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At least 1,477 records · Page 82

Angular radiation models for Earth-atmosphere system. Volume 1: Shortwave radiation

Presented are shortwave angular radiation models which are required for analysis of satellite measurements of Earth radiation, such as those fro the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). The models consist of both bidirectional and directional parameters. The bidirectional parameters are anisotropic function, standard deviation of mean radiance, and shortwave-longwave radiance correlation coefficient. The directional parameters are mean albedo as a function of Sun zenith angle and mean albedo normalized to overhead Sun. Derivation of these models from the Nimbus 7 ERB (Earth Radiation Budget) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data sets is described. Tabulated values and computer-generated plots are included for the bidirectional and directional modes.

Suttles, J. T.↗

Minimum High Fire Temperatures Detected in AVIRIS Spectral Measurements from Brazil in 1995

In August and September of 1995 the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) was deployed to Brazil as part of the NASA Smoke Cloud Aerosol and Radiation experiment in Brazil (SCAR-B). AVIRIS measures spectra from 400 to 2500 nm at 10-nm intervals. These spectra are acquired as images with dimensions of 11 by up to 800 km with 20-m spatial resolution. Spectral images measured by AVIRIS are spectrally, radiometrically, and spatially calibrated. During the SCAR-B deployment, AVIRIS measured more than 300 million spectra of regions of Brazil. A portion of these spectra were acquired over areas of actively burning fires. Actively burning fires emit radiance in the AVIRIS spectral range as a function of temperature. This emitted radiance is expressed from the 2500-nm end of the AVIRIS spectrum to shorter wavelengths as a function of intensity and modeled by the Planck function.. The objective of this research and analysis was to use spectroscopic methods to determine the minimum high temperature of the most intense fires measured in the SCAR-B AVIRIS data set. Spectra measured by AVIRIS with hot sources have been previously examined for volcanic lava and fires in Brazil.

Green, Robert O.↗

Ambient and Cryogenic Alignment Verification and Performance of the Infrared Multi-Object Spectrometer

The Infrared Multi-Object Spectrometer (IRMOS) is a facility instrument for the Kitt Peak National Observatory 4 and 2.1 meter telescopes. IRMOS is a near-IR (0.8 - 2.5 micron) spectrometer with low- to mid-resolving power (R = 300 - 3000). IRMOS produces simultaneous spectra of approximately 100 objects in its 2.8 x 2.0 arc-min field of view using a commercial Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD) from Texas Instruments. The IRMOS optical design consists of two imaging subsystems. The focal reducer images the focal plane of the telescope onto the DMD field stop, and the spectrograph images the DMD onto the detector. We describe ambient breadboard subsystem alignment and imaging performance of each stage independently, and the ambient and cryogenic imaging performance of the fully assembled instrument. Interferometric measurements of subsystem wavefront error serve to venfy alignment, and are accomplished using a commercial, modified Twyman-Green laser unequal path interferometer. Image testing provides further verification of the optomechanical alignment method and a measurement of near-angle scattered light due to mirror small-scale surface error. Image testing is performed at multiple field points. A mercury-argon pencil lamp provides spectral lines at 546.1 nm and 1550 nm, and a CCD camera and IR camera are used as detectors. We use commercial optical modeling software to predict the point-spread function and its effect on instrument slit transmission and resolution. Our breadboard test results validate this prediction. We conclude with an instrument performance prediction for first light.

Connelly, Joseph A.↗

GOATS - Orbitology Component

The GOATS Orbitology Component software was developed to specifically address the concerns presented by orbit analysis tools that are often written as stand-alone applications. These applications do not easily interface with standard JPL first-principles analysis tools, and have a steep learning curve due to their complicated nature. This toolset is written as a series of MATLAB functions, allowing seamless integration into existing JPL optical systems engineering modeling and analysis modules. The functions are completely open, and allow for advanced users to delve into and modify the underlying physics being modeled. Additionally, this software module fills an analysis gap, allowing for quick, high-level mission analysis trades without the need for detailed and complicated orbit analysis using commercial stand-alone tools. This software consists of a series of MATLAB functions to provide for geometric orbit-related analysis. This includes propagation of orbits to varying levels of generalization. In the simplest case, geosynchronous orbits can be modeled by specifying a subset of three orbit elements. The next case is a circular orbit, which can be specified by a subset of four orbit elements. The most general case is an arbitrary elliptical orbit specified by all six orbit elements. These orbits are all solved geometrically, under the basic problem of an object in circular (or elliptical) orbit around a rotating spheroid. The orbit functions output time series ground tracks, which serve as the basis for more detailed orbit analysis. This software module also includes functions to track the positions of the Sun, Moon, and arbitrary celestial bodies specified by right ascension and declination. Also included are functions to calculate line-of-sight geometries to ground-based targets, angular rotations and decompositions, and other line-of-site calculations. The toolset allows for the rapid execution of orbit trade studies at the level of detail required for the early stage of mission concept development.

