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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 NTRS1972

Measurement and calculation of the Stark-broadening parameters for the resonance lines of singly ionized calcium and magnesium.

The electron-impact-broadened profiles of the resonance lines of singly ionized calcium and magnesium have been measured using an electromagnetically driven shock tube and a rapid-scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometer. For an electron density of 10 to the 17th power per cu cm and a temperature of 19,000 K, we found the Lorentzian half-width of the Ca+ line to be 0.086 A plus or minus 10% and of the Mg+ line to be 0.044 A plus or minus 10%. Using the quantum-mechanical theory of Barnes and Peach and our semiclassical calculation for the calcium lines, we found that the temperature dependence of the theoretical curves is close to that measured, although both theories predict actual values which are somewhat large.

Jones, W. W.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Ionization Properties of Molecules Commonly Used for Plasma Processing of Semi-Conductors

Two types of processes are involved in plasma processing of semi-conductors. They are: plasma etching or cleaning and plasma deposition of the semi-conducting materials. For plasma etching of semi-conductors mostly halogen containing gases are used as additives to gases such as O2 and N2. For plasma deposition gases such as C2H2, SiH4, Si2H6 have been tested in the past. For an optimal performance of a reactor it is important to model the plasma. In this modeling effort electron impact excitation and ionization cross sections play a central role. For ionization balance calculations values of ionization cross sections are needed. Ion molecule reactions determine the ultimate composition of the plasma. Recently it has been discovered that the by products of many of these plasmas are per fluro hydrocarbons (PFCs) which are highly infrared absorbing species and have long life times in the atmosphere. They cause global warming. A lot of research is being pursued at the present time to find alternative molecules which do not produce global warming gases as the and product of the plasma processing reactor. There is also interest in the ionization and dissociative ionization properties of these molecules from the point view of the plasma abatement of the pollutant gases at the exhaust of the semi-conductor processing reactors. At the conference ionization and dissociative ionization properties of some of these molecules will be presented.

Srivastava, S. K.↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-fidelity modeling of breakdown in helium: initiation processes and secondary electron emission

Understanding the role of physical processes contributing to breakdown is critical for many applications in which breakdown is undesirable, such as capacitors, and applications in which controlled breakdown is intended, such as plasma medicine, lightning protection, and materials processing. The electron emission from the cathode is a critical source of electrons which then undergo impact ionization to produce electrical breakdown. In this study, the role of secondary electron yields due to photons (γ ph ) and ions (γ i ) in direct current breakdown is investigated using a particle-in-cell direct simulation Monte Carlo model. The plasma studied is a one-dimensional discharge in 50 Torr of pure helium with a platinum cathode, gap size of 1.15 cm, and voltages of 1.2–1.8 kV. The current traces are compared with experimental measurements. Larger values of γ ph generally result in a faster breakdown, while larger values of γ i result in a larger maximum current. The 58.4 nm photons emitted from He(2 1 P) are the primary source of electrons at the cathode before the cathode fall is developed. Of the values of γ ph and γ i investigated, those which provide the best agreement with the experimental current measurements are γ ph = 0.005 and γ i = 0.01. In this work, these values are significantly lower than those in the literature for pristine platinum or for a graphitic carbon film which we speculate may cover the platinum. This difference is in part due to the limitations of a one-dimensional model but may also indicate surface conditions and exposure to a plasma can have a significant effect on the secondary electron yields. The effects of applied voltage and the current produced by a UV diode which was used to initiate the discharge, are also discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1976

Mass spectrometry

Advances in mass spectrometry (MS) and its applications over the past decade are reviewed in depth, with annotated literature references. New instrumentation and techniques surveyed include: modulated-beam MS, chromatographic MS on-line computer techniques, digital computer-compatible quadrupole MS, selected ion monitoring (mass fragmentography), and computer-aided management of MS data and interpretation. Areas of application surveyed include: organic MS and electron impact MS, field ionization kinetics, appearance potentials, translational energy release, studies of metastable species, photoionization, calculations of molecular orbitals, chemical kinetics, field desorption MS, high pressure MS, ion cyclotron resonance, biochemistry, medical/clinical chemistry, pharmacology, and environmental chemistry and pollution studies.

Burlingame, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Data analysis and theoretical studies for atmospheric Explorer C, D and E

The research concentrated on construction of a comprehensive model of the chemistry of the ionosphere. It proceeded by comparing detailed predictions of the atmospheric parameters observed by the instrumentation on board the Atmospheric Explorer Satellites with the measured values and modifying the chemistry to bring about consistency. Full account was taken of laboratory measurements of the processes identified as important. The research programs were made available to the AE team members. Regularly updated tables of recommended values of photoionization cross sections and electron impact excitation and ionization cross sections were provided. The research did indeed lead to a chemistry model in which the main pathways are quantitatively secure. The accuracy was sufficient that remaining differences are small.

