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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 NTRS1975

Polar symmetric flow of a viscous compressible atmosphere - An application to Mars

The atmosphere is assumed to be driven by a polar symmetric temperature field. The surface pressure gradient exhibits a latitudinal dependence opposite that of the depth-averaged temperature. The magnitude of the gradient is dependent upon the depth of the boundary layer, which depends upon the eddy viscosity, the boundary conditions imposed at the surface, and upon the temperature lapse rate. Using a temperature model for Mars based on Mariner 9 infrared spectral data with a 30% increase in the depth-averaged temperature from the winter pole to the subsolar point, the increase in surface pressure from the subsolar point to the winter pole was calculated as a function of eddy viscosity with no-slip conditions imposed at the surface. The meridional cellular flow rate is correlated with the eddy viscosity, causing a complete overturning of the atmosphere in tens of days for an eddy viscosity of .1 billion sq cm/sec and in hundreds of days for 1 million sq cm/sec. The implication of this overturning in the dust storm observed during the early part of the Mariner 9 mission is discussed briefly.

Pirraglia, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Compositional Evolution of Saturn's Rings Due to Meteoroid Bombardment

In this paper we address the question of compositional evolution in planetary ring systems subsequent to meteoroid bombardment. The huge surface area to mass ratio of planetary rings ensures that this is an important process, even with current uncertainties on the meteoroid flux. We develop a new model which includes both direct deposition of extrinsic meteoritic "pollutants", and ballistic transport of the increasingly polluted ring material as impact ejecta. Our study includes detailed radiative transfer modeling of ring particle spectral reflectivities based on refractive indices of realistic constituents. Voyager data have shown that the lower optical depth regions in Saturn's rings (the C ring and Cassini Division) have darker and less red particles than the optically thicken A and B rings. These coupled structural-compositional groupings have never been explained; we present and explore the hypothesis that global scale color and compositional differences in the main rings of Saturn arise naturally from extrinsic meteoroid bombardment of a ring system which was initially composed primarily, but not entirely, of water ice. We find that the regional color and albedo differences can be understood if all ring material was initially identical (primarily water ice, based on other data, but colored by tiny amounts of intrinsic reddish, plausibly organic, absorber) and then evolved entirely by addition and mixing of extrinsic, nearly neutrally colored. plausibly carbonaceous material. We further demonstrate that the detailed radial profile of color across the abrupt B ring - C ring boundary can.constrain key unknown parameters in the model. Using new alternates of parameter values, we estimate the duration of the exposure to extrinsic meteoroid flux of this part of the rings, at least, to be on the order of 10(exp 8) years. This conclusion is easily extended by inference to the Cassini Division and its surroundings as well. This geologically young "age" is compatible with timescales estimated elsewhere based on the evolution of ring structure due to ballistic transport, and also with other "short timescales" estimated on the grounds of gravitational torques. However, uncertainty in the flux of interplanetary debris and in the ejects yield may preclude ruling out a ring age as old as the solar system at this time.

Cuzzi, J.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Citizen Green #1 Well: MICP and Pycnometry Data, Sidewall Cores

This submission includes information on helium pycnometry & MICP measurements conducted on sidewall sub-samples from the Citizen Green #1 well drilled on King Island, CA (API 07720688) as part of the WESTCARB partnership basin characterization effort. Cores were acquired with a rotary sidewall tool at a range of depths. See the sidewallCore submission for additional formation data.

