Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Ar”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Flood basalt volcanism during the past 250 million years

A chronology of the initiation dates of major continental flood basalt volcanism is established from published potassium-argon (K-Ar) and argon-argon (Ar-Ar) ages of basaltic rocks and related basic intrusions. The dating is therefore independent of the biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic time scales. Estimated errors of the initiation dates of the volcanic episodes determined from the distributions of the radiometric ages are, approximately, + or - 4 percent. There were 11 distinct episodes during the past 250 million years. Sometimes appearing in pairs, the episodes have occurred quasi-periodically with a mean cycle time of 32 + or - 1 (estimated error of the mean) million years. The initiation dates of the episodes are close to the estimated dates of mass extinctions of marine organisms. Showers of impacting comets may be the cause.

Rampino, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Flood basalt eruptions, comet showers, and mass extinction events

A chronology of initiation dates of the major continental flood basalt episodes has been established from compilation of published K-Ar and Ar-Ar ages of basaltic flows and related basic intrusions. The dating is therefore independent of the biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic time scales, and the estimated errors of the inititation dates are approximately + or - 4 pct. There are 11 distinct episodes of continental flood basalts known during the past 250 Myr. The data show that flood basalt episodes are generally relatively brief geologic events, with intermittent eruptions during peak output periods lasting ony 2 to 3 Myr or less. Statistical analyses suggest that these episodes may have occurred quasi-periodically with a mean cycle time of 32 + or - 1 Myr. The initiation dates of the flood basalts are close to the estimated dates of marine mass extinctions and impact-crater clusters. Although a purely internal forcing might be argued for the flood basalt volcanism, quasi-periodic comet impacts may be the trigger for both the flood basalts and the extinctions. Impact cratering models suggest that large-body impactors lead to deep initial cratering, and therefore may cause mantle disturbances and initiate mantle plume activity. The flood basalt episodes commonly mark the initiation or jump of a mantle hotspot, and are often followed by continental rifting and separation. Evidence from dynamical studies of impacts, occurrences of craters and hotspots, and the geochemistry of boundary layers is synthesized to provide a possible model of impact-generated volcanism. Flood basalt eruptions may themselves have severe effects on climate, and possibly on life. Impacts might, as a result, have led to mass extinctions through direct atmospheric disturbances, and/or indirectly through prolonged flood basalt volcanism.

Rampino, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Measurement of wavelengths for inner-shell transitions in Ca XVII-XIX

The wavelengths of transitions in solar flare spectra in the region 3.12-3.24 A have been measured using data recorded by a crystal spectrometer on the Air Force P78-1 spacecraft. Appearing in this wavelength region are inner-shell transitions of the type n = 1-2 in Ca XVII-XIX and resonance transitions in Ar XVII, Ar XVIII, and Fe XXV. The hydrogenic Ar XVIII 1s-1p transition was used to establish an absolute wavelength scale with an estimated uncertainty of 0.3 mA, and the relative wavelengths were measured to an uncertainty that is typically less than 0.1 mA. The presently measured wavelengths are compared with previously measured and calculated wavelengths, and the observed flare spectra are compared with synthetic spectra.

Seely, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Spectral line profiles of nickel and argon in supernova 1987A - Expansion velocity and electron scattering effects

Spectra of SN 1987A showing the Ni II 6.634-micron and Ar II 6.983-micron fine-structure lines were obtained from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory in April 1988. The signal-to-noise ratio of 100 near the peaks and resolving power of 200 are sufficient to show the average velocity of expansion from the core of about 1400 km/s and to indicate the range of velocities. An asymmetry in the profiles of both lines and a redshift of the line centroids of about 440 km/s above the 280-km/s recessional velocity of the LMC can be explained in terms of scattering of the photons by electrons in the expanding hydrogen envelope of the supernova. A mass of 0.0030 solar masses of Ni II can be deduced from the line strength of the Ni II line and a mass of 0.0009 solar masses of Ar II from the Ar II line strength.

Witteborn, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Influence of the deposition conditions on radiofrequency magnetron sputtered MoS2 films

By varying the radiofrequency (RF) power, the Ar pressure, and the potential on the substrates, MoS(x) films of various stoichiometry, density, adhesion, and morphology were produced. An increase of RF power increased the deposition rate and density of the MoS2 films as well as improved adhesion. However, the stoichiometry remained constant. An increase of Ar pressure increased the deposition rate but decreased the density, wheras both stoichiometry and adhesion were maximized at around 20 mtorr Ar pressure. Furthermore, a transition from compact film growth to columnar film growth was observed when the pressure was varied from 5 to 15 mtorr. Substoichiometric films were grown when a negative (bias) voltage was applied to the substrates.

