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NASA NTRS2017

Sonora: A New Generation Model Atmosphere Grid for Brown Dwarfs and Young Extrasolar Giant Planets

Brown dwarf and giant planet atmospheric structure and composition has been studied both by forward models and, increasingly so, by retrieval methods. While indisputably informative, retrieval methods are of greatest value when judged in the context of grid model predictions. Meanwhile retrieval models can test the assumptions inherent in the forward modeling procedure. In order to provide a new, systematic survey of brown dwarf atmospheric structure, emergent spectra, and evolution, we have constructed a new grid of brown dwarf model atmospheres. We ultimately aim for our grid to span substantial ranges of atmospheric metallilcity, C/O ratios, cloud properties, atmospheric mixing, and other parameters. Spectra predicted by our modeling grid can be compared to both observations and retrieval results to aid in the interpretation and planning of future telescopic observations. We thus present Sonora, a new generation of substellar atmosphere models, appropriate for application to studies of L, T, and Y-type brown dwarfs and young extrasolar giant planets. The models describe the expected temperature-pressure profile and emergent spectra of an atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium for ranges of effective temperatures and gravities encompassing 200 less than or equal to T(sub eff) less than or equal to 2400 K and 2.5 less than or equal to log g less than or equal to 5.5. In our poster we briefly describe our modeling methodology, enumerate various updates since our group's previous models, and present our initial tranche of models for cloudless, solar metallicity, and solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio, chemical equilibrium atmospheres. These models will be available online and will be updated as opacities and cloud modeling methods continue to improve.

emergent spectra↗

NASA NTRS2020

Global Aerodynamic Modeling Using Automated Local Model Networks in Real Time

A novel method is presented for automated real-time global aerodynamic modeling using local model networks, known as Smoothed Partitioning with Localized Trees in Real Time (SPLITR), as part of NASA’s Learn-to-Fly technology development initiative. The global nonlinear aerodynamics are partitioned into several local regions known as cells, with the dimension, location, and timing of each partition automatically selected based on a residual characterization procedure, under the constraints of real-time operation. Regression trees represent the successive partitioning of the global flight envelope and describe the evolution of the cell structure. Recursive equation-error least-squares parameter estimation in the time domain is used to estimate a model that represents the local aerodynamics in each region, so that it can be updated independently with non-contiguous data in the range of each cell over time. A weighted superposition of these piecewise local models across the flight envelope forms a global nonlinear model that also accurately captures the local aerodynamics. The SPLITR approach is demonstrated using both simulation and flight data, and the results are analyzed in terms of model predictive capabilities as well as interpretability. The results show that SPLITR can be used to automatically partition complex nonlinear aerodynamic behavior, produce an accurate model, and provide valuable physical insight into the local and global aerodynamics.

Weinstein, Rose↗

NASA NTRS2020

Development of a Compact, Low Cost Test Fixture to Evaluate Creep in High Strength Softgoods Materials under Constant Environmental Control

Space exploration is typically driven by two key factors: cost and payload mass. Therefore creating relatively low cost, low mass space hardware is critical. With the advancement of new high-strength flexible materials, a new chapter is opening in the evolution of pressurized space structures. Space-rated inflatable structures are attractive due to their low mass, compact stowage, and capability of performing as well, or better than, their rigid counterparts for applications such as habitats and airlocks. The lifetime properties of materials used for inflatable structures are not as well characterized as heritage composite and metallic materials; therefore, they require extensive testing to increase the level of confidence in their use. Creep testing is one method of evaluating the expected lifetime of materials that may be under constant load for many years in operational use. Conventional creep testing of high-strength softgoods webbings or cordage requires a large, temperature-controlled facility, with structural frames capable of supporting large dead weights, weighing thousands of pounds on each specimen. This is expensive and takes up a significant amount of volume in a facility for a long time. This paper describes the design and analysis of a low-cost, low-volume creep test stand that can be locally environmentally controlled, so that smaller, cheaper facilities can be used for characterizing the creep life of the softgoods materials used in inflatable space structures.

