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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 1,297 records · Page 72
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

The Saturn System as Observed by Cassini's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph

The Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) has major new findings in all aspects of Saturn science: Saturn, its rings, Titan and the icy satellites, and the Saturn magnetosphere. Dynamic interactions between neutrals, ions, rings, moons and meteoroids produce a highly structured and time variable Saturn system. Highlights and outstanding new results will be reported, focusing on Saturn s moons and their interaction with their environment. The UVIS is one of Cassini s suite of remote sensing instruments. The UVIS instrument includes channels for extreme UV (55 to 110 nm) and far UV (110 to 190 nm) spectroscopic imaging, high speed photometry of stellar occultations, solar EUV occultation, and a hydrogen/deuterium absorption cell. UVIS has detected products of water dissociation, neutral oxygen and OH, which dominate the Saturn inner magnetosphere, in contrast to Jupiter, and H fills the entire magnetosphere apparently extending through the magnetopause at far greater density than the ion population. The O and OH and a fraction of the H are probably the products of water physical chemistry, and derived ultimately from water ice. Observed fluctuations indicate close interactions with plasma sources. Sputtering from the satellites water ice surfaces is insufficient to supply the observed mass. Stochastic events in the E ring may be the ultimate source.

Esposito, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Charged Particle Effects on Solar Sails - An Overview

The NASA In-Space Propulsion Program is currently sponsoring a comprehensive look at the effects of the charged particle environment on the first generation of Solar Sail propulsion systems. As part of this, a joint NASA MSFC/JPL team is investigating the effects of spacecraft charging on the preliminary ISP Solar Sail mission designs. This paper will begin by reviewing the plasma environments being proposed for such missions-these range from the ambient solar wind at approximately 1 AU in the ecliptic plane, approximately 0.5 AU solar-polar orbit, and geosynchronous orbit. Following a discussion of the critical design issues associated with Solar Sails from a charging standpoint, a simple Sail configuration for modeling purposes will be presented. Results for the various environments will be illustrated in terms of the estimated surface potentials for the Solar Sail using the NASCAP-2K charging analysis program. Based on these potentials, representative plasma flow fields and potential contours surrounding the Solar Sail will then be presented. The implications of these results--the surface potentials and plasma flow--will be discussed in the context of their effects on Solar Sail operations and structural configurations.

spacecraft charging↗
NASA NTRS2008

Optimization of Neutral Atom Imagers

The interactions between plasma structures and neutral atom populations in interplanetary space can be effectively studied with energetic neutral atom imagers. For neutral atoms with energies less than 1 keV, the most efficient detection method that preserves direction and energy information is conversion to negative ions on surfaces. We have examined a variety of surface materials and conversion geometries in order to identify the factors that determine conversion efficiency. For chemically and physically stable surfaces smoothness is of primary importance while properties such as work function have no obvious correlation to conversion efficiency. For the noble metals, tungsten, silicon, and graphite with comparable smoothness, conversion efficiency varies by a factor of two to three. We have also examined the way in which surface conversion efficiency varies with the angle of incidence of the neutral atom and have found that the highest efficiencies are obtained at angles of incidence greater then 80deg. The conversion efficiency of silicon, tungsten and graphite were examined most closely and the energy dependent variation of conversion efficiency measured over a range of incident angles. We have also developed methods for micromachining silicon in order to reduce the volume to surface area over that of a single flat surface and have been able to reduce volume to surface area ratios by up to a factor of 60. With smooth micro-machined surfaces of the optimum geometry, conversion efficiencies can be increased by an order of magnitude over instruments like LENA on the IMAGE spacecraft without increase the instruments mass or volume.

Shappirio, M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Relativistic Electron Losses in the Outer Radiation Belts

Relativistic electrons in the magnetosphere are both energized and lost via their interaction with plasma waves such as whister chorus, plasmaspheric hiss and EMIC waves. These waves are usually localized in different regions of the magnetosphere as well as being located either inside or outside the plasmapause. We study relativistic electron losses in the outer radiation belts by characterizing decay times scales at low and high altitudes and their relationship to microbursts. We use data collected by SAMPEX, a low Earth orbiting spacecraft in a highly inclined polar orbit and the HEO spacecraft in a high altitude Molniya orbit. The sensors onboard these spacecraft measure electrons of energies > 0.6 MeV, > 1 MeV, > 3 MeV, 2-6 MeV, 3-16 MeV. High time resolution data enable identifying and characterizing electron microbursts observed at low altitudes.

