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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

The main magnetic field of Jupiter

The main magnetic field of Jupiter has been measured by the Goddard Space Flight Center flux gate magnetometer on Pioneer 11. Analysis of the data yields a more detailed model than that obtained from Pioneer 10 results. In a spherical harmonic octupole representation the dipole term (with opposite polarity to earth's) has a magnitude of 4.28 G times the radial distance cubed at a tilt angle of 9.6 deg and a system 111 longitude of 232 deg. The quadrupole and octupole moments are 24% and 21% of the dipole, respectively. This leads to a significant deviation of the planetary magnetic field from a simple offset dipole topology at distances of less than three times the radial distance. The north polar field strength is 14 G, and in the Northern Hemisphere the 'footprint' of the Io associated flux tube traverses the magnetic polar region. Associated L shell splitting in the radiation belts, warping of the charged particle equatorial planes, and enhanced absorption effects due to the satellites Amalthea and Io are expected as a result of the field complexity.

Acuna, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Observations of the 51.8 micron forbidden O III emission line in Orion

This letter reports observations of the 51.8-micron fine-structure transition p2: 3P(2) - 3P(1) for doubly ionized oxygen. The observed line strength in the Orion Nebula is (5 + or - 3) by 10 to the -15th power W/sq cm, in good agreement with the theoretical predictions of Simpson (1975). The observations are also consistent with the predicted line position, 51.8 microns. The line lies close to an atmospheric water-vapor feature at 51.7 microns but is sufficiently distant so that corrections for this feature are straightforward. Observations of the 51.8-micron forbidden O III line are particularly important, since the previously discovered 88-micron line from the same ion also is strong. This pair of lines should therefore yield new data about densities in observed H II regions; or else, if density data already are available from radio or other observations, the lines can be used to determine the differential dust absorption between 52 and 88 microns in front of heavily obscured regions.

Melnick, G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

An Euler code calculation of blade-vortex interaction noise

An Euler code has been developed for calculation of noise radiation due to the interaction of a distributed vortex with a Joukowski airfoil. THe time-dependent incompressible flow field is first determined and then integrated to yield the resulting sound production through use of the elegant low-frequency Green's function approach. This code has several interesting numerical features involved in the vortex motion and in continuous satisfaction of the Kutta condition. In addition, it removes the limitations on Reynolds number and is much more efficient than an earlier Navier-Stokes code. Results indicate that the noise production is due to the deceleration and subsequent acceleration of the vortex as it approaches and passes the airfoil. Predicted acoustic levels and frequencies agree with measured data although a precise comparison would require the strength, size, and position of the incoming vortex to be known.

Hardin, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Characterization of unnotched SCS-6/Ti-15-3 metal matrix composites at 650 C

Ti-15-3 reinforced with SCS-6 silicon carbide fibers, in five different layups, was tested at 650 C to determine monotonic and fatigue strengths, basic mechanical properties, and damage initiation and progression. The elevated temperature results were compared to those obtained at room temperature. Analytical predictions were made of the monotonic stress-strain response as well as cyclic stress-strain hysteresis. The fiber reinforcement was found to significantly increase the static and fatigue strengths of the laminates over that of the matrix material at elevated temperature while the increase was insignificant at room temperature. Initial damage, in either the fibers or the matrix, was partitioned as a function of the life and applied strain range in the constituents. High strains and short lives resulted in multiple fiber failure with no signs of matrix fatigue cracking. Low strains and long lives resulted in extensive matrix cracking and no fiber breaks away from the fracture surface. At 650 C the matrix was too weak to cause fiber-matrix interface failure prior to matrix yielding. Laminate fatigue lives were hypothesized to be a function of the 0 deg fiber stress. More scatter was found in the 0 deg fiber stress vs. high temperature fatigue life data than for the room temperature data. An initial unloading modulus that was greater than the initial loading modulus was observed in the elevated temperature fatigue tests.