Softgoods↗

NASA NTRS2020

The Importance of Star Formation Intensity in Lyα Escape from Green Pea Galaxies and Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs

We have studied ultraviolet images of 40 Green Pea galaxies and 15 local Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs to understand the relation between Lyα photon escape and central UV photometric properties. We measured star formation intensity (SFI; star formation rate per unit area) from the central 250 pc region (S250 pc) using Cosmic Origins Spectrograph near-ultraviolet images from the Hubble Space Telescope. The measured S250 pc of our sample Green Peas ranges from 2.3–46M☉ yr−1 kpc−2, with a geometric mean of 15M☉ yr−1 kpc−2 and a standard deviation of 0.266 dex, forming a relatively narrow distribution. The Lyman Break Galaxy Analogs show a similarly narrow distribution of S250 pc (0.271 dex), though with a larger mean of 28M☉ yr−1 kpc−2. We show that while the Lyα equivalent width (EW(Lyα)) and the Lyα escape fraction ( f a esc Lyα) are not significantly correlated with the central SFI (S250 pc), both are positively correlated with the ratio of surface brightness to galaxy stellar mass (S250 pc/Mstar), with correlation coefficients (p-values) of 0.702 (1 × 10−8) and 0.529 (5 × 10−4) with EW(Lyα) and f a esc Lyα, respectively. These correlations suggest a scenario where intense central star formation can drive a galactic wind in galaxies with relatively shallow gravitational potential wells, thus clearing channels for the escape of Lyα photons.

Compact galaxies↗

NASA NTRS2022

Magnetic Field Intermittency in the Solar Wind: Parker Solar Probe and SolO Observations Ranging from the Alfvén Region up to 1AU

Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and SolO data are utilized to investigate magnetic field intermittency in the solar wind (SW). Small-scale intermittency (20−100 di) is observed to radially strengthen when methods relying on higher-order moments are considered (SFq; SDK), but no clear trend is observed at larger scales. However, lower-order moment-based methods (e.g., partial variance of increments; PVI) are deemed more appropriate for examining the evolution of the bulk of coherent structures (CSs), PVI ≥ 3. Using PVI, we observe a scale-dependent evolution in the fraction of the data set occupied by CSs, fPVI≥3. Specifically, regardless of the SW speed, a subtle increase is found in fPVI≥3 for ℓ = 20 di, in contrast to a more pronounced radial increase in CSs observed at larger scales. Intermittency is investigated in relation to plasma parameters. Though, slower SW speed intervals exhibit higher fPVI≥6 and higher kurtosis maxima, no statistical differences are observed for fPVI≥3. Highly Alfvénic intervals display lower levels of intermittency. The anisotropy with respect to the angle between the magnetic field and SW flow, ΘVB is investigated. Intermittency is weaker at ΘVB ≈ 0° and is strengthened at larger angles. Considering the evolution at a constant alignment angle, a weakening of intermittency is observed with increasing advection time of the SW. Our results indicate that the strengthening of intermittency in the inner heliosphere is driven by the increase in comparatively highly intermittent perpendicular intervals sampled by the probes with increasing distance, an effect related directly to the evolution of the Parker spiral.

Nikos Sioulas↗

NASA NTRS1991

Shock interactions in the outer heliosphere

The results of recent simulations of the nonlinear evolution of the solar wind structures are reviewed, emphasizing theoretical development and the shock interactions model (SIM). Models which calculate jumps in flow properties across shocks without using exact Rankine-Hugoniot relations and models which do use them are addressed. The development of a computer code and some basic applications to the SIM are considered. Simulation results for the formation and propagation of forward-reverse shock pairs and the collision and merging of shocks are shown. Two studies which used the SIM to simulate nonlinear evolution of large-scale solar wind structures in the outer heliosphere are examined, and the SIM is then applied to study the heating of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere. The results support the hypothesis that shocks are mainly responsible for the heating of the solar wind plasma in the outer heliosphere at least up to 30 AU.

Whang, Y. C.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Probabilistic evolution of stochastic dynamical systems: A meso-scale perspective

Stochastic dynamical systems arise naturally across nearly all areas of science and engineering. Typically, a dynamical system model is based on some prior knowledge about the underlying dynamics of interest in which probabilistic features are used to quantify and propagate uncertainties associated with the initial conditions, external excitations, etc. From a probabilistic modeling standing point, two broad classes of methods exist, i.e. macro-scale methods and micro-scale methods. Classically, macro-scale methods such as statistical moments-based strategies are usually too coarse to capture the multi-mode shape or tails of a non-Gaussian distribution. Micro-scale methods such as random samples-based approaches, on the other hand, become computationally very challenging in dealing with high-dimensional stochastic systems. In view of these potential limitations, a meso-scale scheme is proposed here that utilizes a meso-scale statistical structure to describe the dynamical evolution from a probabilistic perspective. The significance of this statistical structure is twofold. First, it can be tailored to any arbitrary random space. Second, it not only maintains the probability evolution around sample trajectories but also requires fewer meso-scale components than the micro-scale samples. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed meso-scale scheme, a set of examples of increasing complexity are provided. Connections to the benchmark stochastic models as conservative and Markov models along with practical implementation guidelines are presented.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA NTRS2004

