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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 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

Observations of plasma bulk parameters and the energy balance of the solar wind between 1 and 10 AU

The solar wind bulk velocity, the product of the mass flux and the square of the heliocentric distance, and the product of the density and the square of the heliocentric distance, are all found not to vary with heliocentric distance in spacecraft observations of the radial evolutions of several solar wind bulk parameters in the 1-10 AU range. Density's anticorrelation with velocity vanishes at greater distances from the sun than 1 AU, while solar wind bulk velocity and thermal speed are correlated over the entire 1-10 AU range. Thermal process heating, bulk kinetic energy conversion to thermal energy, and electron heat conduction, are considered as mechanisms accounting for the radial variation of the solar wind proton temperature over 1-10 AU. It is found that the addition of a heat flux due to heat conduction is a persuasive alternative.

Gazis, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Mean Velocity, Turbulence Intensity and Turbulence Convection Velocity Measurements for a Convergent Nozzle in a Free Jet Wind Tunnel. Comprehensive Data Report

The effect of flight on the mean flow and turbulence properties of a 0.056m circular jet were determined in a free jet wind tunnel. The nozzle exit velocity was 122 m/sec, and the wind tunnel velocity was set at 0, 12, 37, and 61 m/sec. Measurements of flow properties including mean velocity, turbulence intensity and spectra, and eddy convection velocity were carried out using two linearized hot wire anemometers. This report contains the raw data and graphical presentations. The final technical report includes a description of the test facilities, test hardware, along with significant test results and conclusions.

Mccolgan, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Mean velocity, turbulence intensity and turbulence convection velocity measurements for a convergent nozzle in a free jet wind tunnel

The effect of light on the mean flow and turbulence properties of a 0.056 m circular jet were determined in a free jet wind tunnel. The nozzle exit velocity was 122 m/sec, and the wind tunnel velocity was set at 0, 12, 37, and 61 m/sec. Measurements of flow properties including mean velocity, turbulence intensity and spectra, and eddy convection velocity were carried out using two linearized hot wire anemometers. Normalization factors were determined for the mean velocity and turbulence convection velocity.

Mccolgan, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1922

Coutinho-Sacadura course corrector

The Coutinho-Sacadura course corrector is an instrument with which, knowing the angles of drift of two different courses, we may determine by simple readings: a) direction and velocity of wind; b) correction to be made in course followed by compass, in order to fly in a given direction; c) ground-speed of aircraft, the resultant of its air speed and the velocity of the wind.

INSTRUMENTS - COURSE CORRECTORS - COUTINHO-SACADUR↗
DOE OSTI2013

DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF REFLECTION-DRIVEN, REDUCED MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE FROM THE SUN TO THE ALFVÉN CRITICAL POINT

We present direct numerical simulations of inhomogeneous reduced magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) turbulence between the Sun and the Alfvén critical point. These are the first such simulations that take into account the solar-wind outflow velocity and the radial inhomogeneity of the background solar wind without approximating the nonlinear terms in the governing equations. RMHD turbulence is driven by outward-propagating Alfvén waves (z {sup +} fluctuations) launched from the Sun, which undergo partial non-WKB reflection to produce sunward-propagating Alfvén waves (z {sup –} fluctuations). We present 10 simulations with different values of the correlation time τ{sub c{sub sun}{sup +}} and perpendicular correlation length L{sub ☉} of outward-propagating Alfvén waves at the coronal base. We find that between 15% and 33% of the z {sup +} energy launched into the corona dissipates between the coronal base and Alfvén critical point. Between 33% and 40% of this input energy goes into work on the solar-wind outflow, and between 22% and 36% escapes as z {sup +} fluctuations through the simulation boundary at r = r{sub A}. The z {sup ±} power spectra scale like k{sub perpendicular}{sup -α{sup ±}}, where k is the wavenumber in the plane perpendicular to B{sub 0}. In our simulation with the smallest value of τ{sub c{sub sun}{sup +}} (∼2 minutes) and largest value of L{sub ☉} (2 × 10{sup 4} km), we find that α{sup +} decreases approximately linearly with increasing ln (r), reaching a value of 1.3 at r = 11.1 R{sub ☉}. Our simulations with larger values of τ{sub c{sub sun}{sup +}} exhibit alignment between the contours of constant φ{sup +}, φ{sup –}, Ω{sub 0}{sup +}, and Ω{sub 0}{sup -}, where φ{sup ±} are the Elsässer potentials and Ω{sub 0}{sup ±} are the outer-scale parallel Elsässer vorticities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

