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At least 235 records · Page 13

The response of the Space Shuttle Orbiter graphite/epoxy sandwich panels to exposure to moisture and heat

The Shuttle Orbiter Payload Bay Door is covered with graphite/epoxy sandwich panels. Their interaction with ground environments causes a moisture absorption of approximately 1.0% by weight at the time of launch. During the reentry phase the temperature of the outer facesheets rises to 177 C and their moisture content diminishes to 0.65%. In this condition the facesheet strength deteriorates significantly. Also, desorption of moisture produces an internal pressure in the panels of ca. 345 kPa. The paper discusses the prediction of expected moisture levels in the constituent parts of the sandwich panels. It describes further the test program necessary to assess the residual strength of the facesheets and the internal pressure capability of the sandwich panels.

Zigrang, D. J.↗

Photometric properties of outer planetary satellites

Optical broadband photometry for the satellites J6, J7, J8, S7, S9, U3, U4, and N1 and polarimetry for J6, obtained between 1970 and 1979, are presented. The outer Jovian satellites resemble C-type asteroids; J6 has a rotational lightcurve with a period of approximately 9.5 hr. The satellites beyond Jupiter also show C-like colors with the exception of S7 Hyperion. S9 Phoebe has a rotational lightcurve with period near either 11.25 or 21.1 hr. For U4 and N1 there is evidence for a lightcurve synchronous with the orbital revolution. The seven brighter Saturnian satellites show a regular relation between the ultraviolet dropoff and distance to the planet, probably related with differences in the rock component on their surfaces.

Degewij, J.↗

High-resolution X-ray observations of M87 - Nucleus, jet and radio halo

X-ray observations of M87 made using the Einstein Observatory HRI show the presence of four components. A broad, diffuse component associated with hot gas in the galaxy follows an approximate inverse power law; the pressure of the gas could be sufficient to confine the inner and outer radio lobes. A diffuse, asymmetrical X-ray distribution to the east and southwest appears similar to the radio morphology and is consistent with an inverse Compton model. An X-ray source centered on the nucleus of the galaxy is extended by 2-3 arcsec and may be due to thermal bremsstrahlung; a possible compact source of less than 10 to the 41st ergs/sec is weak compared with other active galaxies, and its implications for the presence of a massive black hole are discussed. A structure correlated with the radio-optical jet is also seen; the X-ray flux is consistent with an extrapolation of the optical synchrotron spectrum. The four components suggest that all three canonical astrophysical X-ray emission mechanisms are present in M87: thermal bremsstrahlung, inverse Compton scattering, and synchrotron radiation.

Schreier, E. J.↗

Quantum-classical electron distributions in atoms and atomic ions

A quantum-classical approach is used to obtain the velocity distributions in atoms and positive and negative ions in both ground and excited states. In the analysis, Hartree-Fock electronic wavefunctions are used to determine the radial electron distributions, and the central-field approximation is used to study the the dynamic properties of the localized electrons. The distributions for the outer and inner shells are found to agree well with exact results obtained by numerical calculations.

Kunc, Joseph A.↗

UBV stellar photometry of the 30 Doradus region of the large Magellanic Cloud with the Hubble Space Telescope

We report on Planetary Camera observations of the central region of 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). These images of 30 Doradus are the first `deep' Hubble Space Telescope (HST) exposures that have appropriate photometric calibration. The B band (F439W) image, which shows R136a at the center of the PC6 charge coupled device (CCD) chip, reveals over 200 stars within 3 sec of the center of R13a, and over 800 stars in a 35 sec x 35 sec area. We used Malumuth et al.'s (1991) Point Spread Function (PSF)-fitting method to measure the magnitudes of all stars on the PC6 chip. These new B magnitudes, along with U and V magnitudes from archival PC images, yield a luminosity function, mass density profile, and initial mass function of the 30 Doradus ionizing cluster. The mass distribution is well fit by a King model with a core radius, R(sub c) = 0.96 sec (0.24 pc), a tidal radius, R(sub t) = 110 sec (28 pc), and a total mass, Mass = 16,800 solar mass. Both the luminosity function and initial mass function show evidence for mass segregation, in the sense that the central region has a higher fraction of massive stars than the outer regions. This is the first observational evidence for mass segregation in a very young cluster (age approximately 3 million years). The observations admit the hypothesis that the mass segregation occurred in the process of star formation and/or that the mass segregation is the result of dynamical evolution.

