouds, and the challenges with interpretation of the results. The relationship between measured aerosol properties and climate-relevant aerosol properties simulated in models is outlined, as well as how measurements are used to evaluate models. Most space-based aerosol instruments are passive sensors that measure reflected sunlight at multiple wavelengths, some at multiple viewing angles. A few are active sensors that send out their own laser light and measure the returned signal. Except when clouds are present, the excess amount of light scattered back to space, beyond that expected from the surface and atmospheric gas, is attributed to aerosol. Satellite measurements are used in many ways in aerosol research. They often provide the only method for monitoring hazardous phenomena such as major wildfire and volcanic eruption plumes, especially in remote areas. Stable, long-term, near-global-scale satellite data records make it possible to identify regional and global aerosol trends. Aerosol radiative effects on climate can be quantified on a near-global scale and used to estimate the strength of aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions as well as to evaluate climate model simulations of these interactions. Aerosol-type mapping from satellite imagery is helpful for source attribution, model validation, and to constrain particle light-absorption properties that are essential for radiative forcing calculations. The range of aerosol properties retrieved from satellite observations has grown considerably since the first global estimates of aerosol optical depth (τ a) over ocean were made in the late 1970s. Methods for retrieving particle size and light-absorption properties were explored in the 1990s using multispectral, multi-angle observations, and polarization in visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Sensitivity to particle light absorption, primarily from black or brown carbon content, improved with the inclusion of UV channels, and sensitivity to very thin aerosol layers in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere was advanced with the use of limb-sounding instruments and active sensors. There are limitations to every measurement technique, including satellite aerosol remote sensing. For wide-swath, passive instruments, aerosol retrievals near clouds can present substantial challenges as far as 15 km away due to cloud-scattered light contaminating the signal. In nearly all cases, retrievals over bright snow and ice surfaces are precluded because surface reflectance uncertainties can overwhelm the aerosol signal. Similarly, meteorological cloud is identified and masked out where possible. Data from passive sensors also lack vertical resolution except those that view toward the limb or where multi-angle imagery is acquired over plumes from wildfires, erupting volcanoes, and wind-blown dust. Yet, passive sensors provide vastly more coverage than the active instruments that mitigate these issues. Particle microphysical information is qualitative from all remote sensing techniques, relying on proxies to infer particle composition, hygroscopicity, and the amount of light-absorbing material. Further, particles smaller than about 200 nm diameter cannot be distinguished from atmospheric gas molecules with remote sensing, which hinders studies of cloud condensation nuclei and their effects on clouds. Most satellite instruments dedicated to aerosol observations are in low-Earth, near-polar, sun-synchronous orbits, which means they cross the equator at the same local time each day. Most are set on cycles that repeat approximately every 16 days, which makes it difficult to monitor aerosol evolution locally. Geostationary satellites make it possible to observe changes occurring from minutes to hours over regions up to 8000 km in size, but lack coverage of high latitudes, and often provide more limited constraints on aerosol properties. Ground-truth data are vital for satellite aerosol-retrieval validation. The AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) of sun photometers was created in 1993 and has become an established global network of over 350 instruments for validating satellite measurements. The network, as well as global networks of ground-based lidars, solar flux radiometers and other sun photometers, are widely used for evaluating global satellite retrievals and model simulations. NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) program beginning in 1999 led to improvements in reliability, spatial resolution, and spectral resolution (and hence, to improved particle size discrimination and light absorption properties). Satellite payloads include advanced broad-swath and multi-angle imagers, along with the first space-based active sensor focused largely on long-term aerosol monitoring. Since about 2002, Europe's SENTINEL and operational meteorological satellite fleets are also providing sustained aerosol observations, with planned continuation until at least 2030. Satellite remote sensing instruments offer valuable data for evaluating aerosol representations in global climate models. They have been used to assess aerosol optical and physical properties, trends and distributions, and are applied increasingly as direct model constraints in data assimilation to create global aerosol reanalysis products. Aerosol optical depth is the most common quantity adopted for routine model evaluation, including multiwavelength data to loosely constrain particle-size distributions. These evaluations of multiple models have revealed general biases in their regional aerosol amounts and seasonal patterns of transport and removal. Although satellite measurements have near-global coverage, substantial errors can be introduced into the model observation comparison unless attention is paid to spatial and temporal collocation, cloud screening, subgrid-scale variability, and measurement uncertainties that vary with retrieval conditions.

