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NASA NTRS2016

Spacecraft Charging and Auroral Boundary Predictions in Low Earth Orbit

Auroral charging of spacecraft is an important class of space weather impacts on technological systems in low Earth orbit. In order for space weather models to accurately specify auroral charging environments, they must provide the appropriate plasma environment characteristics responsible for charging. Improvements in operational space weather prediction capabilities relevant to charging must be tested against charging observations.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A predictive model for space-based X-ray CCD degradation

The first generation of X-ray telescopes to use Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs) is being launched this decade. With a read noise of a few electrons, CCDs provide Fano-limited spectral resolution across the soft X-ray band (0.1 - 10 keV). However, degradation of resolution due to charge transfer losses becomes noticeable as Charge Transfer Inefficiency (CTI) increases to 10(exp -5). In this paper, we present a model which calculates the effects of radiation damage in low Earth orbit in order to predict CCD lifetimes over which good charge transfer is maintained. The model presented here considers damage mechanisms within the CCD, environmental conditions in which the CCD operates, and experiment shielding. We find that the predicted CTI approaches 10(exp -5) after a one to two year mission for the flight instruments considered here.

Antunes, Alex↗

NASA NTRS1991

The plasma environment, charge state, and currents of Saturn's C and D rings

The charge state and associated currents of Saturn's C an D rings are studied by modeling the flow of ionospheric plasma from the mid- to low-latitude ionosphere to the vicinity of the rings. It is found that the plasma density near the C and D rings, at a given radial location, will experience a one to two order of magnitude diurnal variation. The surface charge density (SCD) of these rings can show significant radial and azimuthal variations due mainly to variation in the plasma density. The SCD also depends on structural features of the rings such as thickness and the nature of the particle size distribution. The associated azimuthal currents carried by these rings also show large diurnal variations resulting in field-aligned currents which close in the ionosphere. The resulting ionospheric electric field will probably not produce a significant amount of plasma convection in the topside ionosphere and inner plasmasphere.

Wilson, G. R.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Thermal Control and Enhancement of Heat Transport Capacity of Two-Phase Loops With Electrohydrodynamic Conduction Pumping

There are three kinds of electrohydrodynamics (EHD) pumping based on Coulomb force: induction pumping, ion-drag pumping, and pure conduction pumping. EHD induction pumping relies on the generation of induced charges. This charge induction in the presence of an electric field takes place due to a non-uniformity in the electrical conductivity of the fluid which can be caused by a non-uniform temperature distribution and/or an inhomogeneity of the fluid (e.g. a two-phase fluid). Therefore, induction pumping cannot be utilized in an isothermal homogeneous liquid. In order to generate Coulomb force, a space charge must be generated. There are two main mechanisms for generating a space charge in an isothermal liquid. The first one is associated with the ion injection at a metal/liquid interface and the related pumping is referred to as ion-drag pumping. Ion-drag pumping is not desirable because it can deteriorate the electrical properties of the working fluid. The second space charge generation mechanism is associated with the heterocharge layers of finite thickness in the vicinity of the electrodes. Heterocharge layers result from dissociation of the neutral electrolytic species and recombination of the generated ions. This type of pumping is referred to as pure conduction pumping. This project investigates the EHD pumping through pure conduction phenomenon. Very limited work has been conducted in this field and the majority of the published papers in this area have mistakenly assumed that the electrostriction force was responsible for the net flow generated in an isothermal liquid. The main motivation behind this study is to investigate an EHD conduction pump for a two-phase loop to be operated in the microgravity environment. The pump is installed in the liquid return passage (isothermal liquid) from the condenser section to the evaporator section. Unique high voltage and ground electrodes have been designed that generate sufficient pressure heads with very low electric power requirements making the EHD conduction pumping attractive to applications such as two-phase systems (e.g. capillary pumped loops and heat pipes). Currently, the EHD conduction pump performance is being tested on a two-phase loop under various operating conditions in the laboratory environment. The simple non-mechanical and lightweight design of the EHD pump combined with the rapid control of performance by varying the applied electric field, low power consumption, and reliability offer significant advantages over other pumping mechanisms; particularly in reduced gravity applications.