Malumuth, Eliot M.↗

The Minimum-Mass Surface Density of the Solar Nebula using the Disk Evolution Equation

The Hayashi minimum-mass power law representation of the pre-solar nebula (Hayashi 1981, Prog. Theo. Phys.70,35) is revisited using analytic solutions of the disk evolution equation. A new cumulative-planetary-mass-model (an integrated form of the surface density) is shown to predict a smoother surface density compared with methods based on direct estimates of surface density from planetary data. First, a best-fit transcendental function is applied directly to the cumulative planetary mass data with the surface density obtained by direct differentiation. Next a solution to the time-dependent disk evolution equation is parametrically adapted to the planetary data. The latter model indicates a decay rate of r -1/2 in the inner disk followed by a rapid decay which results in a sharper outer boundary than predicted by the minimum mass model. The model is shown to be a good approximation to the finite-size early Solar Nebula and by extension to extra solar protoplanetary disks.

Davis, Sanford S.↗

Zircon, Baddeleyite, and Reidite Found in Ries Crater Suevite

Introduction: Impact events can generate superheated impact melts and even vapor [1]. In the past decade, evidence of the high temperatures and high pressures of the impact process has been found in the impact melt from terrestrial craters (e.g., Mistastin Lake [2], Meteor Crater [3]) and even on the Moon [4–5]. Often, these studies involve zircon or zirconium-bearing phases. Zircon is a particularly useful mineral, due to its robustness and durability against weathering. It is used principally for chronology, but it has a multitude of geologic applications, including geothermometry and fingerprinting magma sources. Here we focus on its capability of recording impact conditions. Grains of zircon (ZrSiO4) are converted at high temperature and/or pressure during an impact event to reidite (a high-pressure polymorph of ZrSiO4) or to tetragonal-ZrO2 + SiO2 [6]. Reidite and tertragonal-ZrO2 leave identifying relicts in the rocks, markers of the high pressures and/or temperatures these rocks underwent. Ries Crater is a 26-km-diameter peak ring crater in southern Germany that formed approximately 15 Ma [7–9]. Ries is the type locality of the polymict impact breccia known as suevite. Here, we report a microanalytical study of suevite from the Ries impact structure. These analyses are used to inform our understanding of the pressure and temperature conditions involved in creating a polymict impact breccia such as suevite in a peak ring crater. Sample Description: The sample, denoted 16RS08, originates from Otting Quarry, at 48.8777° N, 10.7921° E, approximately 17 km from the center of the Ries Crater in Germany (approximately 4 km outside the crater rim). The material recorded in sample 16RS08 is therefore considered an outer suevite. The outer suevite is a discontinuous layer of polymict impact breccia that occurs outside the central ring of Ries, up to 22 km from the center of the crater [9]. Lithic clasts in the outer suevite consist primarily of crystalline basement rocks (gneiss, granite, amphibolite), with less than 5% of lithic clasts being overlying sedimentary rocks (limestone, sandstone, shale) [9]. The thin section studied contains variably shocked lithic and mineral clasts, impact glass, and interstitial minerals that make up the matrix of the breccia (Fig. 1) [9]. Methods: We used a Cameca SX100 electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) located in the Kuiper Materials Imaging and Characterization Facility (KMICF) at the University of Arizona to obtain 15 elemental X-ray maps of 16RS08. We next used the JEOL 7900F SEM at the Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science (ARES) at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to obtain electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) maps of select portions of the section. The EBSD data were collected under beam conditions of 20 kV, and ~9 μA, with step sizes varying from 0.05 to 2 μm. Following EBSD data collection, we processed the data using AZtecCrystal and MTEX, a free MATLAB toolbox. Results: We used the elemental X-ray maps to identify the areas of interest in the section, particularly phosphates and Zr-bearing grains. These areas of interest were then targeted for follow up EBSD and EDS analyses. We have identified, through combined EBSD and EDS analysis, the presence of zircon, reidite, and monoclinic-ZrO2 (baddeleyite) in 16RS08. In 16RS08, we have found singular grains of zircon, zircon with a vermicular baddeleyite halo (Fig. 2a), and granular zircon with reidite (Fig. 2b). The different Zr-rich phases and their corresponding textures signifies that this sample underwent a broad spectrum of pressure and temperature conditions during the impact event. For example, zircons surrounded by a vermicular baddeleyite and SiO2 intergrowth (i.e., Fig. 2a) have been shown to preserve evidence of the extremely high temperatures of impact melt, upwards of 2370 °C [2, 6]. Similarly, reidite and granular zircon (i.e., Fig. 2b) have been shown to preserve evidence of high pressure, as the transition to reidite occurs >30 GPa [3, 6]. Future Work: Next, we will process the EBSD and EDS data for these Zr-rich grains, specifically looking for indicators of cubic- or tetragonal-ZrO2 in the baddeleyite remnants and of shock-precursors to the reidite. To further inform our work, we will also obtain BSE images of these grains using a Hitachi S-4800 SEM in KMICF at the University of Arizona, as well as geochemical spot analyses via EPMA. The data collected will be used to constrain the formation conditions of the Ries Crater outer suevite. Acknowledgments: We thank Ken Domanik and Jerry Chang for their support with data collection. This work was supported by a University of Arizona RII Core Facilities Pilot Program grant and start-up funds to JJB. TME thanks A. Cavosie and N. Timms for assistance during field sampling. We acknowledge support from NASA’s Planetary Science Research program for analysis performed at JSC. References: [1] Melosh H. J. (1989) Oxf. U. Press. [2] Timms et al. (2017) EPSL 477, 52–58. [3] Cavosie et al. (2016) Geology 44:9, 703–706. [4] White et al. (2020) Nature Astr. 4, 974–978. [5] Crow C. A. et al. (2017) GCA 202, 264–284. [6] Timms et al. (2017) Earth-Sci. Rev. 165, 185–202. [7] Schmieder M. et al. (2018) GCA 220, 146–157. [8] Schwarz W. H. et al. (2020) M&PS 55:2, 312–325. [9] Stöffler et al. (2013) M&PS 43:4, 515–589.