KINEMATICS OF THE OUTFLOW FROM THE YOUNG STAR DG TAU B: ROTATION IN THE VICINITIES OF AN OPTICAL JET

We present {sup 12}CO(2-1) line and 1300 μm continuum observations made with the Submillimeter Array of the young star DG Tau B. We find, in the continuum observations, emission arising from the circumstellar disk surrounding DG Tau B. The {sup 12}CO(2-1) line observations, on the other hand, revealed emission associated with the disk and the asymmetric outflow related with this source. Velocity asymmetries about the flow axis are found over the entire length of the flow. The amplitude of the velocity differences is of the order of 1-2 km s{sup –1} over distances of about 300-400 AU. We interpret them as a result of outflow rotation. The sense of the outflow and disk rotation is the same. Infalling gas from a rotating molecular core cannot explain the observed velocity gradient within the flow. Magneto-centrifugal disk winds or photoevaporated disk winds can produce the observed rotational speeds if they are ejected from a Keplerian disk at radii of several tens of AU. Nevertheless, these slow winds ejected from large radii are not very massive, and cannot account for the observed linear momentum and angular momentum rates of the molecular flow. Thus, the observed flow is probably entrained material from the parent cloud. DG Tau B is a good laboratory to model in detail the entrainment process and see if it can account for the observed angular momentum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Algorithm Determines Wind Speed and Direction from Venturi-Sensor Data

An algorithm computes the velocity of wind from the readings of an instrument like the one described in another Tech Brief. To recapitulate: The sensor has no moving parts and is a compact, rugged means of measuring wind vectors having magnitudes of as much as 300 mph (134 m/s). The sensor includes a Venturi gap bounded by a curved upper and a curved lower surface that are axisymmetric with respect to a vertical axis and mirror-symmetric with respect to a horizontal midplane. One of the curved surfaces is instrumented with multiple ports for measuring dynamic pressures. The sensor also incorporates auxiliary sensors for measuring temperature, relative humidity, and static atmospheric pressure. The design and operation of the sensor are based on the concepts of (1) using Bernoulli's equation (which expresses the relationship among variations of speed, density, and pressure along a streamline) to calculate the speed of the wind from differences among the pressure readings at the various ports; and (2) calculating the direction of the wind from the angular positions of ports selected according to comparisons among their pressure readings. The present algorithm performs these calculations.

Zysko, Jan A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Stability analysis of double-peaked proton distribution functions in the solar wind

Twelve proton velocity distribution functions as measured for different solar wind speeds by the plasma analyzer at the Helios spacecraft are modeled analytically by a superposition of two bi-Maxwellians. The stability of these distributions is investigated by solving the linear dispersion equation for parallel propagation of both left- and right-hand polarized modes. Due to the temperature anisotropy of the main proton component the presence of the resonant left-hand ion cyclotron instability is found to be typical for high-speed streams and is independent of an ion beam. The results indicate that the ratio of the beam density to total particle density and the beam drift velocity are generally close to the threshold values necessary to drive a highly unstable nonresonant right-hand mode. This instability is found for one proton distribution and is a consequence of the beam particles. It is concluded that both the ion cyclotron instability and the ion beam instability act as a regulating mechanism on the shape of solar wind double humped proton distribution functions.

Leubner, Manfred P.↗
NASA NTRS2011

High-velocity, multistage, nozzled, ion driven wind generator and method of operation of the same adaptable to mesoscale realization

Gas flows of modest velocities are generated when an organized ion flux in an electric field initiates an ion-driven wind of neutral molecules. When a needle in ambient air is electrically charged to a potential sufficient to produce a corona discharge near its tip, such a gas flow can be utilized downstream of a ring-shaped or other permeable earthed electrode. In view of the potential practical applications of such devices, as they represent blowers with no moving parts, a methodology for increasing their flow velocities includes exploitation of the divergence of electric field lines, avoidance of regions of high curvature on the second electrode, control of atmospheric humidity, and the use of linear arrays of stages, terminating in a converging nozzle. The design becomes particularly advantageous when implemented in mesoscale domains.

