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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Origin, Bulk Chemical Composition and Physical Structure of the Galilean Satellites of Jupiter: A Post-Galileo Analysis

The origin of Jupiter and the Galilean satellite system is examined in the light of the new data that has been obtained by the NASA Galileo Project. In particular, special attention is given to a theory of satellite origin which was put forward at the start of the Galileo Mission and on the basis of which several predictions have now been proven successful. These predictions concern the chemical composition of Jupiter's atmosphere and the physical structure of the satellites. According to the proposed theory of satellite origin, each of the Galilean satellites formed by chemical condensation and gravitational accumulation of solid grains within a concentric family of orbiting gas rings. These rings were cast off equatorially by the rotating proto-Jovian cloud (PJC which contracted gravitationally to form Jupiter some 4 1/2 billion years ago. The PJC formed from the gas and grains left over from the gas ring that had been shed at Jupiter's orbit by the contracting proto-solar cloud (PSC Supersonic turbulent convection provides the means for shedding discrete gas rings. The temperatures T (sub n) of the system of gas rings shed by the PSC and PJC vary with their respective mean orbital radii R (sub n) (n = 0, 1,2,...) according as T (sub n) proportional to R (sub n) (exp -0.9). If the planet Mercury condenses at 1640 K, so accounting for the high density of that planet via a process of chemical fractionation between iron and silicates, then T (sub n) at Jupiter's orbit is 158 K. Only 35% of the water vapour condenses out. Thus fractionation between rock and ice, together with an enhancement in the abundance of solids relative to gas which takes place through gravitational sedimentation of solids onto the mean orbit of the gas ring, ensures nearly equal proportions of rock and ice in each of Ganymede and Callisto. Io and Europa condense above the H20 ice point and consist solely of hydrated rock (h-rock). The Ganymedan condensate consists of h-rock and H20 ice. For Callisto, NH3 ice makes up -5% of the condensate mass next to h-rock (approximately 50%) and H2O ice (approximately 45%). Detailed thermal and structural models for each of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are constructed on the basis of the above initial bulk chemical compositions. For Europa (E), a predicted 2-zone model consisting of a dehydrated rock core of mass 0.912 M (sub E) and a 150 km thick frozen mantle of salty H2O yields a moment-of-inertia coefficient which matches the Galileo Orbiter gravity measurement. For Ganymede (G), a 3-zone model possessing an inner core of solid FeS and mass approximately 0.116 M (sub G), and an outer H2O ice mantle of mass approximately 0.502 M (sub G) is needed to explain the gravity data. Ganymede's native magnetic field was formed by thermoremanent magnetization of Fe3O4. A new Callisto (C) model is proposed consisting of a core of mass 0.826 M (sub C) containing a uniform mixture of h-rock (60% by mass) and H2O and NH3 ices, and capped by a mantle of pure ice. This model may have the capacity to yield a thin layer of liquid NH3 (raised dot) 2H2O at the core boundary, in line with Galileo's discovery of an induced magnetic field.

Prentice, A. J. R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Trace Element Partitioning in the Presence of Sulfur Under Reduced Conditions

Oxygen fugacity (fO2) plays an important role in thephysicochemical properties of that system because fO2 has asubstantial impact on the partitioning behavior between andsolubility of elements in various phases. The reduced nature ofMercury and the aubrite parent bodies (APB) have raised manyquestions regarding the geochemical behavior of typicallylithophile, heat-producing, and rare-earth elements (REE) inmagmas at low fO2. In fact, interpretations of magmaticprocesses on reduced rocky bodies are difficult at presentbecause of the small number of experimental studies relevant tothe extremely low fO2 and high sulfur content of Mercury andthe APB, and our only natural analogs are the highly reducedenstatite chondrites and aubrites [e.g., 1]. Preliminaryobservations suggest that major and minor elements exhibitdifferent geochemical affinities in highly reduced, S-richsystems compared to terrestrial rocks. The partitioning behavior of major, minor, and traceelements between silicate melt, sulfide melt, and metal underhighly reduced conditions will be determined in a suite of super-liquidus experiments at a range of pressures (1 bar to 4 GPa) atNASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). Based on previous studies,heat-producing elements U and Th become more chalcophile,while K becomes less chalcophile, with more reducingconditions [2]. The nominally lithophile elements Mg and Cabecoming more chalcophile and appear as minor elements in(Fe,Mg,Ca)-S with more reducing conditions [3]. Additionally, itappears that nominally siderophile elements become moresiderophile and chalcophile with more reducing conditions,although the partitioning behavior into Mg- and Ca-bearingsulfide melts, rather than FeS, is less understood. Current workis focused on investigating elements for which we currently haveMESSENGER data as well as a host of geochemically relevanttrace elements such as REE.

