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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Observational and numerical studies of extreme frontal scale contraction

The general objective of this effort is to increase understanding of how frontal scale contraction processes may create and sustain intense mesoscale precipitation along intensifying cold fronts. The five-part project (an expansion of the originally proposed two-part project) employed conventional meteorological data, special mesoscale data, remote sensing measurements, and various numerical models. First an idealized hydrostatic modeling study of the scale contraction effects of differential cloud cover on low-level frontal structure and dynamics was completed and published in a peer-reviewed journal. The second objective was to complete and publish the results from a three dimensional numerical model simulation of a cold front in which differential sensible heating related to cloud coverage patterns was apparently crucial in the formation of a severe frontal squall line. The third objective was to use a nonhydrostatic model to examine the nonlinear interactions between the transverse circulation arising from inhomogeneous cloud cover, the adiabatic frontal circulation related to semi-geostrophic forcing, and diabatic effects related to precipitation processes, in the development of a density current-like microstructure at the leading edge of cold fronts. Although the development of a frontal model that could be used to initialize such a primitive equation model was begun, we decided to focus our efforts instead on a project that could be successfully completed in this short time, due to the lack of prospects for continued NASA funding beyond this first year (our proposal was not accepted for future funding). Thus, a fourth task was added, which was to use the nonhydrostatic model to test tentative hypotheses developed from the most detailed observations ever obtained on a density current (primarily sodar and wind profiler data). These simulations were successfully completed, the findings were reported at a scientific conference, and the results have recently been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. The fifth objective was to complete the analysis of data collected during the Cooperative Oklahoma Profiler Studies (COPS-91) field project, which was supported by NASA. The analysis of the mesoscale surface and sounding data, Doppler radar imagery, and other remote sensing data from multi frequency wind profiler, microwave radiometer, and the Radio Acoustic Sounding System has been completed. This study is a unique investigation of processes that caused the contraction of a cold front to a microscale zone exhibiting an undular bore-like structure. Results were reported at a scientific conference and are being prepared for publication. In summary, considerable progress has been achieved under NASA funding in furthering our understanding of frontal scale contraction and density current - gravity wave interaction processes, and in utilizing models and remotely sensed data in such studies.

Koch, Steven E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Physical implications of the eclipsing binary pulsar

The observed characteristics of the msec pulsar P1957+20, discovered in an eclipsing binary by Fruchter et al. (1988), are considered theoretically. Model equations for the stellar wind and optical emission are derived and used to estimate the effective temperature and optical luminosity associated with wind excitation; then the energy levels required to generate such winds are investigated. The color temperature of the pulsar-heated stellar surface calculated under the assumption of adiabatic expansion is 1000-10,000 K, in good agreement with the observational estimate of 5500 K.

Wasserman, Ira↗
NASA NTRS1972

Cosmic rays in a random magnetic field: Breakdown of the quasilinear derivation of the kinetic equation

The problem of deriving a kinetic equation for the cosmic ray distribution function in a random magnetic field is considered. A model is adopted which is mathematically simple but which contains the essential physics. The perturbation expansion upon which the quasi-linear treatment is based is investigated. The existence of resonant particles causes the breakdown of the adiabatic approximation frequently used in this theory. Resonant particles cause a general secular growth of higher order terms in the expansion which invalidates the entire perturbative approach.

Kaiser, T. B.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Second-order small-disturbance solutions for hypersonic flow over power-law bodies

Similarity solutions were found which give the adiabatic flow of an ideal gas about two-dimensional and axisymmetric power-law bodies at infinite Mach number to second order in the body slenderness parameter. The flow variables were expressed as a sum of zero-order and perturbation similarity functions for which the axial variations in the flow equations separated out. The resulting similarity equations were integrated numerically. The solutions, which are universal functions, are presented in graphic and tabular form. To avoid a singularity in the calculations, the results are limited to body power-law exponents greater than about 0.85 for the two-dimensional case and 0.75 for the axisymmetric case. Because of the entropy layer induced by the nose bluntness (for power-law bodies other than cones and wedges), only the pressure function is valid at the body surface. The similarity results give excellent agreement with the exact solutions for inviscid flow over wedges and cones having half-angles up to about 20 deg. They give good agreement with experimental shock-wave shapes and surface-pressure distributions for 3/4-power axisymmetric bodies, considering that Mach number and boundary-layer displacement effects are not included in the theory.

Townsend, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Remarks on the theory of aerodynamic noise

The accuracy of approximations employed in the Lighthill theory in current aerodynamic noise research is critically evaluated. Based on the method of matched asymptotic expansions, the full Navier-Stokes equations are expanded for small Mach numbers. To the first order, the near-field is generally nonisentropic. The pressure field (pseudo-sound) is generated by the incompressible Reynolds stresses in the turbulent flow and the velocity, pressure perturbation, and their derivatives on the boundaries. In the far-field, the first-order pressure (acoustic) field satisfying a linear wave equation is obtained by matching with the pseudo-sound field. A uniformly valid solution for the pressure field in a stationary or uniformly moving medium is obtained. The solution shows that the generation of the first-order aerodynamic noise does not depend on the viscous, thermal, or entropy effects in the adiabatic flow nor on the shear stress on a smooth rigid boundary.