Pollock, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Characterization of unnotched SCS-6/Ti-15-3 metal matrix composites at 650 C

Ti-15-3 reinforced with SCS-6 silicon carbide fibers, in five different layups, was tested at 650 C to determine monotonic and fatigue strengths, basic mechanical properties, and damage initiation and progression. The elevated temperature results were compared to those obtained at room temperature. Analytical predictions were made of the monotonic stress-strain response as well as cyclic stress-strain hysteresis. The fiber reinforcement was found to significantly increase the static and fatigue strengths of the laminates over that of the matrix material at elevated temperature while the increase was insignificant at room temperature. Initial damage, in either the fibers or the matrix, was partitioned as a function of the life and applied strain range in the constituents. High strains and short lives resulted in multiple fiber failure with no signs of matrix fatigue cracking. Low strains and long lives resulted in extensive matrix cracking and no fiber breaks away from the fracture surface. At 650 C the matrix was too weak to cause fiber-matrix interface failure prior to matrix yielding. Laminate fatigue lives were hypothesized to be a function of the 0 deg fiber stress. More scatter was found in the 0 deg fiber stress vs. high temperature fatigue life data than for the room temperature data. An initial unloading modulus that was greater than the initial loading modulus was observed in the elevated temperature fatigue tests.

Pollock, William D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Plasmoid Thruster for Space Propulsion

There are a number of possible advantages to using accelerated plasmoids for in-space propulsion. A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field. They have been studied extensively in controlled fusion research and are classified according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(sub p), and B(sub t), respectively). An object with B(sub p), / B(sub t) much greater than 1 is classified as a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC); if B(sub p) approximately equal to B(sub t), it is called a Spheromak. The plasmoid thruster operates by producing FRC-like plasmoids and subsequently ejecting them from the device at a high velocity. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single-turn conical theta-pinch coil. As this process is inductive, there are no electrodes. Similar experiments have yielded plasmoid velocities of at least 50 km/s, and calculations indicate that velocities in excess of 100 km/s should be possible. This concept should be capable of producing Isp's in the range of 5,000 - 15,000 s with thrust densities on the order of 10(exp 5) N per square meters. The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5 - 10 kW, although the concept should be scalable to several MW's. The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including internal and external B-dot probes, flux loops, Langmuir probes, high-speed cameras and a laser interferometer. Also of key importance will be measurements of the efficiency and mass utilization. Simulations of the plasmoid thruster using MOQUI, a time-dependent MHD code, will be carried out concurrently with experimental testing.

Koelfgen, Syri J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Scintillation Counter System Design To Detect Antiproton Annihilation using the High Performance Antiproton Trap(HiPAT)

The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT), a system designed to hold up to l0(exp 12) charge particles with a storage half-life of approximately 18 days, is a tool to support basic antimatter research. NASA's interest stems from the energy density represented by the annihilation of matter with antimatter, 10(exp 2)MJ/g. The HiPAT is configured with a Penning-Malmberg style electromagnetic confinement region with field strengths up to 4 Tesla, and 20kV. To date a series of normal matter experiments, using positive and negative ions, have been performed evaluating the designs performance prior to operations with antiprotons. The primary methods of detecting and monitoring stored normal matter ions and antiprotons within the trap includes a destructive extraction technique that makes use of a micro channel plate (MCP) device and a non-destractive radio frequency scheme tuned to key particle frequencies. However, an independent means of detecting stored antiprotons is possible by making use of the actual annihilation products as a unique indicator. The immediate yield of the annihilation event includes photons and pie mesons, emanating spherically from the point of annihilation. To "count" these events, a hardware system of scintillators, discriminators, coincident meters and multi channel scalars (MCS) have been configured to surround much of the HiPAT. Signal coincidence with voting logic is an essential part of this system, necessary to weed out the single cosmic ray events from the multi-particle annihilation shower. This system can be operated in a variety of modes accommodating various conditions. The first is a low-speed sampling interval that monitors the background loss or "evaporation" rate of antiprotons held in the trap during long storage periods; provides an independent method of validating particle lifetimes. The second is a high-speed sample rate accumulating information on a microseconds time-scale; useful when trapped antiparticles are extracted against a target, providing an indication of quantity. This paper details the layout of this system, setup of the hardware components around HiPAT, and applicable checkouts using normal matter radioactive sources.

