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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 NTRS1986

Grazing incidence optics; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 3, 4, 1986

Papers are presented on the diffraction-limited performance of grazing incidence optical systems; transverse ray aberrations of Wolter type 1 telescopes; hybrid X-ray telescope systems; surface characterization of grazing incidence optics in the extreme UV and X-ray regions; and the surface roughness properties of synchrotron radiation optics. Topics discussed include the simulation of free-abrasive grinding of grazing incidence mirrors with vertical-honing and flexible blades; mirrors for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer; the design and development of conical X-ray imaging mirrors; thermal loading considerations for synchrotron radiation mirrors; and grazing incidence optics for synchrotron radiation insertion-device beams. Consideration is given to the interpretation of glancing incidence scattering measurements; damage processes in short wavelength coated FEL optics; the replication of grain incidence optics; and the assembly and alignment of the Technology Mirror Assembly.

Osantowski, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Electrodynamic coupling in magnetically confined stellar X-ray loops

The solar coronal complex X-ray structure is now known to involve radiation loops that coincide spatially with the magnetic loops confining the radiating plasma. An effort is presently made to identify primary submodels involved in the global coupling between a mechanical energy reservoir of beta value greater than 1 and a contiguous site of X-ray activity whose beta value is lower than 1. The 'dynamo' model invoked establishes a quantitative connection between mechanical driver properties and the dimensions, field strength, and number density distribution of elemental magnetic loops.

Ionson, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Ground-based observations of EUV flare emissions

Ground-based observations have established that impulsive extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) flashes occur during solar flares, in close association with hard X-ray bursts and certain impulsive portions of the optical flare. The energy flux radiated in the 10 to 1030 Angstroms wavelength range exceeds that in hard X-rays (greater than or equal to 10 keV) by about 100,000, and is roughly comparable to the energy flux radiated at all optical wavelengths. In this paper our current knowledge of EUV flare radiation and ground-based observations of the radiations are reviewed. Several hypotheses are proposed about the interrelation between impulsive EUV emissions and other flare radiations, their spatial location, and association with magnetic fields.

Donnelly, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Evidence from the Soudan 1 experiment for underground muons associated with Cygnus X-3

The Soudan 1 experiment has yielded evidence for an average underground muon flux of approximately 7 x 10 to the minus 11th power/sq cm/s which points back to the X-ray binary Cygnus X-3, and which exhibits the 4.8 h periodicity observed for other radiation from this source. Underground muon events which seem to be associated with Cygnus X-3 also show evidence for longer time variability of the flux. Such underground muons cannot be explained by any conventional models of the propagation and interaction of cosmic rays.

Ayres, D. S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Clumped X-ray emission around radio galaxies in Abell clusters

We have made a comparison of the X-ray and radio morphologies for a sample of 41 rich cluster fields using Einstein Observatory Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) and Very Large Array (VLA) 20 cm images. Surprisingly, we find that 75% of the radio galaxies have a statistically significant X-ray peak or subclump within 5 min of the radio galaxy position. The X-ray luminosity and the generally extended nature of the X-ray subclumps suggest that these subclumps are overdense regions emitting free-free radiation, although there is also evidence for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) X-ray emission coming from some of the more compact, high surface brightness X-ray peaks. Some interesting correlations with radio morphology were also discovered. For clusters which contain wide-angle-tailed radio sources associated with centrally dominant galaxies, there are significant elongations or clumps in the central X-ray emission which are unusual for this type of cluster. We suggest that cluster radio galaxies are pointers to particular clusters or regions within clusters that have recently undergone mergers between cluster subsystems.

