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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Neuronal RNA granules: a link between RNA localization and stimulation-dependent translation

RNA granules are a macromolecular structure observed in neurons, where they serve as motile units that translocate mRNAs. Isolated RNA granules are highly enriched in Staufen protein and ultrastructurally contain densely packed clusters of ribosomes. With depolarization, many mRNAs, including those involved in plasticity, rapidly shift from the RNA granule fraction to polysomes. Depolarization reorganizes granules and induces a less compact organization of their ribosomes. RNA granules are not translationally competent, as indicated by the failure to incorporate radioactive amino acids and the absence of eIF4E, 4G, and tRNAs. We concluded that RNA granules are a local storage compartment for mRNAs under translational arrest but are poised for release to actively translated pools. Local release of mRNAs and ribosomes from granules may serve as a macromolecular mechanism linking RNA localization to translation and synaptic plasticity.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗
NASA NTRS1997

Numerical Flow Visualization in Basic- and Hyper-Cluster Spheres

Packed spherical particle beds have wide applications throughout the process industry and are usually analyzed using an appropriate combination of laminar and turbulent flows with empirically derived coefficients of which the Ergun (1952) relation is probably the best known. The 3-D complexity of the void distribution within the beds has precluded detailed studies of sphere clusters. Numerical modeling and flow vector visualization for the basic tetra- and hexa-sphere clusters and two hyper-sphere clusters are presented at two Reynolds numbers, 400 and 1200. Cutting planes are used to enable visualization of the complex flows generated within the sphere clusters and are discussed herein. The boundary conditions and flow fields for the simple clusters are also compared to the hyper-clusters with larger variations found for hexa-clusters.

Hendricks, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

First Hard X-Ray Detection of the Non-Thermal Emission Around the Arches Cluster: Morphology and Spectral Studies With NuSTAR

The Arches cluster is a young, densely packed massive star cluster in our Galaxy that shows a high level of star formation activity. The nature of the extended non-thermal X-ray emission around the cluster remains unclear. The observed bright Fe K(alpha) line emission at 6.4 keV from material that is neutral or in a low ionization state can be produced either by X-ray photoionization or by cosmic-ray particle bombardment or both. In this paper, we report on the first detection of the extended emission around the Arches cluster above 10 keV with the NuSTAR mission, and present results on its morphology and spectrum. The spatial distribution of the hard X-ray emission is found to be consistent with the broad region around the cluster where the 6.4 keV line is observed. The interpretation of the hard X-ray emission within the context of the X-ray reflection model puts a strong constraint on the luminosity of the possible illuminating hard X-ray source. The properties of the observed emission are also in broad agreement with the low-energy cosmic-ray proton excitation scenario. Key words: cosmic rays - Galaxy: center - ISM: general - X-rays: individual (Arches cluster)

Arches cluster↗
NASA NTRS1986

Identification of major backscattering sources in trees and shrubs at 10 GHz

A short-range very-fine-resolution FM-CW radar scatterometer has been used to identify the primary contributors to 10-GHz radar backscatter from pine, pin oak, American sycamore and sugar maple trees, and from creeping juniper shrubs. This system provided a range resolution of 11 cm and gave a 16-cm diameter illumination area at the target range of about 4 m. For a pine tree, the needles caused the strongest backscatter as well as the strongest attenuation in the radar signal. Cones, although insignificant contributors to the total backscatter, were more important for backscattering than for attenuation. For the rest of the trees, leaves were the strongest cause of backscattering and attenuation. However, in the absence of leaves, the petioles, small twigs, and branches gave relatively strong backscatter. For American sycamore and sugar maple trees, the fruits did not affect the total backscatter unless they were packed in clusters. For creeping juniper the backscattered energy and attenuation in the radar signal were mainly due to the top two layers of the evergreen scales. The contribution of the tree trunks was not determined.

Zoughi, R.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Synchrony of clonal cell proliferation and contiguity of clonally related cells: production of mosaicism in the ventricular zone of developing mouse neocortex