aerosol properties↗

On the measurement of precipitation frequencies by passive microwave radiometery

Over most of the microwave spectrum, raindrops both absorb and scatter radiation producing large changes in brightness temperatures relative to clear or cloudy conditions. Since the structure of rain varies substantially for different rain rates and climatological backgrounds, the raindrop size distribution, the rain layer thickness and the ice clouds above the rain layer are all important inputs to the model computations. The subsequent modeling involves applying the Mie theory to derive the absorption and scattering effects and the radiative transfer calculation is based upon a variational iterative approach which takes account of the multiple scattering effect of the rain layer. Results over both ocean and land backgrounds are demonstrated. It is also demonstrated that by using discrimination tests of the radiometric data, the rain/no rain decision can be made and the rainfall rate can be retrieved from a statistical inversion technique.

Kidder, S. Q.↗

The aluminum electrode in AlCl3-alkali-halide melts

Passivation phenomena were observed upon cathodic and anodic polarization of the Al electrode in AlCl3-KCl-NaCl melts between 100 and 160 C. They are caused by formation of a solid salt layer at the electrode surface resulting from concentration changes upon current flow. The anodic limiting currents increased with temperature and with decreasing AlCl3 content of the melt. Current voltage curves obtained on a rotating aluminum disk showed a linear relationship between the anodic limiting current and 1/sq root of 2 pi (rps). Upon cathodic polarization dentrite formation occurs at the Al electrode. The activation overvoltage in AlCl3-KCl-NaCl (57.5-12.5-20 mol%) was determined by galvanostatic current step methods. An apparent exchange current density of 270 mA/cm2 at 130 C and a double layer capacity of 40 plus or minus 10 microfarad/cm2 were measured.

Holleck, G. L.↗

Synchronously deployable truss structure

A collapsible-expandable truss structure, including first and second spaced surface truss layers having an attached core layer is described. The surface truss layers are composed of a plurality of linear struts arranged in multiple triangular configurations. Each linear strut is hinged at the center and hinge connected at each end to a nodular joint. A passive spring serves as the expansion force to move the folded struts from a stowed collapsed position to a deployed operative final truss configuration. A damper controls the rate of spring expansion for the synchronized deployment of the truss as the folded configuration is released for deployment by the restrain belts. The truss is synchronously extended under the control of motor driven spools.

Bush, H. G.↗

Transition and separation control on a low-Reynolds number airfoil

The major problem associated with the aerodynamic performance of airfoils at low Reynolds numbers is the presence of extensive laminar boundary-layer separation resulting in a large increase in presssure drag and a decrease in lift. The rapid deterioration in airfoil characteristics can be largely eliminated by artificially controlling the flow through the introduction of suitable disturbances in the boundary layer such that transition occurs ahead of the anticipated laminar separation. This paper presents the results of wind-tunnel tests conducted on a 10-cm model of LRN (1)-1007 airfoil with passive (roughness trips) and active (acoustic excitation) controls to trigger transition and suppress separation. Significant improvements in the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil were observed. Results of this study for a chord Reynolds number range of 40,000 to 250,000 are presented in this paper.

Mangalam, S. M.↗

Development of a Satellite Systems for Measuring Soil Moisture

The science need for remotely sensed soil moisture has been well established in the hydrologic, climate change and weather forecasting communities. There also have been a number of programs that have demonstrated the feasibility of using long wave microwave sensors for estimating soil moisture. These have ranged from truck mounted sensors, to intensive airborne campaigns with science objectives. Based on this history of truck and aircraft experiments, the science community has settled on a soil moisture product that meets the following criteria: a two day global repeat, a measured layer of 5 cm of soil, a footprint of 20 to 30 km, and an absolute accuracy of +/- 4% volumetric soil moisture. The principal sensor to accomplish this is an L-band passive microwave radiometer. A soil moisture mission is being proposed for the NASA Earth Systems Science Pathfinder (ESSP) mission which has very real constraints of a limited budget which includes the launch vehicle, and a three year award to launch time schedule. This paper describes ways to solve the very large antenna challenge, and the criteria used to choose the final design for an ESSP proposal. The paper also discusses the alternatives considered to obtain the necessary ancillary data for characterizing the surface roughness, the surface temperature and the attenuation affects of vegetation.