Dalgarno, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Plasma-gas interactions studies in a hybrid plume plasma rocket

Plasma-gas interaction was investigated and the basic mechanisms for energy and particle transport. The solution approach assumes cylindrical geometry and includes a multiplicity of atomic reactions, and the presence of a strong magnetic field is described. The principal reactions are electron and ion impact ionization, and charge exchange between hot ions and cold neutrals. Radial particle and energy transport is mainly by diffusion. A modified Bohm diffusion model for plasma in the core of the plume, and classical neutral particle diffusion in the cooler regions of the flow are presented. Neutrals are allowed to free stream in the low density regions, where the collision mean-free-path becomes comparable, or even larger than the characteristic dimensions of the system.

Chang, F. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Radio occultation observations of the ionospheres of Mars and Venus

The availability of a large body of radio occultation data for the Mars and Venus ionospheres makes possible comparative studies of their structures and temporal behavior. On Venus, the nightside ionosphere is produced by the transport of ionization from the dayside, which operates at solar maximum when the ionopause is high, and impact ionization by energetic electrons, which operates at all times. On Mars, transport from the dayside would seem to be inhibited for the same reason as for Venus at solar minimum, although sufficient flux of energetic electrons is present to generate nightside ionization. The Venus ionosphere at solar minimum, and that of Mars at all times, are not in a state of diffusive equilibrium above the chemical equilibrium regions.

Kliore, Arvydas J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Mass Spectrometers in Space!

Exploration of our solar system over several decades has benefitted greatly from the sensitive chemical analyses offered by spaceflight mass spectrometers. When dealing with an unknown environment, the broadband detection capabilities of mass analyzers have proven extremely valuable in determining the composition and thereby the basic nature of space environments, including the outer reaches of Earth s atmosphere, interplanetary space, the Moon, and the planets and their satellites. Numerous mass analyzer types, including quadrupole, monopole, sector, ion trap, and time-of-flight have been incorporated in flight instruments and delivered robotically to a variety of planetary environments. All such instruments went through a rigorous process of application-specific development, often including significant miniaturization, testing, and qualification for the space environment. Upcoming missions to Mars and opportunities for missions to Venus, Europa, Saturn, Titan, asteroids, and comets provide new challenges for flight mass spectrometers that push to state of the art in fundamental analytical technique. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on the recently-launch Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission incorporates a quadrupole analyzer to support direct evolved gas as well as gas chromatograph-based analysis of martian rocks and atmosphere, seeking signs of a past or present habitable environment. A next-generation linear ion trap mass spectrometer, using both electron impact and laser ionization, is being incorporated into the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) instrument, which will be flown to Mars in 2018. These and other mass spectrometers and mission concepts at various stages of development will be described.

Brinckerhoff, William B.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Superthermal Electron Energy Interchange in the Ionosphere-Plasmasphere System

A self-consistent approach to superthermal electron (SE) transport along closed field lines in the inner magnetosphere is used to examine the concept of plasmaspheric transparency, magnetospheric trapping, and SE energy deposition to the thermal electrons. The dayside SE population is generated both by photoionization of the thermosphere and by secondary electron production from impact ionization when the photoelectrons collide with upper atmospheric neutral particles. It is shown that a self-consistent approach to this problem produces significant changes, in comparison with other approaches, in the SE energy exchange between the plasmasphere and the two magnetically conjugate ionospheres. In particular, plasmaspheric transparency can vary by a factor of two depending on the thermal plasma content along the field line and the illumination conditions of the two conjugate ionospheres. This variation in plasmaspheric transparency as a function of thermal plasma and ionospheric conditions increases with L-shell, as the field line gets longer and the equatorial pitch angle extent of the fly-through zone gets smaller. The inference drawn from these results is that such a self-consistent approach to SE transport and energy deposition should be included to ensure robustness in ionosphere-magnetosphere modeling networks.

Heliophysics↗
NASA NTRS1983

An EBIC equation for solar cells

When an electron beam of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) impinges on an N-P junction, the generation of electron-hole pairs by impact ionization causes a characteristic short circuit current I(sc) to flow. The I(sc), i.e., EBIC (electron beam induced current) depends strongly on the configuration used to investigate the cell's response. In this paper the case where the plane of the junction is perpendicular to the surface is considered. An EBIC equation amenable to numerical computations is derived as a function of cell thickness, source depth, surface recombination velocity, diffusion length, and distance of the junction to the beam-cell interaction point for a cell with an ohmic contact at its back surface. It is shown that the EBIC equation presented here is more general and easier to use than those previously reported. The effects of source depth, ohmic contact, and diffusion length on the normalized EBIC characteristic are discussed.

