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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 1,333 records · Page 74
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Land-surface temperature measurement from space - Physical principles and inverse modeling

To apply the multiple-wavelength (split-window) method used for satellite measurement of sea-surface temperature from thermal-infrared data to land-surface temperatures, the authors statistically analyze simulations using an atmospheric radiative transfer model. The range of atmospheric conditions and surface temperatures simulated is wide enough to cover variations in clear atmospheric properties and surface temperatures, both of which are larger over land than over sea. Surface elevation is also included in the simulation as the most important topographic effect. Land covers characterized by measured or modeled spectral emissivities include snow, clay, sands, and tree leaf samples. The empirical inverse model can estimate the surface temperature with a standard deviation less than 0.3 K and a maximum error less than 1 K, for viewing angles up to 40 degrees from nadir under cloud-free conditions, given satellite measurements in three infrared channels. A band in the region from 10.2 to 11.0 microns will usually give the most reliable single-band estimate of surface temperature. In addition, a band in either the 3.5-4.0-micron region or in the 11.5-12.6-micron region must be included for accurate atmospheric correction, and a band below the ozone absorption feature at 9.6 microns (e.g., 8.2-8.8 microns) will increase the accuracy of the estimate of surface temperature.

Wan, Zhengming↗
NASA NTRS1989

Mars Rover imaging systems and directional filtering

Computer literature searches were carried out at Duke University and NASA Langley Research Center. The purpose is to enhance personal knowledge based on the technical problems of pattern recognition and image understanding which must be solved for the Mars Rover and Sample Return Mission. Intensive study effort of a large collection of relevant literature resulted in a compilation of all important documents in one place. Furthermore, the documents are being classified into: Mars Rover; computer vision (theory); imaging systems; pattern recognition methodologies; and other smart techniques (AI, neural networks, fuzzy logic, etc).

Wang, Paul P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Neutron stars and the distance to gamma-ray bursters

Assuming that gamma-ray bursts originate from galactic neutron stars, an analytic method for studying their statistical properties is outlined. If a significant fraction of all neutron stars are born with space velocities of less than approximately 100 km/s, as suggested by studies of pulsar statistics, then the sampling distance to gamma-ray burst sources should be less than about several hundred pc. These results have important implications on theories of radio-pulsar evolution and magnetic-field decay.

Dermer, Charles D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Modes of formation of lunar light plains and the detection of cryptomaria deposits

The early volcanic and impact histories of the Moon are closely linked and the record preserved in surface morphology and samples is tightly convolved because of the interaction of the two processes. The deconvolution of the record is an important goal in order to assess early volcanic flux and the mode of emplacement of large crater and basin deposits. For example, lunar light plains have been variously interpreted as volcanic, impact, and volcanic covered by impact deposits. The development of criteria for the determination of the origin of light plains and the detection of cryptomaria is a key to the deconvolution of this early record. We outline the various hypotheses for the origin of and potential modes of occurrence of light plains and cryptomaria, and develop criteria for their recognition and documentation. We use the example of the Schiller-Schickard and Balmer cryptomaria to illustrate the application of these techniques to the problem of light plains interpretation and cryptomaria documentation.

Head, James W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A recent meteorite shower in Antarctica with an unusual orbital history

The Antarctic meteorite collection has proved to be a source of many important discoveries, including a number of previously unknown or very rare meteorite types. A thermoluminescence (TL) survey of meteorite samples recovered by the 1988/89 European expedition and pre-1988 American expeditions to the Allan Hills Main blue ice field resulted in the discovery of 15 meteorites with very high TL levels (greater than 100 krad at 250 C in the glow curve). It is likely that these samples are fragments of a single meteoroid body which: (1) fell very recently and (2) experienced a decrease in orbital perihelia from greater than or equal to 1.1 AU to 1 AU within the last 10(exp 5) yr. Carbon-14 data for two of the samples confirm their young terrestrial age compared to most Antarctic meteorites. Studies of the cosmogenic isotopes in at least one non-Antarctic meteorite which also has very high natural TL, Jilin, indicate that the meteorite experienced a multi-stage irradiation history, the most recent stage being 0.4 Ma in duration following a major break-up of the object. These meteorites, and the few equivalent modern falls, are the only documented samples from bodies which were recently in Earth-approaching (Amor) orbits (i.e., with perihelion greater than 1.0 AU), as opposed to the Earth-crossing (Apollo) orbits which are the source of most other meteorites. Their rarity indicates that such rapid orbit changes are unusual for meteoroid bodies and may be the result of isolated, large break-up events.

