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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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Crystalline surface investigation - epitaxy of compound crystals influenced by radiation and of graphites on fluorites, interfacial energy and nucleation, monolayer metals, and alkali films
Crystalline surface physics - film layer structures, surface and interfacial energies, electron diffraction, and electron emission properties
Single crystal metal film formation on alkali halides, crystal structure and electron emission properties of work functions, and relativistic effects on slow electron scattering
Structure of epitaxial films, surface layers with low energy electron diffraction, and tungsten single crystal layers
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Particle densities, elastic and inelastic scattering, electron diffraction patterns, and adsorbate influence on surface structure and work function changes on crystalline surfaces
I will give a review of the history of low-energy positron physics, experimental and theoretical, concentrating on the type of work pioneered by John Humberston and the positronics group at University College. This subject became a legitimate subfield of atomic physics under the enthusiastic direction of the late Sir Harrie Massey, and it attracted a diverse following throughout the world. At first purely theoretical, the subject has now expanded to include high brightness beams of low-energy positrons, positronium beams, and, lately, experiments involving anti-hydrogen atoms. The theory requires a certain type of persistence in its practitioners, as well as an eagerness to try new mathematical and numerical techniques. I will conclude with a short summary of some of the most interesting recent advances.
Electro-Optic Holography (EOH) is a non-intrusive, laser-based, displacement measurement technique capable of static and dynamic displacement measurements. EOH is an optical interference technique in which fringe patterns that represent displacement contour maps are generated. At excessively large displacements the fringe density may be so great that individual fringes are not resolvable using typical EOH techniques. This thesis focuses on the development and implementation of a method for controlling the sensitivity of the EOH system. This method is known as Frequency Translated Electro-Optic Holography (FTEOH). It was determined that by modulating the current source of the laser diode at integer multiples of the object vibration, the fringe pattern is governed by higher order Bessel function of the first kind and the number of fringes that represent a given displacement can be controlled. The reduction of fringes is theoretically unlimited but physically limited by the frequency bandwidth of the signal generator, providing modulation to the laser diode. Although this research technique has been verified theoretically and experimentally in this thesis, due to the current laser diode capabilities it is a tedious and time consuming process to acquire data using the FTEOH technique.
The volume begins with a non-mathematical discussion of the motivation behind, and basic ideas of, elementary-particle physics theory and experiment. The progress over the past two decades with the quark model and unification of the electromagnetic and weak interactions is reviewed. Existing theoretical problems in the field, such as the origin of mass and the unification of the fundamental forces, are detailed, along with experimental programs to test the new theories. Accelerators, instrumentation, and detectors are described for both current and future facilities. Interactions with other areas of both theoretical and applied physics are presented. The sociology of the field is examined regarding the education of graduate students, the organization necessary in large-scale experiments, and the decision-making process involved in high-cost experiments. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for maintaining US excellence in theory and experiment are given. Appendices list both current and planned accelerators, and present statistical data on the US elementary-particle physics program. A glossary is included.
Recent observations and associated theoretical developments bearing on the composition and structure of comets are briefly reviewed. The physical and dynamical processes in cometary atmospheres and ionospheres are discussed, and detailed hydrodynamic models of expanding multiconstituent cometary atmospheres corresponding both to a central nucleus as well as a central nucleus surrounded by a distributed source are presented for comparison with observation. It is argued that observed 'slow' speed for the neutral hydrogen is not incompatible with a purely H2O 'parent' source for that species.
The processes and parameters in atomic and molecular physics that are relevant to solar physics are investigated. The areas covered include: (1) measurement of atomic and molecular parameters that contribute to discrete and continous sources of opacity and abundance determinations in the sun; (2) line broadening and scattering phenomena; and (3) development of an ion beam spectroscopic source which is used for the measurement of electron excitation cross sections of transition region and coronal ions.
The investigators published a very large number of space science research papers, and in almost all cases these papers involved correlative multi-spacecraft studies. A tabulation of these research papers is provided. Quarterly progress reports for the second contractual period are included.
Data from ISEE-3, Pioneer Venus Orbiter, and Voyager 1 and 2 were analyzed. The predictability of local shock macrostructure at ISEE-1, at the Earth's bow shock, from solar wind measurements made up-stream by ISEE-3, was conducted using computer graphic format. Morphology of quasi-parallel shock was reviewed. The review attempted to interrelate various measurements and computations involving the q-parallel structure and foreshock elements connected to it. A new classification for q-parallel morphology was suggested.
