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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Dynamic topography and gravity anomalies for fluid layers whose viscosity varies exponentially with depth

Adopting the formalism of Parsons and Daly (1983), analytical integral equations (Green's function integrals) are derived which relate gravity anomalies and dynamic boundary topography with temperature as a function of wavenumber for a fluid layer whose viscosity varies exponentially with depth. In the earth, such a viscosity profile may be found in the asthenosphere, where the large thermal gradient leads to exponential decrease of viscosity with depth, the effects of a pressure increase being small in comparison. It is shown that, when viscosity varies rapidly, topography kernels for both the surface and bottom boundaries (and hence the gravity kernel) are strongly affected at all wavelengths.

Revenaugh, Justin↗
NASA NTRS1988

Effect of a shallow low-viscosity zone on the formation of midplate swells

A finite-element numerical method is used here to analyze the effect of a low-viscosity zone on convection driven by heating from below in the upper mantle, in particular on the formation of midplate swells. The convective temperature and velocity solutions are calculated for different combinations of the viscosity in the top layer, the fluid layer thicknesses, and the Rayleigh number based on the viscosity in the bottom layer. The temperature solutions are used to calculate the geoid, topography, and heat flow anomalies, the elastic plate thickness, the depth of compensation, and an upper bound on the uplift time that result from the flow. The results are compared to data at the Hawaii, Bermuda, Cape Verde, and Marquesas swells. The magnitudes and the trend with age are consistent with theoretical and other estimates of the viscosity variation in the shallow upper mantle. Convective models can therefore explain the uplift and observed anomalies at midplate swells.

Robinson, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Effect of a shallow low-viscosity zone on small-scale instabilities under the cooling oceanic plates

The effects of a low-viscosity zone in the uppermost mantle on instabilities in the cooling oceanic plates are discussed. The viscosity structure in the upper mantle is approximated by three layers consisting of a conducting lid overlying the low-viscosity zone, which in turn overlies a constant viscosity layer extending to the base of the upper mantle. It is found that this model can reproduce both the small-scale undulations and the flattening of the depth-age and heat flow-age curves.

Robinson, Elisabeth M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Three-dimensional compressible jet-in-crossflow calculations using improved viscosity models and adapted grid

Previous calculations of jet-in-crossflow problems have been sensitive to the turbulence and artificial viscosity models and to the grid. Consequently, the eddy viscosity model in the PARC3D code was modified to consider the turbulent jet by switching from the Baldwin-Lomax (1978) model to an axisymmetric jet model. A modified artificial viscosity model has been utilized and evaluated in this study as well. The new model includes cell size scaling and a directional dependence in the coefficients. Computational results from PARC3D demonstrate the effects of the viscosity models on the pressure distribution fore and aft of the jet and the ability of the adaptive grid scheme to adjust to the three-dimensional gradients around the jet.

Lytle, John K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Second coefficient of viscosity in air

Acoustic attenuation measurements in air were analyzed in order to estimate the second coefficient of viscosity. Data over a temperature range of 11 C to 50 C and at relative humidities between 6 percent and 91 percent were used. This analysis showed that the second coefficient of viscosity varied between 1900 and 20,000 times larger than the dynamic or first coefficient of viscosity over the temperature and humidity range of the data. In addition, the data showed that the molecular relaxation effects, which are responsible for the magnitude of the second coefficient of viscosity, place severe limits on the use of time-independent, thermodynamic equations of state. Compressible flows containing large streamwise velocity gradients, like shock waves, which cause significant changes in particle properties to occur during time intervals shorter than hundredths of seconds, must be modeled using dynamic equations of state. The dynamic model approach is described briefly.

Ash, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The relationship between plate velocity and trench viscosity in Newtonian and power-law subduction calculations

The relationship between oceanic trench viscosity and oceanic plate velocity is studied using a Newtonian rheology by varying the viscosity at the trench. The plate velocity is a function of the trench viscosity for fixed Rayleigh number and plate/slab viscosity. Slab velocities for non-Newtonian rheology calculations are significantly different from slab velocities from Newtonian rheology calculations at the same effective Rayleigh number. Both models give reasonable strain rates for the slab when compared with estimates of seismic strain rate. Non-Newtonian rheology eliminates the need for imposed weak zones and provides a self-consistent fluid dynamical mechanism for subduction in numerical convection models.

