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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

A high resolution liquid xenon imaging telescope for 0.3-10 MeV gamma-ray astrophysics: Construction and initial balloon flights

An instrument is described which will provide a direct image of gamma-ray line or continuum sources in the energy range 300 keV to 10 MeV. The use of this instrument to study the celestial distribution of the (exp 26)Al isotope by observing the 1.809 MeV deexcitation gamma-ray line is illustrated. The source location accuracy is 2' or better. The imaging telescope is a liquid xenon time projection chamber coupled with a coded aperture mask (LXe-CAT). This instrument will confirm and extend the COMPTEL observations from the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) with an improved capability for identifying the actual Galactic source or sources of (exp 26)Al, which are currently not known with certainty. sources currently under consideration include red giants on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), novae, Type 1b or Type 2 supernovae, Wolf-Rayet stars and cosmic-rays interacting in molecular clouds. The instrument could also identify a local source of the celestial 1.809 MeV gamma-ray line, such as a recent nearby supernova.

Aprile, Elena↗
NASA NTRS1969

The unusual infrared object IRC plus 10216

Unusual IR object IRC plus 10216 interpreted as galactic source surrounded by optically thick dust shells, noting resemblance to black body energy distribution

Becklin, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Linear force-free fields in the lower corona

Boundary conditions are imposed on the normal component of B on two parallel planes which delineate the force-free volume of linear magnetic fields in low coronal levels of the solar atmosphere. Green's function is employed to ensure that equations for the magnetic field energy remain bounded and smooth. Field line tracings of a simple bipolar source distribution are developed and compared with empirical data obtained from visual observations in H(alpha), EUV, and X-rays.

Barbosa, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Far-infrared photometry of compact extragalactic objects - Detection of 3C 345

The first detection of a quasar between 10 and 1000 microns is reported. The observation permits (1) the determination of the intersection of the optical/infrared and millimeter continua; (2) more precise determination of the total luminosity; (3) the placing of limits on the contribution of any thermal dust emission to the total luminosity. The quasar is the first object ever to have been observed whose energy distribution peaks at wavelength of about 100 microns without a large contribution to the total luminosity from thermal dust emission. The observed flux density of 2.2 + or - 0.5 Jy at 100 microns and an upper limit of 0.5 + or - 0.6 Jy at 50 microns clearly define the overall energy distribution and show the quasar to be a powerful far-infrared source.

Harvey, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Cometary dynamics

Modern theories of cometary dynamics are described. Attention is given to Oort's hypothesis that the Solar System is surrounded by a spherically symmetrical cloud of about 10 to the 11th to 10 to the 12th comets extending out to interstellar distances. Dynamical modelling and statistical analyses of cometary motion have confirmed the ability of the Oort hypothesis to explain the observed distribution of energies for the long-period cometary orbits. Some of the sources cometary motion perturbations are discussed, including: random passing stars; interstellar clouds; and the galactic gravitational field. Perturbations in cometary motion in the planetary region are attributed to the gravitational fields of the major planets and nongravitational forces resulting from jetting of volatiles on the surfaces of cometary nuclei. Observational evidence for the existence of a massive inner Oort cloud extending from just beyond the orbit of Neptune to 10,000 AU is presented.

Weissman, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Voyager 2 plasma ion observations in the magnetosphere of Uranus

Positive ion measurements in the magnetosphere of Uranus have been made by the Voyager 2 plasma science experiment. The paper presents an overview of the entire data set and a detailed analysis of the observations from the inner magnetosphere which complements and extends results reported elsewhere. Densities and temperatures are obtained from an analysis which incorporates details of the instrumental response. These results are then used to calculate flux tube particle and energy content to support the hypothesis that the plasma transport is controlled by a solar wind-driven magnetospheric convection system. Variations in the flux tube content suggest both a local source of plasma, produced from the neutral hydrogen corona of Uranus, and a nonlocal source, convected inwared and heated by adiabatic compression. In each case a proton composition is inferred. Sharp boundaries in the high-energy (approximately 1 keV) plasma population are interpreted in terms of the spatial extent of the magnetospheric convection, with significant shielding of the convection electric field. The convection theory is also used in a simulation of the low-energy (approximately 10 eV) ion component using the neutral hydrogen source, resulting in distribution functions which qualitatively agree with the observations.

Selesnick, Richard S.↗
NASA NTRS1996

On the spectral energy distributions of blazars

The multifrequency spectral properties of complete samples of three kinds of blazars observed with the Rosat position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) in pointed mode are investigated: radio selected BL Lacs (RBLs); X-ray selected BL Lacs (XBLs); and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Their spectral energy distributions are compared. The bolometric luminosities and peak emission frequencies of each source are estimated by fitting parabolic functions to the individual rest frame spectra of the power per decade. The shape of the optical to X-ray continua is described, and it is found that the continua of XBLs are convex while those of FSRQs are concave.

