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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

The carbon monoxide fourth positive bands in the Venus dayglow. I - Synthetic spectra

Recent observations of the Venus dayglow spectrum from 1200 to 1800 A are discussed, and identifications of the CO4+ bands are given using synthetic spectra. The main excitation mechanism is found to be resonant and fluorescent scattering of solar radiation, so the theory for this process is covered in some detail. A synthetic fluorescence spectrum is generated with the aid of high-resolution solar flux data, and emission rate factors are calculated. The influence of solar emission line excitation on this spectrum is demonstrated. In particular, it is shown that the uncertainties in interpreting the Venus dayglow are overcome by the identification of CO4+ bands in the v prime = 14 progression resulting from the fluorescent scattering by CO of solar Lyman alpha radiation.

Durrance, S. T.↗
DOE OSTI2012

IN-SITU PROBING OF RADIATION-INDUCED PROCESSING OF ORGANICS IN ASTROPHYSICAL ICE ANALOGS-NOVEL LASER DESORPTION LASER IONIZATION TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES

Understanding the evolution of organic molecules in ice grains in the interstellar medium (ISM) under cosmic rays, stellar radiation, and local electrons and ions is critical to our understanding of the connection between ISM and solar systems. Our study is aimed at reaching this goal of looking directly into radiation-induced processing in these ice grains. We developed a two-color laser-desorption laser-ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopic method (2C-MALDI-TOF), similar to matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectroscopy. Results presented here with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) probe molecules embedded in water-ice at 5 K show for the first time that hydrogenation and oxygenation are the primary chemical reactions that occur in astrophysical ice analogs when subjected to Ly{alpha} radiation. We found that hydrogenation can occur over several unsaturated bonds and the product distribution corresponds to their stabilities. Multiple hydrogenation efficiency is found to be higher at higher temperatures (100 K) compared to 5 K-close to the interstellar ice temperatures. Hydroxylation is shown to have similar efficiencies at 5 K or 100 K, indicating that addition of O atoms or OH radicals to pre-ionized PAHs is a barrierless process. These studies-the first glimpses into interstellar ice chemistry through analog studies-show that once accreted onto ice grains PAHs lose their PAH spectroscopic signatures through radiation chemistry, which could be one of the reason for the lack of PAH detection in interstellar ice grains, particularly the outer regions of cold, dense clouds or the upper molecular layers of protoplanetary disks.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nuclear astrophysics at DRAGON

The DRAGON recoil separator is located at the ISAC facility at TRIUMF, Vancouver. It is designed to measure radiative alpha and proton capture reactions of astrophysical importance. Over the last years, the DRAGON collaboration has measured several reactions using both radioactive and high-intensity stable beams. For example, the 160(a, g) cross section was recently measured. The reaction plays a role in steady-state helium burning in massive stars, where it follows the 12C(a, g) reaction. At astrophysically relevant energies, the reaction proceeds exclusively via direct capture, resulting in a low rate. In this measurement, the unique capabilities of DRAGON enabled determination not only of the total reaction rates, but also of decay branching ratios. In addition, results from other recent measurements will be presented.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Neutral hydrogen in the solar wind acceleration region

Observation of solar Ly alpha radiation scattered by coronal neutral hydrogen atoms can be used to investigate the acceleration region of the solar wind. In this paper we focus on the use of these observations to study Alfven waves, which can accelerate the solar wind plasma to flow speeds observed in high-speed streams if their amplitude at the coronal base is 20 km/s or larger. The wave amplitude is then larger than the proton thermal speed in the outer corona, so that the mean proton speed (averaged over a wave period) is significantly larger than the proton thermal speed. For low-frequency wave the hydrogen atoms follow the proton motion in the waves, while for higher frequencies the protons move relative to the neutrals. Nevertheless, in the higher frequency case, the rates for charge exchange and recombination are high enough to broaden the velocity distribution function of neutral hydrogen. Both the wave motion of the hydrogen atoms in low-frequency Alfven waves and the 'heating' by higher frequency waves lead to a broadening of the scattered solar Ly alpha line. For coronal base amplitues of 20 km/s, the line broadening increases with heliocentric distance beyond 4-5 solar radii.