Haber, Benjamin M.↗

Predicted viscosity of liquid HMX up to 40 GPa

Viscous flow serves as a significant heating mechanism during the formation of hot spots, but the shear viscosity which determines this response is poorly characterized for most high explosives. Most recently, a model was proposed for the shear viscosity of liquid HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane) that was fit to pressures reaching 5 GPa, but this work uncovered uncertainties in the viscosity at 0 GPa and remains untested at higher pressures. We use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and the Green-Kubo formalism to predict the temperature- and pressure-dependent shear viscosity of HMX over the pressure interval 0 GPa≤P≤40 GPa. Reassessment of the viscosity at 0 GPa rules out several potential explanations for discrepancies between earlier reports; we attribute these differences to details of MD trajectory integration impacting molecular flexibility. The shear viscosity of HMX exhibits an Arrhenius temperature dependence at each pressure considered, with exponential prefactor and activation energy terms that are also strong functions of pressure. An analytic form for the viscosity is developed based on an extension of the well-known Andrade equation that simultaneously captures the temperature and pressure dependencies in the MD data up to 40 GPa. Comparison against a recently developed model for the viscosity of liquid RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane) shows that both materials exhibit similar functional dependencies with the viscosity of HMX being higher by roughly an order of magnitude at a given temperature-pressure state.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mechanism of astatine and bismuth sorption on extraction chromatography resins from nitric acid media

Systematic study of astatine (At) sorption on extraction chromatography resins from nitric acid media has been performed at Texas A&M University. This work covers commercially available resins such as LN, TK400, SR, TRU, and UTEVA. Acquiring an understanding of At behavior in up to 4 M HNO 3 solutions is a key step to develop a rapid and reliable system for At separation and purification. The determined distribution coefficients are greater than 20 for all the resins studied, reaching 400 for TRU and UTEVA resins. The sorption uptake decreases in the order: TRU ≳ UTEVA >TK400 ≳ SR >LN. For each resin a thermodynamic model has been developed to suggest a possible mechanism of At sorption and corresponding sorption constants have been estimated. Literature data along with new results on bismuth (Bi) sorption by studied resins in nitric acid media have been reviewed and a mathematical model to describe its behavior has been suggested. A ratio of corresponding fit functions of At and Bi assigned to the same resin and acidity has been used to estimate separation factors of these elements. Furthermore, only the TRU resin is not suitable for efficient At isolation from Bi, while the other four resins demonstrate promising results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Calibration of the Falcon Solid-state Energetic Electron Detector (SEED)

The Falcon Solid-state Energetic Electron Detector (FalconSEED) is an energetic charged particle sensor that has been developed and tested at the United States Air Force Academy in an effort to monitor electron flux across the energy range of 14 to 145 keV in geosynchronous orbit. This sensor has been developed to complement ongoing efforts by the Air Force Research Laboratory to advance a comprehensive space environment sensor suite, Compact Environmental Anomaly Sensor (CEASE3), for anomaly resolution. In addition, FalconSEED is intended to demonstrate the ability to operate a radiation sensor based on predominantly commercial off the shelf components in the geosynchronous environment. This paper describes the design, development, and calibration of FalconSEED. The electron energy spectrum of interest for the FalconSEED sensor is 14 to 145 keV, and is intended to supplement data acquired from the CEASE3 instrument for anomaly resolution. The calibrations at the Space Atmospheric Research Center at the United States Air Force Academy and Kirtland Air Force Base were used to first establish the conversion between histogram bin number and deposited energy in the sensor, and second have been used to determine the geometric factor as a function of energy. The FalconSEED will be integrated as a science payload on the Space Test Program Satellite-6 which also includes the first flight of the CEASE3 instrument and is scheduled to launch in 2021.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A molecular beam mass spectrometric study of the formation and photolysis of C(lc)lO dimer

A study of the chlorine oxides present at temperatures and pressures typical of the Antarctic stratosphere was carried out. A series of low temperature flow reactors was constructed and used in conjunction with molecular beam mass spectrometric techniques to identify species and characterize their kinetic behavior at temperatures of -20 to -70 C and pressures of from 30 to 130 Torr. It was found that the gas phase chlorine-oxygen system was quite complex at low temperatures. ClO dimer was identified and found to be thermodynamically very stable under stratospheric conditions. It was also found that any system which contained ClO also contained a larger oxide. The oxide was identified as Cl2O3. A survey of possible higher oxides, which have been postulated as possible chlorine sinks in the stratosphere, was also carried out. The rate of formation of ClO dimer was measured as a function of temperature and pressure. Measurements were made of both the decay of ClO and the formation of the dimer. By comparing these rates it was determined that virtually all of the ClO was converted to the dimer under stratospheric conditions, and that the other ClO reactions were not important under these conditions.

