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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 1,153 records · Page 64
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NASA NTRS1989

Particle dynamics and gamma-ray emission in the magnetospheres of neutron stars with accretion disks

Whether the existence of cold accretion disks around isolated, magnetized neutron stars might result in a distinct observational signature due to the Compton drag interaction between the electrostatically accelerated changes and the thermal radiation emitted by these disks. The particle dynamics resulting from the combined effects of electrostatic acceleration and the Compton drag interaction are determined. In the course of their deceleration, the charged particles boost the thermal disk radiation to gamma-ray energies, which may result in a significant spectral component. Cold disks are too underluminous to significantly retard the flow, and if such disks are present in pulsars, only a small fraction of the particle energy is transferred to the radiation field. The results also indicate that steady, unidirectional particle acceleration is unlikely to be the mechanism operating in gamma-ray burst sources.

Melia, Fulvio↗
NASA NTRS1989

The deceleration of infalling plasma in magnetized neutron star atmospheres - Nonisothermal atmospheres

This paper examines the deceleration of accreting material in the strongly magnetized plasma atmosphere of an X-ray pulsar, for accretion rates less than 0.1 times the Eddington flux. The previous work on accretion, flow deceleration is extended to nonisothermal atmospheres. A rough model of radiative processes in neutron star atmospheres bombarded by accreting material is used to calculate the atmosphere's temperature and density profiles. The atmospheric structure and the accretion flow stopping depth are computed iteratively. For cases where the infall velocity is close to the free-fall velocity, a simple prescription for an equivalent single temperature, T(iso), is given. It is found that the plasma deceleration is close to stopping in a homogeneous, isothermal atmosphere at T(iso). Exceptions to this result occur for small infall velocities.

Miller, Guy↗
NASA NTRS1989

Transient X-rays, gamma-rays and neutrons in space

The various astrophysical sources of transient X-ray, gamma-ray, and neutron emission which can produce significant increases in the high-energy (greater than 1 keV) radiation and particle background flux in space. These sources include solar flares, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other astrophysical transients. The observations of these sources are reviewed, and the expected rate of occurrence of their transient emission is examined as a function of intensity and energy.

Lingenfelter, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A new gamma-ray diagnostic for energetic ion distributions - The Compton tail on the neutron capture line

This paper presents a new radiation diagnostic for assaying the energy spectrum and the angular distribution of energetic ions incident on thick hydrogen-rich thermal targets. This diagnostic compares the number of emergent photons in the narrow neutron capture line at 2.223 MeV to the number of Compton scattered photons that form a low-energy tail on the line. It is shown that the relative strength of the tail can be used as a measure of the hardness of the incident ion-energy spectrum. Application of this diagnostic to solar flare conditions is the main thrust of the work presented here. It is examined how the strength of the Compton tail varies with flare viewing angle and the angular distribution of the flare-accelerated particles. Application to compact X-ray binary systems is also briefly discussed.

Vestrand, W. Thomas↗
NASA NTRS1990

Flat-spectrum radio sources - Cosmic conspiracy or relativistic neutrons?

The intensity spectrum of the core of radio-loud AGN varies smoothly from 10 exp 8.5 to 10 to the 16th Hz, and is flat between 10 to the 9th and 10 to the 10th Hz, implying that a single emission mechanism is responsible. It is proposed here that energy is transported from the central source by relativistic neutrons which travel freely over a large volume and decay into relativistic protons. The protons produce secondary electrons which generate the observed radiation. The photon spectra thus produced are largely model-independent and flat.

Giovanoni, Peter M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Electric dipole moment of the electron and of the neutron

It is shown that if Higgs-boson exchange mediates CP violation a significant electric dipole moment for the electron can result. Analogous effects can contribute to the neutron's electric dipole moment at a level competitive with Weinberg's three-gluon operator.

Barr, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Internal flow measurements of the SSME fuel preburner injector element using real time neutron radiography

Due to observations of unsteady flow in the Space Shuttle Main Engine fuel preburner injector element, several flow studies have been performed. Real time neutron radiography tests were recently completed. This technique provided real time images of MiL-c-7024 and Freon-22 flow through an aluminum liquid oxygen post model at three back pressures (0, 150, and 545 psig) and pressure drops up to 1000 psid. Separated flow appeared only while operating at back pressures of 0 and 150 psig. The behavior of separated flow was similar to that observed for water in a 3x acrylic model of the LOX post. On the average, separated flow appeared to reattach near the exit of the post when the ratio of pressure drop to supply pressure was about 0.75.

Lindsay, John T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Electric and thermal conductivities of quenched neutron star crusts

The electric and thermal conductivities in the outer crustal matter of a neutron star quenched into a solid state by cooling are estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation of freezing transition for dense plasmas. The conductivities are calculated by the precise evaluation of the scattering integrals, using the procedure of Ichimaru et al. (1983) and Iyetomi and Ichimaru (1983). The results predict the conductivities lower, by a factor of about 3, than those with the single-phonon approximation.

