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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 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Using Information From Prior Satellite Scans to Improve Cloud Detection Near the Day-Night Terminator

With geostationary satellite data it is possible to have a continuous record of diurnal cycles of cloud properties for a large portion of the globe. Daytime cloud property retrieval algorithms are typically superior to nighttime algorithms because daytime methods utilize measurements of reflected solar radiation. However, reflected solar radiation is difficult to accurately model for high solar zenith angles where the amount of incident radiation is small. Clear and cloudy scenes can exhibit very small differences in reflected radiation and threshold-based cloud detection methods have more difficulty setting the proper thresholds for accurate cloud detection. Because top-of-atmosphere radiances are typically more accurately modeled outside the terminator region, information from previous scans can help guide cloud detection near the terminator. This paper presents an algorithm that uses cloud fraction and clear and cloudy infrared brightness temperatures from previous satellite scan times to improve the performance of a threshold-based cloud mask near the terminator. Comparisons of daytime, nighttime, and terminator cloud fraction derived from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) radiance measurements show that the algorithm greatly reduces the number of false cloud detections and smoothes the transition from the daytime to the nighttime clod detection algorithm. Comparisons with the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) data show that using this algorithm decreases the number of false detections by approximately 20 percentage points.

Yost, Christopher R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nucleus capture by macroscopic dark matter

For a class of macroscopic dark matter with a large interaction strength with Standard Model particles, a nucleus could be captured by the dense, heavy dark matter as it traverses ordinary material. The radiated photon carries most of the binding energy and is a characteristic signature for dark matter detection. We develop analytic formulas and present numerical results for this radiative capture process in the low energy, non-dipole limit. Large-volume neutrino detectors like NOνA, JUNO, DUNE and Super(Hyper)-K may detect multi-hit or single-hit radiative capture events and can search for dark matter up to one gram in mass.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1977

Measurements of the frequency spectrum of transition radiation

We report a measurement of the frequency spectrum of X-ray transition radiation. X rays were generated by electrons of 5 and 9 GeV in radiators of multiple polypropylene foils, and detected in the range 4 to 30 keV with a calibrated single-crystal Bragg spectrometer. The experimental results closely reproduce the features of the theoretically predicted spectrum. In particular, the pronounced interference pattern of multifoil radiators and the expected hardening of the radiation with increasing foil thickness are clearly observed. The overall intensity of the radiation is somewhat lower than predicted by calculations.

Cherry, M. L.↗
DOE OSTI2026

CADIS and FW-CADIS Variance Reduction in Gamma Transport for Predicting Prompt Forensics Signatures

The goal of prompt nuclear forensics is to determine the characteristics of a nuclear detonation based on the signatures available almost immediately after the explosion. An important characteristic is the reaction time history (RTH), a measure of the device’s rate of neutron multiplication. The RTH can be estimated by observation of the gamma radiation emitted from the detonation, which can be detected directly or observed indirectly as Teller light. Gamma transport simulations used to predict these radiation fields are often modeled stochastically using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code, which can be a computationally demanding task due to the number of particle histories needed to achieve statistical convergence. In an attempt to improve the efficiency of these calculations, we evaluate two variance reduction techniques: Consistent Adjoint-Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) and Forward-Weighted Consistent Adjoint-Driven Importance Sampling (FW-CADIS). These methods use a deterministically calculated adjoint flux to create weight windows and source biasing that guide MCNP sampling. We study the utility of CADIS and FW-CADIS for their use in MCNP gamma transport for nuclear forensics prediction simulations. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that both CADIS and FW-CADIS improve the accuracy for forensics-focused simulations, with CADIS being most beneficial in direct detection and FW-CADIS being ideal for computing a global Teller light source.

