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At least 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Unidentified ions in comets

Optical spectra were taken of comets Halley, West, and Brorsen-Metcalf in the wavelength region 3200 to 6400 A. These spectra were offset approximately 10(exp -5) to 10(exp -6) km tailward from the nucleus so that the features detected were all ions with the exception of a very small residual C2 emission at 5165 A. The full labeled tail spectrum of comet Halley is given. While most of the features detected are attributable to CO(+), H2O(+), CO2(+), CH(+), and OH(+), there are three moderately strong bands in the spectra of comets Halley and Brorsen-Metcalf which remain unidentified. These features were not detected in comet West. All three spectra in the 4800 to 5400 A region are presented, Brorsen-Metcalf is the gassiest of the three. The central wavelengths of the unidentified features are 4930, 5300, and 6000 A. In an effort to identify the ions responsible for these features as well as to confirm previous identifications, laboratory spectra of ions were compared with the comet spectra. H2O(+) and CO(+) are known to have extensive emission in the 4800 to 6200 A region. Therefore, the possibility that these unidentified features are due to H2O(+) and CO(+) was investigated. A search for the following bands was conducted: H2O(+) (11-0), H2O(+) (12-0), H2O(+) (13-1), CO(+) (1-1), and CO(+) (0-0). CO(+) (1-1) and CO(+) (0-0) were previously identified and are present in all the spectra examined. The H2O(+) (11-0) band was identified. Comparison of the H2O(+) (11-0) synthetic spectrum with comet Brorsen-Metcalf data is presented. The relative fluxes of the blended H2O(+) lines in the synthetic spectrum match those of the cometary data. After eliminating H2O(+) and CO(+) as significant contributors to the stronger unidentified features, spectra of ions which are not yet identified in the optical region of comets were compared to the data. These ions are NH(+), CS(+), and C2(+). None of these ions appears to be a significant contributor to the optical spectra of these three comets. In conclusion, H2O(+) (11-0) was unabiguously identified in cometary optical spectra. No other molecular ion for which there are laboratory spectra can explain the unidentified features found in the ion tails of comets Halley and Brorsen-Metcalf.

Engel, Lisa↗
DOE OSTI2023

An extended Vlasov–Fokker–Planck approach for kinetic simulations of laser plasmas

Vlasov–Fokker–Planck simulation codes occupy an important niche in modeling laser-produced plasmas, since they are well suited to studying the effect of collisions on electron kinetic phenomena, especially energy transport. One of the most important elements of energy transport is the absorption of laser light by the plasma; however, simulating this in detail requires resolving oscillations of the laser light, whose characteristic timescale is orders of magnitude shorter than the simulation time needed to study transport physics. For this reason, most Vlasov–Fokker–Planck codes used to study electron transport in laser plasmas rely on simplified models of the laser–plasma coupling. Their underlying assumptions nominally preclude their use for modeling laser light having short-scale structure in space or time, such as broadband lasers. In this work, we derive a more general computational framework suitable for arbitrarily structured laser fields. Furthermore, our approach is based on an extended set of Vlasov–Fokker–Planck equations that separately solve for the low- and high-frequency plasma response. We implement these extended Vlasov–Fokker–Planck equations in the spherical harmonic code K2 and demonstrate the performance of the method on several laser absorption test problems, with particular attention to the judicious selection of time steps, time integrators, and spherical harmonic truncation, according to the intensity and spectrum of the laser light under consideration. Comparison with the widely used Langdon absorption operator shows the Langdon operator performs remarkably well for predicting laser heating in the simple cases considered here, even in situations that would seem to violate its underlying assumptions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Probing anisotropies of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background with LISA

Here, we investigate the sensitivity of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) to the anisotropies of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background (SGWB). We first discuss the main astrophysical and cosmological sources of SGWB which are characterized by anisotropies in the GW energy density, and we build a Signal-to-Noise estimator to quantify the sensitivity of LISA to different multipoles. We then perform a Fisher matrix analysis of the prospects of detectability of anisotropic features with LISA for individual multipoles, focusing on a SGWB with a power-law frequency profile. We compute the noise angular spectrum taking into account the specific scan strategy of the LISA detector. We analyze the case of the kinematic dipole and quadrupole generated by Doppler boosting an isotropic SGWB. We find that β Ω GW ~ 2 × 10 -11 is required to observe a dipolar signal with LISA. The detector response to the quadrupole has a factor ~ 10 3 β relative to that of the dipole. The characterization of the anisotropies, both from a theoretical perspective and from a map-making point of view, allows us to extract information that can be used to understand the origin of the SGWB, and to discriminate among distinct superimposed SGWB sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Plasmonically assisted channels of photoemission from metals

