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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 NTRS1987

A numerical study of suprathermal ionospheric ion trajectories in three-dimensional electric and magnetic field models

A numerical study of the magnetospheric trajectories of ions upflowing from the ionosphere has been performed using three-dimensional magnetic and electric field models. Ion trajectories have been divided into three main types corresponding to (1) gravitational ions trapped between the magnetic and gravitational mirror points and drifting nearly along the local electric equipotential, (2) ions just escaping from the gravitational field and then convected to the magnetopause due to the loss of the main part of their kinetic energy, and (3) trapped and pseudo-trapped ions whose trajectories are mainly determined by the magnetic field topology (beams and conics) because of their large kinetic energy. Particles from conic distributions injected at inadequate local times and/or altitudes to gain enough energy to precipitate reach the dayside magnetopause after several bounce periods.

Sauvaud, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Theoretical studies of important processes in planetary and comet atmospheres. Renewel request

Current efforts have focused on the dissociative recombination (DR) of O2(+), a process of great importance in planetary atmospheres. This process is difficult to study experimentally because of the need to determine the dependence of the product electronic states and kinetic energies upon the vibrational distribution of the ion and electron temperature. The knowledge of these characteristics of DR is needed to accurately model planetary ionospheres. Using a theoretical quantum chemical approach, the generation of O(1S) from DR was studied in detail.

Guberman, Steven L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The kinetics of composite particle formation during mechanical alloying

The kinetics of composite particle formation during attritor milling of insoluble binary elemental powders have been examined. The effects of processing conditions (i.e., mill power, temperature, and charge ratio) on these kinetics were studied. Particle size distributions and fractions of elemental and composite particles were determined as functions of milling time and processing conditions. This allowed the deduction of phenomenological rate constants describing the propensity for fracture and welding during processing. For the mill-operating conditions investigated, the number of particles in the mill generally decreased with milling time, indicating a greater tendency for particle welding than fracture. Moreover, a bimodal size distribution is often obtained as a result of preferential welding. Copper and chromium 'alloy' primarily by encapsulation of Cr particles within Cu. This form of alloying also occurs in Cu-Nb alloys processed at low mill power and/or for short milling times. For other conditions, however, Cu-Nb alloys develop a lamellar morphology characteristic of mechanically alloyed two-phase ductile metals. Increasing mill power or charge (ball-to-powder weight) ratio (CR) increases the rate of composite particle formation.

Aikin, B. J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1951

On the turbulent friction layer for rising pressure

Among the information presented are included displacement, momentum, and kinetic energy thicknesses, shearing stress distributions across boundary layer, and surface friction coefficients. The Gruschwitz method and its modifications are examined and tested. An energy theorem for the turbulent boundary layer is introduced and discussed but does not lead to a method for the prediction of the behavior of the turbulent boundary layer because relations for the shearing stress and the surface friction are lacking.

SKIN FRICTION - PLATES↗
NASA NTRS1998

An Improved Magnetic Field Model for Jupiter's Inner Magnetosphere Using a Microsignature of Amalthea

Observation of a particle absorption microsignature of the Jovian satellite Amalthea during the Pioneer II close flyby of Jupiter on December 3, 1974, has been described by McKibben et al. The microsignature was also observed by the University of Iowa/Pioneer II instrument in the distribution of protons in the kinetic energy range 0.61 less than T(sub p) less than 3.41 MeV but has not been previously reported. The finer time resolution and superior data quality of the latter observations provide a fresh basis for assessing the accuracy with which various published magnetic field models of Jupiter's magnetic field models describe Jupiter's magnetic field for radial distances of the order of or less than several planetary radii. The expected time of occurrence of the minimum of Amalthea's microsignature was calculated for each model and compared to the time of the observed minimum. The discrepancy between these two times was significant for each of the published models, but it could be reduced to zero by interpolating between two of the closely related models. The spherical harmonic coefficients of this combination model are tabulated. Also included is a novel method for calculating the intensity-time profile of the microsignature. In a later paper, the improved model is utilized to analyze the energetic particle measurements in Jupiter's innermost magnetosphere by the Galileo entry probe in December 1995.

