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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

The Circum-Chryse Region as a Possible Example of a Hydrologic Cycle on Mars: Geologic Observations and Theoretical Evaluation

The transection and superposition relationships among channels, chaos, surface materials units, and other features in the circum-Chryse region of Mars were used to evaluate relative age relationships and evolution of flood events. Channels and chaos in contact (with one another) were treated as single discrete flood-carved systems. Some outflow channel systems form networks and are inferred to have been created by multiple flood events. Within some outflow channel networks, several separate individual channel systems can be traced to a specific chaos which acted as flood-source area to that specific flood channel. Individual flood-carved systems were related to widespread materials units or other surface features that served as stratigraphic horizons. Chryse outflow channels are inferred to have formed over most of the perceivable history of Mars. Outflow channels are inferred to become younger with increasing proximity to the Chryse basin. In addition, outflow channels closer to the basin show a greater diversity in age. The relationship of subsequent outflow channel sources to the sources of earlier floods is inferred to disfavor episodic flooding due to the progressive tapping of a juvenile near-surface water supply. Instead, we propose the circum-Chryse region as a candidate site of past hydrological recycling. The discharge rates necessary to carve the circum-Chryse outflow channels would have inevitably formed temporary standing bodies of H2O on the Martian surface where the flood-waters stagnated and pooled (the Chryse basin is topographically enclosed). These observations and inferences have led us to formulate and evaluate two hypotheses: (1) large amounts of the sublimated H2O off the Chryse basin flood lakes precipitated (snowed) onto the flood-source highlands and this H2O was incorporated into the near surface, recharging the H2O sources, making possible subsequent deluges; and (2) ponded flood-water in Chryse basin drained back down an anti basinward dipping subsurface layer accessed along the southern edge of the lake, recharging the flood-source aquifers. H2O not redeposited in the flood-source region was largely lost to the hydrologic cycle. This loss progressively lowered the vitality of the cycle, probably by now killing it. Our numerical evaluations indicate that of the two hypotheses we formulated, the groundwater seep cycle seems by far the more viable. Optimally, approximately 3/4 of the original mass of an ice-covered cylindrical lake (albedo 0.5, 1 km deep, 100-km radius, draining along its rim for one quarter of its circumference into substrata with a permeability of 3000 darcies) can be modeled to have moved underground (on timescales of the order of 10(exp 3) years) before the competing mechanisms of sublimation and freeze down choked off further water removal. Once underground, this water can travel distances equal to the separation between Chryse basin and flood-source sites in geologically short (approximately 10(exp 6) year-scale) times. Conversely, we calculate that optimally only approximately 40% of the H2O carried from Chryse can condense at the highlands, and most of the precipitate would either collect at the base of the highlands/lowlands scrap or sublimate at rates greater than it would accumulate over the flood-source sites. Further observations from forthcoming missions may permit the determination of which mechanisms may have operated to recycle the Chryse flood-waters.

Moore, Jeffrey M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Aqueous Chemical Modeling of Sedimentation on Early Mars with Application to Surface-Atmosphere Evolution

This project was to investigate models for aqueous sedimentation on early Mars from fluid evaporation. Results focused on three specific areas: (1) First, a fluid evaporation model incorporating iron minerals was developed to compute the evaporation of a likely solution on early Mars derived from the weathering of mafic rock. (2) Second, the fluid evaporation model was applied to salts within Martian meteorites, specifically salts in the nakhlites and ALH84001. Evaporation models were found to be consistent with the mineralogy of salt assemblages-anhydrite, gypsum, Fe-Mg-Ca carbonates, halite, clays-- and the concentric chemical fractionation of Ca-to Mg-rich carbonate rosettes in ALH84001. We made progress in further developing our models of fluid concentration by contributing to updating the FREZCHEM model. (3) Third, theoretical investigation was done to determine the thermodynamics and kinetics involved in the formation of gray, crystalline hematite. This mineral, of probable ancient aqueous origin, has been observed in several areas on the surface of Mars by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer on Mars Global Surveyor. The "Opportunity" Mars Exploration Rover has also detected gray hematite at its landing site in Meridiani Planum. We investigated how gray hematite can be formed via atmospheric oxidation, aqueous precipitation and subsequent diagenesis, or hydrothermal processes. We also studied the geomorphology of the Aram Chaos hematite region using Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images.

