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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 NTRS1989

Nitric acid oxide mixing ratio measurements using a rocket launched chemiluminescent instrument

A total of 18 rocket launched parachute borne nitric oxide instruments were launched from 1977 to 1985. A very precise instrument for the measurement of the nitric oxide mixing ratio was fabricated. No changes were made in the main body of the instruments, i.e., things associated with the reaction volume. Except for the last 4 launches, however, it did not yield the required absolute values that was hoped for. Two major problems were encountered. First, the wrong choice of the background calibration gas, nitrogen, caused the first 10 data sets to be too low in the absolute mixing ratio by nearly the order of 2 to 5 ppbv. The error was realized, and air was substituted for the bias gas measurement. Second, in the desire to extend the measurement to higher altitudes, the problem of contaminating the inlet flow tube with ozone from the reagent gas was encountered. The ozone valve was opened too early in the flight and this caused the pressure in the reaction volume to exceed the pressure at the flow tube entrance, permitting the ozone to migrate backwards. This problem was restricted to an altitude above 45 km.

Horvath, Jack J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring capabilities of Micro-Fabricated 3D-printed capsules for studying effects of material mix on thermonuclear burn

The introduction of a high-precision, 3D-printing method, known as two-photon polymerization (2PP), has created a new means of producing novel targets to study inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Here, this work aims to explore if 2PP fabricated capsules can meet ICF requirements such as size, uniformity, deuteration degree, and ability to maintain gas fill. Two types of capsules with 3D-printed lattices were evaluated on the Omega-60 Laser Facility: (1) carbon-deuterium-oxygen (CDO) lattice with a H 2 gas fill and (2) carbon-hydrogen-oxygen (CHO) lattice with a D 2 gas fill. Experimental results and numerical simulations, which assumed complete mixing of capsule materials, reasonably agreed for both target types. A further study into the effects of capsule preheat or 2PP geometry on material mix is underway. Our work demonstrates that the unique capabilities of customizable, 3D-printed capsules present promising opportunities for further investigation into more sophisticated mix and burn experiments in ICF.

2PP↗
NASA NTRS1999

Tidal Energy Available for Deep Ocean Mixing: Bounds from Altimetry Data

Maintenance of the large-scale thermohaline circulation has long presented an interesting problem. Observed mixing rates in the pelagic ocean are an order of magnitude too small to balance the rate at which dense bottom water is created at high latitudes. Recent observational and theoretical work suggests that much of this mixing may occur in hot spots near areas of rough topography (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and island arcs). Barotropic tidal currents provide a very plausible source of energy to maintain these mixing processes. Topex/Poseidon satellite altimetry data have made precise mapping of open ocean tidal elevations possible for the first time. We can thus obtain empirical, spatially localized, estimates of barotropic tidal dissipation. These provide an upper bound on the amount of tidal energy that is dissipated in the deep ocean, and hence is available for deep mixing. We will present and compare maps of open ocean tidal energy flux divergence, and estimates of tidal energy flux into shallow seas, derived from T/P altimetry data using both formal data assimilation methods and empirical approaches. With the data assimilation methods we can place formal error bars on the fluxes. Our results show that 20-25% of tidal energy dissipation occurs outside of the shallow seas, the traditional sink for tidal energy. This suggests that up to 1 TW of energy may be available from the tides (lunar and solar) for mixing the deep ocean. The dissipation indeed appears to be concentrated over areas of rough topography.

