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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 1,549 records · Page 86
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Biology of bone and how it orchestrates the form and function of the skeleton

The principal role of the skeleton is to provide structural support for the body. While the skeleton also serves as the body's mineral reservoir, the mineralized structure is the very basis of posture, opposes muscular contraction resulting in motion, withstands functional load bearing, and protects internal organs. Although the mass and morphology of the skeleton is defined, to some extent, by genetic determinants, it is the tissue's ability to remodel--the local resorption and formation of bone--which is responsible for achieving this intricate balance between competing responsibilities. The aim of this review is to address bone's form-function relationship, beginning with extensive research in the musculoskeletal disciplines, and focusing on several recent cellular and molecular discoveries which help understand the complex interdependence of bone cells, growth factors, physical stimuli, metabolic demands, and structural responsibilities. With a clinical and spine-oriented audience in mind, the principles of bone cell and molecular biology and physiology are presented, and an attempt has been made to incorporate epidemiologic data and therapeutic implications. Bone research remains interdisciplinary by nature, and a deeper understanding of bone biology will ultimately lead to advances in the treatment of diseases and injuries to bone itself.

Review↗
NASA NTRS1990

Blood biochemical and cellular changes during decompression and simulated extravehicular activity

Blood biochemical and cellular parameters were measured in human subjects before and after exposure to a decompression schedule involving 6 h of oxygen prebreathing. The exposure was designed to simulate extravehicular activity for 6 h (subjects performed exercise while exposed to 29.6 kPa). There were no significant differences between blood samples from subjects who were susceptible (n = 11) versus those who were resistant (n = 27) to formation of venous gas emboli. Although several statistically significant (P less than 0.05) changes in blood parameters were observed following the exposure (increases in white blood cell count, prothrombin time, and total bilirubin, and decreases in triglycerides, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood urea nitrogen), the changes were small in magnitude and blood factor levels remained within normal clinical ranges. Thus, the decompression schedule used in this study is not likely to result in blood changes that would pose a threat to astronauts during extravehicular activity.

Decompression Sickness/blood/etiology/prevention &↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Multi-mission Event-Driven Component-Based System for Support of Flight Software Development, ATLO, and Operations first used by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Project

This viewgraph presentation reviews the architectural description of the Mission Data Processing and Control System (MPCS). MPCS is an event-driven, multi-mission ground data processing components providing uplink, downlink, and data management capabilities which will support the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project as its first target mission. MPCS is designed with these factors (1) Enabling plug and play architecture (2) MPCS has strong inheritance from GDS components that have been developed for other Flight Projects (MER, MRO, DAWN, MSAP), and are currently being used in operations and ATLO, and (3) MPCS components are Java-based, platform independent, and are designed to consume and produce XML-formatted data

Mission Data Processing and Control System (MPCS)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Stable binding to phosphatidylserine-containing membranes requires conserved arginine residues in tandem C domains of blood coagulation factor VIII

At sites of vascular damage, factor VIII (fVIII) is proteolytically activated by thrombin and binds to activated platelet surfaces with activated factor IX (fIXa) to form the intrinsic “tenase” complex. Previous structural and mutational studies of fVIII have identified the C1 and C2 domains in binding to negatively charged membrane surfaces through β-hairpin loops with solvent-exposed hydrophobic residues and a ring of positively charged basic residues. Several hemophilia A-associated mutations within the C domains are suggested to disrupt lipid binding, preventing formation of the intrinsic tenase complex. In this study, we devised a novel platform for generating recombinant C1, C2, and C1C2 domain constructs and performed mutagenesis of several charged residues proximal to the putative membrane binding region of each C domain. Binding measurements between phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing lipid membrane surfaces and fVIII C domains demonstrated an ionic strength dependence on membrane binding affinity. Mutations to basic residues adjacent to the surface-exposed hydrophobic regions of C1 and C2 differentially disrupted membrane binding, with abrogation of binding occurring for mutations to conserved arginine residues in the C1 (R2163) and C2 (R2320) domains. Lastly, we determined the X-ray crystal structure of the porcine fVIII C2 domain bound to o-phospho-L-serine, the polar headgroup of PS, which binds to a basic cleft and makes charge-charge contact with R2320. We conclude that basic clefts in the fVIII C domains bind to PS-containing membranes through conserved arginine residues via a C domain modularity, where each C domain possesses modest electrostatic-dependent affinity and tandem C domains are required for high affinity binding.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deconvoluting Effects of Lithium Morphology and SEI Stability at Moderate Current Density Using Interface Engineering

