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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Phase control system concepts and simulations

A phase control system concept for a solar power satellite is proposed which partitions the system into three major levels. The first level of phase control consists of a reference phase distribution system implemented in the form of phase distribution tree structure. The major purpose of the tree structure is to electronically compensate for the phase shift due to the transition path lengths from the center of the spacetenna to each phase control center located in each subarray. In the reference system, this is accomplished using the master slave returnable timing system technique. The second level of phase control consists of the beam steering and microwave power generating system which houses the power transponders. This transponder consists of a set of phase conjugation multipliers driven by the reference phase distribution system output and the output of a pilot spread spectrum receiver which accepts the received pilot via a diplexer connected to a separate receive horn or the subarray itself. The output of the phase conjugation circuits serve as inputs to the third level of the phase control system. The third level of phase control is associated with maintaining an equal and constant phase shift through the microwave power amplifier devices while minimizing the associated phase noise effects on the generated power beam. This is accomplished by providing a phase locked loop around each high power amplifier.

Lindsay, V. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Resolution Of Phase Ambiguities In QPSK

Report discusses several techniques for resolution of phase ambiguities in detection and decoding of radio signals modulated by coherent quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) and offset QPSK (OQPSK). Eight ambiguities: four associated with phase of carrier signal in absence of ambiguity in direction of rotation of carrier phase, and another four associated with carrier phase in presence of phase-rotation ambiguity.

Nguyen, Tien M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Optoelectronic System Measures Distances to Multiple Targets

An optoelectronic metrology apparatus now at the laboratory-prototype stage of development is intended to repeatedly determine distances of as much as several hundred meters, at submillimeter accuracy, to multiple targets in rapid succession. The underlying concept of optoelectronic apparatuses that can measure distances to targets is not new; such apparatuses are commonly used in general surveying and machining. However, until now such apparatuses have been, variously, constrained to (1) a single target or (2) multiple targets with a low update rate and a requirement for some a priori knowledge of target geometry. When fully developed, the present apparatus would enable measurement of distances to more than 50 targets at an update rate greater than 10 Hz, without a requirement for a priori knowledge of target geometry. The apparatus (see figure) includes a laser ranging unit (LRU) that includes an electronic camera (photo receiver), the field of view of which contains all relevant targets. Each target, mounted at a fiducial position on an object of interest, consists of a small lens at the output end of an optical fiber that extends from the object of interest back to the LRU. For each target and its optical fiber, there is a dedicated laser that is used to illuminate the target via the optical fiber. The targets are illuminated, one at a time, with laser light that is modulated at a frequency of 10.01 MHz. The modulated laser light is emitted by the target, from where it returns to the camera (photodetector), where it is detected. Both the outgoing and incoming 10.01-MHz laser signals are mixed with a 10-MHz local-oscillator to obtain beat notes at 10 kHz, and the difference between the phases of the beat notes is measured by a phase meter. This phase difference serves as a measure of the total length of the path traveled by light going out through the optical fiber and returning to the camera (photodetector) through free space. Because the portion of the path length inside the optical fiber is not ordinarily known and can change with temperature, it is also necessary to measure the phase difference associated with this portion and subtract it from the aforementioned overall phase difference to obtain the phase difference proportional to only the free-space path length, which is the distance that one seeks to measure. Therefore, the apparatus includes a photodiode and a circulator that enable measurement of the phase difference associated with propagation from the LRU inside the fiber to the target, reflection from the fiber end, and propagation back inside the fiber to the LRU. Because this phase difference represents twice the optical path length of the fiber, this phase difference is divided in two before subtraction from the aforementioned total-path-length phase difference. Radiation-induced changes in the photodetectors in this apparatus can affect the measurements. To enable calibration for the purpose of compensation for these changes, the apparatus includes an additional target at a known short distance, located inside the camera. If the measured distance to this target changes, then the change is applied to the other targets.

Liebe, Carl Christian↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bragg Coherent Imaging of Fluctuating Domains

This review presents two examples of domain dynamics in crystalline solid state samples which were imaged recently with synchrotron X-rays by Bragg Coherent Diffraction methods. Domains are associated with sub-atomic phase shifts in the structure which are revealed by the strong phase contrast associated with Bragg diffraction. At low temperatures, La2-xSrxNiO4 has an antiferromagnetic spin-ordered phase with correlation lengths of 200 nm; its domains are imaged with magnetic Bragg Ptychography to visualize their slow fluctuations. Hydrothermally synthesized nanocrystalline BaTiO3 is found to be made up of ~50 nm domains using Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging; electric field induced movement of its internal domain walls is a likely explanation of the nano-material's anomalously large dielectric constant, which is used in the manufacture of multilayer ceramic capacitors