Ray, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Tidal Energy Available for Deep Ocean Mixing: Bounds From Altimetry Data

Maintenance of the large-scale thermohaline circulation has long presented a problem to oceanographers. Observed mixing rates in the pelagic ocean are an order of magnitude too small to balance the rate at which dense bottom water is created at high latitudes. Recent observational and theoretical work suggests that much of this mixing may occur in hot spots near areas of rough topography (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and island arcs). Barotropic tidal currents provide a very plausible source of energy to maintain these mixing processes. Topex/Poseidon satellite altimetry data have made precise mapping of open ocean tidal elevations possible for the first time. We can thus obtain empirical, spatially localized, estimates of barotropic tidal dissipation. These provide an upper bound on the amount of tidal energy that is dissipated in the deep ocean, and hence is available for deep mixing. We will present and compare maps of open ocean tidal energy flux divergence, and estimates of tidal energy flux into shallow seas, derived from T/P altimetry data using both formal data assimilation methods and empirical approaches. With the data assimilation methods we can place formal error bars on the fluxes. Our results show that 20-25% of tidal energy dissipation occurs outside of the shallow seas, the traditional sink for tidal energy. This suggests that up to 1 TW of energy may be available from the tides (lunar and solar) for mixing the deep ocean. The dissipation indeed appears to be concentrated over areas of rough topography.

Egbert, Gary D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

The MUSE beamline calorimeter

The MUon Scattering Experiment (MUSE) was motivated by the proton radius puzzle arising from the discrepancy between muonic hydrogen spectroscopy and electron–proton measurements. The MUSE physics goals also include testing lepton universality, precisely measuring two-photon exchange contribution, and testing radiative corrections. MUSE addresses these physics goals through simultaneous measurement of high precision cross sections for electron–proton and muon–proton scattering using a mixed-species beam. The experiment will run at both positive and negative beam polarities. Measuring precise cross sections requires understanding both the incident beam energy and the radiative corrections. For this purpose, a lead-glass calorimeter was installed at the end of the beam line in the MUSE detector system. Here, in this article, we discuss the detector specifications, calibration and performance. We demonstrate that the detector performance is well reproduced by simulation, and meets experimental requirements.

Calorimeter↗
NASA NTRS1988

Analysis of the performance of the space ultravacuum research facility in attached and free-flyer mode

The old concept of using the wake of a spacecraft to obtain an ultrahigh vacuum is revisited with a somewhat different emphasis. Since it is possible to configure a wake shield so that a surface of interest does not subtend any walls that could become contaminated, it appears that it should be possible to achieve a contamination-free, ultrahigh vacuum capability with infinite pumping speed even in the presence of high heat loads and moderate gas loads. With the new interest in developing thin films with precision controlled synthetic microstructures such as superlattices, mixed metal oxide high temperature superconductors, rare-earth magneto-optical devices, and nano-crystalline alloys, the ability to work with a variety of different materials without cross contamination should be of significance. This paper analyzes the performance of the conceptual design for a Space Ultravacuum Research Facility (SURF), both in a Shuttle-attached mode and as a free-flyer. It is shown that even in the Shuttle-attached mode, it should be possible to obtain vacuum levels equivalent to 10 to the -10 Torr with O and N2 as the primary constituents. This should be sufficient to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, particularly the infinite pumping speed and virtual elimination of contamination aspects. As a free-flyer the SURF will be limited primarily by the gas load associated with the process being performed. For chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) it is shown that equivalent vacuum levels of 10 to the -14 Torr should be possible at 300 km.

Naumann, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

High-Flux, High Performance H2O2 Catalyst Bed for ISTAR

On NASA's ISTAR RBCC program packaging and performance requirements exceeded traditional H2O2 catalyst bed capabilities. Aerojet refined a high performance, monolithic 90% H202 catalyst bed previously developed and demonstrated. This approach to catalyst bed design and fabrication was an enabling technology to the ISTAR tri-fluid engine. The catalyst bed demonstrated 55 starts at throughputs greater than 0.60 lbm/s/sq in for a duration of over 900 seconds in a physical envelope approximately 114 of traditional designs. The catalyst bed uses photoetched plates of metal bonded into a single piece monolithic structure. The precise control of the geometry and complete mixing results in repeatable, quick starting, high performing catalyst bed. Three different beds were designed and tested, with the best performing bed used for tri-fluid engine testing.

