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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Addressing EO-1 Spacecraft Pulsed Plasma Thruster EMI Concerns

The Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) Experiment on the Earth Observing One (EO-1) spacecraft has been designed to demonstrate the capability of a new generation PPT to perform spacecraft attitude control. Results from PPT unit level radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) tests led to concerns about potential interference problems with other spacecraft subsystems. Initial plans to address these concerns included firing the PPT at the spacecraft level both in atmosphere, with special ground support equipment. and in vacuum. During the spacecraft level tests, additional concerns where raised about potential harm to the Advanced Land Imager (ALI). The inadequacy of standard radiated emission test protocol to address pulsed electromagnetic discharges and the lack of resources required to perform compatibility tests between the PPT and an ALI test unit led to changes in the spacecraft level validation plan. An EMI shield box for the PPT was constructed and validated for spacecraft level ambient testing. Spacecraft level vacuum tests of the PPT were deleted. Implementation of the shield box allowed for successful spacecraft level testing of the PPT while eliminating any risk to the ALI. The ALI demonstration will precede the PPT demonstration to eliminate any possible risk of damage of ALI from PPT operation.

Zakrzwski, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Active and Passive Radiative Transfer Modeling with Preferentially-Aligned Particles

The fluid dynamics of falling hydrometeors often results in preferential orientations that can affect both the intensity and polarization of electromagnetic radiation. In order to properly interpret remote sensing observations of ice and snow, such alignments should be considered when constructing databases of scattering particles; however, the inclusion of aligned particles increases the complexity of the scattering data. To demonstrate the use of scattering properties of preferentially-aligned particles, millimeter-wave brightness temperatures and radar observables, including reflectivity and linear depolarization ratio, are modeled using the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS). The necessary scattering parameters for vector radiative transfer, particularly with respect to ARTS, are reviewed, and the exploitation of particle symmetries, as well as scattering reciprocity relationships, are detailed.

radiative transfer↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Importance of Radiative Transfer Models in Atmospheric Remote Sensing

Radiative transfer models (RTMs) play a significant role in the development of satellite instruments for remote sensing applications. These models simulate electromagnetic radiation's propagation through the atmosphere, providing valuable insights into atmosphere-radiation interactions. RTMs facilitate the optimization of satellite instrument designs, ensuring their ability to measure targeted atmospheric and surface properties accurately. Moreover, they aid in simulating instrument’s measurements under various atmospheric conditions, enabling calibration and validation processes to enhance data quality and reliability. RTMs are extensively used in the Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSE), to generate synthetic observations. By incorporating RTMs into OSSE, we can assess the potential impact of future satellite missions, sensor configurations, and data assimilation techniques. This approach allows for the optimization of satellite instruments and constellations and the evaluation of their influence on weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and other Earth science applications. Another crucial application area of RT models is data assimilation, where they play a fundamental role in combining satellite observations with numerical models to improve atmospheric and environmental predictions. RTMs provide the link between observed radiances and atmospheric parameters, enhancing the accuracy of numerical models and generating more reliable forecasts for weather events, air quality assessments, and climate projections. Moreover, adapting RT models to capture the intricate radiation interactions within the Planetary Boundary Layer will significantly contribute to improving weather forecasting and climate change projections. Current community radiative transfer (RT) models are primarily developed and optimized for operational data assimilation of satellite observations. These models excel at assimilating satellite data into numerical weather prediction models to improve forecast accuracy. However, their focus on data assimilation limits their suitability for other important applications, such as satellite instrument development, OSSE, and Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) studies. Moreover, for PBL studies, RT models need to be adapted to capture the intricate radiation interactions within this crucial atmospheric layer. Developing RT models that can represent the PBL's unique characteristics, such as surface interactions, will contribute significantly to understanding and predicting weather phenomena, air quality, and climate dynamics. This abstract provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of RT models and highlights their limitations concerning satellite instrument development, OSSE, and PBL studies. Addressing these shortcomings requires concerted efforts to enhance RT models' capabilities and expand their applications beyond data assimilation. By investing in research and development to improve these