Citizen Green↗
NASA NTRS1994

Retrieval of sizes and total masses of particles in volcanic clouds using AVHRR bands 4 and 5

The advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) sensor on polar orbiting NOAA satellites can discriminate between volcanic clouds and meteorological clouds using two-band data in the thermal infrared. This paper is aimed at developing a retrieval of the particle sizes, optical depth, and total masses of particles from AVHRR two-band data of volcanic clouds. Radiative transfer calculations are used with a semi-transparent cloud model that is based on assumptions of spherical particle shape, a homogeneous underlying surface, and a simple thin cloud parallel to the surface. The model is applied to observed AVHRR data from a 13-hour old drifting cloud from the August 19, 1992, eruption of Crater Peak/Spurr Volcano, Alaska. The AVHRR data fit in the range of results calculated by the model, which supports its credibility. According to the model results, the average of effective particle radius in the test frame of this cloud is in the range of 2 to 2.5 micrometer, the optical depth at 12 micrometer is about 0.60 - 0.65. The total estimated mass of ash in the air amounts to 0.24 - 0.31 x 10(exp 6) tons, which is about 0.7-0.9% of the mass measured in the ashfall blanket. Sensitivity tests show that the mass estimate is more sensitive to the assumed ash size distribution than it is to the ash composition.

Wen, Shiming↗
DOE OSTI2017

First Results from the Hertzsprung SONG Telescope: Asteroseismology of the G5 Subgiant Star μ Herculis

We report the first asteroseismic results obtained with the Hertzsprung Stellar Observations Network Group Telescope from an extensive high-precision radial-velocity observing campaign of the subgiant μ Herculis. The data set was collected during 215 nights in 2014 and 2015. We detected a total of 49 oscillation modes with l values from zero to three, including some l = 1 mixed modes. Based on the rotational splitting observed in l = 1 modes, we determine a rotational period of 52 days and a stellar inclination angle of 63°. The parameters obtained through modeling of the observed oscillation frequencies agree very well with independent observations and imply a stellar mass between 1.11 and 1.15 M {sub ⊙} and an age of 7.8{sub −0.4}{sup +0.3} Gyr. Furthermore, the high-quality data allowed us to determine the acoustic depths of the He ii ionization layer and the base of the convection zone.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Identification and Photometric Classification of Extragalactic Transients in the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Data Preview 1

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will soon survey the southern sky, delivering a depth and sky coverage that is unprecedented in time-domain astronomy. As part of commissioning, Data Preview 1 (DP1) has been released. It comprises a Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Commissioning Camera observing campaign between 2024 November and December with multiband imaging of seven fields, covering roughly 0.4 deg 2 each, providing a first glimpse into the data products that will become available once the LSST begins. In this work, we search three fields for extragalactic transients. We identify eight new likely supernovae (SNe), and three known ones from a sample of 369,644 difference image analysis objects. Photometric classification using Superphot+ assigns subclasses with >95% confidence to only one SN Ia and one SN II in this sample. Our findings are in agreement with SN detection rate predictions of 15 ± 4 SNe from simulations using simsurvey. The SN detection rate in the data is possibly affected by the lack of suitable templates. Nevertheless, this work demonstrates the quality of the data products delivered in DP1 and indicates that the Rubin Observatory’s LSST is well placed to fulfill its discovery potential in time-domain astronomy.

Freeburn, James [University of North Carolina, Cha↗
DOE OSTI2023

NETL Plastic Pipes Project (Final Report)