Ponzo, J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Prospects for exploring non-standard neutrino properties with argon-based CEvNS experiments

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) provides a powerful frame-work for testing the Standard Model (SM) and searching for new physics at low energies. In this work, we examine the prospects for argon-based CEvNS experiments at stopped-pion sources to perform precision measurements of weak interactions and probe non-standard neutrino properties. Our study focused on the CENNS-10 and CENNS-750 detectors at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Coherent Captain Mills (CCM) detector at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the proposed PIP2-BD detector at Fermilab’s Facility for Dark Matter Discovery (F2D2). Using realistic neutrino fluxes and detector configurations corresponding to these facilities, we evaluate event rates and sensitivities to a range of observables. Within the SM, argon-based CEvNS detectors enable precision tests of electroweak parameters, including the weak mixing angle, at momentum transfers well below the electroweak scale. We also investigate the sensitivity of these experiments to neutrino electromagnetic properties, such as the magnetic moment and effective charge radius, as well as to possible non-standard neutrino interactions with quarks. Together, these studies highlight the potential of argon-based CEvNS experiments as a clean and versatile platform for precision exploration of non-standard neutrino properties.

Carey, Sam [Wayne State U.] (ORCID:000900029607531↗
DOE OSTI2022

Proton Scattering in NOvA Test Beam

The NuMI Off-axis $\nu_e$ Appearance (NOvA) experiment is a two-detector, long baseline, neutrino oscillation experiment, which aims to make a determination of the neutrino mass ordering, the octant of $\theta_{23}$, and measure possible charge-parity (CP) violation. Determining these parameters is a step towards answering some of the fundamental questions about neutrinos. Are neutrinos their own antiparticle? Could neutrinos be responsible for the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe? How do neutrinos get their mass? Answering these questions requires precise measurements of the parameters that govern how neutrinos behave, namely the mass squared splittings, mixing angles, and possible CP-violating phase factor in the PNMS matrix. Reaching high precision requires minimizing both statistical and systematic errors. As NOvA continues to accumulate data, the sizes of our statistical errors continue to shrink such that in a couple of years they will be comparable to our systematic errors. NOvA's current systematic errors are dominated by energy and calibration uncertainties. The Test Beam program was initiated to address these uncertainties by assessing the detector response in an environment where more parameters of the incoming particles are known. One of the main goals of the Test Beam program is to garner a better understanding of our systematic errors, particularly in energy measurement and detector response, so that the modeling of these parameters can be improved. I studied protons in the Test Beam Detector with momenta around \unit[1]{GeV/c}, the high end of the momentum range relevant to quasielastic neutrino interactions in NOvA. One question this sample can help to answer is if we correctly simulate the fraction of protons that have an inelastic scattering interaction versus ranging out. If protons inelastically scatter at different rates in our simulation and data, the correction applied to the hadronic system when reconstructing neutrino energy could be inaccurate, since events with inelastic scattering will have less visible energy in the detector. This is particularly important for quasielastic $\nu_\mu$ events, which have the lowest hadronic energy resolution, and therefore give us our best measurements of $\Delta m_{32}^2$ and $\theta_{23}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1999

Tidal Energy Available for Deep Ocean Mixing: Bounds from Altimetry Data

Maintenance of the large-scale thermohaline circulation has long presented a problem to oceanographers. Observed mixing rates in the pelagic ocean are an order of magnitude too small to balance the rate at which dense bottom water is created at high latitudes. Recent observational and theoretical work suggests that much of this mixing may occur in hot spots near areas of rough topography (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and island arcs). Barotropic tidal currents provide a very plausible source of energy to maintain these mixing processes. Topex/Poseidon (T/P) satellite altimetry data have made precise mapping of open ocean tidal elevations possible for the first time. We can thus obtain empirical, spatially localized, estimates of barotropic tidal dissipation. These provide an upper bound on the amount of tidal energy that is dissipated in the deep ocean, and hence is available for deep mixing. We will present and compare maps of open ocean tidal energy flux divergence, and estimates of tidal energy flux into shallow seas, derived from T/P altimetry data using both formal data assimilation methods and empirical approaches. With the data assimilation methods we can place formal error bars on the fluxes. Our results show that 20-25% of tidal energy dissipation occurs outside of the shallow seas, the traditional sink for tidal energy. This suggests that up to 1 TW of energy may be available from the tides (lunar and solar) for mixing the deep ocean. The dissipation indeed appears to be concentrated over areas of rough topography.