Catling, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A possible role of fluctuating clay-water systems in the production of ordered prebiotic oligomers

A model is proposed for the intermediate stages of prebiotic evolution, based on the characteristics of the adsorption and condensation of amino acids and nucleotides on the surface area of clay minerals in a fluctuating environment. Template replication and translation of adsorbed oligonucleotides and catalytic effects by peptide products on further condensation are proposed, due to specific properties of hypohydrous clay surfaces as well as the biomolecules themselves. Experimental evidence supports some of the proposed interactions, and all of them can be tested experimentally.

Lahav, N.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Advanced high-temperature batteries

The promise of very high specific energy and power was not yet achieved for practical battery systems. Some recent approaches are discussed for new approaches to achieving high performance for lithium/DeS2 cells and sodium/metal chloride cells. The main problems for the development of successful LiAl/FeS2 cells were the instability of the FeS2 electrode, which has resulted in rapidly declining capacity, the lack of an internal mechanism for accommodating overcharge of a cell, thus requiring the use of external charge control on each individual cell, and the lack of a suitable current collector for the positive electrode other than expensive molybdenum sheet material. Much progress was made in solving the first two problems. Reduction of the operating temperatures to 400 C by a change in electrolyte composition has increased the expected life to 1000 cycles. Also, a lithium shuttle mechanism was demonstrated for selected electrode compositions that permits sufficient overcharge tolerance to adjust for the normally expected cell-to-cell deviation in coulombic efficiency. Sodium/sulfur batteries and sodium/metal chloride batteries have demonstrated good reliability and long cycle life. For applications where very high power is desired, new electrolyte coinfigurations would be required. Design work was carried out for the sodium/metal chloride battery that demonstrates the feasibility of achieving high specific energy and high power for large battery cells having thin-walled high-surface area electrolytes.

Nelson, Paul A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Surface processes on Venus

Magellan synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and altimetry data were analyzed to determine the nature and extent of surface modification for venusian plains in the Sedna Planitia, Alpha Regio, and western Ovda Regio areas. Specific cross sections derived from the SAR data were also compared to similar data for dry terrestrial basaltic lava flows (Lunar Crater and Cima volcanic fields) and playas (Lunar and Lavic Lakes) for which microtopographic profiles (i.e., quantitative roughness information) were available.

Arvidson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Hail Size Distribution Mapping

A 3-D weather radar visualization software program was developed and implemented as part of an experimental Launch Pad 39 Hail Monitor System. 3DRadPlot, a radar plotting program, is one of several software modules that form building blocks of the hail data processing and analysis system (the complete software processing system under development). The spatial and temporal mapping algorithms were originally developed through research at the University of Central Florida, funded by NASA s Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), where the goal was to merge National Weather Service (NWS) Next-Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) volume reflectivity data with drop size distribution data acquired from a cluster of raindrop disdrometers. In this current work, we adapted these algorithms to process data from a cluster of hail disdrometers positioned around Launch Pads 39A or 39B, along with the corresponding NWS radar data. Radar data from all NWS NEXRAD sites is archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). That data can be readily accessed at . 3DRadPlot plots Level III reflectivity data at four scan elevations (this software is available at Open Channel Software, ). By using spatial and temporal interpolation/extrapolation based on hydrometeor fall dynamics, we can merge the hail disdrometer array data coupled with local Weather Surveillance Radar-1988, Doppler (WSR-88D) radial velocity and reflectivity data into a 4-D (3-D space and time) picture of hail size distributions. Hail flux maps can then be generated and used for damage prediction and assessment over specific surfaces corresponding to structures within the disdrometer array volume. Immediately following a hail storm, specific damage areas and degree of damage can be identified for inspection crews.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2012

An OSSE on Mesoscale Model Assimilation of Simulated HIRAD-Observed Hurricane Surface Winds

