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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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At least 1,117 records · Page 62

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NASA NTRS2014

Total Volcanic Stratospheric Aerosol Optical Depths and Implications for Global Climate Change

Understanding the cooling effect of recent volcanoes is of particular interest in the context of the post-2000 slowing of the rate of global warming. Satellite observations of aerosol optical depth above 15 km have demonstrated that small-magnitude volcanic eruptions substantially perturb incoming solar radiation. Here we use lidar, Aerosol Robotic Network, and balloon-borne observations to provide evidence that currently available satellite databases neglect substantial amounts of volcanic aerosol between the tropopause and 15 km at middle to high latitudes and therefore underestimate total radiative forcing resulting from the recent eruptions. Incorporating these estimates into a simple climate model, we determine the global volcanic aerosol forcing since 2000 to be 0.19 +/- 0.09W/sq m. This translates into an estimated global cooling of 0.05 to 0.12 C. We conclude that recent volcanic events are responsible for more post-2000 cooling than is implied by satellite databases that neglect volcanic aerosol effects below 15 km.

aerosols↗

NASA NTRS2001

The Living With a Star Program Space Environment Testbed

This viewgraph presentation describes the objective, approach, and scope of the Living With a Star (LWS) program at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Scientists involved in the project seek to refine the understanding of space weather and the role of solar variability in terrestrial climate change. Research and the development of improved analytic methods have led to increased predictive capabilities and the improvement of environment specification models. Specifically, the Space Environment Testbed (SET) project of LWS is responsible for the implementation of improved engineering approaches to observing solar effects on climate change. This responsibility includes technology development, ground test protocol development, and the development of a technology application model/engineering tool.

Barth, Janet↗

NASA NTRS2011

Development of the ASTRO-H Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT): Engineering Model Performance

The X-ray astronomy satellite ASTRO-H, being developed under the collaboration among JAXA, NASA's GSFC and ESA, will have two Soft X-ray Telescopes (SXTs), among other instuments onboard, with a sensitive energy band below 12 keV. One is for an X-ray micorocalorimeter detector and the other for a X-ray CCD detector. The SXT uses a conically approximated Wolter I grazing incidence optic implemented by thin aluminum foil substrates with thickness of 0.152, 0.229, and 0.305 mm. It is similar to the Suzaku XRT, but with larger diameter (45 cm) and longer focal length (5.6 m). Goal of the angular resolution and effective area are 1 arcmin and 390 cm$A2$ at 6 keV, respectively. We made serveral improvements from Suzaku to ASTRO-H, such as thicker substrates, more forming mandrels, thinner epoxy layer for replication, stiffer housings, precise alignment bars, etc. With all these changes, we have fabricated the engineering test unit of the SXT. In this paper, we will discuss all the changes made, their effects, and report X-ray performance of the SXT test unit. An angular resolution of the test unit was measured at new Goddard X-ray calibration facility (100 m X-ray beamline) and was found to be 1.1 arcmin. We will also discuss further improvements toward the flight unit to be delivered to JAXA in 2012.

Okajima, Takashi↗

NASA NTRS2015

Study of Static Microchannel Plate Saturation Effects for the Fast Plasma Investigation Dual Electron Spectrometers on NASA's Magnetospheric MultiScale Mission

Imaging detecting systems based on microchannel plates (MCPs) are the most common for low energy plasma measurements for both space borne and ground applications. One of the key parameters of these detection systems is the dynamic range of the MCP's response to the input fluxes of charged particles. For most applications the dynamic range of the linear response should be as wide as possible. This is especially true for the Dual Electron Spectrometers (DESs) of the Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI) on NASA's Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission because a wide range of input fluxes are expected. To make use of the full available dynamic range, it is important to understand the MCP response behavior beyond the linear regime where the MCPs start to saturate. We have performed extensive studies of this during the characterization and calibration of the DES instruments and have identified several saturation effects of the detection system. The MCP itself exhibits saturation when the channels lack the ability to replenish charge sufficiently rapidly. It is found and will be shown that the ground system can significantly impact the correct measurement of this effect. As the MCP starts to saturate, the resulting pulse height distribution (PHD) changes shape and location (with less pulse height values), which leads to truncation of the PHD by the threshold set on the detection system discriminator. Finally, the detection system pulse amplifier exhibits saturation as the input flux drives pulse rates greater than its linear response speed. All of these effects effectively change the dead time of the overall detection system and as a result can affect the quality and interpretation of the flight data. We present results of detection system saturation effects and their interaction with special emphasis on the MCP related effects.

detecting system↗

NASA NTRS2017

Aerosol Optical Depth as Observed by the Mars Science Laboratory REMS UV Photodiodes

