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At least 145 records · Page 8
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NASA NTRS2016

Metal-Silicate-Sulfide Partitioning of U, Th, and K: Implications for the Budget of Volatile Elements in Mercury

During formation of the solar system, the Sun produced strong solar winds, which stripped away a portion of the volatile elements from the forming planets. Hence, it was expected that planets closest to the sun, such as Mercury, are more depleted in volatile elements in comparison to other terrestrial planets. However, the MESSENGER mission detected higher than expected K/U and K/Th ratios on Mercury's surface, indicating a volatile content between that of Mars and Earth. Our experiments aim to resolve this discrepancy by experimentally determining the partition coefficients (D(sup met/sil)) of K, U, and Th between metal and silicate at varying pressure (1 to 5 GPa), temperature (1500 to 1900 C), oxygen fugacity (IW-2.5 to IW-6.5) and sulfur-content in the metal (0 to 33 wt%). Our data show that U, Th, and K become more siderophile with decreasing fO2 and increasing sulfur-content, with a stronger effect for U and Th in comparison to K. Using these results, the concentrations of U, Th, and K in the bulk planet were calculated for different scenarios, where the planet equilibrated at a fO2 between IW-4 and IW-7, assuming the existence of a FeS layer, between the core and mantle, with variable thickness. These models show that significant amounts of U and Th are partitioned into Mercury's core. The elevated superficial K/U and K/Th values are therefore only a consequence of the sequestration of U and Th into the core, not evidence of the overall volatile content of Mercury.

Habermann, M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Measured performance of a 1089 K (1500 deg F) heat storage device for sun-shade orbital missions

Tubes designed for a solar heat receiver to serve as an energy source for a Brayton power system were tested for 2002 hours and 1251 sun-shade cycles. The tubes were designed to transfer a constant thermal input to the Brayton system during an orbit. Excess solar energy during a sun period is stored as heat of fusion of lithium fluoride. The niobium - 1% zirconium tubes accommodate the 23 percent volume decrease of LiF during freezing. Test results showed slight, local distortions. The gas discharge temperature varied from 16 K (29 F) below to 28 K (50 F) above the nominal value of 1089 K (1500 F). The tube surface temperatures ranged from 1039 K (1410 F) to 1183 K (1670 F).

Namkoong, D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Imaging performance of a CCD area array at 200 K

The performance of a 100 x 100 charge coupled device imager was evaluated in the vicinity of 200 K. A set of operating conditions was determined which permits satisfactory operation of the imager from 300 K to 150 K while assuring maximum tolerance to ionizing radiation. Good imaging has been obtained for integration times in excess of 10 seconds at 200 K. Preliminary results on image storage indicate that storage times of many seconds are possible at 200 K.

Baker, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Studies of K line filtergrams

The paper describes the material obtained on a Lyot filter for K at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. This material is compared with simultaneous H-alpha observations. K-line filtergrams are used to interpret K-line double reversal. The structure of the general chromosphere is discussed. It is found that the absorption of the cool clouds of the chromosphere, covering about one third of the area inside the cells, oscillating rapidly, and having a vertical extent around 3000 km, is not clearly seen in K3. In active regions K is close to H-alpha. Here all plagettes and plages are bounded by systems of strongly inclined bright and dark fibrils. Umbral flashes are found to be less visible in H-alpha, except that the running penumbral waves are bright in K and dark in H-alpha.

Zirin, H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Are large concentration of atomic H storable in tritium-impregnated solid in H2 below 0.10 K

The storage and release of atomic hydrogen produced by the beta decay of tritium contained in a crystalline solid H2 matrix at concentrations greater than 2% and temperatures below 0.80 K are investigated. The temperature of a sample chamber containing tritium-impregnated H2 and placed in the mixing chamber of a dilution refrigerator was measured as the chamber was heated and cooled in order to determine the rates of energy storage and release. It is found that for samples containing 1.2 wt.% tritium, after storage at 0.054 K for 40 h, an increase in sample temperature to a trigger point of 0.17 K leads to an energy release due to the destabilization of atomic H in H2 as predicted by the phenomenological rate process theory. For a tritium weight fraction of 2.5%, energy releases were triggered at 0.54 and 0.82 K after storage at 0.080 K, indicating the trapping of H atoms at the sites of T2 and HT molecules in the sample. The application of a 15 kG magnetic field is shown to increase the storage capacity of T2 traps while reducing that of HT traps, and to lower the trigger temperatures of both. Results suggest that the direct conversion of nuclear energy to chemical energy may become technically feasible in the future.

