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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Multispectral and thermal surface imagery and surface elevation mosaics - SGP July 2022

This data set contains high-resolution image products (orthomosaics) acquired from midsized uncrewed aerial systems that have been processed for value-added quality. The instrument itself, a multispectral imager, the Altum by Micasense, captures six spectral bands (red, green blue, NIR, red edge, and LWIR/thermal1) as radiance, which is converted to reflectance via custom code. The code used to develop these images first uses tools from the Micasense Python library2 to apply dark level corrections, row gradient corrections, and radiometric corrections. Next, it uses the processing API from Agisoft Metashape software to align and mosaic the processed imagery, following the processes developed by the USGS' structure from motion workflow documentation.3 Captures at different altitudes (recorded in MSL) produce an orthomosaic, a tif image containing information related to the six spectral bands, and a digital elevation model (DEM), a tif image containing information related to the elevation of the surveyed terraine. Metadata included in every image can be used to extract lat, lon, and reflectance values. 1 https://www.arm.gov/publications/tech_reports/handbooks/doe-sc-arm-tr-281.pdf 2 https://micasense.github.io/imageprocessing/MicaSense%20Image%20Processing%20Setup.html 3 https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2021/1039/ofr20211039.pdf

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2003

Evaluation of Alternate Concepts for Synthetic Vision Flight Displays With Weather-Penetrating Sensor Image Inserts During Simulated Landing Approaches

A simulation study was conducted in 1994 at Langley Research Center that used 12 commercial airline pilots repeatedly flying complex Microwave Landing System (MLS)-type approaches to parallel runways under Category IIIc weather conditions. Two sensor insert concepts of 'Synthetic Vision Systems' (SVS) were used in the simulated flights, with a more conventional electro-optical display (similar to a Head-Up Display with raster capability for sensor imagery), flown under less restrictive visibility conditions, used as a control condition. The SVS concepts combined the sensor imagery with a computer-generated image (CGI) of an out-the-window scene based on an onboard airport database. Various scenarios involving runway traffic incursions (taxiing aircraft and parked fuel trucks) and navigational system position errors (both static and dynamic) were used to assess the pilots' ability to manage the approach task with the display concepts. The two SVS sensor insert concepts contrasted the simple overlay of sensor imagery on the CGI scene without additional image processing (the SV display) to the complex integration (the AV display) of the CGI scene with pilot-decision aiding using both object and edge detection techniques for detection of obstacle conflicts and runway alignment errors.

Parrish, Russell V.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Narrow bandgap semiconducting silicides: Intrinsic infrared detectors on a silicon chip

Work done during the final report period is presented. The main technical objective was to achieve epitaxial growth on silicon of two semiconducting silicides, ReSi2 and CrSi2. ReSi2 thin films were grown on (001) silicon wafers by vacuum evaporation of rhenium onto hot substrates in ultrahigh vacuum. The preferred epitaxial relationship was found to be ReSi2(100)/Si(001) with ReSi2(010) parallel to Si(110). The lattice matching consists of a common unit mesh of 120 A(sup 2) area, and a mismatch of 1.8 percent. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the existence of rotation twins corresponding to two distinct but equivalent azimuthal orientations of the common unit mesh. MeV He(+) backscattering spectrometry revealed a minimum channeling yield of 2 percent for an approximately 1,500 A thick film grown at 650 C. Although the lateral dimension of the twins is on the order of 100 A, there is a very high degree of alignment between the ReSi2(100) and the Si(001) planes. Highly oriented films of CrSi2 were grown on (111) silicon substrates, with the matching crystallographic faces being CrSi2(001)/Si(111). The reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns of the films consist of sharp streaks, symmetrically arranged. The predominant azimuthal orientation of the films was determined to be CrSi2(210) parallel to Si(110). This highly desirable heteroepitaxial relationship has been obtained previously by others; it may be described with a common unit mesh of 51 A(sup 2) and mismatch of 0.3 percent. RHEED also revealed the presence of limited film regions of a competing azimuthal orientation, CrSi2(110) parallel to Si(110). A channeling effect for MeV He(+) ions was not found for this material. Potential commercial applications of this research may be found in silicon-integrated infrared detector arrays. Optical characterizations showed that semiconducting ReSi2 is a strong absorber of infrared radiation, with the adsorption constant increasing above 2 x 10(exp 4) cm(sup -1) for photon energies above 0.2 eV. CrSi2 is of potential utility for detection at photon energies above approximately 0.3 eV.

