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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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At least 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Metal-Matrix/Hollow-Ceramic-Sphere Composites

A family of metal/ceramic composite materials has been developed that are relatively inexpensive, lightweight alternatives to structural materials that are typified by beryllium, aluminum, and graphite/epoxy composites. These metal/ceramic composites were originally intended to replace beryllium (which is toxic and expensive) as a structural material for lightweight mirrors for aerospace applications. These materials also have potential utility in automotive and many other terrestrial applications in which there are requirements for lightweight materials that have high strengths and other tailorable properties as described below. The ceramic component of a material in this family consists of hollow ceramic spheres that have been formulated to be lightweight (0.5 g/cm3) and have high crush strength [40.80 ksi (.276.552 MPa)]. The hollow spheres are coated with a metal to enhance a specific performance . such as shielding against radiation (cosmic rays or x rays) or against electromagnetic interference at radio and lower frequencies, or a material to reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the final composite material, and/or materials to mitigate any mismatch between the spheres and the matrix metal. Because of the high crush strength of the spheres, the initial composite workpiece can be forged or extruded into a high-strength part. The total time taken in processing from the raw ingredients to a finished part is typically 10 to 14 days depending on machining required.

Baker, Dean M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Using an A-10 Aircraft for Airborne measurements of TGFs

Plans are underway to convert an A-10 combat attack aircraft into a research aircraft for thunderstorm research. This aircraft would be configured and instrumented for flights into large, convective thunderstorms. It would have the capabilities of higher altitude performance and protection for thunderstorm conditions that exceed those of aircraft now in use for this research. One area of investigation for this aircraft would be terrestrial gamma ]ray flashes (TGFs), building on the pioneering observations made by the Airborne Detector for Energetic Lightning Emissions (ADELE) project several years ago. A new and important component of the planned investigations are the continuous, detailed correlations of TGFs with the electric fields near the aircraft, as well as detailed measurements of nearby lightning discharges. Together, the x-and gamma-radiation environments, the electric field measurements, and the lightning observations (all measured on microsecond timescales) should provide new insights into this TGF production mechanism. The A -10 aircraft is currently being modified for thunderstorm research. It is anticipated that the initial test flights for this role will begin next year.

Fishman, Gerald J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

A New Method of Absorption-Phase Nanotomography for 3D Observation of Mineral-Organic-Water Textiles and its Application to Pristine Carbonaceous Chondrites

Pristine carbonaceous chondrites contain fine-grained matrix, which is composed largely of amorphous silicates, sub-micron silicate and sulfide crystals, and organic materials. They are regarded as primitive dust in the early Solar System that have suffered minimal alteration in their parent bodies. The matrix generally has different lithologies; some of them are unaltered but some are more or less aqueously altered. Their textures have been examined in 2D usually by FE-SEM/EDS, TEM/EDS, nano-SIMS and micro-XRD. Observation of their complex fine textures, such as spatial relation between different lithologies in 3D, is important for understanding aggregation and alteration processes. Synchrotron radiation (SR)-based X-ray tomography reveals 3D structures nondestructively with high spatial resolution of approximately greater than 100 nm. We have developed a new technique using absorption contrasts called "dual-energy tomography" (DET) to obtain 3D distribution of minerals at SPring-8, SR facility in Japan, and applied successfully to Itokawa particles. Phase and absorption contrast images can be simultaneously obtained in 3D by using "scanning-imaging x-ray microscopy" (SIXM) at SPring-8, which can discriminate between void, water and organic materials. We applied this technique combined with FIB micro-sampling to carbonaceous chondrites to search for primitive liquid water. In this study, we combined the DET and SIXM to obtain three dimensional submicron-scale association between minerals, organic materials and water and applied this to pristine carbonaceous chondrites.

