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Results for “morphological features”

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
DOE OSTI2026

Site specific porosity-thermal performance correlations in neutron irradiated U-10Zr fuel

In this work, we present a site-specific three-dimensional analysis of porosity evolution in neutron-irradiated U–10Zr metallic fuel using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray tomography. Focused ion beam cubic lift-outs from four radial positions—fuel center, middle, edge, and fuel-cladding interaction (FCCI) zones—were imaged, reconstructed, and segmented to quantify pore volume, density, morphology, and pore connectivity. Porosity increased modestly from 5.5% at the center to 10.5% at the edge, yet pore number density increased by over two orders of magnitude in the fuel portion near the FCCI interface (from 4.8 x 10 4 to 6.0 x 10 6 pores/mm 3 ). Morphological classification revealed a progression from small spherical pores at the center to equiaxed and tortuous networks at the periphery, with enhanced orientation along the radial direction. Connectivity and permeability analysis reveal that the FCCI region maintains dense, highly interconnected pores despite a moderate volume fraction, enabling rapid fission gas transport and lanthanide migration. Effective thermal conductivity models incorporating sodium logging confirm that these site-specific pore features critically influenced heat transport during reactor irradiation. These findings demonstrate that pore topology—not just porosity fraction—controls thermal performance and thermal pathways in U–10Zr fuels, impacting fuel thermal performance in a reactor.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Calcination Heterogeneity in Li-Rich Layered Oxides: A Systematic Study of Li 2 CO 3 Particle Size

Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) layered oxide positive-electrode materials exhibit high energy density and have earth-abundant compositions relative to conventional Ni-, Mn-, and Co-oxides (NMCs). The lithiation of coprecipitated precursors is a key part of the synthesis and offers opportunities for tuning the properties of LMR materials. Whereas the morphology of transition metal precursors has received substantial attention, that of Li sources has not. Using Li 1.14 Mn 0.57 Ni 0.29 O 2 as a model system, in this work, we establish a detailed understanding of LMR calcination pathways via in situ and ex situ diffraction, spectroscopy, microscopy, and thermogravimetry. Our work shows that a large Li 2 CO 3 particle size modulates a previously misunderstood thermogravimetric feature present at the Li 2 CO 3 melting point during layered oxide calcination and causes heterogeneity at larger length scales (inter-secondary particle) than previously reported (intra-secondary particle). We found that electrochemical performance is largely insensitive to this heterogeneity. Finally, this work highlights the sensitivity of layered oxide calcination pathways to synthesis conditions and suggests design rules to minimize calcination heterogeneity in layered oxides beyond LMR.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Confinement-Driven Segregation Enables Glassy Polymer Hybrid Materials Featuring Disordered Hyperuniformity and Integrated Self-Healing

The blending of glassy copolymer-brush modified colloids with a viscoelastic linear copolymer featuring intrinsic self-healing enabled disordered hyperuniform hybrid materials that combined mechanical robustness with structural color, processability, environmental stability, and the ability to recover structure and properties after incurring physical damage via ‘integrated self-healing’. Symmetric linear n-butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate (BA/MMA) were co-assembled with asymmetric glassy BA/MMA statistical copolymer brush (silica) particles. ‘Confinement-driven segregation’ resulted in a microphase-separated morphology in which the linear copolymer resided within the interstitial regions of a rigid (∼1 GPa) copolymer brush particle template with disordered hyperuniform microstructure. Diffusion of the self-healing copolymer additive into damage regions drove the recovery after damage, along with the restoration of structural color due to the materials hyperuniform microstructure. The synergistic action of intrinsic and extrinsic healing mechanisms could provide a versatile platform for the bottom-up fabrication of multifunctional hybrid materials with increased damage resistance and functional longevity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Here aqueous solubilization of hydrophobic tetrapyrrole macrocycles by attachment to an amphiphilic single-chain nanoparticle (SCNP)