Isaac Moradi↗
NASA NTRS2007

System for Thermal Imaging of Hot Moving Objects

The High Altitude/Re-Entry Vehicle Infrared Imaging (HARVII) system is a portable instrumentation system for tracking and thermal imaging of a possibly distant and moving object. The HARVII is designed specifically for measuring the changing temperature distribution on a space shuttle as it reenters the atmosphere. The HARVII system or other systems based on the design of the HARVII system could also be used for such purposes as determining temperature distributions in fires, on volcanoes, and on surfaces of hot models in wind tunnels. In yet another potential application, the HARVII or a similar system would be used to infer atmospheric pollution levels from images of the Sun acquired at multiple wavelengths over regions of interest. The HARVII system includes the Ratio Intensity Thermography System (RITS) and a tracking subsystem that keeps the RITS aimed at the moving object of interest. The subsystem of primary interest here is the RITS (see figure), which acquires and digitizes images of the same scene at different wavelengths in rapid succession. Assuming that the time interval between successive measurements is short enough that temperatures do not change appreciably, the digitized image data at the different wavelengths are processed to extract temperatures according to the principle of ratio-intensity thermography: The temperature at a given location in a scene is inferred from the ratios between or among intensities of infrared radiation from that location at two or more wavelengths. This principle, based on the Stefan-Boltzmann equation for the intensity of electromagnetic radiation as a function of wavelength and temperature, is valid as long as the observed body is a gray or black body and there is minimal atmospheric absorption of radiation.

Weinstein, Leonard↗
NASA NTRS1980

NASA's high efficiency and radiation damage solar cell program

The conversion efficiency and the life expectancy of solar cells and arrays were evaluated for space applications. Efforts were made to improve the understanding of the conversion of electromagnetic radiation to useful forms of energy. A broad range of advanced concepts were evaluated.

Randolph, L. P.↗
NASA NTRS1963

THE COMBINED USE OF LIQUID AND GASEOUS HELIUM TO PROVIDE NEAR ACTUAL SPACE ENVIRONMENT

Because of the extremely low density of the gas in Interplanetary space, the most important remaining mode of external heat transfer Is radiation. Studies of this phenomenon in its multiple ramifications are being made presently and will continue In both theoretical and experimental areas. These experiments should, most desirably, be made under conditions which duplicate outer space; otherwise, errors may be introduced which cannot be estimated and will only be discovered in the actual environment. Many facilities are presently available which will reproduce the space environment only approximately[1,2]. The facility which will be discussed here has as its goal, at least for the phenomena connected with radiation heat transfer, the provision of conditions in space as accurately as they are known. The conditions to be reproduced are: (1) the solar electromagnetic radiation spectrum; (2) the low pressure and density of space (∼10-14 mm Hg); and (3) the black radiation sink of space (4°K).

LIQUID HELIUM↗
NASA NTRS1979

Electromagnetic power absorber

A structure is presented with a surface portion of dielectric material which passes electromagnetic radiation and with a portion below the surface which includes material that absorbs the radiation, the face of the structure being formed with numerous steep ridges. The steepness of the dielectric material results in a high proportion of the electromagnetic energy passing through the surface for absorption by the absorbing material under the surface. A backing of aluminum or other highly heat-conductive and reflective material lies under the face and has very steep protuberances supporting the absorbing and dielectric materials.

Iwasaki, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Cerenkov and transition radiation in space-time periodic media.

The solution to the problem of determining the radiation emitted by a uniformly moving charged particle in a sinusoidally space-time periodic medium is obtained. The space-time periodicity can be considered as due to a strong pump wave and is expressed as a traveling-wave-type change in the dielectric constant or the plasma density. The solution covers also the limiting case of sinusoidally stratified media. The expression and spectrum of the radiated electromagnetic field are determined for different media: dielectric, isotropic and uniaxial plasma. Depending on the nature of the medium and the velocity of the particle, the radiated field is of the Cerenkov and/or transition type. The Brillouin diagram is used extensively in understanding and determining the nature, extent, and spectrum of the different modes of radiation, and a focusing effect is also studied.

Elachi, C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Gravitational waves from rotating and precessing rigid bodies - Simple models and applications to pulsars

An axially symmetric, torque-free rigid body, rotating and precessing, emits gravitational quadrupole radiation at two frequencies, omega and 2 omega, corresponding to the l = 2, m = 1,2 spherical harmonics. The paper presents explicitly the waveforms of the two polarizations at both frequencies. From observations of gravitational waves, one can derive information about the body's orientation and its precession amplitude. Electromagnetic radiation emitted by a spot fixed on the surface of the body arrives in pulses at a mean frequency Omega which is typically different from omega. If the body is not axially symmetric but the amplitude of the precession is small, the gravitational radiation at the lower frequency omega is split into two frequencies on either side of the electromagnetic pulse frequency. Explicit waveforms for the two polarizations in this case are also presented.

