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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 NTRS1995

Mass of dust in the Martian atmosphere

Estimates of the mass of dust suspended in the Martian atmosphere are derived from global and regional 9-micrometer opacity maps produced from Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper data. During the peak of the 1977b storm, a total dust mass of approximately 4.3 x 10(exp 14) g was suspended, equivalent to 4.3 x 10(exp -4) g/sq cm, or a layer 1.4 micrometers thick. During a local dust storm near Solis Planum at L(sub s) 227 deg, approximately 1.3 x 10(exp 13) g of dust were lofted, equal to about a 6-micrometer layer in that vicinity.

Martin, Terry Z.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mass of Dust in the Martian Atmosphere

Estimates of the mass of dust suspended in the Martian atmosphere are derived from global and regional 9 opacity maps produced from Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper data.

Martian atmospere Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper d↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impact of new physics on the JUNO-long-baseline synergy in the neutrino mass ordering determination

The determination of the neutrino mass ordering is one of the flagship goals in particle physics. A well-known and powerful synergy emerges when combining high-precision measurements of the effective atmospheric mass-squared splitting from electron antineutrino disappearance in reactor experiments with that from muon (anti)neutrino disappearance in accelerator-based long-baseline experiments. To fully exploit this synergy, percent-level precision in the atmospheric mass splitting is required—a target that JUNO is expected to achieve within a few months of data taking. This motivated the formulation of a mass ordering sum rule for neutrino disappearance channels, which shows that by combining data from T2K and NOvA with JUNO after one year of operation, the neutrino mass ordering can be determined at the 3⁢𝜎 confidence level. Since JUNO has recently started taking data, it is timely to ask whether this sum rule remains robust in the presence of new physics. We identify the necessary conditions for new physics to affect the sum rule and demonstrate that, in some cases, such effects could lead to an incorrect inference of the mass ordering. As concrete examples, we consider scalar nonstandard interactions (SNSI) and neutrinos coupled to an ultralight scalar field. We find that, for SNSI, current constraints render any modification of the sum rule negligible, whereas in the latter case, the inference of the ordering requires caution. Nevertheless, these effects can be disentangled, illustrating how the sum rule can also be used to search for new physics.

Alves, Gustavo F. S. [Fermi National Accelerator L↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impact of New Physics on the JUNO-Long-Baseline Synergy in Neutrino Mass Ordering Determination

The determination of the neutrino mass ordering is one of the flagship goals in particle physics. A well-known and powerful synergy emerges when combining high-precision measurements of the effective atmospheric mass-squared splitting from electron antineutrino disappearance in reactor experiments with that from muon (anti)neutrino disappearance in accelerator-based long-baseline experiments. To fully exploit this synergy, percent-level precision in the atmospheric mass splitting is required-a target that JUNO is expected to achieve within a few months of data taking. This motivated the formulation of a mass ordering sum rule for neutrino disappearance channels, which shows that by combining data from T2K and NOvA with JUNO after one year of operation, the neutrino mass ordering can be determined at the $3σ$ confidence level. Since JUNO has recently started taking data, it is timely to ask whether this sum rule remains robust in the presence of new physics. We identify the necessary conditions for new physics to affect the sum rule and demonstrate that, in some cases, such effects could lead to an incorrect inference of the mass ordering. As concrete examples, we consider Scalar Non-Standard Interactions (SNSI) and neutrinos coupled to an ultralight scalar field. We find that, for SNSI, current constraints render any modification of the sum rule negligible, whereas in the latter case, the inference of the ordering requires caution. Nevertheless, these effects can be disentangled, illustrating how the sum rule can also be used to search for new physics.

Alves, Gustavo F.S. [Fermilab; Northwestern U.; Sa↗
NASA NTRS1982

The effect on empirical atmospheric modeling of the mass-flux as an independent parameter

Observational data on atmospheric structure and mass fluxes from the sun and Be stars are applied to test the adequacy of the original Parker 'hot corona' approach to predicting atmospheric structure and the size of the mass flux from only the radiative and nonradiative energy fluxes, and from gravity, and imposing the condition that thermal and escape points must coincide. Observations do not support this latter condition. It is concluded that the Parker approach is an asymptotic approximation to the very low mass flux limit in a nonvariable stellar atmosphere.

Thomas, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The composition of the upper atmosphere

Miniature mass spectrometers were developed and were carried on sounding rockets to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere. Techniques have been developed that accurately correct for the velocity and spin of the moving vehicle. Above 120 km N2, O2, and Ar appear to be in diffusive equilibrium. Most He concentration measurements show a more rapid decline with altitude than predicted by diffusive equilibrium. Because of the highly reactive nature of atomic oxygen, measurements of this species by mass spectrometry are low by an unknown factor.

Nier, A. O.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Non-Contact Vapor Detection of Illicit Drugs via Atmospheric Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry

Real-time, non-contact detection of illicit drugs is a desirable goal for the interdiction of these controlled substances, but the relatively low vapor pressures of such species present a challenge for trace vapor detection technologies. The introduction of atmospheric flow tube-mass spectrometry (AFT-MS), which has previously been demonstrated to detect gas-phase analytes at low parts-per-quadrillion levels for explosives and organophosphorus compounds, also enables the potential for non-contact drug detection. With AFT-MS, direct vapor detection of cocaine and methamphetamine from ~5 µg residues at room temperature is demonstrated herein. Furthermore, thermal desorption of low- to sub-picogram levels of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin is observed via AFT-MS using a carrier flow rate of several L/min of air. These low levels can permit non-contact sampling through collection of vapor, effectively preconcentrating the analyte before desorption and analysis. Quantitative evaluation of the thermal desorption approach has yielded limits of detection (LODs) on order of 10 fg for cocaine and fentanyl, 100 fg for methamphetamine, and 1.6 pg for heroin. The LOD for heroin was lowered to 200 fg by using tributyl phosphate as a dopant to form a proton-bound heterodimer with heroin. When used with AFT-MS, the intentional formation of specific drug-dopant adducts has the potential to enhance detection limits and selectivity of additional drug species. Species that are prone to form adducts present a challenge to analysis, but that difficulty can be overcome by the intentional addition of a dopant. Molecules unlikely to form adducts will remain essentially unimpacted, but the adduct-forming species will interact with the dopant to compress the analyte signal into a single peak. This approach would be valuable in the application of non-contact screening for illicit substances via vapor collection followed by thermal desorption for analysis.

methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, atmosp↗
NASA NTRS2014

The Neutral Mass Spectrometer on the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer Mission

The Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission is designed to measure the composition and variability of the tenuous lunar atmosphere. The NMS complements two other instruments on the LADEE spacecraft designed to secure spectroscopic measurements of lunar composition and in situ measurement of lunar dust over the course of a 100-day mission in order to sample multiple lunation periods. The NMS utilizes a dual ion source designed to measure both surface reactive and inert species and a quadrupole analyzer. The NMS is expected to secure time resolved measurements of helium and argon and determine abundance or upper limits for many other species either sputtered or thermally evolved from the lunar surface.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS1977

A mass spectrometer-beam experiment for investigations of planetary atmospheres

An experimental concept for investigation of planetary atmospheres using a mass spectrometer is discussed. High atmospheric pressures are reduced to mass spectrometer operating pressures by means of differential pumping. Sampling is accomplished through the formation of a molecular beam. A flag in front of the mass spectrometer can be used to separate ambient gases from system background. Laboratory tests have confirmed the feasibility of the experiment, particularly in CO2 dominated atmospheres.

Mauersberger, K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Preliminary investigation of an uncertainty budget for uranium isotope ratio analysis using a liquid sampling—atmospheric pressure glow discharge—orbitrap mass spectrometer system

The liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) ionization source has proven to be an effective analysis tool for making uranium isotope ratio measurements when coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometers, such as the Orbitrap. While previous studies have shown the capabilities of the LS-APGD for isotope ratio determination, a systematic evaluation of the measurement uncertainty of the technique has not been conducted. To this end, the International Standards Organizations (ISO) guidelines to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM analysis) have been applied to generate an uncertainty budget. For this work, a preliminary assessment derived from the GUM analysis was performed. The uncertainty in the instrument blank determination has been identified as a primary factor contributing to measurement uncertainty for the LS-APGD-Orbitrap method. These findings for the specific test case of uranium isotopic analysis will be invaluable in applications across the breadth of isotope ratio mass spectrometry performed on this unique instrumental platform.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Global Ocean Mass Change Derived From Atmospheric Reanalyses

Barystatic sea level change is a significant climate variable and a gauge for water exchanges between land, atmosphere, and ocean, with consequential relevance to stakeholders. The monitoring and attribution of globally averaged sea level variations represents substantial challenges to the climate community. Atmospheric reanalyses provide a level of monitoring for elements of the climate system that are in communication with the ocean, including the atmosphere, terrestrial land, and the surfaces of glaciated land. Global atmospheric reanalyses comprise model output that is statistically adjusted to available observations. Potentially, reanalyses offer a climatic context to observed changes in water mass distribution. Improvement in the representation of the water cycle and in water mass conservation have been stated goals of reanalysis projects. Here, we assess the capability of atmospheric reanalyses to represent variations in the global water budget from the perspective of ocean mass balance. The purpose of this work is to provide a detailed evaluation of current atmospheric reanalyses and their ability to reproduce spatial and temporal variations in atmospheric and terrestrial water storage. A second goal is to identify and characterize recent apparent trends in the water balance. We examine the ERA5, MERRA-2, and JRA-3Q reanalyses with a focus on the radio-occultation observing period from 2007 to the present. For terrestrial water storage we also compare with ERA5-Land, a surface reanalysis. The primary validation is from the NASA/DLR Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its follow-on, GRACE-FO. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) onboard NASA's Aqua satellite is also used for evaluation of the atmospheric moisture budget. Comparisons reveal strengths and weaknesses in the reanalyses of each component of the climate system. Reanalyses agree closely on atmospheric moisture storage trends, although mean values differ. Reanalyses show significant differences in land water storage. They also apply large corrections to the land water budget. Finally, reanalyses have differing abilities in representing the surface mass balance over glaciated land. Using the observed gravimetry record, changes in the underlying glaciated land ice are examined as a residual.

Richard Cullather↗
NASA NTRS2013

Irradiated Benzene Ice Provides Clues to Meteoritic Organic Chemistry

Aromatic hydrocarbons account for a significant portion of the organic matter in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, as a component of both the low molecular weight, solvent-extractable compounds and the insoluble organic macromolecular material. Previous work has suggested that the aromatic compounds in carbonaceous chondrites may have originated in the radiation-processed icy mantles of interstellar dust grains. Here we report new studies of the organic residue made from benzene irradiated at 19 K by 0.8 MeV protons. Polyphenyls with up to four rings were unambiguously identified in the residue by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry was used to determine molecular composition, and accurate mass measurements suggested the presence of polyphenyls, partially hydrogenated polyphenyls, and other complex aromatic compounds. The profile of low molecular weight compounds in the residue compared well with extracts from the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites. These results are consistent with the possibility that solid phase radiation chemistry of benzene produced some of the complex aromatics found in meteorites.

benzene↗