Solubilization of hydrophobic tetrapyrrole macrocycles and other fluorophores in aqueous solution has been achieved by covalent attachment to the terminus of an amphiphilic polymer, thereby affording a single-fluorophore–single-chain nanoparticle (SCNP). The polymer is a heterotelechelic random polyacrylate/polyacrylamide copolymer bearing hydrophobic and hydrophilic pendant groups. The polymer has a folded unimeric morphology (~13 nm hydrodynamic diameter) in 1 M NaCl aqueous solution as indicated by dynamic light-scattering spectroscopy. Five hydrophobic organic fluorophores (coumarin, perylene, two chlorins, one phthalocyanine) have been synthesized with a conjugatable tether. Covalent conjugation of the fluorophore–maleimide to the polymer terminus via thiol–maleimide reaction was carried out in DMF. The resulting fluorophore–SCNP in 1 M NaCl aqueous solution exhibited retained spectral features and fluorescence quantum yield comparable to those of the respective hydrophobic benchmark in toluene. This single-fluorophore–single-polymer strategy simplifies the challenging and often idiosyncratic syntheses of water-soluble tetrapyrrole macrocycles by using the polymer as a general aqueous solubilization package, and in so doing opens up opportunities for the application of hydrophobic fluorophores in the life sciences.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plasma Focused Ion Beam Milling of High-Aspect-Ratio Holes in Diamond

Plasma focused ion beam (PFIB) technology has a great potential for applications requiring rapid micro-machining of high-aspect-ratio features. Here, we use 30-keV Ar, Xe, and O 2 ion beams to study PFIB milling of high-aspect-ratio circular holes in polycrystalline diamond. Our results show that Xe and O 2 ion beams have the highest milling efficiency for low-aspect-ratio and high-aspect-ratio hole milling, respectively. Each ion beam species produces holes with its characteristic shape and wall surface morphology. In conclusion, based on these results, we demonstrate a “hybrid” hole milled in a two-step process with Xe and O 2 ion beams with the geometry and wall morphology attractive for the attachment of a fuel fill tube to the inertial confinement fusion capsule.

ICF targets↗
NASA NTRS1994

Particle/fluid simulations of an eruptive flare: Identifying the field-aligned currents responsible for the hard x-rays

While magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) can provide a reasonable description of the overall magnetic reconnection that is believed to drive flares, additional, and often separate processes have to be envoked to in order to explain the electron acceleration that is responsible for many of the observed flare emissions. A new model that incorporates the dynamic coronal current sheets, the reconnection site, and possible electron acceleration processes is developed through the use of two-dimensional particle and modified two-fluid simulations. The specific example of an eruptive flare driven by the coalescence of flux tubes supported by prescribed photospheric current elements is evaluated. It is shown that the electrons and ions have differential trajectories through the coronal current sheet which leads to the development of additonal plasma currents that flow around the surface of the current sheet. These surface currents are explicitly neglected in MHD but they are vital to the flare dynamics because they divert current from the coronal current sheet into the chromosphere, producing an effective resistivity that aids the development of fast reconnection. Because the surface currents are in the plane of the magnetic field, electrons in them experience strong acceleration and can account for the observed hard X-ray emissions. Model predictions are compared with observed time profiles of hard X-ray emissions and Doppler shifts seen in soft X-ray line emissions and are able to account for such features as (1) the asymmetry in the rise and decay time of the hard X-rays, (2) the apparent delay between the largest Doppler shifts and the hard X-ray peak, and (3) the relatively low intensity of the blue-shifted component. The use of particle and fluid simulations is important because it provides different, but complementary treatments of the electron acceleration, the global magnetic morphology, and the flare current system.