CADIS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Novel Methods to Produce an Argon-37 Standard

This poster describes details of a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project to produce and measure argon-37 for nuclear explosion detection.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Zeeman effect in astrophysical water masers and the observation of strong magnetic fields in regions of star formation

The present study solves the transfer equations for the polarized radiation of astrophysical 22-GHz water masers in the presence of a magnetic field which causes a Zeeman splitting that is much smaller than the spectral line breadth. The emphasis is placed on the relationship between the recently detected circular polarization in this maser radiation and the strength of the magnetic field. When the observed spectral line breadth is smaller than about 0.8 km/s (FWHM), it is calculated that the uncertainty is less than a factor of about 2. The accuracy is improved significantly when the angle between the line of sight and the direction of the magnetic field does not exceed about 45 deg. Uncertainty in the strength of the magnetic field due to lack of knowledge about which hyperfine transition is the source of the 22-GHz masers is removed. The 22-GHz maser feature is found to be the result of a merger of the three strongest hyperfine components.

Nedoluha, Gerald E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Advanced Space Radiation Detector Technology Development

The advanced space radiation detector development team at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has the goal of developing unique, more compact radiation detectors that provide improved real-time data on space radiation. The team has performed studies of different detector designs using a variety of combinations of solid-state detectors, which allow higher sensitivity to radiation in a smaller package and operate at lower voltage than traditional detectors. Integration of multiple solid-state detectors will result in an improved detector system in comparison to existing state-of-the-art instruments for the detection and monitoring of the space radiation field for deep space and aerospace applications.

Wrbanek, John D.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Advanced Space Radiation Detector Technology Development

The advanced space radiation detector development team at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has the goal of developing unique, more compact radiation detectors that provide improved real-time data on space radiation. The team has performed studies of different detector designs using a variety of combinations of solid-state detectors, which allow higher sensitivity to radiation in a smaller package and operate at lower voltage than traditional detectors. Integration of multiple solid-state detectors will result in an improved detector system in comparison to existing state-of-the-art instruments for the detection and monitoring of the space radiation field for deep space and aerospace applications.

Wrbanek, John D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Sky survey at far infrared wavelengths using a balloon-borne telescope

Localized sources of far infrared radiation (approximately 50 microns) have been detected during a high altitude balloon flight with a 40 cm telescope and silicon detectors. The flight system is described and preliminary results are presented. A large area of the sky has been scanned for localized sources of far infrared radiation, using a balloon-borne system that was sensitive to wavelengths beyond about 55 microns. Two Molectron silicon bolometers were used, with a Newtonian telescope having a 40 cm primary. The telescope was driven in azimuth at a fixed elevation; this mode of scanning was carried out for the duration of each of two balloon flights. The flight system is described.

Friedlander, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Precise spacecraft tracking using VLBI digital tone extraction for the purpose of gravitational wave detection

The prospect for the detection of a cosmic background of gravitational wave radiation is discussed. Experiments utilizing precise Doppler tracking of interplanetary spacecraft for the purpose of detecting this background are reviewed. Results of a recent experiment are presented which used facilities of NASA's Deep Space Tracking Network and Owens Valley Radio Observatory to track the Voyager spacecraft in an ultra precise manner using two independent hydrogen masers as frequency standards. The present limiting sensitivity of these experiments are believed to be tropospheric and plasma variations affecting the X band microwave signals at periods of between 1,000 - 10,000 seconds duration.

Anderson, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Advanced Space Radiation Detector Technology Development

The advanced space radiation detector development team at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has the goal of developing unique, more compact radiation detectors that provide improved real-time data on space radiation. The team has performed studies of different detector designs using a variety of combinations of solid-state detectors, which allow higher sensitivity to radiation in a smaller package and operate at lower voltage than traditional detectors. Integration of multiple solid-state detectors will result in an improved detector system in comparison to existing state-of-the-art (SOA) instruments for the detection and monitoring of the space radiation field for deep space and aerospace applications.

Wrbanek, John D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Neutron response of the TLYC scintillator

The response of the recently developed Tl 2 LiYCl 6 (Ce) scintillator to neutrons was measured and the 35 Cl(n,p) channel observed in the material for the first time. The scintillator was exposed to a 252 Cf source mounted within a parallel-plate avalanche counter for fission-fragment coincident measurements. Proton- and -like events are selected with the pulse-shape discrimination technique. Additionally, comparison of energy-deposition and time-of-flight allows the quenching of the different channels to be assessed. The 6 Li(n,t) channel is found to have its energy quenched to 37(1)% relative to -ray detection, while the proton energy deposition spectrum is quenched to 60(1)%.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Gallium oxide semiconductor-based large volume ultrafast radiation hard spectroscopic scintillators