Brendan A Anzures↗
DOE OSTI2024

Corrosion Engineering of Part‐Per‐Million Single Atom Pt 1 /Ni(OH) 2 Electrocatalyst for PET Upcycling at Ampere‐Level Current Density

The plastic waste issue has posed a series of formidable challenges for the ecological environment and human health. While conventional recycling strategies often lead to plastic down-cycling, the electrochemical strategy of recovering valuable monomers enables an ideal, circular plastic economy. Here a corrosion synthesized single atom Pt 1 /Ni(OH) 2 electrocatalyst with part-per-million noble Pt loading for highly efficient and selective upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into valuable chemicals (potassium diformate and terephthalic acid) and green hydrogen is reported. Electro-oxidation of PET hydrolysate, ethylene glycol (EG), to formate is processed with high Faraday efficiency (FE) and selectivity (>90%) at the current density close to 1000 mA cm −2 (1.444 V vs RHE). The in situ spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations provide insights into the mechanism and the understanding of the high efficiency. Remarkably, the electro-oxidation of EG at the ampere-level current density is also successfully illustrated by using a membrane-electrode assembly with high FEs to formate integrated with hydrogen production for 500 h of continuous operation. In conclusion, this process allows valuable chemical production at high space-time yield and is highly profitable (588–700 $\$$ ton −1 PET), showing an industrial perspective on single-atom catalysis of electrochemical plastic upcycling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1974

The thermal state and internal structure of Mars

The evolution and state of the interior of Mars are studied through the use of theoretically calculated thermal history and density models. Invoking melting of an Fe-FeS mixture permits initial core formation within the first billion years. At the present time the core radius ranges from about 1300 to 1800 km, depending on composition, and the core is liquid even if the composition is varied from the eutectic. Large-scale differentiation of the silicates occurs in the last 2 b.y. When the mean density is 3.96 g/cu cm, the radius is 3389 km, and the moment of inertia factor is 0.377, the density models indicate high mantle densities near 3.74 g/cu cm. Thus an FeO content of about 29% is implied, consistent with the production of a low-viscosity magma. Chemical models of the Martian mantle indicate a composition primarily of olivine with about 56% forsterite.

Johnston, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Search for Fluid Inclusions in a Carbonaceous Chondrite Using a New X-Ray Micro-Tomography Technique Combined with FIB Sampling

Early solar system aqueous fluids are preserved in some H chondrites as aqueous fluid inclusions in halite (e.g., [1]). Although potential fluid inclusions are also expected in carbonaceous chondrites [2], they have not been surely confirmed. In order to search for these fluid inclusions, we have developped a new X-ray micro-tomography technique combined with FIB sampling and applied this techniqu to a carbanaceous chondrite. Experimental: A polished thin section of Sutter's Mill meteorite (CM) was observed with an optical microscope and FE-SEM (JEOL 7001F) for chosing mineral grains of carbonates (mainly calcite) and sulfides (FeS and ZnS) 20-50 microns in typical size, which may have aqueous fluid inclusions. Then, a "house" similar to a cube with a roof (20-30 microns in size) is sampled from the mineral grain by using FIB (FEI Quanta 200 3DS). Then, the house was atached to a thin W-needle by FIB and imaged by a SR-based imaging microtomography system with a Fresnel zone plate at beamline BL47XU, SPring-8, Japan. One sample was imaged at two X-ray energies, 7 and 8 keV, to identify mineral phases (dual-enegy microtomography: [3]). The size of voxel (pixel in 3D) was 50-80 nm, which gave the effective spatial resolution of approx. 200 nm. A terrestrial quartz sample with an aqueous fluid inclusion with a bubble was also examined as a test sample by the same method. Results and discussion: A fluid inclusion of 5-8 microns in quartz was clearly identified in a CT image. A bubble of approx. 4 microns was also identified as refraction contrast although the X-ray absorption difference between fluid and bubble is small. Volumes of the fluid and bubble were obtained from the 3D CT images. Fourteen grains of calcite, two grains of iron sulfide and one grain of (Zn,Fe)S were examined. Ten calcite, one iron sulfide and one (Zn,Fe)S grains have inclusions >1 micron in size (the maximum: approx. 5 microns). The shapes are spherical or irregular. Tiny inclusions (<1 micron) are also present in all the grains examined. These results show that mineral grains have more inclusions than expected from 2D observations. The X-ray absorption of the inclusions shows that they are not solid inclusions. No bubbles were observed inside, indicating that we cannot determine whether they are really aqueous fluids or merely voids. One calcite grain has an inclusion approx. 2 microns in size, which seems to have a bubble and a tiny solid daughter crystal inside (three-phase inclusion). As we know the exact 3D position of the inclusion, we will anlyze the inclusion by SIMS after freezing the sample as has been done for a halite sample [3]. The present technique is useful for finding small inclusions not only in carbonaceous chondrites but also for terrestrial materials.