Olsen, Espen Lyngdal↗
DOE OSTI2016

Residential radon exposure and risk of incident hematologic malignancies in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort

Dosimetric models show that radon, an established cause of lung cancer, delivers a non-negligible dose of alpha radiation to the bone marrow, as well as to lymphocytes in the tracheobronchial epithelium, and therefore could be related to risk of hematologic cancers. Studies of radon and hematologic cancer risk, however, have produced inconsistent results. To date there is no published prospective, population-based study of residential radon exposure and hematologic malignancy incidence. We used data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort established in 1992, to examine the association between county-level residential radon exposure and risk of hematologic cancer. The analytic cohort included 140,652 participants (66,572 men, 74,080 women) among which 3019 incident hematologic cancer cases (1711 men, 1308 women) were identified during 19 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for radon exposure and hematologic cancer risk. Women living in counties with the highest mean radon concentrations (>148 Bq/m{sup 3}) had a statistically significant higher risk of hematologic cancer compared to those living in counties with the lowest (<74 Bq/m{sup 3}) radon levels (HR=1.63, 95% CI:1.23–2.18), and there was evidence of a dose-response relationship (HR{sub continuous}=1.38, 95% CI:1.15–1.65 per 100 Bq/m{sup 3}; p-trend=0.001). There was no association between county-level radon and hematologic cancer risk among men. The findings of this large, prospective study suggest residential radon may be a risk factor for lymphoid malignancies among women. Further study is needed to confirm these findings. - Highlights: • This is the first prospective, general population study of residential radon and risk of hematologic cancer. • Findings from this study suggest that residential radon exposure may be a risk factor for lymphoid malignancies. • The biologic mechanism for the association between radon exposure and lymphoma risk may be different than for lung cancer. • Confirmation of this association would warrant strengthened public health efforts to mitigate residential radon risks.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

From {sub {infinity}}{sup 1}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}O(MoO{sub 4}){sub 4}]{sup 6-} to {sub {infinity}}{sup 1}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})]{sup 6-} infinite chains in A{sub 6}U{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 21} (A=Na, K, Rb, Cs) compounds: Synthesis and crystal structure of Cs{sub 6}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})]

A new caesium uranyl molybdate belonging to the M{sub 6}U{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 21} family has been synthesized by solid-state reaction and its structure determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Contrary to the other alkali uranyl molybdates of this family (A=Na, K, Rb) where molybdenum atoms adopt only tetrahedral coordination and which can be formulated A{sub 6}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}O(MoO{sub 4}){sub 4}], the caesium compound Cs{sub 6}U{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 21} should be written Cs{sub 6}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})] with molybdenum atoms in tetrahedral and square pyramidal environments. Cs{sub 6}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})] crystallizes in the triclinic symmetry with space group P1-bar and a=10.4275(14) A, b=15.075(2) A, c=17.806(2) A, {alpha}=70.72(1){sup o}, {beta}=80.38(1){sup o} and {gamma}=86.39(1){sup o}, V=2604.7(6) A{sup 3}, Z=4, {rho}{sub mes}=5.02(2) g/cm{sup 3} and {rho}{sub cal}=5.08(3) g/cm{sup 3}. A full-matrix least-squares refinement on the basis of F{sup 2} yielded R{sub 1}=0.0464 and wR{sub 2}=0.0950 for 596 parameters with 6964 independent reflections with I{>=}2{sigma}(I) collected on a BRUKER AXS diffractometer with Mo(K{alpha}) radiation and a CCD detector. The crystal structure of Cs compound is characterized by {sub {infinity}}{sup 1}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})]{sup 6-} parallels chains built from U{sub 2}O{sub 13} dimeric units, MoO{sub 4} tetrahedra and MoO{sub 5} square pyramids, whereas, Na, K and Rb compounds are characterized by {sub {infinity}}{sup 1}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}O(MoO{sub 4}){sub 4}]{sup 6-} parallel chains formulated simply of U{sub 2}O{sub 13} units and MoO{sub 4} tetrahedra. Infrared spectroscopy measurements using powdered samples synthesized by solid-state reaction, confirm the structural results. The thermal stability and the electrical conductivity are also studied. The four compounds decompose at low temperature (between 540 and 610 {sup o}C). -- Graphical abstract: The staking of {sub {infinity}}{sup 1}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})]{sup 6-} infinite uranyl molybdate ribbons in the Cs{sub 6}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(MoO{sub 4}){sub 3}(MoO{sub 5})] structure. Display Omitted Highlights: {yields} Cs{sub 6}U{sub 2}Mo{sub 4}O{sub 2} a new compound with bidimensional crystal structure, characterized by infinite uranyl molybdate chains. {yields} Crystal structure similar to these of the compounds containing Na, K, Rb. {yields} Molybdenum atoms surrounded by five oxygen atoms to form an original and strongly distorted MoO{sub 5} environment. {yields} The chains arrangement illustrates the key role of the alkaline ionic radius, in the crystal structure distortion for Cs compound.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Processes controlling helium bubble dynamics at varying temperatures in simulated radioactive materials

