Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “laboratories”

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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Propynal, an Interstellar Molecule with an Exceptionally Strong C≡C Infrared Band - Laboratory Infrared Data and Applications

Isomers with the formula C3H2O have intrigued and puzzled astronomers and astrochemists for many years, with propynal and cyclopropenone, but not propadienone, known to be interstellar. However, there is a severe lack of laboratory spectra of the solid phases of these compounds with which to investigate their interstellar chemistry. Here we present the first infrared spectra of amorphous and crystalline forms of propynal, HCC-C(O)H, at multiple temperatures. Band positions are tabulated and band strengths are derived in terms of absorption coefficients and integrated intensities. Optical constants are calculated for amorphous propynal, refractive indices are measured, and densities are estimated. Three laboratory astrochemistry applications are described, including a new spectral identification in an earlier paper. It is shown that propynal's C≡C infrared absorbance is about 30,000% stronger than the corresponding feature in acetylene. This band's intensity and spectral position make it an attractive candidate for astronomical searches involving interstellar ices.

astrochemistry – ISM: molecules↗
NASA NTRS2018

Propynal, an Interstellar Molecule with an Exceptionally Strong C≡C Infrared Band - Laboratory Infrared Data and Applications

Isomers with the formulaC3H2Ohave intrigued and puzzled astronomers and astrochemists for many years, with propynal and cyclopropenone, but not propadienone, known to be interstellar. However, there is a severe lack of laboratory spectra of the solid phases of these compounds with which to investigate their interstellar chemistry. Here we present the first infrared spectra of amorphous and crystalline forms of propynal, HCC C(O)H, at multiple temperatures. Band positions are tabulated and band strengths are derived in terms of absorption coefficients and integrated intensities. Optical constants are calculated for amorphous propynal, refractive indices aremeasured, and densities are estimated. Three laboratory astrochemistry applications are described, including a new spectral identification in an earlier paper. It is shown that propynal’s C C infrared absorbance is about 30 000 per cent stronger than the corresponding feature in acetylene. This band’s intensity and spectral position make it an attractive candidate for astronomical searches involving interstellar ices.

astrochemistry – ISM: molecules↗
NASA NTRS2019

Millimeter/Submillimeter Spectroscopic Detection of Desorbed Ices: A New Technique in Laboratory Astrochemistry

A new laboratory technique has been developed that utilizes gas-phase, direct-absorption millimeter and submillimeter spectroscopy to detect and identify desorbed species from interstellar and cometary ice analogs. Rotational spectroscopy is a powerful structure-specific technique for detecting isomers and other species possessing the same mass that are indistinguishable with mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the resultant laboratory spectra are directly comparable to observational data from far-infrared and millimeter telescopes. Here we present the proof-of-concept measurements of the detection of thermally desorbed H2O, D2O, and CH3OH originating in a solid film created at low temperature (~12 K). The surface binding energy of H2O is reported and compared to results from traditional techniques, including mass spectrometry and quartz-crystal microbalance measurements of mass loss. Lastly, we demonstrate that this technique is capable of deriving thermodynamic values including the sublimation enthalpy and entropy of H2O.

Katarina M. Yocum↗
NASA NTRS2020

Recommended Laboratory and Field Studies ahead of Future Mercury Exploration

Data from Mariner 10, MESSENGER, and ground-based telescopic observations have facilitated great advancements towards understanding the geochemistry, geology, internal structure, and space environment (exosphere/magnetosphere) of Mercury. Future exploration efforts by BepiColombo, landed science, and sample return will revolutionize our understanding of this planet. However, to enhance the scientific return of past, present, and future data collection at Mercury, it is imperative that laboratory and field-based studies be conducted over the next decade. This white paper gives examples of laboratory and field studies, including instrument testing, which should take place over the next decade to facilitate the interpretation of data and preparation of future missions to the inner-most planet. By no means are the topics in this paper exhaustive, but rather are meant to demonstrate the immense amount of work that needs to be completed ahead of, or in conjunction with, current and future exploration efforts of Mercury. This work would amplify the benefits from additional data obtained from the planet’s surface to the fullest extent possible, and to aid in decision making of future instrument payloads. We have chosen to focus our inputs here on geochemistry, geology, and space environment related efforts, but we emphasize that extensive research in the areas of geophysics and other geosciences-related disciplines will benefit from additional studies.