Zircon↗

Damage areas due to impact craters on LDEF aluminum panels

Because of its exposure time and total exposed surface area, the LDEF provides a unique opportunity to analyze the effects of the natural and man-made particle populations in low earth orbit (LEO). This study concentrated on collecting and analyzing measurements of impact craters from seven painted aluminum surfaces at different locations on the satellite. These data are being used to: (1) update the current theoretical micrometeoroid and debris models for LEO; (2) characterize the effects of the LEO micrometeoroid and debris environment of satellite components and designs; (3) help assess the probability of collision between spacecraft in LEO and already resident debris and the survivability of those spacecraft that must travel through, or reside in, LEO; and (4) help define and evaluate future debris mitigation and disposal methods. Measurements were collected from one aluminum experiment tray cover (Bay C-12), two aluminum grapple plates (Bays C-01, C-10), and four aluminum experiment sun-shields (Bay E-09), all of which were coated with thermal paint. These measurements were taken at the Facility for Optical Interpretation of Large Surfaces (FOILS) Lab at JSC. Virtually all features greater than 0.2 mm in diameter possessed a spall zone in which all of the paint was removed from the aluminum surface, and which varied in size from 2-5 crater diameters. The actual craters vary from central pits without raised rims to morphologies more typical of craters formed in aluminum under hypervelocity impact conditions for larger features. Most craters exhibit a shock zone that varies in size from approximately 1-20 crater diameters. In general, only the outermost layer of paint was affected by this impact-related phenomenon, with several impacts possessing ridge-like structures encircling the area in which this outer-most paint layer was removed. Overall, there were no noticeable penetrations or bulges on the underside of the trays. One tray from the E-09 bay exhibited a spallation zone on the backside, approximately equal in size to that on the front side. Results from this study demonstrate that the impact damaged areas extend far beyond the actual craters in coated or painted surfaces. While the cratering damaged much greater than 1 percent of the total surface area, the total impact damage area exceeded 3 percent.

Coombs, Cassandra R.↗

Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) 5 Developed to Test Advanced Solar Cell Technology Aboard the ISS

The testing of new technologies aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is facilitated through the use of a passive experiment container, or PEC, developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. The PEC is an aluminum suitcase approximately 2 ft square and 5 in. thick. Inside the PEC are mounted Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) plates that contain the test articles. The PEC is carried to the ISS aboard the space shuttle or a Russian resupply vehicle, where astronauts attach it to a handrail on the outer surface of the ISS and deploy the PEC, which is to say the suitcase is opened 180 deg. Typically, the PEC is left in this position for approximately 1 year, at which point astronauts close the PEC and it is returned to Earth. In the past, the PECs have contained passive experiments, principally designed to characterize the durability of materials subjected to the ultraviolet radiation and atomic oxygen present at the ISS orbit. The MISSE5 experiment is intended to characterize state-of-art (SOA) and beyond photovoltaic technologies.