Tsuchiyama, A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Thermomagnetic analysis of meteorites, 2.C2 chondrites

Samples of all eighteen known C2 chondrites have been analyzed thermomagnetically. For eleven of these, initial Fe3O4 content is low (generally less than 1%) and the saturation magnetization-vs.-temperature curves are irreversible. The heating curves show variable and erratic behavior, whereas the cooling curves are similar to that of Fe3O4. The saturation moment after cooling is greater (up to 10 times) than it is initially. This behavior is attributed to the production of magnetite from a thermally unstable phase - apparently FeS. Four of the remaining seven C2 chondrites contain Fe3O4 as the only significant magnetic phase; initial magnetite contents range from 4 to 13%. The remaining three C2 chondrites contain iron or nickel-iron in addition to Fe3O4. These seven C2 chondrites show little evidence of the breakdown of a thermally unstable phase.

Watson, D. E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Simulation Center for Runaway Electron Avoidance and Mitigation (SCREAM SciDAC) (Technical Final Report)

Runaway electrons can severely damage the plasma facing components on ITER during a major disruption and pose a major risk for tokamak fusion. It has been recognized that an adequate disruption mitigation system (DMS) is essential for the safe operation of ITER. The United States is responsible for the design and implementation of the disruption mitigation system on ITER, and in July 2016 the Simulation Center for Runaway Electron Avoidance and Mitigation (SCREAM) was launched by DOE, in a joint Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) and Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) collaboration. SCREAM was a comprehensive theory and simulation SciDAC center that provided physics guidance in the avoidance and mitigation of runaway electrons, and in tandem with domestic and international experiments, helped establish the qualitative and quantitative bases for safe operational scenarios and viable mitigation techniques. The SCREAM center assembled a national team of experts in runaway electron physics, tokamak disruptions, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation, and advanced algorithms and computing. The team combined advanced simulation and analysis capability facilitated by direct participation of ASCR SciDAC institutes with theoretical models and code development by FES scientists to focus on the runaway risk for ITER and tokamaks in general. The research scope was focussed on integrated simulations of kinetic runaway electrons, including MHD and fluid models of impurity transport, within a research plan guided by theory. The specific research tasks were (1) establish the fundamental physics of runaway generation, saturation, and dynamical evolution in a tokamak; (2) examine the critical path toward runaway avoidance; and (3) investigate the viability and effectiveness of the leading candidate schemes for runaway mitigation. In all three areas, members of the team carried out scoping studies that established the readiness for rapid and critical advances, especially in the deployment and further development of large-to extreme-scale simulation tools. Our multi-pronged computational approach included (1) relativistic Fokker-Planck solvers with discretization in phase space, (2) self-consistent particle-in-cell techniques, (3) particle-based Monte-Carlo, and (4) MHD-particle hybrid simulations. Cross-check between these different methods provided an additional means for verification and further bolstered the fidelity of our physics prediction. Validation against experimental results brings confidence to the predictive capability for ITER and frequently leads to new ideas for understanding and mitigating the thermal quench driven runaway electron phenomenon.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1974

Thermomagnetic analysis of meteorites, 2: C2 chondrites

Samples of all eighteen of the known C2 chondrites were analyzed thermomagnetically. For eleven of these, initial Fe3O4 content is low(generally 1%) and the J sub s-T curves are irreversible. The heating curves show variable and erratic behavior, whereas the cooling curves appear to be that of Fe3O4. The saturation moment after cooling is greater (up to 10 times larger) than it is initially. This behavior is interpreted to be the result of the production of magnetite from a thermally unstable phase--apparently FeS. Four of the remaining 7 C2 chondrites contain Fe3O4 as the only significant magnetic phase: initial magnetite contents range from 4 to 13 percent. The remaining three C2 chondrites contain iron or nickel-iron in addition to Fe3O4. These seven C2 chondrites show little evidence of the breakdown of a thermally unstable phase.

