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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the Hubble constant with high-energy neutrinos

Measuring distances in the Universe is one of the hardest problems in physics and astronomy. Almost every distance probe relies on photons, whose propagation across cosmic distances introduces extinction, absorption, scattering, and radiative-transfer effects. Neutrinos suffer none of these and propagate unattenuated through dust, intergalactic medium, and dense source environments alike. We introduce a new distance-ladder method for measuring the Hubble constant $H_0$ using high-energy astrophysical neutrinos from point sources as standardizable candles, and report its first observational realization. Using 12 X-ray-selected Seyfert galaxies for which IceCube reports significant per-source neutrino excesses in its 14-year public point-source release, we exploit the disk-corona correlation $L_ν= κ\, L_X^β$ between neutrino and X-ray luminosities to construct a neutrino distance ladder anchored by non-redshift distances to NGC 1068 (Cepheid + TRGB). We find $H_0 = 49^{+40}_{-30}\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$ and $β= 0.67^{+0.16}_{-0.25}$ (68% credible intervals), with the corona slope disfavoring the calorimetric limit $β= 1$ at ${\sim}2σ$. The result is consistent with existing $H_0$ determinations from Planck and SH0ES within 1$σ$. While the uncertainty on $H_0$ is large, the measurement is free of electromagnetic propagation systematics and demonstrates the viability of neutrinos as a novel cosmographical probe.

Herrera, Gonzalo [MIT, MKI; Harvard U.] (ORCID:000↗
DOE OSTI2014

A new Green's function Monte Carlo algorithm for the solution of the two-dimensional nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation: Application to the modeling of the communication breakdown problem in space vehicles during re-entry

The objective of this paper is the exposition of a recently-developed, novel Green's function Monte Carlo (GFMC) algorithm for the solution of nonlinear partial differential equations and its application to the modeling of the plasma sheath region around a cylindrical conducting object, carrying a potential and moving at low speeds through an otherwise neutral medium. The plasma sheath is modeled in equilibrium through the GFMC solution of the nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann (NPB) equation. The traditional Monte Carlo based approaches for the solution of nonlinear equations are iterative in nature, involving branching stochastic processes which are used to calculate linear functionals of the solution of nonlinear integral equations. Over the last several years, one of the authors of this paper, K. Chatterjee has been developing a philosophically-different approach, where the linearization of the equation of interest is not required and hence there is no need for iteration and the simulation of branching processes. Instead, an approximate expression for the Green's function is obtained using perturbation theory, which is used to formulate the random walk equations within the problem sub-domains where the random walker makes its walks. However, as a trade-off, the dimensions of these sub-domains have to be restricted by the limitations imposed by perturbation theory. The greatest advantage of this approach is the ease and simplicity of parallelization stemming from the lack of the need for iteration, as a result of which the parallelization procedure is identical to the parallelization procedure for the GFMC solution of a linear problem. The application area of interest is in the modeling of the communication breakdown problem during a space vehicle's re-entry into the atmosphere. However, additional application areas are being explored in the modeling of electromagnetic propagation through the atmosphere/ionosphere in UHF/GPS applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Resolution of a Few Problems in the Application of Quasilinear Theory to Calculating Diffusion Coefficients in Heliophysics

A theory of quasilinear diffusion for obliquely propagating electromagnetic waves was developed in the 1960's and applied in the 1970's to model scattering of relativistic electrons by a prescribed distribution of waves. In the latter work, a transformation of variables, from wavevector space to the temporal frequency and tangent of the wave normal angle, was used so that simple Gaussian functions of frequency and tangent of the wave normal angle could be multiplied together to define the distribution of wave power, although arbitrary distributions of power in these two variables is also permitted. Finally, in 2005, previous work was consolidated and has been widely used in heliophysics studies that require computation of quasilinear diffusion coefficients. Here it is shown that this transformation is inppropriate when the precise wave vector distribution is known. The correct transformation is derived and used to produce diffusion coefficients that can differ by orders of magnitude from those computed using the inappropriate transformation. The differences are largest when the distribution of wave power extends to wave normal angles near the resonance cone. When the ratio of the plasma frequency to the gyrofrequency is large, only low energies (keV) are affected, but as the ratio decreases higher energies (MeV) also show differences. It is also shown that the derivation from the 1960's uses a notation that results in the diffusion coefficients depending on the distribution of wave power with respect to the wave azimuthal angle whereas there should be no such dependence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Magnetic hyperbolic optical metamaterials

Strongly anisotropic media where the principal components of electric permittivity or magnetic permeability tensors have opposite signs are termed as hyperbolic media. Such media support propagating electromagnetic waves with extremely large wave vectors exhibiting unique optical properties. However, in all artificial and natural optical materials studied to date, the hyperbolic dispersion originates solely from the electric response. This then restricts material functionality to one polarization of light and inhibits free-space impedance matching. Such restrictions can be overcome in media having components of opposite signs for both electric and magnetic tensors. Here we present the experimental demonstration of the magnetic hyperbolic dispersion in three-dimensional metamaterials. We also measure metamaterial isofrequency contours and reveal the topological phase transition between the elliptic and hyperbolic dispersion. In the hyperbolic regime, we demonstrate the strong enhancement of thermal emission, which becomes directional, coherent and polarized. These findings show the possibilities for realizing efficient impedance-matched hyperbolic media for unpolarized light.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electrical characterization of the flowing afterglow of N{sub 2} and N{sub 2}/O{sub 2} microwave plasmas at reduced pressure

