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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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Report presents theoretical study of energy-extraction and power-transmission efficiency of unstable-resonator laser cavity, output mirror of which has graded reflectance. Super-gaussian reflectance profile may optimize performance. Similar study reported in "Comparative Study of Resonator Optics for Lidar Applications" (NPO-17776).
Terrestrial biotas from microbially dominated hypersaline environments will help us understand microbial fossilization processes. Hypersaline tolerant biota from Storr's Lake, San Salvador Island (Bahamas), Mono Lake (California), and the Dead Sea (Israel) represent marine and nonmarine sites for comparative studies of potential analogs for interpreting some Mars meteorites and Mars sample return rocks [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The purpose of this study is to compare microbial fossilization processes, the dominant associated minerals, and potential diagenic implications.
An in-depth review of boundary-layer flow-separation control by a passive method using low-profile vortex generators is presented. The generators are defined as those with a device height between 10% and 50% of the boundary layer thickness. Key results are presented for several research efforts, all of which were performed within the past decade and a half where the majority of these works emphasize experimentation with some recent efforts on numerical simulations. Topics of discussion consist of both basic fluid dynamics and applied aerodynamics research. The fluid dynamics research includes comparative studies on separation control effectiveness as well as device-induced vortex characterization and correlation. The comparative studies cover the controlling of low-speed separated flows in adverse pressure gradient and supersonic shock-induced separation. The aerodynamics research includes several applications for aircraft performance enhancement and covers a wide range of speeds. Significant performance improvements are achieved through increased lift and/or reduced drag for various airfoils-low-Reynolds number, high-lift, and transonic-as well as highly swept wings. Performance enhancements for non-airfoil applications include aircraft interior noise reduction, inlet flow distortion alleviation inside compact ducts, and a more efficient overwing fairing. The low-profile vortex generators are best for being applied to applications where flow-separation locations are relatively fixed and the generators can be placed reasonably close upstream of the separation. Using the approach of minimal near-wall proturbances through substantially reduced device height, these devices can produce streamwise vortices just strong enough to overcome the separation without unnecessarily persisting within the boundary layer once the flow-control objective is achieved. Practical advantages of low-profile vortex generators, such as their inherent simplicity and low device drag, are demonstrated to be critically important for many applications as well.
Purpose: Post-implant dosimetry has become the gold standard for prostate implant evaluation. The goal of this research is to compare the dosimetry between pre-plan and post-plan in permanent prostate seed implant brachytherapy. Methods: A retrospective study of 91 patients treated with Iodine-125 prostate seed implant between year 2012∼2014 were performed. All plans were created using a VariSeed 8.0 planning system. Pre-plan ultrasound images were acquired using 0.5 cm slice thickness. Post-plan CT images acquired about 1–4 weeks after implant, fused with the preplan ultrasound images. The prostate and urethra contours were generated using the fusion of ultrasound and CT images. Iodine-125 seed source activities varied between 0.382 to 0.414 mCi per seed. The loading patterns varied slightly between patients depending on the prostate size. Statistical analysis of pre and post plans for prostate and urethra volumes, V100%, V150% and D90, and urethra D10 were performed and reported. Results: The pre and post implant average prostate size was 36.90cc vs. 38.58cc; V100% was 98.33% vs. 96.89%; V150% was 47.09% vs. 56.95%; D90 was 116.35Gy vs. 116.12Gy, urethra volume was 1.72cc vs. 1.85cc, urethra D10% was 122.0% vs. 135.35%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the pre and post-plan values for D90(p-value=0.43). However, there are significant differences between other parameters most likely due to post surgical edema; prostate size (p-value= 0.00015); V100% (p-value=3.7803E-07); V150% (p-value=1.49E-09); urethra volume (p-value= 2.77E-06); Urethra D10 (p-value=7.37E-11). Conclusion: The post-plan dosimetry using CT image set showed similar D90 dose coverage to the pre-plan using the ultrasound image dataset. The study showed that our prostate seed implants have consistently delivered adequate therapeutic dose to the prostate while sparing urethra. Future studies to correlate dose versus biochemical response using patients’ PSA values as well as patients’ survival are warranted.