King, Scott D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mantle viscosity - A comparison of models from postglacial rebound and from the geoid, plate driving forces, and advected heat flux

Models of the radial variation of effective viscosity inferred from the earth's response to surface loads associated with Pleistocene deglaciation are compared to structures inferred from models of geodynamic phenomena associated with convection: the geoid, plate-driving forces, and advected heat flux. While observations of the earth's response to surface loads do not have sufficient resolution to justify more than two viscous layers, adequately matching the observed long-wavelength geoid anomalies associated with density contrasts in the lower mantle (inferred from seismic tomography) and in the upper mantle (inferred from a model of subducted slabs) requires more structure. It is possible to explain the geoid, observed plate velocities, the advected heat flux in the lower mantle, and relative sea-level variations in oceanic regions, all with a mantle with a high-viscosity/elastic lid, an asthenospheric channel of 2 x 10 exp 19 Pa s from 100 to 400-km depth, a 6 x 10 exp 20 Pa s transition zone, and a lower mantle of 6 x 10 exp 21 Pa s. The uplift history of Australia, Fennoscandia, and Laurentia can be explained with an asthenospheric viscosity less than a factor of 10 higher. Lateral variations in lower mantle viscosity are not required. Transient creep appears to be unimportant for the recent response-to-surface loads from Pleistocene deglaciation.

Hager, Bradford H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Viscosity of dissociating gases

Recent calculations of the viscosity of iodine suggest that existing predictions of viscosities of high-temperature (up to several thousands degrees) gases should be revised, with much more attention being paid to the atomic and molecular interactions in the gas. As the gas starts to dissociate, the frequency of atom-molecule and atom-atom interactions increases, and those collisions must be taken into account in calculations of viscosity at high temperature. In this study, the iodine is chosen as an example, and the dependence of its viscosity on the gas dissociation degree is shown. Several possible channels for I+I interaction are considered in addition to I+I2 and I2+I2 collisions, and the resulting collision integrals are averaged over all the important channels.

Kang, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mantle viscosity stratification and flow geometry - Implications for surface motions on earth and Venus

For a fixed heat flow, the surface flow velocity of a convecting layer is not strongly sensitive to the variation of viscosity as a function of depth. Thus, the inferred absence of a low viscosity asthenosphere on Venus can not account for the limited surface motions there. The surface velocity is dependent on the convective geometry. Cartesian geometry convection can produce large surface velocities if the high viscosity surface layer is broken in places by weak zones. On the other hand, a high viscosity surface layer may inhibit the development of large surface velocities in axisymmetric convection.

Kiefer, Walter S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Venus pancake dome formation: Morphologic effects of a cooling-induced variable viscosity during emplacement

The distinctive steep-sided 'pancake' domes discovered in the Magellan images of Venus have morphologies that suggest formation by a single continuous emplacement of a high viscosity magma. A resemblance of the venusian domes to much smaller terrestrial rhyolite and dacite volcanic domes has prompted some authors to suggest that the domes on Venus also have high silica compositions and thus, high viscosities. However, viscosity is a function of crystallinity as well as silica content in a magma, and thus increases as a result of magmatic cooling. To investigate the effect of a cooling-induced viscosity increase on dome morphology, we have modeled the domes as radial viscous gravity currents that cool during emplacement. Various aspects of the investigation are discussed.

Sakimoto, S. E. H.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Heat flux and viscosity of ions in the collisionless solar wind

Between 1 and 2 solar radii, the Coulomb-collision mean free path for thermal ions exceeds the scale height of the solar atmosphere. The expanding solar plasma becomes collisionless and the kinetics of the solar wind are no longer dominated by thermalizing collisions. The usual Braginskii-type expressions for solar wind ion heat flux and viscosity are no longer valid. However, another microscale still exists in the solar wind, dictated by the gyro-radius of ions in the turbulent embedded solar wind magnetic field. Wave-particle interactions will act to isotropize (but not thermalize) particle distributions, and the relevant microscale for this process is the ion gyro-radius. The ion distribution can be modelled as undergoing isotropizing 'collisions,' with the relevant mean free path scaling with gyro-radius. Here, the author presents the heat flux and viscosity expected for solar wind protons which are relaxing to isotropy on a microscale that scales with gyro-radius. The collisionless viscosity and heat flux have a functional dependence different than their collisional analogs. The collisional expressions for ion viscosity and heat flux drastically overestimate the efficiency of diffusive energy and momentum transport actually operative in the solar wind.