Watson, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Advanced Optical Measurement Techniques

This research analyzes four areas: (1) Improved Techniques for Optical Measurement; (2) KC-135 Low Gravity Simulation Flight Preparation; (3) In-Line Holographic Microscopy; and (4) Holographic Optical Schlieren System (HOSS). The first task provides for laboratory breadboarding of advanced optical measurement techniques which appear promising for use in Material Processing System (MPS) flight experiments. A laboratory schlieren system has been constructed which simulates a similar optical system on the Fluids Experiment System (FES) which is to be flown on Spacelab 3. The second task allows improved optical systems and breadboards to be built for experiments and hardware tests on the KC-135 aircraft. A new, more stable Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been developed and components have been ordered. The third task is concerned with improvements on the optical system being used to study immiscible fluids. Experiments studying the dynamics of nucleation and the separation of immiscible fluids have been conducted. The four task involves building breadboard reconstruction systems for holograms taken in the HOSS. The HOSS is an early prototype of the Fluids Experiments System (FES) which is scheduled to fly on Spacelab 3.

Owen, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Euhedral metallic-Fe-Ni grains in extraterrestrial samples

Metallic Fe-Ni is rare in terrestrial rocks, being largely restricted to serpentinized peridotites and volcanic rocks that assimilated carbonaceous material. In contrast, metallic Fe-Ni is nearly ubiquitous among extraterrestrial samples (i.e., meteorites, lunar rocks, and interplanetary dust particles). Anhedral grains are common. For example, in eucrites and lunar basalts, most of the metallic Fe-Ni occurs interstitially between silicate grains and thus tends to have irregular morphologies. In many porphyritic chondrules, metallic Fe-Ni and troilite form rounded blebs in the mesostasis because their precursors were immiscible droplets. In metamorphosed ordinary chondrites, metallic Fe-Ni and troilite form coarse anhedral grains. Some of the metallic Fe-Ni and troilite grains has also been mobilized and injected into fractures in adjacent silicate grains where local shock-reheating temperatures reached the Fe-FeS eutectic (988 C). In interplanetary dust particles metallic Fe-Ni most commonly occurs along with sulfide as spheroids and fragments. Euhedral metallic Fe-Ni grains are extremely rare. Several conditions must be met before such grains can form: (1) grain growth must occur at free surfaces, restricting euhedral metallic Fe-Ni grains to systems that are igneous or undergoing vapor-deposition; (2) the metal (+/-) sulfide assemblage must have an appropriate bulk composition so that taenite is the liquidus phase in igneous systems or the stable condensate phase in vapor-deposition systems; and (3) metallic Fe-Ni grains must remain underformed during subsequent compaction, thermal metamorphism, and shock. Because of these restrictions, the occurrence of euhedral metallic Fe-Ni grains in an object can potentially provide important petrogenetic information. Despite its rarity, euhedral metallic Fe-Ni occurs in a wide variety of extraterrestrial materials. Some of these materials formed in the solar nebula; others formed on parent body surfaces by meteoroid impacts.

Rubin, Alan E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Financial Analysis of the High Flow Experiment conducted at the Glen Canyon Dam during Water Year 2023

The Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) is a Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) power resource that is a component of the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP). The 2016 record of decision (ROD) for the GCD long-term experimental and management plan (LTEMP) final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) specified criteria for GCD monthly water releases, daily and hourly operating limits, and experimental releases. This report examines the financial implications of the high flow experiment (HFE) conducted at GCD during the spring of Water Year (WY) 2023 as required by the LTEMP HFE Protocol. This report is part of a series of reports that describe the financial costs of LTEMP experimental releases since the 2016 ROD was adopted in January 2017. Previous reports analyzed the impact of several past HFEs and Bug Flow Experiments. This report focuses on the HFE conducted in April 2023. For this experimental release, financial costs of approximately $1.33 million were incurred because the HFE required sustained water releases exceeding the power plant’s maximum turbine flow rate. In addition, during the experiment, operators were not allowed to shape GCD power production, either to follow Firm Electric Service (FES) customer day-ahead energy deliveries or to respond to market prices. This study identifies the main factors contributing to the HFE costs and examines the interdependencies among these factors. It applies an integrated set of tools to estimate Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) financial impacts by simulating GCD under two types of cases; namely, (1) a “With Experiment” case that mimics the operations that actually occurred and (2) a “Without Experiment” case that simulates operations under the assumption that the HFE did not occur. The “With Experiment” case mimics operations during the HFE and the entire month the HFE occurred. It complies with LTEMP hourly and daily operating criteria. The “Without Experiment” case assumes that the HFE did not occur. The monthly water release volume is assumed to be identical under both cases. The Colorado River Storage Project Python-based model (CRiSPPy) model was the main modeling tool used to simulate the dispatch of the GCD hydropower plant and associated water releases from Lake Powell. In the modeling process, the research team used extensive data sets and historical information on SLCA/IP power plant characteristics, hydrologic conditions, and WAPA’s power purchases and sales prices. In addition to estimating the financial impact of the HFE, the team used the CRiSPPy model to gain insights into the interplay among ROD operating criteria, exceptions made to criteria to accommodate the HFE, and WAPA operating practices.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Antiferromagnetic Ordering in Quasi-One-Dimensional FeBi 4 S 7