We have analyzed clonal cell proliferation in the ventricular zone (VZ) of the early developing mouse neocortex with a replication-incompetent retrovirus encoding human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP). The retrovirus was injected into the lateral ventricles on embryonic day 11 (E11), i.e., at the onset of neuronogenesis. Three days postinjection, on E14, a total of 259 AP-labeled clones of various sizes were found in 7 fetal brains. There are approximately 7 cell cycles between E11 and E14 (), and there is a 1-2 cell cycle delay between retroviral injection and the production of a retrovirally labeled "founder" cell; thus, we estimate that the "age" of the clones was about 5-6 cell cycles. Almost one-half of the clones (48.3%) identified were pure proliferating clones containing cells only in the VZ. Another 18.5% contained both proliferating and postproliferative cells, and 33.2% contained only postproliferative cells. It was striking that over 90% of the clonally related proliferating cells occurred in clusters of two or more apparently contiguous cells, and about 73% of the proliferating cells occurred in clusters of three or more cells. Regardless of the number of cells in the clone, these clusters were tightly packed and confined to a single level of the VZ. This clustering of proliferating cells indicates that clonally related cells maintain neighbor-neighbor relationships as they undergo interkinetic nuclear migration and progress through several cell cycles, and, as a result, the ventricular zone is a mosaic of small clusters of clonally related and synchronously cycling cells. In addition, cells in the intermediate zone and the cortical plate were also frequently clustered, indicating that they became postproliferative at a similar time and that the output of the VZ is influenced by its mosaic structure.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗
NASA NTRS1986

Stability and structure of metal clusters - Be(13) and Be(55)

Face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonally close-packed (hcp) structures are compared for Be(13) and Be(55) clusters. Both Be(13) and Be(55) prefer the fcc structure over the bulk hcp structure, but the energy difference per atom decreases for Be(55) relative to Be(13). The binding energy per atom, 1.3 eV for Be(55) and 0.8-0.9 eV for Be(13), reflects the greater total number of bonds in the larger cluster rather than a difference in bonding. The energies per bond are much more similar, in the range of 0.30-0.34 eV for both clusters. The size of the p-basis set used influences both stability and ionization potentials strongly.

Pettersson, Lars G. M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigation of the Impedance Characteristics of Perforate Sheet Hole Clustering Over an Array of Uniform Depth Chambers

A series of normal incidence impedance tube tests are conducted to characterize the facesheet impedance differences between uniformly distributed and nonuniformly tightly packed hole layout patterns, defined here as "hole clustering." These hole clustered samples contain the same number of holes as their uniformly distributed counterparts but target edge to edge distances between holes down to 0.01". Resonant frequency shifts between uniformly distributed and hole clustered samples are presented to demonstrate potential design benefits. Mass end correction differences between samples are also shown to better quantify differences in designs, including the effect of acoustic particle velocity. It is found that hole clustered facesheets over an array of uniform depth chambers can provide significant reactance increases at minimal expense to resistance, thereby lowering resonant frequencies. Additionally, moving these hole clustered layouts toward common chamber corners provides additional resonance shifts to lower frequencies.

acoustic liner impedance hole clustering perforate↗
NASA NTRS1986

The structure of small metal clusters

One metal atom surrounded by its 12 nearest neighbors is considered for both D(3d) (face-centered cubic-like) and D(3h) (hexagonal close-packed-like) geometries. For Al and Be, the neutral cluster and the positive and negative ions are considered for idealized (all bonds equal) and distorted geometries. The D(3d) geometry is found to be the lowest for Be13, while the D(3h) geometry is lower for Al13. This is the reverse of what is expected based upon the bulk metal structures, Be(hcp) and Al(fcc). Al13 is found to have only small distortions, while Be13 shows large distortions for both the D(3d) and D(3h) geometries. The ions have geometries which are similar to those found for the neutral systems. Both all-electron and effective core potential calculations were carried out on the X13 clusters; the agreement is very good.

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Design and performance of a modularized NaI/Tl/ detector /The Crystal Ball prototype/

A prototype NaI(Tl) detector (the Cluster of 54) of spherical geometry subtending a solid angle of 7.5% of 4pi at its center, has recently been assembled and tested. This detector consists of 54 close-packed but optically isolated NaI(Tl) modules and the associated electronic circuitry. The Cluster of 54 is the predecessor of an almost complete spherical detector, the Crystal Ball, which will cover 94% of 4pi. The latter detector is now under construction and is especially designed for the study of gamma-rays produced in electron-positron collisions at colliding beam facilities. This article outlines the mechanical, optical, and electronic assembly of the prototype system.

Chan, Y.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Computing Aerodynamic Performance of a 2D Iced Airfoil: Blocking Topology and Grid Generation

The ice accrued on airfoils can have enormously complicated shapes with multiple protruded horns and feathers. In this paper, several blocking topologies are proposed and evaluated on their ability to produce high-quality structured multi-block grid systems. A transition layer grid is introduced to ensure that jaggedness on the ice-surface geometry do not to propagate into the domain. This is important for grid-generation methods based on hyperbolic PDEs (Partial Differential Equations) and algebraic transfinite interpolation. A 'thick' wrap-around grid is introduced to ensure that grid lines clustered next to solid walls do not propagate as streaks of tightly packed grid lines into the interior of the domain along block boundaries. For ice shapes that are not too complicated, a method is presented for generating high-quality single-block grids. To demonstrate the usefulness of the methods developed, grids and CFD solutions were generated for two iced airfoils: the NLF0414 airfoil with and without the 623-ice shape and the B575/767 airfoil with and without the 145m-ice shape. To validate the computations, the computed lift coefficients as a function of angle of attack were compared with available experimental data. The ice shapes and the blocking topologies were prepared by NASA Glenn's SmaggIce software. The grid systems were generated by using a four-boundary method based on Hermite interpolation with controls on clustering, orthogonality next to walls, and C continuity across block boundaries. The flow was modeled by the ensemble-averaged compressible Navier-Stokes equations, closed by the shear-stress transport turbulence model in which the integration is to the wall. All solutions were generated by using the NPARC WIND code.

