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At least 1,297 records · Page 72

Mass analysis of neutral particles and ions released during electrical breakdowns on spacecraft surfaces

Charged-particle fluxes from breakdown events were studied. Methods to measure mass spectra and total emitted flux of neutral particles were developed. The design and construction of the specialized mass spectrometer was completed. Electrical breakdowns were initiated by a movable blunt contact touching the insulating surface. The contact discharge apparatus was used for final development of two different high-speed recording systems and for measurements of the composition of the materials given off by the discharge. It was shown that intense instantaneous fluxes of neutral particles were released from the sites of electrical breakdown events. A laser micropulse mass analyzer showed that visible discoloration at breakdown sites were correllated with the presence of iron on the polymer side of the film, presumably caused by punch-through to the Inconel backing. Kapton samples irradiated by an oxygen ion beam were tested. The irradiated samples were free of surface hydrocarbon contamination but otherwise behaved in the same way as the Kapton samples tested earlier. Only the two samples exposed to oxygen ion bombardment were relatively clean. This indicates an additional variable that should be considered when testing spacecraft materials in the laboratory.

Kendall, B. R. F.↗

Extraction of information from major element chemical analyses of lunar basalts

Major element chemical analyses often form the framework within which similarities and differences of analyzed specimens are noted and used to propose or devise models. When percentages are formed the ratios of pairs of components are preserved whereas many familiar statistical and geometrical descriptors are likely to exhibit major changes. This ratio preserving aspect forms the basis for a proposed framework. An analysis of compositional variability within the data set of 42 major element analyses of lunar reference samples was selected to investigate this proposal.

Butler, J. C.↗

The influence of buoyant forces and volume fraction of particles on the particle pushing/entrapment transition during directional solidification of Al/SiC and Al/graphite composites

Directional solidification experiments in a Bridgman-type furnace were used to study particle behavior at the liquid/solid interface in aluminum metal matrix composites. Graphite or silicon-carbide particles were first dispersed in aluminum-base alloys via a mechanically stirred vortex. Then, 100-mm-diameter and 120-mm-long samples were cast in steel dies and used for directional solidification. The processing variables controlled were the direction and velocity of solidification and the temperature gradient at the interface. The material variables monitored were the interface energy, the liquid/particle density difference, the particle/liquid thermal conductivity ratio, and the volume fraction of particles. These properties were changed by selecting combinations of particles (graphite or silicon carbide) and alloys (Al-Cu, Al-Mg, Al-Ni). A model which consideres process thermodynamics, process kinetics (including the role of buoyant forces), and thermophysical properties was developed. Based on solidification direction and velocity, and on materials properties, four types of behavior were predicted. Sessile drop experiments were also used to determine some of the interface energies required in calculation with the proposed model. Experimental results compared favorably with model predictions.

Stefanescu, Doru M.↗

Magnetic susceptibility of Inconel alloys 718, 625, and 600 at cryogenic temperatures

After a hydrogen fuel bleed valve problem on the Discovery Space Shuttle was traced to the strong magnetization of Inconel 718 in the armature of the linear variable differential transformer near liquid hydrogen temperatures, the ac magnetic susceptibility of three samples of Inconel 718 of slightly different compositions, one sample of Inconel 625, and on sample of Inconel 600 were measured as a function of temperature. Inconel 718 alloys are found to exhibit a spin glass state below 16 K. Inconel 600 exhibits three different magnetic phases, the lowest-temperature state (below 6 K) being somewhat similar to that of Inconel 718. The magnetic states of the Inconel alloys and their magnetic susceptibilities appear to be strongly dependent on the exact composition of the alloy.