Maraschi, L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

AGASA Results and EUSO

Recently AGASA group reevaluated the energy estimation of AGSAS events and showed that the energy spectrum of cosmic rays extends without any sign of GZK-cutoff. Clustering of ultrahigh energy events within experimental angular resolution suggests the astronomical point sources and their distribution in whole sky may reveal the magnetic configuration of our galaxy and extragalactic magnetic field. Based on the AGASA results, we discuss what we can expect EUSO.

Adams, James H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Product energy distributions and energy partitioning in O atom reactions on surfaces

Surface reactions involving O atoms are likely to be highly exoergic, with different consequences if energy is channeled mostly to product molecules or surface modes. Thus the surface may become a source of excited species which can react elsewhere, or a sink for localized heat deposition which may disrupt the surface. The vibrational energy distribution of the product molecule contains strong clues about the flow of released energy. Two instructive examples of energy partitioning at surfaces are the Pt catalyzed oxidations: (1) C(ads) + O(ads) yields CO* (T is greater than 1000 K); and (2) CO(ads) + O(gas) yields CO2* (T is approx. 300 K). The infrared emission spectra of the excited product molecules were recorded and the vibrational population distributions were determined. In reaction 1, energy appeared to be statistically partitioned between the product CO and several Pt atoms. In reaction 2, partitioning was non-statistical; the CO2 asymmetric stretch distribution was inverted. In gas reactions these results would indicate a long lived and short lived activated complex. The requirement that Pt be heated in O atoms to promote reaction of atomic O and CO at room temperature is specifically addressed. Finally, the fraction of released energy that is deposited in the catalyst is estimated.

Halpern, Bret↗
NASA NTRS2023

The High Energy X-Ray Probe (HEX-P): Galactic PeVatrons, Star Clusters, Superbubbles, Microquasar Jets, and Gamma-Ray Binaries

HEX-P is a probe-class mission concept that will combine high spatial resolution X-ray imaging (<10"FWHM) and broad spectral coverage (0.2--80 keV) with an effective area far superior to current facilities (including XMM-Newton and NuSTAR) to enable revolutionary new insights into a variety of important astrophysical problems. With the recent discoveries of over 40 ultra-high-energy gamma-ray sources (detected above 100 TeV) and neutrino emission in the Galactic Plane, we have entered a new era of multi-messenger astrophysics facing the exciting reality of Galactic PeVatrons. In the next decade, as more Galactic PeVatrons and TeV gamma-ray sources are expected to be discovered, the identification of their acceleration and emission mechanisms will be the most pressing issue in both particle and high-energy astrophysics. In this paper, along with its companion papers (Reynolds et al. 2023, Mori et al. 2023), we will present that HEX-P is uniquely suited to address important problems in various cosmic-ray accelerators, including Galactic PeVatrons, through investigating synchrotron X-ray emission of TeV--PeV electrons produced by both leptonic and hadronic processes. For Galactic PeVatron candidates and other TeV gamma-ray sources, HEX-P can fill in a large gap in the spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) of many objects observed in radio, soft X-rays, and gamma rays, constraining the maximum energies to which electrons can be accelerated, with implications for the nature of the Galactic PeVatrons and their contributions to the spectrum of Galactic cosmic rays beyond the knee at $\sim3$ PeV. In particular, X-ray observation with HEX-P and TeV observation with CTA will provide the most powerful multi-messenger diagnostics to identify Galactic PeVatrons and explore a variety of astrophysical shock mechanisms. We present simulations of each class of Galactic TeV--PeV sources, demonstrating the power of both the imaging and spectral capabilities of HEX-P to advance our knowledge of Galactic cosmic-ray accelerators. In addition, we discuss HEX-P’s unique and complementary roles to upcoming gamma-ray and neutrino observatories in the 2030s.

particle accelerators↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies and Active Galactic Nuclei in the Southern Survey

We present a catalog of 191 extragalactic sources detected by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) at 148 GHz and/or 218GHz in the 2008 Southern survey. Flux densities span 14-1700mJy, and we use source spectral indices derived using ACT-only data to divide our sources into two sub-populations: 167 radio galaxies powered by central active galactic nuclei (AGN), and 24 dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). We cross-identify 97% of our sources (166 of the AGN and 19 of the DSFGs) with those in currently available catalogs. When combined with flux densities from the Australian Telescope 20 GHz survey and follow-up observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the synchrotron-dominated population is seen to exhibit a steepening of the slope of the spectral energy distribution from 20 to 148GHz, with the trend continuing to 218GHz. The ACT dust-dominated source population has a median spectral index, alpha(sub 148−218), of 3.7+0.62 or −0.86, and includes both local galaxies and sources with redshifts as great as 5.6. Dusty sources with no counterpart in existing catalogs likely belong to a recently discovered subpopulation of DSFGs lensed by foreground galaxies or galaxy groups.

millimeter: galaxies↗
NASA NTRS1985

Influence of the electron source distribution on field-aligned currents

The field-aligned current density above a discrete auroral arc has been deduced from the downward electron flux and magnetic field measurements onboard the rocket Porcupine flight 4. Both measurements show that the field-aligned current density is, in spite of decreasing peak energies towards the edge of the arc, about 4 times higher there than in the center of the arc. This can be explained by using the single particle description for an anisotropic electron source distribution.

