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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Convection in Neptune's magnetosphere

It is assumed that nonthermal escape from Triton's atmosphere produces a co-orbiting torus of unionized gas (presumably nitrogen and hydrogen) that subsequently becomes ionized by electron impact to populate a partial Triton plasma torus analogous to the Io plasma torus in Jupiter's magnetosphere. Centrifugal and magnetic-mirror forces confine the ions to a plasma sheet located between the magnetic and centrifugal equators. The ionization rate, and hence the torus ion concentration, is strongly peaked at the two points (approximately 180 deg apart in longitude) at which Triton's orbit intersects the plasma equator. During the course of Neptune's rotation these intersection points trace out two arcs roughly 75 deg in longitudinal extent, which we take to be the configuration of the resulting (partial) plasma torus. The implied partial ring currents produce a quadrupolar (four-cell) convection system that provides rapid outward transport of plasma from the arcs. Ring-current shielding, however, prevents this convection system from penetrating very far inside the plasma-arc distance. It is suggested that this convection/shielding process accounts for the radial confinement of trapped particles (150 keV or greater) within L = 14.3 as observed by the Voyager LECP instrument.

Hill, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Variable fragmentation mass spectrometry using chemi-ionization

A description is given of experiments which provide a verification of three features of Penning ionization mass spectrometry. One of these features is related to the ability to simplify a molecular fragmentation pattern and to intensify the molecular ion peak. Another feature is concerned with the ability to identify uniquely geometric isomers which are indistinguishable using high-energy electron impact methods. The third feature involves the ability to identify components in a mixture, which cannot be discerned using electron impact or chemical ionization methods alone. The investigation shows that Penning ionization is an efficient soft ionization technique which can be used to simplify mass spectra of pure compounds as well as mixtures.

Laudenslager, J. B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Retrospectives: Current State of Knowledge on the Intersection of Spaceflight Stressors and Microbial Risks to Crew and Craft

OVERVIEW The spaceflight environment has several unique stressors that affect the health of both the crew and the spacecraft. An area of continued, albeit incomplete, study is the interaction of these stressors on microbial populations inherent to both astronauts and spacecraft surfaces and systems. A primary concern is the potential for the spaceflight environment to perturb the phenotype of these populations towards negative outcomes for crew and craft. In order to effectively mitigate these potential risks, they must first be characterized. We performed a retrospective literature analysis to assess the current state of knowledge regarding the affects of ionizing radiation and elevated CO2 on relevant microbial populations. The results of these retrospectives will guide next steps in the decisions of what (if any) further studies should be pursued and to guide decisions of the need for countermeasures. STRESSORS Ionizing radiation. The health risk involved with increased exposure to cosmic radiation has been studied in crew for 35+ years, with human health and cancer risk being the main focus. However, space radiation could also affect both the resident microorganisms aboard the ISS and the normal, healthy astronaut microbiomes that are of direct concern for crew health. A retrospective review of over 250 publications was accomplished looking at the impact of cumulative ionizing radiation doses lower than 3 Gy (chronic or acute) on microbial populations. Elevated CO2. The health risk involved with elevated atmospheric CO2 in spacecraft, primarily focusing on human toxicological risks, is understudied. The current Spaceflight Maximum Allowance Concentration for 24-hour average CO2 is 0.4% (3 mm Hg), which is significantly higher than terrestrial levels (0.04%). Whether these elevated ambient CO2 levels aboard spacecraft influence the diversity and phenotypic responses of the resident microbial communities from both the spacecraft environment (air, surface, water) and crew members (gut, nasal, skin microbiomes) is not known. A retrospective review was accomplished looking at the impact of chronic CO2 exposure up to 0.7% (5 mm Hg) for up to 6 months and acute exposure up to 2.6% (20 mm Hg) for up to 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: MICROBIOME OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT The microbiome of the built spacecraft environment has been sampled consistently over the course of human spaceflight and significant advancements have been made in identifying microbial populations on the ISS. The dominant source of microbes on spacecraft surfaces are human-derived. Once in the spacecraft built environment, the extreme environment selects for features that enhance survival. While efforts to understand potential antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity of ISS isolates is robust, there is little to no understanding of which spaceflight environmental stressors, to include ionizing radiation or elevated CO2, drive the evolutionary trajectory of spacecraft-associated microbial populations. CONCLUSIONS: MICROBE-HOST INTERACTIONS The host-microbiome field has emerged as an important factor in human health on Earth as well in spaceflight. The field is struggling with the complexity of the system under investigation as there is substantial taxonomic and functional heterogeneity in these communities, making it difficult to establish clear stimulus-response dynamics. Taxonomic characterization is the norm; however, the functional role of each community member is key to linking environmental perturbations to potential dysbiosis. For both ionizing radiation and elevated CO2, the likely target of the perturbation is the host tissue, not the microbes themselves.. Any resulting changes to the microbial community composition and/or function is likely a result of adapting to those changes in the host physiology. RECOMMENDATIONS Emphasize functional characterization as opposed to taxonomic characterization of microbial communities. Increase the number of investigations using chronic, spaceflight-relevant doses of ionizing radiation. MoBE studies should move away from observational studies towards predictive modeling of community dynamics. Continue to develop scale-down models, such as tissues-on-a-chip & defined microbial communities. Focus on the crew response to elevated CO2 over MoBE considerations. Assess how direct contact with the hypercapnic environment affects skin microbiome dynamics.

