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At least 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

The Preparation and Structural Characterization of Three Structural Types of Gallium Compounds Derived from Gallium (II) Chloride

The three compounds Ga2Cl4(4-mepy)2 (1),[GaCl2(4-mepy)4]GaCl4x1/2(4-mepy); (2) and GaCl2(4-mepy)2(S2CNEt2); (3) (4-mepy= 4-methylpyridine) have been prepared from reactions of gallium (II) chloride in 4-methylpyridine and characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Small variations in the reaction conditions for gallium(II) chloride can produce crystals with substantially different structural properties. The three compounds described here encompass a neutral gallium(II) dimer in which each gallium is four-coordinate, an ionic compound containing both anionic and cationic gallium complex ions with different coordination numbers and a neutral six-coordinate heteroleptic

Gordon, Edward M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Conformational Structure of Tyrosine, Tyrosyl-Glycine, and Tyrosyl-Glycyl-Glycine by Double Resonance Spectroscopy

We investigated the variation in conformation for the amino acid tyrosine (Y), alone and in the small peptides tyrosine-glycine (YC) and tyrosine-glycine-glycine (YGG), in the gas phase by using UV-UV and IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. For tyrosine we found seven different conformations, for YG we found four different conformations, and for YGG we found three different conformations. As the peptides get larger, we observe fewer stable conformers, despite the increasing complexity and number of degrees of freedom. We find structural trends similar to those in phenylalanine-glycine glycine (FGG) and tryptophan-glycine-glycine (WGG)j however) the effect of dispersive forces in FGG for stabilizing a folded structure is replaced by that of hydrogen bonding in YGG.

Abo-Riziq, Ali↗
NASA NTRS2016

Determining the 3D Subsurface Density Structure of Taurus Littrow Valley Using Apollo 17 Gravity Data

Surface gravity surveys can detect subsurface density variations that can reveal subsurface geologic features. In 1972, the Apollo 17 (A17) mission conducted the Traverse Gravimeter Experiment (TGE) using a gravimeter that measured the local gravity field near Taurus Littrow Valley (TLV), located on the south-eastern rim of the Serenitatis basin. TLV is hypothesized to be a basaltfilled radial graben resulting from the impact that formed Mare Serenitatis. It is bounded by both the North and South Massifs (NM and SM) as well as other smaller mountains to the East that are thought to be mainly composed of brecciated highland material. The TGE is the first and only successful gravity survey on the surface of the Moon. Other more recent satellite surveys, such as NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission (2011- 2012), have produced the best global gravity field to date (approx. 13km resolution). However, these satellite surveys are not sensitive enough to detect fine-scale (<1km) lunar subsurface structures. This underscores the value of the data collected at the surface by A17. In the original analysis of the data a 2D forward-modelling approach was used to derive a thickness of the subsurface basalt layer of 1.0 km by assuming a simple flat-faced rectangular geometry and using densities derived from Apollo lunar samples. We are investigating whether modern 3D modelling techniques in combination with high-resolution topographical and image datasets can reveal additional fine-scale subsurface structure in TLV.

TGE↗
NASA NTRS1975

Recent perspectives in solar physics - Elemental composition, coronal structure and magnetic fields, solar activity

Elemental abundances in the solar corona are studied. Abundances in the corona, solar wind and solar cosmic rays are compared to those in the photosphere. The variation in silicon and iron abundance in the solar wind as compared to helium is studied. The coronal small and large scale structure is investigated, emphasizing magnetic field activity and examining cosmic ray generation mechanisms. The corona is observed in the X-ray and EUV regions. The nature of coronal transients is discussed with emphasis on solar-wind modulation of galactic cosmic rays. A schematic plan view of the interplanetary magnetic field during sunspot minimum is given showing the presence of magnetic bubbles and their concentration in the region around 4-5 AU by a fast solar wind stream.

