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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 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Study of radiation induced deep-level defects and annealing effects in the proton irradiated AlGaAs-GaAs solar cells

The radiation induced deep-level defects and the recombination parameters in the proton irradiated AlGaAs-GaAs p-n junction solar cells were investigated over a wide range of proton energies (from 50 KeV to 10 MeV) and proton fluences (from 10 to the 10th to 10 to the 13th P/sq cm), using DLTS, I-V, C-V, and SEM-EMIC measurement techniques. The measurements were used to determine the defect and recombination parameters such as defect density and energy level, carrier lifetimes, and the hole diffusion lengths in the GaAs LPE layers. Results show that a good correlation was obtained between the measured defect parameters and the dark recombination current as well as the performance parameters of the solar cells. The most damages to the cell were produced by the 200 KeV protons. In addition, the effects of low temperatures (200 to 400 C) thermal annealing on the deep-level defects and the dark current of the 200 KeV proton irradiated samples were examined.

Li, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Nuclear cascades in Saturn's rings - Cosmic ray albedo neutron decay and origins of trapped protons in the inner magnetosphere

The nearly equatorial trajectory of the Pioneer 11 spacecraft through Saturn's high energy proton radiation belts and under the main A-B-C rings provided a unique opportunity to study the radial dependence of the greater than 30 MeV proton intensities in the belts in terms of models for secondary nucleon production by cosmic ray interactions in the rings, in situ proton injection in the radiation belts by neutron beta decay, magnetospheric diffusion, and absorption by planetary rings and satellites. Maximum trapped proton intensities measured by Pioneer 11 in the radiation belts are compared with calculated intensities and found consistent with trapping times of roughly 40 years and a radial diffusion coefficient of about 10 to the -15th L to the 9th R sub s squared/s. Differential energy spectra proportional to E to the -2 estimated from integral measurements of trapped photons with E greater than 100 MeV are consistent with the beta decay model, but an inferred turndown of the spectra toward lower energies and reported integral proton anisotropies of a specified form both indicate the need for more realistic calculations of the neutron source from the rings and the radiation belt loss processes.

Cooper, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the detectability of key-MeV solar protons through their nonthermal Lyman-alpha emission

The intensity and timescale of nonthermal Doppler-shifted hydrogen L alpha photon emission as diagnostics of 10 keV to 10 MeV protons bombarding the solar chromosphere during flares are investigated. The steady-state excitation and ionization balance of the proton beam are determined, taking into account all important atomic interactions with the ambient chromosphere. For a proton energy flux comparable to the electron energy flux commonly inferred for large flares, L alpha wing intensities orders of magnitude larger than observed nonflaring values were found. Investigation of timescales for ionization and charge exchange leads researchers to conclude that over a wide range of values of mean proton energy and beam parameters, Doppler-shifted nonthermal L alpha emission is a useful observational diagnostic of the presence of 10 keV to 10 MeV superthermal proton beams in the solar flare chromosphere.

Canfield, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Beam-induced pressure gradients in the early phase of proton-heated solar flares

The pressure gradient induced in a coronal loop by proton beam momentum deposition is calculated and compared with the thermal pressure gradient arising from nonuniform deposition of beam energy; it is assumed that the transfer of momentum and energy from beam to target occurs via the Coulomb interaciton. Results are presented for both a low mean energy and a high mean energy proton beam injected at the loop apex and characterized by a power-law energy spectrum. The present treatment takes account of the breakdown of the cold target approximation for the low-energy proton beam in the corona, where the thermal speed of target electrons exceeds the beam speed. It is found that proton beam momentum deposition plays a potentially significant role in flare dynamics only in the low mean energy case and only in the corona, where it may dominate the acceleration of target material for as long as several tens of seconds. This conclusion suggest that the presence of low-energy nonthermal protons may be inferred from velocity-sensitive coronal observations in the early impulsive phase.