Lithium (Li)-morphology and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) are among the most significant performance regulators in Li-metal batteries (LMBs). While both Li-morphology and SEI composition play key roles in the cyclability of LMBs, less is understood about the individual contributions of each factor to overall Li reversibility, particularly at a practical current density (1 mA cm −2 ) at which the kinetics of both factors are not naturally separated. Herein, an interface engineering approach is introduced to deconvolute the impacts of Li-morphology and SEI composition on battery performance. By using interfacial nanofilms with differing resistivity (resistive HfO 2 versus conductive ZnO), the morphology of Li is varied, and by virtue of similar acidic character of the nanofilms, the formation of anion-rich SEIs is maintained. It is established that although the surface acidity of the thin films enables preformation of a more anion-rich SEI, it is not preserved after Li plating. It is further shown that resistance-controlled, low-surface-area Li-morphology exhibits up to threefold increase in stable cycle life when tested in multiple electrolytes. Overall, these findings explain why Li-morphological control is more advantageous for performance improvement than preformed SEI modulation due to the inherent challenges in SEI preservation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cation-Specific Electrokinetic Separations Using Prussian Blue Intercalation Reactions

In this work, we report a new approach for forming ion depletion zones (IDZs) using intercalation reactions at an electrochemically controlled Prussian blue (PB) film. The experiments described here were performed using a microfluidic device, wherein a charged fluorophore in solution was used as a proxy to monitor IDZ formation. In the presence of K + , intercalation reactions proceed readily to form an IDZ, and thus enrich the fluorophore up to 37-fold. In the presence of the larger hydrated Li + or tetrabutylammonium (TBA + ) ions, however, ion intercalation proceeded less quickly than with K + . Slower ion intercalation resulted in a weaker IDZ and correspondingly lower enrichment factors of eight- and six-fold, respectively. These results are significant because they show that PB intercalation reactions selectively form an IDZ. Accordingly, we anticipate that these findings will lead to a better understanding and further interesting applications of intercalation materials like PB for efficient and selective enrichment and separations.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Product specific thermal degradation kinetics of bisphenol F epoxy in inert and oxidative atmospheres using evolved gas analysis–mass spectrometry

Knowledge of the degradation kinetics for polymer materials is important for understanding thermal stability. In this study, evolved gas analysis–mass spectrometry and pyrolysis gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry were evaluated for the potential to deliver additional insight into thermal degradation kinetics of diglycidal ether of bisphenol F (DGEBF) epoxy thermoset under inert and oxidative atmospheres. Degradation products of selected precursor ions were evaluated for their uniqueness to the specific precursor using extracted ion thermographs. Unique mass peaks, solely attributed to a single reaction pathway of a specific product, were determined from extracted ion thermographs and used to determine both activation energy (E a ) and pre-exponential factors for the specific primary reaction pathways. These primary reaction pathways for DGEBF epoxy degradation were then evaluated in the context of transition state theory (TST) and related transition state enthalpies (ΔH ‡ ) and entropies (ΔS ‡ ) of activation to further elucidate the degradation process. It was determined under pyrolysis conditions, as suggested by the E a , the formation of bisphenol F monomer was the rate-limiting step toward the formation of xanthene and phenol. In contrast, under thermo-oxidative conditions, reactions involving oxygen containing species were identified as the rate-limiting step for all observed products based on the large negative ΔS ‡ calculated from TST. This work demonstrates a powerful combination of technique and theory that can provide new insight into the degradation of polymer materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Graphene-based sensing of oxygen transport through pulmonary membranes