Steinmann, Pierre A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Analysis of a six-component, flow-through, strain-gage, force balance used for hypersonic wind tunnel models with scramjet exhaust flow simulation

The thermal effects of simulant gas injection and aerodynamic heating at the model's surface on the measurements of a non-watercooled, flow through balance were investigated. A stainless steel model of a hypersonic air breathing propulsion cruise missile concept (HAPCM-50) was used to evaluate this balance. The tests were conducted in the 20-inch Mach 6 wind tunnel at NASA-Langley. The balance thermal effects were evaluated at freestream Reynolds numbers ranging from .5 to 7 x 10(exp 6) ft and angles of attack between -3.5 to 5 deg at Mach 6. The injection gases considered included cold air, hot air, and a mixture of 50 percent Argon and 50 percent Freon-12. The stagnation temperatures of the cold air, hot air, and Ar-Fr(12) reached 111, 214, and 283 F, respectively within the balance. A bakelite sleeve was inserted into the inner tube of the balance to minimize the thermal effects of these injection gases. Throughout the tests, the normal force, side force, yaw moment, roll moment, and pitching moment balance measurements were unaffected by the balance thermal effects of the injection gases and the wind tunnel flow. However, the axial force (AF) measurement was significantly affected by balance heating. The average zero shifts in the AF measurements were 1.9, 3.8, and 5.9 percent for cold air, hot air, and Ar-Fr(12) injection, respectively. The AF measurements decreased throughout these tests which lasted from 70 to 110 seconds. During the cold air injection tests, the AF measurements were accurate up to at least ten seconds after the model was injected into the wind tunnel test section. For the hot air and Ar-Fr(12) tests, the AF measurements were accurate up to at least five seconds after model injection.

Kniskern, Marc W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Observations of the plasma environment during an active ionospheric ion beam injection experiment

Several sounding rocket flights have been used to clarify the electrodynamics of neutral beam releases of Ar ions in the upper ionosphere, by varying the Ar's point of release with respect to the diagnostic payload. A volume of 10-m radius centered on the Ar release payload is measured for broadband wave activity; the superthermal neutralizing beam electrons become magnetized in this volume for across-field plasma releases, and ambient electrons are accelerated to energies of several hundred eV. This is speculated to be due to wave turbulence rather than payload-neutralization.

Arnoldy, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Age of eucrite clast from the Bholghati howardite

The age of the 'large' eucrite clast from the Bholghati howardite (described by Reid et al., 1990) was estimated from Ar-39/Ar-40 age data obtained for a portion of this clast. The Ar-39/Ar-40 age and isotopic systematics of the clast are found to be consistent with those of other eucrites and support the assumption of a common parent body for howardites and eucrites. The Ar-39/Ar-40 data and some of the Rb-Sr data show that Bholghati was affected by a major thermal event about 2-3 Ga ago.

Nyqist, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Kara and Ust-Kara impact structures (USSR) and their relevance to the K/T boundary event

Ample evidence exists for at least one major meteorite impact event at the time of the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary, and it is therefore important to establish if any recognized terrestrial impact craters are K/T in age. The Kara, USSR, impact structure consists of two adjacent large impact craters (a rare and interesting geologic phenomenon), and it has been suggested that this twin impact structure might be related to the K/T boundary event. However, newly determined (Ar-40)/(Ar-39) and K-Ar ages presented here suggest that these structures are slightly older than 70 Ma, and may thus be too old for a 66 Ma K/T boundary event. Still, these two craters represent a substantial impact event that could have initiated regional, if not global, degradation of the biosphere. Their age suggests a possible relation with the Campanian/Maastrichtian boundary.

Koeberl, Christian↗
NASA NTRS1990

Plasma puff initiation of high Coulomb transfer switches

The plasma-puff triggering mechanism based on a hypocycloidal pinch geometry was investigated to determine the optimal operating conditions for the azimuthally uniform surface flashover which initiates plasma-puff under wide range of fill gas pressure of Ar, He and N2. The optimal fill gas pressure for the azimuthally uniform plasma-puff was about 120 mTorr and 450 Torr for He and N2, and between 120 mTorr and 5 Torr for Ar. The inverse pinch switch was triggered with the plasma-puff and the switching capability under various electrical parameters and working gas pressures of Ar, He and N2 was determined. It was also shown that the azimuthally uniform switching discharges were dependent on the type of fill gas and its fill pressure. A new concept of plasma-focus driven plasma-puff was also discussed in comparison with the hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff triggering. The main discharge of inverse pinch switch with plasma-focus driven plasma-puff trigger is found to be more azimuthally uniform than that with hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff trigger in a gas pressure region between 80 mTorr and 1 Torr.