Martin, James J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Upper Limits on the Isotropic Gravitational-Wave Background from Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo's Third Observing Run

We report results of a search for an isotropic gravitational-wave background (GWB) using data from Advanced LIGO's and Advanced Virgo's third observing run (O3) combined with upper limits from the earlier O1 and O2 runs. Unlike in previous observing runs in the advanced detector era, we include Virgo in the search for the GWB. The results of the search are consistent with uncorrelated noise, and therefore we place upper limits on the strength of the GWB. We find that the dimensionless energy density Ω(sub GW) ≤ 5.8 × 10(exp -9) at the 95% credible level for a at (frequency-independent) GWB, using a prior which is uniform in the log of the strength of the GWB, with 99% of the sensitivity coming from the band 20-76.6 Hz; Ω(sub GW)(f) ≤ 3.4 × 10(exp -9) at 25 Hz for a power-law GWB with a spectral index of 2/3 (consistent with expectations for compact binary coalescences), in the band 20-90.6 Hz; and Ω(sub GW)(f) ≤ 3.9 × 10(exp -10) at 25 Hz for a spectral index of 3, in the band 20-291.6 Hz. These upper limits improve over our previous results by a factor of 6.0 for a at GWB, 8.8 for a spectral index of 2/3, and 13.1 for a spectral index of 3. We also search for a GWB arising from scalar and vector modes, which are predicted by alternative theories of gravity; we do not find evidence of these, and place upper limits on the strength of GWBs with these polarizations. We demonstrate that there is no evidence of correlated noise of magnetic origin by performing a Bayesian analysis that allows for the presence of both a GWB and an effective magnetic background arising from geophysical Schumann resonances. We compare our upper limits to a fiducial model for the GWB from the merger of compact binaries, updating the model to use the most recent data-driven population inference from the systems detected during O3a. Finally, we combine our results with observations of individual mergers and show that, at design sensitivity, this joint approach may yield stronger constraints on the merger rate of binary black holes at z ≳ 2 than can be achieved with individually resolved mergers alone.

Ryan Abbott↗
NASA NTRS1986

Tidal dissipation in a viscoelastic planet

Tidal dissipation is examined using Maxwell standard liner solid (SLS), and Kelvin-Voigt models, and viscosity parameters are derived from the models that yield the amount of dissipation previously calculated for a moon model with QW = 100 in a hypothetical orbit closer to the earth. The relevance of these models is then assessed for simulating planetary tidal responses. Viscosities of 10 exp 14 and 10 ex 18 Pa s for the Kelvin-Voigt and Maxwell rheologies, respectively, are needed to match the dissipation rate calculated using the Q approach with a quality factor = 100. The SLS model requires a short time viscosity of 3 x 10 exp 17 Pa s to match the Q = 100 dissipation rate independent of the model's relaxation strength. Since Q = 100 is considered a representative value for the interiors of terrestrial planets, it is proposed that derived viscosities should characterize planetary materials. However, it is shown that neither the Kelvin-Voigt nor the SLS models simulate the behavior of real planetary materials on long time scales. The Maxwell model, by contrast, behaves realistically on both long and short time scales. The inferred Maxwell viscosity, corresponding to the time scale of days, is several times smaller than the longer time scale (greater than or equal to 10 exp 14 years) viscosity of the earth's mantle.

Ross, M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Synthesis and characterization of bisimide amines and bisimide amine-cured epoxy resins

An attempt is made to develop tough, moisture resistant, high char yield epoxy resins by means of novel bisimide amine (BIA) hardener curing agents and a state-of-the-art epoxy resin system. The BIAs are isolated as mixtures containing monomer, oligomer, and polymeric species, and then characterized by elemental analysis and high pressure liquid chromatography. The bisimide amine-cured epoxies (IMEs) were characterized with respect to moisture absorption, thermal properties, and physical and mechanical properties, as well as in the role of matrices in Celion 6000/IME composites. The relative toughness characteristics of each IME formulation was measured by the 10 deg off-axis tensile test, measuring the uniaxial tensile strength, shear strength, and shear-strain-to-failure of the composite systems.