We report on the development of the first-ever inorganic radiation-hard moisture-insensitive large volume spectroscopic semiconductor-based scintillator with less than 2 ns decay time and light yields as high as 8000 ph/MeV. Despite extensive research into scintillator materials, the quest for an ideal scintillator combining ultrafast decay times (akin to BaF 2 and Yb-doped scintillators such as Lu 2 O 3 :Yb), high light yields (exceeding 2000 photons per MeV), spectroscopic capabilities, and exceptional radiation hardness remain unfulfilled. In this study, we demonstrate and report for the first time the viability of large-volume (up to 20 mm thickness) gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 ) semiconductor-based scintillators for applications requiring these properties. These β-Ga 2 O 3 scintillators were grown using the fast turnaround (~2 days) crucible-free optical float zone (FZ) technique. The high light yield and ultrafast decay time of these high-purity n-type semiconductors with free carrier concentration of 6 × 10 17 cm –3 are attributed to native defects, specifically oxygen vacancies (V O ) and gallium–oxygen vacancy pairs (V Ga –V O ), generated during optimized FZ growth. The ultrafast decay, along with high light yield, enables excellent timing resolution and high count rate detection for applications like time-of-flight positron emission tomography, physics experiments, and nuclear safety. The radiation hardness of these devices has been documented in a separate publication.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1975

Laser processes in plasmadynamic flows

Radiation emitted from the exhaust flow of a multi-megawatt, quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic accelerator has been examined photoelectrically for argon mass flows from 6 to 32 g/sec and arc currents up to 25 kA. Vacuum ultraviolet radiation, indicative of resonance transitions, has been detected photoelectrically at various axial locations downstream of the arc chamber, consistent with a relaxation length calculated using a collisional-radiative recombination model. Photoelectric measurements of particular transitions in the neutral and first ionic state of argon show that populations of excited electronic states of AII are in excess of that which would be expected on the basis of Saha-Boltzmann equilibrium at the local electron temperature and number density. Optical depth measurements indicate that for a current of 4 kA and argon mass flow of 12 g/sec, a population inversion exists between the upper and lower states of the 0.4880 micron argon ion transition.

Campbell, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Flight solar calibrations using the Mirror Attenuator Mosaic (MAM): Low scattering mirror

Measurements of solar radiances reflected from the mirror attenuator mosaic (MAM) were used to calibrate the shortwave portions of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) thermistor bolometer scanning radiometers. The MAM is basically a low scattering mirror which has been used to attenuate and reflect solar radiation into the fields of view for the broadband shortwave (0.2 to 5 micrometers) and total (0.2 to 50.0+ micrometers) ERBE scanning radiometers. The MAM assembly consists of a tightly packed array of aluminum, 0.3175-cm diameter concave spherical mirrors and field of view limiting baffles. The spherical mirrors are masked by a copper plate, electro-plated with black chrome. Perforations (0.14 centimeter in diameter) in the copper plate serve as apertures for the mirrors. Black anodized aluminum baffles limit the MAM clear field of view to 7.1 degrees. The MAM assemblies are located on the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA-9 and NOAA-10 spacecraft. The 1984-1985 ERBS and 1985-1986 NOAA-9 solar calibration datasets are presented. Analyses of the calibrations indicate that the MAM exhibited no detectable degradation in its reflectance properties and that the gains of the shortwave scanners did not change. The stability of the shortwave radiometers indicates that the transmission of the Suprasil W1 filters did not degrade detectably when exposed to Earth/atmosphere-reflected solar radiation.

Lee, Robert B., III↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evident Biological Effects of Space Radiation in Astronauts

Though cancer risks are the primary concern for astronauts exposed to space radiation and a number of astronauts have developed cancer, identifying a direct association or cause of disease has been somewhat problematic due to a lack of statistics and a lack of an appropriate control group. However, several bio,logical effects observed in astronauts are believed to be primarily due to exposure to space radiation. Among those are, light flashes experienced by astronauts from early missions, cataract development in the crewmembers and excess chromosome aberrations detected in astronauts' lymphocytes postmission. The space radiation environment and evident biological effects will be discussed.

Wu, Honglu↗