Greene, Frank T.↗

Approach for Uncertainty Propagation and Robust Design in CFD Using Sensitivity Derivatives

This paper presents an implementation of the approximate statistical moment method for uncertainty propagation and robust optimization for a quasi 1-D Euler CFD (computational fluid dynamics) code. Given uncertainties in statistically independent, random, normally distributed input variables, a first- and second-order statistical moment matching procedure is performed to approximate the uncertainty in the CFD output. Efficient calculation of both first- and second-order sensitivity derivatives is required. In order to assess the validity of the approximations, the moments are compared with statistical moments generated through Monte Carlo simulations. The uncertainties in the CFD input variables are also incorporated into a robust optimization procedure. For this optimization, statistical moments involving first-order sensitivity derivatives appear in the objective function and system constraints. Second-order sensitivity derivatives are used in a gradient-based search to successfully execute a robust optimization. The approximate methods used throughout the analyses are found to be valid when considering robustness about input parameter mean values.

Putko, Michele M.↗

Approach for Input Uncertainty Propagation and Robust Design in CFD Using Sensitivity Derivatives

An implementation of the approximate statistical moment method for uncertainty propagation and robust optimization for quasi 3-D Euler CFD code is presented. Given uncertainties in statistically independent, random, normally distributed input variables, first- and second-order statistical moment procedures are performed to approximate the uncertainty in the CFD output. Efficient calculation of both first- and second-order sensitivity derivatives is required. In order to assess the validity of the approximations, these moments are compared with statistical moments generated through Monte Carlo simulations. The uncertainties in the CFD input variables are also incorporated into a robust optimization procedure. For this optimization, statistical moments involving first-order sensitivity derivatives appear in the objective function and system constraints. Second-order sensitivity derivatives are used in a gradient-based search to successfully execute a robust optimization. The approximate methods used throughout the analyses are found to be valid when considering robustness about input parameter mean values.

Putko, Michele M.↗

Moderate temperature sintering of BaZr 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3-δ protonic ceramics by A novel cold sintering pretreatment

The state-of-the-art protonic ceramic conductor BaZr 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3-δ (BZY20) requires an extremely high sintering temperature (≥1700 °C) to achieve the desired relative density and microstructure necessary to function as a proton conducting electrolyte. In this work, we developed a cold sintering pretreatment assisted moderate-temperature sintering method for the fabrication of high-quality pure BZY20 pellets. BZY20 pellets with high relative density of ~94% were fabricated with a final sintering temperature of 1500 °C (200 °C lower than the traditional sintering temperature). A comparison with BZY20 control samples indicated that the proper amount of BaCO 3 introduced on the BZY20 particle surface and the high green density achieved by cold sintering pretreatment were the main drivers for lowering the sintering temperature. The electrical conductivity measurement by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the as-prepared BZY20 pellets have a proton conductivity comparable to the state-of-the-art values. The cold sintering pretreatment outlined in this work has the potential to lower the sintering temperatures for similar types of protonic ceramic materials under consideration for a wide range of energy conversion and storage applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Uniting Theory and Experiment to Deliver Flexible MOFS for Superior Methane (NG) Storage