Plastic or composite pipelines have been the bane of the utility locating industry because they are neither conductive nor magnetic which are the properties traditionally used to locate buried utilities. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is an effective geophysical tool for locating plastic/composite pipelines where resistive cover allows for adequate penetration of radar energy. However, GPR has limited applicability in areas where the soil cover is conductive due to significant clay and/or salt content. This study examines complementary near-surface geophysical methods that are potentially useful for locating buried plastic/composite pipelines, either singly or in combination. Specifically, this modeling study used computational numerical methods to forward model the response of GPR, resistivity, seismic, gravity gradiometry, and photoacoustic/thermoacoustic imaging methods to plastic/composite pipelines for various scenarios including: (1) pipe diameters ranging between 2 in. to 12 in.; (2) burial depths ranging between 3 ft. to 4 ft.; (3) various degrees in contrast in physical properties (i.e., electrical permittivity, elasticity, resistivity, density); and (4) various experimental acquisition choices (e.g., GPR radar and seismic source frequencies, electrode spacing). Numerical modeling performed herein reconfirmed that GPR is the preferred method for detecting/locating plastic pipelines. A caveat for GPR detection is that the material covering the plastic pipe (trench fill material and adjacent soil) must be sufficiently resistive to allow the two-way propagation to the required depth of investigation and back to the surface. GPR was the only method modeled in this study that can be used to directly detect plastic pipelines of 2-in.-diameter and larger when buried 3-ft-deep. GPR data processing and imaging also can determine pipe depth, pipe diameter, trench dimensions, and moisture conditions. Seismic modeling results suggest that direct detection of a 12-in.-diameter plastic pipe at 3-ft.-depth may be possible under favorable conditions; however, the associated signature would be weak (e.g., surface- to S-wave, backscattered surface-waves, and/or forward scattered surface-waves to S-wave). Direct pipe detection under field conditions with noise and strong lateral geologic heterogeneity is doubtful. Numerical modeling also suggests that plastic pipelines can be indirectly located by detecting the trench in which they are buried. GPR, direct current (DC) resistivity, and seismic methods have the potential to locate the pipeline trench if there is sufficient contrast between the trench-wall and trench-fill materials for the physical property being measured by each method (i.e., electrical permittivity for GPR; resistivity for DC resistivity; or density, compressional velocity, or shear velocity for seismic). Modeling also indicated that currently available (commercial) gravity gradiometers would be unable to directly detect/locate plastic pipelines ≤ 8-in.-diameter when buried 3-ft.-deep given the typical instrument noise floor for field surveying as well as the expected density variations due to geologic heterogeneity. The numerical modeling performed in this project did not identify a universal geophysical technology that can locate buried plastic pipelines in all parts of the United States (although GPR is suggested for all areas with resistive cover). However, the project results suggest that a towed land streamer simultaneously acquiring multiple geophysical data types including multi-offset GPR, multi-channel DC resistivity, seismic geophone- and/or distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), and potentially photoacoustic/thermoacoustic data would be an appropriate platform for locating buried plastic pipeline. Moreover, the complementary multiphysics data acquired by a towed land streamer would permit the use of joint and/or cooperative inversion frameworks for a more rigorous and consistent data interpretation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1976

Lunar seismic profiling experiment natural activity study

The Lunar Seismic Experiment Natural Activity Study has provided a unique opportunity to study the high frequency (4-20 Hz) portion to the seismic spectrum on the moon. The data obtained from the LSPE was studied to evaluate the origin and importance of the process that generates thermal moonquakes and the characteristics of the seismic scattering zone at the lunar surface. The detection of thermal moonquakes by the LSPE array made it possible to locate the sources of many events and determine that they are definitely not generated by astronaut activities but are the result of a natural process on the moon. The propagation of seismic waves in the near-surface layers was studied in a qualitative manner. In the absence of an adequate theoretical model for the propagation of seismic waves in the moon, it is not possible to assign a depth for the scattering layer. The LSPE data does define several parameters which must be satisfied by any model developed in the future.

Duennebier, F. K.↗
DOE OSTI2015

A patient-specific aperture system with an energy absorber for spot scanning proton beams: Verification for clinical application