Mahan, John E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ducted Fuel Injection Provides Consistently Lower Soot Emissions in Sweep to Full-Load Conditions

Earlier studies have proven how ducted fuel injection (DFI) substantially reduces soot for low- and mid-load conditions in heavy-duty engines, without significant adverse effects on other emissions. Nevertheless, no comprehensive DFI study exists showing soot reductions at high- and full-load conditions. This study investigated DFI in a single-cylinder, 1.7-L, optical engine from low- to full-load conditions with a low-net-carbon fuel consisting of 80% renewable diesel and 20% biodiesel. Over the tested load range, DFI reduced engine-out soot by 38.1–63.1% compared to conventional diesel combustion (CDC). This soot reduction occurred without significant detrimental effects on other emission types. Thus, DFI reduced the severity of the soot–NO x tradeoff at all tested conditions. While DFI delivered considerable soot reductions in thepresent study, previous DFI studies at low- and mid-load conditions delivered larger soot reductions (>90%) compared to CDC operation at the same conditions. Therefore, the DFI configuration used here has been deemed nonoptimal (in terms of parameters such as the injector-spray and piston geometries), and several improvements are recommended for future studies with high-load DFI. Further, these improvements include employing better spray-duct alignment, a deeper piston bowl with a smaller injector umbrella angle, and a fuel injector that opens and closes faster. The study also suggests future research to make DFI ready for commercialization, such as metal-engine tests to ensure desirable DFI performance over an engine’s complete speed/load map. Overall, this study supports the continued development and commercialization of DFI to meet upcoming emissions regulations for heavy-duty vehicles. Specifically, multicylinder engine experiments and CFD simulations should be utilized to optimize the performance and clarify the full potential of DFI.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
NASA NTRS2005

Miniature Focusing Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

An improved miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been developed in a continuing effort to minimize the sizes, weights, power demands, and costs of mass spectrometers for such diverse applications as measurement of concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere, detecting poisonous gases in mines, and analyzing exhaust gases of automobiles. Advantageous characteristics of this mass spectrometer include the following: It is simple and rugged. Relative to prior mass spectrometers, it is inexpensive to build. There is no need for precise alignment of its components. Its mass range is practically unlimited Relative to prior mass spectrometers, it offers high sensitivity (ability to measure relative concentrations as small as parts per billion). Its resolution is one dalton (one atomic mass unit). An entire mass spectrum is recorded in a single pulse. (In a conventional mass spectrometer, a spectrum is recorded mass by mass.) The data-acquisition process takes only seconds. It is a lightweight, low-power, portable instrument. Although time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MSs) have been miniaturized previously, their performances have not been completely satisfactory. An inherent adverse effect of miniaturization of a TOF-MS is a loss of resolution caused by reduction of the length of its flight tube. In the present improved TOF-MS, the adverse effect of shortening the flight tube is counteracted by (1) using charged-particle optics to constrain ion trajectories to the flight-tube axis while (2) reducing ion velocities to increase ion flight times. In the present improved TOF-MS, a stream of gas is generated by use of a hypodermic needle. The stream of gas is crossed by an energy-selected, pulsed beam of electrons (see Figure 1). The ions generated by impingement of the electrons on the gas atoms are then focused by three cylindrical electrostatic lenses, which constitute a segmented flight tube. After traveling along the flight tube, the ions enter a charged-particle detector. The output of the detector is fed to a counting circuit to obtain data on the counting rate as a function of time. Inasmuch as time of flight is directly proportional to the ion mass, a plot of the counting rate versus time of flight is equivalent to a mass spectrum (see Figure 2).