Venable, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ar/S

Near-infrared spectroscopy at high altitude and low humidity has been carried out to accurately measure (Ar III) lambda 7136 and (S III) lambda 9069 in the extreme metal-poor dwarf irregular galaxy IZw18. The ratio of the abundance of argon to the abundance of sulfur is within about 0.2 dex of the value for the solar neighborhood. Since n(Ar)/n(S) appears to be a universal constant, the line ratio (AR III) lambda 7136/(S III) lambda 9069 may be a useful diagnostic of temperature in cool, metal-rich HII regions.

Mccall, Marshall L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Automation of closed environments in space for human comfort and safety

The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the Space Station Freedom and future colonization of the Moon and Mars presents new challenges for present technologies. Current plans call for a crew of 8 to live in a safe, shirt-sleeve environment for 90 days without ground support. Because of these requirements, all life support systems must be self-sufficient and reliable. The ECLSS is composed of six subsystems. The temperature and humidity control (THC) subsystem maintains the cabin temperature and humidity at a comfortable level. The atmosphere control and supply (ACS) subsystem insures proper cabin pressure and partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. To protect the space station from fire damage, the fire detection and suppression (FDS) subsystem provides fire sensing alarms and extinguishers. The waste management (WM) subsystem compacts solid wastes for return to Earth, and collects urine for water recovery. Because it is impractical, if not impossible, to supply the station with enough fresh air and water for the duration of the space station's extended mission, these elements are recycled. The atmosphere revitalization (AR) subsystem removes CO2 and other dangerous contaminants from the air. The water recovery and management (WRM) subsystem collects and filters condensate from the cabin to replenish potable water supplies, and processes urine and other waste waters to replenish hygiene water supplies. These subsystems are not fully automated at this time. Furthermore, the control of these subsystems is not presently integrated; they are largely independent of one another. A fully integrated and automated ECLSS would increase astronauts' productivity and contribute to their safety and comfort. The Kansas State University Advanced Design Team is in the process of researching and designing controls for the automation of the ECLSS for Space Station Freedom and beyond. The approach chosen to solve this problem is to divide the design into three phases. The first phase is to research the ECLSS as a whole system and then concentrate efforts on the automation of a single subsystem. The AR subsystem was chosen for our focus. During the second phase, the system control process will then be applied to the AR subsystem.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1991

Macromolecular recognition: Structural aspects of the origin of the genetic system

Theoretical simulation of prebiotic chemical processes is an invaluable tool for probing the phenomenon of evolution of life. Using computational and modeling techniques and guided by analogies from present day systems we, seek to understand the emergence of genetic apparatus, enzymatic catalysis and protein synthesis under prebiotic conditions. In one possible scenario, the RNA enzymatic reaction plays a key role in the emergence of the self-replicating and offers a clue to the onset of enzymatic catalysis prior to the existence of the protein biosynthetic machinery. Our ultimate goal is to propose a simple RNA segment which contains the specificity and catalytic activity of the contemporary RNA enzyme and which could emerge in a primordial chemical environment. To understand the mechanism of ribozyme catalyzed reactions, ab initio and semi-empirical (ZINDO) programs were used to investigate the reaction path of transphosphorylation. A special emphasis was placed on the possible catalytic and structural roles played by the coordinated magnesium cation. Both the inline and adjacent mechanisms of transphosphorylation have been studied. Another important aspect of this reaction is the identity of the functional groups which are essential for the acid base catalysis. The structural characteristics of the target helices, particularly a possible role of G center dot T pair, is under examination by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique. Modeling of the ancestral aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aRS) may provide important clues to the emergence of the genetic code and the protein synthetic machinery. Assuming that the catalytic function evolved before the elements of specific recognition of a particular amino acid, we are exploring the minimal structural requirements for the catalysis of tRNA aminoacylation. The molecular modeling system SYBYL was used for this study based on the high resolution crystallographic structures of the present day tyrosyl-adenylate:tyrRS and tRNA(Gln): ATP:glnRS complexes. The trinucleotide CCA of the 3'-end tRNA is placed into the active site pocket of tyrRS, based on the scheme of interaction between tRNA(Gln) and glnRS, and upon the stereochemistry of the tyrRS:tRNA:Tyr-AMP transition state. This provides a model of the non-specific recognition of a tRNA's 3'-end by an aRS, which might be similar to that of the ancestral aRS's. In the next step, modeling of the rest of the acceptor stem of tRNA (Tyr) with tyrRS is carried out.