Systematic observations taken by the REMS UV photodiodes on a daily basis throughout the landed Mars Science Laboratory mission provide a highly useful tool for characterizing aerosols above Gale Crater. Radiative transfer modeling is used to model the approximately two Mars Years of observations taken to date taking into account multiple scattering from aerosols and the extended field of view of the REMS UV photodiodes. The retrievals show in detail the annual cycle of aerosol optical depth, which is punctuated with numerous short timescale events of increased optical depth. Dust deposition onto the photodiodes is accounted for by comparison with aerosol optical depth derived from direct imaging of the Sun by Mastcam. The effect of dust on the photodiodes is noticeable, but does not dominate the signal. Cleaning of dust from the photodiodes was observed in the season around Ls=270deg, but not during other seasons. Systematic deviations in the residuals from the retrieval fit are indicative of changes in aerosol effective particle size, with larger particles present during periods of increased optical depth. This seasonal dependence of aerosol particle size is expected as dust activity injects larger particles into the air, while larger aerosols settle out of the atmosphere more quickly leading to a smaller average particle size over time. A full description of these observations, the retrieval algorithm, and the results can be found in Smith et al. (2016).

Aerosol↗

NASA NTRS2005

Validation of NHB 8060.1C, Test 18 Arc Tracking, September 30, 1991

A test project was conducted to validate Test 18 of NASA Handbook (NHB) 8060.1C and, if necessary, identify and recommend improvements in the procedures or criteria of the test. The NHB 8060.1C, Test 18 test system was modified to produce better discrimination of test results. Changes, and their effects on test results, in the graphite immersion-depth, test timing sequence, and atmospheric conditions were investigated for the wire-insulation constructions tested. Based on the test results, the graphite immersion-depths (between 0.8 mm and 1.6 mm), the timing sequence, and the change in the test conditions from ambient to three environments common in manned spaceflight did not significantly affect test results. The criteria used in Test 18 of NHB 8060.1C was found to be appropriate for qualifying arc-tracking and arc-propagation characteristics of wire-insulation materials, Using the Test 18 criteria, Kapton and ETFE were considered inappropriate for use, while PTFE was considered appropriate. Recommendations from this test project for Test 18 of NHB 8060.1C include changing the experimental setup and configurational tests and performing qualification testing in air rather than in the three environments common in manned spaceflight.

Linley, Larry↗

NASA NTRS2020

Use of Climate Change Projections for Resilience Planning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In this study we use three different methodologies to document and compare temperature and precipitation projections for the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) over the 21st century. It aims to explore in what way the differences and similarities of those methodologies and their outcomes support the incorporation of climate risks in urban planning and improve effective urban climate change governance. We compared the projections for RJ from the Eta Regional Climate Model from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research nested in two Hadley Center Global Climate Models (GCMs) (Eta-HadCM3 method and Eta-HadGEM2-ES method) and 33 GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 multi-model dataset (Urban Climate Change Research Network - UCCRN method). The three methods showed increasing temperatures for RJ at the end of the century. Precipitation projections span a 13% decrease to a 12% increase when using the UCCRN method or are reduced between 0.4 and 0.5%, when using the Eta-HadGEM2-ES method. However, the middle range of the projections from UCCRN and Eta-HadGEM2-ES is similar. The three methods project an increase of warm days and nights and a decrease of cold days and nights. Nevertheless, although the directions of change are the same applying the three methods, the magnitude differs when considering warm and cold nights. Hence, city stakeholders are better informed when we apply different projection methods as it gives them the opportunity to consider the level of risk they are willing to bear in the future. We observed that defining climate change projections on the city scale based on clear communication and an interactive process between scientists and stakeholders can be used to inform citywide adaptation strategies and sector-specific uses, as well as promote urban climate risk governance.

urban governance and management↗

NASA NTRS2001

Response to Comment on "Does the Earth Have an Adaptive Infrared Iris?"

In his comment on Lindzen et al., Harrison found that the amount of high-level clouds, A, and the sea-surface temperature beneath clouds, T, averaged over a large oceanic domain in the western Pacific have secular linear trends of opposite signs over a period of 20 months. He found that when the linear trends are subtracted from the data, the correlation between the residual A and T is much reduced. His estimates of the confidence levels for the correlation indicate, moreover, that this correlation is not statistically significant. The domain-averaged A and, to a lesser degree, T, have distinct intra-seasonal and seasonal variations. These variations are influenced by the large-scale wind and temperature distributions and by the seasonal variation of insolation. To separate the local effect from the effect of slowly changing large-scale conditions, rather than subtracting 20-month linear trends from the series, which has the potential to spuriously extrapolate intra-seasonal and seasonal variations to even longer time scales, we subtracted 30-day running means of A and T from each time series; in effect, the data were high-pass filtered. The number of points (days), N, is reduced by this process from the original value of 510 to 480.