Kanik, Isik↗
DOE OSTI2021

Self-assembled vertically aligned nanocomposite systems integrated on silicon substrate: Progress and future perspectives

Silicon (Si) integration is a critical step for implementing functional oxides into Si-based electronic devices, considering the advantages of low-cost and scalability of Si substrates. In the past decade, self-assembled vertically aligned nanocomposites (VANs) have attracted enormous research interest owing to their unique multifunctionalities and highly tunable physical properties as well as their one-step self-assembly process. Most of the VAN thin films have been reported to grow epitaxially on single crystalline oxide substrates, however, with limited systems reported on Si substrates due to the very large lattice mismatch between oxides and Si lattices. In this review, the current progress for self-assembled VAN systems integrated on a Si substrate is summarized. Buffer layered enabled VAN growth has been proven to be an effective approach for improving the epitaxial quality of oxide-oxide and oxide-metal VAN systems, while direct growth is preferred in nitride-metal VAN systems. Furthermore, the material versatility enables the Si-integrated VAN thin films to exhibit distinct physical properties such as ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, magnetoresistance, as well as unique optical properties. The review also summarizes the various parameters for tuning the growth morphologies and corresponding properties for the VAN systems, including phase molar ratio, deposition frequency, buffer layers, background pressure, etc. Finally, future perspectives are discussed including new VAN system exploration, physical properties tuning, as well as design and fabrication of Si-based nanoelectronics and nanophotonic devices applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2005

Rugged Iris Mechanism

A rugged iris mechanism has been designed to satisfy several special requirements, including a wide aperture in the "open" position, full obscuration in the "closed" position, ability to function in a cryogenic or other harsh environment, and minimization of friction through minimization of the number of components. An important element of the low-friction aspect of the design is maximization of the flatness of, and provision of small gaps between, adjacent iris blades. The tolerances of the design can be very loose, accommodating thermal expansions and contractions associated with large temperature excursions. The design is generic in that it is adaptable to a wide range of aperture sizes and can be implemented in a variety of materials to suit the thermal, optical, and mechanical requirements of various applications. The mechanism (see figure) includes an inner flat ring, an outer flat ring, and an even number of iris blades. The iris blades shown in front in the figure are denoted as "upper," and the iris blades shown partly hidden behind the front ones are denoted as "lower." Each iris blade is attached to the inner ring by a pivot assembly and to the outer ring by a roller/slider assembly. The upper and lower rings are co-centered and are kept in sliding contact. The iris is opened or closed by turning the outer ring around the center while holding the inner ring stationary. The mechanism is enclosed in a housing (not shown in the figure) that comprises an upper and a lower housing shell. The housing provides part of the sliding support for the outer ring and keeps the two rings aligned as described above. The aforementioned pivot assemblies at the inner ring also serve as spacers for the housing. The lower housing shell contains part of the lower sliding surface and features for mounting the overall mechanism and housing assembly. The upper housing shell contains part of the upper sliding surface.

Ferragut, Nelson J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Shear-Sensitive Liquid Crystal Coating Method: Surface-Inclination Effects on Shear Vector Measurements

The shear-sensitive liquid crystal coating (SSLCC) method is an image-based technique for both visualizing dynamic surface-flow phenomena, such as transition and separation, and for measuring the continuous shear-stress vector distribution acting on an aerodynamic surface. Under proper lighting and viewing conditions (discussed below), the coating changes color in response to an applied aerodynamic shear. This color-change response is continuous and reversible, with a response time of milliseconds, and is a function of both the shear magnitude and the shear vector orientation relative to the observer. The liquid crystal phase of matter is a weakly-ordered, viscous, non-Newtonian fluid state that exists between the nonuniform liquid phase and the ordered solid phase of certain organic compounds. Cholesteric liquid crystal compounds possess a helical molecular arrangement that selectively scatters white light, incident along the helical axis, as a three-dimensional spectrum. This property is linked to the helical pitch length, which is within the range of wavelengths in the visible spectrum. The pitch length, and hence the wavelength of the scattered light, is influenced by shear stress normal to the helical axis. This unique optical property produces a measurable color change in response to an applied shearing force. The full-surface shear stress vector measurement method, developed at NASA-Ames, is schematically illustrated. As with the visualization method, the coated test surface is illuminated from the normal direction with white light and the camera is positioned at an above-plane view angle of approximately 30 deg. Experiments have been initiated at NASA Ames to begin the process of quantifying surface-inclination (surface-curvature) effects on shear vector measurement accuracy. In preliminary experiments, surface-inclination angles theta(sub x), theta(sub y) of 0, +/-5, +/-10, and +/-15 deg were employed. In this arrangement, white-light illumination was positioned normal to the untilted test surface, and the camera above-plane view angle was set at 30 deg relative to the untilted test surface. As can be seen, vector-aligned lambda(sub d) values showed no dependence on theta(sub x) or theta(sub y) for absolute values of these tilt angles is less than or equal to 15 deg. Acquisition and analyses of full-surface color images are presently underway to definitively document the insensitivity limits of the shear vector measurement methodology to surface-slope variations.