Kathleen E. Vander Kaaden↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On the Importance of Laboratory Astrophysics and Astrochemistry and Interdisciplinary Research: Two Success Stories

Here we present two examples that demonstrate how cross-disciplinary research projects, where experimentalists, modelers and observers work together to answer science questions, allow expertise to be shared and misconceptions or missing key elements to be tackled by looking at the problem from different perspectives. They also show how, by working in unison, the group can accomplish more than the sum of its parts by combining results into a higher-level understanding of the chemical processes taking place. The first project is a collaborative study between experimentalists, modelers and observers to1) produce laboratory analogs of cosmic grains and planetary aerosols (Titan, Pluto...) from different gas mixtures in cold astrophysically relevant conditions (<200 K); and 2) characterize them with scanning electron microscopy and visible-to-far-infrared spectroscopy in order to assess the impact of the precursors on their growth structure and optical properties. We can then produce and study analogs that are representative of different formation stages or environments, and provide their complex refractive indices to the scientific community. We will show how, by using these experimental optical constants of more representative analogs in radiative transfer and reflectance spectra models, better interpretations of (exo)planetary atmosphere- and surface observations are possible. The second project is an interdisciplinary study of the formation of benzene clouds in the atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. We will show how combining Earth and Planetary Science laboratory expertise, modeling and observations has led to providing to the scientific community, for the first time, experimental vapor pressures for benzene at cold temperatures(<200K) relevant to Titan’s atmospheric conditions. These have been used in microphysical models instead of the higher temperature extrapolations used previously, allowing a better match to observations.

Ella Sciamma-o'Brien↗
NASA NTRS2000

MEMS technology at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The MEMS Technology Group is part of the Microdevices Laboratory (MDL) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The group pursues the development of a wide range of advanced MEMS technologies that are primarily applicable to NASA's robotic as well as manned exploration missions.

MEMS↗
NASA NTRS1997

Laboratory Measurements of Sea Ice: Connections to Microwave Remote Sensing

The connections between laboratory measurements and remote sensing observations of sea ice are explored. The focus of this paper is on thin ice which is more easily simulated in a laboratory environment. We summarize results of C-band scatterometer measurements and discuss how they may help in the interpretation of remote sensing data.

remote↗
NASA NTRS2017

Precision Projector Laboratory: Detector Characterization with an Astronomical Emulation Testbed

As astronomical observations benefit from improved sensitivity, the effectiveness of scientific programs is becoming limited by systematics that often originate in poorly understood image sensor behavior. Traditional, bottom-up detector characterization methods provide one way to model underlying detector physics, and generate ever more faithful numerical simulations, but this approach is vulnerable to preconceptions and over-simplification. The alternative top-down approach is laboratory emulation, which enables observation, calibration, and analysis scenarios to be tested without relying on a complete understanding of the underlying physics. This complements detector characterization and simulation efforts by testing their validity. We describe a laboratory facility and experimental testbed that supports the emulation of a wide range of mission concepts such as gravitational weak lensing measurements by WFIRST and high precision spectrophotometry of transiting exoplanets by JWST. An Offner relay projects readily customizable "scenes" (e.g. stars, galaxies, spectra) with very low optical aberration over the full area of a typical optical or near infrared image sensor. f/8 and slower focal ratios may be selected, spanning those of most proposed space missions and approximating the point spread function (PSF) size of seeing limited ground based surveys. Diffraction limited PSFs are projected over a wide field of view and wavelength range to deliver highly predictable image patterns down to sub-pixel scales with stable intensity and fine motion control. The testbed enables realistic validation of detector performance on science-like images, which aids mission design and survey strategy, as well as targeted investigations of various detector effects.

Seshadri, Suresh↗
NASA NTRS2018

Traction Control Design and Integration Onboard the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover experienced increasing wheel damage beginning in October 2013. While the wheels were designed to operate with considerable damage, the rate at which damage was occurring was unexpected and raised concerns regarding wheel lifetime. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has now developed and deployed new software on Curiosity that reduces the forces acting on the wheels. Our new Traction Control algorithm adapts each wheel’s speed to fit the terrain it drives over. It does not rely on any a priori knowledge of the terrain, and instead leverages the rover’s measured attitude rates and suspension angles, together with a rigid-body kinematics model, to estimate the real-time wheel-terrain contact angles and ideal, no-slip wheel angular rates. In addition, free-floating “wheelies” are detected and autonomously corrected. In this paper, we describe the algorithm, its ground testing campaign and associated challenges, and finally its validation and performance in flight. Ground test data demonstrates reductions in the forces acting on the wheels and validates the wheelie-damping capability. Secondary benefits in some terrains include a reduction in heading deviations while climbing rocks, with a reduction in slip in certain sandy terrains. Preliminary validation from flight data confirms these findings.