Burns, Jack O.↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) High-Energy X-ray Mission

High-energy X-ray telescope in orbit. NuSTAR operates in the band from 3 to 79 keV, extending the sensitivity of focusing far beyond the 10 keV high-energy cutoff achieved by all previous X-ray satellites. The inherently low background associated with concentrating the X-ray light enables NuSTAR to probe the hard X-ray sky with a more than 100-fold improvement in sensitivity over the collimated or coded mask instruments that have operated in this bandpass. Using its unprecedented combination of sensitivity and spatial and spectral resolution, NuSTAR will pursue five primary scientific objectives: (1) probe obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity out to thepeak epoch of galaxy assembly in the universe (at z 2) by surveying selected regions of the sky; (2) study the population of hard X-ray-emitting compact objects in the Galaxy by mapping the central regions of the Milky Way; (3) study the non-thermal radiation in young supernova remnants, both the hard X-ray continuum and the emission from the radioactive element 44Ti; (4) observe blazars contemporaneously with ground-based radio, optical, and TeV telescopes, as well as with Fermi and Swift, to constrain the structure of AGN jets; and (5) observe line and continuum emission from core-collapse supernovae in the Local Group, and from nearby Type Ia events, to constrain explosion models. During its baseline two-year mission, NuSTAR will also undertake a broad program of targeted observations. The observatory consists of two co-aligned grazing-incidence X-ray telescopes pointed at celestial targets by a three-axis stabilized spacecraft. Deployed into a 600 km, near-circular, 6 inclination orbit, the observatory has now completed commissioning, and is performing consistent with pre-launch expectations. NuSTAR is now executing its primary science mission, and with an expected orbit lifetime of 10 yr, we anticipate proposing a guest investigator program, to begin in late 2014.

Nuclear↗
NASA NTRS1980

Radiative energy output of the 5 September 1973 flare

Measurements of the radiative energy output of the solar flare of Sept. 5, 1973, over a wavelength range of more than ten decades, from below 1 A to above 1 m are presented. Observations of soft X-rays (0.5-20 A), XUV and EUV lines (171-1863 A) and EUV continua (1400-1960 A), H alpha radiation, visible lines and continua (3700-8700 A) and radio emission (centimeter to meter wavelengths) were obtained concurrently by Skylab and ground-based instruments. Estimates of power output at flare maximum are obtained for the observed wavelengths with uncertainty of at least half an order of magnitude, due to corresponding uncertainties in EUV and visible fluxes. Taking into account energy radiated at unobserved wavelengths and the characteristic time of the best-reduced data (the soft X-ray), calculations indicate a total radiated flare energy of approximately 4 x 10 to the 29th erg.

Canfield, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Limits on supernova rates and interstellar densities from X-ray observations of M101

Measurements of the X-ray surface brightness of a face-on disk galaxy M101 have previously been used to place upper limits on the power radiated by a hot corona. Such analysis constrains the effective density of the disk; either it must be so low that the remnants drive a fast hot wind (low radiated power), or so high that the remnant temperature at overlap is low (low X-ray power). These X-ray measurements are here used to constrain the properties of the population of supernova remnants evolving in the disk. This adds a further constraint since young remnants evolving in higher density radiate more of their energy in X-rays, whether or not they eventually overlap to generate a hot corona. The strength of this second limit depends strongly on the density history of the remnants (e.g., evaporative vs. nonevaporative evolution) and on the assumed supernova rate. For evaporative evolution the analysis rules out the McKee (1977) and Ostriker (1977) interstellar medium model in particular and evaporative evolution in general unless the supernova rate is at least several times lower than current expectations. For standard Sedov evolutions, the density limit marginally admits 0.2/cu cm, a popular alternative to the McKee and Ostriker model.

Cox, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Association reactions at low pressure. II - The CH3(+)/CH3CN system

The reaction between CH3(+) and CH3CN is examined at pressures between 8 x 10 to the -8th and 1 x 10 to the -3rd Torr in an ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. At pressures below 3 x 10 to the -5th Torr the reaction is bimolecular and proceeds through exothermic channels with a rate coefficient of 1.8 x 10 to the -9th cu cm/s. Competing with the exothermic bimolecular process is a bimolecular association which, it is suggested, results from radiative stabilization of (CH3CNCH3+)-asterisk. At pressures above 3 x 10 to the -5th Torr the reaction becomes termolecular with a rate coefficient 1.9 x 10 to the -22nd cm exp 6/s. The change to termolecular kinetics is due to an increasing fraction of the (CH3CNCH3+)-asterisk complexes being stabilized by collision. At still higher pressures the reaction becomes bimolecular again, corresponding to the onset of saturation when almost every complex is stabilized by collision and the rate coefficient approaches the collision rate.

