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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

Application of surface analysis to solve problems of wear

Results are presented for the use of surface analytical tools including field ion microscopy, Auger emission spectroscopy analysis (AES), cylindrical mirror Auger analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Data from the field ion microscope reveal adhesive transfer (wear) at the atomic level with the formation of surface compounds not found in the bulk, and AES reveals that this transfer will occur even in the presence of surface oxides. Both AES and XPS reveal that in abrasive wear with silicon carbide and diamond contacting the transition metals, the surface and the abrasive undergo a chemical or structural change which effects wear. With silicon carbide, silicon volatilizes leaving behind a pseudo-graphitic surface and the surface of diamond is observed to graphitize.

Buckley, D. H.↗

Applications of beam-foil spectroscopy to atomic collisions in solids

Some selected papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Beam-Foil Spectroscopy, whose results are of particular pertinence to ionic collision phenomena in solids, are reviewed. The topics discussed include solid target effects and means of surmounting them in the measurement of excited projectile ion lifetimes for low-energy heavy element ions; the electron emission accompanying the passage of heavy particles through solid targets; the collision broadening of X rays emitted from 100 keV ions moving in solids; residual K-shell excitation in chlorine ions penetrating carbon; comparison between 40 MeV Si on gaseous SiH4 targets at 300 mtorr and 40 MeV Si on Al; and the emergent surface interaction in beam-foil spectroscopy. A distinct overlap of interests between the sciences of beam-foil spectroscopy and atomic collisions in solids is pointed out.

Sellin, I. A.↗

X-ray emission from charge exchange of highly-charged ions in atoms and molecules

Charge exchange followed by radiative stabilization are the main processes responsible for the recent observations of X-ray emission from comets in their approach to the Sun. A new apparatus was constructed to measure, in collisions of HCIs with atoms and molecules, (a) absolute cross sections for single and multiple charge exchange, and (b) normalized X-ray emission cross sections.

charge exchange x-ray highly-charged ions comets↗

Ca(+) emission in the sunlit ionosphere

In the course of a program of twilight airglow observations, the resonance fluorescence emissions from calcium ions were measured. In particular, twilight sequences were obtained during the period of December 19-22, 1987, which coincided with the Ursids meteorite shower. During this meteorite event the intensities of the Ca(+) emission lines at 3934A increased to the point that the surface brightness profiles could be inverted to volume emission rate profiles. These profiles show evidence for strong spatial redistribution of the Ca(+) over the course of three days. Observations of these emissions during meteor shower periods could provide a valuable tracer for the processes responsible for the transport of ions in the D, E, and F region, allowing the full altitude and latitude extent of the distribution to be determined.

Torr, Marsha R.↗

Instrumental and observational requirements for space-based imaging of magnetospheric emissions

Simulated images of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emissions from energetic outflowing ions have been constructed to study techniques for remotely sensing the dynamic behavior of hot plasmas in the near-Earth environment. These calculations include realistic assumptions about the energetic ion outflow from high latitudes and take into account the effects of cold plasmaspheric and ionospheric ions. The energetic ion outflow is determined from a statistical study based on five years of measurements from the Energetic Ion Composition Spectrometer on Dynamics Explorer 1. The simulated images change significantly with viewing geometry and certain spacecraft locations are clearly favorable for observing emissions from energetic ions. For example, for a near equatorial orbit, viewing locations greater than 9 Earth radii are required to observe outflowing ions above the cold plasmaspheric background. We will discuss other important considerations for magnetospheric imaging including the sensitivity requirements of the detector. In particular, we consider the performance of multi-layer optics for EUV wavelengths.

Robinson, R. M.↗

HCO+ in the coma of comet Hale-Bopp

Maps of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) in the millimeter-wave emission of the ion HCO+ revealed a local minimum near the nucleus position, with a maximum about 100,000 km in the antisolar direction. These observed features of the HCO+ emission require a low abundance of HCO+ due to enhanced destruction in the inner coma of the comet, within a region of low electron temperature (Te). To set constraints on the formation of HCO+ in the coma, as well as the location and magnitude of the transition to higher Te, the data are compared with the results of ion-molecule chemistry models.

Non-NASA Center↗

Optical emissions from the mid-day aurora

Intensities of various optical emissions from mid-day auroras and spectral profile of N2(+) ING bands measured aboard a jet aircraft are presented. The data are compared with simple calculations based on present knowledge of the types and energy distributions of particles precipitating in the mid-day auroral region and the available cross-sections for the excitation of various optical emissions in air. The analysis concerns the interaction of magnetosheath protons with the atmosphere, electron interaction with the atmosphere, resonant scattering of sunlight by N2(+) ions, and auroral emissions around 3886 A. It is shown that most of the OI red and green line emissions in the mid-day aurora are excited by the low-energy electrons precipitating in the cusp region, but only part of the N2 and N2(+) emissions can be so accounted, while precipitating protons excite the rest of N2 and N2(+) emission. The emission feature around 3886 A observed in mid-day aurora is most likely He 3888 A blended with N2(+) ING(1, 1) band.

