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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Storage systems for solar thermal power

A major constraint to the evolution of solar thermal power systems is the need to provide continuous operation during periods of solar outage. A number of high temperature thermal energy storage technologies which have the potential to meet this need are currently under development. The development status is reviewed of some thermal energy storage technologies specifically oriented towards providing diurnal heat storage for solar central power systems and solar total energy systems. These technologies include sensible heat storage in caverns and latent heat storage using both active and passive heat exchange processes. In addition, selected thermal storage concepts which appear promising to a variety of advanced solar thermal system applications are discussed.

Calogeras, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Observations of comets and asteroids

All available ground-based observational techniques are used to study the chemical and physical properties of the small bodies of the solar system, primarily comets and secondarily asteroids. The ultimate goal is to use these bodies to understand the formation and evolution of the solar system. The analysis of charge coupled device (CCD) images of comet P/Halley continued. This included a mojor revision of a paper on the periodicities of CN jets in Halley showing that their periodicity is 7.3 days, not 2.2 days. It also included an analysis of the continuum images which showed that the dust in jets is much redder than in the ambient coma. Calculations with Mie theory suggest that the particles that show the strongest effects of radiation pressure. Much effort was expended devising methods to estimate the level of sky background of the many images in which comet extends to the edge of the chip. Examined images of comet Wilson were taken over many months in 1987. Wilson, a dynamically new comet, shows none of the short-term variability or jet structure (either dusty jets or jets of radicals seen in Halley. This is presumably due to the lack of a mantle or the nucleus. Median-imaging of sky was as a technique for removing residual flat-fielding errors in CCD images. A Monte Carlo model and a convolution model were developed for studying temporal variability of gaseous daughter products.

Ahearn, Michael F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Observations of comets and asteroids

All available ground based observational techniques were used to study the chemical and physical properties of the small bodies of the solar system, primarily comets and next asteroids. The ultimate goal is to use these bodies to understand the formation and evolution of the solar system. Progress and accomplishments, and publications are given.

Ahearn, Michael F.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Generating Excitement and Increasing Awaressness of NASA Planetary Science and Astromaterials Assets

Students, educators, the public, and the scientific community are so often inspired by NASA science and exploration. Millions have joined NASA during live mission event broadcasts and also follow NASA on social media. Exploration of worlds in our solar system enable the scientific community to obtain and analyze data that provide clues to better understand the history and evolution of our solar system. Missions that collect and return samples to Earth from a target solar system body provide scientists with samples they can research and analyze in their laboratories. For those who are not planetary scientists, they may not understand the significance of these samples and/or the importance of sample return missions. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Science Engagement team, through work supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education Cooperative Agreement Notice NNH15ZDA004C, provides access to samples from NASA’s Astromaterials Collections through NASA sponsored exhibits at educator and scientific conferences, NASA relevant public outreach events, and collaborations with other Science Activation Teams supported by the SMD Cooperative Agreement Notice. The goal of this work is to generate excitement while enhancing knowledge and awareness of NASA’s unique assets, thus highlighting NASA planetary science and exploration.

Graff, P. V.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Turbulent transport in the solar nebula

This paper describes the current state of an ongoing project to simulate turbulent flow in a solar nebula, which is the flattened disk of dust and gas out of which a solar system forms. The goal of this project is to determine a model for the transport of mass and angular momentum in the nebula. The nebula flow exhibits compressibility, thermal conduction, viscosity, internal heating through viscous dissipation, a stable shear due to Keplerian rotation, and a gravitational acceleration in the vertical direction which is linear with altitude. These properties combine to give flow patterns not seen in terrestrial applications. Primordial solar systems are known to exist and are presumably undergoing an evolution similar to the early stages of our own solar system; for example, the IRAS infrared telescope has discovered such a protoplanetary system around the star Vega. Solar nebula evolution is the subject of much research in the astrophysical community. In the long run, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of planetary formation and the processes which dissipate the solar nebula with time.

Thompson, K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 10th, Houston, Tex., March 19-23, 1979, Proceedings. Volume 2 - Early solar system and lunar regolith

Papers are presented concerning studies of the lunar regolith, the remote sensing of the surface compositions of the moon and planets, and the origin and evolution of the solar system. Specific topics include the stratigraphy and depositional history of the Apollo 17 deep drill core, the trace element and metallic iron abundances in fractions of the Apollo 15 deep drill core, the surface chemistry of lunar impact glasses, cosmic ray-produced noble gases in lunar samples, and the properties of microcraters and cosmic dust less than 1000 A in diameter. Attention is also given to the remote sensing of mare surface titanium concentrations, Viking Lander multispectral images, star and planetary system formation in collapsing, viscous, rotating clouds and the importance of planet size to basaltic volcanism.