Chi, X.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Influence of fiber packing structure on permeability

The study on the permeability of an aligned fiber bundle is the key building block in modeling the permeability of advanced woven and braided preforms. Available results on the permeability of fiber bundles in the literature show that a substantial difference exists between numerical and analytical calculations on idealized fiber packing structures, such as square and hexagonal packing, and experimental measurements on practical fiber bundles. The present study focuses on the variation of the permeability of a fiber bundle under practical process conditions. Fiber bundles are considered as containing openings and fiber clusters within the bundle. Numerical simulations on the influence of various openings on the permeability were conducted. Idealized packing structures are used, but with introduced openings distributed in different patterns. Both longitudinal and transverse flow are considered. The results show that openings within the fiber bundle have substantial effect on the permeability. In the longitudinal flow case, the openings become the dominant flow path. In the transverse flow case, the fiber clusters reduce the gap sizes among fibers. Therefore the permeability is greatly influenced by these openings and clusters, respectively. In addition to the porosity or fiber volume fraction, which is commonly used in the permeability expression, another fiber bundle status parameter, the ultimate fiber volume fraction, is introduced to capture the disturbance within a fiber bundle.

Cai, Zhong↗
NASA NTRS2013

T-Matrix Modeling of Linear Depolarization by Morphologically Complex Soot and Soot-Containing Aerosols

We use state-of-the-art public-domain Fortran codes based on the T-matrix method to calculate orientation and ensemble averaged scattering matrix elements for a variety of morphologically complex black carbon (BC) and BC-containing aerosol particles, with a special emphasis on the linear depolarization ratio (LDR). We explain theoretically the quasi-Rayleigh LDR peak at side-scattering angles typical of low-density soot fractals and conclude that the measurement of this feature enables one to evaluate the compactness state of BC clusters and trace the evolution of low-density fluffy fractals into densely packed aggregates. We show that small backscattering LDRs measured with groundbased, airborne, and spaceborne lidars for fresh smoke generally agree with the values predicted theoretically for fluffy BC fractals and densely packed near-spheroidal BC aggregates. To reproduce higher lidar LDRs observed for aged smoke, one needs alternative particle models such as shape mixtures of BC spheroids or cylinders.

atmospheric radiation↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA Radiation Track Image GUI for Assessing Space Radiation Biological Effects

The high-charge high-energy (HZE) ion components of the galactic cosmic rays when compared to terrestrial forms of radiations present unique challenges to biological systems. In this paper we present a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) breakage model to visualize and analyze the impact of chromatin domains and DNA loops on clustering of DNA damage from X rays, protons, and HZE ions. Our model of DNA breakage is based on a stochastic process of DNA double-strand break (DSB) formulation that includes the amorphous model of the radiation track and a polymer model of DNA packed in the cell nucleus. Our model is a Monte-Carlo simulation based on a randomly located DSB cluster formulation that accomodates both high- and low-linear energy transfer radiations. We demonstrate that HZE ions have a strong impact on DSB clustering, both along the chromosome length and in the nucleus volume. The effects of chromosomal domains and DNA loops on the DSB fragment-size distribution and the spatial distribution of DSB in the nucleus were studied. We compare our model predictions with the spatial distribution of DSB obtained from experiments. The implications of our model predictions for radiation protection are discussed.

Ponomarev, Artem L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Inflight Parachute Measurement Challenge

The Purpose of the Inflight Parachute Measurement Challenge is to solicit potential measurement solutions that can result in successful parachute loading assumption validation, along with validation of Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations. A parachute system contains many components which see various loading conditions including tension and aerodynamic pressure forces. While measurements can be made in wind tunnels, significant limitations exist as compared to flight testing which include scaling, dynamic pressure time history, and cluster behavior. Traditional flight test instrumentation is difficult due the flexible nature of parachute components, packing requirements, and high forces and chaos during deployment. The Objectives of this challenge are to (1) describe the anatomy and behavior of parachute systems, (2) identify measurements of particular interest to the parachute design and analysis community, (3) identify additional uses of measurements such as FSI validation.

