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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 NTRS1955

Effect of Surface-active Additives on Physical Properties of Slurries of Vapor-process Magnesium

The presence of 3 to 5 percent surface-active additive gave the lowest Brookfield apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity, and yield value that were obtained for slurry fuels containing approximately 50 percent vapor-process magnesium in JP-1 fuel. The slurries settled little and were easily remixed. A polyoxyethylene dodecyl alcohol was the most effective of 13 additives tested in reducing the Brookfield apparent viscosity and the yield value of the slurry. The seven most effective additives all had a hydroxyl group plus an ester or polyoxethylene group in the molecule. The densities of some of the slurries were measured.

Pinns, Murray L↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tuning MXene Surface Terminations for Strategic Control of Physical Properties

Scientific Achievement • Ti3C2Tx surfaces with a higher hydroxyl group concentration play a pivotal role in surface properties and were found to be thermodynamically stable. • From the electronic bonding analysis, the charge density difference and electron localization function demonstrated a significant electron localization at the hydroxyl group, which results in a locally induced dipole on the surface. • A large tunability in the work function is found from different concentrations of functional groups on the surface which can be controlled by the concentration of HF used for etching of the MAX phase to produce the resulting MXene. Research Details • The influence of termination group distribution on the surface of Ti3C2Tx MXenes from various etching concentrations of HF was evaluated • The work functions of Ti3C2Tx MXenes with differing concentrations of functional groups were determined • The influence of termination group clustering on the surface of Ti3C2Tx MXenes was investigated by visualization of the electron localization function and charge density difference

Ward, Patrick A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Physical characterization of asteroid surfaces from photometric analysis

The feasibility of using photometric models like Hapke's (1981, 1984, 1986) equation for deriving physical properties of asteroids from photometric observations is discussed. Using data for Ceres and Vesta, it is shown that the incomplete phase-angle coverage limits the reliable determination of Hapke's photometric parameters from asteroid disk-integrated phase curves (the second limitation is the nonsphericity of many asteroids). However, within this limitations, certain trends among asteroids can be compared. It is shown that there is a general similarity among the Hapke's parameters other than the h parameter, which characterizes the width of the opposition surge in terms of soil structure (porosity, particle-size distribution, and the rate of compaction with depth), derived for similar objects, e.g., average C asteroids and Ceres, and average S asteroids, 1982 Apollo, and Vesta.

Helfenstein, P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electro-physical properties of surface-barrier diodes on low-resistance n-Cd 0.96 Mn 0.04 Te 0.96 Se 0.04 crystals

The electro-physical properties of Cd 0.96 Mn 0.04 Te 0.96 Se 0.04 n-type conductivity single crystals with relatively low resistivity were studied. The determined resistivity of semiconductor single crystals Cd 0.96 Mn 0.04 Te 0.96 Se 0.04 n-type conductivity is equal to ρ≈2 Ω-cm at 293K. The activation energy of dark conductivity, measured from the temperature dependence of the resistivity of the In/Cd 0.96 Mn 0.04 Te 0.96 Se 0.04 /In structure, is equal to ΔE≈0.11eV. From optical measurements of the absorption coefficient from the energy of photons in the region of large α, the band-gap width of the single crystal was found, which is equal to E g =1.53eV. Diode structures of Ni/Cd 0.96 Mn 0.04 Te 0.96 Se 0.04 /In obtained by vacuum sputtering of Ni on the surface of a single crystal n-Cd 0.96 Mn 0.04 Te 0.96 Se 0.04 were manufactured and studied. Here, the rectification coefficient at a voltage of U=1V is equal to 10 8 . Within the framework of the Sah-Noys-Shockley carrier generation-recombination model, a quantitative match of the experimental measurements of the volt-ampere characteristics with the calculation was achieved.

(Cd,Mn)(Te,Se)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Coupled Lake‐Atmosphere‐Land Physics Uncertainties in a Great Lakes Regional Climate Model

Abstract This study develops a surrogate‐based method to assess the uncertainty within a convective permitting integrated modeling system of the Great Lakes region, arising from interacting physics parameterizations across the lake, atmosphere, and land surface. Perturbed physics ensembles of the model during the 2018 summer are used to train a neural network surrogate model to predict lake surface temperature (LST) and near‐surface air temperature (T2m). Average physics uncertainties are determined to be 1.5C for LST and T2m over land, and 1.9C for T2m over lake, but these have significant spatiotemporal variations. We find that atmospheric physics parameterizations alone are the dominant sources of uncertainty (45%–53%), while lake and land parameterizations account for 33% and 38% of the uncertainty of LST and T2m over land respectively. Interactions of atmosphere physics parameterizations with those of the land and lake contribute to an additional 13%–17% of the total variance. LST and T2m over the lake are more uncertain in the deeper northern lakes, particularly during the rapid warming phase that occurs in late spring/early summer. The LST uncertainty increases with sensitivity to the lake model's surface wind stress scheme. T2m over land is more uncertain over forested areas in the north, where it is most sensitive to the land surface model, than the more agricultural land in the south, where it is most sensitive to the atmospheric planetary boundary and surface layer scheme. Uncertainty also increases in the southwest during multiday temperature declines with higher sensitivity to the land surface model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2011