Bell, Thomas L.↗

NASA NTRS2024

Abrupt Reduction in Shipping Emission as an Inadvertent Geoengineering Termination Shock Produces Substantial Radiative Warming

Human activities affect the Earth’s climate through modifying the composition of the atmosphere, which then creates radiative forcing that drives climate change. The warming effect of anthropogenic greenhouse gases has been partially balanced by the cooling effect of anthropogenic aerosols. In 2020, fuel regulations abruptly reduced the emission of sulfur dioxide from international shipping by about 80% and created an inadvertent geoengineering termination shock with global impact. Here we estimate the regulation leads to a radiative forcing of +0.2±0.11Wm-2 averaged over the global ocean.The amount of radiative forcing could lead to a doubling (or more) of the warming rate in the 2020s compared with the rate since 1980 with strong spatiotemporal heterogeneity.The warming effect is consistent with the recent observed strong warming in 2023 and expected to make the 2020s anomalously warm. The forcing represents 80% to the measured increase in planetary heat uptake since 2020. The radiative forcing also has strong hemispheric contrast, which has important implications for precipitation pattern changes. Our result suggests marine cloud brightening may be a viable geoengineering method in temporarily cooling the climate that has its unique challenges due to inherent spatiotemporal heterogeneity.

Tianle Yuan↗

NASA NTRS2004

Entrainment, Drizzle, and Stratocumulus Cloud Albedo

Globally averaged cloud changes from GCMs on average show a doubling of the Twomey effect, which is the change in cloud albedo with respect to changes in droplet concentrations for fixed cloud water and droplet dispersion. In contrast, ship-track measurements show a much more modest amplification of the Twomey effect, suggesting that the GCMs are exaggerating the indirect aerosol effect. We have run large-eddy simulations with bin microphysics of marine stratocumulus from multiple field campaigns, and find that the large-eddy simulations are in much better agreement with the ship-track measurements. The inversion strength over N. Pacific stratocumulus (as measured during DYCOMS-II) is generally much stronger than over N. Atlantic stratocumulus (as measured during ASTEX), and we have found that the response of cloud water to increasing droplet concentration changes sign as the inversion strengthens. For the different environmental conditions, we will show the overall response of cloud albedo to droplet concentrations, and decompose the response into its contributing factors of changes in cloud water, droplet dispersion, and horizontal inhomogeneity.

Ackerman, A. S.↗

NASA NTRS2023

Long-Term Geospace Climate Monitoring

Climate change is characterized by global surface warming associated with the increase of greenhouse gas population since the start of the industrial era. Growing evidence shows that the upper atmosphere is experiencing appreciable cooling over the last several decades. The seminal modeling study by Roble and Dickinson (1989) suggested potential effects of increased greenhouse gases on the ionosphere and thermosphere cooling which appear consistent with some observations. However, several outstanding issues remain regarding the role of CO 2 , other important contributors, and impacts of the cooling trend in the ionosphere and thermosphere: for example, (1) what is the regional variability of the trends? (2) the very strong ionospheric cooling observed by multiple incoherent scatter radars that does not fit with the prevailing theory based on the argument of anthropogenic greenhouse gas increases, why? (3) what is the effect of secular changes in Earth’s main magnetic field? Is it visible now in the ionospheric data and can it explain some of the regional variability in the observed ionospheric trends? (4) what is the impact of long-term cooling in the thermosphere on operational systems? (5) what are the appropriate strategic plans to ensure the long-term monitoring of the critical space climate?

long-term trends↗

NASA NTRS2016

Aerosol Optical Depth as Observed by the Mars Science Laboratory REMS UV Photodiodes

Systematic observations taken by the REMS (Rover Environmental Monitoring Station) UV (ultraviolet) photodiodes on a daily basis throughout the landed Mars Science Laboratory mission provide a highly useful tool for characterizing aerosols above Gale Crater. Radiative transfer modeling is used to model the approximately 1.75 Mars Years of observations taken to date taking into account multiple scattering from aerosols and the extended field of view of the REMS UV photodiodes. The retrievals show in detail the annual cycle of aerosol optical depth, which is punctuated with numerous short timescale events of increased optical depth. Dust deposition onto the photodiodes is accounted for by comparison with aerosol optical depth derived from direct imaging of the Sun by Mastcam. The effect of dust on the photodiodes is noticeable, but does not dominate the signal. Cleaning of dust from the photodiodes was observed in the season around solar longitude (Ls) equal to 270 degrees, but not during other seasons. Systematic deviations in the residuals from the retrieval fit are indicative of changes in aerosol effective particle size, with larger particles present during periods of increased optical depth. This seasonal dependence of aerosol particle size is expected as dust activity injects larger particles into the air, while larger aerosols settle out of the atmosphere more quickly leading to a smaller average particle size over time.