Maimone, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2020

Rimmed Wheel Performance on the Mars Science Laboratory Scarecrow Rover

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover experienced increasing wheel damage beginning in October 2013. While the wheels were designed to operate with considerable damage, the rate at which damage was occurring was unexpected and raised concerns regarding wheel life expectancy. As of Sol 2555 (10-14-19), there are two broken grousers on the left middle wheel, and one broken grouser on the right middle wheel. One possible scenario, albeit remote, is that enough grousers break on a wheel such that unconstrained portions of the wheel could contact the cable running from the rover motor controller assembly to the wheel's drive actuator. If the cable to a drive actuator is damaged, that wheel may no longer respond to commands. To make progress towards a navigation goal position, that wheel would need to be dragged. To mitigate the risk of damaging a cable running to a wheel’s drive actuator, the unconstrained portion of a wheel could be strategically shed by performing driving maneuvers on an immovable rock. What would remain after wheel shedding is a rimmed wheel (the outer 1/3 of the wheel). We studied the feasibility of remotely commanding the rover to perform the shed maneuver on one of its front wheels. To inform whether or not to shed the wheels, we tested the performance of driving on one or more rimmed wheels in flight. This led to a two-month test campaign in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Mars Yard using the Scarecrow testbed rover. Driving and steering performance was characterized on a variety of terrain types and slopes in a worst-case rimmed wheeled configuration. Test results indicate that if wheel shedding could be successfully executed in flight, Curiosity could continue to drive indefinitely on rimmed wheels.

Graser, Evan↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Langley Aerothermodynamics Laboratory: Hypersonic Testing Capabilities

A description of the NASA Langley Research Center’s Langley Aerothermodynamics Laboratory (LAL) will be presented in the paper, along with descriptions and details of the facility test techniques and recent upgrades. The LAL consists of three hypersonic blow-down wind tunnels covering Mach numbers of 6 and 10 and unit Reynolds number ranges of 0.5 to 8.3 million per foot as well as a 60-ft Vacuum Sphere Test Chamber. LAL facilities are used to study and define the aerodynamic performance and aeroheating characteristics of flight vehicle concepts. Data collected in the facilities have been used for design and optimization, anchoring computational predictions, generation of aerodynamic databases and design of Thermal Protection Systems. Over the years modifications and enhancements have been made to the facility hardware and instrumentation to increase efficiency, data quality, capabilities and reliability to better meet the programmatic requirements. Recent utilization information illustrates the need for the capabilities associated with these facilities. Recent test programs include the Space Shuttle Program, Crew Exploration Vehicle/Orion/Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE), Mars Science Laboratory, Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator System (HIADS) and X-51 among others and usage has been split between NASA, Commercial Crew, Department of Defense and private company programs. Plans for future improvements to the facility infrastructure and instrumentation will also be presented.

Karen Berger↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NASA Facility for Astromaterials Research at the Johnson Space Center – A National Laboratory for Planetary Research

The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center houses a unique combination of laboratories, instruments, infrastructure, technical ex-pertise, and other assets for conducting broad-based world-class planetary research. These facilities have been accessed for decades by hundreds of external scientists, including faculty, post-docs, students, and interns, most at no cost and on a collaborative basis. With funding through NASA’s Planetary Science Enabling Facilities (PSEF) program, we have estab-lished the NASA Facility for Astromaterials Research (NFAR) to expand access to and enhance these labora-tories for a diverse and inclusive external user base, thus maximizing the science return from research funded by R&A programs in NASA’s Planetary Sci-ence Division (PSD). NFAR enables cutting edge planetary sample analyses, making new scientific dis-coveries possible, in addition to training the next-generation of planetary scientists. NFAR laboratories are co-located with JSC Curation that houses all NASA-controlled astromaterials collections, thus ena-bling direct access to both research and curation exper-tise, to facilitate specialized sample handling and anal-ysis of allocated samples (from JSC and other sample collections) to PIs, particularly those affiliated with institutions that historically have limited or no access to in-house analytical or experimental facilities.

