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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 NTRS1978

Study of the storm time fluxes of heavy ions

The characteristics of the storm time ring current ions in the energy range of 0.5 to 16 keV were investigated. Data were processed and analyzed from the energetic ion mass spectrometer aboard the S3-3 satellite. Results are used for planning and operating the ion mass spectrometer experiment on the ISEE spacecraft, for selecting and processing the ISEE ion data, and for planning and conducting coordinated satellite experiments in support of the International Magnetospheric Study (IMS). It is established from the S3-3 ion data that relatively large fluxes of energetic (keV) 0(+) and H(+) ions are frequently flowing upward from the ionosphere along magnetic field lines in the polar auroral regions. Also, from investigations with the same instrument during the main phase of three moderate (D sub ST approximately 100) magnetic storms, it is found that the number density of 0(+) ions in the ring current was comparable to H(+) ion density the range 0.5 to 15 keV.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Status of the NEXT Ion Engine Wear Test

The status of the NEXT 2000 hour wear test is presented. This test is being conducted with a 40 cm engineering model ion engine, designated EM1, at a beam current higher than listed on the NEXT throttle table. Pretest performance assessments demonstrated that EM1 satisfies all thruster performance requirements. As of 7/3/03, the ion engine has accumulated 406 hours of operation at a thruster input power of 6.9 kW. Overall ion engine performance, which includes thrust, thruster input power, specific impulse, and thrust efficiency, has been steady to date with no indications of performance degradation. Images of the downstream discharge cathode, neutralizer, and accelerator aperture surfaces have exhibited no significant erosion to date.

Soulas, George C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Ion temperature variations in the daytime high-latitude F region

The Schunk and Sojka (1981a, b) high latitude ionospheric model is improved through the inclusion of thermal conduction and diffusion terms in the ion energy equation, permitting the study of daytime, high latitude F layer temperature variations in a region poleward of the auroral oval. It is found that ion temperature variation with solar cycle, season and geomagnetic activity closely follows the neutral atomic oxygen variation, and that meridional electric fields of more than 40 mV/m can cause larger ion temperature changes than those due to solar cycle, seasonal or geomagnetic activity variations. In the presence of meridional electric fields, there is an upward flow of heat from the lower ionosphere that also acts to raise ion temperatures at high altitudes. Zonal electric fields affect ion temperature indirectly, through electron density changes.

Schunk, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Physical and Tribological Characteristics of Ion-Implanted Diamond Films

Unidirectional sliding friction experiments were conducted with a natural, polished diamond pin in contact with both as-deposited and carbon-ion-implanted diamond films in ultrahigh vacuum. Diamond films were deposited on silicon, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride by microwave-plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The as-deposited diamond films were impacted with carbon ions at an accelerating energy of 60 keV and a current density of 50 micron A/cm(exp 2) for approximately 6 min, resulting in a dose of 1.2 x 10(exp 17) carbon ions/cm(exp 2). The results indicate that the carbon ion implantation produced a thin surface layer of amorphous, nondiamond carbon. The nondiamond carbon greatly decreased both friction and wear of the diamond films. The coefficients of friction for the carbon-ion-implanted, fine-grain diamond films were less than 0.1, factors of 20 to 30 lower than those for the as-deposited, fine-grain diamond films. The coefficients of friction for the carbon-ion-implanted, coarse-grain diamond films were approximately 0.35, a factor of five lower than those for the as-deposited, coarse-grain diamond films. The wear rates for the carbon-ion-implanted, diamond films were on the order of 10(exp -6) mm(exp 3)/Nm, factors of 30 to 80 lower than that for the as-deposited diamond films, regardless of grain size. The friction of the carbon-ion-implanted diamond films was greatly reduced because the amorphous, nondiamond carbon, which had a low shear strength, was restricted to the surface layers (less than 0.1 micron thick) and because the underlying diamond materials retained their high hardness. In conclusion, the carbon-ion-implanted, fine-grain diamond films can be used effectively as wear resistant, self-lubricating coatings for ceramics, such as silicon nitride and silicon carbide, in ultrahigh vacuum.

Miyoshi, K.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A study of the factors which control the efficiency of ion-implanted silicon solar cells

The objective of this work was to determine experimentally the ion-implantation parameters and furnace annealing conditions required to produce high-efficiency solar cells. A comprehensive experimental study was conducted in which the optimum ion-implantation parameters were found by a systematic variation of the implant parameters followed by detailed studies of solar-cell devices. Two furnace heat-treatment techniques were found which effectively anneal the implanted layers and at the same time preserve or improve the diffusion length in the bulk silicon. Detailed characteristics of both the junction and bulk properties of solar cells fabricated over the spectrum of implant parameters are discussed. Optimized implant parameters and annealing conditions were found which allow for the fabrication of 14-15-percent (AM1) efficient solar cells.

