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NASA NTRS1978

The radial gradients and collisional properties of solar wind electrons

The plasma electron detector on Mariner 10 is used to obtain measurements of electron density and temperature in the interplanetary medium between heliocentric distances of 0.85 and 0.45 AU. The observations show quantitatively that the core of the electron distribution function can be described as collisional at least for radial distances within 1 AU, since with a very few well-marked exceptions associated with high-speed streams, the Coulomb collisional momentum relaxation length is less than the density scale height at all times and all radial distances at which data were obtained. It is found that the Coulomb energy exchange collisions between the core and the (test) halo population are negligible. The power law exponent of the core temperature is about -0.3, whereas the halo temperature is almost independent of heliocentric distance.

Ogilvie, K. W.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Radial Alfven velocity profiles in the magnetosphere and their relation to ULF wave field-line resonances

The radial Alfven velocity, V(A), in the magnetosphere was investigated using magnetic field and plasma data from the ISEE-1 spacecraft. The harmonic frequency structure calculated from these data was compared with the observed resonant wave structure in the frequency range 5-100 mHz and over the region L = 3-9. It was found that the frequency of these resonances depend on the A(V), which is a function of the magnetic field strength and plasma density. The toroidal mode resonance frequency structure was modeled for the first four harmonics, with excellent agreement between the modeled and observed harmonics for a passs which does not show a plasmapause gradient. In the presence of a steep plasmapause gradient, the model was found to predict a correspondingly steep increase in the resonance frequencies at the plasmapause, by about 5 mHz for the first harmonic and by 20 mHz for the fourth harmonic. Special consideration is given to the effect of heavy ion mass loading on the modeling.

Fraser, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

An efficient formulation and implementation of the analytic energy gradient method to the single and double excitation coupled-cluster wave function - Application to Cl2O2

The analytic energy gradient for the single and double excitation coupled-cluster (CCSD) wave function has been reformulated and implemented in a new set of programs. The reformulated set of gradient equations have a smaller computational cost than any previously published. The iterative solution of the linear equations and the construction of the effective density matrices are fully vectorized, being based on matrix multiplications. The new method has been used to investigate the Cl2O2 molecule, which has recently been postulated as an important intermediate in the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere. In addition to reporting computational timings, the CCSD equilibrium geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, and relative energetics of three isomers of Cl2O2 are presented.

Rendell, Alistair P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Phase space densities in the Uranian plasma sheet

Based on its ionic composition, the magnetosphere of Uranus appears to contain little plasma of solar wind origin. If the plasma source is the atmosphere of the planet, both adiabatic convection with uniform losses and radial diffusion would imply negative radial gradients of the distribution function at fixed first and second adiabatic invariants. The analysis of LECP data in the outer magnetosphere reveals different gradients. Evidence is presented that ions may have been non-adiabaticaly heated during the fourth plasma sheet immersion although this is not unambiguously distinguishable from a source at large down tail distance.

Hammond, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Operational Data Reduction Procedure for Determining Density and Vertical Structure of the Martian Upper Atmosphere from Mars Global Surveyor Accelerometer Measurements

The success of aerobraking by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was partly due to the analysis of MGS accelerometer data. Accelerometer data was used to determine the effect of the atmosphere on each orbit, to characterize the nature of the atmosphere, and to predict the atmosphere for future orbits. To interpret the accelerometer data, a data reduction procedure was developed to produce density estimations utilizing inputs from the spacecraft, the Navigation Team, and pre-mission aerothermodynamic studies. This data reduction procedure was based on the calculation of aerodynamic forces from the accelerometer data by considering acceleration due to gravity gradient, solar pressure, angular motion of the MGS, instrument bias, thruster activity, and a vibration component due to the motion of the damaged solar array. Methods were developed to calculate all of the acceleration components including a 4 degree of freedom dynamics model used to gain a greater understanding of the damaged solar array. The total error inherent to the data reduction procedure was calculated as a function of altitude and density considering contributions from ephemeris errors, errors in force coefficient, and instrument errors due to bias and digitization. Comparing the results from this procedure to the data of other MGS Teams has demonstrated that this procedure can quickly and accurately describe the density and vertical structure of the Martian upper atmosphere.