We analyze recently measured nonlinear photoemission spectra from Ag surfaces that reveal resonances whose energies do not scale with the applied photon energy but stay pinned to multiples of bulk plasmon energy $\hbar$ω p above the Fermi level. To elucidate these unexpected and peculiar features we investigate the spectra of plasmons generated in a solid by the optically pumped electronic polarization and their effect on photoemission. By combining quadratic response formalism for calculations of photoemission yield, a nonperturbative approach to inelastic electron scattering, and first-principles calculations for the electronic structure, we demonstrate the dependence of probability amplitude for single- and multiplasmon excitations on the basic parameters characterizing the photon pulse and the system. The resulting multiexcitation spectrum evolves towards a truncated plasmonic coherent state. Analogous concept is extrapolated to interpret plasmon generation by multiphoton excited electronic polarization. Based on this we elaborate a scenario that the thus created real plasmons act as supplementary frequency-locked pump field for non-Einsteinian plasmonically assisted channels of photoemission from metals. The established paradigm enables assignment and assessment of the observed linear $\hbar$ω p and nonlinear 2$\hbar$ω p electron yields from Ag. Such effects may be exploited for selective filtering of optical energy conversion in electronic systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1989

Background studies in gas ionizing x ray detectors

The background response of a gas ionizing proportional x ray detector is estimated by solving the one dimensional photon transport equation for two regions using Monte Carlo techniques. The solution was effected using the SSL VAX 780 and the CRAY XMP computers at Marshall Space Flight Center. The isotropic photon energy spectrum encompassing the range from 1 to 1000 KeV incident onto the first region, the shield, is taken so as to represent the measured spectrum at an altitude of 3 mb over Palastine, Texas. The differential energy spectrum deposited in the gas region, xenon, over the range of 0 to 100 KeV is written to an output file. In addition, the photon flux emerging from the shield region, tin, over the range of 1 to 1000 KeV is also tabulated and written to a separate file. Published tabular cross sections for photoelectric, elastic and inelastic Compton scattering as well as the total absorption coefficient are used. Histories of each incident photon as well as secondary photons from Compton and photoelectric interactions are followed until the photon either is absorbed or exits from the regions under consideration. The effect of shielding thickness upon the energy spectrum deposited in the xenon region for this background spectrum incident upon the tin shield was studied.

Eldridge, Hudson B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A laboratory measurement of CCD photometric and dimensional stability

The sun exhibits periodic and quasi-periodic variability in its total luminosity, which provides information about its internal structure and dynamics. Variability ranges from a few minutes to many-year time scales, with amplitudes as small as a few ppm in the milliHz band. Extension of this analysis to a large sample of outer stars would be interesting: a panoramic detector such as a CCD could record many stars at once. To meet this objective, a ppm time-series differential precision is required. Laboratory CCD photometric measurements presented here are promising for such an instrument. Normalizing the response from a portion of the CCD area removes most of the individual-frame variability. When a trend attributed to a thermal transient in the CCD dewar is removed, the individual-frame photometric precision is about 0.0001, limited by photoelectron counting statistics. The time-series power spectrum is flat within the desired frequency domain. Analysis of the dimensional stability of the CCD within the same data set indicates better than ppm performance, when first-order bulk motion and magnification changes are removed.