Zimmermann, M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Flat Lens Focusing Demonstrated With Left-Handed Metamaterial

Left-handed metamaterials (LHM's) are a new media engineered to possess an effective negative index of refraction over a selected frequency range. This characteristic enables LHM's to exhibit physical properties never before observed. In particular, a negative index of refraction should cause electromagnetic radiation to refract or bend at a negative angle when entering an LHM, as shown in the figure above on the left. The figure on the right shows that this property could be used to bring radiation to a focus with a flat LHM lens. The advantage of a flat lens in comparison to a conventional curved lens is that the focal length could be varied simply by adjusting the distance between the lens and the electromagnetic wave source. In this in-house work, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center developed a computational model for LHM's with the three-dimensional electromagnetic commercial code Microwave Studio, constructed an LHM flat lens, and used it to experimentally demonstrate the reversed refraction and flat lens focusing of microwave radiation.

Wilson, Jeffrey D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Operation of the helicopter antenna radiation prediction code

HARP is a front end as well as a back end for the AMC and NEWAIR computer codes. These codes use the Method of Moments (MM) and the Uniform Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (UTD), respectively, to calculate the electromagnetic radiation patterns for antennas on aircraft. The major difficulty in using these codes is in the creation of proper input files for particular aircraft and in verifying that these files are, in fact, what is intended. HARP creates these input files in a consistent manner and allows the user to verify them for correctness using sophisticated 2 and 3D graphics. After antenna field patterns are calculated using either MM or UTD, HARP can display the results on the user's screen or provide hardcopy output. Because the process of collecting data, building the 3D models, and obtaining the calculated field patterns was completely automated by HARP, the researcher's productivity can be many times what it could be if these operations had to be done by hand. A complete, step by step, guide is provided so that the researcher can quickly learn to make use of all the capabilities of HARP.

Braeden, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Interaction between emission-line filaments and highly energetic explosions in QSOs

The conditions under which QSO line-emitting regions can survive a relativistic explosion are investigated along with the question of whether past and future observations can place constraints on both predicted highly energetic outbursts of ultrarelativistic plasma or LF electromagnetic radiation and the line-emitting gas. Observed properties of QSO emission-line regions are reviewed, and the interaction between a relativistic explosion and a dense cloud is analyzed for the cases of a sudden release of relativistic plasma and an outburst of LF electromagnetic waves. Bremsstrahlung X-ray emission from shocked QSO filaments is calculated, the evolution of dense QSO clouds is examined, and radiative acceleration is excluded as the process responsible for the high bulk velocities of filaments, at least in sources that display energetic outbursts. An alternative mechanism involving highly energetic explosions is proposed.

Marscher, A. P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Maintainable Fusion Pilot Plant

The US fusion community has coalesced around the goal of building an FPP as described by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). In addition to demonstrating the viability of the technologies necessary to operate such a plant, including demonstration of net energy and electricity production, NASEM found that a “fusion pilot plant will need to demonstrate the ability to efficiently perform remote maintenance and replacement in support of the design of a power plant, taking into account details of the consequences of the fusion environment, such as material activation and tritium retention in components.” Current designs of fusion demonstration reactors do usually foresee a regular exchange of their first wall modules, including the tritium breeding blankets. In the European Power Plant Conceptual Studies, it is assumed that a fusion reactor will need to change its divertor every 2 years and its first wall blanket module every 5 to 6 years to reach acceptable availability. Underlying this capability are remote-handling technologies to keep the outage for the exchange of these components short. There are many uncertainties in the remote-handling schemes, and most schemes are at a preconceptual level at best. In addition, the exchange of these components would either produce an enormous rad-waste stream or would require an enormous refurbishment activity with huge cost-prohibitive hot-cells. Past Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) preconceptual studies have led to hot cell dimensions of an unbelievable size, likely costing tens of billions of dollars. Already at The Way (previously International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, ITER), hot-cells have become cost-prohibitive, demanding redesigns of the ITER first wall to reduce the toxic rad-waste/inventory. In this in-situ PFC repair project, a concept for a long-life, maintainable first wall module concept is developed and tested. This first wall concept relies on innovative remote handling to repair the first wall modules in-situ, avoiding costly refurbishments outside of the tokamak vessel. This approach was highlighted in the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) report on Transformative Enabling Capabilities for Efficient Advance Toward Fusion Energy. In general, the damage of the first wall armor is due to particle and radiation exposures. Load conditions vary from one fusion reactor design to another. In tokamaks, first wall Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) are exposed to far-Scrape-Off-Layer plasma fluxes, electromagnetic radiation, energetic CX neutrals, and potentially runaway electron beams. Protecting the first wall to the worst-case load conditions would require the design of a very thick first wall armor. Transient heat and particle fluxes due to disruptions or edge localized modes can lead to excessive heat loads resulting potentially in melting PFCs down to the cooling channel. Catastrophic events like these need to be avoided by appropriate disruption mitigation systems. However, failure of these systems will still put a first wall at an unacceptable risk. Hence, a first wall design needs to accommodate the occasional transient heat loads by introducing sacrificial limiters, which will absorb these transients.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1977

