Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “body wave”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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

At least 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum dynamics of positron-hydrogen scattering and three-body bound state formation with an assisting laser field: predictions of a reduced-dimensionality model

Abstract We investigate the quantum dynamics of target excitation and positronium formation in the positron-hydrogen atom scattering without and with an external assisting laser field within a reduced-dimensional quantum model. Strong interference fringes between the incident and reflected positron wave packets are observed in the reaction region. We further investigate the critical behavior of transition probabilities near the channel-opening thresholds for hydrogen excitation and positronium formation and find a strong competition between channels with similar threshold energies, but different parities. The transmission ratios of the incident positron in different reaction channels are calculated, and it is shown that only positronium formation in the ground state prefers forward scattering. Our simulation of the positron-hydrogen scattering with an assisting laser field indicates that the three-particle bound states can be formed during the collisions due to the photon emission induced by the external laser field.

Optics↗
NASA NTRS1995

A numerical solution method for acoustic radiation from axisymmetric bodies

A new and very efficient numerical method for solving equations of the Helmholtz type is specialized for problems having axisymmetric geometry. It is then demonstrated by application to the classical problem of acoustic radiation from a vibrating piston set in a stationary infinite plane. The method utilizes 'Green's Function Discretization', to obtain an accurate resolution of the waves using only 2-3 points per wave. Locally valid free space Green's functions, used in the discretization step, are obtained by quadrature. Results are computed for a range of grid spacing/piston radius ratios at a frequency parameter, omega R/c(sub 0), of 2 pi. In this case, the minimum required grid resolution appears to be fixed by the need to resolve a step boundary condition at the piston edge rather than by the length scale imposed by the wave length of the acoustic radiation. It is also demonstrated that a local near-field radiation boundary procedure allows the domain to be truncated very near the radiating source with little effect on the solution.

Caruthers, John E.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Uncovering the linear boron environment in Na 3 BP 2 through solid-state 11 B NMR spectroscopy

Boron-based compounds exhibit a wide range of structural diversity, with potential applications spanning organic and inorganic chemistry. Herein, we focus on the characterization of the linear boron-phosphorus unit P═B═P in Na 3 BP 2 using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. High-resolution 11 B ssNMR spectra were recorded at two fields, and key parameters such as chemical shift anisotropy (CSA), quadrupolar coupling constants (C Q ), and electric field gradient (EFG) tensors were extracted. The 11 B NMR results revealed a distinct chemical environment for the two-coordinate boron atom, with a CSA span (Ω) of 280 ppm and a C Q of 3.0 MHz. These values were further validated through periodic plane-wave DFT calculations, which showed good agreement with experimental results. The obtained spectral parameters are compared to other linear boron units, such as the BO 2 motif, providing a broader context for understanding boron coordination in inorganic compounds. This work expands the body of NMR knowledge on boron-containing materials, particularly for linear boron motifs. The findings contribute to the growing field of boron chemistry and its potential applications in advanced materials.

Porter, Andrew P. [Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, I↗
DOE OSTI2024

Scattering phase shifts from a quantum computer

We calculate two-body scattering phase shifts on a quantum computer using a leading order short-range effective field theory Hamiltonian. The algorithm combines the variational quantum eigensolver and the quantum subspace expansion. As an example, we consider scattering in the deuteron 3S1 partial wave. We calculate scattering phase shifts with a quantum simulator and on real hardware. Here, we also study how noise impacts these calculations and discuss noise mitigation required to extend our work to larger quantum processing units. With current hardware, up to five superconducting qubits can produce acceptable results, and larger calculations will require a significant noise reduction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Theoretical framework for new magnetic materials for quantum computing and information storage. Final report for the Award No. DE-SC0018910

The focus of this grant was on molecular magnetic materials for information storage and quantum computing. We have been developing robust, first-principle methods for computing relevant electronic and magnetic properties of molecular building blocks (SMMs) of novel magnetic materials and quantum computers. These tools enable theoretical modeling of SMMs’ behavior, facilitating the interpretation of experimental studies and aiding the design of novel magnetic materials. Our strategy is based on the spin-flip (SF) approach, which extends the hierarchy of black-box single-reference methods to strongly correlated systems. Specifically, we developed general scalable algorithms and computer codes for calculating molecular properties, with an emphasis on spin-related properties, such as zero-field splittings, hyperfine couplings, and g-tensors. While our primary focus was on SF wave functions and SF-TDDFT, the underlying theory and computer codes were formulated using reduced density matrices, such that these tools are applicable to a broader class of methods. To extend the scope of applicability of wave-function-based SF methods to larger systems, we developed reduced-scaling approaches for the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) methods and continue developing libtensor (our open-source general tensor contraction library for many-body methods). We carried out extensive benchmarks and also carried out several applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1984