Seyed-Yagoobi, J.↗

NASA NTRS2001

An Astronomical Test of CCD Photometric Precision

Ground-based differential photometry is limited to a precision of order 10(exp -3) because of atmospheric effects. A space-based photometer should be limited only by the inherent instrument precision and shot noise. Laboratory tests have shown that a precision of order 10-5 is achievable with commercially available charged coupled devices (CCDs). We have proposed to take this one step further by performing measurements at a telescope using a Wollaston prism as a beam splitter First-order atmospheric effects (e.g., extinction) will appear to be identical in the two images of each star formed by the prism and will be removed in the data analysis. This arrangement can determine the precision that is achievable under the influence of second-order atmospheric effects (e.g., variable point-spread function (PSF) from seeing). These telescopic observations will thus provide a lower limit to the precision that can be realized by a space-based differential photometer.

Koch, David G.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Measurements of Photoelectric Yield and Physical Properties of Individual Lunar Dust Grains

Micron size dust grains levitated and transported on the lunar surface constitute a major problem for the robotic and human habitat missions for the Moon. It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron/sub-micron size dust grains. Transient dust clouds over the lunar horizon were observed by experiments during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics is believed to have a severe impact on the human habitat and the lifetime and operations of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the phenomena and the charging properties of the lunar dust in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. We will present results of some recent laboratory experiments on individual micro/sub-micron size dust grains levitated in electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. The experiments involve photoelectric emission measurements of individual micron size lunar dust grains illuminated with UV radiation in the 120-160 nm wavelength range. The photoelectric yields are required to determine the charging properties of lunar dust illuminated by solar UV radiation. We will present some recent results of laboratory measurement of the photoelectric yields and the physical properties of individual micron size dust grains from the Apollo and Luna-24 sample returns as well as the JSC-1 lunar simulants.

Abbas, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Laboratory Measurements of Optical and Physical Properties of Individual Lunar Dust Grains

The lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of sub-micron/micron size dust grains formed by meteoritic impact over billions of years. The fine dust grains are levitated and transported on the lunar surface, and transient dust clouds over the lunar horizon were observed by experiments during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics has the potential of severe impact on human habitat and operations and lifetime of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the charging properties and the lunar dust phenomena in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. Photoelectric emission induced by the solar UV radiation with photon energies higher than the work function of the grain materials is recognized to be the dominant process for charging of the lunar dust, and requires measurements of the photoelectric yields to determine the charging and equilibrium potentials of individual dust grains. In this paper, we present the first laboratory measurements of the photoelectric yields of individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains selected from sample returns of Apollo 17, and Luna 24 missions, as well as similar size dust grains from the JSC-1 simulants. The experimental results were obtained on a laboratory facility based on an electrodynamic balance that permits a variety of experiments to be conducted on individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains in simulated space environments. The photoelectric emission measurements indicate grain size dependence with the yield increasing by an order of magnitude for grains of radii sub-micron size to several micron radii, at which it reaches asymptotic values. The yield for large size grains is found to be more than an order of magnitude higher than the bulk measurements on lunar fines reported in the literature.

Abbas, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Lunar Dust Charging by Photoelectric Emissions

The lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of sub-micron/micron size dust grains formed by meteoritic impact over billions of years. The fine dust grains are levitated and transported on the lunar surface, as indicated by the transient dust clouds observed over the lunar horizon during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon s surface with its observed adhesive characteristics has the potential of severe impact on human habitat and operations and lifetime of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the charging properties and the lunar dust phenomena in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. Photoelectric emission induced by the solar UV radiation with photon energies higher than the work function of the grain materials is recognized to be the dominant process for charging of the lunar dust, and requires measurements of the photoelectric yields to determine the charging and equilibrium potentials of individual dust grains. In this paper, we present the first laboratory measurements of the photoelectric efficiencies and yields of individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains selected from sample returns of Apollo 17, and Luna 24 missions, as well as similar size dust grains from the JSC-1 simulants. The measurements were made on a laboratory facility based on an electrodynamic balance that permits a variety of experiments to be conducted on individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains in simulated space environments. The photoelectric emission measurements indicate grain size dependence with the yield increasing by an order of magnitude for grains of sub-micron to several micron size radii, at which it reaches asymptotic values. The yield for large size grains is found to be more than an order of magnitude higher than the bulk measurements on lunar fines reported in the literature.