Cancro, George J.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Optimal Design of Functionally Graded Metallic Foam Insulations

The focus of our work has been on developing an insight into the physics that govern the optimum design of thermal insulation for use in thermal protection systems of launch vehicle. Of particular interest was to obtain optimality criteria for designing foam insulations that have density (or porosity) distributions through the thickness for optimum thermal performance. We investigate the optimum design of functionally graded thermal insulation for steady state heat transfer through the foam. We showed that the heat transfer in the foam has competing modes, of radiation and conduction. The problem assumed a fixed inside temperature of 400 K and varied the aerodynamic surface heating on the outside surface from 0.2 to 1.0 MW/sq m. The thermal insulation develops a high temperature gradient through the thickness. Investigation of the model developed for heat conduction in foams showed that at high temperatures (as on outside wall) intracellular radiation dominates the heat transfer in the foam. Minimizing radiation requires reducing the pore size, which increases the density of the foam. At low temperatures (as on the inside wall), intracellular conduction (of the metal and air) dominates the heat transfer. Minimizing conduction requires increasing the pore size. This indicated that for every temperature there was an optimum value of density that minimized the heat transfer coefficient. Two optimization studies were performed. One was to minimize the heat transmitted though a fixed thickness insulation by varying density profiles. The second was to obtain the minimum mass insulation for specified thickness. Analytical optimality criteria were derived for the cases considered. The optimality condition for minimum heat transfer required that at each temperature we find the density that minimizes the heat transfer coefficient. Once a relationship between the optimum heat transfer coefficient and the temperature was found, the design problem reduced to the solution of a simple nonlinear differential equation. Preliminary results of this work were presented at the American Society of Composites meeting, and the final version was submitted for publication in the AIAA Journal. In addition to minimizing the transmitted heat, we investigated the optimum design for minimum weight given an acceptable level of heat transmission through the insulation. The optimality criterion developed was different from that obtained for minimizing beat transfer coefficient. For minimum mass design, we had to find for a given temperature the optimum density, which minimized the logarithmic derivative of the insulation thermal conductivity with respect to its density. The logarithmic derivative is defined as the ratio of relative change in the dependent response (thermal conductivity) to the relative change in the independent variable (density). The results have been documented as a conference paper that will be presented at the upcoming AIAA.

Haftka, Raphael T.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The plasma structure of the north-east rim of the Cygnus Loop as observed with ASCA

We present the first results from Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCAS) observations of the Cygnus Loop. A 22 min square of the north-east rim was observed. The imaging capability of ASCA permits clear indentification of the shock front structure. The energy resolving power of ASCA in the energy band between 0.5 keV to 10 keV reveals several emission lines from oxygen to silicon. The intensity ratio between the O VIII and O VII emission lines demonstrates that the plasma has not reached collisional ionization equilibrium. A nonequilibrium ionization model is applied to determine the gradients both in electron temperature T(sub e), and in electron density n(sub e). T(sub e) ranges from 0.22 keV at the shock front to 0.30 keV at 17 min inside the shock front. n(sub e) can be represented as a power law function of radius with an index of about 6 at an ambient gas density of 0.5 cm(exp -3). The plasma parameter n(sub e)t is about 2 x 10(exp 11) cm(exp -3), resulting in an age of about 20000 yr for the Loop.

Miyata, Emi↗

NASA NTRS1977

Relation of morphology of electrodeposited zinc to ion concentration profile

The morphology of electrodeposited zinc was studied with special attention to the ion concentration profile. The initial concentrations were 9M hydroxide ion and 1.21M zincate. Current densities were 6.4 to 64 mA/sq cm. Experiments were run with a horizontal cathode which was observed in situ using a microscope. The morphology of the zinc deposit was found to be a function of time as well as current density; roughly, the log of the transition time from mossy to large crystalline type deposit is inversely proportional to current density. Probe electrodes indicated that the electrolyte in the cathode chamber was mixed by self inducted convection. However, relatively large concentration gradients of the involved species existed across the boundary layer of the cathode. Analysis of the data suggests that the morphology converts from mossy to large crystalline when the hydroxide activity on the cathode surface exceeds about 12 M. Other experiments show that the pulse discharge technique had no effect on the morphology in the system where the bulk concentration of the electrolyte was kept homogeneous via self induced convection.

May, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Convective and interfacial instabilities during solidification of succinonitrile containing ethanol

Even though slow convective flow is difficult to detect in solidifying metals, it can readily be observed in transparent materials by observing the motion of small neutrally buoyant particles. Succinonitrile, which solidifies with an unfaceted solid/liquid interface and has well characterized physical properties, is considered an excellent material for such studies. For studies of solute-induced convection, ethanol is a useful addition to succinonitrile since it has a lower density and a somewhat similar molecular structure. Samples of high purity and ethanol-doped succinonitrile are unidirectionally solidified in a vertical temperature gradient. Latex mimcrospheres 2 microns in diameter are suspended in the liquid to reveal the convective flow. Convective and morphological stability is observed as a function of solute concentration and growth velocity. These measurements are compared with theoretical calculations that predict the transition from stability to instability as a function of solidification conditions. The predicted transitions occur at low concentrations and solidification velocities; for this reason, extreme care must be taken in order to eliminate the effects of impurities or thermally induced convection.

Schaefer, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

GGOT total pressure loss control concept evaluation

Total pressure loss is one of the most important parameters in the design of a turbine. This parameter effects not only the turbine performance, but consequently the engine power balance and engine performance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be an effective tool in predicting turbine total pressure loss, and also for performing sensitivity studies to achieve an optimal design with respect to pressure loss. In the present study, the AEROVISC code was used to predict the total pressure loss in the Turbine Technology Team Gas Generator Oxidizer Turbine (GGOT). The objectives in this study are two-fold. It is first necessary to determine an optimal methodology in predicting total pressure loss. The type of grid, grid density and distribution are parameters which may affect the loss prediction. Also, the effect of using a standard K-epsilon turbulence model with wall functions versus a two-layer turbulence model needs to be investigated. The use of grid embedding to resolve areas with high flow gradients needs to be explored. The second objective of the study is to apply the optimal methodology toward evaluating different tip leakage control concepts.

Blumenthal, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS2002

The Effect of Heating on the Degradation of Ground Laboratory and Space Irradiated Teflon(r) FEP

The outer most layer of the multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is back surface aluminized Teflon(R) FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene). As seen by data collected after each of the three servicing missions and as observed during the second servicing mission (SM2), the FEP has become embrittled in the space environment, leading to degradation of the mechanical properties and severe on-orbit cracking of the FEP. During SM2, a sample of aluminized-FEP was retrieved from HST that had cracked and curled, exposing its aluminum backside to space. Because of the difference in optical properties between FEP and aluminum, this insulation piece reached 200 C on-orbit, which is significantly higher than the nominal MLI temperature extreme of 50 C. This piece was more brittle than other retrieved material from the first and third servicing missions (SM1 and SM3A, respectively). Due to this observation and the fact that Teflon thermal shields on the solar array bi-stems were heated on-orbit to 130 C, experiments have been conducted to determine the effect of heating on the degradation of FEP that has been irradiated in a ground laboratory facility or in space on HST. Teflon FEP samples were X-ray irradiated in a high vacuum facility in order to simulate the damage caused by radiation in the space environment. Samples of pristine FEP, X-ray irradiated FEP and FEP retrieved from the HST during SM3A were heat treated from 50 to 200 C at 25 intervals in a high vacuum facility and then tensile tested. In addition, samples were tested in a density gradient column to determine the effect of the radiation and heating on the density of FEP. Results indicate that although heating does not degrade the tensile properties of non-irradiated Teflon, there is a significant dependence of the percent elongation at failure of irradiated Teflon as a function of heating temperature. Irradiated Teflon was found to undergo increasing degradation in the elongation at failure as temperature was increased from room temperature to 200 C. Rate of degradation changes, which were consistent with the glass I transition temperatures for FEP, appeared to be present in both tensile and density data. The results indicate the significance of the on-orbit temperature of Teflon FEP with respect to its degradation in the low Earth orbital space environment.