The case for aeolian control of meter-scale surface texture on Mars

The origin of Mars surface units and the extent of subsequent cratering play key roles in determining surface texture. At scale sizes of 0.1-10 meters, however, there is a growing body of evidence that wind is the dominant force. The direct and indirect evidence which implies that meter-scale surface texture on Mars is controlled by the wind is presented. Since radar is uniquely sensitive to structure on these scales, radio wave scattering data can provide insight on aeolian activity available from no other source.

Simpson, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A fractal interpretation of topography and geoid spectra on the earth, moon, Venus, and Mars

Global spectra are available for topography and geoid on the earth, Venus, Mars, and the moon. If the spectral energy density has a power law dependence on wave number, a fractal is defined. The topography spectrum for the earth is a well-defined fractal with D = 1.5; this corresponds to Brown noise with the amplitude proportional to the wavelength. Although there is more scatter for the other planetary bodies, the data for Mars and the moon correlate well with the data for the earth. Venus topography also exhibits a Brown noise behavior but with a smaller amplitude. The power law dependence of the earth's geoid is known as Kaula's law. It is shown that uncompensated Brown topography gives a geoid with a power law dependence that is in quite good agreement with Kaula's law. However, the required amplitude is only 8 percent of the observed topography. A similar result is found for the other bodies, with the ratio of the amplitude of topography required to explain the geoid to the observed topography increasing to 72 percent for the moon.

Turcotte, Donald L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A time-dependent wave packet approach to atom-diatom reactive collision probabilities - Theory and application to the H + H2(J = 0) system

This paper describes a new approach to the study of atom-diatom reactive collisions in three dimensions employing wave packets and the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The method uses a projection operator approach to couple the inelastic and reactive portions of the total wave function and optical potentials to circumvent the necessity of using product arrangement coordinates. Reactive transition probabilities are calculated from the state resolved flux of the wave packet as it leaves the interaction region in the direction of the reactive arrangement channel. The present approach is used to obtain such vibrationally resolved probabilities for the three-dimensional H + H2 (J = 0) hydrogen exchange reaction, using a body-fixed system of coordinates.

Neuhauser, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS1991

Monlithic nonplanar ring oscillator and method

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator having an optically isotropic solid-state laser body for propagating laser radiation about a nonplanar ring path internal to the laser body is disclosed. The monolithic laser body is configured to produce a 2N reflection nonplanar ring light path, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, comprising 2N-1 total internal reflections and one reflection at a coupler in a single round trip. Undirectional traveling wave oscillation of the laser is induced by the geometry of the nonplanar ring path together with the effect of an applied magnetic field and partial polarizer characteristics of the oblique reflection from the coupler. The 6-reflection nonplanar ring oscillator makes possible otpimal unidirectional oscillation (low loss for the oscillating direction of propagation and, simultaneously high loss for the nonoscillating direction of propagation) in monolithic NPROs using materials with index of refraction smaller than the square root of 3, for example, laser glass.

Nilsson, Alan C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Slosh-Induced Ullage Collapse Validation by Computational Fluid Dynamics and Application to In-space Propellant Dynamics

Ullage collapse predictions made using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) were validated then made for an in-space cryogenic propellant unsettling application. Ullage collapse is the decrease in propellant tank pressure due to cooling of the ullage gas, which can be significant for cryogenic propulsion systems. Vehicles may be developed that are robust to temperature and pressure changes caused by heat leaks, e.g., propellant tanks with high maximum operation pressures, technologies yielding active thermal conditioning, and systems with ample pressurant for conditioning. These methods are robust because additional mass, cost, and complexity are used to address cryogenic fluid management (CFM). As vehicles are optimized for increased payload capacity, tracking of events such as ullage collapse and self-pressurization in tanks will become increasingly important for propellant inventory calculations. Some ullage collapse events can be studied through ground experimentation, but propellant unsettling in and around in-space coast mission phases must be studied in the absence of an acceleration field. Computational Fluid Dynamics is a powerful tool to address this need, enabling prediction of complex physics prior to flight. Validation of the chosen CFD tool and modeling methodology was done using data from a previously conducted subscale slosh-induced ullage collapse ground test performed in part by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). A small tank was partially filled with liquid nitrogen and pressurized with gaseous nitrogen at various temperatures. The tank was oscillated laterally to induce high amplitude slosh dynamics resulting in wave breakup. Successful qualitative validation of slosh wave dynamics and quantitative validation of ullage collapse promoted confidence in extending ullage collapse predictions to a flight application. Mechanisms of ullage collapse caused by main engine cutoff while in-space were identified. Both slosh dynamics leading to engine shutdown and body dynamics following shutdown were shown to contribute to propellant unsettling and ullage collapse.