Wilt, David M.↗

Power source considerations for Grand Tour missions.

At the present time, there exists no known power source that will satisfy the power, weight, lifetime, and other stringent requirements of an extended outer-planet mission. Exploratory studies indicate the need for a solar-independent power source capable of supplying approximately 500 W of power over mission lifetimes of up to 12 years. The only known power source which can possibly meet these requirements, in the 1975 to 1979 time period, is a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). In 1969 a program began to develop a long-life, plutonium-fueled radioisotope thermoelectric power system. Aspects of spacecraft configuration are discussed together with power source requirements, RTG/spacecraft integration, operational details, and problems of safety.

Merrill, O. S.↗

Theoretical mean colors for RR Lyrae variables

A hydrodynamically pulsating 0.6 solar mass model of a typical RR Lyrae variable was studied with a radiation transport-hydrodynamic computer program to predict theoretical T sub 3 and colors at many phases and to find the proper methods for getting mean colors and the consequent mean effective temperatures. The variable Eddington radiation approximation method was used with gray and with multifrequency absorption coefficients to represent the radiation flow in the outer optically thin layers. Comparison between observed and computed B-V colors indicate that these low Z population 2 models are reasonably accurate using King 1A composition opacities. The well known Oke, Giver, and Searle relation between B-V and T sub e reproduced. Mean colors were found by four different averaging methods. The method that gives a mean color and the mean T sub e closest to the nonpulsating model was the separate intensity means of B and V.

Davis, C. G.↗

The Reed-Solomon encoders: Conventional versus Berlekamp's architecture

Concatenated coding was adopted for interplanetary space missions. Concatenated coding was employed with a convolutional inner code and a Reed-Solomon (RS) outer code for spacecraft telemetry. Conventional RS encoders are compared with those that incorporate two architectural features which approximately halve the number of multiplications of a set of fixed arguments by any RS codeword symbol. The fixed arguments and the RS symbols are taken from a nonbinary finite field. Each set of multiplications is bit-serially performed and completed during one (bit-serial) symbol shift. All firmware employed by conventional RS encoders is eliminated.

Perlman, M.↗

Giacobini-Zinner magnetotail - Ice magnetic field observations

A well developed magnetotail with a diameter of about 10,000 km has been revealed 7800 km downstream of the nucleus of Comet Giacobini-Zinner by International Cometary Explorer magnetic field observations. The tail is composed of two lobes of opposite magnetic polarity that are separated by an approximately 1500 km-thick plasma sheets. The field magnitude increases by a factor of 2 between the outer portions of the lobe and the central regions, where peak fields of about 60 nT were measured. Flaring is lowest in the high field regions of the central tail and greatest in the outer portions of the lobes, where minimum variance analyses on the magnetopause crossings furnishes flare angles of 20-40 deg. The Alfven field line draping model of type I cometary tails is confirmed by these observations.

Slavin, J. A.↗

A hybrid numerical technique for predicting the aerodynamic and acoustic fields of advanced turboprops

A hybrid numerical procedure is presented for the prediction of the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of advanced turboprops. A hybrid scheme is proposed which in principle leads to a consistent simultaneous prediction of both fields. In the inner flow a finite difference method, the Approximate-Factorization Alternating-Direction-Implicit (ADI) scheme, is used to solve the nonlinear Euler equations. In the outer flow the linearized acoustic equations are solved via a Boundary-Integral Equation (BIE) method. The two solutions are iteratively matched across a fictitious interface in the flow so as to maintain continuity. At convergence the resulting aerodynamic load prediction will automatically satisfy the appropriate free-field boundary conditions at the edge of the finite difference grid, while the acoustic predictions will reflect the back-reaction of the radiated field on the magnitude of the loading source terms, as well as refractive effects in the inner flow. The equations and logic needed to match the two solutions are developed and the computer program implementing the procedure is described. Unfortunately, no converged solutions were obtained, due to unexpectedly large running times. The reasons for this are discussed and several means to alleviate the situation are suggested.