Benoit, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

An Approach to Application of Multispectral Sensors, using AVIRIS Data

High spatial resolution multispectral/hyperspectral sensors are being developed by private industry with science/research customers as end users. With an increasingly wide range of sensor choices, it is important for the remote sensing science community and commercial community alike to understand the trade-offs between ground sample distance (GSD), spectral resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in selecting a sensor that will best meet their needs. High spatial resolution hyperspectral imagery and super resolution multispectral charge-coupled device imagery can be used to develop prototypes of proposed data acquisition systems without building new systems or collecting large sets of additional data. By using these datasets to emulate proposed and existing systems, imaging systems may be optimized to meet customer needs in a virtual environment. This approach also enables one to determine, a priori, whether an existing dataset will be useful for a given application.

Warner, Amanda↗
NASA NTRS2003

Fine-grained Goethite as a Precursor for Martian Gray Hematite

Several isolated deposits of gray, crystalline hematite on Mars were discovered using data returned from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. Christensen et al. provided five testable hypotheses regarding the formation of crystalline hematite on Mars: 1) low-temperature precipitation of Fe oxides/hydroxides from standing, oxygenated, Fe-rich water, followed by subsequent alteration to gray hematite, 2) low-temperature leaching of iron-bearing silicates and other materials leaving a Fe-rich residue laterite-style weathering) which is subsequently altered to gray hematite, 3) direct precipitation of gray hematite from Fe-rich circulating fluids of hydrothermal or other origin, 4) formation of gray hematitic surface coatings during weathering, and 5) thermal oxidation of magnetite-rich lavas. Since this initial work, several authors have examined the hematite deposits to determine their formation mechanism. Lane et al. cited the absence of a 390/ cm absorption in the martian hematite spectrum as evidence for platy hematite grains. Their model for the formation of the deposits includes deposition of any of a variety of iron oxides or oxyhydroxides by aqueous or hydrothermal fluids, burial and metamorphosis to gray platy hematite grains, and exhumation in recent times. Based on a detailed geomorphic examination of the Sinus Meridiani region, Hynek et al. conclude that the most likely method of hematite formation was either emplacement by a hydrothermal fluid or oxidation of a magnetite-rich pyroclastic deposit. Similarly, Arvidson et al., favor a model involving the alteration of pyroclastic deposits by aqueous or hydrothermal fluids. Finally, based on geochemical modeling and an examination of Aram Chaos, Catling and Moore favor emplacement by hydrothermal fluids with a minimum temperature of 100 C. Comparison of the average martian hematite spectrum measured by TES to hematite emissivity spectra for a variety of naturally occurring hematites shows small but potentially important differences. In particular, band shapes, positions and relative band emissivities of hematite spectra vary over the range of samples. These differences imply that the natural variability of thermal infrared hematite spectra has not been fully characterized, especially with respect to the reaction pathway and crystal structure.

T D Glotch↗
NASA NTRS1987

13C NMR spectroscopy of the insoluble carbon of carbonaceous chondrites

13C NMR spectra have been obtained of the insoluble carbon residues resulting from HF-digestion of three carbonaceous chondrites, Orgueil (C1), Murchison (CM2), and Allende (CV3). Spectra obtained using the cross polarization magic-angle spinning technique show two major features attributable respectively to carbon in aliphatic/olefinic structures. The spectrum obtained from the Allende sample was weak, presumably as a consequence of its low hydrogen content. Single pulse excitation spectra, which do not depend on 1H-13C polarization transfer for signal enhancement were also obtained. These spectra, which may be more representative of the total carbon in the meteorite samples, indicate a greater content of carbon in aromatic/olefinic structures. These results suggest that extensive polycyclic aromatic sheets are important structural features of the insoluble carbon of all three meteorites. The Orgueil and Murchison materials contain additional hydrogenated aromatic/olefinic and aliphatic groups.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2005

Dielectric Constant Measurements for Characterizing Lunar Soils

The return to the Moon has ignited the need to characterize the lunar regolith using fast, reliable in-situ methods. Characterizing the physical properties of the rocks and soils can be very difficult because of the many complex parameters that influence the measurements. In particular, soil electrical property measurements are influenced by temperature, mineral type, grain size, porosity, and soil conductivity. Determining the dielectric constant of lunar materials may be very important in providing quick characterization of surface deposits, especially for the Moon. A close examination of the lunar regolith samples collected by the Apollo astronauts indicates that the rocks and soils on the Moon are dominated by silicates and oxides. In this presentation, we will show that determining the dielectric constant measurements can provide a simple, quick detection method for minerals that contain titanium, iron, and water. Their presence is manifest by an unusually large imaginary permittivity.