Buffington, Andrew↗
NASA NTRS1999

Contribution of High Charge and Energy (HZE) Ions During Solar-Particle Event of September 29, 1989

The solar-particle event (SPE) of September 29, 1989, produced an iron-rich spectrum with energies approaching 1 A GeV with an approximate spectral slope parameter of 2.5. These high charge and energy (HZE) ions challenge conventional methods of shield design and assessment of astronaut risks. In the past, shield design and risk assessment have relied on proton shielding codes and biological response models derived from X-ray and neutron exposure data. Because the HZE spectra decline rapidly with energy and HZE attenuation in materials is limited by their penetration power, details of the mass distributions about the sensitive tissues (shielding materials and the astronaut's body) are important determining factors of the exposure levels and distributions of linear energy transfer. Local tissue environments during the SPE of September 29, 1989, with its f= components are examined to analyze the importance of these ions to human SPE exposure. Typical space suit and lightly shielded structures leave significant contributions from HZE components to certain critical body tissues and have important implications on the models for risk assessment. A heavily shielded equipment room of a space vehicle or habitat requires knowledge of the breakup of these ions into lighter components, including neutrons, for shield design specifications.

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Overview of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Facility

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory (originally called the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility - AXAF) is the X-Ray component of NASA's "Great Observatory" Program. Chandra is a NASA facility that provides scientific data to the international astronomical community in response to scientific proposals for its use. The Observatory is the product of the efforts of many organizations in the United States and Europe. The Great Observatories also include the Hubble Space Telescope for space-based observations of astronomical objects primarily in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the now defunct Compton Gamma- Ray Observatory that was designed to observe gamma-ray emission from astronomical objects, and the soon-to-be-launched Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The Chandra X-Ray Observatory (hereafter CXO) is sensitive to X-rays in the energy range from below 0.1 to above 10.0 keV corresponding to wavelengths from 12 to 0.12 nanometers. The relationship among the various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, sorted by characteristic temperature and the corresponding wavelength, is illustrated. The German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered what he thought was a new form of radiation in 1895. He called it X-radiation to summarize its properties. The radiation had the ability to pass through many materials that easily absorb visible light and to free electrons from atoms. We now know that X-rays are nothing more than light (electromagnetic radiation) but at high energies. Light has been given many names: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma radiation are all different forms. Radio waves are composed of low energy particles of light (photons). Optical photons - the only photons perceived by the human eye - are a million times more energetic than the typical radio photon, whereas the energies of X-ray photons range from hundreds to thousands of times higher than that of optical photons. Very low temperature systems (hundreds of degrees below zero Celsius) produce low energy radio and microwave photons, whereas cool bodies like our own (about 30 degrees Celsius) produce infrared radiation. Very high temperatures (millions of degrees Celsius) are one way of producing X-rays.

Weisskopf, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

NASA SETI microwave observing project: Sky Survey element

The SETI Sky Survey Observing Program is one of two complimentary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the sky survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range of 1.0 to 10.0 GHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin. Frequency resolutions of 30 Hz or narrower will be used across the entire band. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of ten million channels are required to keep the survey time approximately 6 years. Data rates in excess of 10 megabits per second will be generated in the data taking process. Sophisticated data processing techniques will be required to determine the ever changing receiver baselines, and to detect and archive potential SETI signals. Existing radio telescopes, including several of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) 34 meter antennas located at Goldstone, CA and Tidbinbilla, Australia will be used for the observations. The JPL has the primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey. In order to lay the foundation for the full scale SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system is being developed at the JPL. The system will be installed at the new 34-m high efficiency antenna at the Deep Space Station (DSS) 13 research and development station, Goldstone, CA, where it will be used to initiate the observational phase of the NASA SETI Sky Survey. It is anticipated that the early observations will be useful to test signal detection algorithms, scan strategies, and radio frequency interference rejection schemes. The SETI specific elements of the prototype system are: (1) the Wide Band Spectrum Analyzer (WBSA); a 2-million channel fast Fourier transformation (FFT) spectrum analyzer which covers an instantaneous bandpass of 40 MHz; (2) the signal detection processor; and (3) the SETI Sky Survey Manager, a network-based C-language environment that provides observatory control, performs data acquisition and analysis algorithms. A high level description of the prototype hardware and software systems will be given and the current status of the system development will be reported.