Lipid-protein complexes are the basis of pulmonary surfactants covering the respiratory surface and mediating gas exchange in lungs. Cardiolipin is a mitochondrial lipid overexpressed in mammalian lungs infected by bacterial pneumonia. In addition, increased oxygen supply (hyperoxia) is a pathological factor also critical in bacterial pneumonia. In this paper we fabricate a micrometer-size graphene-based sensor to measure oxygen permeation through pulmonary membranes. Combining oxygen sensing, X-ray scattering, and Atomic Force Microscopy, we show that mammalian pulmonary membranes suffer a structural transformation induced by cardiolipin. We observe that cardiolipin promotes the formation of periodic protein–free inter–membrane contacts with rhombohedral symmetry. Membrane contacts, or stalks, promote a significant increase in oxygen gas permeation which may bear significance for alveoli gas exchange imbalance in pneumonia.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Controlling $H_{3}^{+}$ Formation From Ethane Using Shaped Ultrafast Laser Pulses

An adaptive learning algorithm coupled with 3D momentum-based feedback is used to identify intense laser pulse shapes that control $H_{3}^{+}$ formation from ethane. Specifically, we controlled the ratio of D 2 H + to $D_{3}^{+}$ produced from the D 3 C-CH 3 isotopologue of ethane, which selects between trihydrogen cations formed from atoms on one or both sides of ethane. We are able to modify the D 2 H + :$D_{3}^{+}$ ratio by a factor of up to three. In addition, two-dimensional scans of linear chirp and third-order dispersion are conducted for a few fourth-order dispersion values while the D 2 H + and $D_{3}^{+}$ production rates are monitored. The optimized pulse is observed to influence the yield, kinetic energy release, and angular distribution of the D 2 H + ions while the $D_{3}^{+}$ ion dynamics remain relatively stable. We subsequently conducted COLTRIMS experiments on C 2 D 6 to complement the velocity map imaging data obtained during the control experiments and measured the branching ratio of two-body double ionization. Two-body $D_{3}^{+}$ + $C_{2}D_{3}^{+}$ is the dominant final channel containing $D_{3}^{+}$ ions, although the three-body D + $D_{3}^{+}$ + $C_{2}D_{2}^{+}$ final state is also observed.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the gravitational stability of the interstellar medium in spiral arms

The dynamics of self-gravitating gaseous density perturbations in the tightly wound spiral-arm model of the forcing potential (Brown 1969) is investigated. The cloud ensemble of the cold phase of the interstellar medium is regarded as a collisional gas whose 'molecules' are the clouds themselves, and the dynamical evolution of density perturbations is calculated assuming this gas obeys a polytropic pressure-density law. It is suggested that the formation of extreme Population I objects found predominantly along the arms of Sb/Sc systems is regulated by an overall energy balance in the cloud fluid. A single parameter is found which appears to characterize the flow's gravitational response to perturbations; this spiral parameter, Q-sub-sp, differs from the Toomre Q parameter by a factor of the square root of the density enhancement at the shock. It is necessary but not sufficient that Q-sub-sp be less than unity for significant growth to occur.

Balbus, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Nearest neighbor spacing of fair weather cumulus clouds

Histograms of nearest neighbor spacings of fair weather cumulus at 15 locations over the world's oceans are presented based on the analysis of high resolution Landsat 3 Multispectral Scanner images for amounts of cloud cover ranging from 0.6 to 37.6 percent. These histograms are found to be essentially the same at all locations analyzed, similarly to previous findings on the size distributions and the fractal dimensions of the perimeters for this cloud type. The nearest neighbor spacings are linearly dependent on the effective cloud radii, with a proportionality factor ranging from five to twenty. The histograms peak at about 0.5 km. Nearest-neighbor spacings smaller than about a kilometer, associated with cumulus clouds with an effective radius less than a few hundred meters, have a distribution of cloud centers that is almost indepedent in the horizontal plane and show a tendency for the formation of clumps. Larger spacings of up to thirty kilometers occur and are associated with the larger clouds. These latter spacings are not independent.

Joseph, Joachim H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Dexamethasone effects on creatine kinase activity and insulin-like growth factor receptors in cultured muscle cells

The effect of dexamethasone on the activity of creatine kinase (CK) and the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) binding were investigated using skeletal- and cardiac-muscle-derived cultured cell lines (mouse, C2C12; rat, L6 and H9c2). It was found that, in skeletal muscle cells, dexamethasone treatment during differentiation of skeletal-muscle cells caused dose-dependent increases in CK activity and increases in the degree of myotube formation, whereas cardiac cells (H9c2) exhibited very low CK activity during culture or dexamethasone treatment. Results for IGF-I binding were similar in all three cell lines. The IGF-I binding to dexamethasone-treated cells (50 nM for 24 hr on the day prior to confluence) resulted in an increased number of available binding sites, with no effect on the binding affinities.