Mcewan, Murray J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

X-ray emission from charge exchange of highly-charged ions in atoms and molecules

Charge exchange followed by radiative stabilization are the main processes responsible for the recent observations of X-ray emission from comets in their approach to the Sun. A new apparatus was constructed to measure, in collisions of HCIs with atoms and molecules, (a) absolute cross sections for single and multiple charge exchange, and (b) normalized X-ray emission cross sections.

charge exchange x-ray highly-charged ions comets↗
NASA NTRS1984

IUE observations of DQ Herculis and its nebula, and the nature of the cold nova shells

The nebula ejected in the 1934 outburst of the classical nova DQ Her is remarkable for its unprecedentedly low temperature of Te 500 K as measured by Williams et al. (1978). In this paper, IUE observations are combined with Steward optical spectra. It is confirmed that the gas is quite cold. It is further shown that the gas is ionized by the radiation field of the central object. X-ray, ultraviolet, optical and infrared observations of the underlying binary are combined with the extreme-ultraviolet continuum deduced from the level of ionization of the nebula to obtain a composite energy distribution for the central object. This energy distribution bears no resemblance to that predicted by theoretical models of accretion disks. Photoionization models of the nebula using the deduced continuum, as well as theoretical accretion disk continua, are presented to show that the low electron temperature is the result of the very high metal abundances which characterize nova shells. Infrared fine-structure lines are efficient coolants, and low temperatures are achieved for a wide variety of radiation fields. The implications of these results for nebulae surrounding other old novae are discussed.

Ferland, G. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

VTXO: the Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations

The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) will use lightweight Phase Frensel Lenses (PFLs) in a virtual X-ray telescope with 1 km focal length and with nearly 50 milli-arcsecond angular resolution. Laboratory characterization of PFLs have demonstrated near diffraction-limited angular resolution in the X-ray band, but they require long focal lengths to achieve this quality of imaging. VTXO is formed by using precision formation flying of two SmallSats: a smaller, 6U OpticsSat that houses the PFLs and navigation beacons while a larger, ESPA-class DetectorSat contains an X-ray camera, a charged-particle radiation monitor, a precision star tracker, and the propulsion for the formation flying. The baseline flight dynamics uses a highly-elliptical supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit to allow the inertial formation to form and hold around the 90,000 km apogee for 10 hours of the 32.5-hour orbit with nearly a year mission lifetime. The guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) for the formation flying uses standard CubeSat avionics packages, a precision star tracker, imaging beacons on the Optics Sat, and a radio ranging system that also serves as an inter-satellite communication link. VTXO’s fine angular resolution enables measuring the environments nearly an order of magnitude closer to the central engines of bright compact X-ray sources compared to the current state of the art. This X-ray imaging capability allows for the study of the effects of dust scattering nearer to the central objects such as Cyg X-3 and GX 5-1, for the search for jet structure nearer to the compact object in X-ray novae such as Cyg X-1and GRS 1915+105, and for the search for structure in the termination shock of in the Crab pulsar wind nebula. The In this paper, the VTXO science performance, SmallSat and instrument designs,and mission description is be described. The VTXO development was supported as one of the selected 2018 NASA Astrophysics SmallSat Study (AS3) missions.