Klein, M. J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Near-field-driven radiative thermal dynamics in aperiodic photonic nanostructures

Harnessing structural correlations in near-field plasmonic and polaritonic systems hold untapped potential for controlling light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. By tuning these correlations, one can reshape mode localization, coupling, and spectral distribution which are properties central to manipulating energy transport and field enhancement in nanophotonic platforms. We exploit Vogel spirals, an aperiodic geometry where a single parameter dictates spatial correlations, to show how correlation strength reshapes the modal spectrum and transient dynamics of near-field coupling. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that aperiodic configurations outperform both uncorrelated (random) and periodic arrays in controlling near-field radiative heat-transfer dynamics. These results establish deterministic aperiodic order as a powerful platform for tailoring correlated electromagnetic responses in next-generation nanophotonic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Physically based correction of systematic errors of Rotating Shadowband Irradiometers

Accurate measurements of direct normal, diffuse horizontal and global horizontal irradiance (DNI, DHI and GHI) are needed for meteorological studies and are essential for the solar resource assessment at potential solar power plant sites. Often, these potential sites are remote and hence require robust sensors that require minimal maintenance that are not affected strongly by soiling. Therefore, Rotating Shadowband Irradiometers (RSI) are widely used for resource assessment. To achieve the required accuracy, corrections for the raw values of RSIs depending on systematic temperature, incidence angle and spectral errors must be used, and a thorough calibration of the sensor head must be applied. The existing correction functions are derived from comparisons of RSIs to thermopile radiometers at selected sites and therefore empirical. Their accuracy is considered to be site dependent. In this work a new correction and calibration method is presented that removes the systematic errors using a physical approach. It is based on information of the sensor properties as well as measurements of its directional response, and incorporates the atmospheric conditions at the measurement site. In this case, no empiric relations obtained from a specific site are required. The method requires estimates of the current DHI and GHI spectra during each measurement of the RSI. Based on these spectra, a spectral correction, which includes a spectrum dependent temperature correction, can be made without employing empirical relationships. The new physical calibration and correction method is tested at three sites and reaches similar results compared to the empirical functions. This is already achieved with rudimentary estimations of the GHI and DHI spectra and we expect that these estimations can be improved in the future. The results indicate that the physical approach reduces the problematic location dependence of the current calibration and correction methods. The physical correction and calibration method show promise for a further improvement of the RSI accuracy.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1972

Relativistic electrons from the sun observed by IMP-4.

Evaluation of data obtained from the IMP-4 satellite concerning 0.3- to 12-MeV electrons from the sun between May 24, 1967, and May 2, 1969. Correlations with contemporary proton intensity increases at energies above 1 MeV are studied. The results of this study are the following: (1) the differential electron energy spectrum (0.3 to 12 keV) from solar flares appears to be a constant of the flare process, with the spectral index gamma = (-) 3.0 plus or minus 0.2; (2) particle emission from solar flares contains a prompt component, which is injected into the interplanetary medium beyond the sun and which is responsible for the diffusion characteristics of solar particle events, and a delayed component which is effectively contained in the lower solar atmosphere where it diffuses typically less than or equal to plus or minus 100 deg in longitude and gradually escapes into interplanetary space; the delayed component gives rise to the corotating features commonly observed after the impulsive and diffusive onset from the prompt component; (3) storage of electrons greater than 300 keV and protons greater than 1 MeV is essential to explain emission and propagation characteristics of solar particle events; and (4) the events with low proton/electron ratios all occur at least three weeks after the previous relativistic electron producing flare.

Simnett, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Shock loading predictions from application of indicial theory to shock-turbulence interactions

A sequence of steps that permits prediction of some of the characteristics of the pressure field beneath a fluctuating shock wave from knowledge of the oncoming turbulent boundary layer is presented. The theory first predicts the power spectrum and pdf of the position and velocity of the shock wave, which are then used to obtain the shock frequency distribution, and the pdf of the pressure field, as a function of position within the interaction region. To test the validity of the crucial assumption of linearity, the indicial response of a normal shock is calculated from numerical simulation. This indicial response, after being fit by a simple relaxation model, is used to predict the shock position and velocity spectra, along with the shock passage frequency distribution. The low frequency portion of the shock spectra, where most of the energy is concentrated, is satisfactorily predicted by this method.