Physical, structural, and electromagnetic properties and interrelating processes in sea ice are used to develop a composite model for polarimetric backscattering signatures of sea ice. Physical properties of sea ice constituents such as ice, brine, air, and salt are presented in terms of their effects on electromagnetic wave interactions. Sea ice structure and geometry of scatterers are related to wave propagation, attenuation, and scattering. Temperature and salinity, which are determining factors for the thermodynamic phase distribution in sea ice, are consistently used to derive both effective permittivities and polarimetric scattering coefficients. Polarimetric signatures of sea ice depend on crystal sizes and brine volumes, which are affected by ice growth rates. Desalination by brine expulsion, drainage, or other mechanisms modifies wave penetration and scattering. Sea ice signatures are further complicated by surface conditions such as rough interfaces, hummocks, snow cover, brine skim, or slush layer. Based on the same set of geophysical parameters characterizing sea ice, a composite model is developed to calculate effective permittivities and backscattering covariance matrices at microwave frequencies for interpretation of sea ice polarimetric signatures.
Our research and technology are focused on nonlinear issues in the aerothermochemistry of gases and materials and the associated physics and dynamics of interfaces. Our program is now organized to aggressively support the NASA Aeronautics Enterprise so as to: (a) develop a new generation of environmentally compatible, economic subsonic aircraft; (b) develop the technology base for an economically viable and environmentally compatible high-speed civil transport; (c) develop the technology options for new capabilities in high-performance aircraft; (d) develop hypersonic technologies for air-breathing flight; and (e) develop advanced concepts, understanding of physical phenomena, and theoretical, experimental, and computational tools for advanced aerospace systems. The implications from our research for aeronautical and aerospace technology have been both broad and deep. For example, using advanced computational techniques, we have determined exact solutions for the Schrodinger equation in electron-molecule scattering allowing us to evaluate atmospheric models important to reentry physics. We have also found a new class of exact solutions for the Navier Stokes equations. In experimental fluid dynamics, we have found explicit evidence of turbulence modification of droplet sizes in shock tube flow with condensation. We have developed a new diagnostic tool for the direct estimation of flow velocities at MHz sampling rates in quasi-one dimensional turbulent flow. This procedure suggests an unexpected confirmation of the possibility of 'natural' closure in Reynolds stresses with deep implications for the development of turbulent models. A transient increase is observed in both the spectral energy decay rate and the degree of chaotic complexity at the interface of a shock wave and a turbulent ionized gas. Even though the gas is apparently brought to rest by the shock wave, no evidence is found either of the expected relaminarization. A unique diamond-shaped nozzle has been designed for a detailed investigation of the effect of significant streamwise vorticity on the acoustic and IR characteristics of supersonic jets. Our results provide convincing evidence of the significant effect of vorticity on the far-field noise for the diamond jet as compared to the conventional round jets. We have found that the countercurrent shear layer mixes much more efficiently than conventional coflowing shear layers. We also developed the fluid thrust vectoring procedures which use counter flow to vector a jet. Our materials research has shown that the steep stress gradients at the fiber-matrix interface could be the primary cause of interface cracks after the processing of metallic and intermetallic matrix composites. New techniques have been evolved for: the microcharacterization of materials including microplastic strain and, point by point, the misorientation and plasticity for matrix composites; thermally induced stress measurements and load relaxation; the growth and characterization of metallic matrix composite interfaces; and for the growth of ferrite materials by pulsed laser deposition. The FAMU commitment to the HBCU Research Center also continues to be broad and deep.
In this report the main physics processes in LH2 tank during prepress and rocket flight are studied. The goal of this investigation is to analyze possible hazards and to make risk assessment in proposed LH2 tank designs for SLS with 5 engines (the situation with 4 engines is less critical). For analysis we use the multinode model (MNM) developed by us and presented in a separate report and also 3D ANSYS simulations. We carry out simulation and theoretical analysis the physics processes such as (i) accumulation of bubbles in LH2 during replenish stage and their collapsing in the liquid during the prepress; (ii) condensation-evaporation at the liquid-vapor interface and tank wall, (iv) heating the liquid near the interface and wall due to condensation and environment heat, (v) injection of hot He during prepress and of hot GH2 during flight, (vi) mixing and cooling of the injected gases due to heat transfer between the gases, liquid and the tank wall. We analyze the effects of these physical processes on the thermo- and fluid gas dynamics in the ullage and on the stratification of temperature in the liquid and assess the associated hazards. A special emphasize is put on the scaling predictions for the larger SLS LH2 tank.