Buoyancy Effects on Flow Structure and Instability of Low-Density Gas Jets

A low-density gas jet injected into a high-density ambient gas is known to exhibit self-excited global oscillations accompanied by large vortical structures interacting with the flow field. The primary objective of the proposed research is to study buoyancy effects on the origin and nature of the flow instability and structure in the near-field of low-density gas jets. Quantitative rainbow schlieren deflectometry, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and Linear stability analysis were the techniques employed to scale the buoyancy effects. The formation and evolution of vortices and scalar structure of the flow field are investigated in buoyant helium jets discharged from a vertical tube into quiescent air. Oscillations at identical frequency were observed throughout the flow field. The evolving flow structure is described by helium mole percentage contours during an oscillation cycle. Instantaneous, mean, and RMS concentration profiles are presented to describe interactions of the vortex with the jet flow. Oscillations in a narrow wake region near the jet exit are shown to spread through the jet core near the downstream location of the vortex formation. The effects of jet Richardson number on characteristics of vortex and flow field are investigated and discussed. The laminar, axisymmetric, unsteady jet flow of helium injected into air was simulated using CFD. Global oscillations were observed in the flow field. The computed oscillation frequency agreed qualitatively with the experimentally measured frequency. Contours of helium concentration, vorticity and velocity provided information about the evolution and propagation of vortices in the oscillating flow field. Buoyancy effects on the instability mode were evaluated by rainbow schlieren flow visualization and concentration measurements in the near-field of self-excited helium jets undergoing gravitational change in the microgravity environment of 2.2s drop tower at NASA John H. Glenn Research Center. The jet Reynolds number was varied from 200 to 1500 and jet Richardson number was varied from 0.72 to 0.002. Power spectra plots generated from Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of angular deflection data acquired at a temporal resolution of 1000Hz reveal substantial damping of the oscillation amplitude in microgravity at low Richardson numbers (~0.002). Quantitative concentration data in the form of spatial and temporal evolutions of the instability data in Earth gravity and microgravity reveal significant variations in the jet flow structure upon removal of buoyancy forces. Radial variation of the frequency spectra and time traces of helium concentration revealed the importance of gravitational effects in the jet shear layer region. Linear temporal and spatio-temporal stability analyses of a low-density round gas jet injected into a high-density ambient gas were performed by assuming hyper-tan mean velocity and density profiles. The flow was assumed to be non parallel. Viscous and diffusive effects were ignored. The mean flow parameters were represented as the sum of the mean value and a small normal-mode fluctuation. A second order differential equation governing the pressure disturbance amplitude was derived from the basic conservation equations. The effects of the inhomogeneous shear layer and the Froude number (signifying the effects of gravity) on the temporal and spatio-temporal results were delineated. A decrease in the density ratio (ratio of the density of the jet to the density of the ambient gas) resulted in an increase in the temporal amplification rate of the disturbances. The temporal growth rate of the disturbances increased as the Froude number was reduced. The spatio-temporal analysis performed to determine the absolute instability characteristics of the jet yield positive absolute temporal growth rates at all Fr and different axial locations. As buoyancy was removed (Fr . 8), the previously existing absolute instability disappeared at all locations establhing buoyancy as the primary instability mechanism in self-excited low-density jets.

Pasumarthi, Kasyap Sriramachandra↗

NASA NTRS1985

X-raying the dynamics of globular clusters

Major investigations of globular cluster content, internal dynamical structure, and long-term cluster evolution stimulated by X-ray observations are reviewed. The large-scale structure and motions of globulars as revealed by the recently discovered diffuse X-ray emission which may arise from their motion through the interstellar medium of the Galaxy are discussed, and the results of surveys for point sources in globulars are reviewed. The derived luminosity function for these sources out to 10 core radii suggest they are compact binaries containing either degenerate dwarf or neutron star remnants and were formed by tidal capture within the cluster cores. The possibility is considered that the formation and existence of compact binary X-ray sources contributes to the rapid demise of clusters by first heating the cores and causing the clusters to expand, after which they can be more easily disrupted by tidal forces and giant molecular clouds in the Galaxy.

