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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 1,009 records · Page 56

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NASA NTRS1983

Evaluation of procedures to correct for variable viewing and illumination geometry when observing a non-Lambertian surface through the atmosphere

Data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer aboard the NOAA polar orbiting satellite are being operationally applied to provide estimates of vegetation cover and/or condition over a large part of the earth by the USDA. The wide scan angle (+ or - 54 deg) of this system permits daily views of the earth when used to its limits. Five-day repetitive coverage is acquired, assuming cloud-free conditions, in current operations which limit the use of the scan to the center + or - 14 deg of swath. While use of the full scan width would provide clear acquisitions frequent enough to monitor crop development and condition even with normal cloudiness, these off-nadir data are made difficult to interpret due to the non-Lambertian nature of the surface, enhanced effect of the atmosphere, inclusion of subpixel and thin invisible clouds in the scene, and differences in illumination across the scene; all of which contribute to variations in observed reflected radiation. Some approaches to provide corrections for these effects are discussed here.

Whitehead, V. S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Protein crystal growth (5-IML-1)

Proteins (enzymes, hormones, immunoglobulins) account for 50 pct. or more of the dry weight of most living systems. A detailed understanding of the structural makeup of a protein is essential to any systematic research pertaining to it. Most macromolecules are extremely difficult to crystallize, and many otherwise exciting projects have terminated at the crystal growth stage. In principle, there are several aspects of microgravity that might be exploited to enhance protein crystal growth. The major factor is the elimination of density driven convective flow. Other factors that can be controlled in the absence of gravity is the sedimentation of growing crystals in a gravitational field, and the potential advantage of doing containerless crystal growth. As a result of these theories and facts, one can readily understand why the microgravity environment of an Earth orbiting vehicle seems to offer unique opportunities for the protein crystallographer. This perception has led to the establishment of the Protein Crystal Growth in a Microgravity Environment (PCG/ME) project. The results of experiments already performed during STS missions have in many cases resulted in large protein crystals which are structurally correct. Thus, the near term objective of the PCG/ME project is to continue to improve the techniques, procedures, and hardware systems used to grow protein crystals in Earth orbit.

Bugg, Charles E.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Survival of the most transferable at the top of Jacob’s ladder: Defining and testing the ω B97M(2) double hybrid density functional

A meta-generalized gradient approximation, range-separated double hybrid (DH) density functional with VV10 non-local correlation is presented. The final 14-parameter functional form is determined by screening trillions of candidate fits through a combination of best subset selection, forward stepwise selection, and random sample consensus (RANSAC) outlier detection. The MGCDB84 database of 4986 data points is employed in this work, containing a training set of 870 data points, a validation set of 2964 data points, and a test set of 1152 data points. Following an xDH approach, orbitals from the ωB97M-V density functional are used to compute the second-order perturbation theory correction. The resu|ting functional, ωB97M(2) is benchmarked against a variety of leading double hybrid density functionals, including B2PLYP-D3(BJ), B2GPPLYP-D3(BJ), ωB97X-2(TQZ), XYG3, PTPSS-D3(0), XYGJ-OS, DSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ), and DSD-PBEPBE-D3(BJ). Encouragingly, the overall performance of ωB97M(2) on nearly 5000 datq points clearly surpasses that of all of the tested density funstionals. As a Rung 5 density functional, ωB97M(2) completes our family of combinatorially optimized functionals, complementing B97M-V on Rung 3, and ωB97X-V and ωB97M-V on Rung 4. The results suggest that ωB97M(2) has the potential to serve as a powerful predictive tool for accurate and efficient electronic structure calculations of main-group chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Exchange correlation potentials from full configuration interaction in a Slater orbital basis

Ryabinkin–Kohut–Staroverov (RKS) theory builds a bridge between wave function theory and density functional theory by using quantities from the former to produce accurate exchange-correlation potentials needed by the latter. In this work, the RKS method is developed and tested alongside Slater atomic orbital basis functions for the first time. To evaluate this approach, full configuration interaction computations in the Slater orbital basis are employed to give quality input to RKS, allowing full correlation to be present along with correct nuclei cusps and asymptotic decay of the wavefunction. SlaterRKS is shown to be an efficient algorithm to arrive at exchange-correlation potentials without unphysical artifacts in moderately-sized basis sets. Furthermore, enforcement of the nuclear cusp conditions will be shown to be vital for the success of the Slater-basis RKS method. As a result, examples of weakly and strongly correlated molecular systems will demonstrate the main features of SlaterRKS.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Altermagnetic behavior in OsO2: Parallels with RuO2