Rosen, G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Relativistic K-shell Auger rates, level widths, and fluorescence yields

Systematic relativistic (Dirac-Hartree-Slater) calculations of atomic K-shell Auger transition probabilities are reported for 25 elements with Z between 18 and 96, inclusive. K-level Auger widths are found to be enhanced by relativistic effects, while total K-level widths are reduced. Relativistic theoretical K-shell fluorescence yields are in excellent agreement with experiment. Theoretical relative intensities of K-LX Auger transitions in heavy elements, calculated in j-j coupling, agree well with measurements; for low Z, configuration interaction and intermediate coupling must apparently be included.

Chen, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Iron K photons from weakly magnetized neutron stars in X-ray binaries

The emission of iron K photons by the continuum X-ray source and the neutron star surface is considered. It is shown that the continuum sources of X-ray binaries produce negligible amounts of iron K photons because nearly all iron atoms in the continuum source are fully stripped due to the intense X-ray fluxes. In contrast, the atmosphere of the neutron star in an X-ray binary might be an important source of iron K photons (photon energy about 6.5 keV) because it is bombarded by a large number of hard X-rays capable of photo-ejecting K-shell electrons from iron atoms. Information is discussed concerning the magnetic field strength, the gravitational potential at the neutron star surface, and the direction of the magnetic dipole axis which are obtainable from the observations of K photons of the neutron star atmosphere.

Bai, T.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Novel technique to measure the microwave response of high T(c) superconductors between 4.2 and 200 K

This paper describes a novel technique for measurements of the complex surface impedance Z(s) of high-T(c) superconductors over an extremely wide range of temperature, from 4.2 K and at least 200 K. The technique uses a superconducting Pb-plated Cu high-Q-cavity resonator operated at an ambient temperature of 4.2 K, with the sample (typically a 3-mm-diam x 1-mm-thick disk) mounted on a sapphire rod in the center of cavity, at a high B-field and thermally insulated from the cavity walls, making it possible to control the sample temperature externally. Since the cavity characteristics are dominated by the sample properties (the contribution of the Pb-covered walls maintained at 4.2 K is negligible), measurement of the cavity Q and resonant frequency makes it possible to measure Zs as a function of the sample temperature. The Z(s) values for bulk Y1Ba2Cu3O(y) and La(1.85)Sr(0.15)CuO4 were measured over a temperature range 4.2-100 K.

Sridhar, S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Dinosaur bone beds and mass mortality: Implications for the K-T extinction

Mass accumulations of fossilized large terrestrial vertebrate skeletons (bone beds: BB) provide a test for K-T catastrophic extinction hypotheses. The two major factors contributing to BB formation are mode of death and sedimentation rate. Catastrophic mass mortality (CMM) is the sudden death of numerous individuals where species, age, health, gender, or social ranking offer no survivorship advantage. Noncatastrophic mass mortality (NCMM) occurs over time and is strongly influenced by species, age, or gender. In addition to cause of death, sedimentation rate is also important in BB formation. Models of BBs can be made. The CMM drops all individuals in their tracks, therefore, the BB should reflect the living population with respect to species, age, or gender. The NCMM results in monospecific BBs skewed in the direction of the less fit, usually the very young or very old, or towards a specific gender. The NCMM and AM BBs may become more similar the more spread out over time NCMM deaths occur because carcasses are widely scattered requiring hydraulic accumulation, and the greater time allows for more disarticulation and weathering. The CMM and NCMM BB appear to be dominated by social animals. Applying this and the characteristics of mortality patterns to the uppermost Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation indicates that only NCMM and AM BB occur. Furthermore, NCMM BB are rare in the upper third of the Hell Creek. Near the K-T boundary, only AM BB are known. The absence of CMM and NCMM BB appears to be real reflecting a decrease in population levels of some dinosaurs prior to the K-T event. The absence of CMM suggests that the K-T event did not lead to an instantaneous extinction of dinosaurs. Nor was there a protracted die-off due to an asteroid impact winter, because no NCMM BB are known at or near the K-T boundary.