Merrill, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Integrated Solar System Exploration Education and Public Outreach: Theme, Products and Activities

NASA's Solar System Exploration Program is entering an unprecedented period of exploration and discovery. Its goal is to understand the origin and evolution of the solar system and life within it. SSE missions are operating or in development to study the far reaches of our solar system and beyond. These missions proceed in sequence for each body from reconnaissance flybys through orbiters and landers or rovers to sample returns. SSE research programs develop new instruments, analyze mission data or returned samples, and provide experimental or theoretical models to aid in interpretation.

Lowes, Leslie↗
NASA NTRS1994

Inter-Agency Consultative Group for Space Science (IACG): Handbook of Missions and Payloads

The ACE spacecraft design is based on the Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) built by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the Applied Physics Lab (APL) for the AMPTE program. ACE is designed as a spinning spacecraft with its spin axis aligned to the Earth-Sun axis. The ACE launch weight will be approx. 633 kg, including 105 kg of scientific instruments and 184 kg of propellant. Using a Delta-class expendable launch vehicle, ACE will be launched into an L1 libration point (240 R(sub e)) orbit. Telemetry will be 6.7 kbps average, using tape recorder storage with daily readout to DSN. The experiment power requirement is approximately 76 W nominal and 96 W peak. The prime objective of the ACE mission is: (1) to determine accurate elemental and isotropic abundances including solar matter, local interstellar matter and local galactic matter; (2) to study the origin of elements and evolutionary processing in galactic nucleosynthesis, galactic evolution, origin and evolution of the solar system; (3) to study coronal formation and solar-wind acceleration processes; and (4) to study particle acceleration and transport, including coronal shock acceleration, stochastic flare acceleration, interplanetary shock acceleration, and interstellar acceleration and propagation. To accomplish this objective, ACE will perform comprehensive and coordinated determinations of the elemental and isotopic composition of energetic nuclei accelerated on the Sun, in interplanetary space, and from galactic sources. These observations will span five decades in energy, from solar wind to galactic cosmic ray energies, and will cover the element range from H-1 to Zr-40. Comparison of these samples of matter will be used to study the origin and subsequent evolution of both solar system and galactic material by isolating the effects of fundamental processes that include nucleosynthesis, charged and neutral particle separation, bulk plasma acceleration, and the acceleration of suprathermal and high-energy particles.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2012

Oxygen Isotope Compositions of the Kaidun Meteorite - Indications for Aqeuous Alteration of E-Chondrites

The Kaidun microbreccia is a unique meteorite due to the diversity of its constituent clasts. Fragments of various types of carbonaceous (CI, CM, CV, CR), enstatite (EH, EL), and ordinary chondrites, basaltic achondrites, and impact melt products have been described, and also several unknown clasts [1, and references therein]. The small mm-sized clasts represent material from different places and times in the early solar system, involving a large variety of parent bodies [2]; meteorites are of key importance to the study of the origin and evolution of the solar system, and Kaidun is a collection of a range of bodies evidently representing samples from across the asteroid belt. The parent-body on which Kaidun was assembled is believed to be a C-type asteroid, and 1-Ceres and the martian moon Phobos have been proposed [1-4]. Both carbonaceous (most oxidized) and enstatite (most reduced) chondrite clasts in Kaidun show signs of aqueous alterations that vary in type and degree and are most likely of pre-Kaidun origin [1, 4].

Ziegler, K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Comets

The nature and origin of comets is discussed. Observations of the principal parts of comets, the dust and plasma tails, the hydrogen cloud, the coma and the cometary nucleus, are presented, and the icy conglomerate model of Whipple as extended by Delsemme accounting for the observed properties and their variation with heliocentric distance is examined. The origin of comets is considered in relation to the orbital statistics of the long-period comets and the existence of the Oort cloud on the edge of the solar system, and possible roles for comets in the solar nebula and the evolution of the solar system are indicated. Particular attention is then given to the discovery and properties of Halley's Comet, which is expected to reach perihelion in 1986, and to possible flyby and rendezvous missions to Halley's Comet and others.

Brandt, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Meteoritical Society Annual Meeting, 57th, Prague, Czech Republic, July 25-29, 1994

Ranging in size from mere grains and palm-size stones to boulders and many-mile- wide hunks of rock, meteorites hold many secrets of our solar system, and indeed of our universe. The 57th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society discussed many aspects of this fascinating 'chunk' of the evolution of the Solar System. Topics covered included: chemical composition, meteorite types, meteorite age determination, meteorite origins, and find locations, as well as a multitude of other important subjects.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2015

PADME (Phobos And Deimos and Mars Environment): A Proposed NASA Discovery Mission to Investigate the Two Moons of Mars

After 40 years of solar system exploration by spacecraft, the origin of Mars's satellites, remains vexingly unknown. There are three prevailing hypotheses concerning their origin: H1: They are captured small bodies from the outer main belt or beyond; H2: They are reaccreted Mars impact ejecta; H3: They are remnants of Mars' formation. There are many variants of these hypotheses, but as stated, these three capture the key ideas and constraints on their nature. So far, data and modeling have not allowed any one of these hypotheses to be verified or excluded. Each one of these hypotheses has important implications for the evolution of the solar system, the formation and evolution of planets and satellites, and the delivery of water and organics to Early Mars and Early Earth. Determining the origin of Phobos and Deimos is identified by the NASA and the NRC Decadal Survey as the most important science goal at these bodies.