Tamres, David H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Proton and oxygen plasmas at Uranus

Despite the presence of several large, ice moons within the Uranian magnetosphere, the Voyager 2 spacecraft did not detect any heavy ion plasma. This paper estimates the heavy ion density that would be consistent with a heavy neutral torus formed by photosputtering, charged particle sputtering, and micrometeoroid impact vaporization of icy surfaces on the moons, taking into account the large 60 deg angle between the satellite orbit plane and the magnetic equator. The expected heavy ion density is unobservably small. The observed proton plasma of the inner magnetosphere can be maintained by ionization of the atomic hydrogen corona and by the ionospheric proton source driven by photoelectron escape, for a plasma residence time of about 30 days. These two proton sources are comparable near L = 5. The same 30-day residence time for energetic protons implies an upper limit of 0.00001 on the fraction of incident solar wind protons that enter the magnetosphere and penetrate to within L less than 6 while conserving their first adiabatic invariants.

Cheng, Andrew F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Effect of solar proton events in 1978 and 1979 on the odd nitrogen abundance in the middle atmosphere

Daily average solar proton flux data for 1978 and 1979 are used in a proton energy degradation scheme to derive ion pair production rates and atomic nitrogen production rates. The latter are computed in a form suitable for inclusion in an atmopheric, two-dimensional, time-dependent photochemical model. Odd nitrogen distributions are computed from the model, including atomic nitrogen production from solar protons, and are compared with baseline distributions. The comparisons show that the average effect of the solar protons in 1978 and 1979 was to cause changes in odd nitrogen only above 10 mbar and at latitudes only above about 50 deg in both hemispheres. The influence of the solar proton-produced odd nitrogen on the local abundance of odd nitrogen depends primarily on the background odd nitrogen abundance as well as the altitude and season.

Jackman, Charles H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Observations related to the acceleration, injection, and interplanetary propagation of energetic protons during the solar cosmic ray event on February 16, 1984

This paper presents an analysis of data collected by the worldwide network of neutron monitors and from IMP-8 cosmic-ray telescopes, as well as by particle detectors on the GOES 5 and 6 and ICE satellites, on the solar cosmic ray event that took place on February 16, 1984. Using these data, the intensity-time (IT) profiles, the anisotropy-time profiles, the energy spectra, and the pitch angle distributions of the solar protons near earth were deduced. It was found that the solar protons propagated essentially scatter-free from the sun to the earth. The solar protons had easy access to the IMF lines to earth; the time from the onset to maximum intensity and the shape of the IT profiles at earth as a function of energy could be explained by the diffusion of the flare protons near the acceleration region. The energy spectrum of the solar flare protons injected into the undisturbed IMF at the sun was changing with time in both amplitude and shape. The observations suggest a shock acceleration process.

Debrunner, H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

On the stability of proton beams against resonant scattering by Alfven waves in solar flare loops

The growth of Alfven waves in magnetized hydrogen plasma at flare-loop densities and magnetic field strengths driven by a dilute population of streaming protons in the energy range 10-1000 keV is investigated. The streaming distribution induces wave growth principally through resonant interactions between forward-moving protons and forward-propagating waves. All other factors constant, the maximum growth rate increases with mean beam energy and with increased narrowness of the beam distribution. The frequency of the most rapidly growing waves is inversely related to the mean beam energy. Under typical flare conditions, thermal damping when mean energy equals the Alfven speed effectively stabilizes proton beams of moderate collimation. At beam energies only one order of magnitude larger, thermal damping under flare loop conditions is insufficient to prevent highly restrictive upper limits on the beam-to-background proton density ratio for even mildly collimated proton beams.

Tamres, David H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Solar flare nuclear gamma-rays and interplanetary proton events

Gamma-ray line (GRL) and solar energetic proton (SEP) events observed from February 1980 through January 1985 are compared in order to substantiate and better characterize the lack of correlation between GRL fluences and SEP event peak fluxes. The scatter plot of SEP event peak flux vs. GRL fluence is presented, and the ratio of 'solar' to 'interplanetary', about 10 MeV protons, is presented. It is shown that, while even large SEP events can originate in flares lacking detectable GRL emission, the converse case of flares with a significant GRL line fluence by lacking protons in space is rare. The ratio R of the number of about 10 MeV protons that produce GRL emission at the flare site to the number of about 10 MeV protons detected in space can vary from event to event by four orders of magnitude. There is a clear tendency for impulsive flares to have larger values of R than long-duration flares, where the flare time scale is given by the e-folding decay time of the associated soft X-ray emission.