Here, we report a detailed study of the synthesis, composition, magnetic structure, and transport properties of a quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet FeBi 4 S 7 that contains chains of edge-sharing FeS 6 octahedra. High-resolution powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis, aided by variation of synthetic conditions, suggests that the true formula of the material is Fe 1.2 Bi 3.8 S 7 , due to the minor substitution of Fe into Bi sites. This finding is in agreement with crystal structure refinement from neutron powder diffraction data as well as with the small band gap of 0.23 eV determined from electrical transport measurements. Analysis of the neutron diffraction pattern collected below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of 64 K revealed ferromagnetic coupling between the Fe moments in the chains of FeS 6 octahedra. The overall ordering, however, is antiferromagnetic due to the antiparallel arrangement of moments on neighboring chains. The collinear spin arrangement is described by a k-vector (1, 0, 1/2), which indicates doubling of the unit cell in the c direction and the loss of the C-centering translation as compared to the nuclear cell. The ferromagnetic nature of the sulfide-bridged chains of Fe 2+ ions in FeBi 4 S 7 , in contrast to the antiferromagnetic coupling between Fe moments in compounds with similar structural fragments, can be justified by the analysis of metric parameters that characterize the Fe–S bonding in these materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Testing of a 15 kA Superconducting Transformer

Here, the manufacturing of superconducting magnets for High Energy Physics (HEP) and Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) applications requires high-current conductors to generate stronger magnetic fields without increasing the inductance of the magnet. Increased inductance is undesirable due to the associated AC losses, which reduce the temperature margin; and the quench protection also becomes complicated. Testing high-current conductors with a direct current (DC) room temperature power supply is unfeasible for two primary reasons: 1) the limited capacity to supply large currents, and 2) the significant heat load losses at the current leads. A superconducting transformer offers a solution to both challenges. A 50-kA superconducting transformer is planned for manufacturing and commissioning at Brookhaven National Laboratory as part of its user facility upgrade. This transformer will facilitate the testing of superconducting cables, conductors, joints, and insert coils under high magnetic field conditions (10 T) and with currents up to 50-kA. To evaluate the manufacturing process and validate the theoretical models, the magnet division has developed and tested a 15-kA prototype transformer. A control loop has been implemented to ensure precise current delivery to the sample. This paper presents the coil design, manufacturing, and experimental results from the cold tests.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2011

Acid-Sulfate-Weathering Activity in Shergottite Sites on Mars Recorded in Grim Glasses

Based on mass spectrometric studies of sulfur species in Shergotty and EET79001, [1] and [2] showed that sulfates and sulfides occur in different proportions in shergottites. Sulfur speciation studies in gas-rich impact-melt (GRIM) glasses in EET79001 by the XANES method [3] showed that S K-XANES spectra in GRIM glasses from Lith A indicate that S is associated with Ca and Al presumably as sulfides/sulfates whereas the XANES spectra of amorphous sulfide globules in GRIM glasses from Lith B indicate that S is associated with Fe as FeS. In these amorphous iron sulfide globules, [4] found no Ni using FE-SEM and suggested that the globules resulting from immiscible sulfide melt may not be related to the igneous iron sulfides having approximately 1-3% Ni. Furthermore, in the amorphous iron sulfides from 507 GRIM glass, [5] determined delta(sup 34)S values ranging from +3.5%o to -3.1%o using Nano-SIMS. These values plot between the delta(sup 34)S value of +5.25%o determined in the sulfate fraction in Shergotty [6] at one extreme and the value of -1.7%o obtained for igneous sulfides in EET79001 and Shergotty [7] at the other. These results suggest that the amorphous Fe-S globules likely originated by shock reduction of secondary iron sulfate phases occurring in the regolith precursor materials during impact [7]. Sulfates in the regolith materials near the basaltic shergottite sites on Mars owe their origin to surficial acid-sulfate interactions. We examine the nature of these reactions by studying the composition of the end products in altered regolith materials. For the parent material composition, we use that of the host shergottite material in which the impact glasses are situated.