Kanekal, Shrikanth G.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Solar-Storm/Lunar Atmosphere Model (SSLAM): An Overview of the Effort and Description of the Driving Storm Environment

On 29 April 1998, a coronal mass ejection (CME) was emitted from the Sun that had a significant impact on bodies located at 1 AU. The terrestrial magnetosphere did indeed become more electrically active during the storm passage but an obvious question is the effect of such a storm on an exposed rocky body like our Moon. The solar-storm/lunar atmosphere modeling effort (SSLAM) brings together surface interactions, exosphere, plasma, and surface charging models all run with a common driver - the solar storm and CME passage occurring from 1-4 May 1998. We present herein an expanded discussion on the solar driver during the 1-4 May 1998 period that included the passage of an intense coronal mass ejection (CME) that had> 10 times the solar wind density and had a compositional component of He++ that exceeded 20%. We also provide a very brief overview oflhe SSLAM system layout and overarching results. One primary result is that the CME driver plasma can greatly increase the exospheric content via sputtering, with total mass loss rates that approach 1 kg/s during the 2-day CME passage. By analogy, we suggest that CME-related sputtering increases might also be expected during a CME passage by a near-earth asteroid or at the Mars exobase, resulting in an enhanced loss of material.

Farrell, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS2015

On Possible Arc Inception on Low Voltage Solar Array

Recent analysis of spacecraft failures during the period of 1990-2013 demonstrated clearly that electrostatic discharges caused more than 8 of all registered failures and anomalies, and comprised the most costly losses (25) for operating companies and agencies. The electrostatic discharges on spacecraft surfaces are the results of differential charging above some critical (threshold) voltages. The mechanisms of differential charging are well known, and various methods have been developed to prevent a generation of significant electric fields in areas of triple junctions. For example, low bus voltages in Low Earth Orbit plasma environment and slightly conducting layer over coverglass (ITO) in Geosynchronous Orbit surroundings are believed to be quite reliable measures to prevent discharges on respective surfaces. In most cases, the vulnerable elements of spacecraft (solar arrays, diode boards, etc.) go through comprehensive ground tests in vacuum chambers. However, tests articles contain the miniscule fragments of spacecraft components such as 10-30 solar cells of many thousands deployed on spacecraft in orbit. This is one reason why manufacturing defects may not be revealed in ground tests but expose themselves in arcing on array surface in space. The other reason for ineffectiveness of discharge preventive measures is aging of all materials in harsh orbital environments. The expected life time of modern spacecraft varies within the range of five-fifteen years, and thermal cycling, radiation damages, and mechanical stresses can result in surface erosion on conductive layers and microscopic cracks in coverglass sheets and adhesive films. These possible damages may cause significant increases in local electric field strengths and subsequent discharges. The primary discharges may or may not be detrimental to spacecraft operation, but they can produce the necessary conditions for sustained arcs initiation. Multiple measures were developed to prevent sustained discharges between adjacent strings, and many ground tests were performed to determine threshold parameters (voltage and current) for sustained arcs. And again, manufacturing defects and aging in space environments may result in considerable decrease of critical threshold parameters. This paper is devoted to the analysis of possible reasons behind arcing on spacecraft with low bus voltages.

plasma interaction↗
NASA NTRS2015

On Possible Arc Inception on Low Voltage Solar Array

Recent analysis of spacecraft failures during the period of 1990-2013 demonstrated clearly that electrostatic discharges caused more than 8 percent of all registered failures and anomalies, and comprised the most costly losses (25 percent) for operating companies and agencies. The electrostatic discharges on spacecraft surfaces are the results of differential charging above some critical (threshold) voltages. The mechanisms of differential charging are well known, and various methods have been developed to prevent a generation of significant electric fields in areas of triple junctions. For example, low bus voltages in Low Earth Orbit plasma environment and slightly conducting layer over cover-glass (ITO) in Geosynchronous Orbit surroundings are believed to be quite reliable measures to prevent discharges on respective surfaces. In most cases, the vulnerable elements of spacecraft (solar arrays, diode boards, etc.) go through comprehensive ground tests in vacuum chambers. However, tests articles contain the miniscule fragments of spacecraft components such as 10-30 solar cells of many thousands deployed on spacecraft in orbit. This is one reason why manufacturing defects may not be revealed in ground tests but expose themselves in arcing on array surface in space. The other reason for ineffectiveness of discharge preventive measures is aging of all materials in harsh orbital environments. The expected life time of modern spacecraft varies within the range of five-fifteen years, and thermal cycling, radiation damages, and mechanical stresses can result in surface erosion on conductive layers and microscopic cracks in cover-glass sheets and adhesive films. These possible damages may cause significant increases in local electric field strengths and subsequent discharges. The primary discharges may or may not be detrimental to spacecraft operation, but they can produce the necessary conditions for sustained arcs initiation. Multiple measures were developed to prevent sustained discharges between adjacent strings, and many ground tests were performed to determine threshold parameters (voltage and current) for sustained arcs. And again, manufacturing defects and aging in space environments may result in considerable decrease of critical threshold parameters. This paper is devoted to the analysis of possible reasons behind arcing on spacecraft with low bus voltages.

low voltage solar array↗
NASA NTRS2019

Variation in Ion Acceleration Characteristics of the HERMeS Hall Thruster During Magnetic Optimization

To reduce design risks for future magnetically shielded Hall thrusters, a test was performed on the HERMeS to obtain data for optimizing the effect of magnetic shielding. As a part of this test, laser-induced fluorescence velocimetry was used to characterize the variations in the ion acceleration with different magnetic configurations. Four magnetic configurations representing varying amounts of magnetic shielding between the high-energy discharge plasma and the discharge channel walls were tested. The ion velocity data points to the possibility that different plasma-wall interaction physics applies to a magnetically shielded thruster than a non-shielded thruster. The transition point is very prominent and can potentially be used to test whether a thruster is fully magnetically shielded.