Purpose: In the authors’ proton therapy system, the patient-specific aperture can be attached to the nozzle of spot scanning beams to shape an irradiation field and reduce lateral fall-off. The authors herein verified this system for clinical application. Methods: The authors prepared four types of patient-specific aperture systems equipped with an energy absorber to irradiate shallow regions less than 4 g/cm{sup 2}. The aperture was made of 3-cm-thick brass and the maximum water equivalent penetration to be used with this system was estimated to be 15 g/cm{sup 2}. The authors measured in-air lateral profiles at the isocenter plane and integral depth doses with the energy absorber. All input data were obtained by the Monte Carlo calculation, and its parameters were tuned to reproduce measurements. The fluence of single spots in water was modeled as a triple Gaussian function and the dose distribution was calculated using a fluence dose model. The authors compared in-air and in-water lateral profiles and depth doses between calculations and measurements for various apertures of square, half, and U-shaped fields. The absolute doses and dose distributions with the aperture were then validated by patient-specific quality assurance. Measured data were obtained by various chambers and a 2D ion chamber detector array. Results: The patient-specific aperture reduced the penumbra from 30% to 70%, for example, from 34.0 to 23.6 mm and 18.8 to 5.6 mm. The calculated field width for square-shaped apertures agreed with measurements within 1 mm. Regarding patient-specific aperture plans, calculated and measured doses agreed within −0.06% ± 0.63% (mean ± SD) and 97.1% points passed the 2%-dose/2 mm-distance criteria of the γ-index on average. Conclusions: The patient-specific aperture system improved dose distributions, particularly in shallow-region plans.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2019

Joint Assimilation of the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler Data: Towards a Reanalysis of Stratospheric Ozone for Trend Studies

The future trajectory of the stratospheric ozone recovery will be sensitive to greenhouse gas concentrations through thermal control of chemical loss and via stratospheric circulation changes. The latter in particular is subject to considerable uncertainty meriting continuing monitoring of the evolution of ozone throughout the depth of the stratosphere. Atmospheric reanalyses utilize the data assimilation methodology to obtain comprehensive representations of the state of the atmosphere, including its composition, on multidecadal scales by combining diverse measurements from satellite-borne and conventional data sources. Systematic biases among these various data types pose a challenge for assimilation by introducing spurious discontinuities that affect the utility of reanalyses for studies of long-term variability and trends.In this presentation we will outline an approach, developed at NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), that allows joint assimilation of stratospheric ozone profiles from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on EOS Aura and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP) currently flying on the Suomi-NPP satellite with future missions projected into the 2030s. We will demonstrate that a simple offline correction significantly reduces biases between MLS and OMPS-LP ozone data providing a strategy for generating a long-term vertically resolved homogenized representation of stratospheric ozone in future reanalyses. One novel element of our approach compared to previous GMAO reanalysis is the use of a version of the Goddard Earth Observing System model with full stratospheric chemistry. We will show selected comparisons of MLS and OMPS-LP assimilation experiments with independent ozonesonde and satellite data as well as two examples of process-based evaluation focused on the 2016 QBO disruption and Arctic winter ozone loss focusing on the relative performance of the MLS and OMPS-LP analyses.

Wargan, K.↗
DOE OSTI2017

The effects of burial diagenesis on multiscale porosity in the St. Peter Sandstone: An imaging, small-angle, and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering analysis

To examine the effects of burial diagenesis on heirarchical pore structures in sandstone and compare those with the effects of overgrowth formation, we obtained samples of St. Peter Sandstone from drill cores obtained in the Illinois and Michigan Basins. The multiscale pore structure of rocks in sedimentary reservoirs and the mineralogy associated with those pores are critical factors for estimating reservoir properties, including fluid mass in place, permeability, and capillary pressures, as well as geochemical interactions between the rock and the fluid. The combination of small- and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering with backscattered electron or X ray-computed tomographic imaging, or both, provided a means by which pore structures were quantified at scales ranging from aproximately 1 nm to 1 cm—seven orders of magnitude. Larger scale (>10 µm) porosity showed the expected logarithmic decrease in porosity with depth, although there was significant variation in each sample group. However, small- and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering data showed that the proportion of small-scale porosity increased with depth. Porosity distributions were not continuous, but consisted of a series of log normal-like distributions at several distinct scales within these rocks. Fractal dimensions at larger scales decreased (surfaces smoothed) with increasing depth, and those at smaller scales increased (surfaces roughened) and pores become more isolated (higher lacunarity). Furthermore, data suggest that changes in pore-size distributions are controlled by both physical (compaction) and chemical effects (precipitation, cementation, dissolution).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1975