Rein, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1991

A cost-effective intelligent robotic system with dual-arm dexterous coordination and real-time vision

Dexterous coordination of manipulators based on the use of redundant degrees of freedom, multiple sensors, and built-in robot intelligence represents a critical breakthrough in development of advanced manufacturing technology. A cost-effective approach for achieving this new generation of robotics has been made possible by the unprecedented growth of the latest microcomputer and network systems. The resulting flexible automation offers the opportunity to improve the product quality, increase the reliability of the manufacturing process, and augment the production procedures for optimizing the utilization of the robotic system. Moreover, the Advanced Robotic System (ARS) is modular in design and can be upgraded by closely following technological advancements as they occur in various fields. This approach to manufacturing automation enhances the financial justification and ensures the long-term profitability and most efficient implementation of robotic technology. The new system also addresses a broad spectrum of manufacturing demand and has the potential to address both complex jobs as well as highly labor-intensive tasks. The ARS prototype employs the decomposed optimization technique in spatial planning. This technique is implemented to the framework of the sensor-actuator network to establish the general-purpose geometric reasoning system. The development computer system is a multiple microcomputer network system, which provides the architecture for executing the modular network computing algorithms. The knowledge-based approach used in both the robot vision subsystem and the manipulation control subsystems results in the real-time image processing vision-based capability. The vision-based task environment analysis capability and the responsive motion capability are under the command of the local intelligence centers. An array of ultrasonic, proximity, and optoelectronic sensors is used for path planning. The ARS currently has 18 degrees of freedom made up by two articulated arms, one movable robot head, and two charged coupled device (CCD) cameras for producing the stereoscopic views, and articulated cylindrical-type lower body, and an optional mobile base. A functional prototype is demonstrated.

Marzwell, Neville I.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Composition of solar flare noble gases preserved in meteorite parent body regolith

Isotopic composition of solar-flare (SF) Ne was determined in acid-etched pyroxene mineral separates from the Kapoeta meteorite, a brecciated meteorite known to contain implanted solar gases. The results yield the SF Ne-20/Ne-22 ratio of 11.6 +/-0.2, confirming previous determinations of this SF ratio in lunar and meteoritic samples. The same SF Ne composition was also obtained by applying an ordinate intercept technique to the same data set. The ordinate intercept technique was then applied to the Ar and He data. The results are SF Ar-36/Ar-38 = 4.9 +/-0.1 and SF He-4/He-3 = 3800 +/-200. These values are significantly different from the solar-wind (SW) Ar and He values. It is estimated that the concentration of the SF component in Kapoeta pyroxenes is about 20 percent that of the SW component, orders of magnitude higher than expected from SW and SF proton flux measurements.

Rao, M. N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Adaptive finite element strategies for shell structures

The present paper extends existing finite element adaptive refinement (AR) techniques to shell structures, which have heretofore been neglected in the AR literature. Specific challenges in applying AR to shell structures include: (1) physical discontinuities (e.g., stiffener intersections); (2) boundary layers; (3) sensitivity to geometric imperfections; (4) the sensitivity of most shell elements to mesh distortion, constraint definition and/or thinness; and (5) intrinsic geometric nonlinearity. All of these challenges but (5) are addressed here.

Stanley, G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Equilibrium properties of transition-metal ion-argon clusters via simulated annealing

The geometrical structures of M(+) (Ar)n ions, with n = 1-14, have been studied by the minimization of a many-body potential surface with a simulated annealing procedure. The minimization method is justified for finite systems through the use of an information theory approach. It is carried out for eight potential-energy surfaces constructed with two- and three-body terms parametrized from experimental data and ab initio results. The potentials should be representative of clusters of argon atoms with first-row transition-metal monocations of varying size. The calculated geometries for M(+) = Co(+) and V(+) possess radial shells with small (ca. 4-8) first-shell coordination number. The inclusion of an ion-induced-dipole-ion-induced-dipole interaction between argon atoms raises the energy and generally lowers the symmetry of the cluster by promoting incomplete shell closure. Rotational constants as well as electric dipole and quadrupole moments are quoted for the Co(+) (Ar)n and V(+) (Ar)n predicted structures.

Asher, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Anode power deposition in a MPD thruster with a magnetically annulled Hall parameter anode

Results from previous studies indicate that the anode fall increases monotonically with the electron Hall parameter. In an attempt to reduce the anode fall by decreasing the local electron Hall parameter, a proof-of-concept test was performed in which an array of 36 permanent magnets were imbedded within the anode of a high power quasi-steady MPD thruster to decrease the local azimuthal component of the induced magnetic field. The modified thruster was operated at power levels between 150 kW and 4 MW with Ar and He propellants. Terminal voltage, triple probe, floating probe, and magnetic probe measurements were made to characterize the performance of the thruster with new anode. Incorporation of the modified anode resulted in a reduction of the anode fall by up to 15 V with Ar and 20 V with He, which corresponded to decreased anode power fractions of 40 and 45 percent with Ar and He, respectively.

Gallimore, Alec D.↗