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2000

Tropospheric Delay Signal in SAR Interferogram and its Correction for Precise Surface Change Detection

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry has become an important tool for measuring the surface deformation and mapping topography. The largest error source of the SAR interferometry measurements is differential atmospheric delay of water vapor. It reflects detailed distribution of water vapor in troposphere at data acquisition. We found phase difference associated with atmospheric waves and severe local atmospheric phenomena in interferograms. To distinguish phase difference associated with surface deformation from tropospheric effect, we need several SAR interferograms including the time period of the deformation. Averaging the interferograms is an effective way to reduce the tropospheric delay from horizontal inhomogeneity of the water vapor distribution. Apart from the tropospheric delay of the horizontal water vapor inhomogeneity, we often find the differential phase correlated to the topography (elevation) in interferograms, which might cause error in interpretation of surface deformation. This phase is due to the differential tropospheric delay caused by the topography and vertical change of water vapor between two images in different atmospheric condition. Theoretical calculation shows that the phase difference can be approximated by linear expression of the elevation. We applied a simple and effective correction method that the error is removed by subtracting the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) multiplied a coefficient.

Fujiwara, Satoshi↗
NASA NTRS1991

Nonequilibrium Phase Chemistry in High Temperature Structure Alloys

Titanium and nickel aluminides of nonequilibrium microstructures and in thin gauge thickness were identified, characterized and produced for potential high temperature applications. A high rate sputter deposition technique for rapid surveillance of the microstructures and nonequilibrium phase is demonstrated. Alloys with specific compositions were synthesized with extended solid solutions, stable dispersoids, and specific phase boundaries associated with different heat treatments. Phase stability and mechanical behavior of these nonequilibrium alloys were investigated and compared.

Wang, R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Particle acceleration in solar flares

A review of observational data supports the proposal that there are two distinct phases of particle acceleration in solar flares. 'Phase 1' is associated with the flash phase and is here interpreted as acceleration during field-line reconnection. 'Phase 2' is associated with type II and type IV radio bursts, and is ascribed to stochastic acceleration in the turbulent plasma behind a magnetohydrodynamic shock formed ahead of an ejected plasmoid.

Sturrock, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Ratioed scatter diagrams - An erotetic method for phase identification on complex surfaces using scanning Auger microscopy

By ratioing multiple Auger intensities and plotting a two-dimensional occupational scatter diagram while digitally scanning across an area, the number and elemental association of surface phases can be determined. This can prove a useful tool in scanning Auger microscopic analysis of complex materials. The technique is illustrated by results from an anomalous region on the reaction zone of a SiC/Ti-6Al-4V metal matrix composite material. The anomalous region is shown to be a single phase associated with sulphur and phosphorus impurities. Imaging of a selected phase from the ratioed scatter diagram is possible and may be a useful technique for presenting multiple scanning Auger images.

Browning, R.↗
NASA NTRS2023

A Surface Radiation Balance Data Set from Siple Dome in West Antarctica for Atmospheric and Climate Model Evaluation

A field campaign at Siple Dome in West Antarctica during the austral summer 2019-2020 offers an opportunity to evaluate climate model performance, particularly cloud microphysical simulation. Over Antarctic ice sheets and ice shelves, clouds are a major regulator of the surface energy balance, and in the warm season their presence occasionally induces surface melt that can gradually weaken an ice shelf structure. This dataset from Siple Dome, obtained using transportable and solar-poweredequipment, includes surface energy balance measurements, meteorology and cloud remote sensing. To demonstrate how these data can be used to evaluate model performance, comparisons are made with meteorological reanalysis known to give generally good performance over Antarctica (ERA5). Surface albedo measurements show expected variability with observed cloud amount, and can be used to evaluate a model's snowpack parameterization. One case study discussed involves a squall with northerly winds, during which ERA5 fails to produce cloud cover throughout one of the days. A second case study illustrates how shortwave spectroradiometer measurements that encompass the 1.6-micron atmospheric window reveal cloud phase transitions associated with cloud lifecycle. Here, continuously precipitating mixed-phase clouds become mainly liquid water clouds from local morning through the afternoon, not reproduced by ERA5. We challenge researchers to run their various regional or global models in a manner that has the large-scale meteorology follow the conditions of this field campaign, compare cloud and radiation simulations with this Siple Dome dataset, and potentially investigate why cloud microphysical simulations or other model components might produce discrepancies with these observations.

cloud remote sensing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Sources of Uncertainty in Ultrasonic Phase-Based Assessment of Interfacial Stiffness in Adhesive Joints