Luke, K. L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Double differential distributions of e-emission in ionization of N 2 by 3,4 and 5 keV electron impact

In this paper, we report the measurement of the absolute double differential cross sections (DDCS) of secondary electrons emitted due to the ionization of N2 molecule in collisions with fast electrons having energies between 3 and 5 keV. The emitted electrons with energies from 1-500 eV have been measured for different forward and backward emission angles. The measured DDCS have been compared with the state-of-the-art first Born approximation with correct boundary condition (CB1) model calculations as well as with the classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method. From the measured DDCS, the single differential cross sections (SDCS) as a function of the emission energies have been computed and eventually the total ionization cross sections (TCS) have been derived. The TCS values are also compared with a semi-empirical calculation, namely, the CSP-ic (complex scattering potential-ionization contribution) model.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1969

Ionization of positive ions.

Binary encounter model for ionization by charged particle impact modified to evaluate cross section for ionization of positive ions by electron impact

Garcia, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

On the possible source of the ionization in the nighttime Martian ionosphere. I - Phobos 2 HARP electron spectrometer measurements

The measurements of electron spectra in the Martian magnetosphere by the HARP instrument on board the Phobos 2 orbiter are presented. The energy of the electrons (a few tens of electron volts) is sufficient for the impact ionization of the planetary neutral gas, and the characteristic flux of electrons (about 10 exp 8/sq cm per sec) could produce the nightside ionospheric layer with a peak density of a few thousands of electrons per cubic centimeter, which corresponds to densities observed earlier during radio occultations of the Mars 4 and 5 and Viking 1 and 2 spacecraft. The possibility of magnetospheric electron precipitation into the nightside atmosphere of Mars is in agreement with the mainly induced nature of the magnetic field in the planetary magnetotail (as at Venus), while the variability of the Martian nightside ionosphere may be explained by the partial screening of the atmosphere by a weak intrinsic magnetic field of the planet.

Verigin, M. I.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Treatment of Electronic Energy Level Transition and Ionization Following the Particle-Based Chemistry Model

A new method of treating electronic energy level transitions as well as linking ionization to electronic energy levels is proposed following the particle-based chemistry model of Bird. Although the use of electronic energy levels and ionization reactions in DSMC are not new ideas, the current method of selecting what level to transition to, how to reproduce transition rates, and the linking of the electronic energy levels to ionization are, to the author s knowledge, novel concepts. The resulting equilibrium temperatures are shown to remain constant, and the electronic energy level distributions are shown to reproduce the Boltzmann distribution. The electronic energy level transition rates and ionization rates due to electron impacts are shown to reproduce theoretical and measured rates. The rates due to heavy particle impacts, while not as favorable as the electron impact rates, compare favorably to values from the literature. Thus, these new extensions to the particle-based chemistry model of Bird provide an accurate method for predicting electronic energy level transition and ionization rates in gases.

Liechty, Derek S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Toward an improved nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium model for more predictive simulations of ignition scale hohlraums

Recently, nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) modeling has been identified as the primary reason for discrepant predictions of the peak neutron production time in indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) platforms. It has also been observed that predictions of collisional excitation rates differ by as much as 50% from measurements. Theoretical uncertainties in dielectronic recombination rates have also been posited as possibly contributing to errors in NLTE predictions. This work examines the impact of multipliers on collisional excitation and dielectronic recombination rates on simulations of a directly driven gold sphere and an indirect drive ICF implosion. It is found that multipliers on the collisional excitation rates have a strong impact on radiant intensity and electron temperature and a weaker impact on ionization state, whereas multipliers on dielectronic recombinations rates strongly impact ionization state with a smaller impact on radiant intensity and electron temperature. A self-consistent NLTE model which places multipliers on differing transitions, as motivated by experimental measurements and more detailed atomic physics predictions, improves agreement but does not completely eliminate discrepancies with measurements of the radiant intensity within the 2–4 keV spectral range.

Farmer, W. A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laborat↗
NASA NTRS1979

The Addition of EI/CI Capability to the Mattauch-herzog Spectrograph with EOID

A modification was made to the Mattauch-Herzog Spectrograph with an electro-optical ion detector (EOID) previously designed and constructed, so that it would be capable of operating not only in the electron-impact (EI) mode of ionization, but also in the chemical ionization (CI) mode. This modification necessitated an effort in three specific design areas: (1) sample inlet; (2) ion source and analyzer regions; and (3) the pumping system. In addition, an appropriate electronics package had to be designed to control and operate the combined EI/CI source.

Fergusson, G. J.↗