Goldberg, Ira B.↗

Non-Tidal Non-Seasonal Oceanic Mass Redistribution Estimated from the TOPEX/Poseidon Observation

Topex/Poseidon altimetry data are used to estimate the non-tidal mass redistribution as a function of space-time. The goal is to study the contribution of ocean circulations in the geodynamic effects including Earth's rotational and gravitational variations. We examine the non-seasonal anomalies at monthly sampling rate over the T/P span of eight years, concentrating especially on interannual variabilities. Since the sea-surface height data obtained from altimetry is the combined effect of steric change (primarily thermal effect) and the mass flux, and because the former has zero contribution to the geodynamic effects, one needs to do a so-called steric correction by removing from the altimetry data the steric contributions. We achieve it using multiyear monthly sea-surface temperature maps, together with monthly "climatology" for mixed-layer depth maps for mean-months of the year. We analyze both sets of the altimetry data and the steric correction data using the empirical orthogonal function/principal component analysis (in which we take care of issues associated with the area-weighting and non-zero mean), and examine the most important modes, either globally or regionally. In particular, the ENSO in the tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans exhibits the most prominent pattern. The net mass transport after the steric correction can then be compared with: (1) ocean general circulation model outputs for the same period of time (such as from POCM-4B); (2) non-atmospheric Earth rotation variations obtained from space geodesy data and atmospheric angular momentum data; (3) non-atmospheric low-degree gravitational variations from satellite-laser-ranging observations and global atmospheric data.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

High Accuracy Thermal Expansion Measurement At Cryogenic Temperatures

A new, interferometer based system for measuring thermal expansion to an absolute accuracy of 20 ppb or better at cryogenic temperatures has been developed. Data from NIST Copper SRM 736 measured from room temperature to 15 K will be presented along with data from many other materials including beryllium, ULE, Zerodur, and composite materials. Particular attention will be given to a study by the Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center (SOMTC) investigating the variability of ULE and beryllium materials used in the AMSD program. Approximately 20 samples of each material, tested from room temperature to below 30 K are compared as a function of billet location.

Stallcup, Michael↗

High Accuracy Thermal Expansion Measurement at Cryogenic Temperatures

A new, interferometer-based system for measuring thermal expansion to an absolute accuracy of 20 ppb or better at cryogenic temperatures has been developed. Data from NIST Copper SRM 736 measured from room temperature to 15 K will be presented along with data from many other materials including beryllium, ULE, Zerodur, and composite materials. Particular attention will be given to a study by the Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center (SOMTC) investigating the variability of ULE and beryllium materials used in the AMSD program Approximately 20 samples of each material, tested from room temperature to below 30 K are compared as a function of billet location.

Tucker, Jim↗

Ensemble Data Assimilation Without Ensembles: Methodology and Application to Ocean Data Assimilation

Two methods to estimate background error covariances for data assimilation are introduced. While both share properties with the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), they differ from it in that they do not require the integration of multiple model trajectories. Instead, all the necessary covariance information is obtained from a single model integration. The first method is referred-to as SAFE (Space Adaptive Forecast error Estimation) because it estimates error covariances from the spatial distribution of model variables within a single state vector. It can thus be thought of as sampling an ensemble in space. The second method, named FAST (Flow Adaptive error Statistics from a Time series), constructs an ensemble sampled from a moving window along a model trajectory. The underlying assumption in these methods is that forecast errors in data assimilation are primarily phase errors in space and/or time.

Data Assimilation↗

Distributed Space Mission Design for Earth Observation Using Model-Based Performance Evaluation

Distributed Space Missions (DSMs) are gaining momentum in their application to earth observation missions owing to their unique ability to increase observation sampling in multiple dimensions. DSM design is a complex problem with many design variables, multiple objectives determining performance and cost and emergent, often unexpected, behaviors. There are very few open-access tools available to explore the tradespace of variables, minimize cost and maximize performance for pre-defined science goals, and therefore select the most optimal design. This paper presents a software tool that can multiple DSM architectures based on pre-defined design variable ranges and size those architectures in terms of predefined science and cost metrics. The tool will help a user select Pareto optimal DSM designs based on design of experiments techniques. The tool will be applied to some earth observation examples to demonstrate its applicability in making some key decisions between different performance metrics and cost metrics early in the design lifecycle.