retrospective↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Retrospectives: Intersection of Spaceflight Stressors and Microbial Risk to Crew and Craft

OVERVIEW The spaceflight environment has several unique stressors that affect the health of both the crew and the spacecraft. An area of continued, albeit incomplete, study is the interaction of these stressors on microbial populations inherent to both astronauts and spacecraft surfaces and systems. A primary concern is the potential for the spaceflight environment to perturb the phenotype of these populations towards negative outcomes for crew and craft. In order to effectively mitigate these potential risks, they must first be characterized. We performed a retrospective literature analysis to assess the current state of knowledge regarding the affects of ionizing radiation and elevated CO2 on relevant microbial populations. The results of these retrospectives will guide next steps in the decisions of what (if any) further studies should be pursued and to guide decisions of the need for countermeasures. STRESSORS Ionizing radiation. The health risk involved with increased exposure to cosmic radiation has been studied in crew for 35+ years, with human health and cancer risk being the main focus. However, space radiation could also affect both the resident microorganisms aboard the ISS and the normal, healthy astronaut microbiomes that are of direct concern for crew health. A retrospective review of over 250 publications was accomplished looking at the impact of cumulative ionizing radiation doses lower than 3 Gy (chronic or acute) on microbial populations. Elevated CO2. The health risk involved with elevated atmospheric CO2 in spacecraft, primarily focusing on human toxicological risks, is understudied. The current Spaceflight Maximum Allowance Concentration for 24-hour average CO2 is 0.4% (3 mm Hg), which is significantly higher than terrestrial levels (0.04%). Whether these elevated ambient CO2 levels aboard spacecraft influence the diversity and phenotypic responses of the resident microbial communities from both the spacecraft environment (air, surface, water) and crew members (gut, nasal,skin microbiomes) is not known. A retrospective review was accomplished looking at the impact of chronic CO2 exposure up to 0.7% (5 mm Hg) for up to 6 months and acute exposure up to 2.6% (20 mm Hg) for up to 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: MICROBIOME OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT The microbiome of the built spacecraft environment has been sampled consistently over the course of human spaceflight and significant advancements have been made in identifying microbial populations on the ISS. The dominant source of microbes on spacecraft surfaces are human-derived. Once in the spacecraft built environment,the extreme environment selects for features that enhance survival. While efforts to understand potential antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity of ISS isolates is robust, there is little to no understanding of which spaceflight environmental stressors, to include ionizing radiation or elevated CO2, drive the evolutionary trajectory of spacecraft-associated microbial populations. CONCLUSIONS: MICROBE-HOST INTERACTIONS The host-microbiome field has emerged as an important factor in human health on Earth as well in spaceflight. The field is struggling with the complexity of the system under investigation as there is substantial taxonomic and functional heterogeneity in these communities, making it difficult to establish clear stimulus-response dynamics.Taxonomic characterization is the norm; however, the functional role of each community member is key to linking environmental perturbations to potential dysbiosis. For both ionizing radiation and elevated CO2, the likely target of the perturbation is the host tissue, not the microbes themselves.. Any resulting changes to the microbial community composition and/or function is likely a result of adapting to those changes in the host physiology. RECOMMENDATIONS Emphasize functional characterization as opposed to taxonomic characterization of microbial communities.Increase the number of investigations using chronic, spaceflight-relevant doses of ionizing radiation. MoBE studies should move away from observational studies towards predictive modeling of community dynamics. Continue to develop scale-down models, such as tissues-on-a-chip & defined microbial communities. Focus on the crew response to elevated CO2 over MoBE considerations. Assess how direct contact with the hypercapnic environment affects skin microbiome dynamics.