The objective of the project was to use previous insights developed through synthesis and quantitative modeling of rigid metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in an established synergistic theoretical/experimental team to create, modify, and evaluate flexible MOFs (FlexMOFs) for natural gas (NG) storage and release at practically useful pressures and transform the NG storage economy. The goal was reduced pressure absorbed natural gas (ANG) FlexMOF storage at operating pressures less than 100 bar with physisorption exploiting the favorable thermodynamics and kinetics of flexible porous material opening in response to adsorption. Hydrogen behavior in this context was also considered. The specific aim of the project was to design and develop a standard computational modeling methodology for, first, detailed atomistic retrodiction of FlexMOF gating behavior and ultimately prediction of the effects of functionalization and/or substitution on structural transitioning. The project was also geared towards the establishment of the interaction of methane with the framework and binding sites using modeling and the FlexMOF will be both internally and external validated as a SMART metric. This has value to the scientific community both from the obvious standpoint of providing a better understanding of the promising test case systems (CdIF-13 and the MIL-53(Al) series of MOFs), but also in providing an avenue of obtaining insight into these FlexMOF systems in general, which is of particular interest given the tendency of structure-function correlation to lag behind synthesis methodology (making the latter a hit or miss proposition for applications). This gap remains significant for FlexMOF systems whose gate opening behaviors complicate computational examination. The computational methodologies are relatively inexpensive in terms of both money and computational resources enhancing the general viability of these methodologies. The ultimate gain to the public will be in the application of these techniques to design systems for natural gas storage and use to cut down on green-house emissions.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Characterization of a Haematococcus pluvialis Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase 1 and Its Potential in Unsaturated Fatty Acid-Rich Triacylglycerol Production

The unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis has been recognized as an industry strain to produce simultaneously esterified astaxanthin (EAST) and triacylglycerol (TAG) under stress induction. It is necessary to identify the key enzymes involving in synergistic accumulation of EAST and TAG in H. pluvialis . In this study, a novel diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 was systematically characterized by in vivo and in silico assays. The upregulated expression of HpDGAT1 gene was positively associated with the significant increase of TAG and EAST contents under stress conditions. Functional complementation by overexpressing HpDGAT1 in a TAG-deficient yeast strain H1246 revealed that HpDGAT1 could restore TAG biosynthesis and exhibited a high substrate preference for monounsaturated fatty acyl-CoAs (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acyl-CoAs (PUFAs). Notably, heterogeneous expression of HpDGAT1 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in a significant enhancement of total oils and concurrently a high accumulation of MUFAs- and PUFAs-rich TAGs. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis indicated that HpDGAT1 contained AST-binding sites. These findings evidence a possible dual-function role for HpDGAT1 involving in TAG and EAST synthesis, demonstrating that it is a potential target gene to enrich AST accumulation in this alga and to design oil production in both commercial algae and oil crops.

Cui, Hongli↗

Upgraded viscous flow analysis of multi-element airfoils

A description of an improved version of the NASA/Lockheed multi-element airfoil analysis computer program is presented. The improvements include several major modifications of the aerodynamic model as well as substantial changes of the computer code. The modifications of the aerodynamic model comprise the representation of the boundary layer and wake displacement effects with an equivalent source distribution, the prediction of wake parameters with Green's lag-entrainment method, the calculation of turbulent boundary layer separation with the method of Nash and Hicks, the estimation of the onset of confluent boundary layer separation with a modified form of Goradia's method, and the prediction of profile drag with the formula of Squire and Young. The modifications of the computer program for which the structured approach to computer software development was employed are also described. Important aspects of the structured program development such as the functional decomposition of the aerodynamic theory and its numerical implementation, the analysis of the data flow within the code, and the application of a pseudo code are discussed.

Brune, G. W.↗

The Plasmasphere as "Seen" by the IMAGE Mission

The Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) is the first mission designed exclusively to remotely measure the magnetosphere. As such, it will reveal the ring current, plasmasphere, polar cusp, and magnetopause as whole extended, interacting systems. For the first time, our impressions of the global magnetosphere, synthesized through many years of whistler and in situ measurement, will be replaced by images. The overall morphology of each system of plasma and the correspondence of changes between them in response to the sun and solar wind will become available. The Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUV) and the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) are the two IMAGE instruments which will remotely measure and image the plasmasphere. What we expect to "see" from these instruments and how it may be interpreted is the subject of this presentation. The EUV instrument includes three optical cameras, with an almost 90 degree field of view, transverse to the spin axis. EUV is designed to see He+ ions in resonantly scatter solar light at 30.4rim. The IMAGE spacecraft will spin with a period of about 2 minutes, with its spin axis parallel to the orbit normal. The IMAGE orbit will be highly inclined, with a high latitude apogee at a geocentric distance of 8RE and perigee of about 1.2RE. The normal observing integration time of 10 minutes will easily see to the outer edge of the plasmasphere. The RPI instrument makes use of three orthoganal dipole antennas: two in the spin plane with a tip-to-tip length of 500m and one along the spin axis with a length of 20 meters. Using coded pulse transmissions, the RPI instrument will broadcast from 3kHz to 3MHz. With one minute resolution, plasma densities from about 0.1 cm(exp -3) to 100,000 cm(exp -3), along with line-of-sight bulk velocities and locations, will be obtained from all returned radio wave signals. When transmitting from the high latitude magnetospheric cavity, RPI will measure density profiles for the major plasma structures in the magnetosphere, including the magnetopause, polar cusp, and plasmasphere. RPI should also see isolated density irregularities and possibly the plasma sheet. Observations The EUV instrument will return line-of-sight integrated images through the optically thin helium medium of the plasmasphere and magnetosphere. A variety of techniques have been suggested for the translation of the images into physically useful data, such as plasmapause location and three dimensional density distribution. The RPI instrument will return quantitative density values and line-of-sight velocity as a function of position along reflecting wave propagation paths. How they may be used individually and together to study plasmaspheric dynamics and global structure will be discussed. Attention will also be given to the data products and how access to IMAGE data will be provided by the IMAGE team and the NSSDC.