Grindlay, J. E.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Challenges and Optimization of Mu2e Proton Target Design with Radiative Cooling

Mu2e, the Muon-to-Electron Conversion Experiment, aims to identify physics beyond the Standard Model, namely, the conversion of muons to electrons without the emission of neutrinos. The muons are produced from pions generated in a production target when it is hit by an 8 GeV proton beam from the Fermilab Booster/Main Injector. The proton target design space is strongly constrained by a one-year operating lifetime and the need for radiative cooling in a vacuum environment. Uncertainties in the lifetime of the existing baseline design – a monolithic, segmented tungsten target – are large, particularly due to unknown impacts of radiation damage at the very high proton fluences expected in the experiment. We have begun evaluation of a new design utilizing Inconel 718 over the WL10 used in the existing target design. As a result, the structural design of the target has evolved significantly. This evolution focuses on lowering the target temperature, minimizing obstruction to muons, increasing structural stability, maximizing fatigue lifetime, simplifying the fabrication process, and more. The thermal management, structural stability and fatigue lifetime are emphasized here. These optimizations have led to a promising new target design for the Mu2e experiment.

Liu, Z. [Fermilab]↗

NASA NTRS1981

Symbiosis in cell evolution: Life and its environment on the early earth

The book treats cell evolution from the viewpoint of the serial endosymbiosis theory of the origin of organelles. Following a brief outline of the symbiotic theory, which holds that eukaryotes evolved by the association of free-living bacteria with a host prokaryote, the diversity of life is considered, and five kingdoms of organisms are distinguished: the prokaryotic Monera and the eukaryotic Protoctista, Animalia, Fungi and Plantae. Symbiotic and traditional direct filiation theories of cell evolution are compared. Recent observations of cell structure and biochemistry are reviewed in relation to early cell evolution, with attention given to the geological context for the origin of eukaryotic cells, the origin of major bacterial anaerobic pathways, the relationship between aerobic metabolism and atmospheric oxygen, criteria for distinguishing symbiotic organelles from those that originated by differentiation, and the major classes of eukaryotic organelles: mitochondria, cilia, microtubules, the mitotic and meiotic apparatuses, and pastids. Cell evolution during the Phanerozoic is also discussed with emphasis on the effects of life on the biosphere

Margulis, L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Cosmic strings and galaxy formation

The cosmogonical model proposed by Zel'dovich and Vilenkin (1981), in which superconducting cosmic strings act as seeds for the origin of structure in the universe, is discussed, summarizing the results of recent theoretical investigations. Consideration is given to the formation of cosmic strings, the microscopic structure of strings, gravitational effects, cosmic string evolution, and the formation of galaxies and large-scale structure. Simulation results are presented in graphs, and several outstanding issues are listed and briefly characterized.

Bertschinger, Edmund↗

NASA NTRS2014

The Interior and Orbital Evolution of Charon as Preserved in Its Geologic Record

Pluto and its largest satellite, Charon, currently orbit in a mutually synchronous state; both bodies continuously show the same face to one another. This orbital configuration is a natural end-state for bodies that have undergone tidal dissipation. In order to achieve this state, both bodies would have experienced tidal heating and stress, with the extent of tidal activity controlled by the orbital evolution of Pluto and Charon and by the interior structure and rheology of each body. As the secondary, Charon would have experienced a larger tidal response than Pluto, which may have manifested as observable tectonism. Unfortunately, there are few constraints on the interiors of Pluto and Charon. In addition, the pathway by which Charon came to occupy its present orbital state is uncertain. If Charon's orbit experienced a high-eccentricity phase, as suggested by some orbital evolution models, tidal effects would have likely been more significant. Therefore, we determine the conditions under which Charon could have experienced tidally-driven geologic activity and the extent to which upcoming New Horizons spacecraft observations could be used to constrain Charon's internal structure and orbital evolution. Using plausible interior structure models that include an ocean layer, we find that tidally-driven tensile fractures would likely have formed on Charon if its eccentricity were on the order of 0.01, especially if Charon were orbiting closer to Pluto than at present. Such fractures could display a variety of azimuths near the equator and near the poles, with the range of azimuths in a given region dependent on longitude; east-west-trending fractures should dominate at mid-latitudes. The fracture patterns we predict indicate that Charon's surface geology could provide constraints on the thickness and viscosity of Charon's ice shell at the time of fracture formation.

Tectonics↗

DOE OSTI2022

Enabling New Flexibility in the SUNDIALS Suite of Nonlinear and Differential/Algebraic Equation Solvers

In recent years, the SUite of Nonlinear and DIfferential/ALgebraic equation Solvers (SUNDIALS) has been redesigned to better enable the use of application-specific and third-party algebraic solvers and data structures. Throughout this work, we have adhered to specific guiding principles that minimized the impact to current users while providing maximum flexibility for later evolution of solvers and data structures. The redesign was done through the addition of new linear and nonlinear solvers classes, enhancements to the vector class, and the creation of modern Fortran interfaces. The vast majority of this work has been performed “behind-the-scenes,” with minimal changes to the user interface and no reduction in solver capabilities or performance. These changes allow SUNDIALS users to more easily utilize external solver libraries and create highly customized solvers, enabling greater flexibility on extreme-scale, heterogeneous computational architectures.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Cell with a Barrier Layer Free Oxygen Electrode and Phase Inversion Derived Hydrogen Electrode