Countermeasures↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ion Chemistry in Atmospheric and Astrophysical Plasmas

There are many differences and also remarkable similarities between the ion chemistry and physics of planetary ionospheres and the ion chemistry and physics of astronomical environments beyond the solar system. In the early Universe, an expanded cooling gas of hydrogen and helium was embedded in the cosmic background radiation field and ionized by it. As the Universe cooled by adiabatic expansion, recombination occurred and molecular formation was driven by catalytic reactions involving the relict electrons and protons. Similar chemical processes are effective in the ionized zones of gaseous and planetary nebulae and in stellar winds where the ionization is due to radiation from the central stars, in the envelopes of supernovae where the ionization is initiated by the deposition of gamma-rays, in dissociative shocks where the ionization arises from electron impacts in a hot gas and in quasar broad-line region clouds where the quasar is responsible for the ionization. At high altitudes in the atmospheres of the Jovian planets, the main constituents are hydrogen and helium and the ion chemistry and physics is determined by the same processes, the source of the ionization being solar ultraviolet radiation and cosmic rays. After the collapse of the first distinct astronomical entities to emerge from the uniform flow, heavy elements were created by nuclear burning in the cores of the collapsed objects and distributed throughout the Universe by winds and explosions. The chemistry and physics became more complicated. Over 90 distinct molecular species have been identified in interstellar clouds where they are ionized globally by cosmic ray impacts and locally by radiation and shocks associated with star formation and evolution. Complex molecules have also been found in circumstellar shells of evolved stars. At intermediate and low altitudes in the Jovian atmospheres, the ion chemistry is complicated by the increasing abundance of heavy elements such as carbon, and an extensive array of complex molecules has been predicted. Reactions involving heavy elements dominate the structure of the ionspheres of the terrestrial planets and the satellites Titan and Triton.

Dalgarno, A.↗
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.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Ionization processes in mercury discharges

A summary of theoretical calculations of the ionization processes in mercury plasma is presented. Various possible ionization processes are analyzed and discussed. It is found that the ionization due to excited state interactions is dominant when the degree of ionization is small and that the ionization due to multistep electron impact is significant when the degree of ionization is high.