deGroh, Kim K.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Acoustics of Jet Surface Interaction-Scrubbing Noise

Concepts envisioned for the future of civil air transport consist of unconventional propulsion systems in the close proximity of the structure or embedded in the airframe. While such integrated systems are intended to shield noise from community, they also introduce new sources of sound. Sound generation due to interaction of a jet flow past a nearby solid surface is investigated here using the generalized acoustic analogy theory. The analysis applies to the boundary layer noise generated at and near a wall, and excludes the scattered noise component that is produced at the leading or the trailing edge. While compressibility effects are relatively unimportant at very low Mach numbers, frictional heat generation and thermal gradient normal to the surface could play important roles in generation and propagation of sound in high speed jets of practical interest. A general expression is given for the spectral density of the far field sound as governed by the variable density Pridmore-Brown equation. The propagation Greens function is solved numerically for a high aspect-ratio rectangular jet starting with the boundary conditions on the surface and subject to specified mean velocity and temperature profiles between the surface and the observer. It is shown the magnitude of the Greens function decreases with increasing source frequency andor jet temperature. The phase remains constant for a rigid surface, but varies with source location when subject to an impedance type boundary condition. The Greens function in the absence of the surface, and flight effect are also investigated.

Propulsion Noise↗

NASA NTRS2020

The Effect of Heating on the Degradation of Ground Laboratory and Space Irradiated Teflon® FEP

The outer most layer of the multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is back surface aluminized Teflon® FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene). As seen by data collected after each of the three servicing missions and as observed during the second servicing mission (SM2), the FEP has become embrittled in the space environment, leading to degradation of the mechanical properties and severe on-orbit cracking of the FEP. During SM2, a sample of aluminized-FEP was retrieved from HST that had cracked and curled, exposing its aluminum backside to space. Because of the difference in optical properties between FEP and aluminum, this insulation piece reached 200 C on-orbit, which is significantly higher than the nominal MLI temperature extreme of 50 C. This piece was more brittle than other retrieved material from the first and third servicing missions (SM1 and SM3A, respectively). Due to this observation and the fact that Teflon thermal shields on the solar array bi-stems were heated on-orbit to 130 C, experiments have been conducted to determine the effect of heating on the degradation of FEP that has been irradiated in a ground laboratory facility or in space on HST. Teflon FEP samples were x-ray irradiated in a high vacuum facility in order to simulate the damage caused by radiation in the space environment. Samples of pristine FEP, x-ray irradiated FEP and FEP retrieved from the HST during SM3A were heat treated from 50 to 200 C at 25intervals in a high vacuum facility and then tensile tested. In addition, samples were tested in a density gradient column to determine the effect of the radiation and heating on the density of FEP. Results indicate that although heating does not degrade the tensile properties of non-irradiated Teflon, there is a significant dependence of the percent elongation at failure of irradiated Teflon as a function of heating temperature. Irradiated Teflon was found to undergo increasing degradation in the elongation at failure as temperature was increased from room temperature to 200 C. Rate of degradation changes, which were consistent with the glass I transition temperatures for FEP, appeared to be present in both tensile and density data. The results indicate the significance of the on-orbit temperature of Teflon FEP with respect to its degradation in the low Earth orbital space environment.

Hubble Space Telescope↗

NASA NTRS1971

Density and flux distributions in the lunar atmosphere due to point and line sources

Apart from the globally distributed ambient gases in the lunar atmosphere, localized gas sources, such as volcanos, may have a measurable effect on the process of shaping the lunar atmosphere. Analytic solutions were obtained for the spatial distributions of neutral gas densities and fluxes due to point and line sources at the lunar surface. Both density and flux profiles are strong functions of the distance from the source to the point of observation. The study also reveals that: (1) The location of the source may be identified from the density and flux profiles. (2) If the gas species is known, the temperature of the gas may be determined from the density gradient at a distance of several scale heights from the source. (3) The strength of the gas source may be determined by the magnitudes of density and flux.