Dunn-Rankin, Derek↗
DOE OSTI2015

THERMALIZATION OF HEAVY IONS IN THE SOLAR WIND

Observations of velocity distribution functions from the Advanced Composition Explorer/Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer heavy ion composition instrument are used to calculate ratios of kinetic temperature and Coulomb collisional interactions of an unprecedented 50 ion species in the solar wind. These ions cover a mass per charge range of 1–5.5 amu/e and were collected in the time range of 1998–2011. We report the first calculation of the Coulomb thermalization rate between each of the heavy ion (A > 4 amu) species present in the solar wind along with protons (H{sup +}) and alpha particles (He{sup 2+}). From these rates, we find that protons are the dominant source of Coulomb collisional thermalization for heavy ions in the solar wind and use this fact to calculate a collisional age for those heavy ion populations. The heavy ion thermal properties are well organized by this collisional age, but we find that the temperature of all heavy ions does not simply approach that of protons as Coulomb collisions become more important. We show that He{sup 2+} and C{sup 6+} follow a monotonic decay toward equal temperatures with protons with increasing collisional age, but O{sup 6+} shows a noted deviation from this monotonic decay. Furthermore, we show that the deviation from monotonic decay for O{sup 6+} occurs in solar wind of all origins, as determined by its Fe/O ratio. The observed differences in heavy ion temperature behavior point toward a local heating mechanism that favors ions depending on their charge and mass.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1922

The choice of the speed of an airship

The favorable speed of an airship is chiefly determined by the condition of the consumption of the least amount of fuel per unit of traveled distance, although other conditions come into play. The resulting rules depend on the character of the wind and on the variability of the efficiency of the engine propeller units. This investigation resulted in the following rules. 1) Always keep the absolute course and steer at such an angle with reference to it as to neutralize the side wind. 2) In a strong contrary wind, take a speed one and one half times the velocity of the wind. 3) As a general rule, take the velocity of the wind and the velocity of the course component of the wind. Add them together if the wind has a contrary component, but subtract them from each other if the wind has a favorable component.

AIRSHIPS - SPEED↗
NASA NTRS2010

Recent X-ray Variability of eta Carinae: the Quick Road to Recovery

We report continued monitoring of the superluminous binary system eta Car by the Proportional Counter Array on the Rossi X-ray Timing Observatory (RXTE) through the 2009 X-ray minimum. The RXTE campaign shows that the minimum began on 2009 January 16, consistent with the phasings of the two previous minima, and overall, the temporal behavior of the X-ray emission was similar to that observed by RXTE in the previous two cycles. However, important differences did occur. The 2-10 keV X-ray flux and X-ray hardness decreased in the 2.5-year interval leading up to the 2009 minimum compared to the previous cycle. Most intriguingly, the 2009 X-ray minimum was about one month shorter than either of the previous two minima. During the egress from the 2009 minimum the X-ray hardness increased markedly as it had during egress from the previous two minima, although the maximum X-ray hardness achieved was less than the maximum observed after the two previous recoveries. We suggest that the cycle-to-cycle variations, especially the unexpectedly early recovery from the 2009 X-ray minimum, might have been the result of a decline in eta Car's wind momentum flux produced by a drop in eta Car's mass loss rate or wind terminal velocity (or some combination), though if so the change in wind momentum flux required to match the X-ray variation is surprisingly large.

Corcoran, M. Francis↗
DOE OSTI2018

Impact of ejecta morphology and composition on the electromagnetic signatures of neutron star mergers

The electromagnetic transients accompanying compact binary mergers (γ-ray bursts, afterglows and ‘macronovae’) are crucial to pinpoint the sky location of gravitational wave sources. Macronovae are caused by the radioactivity from freshly synthesized heavy elements, e.g. from dynamic ejecta and various types of winds. We study macronova signatures by using multidimensional radiative transfer calculations. We then employ the radiative transfer code SUPERNU and state-of-the-art LTE opacities for a few representative elements from the wind and dynamical ejecta (Cr, Pd, Se, Te, Br, Zr, Sm, Ce, Nd, U) to calculate synthetic light curves and spectra for a range of ejecta morphologies. The radioactive power of the resulting macronova is calculated with the detailed input of decay products. We assess the detection prospects for our most complex models, based on the portion of viewing angles that are sufficiently bright, at different cosmological redshifts (z). The brighter emission from the wind is unobscured by the lanthanides (or actinides) in some of the models, permitting non-zero detection probabilities for redshifts up to z = 0.07. We also find that the nuclear mass model and the resulting radioactive heating rate are crucial for the detectability. While for the most pessimistic heating rate (from the finite range droplet model) no reasonable increase in the ejecta mass or velocity, or wind mass or velocity, can possibly make the light curves agree with the observed near-infrared excess after GRB130603B, a more optimistic heating rate (from the Duflo–Zuker model) leads to good agreement. We conclude that future reliable macronova observations would constrain nuclear heating rates, and consequently help constrain nuclear mass models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