Keefe, Laurence R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

OSSE observations of GX 339-4

The Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) observed the Galactic black hole candidate GX 339-4 as a target of oppurtunity in 1991 September, in response to the outburst reported by Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE). We report here on energy spectra in the 50 keV-10 MeV range obtained by OSSE. The source was detected from 50 to 400 keV at a level relative to the Crab Nebula of approximately 30%. The observed spectrum was prescribed reasonably well by a power law with an exponential cutoff; a least-squares fit yielded a photon index of 0.88 +/- 0.05 and a cutoff energy of 68 +/- 2 keV. The addition of a Compton reflection component did not significantly improve the overall fit. An optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum also provides a good fit, and the thermal Comptonization model of Sunyaev & Titarchuk, while deficient in describing the data above approximately 200 keV, cannot formally be ruled out. A pure power law with reflection does not fit the observed spectrum. During a follow-up observation made in 1991 November the intensity of the source below 100 keV had dropped by more than a factor of 40, and it was no longer detected above approximately 100 keV. The energy spectrum during the November observation could be characterized by a power law with a photon index of 2.3 +/- 0.3; the spectrum was fitted equally well with the same exponentially cutoff power-law model applied to the September observation, reduced in intensity by a factor of approximately 40. During the 1991 September observation, the luminosity in the 50-400 keV band was approximately 2 x 10(exp 37) ergs/s (assuming a distance of 4 kpc), no more than a factor of 5 below the soft X-ray luminosity of GX 339-4 observed in its X-ray high state. The luminosity during the 1991 November observation was approximately 5 x 10(exp 35) ergs/s. Extrapolations of both the exponentially cutoff power-law and Sunyaev-Titarchuk models to the approximately 5-20 keV X-ray band yield flux levels very close to that observed by Ginga during an overlapping interval in 1991 September, when GX 339-4 was reported to be in its low state. This may be one of the strongest indications to date of a direct correspondence between the low X-ray state and gamma-ray outbursts of GX 339-4.

Grabelsky, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Discovery and Identification of Dimethylsilanediol as a Contaminant in ISS Potable Water

In September of 2010, analysis of ISS potable water samples was undertaken to determine the contaminant responsible for a rise in total organic carbon (TOC). As analysis of the routine target list of organic compounds did not reveal the contaminant, efforts to look for unknown compounds was initiated, resulting in an unknown peak being discovered in the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis for glycols. A mass spectrum of the contaminant was then generated by concentrating one of the samples by evaporation and analyzing by GC/MS in full-scan mode. Although a computer match of the compound s identity could not be obtained with the instrument s database, a search with a more up to date mass spectral library yielded a good match with dimethylsilanediol (DMSD). Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) analyses showed abnormally high silicon levels in the samples, confirming that the unknown contained silicon. DMSD was then synthesized to confirm the identification and provide a standard to develop a calibration curve. Further confirmation was provided by external Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) GC/MS analysis. A preliminary GC/MS method was then developed and archived samples from various locations on ISS were analyzed to determine the extent of the contamination and provide data for troubleshooting. This paper describes these events in more detail as well as problems encountered in routine GC/MS analyses and the subsequent development of high performance liquid chromatography and LC/MS/MS methods for quantitation of DMSD.

Rutz, Jeffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Tech Briefs, September 2012