Williams, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Utilization of Low Gravity Environment for Measuring Liquid Viscosity

The method of drop coalescence is used for determining the viscosity of highly viscous undercooled liquids. Low gravity environment is necessary in order to allow for examining large volumes affording much higher accuracy for the viscosity calculations than possible for smaller volumes available under 1 - g conditions. The drop coalescence method is preferred over the drop oscillation technique since the latter method can only be applied for liquids with vanishingly small viscosities. The technique developed relies on both the highly accurate solution of the Navier-Stokes equations as well as on data from experiments conducted in near zero gravity environment. Results are presented for method validation experiments recently performed on board the NASA/KC-135 aircraft. While the numerical solution was produced using the Boundary Element Method. In these tests the viscosity of a highly viscous liquid, glycerine at room temperature, was determined using the liquid coalescence method. The results from these experiments will be discussed.

Antar, Basil N.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Viscosity Measurement using Drop Coalescence in Microgravity

We present in here details of a new method, using drop coalescence, for application in microgravity environment for determining the viscosity of highly viscous undercooled liquids. The method has the advantage of eliminating heterogeneous nucleation at container walls caused by crystallization of undercooled liquids during processing. Also, due to the rapidity of the measurement, homogeneous nucleation would be avoided. The technique relies on both a highly accurate solution to the Navier-Stokes equations as well as on data gathered from experiments conducted in near zero gravity environment. The liquid viscosity is determined by allowing the computed free surface shape relaxation time to be adjusted in response to the measured free surface velocity of two coalescing drops. Results are presented from two validation experiments of the method which were conducted recently on board the NASA KC-135 aircraft. In these tests the viscosity of a highly viscous liquid, such as glycerine at different temperatures, was determined to reasonable accuracy using the liquid coalescence method. The experiments measured the free surface velocity of two glycerine drops coalescing under the action of surface tension alone in low gravity environment using high speed photography. The free surface velocity was then compared with the computed values obtained from different viscosity values. The results of these experiments were found to agree reasonably well with the calculated values.

Antar, Basil N.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Frequency-Dependent Viscosity of Xenon Near the Critical Point

We used a novel, overdamped oscillator aboard the Space Shuttle to measure the viscosity eta of xenon near its critical density rho(sub c), and temperature T(sub c). In microgravity, useful data were obtained within 0.1 mK of T(sub c), corresponding to a reduced temperature t = (T -T(sub c))/T(sub c) = 3 x 10(exp -7). The data extend two decades closer to T(sub c) than the best ground measurements, and they directly reveal the expected power-law behavior eta proportional to t(sup -(nu)z(sub eta)). Here nu is the correlation length exponent, and our result for the small viscosity exponent is z(sub eta) = 0.0690 +/- 0.0006. (All uncertainties are one standard uncertainty.) Our value for z(sub eta) depends only weakly on the form of the viscosity crossover function, and it agrees with the value 0.067 +/- 0.002 obtained from a recent two-loop perturbation expansion. The measurements spanned the frequency range 2 Hz less than or equal to f less than or equal to 12 Hz and revealed viscoelasticity when t less than or equal to 10(exp -1), further from T(sub c) than predicted. The viscoelasticity scales as Af(tau), where tau is the fluctuation-decay time. The fitted value of the viscoelastic time-scale parameter A is 2.0 +/- 0.3 times the result of a one-loop perturbation calculation. Near T(sub c), the xenon's calculated time constant for thermal diffusion exceeded days. Nevertheless, the viscosity results were independent of the xenon's temperature history, indicating that the density was kept near rho(sub c), by judicious choices of the temperature vs. time program. Deliberately bad choices led to large density inhomogeneities. At t greater than 10(exp -5), the xenon approached equilibrium much faster than expected, suggesting that convection driven by microgravity and by electric fields slowly stirred the sample.