Newkirk, G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Physical Character of Small-Scale Interstellar Structures

The primary objective of this program was to obtain FUSE observations of the multiple interstellar absorption lines of H2 toward the members of 3 resolvable binary/multiple star systems to explore the physical conditions in known interstellar small-scale structures. Each of the selected systems was meant to address a different aspect of the models for the origin of these structures: 1) The stars HD 32039/40 were meant to probe a temporally varying component which probed a cloud with an inferred size of tens to a few hundreds of AU. The goal was to see if there was any significant H2 associated with this component; 2) The star HD 36408B and its companion HD 36408A (observed as part of FUSE GTO program P119) show significant spatial and temporal (proper motion induced) Na I column variations in a strong, relatively isolated component, as well as a relatively simple component structure. The key goal here was to identify any differences in H2 or C I excitation between the sightlines, and to measure the physical conditions (primarily density and temperature) in the temporally varying component; 3) The stars HD 206267C and HD 206267D are highly reddened sightlines which showed significant variations in K I and molecular absorption lines in multiple velocity components. Coupled with FUSE GTO observations of HD 206267A (program P116), the goal was to study the variations in H2 along sightlines which are significantly more distant, with larger separations, and with greater extinctions than the other selected binary systems.

Lauroesch, James T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Geologic interpretation of Seasat SAR imagery near the Rio Lacantum, Mexico

A mosaic of the Seasat Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) optically processed images over Central America is presented. A SAR image of the Rio Lacantum area (southeastern Mexico) has been digitally processed and its interpretation is presented. The region is characterized by low relief and a dense vegetation canopy. Surface is believed to be indicative of subsurface structural features. The Seasat-SAR system had a steep imaging geometry (incidence angle 23 + or - 3 deg off-nadir) which is favorable for detection of subtle topographic variations. Subtle textural features in the image corresponding to surface topography were enhanced by image processing techniques. A structural and lithologic interpretation of the processed images is presented. Lineaments oriented NE-SW dominate and intersect broad folds trending NW-SE. Distinctive karst topography characterizes one high relief area

Rebillard, PH.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Evidence of Temporal Variation of Titan Atmospheric Density in 2005-2013

One major science objective of the Cassini mission is an investigation of Titan's atmosphere constituent abundances. Titan's atmospheric density is of interest not only to planetary scientists but also to mission design and mission control engineers. Knowledge of the dependency of Titan's atmospheric density with altitude is important because any unexpectedly high atmospheric density has the potential to tumble the spacecraft during a flyby. During low-altitude Titan flyby, thrusters are fired to counter the torque imparted on the spacecraft due to the Titan atmosphere. The denser the Titan's atmosphere is, the higher are the duty cycles of the thruster firings. Therefore thruster firing telemetry data could be used to estimate the atmospheric torque imparted on the spacecraft. Since the atmospheric torque imparted on the spacecraft is related to the Titan's atmospheric density, atmospheric densities are estimated accordingly. In 2005-2013, forty-three low-altitude Titan flybys were executed. The closest approach altitudes of these Titan flybys ranged from 878 to 1,074.8 km. Our density results are also compared with those reported by other investigation teams: Voyager-1 (in November 1980) and the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument, HASI (in January 2005). From our results, we observe a temporal variation of the Titan atmospheric density in 2005-2013. The observed temporal variation is significant and it isn't due to the estimation uncertainty (5.8%, 1 sigma) of the density estimation methodology. Factors that contributed to this temporal variation have been conjectured but are largely unknown. The observed temporal variation will require synergetic analysis with measurements made by other Cassini science instruments and future years of laboratory and modeling efforts to solve. The estimated atmospheric density results are given in this paper help scientists to better understand and model the density structure of the Titan atmosphere.

Atmosphere↗
NASA NTRS1972

Large-scale properties of the interplanetary magnetic field

Early theoretical work of Parker is presented along with the observational evidence supporting his Archimedes spiral model. Variations present in the interplanetary magnetic field from the spiral angle are related to structures in the solar wind. The causes of these structures are found to be either nonuniform radial solar wind flow or the time evolution of the photospheric field. Coronal magnetic models are related to the connection between the solar magnetic field and the interplanetary magnetic field. Direct extension of the solar field-magnetic nozzle controversy is discussed along with the coronal magnetic models. Effects of active regions on the interplanetary magnetic field is discussed with particular reference to the evolution of interplanetary sectors. Interplanetary magnetic field magnitude variations are shown throughout the solar cycle. The percentage of time the field magnitude is greater than 10 gamma is shown to closely parallel sunspot number. The sun's polar field influence on the interplanetary field and alternative views of the magnetic field structure out of the ecliptic plane are presented. In addition, a variety of significantly different interplanetary field structures are discussed.