Scola, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Raman Spectroscopy for Mineral Identification and Quantification for in situ Planetary Surface Analysis: A Point Count Method

Quantification of mineral proportions in rocks and soils by Raman spectroscopy on a planetary surface is best done by taking many narrow-beam spectra from different locations on the rock or soil, with each spectrum yielding peaks from only one or two minerals. The proportion of each mineral in the rock or soil can then be determined from the fraction of the spectra that contain its peaks, in analogy with the standard petrographic technique of point counting. The method can also be used for nondestructive laboratory characterization of rock samples. Although Raman peaks for different minerals seldom overlap each other, it is impractical to obtain proportions of constituent minerals by Raman spectroscopy through analysis of peak intensities in a spectrum obtained by broad-beam sensing of a representative area of the target material. That is because the Raman signal strength produced by a mineral in a rock or soil is not related in a simple way through the Raman scattering cross section of that mineral to its proportion in the rock, and the signal-to-noise ratio of a Raman spectrum is poor when a sample is stimulated by a low-power laser beam of broad diameter. Results obtained by the Raman point-count method are demonstrated for a lunar thin section (14161,7062) and a rock fragment (15273,7039). Major minerals (plagioclase and pyroxene), minor minerals (cristobalite and K-feldspar), and accessory minerals (whitlockite, apatite, and baddeleyite) were easily identified. Identification of the rock types, KREEP basalt or melt rock, from the 100-location spectra was straightforward.

Haskin, Larry A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Satiation or availability? Effects of attention, memory, and imagery on the perception of ambiguous figures

The prolonged-inspection technique has been used to demonstrate effects of satiation on the perception of ambiguous figures. We propose that the inspection phase, in which subjects view an unambiguous version of the stimulus prior to observing the ambiguous figure, does not create neural fatigue but rather provides a context in which the alternative percept is apprehended and gains perceptual strength through processes such as imagination or memory. The consequent availability of the alternative organization drives the perceptual phenomena that have been thought to reflect satiation. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that (1) preexperimental exposure to the target figures and (2) allocation of attention to the inspection figures were both necessary in order to obtain results similar to those predicted by the satiation model. In Experiment 2, we obtained similar results, finding that effects of prior inspection were greater the greater the amount and availability of information regarding the alternative percept during the inspection phase. Subjects who generated visual images of the noninspected alternative during inspection yielded results comparable to those from subjects to whom both versions were presented visually.

Horlitz, Krista L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field. They have been studied extensively in controlled fusion research and are categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(phi), and B(tau), respectively). An object with B(phi)/B(tau) >> 1 is classified as a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if B(phi) = B(tau), it is called a Spheromak. There are a number of possible advantages to using accelerated plasmoids for in-space propulsion. A thruster based on this concept would operate by repetitively producing plasmoids and ejecting them from the device at high velocity. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil; as this process is inductive, there are no life-limiting electrodes. Similar experiments have yielded plasmoid velocities of at least 50 km/s (l), and calculations indicate that velocities in excess of 100 km/s are possible. A thruster based on this concept would be capable of producing an I(sp) in the range of 5,000 - 10,OOO s, with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N/m(exp 2). The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5-10 kW, although the concept should be scalable to higher power. The purpose of this experiment is to determine the feasibility of this plasma propulsion concept. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to determine: a.) specific impulse and thrust, b.) efficiency and mass utilization, c.) which type of plasmoid (FRC-like or Spheromak-like) gives the best performance, and d.) the characteristics required of actual thruster components (i.e., switch and capacitor technology). The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including internal and external B-dot probes, flux loops, Langmuir probes, high-speed cameras, and an interferometer. Simulations of the plasmoid thruster using MOQUI, a time dependent MHD code, will be carried out concurrently with experimental testing. The PTX device is currently undergoing initial testing and preliminary experimental results are presented.

Eskridge, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1995

(abstract) Unidirectional Carbon/Carbon for Ion Engine Optics

Conventional ion engine optical grids are made from hydroformed molybdenum. Carbon/carbon has been utilized in place of molybdenum because of its lower sputter yield, which contributes a greatly increased engine life, and for its low cte, which allows more efficient engine operation. The requirements for this material are that it must have high stiffness, very tight dimensional tolerances, and can be optimized for an hexagonal hole pattern with a very high open area friction. The carbon/carbon for this application was fabricated from unidirectional tape prepreg, using pitch fiber, and was processed to a very high temperature. The use of unidirectional tape allowed for a sufficient number of plies to be used to generate a balanced three directional layup within the thickness constraints of the material, as well as providing strength and stiffness over that normally seen with fabric based carbon/carbons.