Randall, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

UVCS/SOHO empirical models of solar coronal holes

A self-consistent empirical model for the major plasma parameters in a solar-minimum coronal hole was developed using the ultraviolet coronagraph spectrometer (UVCS) operating onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The radial and latitudinal distribution of density, velocity, and kinetic temperature for electrons, neutral hydrogen, and ionized oxygen was obtained. The data were acquired during November 1996 and April 1997. The model provides experimental values which can be used to constrain theoretical models of the fast solar wind. The implications on various models of coronal heating and acceleration are discussed.

Cranmer, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Wave-Particle Interactions As a Driving Mechanism for the Solar Wind

Our research has been focusing on a highly experimentally relevant issue: intermittency of the fluctuating fields in outflowing plasmas. We have contributed to both the theoretical and experimental research of the topic. In particular, we have developed a theoretical model and data analyzing programs to examine the issue of intermittency in space plasma outflows, including the solar wind. As fluctuating electric fields in the solar wind are likely to provide a heating and acceleration mechanism for the ions, our studies of the intermittency in turbulence in space plasma outflows help us toward achieving the goal of comparing major physical mechanisms that contribute to the driving of the fast solar wind. Our new theoretical model extends the utilities of our global hybrid model, which has allowed us to follow the kinetic evolution of the particle distributions along an inhomogeneous field line while the particles are subjected to various physical mechanisms. The physical effects that were considered in the global hybrid model included wave-particle interactions, an ambipolar electric field that was consistent with the particle distributions themselves, and Coulomb collisions. With an earlier version of the global hybrid model, we examined the overall impact on the solar wind flow due to the combination of these physical effects. In particular, we studied the combined effects of two major mechanisms that had been proposed as the drivers of the fast solar wind: (1) velocity filtration effect due to suprathermal electrons; (2) ion cyclotron resonance. Since the approval of this research grant, we have updated the model such that the effects due to these two driving mechanisms can be examined separately, thereby allowing us to compare their contributions to the acceleration of the solar wind. In the next section, we shall demonstrate that the velocity filtration effect is rather insignificant in comparison with that due to ion cyclotron resonance.

Wagner, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Anisotropy of MHD Turbulence at Low Magnetic Reynolds Number

Turbulent fluctuations in MHD flows are known to become dimensionally anisotropic under the action of a sufficiently strong magnetic field. We consider the technologically relevant case of low magnetic Reynolds number and apply the method of DNS of forced flow in a periodic box to generate velocity fields. The analysis based on different anisotropy characteristics shows that the dimensional anisotropy is virtually scale-independent. We also find that, except for the case of very strong magnetic field, the flow is componentally isotropic. Its kinetic energy is practically uniformly distributed among the velocity components.

Zikanov, O.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Entropy Generation Across Earth's Bow Shock

Earth's bow shock is a transition layer that causes an irreversible change in the state of plasma that is stationary in time. Theories predict entropy increases across the bow shock but entropy has never been directly measured. Cluster and Double Star plasma experiments measure 3D plasma distributions upstream and downstream of the bow shock that allow calculation of Boltzmann's entropy function H and his famous H-theorem, dH/dt ~ O. We present the first direct measurements of entropy density changes across Earth's bow shock. We will show that this entropy generation may be part of the processes that produce the non-thermal plasma distributions is consistent with a kinetic entropy flux model derived from the collisionless Boltzmann equation, giving strong support that solar wind's total entropy across the bow shock remains unchanged. As far as we know, our results are not explained by any existing shock models and should be of interests to theorists.