Yeh, T. T. J.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Effect of Oxide Interface Roughness on the Threshold Voltage Fluctuations in Decanano MOSFETs with Ultrathin Gate Oxides

In this paper we use the Density Gradient (DG) simulation approach to study, in 3-D, the effect of local oxide thickness fluctuations on the threshold voltage of decanano MOSFETs on a statistical scale. The random 2-D surfaces used to represent the interface are constructed using the standard assumptions for the auto-correlation function of the interface. The importance of the Quantum Mechanical effects when studying oxide thickness fluctuations are illustrated in several simulation examples.

Asenov, Asen↗

NASA NTRS2013

Jet Surface Interaction-Scrubbing Noise

Generation of sound due to scrubbing of a jet flow past a nearby solid surface is investigated within the framework of the generalized acoustic analogy theory. The analysis applies to the boundary layer noise generated at and near a wall, and excludes the scattered noise component that is produced at the leading or the trailing edge. While compressibility effects are relatively unimportant at very low Mach numbers, frictional heat generation and thermal gradient normal to the surface could play important roles in generation and propagation of sound in high speed jets of practical interest. A general expression is given for the spectral density of the far-field sound as governed by the variable density Pridmore- Brown equation. The propagation Green's function should be solved numerically starting with the boundary conditions on the surface and subject to specified mean velocity and temperature profiles between the surface and the observer. The equivalent sources of aerodynamic sound are associated with non-linear momentum flux and enthalpy flux terms that appear in the linearized Navier-Stokes equations. These multi-pole sources should be modeled and evaluated with input from a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver with an appropriate turbulence model.

Khavaran, Abbas↗

NASA NTRS2014

Acoustics of Jet Surface Interaction - Scrubbing Noise

Concepts envisioned for the future of civil air transport consist of unconventional propulsion systems in the close proximity to the structure or embedded in the airframe. While such integrated systems are intended to shield noise from the community, they also introduce new sources of sound. Sound generation due to interaction of a jet flow past a nearby solid surface is investigated here using the generalized acoustic analogy theory. The analysis applies to the boundary layer noise generated at and near a wall, and excludes the scattered noise component that is produced at the leading or the trailing edge. While compressibility effects are relatively unimportant at very low Mach numbers, frictional heat generation and thermal gradient normal to the surface could play important roles in generation and propagation of sound in high speed jets of practical interest. A general expression is given for the spectral density of the far field sound as governed by the variable density Pridmore-Brown equation. The propagation Green's function is solved numerically for a high aspect-ratio rectangular jet starting with the boundary conditions on the surface and subject to specified mean velocity and temperature profiles between the surface and the observer. It is shown the magnitude of the Green's function decreases with increasing source frequency and/or jet temperature. The phase remains constant for a rigid surface, but varies with source location when subject to an impedance type boundary condition. The Green's function in the absence of the surface, and flight effects are also investigated

Jet Noise↗

NASA NTRS1986

The equilibrium structure of thin magnetic flux tubes. II

The thermal structure of the medium inside thin, vertical magnetic flux tubes embedded in a given external atmosphere is investigated, assuming cylindrical symmetry and a depth-independent plasma beta. The variation with tube radius of the temperature on the tube axis is computed and the temperature on the tube wall is estimated. The temperature variation across the flux tube is found to be due to the depth variation of the intensity and to the density stratification of the atmosphere. Since the temperature difference between the axis and the wall is small in thin flux tubes (of the order of 10 percent), the horizontal temperature gradient may often be neglected and the temperature in a tube of given radius may be described by a single function of depth. Thus, a more detailed numerical treatment of the radiative transfer within thin flux tubes can be substantially simplified by neglecting horizontal temperature differences within the flux tube proper.

Kalkofen, W.↗