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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 1,603 records · Page 89
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

On the interconnection of dynamic processes in the lower thermosphere with meteorological phenomena in the tropostratosphere

Nowadays the atmosphere is considered a single dynamic system governed by inner and other factors, the separate layers (troposphere, strato-mesosphere, thermosphere) of which are in a state of interaction though they differ physically from one another in thermal stratification and energetic processes. Observational data of thermodynamic parameter connections in these layers height range are presented. The interconnection between the temperature field disturbances in the tropo-stratosphere and the dynamic regime in the lower thermosphere in winter and summer is defined as revealed by observational data.

Fakhrutdinova, A. N.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Structural stability, elemental ordering, and transport properties of layered ScTaN 2

Ternary transition metal (TM) nitrides have gained significant attention in thin film research due to their promising properties for a broad range of applications. Particularly, some of the ternary TM nitrides have been predicted to adopt layered structures that make them interesting for thermoelectric conversion and quantum materials applications. Unfortunately, synthesis of TM ternary nitride films by physical vapor deposition often favors disordered 3D structures rather than the predicted 2D-like layered structure. In this study, we investigate the structural interplay in the Sc-Ta-N ternary system using a combinatorial approach. Combinatorial libraries S⁢c 𝑥 ⁢T⁢a 1−𝑥 ⁢N are synthesized following a two-step method: First, deposit film precursors by cosputtering and then process the resulting 3D-structured samples with rapid thermal annealing. Synchrotron grazing-incidence wide-angle x-ray scattering on films annealed at 1200 ⁢°⁢C for 20 min leads to the nucleation of ScTaN 2 layered structure (𝑃⁢6 3 /𝑚⁢𝑚⁢𝑐) near stoichiometry. We find that the layered structure can accommodate large off-stoichiometry in the Ta-rich region (𝑥 < 0.5), facilitated by the alloying with quasi-isostructural Ta 5 ⁢N 6 compound that exists on a composition tie line at 𝑥 = 0. While focusing on ScTaN 2 , we estimate the long-range order parameter in near-stoichiometric films to be 0.86, corresponding to a fraction of Sc/Ta antisites of 7%. Transport measurements on ScTaN 2 reveal a nearly temperature-independent high carrier density (10 21 c⁢m −3 ), suggesting a heavily doped semiconductor or semimetallic character, consistent with a small positive Seebeck coefficient of +19 µV/K. The carrier mobility at 2 K is relatively small (9.5c⁢m 2 V −1 s −1 ) and the residual-resistivity ratio is minor, suggesting that electrical conduction is dominated by defects or disorder. Measured magnetoresistance suggests possible weak antilocalization at 2 K. This paper highlights the interplay between ScTaN 2 and Ta 5 ⁢N 6 crystal structures in stabilizing layered materials, emphasizes the importance of cation order/disorder for potential tunable alloys, and suggests that ScTaN 2 is a promising platform for exploring electronic properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evolution of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at Venus in the presence of the parallel magnetic field

Two-dimensional MHD simulations were performed to study the evolution of the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability at the Venusian ionopause in response to the strong flow shear in presence of the in-plane magnetic field parallel to the flow direction. The physical behavior of the KH instability as well as the triggering and occurrence conditions for highly rolled-up vortices are characterized through several physical parameters, including Alfvén Mach number on the upper side of the layer, the density ratio, and the ratio of parallel magnetic fields between two sides of the layer. Using these parameters, the simulations show that both the high density ratio and the parallel magnetic field component across the boundary layer play a role of stabilizing the instability. In the high density ratio case, the amount of total magnetic energy in the final quasi-steady status is much more than that in the initial status, which is clearly different from the case with low density ratio. We particularly investigate the nonlinear development of the case that has a high density ratio and uniform magnetic field. Before the instability saturation, a single magnetic island is formed and evolves into two quasi-steady islands in the non-linear phase. A quasi-steady pattern eventually forms and is embedded within a uniform magnetic field and a broadened boundary layer. The estimation of loss rates of ions from Venus indicates that the stabilizing effect of the parallel magnetic field component on the KH instability becomes strong in the case of high density ratio.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1998