Anderson, Robert C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Quantification of Spore-forming Bacteria Carried by Dust Particles

In order to establish a biological contamination transport model for predicting the cross contamination risk during spacecraft assembly and upon landing on Mars, it is important to understand the relationship between spore-forming bacteria and their carrier particles. We conducted air and surface sampling in indoor, outdoor, and cleanroom environments to determine the ratio of spore forming bacteria to their dust particle carriers of different sizes. The number of spore forming bacteria was determined from various size groups of particles in a given environment. Our data also confirms the existence of multiple spores on a single particle and spore clumps. This study will help in developing a better bio-contamination transport model, which in turn will help in determining forward contamination risks for future missions.

particles↗
NASA NTRS2008

Cyclotron Line Measurements with INTEGRAL

Due to its broadband energy coverage, INTEGRAL has made important contributions to observing and interpreting cyclotron lines, which are present in the 10-100 keV range of a sample of accreting pulsars. In these systems photons with energies fulfilling the resonance condition inelastically Compton scatter off electrons quantized in the accretion column above the neutron star's magnetic pole(s). This process gives rise to the broad, absorption-like lines or 'cyclotron resonant scattering features' (CRSF). The observed lines allow to directly measure the B-fields of these sources, resulting in values of a few times 1E12G. In this overview I will present recent highlights regarding CRSF observations as well as discuss current ideas and models for the physical conditions in the accretion column. Among the former are the stability of the spectrum of Vela X-1 during giant flares in 2003, the observation of three cyclotron lines during the 2004 outburst of V0332+53, the confirmation of the fundamental line at approximately 45 keV during a 2005 normal outburst of A0535-26, and the simultaneous detection of the two lines in the dipping source 4U 1907+09 (for which also a torque reversal was detected for the first time). Through these and other observations it has become increasingly apparent that two types of observations can potentially be used to constrain the accretion column geometry: the determination of energy ratios for multiple harmonic lines (only two sources with greater than 2 lines are known), was well as the evolution of the fundamental line centroid, which, for different sources, may or may not be correlated with flux. Furthermore, first steps have been taken away from the usual phenomenological description of the lines, towards a physical approach based on self-consistent CRSF modeling. Initial applications are presented.

Pottschmidt, K.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-5: Compete

The Binary Colloidal Alloy Test - 5: Compete (BCAT-5-Compete) investigation will photograph andomized colloidal samples onboard the International Space Station (ISS) to determine their resulting structure over time. The use of EarthKAM software and hardware will allow the scientists to capture the kinetics (evolution) of their samples, as well as the final equilibrium state of each sample. BCAT-5-Compete will utilize samples 6 - 8 in the BCAT-5 hardware to study the competition between phase separation and crystallization, which is important in the manufacture of plastics and other materials.

Frisken, Barbara J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

An Investigation Into HPLC Data Quality Problems

This report summarizes the analyses and results produced by a five-member investigative team of Government, university, and industry experts, established by NASA HQ. The team examined data quality problems associated with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses of pigment concentrations in seawater samples produced by the San Diego State University (SDSU) Center for Hydro-Optics and Remote Sensing (CHORS). This report shows CHORS did not validate the methods used before placing them into service to analyze field samples for NASA principal investigators (PIs), even though the HPLC literature contained easily accessible method validation procedures, and the importance of implementing them, more than a decade ago. In addition, there were so many sources of significant variance in the CHORS methodologies, that the HPLC system rarely operated within performance criteria capable of producing the requisite data quality. It is the recommendation of the investigative team to a) not correct the data, b) make all the data that was temporarily sequestered available for scientific use, and c) label the affected data with an appropriate warning, e.g., "These data are not validated and should not be used as the sole basis for a scientific result, conclusion, or hypothesis--independent corroborating evidence is required."

Hooker, Stanford B.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Measuring Humidity in Sealed Glass Encasements