Tsuchiyama, A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey - III. An Observed Link Between AGN Eddington Ratio and Narrow-Emission-Line Ratios

We investigate the observed relationship between black hole mass (M(sub BH)), bolometric luminosity (L(sub bol)) and Eddington ratio (lambda(sub Edd)) with optical emission-line ratios ([N II] lambda6583/Halpha, [S II]lambda-lamda6716, 6731/Halpha, [O I] lamda6300/Halpha, [O III] lamda5007/Hbeta, [Ne III] lamda3869/Hbeta and He II lamda4686/Hbeta) of hard X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. We show that the [N II] lamda6583/Halpha ratio exhibits a significant correlation with lamda(sub Edd) (R(sub Pear) = -0.44, p-value 3 x 10(exp. -13) sigma = 0.28 dex), and the correlation is not solely driven by M(sub BH) or L(sub bol). The observed correlation between [N II] lamda6583/Halpha ratio and M(sub BH) is stronger than the correlation with L(sub bol), but both are weaker than the lamda(sub Edd) correlation. This implies that the large-scale narrow lines of AGN host galaxies carry information about the accretion state of the AGN central engine. We propose that [N II] lamda6583/Halpha is a useful indicator of Eddington ratio with 0.6 dex of rms scatter, and that it can be used to measure lambda(sub Edd) and thus M(sub BH) from the measured L(sub bol), even for high-redshift obscured AGN. We briefly discuss possible physical mechanisms behind this correlation, such as the mass-metallicity relation, X-ray heating, and radiatively driven outflows.

black hole physics – galaxies: active – galaxi↗
NASA NTRS2018

Power-Law Statistics of Driven Reconnection in the Magnetically Closed Corona

Numerous observations have revealed that power-law distributions are ubiquitous in energetic solar processes. Hard X-rays, soft X-rays, extreme ultraviolet radiation, and radio waves all display power-law frequency distributions. Since magnetic reconnection is the driving mechanism for many energetic solar phenomena, it is likely that reconnection events themselves display such power-law distributions. In this work, we perform numerical simulations of the solar corona driven by simple convective motions at the photospheric level. Using temperature changes, current distributions, and Poynting fluxes as proxies for heating, we demonstrate that energetic events occurring in our simulation display power-law frequency distributions, with slopes in good agreement with observations. We suggest that the braiding-associated reconnection in the corona can be understood in terms of a self-organized criticality model driven by convective rotational motions similar to those observed at the photosphere.

Knizhnik, K. J.↗
NASA NTRS1967

Training course for radiation safety technicians

Course of instruction includes sections on basic information, natural radioactivity, properties of alpha, beta, gamma, X rays, and neutrons, concepts of radiation units and dose determinations, shielding, biological effects, background radiation, radiation protection standards, and internal dose calculation.

Lasuk, S. R.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Complementarity of neutron, XFEL and synchrotron crystallography for defining the structures of metalloenzymes at room temperature

Room-temperature macromolecular crystallography allows protein structures to be determined under close-to-physiological conditions, permits dynamic freedom in protein motions and enables time-resolved studies. In the case of metalloenzymes that are highly sensitive to radiation damage, such room-temperature experiments can present challenges, including increased rates of X-ray reduction of metal centres and site-specific radiation-damage artefacts, as well as in devising appropriate sample-delivery and data-collection methods. It can also be problematic to compare structures measured using different crystal sizes and light sources. In this study, structures of a multifunctional globin, dehaloperoxidase B (DHP-B), obtained using several methods of room-temperature crystallographic structure determination are described and compared. Here, data were measured from large single crystals and multiple microcrystals using neutrons, X-ray free-electron laser pulses, monochromatic synchrotron radiation and polychromatic (Laue) radiation light sources. These approaches span a range of 18 orders of magnitude in measurement time per diffraction pattern and four orders of magnitude in crystal volume. The first room-temperature neutron structures of DHP-B are also presented, allowing the explicit identification of the hydrogen positions. The neutron data proved to be complementary to the serial femtosecond crystallography data, with both methods providing structures free of the effects of X-ray radiation damage when compared with standard cryo-crystallography. Comparison of these room-temperature methods demonstrated the large differences in sample requirements, data-collection time and the potential for radiation damage between them. With regard to the structure and function of DHP-B, despite the results being partly limited by differences in the underlying structures, new information was gained on the protonation states of active-site residues which may guide future studies of DHP-B.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1991