Constellation↗

Quantification of Lanthanides in a Molten Salt Reactor Surrogate Off-Gas Stream Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

To enable the deployment of molten salt reactor technology, the development of off-gas treatment systems and advanced monitoring tools capable of operating with high temperatures and radiation fields while delivering near real-time information is necessary. Here, we aim to fulfill this requirement and proposes laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for monitoring molten salt aerosol streams. A sheath gas measuring method was developed to protect optical elements from aerosol particles and to ensure a relatively constant aerosol stream for measurement. An aqueous system was studied to demonstrate the utility of LIBS for monitoring possible fission products in an aerosol stream: Gd, Nd, and Sm up to 2000 parts per million (ppm). A calibration model was built using partial least squares (PLS) regression with five, six, and nine latent variables for Gd, Nd, and Sm, respectively. This calibration model successfully estimated the concentrations of three test samples, which were validated with inductively charged plasma optical emission spectroscopy measurements at a 99.9% confidence interval. To enhance these models, a genetic algorithm was used to filter the spectra before entering the PLS model, thereby limiting the spectral features being regressed to those with greater correlations to concentration. This allowed for the number of latent variables used in the PLS models to be reduced to four, three, and three for Gd, Nd, and Sm, respectively. Finally, the genetic algorithm-filtered PLS models were used to predict the concentrations of the aerosol stream on a real-time dataset and resulted in a 73%, 18%, and 25% improvement in root mean squared error of prediction compared to the original PLS models developed.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Origin and heterogeneity of pore sizes in the Mount Simon Sandstone and Eau Claire Formation: Implications for multiphase fluid flow

The Mount Simon Sandstone and Eau Claire Formation represent a principal reservoir - caprock system for wastewater disposal, geologic CO 2 storage, and compressed air energy storage (CAES) in the Midwestern United States. Of primary concern to site performance is heterogeneity in flow properties that could lead to non-ideal injectivity and distribution of injected fluids (e.g., poor sweep efficiency). Using core samples from the Dallas Center Structure, Iowa, we investigate pore structure that governs flow properties of major lithofacies of these formations. Methods include gas porosimetry and permeametry, mercury intrusion porosimetry, thin section petrography, and X-ray diffraction. The lithofacies exhibit highly variable intra- and inter-informational distributions of pore throat and body sizes. Based on pore-throat size, samples fall into four distinct groups. Micropore-throat dominated samples are from the Eau Claire Formation, whereas the macropore-, mesopore-, and uniform-dominated samples are from the Mount Simon Sandstone. Complex paragenesis governs the high degree of pore and pore-throat size heterogeneity, due to an interplay of precipitation, non-uniform compaction, and later dissolution of cements. Furthermore, the cement dissolution event probably accounts for much of the current porosity in the unit. The unusually heterogeneous nature of the pore networks in the Mount Simon Sandstone indicates that there is a greater-than-normal opportunity for reservoir capillary trapping of non-wetting fluids — as quantified by CO 2 and air column heights — which should be taken into account when assessing the potential of the reservoir-caprock system for CO 2 storage and CAES.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

A Sample of Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies Detected via [Fe x] Coronal Line Emission: Active Galactic Nuclei and/or Tidal Disruption Events