Experimental Study of Boundary Layer Behavior in a Simulated Low Pressure Turbine

A detailed investigation of the flow physics occurring on the suction side of a simulated Low Pressure Turbine (LPT) blade was performed. A contoured upper wall was designed to simulate the pressure distribution of an actual LPT blade onto a flat plate. The experiments were carried out at Reynolds numbers of 100,000 and 250,000 with three levels of freestream turbulence. Freestream turbulence levels ranging from 0.8% to 3% was used in this experiment. Smoke-wire flow visualization data was used to confirm that the boundary layer was separated and formed a bubble. Hot-wires (single and x-wire) and surface mounted hot-film gases and static pressure taps were used to map the flowfield. The transition process over the separated flow region is observed to be similar to a laminar free shear layer flow with the formation of a large coherent eddy structure. For each condition, the locations defining the separation bubble were determined by careful examination of pressure and mean velocity profile data. Transition onset location and length determined from intermittency profiles decrease as freestream turbulence levels increase. Additionally, the length and height of the laminar separation bubbles were observed to be inversely proportional to the levels of freestream turbulence.

Shyne, Rickey J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Strong Reduction in Amplitude of the Interfacial Segmental Dynamics in Polymer Nanocomposites

Despite the wide use of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) in various applications, our understanding of the microscopic parameters controlling their macroscopic properties remains limited. In this study, we examine the dielectric strength of segmental dynamics, Δε IL (T) in the interfacial polymer layer surrounding the nanoparticles in PNCs. The presented analysis reveals a significant drop in Δε IL (T) and its anomalous temperature dependence in the polymer layer adsorbed to nanoparticles. The drop in Δε IL (T) was observed in all samples regardless of whether segmental relaxation time in the interfacial layer was slower or faster than in the bulk polymer, excluding interpretation of the “dead” layer. We ascribe the observed decrease in the dielectric strength to the restricted amplitude of segmental relaxation in the interfacial/adsorbed layer. Our results provide a new perspective on discussion of dynamics in the interfacial layer in PNCs and thin polymer films, demonstrating that not only segmental relaxation time but also its amplitude can be strongly affected by the interface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

The influence of interlayer exchange coupling in giant-magnetoresistive devices on spin diode effect in wide frequency range

Spin diode effect in a giant magnetoresistive strip is measured in a broad frequency range, including resonance and off-resonance frequencies. The off-resonance dc signal is relatively strong and also significantly dependent on the exchange coupling between magnetic films through the spacer layer. The measured dc signal is described theoretically by taking into account magnetic dynamics induced by Oersted field created by an ac current flowing through the system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Power characteristics of lasers with quantum-well waveguides and blocking layers

The power characteristics of lasers with a quantum-well (QW) waveguide are calculated based on a complex model taking into account the diffusion and drift of charge carriers, capture of electrons and holes at the QW levels, spatial distribution of radiation in the cavity, intraband absorption, and heating of the active region. Structures with doped blocking barrier layers are proposed, which allow one to decrease leakage currents to a few percent. The calculated average output power of a laser based on the GaInAs/GaAs QW heterostructure (aperture 100 μm) with a QW waveguide and a GaAsP doped blocking layer in a pulsed regime was 29 W at 80-A current pulses with a duration of 5 μs. (lasers)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Comparative analysis of waveguide plasmon – polariton refractometers based on excitation of surface, symmetric, and antisymmetric plasmon modes