This dataset contains input and output files from DFT simulations used to reproduce the electronic and phonon band structures of bulk OsO₂ and RuO₂. The files include data from initial electronic structure and phonon calculations performed with Hubbard-U correction (i.e., Antiferromagnetic, AFM) and without Hubbard-U correction (i.e., Non-magnetic, NM). The electronic structure calculations are provided both with and without spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The computed electronic properties are compared with existing literature, while the calculated phonon density of states (PhDOS) is compared with experimental PhDOS.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1972

Self-consistent Pauli corrections in Brueckner-Hartree-Fock calculations

A scheme is introduced which makes it feasible to make completely self-consistent Brueckner-Hartree-Fock (BHF) and renormalized BHF calculations for spherical, closed-shell and axially-symmetric deformed nuclei. The usual requirement or orbital self-consistency has been imposed, as well as self-consistency in the starting energies and occupation probabilities. Previously, only approximate forms were used for the Pauli operator. This approximation is removed and a method for making the necessary Pauli corrections to the reaction matrix during the approach to self-consistency is presented. A discussion of the symmetries which reduce the problem to one of manageable proportions is included.

Braley, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Implementation of ISEE-3 trajectory control

Control of the trajectory and attitude for the International Sun-Earth Explorer-3 (ISEE-3) spacecraft is performed using an onboard hydrazine propulsion system. This paper describes the spacecraft hardware and operational limitations that were considered in the planning, execution, and evaluation of all ISEE-3 maneuvers performed to date. Propulsion system performance and spacecraft dynamics models as implemented in the maneuver support computer software are described. Examples are presented that show how maneuver goals are achieved while satisfying mission orbit and attitude constraints. Procedures used in the development of maneuver plans are detailed for the second midcourse correction maneuver which typifies maneuver operations in general.

Erickson, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

NASA remote sensing programs: Overview

In the Earth remote sensing area, NASA's three functions are to understand the basic mechanics and behavior of the Earth, evaluate what resources are available (in the way of minerals, and hydrocarbons on a general scale), and to arrange a scheme for managing our national assets. The capabilities offered by LANDSAT D and technology improvements needed are discussed. The French SPOT system, its orbits, possibilities for stereo imagery, and levels of preprocessing and processing with several degrees of radiometric and geometric corrections are examined. Progress in the AgRISTARS project is mentioned as well as future R & D programs in the use of fluorescence, microwave measurements, and synthetic aperture radar. Other areas of endeaver include studying man environment interactions and Earth radiation budgets, and the establishment of data systems programs.

Raney, W. P.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Benchmark aerodynamic heat-transfer data from the first flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Benchmark entry aerodynamic heat-transfer data were determined from the first flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The convective heating-rate data result from a rigorous mathematical analysis of one-dimensional, transient heat conduction within the orbiter thermal protection system (TPS) and reradiation from its surface during entry. Temperatures measured at the TPS surface during orbiter entry provide a constraint to the analysis. On the vehicle leeside, where heating rate levels are low, corrections are made to the computed convective heating rates to account for solar radiation and cross-radiation between fuselage and wing surfaces. The source of the entry thermal data, the mathematical analysis technique, and the TPS thermal models are discussed. Typical convective heating rate data from the STS-1 mission are presented.

Throckmorton, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Remote sensing of chlorophyll concentrations in the northern Gulf of Mexico

During a 17 month period (November 1978 - March 1980), phytoplankton pigment concentrations were remotely sensed in the northern Gulf of Mexico using the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS). A total of 29 CZCS orbits were processed into pigment (chlorophyll a + phaeopigments) images and then geometrically warped to a Mercator projection. A correction factor of 1.67 was applied to the pigment concentrations to correct for the tendency of the standard fluorometric method to underestimate chlorophyll a concentrations. The spatial and temporal distributions of pigment fronts were quite variable during this time series. Constant features observed throughout the pigment imagery were the entrainment of coastal waters offshore. The most extensive entrainments occurred during intrusions of the Loop Current. For the 17 month survey, the mean HPLC-corrected pigment concentration was 3.30 + or - 1.45 mg/cu m.

Trees, Charles C.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Identification of atmospheric fronts over the ocean with microwave measurements of water vapor and rain

This paper describes some basic research techniques and algorithms developed to diagnose fronts in cyclonic storms over the ocean with data from satellite-borne microwave radiometers. Methods are developed for flagging strong gradients in integrated atmospheric water vapor and the presence of rain by using data from the SSMR on board the polar orbiting Seasat and Nimbus-7 satellites. Examination of 65 frontal systems showed that the water vapor gradient flag correctly identified 86 percent of the fronts, while the precipitation flagged 91 percent. The two types of flags emphasize different portions of the cyclone and are therefore complementary. Ultimately, these techniques are intended for operational use with data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager which was launched in June 1987 on a satellite in the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).