Schatten, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Consistent linearization of the element-independent corotational formulation for the structural analysis of general shells

A consistent linearization is provided for the element-dependent corotational formulation, providing the proper first and second variation of the strain energy. As a result, the warping problem that has plagued flat elements has been overcome, with beneficial effects carried over to linear solutions. True Newton quadratic convergence has been restored to the Structural Analysis of General Shells (STAGS) code for conservative loading using the full corotational implementation. Some implications for general finite element analysis are discussed, including what effect the automatic frame invariance provided by this work might have on the development of new, improved elements.

Rankin, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Investigation of the fracture mechanism of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn at cryogenic temperatures

Fractography and metallographic sectioning were used to investigate the influence of microstructure on the fracture mechanism and fracture toughness (KIC) of normal interstitial and extra low interstitial (ELI) Ti-5Al-25Sn at 20 K (-423 F) and 77 K (-320 F). Plates of each grade were mill annealed at 815 C followed by either air or furnace cooling. These variations in composition and cooling rate resulted in differences in the volume fraction and internal structure of the dispersed beta phase and in the ordering of the alpha matrix. The ELI alloys were tougher than the normal interstitial plates. KIC of the furnace-cooled ELI plate was 25% lower than that of the air-cooled ELI material. Variations in cooling rate had no influence of KIC of the normal interstitial alloys. Fractography showed that a large portion of the fracture surfaces were covered with elongated dimples. Metallographic sections of specimens deformed at 77 K showed that these features form at the intersections of slip bands or deformation twins with grain or twin boundaries. Ordering and higher interstitial levels increase the local strain in slip bands resulting in void nucleation at lower macroscopic strains and lower KIC values.

Van Stone, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Magnetopause structure and dynamics of the magnetosphere

It is shown how satellite magnetometer data at a magnetopause penetration can be used to determine the vector normal to the magnetopause current layer and the magnetic field component along this normal. Results from 22 Explorer 12 boundary penetrations indicate normal field components of less than 5 gamma in two-thirds of the cases. Measured field variations within the current layer demonstrate the existence of two fundamentally different types of boundary structure, the rotational and the tangential discontinuity. The rotational discontinuity seems to occur predominantly during magnetic storms. Finally, the calculated normal vector is compared with the normal to the surface of the Mead-Beard magnetosphere model.

Sonnerup, B. U. O.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Strain measurements using Fizzeau interferometry and photo-diode sensor in composite structures

A system is presented which allows the measurement of very small changes of strain in real time and can be applied to the design of stable space structures. The Fizzeau interferometry technique is employed in conjunction with a tube dilatometer to generate a fringe pattern that expands and contracts with temperature variations. A photodiode array transforms the bulls eye fringes to video signals which can be analyzed to determine the strain in structural elements such as tubes.

Syed, Hazari I.↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Microstructural Analysis of Orientation Variation in Epitaxial AlN on Si, Its Probable Origin, and Effect on Subsequent GaN Growth

A structural examination of aluminum nitride growth on [111] silicon was carried out using transmission electron microscopy. Electron diffraction indicates that the basal planes of the wurtzitic overlayer mimic the orientation of the close-packed planes of the substrate. However, considerable, random rotation in the basal plane and random out-of-plane tilts were evident. This article examines these issues with a structural examination of AlN and GaN/AlN on silicon and compares the findings to those reported in the literature.

GaN AlN Si epitaxial aluminum gallium nitride↗
NASA NTRS1994

Synthesized spectra of turbulent clouds

A comparison has been made of the velocity structure of non-star-forming dense molecular clouds and the output of a 512(exp 3) hydrodynamic code for compressible gas displaying features of turbulence. A remarkable similarity exists between the interstellar line profiles and the velocity profiles found by integrating, with an optically thin assumption, through subsections of the simulation. This similarity is in terms of both the structure of individual spectra, showing skewness, multiple peaks, and wings, and also the variations of the spectra from point to point. It is possible to see the origin of the various velocity substructures and how they correlate with regions of high density and velocity divergence, or regions of high vorticity, by deprojecting individual spectra of the simulation. It is found that the interstellar medium spectra are best represented by the epoch of the simulation in which the energy spectrum is essentially Kolmogorov-like and initially developed shocks have been largely converted into vorticity structures. Further, it is found that the vorticity peaks ascribed to intermittency contribute to the non-Gaussian features and wings of the line profile, but at an intensity level that is weak compared to the contribution of the bulk of the flow.