We present the results of a numerical study of three waveguide refractometer configurations based on surface plasmon resonance: a refractometer without a buffer layer based on exciting a surface plasmon mode, and refractometers with a buffer layer based on exciting symmetric and antisymmetric plasmon modes. It is found that the best metrological characteristics are inherent in the refractometer based on the symmetric plasmon mode: the cumulative advantage in spectral sensitivity and width of the resonance dip attains two orders of magnitude as compared to the refractometer based on antisymmetric plasmon mode and one order of magnitude as compared to the refractometer without a buffer layer. For measuring local variations of the refractive index in a thin layer the advantage of using the symmetric plasmon mode is less expressed and amounts to nearly 20 and 6 times, respectively. It is shown that higher metrological characteristics of the refractometer based on symmetric plasmon mode are achieved at the expense of its compactness: the length of the sensitive segment in such a refractometer may exceed that of the refractometers without the buffer layer and those based on the antisymmetric mode by three orders of magnitude. The minimal length of the sensitive segment is possible in the refractometer based on the antisymmetric plasmon mode, which, however, possesses the worst metrological characteristics. As to the fabrication simplicity, the scheme without the buffer layer seems most attractive. This scheme occupies the intermediate position between the refractometers based on symmetric and antisymmetric plasmon modes both in metrological parameters and in the length of the sensitive segment.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Erratum: “History of atomic layer deposition and its relationship with the American Vacuum Society” [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 31, 050818 (2013)]

The authors of this review article published in 20131 would like to correct some text and references relating to the first observations and publications on molecular layering. In Sec. II, “Early Years of Atomic Layer Processes” in the original article,1 the first two sentences of the fourth paragraph should instead say “The ALD principle, where surface reactions follow a binary sequence of self-limiting half-reactions, was reported under the name ‘molecular layering’ in the 1960s by S. I. Kol’tsov from Leningrad Technological Institute.2–6 These experiments were conducted under the scientific supervision of V. B. Aleskovskii. The ‘framework hypothesis,’ an antecedent to molecular layering, was proposed by V. B. Aleskovskii in 1952.6” In addition, again in this same section and paragraph, the last two sentences should instead say “In the 1969 article,3 the authors report that the initial reaction between TiCl4 and Si–OH tends to involve 3 Si–OH, forming one Ti–Cl, whereas after the first water step, the second TiCl4 exposure reacts with 2 Ti–OH, forming Ti–Cl2 groups. In the 1969 paper,3 a planar thin film was not produced or evaluated, although nanolayers were prepared by molecular layering at that time.6” These corrections do not affect other sections or the conclusions drawn in the article.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1993

Swept shock/boundary-layer interactions: Scaling laws, flowfield structure, and experimental methods

A general review is given of several decades of research on the scaling laws and flowfield structures of swept shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interactions. Attention is further restricted to the experimental study and physical understanding of the steady-state aspects of these flows. The interaction produced by a sharp, upright fin mounted on a flat plate is taken as an archetype. An overall framework of quasiconical symmetry describing such interactions is first developed. Boundary-layer separation, the interaction footprint, Mach number scaling, and Reynolds number scaling are then considered, followed by a discussion of the quasiconical similarity of interactions produced by geometrically-dissimilar shock generators. The detailed structure of these interaction flowfields is next reviewed, and is illustrated by both qualitative visualizations and quantitative flow images in the quasiconical framework. Finally, the experimental techniques used to investigate such flows are reviewed, with emphasis on modern non-intrusive optical flow diagnostics.

Settles, Gary S.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Lower hybrid wave propagation in tokamaks in weak and strong absorption regimes

Lower hybrid (LH) waves have the attractive property of damping strongly via electron Landau resonance on relatively fast tail electrons at (2.5-3)xv{sub te}, where v{sub te} = (2T{sub e}/m{sub e}){sup 1/2}. The velocity at which damping occurs depends on the non-linear balance between quasilinear diffusion and collisions. For high efficiency current drive, a low parallel index of refraction, n{sub ||}, corresponding to a high phase velocity, is chosen. Depending on the plasma electron temperature this may put the wave propagation in a multi-pass regime. In cases of low parallel refractive index, ray tracing with no SOL has been shown to have differences with experiment and collision effects in the scrape off layer may be important. Using a coupled model of the full wave code, TORLH, and the Fokker-Planck code, CQL3D, the importance of full wave effects in weak and strong absorption regimes are studied.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impact of various DIII-D diagnostics on the accuracy of neural network surrogates for kinetic EFIT reconstructions