Sivjee, G. G.↗

The peculiar, luminous early-type emission line stars of the Magellanic clouds: A preliminary taxonomy

A sample of some 20 early type emission supergiants in the Magellanic clouds was observed with both the SWP and LWR low resolution mode of IUE. All stars have strong H-emission, some showing P-Cygni structure as well with HeI, HeII, FeII and other ions also showing strong emission. It is found that the stars fall into three distinct groups on the basis of the HeII/HeI and HeI/HI strengths: (1) HeII strong, HeI, HI; (2) HeII absent, HeI, HI strong; (3) HeI absent, HI, FeII, FeII, strong in addition to low excitation ions. The two most extreme emission line stars found in the Clouds S 134/LMC and S 18/SMC are discussed. Results for the 2200A feature in these supergiants, and evidence for shells around the most luminous stars in the clouds are also described.

Shore, S. N.↗

The effects of nonequilibrium ionization on the radiative losses of the solar corona

The emissivity of the ions of carbon and oxygen has been recalculated for a set of solar coronal loop models with a steady state siphon flow. The ion densities were calculated from the plasma velocities, temperatures, and densities of the models, and large departures from equilibrium were found. For purposes of comparison, the emissivity was calculated with and without the approximation of ionization equilibrium. Considerable differences in the radiative loss function Lambda(T) curve between equilibrium and nonequilibrium conditions were found. The nonequilibrium Lambda(T) function was then used to solve again the steady state flow equations of the loop models. The differences in the structure of these models with respect to the models calculated adopting the Lambda(T) curve in equilibrium are discussed.

Spadaro, D.↗

Ultraviolet observations of AM Herculis with IUE

Ultraviolet observations of the binary X-ray source AM Herculis from the IUE satellite show strong emission lines of ions from O I to N V, probably originating in photoionized gas, and a continuum which is partially eclipsed in phase with the X-ray eclipse. The emission lines have broad (about 600 km/s) and sharp (about 80 km/s) components at different velocities, as has been seen in optical lines. The continuum is interpreted as two components, a blackbody (blackbody kT of 25-30 eV) which accounts for the X-ray emission below 0.5 keV and the eclipsed part of the UV continuum, and a component which is never eclipsed, whose spectrum is roughly proportional to the inverse of frequency. Strong ultraviolet emission due to optically thick cyclotron emission, which has been predicted theoretically, is not observed. This presents a severe difficulty for the theory of accretion onto the magnetic pole of a white dwarf.

Raymond, J. C.↗

Negative radiation in partially ionized gas

A stationary, nonlinear collisional-radiative model for high-temperature atomic oxygen is presented. Populations of negative ions, electrons, positive ions and excited atoms and intensities of spectral, continuum and dielectronic recombination radiation are calculated in a wide range of conditions. Calculated total continuum emission is in good agreement with existing measurements. The contribution of the negative ion emission to the total continuum emission is found to be significant.

Soon, W. H.↗

The optical spectrum of R136a - The central object of the 30 Doradus nebula

R136 (HD 38268) is the brightest member of the compact cluster of stars at the center of the 30 Doradus Nebula, a massive H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The far-ultraviolet luminosity is equivalent to at least 1000 ordinary O type stars. Optically, R136 is an unresolved patch corresponding to a linear extent of about 0.7 pc. Several components are known to be present, of which R136a is the brightest. A quantitative description of the optical spectrum of R136a has not been available in the literature. The present investigation is concerned with the analysis of spectrograms in the visible region. It is found that the optical spectrum of R136a shows broad but rather weak emission lines of ions which are frequently seen in early WN-type stars. The centroid of H-alpha is displaced by approximately 100 km/s redward of the nebular H-alpha emission. The Balmer series is visible, in absorption, up to H11.

Ebbets, D. C.↗

Transition Region Emission and the Energy Input to Thermal Plasma in Solar Flares

Understanding the energetics of solar flares depends on obtaining reliable determinations of the energy input to flare plasma. X-ray observations of the thermal bremsstrahlung from hot flare plasma provide temperatures and emission measures which, along with estimates of the plasma volume, allow the energy content of this hot plasma to be computed. However, if thermal energy losses are significant or if significant energy goes directly into cooler plasma, this is only a lower limit on the total energy injected into thermal plasma during the flare. We use SOHO UVCS observations of O VI flare emission scattered by coronal O VI ions to deduce the flare emission at transition region temperatures between 100,000 K and 1 MK for the 2002 July 23 and other flares. We find that the radiated energy at these temperatures significantly increases the deduced energy input to the thermal plasma, but by an amount that is less than the uncertainty in the computed energies. Comparisons of computed thermal and nonthermal electron energies deduced from RHESSI, GOES, and UVCS are shown.

Holman, Gordon D.↗

Current limiting mechanisms in electron and ion beam experiments

The emission and collection of current from satellites or rockets in the ionosphere is a process which, at equilibrium, requires a balance between inward and outward currents. In most active experiments in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, the emitted current exceeds the integrated thermal current by one or more orders of magnitude. The system response is typically for the emitted current to be limited by processes such as differential charging of insulating surfaces, interactions between an emitted beam and the local plasma, and interactions between the beam and local neutral gas. These current limiting mechanisms have been illustrated for 20 years in sounding rocket and satellite experiments, which are reviewed here. Detailed presentations of the Spacecraft Charging at High Altitude (SCATHA) electron and ion gun experiments are used to demonstrate the general range of observed phenomena.

Olsen, R. C.↗