The hazards of landfalling hurricanes are well known, but progress on improving the intensity forecasts of these deadly storms at landfall has been slow. Many cite a lack of high-resolution data sets taken inside the core of a hurricane, and the lack of reliable measurements in extreme conditions near the surface of hurricanes, as possible reasons why even the most state-of-the-art forecasting models cannot seem to forecast intensity changes better. The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) is a new airborne microwave remote sensor for observing hurricanes, and is operated and researched by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in partnership with the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory/Hurricane Research Division, the University of Central Florida, the University of Michigan, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. This instrument?s purpose is to study the wind field of a hurricane, specifically observing surface wind speeds and rain rates, in what has traditionally been the most difficult areas for other instruments to study; the high wind and heavy rain regions. Dr. T. N. Krishnamurti has studied various data assimilation techniques for hurricane and monsoon rain rates, and this study builds off of results obtained from utilizing his style of physical initializations of rainfall observations, but obtaining reliable observations in heavy rain regions has always presented trouble to our research of high-resolution rainfall forecasting. Reliable data from these regions at such a high resolution and wide swath as HIRAD provides is potentially very valuable to mesoscale forecasting of hurricane intensity. This study shows how the data assimilation technique of Ensemble Kalman Filtering (EnKF) in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model can be used to incorporate wind, and later rain rate, data into a mesoscale model forecast of hurricane intensity. The study makes use of an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) with a simulated HIRAD dataset sampled during a hurricane and uses EnKF to forecast the track and intensity prediction of the hurricane. Comparisons to truth and error metrics are used to assess the model?s forecast performance.

Albers, Cerese↗
NASA NTRS2022

Modeling the Influence of Moulin Shape on Subglacial Hydrology

Subglacial models represent moulins as cylinders or cones, but field observations suggest that the upper part of moulins in the Greenland Ice Sheet has more complex shapes. These more complex shapes should cause englacial water storage within moulins to vary as a function of depth, a relationship not currently accounted for in models. Here, we use a coupled englacial-subglacial channel model to explore how moulin shape affects depth-dependent moulin water storage and water pressure dynamics within a subglacial channel. We simulate seven different moulin shapes across a range of moulin sizes. We find that the englacial storage capacity at the water level is the main control over the daily water level oscillation range and that depth-varying changes in englacial water storage control the temporal shape of this oscillation. Further, the cross-sectional area of the moulin within the daily oscillation range, but not above or below this range, controls pressures within the connected subglacial channel. Specifically, large cross-sectional areas can dampen daily to weekly oscillations that occur in the surface meltwater supply. Our findings suggest that further knowledge of the shape of moulins around the equilibrium water level would improve englacial storage parameterization in subglacial hydrological models and aid predictions of hydrodynamic coupling.

Moulin↗
NASA NTRS1975

Flow field characteristics and performance limitations of quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic accelerators

Measurements of terminal voltage, exhaust velocity, current and potential distributions in a quasi-steady MPD arc operating over a range of currents from 3 to 25 kA countervene previous indications of basic limitations on MPD performance. Terminal voltage fluctuations, previously used as an indicator of a unique limiting value of the parameter current squared over mass flow, are shown to be related to cathode surface area rather than to interelectrode plasma phenomena. With improved electrodes and insulators, satisfactory arc operation at specific impulses somewhat beyond previously proposed limits has been demonstrated, and the significant thrust producing mechanisms in such arcs have been identified.

Boyle, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Mars: Definition and characterization of global surface units with emphasis on composition

Viking 2 approach maps of red and violet normal albedo are used to define units of similar optical properties for a large area of the Martian surface. Computer processing of these data reveals clusters of albedo values relating to specific, contiguous regions of the planet, with some unit boundaries being of a gradational nature while others are more discrete. A study of the albedo properties of analog materials measured in the laboratory, and of telescopic spectrophotometry of Mars, indicates that both hydroxylated and hematitic oxidized materials exist on the surface. The most probable surface expression of global dust and/or high albedo soils is in the classical bright region, Arabia. Most low albedo features in the region studied have red and violet albedos that are consistent with a dark substrate, such as basalt, coated by, or mixed with, a fine grained alteration product.