A technique has been devised for measuring the relative humidity levels in the protective helium/water vapor atmosphere in which the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are encased behind glass panels on display at the National Archives in Washington, DC. The technique is noninvasive: it does not involve penetrating the encasements (thereby risking contamination or damage to the priceless documents) to acquire samples of the atmosphere. The technique could also be applied to similar glass encasements used to protect and display important documents and other precious objects in museums. The basic principle of the technique is straightforward: An encasement is maintained at its normal display or operating temperature (e.g., room temperature) while a portion of its glass front panel is chilled (see Figure 1) until condensed water droplets become visible on the inside of the panel. The relative humidity of the enclosed atmosphere can then be determined as a known function of the dew point, the temperature below which the droplets condense. Notwithstanding the straightforwardness of the basic principle, careful attention to detail is necessary to enable accurate determination of the dew point. In the initial application, the affected portion of the glass panel was cooled by contact with an aluminum plate that was cooled by a thermoelectric module, the exhaust heat of which was dissipated by a heat sink cooled by a fan. A thermocouple was used to measure the interior temperature of the aluminum plate, and six other thermocouples were used to measure the temperatures at six locations on the cooled outer surface of the glass panel (see Figure 2). Thermal grease was applied to the aluminum plate and the thermocouples to ensure close thermal contact. Power was supplied to the thermoelectric module in small increments, based on previous laboratory tests. A small flashlight and a magnifying glass were used to look for water droplets condensing on the inner surface of the glass. The temperature readings of the thermocouples were taken during cool-down and upon observing condensation. In determining the dew point, it was necessary to make a correction for the differences between the temperatures measured on the chilled outer surface of the glass and the temperature of the inner surface, where the condensation took place. The correction was derived from a laboratory test on a measurement setup that was nearly identical, except that the dew location on the inner surface was also instrumented with a thermocouple. The test showed that the temperature at the dew location on the inner surface of the glass panel was 0.9 C above the temperature determined from the measurements on the chilled outer surface of the panel.

West, James W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Analytic Method for Computing Instrument Pointing Jitter

A new method of calculating the root-mean-square (rms) pointing jitter of a scientific instrument (e.g., a camera, radar antenna, or telescope) is introduced based on a state-space concept. In comparison with the prior method of calculating the rms pointing jitter, the present method involves significantly less computation. The rms pointing jitter of an instrument (the square root of the jitter variance shown in the figure) is an important physical quantity which impacts the design of the instrument, its actuators, controls, sensory components, and sensor- output-sampling circuitry. Using the Sirlin, San Martin, and Lucke definition of pointing jitter, the prior method of computing the rms pointing jitter involves a frequency-domain integral of a rational polynomial multiplied by a transcendental weighting function, necessitating the use of numerical-integration techniques. In practice, numerical integration complicates the problem of calculating the rms pointing error. In contrast, the state-space method provides exact analytic expressions that can be evaluated without numerical integration.

Bayard, David↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Molecular Composition of Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini): Evidence of a Peculiar Outgassing and a Rich Chemistry

We measured the chemical composition of Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) using the long-slit echelle grating spectrograph at Keck-2 (NIRSPEC) on 2008 July 9 and 10. We sampled 11 volatile species (H2O, OH*, C2H6, CH3OH, H2CO, CH4, HCN, C2H2, NH3, NH2, and CO), and retrieved three important cosmogonic indicators: the ortho-para ratios of H2O and CH4, and an upper-limit for the D/H ratio in water. The abundance ratios of almost all trace volatiles (relative to water) are among the highest ever observed in a comet. The comet also revealed a complex outgassing pattern, with some volatiles (the polar species H2O and CH3OH) presenting very asymmetric spatial profiles (extended in the anti-sunward hemisphere), while others (e.g., C2H6 and HCN) showed particularly symmetric profiles. We present emission profiles measured along the Sun-comet line for all observed volatiles, and discuss different production scenarios needed to explain them. We interpret the emission profiles in terms of release from two distinct moieties of ice, the first being clumps of mixed ice and dust released from the nucleus into the sunward hemisphere. The second moiety considered is very small grains of nearly pure polar ice (water and methanol, without dark material or apolar volatiles). Such grains would sublimate only very slowly, and could be swept into the anti-sunward hemisphere by radiation pressure and solar-actuated non-gravitational jet forces, thus providing an extended source in the anti-sunward hemisphere.

Villanueva, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

The Nitrate/Perchlorate Ratio on Mars as an Indicator for Habitability

Discovery of indigenous martian nitrogen in Mars surface materials has important implications for habitability and the potential development of a nitrogen cycle at some point in martian history. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Rover detected evolved nitric oxide (NO) gas during pyrolysis of scooped aeolian sediments and drilled mudstone acquired in Gale Crater. The detection of NO suggests an indigenous source of fixed N, and may indicate a mineralogical sink for atmospheric N2 in the form of nitrate. The ratio of nitrate to oxychlorine species (e.g. perchlorate) may provide insight into the extent of development of a nitrogen cycle on Mars.

Stern, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Sea Surface Salinity : Research Challenges and Opportunities

Sea surface salinity (SSS) can be important in regulating sea surface temperature (SST). Two technological breakthrough satellite SSS missions, Aquarius and Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), are currently producing high-quality SSS data. This paper provides an overview of the importance of SSS for weather and climate applications and describes the Aquarius and SMOS missions. The newness of adequately sampled SSS data prompted a first-time at-sea field campaign devoted to improved understanding of SSS variations.

Aquarius↗