Falgarone, E.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Impact of Model Uncertainty on Spatial Compensation in Structural Acoustic Control

Turbulent boundary layer (TBL) noise is considered a primary contribution to the interior noise present in commercial airliners. There are numerous investigations of interior noise control devoted to aircraft panels; however, practical realization is a potential challenge since physical boundary conditions are uncertain at best. In most prior studies, pinned or clamped boundary conditions were assumed; however, realistic panels likely display a range of boundary conditions between these two limits. Uncertainty in boundary conditions is a challenge for control system designers, both in terms of the compensator implemented and the location of transducers required to achieve the desired control. The impact of model uncertainties, specifically uncertain boundaries, on the selection of transducer locations for structural acoustic control is considered herein. The final goal of this work is the design of an aircraft panel structure that can reduce TBL noise transmission through the use of a completely adaptive, single-input, single-output control system. The feasibility of this goal is demonstrated through the creation of a detailed analytical solution, followed by the implementation of a test model in a transmission loss apparatus. Successfully realizing a control system robust to variations in boundary conditions can lead to the design and implementation of practical adaptive structures that could be used to control the transmission of sound to the interior of aircraft. Results from this research effort indicate it is possible to optimize the design of actuator and sensor location and aperture, minimizing the impact of boundary conditions on the desired structural acoustic control.

Clark, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

On the relation between the electron content of the ionospheric D-region, variations of the riometer absorption, and the H-component of the geomagnetic field

The correlation between lower ionosphere disturbances, geomagnetic variations and radiowave absorption is an important geophysical problem. The correlation is investigated between the electron density profile structure and riometer absorption, and between the absorption and the H-component magnetic field, in order to determine the relation between the (e)-profile parameters and the geomagnetic field variations.

Zelenkova, L. V.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Correcting Thermal Deformations in an Active Composite Reflector

Large, high-precision composite reflectors for future space missions are costly to manufacture, and heavy. An active composite reflector capable of adjusting shape in situ to maintain required tolerances can be lighter and cheaper to manufacture. An active composite reflector testbed was developed that uses an array of piezoelectric composite actuators embedded in the back face sheet of a 0.8-m reflector panel. Each individually addressable actuator can be commanded from 500 to +1,500 V, and the flatness of the panel can be controlled to tolerances of 100 nm. Measuring the surface flatness at this resolution required the use of a speckle holography interferometer system in the Precision Environmental Test Enclosure (PETE) at JPL. The existing testbed combines the PETE for test environment stability, the speckle holography system for measuring out-of-plane deformations, the active panel including an array of individually addressable actuators, a FLIR thermal camera to measure thermal profiles across the reflector, and a heat source. Use of an array of flat piezoelectric actuators to correct thermal deformations is a promising new application for these actuators, as is the use of this actuator technology for surface flatness and wavefront control. An isogrid of these actuators is moving one step closer to a fully active face sheet, with the significant advantage of ease in manufacturing. No extensive rib structure or other actuation backing structure is required, as these actuators can be applied directly to an easy-to-manufacture flat surface. Any mission with a surface flatness requirement for a panel or reflector structure could adopt this actuator array concept to create lighter structures and enable improved performance on orbit. The thermal environment on orbit tends to include variations in temperature during shadowing or changes in angle. Because of this, a purely passive system is not an effective way to maintain flatness at the scale of microns over several meters. This technology is specifically referring to correcting thermal deformations of a large, flat structure to a specified tolerance. However, the underlying concept (an array of actuators on the back face of a panel for correcting the flatness of the front face) could be extended to many applications, including energy harvesting, changing the wavefront of an optical system, and correcting the flatness of an array of segmented deployable panels.

Bradford, Samuel C.↗