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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 1,261 records · Page 70
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Focal plane infrared readout circuit with automatic background suppression

A circuit for reading out a signal from an infrared detector includes a current-mode background-signal subtracting circuit having a current memory which can be enabled to sample and store a dark level signal from the infrared detector during a calibration phase. The signal stored by the current memory is subtracted from a signal received from the infrared detector during an imaging phase. The circuit also includes a buffered direct injection input circuit and a differential voltage readout section. By performing most of the background signal estimation and subtraction in a current mode, a low gain can be provided by the buffered direct injection input circuit to keep the gain of the background signal relatively small, while a higher gain is provided by the differential voltage readout circuit. An array of such readout circuits can be used in an imager having an array of infrared detectors. The readout circuits can provide a high effective handling capacity.

Pain, Bedabrata↗
DOE OSTI2020

The CUPID-Mo experiment for neutrinoless double-beta decay: performance and prospects

CUPID-Mo is a bolometric experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) of $^{100}$Mo. In this article, we detail the CUPID-Mo detector concept, assembly, installation in the underground laboratory in Modane in 2018, and provide results from the first datasets. The demonstrator consists of an array of 20 scintillating bolometers comprised of $^{100}$Mo-enriched 0.2 kg Li$_2$MoO$_4$ crystals. The detectors are complemented by 20 thin cryogenic Ge bolometers acting as light detectors to distinguish $\alpha$ from $\gamma$/$\beta$ events by the detection of both heat and scintillation light signals. We observe good detector uniformity, facilitating the operation of a large detector array as well as excellent energy resolution of 5.3 keV (6.5 keV) FWHM at 2615 keV, in calibration (physics) data. Based on the observed energy resolutions and light yields a separation of $\alpha$ particles at much better than 99.9\% with equally high acceptance for $\gamma$/$\beta$ events is expected for events in the region of interest for $^{100}$Mo $0\nu\beta\beta$. We present limits on the crystals' radiopurity ($\leq$3 $\mu$Bq/kg of $^{226}$Ra and $\leq$2 $\mu$Bq/kg of $^{232}$Th). Based on these initial results we also discuss a sensitivity study for the science reach of the CUPID-Mo experiment, in particular, the ability to set the most stringent half-life limit on the $^{100}$Mo $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay after half a year of livetime. In conclusion, the achieved results show that CUPID-Mo is a successful demonstrator of the technology - developed in the framework of the LUMINEU project - selected for the CUPID experiment, a proposed follow-up of CUORE, the currently running first tonne-scale cryogenic $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiment.

100Mo↗
NASA NTRS1990

Optical design of Lyman/FUSE

The optical system for the proposed Lyman/Far UV Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) orbiting observatory is described and illustrated with drawings and graphs of predicted performance. The system comprises (1) an FUV channel based on a 1.84-m-diameter Rowland circle spectrograph with five high-density modified ellipsiodal near-normal-incidence gratings and an array of four MAMA detectors; (2) an EUV channel with ellipsoidal mirror, planar varied-line-space grating, microchannel-plate array, and wedge-and-strip anode detector; (3) a 70-cm Wolter II glancing-incidence telescope; and (4) a CCD-detector fine-error sensor to provide accurate pointing (within 200 marcsec rms). The resolving powers of the spectrographs are 30,000 in the FUV and 300-600 (wavelength-dependent) in the EUV.

Content, D. A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measuring the muon content of inclined air showers using AERA and the water-Cherenkov detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present a novel approach for assessing the muon content of air showers with large zenith angles on a combined analysis of their radio emission and particle footprint. We use the radiation energy reconstructed by the Auger engineering radio array (AERA) as an energy estimator and determine the muon number independently with the water-Cherenkov detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, deployed on a 1500 m grid. We focus our analysis on air showers with primary energy above 4 EeV to ensure full detection efficiency. Over approximately ten years of accumulated data, we identify a set of 40 high-quality events that are used in the analysis. The estimated muon contents in data are compatible with those for iron primaries as predicted by current-generation hadronic interaction models. This result can be interpreted as a deficit of muons in simulations as a lighter mass composition has been established from X max measurements. This muon deficit was already observed in previous analyses of the Auger Collaboration and is confirmed using hybrid events that include radio measurements for the first time.