Abstract Carbon nanomaterial coatings have been widely investigated for many biomedical applications including bone tissue engineering. Current methods to fabricate carbon nanomaterial coatings are limited by specific substrate requirements and the lack of strong bonds between the nanomaterials. Furthermore, few studies compare the effect of carbon nanoparticle architecture on stem cell differentiation and mineralization for osteogenic differentiation. Herein, we report a study comparing chemically crosslinked carbon nanotubes (of various diameters), graphene nanoplatelets, and graphene nanoribbons coatings for adipose derived stem cell differentiation toward an osteogenic lineage. We observed greatest autodeposition of calcium on graphene nanoribbon surfaces, while multiwalled carbon nanotubes of high diameter had the greatest influence on stem cell fate (by alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposition, and osteocalcin measurements). Studies indicate the cause for multiwalled carbon nanotube related stem cell differentiation, may be related to early timepoint toxicity as indicated by lactose dehydrogenase release. These results indicate suggestions for orthopedic tissue engineering applications for carbon nanomaterial coatings. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1189–1199, 2018.
An overview will be given of recent studies comparing model results with observations of stratospheric meteorological and trace gas fields, focusing on the polar vortex during winter. Studies comparing process-oriented (e.g., stability) model, mechanistic (i.e., forced lower boundary near the tropopause) model and general circulation model (GCM) simulations of the dynamics of the polar winter stratosphere with analyzed or assimilated meteorological datasets are reviewed.
Comparative studies of multiphase operation of annular centrifugal contactors showing the impact of housing stationary mixing vane configuration. A number of experimental results for several different mixing vane options are reported with selected measurements in a lab-scale 5 cm contactor and 12.5 cm engineering-scale unit. Fewer straight vanes give greater mixingzone hold-up compared to curved vanes. Quantitative comparison of droplet size distribution also showed a significant decrease in mean diameter for four straight vanes versus eight curved vanes. This set of measurements gives a compelling case for careful consideration of mixing vane geometry when evaluating hydraulic operation and extraction process efficiency of annular centrifugal contactors.
We have developed a new young stellar object (YSO) identification and classification technique using mid-infrared Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data. We compare this new technique with previous WISE YSO detection and classification methods that used either infrared colors or spectral energy distribution slopes. In this study, we also use the new technique to detect and examine the YSO population associated with four small H ii regions: KR 7, KR 81, KR 120, and KR 140. The relatively simple structure of these regions allows us to effectively use both spatial and temporal constraints to identify YSOs that are potential products of triggered star formation. We are also able to identify regions of active star formation around these H ii regions that are clearly not influenced by the H ii region expansion, and thus demonstrate that star formation is on-going on megayear timescales in some of these molecular clouds.
A facile direct precipitation method was used for the synthesis of luminescence nanomaterial. Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} doped with rare earth element Eu{sup 3+} is synthesized by polyol route. The synthesized nanoparticles show their characteristic red emission. The nanoparticles are characterized by x-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) study. The synthesized nanoparticles are spherical particles with ~ 30 nm size. The photoluminescence studies show the characteristic Eu{sup 3+} red emission. The PL study shows the intensity of the magnetic dipole transition ({sup 5}D{sub 0}→ {sup 7}F{sub 1}) at 592 nm compared to that of the electronic dipole transition ({sup 5}D{sub 0}→ {sup 7}F{sub 2}) at 615 nm. The nanomaterials can show significant application in various display devices and biomedical applications for tracking.