Plasma charging testing of communication satellites

A discussion is given of ESD as a radiated electromagnetic environment and compares the ESD environment to a standard EMI test environment. An arc generator used to assess the sensitivity of typical spacecraft electronics is described. The results of radiated susceptibility tests conducted on breadboard circuits and a satellite electrical model of a communication satellite are discussed.

Rosen, F.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Extended-Range Ultrarefractive 1D Photonic Crystal Prisms

A proposal has been made to exploit the special wavelength-dispersive characteristics of devices of the type described in One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Superprisms (NPO-30232) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 29, No. 4 (April 2005), page 10a. A photonic crystal is an optical component that has a periodic structure comprising two dielectric materials with high dielectric contrast (e.g., a semiconductor and air), with geometrical feature sizes comparable to or smaller than light wavelengths of interest. Experimental superprisms have been realized as photonic crystals having three-dimensional (3D) structures comprising regions of amorphous Si alternating with regions of SiO2, fabricated in a complex process that included sputtering. A photonic crystal of the type to be exploited according to the present proposal is said to be one-dimensional (1D) because its contrasting dielectric materials would be stacked in parallel planar layers; in other words, there would be spatial periodicity in one dimension only. The processes of designing and fabricating 1D photonic crystal superprisms would be simpler and, hence, would cost less than do those for 3D photonic crystal superprisms. As in 3D structures, 1D photonic crystals may be used in applications such as wavelength-division multiplexing. In the extended-range configuration, it is also suitable for spectrometry applications. As an engineered structure or artificially engineered material, a photonic crystal can exhibit optical properties not commonly found in natural substances. Prior research had revealed several classes of photonic crystal structures for which the propagation of electromagnetic radiation is forbidden in certain frequency ranges, denoted photonic bandgaps. It had also been found that in narrow frequency bands just outside the photonic bandgaps, the angular wavelength dispersion of electromagnetic waves propagating in photonic crystal superprisms is much stronger than is the angular wavelength dispersion obtained by use of conventional prisms and diffraction gratings and is highly nonlinear.

Ting, David Z.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Results from the energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope on the Compton gamma-ray observatory

The energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has the capability of exploring the high energy plasma gamma ray range from approximately 30 MeV to 30 GeV with a sensitivity considerably greater than earlier gamma-ray satellite telescopes. The dominant radiation from the high energy gamma ray sky is the diffuse radiation along the galactic plane. Thus far, five pulsars have been detected and their properties measured. The high energy gamma rays appear to be an increasing fraction of the total emitted electromagnetic radiation as the age of the pulsar increases up to one million years. Observations of one solar flare event showed that there was strong evidence for long-term trapping of relativistic solar nuclei in the solar vicinity for at least 10 hours. Regarding the gamma ray bursts of unknown origin, high energy gamma rays have been seen following a burst for over an hour, with energies in the GeV range and even higher in the case of two individual gamma rays. The observation of the Small Magellanic Cloud appears to answer finally the long open question of whether the bulk of the cosmic rays are galactic or pervade some much larger volume on the side of their being galactic. Over 30 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN's) have been seen in high energy gamma rays with high probability thus far including quasars and BL Lac objects, but no Seyfert galaxies. Time variations have been detected in many of these AGN's.

Fichtel, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The planet Mercury (1971)

The physical properties of the planet Mercury, its surface, and atmosphere are presented for space vehicle design criteria. The mass, dimensions, mean density, and orbital and rotational motions are described. The gravity field, magnetic field, electromagnetic radiation, and charged particles in the planet's orbit are discussed. Atmospheric pressure, temperature, and composition data are given along with the surface composition, soil mechanical properties, and topography, and the surface electromagnetic and temperature properties.

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