John Krizmanic↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Sea-Surface Radiation Data Set for Climate Applications in the Tropical Western Pacific and South China Sea

The sea-surface shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes have been retrieved from the radiances measured by Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite 5. The surface radiation data set covers the domain 40S-40N and 90E-170W. The temporal resolution is 1 day, and the spatial resolution is 0.5 deg x 0.5 deg latitude-longitude. The retrieved surface radiation have been validated with the radiometric measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measuring (ARM) site on Manus island in the equatorial western Pacific for a period of 15 months. It has also been validated with the measurements at the radiation site on Dungsha island in the South China Sea during the South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) Intensive Observing Period (May and June 1998). The data set is used to study the effect of El Nino and East Asian Summer monsoon on the heating of the ocean in the tropical western Pacific and the South China Sea. Interannual variations of clouds associated with El Nino and the East Asian Summer monsoon have a large impact on the radiative heating of the ocean. It has been found that the magnitude of the interannual variation of the seasonal mean surface radiative heating exceeds 40 W/sq m over large areas. Together with the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) shortwave fluxes at top of the atmosphere and the radiative transfer calculations of clear-sky fluxes, this surface radiation data set is also used to study the impact of clouds on the solar heating of the atmosphere. It is found that clouds enhance the atmospheric solar heating by approx. 20 W/sq m in the tropical western Pacific and the South China Sea. This result is important for evaluating the accuracy of solar flux calculations in clear and cloudy atmospheres.

Chou, Ming-Dah↗
NASA NTRS2008

High Energy Polarization - Historical Remarks

We discuss the history and briefly outline the potential scientific impact of X-ray polarimetry and in particular studies of the Crab nebula and its pulsar. Despite major progress in X-ray imaging, spectroscopy, and timing, there have been only modest attempts at X-ray polarimetry. The last dedicated experiment, conducted by us over three decades ago, had such limited observing time and sensitivity that even a ten percent degree of polarization would not have been detected from some of the brightest X-ray sources in the sky, and statistically-significant X-ray polarization was detected in only the subject of this meeting, the Crab Nebula. Radio and optical astronomers use polarimetry extensively to probe the radiation physics and the geometry of sources. Sensitive X-ray polarimetry promises to reveal unique and crucial information about physical processes and structure of of all classes of X-ray sources. X-ray polarimetry remains the last undeveloped tool for the X-ray study of astronomical objects and needs to be properly exploited. We hope that this conference may mark the beginning of a new era for for this important scientific window.

Weisskopf, Martin C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Hard X-ray astrophysics

Past hard X-ray and lower energy satellite instruments are reviewed and it is shown that observation above 20 keV and up to hundreds of keV can provide much valuable information on the astrophysics of cosmic sources. To calculate possible sensitivities of future arrays, the efficiencies of a one-atmosphere inch gas counter (the HEAO-1 A-2 xenon filled HED3) and a 3 mm phoswich scintillator (the HEAO-1 A-4 Na1 LED1) were compared. Above 15 keV, the scintillator was more efficient. In a similar comparison, the sensitivity of germanium detectors did not differ much from that of the scintillators, except at high energies where the sensitivity would remain flat and not rise with loss of efficiency. Questions to be addressed concerning the physics of active galaxies and the diffuse radiation background, black holes, radio pulsars, X-ray pulsars, and galactic clusters are examined.

Rothschild, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Thermal Consideration of SWIFT XRT Radiator At-35C or Colder in Low Earth Orbit

The X-Ray Telescope (XRT) is an instrument on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) SWIFT spacecraft. The thermoelectric cooler (TEC) for the charge coupled device (CCD) of the XRT requires a radiator temperature of -35 C or colder, and a goal of -55 C to minimize the damage by radiation. The waste heat rejected from the TEC to the radiator is in the 8 W to 20 W range. In the Phase A baseline design, the XRT radiator is mounted to the rear end of the XRT telescope tube and is very close to the bottom closeout of the spacecraft bus. The bottom closeout is multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets. At sun angles between 90 deg and 180 deg, there is direct solar impingement on the bottom closeout. When the rolls +/- 5 deg, the XRT radiator is exposed to direct solar radiation. The radiator also has a view factor to the solar arrays. The results of thermal analysis showed that the flight temperature prediction of the radiator exceeds the temperature requirement of -35 C substantially at sun angles from 110 deg to 180 deg. A new location on the anti-sun side of the spacecraft is proposed for the radiator. It requires a heat pipe to couple the TEC and the radiator thermally. The results of thermal analysis show that the flight temperature prediction of the proposed radiator meets the temperature requirement at all sun angles.

Choi, Michael K.↗