Hall thrusters↗
NASA NTRS2019

Variation in Ion Acceleration Characteristics of the HERMeS Hall Thruster During Magnetic Optimization

To reduce design risks for future magnetically shielded Hall thrusters, a test was performed on the HERMeS to obtain data for optimizing the effect of magnetic shielding. As a part of this test, laser-induced fluorescence velocimetry was used to characterize the variations in the ion acceleration with different magnetic configurations. Four magnetic configurations representing varying amounts of magnetic shielding between the high-energy discharge plasma and the discharge channel walls were tested. The ion velocity data points to the possibility that different plasma-wall interaction physics applies to a magnetically shielded thruster than a non-shielded thruster. The transition point is very prominent and can potentially be used to test whether a thruster is fully magnetically shielded.

HERMeS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Measurement of material recession and shock standoff in plasma windtunnel using neural nets

Arcjets are plasma wind tunnels used to test the performance of heatshield materials for spacecraft atmospheric entry. These facilities present an extremely harsh flow environment with heat fluxes up to 10^9 W/m^2 for up to 30 minutes. The plasma is low-temperature (~1 eV) but high pressure (> 10 kPa) creating high-enthalpy supersonic flows similar to atmospheric entry conditions. Typically, material samples are measured before and after a test to characterize the total recession. However, this does not capture time-dependent effects such as material expansion and non-linear recession. This work will present new analysis of arcjet test videos which measure both the time-dependent 2D recession of the material samples and the shock standoff distance. New results showing non-linear material erosion rates will be highlighted. The material and shock edges are extracted from the videos by training and applying a convolutional neural network. Due to the consistent camera settings, the machine learning model achieves high accuracy (~99%) on new data with only a small number of training frames (~80). The new results will be discussed in the context of temperature dependent plasma-surface interaction.

Magnus A Haw↗
DOE OSTI2024

Developing Multiphysics, Integrated, High-Fidelity, Massively Parallel Computational Capabilities for Fusion Applications Using MOOSE

As the need for fusion as a clean, sustainable, and abundant energy source grows internationally, so does the need for multiphysics, computational tools to model, study, and predict the complex interactions between plasma, materials, and engineering processes. These tools have a crucial role to play in solving scientific and engineering challenges and accelerating fusion energy deployment. To address these needs, modeling capabilities should enable massively parallel, multiphysics, fully integrated high-fidelity simulations of fusion systems. Additional attributes, such as being open source and modular while maintaining high software quality assurance standards will maximize impact by ensuring accessibility for all and wide acceptance, rapid expansion and development, as well as reliability, efficiency, and robustness. In this paper, we describe how the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework, which has a track record of success in the fission space thanks to the attributes listed above, can be leveraged in the fusion energy field. We highlight key successes of the MOOSE application in the fission space and describe how MOOSE has been and is being applied to fusion applications in the United States---e.g., Tritium Migration Analysis Program, version 8 (TMAP8), MOOSE Fusion Module, Fusion ENergy Integrated multiphys-X (FENIX)---and the United Kingdom---e.g., AURORA, Achlys, Apollo. These efforts aim to establish a suite of tools that can be further extended to accelerate fusion energy deployment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1996

Electromagnetic radiation generated by arcing in low density plasma

An unavoidable step in the process of space exploration is to use high-power, very large spacecraft launched into Earth orbit. Obviously, the spacecraft will need powerful energy sources. Previous experience has shown that electrical discharges occur on the surfaces of a high-voltage array, and these discharges (arcs) are undesirable in many respects. Moreover, any high voltage conductor will interact with the surrounding plasma, and that interaction may result in electrical discharges between the conductor and plasma (or between two conductors with different potentials, for example, during docking and extravehicular activity). One very important aspect is the generation of electromagnetic radiation by arcing. To prevent the negative influence of electromagnetic noise on the operation of spacecraft systems, it seems necessary to determine the spectra and absolute levels of the radiation, and to determine limitations on the solar array bias voltage that depend on the parameters of LEO plasma and the technical requirements of the spacecraft equipment. This report describes the results of an experimental study and computer simulation of the electromagnetic radiation generated by arcing on spacecraft surfaces. A large set of high quality data was obtained during the Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment (SAMPIE, flight STS-62) and ground test. These data include the amplitudes of current, pulse forms, duration of each arc, and spectra of plasma waves. A theoretical explanation of the observed features is presented in this report too. The elaborated model allows us to determine the parameters of the electromagnetic noise for different frequency ranges, distances from the arcing site, and distinct kinds of plasma waves.

Vayner, Boris V.↗