Whitson, Peggy A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Nonlinear structure formation in flat cosmological models

This paper describes the formation of nonlinear structure in flat (zero curvature) Friedmann cosmological models. We consider models with two components: the usual nonrelativistic component that evolves under gravity and eventually forms the large-scale structure of the universe, and a uniform dark matter component that does not clump under gravity, and whose energy density varies with the scale factor a(t) like a(t)(sup -n), where n is a free parameter. Each model is characterized by two parameters: the exponent n and the present density parameter Omega(sub 0) of the nonrelativistic component. The linear perturbation equations are derived and solved for these models, for the three different cases n = 3, n is greater than 3, and n is less than 3. The case n = 3 is relevant to model with massive neutrinos. The presence of the uniform component strongly reduces the growth of the perturbation compared with the Einstein-de Sitter model. We show that the Meszaros effect (suppression of growth at high redshift) holds not only for n = 4, radiation-dominated models, but for all models with n is greater than 3. This essentially rules out any such model. For the case n is less than 3, we numerically integrate the perturbation equations from the big bang to the present, for 620 different models with various values of Omega(sub 0) and n. Using these solutions, we show that the function f(Omega(sub 0), n) = (a/delta(sub +))d(delta)(sub +)/da, which enters in the relationship between the present density contrast delta(sub 0) and peculiar velocity field u(sub 0) is essentially independent of n. We derive approximate solutions for the second-order perturbation equations. These second-order solutions are tested against the exact solutions and the Zel'dovich approximation for spherically symmetric perturbations in the marginally nonlinear regime (the absolute value of delta is less than or approximately 1). The second-order and Zel'dovich solutions have comparable accuracy, significantly higher than the accuracy of the linear solutions. We then investigate the dependence of the delta(sub 0) - u(sub 0) relationship upon the value of n in the nonlinear regime using the second-order solutions for marginally nonlinear, general perturbations, and the exact solutions for strongly nonlinear, spherically symmetric perturbations. In both cases, we find that the delta(sub 0) - u(sub 0) relationship remains independent of n. We speculate that this result extends to strongly nonlinear, general perturbations as well. This eliminates any hope to determine the presence of the uniform component or the value of n using dynamical methods. Finally, we compute the nonlinear evolution of the skewness of the distribution of values of delta, assuming Gaussian initial conditions. We find that the skewness is not only independent of n, but also of Omega(sub 0). Thus the skewness cannot be used to discriminate among various models with Gaussian initial conditions. However, it can be used for testing the Gaussianity of the initial conditions themselves. We conclude that the uniform component leaves no observable signature in the present large-scale structure of the universe. To determine its presence and nature, we must investigate the relationship between the past and present universe, using redshift-dependent tests.

Martel, Hugo↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Statistical Analysis of Corona Topography: New Insights into Corona Formation and Evolution

Extensive mapping of the surface of Venus and continued analysis of Magellan data have allowed a more comprehensive survey of coronae to be conducted. Our updated corona database contains 514 features, an increase from the 326 coronae of the previous survey. We include a new set of 106 Type 2 or stealth coronae, which have a topographic rather than a fracture annulus. The large increase in the number of coronae over the 1992 survey results from several factors, including the use of the full Magellan data set and the addition of features identified as part of the systematic geologic mapping of Venus. Parameters of the population that we have analyzed to date include size and topography.

Stofan, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Trajectories and energy transfer of saltating particles onto rock surfaces : application to abrasion and ventifact formation on Earth and Mars

The interaction between saltating sand grains and rock surfaces is assessed to gauge relative abrasion potential as a function of rock shape, wind speed, grain size, and planetary environment. Many kinetic energy height profiles for impacts exhibit a distinctive increase, or kink, a few centimeters above the surface, consistent with previous field, wind tunnel, and theoretical investigations. The height of the kink observed in natural and wind tunnel settings is greater than predictions by a factor of 2 or more, probably because of enhanced bouncing off hard ground surfaces. Rebounded grains increase the effective flux and relative kinetic energy for intermediate slope angles. Whether abrasion occurs, as opposed to simple grain impact with little or no mass lost from the rock, depends on whether the grain kinetic energy (EG) exceeds a critical value (EC), as well as the flux of grains with energies above EC. The magnitude of abrasion and the shape change of the rock over time depends on this flux and the value of EG > EC. Considering the potential range of particle sizes and wind speeds, the predicted kinetic energies of saltating sand hitting rocks overlap on Earth and Mars. However, when limited to the most likely grain sizes and threshold conditions, our results agree with previous work and show that kinetic energies are about an order of magnitude greater on Mars.