Homicz, G. F.↗

Comparison of Space Shuttle Hot Gas Manifold analysis to air flow data

This paper summarizes several recent analyses of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Hot Gas Manifold and compares predicted flow environments to air flow data. Codes used in these analyses include INS3D, PAGE, PHOENICS, and VAST. Both laminar (Re = 250, M = 0.30) and turbulent (Re = 1.9 million, M = 0.30) results are discussed, with the latter being compared to data for system losses, outer wall static pressures, and manifold exit Mach number profiles. Comparison of predicted results for the turbulent case to air flow data shows that the analysis using INS3D predicted system losses within 1 percent error, while the PHOENICS, PAGE, and VAST codes erred by 31, 35, and 47 percent, respectively. The INS3D, PHOENICS, and PAGE codes did a reasonable job of predicting outer wall static pressure, while the PHOENICS code predicted exit Mach number profiles with acceptable accuracy. INS3D was approximately an order of magnitude more efficient than the other codes in terms of code speed and memory requirements. In general, it is seen that complex internal flows in manifold-like geometries can be predicted with a limited degree of confidence, and further development is necessary to improve both efficiency and accuracy of codes if they are to be used as design tools for complex three-dimensional geometries.

Mcconnaughey, P. K.↗

The Anatomy of the Perseus Spiral Arm: 12 CO and IRAS Imaging Observations of the W3-W4-W5 Cloud Complex

Panoramic images of 12CO J = 1-0 and thermal dust emissions from the W3-W4-W5 region of the outer Galaxy are presented. These data and recently published H I 21 cm line emission images provide an approximate 1' resolution perspective to the dynamics and thermal energy content of the interstellar gas and dust components contained within a 9 deg. arc of the Perseus spiral arm. We tabulate the molecular properties of 1560 clouds identified as closed surfaces within the l-b-v CO data cube at a threshold of 0.9 K T* (sub R). Relative surface densities of the molecular (28:1) and atomic (2.5:1) gas components determined within the arm and interarm velocity intervals demonstrate that the gas component that enters the spiral arm is predominantly atomic. Molecular clouds must necessarily condense from the compressed atomic material that enters the spiral arm and are likely short lived within the interarm regions. From the distribution of centroid velocities of clouds, we determine a random cloud-to-cloud velocity dispersion of 4 km s (exp. -1) over the width of the spiral arm but find no clear evidence within the molecular gas for streaming motions induced by the spiral potential. The far-infrared images are analyzed with the CO J = 1-0 and H I 21 cm line emission. The enhanced UV (Ultraviolet) radiation field from members of the Cas OB6 association and embedded newborn stars provide a significant source of heating to the extended dust component within the Perseus arm relative to the quiescent cirrus regions. Much of the measured far-infrared flux (69% at 60 micrometers and 47% at 100 micrometers) originates from regions associated with star formation rather than the extended, infrared cirrus component.

Heyer, Mark H.↗

Operation of A Sunpower M87 Cryocooler In A Magnetic Field

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS-02) is an experiment that will be flown as an attached payload on the International Space Station to detect dark matter and antimatter. It uses large superconducting magnets cooled with superfluid helium to bend the path of cosmic particles through a series of detectors, which then measure the mass, speed, charge, and direction of the particles. Four Sunpower M87N Stirling-cycle cryocoolers are used to extend the mission life by cooling the outer vapor-cooled shield of the dewar. The main magnet coils are separated by a distance of approximately 1 m and the coolers are located approximately 1.5 m from the center line of the magnet, where the field is as high as 925 gauss perpendicular to the cryocooler axis and 400 gauss along the cryocooler axis. Interactions between the applied magnetic field and the linear motor may result in additional forces and torques on the compressor piston. Motion of the compressor arid displacer pistons through the magnetic field spatial gradients will generate eddy currents. Additional eddy currents are created during magnet charge, discharge, and quench by the time-varying magnetic field. The results of tests to determine the magnitude of the forces, torques, and heating effects, as well as the need for additional magnetic shielding, are presented.

Breon, S. R.↗

Measurement of early time outer laser beam reflection inside a cylindrical hohlraum at the National Ignition Facility

In a National Ignition Facility (NIF) cylindrical hohlraum, any specular reflection (“glint”) off the wall from the outer cone (incident angle of 50° and 44° relative to the surface of the wall) laser beam will irradiate the capsule poles. If the glint power is sufficiently large during the picket (early time) of the laser pulse, it may seed high-mode perturbations on the capsule surface that can grow during the implosion. To quantify the glint power on the capsule during the picket by the outer beams, we performed dedicated experiments on NIF using a flat witness foil as a surrogate for the capsule in a half-hohlraum target. We found that the measured glint power is approximately comparable to simulations using a nominal electron conduction flux limiter of f = 0.15, and over an order of magnitude lower than that predicted using f = 0.03 in the wall. Based on our current understanding, we conclude that the glint from the outer beams plays an insignificant role in capsule drive asymmetry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