Abbas, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Lunar Dust Charging by Photoelectric Emissions

The lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of sub-micron/micron size dust grains formed by meteoritic impact over billions of years. The fine dust grains are levitated and transported on the lunar surface, as indicated by the transient dust clouds observed over the lunar horizon during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics has the potential of severe impact on human habitat and operations and lifetime of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the charging properties and the lunar dust phenomena in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. Photoelectric emission induced by the solar UV radiation with photon energies higher than the work function (WF) of the grain materials is recognized to be the dominant process for charging of the lunar dust, and requires measurements of the photoelectric yields to determine the charging and equilibrium potentials of individual dust grains. In this paper, we present the first laboratory measurements of the photoelectric efficiencies and yields of individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains selected from sample returns of Apollo 17 and Luna-24 missions as well as similar size dust grains from the JSC-1 simulants. The measurements were made on a laboratory facility based on an electrodynamic balance that permits a variety of experiments to be conducted on individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains in simulated space environments. The photoelectric emission measurements indicate grain size dependence with the yield increasing by an order of magnitude for grains of sub-micron to several micron size radii, at which it reaches asymptotic values. The yield for large size grains is found to be more than an order of magnitude higher than the bulk measurements on lunar fines reported in the literature.

Abbas, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Geomagnetic Cutoff Rigidity Computer Program: Theory, Software Description and Example

The access of charged particles to the earth from space through the geomagnetic field has been of interest since the discovery of the cosmic radiation. The early cosmic ray measurements found that cosmic ray intensity was ordered by the magnetic latitude and the concept of cutoff rigidity was developed. The pioneering work of Stoermer resulted in the theory of particle motion in the geomagnetic field, but the fundamental mathematical equations developed have 'no solution in closed form'. This difficulty has forced researchers to use the 'brute force' technique of numerical integration of individual trajectories to ascertain the behavior of trajectory families or groups. This requires that many of the trajectories must be traced in order to determine what energy (or rigidity) a charged particle must have to penetrate the magnetic field and arrive at a specified position. It turned out the cutoff rigidity was not a simple quantity but had many unanticipated complexities that required many hundreds if not thousands of individual trajectory calculations to solve. The accurate calculation of particle trajectories in the earth's magnetic field is a fundamental problem that limited the efficient utilization of cosmic ray measurements during the early years of cosmic ray research. As the power of computers has improved over the decades, the numerical integration procedure has grown more tractable, and magnetic field models of increasing accuracy and complexity have been utilized. This report is documentation of a general FORTRAN computer program to trace the trajectory of a charged particle of a specified rigidity from a specified position and direction through a model of the geomagnetic field.

Smart, D. F.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Space Toxicology: Environmental Health Considerations during Spaceflight Operations and Potential Paths for Research

Space Toxicology is a specialized discipline for spaceflight, space habitation and occupation of celestial bodies including planets, moons and asteroids [1]. Astronaut explorers face unique challenges to their health while working and living with limited resources for rescue and medical care during space operation. At its core the practice of space toxicology to identify, assess and predict potential chemical contaminants and limit the astronaut s exposure to these environmental factors in order to protect crew health. Space toxicologists are also charged with setting safe exposure limits that will protect the astronaut against a multitude of chemical exposures, in a physiologically altered state. In order to maintain sustained occupation in space, toxicological risks are gauged and managed within the context of isolation, continual exposures, reuse of air and water, limited rescue options, and the necessary use of highly toxic compounds required for propulsion. As the space program move towards human presence and exploration other celestial bodies in situ toxicological risks, such as inhalation of unusual and/or reactive mineral dusts must also be analyzed and controlled. Placing humans for long-term presence in space creates several problems and challenges to the long-term health of the crew, such as bone-loss and immunological challenges and has spurred research into acute, chronic and episodic exposure of the pulmonary system to mineral dusts [2]. NASA has demonstrated that lunar soil contains several types of reactive dusts, including an extremely fine respirable component. In order to protect astronaut health, NASA is now investigating the toxicity of this unique class of dusts. Understanding how these reactive components behave "biochemically" in a moisture-rich pulmonary environment will aid in determining how toxic these particles are to humans. The data obtained from toxicological examination of lunar dusts will determine the human risk criteria for lunar dust exposure and produce a lunar health standard.