Carpenter, Kenneth↗
NASA NTRS1988

Impact and extinction signatures in complete Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary sections

The Zumaya, Caravaca and Agost sections in Spain, the El Kef section in Tunisia and the Negev (Nahal Avdat) sections in Israel are among the most continuous, expanded and complete K-T boundary sections. The distribution patterns of the planktic faunas were quantitatively analyzed in closely spaced samples across the K-T boundary in these sections, in conjuction with the geochemistry, stable isotopes, mineralogy and magnetostratigraphy. Three hundred foraminiferal specimens were randomly selected and determined. Reliable estimates for the foraminiferal productivity changes across the K-T boundary and for the 1 to 2 Ma interval preceding the K-T boundary were made from the numbers of individuals/gram of sediment corrected for the sedimentation rates (calculated from magnetic reversals and lithology). No gradual or stepwise extinction is seen below the K-T boundary nor any productivity decrease. Stable isotope analyses show a warming just after deposition of the ejecta layer, not cooling as predicted by nuclear winter scenarios, although the duration of such cooling may be too short to be observed even in these complete sections. Low REE values and cpx spherules with quench textures idential to quench-textures in diagenetically altered spherules, strongly indicate an oceanic site of (one of) the impactor(s).

Smit, J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

An Improved K-Epsilon Model for Near-Wall Turbulence and Comparison with Direct Numerical Simulation

An improved k-epsilon model for low Reynolds number turbulence near a wall is presented. The near-wall asymptotic behavior of the eddy viscosity and the pressure transport term in the turbulent kinetic energy equation is analyzed. Based on this analysis, a modified eddy viscosity model, having correct near-wall behavior, is suggested, and a model for the pressure transport term in the k-equation is proposed. In addition, a modeled dissipation rate equation is reformulated. Fully developed channel flows were used for model testing. The calculations using various k-epsilon models are compared with direct numerical simulations. The results show that the present k-epsilon model performs well in predicting the behavior of near-wall turbulence. Significant improvement over previous k-epsilon models is obtained.

Shih, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A K band deep galaxy survey

The results of a K-band deep-imaging survey, with a 5 sigma limit of K = 21.4 for galaxy detection, are reported. Number counts from K = 16.5 to K = 21.25 are given. Comparison with optical survey data on the field shows objects as red as (I-K) = 5 which most probably correspond to high-redshift (z of about 2) normal galaxies. No evidence is seen for any population of high-z protogalaxies or brown dwarfs. The results are placed in the context of extragalactic background light measurements.

Cowie, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An improved k-epsilon model for near wall turbulence

An improved k-epsilon model for low Reynolds number turbulence near a wall is presented. In the first part of this work, the near-wall asymptotic behavior of the eddy viscosity and the pressure transport term in the turbulent kinetic energy equation are analyzed. Based on these analyses, a modified eddy viscosity model with the correct near-wall behavior is suggested, and a model for the pressure transport term in the k-equation is proposed. In addition, a modeled dissipation rate equation is reformulated, and a boundary condition for the dissipation rate is suggested. In the second part of the work, one of the deficiencies of the existing k-epsilon models, namely, the wall distance dependency of the equations and the damping functions, is examined. An improved model that does not depend on any wall distance is introduced. Fully developed turbulent channel flows and turbulent boundary layers over a flat plate are studied as validations for the proposed new models. Numerical results obtained from the present and other previous k-epsilon models are compared with data from direct numerical simulation. The results show that the present k-epsilon model, with added robustness, performs as well as or better than other existing models in predicting the behavior of near-wall turbulence.