Winglee, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Field Detection of Chemical Assimilation in A Basaltic Lava Flow

Lava channels are features seen throughout the inner Solar System, including on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Flow emplacement is therefore a crucial process in the shaping of planetary surfaces. Many studies, including some completed by members of this team at the December 1974 lava flow, have investigated the dynamics of lava flow emplacement, both on Earth and on the Moon and how pre-flow terrain can impact final channel morphology, but far fewer have focused on how the compositional characteristics of the substrate over which a flow was em-placed influenced its final flow morphology. Within the length of one flow, it is common for flows to change in morphology, a quality linked to rheology (a function of multiple factors including viscosi-ty, temperature, composition, etc.). The relationship between rheology and temperature has been well-studied but less is known about the relationship between an older flow's chemistry and how the interaction between this flow and the new flow might affect lava rheology and therefore emplacement dynamics. Lava erosion. Through visual observations of active terrestrial flows, mechanical erosion by flowing lava has been well-documented. Lava erosion by which flow composition is altered as the active lava melts and assimilates the pre-flow terrain over which it moves is also hypothesized to affect channel formation. However, there is only one previous field study that geochemically documents the process in recent basaltic flow systems.

Young, K. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Oblique, parallel, and quasi-parallel morphology of collisionless shocks

The question as to whether nonperpendicular, oblique shocks are disguised in the bow shock system by its infinite radius-of-curvature is addressed in light of the most recent data, which indicate that the quasi-perpendicular/quasi-parallel division is not merely real, but intrinsic. An attempt is presently made to summarize observational results on nonperpendicular shocks with the express intention of understanding the shock as an interactive structure that is dependent on the geometry of shock propagation. A foundation for the reconciliation of some rather complex or apparently contradictory quasi-parallel features is suggested.

Greenstadt, Eugene W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Research on lunar Mare emplacement and impact cratering experiments

A model was derived enabling the interpretation of lunar styles of volcanism through the analysis of various surface features. The model was applied to several areas on the Moon, including the Orientale Basin, the Smythii Basin, the Herigonious region, and several highland areas. Concurrent with the application of the model, several topical studies of various aspects of lunar volcanism were completed. A series of impact crater experiments was conducted at NASA Ames in order to determine the effect that viscous targets would have on cratering mechanics and morphology for application in studies of Martian ejecta flow craters. The results of the experiments led to a model that can account for the formation of multiple flow lobes and the general morphology of some aspects of Martian craters.

Greeley, R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Ridges on basalt flows

Pressure ridges are surface features on basaltic lava flows and, as with other surface features, they may be related to the emplacement of a flow and the rheological properties of the lava. Since many ridges are of sufficient size to be detected on high resolution orbital images, an understanding of pressure ridges could provide a means for interpreting volcanic flows on other terrestrial planets. Some proposed formation mechanisms are reviewed and three different types of pressure ridges are identified on the basis of morphology. Type 1 ridges are the most common and are associated with multiple flow unit pahoehoe in which the ridges are embayed by secondary toe fed lava. They tend to be restricted to wider sections or margins of the flow and to be oriented longitudinal to flow direction; however, oblique or transverse orientation is not uncommon. Bulbous squeeze ups are common within cracks and may reflect relative timing of crack formation. The interior structure of type 1 ridges consists of an upper slab section which generally contains columnar joints and a lower massive section with an irregular surface. This basic distinction may mark the thickness of the surface crust when ridge formation was initiated. Type 2 ridges occur in association with type 1 and are very similar with the exception of the secondary squeeze out material. Instead of only filling cracks, the secondary material on these ridges originated from underneath a thin crust and flowed as toes or channels from the top and sides of the ridge. Type 3 ridges have much steeper sides (almost vertical at the top) than the other types. Medial cracks are very wide and the crack walls are convex upward. No squeeze ups are present. The main difference between type 3 and the others may be reflection of viscosity.