Quantitative nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of adhesive joint strength is critical for certifying fastener-free bonded aerospace structures. Unfortunately, available adhesive NDE approaches are only suitable for detecting gross defects and delamination and cannot reliably detect variations in strength in intact bonds. Intact (i.e., nominally defect free) bonds are challenging to inspect because they, by definition, contain no macroscopic defects that would produce a strong NDE signature. Even in the absence of obvious defects, however, bond strength can vary substantially due to factors such as contamination, variations in the adhesive cure processes, and environmental exposure. For ultrasonic bond inspections, the effect of interactions from an imperfect adhesive interface are subtle and may include changes in the frequency content or phase of the ultrasonic signal. The bond condition can be deduced from these subtle changes in the acoustic response using an accompanying physics-based model of adhesive joint interaction. For example, researchers have used the spring network adhesion model of Baik and Thompson [1] to determine the interfacial stiffness of the joint from its ultrasonic response (e.g., [2]). This interfacial stiffness metric describes the bonds resistance to separation between the adhesive and adherent and has shown a strong correlation with joint strength. In this study, interfacial stiffness is assessed using the ultrasonic phase change associated with bond interaction in varying bond conditions. The phase change is measured precisely using a phase-locked-loop instrument over a swept range of frequencies. The phase transition at resonance, where the bond thickness is half the acoustic wavelength, produces a unique signature with which to fit a physics-based model. Interfacial stiffness is determined by minimizing the difference between the theoretical and experimental phase response. Experimental results are presented for glass specimens bonded with aerospace adhesives and a sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the effects of parameters that may be uncertain in the industrial inspection environment – namely bond thickness, adhesive and adherent properties, and porosity. The results are a first step toward an uncertainty quantified version of the measurement technique, show correlation between interfacial stiffness and bond strength, and are another key step toward maturing this approach for use in complex materials and joint geometries. [1] Baik, J.M. and Thompson, R.B., 1984. “Ultrasonic scattering from imperfect interfaces: a quasi-static model”. Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, 4. [2] Haldren, H.A., Perey, D.F., Yost, W.T., Cramer, K.E., and Gupta, M.C., 2019. “Swept-frequency ultrasonic phase evaluation of adhesive bonding in tri-layer structures”. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 145.

Matt Webster↗
DOE OSTI2020

Defect cluster and nonequilibrium gas bubble associated growth in irradiated UMo fuels – a cluster dynamics and phase field model

Irradiation examination shows that gas bubble swelling kinetics is much faster after irradiation-induced recrystallization than that prior recrystallization in UMo fuels. It implies that gas bubbles in coarse grains and small recrystallized grains have different growth behavior. In this work, a phase-field model of gas bubble evolution integrating microstructure dependent cluster dynamics has been developed, for the first time, to study the gas bubble swelling behavior in the recrystallization zone of UMo fuels. Generation, diffusion, reaction, sink, emission and clustering of vacancies and interstitials are described by the cluster dynamics model while a phase-field model is used to describe the evolution of non-equilibrium gas bubbles including nucleation and growth. With the coupled model, the effect of defect generation rate, clustering rate, interstitial emission and sink rates on grain boundaries on the gas bubble evolution are systematically simulated. A set of model parameters (defect generation rate, clustering rate, interstitial emission and sink rates) is determined by comparing measured and simulated gas bubble swelling kinetics. The results demonstrate that interstitial clustering is one of the important physical mechanisms which results in a fast gas bubble swelling kinetics in the recrystallization zone. The developed model can also be extended to study the associated growth of defect and second phase precipitates often observed in irradiated materials.

Hu, Shenyang↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spin-flop-like transition as quantum critical point in Cs2⁢RuO4

We report thermodynamic, neutron diffraction, and inelastic neutron scattering measurements on Cs2⁢RuO4, a member of the celebrated family of frustrated magnets Cs2⁢𝑀⁢𝑋4 (𝑀 = Cu, Co, 𝑋 = Br, Cl). Unlike the previously studied members, it is based on 4⁢𝑑 transition metal ions with 𝑆=1. Mapping out the 𝐻−𝑇 magnetic phase diagram reveals an unusual continuous spin-flop-like phase transition associated with a quantum critical point within the antiferromagnetically ordered phase. A quantitative analysis of the complex magnetic excitation spectrum measured in zero field allows us to derive a model magnetic Hamiltonian for this compound. Its main feature is a frustration of magnetic anisotropy on a level that is much higher than in any of the previously studied species. This frustration naturally explains the peculiar phase transition observed.

