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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 235 records · Page 13

An interpretation of the observed oxygen and nitrogen enhancements in low-energy cosmic rays

The possibility is suggested that the enhancement of cosmic-ray oxygen and nitrogen observed at about 10 MeV per nucleon could result from neutral interstellar particles that are swept into the solar cavity by the motion of the sun through the interstellar medium. These particles are subsequently ionized and accelerated. It is pointed out that this mechanism imposes no severe requirements either on the number of particles that have to be accelerated or on the energy that has to be removed from the solar wind to perform this acceleration.

Fisk, L. A.↗

Ionospheric direct measurement techniques

The most important physical parameters of the ionosphere which have been studied extensively over the years are: (1) the temperature, density, chemical composition, and directed motion (wind) of the ionized and neutral gas particles; and (2) the electric and magnetic fields. This review will discuss direct in situ techniques used on sounding rockets and satellites to measure these physical parameters. The techniques reviewed are restricted to those which are applicable to altitudes above about 100 km, where the mean free path is greater than the characteristic dimension of the instruments. Direct in situ instrumentation is defined as an experiment which measures the parameters in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle carrying the instrument; remote sensing techniques will not be discussed here.

Bauer, S. J.↗

Applications of the Glauber approximation to atomic collisions

Applications of the Glauber approximation to elastic and inelastic collisions of charged particles with neutral atoms are critically reviewed in an attempt to assess the utility of the Glauber approximation in the atomic collisions domain. Various alternative derivations of the Glauber amplitude formula, both for potential scattering and for composite collisions, also are described and compared. A number of possible problems for future research are listed.

Gerjuoy, E.↗

Stack plume characterization and model assessment with lidar data

A mobile lidar system was used to obtain plume rise and dispersion measurements for validating plume models. Predictions of rise and spread from the two-thirds law were found to agree well with observations. These predictions were used in combination with Lamb's results for neutrally buoyant particle diffusion in the mixed layer to estimate dispersion when convective turbulence became important.

Weil, J. C.↗

Search for X-ray emission from AO0235+164

Limits to the first-order Compton scattering, brightness temperature, and angular size of the compact radio source AO0235+164 were calculated on the basis of a flux density of less than about 1 microJy at 10 to the 18th Hz calculated from observations of the source with the rotating modulation collimator aboard the SAS 3 X-ray observatory. It was found that the maximum brightness temperature at this frequency is less than 2.4 times 10 to the 11th K, corresponding to a minimum angular size of 0.38 msec of arc, assuming the synchrotron self-absorption turnover coefficient is 0.5. On the basis of the distance implied by the largest redshift present, the energy contained in relativistic particles and the magnetic field are calculated, and the ratio of particle to magnetic energy is greater than 10, so the dynamics must be particle dominated. This indicates relativistic expansion if the mean energy per particle is comparable to or greater than the rest of those particles that neutralize the electron plasma.

Dennison, B.↗

A thermalized ion explosion model for high energy sputtering and track registration

A velocity spectrum of neutral sputtered particles as well as a low resolution mass spectrum of sputtered molecular ions was measured for 4.74 MeV F-19(+2) incident of UF4. The velocity spectrum is dramatically different from spectra taken with low energy (keV) bombarding ions, and is shown to be consistent with a hot plasma of atoms in thermal equilibrium inside the target. A thermalized ion explosion model is proposed for high energy sputtering which is expected to describe track formation in dielectric materials. The model is shown to be consistent with the observed total sputtering yield and the dependence of the yield on the primary ionization rate of the incident ion.