Bruening, K.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Angular Distribution of Elastically Scattered Electrons Determined and Its Effect on Collector Performance Computed

It has been demonstrated that the suppression of secondary electron emission significantly improves the performance of electron beam collectors (ref. 1). However, a complete analysis of the effects of secondary electron emission with respect to collector performance has not been possible because of the lack of quantitative data on angular distributions of secondary electrons. Secondary electrons are emitted with energies ranging from near zero to the energy of the incident primary. For our purposes, we define elastically scattered electrons as secondary electrons within 20 percent of the incident energy. Elastically scattered electrons are of great concern because their energy allows them to follow trajectories that can carry them almost anywhere within the vacuum envelope. If these secondaries leave the collector and reenter the slow wave circuit, they can produce undesired signal distortion and oscillation.This apparatus, which was built by Krainsky (ref. 2), was used at the NASA Lewis Research Center to obtain detailed measurements of the angular distributions of elastically scattered secondaries. Data were obtained for three surfaces of significant interest to collector applications: highly polished copper, copper roughened by ion sputtering, and isotropic graphite. Lewis researchers discovered that elastically scattered electrons have a complex angular distribution that is strongly dependent on the atomic number and surface morphology of the target material, as well as the energy and angle of incidence of the primary beam. At low energies, secondary emission from polished copper in the chosen energy range is primarily directed back to the source of primary electrons (backscattering). Forward scattering increases with primary energy until, at high energies, forward scattering dominates the angular distribution. Although back-scattered secondaries dominate the distributions of the textured copper surface, the yield is substantially lower. From the standpoint of secondary emission, isotropic graphite is the most attractive material because it exhibits low yield and little back scattering.

Krainsky, Isay L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Cosmic electrons

The published literature on cosmic electrons is summarized. The primary and secondary sources of cosmic electrons are discussed, and the propagation of the electrons in the interstellar medium is studied with respect to energy loss mechanisms, age distributions, and spectral modifications during flight. Various portions of the electron and positron spectra are then considered in relation to problems of astrophysics. New information is presented on such topics as the origin of low-energy positrons, the decay kinematics of the pi-mu-e process, the application of age distributions for nuclear cosmic rays to cosmic electrons, and the possibility of nonidentical sources for cosmic electrons and protons.

Ramaty, R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Spacecraft Radiation Analysis

The radiation interface in spacecrafts using radioisotope thermoelectric generators is studied. A Monte Carlo analysis of the radiation field that includes scattered radiation effects, produced neutron and gamma photon isoflux contours as functions of distance from the RTG center line. It is shown that the photon flux is significantly depressed in the RTG axial direction because of selfshielding. Total flux values are determined by converting the uncollided flux values into an equivalent RTG surface source and then performing a Monte Carlo analysis for each specific dose point. Energy distributions of the particle spectra completely define the radiation interface for a spacecraft model.

Harris, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Radiative transfer in dusty nebulae

The effects of dust scattering on observable optical and infrared parameters, and the accuracy of approximate solutions were examined. The equation of radiative transfer in a static and homogeneous, but not necessarily uniform, distribution gas and dust around a central empty core with a point source of energy at its center was solved. The dust properties were characterized by a phenomenological extinction cross section, albedo and parameters describing the anisotropy of dust scattering. For ultraviolet photons, ionization equilibrium equations for the gas were solved, and for infrared photons a self-consistent dust temperature was calculated. Ray tracing was used to solve for the angular dependence of the intensity.

Dana, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

An Einstein survey of the 1 keV soft X-ray background in the Galactic plane

We have analyzed 56 Einstein Observatory Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) observations within +/- 3 deg of the Galactic plane in order to determine the low-latitude soft X-ray background flux in the 0.56-1.73 keV band. Any detected X-ray point source which fell within our regions of study was removed from the image, enabling us to present maps of the background flux as a function of Galactic latitude along 18 meridians. These maps reveal considerable structure to the background in the Galactic plane on an angular scale of approximately 1 deg. Our results are compared with those of an earlier study of the 1 keV X-ray background along l = 25 deg by Kahn & Caillault. The double-peaked structure they found is not discernible in our results, possibly because of the presence of solar backscattered flux in their data. A model which takes into account contributions to the background by extragalactic and stellar sources, the distribution of both atomic and molecular absorbing material with the Galaxy, the energy dependence of the cross section for absorption of X-rays, and the energy dependence of the detector has been constructed and fitted to these new data to derive constraints on the scale height, temperature, and volume emissivity of the unaccounted-for X-ray-emitting material. The results of this model along l = 25 deg are roughly similar to those of the model of Kahn & Caillault along the same meridian.

Stanford, John M.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Liquid Level Sensing System

A liquid level sensing system includes waveguides disposed in a liquid and distributed along a path with a gap between adjacent waveguides. A source introduces electromagnetic energy into the waveguides at a first end of the path. A portion of the electromagnetic energy exits the waveguides at a second end of the path. A detector measures the portion of the electromagnetic energy exiting the second end of the path.

Korman, Valentin↗