Nabi, S [Laboratory for Solid State Physics, ETH Z↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Surface Radiation Balance Dataset from Siple Dome in West Antarctica for Atmospheric and Climate Model Evaluation

Abstract A field campaign at Siple Dome in West Antarctica during the austral summer 2019/20 offers an opportunity to evaluate climate model performance, particularly cloud microphysical simulation. Over Antarctic ice sheets and ice shelves, clouds are a major regulator of the surface energy balance, and in the warm season their presence occasionally induces surface melt that can gradually weaken an ice shelf structure. This dataset from Siple Dome, obtained using transportable and solar-powered equipment, includes surface energy balance measurements, meteorology, and cloud remote sensing. To demonstrate how these data can be used to evaluate model performance, comparisons are made with meteorological reanalysis known to give generally good performance over Antarctica (ERA5). Surface albedo measurements show expected variability with observed cloud amount, and can be used to evaluate a model’s snowpack parameterization. One case study discussed involves a squall with northerly winds, during which ERA5 fails to produce cloud cover throughout one of the days. A second case study illustrates how shortwave spectroradiometer measurements that encompass the 1.6- μ m atmospheric window reveal cloud phase transitions associated with cloud life cycle. Here, continuously precipitating mixed-phase clouds become mainly liquid water clouds from local morning through the afternoon, not reproduced by ERA5. We challenge researchers to run their various regional or global models in a manner that has the large-scale meteorology follow the conditions of this field campaign, compare cloud and radiation simulations with this Siple Dome dataset, and potentially investigate why cloud microphysical simulations or other model components might produce discrepancies with these observations. significance statement Antarctica is a critical region for understanding climate change and sea level rise, as the great ice sheets and the ice shelves are subject to increasing risk as global climate warms. Climate models have difficulties over Antarctica, particularly with simulation of cloud properties that regulate snow surface melting or refreezing. Atmospheric and climate-related field work has significant challenges in the Antarctic, due to the small number of research stations that can support state-of-the-art equipment. Here we present new data from a suite of transportable and solar-powered instruments that can be deployed to remote Antarctic sites, including regions where ice shelves are most at risk, and we demonstrate how key components of climate model simulations can be evaluated against these data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1977

Observations of celestial X-ray sources above 20 keV with the high-energy scintillation spectrometer on board OSO 8

High-energy X-ray spectra of the Crab Nebula, Cyg- XR-1, and Cen A were determined from observations with the scintillation spectrometer on board the OSO-8 satellite, launched in June, 1975. Each of these sources was observed over two periods of 8 days or more, enabling a search for day-to-day and year to year variations in the spectral and temporal characteristics of the X-ray emission. No variation in the light curve of the Crab pulsar was found from observations which span a 15-day period in March 1976, with demonstrable phase stability. Transitions associated with the binary phase of Cyg XR-1 and a large change in the emission from Con A are reported.

Crannell, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Observations of celestial X-ray sources above 20 keV with the high-energy scintillation spectrometer on board OSO-8

High-energy X-ray spectra of the Crab Nebula, Cyg XR-1, and Cen A were determined from observations with the scintillation spectrometer onboard the OSO-8 satellite, launched in June 1975. Each of these sources was observed over two periods of 8 days or more, allowing a search for day-to-day and year-to-year variations in the spectral and temporal characteristics of the X-ray emission. No variation in the light curve of the Crab pulsar was found from observations which span a 15-day period in March 1976, with demonstrable phase stability. Transitions associated with the binary phase of Cyg XR-1 and a large change in the emission from Cen A are reported.

Crannell, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Processing Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors from amorphous state

Researchers produced superconducting ceramics of the Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system started from a glass. To form the glass, the mixed oxide powder was melted at 1200 C in air. The liquid was quenched rapidly by pouring it onto an aluminum plate and rapidly pressing with another plate. The quenched compound was in the form of black amorphous solid, whose x-ray powder pattern has no crystalline peaks. After heat treatment at high temperatures, the glass crystallized into a superconductor. The crystalline phases in the superconductor identified using x-ray diffraction patterns. These phases were that associated with the superconducting phases of T(sub c) = 80 K (Bi2Ca1Sr2Cu2Ox) and of T(sub c) = 110 K (Bi2Ca2Sr2Cu3Ox). The dc resistivity and the ac susceptibility of these superconductors were studied.

Chiang, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Phase Retrieval Using a Genetic Algorithm on the Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment Testbed

NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center s Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment (SIBOA) Testbed was developed to test phase retrieval algorithms and hardware techniques. Individuals working with the facility developed the idea of implementing phase retrieval by breaking the determination of the tip/tilt of each mirror apart from the piston motion (or translation) of each mirror. Presented in this report is an algorithm that determines the optimal phase correction associated only with the piston motion of the mirrors. A description of the Phase Retrieval problem is first presented. The Systematic Image-Based Optical Alignment (SIBOA) Testbeb is then described. A Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is necessary to transfer the incoming wavefront (or estimate of phase error) into the spatial frequency domain to compare it with the image. A method for reducing the DFT to seven scalar/matrix multiplications is presented. A genetic algorithm is then used to search for the phase error. The results of this new algorithm on a test problem are presented.

Taylor, Jaime R.↗