Berg, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Effects of Eddy Viscosity on Time Correlations in Large Eddy Simulation

Subgrid-scale (SGS) models for large. eddy simulation (LES) have generally been evaluated by their ability to predict single-time statistics of turbulent flows such as kinetic energy and Reynolds stresses. Recent application- of large eddy simulation to the evaluation of sound sources in turbulent flows, a problem in which time, correlations determine the frequency distribution of acoustic radiation, suggest that subgrid models should also be evaluated by their ability to predict time correlations in turbulent flows. This paper compares the two-point, two-time Eulerian velocity correlation evaluated from direct numerical simulation (DNS) with that evaluated from LES, using a spectral eddy viscosity, for isotropic homogeneous turbulence. It is found that the LES fields are too coherent, in the sense that their time correlations decay more slowly than the corresponding time. correlations in the DNS fields. This observation is confirmed by theoretical estimates of time correlations using the Taylor expansion technique. Tile reason for the slower decay is that the eddy viscosity does not include the random backscatter, which decorrelates fluid motion at large scales. An effective eddy viscosity associated with time correlations is formulated, to which the eddy viscosity associated with energy transfer is a leading order approximation.

He, Guowei↗
NASA NTRS2001

Viscosity Coefficient Curve Fits for Ionized Gas Species Grant Palmer

Viscosity coefficient curve fits for neutral gas species are available from many sources. Many do a good job of reproducing experimental and computational chemistry data. The curve fits are usually expressed as a function of temperature only. This is consistent with the governing equations used to derive an expression for the neutral species viscosity coefficient. Ionized species pose a more complicated problem. They are subject to electrostatic as well as intermolecular forces. The electrostatic forces are affected by a shielding phenomenon where electrons shield the electrostatic forces of positively charged ions beyond a certain distance. The viscosity coefficient for an ionized gas species is a function of both temperature and local electron number density. Currently available curve fits for ionized gas species, such as those presented by Gupta/Yos, are a function of temperature only. What they did was to assume an electron number density. The problem is that the electron number density they assumed was unrealistically high. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, the proper expression for determining the viscosity coefficient of an ionized species as a function of both temperature and electron number density will be presented. Then curve fit coefficients will be developed using the more realistic assumption of an equilibrium electron number density. The results will be compared against previous curve fits and against highly accurate computational chemistry data.

Palmer, Grant↗
NASA NTRS2002

Viscosity Relaxation in Molten HgZnTe

Because of its narrow electronic band-gap, HgZnTe solid solutions have been proposed as effective detectors for infrared radiation. To produce the best single crystals of these materials for this application, knowledge of the phase diagram that governs the freezing of the liquid is essential. Besides the phase diagram, however, some information concerning the thermophysical properties of the melt, such as viscosity, density, specific heat, and enthalpy of mixing, can also be useful. Of these thermophysical properties, the viscosity is perhaps of the most interest scientifically. Measurements using the oscillating cup method have shown that the isothermal melt requires tens of hours of equilibration time before a steady value of the viscosity can be achieved. Over this equilibration time, which depends upon temperature, the viscosity can increase by as much as a factor of two before reaching a steady state. We suggest that this relaxation phenomenon may be due to a slight polymerization of Te atoms in the melt.

James K. Baird↗
NASA NTRS2002

Acoustic Experiment to Measure the Bulk Viscosity of Near-Critical Xenon in Microgravity

We plan a rigorous test of the theory of dynamic scaling by accurately measuring the bulk viscosity of xenon in microgravity 50 times closer to the critical temperature T(sub c) than previous experiments. The bulk viscosity zeta (or "second viscosity" or "dilational viscosity") will be determined by measuring the attenuation length of sound alpha lambda and also measuring the frequency-dependence of the speed of sound. For these measurements, we developed a unique Helmholtz resonator and specialized electro-acoustic transducers. We describe the resonator, the transducers, their performance on Earth, and their expected performance in microgravity.

Gillis, K. A.↗