A cylindrical Langmuir probe was used to analyze the spatial distribution of the number density of positive ions and electrons as well as the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in the flowing afterglow of a 6 Torr N{sub 2} and N{sub 2}/O{sub 2} plasma sustained by a propagating electromagnetic surface wave in the microwave regime. In pure N{sub 2} discharges, ion densities were in the mid 10{sup 14} m{sup −3} in the pink afterglow and in the mid 10{sup 12} m{sup −3} early in the late afterglow. In both pink and late afterglows, the ion population was much higher than the electron population, indicating non-macroscopically neutral media. The EEDF was close to a Maxwellian with an electron temperature of 0.5 ± 0.1 eV, except in the pink afterglow where the temperature rose to 1.1 ± 0.2 eV. This latter behavior is ascribed to N{sub 2} vibration-vibration pumping in the pink afterglow that increases the concentration of high N{sub 2} vibrational states and thus rises the electron temperature by vibration-electron collisions. After addition of small amounts of O{sub 2} in the nominally pure N{sub 2} discharge, the charged particles densities and average electron energy first strongly increased and then decreased with increasing O{sub 2} concentration. Based on these data and the evolution of the N{sub 2}{sup +}(B) band emission intensities, it is concluded that a significant change in the positive ion composition of the flowing afterglow occurs, going from N{sub 2}{sup +} in nominally pure N{sub 2} discharges to NO{sup +} after addition of trace amounts of O{sub 2} in N{sub 2}.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optical properties of GaAs 2D hexagonal and cubic photonic crystal

In this paper we present our theoretical study of 2D hexagonal and cubic rods GaAs in air, with plan wave expansion (PWE) and finite difference time domain (FDTD) by using BandSOLVE and FullWAVE of Rsoft photonic CAD package. In order to investigate the effect of symmetry and radius, we performed calculations of the band structures for both TM and TE polarization, contour and electromagnetic propagation and transmission spectra. Our calculations show that the hexagonal structure gives a largest band gaps compare to cubic one for a same filling factor.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lightwave terahertz quantum manipulation of nonequilibrium superconductor phases and their collective modes

In this work, we present a gauge-invariant density matrix description of nonequilibrium superconductor (SC) states with spatial and temporal correlations driven by intense terahertz (THz) lightwaves. We derive superconductor Bloch-Maxwell equations of motion that extend Anderson pseudospin models to include the Cooper pair center-of-mass motion and electromagnetic propagation effects. We thus describe quantum control of dynamical phases, collective modes, quasiparticle coherence, and high nonlinearities during cycles of carrier wave oscillations, which relates to our recent experiments. Coherent photogeneration of a nonlinear supercurrent with a dc component, achieved via condensate acceleration by an effective lightwave field, dynamically breaks the equilibrium inversion symmetry. Experimental signatures include high harmonic light emission at equilibrium-symmetry-forbidden frequencies, Rabi-Higgs collective modes and quasiparticle coherence, and nonequilibrium moving condensate states tuned by few-cycle THz fields. We use such lightwaves as an oscillating accelerating force that drives strong nonlinearities and anisotropic quasiparticle populations to control and amplify different classes of collective modes, e.g., damped oscillations, persistent oscillations, and overdamped dynamics via Rabi flopping. Recent phase-coherent nonlinear spectroscopy experiments can be modeled by solving the full nonlinear quantum dynamics including self-consistent light-matter coupling.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Terahertz lightwave control of non-equilibrium phases and collective modes in multi-band superconductors

A gauge-invariant density matrix approach is presented to describe the non-equilibrium dynamics of multiband superconductors after photo-excitation. The derived gauge-invariant Bloch equations extend the Anderson pseudo-spin precession model by fully incorporating the center-of-mass motion of Cooper pairs. We also describe lightwave propagation effects inside a superconducting film by including the self-consistent interaction of the photo-excited superconducting system with the propagating electromagnetic field inside the superconductor using Maxwell's equations.

Mootz, Martin↗
DOE OSTI2019

Multiple Phase Screen Scintillation Modeling Code

This document describes the underlying theory and use of a computer code written to simulate scintillation effects on propagating electromagnetic (EM) signals. The Multiple Phase Screen (MPS) technique [1, 2, 3, 4] is employed to model the effects of scintillation on EM signals as they travel through the earth’s ionosphere.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1983

Phenomenology of magnetospheric radio emissions

Jupiter has now been observed over 24 octaves of the radio spectrum, from about 0.01 MHz to 300,000 MHz. Its radio emissions fill the entire spectral region where interplanetary electromagnetic propagation is possible at wavelengths longer than infrared. Three distinct types of radiation are responsible for this radio spectrum. Thermal emission from the atmosphere accounts for virtually all the radiation at the high frequency end. Synchrotron emission from the trapped high-energy particle belt deep within the inner magnetosphere is the dominant spectral component from about 4000 to 40 MHz. The third class of radiation consists of several distinct components of sporadic low frequency emission below 40 MHz. The decimeter wavelength emission is considered, taking into account the discovery of synchrotron emission, radiation by high-energy electrons in a magnetic field, and the present status of Jovian synchrotron phenomenology. Attention is also given to the decameter and hectometer wavelength emission, and emissions at kilometric wavelengths.