Mccord, T. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Monolithic catalytic igniters

Catalytic igniters offer the potential for excellent reliability and simplicity for use with the diergolic bipropellant oxygen/hydrogen as well as with the monopropellant hydrazine. State-of-the-art catalyst beds - noble metal/granular pellet carriers - currently used in hydrazine engines are limited by carrier stability, which limits the hot-fire temperature, and by poor thermal response due to the large thermal mass. Moreover, questions remain with regard to longevity and reliability of these catalysts. In this work, Ultramet investigated the feasibility of fabricating monolithic catalyst beds that overcome the limitations of current catalytic igniters via a combination of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) iridium coatings and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) refractory ceramic foams. It was found that under all flow conditions and O2:H2 mass ratios tested, a high surface area monolithic bed outperformed a Shell 405 bed. Additionally, it was found that monolithic catalytic igniters, specifically porous ceramic foams fabricated by CVD/CVI processing, can be fabricated whose catalytic performance is better than Shell 405 and with significantly lower flow restriction, from materials that can operate at 2000 C or higher.

La Ferla, R.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Medicine Delivery Device with Integrated Sterilization and Detection

Sterile delivery devices can be created by integrating a medicine delivery instrument with surfaces that are coated with germicidal and anti-fouling material. This requires that a large-surface-area template be developed within a constrained volume to ensure good contact between the delivered medicine and the germicidal material. Both of these can be integrated using JPL-developed silicon nanotip or cryo-etch black silicon technologies with atomic layer deposition (ALD) coating of specific germicidal layers. The application of semiconductor processing techniques and technologies to the problems of fluid manipulation and delivery has enabled the integration of chemical, electrical, and mechanical manipulation of samples all within a single microfluidic device. This approach has been successfully applied at JPL to the automated processing, detection, and analysis of minute quantities (parts per trillion level) of biomaterials to develop instruments for in situ exploration or extraterrestrial bodies. The same nanofabrication techniques that are used to produce a microfluidics device are also capable of synthesizing extremely high-surface-area templates in precise locations, and coating those surfaces with conformal films to manipulate their surface properties. This methodology has been successfully applied at JPL to produce patterned and coated silicon nanotips (also known as black silicon) to manipulate the hydrophilicity of surfaces to direct the spreading of fluids in microdevices. JPL's ALD technique is an ideal method to produce the highly conformal coatings required for this type of application. Certain materials, such as TiO2, have germicidal and anti-fouling properties when they are illuminated with UV light. The proposed delivery device contacts medicine with this high-surface-area black silicon surface coated with a thin-film germicidal deposited conformally with ALD. The coating can also be illuminated with ultraviolet light for the purpose of sterilization or identification of the medicine itself. This constrained volume that is located immediately prior to delivery into a patient, ensures that the medicine delivery device is inherently sterile. An additional benefit to integrating a high-surface-area template within the fluid channel of a medicine delivery device is that one can envision a number of different functional coatings that could facilitate the capture and analysis of either microbial contaminants or the medicine itself. For example, one could attach antibodies or some other binding agent with a specific affinity to the silicon nanotip template. Once a target molecule or microbe is bound to the high-surface- area template, one could use an optical analytical technique such as fluorescence or adsorption to determine the identity and potentially the concentration of the species of interest. By illuminating the bound species from the back, it may also be possible to probe only the molecules with an evanescent wave, making detection of the species from the front side of the device much simpler.

Shearn, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaporation from the Southern Ocean Estimated on the Basis of AIRS Satellite Data

Evaporation plays an important role in the global water and energy cycles and, hence, in climate change. Evaporation over the Southern Ocean, where the Antarctic sea ice coverage has a large annual cycle, is poorly quantified. In this study, daily evaporation is estimated for the Southern Ocean with a sea‐ice‐specific algorithm, using surface temperature and air humidity from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and wind speeds from Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA‐2), reanalysis during 2003–2016. An uncertainty of 34% was found in the evaporation product. The results indicate that annual evaporation has considerable interannual and regional variability, but with a decreasing trend during the study period over most of the Southern Ocean. There are, however, areas where evaporation has increased, specifically in the Ross Sea in winter and summer, with smaller positive trends in spring and fall. Overall, the changes in the difference between the surface specific humidity and the air specific humidity, and to a much lesser extent in the wind speed, are the main drivers for the changes in evaporation throughout the year. During spring and fall months, changes to the sea ice cover, which alter the surface specific humidity, are the main drivers for the change, but in summer and winter the main driver is the air‐specific humidity. Air masses originating from the Antarctic continent (south) are associated with cold and dry conditions, which increase evaporation, whereas air masses from lower latitudes in the Southern Ocean (north) are associated with warm and moist conditions, decreasing evaporation. Comparisons with other reanalysis evaporation products produce similar trends, although annual averages differ.