Parks, George K.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Alternative Fuels Research Laboratory

NASA Glenn has invested over $1.5 million in engineering, and infrastructure upgrades to renovate an existing test facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), which is now being used as an Alternative Fuels Laboratory. Facility systems have demonstrated reliability and consistency for continuous and safe operations in Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis and thermal stability testing. This effort is supported by the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Subsonic Fixed Wing project. The purpose of this test facility is to conduct bench scale F-T catalyst screening experiments. These experiments require the use of a synthesis gas feedstock, which will enable the investigation of F-T reaction kinetics, product yields and hydrocarbon distributions. Currently the facility has the capability of performing three simultaneous reactor screening tests, along with a fourth fixed-bed reactor for catalyst activation studies. Product gas composition and performance data can be continuously obtained with an automated gas sampling system, which directly connects the reactors to a micro-gas chromatograph (micro GC). Liquid and molten product samples are collected intermittently and are analyzed by injecting as a diluted sample into designated gas chromatograph units. The test facility also has the capability of performing thermal stability experiments of alternative aviation fuels with the use of a Hot Liquid Process Simulator (HLPS) (Ref. 1) in accordance to ASTM D 3241 "Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Fuels" (JFTOT method) (Ref. 2). An Ellipsometer will be used to study fuel fouling thicknesses on heated tubes from the HLPS experiments. A detailed overview of the test facility systems and capabilities are described in this paper.

Surgenor, Angela D.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Mineral-Catalysed Formation of Marine NO and N 2 O on the Anoxic Early Earth

Microbial denitrification converts fixed nitrogen species into gases in extant oceans. However, it is unclear how such transformations occurred within the early nitrogen cycle of the Archean. Here 5we present experimental anoxic surface-catalyzed reduction of nitrite and nitrate via green rust and magnetite combined with diffusion and photochemical modeling. We find that in a Fe 2+ -rich marine environment, Fe minerals could have catalyzed abiotic denitrification reactions leading to the formation of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Nitrate did not exhibit reactivity in the presence of either mineral or aqueous Fe2+, however, both minerals induced rapid nitrite reduction 10to NO and N 2 O. While N 2 O escaped into the atmosphere (63% of nitrite-nitrogen, with green rust as catalyst), NO remained associated with precipitates (7%) serving as a potential shuttle to the benthic ocean.The modeling suggests that marine N 2 O emissions would have sustained 0.8-6 ppb of atmospheric N 2 O without a protective ozone layer. Our findings add detail to the as yet incompletely documented Archean nitrogen cycle, implying a globally distributed process driven 15by chemical kinetics similar to those of modern enzymatically mediated conversions.

Steffen Buessecker↗
NASA NTRS1978

Comparison of multiequation turbulence models for several shock-separated boundary-layer interaction flows

Several multiequation eddy viscosity models of turbulence are used with the Navier-Stokes equations to compute three classes of experimentally documented shock-separated turbulent boundary-layer flows. The types of flow studied are: (1) a normal shock at transonic speeds in both a circular duct and a two-dimensional channel; (2) an incident oblique shock at supersonic speeds on a flat surface; and (3) a two-dimensional compression corner at supersonic speeds. Established zero-equation (algebraic), one-equation (kinetic energy), and two-equation (kinetic energy plus length scale) turbulence models are each utilized to describe the Reynolds shear stress for the three classes of flows. These models are assessed by comparing the calculated values of skin friction, wall pressure distribution, velocity, Mach number, and turbulent kinetic energy profiles with experimental measurements. Of the models tested the two-equation model results gave the best overall agreement with the data.