Investigation of low-latitude hydrogen emission in terms of a two-component interstellar gas model

High-resolution 21-cm hydrogen line observations at low galactic latitude are analyzed to determine the large-scale distribution of galactic hydrogen. Distribution parameters are found by model fitting, optical depth effects are computed using a two-component gas model suggested by the observations, and calculations are made for a one-component uniform spin-temperature gas model to show the systematic departures between this model and data obtained by incorrect treatment of the optical depth effects. Synthetic 21-cm line profiles are computed from the two-component model, and the large-scale trends of the observed emission profiles are reproduced together with the magnitude of the small-scale emission irregularities. Values are determined for the thickness of the galactic hydrogen disk between half density points, the total observed neutral hydrogen mass of the galaxy, and the central number density of the intercloud hydrogen atoms. It is shown that typical hydrogen clouds must be between 1 and 13 pc in diameter and that optical thinness exists on large-scale despite the presence of optically thin gas.

Baker, P. L.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integration of ultra-low coverage whole-genome sequences for reconstructing the evolutionary history of Galapagos giant tortoises

Genomic data from contemporary and historical samples often need to be coupled for evolutionary reconstructions of multitaxon complexes. However, the genetic data recovered from historical samples may result only in ultra-low coverage whole-genome sequences (ulcWGS; <0.15× depth), leading to inaccurate evolutionary inferences given a preponderance of missing data. Using the Galapagos giant tortoise radiation as a study system (Chelonoidis spp., composed of 13 extant and four extinct lineages), we assembled a novel methodological pipeline that removes potential noise introduced by the missing data and enhances the evolutionary signal from ulcWGS samples. We leveraged existing tools for phylogenomic placement (EPA-ng), population genomic structure (smartsnp) and admixture (Admixfrog, NGSadmix) to demonstrate that the evolutionary history of samples can be uncovered with sequencing depths as low as 0.008–0.139×. Importantly, these approaches do not use genotype imputation of the ulcWGS samples, which would require extensive reference datasets. Our application to two cases of extinct lineages of Galapagos giant tortoises, with and without references from the same lineage, demonstrates the general value of the approach. We confirm where the extinct lineages from San Cristóbal and Santa Fe islands fit into the Galapagos giant tortoise radiation, and that these lineages were evolutionarily distinct entities.

ancient DNA↗
NASA NTRS1980

The application of remotely sensed data in support of emergency rehabilitation of wildfire-damage areas

The depth, texture, and water holding capacity of the soil before the fire in the Bridge Creek area of Deschutes National Forest (1979) were determined from available aerial photography and LANDSAT MSS digital data. Three days after the fire was out, complete coverage of the burned area was acquired on 35 mm color infrared film from a near vertical or low oblique perspective. These photographs were used in assessing the condition of vegetation, and in predicting the likelihood of survival. Negatives from vertical natural photography obtained during the same flight were used to produce 3R prints from which large scale mosaics of the entire burned area were obtained. LANDSAT MSS data obtained on the day the fire was under control were used to evaluate vegetative vigor (by calculating a band 7/band 5 ratio value for each spectral class) and to determine the boundary between altered and unaltered land.

Isaacson, D. L.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Quantifying soil carbon accumulation in Alaskan terrestrial ecosystems during the last 15 000 years