Metallic glasses are a potential and compatible implant candidate for biomedical applications. In the present investigation, a comparative study between novel Zr 55 Co 30 Ti 15 and Cu 60 Zr 20 Ti 20 metallic glasses is carried out to evaluate in vitro biocompatibility using simulated body fluids. The bio-corrosion behavior of Zr- and Cu-based metallic glasses in different types of artificial body fluids such as artificial saliva solution, phosphate-buffered saline solution, artificial blood plasma solution, and Hank’s balanced saline solution is evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization studies at a constant body temperature of 310.15 K (37 °C). Surface morphology of samples after bio-corrosion experiments was observed by scanning electron microscopy. In vitro cytotoxicity test on glassy alloys were performed using human osteosarcoma cell line as per 10993-5 guidelines from International Organization for Standardization. As a result, the comparative study between Zr- and Cu-based glassy alloys provides vital information about the effect of elemental composition on biocompatibility of metallic glasses.
A study of several protective coating systems for use on aluminum in seawater/seacoast environments was conducted to review the developments made on protective coatings since early in the Space Shuttle program and to perform comparative studies on these coatings to determine their effectiveness for providing corrosion protection during exposure to seawater/seacoast environments. Panels of 2219-T87 aluminum were coated with 21 different systems and exposed to a 5 percent salt spray for 4000 hr. Application properties, adhesion measurements, heat resistance and corrosion protection were evaluated. For comparative studies, the presently specified Bostik epoxy system used on the SRB structures was included. Results of these tests indicate four systems with outstanding performance and four additional systems with protection almost as good. These systems are based on a chromated pretreatment, a chromate epoxy primer, and a polyurethane topcoat. Consideration for one of these systems should be included for those applications where superior corrosion protection for aluminum surfaces is required.
DC high voltage photoelectron guns are used to produce polarized electron beams for accelerator-based nuclear and high-energy physics research. Low-level field emission (∼nA) from the cathode electrode degrades the vacuum within the photogun and reduces the photoelectron yield of the delicate GaAs-based photocathode used to produce the electron beams. High-level field emission (>μA) can cause significant damage the photogun. To minimize field emission, stainless steel electrodes are typically diamond-paste polished, a labor-intensive process often yielding field emission performance with a high degree of variability, sample to sample. As an alternative approach and as comparative study, the performance of electrodes electropolished by conventional commercially available methods is presented. Our observations indicate the electropolished electrodes exhibited less field emission upon the initial application of high voltage, but showed less improvement with gas conditioning compared to the diamond-paste polished electrodes. In contrast, the diamond-paste polished electrodes responded favorably to gas conditioning, and ultimately reached higher voltages and field strengths without field emission, compared to electrodes that were only electropolished. The best performing electrode was one that was both diamond-paste polished and electropolished, reaching a field strength of 18.7 MV/m while generating less than 100 pA of field emission. The authors speculate that the combined processes were the most effective at reducing both large and small scale topography. However, surface science evaluation indicates topography cannot be the only relevant parameter when it comes to predicting field emission performance.
Adaptive filtering techniques have gained much popularity in the modeling of unknown system identification problem. These techniques can be classified as either iterative or direct. Iterative techniques include stochastic descent method and its improved versions in affine space. In this paper we present a comparative study of the least mean square (LMS) algorithm and some improved versions of LMS, more precisely the normalized LMS (NLMS), LMS-Newton, transform domain LMS (TDLMS) and affine projection algorithm (APA). The performance evaluation of these algorithms is carried out using adaptive system identification (ASI) model with random input signals, in which the unknown (measured) signal is assumed to be contaminated by output noise. Simulation results are recorded to compare the performance in terms of convergence speed, robustness, misalignment, and their sensitivity to the spectral properties of input signals. Main objective of this comparative study is to observe the effects of fast convergence rate of improved versions of LMS algorithms on their robustness and misalignment.
Abstract not provided.