J Filiberto↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Testing Destruction of Clay Minerals By Silica-Poor Brines in Gale Crater, Mars Using Laboratory and Field Experiments

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover landed in Gale crater to investigate the cause for mineralogical changes seen from orbit, including the clay-sulfate mineral transition observed on its central mound, Aeolis Mons. The lower strata show spectral signatures of clay minerals, hematite, and hydrated Mg sulfates, and the upper strata are dominated by hydrated Mg sulfate signatures. This significant transition has been observed in other locations on Mars, and therefore processes related to the clay mineral-sulfate transition are likely important broadly across Mars. The bulk mineralogy of ~3.7 Ga sedimentary rocks in Gale crater is a product of variations in sediment sources and depositional processes, with overprinting by episodes of early and late diagenetic alteration. Sedimentary analyses of the smectite clay minerals observed in the Glen Torridon (GT) region of Mount Sharp suggest formation in a lacustrine aqueous environment. Examination of the Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) strata indicate that it was formed at the same time as GT and later altered by extensive diagenesis. Recent work suggests that the observed mineral transition from smectites and talc-serpentinites in GT to iron oxides and oxyhydroxides and VRR may have resulted from extensive diagenetic alteration by density driven, silica-poor brines sourced from the overlying sulfur-bearing unit on Mount Sharp. This process of alteration by silica-poor brines is observed in limited locations on Earth. We are therefore working to demonstrate the impacts of silica poor brines on clay mineral alteration in laboratory column and terrestrial analog burial experiments. Column experiments allow the investigation of dissolution and precipitation under conditions that represent a closer analog to natural environments, while burial experiments allow examination of weathering reactions of a known starting material after a specific period of time in a natural field environment. Both methods are valuable for interpreting the water-rock interactions between clay minerals and brines. In preparation for these longer-term column and burial experiments, we are performing preliminary batch dissolution experiments on materials relevant to Glen Torridon: nontronite and serpentinite. We are using magnesium sulfate brine solutions relevant to those proposed on Mars. The results of this study can provide constraints on the characteristics of the diagenetic fluids that formed the altered minerals in Gale crater. They can also provide insights into the role of brine density-driven diagenesis in past aqueous environments on Mars, which have been proposed to be widespread.

J E Valdueza↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Light as a Reactive Countermeasure to Sleep Inertia: Translating Laboratory Findings to the Field

Sleep inertia describes the brief period of impaired alertness, mood, and cognitive performance experienced after waking. Under laboratory settings, light exposure upon waking during a habitual sleep period has been shown to improve sleep inertia symptoms. We investigated whether a field-deployable light-emitting device would help to mitigate sleep inertia in a real-world setting. Thirty-six participants (18 female; 26.6 years ± 6.1) completed an at-home, within-subject, randomized crossover study. Participants followed their habitual sleep-wake schedule for five nights before an adaptation and experimental night. Forty-five minutes after bedtime on the experimental night, participants received a phone call and were instructed to wear light-emitting glasses with the light either on (light condition) or off (control). A 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), visual analog scales of mood (VASmood), and a 3-minute descending subtraction task (DST) were performed starting at +2, +12, +22, and +32 minutes after the call. Participants then went back to sleep and were called 45 minutes after lights out for the opposite condition. A series of mixed-effects models were performed with fixed effects of test bout, condition, test bout × condition, and a random effect of participant. Covariates included pre-sleep baseline scores, randomization order, sex, and sleep history. Participants rated themselves as more alert and energetic in the light condition compared to the control condition (VASalert-sleepy p = .01; VASlethargic-energetic p = .001). There was no effect of condition for DST outcomes, but there was a significant improvement in DST total responses in the light condition in a subset of participants waking from N3 (p = .03). There was a significant effect of condition for PVT outcomes, with faster responses (p < .001) and fewer lapses (p < .001) in the control condition. Our results under naturalistic at-home settings suggest that, similar to the in-laboratory study findings, the light intervention improved subjective alertness and mood, while working memory improved after waking from N3. Future studies of light interventions should include measures of visual acuity and comfort to assess the full feasibility and efficacy of interventions in real-world environments.

sleep inertia↗
NASA NTRS2022

Determination of Chlorophyll Content in Selected Grass Communities of Krkonoše Mts. Tundra Based on Laboratory Spectroscopy and Aerial Hyperspectral Data