planet sufraces↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Role of Secondary Particle Structures in Surface Phase Transitions of Ni-Rich Cathodes

Nanometer-thick reconstruction layers on layered cathode surfaces have been widely observed on both pristine and cycled materials. However, the mechanisms of reconstruction and the role that these structures play in electrochemical performance are not fully understood. From a crystallographic perspective, such surface reconstruction layers result from cation site-mixing between Li and transition-metal ions, but it remains far from clear as to what the critical factors are that control such cation mixing for various cathode chemistries. In this paper, we report observations on surface transformations during cycling of a Ni-rich cathode-oxide that are governed by direct contact with the liquid electrolyte. Specifically, within a secondary particle, the three-dimensional hierarchical aggregate of primary particles leads to the formation of grain boundaries of different characteristics, including open grain boundaries that allow the permeation of liquid electrolyte, and closed grain boundaries that exclude liquid electrolyte penetration. Upon battery cycling, surfaces in direct contact with the liquid electrolyte showed a surface reconstruction layer while the surfaces that did not have contact with the electrolyte showed no such reconstructions. In addition, the critical role of oxygen in reconstruction of grain boundaries is demonstrated, and the unexpected oxygen depletion at twin boundaries result in severe phase transitions. The present work provides further insights into phase transitions at solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces within secondary cathode particles and suggests strategies for mitigating surface/interfacial degradation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Cosmic Evolution of C IV Absorbers at 1.4 < z < 4.5: Insights from 100,000 Systems in DESI Quasars

We present the largest catalog to date of triply ionized carbon (C IV ) absorbers detected in quasar spectra from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. Using an automated matched-kernel convolution method with adaptive signal-to-noise thresholds, we identify 101,487 C IV systems in the redshift range 1.4 < z < 4.5 from 300,637 quasar spectra. Completeness is estimated via Monte Carlo simulations, and the catalog is 50% complete at EW C IV ≥ 0.4 Å. The differential equivalent width frequency distribution declines exponentially and shows weak redshift evolution. The absorber incidence per unit comoving path increases by a factor of 2–5 from z ≈ 4.5 to z ≈ 1.4, with stronger redshift evolution for strong systems. Using column densities derived from the apparent optical depth method, we constrain the cosmic mass density of C IV , Ω C IV , which increases by a factor of ∼3.8 from (0.82 ± 0.05) × 10 −8 at z ≈ 4.5 to (3.16 ± 0.2) × 10 −8 at z ≈ 1.4. From Ω C IV , we estimate a lower limit on intergalactic medium metallicity ${\mathrm{log}}({Z}_{{\rm{IGM}}}/{Z}_{\odot })\gtrsim -3.25$ at z ∼ 2.3, with a smooth decline at higher redshifts. These trends trace the cosmic star formation history and He II photoheating rate, suggesting a link between C IV enrichment, star formation, and UV background over ∼3 Gyr. The catalog also provides a critical resource for future studies connecting circumgalactic metals to galaxy evolution, especially near cosmic noon.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1981

Investigations of electron helicity in optically active molecules using polarized beams of electrons and positrons

A positronium-formation experiment with a high sensitivity to a possible relation between the helicity of beta particles emitted in nuclear beta decay and the optical asymmetry of biological molecules is presented. The experiment is based on a mechanism in which the electrons in optically active molecules possess a helicity of less than 0.001, too weak to detect in radiolysis experiments, the sign of which depends on the chirality of the isomer. A helicity-dependent asymmetry is sought in the formation of the triplet ground state of positronium when a low-energy beam of polarized positrons of reversible helicity interacts with an optically active substance coating a channel electron multiplier. Asymmetries between positronium decays observed at positive and negative helicities for the same substance can thus be determined with a sensitivity of 0.0001, which represents a factor of 100 improvement over previous positronium experiments.

Gidley, D. W.↗