Alpha-radiation damage is known to degrade materials exposed to harsh radiation environments via swelling and embrittlement by nano-scale helium bubbles. How these bubbles grow under varying temperature is essential to understanding and predicting material failure and optimization. Using in situ X-ray scattering, we probed ≈1012 bubbles before, during and after annealing at different temperatures in He-implanted aluminum to reveal a critical growth activation temperature that depends strongly on the helium implantation conditions. An analysis of the data aided by our molecular dynamics simulations identifies multiple temperature-dependent bubble growth mechanisms above and below the critical growth activation temperature. Moreover, the irreversible bubble growth that occurs after annealing for ≈4 h was evaluated using dislocation dynamics and found to negligibly affect the yield strength but may affect subsequent bubble growth at temperature. These in situ results provide valuable insight into bubble growth never observed before and reveal, for the first time, bubble shrinkage after cooling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hints of primordial magnetic fields at recombination and implications for the Hubble tension

Primordial Magnetic Fields (PMFs), long studied as relics of the early Universe, accelerate recombination and have been proposed as a way to relieve the Hubble tension. However, previous studies relied on simplified toy models. Here, in this study, we use recent evaluations of recombination with PMFs, incorporating full magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations and detailed Lyman-alpha radiative transfer, to test PMF-enhanced recombination (bΛCDM) against observational data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), and Type Ia supernovae (SN). Focusing on non-helical PMFs with a Batchelor spectrum, we find a preference for presentday total field strengths of approximately 5-10 pico-Gauss. Depending on the dataset combination, this preference ranges from mild (∼ 1.8σ with Planck + DESI) to moderate (∼ 3σ with Planck + DESI + SH0ES-calibrated SN) significance. The bΛCDM has Planck + DESI χ 2 values equal to or better than ΛCDM while predicting a higher Hubble constant. Future high-resolution CMB temperature and polarization measurements will be crucial for confirming or further constraining PMFs at recombination. Field strengths of 5-10 pico-Gauss align closely with those required for cluster magnetic fields to originate entirely from primordial sources, without the need for additional dynamo amplification.

Jedamzik, Karsten [Centre National de la Recherche↗
DOE OSTI2010

X-ray radiography and scattering diagnosis of dense shock-compressed matter

Highly coupled Boron plasma has been probed by spectrally resolving an x-ray source scattered by the plasma. Electron density was inferred from the inelastic feature in the collective scattering regime. In addition, the mass density inferred from the noncollective x-ray Thomson scattering has been tested with independent characterization using x-ray radiography in the same drive condition. High-intensity laser produced K-alpha radiation was used as a backlighter for these dynamically compressed plasma experiments providing a high temporal resolution of the measurements. Mass density measurements from both methods are in good agreement. The measurements yield a compression of 1.3 in agreement with detailed radiation-hydrodynamic modeling. From the charge state measured in the noncollective regime and the electron density measured in the collective regime mass density can then be constrained to 3.15+-0.7.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Matrix Composite Reinforced by Carbothermally Reduced of Fly Ash