The study focuses on the determination of chlorophyll content in four prevailing grasses in the relict arctic-alpine tundra located in the Krkonoše Mountains National Park, Czech Republic. We compared two methods for determination of leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) – spectrophotometric determination in the laboratory, and the LCC assessed by fluorescence portable chlorophyll meter CCM-300. Relationships were established between the LCCs and vegetation indices calculated from leaf spectra acquired with contact probe coupled with an ASD FieldSpec4 Wide-Res spectroradiometer. Canopy chlorophyll contents (CCC) were computed from the LCCs and green leaf area index (LAI), and modelled based on the field spectra measured by the spectroradiometer and the hyperspectral images acquired by Headwall Nano-Hyperspec® mounted on the DJI Matrice 600 Pro drone. The calculations are performed on datasets acquired in June, July and August 2020 together and separately for species and months. In general, the correlations based on June datasets work the best at both levels: median R 2 for all indices was 0.52 for all species together at leaf level and median R 2 = 0.47 at the canopy level (vegetation indices computed from field spectra). Canopy chlorophyll content map was created based on the results of stepwise multiple linear regression. The R 2 was 0.42 when using four wavelengths from the red and red edge spectral region. We attribute the weak model performance to a combination of several factors: leaf structure may bias LCC from laboratory measurements, effects of LAI variability on CCC, and the sampling design, probably not covering the whole phenology equally for all studied species.

L. Cervena↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Elevating the Quality of Space Omics Sequencing Data: Innovations and Methodologies from NASA GeneLab Sample Processing Laboratory

NASA’s GeneLab, part of the NASA Open Science Data Repository, is a space-related database that hosts a diverse range of transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenomics and genomics data. The NASA GeneLab Sample Processing Laboratory (SPL) generates omics data from biological experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station, Space Shuttle and space related ground experiments, this omics data then hosted on the GeneLab repository. Samples generated such experiments pose numerous technical challenges such as small experimental sample size, variance in dissection times, limited tissue preservation methods, prolonged storage time, and more. GeneLab SPL team had developed specialized expertise in nucleic acid extraction, library preparation and sequencing of such biological samples via extensive training and years of experience. In order to ensure data accuracy and consistency across experiments, SPL has developed standardized protocols for each species and tissue type. These protocols in conjunction with quality control metrics and data standards are crucial in generating of high-quality data. SPL protocols and standards have been developed in collaboration with the scientific community and had been made publicly available on the GeneLab portal, guaranteeing comparability of datasets across spaceflight experiments. To ensure reliability of data generation, SPL leverages cutting-edge innovations in laboratory automation for sample processing. By leveraging these state-of-the-art platforms, SPL achieves high levels of data reproducibility while significantly minimizing sources of bias and variability, especially across experiments with large numbers of samples. Over the past few years, the space biology investigator community has accessed SPL-generated data from the Open Science Data Repository for a myriad of data re-analysis and re-use studies. We observe a trend that in-house SPL-generated data consistently outperforms outsourced sequencing data in terms of technical standards, quality control metrics, timeliness of data delivery, and sequencing and reagent efficiency. Superior data generation has and will continue to enable discoveries in disease, diagnostic tools, and the biological effects of long duration spaceflight.

GeneLab↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Light as a Reactive Countermeasure to Sleep Inertia: Translating Laboratory Findings to the Field

Sleep inertia describes the brief period of impaired alertness, mood, and cognitive performance experienced after waking. Under laboratory settings, light exposure upon waking during a habitual sleep period has been shown to improve sleep inertia symptoms. We investigated whether a field-deployable light-emitting device would help to mitigate sleep inertia in a real-world setting.\ Thirty-six participants (18 female; 26.6 years ± 6.1) completed an at-home, within-subject, randomized crossover study. Participants followed their habitual sleep-wake schedule for five nights before an adaptation and experimental night. Forty-five minutes after bedtime on the experimental night, participants received a phone call and were instructed to wear light-emitting glasses with the light either on (light condition) or off (control). A 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), visual analog scales of mood (VASmood), and a 3-minute descending subtraction task (DST) were performed starting at +2, +12, +22, and +32 minutes after the call. Participants then went back to sleep and were called 45 minutes after lights out for the opposite condition. A series of mixed-effects models were performed with fixed effects of test bout, condition, test bout × condition, and a random effect of participant. Covariates included pre-sleep baseline scores, randomization order, sex, and sleep history. Participants rated themselves as more alert and energetic in the light condition compared to the control condition (VASalert-sleepy p = .01; VASlethargic-energetic p = .001). There was no effect of condition for DST outcomes, but there was a significant improvement in DST total responses in the light condition in a subset of participants waking from N3 (p = .03). There was a significant effect of condition for PVT outcomes, with faster responses (p < .001) and fewer lapses (p < .001) in the control condition. Our results under naturalistic at-home settings suggest that, similar to the in-laboratory study findings, the light intervention improved subjective alertness and mood, while working memory improved after waking from N3. Future studies of light interventions should include measures of visual acuity and comfort to assess the full feasibility and efficacy of interventions in real-world environments.

sleep inertia↗