Shih, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Improved two-equation k-omega turbulence models for aerodynamic flows

Two new versions of the k-omega two-equation turbulence model will be presented. The new Baseline (BSL) model is designed to give results similar to those of the original k-omega model of Wilcox, but without its strong dependency on arbitrary freestream values. The BSL model is identical to the Wilcox model in the inner 50 percent of the boundary-layer but changes gradually to the high Reynolds number Jones-Launder k-epsilon model (in a k-omega formulation) towards the boundary-layer edge. The new model is also virtually identical to the Jones-Lauder model for free shear layers. The second version of the model is called Shear-Stress Transport (SST) model. It is based on the BSL model, but has the additional ability to account for the transport of the principal shear stress in adverse pressure gradient boundary-layers. The model is based on Bradshaw's assumption that the principal shear stress is proportional to the turbulent kinetic energy, which is introduced into the definition of the eddy-viscosity. Both models are tested for a large number of different flowfields. The results of the BSL model are similar to those of the original k-omega model, but without the undesirable freestream dependency. The predictions of the SST model are also independent of the freestream values and show excellent agreement with experimental data for adverse pressure gradient boundary-layer flows.

Menter, Florian R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Properties of pure nickel after long term exposures to LiOH and vacuum at 775 K

The solid to liquid phase transformation of LiOH at 744.3 K is considered to be an ideal candidate thermal energy storage (TES) mechanism for a Rankine heat engine based solar dynamic system operating at approximately 682 K. While pure nickel is thought to be a suitable containment material for LiOH, long term containment is of concern because molten hydroxides are usually corrosive. Two commercially pure nickel alloys, Ni-200 and Ni-201, were exposed to molten LiOH, its vapor, and vacuum at 775 K for periods ranging from 50 to 5000 h, and simple mechanical property measurements (77 to 900 K tensile and 750 K creep rupture) of exposed alloys were undertaken. The mechanical property test procedures are described and tabular lists of the test data are presented.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Calorimetric thermal-vacuum performance characterization of the BAe 80 K space cryocooler

A comprehensive characterization program is underway at JPL to generate test data on long-life, miniature Stirling-cycle cryocoolers for space application. The key focus of this paper is on the thermal performance of the British Aerospace (BAe) 80 K split-Stirling-cycle cryocooler as measured in a unique calorimetric thermal-vacuum test chamber that accurately simulates the heat-transfer interfaces of space. Two separate cooling fluid loops provide precise individual control of the compressor and displacer heatsink temperatures. In addition, heatflow transducers enable calorimetric measurements of the heat rejected separately by the compressor and displacer. Cooler thermal performance has been mapped for coldtip temperatures ranging from below 45 K to above 150 K, for heatsink temperatures ranging from 280 K to 320 K, and for a wide variety of operational variables including compressor-displacer phase, compressor-displacer stroke, drive frequency, and piston-displacer dc offset.

Kotsubo, V. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Modification of the Two-equation Turbulence Model in NPARC to a Chien Low Reynolds Number K-epsilon Formulation

This report documents the changes that were made to the two-equation k-epsilon turbulence model in the NPARC (National-PARC) code. The previous model based on the low Reynolds number model of Speziale, was replaced with the low Reynolds number k-epsilon model of Chien. The most significant difference was in the turbulent Prandtl numbers appearing in the diffusion terms of the k and epsilon transport equations. A new inflow boundary condition and stability enhancements were also implemented into the turbulence model within NPARC. The report provides the rationale for making the change to the Chien model, code modifications required, and comparisons of the performances of the new model with the previous k-epsilon model and algebraic models used most often in PARC/NPARC. The comparisons show that the Chien k-epsilon model installed here improves the capability of NPARC to calculate turbulent flows.

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Energy deposition and K-shell ionization of supernovae

We present explicit evaluation of K-shell ionization caused by photoelectric absorption, by Compton scattering, and by electron collisions in supernovae envelopes. Each process derives from the radioactivity that dominates the bolometric luminosity of the model supernovae. We include the ionization by bremsstrahlung. We find that electron-collision ionization with decelerating Compton electrons is the dominant process of K-shell ionization for light elements (lighter than Si) whereas photoelectric K-shell absorption of Comptonized gammas is the dominant process of K-shell ionization for heavy elements (like Fe). The relative importance of the ionization processes also depends upon composition and upon time, as well as upon supernova type. For Type Ia all four ionization sources are of importance. We present fitting formulas for the deposition of radioactive power in each class of models studied. The energy deposition of all mechanisms decreases with time, including the rate of K-shell ionizations of all elements throughout the supernovae model evaluated herein. We compare the relative contributions to the energy deposition and confirm with greater numerical detail results already established.

The, Lih-Sin↗