Reda, Daniel C.↗
DOE OSTI2025

In‐Plane Anisotropy in van der Waals NiTeSe Ternary Alloy

Abstract The anisotropic properties of materials profoundly influence their electronic, magnetic, optical, and mechanical behaviors and are critical for a wide range of applications. In this study, the anisotropic characteristics of Ni‐based van der Waals materials, specifically NiTe 2 and its alloy NiTeSe, utilizing a combination of comprehensive scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, are explored. Unlike 1T‐NiTe 2 , which exhibits trigonal in‐plane symmetry, the substitution of Te with Se in NiTe 2 (resulting in the NiTeSe alloy) induces a pronounced in‐plane anisotropy. This anisotropy is clear in the STM topographs, which reveal a distinct linear order of charge distribution. Corroborating these observations, ARPES measurements and DFT calculations reveal an anisotropic Fermi surface centered at the point, which is notably elongated along the k y direction, leading to directional variations in in‐plane carrier velocities. Consequently, the Fermi velocity is highest along the k x direction where the linear charge distribution aligns in real space and is lowest along the k y direction. These findings offer valuable insights into the tunability of anisotropic properties in ternary transition metal dichalcogenide systems, highlighting their potential applications in the development of anisotropic electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Boride-based Ceramic Super-high Temperature Thermocouples in Harsh Environments (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

An electromotive force (emf) can be generated along a temperature gradient between the cold end and hot end of a thermoelectric material, termed the Seebeck effect. Based on the Seebeck effect, metallic alloys have been extensively employed to detect temperatures for centuries, named thermocouples. However, commercially available thermocouple alloys suffer from limitations, such as oxidation, chemical degradation, and poor long-term stability under high-temperature harsh environments. This DOE-funded project aimed to develop high-temperature, chemically tolerant thermocouples suitable for operation in extreme environments relevant to semiconducting thermoelectric materials. The research focused on boride-based semiconducting thermoelectric compounds as candidates for next-generation thermocouples with enhanced oxidation resistance, chemical stability, and thermal robustness under conditions representative of charcoal-fired electricity facilities. During the funded years, boride materials were synthesized using an arc-plasma technique under ambient air and argon atmospheres, enabling scalable and cost-effective production compared with conventional boride fabrication methods. The synthesized borides were processed into nanostructured powders, followed by consolidation into dense bulk materials using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) bottom-up approach. Comprehensive characterization was performed, including microstructural analysis, electrical transport measurements, and optical and thermal property evaluation. Both p-type and n-type boride electric legs were fabricated and integrated into boride-based thermocouples. The thermal and irradiation stabilities of the boride nanomaterials and bulk thermoelectric materials were systematically evaluated to assess suitability for long-term operation in harsh environments. Additionally, 12 students were broadly hands-on trained spanning the full research workflow, including word processing and technical editing (e.g., LATEX for manuscript and poster preparation), data collection and analysis (using Python and related libraries and hardware interfaces), sample preparation (including arc-plasma synthesis and spark plasma sintering), and advanced characterization techniques (such as X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and Seebeck coefficient measurements, etc). Overall, this project demonstrated the feasibility of boride-based thermoelectric materials as durable high-temperature thermocouples, providing a promising pathway toward robust temperature sensing technologies aligned with DOE energy infrastructure and extreme-environment monitoring needs.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Radio and X-ray observations of the gamma-ray bright quasar PKS 0528+134