Smith, Michael D.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Current issues in atmospheric change

In response to questions about the effects of long-term, global-scale changes in the atmosphere raised in congressional hearings, a group of leading experts held a two-day workshop to survey the state of current knowledge about atmospheric changes and their implications. The review focuses on the sources, concentrations, and changes of those gases most directly linked to human activities, i.e., carbon dioxide, ozone, and the chlorofluorocarbons; the direct physical effects of rising concentrations of trace gases. The review discusses the uncertainties associated with the knowledge of current trends and possible future changes, including ozone trends and the Antarctic ozone hole, and the impacts of rising concentrations of trace gases.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1984

Theoretical aspects of photoclinometric terrain profiling on the Galilean satellites

For large parts of the surfaces of the Galilean satellites there is no stereoscopic high resolution imagery, and so for shadow-free regions far from the terminator, the only method of obtaining topograpic information is photoclinometry, the technique of converting brightness variations into local surface tilts and hence into topographic profiles and contour maps. The conversion from brightness changes to slopes require knowledge of the angular photometric function for the type of planetary surface terrain being analyzed, i.e., the relationship describing the brightness of the surface as a function of the angles of incidence (I) and emergence (E) of light at a surface element. In order to investigate the effects of these changes on the shapes of topographic profiles deduced from the functions, an area of grooved terrain (lines 500-505, samples 550-650 on frame 20640.27 0060J2) using wide ranges of values of all the adjustable parameters in Hapke's new photometric function were analyzed.

Wilson, L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The effects of orbital and climatic variations on Martian surface heat flow

We have examined the effects of climate changes, induced by orbital oscillations, on Martian surface heat flow. It was found that the climatological component of the surface heat flow can be larger than the expected internal geothermal heat flow. We suggest that measurements of surface heat flow be targeted for equatorial and south polar regions to avoid climatic effects and that care be taken in interpreting measurements in mid-latitude and north polar regions.

Mellon, Michael T.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Thermomechanical response of Gr/Pi composites

The effects of temperature changes upon the stresses and strains in composite laminates having carbon fibers in a polyimide matrix were evaluated. Composites having laminae in which there were nonlinear stress-strain relations for stresses transverse to the fibers and for axial shear stresses were treated. Material properties were considered to be temperature dependent. Separately, the effects of laminae viscoelastic response were also treated. The results suggest that, for this material, nonlinearities due either to stress or time dependent effects do not appear to be of major practical importance for conventional high temperature composite structures.

Rosen, B. W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Structure-property study of keto-ether polyimides

As part of an on-going effort to develop an understanding of how changes in the chemical structure affect polymer properties, an empirical study was performed on polyimides containing only ether and/or carbonyl connecting groups in the polymer backbone. During the past two decades the structure-property relationships in linear aromatic polyimides have been extensively investigated. More recently, work has been performed to study the effect of isomeric attachment of keto-ether polyimides on properties such as glass transition temperature and solubility. However, little work has been reported on the relation of polyimide structure to mechanical properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of structural changes in the backbone of keto-ether polyimides on their mechanical properties, specifically, unoriented thin film tensile properties. This study was conducted in two stages. The purpose of the initial stage was to examine the physical and mechanical properties of a representative group (four) of polyimide systems to determine the optimum solvent and cure cycle requirements. These optimum conditions were then utilized in the second stage to prepare films of keto-ether polyimides which were evaluated for mechanical and physical properties. All of the polyimides were prepared using isomers of oxydianiline (ODA) and diaminobenzophenone (DABP) in combination with 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4,4'-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA).

Dezern, James F.↗

NASA NTRS1980

The effect of local parameters on gas turbine emissions

Gas turbine engine inlet parameters reflect changes in local atmospheric conditions. The pollutant emissions for the engine reflects these changes. In attempting to model the effect of the changing ambient conditions on the emissions it was found that these emissions exhibit an extreme sensitivity to some of the details of the combustion process such as the local fuel-air ratio and the size of the drops in the fuel spray. Fuel-air ratios have been mapped under nonburning conditions using a single JT8D-17 combustion can at simulated idle conditions, and significant variations in the local values have been found. Modelling of the combustor employs a combination of perfectly stirred and plug flow reactors including a finite rate vaporization treatment of the fuel spray. Results show that a small increase in the mean drop size can lead to a large increase in hydrocarbon emissions and decreasing the value of the CO-OH rate constant can lead to large increases in the carbon monoxide emissions. These emissions may also be affected by the spray characteristics with larger drops retarding the combustion process. Hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen emissions calculated using the model accurately reflect measured emission variations caused by changing engine inlet conditions.

Kauffman, C. W.↗