The addition of fly ash into aluminum as reinforcement can potentially reduce the production cost and density of aluminum. However, mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composite reinforced by fly ash (MMC ALFA) have some limitations due to the characteristic of fly ash. In this study, a carbothermal reduction process of fly ash and activated carbon powder with particle size <32 {mu}m was performed prior to produce MMC ALFA.The process was carried out in a furnace at 1300 deg. C in vacuum condition under argon flow. Synthesis product was analyzed by XRD with Cu-K{sub {alpha}} radiation. From XRD analysis, it shows that the synthesis process can produce SiC powder. The synthesis product was subsequently used as reinforcement particle. Aluminum powder was mixed with 5, 10 and 15% of the synthesized powder, and then uni-axially compacted at pressure of 300 MPa. The compacted product was sintered for 2 hours in argon atmosphere at temperature variation of 550 and 600 deg. C. Flexural strength, hardness and density of MMC ALFA's product were respectively evaluated using a four point bending test method based on ASTM C1161 standard, Brinell hardness scale and Archimedes method. The result of this study shows that the increase of weight of reinforcement can significantly increase the hardness and flexural strength of MMCs. The highest hardness and flexural strength of the MMC product are 300 kg/mm{sup 2} and 107.5 MPa, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Observation and simulation of hard x ray photoelectron diffraction to determine polarity of polycrystalline zinc oxide films with rotation domains

X ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) patterns of polar zinc oxide (ZnO) surfaces were investigated experimentally using hard x rays and monochromatized Cr K{alpha} radiation and theoretically using a cluster model approach and a dynamical Bloch wave approach. We focused on photoelectrons emitted from the Zn 2p{sub 3/2} and O 1s orbitals in the analysis. The obtained XPD patterns for the (0001) and (0001) surfaces of a ZnO single crystal were distinct for a given emitter and polarity. Polarity determination of c-axis-textured polycrystalline ZnO thin films was also achieved with the concept of XPD, even though the in-plane orientation of the columnar ZnO grains was random.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Development of W/C soft x-ray multilayer mirror by ion beam sputtering (IBS) system for below 50A wavelength

A home-made Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) system has been developed in our laboratory. Using the IBS system single layer W and single layer C film has been deposited at 1000eV Ar ion energy and 10mA ion current. The W-film has been characterized by grazing Incidence X-ray reflectrometry (GIXR) technique and Atomic Force Microscope technique. The single layer C-film has been characterized by Spectroscopic Ellipsometric technique. At the same deposition condition 25-layer W/C multilayer film has been deposited which has been designed for using as mirror at 30 Degree-Sign grazing incidence angle around 50A wavelength. The multilayer sample has been characterized by measuring reflectivity of CuK{alpha} radiation and soft x-ray radiation around 50A wavelength.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Anomalous dielectric and AC conductivity behavior of the nanocrystalline Ni-Cu ferrite synthesized via combustion method

Nanocrystalline Ni-Cu ferrites (Ni{sub 0.5}Cu{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) were prepared using solution combustion method. The structure of the samples were studied with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) using Cu-K{sub {alpha}} radiation. Frequency and temperature dependence of dielectric and a.c. conductivity studies have been undertaken on the Ni-Cu nanoferrites in the frequency region 100Hz-5MHz. The dielectric constant ({epsilon} Prime ) is found to decrease initially with the frequency and finally reaching a constant value at higher frequencies. Observed trends in the dielectric constant are ascribed to the Maxwell-Wagner type interfacial polarization, which is in agreement with the Koop'fs phenomenological theory. The a.c. conductivity ({sigma}{sub ac}) is found to increase with an increase in the frequency from room temperature up to 300 Degree-Sign C. However, at a temperature of 400 Degree-Sign C, the a.c. conductivity is found to decrease with an increase in the frequency exhibiting an abnormal behavior. The electrical conduction mechanism in the present nano nickel-copper ferrite is found to be in accordance with the electron hopping model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

The effect of emissive biased limiter on the magnetohydrodynamic modes in the IR-T1 tokamak

A moveable emissive biased limiter (EBL) for the investigation of spatial and temporal structure of MHD modes in IR-T1 tokamak, based on mirnov oscillations, was designed and constructed. The biasing has been considered to improve the global confinement by setting up an electric field at the plasma edge. Radial electric field (E{sub r}) modifies edge plasma turbulence, plasma rotation, and transport. Mirnov oscillations using singular value decomposition (SVD) and wavelet techniques were analyzed. SVD algorithm has been employed to analyze the frequency and wavenumber harmonics of the MHD fluctuations. The time-resolved frequency component analysis has been performed using wavelets. The EBL was applied to plasma at 10 ms with negative polarity. The results show that after applying EBL, the m = 2 mode is grown, m = 3 mode is suppressed, and H{sub {alpha}} radiation is decreased. Furthermore, results of the wavelet analysis of mirnov coil in the time range of 8-12 ms indicate that 1.5 ms after applying EBL, the MHD frequency is reduced from 45 kHz to 25 kHz.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