Abstract Kinetic equilibrium reconstructions make use of profile information such as particle density and temperature measurements in addition to magnetics data to compute a self-consistent equilibrium. They are used in a multitude of physics-based modeling. This work develops a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network (NN) model as a surrogate for kinetic Equilibrium Fitting (EFITs) and trains on the 2019 DIII-D discharge campaign database of kinetic equilibrium reconstructions. We investigate the impact of including various diagnostic data and machine actuator controls as input into the NN. When giving various categories of data as input into NN models that have been trained using those same categories of data, the predictions on multiple equilibrium reconstruction solutions (poloidal magnetic flux, global scalars, pressure profile, current profile) are highly accurate. When comparing different models with different diagnostics as input, the magnetics-only model outputs accurate kinetic profiles and the inclusion of additional data does not significantly impact the accuracy. When the NN is tasked with inferring only a single target such as the EFIT pressure profile or EFIT current profile, we see a large increase in the accuracy of the prediction of the kinetic profiles as more data is included. These results indicate that certain MLP NN configurations can be reasonably robust to different burning-plasma-relevant diagnostics depending on the accuracy requirements for equilibrium reconstruction tasks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Conversion of magnetic energy in the magnetic reconnection layer of a laboratory plasma

Magnetic reconnection, in which magnetic field lines break and reconnect to change their topology, occurs throughout the universe. The essential feature of reconnection is that it energizes plasma particles by converting magnetic energy. Despite the long history of reconnection research, how this energy conversion occurs remains a major unresolved problem in plasma physics. Here we report that the energy conversion in a laboratory reconnection layer occurs in a much larger region than previously considered. The mechanisms for energizing plasma particles in the reconnection layer are identified, and a quantitative inventory of the converted energy is presented for the first time in a well defined reconnection layer; 50% of the magnetic energy is converted to particle energy, 2/3 of which transferred to ions and 1/3 to electrons. Our results are compared with simulations and space measurements, for a key step toward resolving one of the most important problems in plasma physics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2014

Validation of the Two-Layer Model for Correcting Clear Sky Reflectance Near Clouds

A two-layer model was developed in our earlier studies to estimate the clear sky reflectance enhancement near clouds. This simple model accounts for the radiative interaction between boundary layer clouds and molecular layer above, the major contribution to the reflectance enhancement near clouds for short wavelengths. We use LES/SHDOM simulated 3D radiation fields to valid the two-layer model for reflectance enhancement at 0.47 micrometer. We find: (a) The simple model captures the viewing angle dependence of the reflectance enhancement near cloud, suggesting the physics of this model is correct; and (b) The magnitude of the 2-layer modeled enhancement agree reasonably well with the "truth" with some expected underestimation. We further extend our model to include cloud-surface interaction using the Poisson model for broken clouds. We found that including cloud-surface interaction improves the correction, though it can introduced some over corrections for large cloud albedo, large cloud optical depth, large cloud fraction, large cloud aspect ratio. This over correction can be reduced by excluding scenes (10 km x 10km) with large cloud fraction for which the Poisson model is not designed for. Further research is underway to account for the contribution of cloud-aerosol radiative interaction to the enhancement.

two-layer model↗
NASA NTRS2010

Roles of Engineering Correlations in Hypersonic Entry Boundary Layer Transition Prediction