Viegas, J. R.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Distinct Kinetic Signatures of Photodesorption from Metal Nanoparticles

Visible photon fluxes can influence the rate and selectivity of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions on metal nanoparticle surfaces. Models describing the influence of photon fluxes have typically introduced photon flux dependent apparent thermal kinetic parameters (reaction orders, activation energies, binding energies, etc.). This has relied on empirical fitting of reaction rate data, making mechanistic interpretations of how photon fluxes influence elementary step rates challenging and inconsistent with fundamental descriptions of photochemistry on metal surfaces developed from surface science studies. Using the CO adsorption–desorption quasi-equilibrium reaction on Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalysts as a model system, we measured steady state adsorbed CO (CO*) coverages under isothermal and isobaric (1 mbar CO) conditions as a function of temperature (473–573 K) and of 440 nm photon flux ((0.1–5.2) × 10 3 # hv Pt site –1 s –1 ) using in situ IR spectroscopy. Steady state CO* coverage on Pt was photon flux dependent with increasing photon flux causing decreasing coverage, consistent with photons driving CO* desorption rates faster than thermal CO* desorption rates. However, photon flux dependent CO* coverages were essentially temperature independent, inconsistent with models that describe photon effects using perturbations to apparent thermal kinetic parameters. Instead, 120 steady state CO* coverages as a function of temperature and photon flux are quantitatively described by a kinetic model in which the overall desorption rate is a summation of independent thermal and photon induced CO* desorption rates. Site-resolved analysis reveals distinct kinetic parameters for photon driven desorption of CO* from well-coordinated, under-coordinated, and highly under-coordinated Pt sites, with temperature-dependent apparent quantum efficiencies (AQE) consistent with temperature dependence of vibrational quanta distribution of adsorbed CO. The rigorous kinetic rate laws for independent photon and thermal driven pathways allow for predictive modeling of the influence of photon fluxes on the rates of CO* desorption under catalytic conditions. Further, the analysis provides evidence that steady state continuous wave photon fluxes can drive desorption/adsorption reactions on metal surfaces out of thermal equilibrium, reconciling surface science observations of molecular photodesorption with applied catalysis. The work establishes a general kinetic framework to be considered for photon driven processes on metals, and defines catalyst, reaction, and photon flux characteristic design principles for breaking Sabatier limitations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1995

Heating and scattering of ring-beam distributions by turbulence

Pickup ions in the solar wind are initially are born in ring-beam distributions, i.e. f(v) varies as delta(v(sub perpendicular) - V(sub sw)sin(Theta)) delta(v(sub parallel) - V(sub sw)cos(Theta)), where Theta is the angle between the solar wind velocity and the IMF(Interplanetary Magnetic Field), and V(sub sw) is the solar wind speed. Often the distribution has been presumed to relax to a distribution that is isotropic in Theta and essentially mono-energetic, a shell or a 'bi-spherical distribution.' However solar wind turbulence is capable of heating the ring distribution on the timescale of a few tens of gyroperiods, a timescale not greatly distinct from that required for pitch angle scattering to a shell. To describe this effect, we have performed test-particle studies of the heating/scattering of the ring beam distribution by MHD turbulence, adopting various models for the MHD fluctuations, including slab and fully dynamic 2D and 3D incompressible turbulence. Furthermore, a system composed of a cold ion ring and a background plasma is unstable to several kinetic plasma instabilities. We carried out kinetic simulations of the ring beam distribution, showing that plasma instabilities also rapidly energize and scatter particles. Results will be presented comparing relaxation and heating rates of the ring-beam distribution by the various mechanisms.

Gray, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Consequences of wave-particle interactions on chaotic acceleration

The recent model of Ashour-Abdalla et al. (1991) has proposed that the earth's plasma sheet can be formed by chaotic acceleration in a magnetotail-like field configuration. The ion velocity distributions created by chaotic acceleration have unstable features and represent robust free energy sources for kinetic plasma waves that can modify the original distributions. In the plasma sheet boundary layer, field-aligned ion beamlets are formed which drive a host of instabilities creating a broadbanded noise spectrum and cause thermal spreading of the beamlets. In addition, there is strong heating of any cold background plasma that may be present. In the central plasma sheet, ion antiloss cone distributions are created which are unstable to very low frequency waves that saturate by filling the antiloss cone.