Theilig, E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The kinematics of the extended gas in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3516

Long-slit spectroscopy of the extended gas in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3516 reveals considerable substructure in the narrow emission lines with several kinematically distinct components visible in H-alpha and N II lambda 6583. The velocity measurements cover almost all of the 3 kpc scale, Z-shaped emission-line structure seen in narrow-band images and suggest that a significant rotational component is present. At large radii, strong deviations from this rotation are observed, indicating that a radial component of motion to the gas is also required to adequately describe the velocity field. There is a clear antisymmetry in these deviations with the velocities being blueshifted with respect to 'normal' galactic rotation on the southwest side of the nucleus and redshifted with respect to it on the northeast side. Although several models can be invoked to explain the observed velocities, the symmetries in the kinematics and emission-line morphology are most easily explained by a bent bipolar mass outflow from the nucleus. In this simple model, gas is ejected out of the plane of the stellar disk and is then slowed by gravitational forces. As the gas trajectory begins to bend, significant velocity deviations are produced. These observations provide some of the best kinematic evidence for mass outflow, although indirect arguments suggest they may be a common feature in many Seyfert galaxies.

Mulchaey, John S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Discovery of intermediate redshift galaxy clusters in the ROSAT NEP field

We report preliminary results from a program to identify optical counterparts of ROSAT sources in the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) region. The most striking X-ray feature reported by Hasinger et al. (1991) is an extended low surface brightness region of X-ray emission. Within the two X-ray contours of highest count rate we find a cluster of galaxies at a redshift of 0.09 and an early-type galaxy at a redshift of 0.03. X-ray emission from these objects may provide an explanation for the observed X-ray morphology. We also find evidence that other X-ray sources in this region are coincident with clusters or groups of galaxies at redshifts between 0.08 and 0.09. The presence of at least five X-ray detected clusters or groups in this narrow redshift band within a 1.5 deg radius field seems to indicate the existence of a moderate redshift supercluster. The existence of these clusters will have major implications for the study of large-scale structure through X-ray surveys such as ROSAT.

Burg, R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Ridges on Europa: Origin by Incremental Ice-Wedging

The surface of Europa is covered by ridges that display a variety of morphologies . The most common type is characterized by a double ridge divided by an axial trough. These ridges are, in general, narrow (typically only a few km across) and remarkably linear. They are up to a few hundred meters high and the inner and outer slopes appear to stand at the angle of repose . A number of diverse mechanisms have been proposed to explain the formation of these ubiquitous features , although none can fully account for all of their observed characteristics. We propose a different formation theory in which accumulation of material within cracks that open during the extensional phase of the tidal cycle prevents complete closure of the cracks during the tidal cycle s compressional phase. This accumulation deforms the surrounding ice and, in time, results in the growth of a landform remarkably similar to the ridges observed on Europa.

Melosh, H. J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resolving buried optoelectronic features in metal halide perovskites via modulation spectroscopy studies

As research on both bulk and low dimensional metal halide perovskites (MHPs) continues to grow, the tools necessary to gain insights into their exotic and highly convoluted optoelectronic features must also expand. Electroabsorption (EA) is a modulation spectroscopy technique that is exceptionally valuable at deconvoluting overlapping spectral features as well as discerning between different electronic environments in semiconductors. This review outlines the critical shortcomings of traditional optical spectroscopy in determining essential properties such as the bandgap and exciton binding energy. In this report we provide a brief overview of the working principles of EA, focusing on the differences between bound and unbound charge carriers that result in unique behavior when interacting with an applied electric field. We discuss key studies highlighting the unique characterization available when coupling EA spectroscopy with traditional steady-state optical tools to investigate interesting and complex optical features in MHPs. We conclude that EA is a crucial tool for pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the optoelectronic properties of MHP thin films. When other optical characterization methods fall short in the richness of data provided, EA can bridge the knowledge gap to provide a complete optoelectronic characterization of novel MHPs and deepen the understanding of current structures and compositions as a function of their structural and morphological dimensionality.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1991

Hubble Space Telescope imaging of Eta Carinae

New high spatial resolution observations of the material around Eta Carinae, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field/Planetary Camera, are presented. The star Eta Carinae is one of the most massive and luminous stars in the Galaxy, and has been episodically expelling significant quantities of gas over the last few centuries. The morphology of the bright central nebulosity (the homunculus) indicates that it is a thin shell with very well defined edges, and is clumpy on 0.2 arcsec (about 10 to the 16th cm) scales. An extension to the northeast of the star (NN/NS using Walborn's 1976 nomenclature) appears to be a stellar jet and its associated bow shock. The bow shock is notable for an intriguing series of parallel linear features across its face. The S ridge and the W arc appear to be part of a 'cap' of emission located to the SW and behind the star. Together, the NE jet and the SW cap suggest that the symmetry axis for the system runs NE-SW rather than SE-NW, as previously supposed. Overall, the data indicate that the material around the star may represent an oblate shell with polar blowouts, rather than a bipolar flow.