Khan-Mayberry, Noreen N.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Spacecraft Charging Sensitivity to Material Properties

Evaluating spacecraft charging behavior of a vehicle in the space environment requires knowledge of the material properties relevant to the charging process. Implementing surface and internal charging models requires a user to specify a number of material electrical properties including electrical resistivity parameters (dark and radiation induced), dielectric constant, secondary electron yields, photoemission yields, and breakdown strength in order to correctly evaluate the electric discharge threat posed by the increasing electric fields generated by the accumulating charge density. In addition, bulk material mass density and/or chemical composition must be known in order to analyze radiation shielding properties when evaluating internal charging. We will first describe the physics of spacecraft charging and show how uncertainties in material properties propagate through spacecraft charging algorithms to impact the results obtained from charging models. We then provide examples using spacecraft charging codes to demonstrate their sensitivity to material properties. The goal of this presentation is to emphasize the importance in having good information on relevant material properties in order to best characterize on orbit charging threats.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Dependence of Lunar Surface Charging on Solar Wind Plasma Conditions and Solar Irradiation

The surface of the Moon is electrically charged by exposure to solar radiation on its dayside, as well as by the continuous flux of charged particles from the various plasma environments that surround it. An electric potential develops between the lunar surface and ambient plasma, which manifests itself in a near-surface plasma sheath with a scale height of order the Debye length. This study investigates surface charging on the lunar dayside and near-terminator regions in the solar wind, for which the dominant current sources are usually from the pohotoemission of electrons, J(sub p), and the collection of plasma electrons J(sub e) and ions J(sub i). These currents are dependent on the following six parameters: plasma concentration n(sub 0), electron temperature T(sub e), ion temperature T(sub i), bulk flow velocity V, photoemission current at normal incidence J(sub P0), and photo electron temperature T(sub p). Using a numerical model, derived from a set of eleven basic assumptions, the influence of these six parameters on surface charging - characterized by the equilibrium surface potential, Debye length, and surface electric field - is investigated as a function of solar zenith angle. Overall, T(sub e) is the most important parameter, especially near the terminator, while J(sub P0) and T(sub p) dominate over most of the dayside.

Photoemission↗

NASA NTRS2005

Design and Characteristics of the Anticoincidence Detector for the GLAST Large Area Telescope

Moiseev, A. A.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Buried Oxide Densification for Low Power, Low Voltage CMOS Applications

Special technology and circuit architecture are of growing interest for implementation of circuits which operate at low supply voltages and consume low power levels without sacrificing performance[1]. Use of thin buried oxide SOI substrates is a primary approach to simultaneously achieve these goals. A significant aspect regarding SIMOX SOI for low voltage, low power applications is the reliability and performance of the thin buried oxide. In addition, when subjected to high total dose irradiation, the silicon islands within the BOX layer of SIMOX can store charges and significantly effect the back channel threshold voltages of devices. Thus, elimination of the islands within the buried oxide (BOX) layer is preferred in order to prevent leakage through these conductive islands and charge build-up within the buried oxide layer. A differential (2-step) ramp rate as applied to full and 100 nm BOX SIMOX was previously reported to play a significant role in the stoichiometry and island formation within the buried layer[2]. This paper focus is on the properties of a thin (120nm) buried oxide as a function of the anneal ramp rate and the temperature of anneal. In this research, we have found an improvement in the buried oxide stoichiometry with the use of a slower, singular ramp rate for specified thin buried oxides, with slower ramp rates and higher temperatures of anneal suggested for reducing the presence of Si islands within the BOX layer.