Douglas, E. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Performance of a magnetic multipole line-cusp argon ion thruster

The performance of a 17-cm diameter line-cusp ion thruster, using argon and xenon propellants, is investigated. Basic optimization of the thruster was accomplished without ion extraction and tests were conducted with small vacuum facilities and power supplies. The evaluation of the sensitivity of the performance to changes in discharge electrode configurations and the magnetic circuit is discussed. Final optimization results show that an argon propellant utilization efficiency of 0.9, at 260 W of discharge power per beam ampere, was obtained with a thruster having 20 rows of magnets and 10 tubular anodes. The average ion beam current densities were as high as 13 mA/sq cm. The results are considered to be the highest yet achieved with argon propellant.

Sovey, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Analytical model of foreshock ion interaction with a discontinuity: A statistical study

When a solar wind discontinuity interacts with foreshock ions, foreshock transients such as hot flow anomalies and foreshock bubbles can form. These create significant dynamic pressure perturbations disturbing the bow shock, magnetopause, and magnetosphere-ionosphere system. However, presently these phenomena are not predictable. In the accompanying paper, we derived analytical equations of foreshock ion partial gyration around a discontinuity and the resultant current density. In this study, we utilize the derived current density strength to model the energy conversion from the foreshock ions, which drives the outward motion or expansion of the solar wind plasma away from the discontinuity. We show that the model expansion speeds match those from local hybrid simulations for varying foreshock ion parameters. Using MMS, we conduct a statistical study showing that the model expansion speeds are moderately correlated with the magnetic field strength variations and the dynamic pressure decreases around discontinuities with correlation coefficients larger than 0.5. We use conjunctions between ARTEMIS and MMS to show that the model expansion speeds are typically large for those already-formed foreshock transients. Our results show that our model can be reasonably successful in predicting significant dynamic pressure disturbances caused by foreshock ion-discontinuity interactions. We discuss ways to improve the model in the future.

Terry Z. Liu↗
NASA NTRS1990

Particle simulation of ion heating in the ring current

Heating of heavy ions has been observed in the equatorial magnetosphere in GEOS 1 and 2 and ATS 6 data due to ion cyclotron waves generated by anisotropic hot ring current ions. A one-dimensional hybrid-Darwin code has been developed to study ion heating in the ring current. Here, a strong instability and heating of thermal ions is investigated in a plasma with a los cone distribution of hot ions. The linear growth rate calculation and particle simulations are conducted for cases with different loss cones and relative ion densities. The linear instability of the waves, the quasi-linear heating of cold ions and dependence on the thermal H(+)/He(+) density ratio are analyzed, as well as nonlinear parallel heating of thermal ions. Effects of thermal oxygen and hot oxygen are also studied.

Qian, S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Ogo 6 measurements of supercooled plasma in the equatorial exosphere.

Plasma measurements performed on Ogo 6 reveal electron and ion temperature values that on occasion appear to be well below the expected neutral gas temperature. The phenomenon is observed only at night above 500 km near the magnetic equator. It is suggested that the expansion cooling of the plasma is accomplished by downward motions of the F region plasma induced by winds or diffusion, by outward E x B drift, or more probably by the upward flow of plasma during interhemisphere transport along magnetic field lines. It is also suggested that preferential cooling of electrons because of their greater thermal conductivity should tend to give ion temperatures greater than electron temperatures during the postsunset cooling of the plasmasphere when photoelectrons are absent.

Hanson, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Environment and Structure Influence in DNA Conduction

Results for transmission through the poly(G) DNA molecule are presented. We show that (i) periodically arranged sodium counter-ions in close proximity to dry DNA gives rise to a new conduction channel and aperiodicity in the counter-ion sequence can lead to a significant reduction in conduction, (ii) modification of the rise of B-DNA induces a change in the width of the transmission window, and (iii) specifically designed sequences are predicted to show intrinsic resonant tunneling behavior.

Adessi, C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Survey of Xenon Ion Sputter Yield Data and Fits Relevant to Electric Propulsion Spacecraft Integration

A survey of low energy xenon ion impact sputter yields was conducted to provide a more coherent baseline set of sputter yield data and accompanying fits for electric propulsion integration. Data uncertainties are discussed and different available curve fit formulas are assessed for their general suitability. A Bayesian parameter fitting approach is used with a Markov chain Monte Carlo method to provide estimates for the fitting parameters while characterizing the uncertainties for the resulting yield curves.

xenon↗
NASA NTRS1972

Supersonic and subsonic measurements of mesospheric ionization.