Rao, M. N.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Possible roles of manganese redox chemistry in the sulfur cycle

Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) are very potent MnO2 reducers by virtue of their sulfide production: H2S reacts rapidly with MnO2 to yield Mn(2), elemental sulfur, and water. In manganese rich zones, Mn cycles rapidly if sulfate is present to drive the reduction and the MnO2 precipitates and sinks into anaerobic zones. The production of sulfide (by organisms requiring organic carbon compounds) to reduce manganese oxides might act to couple the carbon and sulfur cycles in water bodies in which the two cycles are physically separated. Iron has been proposed for this provision of reducing power by (Jorgensen, 1983), but since MnS is soluble and FeS is very insoluble in water, it is equally likely that manganese rather than iron provides the electrons to the more oxidized surface layers.

Nealson, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Nanoscale Analysis of Space-Weathering Features in Soils from Itokawa

Space weathering alters the spectral properties of airless body surface materials by redden-ing and darkening their spectra and attenuating characteristic absorption bands, making it challenging to characterize them remotely [1,2]. It also causes a discrepency between laboratory analysis of meteorites and remotely sensed spectra from asteroids, making it difficult to associate meteorites with their parent bodies. The mechanisms driving space weathering include mi-crometeorite impacts and the interaction of surface materials with solar energetic ions, particularly the solar wind. These processes continuously alter the microchemical and structural characteristics of exposed grains on airless bodies. The change of these properties is caused predominantly by the vapor deposition of reduced Fe and FeS nanoparticles (npFe(sup 0) and npFeS respectively) onto the rims of surface grains [3]. Sample-based analysis of space weathering has tra-ditionally been limited to lunar soils and select asteroidal and lunar regolith breccias [3-5]. With the return of samples from the Hayabusa mission to asteroid Itoka-wa [6], for the first time we are able to compare space-weathering features on returned surface soils from a known asteroidal body. Analysis of these samples will contribute to a more comprehensive model for how space weathering varies across the inner solar system. Here we report detailed microchemical and microstructal analysis of surface grains from Itokawa.

Thompson, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Material Concerns: Evaluating Sulfur Concrete for use in the Lunar Environment

On Earth sulfur "concrete" is an established construction material that has good mechanical properties, generally better than Portland cement, and can be used in corrosive environments. Troilite (FeS) has been found on the moon and raises the question of using extracted sulfur as a lunar construction material, an attractive alternative to conventional concrete as it does not require water. Troilite reduction to elemental sulfur and using it to make concrete in a lunar setting has been previously discussed. However, little has been experimentally done to evaluate its performance in the extreme lunar environment. This study subjected sets of sulfur concrete samples, prepared using JSC-1 lunar simulant, to I ) extended periods of high vacuum and 2) extreme temperature cycles. Here an overview of sulfur concrete and experimentally assessed properties, put in context of the lunar environment, is presented and discussed.

Grugel, Richard N.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Metallic phases in the Luna 24 soil samples

The metal and sulfide phases in the Luna 24 soil samples were studied with the optical microscope and the electron microprobe. The compositions of the metal particles fall into three groups based on their Ni and Co contents: (1) Samples of meteoritic composition which have undergone metamorphism on the lunar surface. (2) Samples of submeteoritic, low Ni and low Co contents, including most of the metal particles observed. These particles are contained in glass and agglutinate particles and were probably formed by the mixing of meteoritic metal with lunar metal produced by the reduction of silicates during shock-impact. (3) Samples of high-CO content probably formed by mixing of meteoritic material with high-Co metal from the mare basalt or by fractional crystallization from a metal silicate melt. The sulfide minerals were also studied. These are almost pure FeS, and crystallized from a late stage liquid in the mare basalt. Three high-Ni sulfides were also found in the glass phase of agglutinates.

Friel, J. J.↗