Abdul Halim, A. [Adelaide U.]↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Impact of Crosstalk in the X-IFU Instrument on Athena Science Cases

In this paper we present a first assessment of the impact of various forms of instrumental crosstalk on the science performance of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) on the Athena X-ray mission. This assessment is made using the SIXTE end-to-end simulator in the context of one of the more technically challenging science cases for the XIFU instrument. Crosstalk considerations may influence or drive various aspects of the design of the array of high-count-rate Transition Edge Sensor (TES) detectors and its Frequency Domain Multiplexed (FDM) readout architecture. The Athena X-ray mission was selected as the second L-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015–25 plan, with alaunch foreseen in 2028, to address the theme ''Hot and Energetic Universe"1. One of the two instruments on boardAthena is the X-ray Integral Field Unit2 (X-IFU) which is based on an array of ~3800 Transition Edge Sensors (TES's)operated at a temperature of ~90 mK. The science cases pose an interesting challenge for this instrument, as they requirea combination of high energy resolution (2.5 eV FWHM or better), high spatial resolution (5 arcsec or better) and highcount rate capability (several tens of counts per second per detector for point sources as bright as 10 mCrab).The performance at the single sensor level has been demonstrated3, but the operation of such detectors in an array, usingmultiplexed readout, brings additional challenges, both for the design of the array in which the sensors are placed and forthe readout of the sensors. The readout of the detector array will be based on Frequency Domain Multiplexing (FDM)4.In this system of detectors and readout, crosstalk can arise through various mechanisms: on the TES array, neighboringsensors can couple through thermal crosstalk. Detectors adjacent in carrier frequency may suffer from electrical crosstalkdue to the finite width of the bandpass filters, and shared sources of impedance in their signal lines. The signals from theindividual detectors are summed and then amplified by a pair of SQUID amplifiers before being sent to warm front-endelectronics. The transfer function of the SQUID amplifiers is non-linear, which will give rise to higher harmonics ofcarriers and intermodulation products when multiple signal pulses are simultaneously present in the SQUID. Under highcount rate conditions this is another source of crosstalk. The effect of all these crosstalk sources is that parasitic pulseswill appear in the record of a signal pulse which will create a stochastic offset of the measured energy and thus adegradation of the energy resolution.

SIXTE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for photons above 10 19 eV with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

We use the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory to search for air showers initiated by photons with an energy above 10 19 eV. Photons in the zenith angle range from 30° to 60° can be identified in the overwhelming background of showers initiated by charged cosmic rays through the broader time structure of the signals induced in the water-Cherenkov detectors of the array and the steeper lateral distribution of shower particles reaching ground. Applying the search method to data collected between January 2004 and June 2020, upper limits at 95% CL are set to an E -2 diffuse flux of ultra-high energy photons above 10 19 eV, 2 × 10 19 eV and 4 × 10 19 eV amounting to 2.11 × 10 -3 , 3.12 × 10 -4 and 1.72 × 10 -4 km -2 sr -1 yr -1 , respectively. While the sensitivity of the present search around 2 × 10 19 eV approaches expectations of cosmogenic photon fluxes in the case of a pure-proton composition, it is one order of magnitude above those from more realistic mixed-composition models. The inferred limits have also implications for the search of super-heavy dark matter that are discussed and illustrated.

ultra high energy photons and neutrinos↗
DOE OSTI2023

Conceptual design of DIII-D experiments to diagnose the lifetime of spin polarized fuel

Abstract In magnetic fusion experiments, the cross sections for the D-T and D- 3 He fusion reactions are increased by as much as 50% if the fuel remains spin polarized parallel to the magnetic field. The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of lifetime measurements of spin polarization, in magnetic fusion relevant conditions, on the DIII-D tokamak using relative changes in charged fusion product (CFP) loss measurements that depend upon the differential fusion cross section d σ /dΩ. Relative measurements that capture changes in the escaping CFP pitch, poloidal, and energy distributions are studied in two realistic TRANSP calculated plasma scenarios: (a) vector-polarized 3 He and D pellets are injected into a hot hydrogen plasma to produce thermonuclear reactions, and (b) a tensor-polarized deuterium pellet is injected into an L-mode hydrogen background plasma that includes unpolarized 3 He neutral beam injection. Ideal CFP signals in both scenarios show substantial pitch sensitivity to polarization for 14.7 MeV proton detection at a poloidal angle of − 56 ∘ (on the outer wall in the ion ∇ B direction), and strong sensitivity to polarization for 3.6 MeV alpha flux detection by an array of poloidal detectors. Energy-resolved measurements of 14.7 MeV protons are also sensitive to the degree of polarization for the − 56 ∘ port in the beam-plasma scenario. A realistic assessment of CFP signals in the thermonuclear scenario show count rates in the range of 2 × 10 4 cps for pitch-resolved proton detection and 2 × 10 5 cps for alpha flux measurements. Reduced chi-squared χ r 2 calculations show polarization lifetime measurements are feasible for either proton or alpha detection of both enhanced or suppressed polarization for the thermonuclear scenario. Measurements of gamma rays produced in the weak D + 3 He → γ + 5 Li branch complement the CFP measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