Abstract. Northern high latitudes contain large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC), of which Alaskan terrestrial ecosystems account for a substantial proportion. In this study, the SOC accumulation in Alaskan terrestrial ecosystems over the last 15 000 years was simulated using a process-based biogeochemistry model for both peatland and non-peatland ecosystems. Comparable with the previous estimates of 25–70 Pg C in peatland and 13–22 Pg C in non-peatland soils within 1 m depth in Alaska using peat-core data, our model estimated a total SOC of 36–63 Pg C at present, including 27–48 Pg C in peatland soils and 9–15 Pg C in non-peatland soils. Current vegetation stored 2.5–3.7 Pg C in Alaska, with 0.3–0.6 Pg C in peatlands and 2.2–3.1 Pg C in non-peatlands. The simulated average rate of peat C accumulation was 2.3 Tg C yr−1, with a peak value of 5.1 Tg C yr−1 during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) in the early Holocene, 4-fold higher than the average rate of 1.4 Tg C yr−1 over the rest of the Holocene. The SOC accumulation slowed down, or even ceased, during the neoglacial climate cooling after the mid-Holocene, but increased again in the 20th century. The model-estimated peat depths ranged from 1.1 to 2.7 m, similar to the field-based estimate of 2.29 m for the region. We found that the changes in vegetation and their distributions were the main factors in determining the spatial variations of SOC accumulation during different time periods. Warmer summer temperature and stronger radiation seasonality, along with higher precipitation in the HTM and the 20th century, might have resulted in the extensive peatland expansion and carbon accumulation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2008

Environmental Public Health Survelliance for Exposure to Respiratory Health Hazards: A Joint NASA/CDC Project to Use Remote Sensing Data for Estimating Airborne Particulate Matter Over the Atlanta, Georgia Metropolitan Area

Describes the public health surveillance efforts of NASA, in a joint effort with the Center for Disease Control (CDC). NASA/MSFC and the CDC are partners in linking nvironmental and health data to enhance public health surveillance. The use of NASA technology creates value - added geospatial products from existing environmental data sources to facilitate public health linkages. The venture sought to provide remote sensing data for the 5-country Metro-Atlanta area and to integrate this environmental data with public health data into a local network, in an effort to prevent and control environmentally related health effects. Remote sensing data used environmental data (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] Air Quality System [AQS] ground measurements and MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth [AOD]) to estimate airborne particulate matter over Atlanta, and linked this data with health data related to asthma. The study proved the feasibility of linking environmental data (MODIS particular matter estimates and AQS) with health data (asthma). Algorithms were developed for QC, bias removal, merging MODIS and AQS particulate matter data, as well as for other applications. Additionally, a Business Associate Agreement was negotiated for a health care provider to enable sharing of Protected Health Information.

Quattrochi, Dale A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Drogue performance evaluation. Part 1: Data acquisition

Surface buoy/subsurface drogue drag coupling was investigated. Data acquisition methods and techniques derived from several experimental cruises on the Chesapeake Bay are presented. Four buoys were utilized: three coupled to steel plates rigidly attached to each other at right angles and at various depths; and one spar type that did not require drag plates. Data from these surface floats and the drogue depth combinations were processed. Errors in tracking the surface buoys are discussed.

Johnson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Investigation of remote sensing to detect near-surface groundwater on irrigated lands

The application of remote sensing techniques was studied for detecting areas with high water tables in irrigated agricultural lands. Aerial data were collected by the LANDSAT-1 satellite and aircraft over the Kansas/Bostwick Irrigation District in Republic and Jewell Counties, Kansas. LANDSAT-1 data for May 12 and August 10, 1973, and aircraft flights (midday and predawn) on August 10 and 11, 1973, and June 25 and 26, 1974, were obtained. Surface and water table contour maps and active observation well hydrographs were obtained from the Bureau of Reclamation for use in the analysis. Results of the study reveal that LANDSAT-1 data (May MSS band 6 and August MSS band 7) correlate significantly (0.01 level) with water table depth for 144 active observation wells located throughout the Kansas/Bostwick Irrigation District. However, a map of water table depths of less than 1.83 meters prepared from the LANDSAT-1 data did not compare favorably with a map of seeped lands of less than 1.22 m (4 feet) to the water table. Field evaluation of the map is necessary for a complete analysis. Analysis of three fields on a within or single-field basis for the 1973 LANDSAT-1 data also showed significant correlation results.

Ryland, D. W.↗