ion engine carbon/carbon unidirectional tape prepr↗
NASA NTRS1981

The atmosphere and ionosphere of Jupiter

The thermal structure of the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, the composition of the atmosphere and the strength of mechanical mixing, and sources and sinks of ionization in the Jupiter ionosphere are described from Voyager UV spectrometer, radio, IR, and imaging data. A topside ionospheric temperature of 1300 K was observed, along with an energy equilibrium between the plasma and neutral gas in the upper atmosphere. A composite thermal structure is provided, noting a close similarity to earth conditions at upper levels, and enhanced thermal behavior has been detected between the times of solar minimum and maximum activity. Ammonia photochemistry is examined, and measured concentrations of H2, CH4, C2H6, and C2H2 as a function of height are outlined. Eddy diffusion coefficient calculations are carried out, yielding a highest Ly-alpha intensity of 100 million sq cm/sec. The increased exospheric temperature between 1973 and 1980 is stressed to have no known satisfactory explanation.

Atreya, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Use of satellite data and modeling to assess the influence of stratospheric processes on the troposphere

Over the past forty years, numerous linear stability studies have been performed in order to explain the origin and structure of observed waves in the atmosphere. Of these studies, only a small fraction have considered the stability of time-dependent, zonally varying flow or the influence of radiative-photochemical feedbacks on the stability of zonally uniform flow. The stability of such flows is described, and these flows may yield important information concerning the origin, structure, and transient time scales of free waves in the atmosphere. During the period 1990 to 1991, a beta-plane model that couples radiative transfer, ozone advection, and ozone photochemistry with the quasigeostrophic dynamical circulation was developed in order to study the diabatic effects of Newtonian cooling and ozone-dynamics interaction on the linear stability of free planetary waves in the atmosphere. The stability of a basic state consisting of a westward-moving wave and a zonal mean jet was examined using a linearized, nondivergent barotropic model on sphere. The sensitivity of the stability of the flow to the strength and structure of the zonal jet was emphasized. The current research is focused on the following problems: (1) examination of the finite amplitude interactions among radiation, ozone, and dynamics; and (2) examination of the role of seasonal forcing in short-term climate variability. The plans for next year are presented.

Nathan, Terrence↗
NASA NTRS1991

Flow and fracture of ice and ice mixtures

Frozen volatiles make up an important volume fraction of the low density moons of the outer solar system. Understanding the tectonic history of the surfaces of these moons, as well as the evolution of their interiors, requires knowledge of the mechanical strength of these icy materials under the appropriate planetary conditions (temperature, hydrostatic pressure, strain rate). Ongoing lab research is being conducted to measure mechanical properties of several different ices under conditions that faithfully reproduce condition both at the moons' surfaces (generally low temperature, to about 100 K, and low pressures) and in the deep interiors (warmer temperatures, pressures to thousands of atmospheres). Recent progress is reported in two different phases of the work: rheology of ices in the NH3-H2O system at temperatures and strain rates lower than ever before explored, with application to the ammonia-rich moons of Saturn and Uranus; and the water ice I yields II phase transformation, which not only applies directly to process deep in the interiors of Ganymede and Callisto, but holds implications for deep terrestrial earthquakes as well.

Durham, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Investigations of Remote Plasma Irregularites by Radio Sounding: Applications of the Radio Plasma Imager on IMAGE

The Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) mission operates like a radar by transmitting and receiving coherent electromagnetic pulses. Long-range echoes of electromagnetic sounder waves are reflected at remote plasma cutoffs. Thus, analyses of RPI observations will yield the plasma parameters and distances to the remote reflection points. These analyses assume that the reflecting plasma surfaces are cold and are sufficiently smooth that they effectively behave as plane mirrors to the incoming sounder waves, i.e., that geometric optics can be used. The RPI will employ pulse compression and spectral integration techniques, perfected in ground-based ionospheric digital sounders, in order to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in long-range magnetospheric sounding. When plasma irregularities exist in the remote magnetospheric plasmas that are being probed by the sounder waves, echo signatures may become complicated. Ionospheric sounding experience indicates that while topside sounding echo strengths can actually be enhanced by the presence of irregularities, ground-based sounding indicates that coherent detection techniques can still be employed. In this paper we investigate the plasma conditions that will allow coherent signals to be detected by the RPI and the signatures to be expected, such as scattering and plasma resonances, in the presence of multi-scale irregularities, may possibly have on RPI signals. Sounding of irregular plasma structures in the plasmasphere, plasmapause and magnetopause are also discussed.

Fung, Shing F.↗