Engman, Edwin T.↗

Tailoring Interfaces for Enhanced Methanol Production from Photoelectrochemical CO 2 Reduction

Efficient and stable photoelectrochemical reduction of CO 2 into highly reduced liquid fuels remains a formidable challenge, which requires an innovative semiconductor/catalyst interface to tackle. In this study, we introduce a strategy involving the fabrication of a silicon micropillar array structure coated with a superhydrophobic fluorinated carbon layer for the photoelectrochemical conversion of CO 2 into methanol. The pillars increase the electrode surface area, improve catalyst loading and adhesion without compromising light absorption, and help confine gaseous intermediates near the catalyst surface. The superhydrophobic coating passivates parasitic side reactions and further enhances local accumulation of reaction intermediates. Upon one-electron reduction of the molecular catalyst, the semiconductor–catalyst interface changes from adaptive to buried junctions, providing a sufficient thermodynamic driving force for CO 2 reduction. These structures together create a unique microenvironment for effective reduction of CO 2 to methanol, leading to a remarkable Faradaic efficiency reaching 20% together with a partial current density of 3.4 mA cm –2 , surpassing the previous record based on planar silicon photoelectrodes by a notable factor of 17. Furthermore, this work demonstrates a new pathway for enhancing photoelectrocatalytic CO 2 reduction through meticulous interface and microenvironment tailoring and sets a benchmark for both Faradaic efficiency and current density in solar liquid fuel production.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Implanted Silicon Resistor Layers for Efficient Terahertz Absorption

Broadband absorption structures are an essential component of large format bolometer arrays for imaging GHz and THz radiation. We have measured electrical and optical properties of implanted silicon resistor layers designed to be suitable for these absorbers. Implanted resistors offer a low-film-stress, buried absorber that is robust to longterm aging, temperature, and subsequent metals processing. Such an absorber layer is readily integrated with superconducting integrated circuits and standard micromachining as demonstrated by the SCUBA II array built by ROE/NIST (1). We present a complete characterization of these layers, demonstrating frequency regimes in which different recipes will be suitable for absorbers. Single layer thin film coatings have been demonstrated as effective absorbers at certain wavelengths including semimetal (2,3), thin metal (4), and patterned metal films (5,6). Astronomical instrument examples include the SHARC II instrument is imaging the submillimeter band using passivated Bi semimetal films and the HAWC instrument for SOFIA, which employs ultrathin metal films to span 1-3 THz. Patterned metal films on spiderweb bolometers have also been proposed for broadband detection. In each case, the absorber structure matches the impedance of free space for optimal absorption in the detector configuration (typically 157 Ohms per square for high absorption with a single or 377 Ohms per square in a resonant cavity or quarter wave backshort). Resonant structures with -20% bandwidth coupled to bolometers are also under development; stacks of such structures may take advantage of instruments imaging over a wide band. Each technique may enable effective absorbers in imagers. However, thin films tend to age, degrade or change during further processing, can be difficult to reproduce, and often exhibit an intrinsic granularity that creates complicated frequency dependence at THz frequencies. Thick metal films are more robust but the requirement for patterning can limit their absorption at THz frequencies and their heat capacity can be high. patterned absorber structures that offer low heat capacity, absence of aging, and uniform, predictable behavior at THz frequencies. We have correlated DC electrical and THz optical measurements of a series of implanted layers and studied their frequency dependence of optical absorption from .3 to 10 THz at cryogenic temperatures. We have modeled the optical response to determine the suitability of the implanted silicon resistor as a function of resistance in the range 10 Ohms/sq to 300 Ohms/sq.

Chervenak, J. A.↗