Seiberling, L. E.↗

Electrodeposition in microgravity: Ground-based experiments

Electrodeposition was studied at one-hundreth g and compared with bench studies at 1 g. The low gravity was achieved during KC-135 aircraft parobolic flights. Flow in a simple cobalt cell (1 M CoSO4) operating under typical commercial conditions (10 to 20 mA/sq cm and 1 V) was monitored with a Schlieren optical system. Natural convection was absent at one-hundreth g. Quantitative comparisons on a cobalt cell with shielded electrodes using interferometry were carried out. Fringe shift differences indicate greater semi-infinite linear diffusion at 1 g than at one-hundreth g for cobalt. Since a shielded electrode operates under diffusion controlled conditions, no differences between 1 g and one-hundreth g would be expected. Similar comparisons on a shielded electrode copper cell were inconclusive. Bench codeposition experiments using polystyrene neutral buoyancy particles coupled with a shielded electrode cobalt cell were begun. Tracking of 12 micron particles showed no measurable difference between thermal/Brownian motion when the cell was operational or nonoperational. Initial experiments on codeposition quality showed a strong dependence upon cathode surface preparation in a shielded electrode configuration.

Riley, C.↗

A parameterized model for the evolution of isotopic heterogeneities in a convecting system

It is experimentally shown that, although steady convective flows are efficient means to heterogeneity within a single cell, they do not produce a dispersal of heterogeneous material over scales that are large by comparison to their depth, which requires that the flow be time-dependent on a time scale comparable to the overturn time. Convection in an internally heated layer does possess this property, and numerical solutions are presently used to study the way in which it disperses a set of neutrally bouyant particles initially confined to a small space. The derived concept of effective diffusivity is applied to the isotopic evolution of the Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr systems, with spatial variations generated by horizontal variations in degree of melting 1.8 billion years ago.

Richter, F. M.↗

The sputtering of insulating materials by fast heavy ions

In this paper recent experimental results on sputtering of UF4 and H2O (ice) by fast heavy ions are reviewed. Measurements have been made of the dependence of the sputtering yield on the incident ion type, charge state, and energy. In the case of UF4, the energy spectra of neutral sputtered particles have been obtained as well. There is a clear dependence of the sputtering yield on the electronic part of the stopping power, and the yield is strongly affected by the charge state of the incident ion, which shows that in the near-surface region from which sputtered particles arise, the charge state of the incident ion has not reached equilibrium. The shape of the energy spectra observed for UF4 targets is that expected from a thermal distribution rather than that of the collision cascade form typical of ordinary sputtering. A model of the sputtering-track registration process that has arisen from these data is shown to provide a framework of understanding the close relationship of these observations to the 'plasma desorption' of marcromolecules.

Seiberling, L. E.↗

Mass spectrometry in the stratosphere

A gas expansion system incorporating a mass spectrometer that has been successfully flown in the stratosphere is described. Neutral gas particles are formed into a molecular beam that traverses the ion source of the mass spectrometer without wall interactions. It is noted that vertical profiles of such constituents as H2O, CO2, and O3 have been measured in the altitude range of 20 to 40 km during balloon descents. Isotopes of important gases (N2, O2, Ar) provided in-flight calibration standards. Before each flight the mass spectrometer system is calibrated in the laboratory for many gases of interest, including ozone. Mixing ratios of ozone established from recent flights have accuracies of better than 5 percent. The sensitivity of the system is sufficient to detect as well the heavy isotope of ozone at mass 50. A noticeable enhancement of heavy ozone in the upper stratosphere has been found. The mass spectrometer system is seen as providing a unique opportunity to perform in situ measurements in the stratosphere in combination with isotopic studies.

Mauersberger, K.↗

Sputtering of UF4 by high energy heavy ions

The sputtering of UF4 targets by energetic beams of O-16, F-19, and Cl-35 ions has been investigated for beam energies in the range 0.12 to 1.5 MeV/amu. The sputtering yields, which follow the same trend as the electronic part of the projectile energy loss in the material, are observed to have a strong dependence on the charge state of the incident ions. Data have been taken both in transmission and reflection (0 and 180 deg to the incident beam direction, respectively). Energy spectra of the neutral sputtered particles have been obtained for 5 MeV F-19 ions and for 13 MeV Cl-35 ions; in both cases the spectrum has a Maxwellian form. The data obtained are compared with several models of the high energy sputtering process.