The massive black hole (BH) population in dwarf galaxies ( M BH ≲ 10 5 M ⊙ ) can provide strong constraints on the origin of BH seeds. However, traditional optical searches for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) only reliably detect high-accretion, relatively high-mass BHs in dwarf galaxies with low amounts of star formation, leaving a large portion of the overall BH population in dwarf galaxies relatively unexplored. Here, we present a sample of 81 dwarf galaxies ( M $\star$ ≤ 3 × 10 9 M ⊙ ) with detectable [Fe x]λ6374 coronal line emission indicative of accretion onto massive BHs, only two of which were previously identified as optical AGNs. Here, we analyze optical spectroscopy from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and find [Fe x]λ6374 luminosities in the range L [Fe x] ≈ 10 36 –10 39 erg s –1 , with a median value of 1.6 × 10 38 erg s –1 . The [Fe x]λ6374 luminosities are generally much too high to be produced by stellar sources, including luminous Type IIn supernovae (SNe). Moreover, based on known SNe rates, we expect at most eight Type IIn SNe in our sample. That said, the [Fe x]λ6374 luminosities are consistent with accretion onto massive BHs from AGNs or tidal disruption events (TDEs). We find additional indicators of BH accretion in some cases using other emission line diagnostics, optical variability, and X-ray and radio emission (or some combination of these). However, many of the galaxies in our sample only have evidence for a massive BH based on their [Fe x]λ6374 luminosities. This work highlights the power of coronal line emission to find BHs in dwarf galaxies missed by other selection techniques and to probe the BH population in bluer, lower-mass dwarf galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The South Pole Telescope AGN Monitoring Campaign: First Release of SPTpol Bright AGN Light Curves

The South Pole Telescope (SPT) collaboration has recently embarked upon a campaign to monitor the brightness of a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN), both in real time and in archival SPT data. The original design of the SPT was optimized for observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at arc-minute and larger angular scales, and it has been used for this purpose for nearly twenty years, using three generations of CMB cameras. Recently it has been recognized that data from CMB experiments have the potential to be used for AGN monitoring. In this paper, we present the first public release of data from a full sample of SPT-monitored AGN, comprising 158 AGN light curves and associated data from the SPTpol camera, which was operational from 2012-2016. These light curves were created using observations from the SPTpol 500 deg$^{2}$ survey, in which the instrument was used to scan a 500 deg$^2$ patch of the sky several times per day with detectors sensitive to radiation in bands centered at 90 and 150 GHz. We provide a comprehensive description of the observations, the data processing methods, and the resulting light curve catalog. As an example of analyses that these data enable, we searched for a correlation between variability and spectral index, and we looked for ``bluer-when-brighter'' trends in the sample. Our analysis finds $> 10 σ$ correlation between fractional intrinsic variance and mean spectral index in the sample, but no significant evidence for bluer-when-brighter trends. The datasets from this study can be accessed through the SPT Treasury Record of AGN With Historical Activity and Time-Series or STRAWHAT catalog. This initial data release includes SPTpol light curves at 90 and 150 GHz, focusing on total intensity. In later updates, SPTpol polarization data and new observations from the SPT-3G instrument at 90, 150, and 220 GHz will be included.

Hood, J.C., II [Chicago U., KICP; Chicago U., Astr↗

Dependence of Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) Spectral Features on the Mesoscale Arrangement of SFG-Active Crystalline Domains Interspersed in SFG-Inactive Matrix: A Case Study with Cellulose in Uniaxially Aligned Control Samples and Alkali-Treated Secondary Cell Walls of Plants

Vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy can selectively detect not only molecules at two-dimensional (2D) interfaces but also noncentrosymmetric domains interspersed in amorphous three-dimensional (3D) matrixes. However, the SFG analysis of 3D systems is more complicated than 2D systems because more variables are involved. One such variable is the distance between SFG-active domains in SFG-inactive matrixes. In this study, we fabricated control samples in which SFG-active cellulose crystals were uniaxially aligned in an amorphous matrix. Assuming uniform separation distances between cellulose crystals, the relative intensities of alkyl (CH) and hydroxyl (OH) SFG peaks of cellulose could be related to the intercrystallite distance. The experimentally measured CH/OH intensity ratio as a function of the intercrystallite distance could be explained reasonably well with a model constructed using the theoretically calculated hyperpolarizabilities of cellulose and the symmetry cancellation principle of dipoles antiparallel to each other. In conclusion, this comparison revealed physical insights into the intercrystallite distance dependence of the CH/OH SFG intensity ratio of cellulose, which can be used to interpret the SFG spectral features of plant cell walls in terms of mesoscale packing of cellulose microfibrils.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Composition, Emissions, and Air Quality Impacts of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Unburned Natural Gas from Residential Stoves in California