Cliver, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Proton radiation damage in optical filter glass

Samples of Schott BG-39 and Hoya CM-500 blue-green filter glass were subjected to proton radiation to determine their acceptability for spaceflight. Initial testing done with 2.7 MeV protons showed negligible change in optical transmittance with doses as high as 5.2 x 10 to the 14th protons per sq cm. Irradiation with protons of energy up to 63 MeV caused a significant reduction in transmittance in the Schott samples at doses of 5.3 x 10 to the 12th protons per sq cm, while negligible change occurred in the Hoya samples.

Grillot, Patrick N.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Coronal proton transport in the presence of Alfven waves and implications for impact line linear polarization

The transport of fast (about 1 MeV) protons in the corona is considered when their density and ansiotropy are sufficiently large to excite Alfven waves. The Alfven waves scatter the protons and make them almost isotropic. The Alfven wave instability remains in a marginally stable state in which the proton anisotropy is just large enough to excite Alfven waves to a level which would eliminate any greater anisotropy. The protons propagate diffusively down a coronal loop and have a path length of order 100 times their length in the absence of Alfven waves. This increases their Coulomb losses, and much higher energy protons (2-20 MeV) are required initially to produce H-alpha impact line linear polarization in the chromosphere as compared to the case in the absence of Alfven waves (about 200 keV) for loop lengths about 10 to the 9th cm. The interpretation of the observed polarization becomes less direct because it depends on more poorly known parameters than in the case of the absence of Alfven waves.

Smith, Dean F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Consequences of relativistic proton injection in active galactic nuclei

The processes are analyzed by which extremely relativistic protons lose energy under the conditions thought to apply in the central engines of active galactic nuclei. Analytic formulae are derived which permit the consequences of relativistic proton injection under a variety of conditions to be predicted. Different proton cooling mechanisms are compared for a power-law proton injection function and two types of background radiation spectra: power-law and power-law plus blackbody. The kinetic equations for neutrons and protons are examined, and it is shown how to calculate the energy distributions of primary gamma rays and escaping neutrons and neutrinos.

Begelman, Mitchell C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The role of proton precipitation in Jovian aurora: Theory and observation

It was proposed that the Jovian auroral emissions observed by Voyager spacecraft could be explained by energetic protons precipitating into the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. Such precipitation of energetic protons results in Doppler-shifted Lyman alpha emission that can be quantitatively analyzed to determine the energy flux and energy distribution of the incoming particle beam. Modeling of the expected emission from a reasonably chosen Voyager energetic proton spectrum can be used in conjunction with International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) observations, which show a relative lack of red-shifted Lyman alpha emission, to set upper limits on the amount of proton precipitation taking place in the Jovian aurora. Such calculations indicate that less than 10 percent of the ultraviolet auroral emissions at Jupiter can be explained by proton precipitation.

Waite, J. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Revised prediction of LDEF exposure to trapped protons

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft flew in a 28.5 deg inclination circular orbit with an altitude in the range from 319.4 to 478.7 km. For this orbital altitude and inclination, two components contribute most of the penetrating charge particle radiation encountered - the galactic cosmic rays and the geomagnetically trapped Van Allen protons. Where shielding is less than 1.0 g/sq cm geomagnetically trapped electrons make a significant contribution. The 'Vette' models together with the associated magnetic field models and the solar conditions were used to obtain the trapped electron and proton omnidirectional fluences reported previously. Results for directional proton spectra using the MSFC anisotropy model for solar minimum and 463 km altitude (representative for the LDEF mission) were also reported. The directional trapped proton flux as a function of mission time is presented considering altitude and solar activity variation during the mission. These additional results represent an extension of previous calculations to provide a more definitive description of the LDEF trapped proton exposure.