High-temperature solid oxide cells (SOCs) have fundamental advantages in efficiency and product rate over their low-temperature counterparts. However, the commercial development of SOCs is hindered by cost and reliability. To solve the issues, lowering the operating temperature of SOCs is deemed the best solution. Here we report on our effort toward intermediate temperature (IT) SOCs by developing a barrier layer free high-performance oxygen electrode and open structured hydrogen electrode. The results show that the new oxygen electrode provides reasonably good oxygen electrocatalytic activity at IT range for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions and the open structured hydrogen electrode provides low gas diffusion path for H 2 /H 2 O. However, at high electrolysis current density such as 1 A cm −2 and 650 °C, the present oxygen electrode delaminates after 200 h. The phase-inversion derived open structured hydrogen electrode helps gas diffusion but, in the meantime, reduces reactive sites. A proper balance of porosity and number of reactive sites is still needed for future hydrogen electrode development.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS2002

Cyber Technology for Materials and Structures in Aeronautics and Aerospace

The evolution of composites applications in aeronautics from 1970 to the present is discussed. The barriers and challenges to economic application and to certification are presented and recommendations for accelerated development are outlined. The potential benefits of emerging technologies to aeronautics and their foundation in composite materials are described and the resulting benefits in vehicle take off gross weight are quantified. Finally, a 21st century vision for aeronautics in which human mobility is increased by an order of magnitude is articulated.

Pipes, R. Byron↗

NASA NTRS2004

First Report of Taenite in an Asteroidal Interplanetary Dust Particle: Flash-heating Simulates Nebular Dust Evolution

Metallic iron with a taenite structure rimmed by Fe3C carbide, kamacite with a magnetite rim, both approximately 200 nm in size, and les than 15 nm kamacite crystals embedded in equilibrated aggregates (or GEMS) were reported in IDPs. Here I report the first g-(Fe,Ni), taenite, in sulfide fragment -F6 particle with adhered patches of thermally modified aggregate IDP-like material belonging to cluster IDP L2011#21.

Rietmeijer, F. J. M.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Lightweight, Durable, and Multifunctional Electrical Insulation Material Systems for High Voltage Applications

Newly developed multilayer structures of well-known polymer insulation materials significantly improved dielectric breakdown voltage, VB, or dielectric strength, K, if well-bonded, when compared to those of single material insulations or the commercial SOA systems, such as Teflon-Kapton-Teflon (TKT), at the same overall thickness. To date, the greatest improvement of the new structures from a few candidate materials, including various types of Kapton PIs and PFA or PET as bond layer (BL), was about 61% higher than that of the Kapton PI alone films, 40.1 vs. 24.9 kV, which was translated to 86.3% decrease in insulation thickness, thus significant volume and weight reduction of the final system. However, it was of interest to note that most improvements of the multilayer structures occurred at thicker overall thicknesses, above ~ 0.15 mm. Extensive analyses also showed that K of the multilayer structures increased with (i) decreasing individual layer thickness regardless of material type, (ii) increasing total accumulated thickness of PI or overall PI/BL ratio, and (iii) increasing number of interface or total number of layers, but only above the aforementioned overall thickness limit. Increases in VB of the multilayer structures were directly correlated with damage evolution and failure mode. With further material-design-process optimizations of the multilayer structures, it was expected to achieve other multifunctionalities, such as high partial discharge (PD) resistance, improved durability, EMI shielding, and high thermal dissipation in addition to high dielectric strength. These new structures can be used in various high voltage and high temperature applications, such as future hybrid or all electric aircraft wiring and power transmission as well as many other non-aerospace high power cables, electronic parts and components, printed circuit board, and so forth. The multilayer insulation system can be easily processed and manufactured with various conductor types via calendaring, compression-molding, stamping, laminating, vacuum-bagging and autoclaving, or 3D printing, even for complex 3-D components. Based on their unique structural configurations and potential capabilities, the new insulation system was identified as micro-multilayer multifunctional electrical insulation (MMEI). Patent application of the MMEI concept and current design configurations was filed for a 1-year provisional application (OAI-58834, Serial No.: 62/659,234), pending conversion to a U.S. utility application. This paper presents details of the MMEI structures, their dielectric performance analyses, potential mechanisms, and commercial scaleup feasibility assessment.

Electric aircrafts↗