Topics covered include: Beat-to-Beat Blood Pressure Monitor; Measurement Techniques for Clock Jitter; Lightweight, Miniature Inertial Measurement System; Optical Density Analysis of X-Rays Utilizing Calibration Tooling to Estimate Thickness of Parts; Fuel Cell/Electrochemical Cell Voltage Monitor; Anomaly Detection Techniques with Real Test Data from a Spinning Turbine Engine-Like Rotor; Measuring Air Leaks into the Vacuum Space of Large Liquid Hydrogen Tanks; Antenna Calibration and Measurement Equipment; Glass Solder Approach for Robust, Low-Loss, Fiber-to-Waveguide Coupling; Lightweight Metal Matrix Composite Segmented for Manufacturing High-Precision Mirrors; Plasma Treatment to Remove Carbon from Indium UV Filters; Telerobotics Workstation (TRWS) for Deep Space Habitats; Single-Pole Double-Throw MMIC Switches for a Microwave Radiometer; On Shaft Data Acquisition System (OSDAS); ASIC Readout Circuit Architecture for Large Geiger Photodiode Arrays; Flexible Architecture for FPGAs in Embedded Systems; Polyurea-Based Aerogel Monoliths and Composites; Resin-Impregnated Carbon Ablator: A New Ablative Material for Hyperbolic Entry Speeds; Self-Cleaning Particulate Prefilter Media; Modular, Rapid Propellant Loading System/Cryogenic Testbed; Compact, Low-Force, Low-Noise Linear Actuator; Loop Heat Pipe with Thermal Control Valve as a Variable Thermal Link; Process for Measuring Over-Center Distances; Hands-Free Transcranial Color Doppler Probe; Improving Balance Function Using Low Levels of Electrical Stimulation of the Balance Organs; Developing Physiologic Models for Emergency Medical Procedures Under Microgravity; PMA-Linked Fluorescence for Rapid Detection of Viable Bacterial Endospores; Portable Intravenous Fluid Production Device for Ground Use; Adaptation of a Filter Assembly to Assess Microbial Bioburden of Pressurant Within a Propulsion System; Multiplexed Force and Deflection Sensing Shell Membranes for Robotic Manipulators; Whispering Gallery Mode Optomechanical Resonator; Vision-Aided Autonomous Landing and Ingress of Micro Aerial Vehicles; Self-Sealing Wet Chemistry Cell for Field Analysis; General MACOS Interface for Modeling and Analysis for Controlled Optical Systems; Mars Technology Rover with Arm-Mounted Percussive Coring Tool, Microimager, and Sample-Handling Encapsulation Containerization Subsystem; Fault-Tolerant, Real-Time, Multi-Core Computer System; Water Detection Based on Object Reflections; SATPLOT for Analysis of SECCHI Heliospheric Imager Data; Plug-in Plan Tool v3.0.3.1; Frequency Correction for MIRO Chirp Transformation Spectroscopy Spectrum; Nonlinear Estimation Approach to Real-Time Georegistration from Aerial Images; Optimal Force Control of Vibro-Impact Systems for Autonomous Drilling Applications; Low-Cost Telemetry System for Small/Micro Satellites; Operator Interface and Control Software for the Reconfigurable Surface System Tri-ATHLETE; and Algorithms for Determining Physical Responses of Structures Under Load.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamics modeling of molten salt reactor with reduced and expanded representations of delayed neutron precursors

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) present unique challenges in dynamic behavior due to the mobility of their fuel. In these reactors, delayed neutron precursors (DNPs) drift with the fuel circulation through the primary loop. As a result, a fraction of DNPs decays outside the core, effectively reducing the available delayed neutron population for reactivity control. Consequently, precise modeling of the distribution and behavior of DNPs is critical for accurate reactor dynamics simulations. In this study, the System Dynamics Analysis Tool (SDAT) was used to simulate a thermal-spectrum MSR under steady-state conditions and following transients. The effects of using reduced and expanded representations of DNPs with fewer or more groups than the conventional 6-group model were investigated. Their impact on the simulated distribution of precursors in the primary loop, reactivity loss value, and reactor response to transients was analyzed. Simulation results showed that reduced models lead to the loss of the actual DNPs distribution data, resulting in less accurate estimates of reactivity loss. Reactor power predictions using these reduced models showed significant deviations compared to those using the conventional 6-group model in transient simulations. Expanded models offered a more accurate representation of the distribution of DNPs and reactivity loss estimates. Reactor power predictions using expanded models showed minimal deviation from the conventional 6-group model during the simulated transients.

analysis↗
NASA NTRS1979

An instrument to measure the spectrum of cosmic ray iron and other nuclei to above 100 GeV/nucleon

A balloon-borne instrument system for the study of cosmic ray composition in the energy region beyond 100 GeV/nucleon is described. The large area detector incorporates an ionization spectrometer or calorimeter to determine the energy of the incident particles which is calibrated in flight by a gas Cerenkov counter filled with freon 12 at 20 psi. Calibration of calorimeter response indicates that the effects of ionization energy loss and nucleon fragmentation are correctly accounted for in a Monte Carlo simulation. A charge measuring module consisting of five scintillators and a lucite Cerenkov counter is used to determine the charge and position of the incoming particles. A spatial resolution of 5 to 10 cm has been obtained by using the ratios of pulse heights in different photomultiplier tubes aimed at the same scintillators within the module. The detector represents the heaviest cosmic ray experiment that can be flown over 30 km using the dynamic launching technique commonly employed.

Arens, J. F.↗