$β$-delayed-neutron studies of 135,136 Sb and 140 I performed with trapped ions

In this work, Beta-delayed-neutron $(βn)$ spectroscopy was performed using the Beta-decay Paul Trap and an array of radiation detectors. The $βn$ branching ratios and energy spectra for 135,136 Sb and 140 I were obtained by measuring the time of flight of recoil ions emerging from the trapped ion cloud. These nuclei are located at the edge of an isotopic region identified as having $βn$ branching ratios that impact the $r$-process abundance pattern around the A ≈ 130 peak. For 135,136 Sb and 140 I, $βn$ branching ratios of 14.6(13)%, 17.6(29)%, and 7.6(28)% were determined, respectively. The $βn$ energy spectra obtained for 135 Sb and 140 I are compared with results from direct neutron measurements, and the $βn$ energy spectrum for 136 Sb has been measured for the first time.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deuteron Evaporation from N = Z Compound Nuclei

Deuteron evaporation was observed from the N = Z compound nuclei 52 Fe ⋆ , 56 Ni ⋆ , and 64 Ge ⋆ in an experiment conducted at Argonne National Laboratory, USA. The experiment included a novel combination of two highly pixelated double-sided Si-strip detectors inside the Microball chargedparticle detection array, allowing for unequivocal discrimination of evaporated deuterons from protons and α particles. In conjunction with the Gammasphere array, Neutron Shell, and additional ancillary detectors, decay paths into various residual nuclei were investigated. The study provides insights into the competition of deuteron vs. proton-neutron evaporation as a function of available excitation energy and populated angular momentum. Results are interpreted using a statistical evaporation formalism for multiple subsequent particle emissions. The decisive factor in the comparison appears to be the available excitation energy in the residual system, with single nucleon evaporation preferred over deuteron evaporation for higher excitation energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterizing and Modeling the Influence of Geometry on the Performance of Superconducting Nanowire Cryotrons

The scaling of superconducting nanowire detectors to larger arrays is often limited by room-temperature-readout cabling. Cryogenic integrated circuits constructed from nanowire cryotrons, or nanocryotrons, can address this limitation by performing signal processing on chip. In this study, we characterize key performance metrics of the nanocryotron to elucidate its potential as a logical element in cryogenic integrated circuits and develop an electro-thermal model to connect material parameters with device performance. We find that the performance of the nanocryotron depends on the device geometry, and trade-offs are associated with optimizing the gain, jitter, and energy dissipation. Here, we demonstrate that nanocryotrons fabricated on niobium nitride can achieve a grey zone less than 210 nA wide for a 5 ns long input pulse corresponding to a maximum achievable gain of 48 dB, an energy dissipation of less than 20 aJ per operation, and a jitter of less than 60 ps.

Superconductor↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pre- and post-launch operation of the Resolve soft X-ray spectrometer onboard the XRISM satellite

Resolve is a high-resolution X-ray spectrometer onboard the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), launched on September 6 (UT), 2023. The Resolve has performed better than its required spectral resolution (7 eV at full width at half maximum at 6 keV), both on the ground and in orbit, and has been confirmed to have comparable performance to the soft X-ray spectrometer onboard the ASTRO-H (Hitomi) satellite. The focal plane is composed of an array of microcalorimeter detectors operated at 50 mK to achieve the required energy resolution, and the cooling system is designed to satisfy the lifetime requirement of over 3 years. The focal plane and cooling system are contained in a vacuum-insulated dewar. The cooling system is equipped with a two-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) that uses superfluid liquid helium (LHe) as its heat sink. The system includes a third ADR stage that can be used to provide the heat sink when the helium is exhausted. A Joule–Thomson cooler and several two-stage Stirling coolers are used to reduce the heat load on the LHe. During pre-launch operations, we carried out a superfluid LHe top-off operation. The resultant amount of LHe onboard Resolve was over 35 L before launch, which is sufficient to meet the lifetime requirement. During post-launch operation, the LHe vent valve was opened 5 min after launch during rocket acceleration, and the cryocoolers were turned on after several orbits, as planned, which established stable cooling within the dewar. Pre- and post-launch operations for the Resolve instrument were planned around multiple constraints from launch vehicle operations; all were successfully completed, and the launch requirements were fully met.