Katsaros, Kristina B.↗

NASA NTRS1993

IMPS albedo and diameter for Asteroid 243 Ida

243 Ida is the second asteroid target of the Galileo mission. The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) detected Ida several times during its 1983 sky survey. The IRAS Minor Planet Survey (IMPS) yields a total of 13 usable observations during 6 sightings of Ida. These data result in a geometric visual albedo of 0.24 and a mean diameter of 28 km for Ida. The IMPS catalog updates and extends the IRAS Asteroid and Comet Survey through asteroid number 4679. File versions of IMPS final products will be available from the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). The input for IMPS processing includes updated visual absolute magnitudes and orbital elements for each asteroid. H and G are 9.94 and 0.15 for Ida. IMPS also includes a correction for low flux densities (less than approximately 1 Jansky). In the case of Ida, 3 observations at 12 microns, 6 at 25 microns, and 4 at 60 microns were considered acceptable for analysis. Most of these do have flux densities less than 1 Jansky with a value of approximately 5 for their estimated SNR. The 25 microns observations as plotted in the figure are consistent with the variation expected for the cross section of Ida with rotation. Ida is a main belt asteroid with an S taxonomic classification. The spectra of S asteroids tend to be dominated by pyroxene with visual albedos from 0.1 to 0.3. The IMPS average albedo of 0.24 (plus or minus 0.07) for 243 Ida is in the upper range observed for S asteroids.

Veeder, G. J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Models for various aspects of dwarf novae and nova-like stars

The first attempts to explain the nature of dwarf novae were based on the assumption of single-star phenomena, in which emission lines were assumed to be caused by circumstellar gas shells. The outburst behavior was tentatively ascribed to the kind of (also not understood) mechanism leading to nova outbursts. The realization that some, and possibly all, dwarf novae and nova-like stars (and novae) are binaries eventually led to models which bore more and more similarities to the modern interpretation on the basis of the Roche model. Not all cataclysmic variables are known binaries. In fact, with respect to the entire number of known objects, the proven binaries are still the minority, but all the brightest variables are in fact known to binaries. Not a single system is known which exhibits the usual characteristics of a cataclysmic variable and at the same time can be declared with certainty to be a single star. Two systems are known, the dwarf nova EY Cyg and the recurrent nova V1017 Sgr, in which, in spite of intensive search, no radial velocity variations have been found; but they still exhibit composite spectra consisting of a bright continuum, an emission spectrum, and a cool absorption spectrum. If the Roche model is correct, it is to be expected that a small percentage of objects is viewed pole-on, so orbital motions do not make themselves felt as Doppler shifts of spectral lines. So even these two systems support the hypothesis that all cataclysmic variables (with the possible exception of symbiotic stars) are binaries. In cataclysmic variables, it seems that the brightness changes observed in dwarf novae and nova-like stars in the optical and the UV are due directly to changes in the accretion disks. The study and understanding of accretion disks in these systems can bear potentially valuable consequences for many other fields in astronomy. The observed spectra of dwarf novae and nova-like stars comprise a fairly large range: pure emission spectra, pure absorption spectra, a mixture of both, asymmetric line profiles, very different slopes of the continuous flux distribution -- and one single system may exhibit all of these features at different times. Agreement and disagreement between computed and observed spectra should show whether or not the Roche model is applicable and where it probably will have to be modified and improved. Except for their outburst behavior and its immediate consequences, novae, dwarf novae, and nova-like stars cannot be physically distinguished from each other.

Ladous, Constanze↗

NASA NTRS2001

Solar-System Tests of Gravitational Theories

We are engaged in testing gravitational theory, primarily using observations of objects in the solar system and primarily on that scale. Our goal is either to detect departures from the standard model (general relativity) - if any exist within the level of sensitivity of our data - or to place tighter bounds on such departures. For this project, we have analyzed a combination of observational data with our model of the solar system, including mostly planetary radar ranging, lunar laser ranging, and spacecraft tracking, but also including both pulsar timing and pulsar very long base interferometry (VLBI) measurements. This year, we have extended our model of Earth nutation with adjustable correction terms at the principal frequencies. We also refined our model of tidal drag on the Moon's orbit. We believe these changes will make no substantial changes in the results, but we are now repeating the analysis of the whole set of data to verify that belief. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Shapiro, Irwin I.↗