Lee, Pascal↗
NASA NTRS1977

The application of Fourier transform spectroscopy to the remote identification of solids in the solar system

The techniques of Fourier transform spectroscopy combined with large aperture telescopes and advances in detector technology now permit infrared (at a wavelength greater than 1 micron) observations of the surfaces of small solar system objects such as asteroids and satellites. The results demonstrate that this activity can produce important new compositional information related to the origin and evolution of the solar system. The detection of water ice in Saturn's rings and on some of the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn confirm expectations that ices are important mineralogical components in the chemistry of the outer solar system. More recent studies of the mineralogical composition of the surfaces of asteroids provide a new observational link to the origin of meteorites and the early thermal history of the solar system. These results have been dependent upon supporting laboratory studies of the spectral behavior of ices and minerals to define the potential, and limitations, of the method. Since many of the astronomical observations have been exploratory in nature, prospects are good that continued refinement of the techniques will lead to additional insights.

Larson, H. P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Recondensation of chondritic material in the early solar system: Results of thermodynamic simulation

We have performed a thermodynamic simulation of the recondensation of evaporated meteoritic material. We suggest that evaporation and recondensation occurred in impact events during the intercollision of planetesimals during the early evolution of the solar system. The source materials adopted for our model are the chondrites CI Orgueil and H5 Richardton. These chondrites are representative examples of the two extremes regarding volatile content and oxidation state. We calculated equilibrium mineral compositions of the closed systems of the Orgueil's and Richardton's elemental composition at the P-T conditions characteristic of the explosion cloud formed at a planetesimal collision. The P-T conditions are as follows: 10(exp -4) bar, and 1500 and 2000 K. The results are presented.

Dorofeyeva, V. A.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Using Technology to Better Characterize the Apollo Sample Suite: A Retroactive PET Analysis and Potential Model for Future Sample Return Missions

From 1969-1972 the Apollo missions collected 382 kg of lunar samples from six distinct locations on the Moon. Studies of the Apollo sample suite have shaped our understanding of the formation and early evolution of the Earth-Moon system, and have had important implications for studies of the other terrestrial planets (e.g., through the calibration of the crater counting record) and even the outer planets (e.g., the Nice model of the dynamical evolution of the Solar System). Despite nearly 50 years of detailed research on Apollo samples, scientists are still developing new theories about the origin and evolution of the Moon. Three areas of active research are: (1) the abundance of water (and other volatiles) in the lunar mantle, (2) the timing of the formation of the Moon and the duration of lunar magma ocean crystallization, (3) the formation of evolved lunar lithologies (e.g., granites) and implications for tertiary crustal processes on the Moon. In order to fully understand these (and many other) theories about the Moon, scientists need access to "new" lunar samples, particularly new plutonic samples. Over 100 lunar meteorites have been identified over the past 30 years, and the study of these samples has greatly aided in our understanding of the Moon. However, terrestrial alteration and the lack of geologic context limit what can be learned from the lunar meteorites. Although no "new" large plutonic samples (i.e., hand-samples) remain to be discovered in the Apollo sample collection, there are many large polymict breccias in the Apollo collection containing relatively large (approximately 1 cm or larger) previously identified plutonic clasts, as well as a large number of unclassified lithic clasts. In addition, new, previously unidentified plutonic clasts are potentially discoverable within these breccias. The question becomes how to non-destructively locate and identify new lithic clasts of interest while minimizing the contamination and physical degradation of the samples.

Zeigler, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Boundary conditions for the origin of the solar system

From the meteoritic results presented in the preceding chapters, a set of boundary conditions is identified that can be applied, with variable degrees of confidence, as constraints to models that attempt to describe the origin and early evolution of the solar system. Those constraints bear upon the time scale, physical and chemical environment, and processes that characterized the early solar system.

Kerridge, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Planetary optical and infrared imaging

The purpose of this investigation is to obtain and analyze high spatial resolution charge coupled device (CCD) coronagraphic images of extra-solar planetary material and solar system objects. These data will provide information on the distribution of planetary and proto-planetary material around nearby stars leading to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system. Imaging within our solar system will provide information on the current cloud configurations on the outer planets, search for new objects around the outer planets, and provide direct support for Voyager, Galileo, and CRAF by imaging material around asteroids and clouds on Neptune. Over the last year this program acquired multispectral and polarization images of the disk of material around the nearby star Beta Pictoris. This material is believed to be associated with the formation of planets and provides a first look at a planetary system much younger than our own. Preliminary color and polarization data suggest that the material is very low albedo and similar to dark outer solar system carbon rich material. A coronagraphic search for other systems is underway and has already examined over 100 nearby stars. Coronagraphic imaging provided the first clear look at the rings of Uranus and albedo limits for the ring arcs around Neptune.

Terrile, R. J.↗