CHARACTERIZING CO FOURTH POSITIVE EMISSION IN YOUNG CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

Carbon monoxide is a commonly used IR/submillimeter tracer of gas in protoplanetary disks. We present an analysis of ultraviolet CO emission in Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra for 12 Classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs). Several ro-vibrational bands of the CO A{sup 1}{Pi}-X{sup 1}{Sigma}{sup +} (Fourth Positive) electronic transition system are spectrally resolved from emission of other atoms and H{sub 2}. The CO A{sup 1}{Pi} v' = 14 state is populated by absorption of Ly{alpha} photons, created at the accretion column on the stellar surface. For targets with strong CO emission, we model the Ly{alpha} radiation field as an input for a simple fluorescence model to estimate CO rotational excitation temperatures and column densities. Typical column densities range from N{sub CO} = 10{sup 18} to 10{sup 19} cm{sup -2}. Our measured excitation temperatures are mostly below T{sub CO} = 600 K, cooler than typical M-band CO emission. These temperatures and the emission line widths imply that the UV emission originates in a different population of CO than that which is IR-emitting. We also find a significant correlation between CO emission and the disk accretion rate M-dot and age. Our analysis shows that ultraviolet CO emission can be a useful diagnostic of CTTS disk gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Polarization effects in the decay of orthopositronium to three photons

We give results for the order-{alpha} radiative corrections to several polarization-related effects involving the decay of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) to three photons. Specifically, we consider the decays of spin-polarized o-Ps from states of specified spin component m into final states where the direction of the normal to the decay plane is measured, the linear polarization of one photon is observed, and the two variables giving the energies, or equivalently the relative orientations of the photons in the decay plane, are measured.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Plasmons in strongly coupled shock-compressed matter

Here, we present the first measurements of the plasmon dispersion and damping in laser shock-compressed solid matter. Petawatt laser produced K-α radiation scatters on boron targets compressed by a 10 ns-long 400 J laser pulse. In the vicinity of the Fermi momentum, the scattering spectra show dispersionless, collisionally damped plasmons, indicating a strongly coupled electron liquid. These observations agree with calculations that include the Born-Mermin approximation to account for electron-ion collisional damping and local field corrections reflecting electron-electron correlations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of nanocrystalline TiZrN films on AISI 304 stainless steel substrate

This study investigated the microstructure and properties of nanocrystalline TiZrN films on AISI 304 stainless steel substrate. TiZrN films were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering based on the previous optimum coating conditions (substrate temperature, system pressure, nitrogen flow, etc.) for TiN and ZrN thin films. The composition ratio of TiZrN coatings were adjusted by changing the Zr target power, while keeping the Ti target power constant. Experiments were conduced to find the optimum composition with desired properties. The ratio of TiZrN composition was analyzed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometer. In terms of phase formation, there were two types of coatings that were considered: single-phase solid solutions of TiZrN and interlacing nuclei of TiZr in the matrix of TiZrN. The thickness of all TiZrN films as measured by the secondary ion mass spectroscopy was about 500 nm, and the composition depth profiles indicated that the compositions in the TiZrN films were uniform from the film surface to the 304 stainless steel substrate. The crystal structure of the TiZrN films was determined by x-ray diffraction using a M18XHF-SRA diffractometer with Cu K{sub {alpha}} radiation. A diffraction peak of TiZrN (002) was observed between that of TiN (002) and ZrN (002); similarly, a diffraction peak of TiZrN (111) was observed between that of TiN(111) and ZrN(111), respectively. The corrosion resistance of the TiZrN film deposited on the 304 stainless steel has been investigated by electrochemical measurement. The electrolyte, 0.5M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} containing 0.05M KSCN, was used for the potentiodynamic polarization. The potentiodynamic scan was conducted from -800 to 800 mV standard calomel electrode (SCE).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