We present a study of the z = 2.07 quasar PKS 0528+134, which has been detected as an extraordinarily luminous gamma-ray source. Its radio properties are highly variable in both total and polarized flux density. Milliarcsecond-scale maps from global very long base interferometry (VLBI) experiments, an X-ray spectrum from ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations, and light curves in total flux density and polarization are used to investigate the geometry, radiation mechanism, and physical environment of the emission region in the source. The VLBI images reveal a bent jet extending toward the northeast on parsec scales, with less intense knots of emission appearing on the opposite side of the brightest spot. The position of the core usually found in such sources is unclear. The polarization angle is stable despite strong variability in polarized flux density and indicates that the magnetic field is aligned with the jet axis as defined by our 8.4 GHz image. The ROSAT X-ray flux density of PKS 0528+134 in 1991 March is measured to be 1.6 micro Jy at 1 keV, with a very steep spectral (`energy') index sigma(sub x) approximately equal to 2.2. The X-ray observations reveal the presence of cold gas along the line of sight significantly in excess of that present in the Galaxy. A strong radio flare began within two months of the first observation of a high flux of gamma-rays from PKS 0528+134 by Hunter et al. Using the geometry and spectral chacateristics determined by our VLBI observations, a synchrotron self-Compton calculation indicates that relativistic bulk motion is required in PKS 0528+134, with an estimated Doppler beaming factor delta approximately greater than 4.3, similar to the value delta approximately greater than 7 required to explain the low optical depth of the gamma-rays to photon-photon pair production. We suggest that the core activity of PKS 0528+134 is sporadic in nature, with the nonthermal outburst starting in 1991 representing a violent period involving ejection of relativistic plasma along a compact jet pointed almost directly toward us.

Zhang, Yun Fei↗
NASA NTRS2004

Over-Luminous Elliptical Galaxies

The first paper from our work has been completed and accepted for publication. Another paper presents a study of the ESO 30601 70 galaxy group, combining Chandra, XMM-Newton, and optical observations. We find that the system is a true fossil galaxy group - a group whose optical light is dominated by a single galaxy. The group X-ray emission is composed of a central, dense, cool core (10 kpc in radius) and an isothermal medium beyond the central 10 kpc. The region between 10 and 50 kpc (the cooling radius) has the same temperature as the gas from 50 to 400 kpc, although the gas cooling time between 10 and 50 kpc (2-6 Gyr) is shorter than the Hubble time. Thus, the ESO 3060170 group does not have a group-sized cooling core. We suggest that the group cooling core may have been heated by a central active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst in the past and that the small, dense, cool core is the truncated relic of a previous cooling core. The Chandra observations also reveal a variety of X-ray features in the central region, including a finger, an edge-like feature, and a small tail, all aligned along a north-south axis, as are the galaxy light and group galaxy distribution. The proposed AGN outburst may cause gas to slosh around the center and produce these asymmetric features. The observed flat temperature profile to 1/3rvir is not consistent with the predicted temperature profile in recent numerical simulations. We compare the entropy profile of the ESO 3060170 group with those of three other groups and find a flatter relation than that predicted by simulations involving only shock heating, S approximately r approximately 0.85. This is direct evidence of the importance of non-gravitational processes in group centers. We derive the mass profiles within 1/3rvir and find that the ESO 3060170 group is the most massive fossil group known.

Forman, William↗
NASA NTRS2012

Feasibility Study of Two Candidate Reaction Wheel/thruster Hybrid Control Architecture Designs for the Cassini Spacecraft