An Arcas rocket-parachute system was used at night to compare supersonic and subsonic ionization measurements below 75 km. A hemispherical nose-tip probe was used on ascent and a parachute-borne blunt probe on descent to measure polar conductivities, which were due entirely to positive and negative ions. The velocity of the supersonic probe was Mach 2.5 at 50 km and 1.75 at 70 km; the blunt probe was subsonic below 71 km. Between 65 and 75 km the ratio of negative to positive conductivities (and thus of mobilities) determined by the blunt probe was about 1.2, and it approached 1 below this altitude range. The ratio obtained by the nose-tip probe varied from 1.5 at 75 km to .6 at 65 km, thus indicating a rapid variation of the effects of the shock wave on the sampled ions. The absolute values of positive conductivity measured subsonically and supersonically were essentially identical from 60 to 75 km, indicating that the sampled ions were unchanged by the shock. However, below 60 km the shock apparently 'broke up' the positive ions, as indicated by higher measured conductivities.

Hale, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A one-dimensional model of the atmospheric electric field near the Venusian surface

A one-dimensional model is developed for the development of an electric field below the Venus cloud layer, assuming an absence of cloud-to-ground lightning. The ion-bearing medium is considered as a collision dominated, partially ionized gas. Ion production by cosmic rays is accompanied by a sink of recombining positive and negative ions. The net diffusion of ions to the surface was examined, and modeled as resulting from differences between the ion diffusivities and electrical activity within the clouds. Calculations were made of the conduction and diffusion currents profiles, positive and negative ion densities, and the net space charge. Higher positive ion diffusivity was found to enhance the surface positive charge, producing an electric field which depended on the boundary layer mixing. Charge separation in the clouds also produces an electric field. Assuming a fair weather conduction current similar to earth leads to an electric field of 5 kV/sq m at the surface, with continuity to a few kilometers altitude.

Tzur, I.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Evidence for the Absence of Conductivity Variations above Thunderstorms

Over the last decade, atmospheric conductivity measurements over thunderstorms have been made at 20 km with high altitude aircraft. These measurements show no significant variations in conductivity above thunderstorms once the effects of aircraft charge are removed. The polar conductivities (alpha(sub +) and alpha(sub -)) were simultaneously acquired using a pair of Gerdien probes. In addition, the vertical electric field and the aircraft self charge were measured using two field mills installed nearly symmetrically on the top and bottom of the aircraft. The measurements were collected during the COHMEX (1986), CaPE (1991), STORM-FEST (1992), TOGA COARE (1993) and CAMEX-1, 2 (1993 1995) field campaigns. This extensive data set includes more than 330 overflights of electrified storms (> 170 over storms producing lightning) and represents a broad sample of storm types, seasonal regimes, and geographical distribution. Most of the observed variations in conductivity are caused by charge induced on the aircraft (and hence on the exterior case of the conductivity probes). Theory (Swann, 1914) indicates that some ions with the same sign as the induced charge will be deflected from the air stream reducing the measured conductivity of that polarity. For the opposite polarity, the additional ions that are attracted by the induced charge are collected on the exterior case rather than the inner electrode, leaving the ambient measurement unaltered. The aircraft observations, in agreement with theory, show reductions proportional to the magnitude of the aircraft self charge for conductivity of the same polarity as the self charge and no change for conductivity of opposite polarity. After compensating for the effects of aircraft charge no significant variations in conductivity above thunderstorms have been found. These Gerdien results contrast strongly with the large (and frequent) conductivity variations reported in studies using relaxation probe techniques.

Bailey, Jeff C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Conductivities of the ionic complexes of two cyclic polyethers

The conductivities of the solid potassium thiocyanate complex of both dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 and dibenzo-18-crown-6 were measured at 300K (27 C). Saturated aqueous potassium thiocyanate and graphite were used as ion-transporting and ion-blocking electrodes, respectively. The ionic conductivity predominated for both samples, but it was many orders of magnitude smaller than the value previously reported. The ionic conductivity of the dicyclohexyl complex (the better conductor) was 0.000003 ohm/cm. Crown complexes, in general, do not appear promising as potassium ion solid electrolytes contrary to claims in the patent literature.

Fielder, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

X-ray line ratios from helium-like ions - Updated theory and SMM flare observations

The potential which the conduction of measurements of the three principal lines emitted from helium-like ions has for the determination of plasma electron density was initially pointed out by Gabriel and Jordan (1969). The diagnostic technique is based on the fact that the ratio, R, of the intensity of a forbidden line to the intensity of an intercombination line decreases as electron density increases due to collisional excitation of levels. In the present investigation a further refinement of this procedure is provided by specifically calculating the effects of cascades from levels with principal quantum numbers up to n=6. Two improved spectrometers recently placed in operation include the SOLEX instrument on the satellite P78-1 and the X-ray Polychromator (XRP) instrument on the NASA Solar Maximum Mission satellite. Measurements obtained with one of the spectrometers making up the XRP are presented, taking into account the emission from Ne IX ions.

Wolfson, C. J.↗