An Estimate of Low-Cloud Feedbacks from Variations of Cloud Radiative and Physical Properties with Sea Surface Temperature on Interannual Time Scales

Simulations of climate change have yet to reach a consensus on the sign and magnitude of the changes in physical properties of marine boundary layer clouds. In this study, the authors analyze how cloud and radiative properties vary with SST anomaly in low-cloud regions, based on five years (March 2000 - February 2005) of Clouds and the Earth s Radiant Energy System (CERES) -- Terra monthly gridded data and matched European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) meteorological reanalaysis data. In particular, this study focuses on the changes in cloud radiative effect, cloud fraction, and cloud optical depth with SST anomaly. The major findings are as follows. First, the low-cloud amount (-1.9% to -3.4% /K) and the logarithm of low-cloud optical depth (-0.085 to -0.100/K) tend to decrease while the net cloud radiative effect (3.86 W/m(exp 2)/ K) becomes less negative as SST anomalies increase. These results are broadly consistent with previous observational studies. Second, after the changes in cloud and radiative properties with SST anomaly are separated into dynamic, thermodynamic, and residual components, changes in the dynamic component (taken as the vertical velocity at 700 hPa) have relatively little effect on cloud and radiative properties. However, the estimated inversion strength decreases with increasing SST, accounting for a large portion of the measured decreases in cloud fraction and cloud optical depth. The residual positive change in net cloud radiative effect (1.48 W/m(exp 2)/ K) and small changes in low-cloud amount (-0.81% to 0.22% /K) and decrease in the logarithm of optical depth (-0.035 to -0.046/ K) with SST are interpreted as a positive cloud feedback, with cloud optical depth feedback being the dominant contributor. Last, the magnitudes of the residual changes differ greatly among the six low-cloud regions examined in this study, with the largest positive feedbacks (approximately 4 W/m(exp 2)/ K) in the southeast and northeast Atlantic regions and a slightly negative feedback (-0.2 W/m(exp 2)/ K) in the south-central Pacific region. Because the retrievals of cloud optical depth and/or cloud fraction are difficult in the presence of aerosols, the transport of heavy African continental aerosols may contribute to the large magnitudes of estimated cloud feedback in the two Atlantic regions.

Eitzen, Zachary A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Goddard Snow Radiance Assimilation Project: An Integrated Snow Radiance and Snow Physics Modeling Framework for Snow/cold Land Surface Modeling

Microwave-based retrievals of snow parameters from satellite observations have a long heritage and have so far been generated primarily by regression-based empirical "inversion" methods based on snapshots in time. Direct assimilation of microwave radiance into physical land surface models can be used to avoid errors associated with such retrieval/inversion methods, instead utilizing more straightforward forward models and temporal information. This approach has been used for years for atmospheric parameters by the operational weather forecasting community with great success. Recent developments in forward radiative transfer modeling, physical land surface modeling, and land data assimilation are converging to allow the assembly of an integrated framework for snow/cold lands modeling and radiance assimilation. The objective of the Goddard snow radiance assimilation project is to develop such a framework and explore its capabilities. The key elements of this framework include: a forward radiative transfer model (FRTM) for snow, a snowpack physical model, a land surface water/energy cycle model, and a data assimilation scheme. In fact, multiple models are available for each element enabling optimization to match the needs of a particular study. Together these form a modular and flexible framework for self-consistent, physically-based remote sensing and water/energy cycle studies. In this paper we will describe the elements and the integration plan. All modules will operate within the framework of the Land Information System (LIS), a land surface modeling framework with data assimilation capabilities running on a parallel-node computing cluster. Capabilities for assimilation of snow retrieval products are already under development for LIS. We will describe plans to add radiance-based assimilation capabilities. Plans for validation activities using field measurements will also be discussed.

