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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 271 records · Page 15

Computer simulation of dust grain evolution

The latest results are reported from a Monte Carlo code that is being developed at NASA Ames. The goal of this program, is to derive from the observed and presumed properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) the following information: (1) the size spectrum of interstellar dust; (2) the chemical structure of interstellar dust; (3) interstellar abundances; and (4) the lifetime of a dust grain in the ISM. Presently this study is restricted to refractory interstellar material, i.e., the formation and destruction of ices are not included in the program. The program is embedded in an analytic solution for the bulk chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium in which stars are born in molecular clouds, but new nucleosynthesis products and stellar return are entered into a complementary intercloud medium. The well-mixed matter of each interstellar phase is repeatedly cycled stochastically through the complementary phase and back. Refractory dust is created by thermal condensation as stellar matter flows away from sites of nucleosynthesis such as novae and supernovae and/or from the matter returned from evolved intermediate stars. The history of each particle is traced by standard Monte Carlo techniques as it is sputtered and fragmented by supernova shock waves in the intercloud medium. It also accretes an amorphous mantle of gaseous refractory atoms when its local medium joins with the molecular cloud medium. Finally it encounters the possibility of astration (destruction by star formation) within the molecular clouds.

Liffman, K.↗

High Temperature Thermographic Phosphor Coatings Development

For many years, phosphor thermometry has been used for non-contact temperature measurements. A large number of applications have been associated with high temperatures, especially for aerospace systems where blackbody radiation backgrounds are large and in challenging environments, such as vibration, rotation, flame, or noise. These environments restrict the use of more common thermocouples or infrared thermometric techniques. In particular, temperature measurements inside jet turbines, rocket engines, or similar devices are especially amenable to phosphor techniques. Often the fluorescent materials are used as powders, either suspended in binders and applied like paint or applied as high-temperature sprays. Thin coatings that are less than 50 m thick are used on the surfaces of interest. These coatings will quickly assume the same temperature as the surface to which they are applied. The temperature dependence of fluorescent materials is a function of the base matrix atoms and a small quantity of added activator or dopant ions. Often for high temperature applications, the selected materials are refractory and include rare earth ions. Phosphors like Y3Al5O12 (YAG) doped with Eu, Dy, or Tm, Y2O3 doped with Eu, or similar rare earth compounds, will survive high temperatures and can be configured to emit light that changes rapidly in lifetime and intensity. For example, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently observed fluorescence from YAG:Dy and YAG:Tm at temperatures above 1400 C. One of the biggest challenges is to locate a binder material that can withstand tremendous variations in temperature in an adverse aerospace environment. This poster will provide an overview into our attempt to utilize phosphors for thermometry purposes. Emphasis will be placed on the use of selected binder materials that can withstand high temperatures. This research was completed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Goedeke, Shawn↗

Electron confinement–induced plasmonic breakdown in metals

Plasmon resonance represents the collective oscillation of free electron gas density and enables enhanced light-matter interactions in nanoscale dimensions. Traditionally, the classical Drude model describes plasmonic excitation, wherein plasma frequency exhibits no spatial dispersion. Here, we show conclusive experimental evidence of the breakdown of plasmon resonance and a consequent metal-insulator transition in an ultrathin refractory plasmonic material, hafnium nitride (HfN). Epitaxial HfN thick films exhibit a low-loss and high-quality Drude-like plasmon resonance in the visible spectral range. However, as the film thickness is reduced to nanoscale dimensions, Coulomb interaction among electrons increases because of electron confinement, leading to the spatial dispersion of plasma frequency. With a further decrease in thickness, electrons lose their ability to shield the incident electric field, turning the medium into a dielectric. The observed metal-insulator transition might carry some signatures of Wigner crystallization and indicates that such transdimensional, between 2D and 3D, films can serve as a promising playground to study strongly correlated electron systems.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