NASA Langley Research Center personnel have conducted an evaluation of the helicopter aural detection program I Can Hear It Now (ICHIN version-5). This was accomplished using flight noise data of five helicopters, obtained from a joint NASA and U.S. Army acoustics measurement program. The evaluation consisted of presenting the noise data to a jury of 20 subjects and to the ICHIN-5 program. A comparative study was then made of the detection distances determined by the jury and predicted by ICHIN-5. This report presents the changes made in the ICHIN-5 program as a result of this comparative study. The changes represent current psychoacoustics and propagation knowledge.
Phenotypic variation can be attributed to genetic heritability as well as biotic and abiotic factors. Across Zingiberales, there is a high variation in the number of species per clade and in phenotypic diversity. Factors contributing to this phenotypic variation have never been studied in a phylogenetic or ecological context. Seeds of 166 species from all eight families in Zingiberales were analyzed for 51 characters using synchrotron based 3D X-ray tomographic microscopy to determine phylogenetically informative characters and to understand the distribution of morphological disparity within the order. All families are distinguishable based on seed characters. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses show Zingiberaceae occupy the largest seed morphospace relative to the other families, and environmental analyses demonstrate that Zingiberaceae inhabit both temperate and tropical regions, while other Zingiberales are almost exclusively tropical. Temperate species do not cluster in morphospace nor do they share a common suite of character states. This suggests that the diversity seen is not driven by adaptation to temperate niches; rather, the morphological disparity seen likely reflects an underlying genetic plasticity that allowed Zingiberaceae to repeatedly colonize temperate environments. The notable morphoanatomical variety in Zingiberaceae seeds may account for their extraordinary ecological success and high species diversity as compared to other Zingiberales.
The coordination of the modeling and field efforts for an Intensive Field Campaign (IFC) may resemble the chicken and egg dilemma. This session's theme advocates that early and proactive involvement by modeling teams can produce a scientific and operational benefit for the IFC and Experiment. This talk will provide some examples and suggestions originating from the NASA funded IFC's of the FIFE First ISLSCP (International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project) Field Experiment, Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research (OTTER) and predominately Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Experiments. In February 1994 and prior to the final selection of the BOREAS study sites, a group of funded BOREAS investigators agreed to run their models with data for five community types representing the proposed tower flux sites. All participating models were given identical initial values and boundary conditions and driven with identical climate data. The objectives of the intercomparison exercise were: 1) compare simulation results of participating terrestrial, hydrological, and atmospheric models over selected time frames; 2) learn about model behavior and sensitivity to estimated boreal site and vegetation definitions; 3) prioritize BOREAS field data collection efforts supporting modeling studies; 4) identify individual model deficiencies as early as possible. Out of these objectives evolved some important coordination and science issues for the BOREAS Experiment that can be generalized to IFCs and long term archiving of the data. Some problems are acceptable because they are endemic to maintaining fair and open competition prior to the peer review process. Others are logistical and addressable through application of planning, management, and information sciences. This investigator has identified one source of measurement and model incompatibility that is manifest in the IFC scaling approach. Although intuitively obvious, scaling problems are already more formally defined in the Geography literature. An example of the scaling problem will be demonstrated with Vegetation/Ecosystem Mapping and Analysis Project (VEMAP) and OTTER data.
Methods of determining linear residual wall interference appear to be well established theoretically; however they need to be validated, for example by comparative studies of test data on the same model in different adaptive-wall wind tunnels as well as in passive, ventilated-wall tunnels. The GARTEur CAST 7 and the CAST 10/DOA 2 investigations are excellent examples of such comparative studies. Results to date in both one-variable and two-variable methods for nonlinear wall interference indicate that a great deal more research and validation are required. The status in 2D flow is advanced over that in 3D flow as is the case generally with adaptive-wall development. Nevertheless, it is now well established that for transonic testing with extensive supercritical flow present, significant wall interference is likely to exist in conventional ventilated test sections. Consequently, residual correction procedures require further development hand-in-hand with further adaptive-wall development.