Ogata, Shuji↗
NASA NTRS1990

The interpretation of solar system abundances at the N = 50 neutron shell

New data on CI chondrite abundances demonstrate a high degree of smoothness for the A = 75 - 100 mass range for odd A nuclei, except a single element peak at K ascribable to the s-process peak for the N = 50 neutron shell. Literature estimates of s-process abundances, Ns, permit a smooth Ns curve to be drawn; however the resultant 'non-s' abundance curve (nominally r-process) does not show a peak analogous to peaks associated with the N = 82 or 126 shells. Assuming the systematics of the r-process even and odd A abundance peaks at the N = 82 and 126 shells apply to N = 50, the odd A r-process peak for N = 50 can be obtained, which in turn permits a new calculation of Ns for odd A.

Burnett, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Multipolar magnetic fields in neutron stars

The small periods and period derivatives of millisecond pulsars permit interesting upper bounds to be placed on the strength of multipole components in their magnetic fields if the loss of rotational energy may be approximated by vacuum electromagnetic radiation formulas. The surface field strength of millisecond pulsars may be as high as about 10 to the 12th G if the dominant multipole component is l not less than 3. Significant multipole moments may help explain the unusual pulse morphology of millisecond pulsars. If the magnetic fields in gamma-ray burst sources (old neutron stars?) have the same evolutionary history as in millisecond pulsars, the about 10 to the 12th G local fields observed in several gamma-ray bursts must be due to multipole moments with l not less than 3.

Krolik, Julian H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Model atmospheres and X-ray spectra of bursting neutron stars

Model atmosphere equations are derived which correspond to plane-parallel nongray atmospheres of very hot neutron stars in hydrostatic and radiative equilibrium. The nonlinear transfer equation used implements an exact photon redistribution function which precisely traces even those scattering events having large photon-electron energy exchange. The numerical results thus obtained encompass tables of the surface fluxes for 20 model atmospheres whose T(eff) ranges from 6 to 30 million K. The spectra of high gravity models are virtually identical with the blackbody spectrum shifted toward higher energies, while models approaching the Eddington limit develop a large low-energy hump.

Madej, Jerzy↗
NASA NTRS1991

Transient particle acceleration in strongly magnetized neutron stars

Although several reasonable physical processes have been proposed to account for the initial energy release in transient events on strongly magnetized neutron stars, and although the manifestation of this activity as a burst of X- or gamma-radiation evidently results from the Compton upscattering of soft photons by relativistic electrons, a self-consistent picture for the particle acceleration itself is lacking. Here, a detailed model is developed in which sheared Alfven waves generated by the energized stellar crust (e.g., due to a starquake) accelerate the changes to large Lorentz factors. For canonical stellar parameters and a burst energy of about 10 to the 37th ergs, the maximum attainable Lorentz factor is gamma(max) 50m, where m (of about 2-3/cm) characterizes the shear of the magnetic perturbation. This value of gamma(max) is consistent with the particle energy required to produce the most energetic gamma-rays (of about 10-100 MeV) observed in gamma-ray bursts.

Melia, Fulvio↗
NASA NTRS1992

Irradiation By Neutrons And Annealing of SiGe Alloys

Heat treatment restores thermoelectric performance having deteriorated under irradiation by neutrons. Discovery suggests SiGe materials used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators and other applications up to fluences of 5.4 X 10(to the 19th power)cm(to the negative 2nd power) and operating at temperatures of 600 to 1,000 degrees C.

Vandersande, Jan W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Target correlation effects on neutron-nucleus total, absorption, and abrasion cross sections

Second order optical model solutions to the elastic scattering amplitude were used to evaluate total, absorption, and abrasion cross sections for neutron nucleus scattering. Improved agreement with experimental data for total and absorption cross sections is found when compared with first order (coherent approximation) solutions, especially below several hundred MeV. At higher energies, the first and second order solutions are similar. There are also large differences in abrasion cross section calculations; these differences indicate a crucial role for cluster knockout in the abrasion step.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Soft gamma rays from black holes versus neutron stars

The recent launches of GRANAT and GRO provide unprecedented opportunities to study compact collapsed objects from their hard x ray and gamma ray emissions. The spectral range above 100 keV can now be explored with much higher sensitivity and time resolution than before. The soft gamma ray spectral data is reviewed of black holes and neutron stars, radiation, and particle energization mechanisms and potentially distinguishing gamma ray signatures. These may include soft x ray excesses versus deficiencies, thermal versus nonthermal processes, transient gamma ray bumps versus power law tails, lines, and periodicities. Some of the highest priority future observations are outlines which will shed much light on such systems.

Liang, Edison P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Two Neutron Removal in Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Reactions

Significant discrepancies between theory and experiment have previously been noted for double neutron removal via electromagnetic processes in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions. The present work examines the cause of these discrepancies and systematically investigates whether the problem might be due to electromagnetic theory, nuclear contributions, or an underestimate of experimental error. Using cross section systematics from other reactions it is found that the discrepancies can be resolved in a plausible manner.

Norbury, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Lunar neutron leakage fluxes as a function of composition and hydrogen content

Areas of the moon that might have enhanced concentrations of hydrogen are discussed. The fluxes of thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons escaping from the lunar surface were calculated for eight different compositions and several hydrogen contents. These flux ratios depend on composition and are very sensitive to the hydrogen content. Their measurement using flight-proven techniques from lunar orbit should allow detection and identification of hydrogen residing in either permanently shaded cold traps near the lunar poles or mature regoliths. Knowledge of composition, especially of Fe and Ti, improves the thresholds for hydrogen detection and also could allow identification of Gd and Sm.

Feldman, W. C.↗