Egbert, Gary D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Superallowed Nuclear Beta Decays and Precision Tests of the Standard Model

For many decades, the main source of information on the top-left corner element of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa quark mixing matrix, V ud , was superallowed nuclear β decays with an impressive 0.01% precision. This precision, apart from experimental data, relies on theoretical calculations in which nuclear structure–dependent effects and uncertainties play a prime role. This review is dedicated to a thorough reassessment of all ingredients that enter the extraction of the value of V ud from experimental data. We try to keep balance between historical retrospect and new developments, many of which occurred in just the past 5 years. They have not yet been reviewed in a complete manner, not least because new results are forthcoming. This review aims to fill this gap and offers an in-depth yet accessible summary of all recent developments.

ab initio methods↗
DOE OSTI2025

Customizable Aperture Geometry in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Kinetic Hydrocarbon Separation

Precise control of aperture dimensions is crucial in adsorptive separations of hydrocarbons, as it directly affects key parameters such as selectivity, capacity, diffusion, and recyclability. The development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has enabled the fine-tuning of local pore environments to address important hydrocarbon separations. However, customizing the aperture geometry to tune the kinetic separation performance remains challenging. Here, we deploy a mixed-linker synthesis strategy, combining long and short linkers on fcu net Zr-MOFs with equilateral triangular apertures to construct isoreticular multivariate MOFs, NU-415 and NU-416, with tailored isosceles triangular apertures suitable for the separation of hexane isomers. Sorption, liquid batch separation, and X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate significantly improved selectivity, capacity, stability, and recyclability of NU-415 and NU-416 compared with Zr-muconate and MOF-801. Notably, both NU-415 and NU-416 achieve uptake capacities of 2.2 mmol g –1 in 1 min with an n-hexane to 2,2-dimethylbutane selectivity over 200 in an equimolar ternary mixture at ambient conditions, comparable to leading reported materials. Mechanistic studies confirm that separation performance is predominantly governed by significant kinetic differences rather than by thermodynamics. Furthermore, the successful customization of aperture geometry not only enables superior linear to monobranched hexane selectivity in NU-415 but also demonstrates the mixed-linker synthesis strategy as a promising solution for precise and predictable pore architecture control in MOFs.

Adsorption↗
DOE OSTI2021

New Compounds and Phase Selection of Nickel Sulfides via Oxidation State Control in Molten Hydroxides

Molten salts are promising reaction media candidates for the discovery of novel materials; however, they offer little control over oxidation state compared to aqueous solutions. Here, we demonstrated that when two hydroxides are mixed, their melts become fluxes with tunable solubility, which are surprisingly powerful solvents for ternary chalcogenides and offer effective paths for crystal growth to new compounds. We report that precise control of the oxidation state of Ni is achievable in mixed molten LiOH/KOH to grow single crystals of all known ternary K-Ni-S compounds. It is also possible to access several new phases, including a new polytope of β-K 2 Ni 3 S 4 , as well as low-valence KNi 4 S 2 and K 4 Ni 9 S 11 . KNi 4 S 2 is a two-dimensional low-valence nickel-rich sulfide, and β-K 2 Ni 3 S 4 has a hexagonal lattice. Moreover, using KNi 4 S 2 as a template, we obtained a new layered binary Ni 2 S by topotactic deintercalation of K. The new binary Ni 2 S has a van der Waals gap and can function as a new host layer for intercalation chemistry, as demonstrated by the intercalation of LiOH between its layers. The oxidation states of low-valence KNi 4 S 2 and Ni 2 S were studied using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations showed large antibonding interactions at the Fermi level for both KNi 4 S 2 and Ni 2 S 2 corresponding to the flat-bands with large Ni-d$_{x^2}$$_{y^2}$ character.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accurate equation of state of H 2 – He binary mixtures up to 5.4 GPa