Gallagher, D. L.↗

Upgraded viscous flow analysis of multielement airfoils

A description of an improved version of the NASA/Lockheed multielement airfoil analysis computer program is presented. The improvements include several major modifications of the aerodynamic model as well as substantial changes of the computer code. The modifications of the aerodynamic model comprise the representation of the boundary layer and wake displacement effects with an equivalent source distribution, the prediction of wake parameters with Green's lag-entrainment method, the calculation of turbulent boundary layer separation with the method of Nash and Hicks, the estimation of the onset of confluent boundary layer separation with a modified form of Goradia's method, and the prediction of profile drag with the formula of Squire and Young. The paper further describes the modifications of the computer program for which the structured approach to computer software development was employed. Important aspects of the structured program development such as the functional decomposition of the aerodynamic theory and its numerical implementation, the analysis of the data flow within the code, and the application of a pseudo code are discussed.

Brune, G. W.↗

Using radioactive material to evaluate decontamination of contaminated electronics

Electronic materials are used everywhere and can get easily contaminated by their use in the field/laboratory. The goal of this project was to use radioactive material to track the effectiveness of a cleaning procedure using an off-the-shelf cleaning gel. Radioactive potassium bromide (KBr) was used as a model contaminant in four contamination scenarios to gauge the effectiveness of a cleaning gel in the decontamination of contaminated raspberry pi’s. Finally, the investigated decontamination technique was found to be 75–97% effective in removing contamination from the tested electronic devices. 95% of the contaminated electronic devices retained their functionality post-decontamination.

38 - RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCL↗

Pangenomes suggest ecological-evolutionary responses to experimental soil warming

ABSTRACT Below-ground carbon transformations that contribute to healthy soils represent a natural climate change mitigation, but newly acquired traits adaptive to climate stress may alter microbial feedback mechanisms. To better define microbial evolutionary responses to long-term climate warming, we study microorganisms from an ongoing in situ soil warming experiment where, for over three decades, temperate forest soils are continuously heated at 5°C above ambient. We hypothesize that across generations of chronic warming, genomic signatures within diverse bacterial lineages reflect adaptations related to growth and carbon utilization. From our bacterial culture collection isolated from experimental heated and control plots, we sequenced genomes representing dominant taxa sensitive to warming, including lineages of Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria. We investigated genomic attributes and functional gene content to identify signatures of adaptation. Comparative pangenomics revealed accessory gene clusters related to central metabolism, competition, and carbon substrate degradation, with few functional annotations explicitly associated with long-term warming. Trends in functional gene patterns suggest genomes from heated plots were relatively enriched in central carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism pathways, while genomes from control plots were relatively enriched in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism pathways. We observed that genomes from heated plots had less codon bias, suggesting potential adaptive traits related to growth or growth efficiency. Codon usage bias varied for organisms with similar 16S rrn operon copy number, suggesting that these organisms experience different selective pressures on growth efficiency. Our work suggests the emergence of lineage-specific trends as well as common ecological-evolutionary microbial responses to climate change. IMPORTANCE Anthropogenic climate change threatens soil ecosystem health in part by altering below-ground carbon cycling carried out by microbes. Microbial evolutionary responses are often overshadowed by community-level ecological responses, but adaptive responses represent potential changes in traits and functional potential that may alter ecosystem function. We predict that microbes are adapting to climate change stressors like soil warming. To test this, we analyzed the genomes of bacteria from a soil warming experiment where soil plots have been experimentally heated 5°C above ambient for over 30 years. While genomic attributes were unchanged by long-term warming, we observed trends in functional gene content related to carbon and nitrogen usage and genomic indicators of growth efficiency. These responses may represent new parameters in how soil ecosystems feedback to the climate system.

Choudoir, Mallory J. (ORCID:0000000291175150)↗