Meins, C. K.↗

Convective and interfacial instabilities during solidification of succinonitrile containing ethanol

Even though slow convective flow is difficult to detect in solidifying metals, it can readily be observed in transparent materials by observing the motion of small neutrally buoyant particles. Succinonitrile, which solidifies with an unfaceted solid/liquid interface and has well characterized physical properties, is considered an excellent material for such studies. For studies of solute-induced convection, ethanol is a useful addition to succinonitrile since it has a lower density and a somewhat similar molecular structure. Samples of high purity and ethanol-doped succinonitrile are unidirectionally solidified in a vertical temperature gradient. Latex mimcrospheres 2 microns in diameter are suspended in the liquid to reveal the convective flow. Convective and morphological stability is observed as a function of solute concentration and growth velocity. These measurements are compared with theoretical calculations that predict the transition from stability to instability as a function of solidification conditions. The predicted transitions occur at low concentrations and solidification velocities; for this reason, extreme care must be taken in order to eliminate the effects of impurities or thermally induced convection.

Schaefer, R. J.↗

Formation and detection of high latitude ionospheric irregularities

Measurements of Total Electron Content (TEC) and airglow variations show that large scale plasma patches appearing in the high-latitude ionsophere have irregular structures evidenced by the satellite phase and amplitude scintillations. Whistler waves, intense quasi-DC electric field, and atmospheric gravity waves can become potential sources of various plamsa instabilities. The role of thermal effects in generating ionospheric irregularities by these sources is discussed. Meter-scale irregularities in the ionospheric E and F regions can be excited parametrically with lower hybrid waves by intense whistler waves. Ohmic dissipation of Pedersen current in the electron gas is able to create ionospheric F region irregularities in plasma blobs or plasma patches (i.e., high ambient plasma density environment) with broad scale lengths ranging from tens of meters to a few kilometers. Through the neutral-charged particle collisions, gravity waves can excite large-scale (less than tens of kilometers) ionospheric irregularities simultaneously with forced ion acoustic modes in the E region. The large-scale ionospheric density fluctuations produced in the E region can extend subsequently alogn the earth's magnetic field to the F region and the topside ionospheric regions. These mechanisms characterized by various thermal effects can contribute additively with other processes to the formation of ionospheric irregularities in the high latitude region.

Lee, M. C.↗

Magnetospheres of the outer planets

The magnetospheres of the outer planets have been shown by Voyager explorations to strongly interact with the surfaces and atmospheres of their planetary satellites and rings. In the cases of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, the processes of charged particle sputtering, neutral gas cloud formation, and rapid plasma injection from the ionization of the neutral clouds, have important implications both for the magnetospheres as a whole and for the surfaces and atmospheres of their satellites. The general methodology employed in these researches has involved comparisons of the planetary magnetospheres in order to identify common physical processes.

Cheng, Andrew F.↗

Complete positive ion, electron, and ram negative ion measurements near Comet Halley (COPERNIC) plasma experiment for the European Giotto Mission

Participation of U.S. scientists on the COPERNIC (COmplete Positive ions, Electrons and Ram Negative Ion measurements near Comet Halley) plasma experiment on the Giotto mission is described. The experiment consisted of two detectors: the EESA (electron electrostatic analyzer) which provided three-dimensional measurements of the distribution of electrons from 10 eV to 30 keV, and the PICCA (positive ion cluster composition analyzer) which provided mass analysis of positively charged cold cometary ions from mass 10 to 210 amu. In addition, a small 3 deg wide sector of the EESA looking in the ram direction was devoted to the detection of negatively charged cold cometary ions. Both detectors operated perfectly up to near closest approach (approx. 600 km) to Halley, but impacts of dust particles and neutral gas on the spacecraft contaminated parts of the data during the last few minutes. Although no flight hardware was fabricated in the U.S., The U.S. made very significant contributions to the hardware design, ground support equipment (GSE) design and fabrication, and flight and data reduction software required for the experiment, and also participated fully in the data reduction and analysis, and theoretical modeling and interpretation. Cometary data analysis is presented.

Lin, Robert P.↗