The presence of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) entrained in end-use natural gas (NG) is an understudied source of human health risks. We performed trace gas analyses on 185 unburned NG samples collected from 159 unique residential NG stoves across seven geographic regions in California. Our analyses commonly detected 12 HAPs with significant variability across region and gas utility. Mean regional benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes (BTEX) concentrations in end-use NG ranged from 1.6–25 ppmv–benzene alone was detected in 99% of samples, and mean concentrations ranged from 0.7–12 ppmv (max: 66 ppmv). By applying previously reported NG and methane emission rates throughout California’s transmission, storage, and distribution systems, we estimated statewide benzene emissions of 4,200 (95% CI: 1,800–9,700) kg yr –1 that are currently not included in any statewide inventories–equal to the annual benzene emissions from nearly 60,000 light-duty gasoline vehicles. Additionally, we found that NG leakage from stoves and ovens while not in use can result in indoor benzene concentrations that can exceed the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 8-h Reference Exposure Level of 0.94 ppbv–benzene concentrations comparable to environmental tobacco smoke. This study supports the need to further improve our understanding of leaked downstream NG as a source of health risk.

42 ENGINEERING↗

THE IMPACT OF THE IONOSPHERE ON GROUND-BASED DETECTION OF THE GLOBAL EPOCH OF REIONIZATION SIGNAL

The redshifted 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen (H i), potentially observable at low radio frequencies (∼50–200 MHz), is a promising probe of the physical conditions of the intergalactic medium during Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). The sky-averaged H i signal is expected to be extremely weak (∼100 mK) in comparison to the Galactic foreground emission (∼10{sup 4} K). Moreover, the sky-averaged spectra measured by ground-based instruments are affected by chromatic propagation effects (∼tens of kelvin) originating in the ionosphere. We analyze data collected with the upgraded Broadband Instrument for Global Hydrogen Reionization Signal system deployed at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory to assess the significance of ionospheric effects on the detection of the global EoR signal. The ionospheric effects identified in these data are, particularly during nighttime, dominated by absorption and emission. We measure some properties of the ionosphere, such as the electron temperature (T{sub e} ≈ 470 K at nighttime), magnitude, and variability of optical depth (τ{sub 100} {sub MHz} ≈ 0.01 and δτ ≈ 0.005 at nighttime). According to the results of a statistical test applied on a large data sample, very long integrations (∼100 hr collected over approximately 2 months) lead to increased signal-to-noise ratio even in the presence of ionospheric variability. This is further supported by the structure of the power spectrum of the sky temperature fluctuations, which has flicker noise characteristics at frequencies ≳10{sup −5} Hz, but becomes flat below ≈10{sup −5} Hz. Hence, we conclude that the stochastic error introduced by the chromatic ionospheric effects tends to zero in an average. Therefore, the ionospheric effects and fluctuations are not fundamental impediments preventing ground-based instruments from integrating down to the precision required by global EoR experiments, provided that the ionospheric contribution is properly accounted for in the data analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Graphite Characterization: Baseline Variability Analysis Report