NASA NTRS2013

X-Ray Detection and Processing Models for Spacecraft Navigation and Timing

The current primary method of deepspace navigation is the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN). High-performance navigation is achieved using Delta Differential One-Way Range techniques that utilize simultaneous observations from multiple DSN sites, and incorporate observations of quasars near the line-of-sight to a spacecraft in order to improve the range and angle measurement accuracies. Over the past four decades, x-ray astronomers have identified a number of xray pulsars with pulsed emissions having stabilities comparable to atomic clocks. The x-ray pulsar-based navigation and time determination (XNAV) system uses phase measurements from these sources to establish autonomously the position of the detector, and thus the spacecraft, relative to a known reference frame, much as the Global Positioning System (GPS) uses phase measurements from radio signals from several satellites to establish the position of the user relative to an Earth-centered fixed frame of reference. While a GPS receiver uses an antenna to detect the radio signals, XNAV uses a detector array to capture the individual xray photons from the x-ray pulsars. The navigation solution relies on detailed xray source models, signal processing, navigation and timing algorithms, and analytical tools that form the basis of an autonomous XNAV system. Through previous XNAV development efforts, some techniques have been established to utilize a pulsar pulse time-of-arrival (TOA) measurement to correct a position estimate. One well-studied approach, based upon Kalman filter methods, optimally adjusts a dynamic orbit propagation solution based upon the offset in measured and predicted pulse TOA. In this delta position estimator scheme, previously estimated values of spacecraft position and velocity are utilized from an onboard orbit propagator. Using these estimated values, the detected arrival times at the spacecraft of pulses from a pulsar are compared to the predicted arrival times defined by the pulsar s pulse timing model. A discrepancy provides an estimate of the spacecraft position offset, since an error in position will relate to the measured time offset of a pulse along the line of sight to the pulsar. XNAV researchers have been developing additional enhanced approaches to process the photon TOAs to arrive at an estimate of spacecraft position, including those using maximum-likelihood estimation, digital phase locked loops, and "single photon processing" schemes that utilize all available time data associated with each photon. Using pulsars from separate, non-coplanar locations provides range and range-rate measurements in each pulsar s direction. Combining these different pulsar measurements solves for offsets in position and velocity in three dimensions, and provides accurate overall navigation for deep space vehicles.

Sheikh, Suneel↗

NASA NTRS2018

Terra and Aqua MODIS Intercomparison Using LEO-GEO Double Difference Method

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites havesuccessfully operated since their launch in 1999 and in 2002, providing more than 18 and 16 years ofcontinuous global observations, respectively. The inter-comparison between the two MODIS instruments can bevery supportive for the instrument calibration and uncertainty assessment. Aqua and Terra MODIS have almostidentical relative spectral response, spatial resolution, and dynamic range for each band. Therefore, a sitedependent correction for a sensor spectral band pair is not necessary for their comparison. However, Terra is inthe morning orbit with an equator crossing time of 10:30 am, and Aqua is in the afternoon orbit with equatorcrossing time of 1:30 pm. Consequently, there is a dearth of simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNOs)between the two satellites. Major challenges in cross-sensor comparison of instruments on different satellitesinclude differences in observation time, solar angle, and view angle over selected pseudo-invariant sites.In this work, the inter-comparisons of thermal emissive bands are performed over a pseudo-invariant target,using the observations from a sensor onboard a geostationary satellite as a bridge. Himawari8 was launched onOctober 7, 2014. The Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) onboard Himawari8 can be used as a reference tobridge the comparison between Terra and Aqua MODIS. AHI has 16 channels; with spatial resolutions from 0.5km to 2 km at nadir and produces a full disk observations every 10 minutes. The band spectral coveragematchup, comparable spatial resolution and near-simultaneous observation between MODIS and AHI providefeasibility to implement a double difference method. This comparison method minimizes the impact of thedifference in observation time and solar angle. The comparison results will be used as an assessment for MODISinstrument calibration and will be helpful for future enhancement of the L1B product.

Himawari8↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling the Meteoroid Environment Far from the Ecliptic Plane: Can a Tilted Plane of Symmetry Explain Seasonal Variations in the Meteoroid Environment?

NASA's Meteoroid Engineering Model (MEM) describes the meteoroid environment encountered by spacecraft in the inner solar system. MEM's algorithms take advantage of the fact that the vast majority of spacecraft remain close to the ecliptic plane in order to make several simplifying assumptions. However, this results in a model that cannot describe the environment for spacecraft such as Ulysses that travel far from the ecliptic, and limits the potential to validate the model using impact signatures from asteroids on inclined orbits. We are in the process of developing a new version of the code, numbered 3.1-alpha, that correctly computes the meteoroid flux and directionality far from the ecliptic. We present a new formulation of the spatial probability distribution function for fully precessed meteoroid models and compare our results with zodiacal light data.

Althea Moorhead↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Metrics on Predictive Probability of Collision Assessments Reliant on Object State Updates

The probability of collision (Pc) metric is the dominant method of risk charac-terization for evaluating satellite close approaches, and has become of particular interest following major debris production incidents. However, confidence in the use of Pc for actionability has been questioned due in part due to its non-intuitive and often significant corrections following messaging updates. This paper assesses predictively computed probabilities and confidence bounds on Pc values corresponding to orbit determination updates by comparing these predic-tive values to observed operational values. This paper also presents use cases for this methodology in assessing event actionability.

conjunction assessment↗