Wu, F. T.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Neutral cloud theory of the Jovian nebula: Anomalous ionization effect of superthermal electrons

The standard model of the Jovian nebula postulates that its particle source is the extended cloud of neutral sulfur and oxygen atoms that escape from the satellite Io and become ionized through electron impact from the corotating plasma. Its energy source is the gyroenergy acquired by newly formed pickup ions as they are swept up to corotation velocity by the planetary magnetic field. Elastic collisions between plasma ions and electrons cool the ions and heat the electrons, while inelastic collisions cool the electrons and excite the ions to radiate intense line emission, which is the primary energy-loss mechanism for the plasma. This neutral cloud theory of the Io plasma torus, as it has come to be known, has been the subject of recent critcism which asserts that the theory cannot account for the observed charge state of the plasma which features O(+) and S(2+) as the dominant ions. It is shown in this work that the inclusion of a small population of super-thermal electrons is required to achieve the correct ion partitioning among various charge states. It is also argued that the anomalous ionization effect of the superthermal electrons is responsible for the overall spatial bifurcation of the nebula into a hot multiply charged plasma region outside of 5.7 Jovian radii and a cool singly ionized plasma inside this distance.

Barbosa, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A SIFT ion-molecule study of some reactions in Titan's atmosphere. reactions of N(+), N(2)(+), and HCN(+) with CH(4), C(2)H(2), and C(2)H(4)

The results of a study of the ion-molecule reactions of N(+), N(2)(+), and HCN(+) with methane, acetylene, and ethylene are reported. These studies were performed using the FA-SIFT at the University of Canterbury. The reactions studied here are important to understanding the ion chemistry in Titan's atmosphere. N(+) and N(2)(+) are the primary ions formed by photo-ionization and electron impact in Titan's ionosphere and drive Titan's ion chemistry. It is therefore very important to know how these ions react with the principal trace neutral species in Titan's atmosphere: Methane, acetylene, and ethylene. While these reactions have been studied before the product channels have been difficult to define as several potential isobaric products make a definitive answer difficult. Mass overlap causes difficulties in making unambiguous species assignments in these systems. Two discriminators have been used in this study to resolve the mass overlap problem. They are deuterium labeling and also the differences in reactivities of each isobar with various neutral reactants. Several differences have been found from the products in previous work. The HCN(+) ion is important in both Titan's atmosphere and in the laboratory.

Extraterrestrial Environment/chemistry↗
NASA NTRS2022

Elevated Hot Gas and High-mass X-Ray Binary Emission in Low-metallicity Galaxies: Implications for Nebular Ionization and Intergalactic Medium Heating in the Early Universe

High-energy emission associated with star formation has been proposed as a significant source of interstellar medium (ISM) ionization in low-metallicity starbursts and an important contributor to the heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the high-redshift (z ≳ 8) universe. Using Chandra observations of a sample of 30 galaxies at D ≈ 200–450 Mpc that have high specific star formation rates of 3–9 Gyr^(−1) and metallicities near Z ≈ 0.3Z_⊙, we provide new measurements of the average 0.5–8 keV spectral shape and normalization per unit star formation rate (SFR). We model the sample-combined X-ray spectrum as a combination of hot gas and high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) populations and constrain their relative contributions. We derive scaling relations of log L^(HMXB)_(0.5-8keV) / SFR = 40.19 ± 0.06 and log L^(gas)_(0.5-2keV) / SFR = 39.58 ^(+0.17)_(-0.28), significantly elevated compared to local relations. The HMXB scaling is also somewhat higher than L^(HMXB)_(0.5-8keV) -SFR-Z relations presented in the literature, potentially due to our galaxies having relatively low HMXB obscuration and young and X-ray luminous stellar populations. The elevation of the hot gas scaling relation is at the level expected for diminished attenuation due to a reduction of metals; however, we cannot conclude that an L^(gas)_(0.5-2keV) -SFR-Z relation is driven solely by changes in ISM metal content. Finally, we present SFR-scaled spectral models (both emergent and intrinsic) that span the X-ray-to-IR band, providing new benchmarks for studies of the impact of ISM ionization and IGM heating in the early universe.

high-mass x-ray binary stars↗
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 NTRS1981

Eikonal approximation for charge transfer from a multielectron atom to fast projectiles