As the first spacecraft to achieve orbit at Saturn in 2004, Cassini has collected science data throughout its four-year prime mission (2004-08), and has since been approved for a first and second extended mission through 2017. Cassini carries a set of three "fixed" reaction wheels and a backup reaction wheel (reaction wheel #4) is mounted on top of an articulable platform. If necessary, this platform could be articulated to orient the backup reaction wheel with the degraded wheel. The reaction wheels are used primarily for attitude control when precise and stable pointing of a science instrument such as the narrow angle camera is required. In 2001-02, reaction wheel #3 exhibited signs of bearing cage instability. As a result, reaction wheel #4 was articulated to align with reaction wheel #3. Beginning in July 2003, Cassini was controlled using wheel #1, #2, and #4. From their first use in the spring of 2000 until today, reaction wheels #1 and #2 have accumulated more than3.5 billions revolutions each. As such, in spite of very carefully management of the wheel spin rates by the mission operation team, there are some observed increases in the drag torque of the wheels' bearings. Hence, the mission operations team must prepare for the contingency scenario in which the reaction wheel #1 (in addition to wheel #3) had degraded. In this hypothetical fault scenario, the two remaining reaction wheels (#2 and #4) will not be able to provide precise and stable three-axis control of the spacecraft. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of controlling Cassini using the two remaining reaction wheels and four thrusters to meet the science pointing requirements for two key science operational modes: the Optical Remote Sensing and Downlink, Fields, Particles, & Waves operation modes. The performance (e.g., pointing control error, pointing stability, hydrazine consumption rate, etc.) of the hybrid controllers in both operations scenarios will be compared with those achieved using an all-thruster controller design. Strength and weaknesses of the hybrid control architecture are assessed quantitatively.

Cassini↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optical Linear Polarization toward the Open Star Cluster Casado Alessi 1

We present B-, V-, R-, and I-band linear polarimetric observations of 73 stars in the direction of open star cluster Casado Alessi 1 (hereafter Alessi 1). We aim to use polarimetry as a tool to investigate the properties and distribution of dust grains toward the direction of the cluster. The polarimetric observations were carried out using the ARIES IMaging POLarimeter mounted at the 104 cm telescope of ARIES, Nainital (India). Using the Gaia photometric data the age and distance of the cluster are estimated to be 0.8 ± 0.1 Gyr and 673 ± 98 pc, respectively. A total of 66 stars with a 26′ radius from the cluster are identified as members of the cluster using the astrometric approach. Out of these 66 members, 15 stars were observed polarimetrically and found to have the same value of polarization. The majority of the stars in the region follow the general law of polarization for the interstellar medium, indicating that polarization toward the cluster Alessi 1 is dominated by foreground dust grains. The average values of the maximum polarization (P {sub max}) and the wavelength corresponding to the maximum polarization (λ {sub max}) toward the cluster are found to be 0.83 ± 0.03% and 0.59 ± 0.04 μm, respectively. Also, dust grains toward the cluster appear to be aligned, possibly due to the galactic magnetic field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Shaping attosecond pulses by controlling the minima in high-order harmonic generation through alignment of CO 2 molecules

In this paper, we report a simple method for generating shaped attosecond pulses by using a CO 2 molecule. Unlike most other molecules, owing to its unique energy and angle dependence and the presence of deep minima in the photoionization transition dipole moment, the shape of harmonic spectra, especially the position and depth of minima, can be readily controlled by tuning the degree of alignment. The sensitive alignment dependence of the minima is due to the coherent interference of a laser-induced dipole from each molecule when CO 2 molecules are moderately aligned, but not when they are well aligned or when they are isotropically distributed. Such a sensitivity offers a simple way of controlling the spectral amplitude and phase of the generated harmonics and thus shaping the generated attosecond pulses, for example, producing structured attosecond pulses by splitting a single burst into two. We illustrate how such pulses are generated and how to characterize them. This method offers a simple way to shape attosecond pulses at the generation step. It can be easily implemented experimentally to generate attosecond pulses with strong phase variations for unique applications.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2016

Panchromatic Imaging of a Transitional Disk: The Disk of GM AUR in Optical and FUV Scattered Light

We have imaged GM Aurigae with the Hubble Space Telescope, detected its disk in scattered light at 1400 and 1650 A, and compared these with observations at 3300 A, 5550 A, 1.1 micron, and 1.6 micron. The scattered light increases at shorter wavelengths. The radial surface brightness profile at 3300 A shows no evidence of the 24 au radius cavity that has been previously observed in submillimeter observations. Comparison with dust grain opacity models indicates that the surface of the entire disk is populated with submicron grains. We have compiled a spectral energy distribution from 0.1 micron to 1 mm and used it to constrain a model of the star + disk system that includes the submillimeter cavity using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code by Barbara Whitney. The best-fit model image indicates that the cavity should be detectable in the F330W bandpass if the cavity has been cleared of both large and small dust grains, but we do not detect it. The lack of an observed cavity can be explained by the presence of submicron grains interior to the submillimeter cavity wall. We suggest one explanation for this that could be due to a planet of mass less than 9M(sub J) interior to 24 au. A unique cylindrical structure is detected in the far- UV data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar Blind Channel. It is aligned along the system semiminor axis, but does not resemble an accretion-driven jet. The structure is limb brightened and extends 190 +/- 35 au above the disk midplane. The inner radius of the limb brightening is 40 +/- 10 au, just beyond the submillimeter cavity wall.