Schriver, David↗
DOE OSTI2021

Kinetics of furfural electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis in acidic media on copper

Electrochemical processes can be implemented for the valorization of biomass-derived species such as furfural to generate fine chemicals and fuels. The electrochemical hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis (ECH) of furfural (FF) can produce furfuryl alcohol (FA) and 2-methylfuran (MF) as the major products over Cu catalysts in acidic conditions. The production of these species are in competition and the kinetics of these reactions should be studied so that the product distribution can be better controlled. In this work, the competing kinetics of furfural ECH to furfuryl alcohol and 2-methylfuran were studied on Cu in acidic media by using the applied cathodic potential, temperature, and initial concentration of furfural as probes. Furthermore, an increased temperature of the system was shown to promote the MF production in the range tested (15 °C and 45 °C), however the production of FA was decreased when the temperature was increased from 35 °C to 45 °C, due to significant promotion of side reactions. By varying the concentration of FF used in bulk electrolysis, we saw that the rates of reaction to FA and MF shift from positive order to zero order, suggesting a Langmuir–Hinshelwood or Eley–Rideal mechanism at –0.56 V vs. RHE and 25 °C. An analysis of the reaction mechanisms showed that a non-competitive Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism is likely occurring. In addition, we suggest the likely rate limiting steps based on the mechanisms are the first hydrogenation step of FF to C 4 H 3 O–CH 2 O to form FA, and the C–O cleavage of the C 4 H 3 O–CHOH intermediate to form MF.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Distribution of nitrogen and defects in SiO(x)N(y)/Si structures formed by the thermal nitridation of SiO2/Si

Previously reported nitrogen distributions in SiO2 films on Si which have been thermally nitrided at 1000 C have been explained by a kinetic model of the nitridation process which rests upon the effects of interfacial strain. A critical test of this kinetic model is the validity of the predictions regarding nitrogen distributions obtained at other nitridation temperatures. In this work, nitrogen distributions determined via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are reported for samples nitrided at 800 and 1150 C, and are shown to be consistent with the kinetic model. In addition, the intensity of a fluorine marker is found to correlate with the nitrogen distribution, and is postulated to be related to kinetically generated defects in the dielectric film, consistent with the strain-dependent energy of formation of defects proposed recently to explain electrical data.

Vasquez, R. P.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Joint X-Ray, Kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich, and Weak Lensing Measurements: Toward a Consensus Picture of Efficient Gas Expulsion from Groups and Clusters

There is no consensus on how baryon feedback shapes the underlying matter distribution from either simulations or observations. We confront the uncertain landscape by jointly analyzing new measurements of the gas distribution around groups and clusters—DESI+ACT kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect profiles and eROSITA X-ray gas masses—with mean halo masses characterized by galaxy–galaxy lensing. Across a wide range of halo masses ( M 500 = 10 13−14 M ⊙ ) and redshifts (0 < z < 1), we find evidence of more efficient gas expulsion beyond several R 500 than predicted by most state-of-the-art simulations. A like-with-like comparison reveals all kSZ and X-ray observations are inconsistent with the fiducial 1 Gpc 3 hydrodynamical FLAMINGO simulation, which was calibrated to reproduce pre-eROSITA X-ray gas fractions: eROSITA X-ray gas fractions are 2 × lower than the simulation, and the kSZ measurements are combined >8σ discrepant. The FLAMINGO simulation variant with the most gas expulsion, and therefore the most suppression of the matter power spectrum relative to a dark-matter-only simulation, provides a good description of how much gas is expelled and how far it extends; the enhanced gas depletion is achieved by more powerful but less frequent AGN outbursts. Joint kSZ, X-ray, and lensing measurements form a consistent picture of gas expulsion beyond several R 500 , implying a more suppressed matter power spectrum than predicted by most recent simulations. Complementary observables (e.g., thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect and fast radio bursts) and next-generation simulations are critical to understanding the physical mechanism behind this extreme gas expulsion and mapping its impact on the large-scale matter distribution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