Induced ClO vacuum ultraviolet fluorescence

Some vibronic transitions of ClO such as G(v-prime = 11 )-X(v-double prime = 10), G(v-prime = 5)-X(v-double prime = 3) and H(v-prime = 4)-X(v-double prime = 2), which promote overtones of X(2pi3/2) to bound Rydberg states, are nearly resonant with the 130.6 nm O-atom emission line and possess sizable Franck-Condon factors. On this basis broadband detection of 'O atom' fluorescence in experiments involving vibrationally excited ClO(X) is ascribed to the radiative decay of ClO(G, H) rather than to the formation of O atoms; these observations raise the probability of monitoring ClO(X; v = 0) by VUV-induced fluorescence.

Colussi, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Fitting strategies of accretion column models and application to the broadband spectrum of Cen X-3

Due to the complexity of modeling the radiative transfer inside the accretion columns of neutron star binaries, their X-ray spectra are still commonly described with phenomenological models, e.g., a cut off power law. While the behavior of these models is well understood and they allow for a comparison of different sources and studying source behavior, the extent to which the underlying physics can be derived from the model parameters is very limited. During recent years, several physically motivated spectral models have been developed to overcome these limitations. Their application, however, is generally computationally much more expensive and they require a high number of parameters which are difficult to constrain. In particular, Becker & Wolff(2007) presented an analytical solution to the radiative transfer equation inside the accretion column assuming a velocity profile that is linear in the optical depth. An implementation of this model that is both fast and accurate enough to be fitted to observed spectra is available in XSPEC. The main difficulty of this implementation is that some solutions violate energy conservation and therefore have to be rejected by the user. We propose a novel fitting strategy that ensures energy conservation during theχ2-minimization which simplifies the application of the model considerably. We demonstrate this approach as well as a study of possible parameter degeneracies with a comprehensive Markov-Chain Monte Carlo analysis of the complete parameter space for a combined NuSTAR and Swift/XRT dataset of Cen X-3.The derived accretion-flow structure features a small column radius of∼63 m and a spectrum dominated by bulk-Comptonization of bremsstrahlung seed photons, in agreement with previous studies.

X-rays: binaries↗
DOE OSTI2021

Use of continuous sample translation to reduce radiation damage for XPCS studies of protein diffusion

An experimental setup to measure X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy during continuous sample translation is presented and its effectiveness as a means to avoid sample damage in dynamics studies of protein diffusion is evaluated. X-ray damage from focused coherent synchrotron radiation remains below tolerable levels as long as the sample is translated through the beam sufficiently quickly. Here it is shown that it is possible to separate sample dynamics from the effects associated with the transit of the sample through the beam. By varying the sample translation rate, the damage threshold level, D thresh = 1.8 kGy, for when beam damage begins to modify the dynamics under the conditions used, is also determined. Signal-to-noise ratios, R sn ≥ 20, are obtained down to the shortest delay times of 20 µs. The applicability of this method of data collection to the next generation of multi-bend achromat synchrotron sources is discussed and it is shown that sub-microsecond dynamics should be obtainable on protein samples.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A temperature profile diagnostic for radiation waves on OMEGA-60