Kim, E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Impact of Stochastic Perturbations in Physics Variables for Predicting Surface Solar Irradiance

We present a probabilistic framework tailored for solar energy applications referred to as the Weather Research and Forecasting-Solar ensemble prediction system (WRF-Solar EPS). WRF-Solar EPS has been developed by introducing stochastic perturbations into the most relevant physical variables for solar irradiance predictions. In this study, we comprehensively discuss the impact of the stochastic perturbations of WRF-Solar EPS on solar irradiance forecasting compared to a deterministic WRF-Solar prediction (WRF-Solar DET), a stochastic ensemble using the stochastic kinetic energy backscatter scheme (SKEBS), and a WRF-Solar multi-physics ensemble (WRF-Solar PHYS). The performances of the four forecasts are evaluated using irradiance retrievals from the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) over the contiguous United States. We focus on the predictability of the day-ahead solar irradiance forecasts during the year of 2018. The results show that the ensemble forecasts improve the quality of the forecasts, compared to the deterministic prediction system, by accounting for the uncertainty derived by the ensemble members. However, the three ensemble systems are under-dispersive, producing unreliable and overconfident forecasts due to a lack of calibration. In particular, WRF-Solar EPS produces less optically thick clouds than the other forecasts, which explains the larger positive bias in WRF-Solar EPS (31.7 W/m 2 ) than in the other models (22.7–23.6 W/m 2 ). This study confirms that the WRF-Solar EPS reduced the forecast error by 7.5% in terms of the mean absolute error (MAE) compared to WRF-Solar DET, and provides in-depth comparisons of forecast abilities with the conventional scientific probabilistic approaches (i.e., SKEBS and a multi-physics ensemble). Guidelines for improving the performance of WRF-Solar EPS in the future are provided.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2018

Physics-Based Retrieval of Surface Roughness Parameters for Bare Soils from Combined Active-Passive Microwave Signatures

In the past the effect of soil roughness was often considered secondary within the determination of soil moisture from remote sensing data. Several studies showed that accurate determination of soil roughness leads to an improved estimation of soil moisture. Two default parameters to describe the surface roughness are the standard deviation of the surface height variation 𝑠 and the surface correlation length 𝑙 with its corresponding autocorrelation function. Both parameters (𝑠,𝑙) affect the emissivity measured by radiometers as well as the backscattering observed by radars. In this study, we develop a physics-based approach to retrieve 𝑠 and 𝑙 by combining both microwave signals based on active-passive microwave covariation. To test the approach, containing a forward model and a retrieval algorithm, we used active/passive microwave data measured with the ComRAD truck-based SMAP simulator at L-band. Results and validations with corresponding field measurements on ground show that 𝑠 and 𝑙 can be estimated simultaneously when using this approach. The physics-based retrieval algorithm works robustly for two investigated test fields having an RMS-Error of 0.68 cm and 0.69 cm between the microwave-based and field-measured 𝑠-values, and of 3.13 cm and 3.04 cm for 𝑙-values. The first validation of the results reveals that the influence of the autocorrelation function, needed within the retrieval, is distinct.

correlation length↗
NASA NTRS2010

Role of Subsurface Physics in the Assimilation of Surface Soil Moisture Observations

Root zone soil moisture controls the land-atmosphere exchange of water and energy and exhibits memory that may be useful for climate prediction at monthly scales. Assimilation of satellite-based surface soil moisture observations into a land surface model is an effective way to estimate large-scale root zone soil moisture. The propagation of surface information into deeper soil layers depends on the model-specific representation of subsurface physics that is used in the assimilation system. In a suite of experiments we assimilate synthetic surface soil moisture observations into four different models (Catchment, Mosaic, Noah and CLM) using the Ensemble Kalman Filter. We demonstrate that identical twin experiments significantly overestimate the information that can be obtained from the assimilation of surface soil moisture observations. The second key result indicates that the potential of surface soil moisture assimilation to improve root zone information is higher when the surface to root zone coupling is stronger. Our experiments also suggest that (faced with unknown true subsurface physics) overestimating surface to root zone coupling in the assimilation system provides more robust skill improvements in the root zone compared with underestimating the coupling. When CLM is excluded from the analysis, the skill improvements from using models with different vertical coupling strengths are comparable for different subsurface truths. Finally, the skill improvements through assimilation were found to be sensitive to the regional climate and soil types.

Reichle, R. H.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Diagnosing Near-Surface Model Errors with Candidate Physics Parameterization Schemes for the Multiphysics Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) Ensemble during Winter over the Northeastern United States and Southern Great Plains

Abstract During the winter of 2020/21 an ensemble of FV3-LAM forecasts was produced over the contiguous United States for the Winter Weather Experiment using five physics suites. These forecasts are evaluated with the goal of optimizing physics parameterizations within the future operational Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) in the Unified Forecast System (UFS) realm and for selecting suitable physics suites for a multiphysics RRFS ensemble. The five physics suites have different combinations of land surface models (LSMs), planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations, and surface layer schemes, chosen from those used in current and possible future operational systems and likely to be supported in the operational UFS. Full-season evaluation reveals a persistent near-surface cold bias in the U.S. Northeast from one suite and a nighttime warm bias in the southern Great Plains in another suite, while other suites have smaller biases. A representative case is chosen to diagnose the cause for each of these biases using sensitivity simulations with different physics combinations or modified parameters and verified with additional mesonet observations. The cold bias in the Northeast is attributed to aspects of the Noah-MP LSM over snow cover, where Noah-MP simulates lower soil water content, and thus lower thermal conductivity than other LSMs, leading to less upward ground heat flux during nighttime and consequently lower surface temperature. The nighttime warm bias found in the southern Great Plains is attributed to overestimation of vertical mixing in the K -profile-based eddy-diffusivity mass-flux (K-EDMF) PBL scheme and insufficient land–atmospheric coupling from the GFS surface layer scheme over short vegetation. A few key parameters driving these systematic biases are identified.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Preliminary Assessment of Physical Demand During Simulated Lunar Surface Extravehicular Activities