Hester, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Infrared Spectroscopy and Imaging Polarimetry of the Disk Around the T Tauri Star RNO 91

We present 3-5 micrometer spectra and a 2.2 micrometer polarimetric image of the T Tauri star RNO 91. We report the detection of three absorption bands centered at 3250 per cm (3.08 micrometer), 2139 per cm (4.68 micrometer), and 2165 per cm (4.62 micrometer) in spectra of RNO 91. These features are due to frozen H2O, CO, and possibly XCN along the line of sight toward RNO 91. Our 2187-2107 per cm spectrum of RNO 90, the only other T Tauri star in the dark cloud L43, does not show the CO or XCN absorption bands. By comparing our observed polarimetric image with modeled images of scattered light from bipolar nebulae or circumstellar disks as well as with known morphology of the RNO 91 bipolar outflow, we demonstrate that the reflection nebulosity seen in the near-infrared is most likely a circumstellar disklike structure with a radius of approximately 1700 AU. The location of both RNO 90 and RNO 91 in front of or near the front of L43 suggests that the intracloud optical depths toward both stars are small and, therefore, that the frozen H2O, CO, and XCN molecules are located on grains in circumstellar material around RNO 91 at distances from the central star of perhaps 10-1700 AU. This frozen material may represent precometary grains orbiting RNO 91.

Weintraub, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A New Look at Stellar Outflows: Spitzer Observations of the HH 46/47 System

We present the Early Release Observations of the HH 46/47 system and HH 46 IRS 1 source, taken with the three instruments aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The optically invisible southwest lobe, driven by the HH 47C bow shock, is revealed in full detail by the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) images and displays a 'loop'-like morphology. Both of the mid-infrared outflow lobes are narrower than those of CO flow. We believe that the combination of emission by H2 rotational lines [S(11)-S(4)] and some atomic lines, which fall within the IRAC passbands, are responsible for the bulk of the observed emission, although contributions from the 3.3, 6.2, and 7.7 micron polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission bands cannot be ruled out. Weak spectral features corresponding to these emitters are present in the Infrared Spectrograph spectrum of the HH 47A bow shock. The spectrum of HH 46 IRS 1 shows remarkable similarities to those of high-mass protostars, which include the presence of H2O, CO2, CH4, and possibly NH3, CH3OH, and ices. The high ice abundances and the lack of signs of thermal processing indicate that these ices in the envelope are well shielded from the powerful outflow and its cavity. Emission from the Bok globule at 24 micron is detected and displays a similar structure to that observed at 8 micron.

Herbig-Haro objects↗
NASA NTRS1973

A study of morphology, provenance, and movement of desert sand seas in Africa, Asia, and Australia

The author has identified the following significant results. The most significant result to date is recongition that complexes are indeed visible on ERTS-1 images, and that the extent and nature of dune fields in many remote areas of the world can, for the first time, be observed almost simultaneously and directly compared. The primary scientific problem is to determine accurately the relationships among certain patterns, trends, and boundaries clearly revealed on ERTS-1 imagery to true surface configurations of desert landforms, and further, to relate the defined features to controlling factors such as wind direction and intensity, moisture in the air and on the ground and barriers to sand movement. It is hoped to produce, by photographic and cartographic extraction from ERTS-1 images, a set of thematic maps that will illustrate the relationships of optical appearance of various materials and effects of the color of various sand bodies upon ERTS-1 images.

Mckee, E. D.↗