Predicting and matching radiation wave propagation with computational models has proven difficult. Information provided by experiments studying radiation flow has been limited when only radiation breakout is measured. We have developed the COAX (co-axial) diagnostic platform to provide spatial temperature profiles of a radiation wave through low density foams as a more detailed constraint for simulations. COAX uses a standard, laser-driven OMEGA-60 halfraum to drive radiation down a titanium-laden silicon oxide foam. Point-projection X-ray absorption spectroscopy perpendicular to the radiation flow measures the spatial profile of titanium ionization. The spectroscopic measurement utilizes a broadband capsule backlighter. Imaging and streak spectroscopy are used to characterize the size and spectrum of this source. Radiography provides an additional constraint by capturing the developing shock as the radiation flow becomes subsonic. The DANTE diagnostic is used to measure the halfraum temperature. Here, we provide a spectroscopic analysis of COAX data to determine temperature, and we describe experimental sources of uncertainty. The temperature is obtained by comparison to multi-temperature synthetic spectra post-processed from radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. Quantitative comparison between data and synthetic spectra generated from temperature profiles at relevant simulation times enable determination of a peak temperature of 114 ± 8 eV at 265 ± 22.4 μm from the halfraum. This represents an improvement over the temperature uncertainties of previous radiation flow experiments. Further refinements to the spectroscopic analysis could achieve ±4 eV. The combination between space-resolved spectroscopy and radiography enables us to determine the distance from the halfraum of both the radiation front and the shock front at the time of measurement. For the example shown in this paper the radiation front position is 600–630 μm at 3.43 ± 0.16 ns and the shock front position is 633 μm at 3.3 ± 0.24 ns.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2021

Fitting Strategies of Accretion Column Models and Application to the Broadband Spectrum of Cen X-3

Due to the complexity of modeling the radiative transfer inside the accretion columns of neutron star binaries, their X-ray spectra are still commonly described with phenomenological models, e.g., a cut off power law. While the behavior of these models is well understood and they allow for a comparison of different sources and studying source behavior, the extent to which the underlying physics can be derived from the model parameters is very limited. During recent years, several physically motivated spectral models have been developed to overcome these limitations. Their application, however, is generally computationally much more expensive and they require a high number of parameters which are difficult to constrain. In particular, Becker & Wolff(2007) presented an analytical solution to the radiative transfer equation inside the accretion column assuming a velocity profile that is linear in the optical depth. An implementation of this model that is both fast and accurate enough to be fitted to observed spectra is available in XSPEC. The main difficulty of this implementation is that some solutions violate energy conservation and therefore have to be rejected by the user. We propose a novel fitting strategy that ensures energy conservation during theχ2-minimization which simplifies the application of the model considerably. We demonstrate this approach as well as a study of possible parameter degeneracies with a comprehensive Markov-Chain Monte Carlo analysis of the complete parameter space for a combined NuSTAR and Swift/XRT data-set of Cen X-3.The derived accretion-flow structure features a small column radius of∼63 m and a spectrum dominated by bulk-Comptonization of bremsstrahlung seed photons, in agreement with previous studies

Philipp Thalhammer↗
DOE OSTI2023

Perovskite CsPbBr 3 Single-Crystal Detector Operating at 10 10 Photons s -1 mm -2 for Ultra-High Flux X-ray Detection

Semiconductors for detecting hard radiation are confronted with considerable problems when operating at high photon fluxes. A perovskite CsPbBr 3 single-crystal detector capable of operating at X-ray fluxes of up to 10 10 photons s -1 mm -2 with beam area ≤ 0.25 mm 2 at 58.61 keV for current-mode X-ray detection is reported. The spectrometer-grade melt-grown CsPbBr 3 detectors show a gamma-ray energy resolution of ~7.5% at 122 keV for 57 Co and dark current as low as 4.3 nA (0.5 nA mm -2 ) at a reverse bias voltage of 200 V (118 V mm -1 ). The detector is tested at X-ray energies of 8.2, 10, and 58.61 keV at a synchrotron light source under a reverse bias voltage of up to 1000 V (588 V mm -1 ). Under a sufficiently high bias voltage and within several hundreds of seconds X-ray exposure, good photocurrent linearity (goodness of fit R 2 > 0.99) and reproducibility are obtained up to a flux of ≈10 10 photons s -1 mm -2 at beam area 0.25 mm 2 with Lower Limit of Detection of ≈10 5 photons s -1 mm -2 and Charge Collection Efficiency of ≈100% for 58.61 keV X-rays. Therefore, wide application of CsPbBr 3 detectors in high-flux X-ray detection is anticipated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Laser Enhanced Arc-Jet Facility (LEAF-Lite): Simulating Convective and Radiative Heating with Arc-Jets and Multiple 50-KW CW Lasers