The Idaho National INL’s Baseline Material Property program provides many measurements of different material properties on a variety of nuclear graphite grades being investigated for irradiation-induced changes in material properties. The baseline material properties provide an unirradiated reference for comparison with measurements of those properties after irradiation. This study describes how uncertainty, or variance, in estimates of important material properties, like compressive strength, may depend on sample size, sample distribution and parameter estimation methods. Compressive strength data from two large collections of specimens from a billet of PCEA graphite (sample size = 230) and a billet of IG-110 graphite (sample size = 48) are used to illustrate these dependencies. The grades of graphite used represent approximate end members in terms of relative variability in strength measurements. Monte Carlo simulation and bootstrapping methods were used to examine variance in Weibull-parameter estimates as a function of sample size. Results were consistent with what previous statistical analyses have shown about the relationship between sample size and width of the confidence interval for maximum likelihood (ML) estimated parameters when samples are repeatedly drawn from a Weibull distribution. As a function of sample size, the precision of the modulus estimate increases faster than that of the characteristic strength. The modulus maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) are biased for low sample sizes. The American Society for Testing and Materials document ASTM D7846-16 provides equations that describe the dependence of the variance of parameter MLEs on sample size. Using the same methodology, we show that the polynomials provided for variance dependence on sample size are inaccurate for sample sizes greater than ~120. We provide approximations to that relationship that illustrate relative constancy for sample size > ~10, in the logspace relationship of the modulus variance and the log transformed characteristic strength variance. Bootstrapping provided a means of comparing Weibull parameters obtained using ASME’s guidance for specimen collection to those obtained using different weighting in a case where strength is related to position in a billet and to grain orientation and a single distribution is used to characterize the billet. ASME specifies that samples be collected with equal representation in all locations and grain orientations. Parameter values obtained using ASME’s method were different from those obtained using random sampling of the complete data sets, and this was particularly true for the PCEA data. In addition, while the ASME approach yielded more conservative parameters for the PCEA data, the opposite was true for the IG-110 data. The difference observed for the PCEA data set likely reflects the larger number of against-grain specimens collected, which had generally higher strength than the with-grain specimens. This emphasizes the importance of the dependence of strength on location or grain orientation and suggests that it may be prudent to weight specimen collection toward the weaker subgroups if a conservative estimate as desired, as the equal weighting method recommended by ASME would will not always provide the most conservative Weibull parameters. Because spatial correlations commonly exist in certain grades of graphite, future work may involve developing a methodology for parameter inference that relaxes the assumption of independent specimens. ASTM and ASME codes recommend different parameter estimation methods and models of the Weibull distribution in different situations. Descriptions of the effects on parameter estimates for the example billets used in this study provide an example of how the method may affect the parameter estimate, and how—in this case—that compares to differences due to other factors, such as sample size and dependence on grain orientation or sample location.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

The Role of Lightning in Controlling Interannual Variability of Tropical Tropospheric Ozone and OH and its Implications for Climate

Nitrogen oxides (NO(x) = NO + NO2) produced by lightning make a major contribution to the production of the dominant tropospheric oxidants (OH and ozone). These oxidants control the lifetime of many trace gases including long-lived greenhouse gases, and control the source-receptor relationship of inter-hemispheric pollutant transport. Lightning is affected by meteorological variability, and therefore represents a potentially important tropospheric chemistry-climate feedback. Understanding how interannual variability (IAV) in lightning affects IAV in ozone and OH in the recent past is important if we are to predict how oxidant levels may change in a future warmer climate. However, lightning parameterizations for chemical transport models (CTMs) show low skill in reproducing even climatological distributions of flash rates from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) satellite instruments. We present an optimized regional scaling algorithm for CTMs that enables sufficient sampling of spatiotemporally sparse satellite lightning data from LIS to constrain the spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of tropical lightning. We construct a monthly time series of lightning flash rates for 1998-2010 and 35degS-35degN, and find a correlation of IAV in total tropical lightning with El Nino. We use the IAV-constraint to drive a 9-year hindcast (1998-2006) of the GEOS-Chem 3D chemical transport model, and find the increased IAV in LNO(x) drives increased IAV in ozone and OH, improving the model fs ability to simulate both. Although lightning contributes more than any other emission source to IAV in ozone, we find ozone more sensitive to meteorology, particularly convective transport. However, we find IAV in OH to be highly sensitive to lightning NO(x), and the constraint improves the ability of the model to capture the temporal behavior of OH anomalies inferred from observations of methyl chloroform and other gases. The sensitivity of OH is explained using photochemical reaction rates which show a "magnification" effect of the initial lightning NO perturbation on OH primary production, HO(x) recycling, and OH loss frequencies. This influence on OH may represent a negative feedback, if lightning increases in a warming world..

Murray, Lee T.↗