Future Artemis missions will require more advanced spacesuits to support exploration and science activities on the Lunar surface. Preparing for these missions requires an understanding of the physical and cognitive demand of performing common surface extravehicular activity (EVA) tasks in a suited partial-gravity environment. This study aims to characterize physical demand during exploration EVA tasks in the Artificial Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) as a function of the task and operational environment itself. Two subjects completed two days of EVA simulations at ARGOS in the Mark III spacesuit offloaded to Lunar gravity (1/6G). Metabolic rate (MR) and heart rate (HR) were continuously recorded while subjects completed an end-to-end EVA as well as standalone tasks. Understanding the physical demand to complete exploration EVA tasks will be instrumental to the future success of exploration spacesuit designs and missions. Further work in this study will be needed to characterize MR during exploration EVA tasks, including expanding the subject pool and testing new suit designs.

Taylor E Schlotman↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Model for Formation of Dust, Soil and Rock Coatings on Mars: Physical and Chemical Processes on the Martian Surface

This model is one of many possible scenarios to explain the generation of the current surface material on Mars using chemical, magnetic and spectroscopic data From Mars and geologic analogs from terrestrial sites. One basic premise of this model is that the dust/soil units are not derived exclusively from local rocks, but are rather a product of global, and possibly remote, weathering processes. Another assumption in this model is that there are physical and chemical interactions of the atmospheric dust particles and that these two processes create distinctly different results on the surface. Physical processes distribute dust particles on rocks and drift units, forming physically-aggregated layers; these are reversible processes. Chemical reactions of the dust/soil particles create alteration rinds on rock surfaces and cohesive, crusted surface units between rocks, both of which are relatively permanent materials. According to this model the dominant components of the dust/soil particles are derived from alteration of volcanic ash and tephra, and contain primarily nanophase and poorly crystalline ferric oxides/oxyhydroxide phases as well as silicates. These phases are the alteration products that formed in a low moisture environment. These dust/soil particles also contain a smaller amount of material that was exposed to more water and contains crystalline ferric oxides/oxyhydroxides, sulfates and clay silicates. These components could have formed through hydrothermal alteration at steam vents or fumeroles, thermal fluids, or through evaporite deposits. Wet/dry cycling experiments are presented here on mixtures containing poorly crystalline and crystalline ferric oxides/oxyhydroxides, sulfates and silicates that range in size from nanophase to 1-2 pm diameter particles. Cemented products of these soil mixtures are formed in these experiments and variation in the surface texture was observed for samples containing smectites, non-hydrated silicates or sulfates. Reflectance spectra were measured of the initial particulate mixtures, the cemented products and ground versions of the cemented material. The spectral contrast in the visible/near-infrared and mid-infrared regions is significantly reduced for the cemented material compared to the initial soil, and somewhat reduced for the ground, cemented soil compared to the initial soil. The results of this study suggest that diurnal and seasonal cycling on Mars will have a profound effect on the texture and spectral properties of the dust/soil particles on the surface. The model developed in this study provides an explanation for the generation of cemented or crusted soil units and rock coatings on Mars and may explain albedo variations on the surface observed near large rocks or crater rims.

Bishop, Janice↗
NASA NTRS1983

Intrinsic adaptive mesh techniques

An alternating direction adaptive grid movement code was developed and a thesis adaptive angular meshes was directed. The alternating direction code was also established on the NASA Langley computer system and is available for use there. In essence, grid points are moved on an abstract surface above physical space by means of alternating coordinate directions. The abstract surface is formed with the salient solution properties if they can be extracted by a priori physical reasoning; or otherwise, in the absence of such reasoning, by the use of error estimates in some chosen norm. Upon formulation, all important driving properties for adaptive purposes are consolidated into one object - the abstract surface. At a basic level, a uniform distribution of surface points is equivalent to gradient resolution. This arises from a projection back down into physical space. At a higher level, a more accurate view of the abstract surface is obtained when changes in surface direction are also resolved. The appropriate measure for direction changes is normal curvature. It is defined as the rate of change of surface tangent planes as a surface coordinate curve is transversed in uniform increments of arc length.

Eiseman, P. R.↗