Efforts to design and operate hypersonic entry vehicles are constrained by many considerations that involve all aspects of an entry vehicle system. One of the more significant physical phenomenon that affect entry trajectory and thermal protection system design is the occurrence of boundary layer transition from a laminar to turbulent state. During the Space Shuttle Return To Flight activity following the loss of Columbia and her crew of seven, NASA's entry aerothermodynamics community implemented an engineering correlation based framework for the prediction of boundary layer transition on the Orbiter. The methodology for this implementation relies upon similar correlation techniques that have been is use for several decades. What makes the Orbiter boundary layer transition correlation implementation unique is that a statistically significant data set was acquired in multiple ground test facilities, flight data exists to assist in establishing a better correlation and the framework was founded upon state of the art chemical nonequilibrium Navier Stokes flow field simulations. Recent entry flight testing performed with the Orbiter Discovery now provides a means to validate this engineering correlation approach to higher confidence. These results only serve to reinforce the essential role that engineering correlations currently exercise in the design and operation of entry vehicles. The framework of information related to the Orbiter empirical boundary layer transition prediction capability will be utilized to establish a fresh perspective on this role, and to discuss the characteristics which are desirable in a next generation advancement. The details of the paper will review the experimental facilities and techniques that were utilized to perform the implementation of the Orbiter RTF BLT Vsn 2 prediction capability. Statistically significant results for multiple engineering correlations from a ground testing campaign will be reviewed in order to describe why only certain correlations were selected for complete implementation to support the Shuttle Program. Historical Orbiter flight data on early boundary layer transition due to protruding gap fillers will be described in relation to the selected empirical correlations. In addition, Orbiter entry flight testing results from the BLT Flight Experiment will be discussed in relation to these correlations. Applicability of such correlations to the entry design problem will be reviewed, and finally a perspective on the desirable characteristics for a next generation capability based on high fidelity physical models will be provided.

Campbell, Charles H.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Density gradient effects on transverse shear driven lower hybrid waves

Shear driven instabilities are commonly observed in the near-Earth space, particularly in boundary layer plasmas. When the shear scale length (L{sub E}) is much less than the ion gyro-radius (ρ{sub i}) but greater than the electron gyro-radius (ρ{sub e}), the electrons are magnetized in the shear layer, but the ions are effectively un-magnetized. The resulting shear driven instability, the electron-ion hybrid (EIH) instability, is investigated in a new interpenetrating plasma configuration in the Auburn Linear EXperiment for Instability Studies. In order to understand the dynamics of magnetospheric boundary layers, the EIH instability is studied in the presence of a density gradient located at the boundary layer between two plasmas. This paper reports on a recent experiment in which electrostatic lower hybrid waves are identified as the EIH instability, and the effect of a density gradient on the instability properties are investigated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Long-term stable water vapor permeation barrier properties of SiN/SiCN/SiN nanolaminated multilayers grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at extremely low pressures

We investigated the water vapor permeation barrier properties of 30-nm-thick SiN/SiCN/SiN nanolaminated multilayer structures grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 7 mTorr. The derived water vapor transmission rate was 1.12 × 10{sup −6} g/(m{sup 2} day) at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity, and this value was maintained up to 15 000 h of aging time. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the nanolaminated film was composed of an amorphous phase. A mixed phase was observed upon performing high resolution transmission electron microscope analysis, which indicated that a thermodynamically stable structure was formed. It was revealed amorphous SiN/SiCN/SiN multilayer structures that are free from intermixed interface defects effectively block water vapor permeation into active layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Modelling of illuminated current–voltage characteristics to evaluate leakage currents in long wavelength infrared mercury cadmium telluride photovoltaic detectors

The current–voltage characteristics of long wavelength mercury cadmium telluride infrared detectors have been studied using a recently suggested method for modelling of illuminated photovoltaic detectors. Diodes fabricated on in-house grown arsenic and vacancy doped epitaxial layers were evaluated for their leakage currents. The thermal diffusion, generation–recombination (g-r), and ohmic currents were found as principal components of diode current besides a component of photocurrent due to illumination. In addition, both types of diodes exhibited an excess current component whose growth with the applied bias voltage did not match the expected growth of trap-assisted-tunnelling current. Instead, it was found to be the best described by an exponential function of the type, I{sub excess} = I{sub r0} + K{sub 1} exp (K{sub 2} V), where I{sub r0}, K{sub 1}, and K{sub 2} are fitting parameters and V is the applied bias voltage. A study of the temperature dependence of the diode current components and the excess current provided the useful clues about the source of origin of excess current. It was found that the excess current in diodes fabricated on arsenic doped epitaxial layers has its origin in the source of ohmic shunt currents. Whereas, the source of excess current in diodes fabricated on vacancy doped epitaxial layers appeared to be the avalanche multiplication of photocurrent. The difference in the behaviour of two types of diodes has been attributed to the difference in the quality of epitaxial layers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