J M Brodnick↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Kinematic Navigation and Cartography Knapsack (KNaCK) LiDAR System: Overview and Applications.

Improved terrain characterization and navigation sensors and methods are needed to enhance crew safety, ISRU return, and scientific understanding of future landing sites. Specific to the Artemis Program and sustained exploration at the lunar South Pole, extreme low-angle solar illumination conditions pose significant challenges to existing photogrammetry-based robotic navigation. Additionally, a major challenge for navigation on the Moon and other planetary surfaces is the lack of Global Positioning and Navigation Systems (GPS or GNSS). Thus, there is a need for an alternative to image-based navigation that allow for precise and accurate mapping in GPS-denied environments on any planetary body. Here, we describe the Kinematic Navigation and Cartography Knapsack (KNaCK) LiDAR system; a backpack-mounted, mobile navigation and terrain mapping system that uses a velocity-sensing coherent light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system based on a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technique, contains minimal moving parts, and employs sophisticated positioning algorithms. During a traverse, this instrument emits light pulses to continually scan a scene to build a three-dimensional point cloud representation of topography. A measure of the Doppler-velocity at each of millions of range points sampled per second allows for a 6 degree of freedom (6- DoF) estimate of the sensor’s position and the development of novel position-from-velocity mapping and positioning algorithms for loop-closure in GPS denied environments. Included with paper is the video presentation for the Figure 2: FMCW-LiDAR sensor on Kinematic Navigation and Cartography Knapsack (KNaCK) (Aeva Aeries 1)

M. Zanetti↗
DOE OSTI2021

DOE WPTO FY2021 Seedling End Report: Coupling Soil-Foundation Models to MHK Device Dynamic Models to Tighten the Design Envelope

The purpose of this Seedling project is to couple a marine renewable energy (MRE) dynamics simulation software with the soil-foundation models in the OC6 Phase II project [Bergua et al., 2021] and evaluate the software’s performance. This is a first step to accurately evaluating soil-foundation impacts on other types of MRE, like wave or current energy converters (WECs, CECs). OC6 Phase II compares offshore wind turbine (OWT) simulations using several different soil-foundation models to identify and fill key gaps in soil-foundation analyses. WEC-Sim was chosen to model the OC6 Phase II offshore wind turbine and various load cases because of its adaptability, accuracy of hydrodynamic loads, and ability to apply an arbitrary wind loading. Of the four methods used in OC6, the apparent fixity soil-foundation method was coupled with WEC-Sim. Technical challenges with flexible hydrodynamic bodies, added mass and external function libraries inhibited the ability to compare the WEC-Sim results to other OC6 participants. These challenges required that the WEC-Sim model of the OC6 OWT use a combination of rigid and flexible bodies to ensure a numerically stable solution. The rigid monopile creates a more stiff system and causes smaller amplitude motion under hydrodynamic loading and higher dominant frequency of motion under wind loading. These discrepancies are expected based on the increased stiffness of the WEC-Sim case.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fermion Pair Dynamics in Open Quantum Systems

Three-body decay is a rare decay mode observed in a handful of unbound rare isotopes. The angular and energy correlations between emitted nucleons are of particular interest, as they provide invaluable information on the interplay between structure and reaction aspects of the nuclear open quantum system. To study the mechanism of two-nucleon emission, we developed a time-dependent approach that allows us to probe emitted nucleons at long times and large distances. We successfully benchmarked the new method against the Green’s function approach and applied it to low-energy two-proton and two-neutron decays. In particular, we studied the interplay between initial-state nucleon-nucleon correlations and final-state interaction. We demonstrated that the time evolution of the two-nucleon wave function is strongly impacted by the diproton/dineutron dynamics and that the correlations between emitted nucleons provide invaluable information on the dinucleon structure in the initial state.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1951

Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Viscosity on the Drag and Base Pressure of Bodies of Revolution at a Mach Number 1.5

Models were tested to evaluate effects of Reynolds number for both laminar and turbulent boundary layers. Principal geometric variables investigated were afterbody shape and length-diameter ratio. Force tests and base-pressure measurements were made. Schlieren photographs were used to analyze the effects of viscosity on flow separation and shock-wave configuration and to verify the condition of the boundary layer as deduced from the force tests. The results are discussed and compared with theoretical calculations.

Chapman, Dean R↗
NASA NTRS2001

Sleep, performance, circadian rhythms, and light-dark cycles during two space shuttle flights

Sleep, circadian rhythm, and neurobehavioral performance measures were obtained in five astronauts before, during, and after 16-day or 10-day space missions. In space, scheduled rest-activity cycles were 20-35 min shorter than 24 h. Light-dark cycles were highly variable on the flight deck, and daytime illuminances in other compartments of the spacecraft were very low (5.0-79.4 lx). In space, the amplitude of the body temperature rhythm was reduced and the circadian rhythm of urinary cortisol appeared misaligned relative to the imposed non-24-h sleep-wake schedule. Neurobehavioral performance decrements were observed. Sleep duration, assessed by questionnaires and actigraphy, was only approximately 6.5 h/day. Subjective sleep quality diminished. Polysomnography revealed more wakefulness and less slow-wave sleep during the final third of sleep episodes. Administration of melatonin (0.3 mg) on alternate nights did not improve sleep. After return to earth, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was markedly increased. Crewmembers on these flights experienced circadian rhythm disturbances, sleep loss, decrements in neurobehavioral performance, and postflight changes in REM sleep.

Non-NASA Center↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simulations of axion minihalos

The axion, motivated as a solution to the strong CP problem, is also a viable dark matter candidate. The axion field takes random values in causally disconnected regions if the symmetry breaking that establishes the particle occurs after inflation, leading to white-noise density fluctuations at low wave numbers and forming dense minihalos with sub-planetary masses subsequently. There have been two recent proposals that appear capable of testing this scenario, namely using pulsar timing arrays and studying cosmological microlensing caustics. Motivated by these proposals, we use N-body simulations to study the formation of substructures from white-noise density fluctuations. The density profiles of our relaxed axion minihalos can be described by the Navarro–Frenk–White profile, and the minihalos’ concentration number agrees well with a simple, physically-motivated model. We develop a semi-analytic formula to fit the mass function from our simulation, which agrees broadly at different redshifts and only differs at factor of two level from classic halo mass functions. This analytic mass function allows us to consider uncertainties in the post-inflation axion scenario, as well as extrapolate our high-redshift simulations results to the present. Our work estimates the present-day abundance of axion substructures, as is necessary for predicting their effect on cosmological microlensing caustics and pulsar timing. Our calculations suggest that if pulsar timing and microlensing probes can reach recent sensitivity forecasts, they may be sensitive to the post-inflation axion dark matter scenario, even when accounting for uncertainties pertaining to axion strings. For pulsar timing, the most significant caveat is whether axion minihalos are disrupted by stars, which our estimates show is mildly important at the most relevant masses. In conclusion, as our gravitational simulations are scale invariant, the results can be extended to models where the dark matter is comprised of other axion-like particles and even clusters of primordial black holes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1987

An analysis of artificial viscosity effects on reacting flows using a spectral multi-domain technique

Analytical and experimental techniques for modeling the aerothermodynamics of hypersonic flight are assessed, together with the problems which will be encountered in developing reusable hypersonic vehicles. Emphasis is placed on a numerical coupling between a nonequilibrium chemistry model and hypersonic flow kinematics. Finite difference and finite element descriptions of flow fields in which molecules encounter a shock wave and undergo various motion (and thereby energy) transformations are discussed. The effects of artificial smearing of the shock wave are considered in terms of the resulting effects on the distribution of the energies and chemical composition of the transition region. Results are provided from schlieren photographs of shock-tube experiments, Navier-Stokes calculations of axisymmetric flow over a conical body, and calculations using a spectral multidomain approach for chemically reacting flows.

Macaraeg, Michele G.↗