Daum, Jared↗
NASA NTRS2020

Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Off-Stoichiometric Epoxy Resins

We carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to measure the mechanical properties of various off-stoichiometric polymers regarding amine to epoxy ratios (r) and to understand the stiffness of the polymers in terms of their structures. The aerospace-grade API-60 epoxy resin is used as an adhesive bond for assembling large-scale composite structures via the co-curing-ply bonding method. This method will produce a reliable and certifiable composite joint without additional fasteners. Calculated Young's modulus was measured from the uniaxial tension simulation with several high strain rates, and the experimental modulus was estimated by extrapolating the simulation results. We found that the stiffness was associated with molecular packing caused by chemical cross-linking. We also found that the number of network clusters gradually decreased as the ratio approached r = 1.0, which made the tighter cluster and the system much stiffer with an increase in the molecular weight and the degree of cross-linking. Structural properties such as Rg, MSD were measured to figure out the degree of stiffness with respect to the r.

Jang, Chang Woon↗
NASA NTRS1989

Microscopic deformation in a heated unidirectional graphite-epoxy composite

Both in-plane and out-of-plane displacements were determined in patches of the toughened 1962-ERLX epoxy bounded by three closely packed high-modulus P75S graphite fibers. The P75S/1962-ERLX composite was unidirectional, with an average fiber volume of 60 percent. On heating to 44 C from room temperature, the epoxy confined between clusters of three fibers sank in a trough beneath the plane of the fiber ends by 50-120 nm. When the maximum temperature achieved in the prior thermal cycles exceeded 100 C the depth of the trough increased. However, when cycles exceeding 100 C were followed by thermal cycles of decreasing amplitude, chosen to reduce interfacial stress relaxation, the depth of the trough decreased. The results illustrate the feasibility of deducing quantitative data on local deformation from high-resolution strain measurements on cut surfaces.

Morris, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Off-Stoichiometric Epoxy Resins

Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed to compute the mechanical properties of off-stoichiometric epoxy resins as a function of hardener/epoxy mixture ratio (r). Properties were characterized in relation to their microscopic structures. Such resins have been used recently for adhesive-free bonding of large-scale composite structures using the co-curing-ply method. In this process, two partially precured composite panels with hardener-poor (HP) off-stoichiometric resins are coupled with ply(ies) of complementary hardener-rich (HR) formulations and then cured simultaneously. This bonding process has the potential to produce reliable and certifiable composite joints without the need for additional fasteners, which are often required for many conventional bonding methods because even small amounts of contamination can cause a weak bond. The reflow and mixing of the HP/HR resin in this bonding process result in a joint with no discernable interface that should not be susceptible to surface contamination. However, incomplete mixing of the two offset resins may result in chemical heterogeneity of the cured polymeric joint. Thus, different r values may be obtained across the joint. Classical MD simulations were performed to compute the Young’s modulus of polymers with different r values and correlate their properties to network structures. High stiffness was associated with molecular packing due to chemical crosslinking, leading to a single network structure. Moreover, the networks became denser as the ratio approached the stoichiometric value r = 1. Thus, the r = 1 systems were single clusters, with high stiffness, high molecular weight, and a high degree of crosslinking. Structural properties such as radius of gyration and mean square displacement were determined to investigate the variation in the stiffness with respect to r. This MD simulation study was validated with experimental measurements.

Chang Woon Jang↗
NASA NTRS2011

Numerical Simulations of Single and Multiple Scattering by Fractal Ice Clusters

We consider the scattering model in the form of a vertically and horizontally homogeneous particulate slab of an arbitrary optical thickness composed of widely separated fractal aggregates built of small spherical ice monomers. The aggregates are generated by applying three different approaches, including simulated cluster-cluster aggregation (CCA) and diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) procedures. Having in mind radar remote-sensing applications, we report and analyze the results of computations of the backscattering circular polarization ratio obtained using efficient superposition T-matrix and vector radiative-transfer codes. The computations have been performed at a wavelength of 12.6 cm for fractal aggregates with the following characteristics: monomer refractive index m=1.78+i0.003, monomer radius r=1 cm, monomer packing density p=0.2, overall aggregate radii R in the range 4<=R<=10 cm and fractal dimensions D(sub f) 2.5 and 3. We show that for aggregates generated with simulated CCA and DLA procedures, the respective values of the backscattering circular polarization ratio differ weakly for D(sub f) 2.5, but the differences can increase somewhat for D(sub f)3, especially in case of an optically semi-infinite medium. For aggregates with a spheroidal overall shape, the dependence of the circular polarization ratio on the cluster morphology can be quite significant and increases with increasing the aspect ratio of the circumscribing spheroid.

Dlugach, Janna M.↗