LEAF-Lite (Laser Enhanced Arc-Jet Facility) is a radiative laser heating facility that has been added to the 60 MW Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) convective plasma arc-jet located at NASA Ames Research Center. Together, these two systems can simulate both convective and radiative heating at heat fluxes reaching 551 W/cm2 by simultaneously combining a highest measured heat flux of 160 W/cm2 convective and 391 W/cm2 radiative heating on a 152-mm x 152-mm wedge model configuration. Adding radiant heating to an existing convective facility better simulates Earth atmospheric entry from hyperbolic lunarreturn speeds. The radiative heat is provided by multiple 50-kW CW IR lasers, which is nearly uniform across the illuminated surface with a total variation less than 6%, while the convective heat is provided by a high enthalpy plasma arc-jet. In a later phase, the facility will expand to test panel test articles of 432-mm x 432-mm and provide 100 W/cm2 of radiative heating in a plasma convective flow environment. The paper describes this new combined heating capability, its current testing conditions, and the unique application of the laser system with respect to the Orion test flight lunar orbits.

Cushman, Geoff↗
DOE OSTI2023

Maximum Supersaturation in the Marine Boundary Layer Clouds Over the North Atlantic

Abstract The maximum supersaturation ( S x ) in clouds is a key parameter affecting the cloud's microphysical and radiative properties. We investigate the S x of the marine boundary layer clouds by combining airborne and surface observations in the Eastern North Atlantic. The cloud droplet number concentration ( N c ) in the least diluted cloud cores agrees well with the number concentration of particles larger than the Hoppel Minimum (HM) ( N >HM ) below clouds, indicating that the HM represents the average size threshold above which particles are activated to form cloud droplets. The S x values derived from surface observations vary from 0.10% to 0.50% from June 2017 to June 2018, with a clear seasonal variation exhibiting higher values during winter. Most of the S x variance (∼60%) can be explained by the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration and updraft velocity ( w ), with the CCN concentration playing a more important role than w in explaining the variation of S x . The influence of CCN concentration on S x leads to a buffered response of N c to aerosol perturbations. The response of N c to low aerosol concentration during winter is further buffered by the high w . The global Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulated S x values in the Azores have a positive bias compared to measured S x , likely due to overestimated w and underestimated CCN concentration. The CESM simulated S x exhibits higher values further north over the North Atlantic Ocean, which is attributed to stronger w . The suppression of S x by aerosol is also evident in regions with high CCN concentrations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Ultra-Compact X-ray Regenerative Amplifier Free-Electron Laser

There is a growing interest in designing and building compact X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FELs) for scientific and industry applications. In this paper, we report an X-ray Regenerative Amplifier FEL (XRAFEL) design based on a proposed Ultra Compact X-ray FEL configuration. Our results show that an XRAFEL can dramatically enhance the temporal coherence and increase the spectral brightness of the radiation in the hard X-ray regime without increasing the footprint of the FEL configuration. The proposed compact, fully coherent, and high-flux hard X-ray source holds promise as a valuable candidate for a wide range of high-impact applications in both academia and industry.

Singleton, Madison↗
NASA NTRS1984

Optical fibers and components experiment (A0138-7)

Fiber optics permanent damages induced by ionizing radiation after a long exposure in space and after laboratory tests were examined. Irradiation tests performed with radioactive sources (Sr90 - Y90) were validataed, computer coses used for the fluence and dose profile were verified. The performance of fiber optics waveguides in a low altitude orbit, and the origin of transmission losses in the material were dtermined. High sensitivity to ionizing radiations, however, may be a restriction for optic fiber use on satellites. Irradiation tests on these components using neutrons, gamma rays, and X-rays are carried out. Radiation damage on opticao materials, however, is strongly linked to the test conditions.

Bourrieau, J.↗