Allen, L. P.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Laboratory Studies in UV and EUV Solar Physics

The Ion Beam Experiment at the Center for Astrophysics is dedicated to the study of ion-electron collision processes of importance in solar physics. A paper describing our most recent measurement 'Absolute cross section for Si(2+)(3s3p(sup 3)Rho (sup 0) yields 3s3p(sup 1)Rho(sup 0)) electron-impact excitation' was published during the past year. Dr. Paul Janzen received his PhD. from the Harvard Physics Department on the basis of this and other work, such as the new electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source. The ion source is producing stable beams with large currents for our present work on C(2+), and it also produces stable beams with large currents of more highly charged systems, for future work on systems such as O(4+). The past year has been focussed on our current program to measure absolute cross sections for Electron Impact Excitation (EIE) in C(2+), one of the primary ions used for probing the solar transition region. C(2+) beams produced by the ion source have been transported to the interaction region of the experiment, where the collisions are studied, and Visiting Scientist Dr. Adrian Daw is currently collecting data to measure the C(2+)(2s2p(sup 3)Rho(sup 0) yields 2p(sup 2)(sup 3)Rho) EIE cross section as a function of collision energy, under the guidance of Drs. John Kohl, Larry Gardner and Bill Parkinson. Also this year, modifications were made to the ECR ion source in order to produce greater currents of highly charged ions. Testing of the ion source was completed. Modifications were designed to extend the photon detection capabilities of the apparatus to shorter UV wavelengths, or EUV. Following the work on C(2+)(2s2p(sup 3)Pho(sup 0) yields 2p(sup 2)(sup 3)Rho), the extended UV detection capabilities will be used to measure the C(2+)(2s(sup 2)(sup 1)S yields 2s2p(sup 1)Rho(sup 0)) EIE cross section. The EUV modifications complement those of the new ion source, by enabling detection of EUV light generated by high charge state ions and putting us in a position to measure the excitation cross sections for more highly charged ions as well.

Parkinson, William↗

NASA NTRS2004

Anti-Coincidence Detector for GLAST

The Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD) is the outermost detector layer in the GLAST Large Area Telescope (LAT), surrounding the top and sides of the tracker. The purpose of the ACD is to detect and veto incident cosmic ray charged particles, which outnumber cosmic gamma rays by 3-5 orders of magnitude. The challenge in ACD design is that it has to have high (0.9997) detection efficiency for relativistic charged particles, but must have low sensitivity to backsplash photons. These are products of high energy interactions in the LAT calorimeter, and can cause a veto signal in the ACD resulting in degradation of the LAT efficiency for high energy (>10 GeV) gamma-rays. The ACD requirement is that backsplash shall not reduce the LAT sensitivity by more than 20% for gamma rays of 300 GeV. To solve this problem, the ACD is divided into 89 scintillating tiles, with wave-length shifting fiber readout. The detector design and its characteristics are given in this paper.

Moiseev, Alexander A.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Performance of the Anti-Coincidence Detector on the GLAST Large Area Telescope

The Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD), the outermost detector layer in the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT), is designed to detect and veto incident cosmic ray charged particles, which outnumber cosmic gamma rays by 3-4 orders of magnitude. The challenge in ACD design is that it must have high (0.9997) detection efficiency for singly-charged relativistic particles, but must also have a low probability for self-veto of high-energy gammas by backplash radiation from interactions in the LAT calorimeter. Simulations and tests demonstrate that the ACD meete its design requirements. The performance of the ACD has remained stable thrugh stand-alone environmental testing, shipment across the U.S. installation onto the LAT, shipment back across the U.S., LAT environmental testing, and shipment to Arizona. As part of the fully-assembled GLAST observatory, the ACD is being readied for final testing before launch.

Thompson, D. J.↗