circumstellar matter aEuro" protoplanetary disks a↗
NASA NTRS1989

Properties of grains derived from IRAS observations of dust

The authors used the results of Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) observations of diffuse medium dust to develop a theoretical model of the infrared properties of grains. Recent models based entirely on traditional observations of extinction and polarization include only particles whose equilibrium temperatures do not exceed 20 K in the diffuse interstellar medium. These classical grains, for which the authors have adopted the multipopulation model developed by Hong and Greenberg (1980), can explain only the emission in the IRAS 100 micron band. The measurements at shorter wavelengths (12, 25 and 60 microns) require two new particle populations. Vibrational fluorescence from aromatic molecules provides the most likely explanation for the emission observed at 12 microns, with polycyclic aeromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) containing about 10 percent of cosmic carbon. A simplified model of the emission process shows that PAH molecules can also explain most of the emission measured by IRAS at 25 microns. The authors identified the warm particles responsible for the excess 60 microns emission with small (a approx. equals 0.01 microns) iron grains. A compilation of the available data on the optical properties of iron indicates that the diffuse medium temperature of small iron particles should be close to 50 K and implies that a large, possibly dominant, fraction of cosmic iron must be locked up in metallic particles in order to match the observed 60 microns intensities. The model matches the infrared fluxes typically observed by IRAS in the diffuse medium and can also reproduce the infrared surface brightness distribution in individual clouds. In particular, the combination of iron and classical cool grains can explain the surprising observations of the 60/100 microns flux ratio in clouds, which is either constant or increases slightly towards higher opacities. The presence of metallic grains has significant implications for the physics of the interstellar medium, including catalytic H2 formation, for which iron grains could be the main site; differences in depletion patterns between iron and other refractory elements (Mg, Si); and superparamagnetic behavior of large grains with embedded iron clusters giving rise to the observed high degree of alignment by the galactic magnetic field.

Wesselius, P. R.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved Self-Assembly of P3HT with Pyrene-Functionalized Methacrylates

A block copolymer with discotic liquid crystalline behavior was synthesized using Grignard metathesis polymerization (GRIM) and initiators for continuous activator regeneration atom transfer radical polymerization (ICAR-ATRP). A novel discotic liquid crystalline mesogen, 6-(pyren-1-yloxy)hexyl methacrylate (PyMA), comprises a block that is attached to regioregular poly(3- hexylthiophene) (rr-P 3 HT) generated by GRIM and subjected to end-group modification. Due to the continuous regeneration of Cu + in the reaction mixture in ICAR-ATRP compared to conventional methods, the synthesis was successfully performed with less catalyst. The purity and yield of the final product are increased by eliminating rigorous post-synthesis purification. Stacked pyrene units have contributed to the enhanced long-range π-π interactions and aligning of the P 3 HT block as observed in thin-film X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, field-effect mobilities in the order of 10 -2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 in bottom-gate, top-contact organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) suggest an enhancement in charge transport due to the discotic electron-rich pyrene units that help mitigate the insulating effect of the methacrylate backbone. The formation of uniform microdomains of P 3 HT-bpoly(PyMA) observed with tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) on the channel regions of OFETs indicates the unique packing of the block copolymer in comparison to pristine P 3 HT. Thermotropic properties of the novel discotic mesogen in the presence and absence of P3HT were observed with both the poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(6-(pyren-1-yloxy)hexyl methacrylate) (P3HT-b-poly(PyMA)) block copolymer and poly(6-(pyren-1-yloxy)hexyl methacrylate) (poly(PyMA)) homopolymer using polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