X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantum Devices for Neutrino and Rare Particle Detection (Final Report)

This report summarizes the technical work completed under the DOE-QuanISED program. This grant allowed the MIT group --and associated groups on the project, including UMass Amherst and Argonne National Laboratory -- to explore the use of superconducting bolometers for the purpose of neutrino and low mass dark matter detection. These low threshold bolometric detection techniques have wide applicability in nuclear and particle physics, including searching for low mass weakly-interacting dark matter; detecting neutrinos via coherent neutrino scattering; searching for axions and nuclear non-proliferation. In addition, we explored how using techniques readily used by the quantum computing community–such as multiplexed microwave resonators and quantum amplifiers—could be used as a low noise readout scheme for an array of superconducting detectors. We briefly summarized the accomplishments under the project, and what future research directions have spawned from this research.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1971

Multispectral infrared imaging interferometer

Device permitting simultaneous viewing of infrared images at different wavelengths consists of imaging lens, Michelson interferometer, array of infrared detectors, data processing equipment for Fourier transformation of detector signal, and image display unit. Invention is useful in earth resources applications, nondestructive testing, and medical diagnoses.

Potter, A. E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Status of the evidence for a magnetic monopole

The experimental evidence supporting the detection of a moving magnetic monopole, using a balloon-borne array of track detectors, was presented. Although the results cannot be proved to have been produced by a monopole, they do not seem to have been produced by any nucleus. The very high, roughly constant ionization rate inferred from track etch rate measurements in a stack of Lexan detectors implies passage of a minimum-ionizing particle more highly charged than any known nucleus, yet the Cerenkov film detectors indicated a velocity less than about 0.68 times the speed of light and the size of the track in the nuclear emulsion indicated a velocity approximately equal to 0.5 times the speed of light. At this velocity the ionization rate of a highly electrically charged particle would have changed dramatically with pathlength unless its mass to charge ratio were far greater than that of a nucleus.

Price, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Narrow spikes in the selective precipitation of relativistic electrons in mid-latitudes

Relativistic electron precipitation spikes were observed in the quasi-trapped population at midlatitudes by an array of electron detectors aboard the low-altitude polar-orbiting satellite 1972-076B. The fluxes of electrons of energies not less than 4 MeV may undergo pronounced enhancements, while the intensities of electrons in the few hundred keV range may not be significantly affected. Energy spectra and pitch angle distributions were measured over the energy range 160 keV to 2.4 MeV with a combination of three spectrometers. Fluxes of energetic electrons (greater than 4 MeV) were measured with high sensitivity in each of two large plastic scintillator anticoincidence counters surrounding a germanium spectrometer.

Imhof, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Design of a superfluid helium dewar for the IRAS telescope

The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) is planned for launch in 1981, and is a joint project of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. The instrument will consist of a superfluid helium-cooled 60 cm telescope with a large array of infrared detectors at the focal plane. The primary purpose of the mission is to perform an all-sky survey in the infrared region from 8 to 120 micrometers. The dewar contains 70 kg of superfluid helium which will maintain the telescope and detectors at 2K for one year. The dewar contains a supercritical helium cover tank which will be ejected after the experiment has been in orbit for two weeks.

Urbach, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A small helium-cooled infrared telescope for Spacelab 2

A helium cooled telescope of 15 cm aperture is being designed and constructed jointly by the University of Arizona, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Marshall Space Flight Center for high sensitivity infrared astronomical observations from Spacelab 2. A focal plane array of ten detectors provide a total field of view of 3 deg and cover the wavelength regions 4.5-8.5, 6-7, 9-16, 18-30 and 80-120 microns. A highly redundant all sky survey will be conducted by repeated scanning of the sky during many orbits of the spacecraft. High redundancy will allow discrimination among variable and constant celestial sources and several types of variable nearby sources. The principal astronomical result of the survey will be the absolute flux measurement of low surface brightness, large scale celestial infrared emissions but it will also extend existing IR sky surveys by a factor of 10 in point source sensitivity. The experiment will also make significant engineering measurements of contaminants in the Shuttle environment, test the technology of storage and utilization of large quantities of superfluid helium in space and test mechanical designs for future infrared telescopes for the Space Shuttle.

Gautier, T. N., III↗