Boisvert, Linette↗
NASA NTRS2016

Seismic Exploration of Small Bodies

As a result of the Phase I study, we have demonstrated that a mission to a smallbody (asteroid, comet) whose objective is to conduct a seismic experiment to understandthe interior structure, can be accomplished with small (<200 kg) spacecraft launched on asmall launch vehicle (Athena IIc).We modeled the seismic response of a small body and calculated that the energynecessary to propagate through the body and be detected by a seismometer. Thesecalculations provide guidance as to the type of energy source that is required. A simpleenergy source similar to a NASA standard initiator (NSI) can be used, although a singleNSI is insufficient. An NSI is an explosive pyrotechnic that is used to sever connectionson spacecraft. Use of such an energy source has illustrated two additional areas of study -anchoring of the source and sensor to the surface and understanding the efficiency ofenergy propagation from the source into the surface.The spacecraft has the ability to carry and deploy a series of source/sensors toconduct the experiment by placing them on the surface. We identified a suite of candidatenear-Earth asteroids as targets and used one 1991VG as the target to calculate the missiontrajectory and ∆V requirements. Spacecraft and launch vehicle performance are launchthat any of the candidates could be reached with appropriate mass and launch margins.Sources and sensors are deployed from arm attached to the spacecraft. Thespacecraft maneuvers next to the target body and presses the sensor against the surfaceand releases it. After emplacing all of the surface packages, the sensors are monitored fora period of time to measure the seismic noise. Finally, the active seismic experiment isconducted.The work conducted during Phase I demonstrates that a small mission can be designed to conduct an active seismic experiment on a small near-Earth body. Whileother targets may require more performance, the basic architecture is viable for anytarget.We have identified a number of specific technical areas that require more detailed study. Those areas are largely focused on the detailed analysis and design of the source mechanism and anchoring it to the surface. Such topics will be part of a Phase IIproposal.

Spacecraft↗
NASA NTRS1976

Arctic odyssey - Five years of data buoys in AIDJEX

The Arctic Ice Dynamics Joint Experiment of 1975-1976 used data bouys in conjunction with tracking satellites to study the interaction of Arctic Sea ice with the environment, and, more specifically, to define the motion of ice on the perimeter of the area of interest and to measure surface barometeric pressure over the same area. Charts are presented, indicating the position of the buoy array along with a table detailing buoy characteristics. The position fix accuracy of RAMS (Random Access Measurement System) buoys is discussed together with position errors due to the along-track motion of the observing satellites. Polar satellite data collection and tracking efficiency is assessed together with satellite system flexibility concepts.

Martin, P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Publications in acoustic and noise control from NASA Langley Research Center during 1940-1979

Reference lists of approximately 900 published Langley Research Center reports in various areas of acoustics and noise control for the period 1940-1979 are presented. Specific topic areas covered include: duct acoustics; propagation and operations; rotating blade noise; jet noise; sonic boom; flow surface interaction noise; structural response/interior noise; human response; and noise prediction.

Fryer, B. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Models of atmosphere-ecosystem-hydrology interactions: Approaches and testing

Interactions among the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems, and the hydrological cycle have been the subject of investigation for many years, although most of the research has had a regional focus. The topic is broad, including the effects of climate and hydrology on vegetation, the effects of vegetation on hydrology, the effects of the hydrological cycle on the atmosphere, and interactions of the cycles via material flux such as solutes and trace gases. The intent of this paper is to identify areas of critical uncertainty, discuss modeling approaches to resolving those problems, and then propose techniques for testing. I consider several interactions specifically to illustrate the range of problems. These areas are as follows: (1) cloud parameterizations and the land surface, (2) soil moisture, and (3) the terrestrial carbon cycle.

Schimel, David S.↗