Watts, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Interplanetary proton fluence model - JPL 1991

We describe an updated predictive engineering model for the interplanetary fluence of protons with energies respectively greater than 1, 4, 10, 30, and 60 MeV. This has been the first opportunity to derive a model from a data set that has been collected in space over a long enough period of time to produce a valid sample of solar proton events. The model provides a quantitative basis for estimating the exposures to solar protons of spacecraft during missions of varying length and of surfaces and atmospheres of solar system objects. The data sets contain several major proton events comparable to the 1972 event. For the cases of the over 10 and over 30 MeV particles, the fluences are somewhat lower than in our earlier model No over 1, over 4, and over 60 MeV proton fluence models have been published in the literature previously. We present our results in a convenient graphical form which may be used to calculate the 1 AU fluence expected at a given confidence level as a function of the length of the exposure. A method of extending this estimate to other heliocentric distances is described.

Feynman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Fission foil measurements of neutron and proton fluences in the A0015 experiment

Results are given from sets of fission foil detectors (FFD's) (Ta-181, Bi-209, Th-232, U-238) which were included in the A0015 experiment to measure combined proton/neutron fluences. Use has been made of recent FFD high energy proton calibrations for improved accuracy of response. Comparisons of track density measurements have been made with the predictions of environmental modeling based on simple 1-D (slab) geometry. At 1 g/cm(exp 2) (trailing edge) the calculations were approximately 25 percent lower than measurements; at 13 g/cm(exp 2) (Earthside) calculations were more than a factor of 2 lower. A future 3-D modeling of the experiment is needed for a more meaningful comparison. Approximate mission proton doses and neutron dose equivalents were found. At Earthside (13 g/cm(exp 2) the dose was 171 rad and dose equivalent was 82 rem. At the trailing edge (1 g/cm(exp 2) dose was 315 rad and dose equivalent was 33 rem. The proton doses are less than expected from TLD doses by 16 percent and 37 percent, respectively. These differences can be explained by uncertainties in the proton and neutron spectra and in the method used to separate proton and neutron contributions to the measurements.

Frank, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Simulation of proton radiation belt formation during the March 24, 1991 SSC

The rapid formation of a new proton radiation belt at L approximately = 2.5 following the March 24, 1991 Storm Sudden Commencement (SSC) observed at the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) satellite is modeled using a relativistic guiding center test particle code. The SSC is modeled by a bipolar electric field and associated compression and relaxation in the magnetic field, superimposed on a dipole magnetic field. The source population consists of both solar and trapped inner zone protons. The simulations show that while both populations contribute to drift echoes in the 20-80 MeV range, primary conditions is from the solar protons. Proton acceleration by the SSC differs from relativistic electron acceleration in that different source populations contribute and nonrelativistic conservation of the first adiabatic invariation leads to greater energization of protons for a given decrease in L. Model drift echoes and flux distribution in L at the time of injection compare well with CRRES observations.

Hudson, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Pickup proton cyclotron turbulence at comet P/Halley

Low-frequency electromagnetic turbulence near the proton gyrofrequency observed far upstream of comet P/Halley can be excited by a beam instability driven by relative streaming between cometary protons, solar wind protons, and water group ions. For a given solar wind velocity the growth rates peak at a certain optimum frequency shift (from the exact proton gyrofrequency), and the wavelengths involved can be deduced in a self-consistent way from the dispersion law. Only under ideal conditions when all parameters remain constant would the mode corresponding to the optimum frequency shift grow fastest and might it be possible to observe a nearly constant frequency mode. However, if the solar wind parameters were not constant, then a mode that was in resonance earlier would no longer remain so, and some other mode with a slightly different frequency shift might start to grow fastest, leading to a mixing of many modes. Thus only rarely would one be able to observe a single mode near the proton gyrofrequency, exactly as happens in the observations. Our self-consistent approach yields resonant instabilities with left-handed polarizations in the spacecraft frame.

Lakhina, G. S.↗