The eikonal approach developed previously for calculating electron-capture cross sections for bare projectiles colliding with hydrogenic targets is extended here to allow for multielectron targets. Both the impact and wave pictures are employed and their equivalence is discussed. As a first approximation, each atomic orbital is specified by the three hydrogenic quantum numbers, an effective nuclear charge Z sub t, and an energy eigenvalue in the impact picture, or ionization potential in the wave picture. The Z sub t prime appearing in the eikonal phase factor is left undetermined because of incomplete information on the many-body target. However, analytic expressions are derived for the theoretical cross sections, and numerical values are calculated for simple choices of Z sub t prime. Those results are compared with existing experimental data for C, Ne, Ar, N2, O2, and He targets.

Ho, T. S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Planetary radio astronomy observations from Voyager 2 near Saturn

Planetary radio astronomy measurements obtained by Voyager 2 near Saturn have added further evidence that Saturnian kilometric radiation is emitted by a strong dayside source at auroral latitudes in the northern hemisphere and by a weaker source at complementary latitudes in the southern hemisphere. These emissions are variable because of Saturn's rotation and, on longer time scales, probably because of influences of the solar wind and Dione. The electrostatic discharge bursts first discovered by Voyager 1 and attributed to emissions from the B ring were again observed with the same broadband spectral properties and an episodic recurrence period of about 10 hours, but their occurrence frequency was only about 30 percent of that detected by Voyager 1. While crossing the ring plane at a distance of 2.88 Saturn radii, the spacecraft detected an intense noise event extending to above 1 megahertz and lasting about 150 seconds. The event is interpreted to be a consequence of the impact, vaporization, and ionization of charged, micrometer-size G ring particles distributed over a vertical thickness of about 1500 kilometers.

Warwick, J. W.↗
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 NTRS1984

Ozone Measurements in the Mesosphere During a Solar Proton Event

Charged particle precipitation in the Earth's atmosphere produces odd nitrogen and odd hydrogen. These species take part in catalytic reactions which destroy atmospheric ozone in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Modeling efforts regarding the impact of these ionization events on the neutral atmosphere describe ozone depletions in good agreement with observations in the stratosphere and mesosphere. The photochemical effects of the solar proton event (SPE) of August 1972 are discussed, and calculations for higher altitudes (70 to 90 km) are presented that indicate after a brief reduction during and immediately following intense particle precipitation, ozone will later reach higher concentrations than those present before the event.

Lippert, W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Analysis of individual biological particles by mass spectrometry

A method is developed for the detection and identification of biological particles introduced in aerosol form into a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The bacterial aerosol is generated by nebulizing an ethanol suspension. The particles are introduced into the ion source of the mass spectrometer in the form of a beam, where they are individually volatilized on a V-type rhenium filament and ionized by electron impaction. It is shown that the average intensity of a mass peak is obtained from the pulse height distribution of about a thousand ion pulses from different particles. Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus are used in the studies. Differences between the relative intensities of mass peaks in the spectra from P. putida and B. subtilis are found and may provide a method for differentiation of microorganisms. The results for the two species agree reasonably well with those reported by Kistemaker et al. (1975) and Schulten et al. (1973). However, there exist some differences between the two spectra in the high mass range due to the difference in the pyrolysis conditions.

Sinha, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Environmental interactions of the Space Station Freedom electric power system

The Space Station Freedom operates in a low earth orbit (LEO) environment. Such operation results in different potential interactions with the Space Station systems including the Electric Power System (EPS). These potential interactions result in environmental effects which include neutral species effects such as atomic oxygen erosion, effects of micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts, plasma effects, ionizing radiation, and induced contamination degradation effects. The EPS design and its interactions with the LEO environment are briefly described and the results of analyses and testing programs planned and performed thus far to resolve environmental concerns related to the EPS and its function in LEO environment.

Nahra, Henry K.↗