Carr, T. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Direct time integration of Maxwell's equations in nonlinear dispersive media for propagation and scattering of femtosecond electromagnetic solitons

The initial results for femtosecond electromagnetic soliton propagation and collision obtained from first principles, i.e., by a direct time integration of Maxwell's equations are reported. The time integration efficiently implements linear and nonlinear convolutions for the electric polarization and can take into account such quantum effects as Kerr and Raman interactions. The present approach is robust and should permit the modeling of 2D and 3D optical soliton propagation, scattering, and switching from the full-vector Maxwell's equations.

Goorjian, Peter M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Loss-cone-driven ion cyclotron waves in the magnetosphere

The study examines the theoretical properties of linear ion cyclotron waves propagating in the magnetosphere at arbitrary angles to the background magnetic field. It is found that in some cases the linear wave growth of modes with oblique propagation can dominate that of the parallel propagating electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave. The growth rate of the loss-cone-driven mode depends strongly on the depth of the loss cone. A simple analytical theory which explains the scaling of the growth rate of the oblique mode with respect to various parameters is presented. The loss-cone-driven mode is an electromagnetic mode which is preferentially nearly linearly polarized. The wave field which results from the oblique mode in its perferentially nearly linearly polarized form are nearly perpendicular to B0 and are such that they may be difficult to distinguish from those of a linearly polarized parallel propgating EMIC wave.

Denton, Richard E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Dielectric surface properties of Venus

It has been known for over a decade that certain high-altitude regions on Venus exhibit bizarre radar-scattering and radiothermal-emission behavior. For example, observed values for normal-incidence power reflection coefficients in these areas can exceed 0.5; enhanced back scatter in some mountainous areas in the Magellan SAR images creates a bright surface with the appearance of snow; and reduced thermal emission in the anomalous areas makes the surface there appear hundreds of degrees cooler than the corresponding physical surface temperatures. The inferred radio emissivity in several of these regions falls to 0.3 for horizontal linear polarization at viewing angles in the range 20 deg - 40 deg. Several explanations have been offered for these linked phenomena. One involves single-surface reflection from a sharp discontinuity separating two media that have extremely disparate values of electromagnetic propagation. The mismatch may occur in either or both the real (associated with propagation velocity) or imaginary (associated with absorption) components of the relevant indices of refraction, and the discontinuity must take place over a distance appreciably shorter than a wavelength. An example of such an interaction of Earth would occur at the surface of a body of water. At radio wavelengths, water has an index of refraction of 9 (dielectric permittivity of about 80), and an associated loss factor that varies strongly with the amount of dissolved salts, but is generally significant. Its single-surface radar reflectivity at normal incidence is about 0.65, and the corresponding emissivity (viewed at the same angle) is therefore 0.35. Both these values are similar to the extremes found on Venus, but in the absence of liquid water, the process on Venus requires a different explanation. Two of the present authors (Pettengill and Ford) have suggested that scattering from a single surface possessing a very high effective dielectric permittivity could explain many of the unusual characteristics displayed by the Venus surface. A second explantion relates to the volume scattering that results from successive interactions with one or more interfaces interior to the planetary surface. If the near-surface material has a moderately low index of refraction (to ensure that a substantial fraction of the radiation incident from outside is not reflected, but rather penetrates into the surface), and a very low internal propagation loss, successive internal reflections can eventually redirect much of the energy back through the surface toward the viewer. The necessary conditions for this process to be effective are a low internal propagation loss coupled with efficient internal reflection. At sufficiently low temperatures, fractured water ice displays both the necessary low loss and near-total internal reflection. The possibility that this mechanism might be acting on Venus has recently been put forward.

Pettengill, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Two-Dimensional Linear Bicharacteristic FDTD Method

The linear bicharacteristic scheme (LBS) was originally developed to improve unsteady solutions in computational acoustics and aeroacoustics. The LBS has previously been extended to treat lossy materials for one-dimensional problems. It is a classical leapfrog algorithm, but is combined with upwind bias in the spatial derivatives. This approach preserves the time-reversibility of the leapfrog algorithm, which results in no dissipation, and it permits more flexibility by the ability to adopt a characteristic based method. The use of characteristic variables allows the LBS to include the Perfectly Matched Layer boundary condition with no added storage or complexity. The LBS offers a central storage approach with lower dispersion than the Yee algorithm, plus it generalizes much easier to nonuniform grids. It has previously been applied to two and three-dimensional free-space electromagnetic propagation and scattering problems. This paper extends the LBS to the two-dimensional case. Results are presented for point source radiation problems, and the FDTD algorithm is chosen as a convenient reference for comparison.

Beggs, John H.↗