Brillouin scattering spectroscopy has been used to obtain an accurate (<1%) ρ-P equation of state (EOS) of 1:1 and 9:1 H 2 -He molar mixtures from 0.5 to 5.4 GPa at 296 K. Our calculated equations of state indicate close agreement with the experimental data right to the freezing pressure of hydrogen at 5.4 GPa. The measured velocities agree on average, within 0.5%, of an ideal mixing model. The ρ-P EOSs presented have a standard deviation of under 0.3% from the measured densities and under 1% deviation from ideal mixing. Furthermore, a detailed discussion of the accuracy, precision, and sources of error in the measurement and analyses of our equations of state is presented.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Beyond the Standard Model physics prospects at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international project for neutrino physics and proton-decay searches, currently in the design and planning stages. Once built, DUNE will consist of two detectors exposed to the world's most intense neutrino beam. The near detector at Fermilab will record neutrino interactions near the beginning of the beam line. The other, much larger, detector, comprising four 10-kton liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs), will be installed at a depth of 1.5 km at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, about 1,300 km away from the neutrino source. The unique combination of the high-intensity neutrino beam, DUNE's high-resolution near detector system, and massive LArTPC far detector enables a variety of probes of Beyond-the-Standard-Model (BSM) physics, from the discovery of new particles (sterile neutrinos or dark matter), to precision tests of beyond the three-flavor mixing paradigm, non-standard neutrino interactions (NSIs), heavy neutral leptons, and the detailed study of rare processes (e.g., neutrino trident production). This article reviews these physics topics and discusses the prospects for their discovery at the DUNE experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Beyond the Standard Model physics prospects at DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international project for neutrino physics and proton-decay searches, currently in the design and construction stages. Once built, DUNE will consist of two detectors exposed to the world's most intense neutrino beam. The near detector will record neutrino interactions near the beginning of the beamline, at Fermilab. The other, much larger, detector, comprising four 17-kton liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs), will be installed at a depth of 1.5 km at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, about 1300 km away from the neutrino source.The unique combination of the high-intensity neutrino beam with DUNE's high-resolution near detector system and massive LArTPC far detector enables a variety of probes of BSM physics, either novel or with unprecedented sensitivity, from the potential discovery of new particles (sterile neutrinos or dark matter), to precision tests of the three-flavour neutrino mixing paradigm, or the detailed study of rare processes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Temperature automation for a propellant mixer

The analysis and installation of an automatic temperature controller on a propellant mixer is presented. Ultimately, the entire mixing process will come under automation, but since precise adherence to the temperature profile is very difficult to sustain manually, this was the first component to be automated. Automation is not only important for producing a uniform product, but it is necessary for envisioned space-based propellant production.

Vincent, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Early Solar System Alkali Fractionation Events Recorded by K-Ca Isotopes in the Yamato-74442 LL-Chondritic Breccia

Radiogenic ingrowth of Ca-40 due to decay of K-40 occurred early in the solar system history causing the Ca-40 abundance to vary within different early-former reservoirs. Marshall and DePaolo ] demonstrated that the K-40/Ca-40 decay system could be a useful radiogenic tracer for studies of terrestrial rocks. Shih et al. [3,4] determined 40K/40Ca ages of lunar granitic rock fragments and discussed the chemical characteristics of their source materials. Recently, Yokoyama et al. [5] showed the application of the K-40/Ca-40 chronometer for high K/Ca materials in ordinary chondrites (OCs). High-precision calcium isotopic data are needed to constrain mixing processes among early solar system materials and the time of planetesimal formation. To better constrain the solar system calcium isotopic compositions among astromaterials, we have determined the calcium isotopic compositions of OCs and an angrite. We further estimated a source K/Ca ratio for alkali-rich fragments in a chondritic breccia using the estimated solar system initial Ca-40/Ca-44.

Tatsunori, T.↗