Pan, Y. S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Quasi-linear regime of gravitational instability as a clue to understanding the large-scale structure in the Universe

In the late seventies, an image of the large-scale structure in the Universe began to emerge as a result of the accumulation of the galaxy redshifts. Most of the galaxies are found to concentrate in large filaments and perhaps sheets leaving most of the volume empty. Similar structures were predicted theoretically in the frame of the adiabatic theory of galaxy formation (Zeldovich) and later in the hot dark matter cosmology. However, both scenarios have been ruled out by the observations. With these scenarios the dynamical part of the scenario was also erroneously rejected by many as well. In this talk, I derive the Zeldovich approximation from the exact dynamic equations and show that it is always better than the standard linear approximation. The advantage of the Zeldovich approximation is the greatest in the quasi-linear regime when delta(sub rms) is less than 1 (delta identical to delta(rho)/rho), but the displacement of the matter is essential. The range of scales in the quasi-linear regime depends upon the slope of the initial spectrum and increases with decreasing n, where n is the exponent, if the initial spectrum is approximated by a simple power law P(k) varies as k(exp n).

Shandarin, Sergei F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Magnetospheric equilibrium configurations and slow adiabatic convection

This review paper demonstrates how the magnetohydrostatic equilibrium (MHE) theory can be used to describe the large-scale magnetic field configuration of the magnetosphere and its time evolution under the influence of magnetospheric convection. The equilibrium problem is reviewed, and levels of B-field modelling are examined for vacuum models, quasi-static equilibrium models, and MHD models. Results from two-dimensional MHE theory as they apply to the Grad-Shafranov equation, linear equilibria, the asymptotic theory, magnetospheric convection and the substorm mechanism, and plasma anisotropies are addressed. Results from three-dimensional MHE theory are considered as they apply to an intermediate analytical magnetospheric model, magnetotail configurations, and magnetopause boundary conditions and the influence of the IMF.

Voigt, Gerd-Hannes↗
NASA NTRS1978

Shear flow beneath oceanic plates - Local nonsimilarity boundary layers for olivine rheology

The principle of local similarity, which has been used to model the two-dimensional boundary layers in the oceanic upper mantle, permits calculation of the temperature, velocity, and stress fields with essentially analytic techniques. Finite difference numerical methods are hard pressed to resolve the detail required by the large variation of viscosity between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. In this paper the local similarity approximation has been justified by quantitatively evaluating the effect of nonsimilarity due to viscous heating, nonlinear temperature- and pressure-dependent rheology, buoyancy, adiabatic cooling, etc. Nonsimilar effects produce only small modifications of the locally similar boundary layers; important geophysical observables such as surface heat flux and ocean floor topography are given to better than 10 percent by the locally similar solution. A posteriori evaluations of the terms neglected in the boundary layer simplification of the complete equations have been conducted on the locally similar temperature and velocity profiles close to the spreading ridge. The boundary layer models are valid to depths of 100 km at 3 m.y. and 10 km at 0.3 m.y.

Yuen, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Numerical procedure for three-dimensional hypersonic viscous flow over aerobrake configuration

A numerical method, which is simpler and more efficient than others currently in use, is proposed for the computation of the full viscous flow over an aerobrake body in hypersonic stream at high altitude. It treats the shock layer surrounding the blunt forebody and the near wake behind the base simultaneously by formulating the Navier-Stokes equations in conformal and azimuthal-angle coordinates. The computational domain is confined by the body wall, outflow surface and the shock, which is adjusted along the coordinate normal to the wall in the course of iterations. Because of the optimal grid and a well developed alternating direction implicit factorization technique for the governing equations, reasonably accurate results can be obtained with a 28 x 36 x 7 grid and 400 time-marching iterations. Excellent agreement of shock location is found between the present result and the schlieren photograph. Details of the base flow and shear layer impingement on the cylindrical aft body are presented for an adiabatic wall case.

Li, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Surface roughness effects on equilibrium temperature.

An analysis is presented for evaluation of equilibrium temperature distribution on radiatively adiabatic, adjoint planes which are uniformly irradiated by a collimated solar flux. The analysis employs a semigrey spectral model. Radiation properties for surface emitted radiation are obtained from the expressions of electromagnetic theory for smooth surfaces. Rough surface properties for solar radiation are given by the Beckmann bidirectional reflectance model. Numerical solutions to the governing equations yield equilibrium temperature distributions for a range of the influencing parameters. Surface roughness has little influence on equilibrium temperature for materials with high values for solar absorptance. However, for low or intermediate values of solar absorptance, roughness effects on the spatial distribution of reflected solar radiation can significantly alter equilibrium temperature particularly at surface elements where radiant interaction is small.

Houchens, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Adiabatic particle motion in a nearly drift-free magnetic field: Application to the geomagnetic tail

The guiding center motion of particles in a nearly drift free magnetic field is analyzed in order to investigate the dependence of mean drift velocity on equatorial pitch angle, the variation of local drift velocity along the trajectory, and other properties. The mean drift for adiabatic particles is expressed by means of elliptic integrals. Approximations to the twice-averaged Hamiltonian W near z = O are derived, permitting simple representation of drift paths if an electric potential also exists. In addition, the use of W or of expressions for the longitudinal invariant allows the derivation of the twice averaged Liouville equation and of the corresponding Vlasov equation. Bounce times are calculated (using the drift-free approximation), as are instantaneous guiding center drift velocities, which are then used to provide a numerical check on the formulas for the mean drift.

Stern, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A comparison of synoptic-scale development characteristics for over-water and over-land cases of explosive cyclone development

The Zwack and Okossi (1986) equation is here demonstrated to be an effective tool for the diagnosis of synoptic-scale cyclone development, and is noted to indicate that cyclonic vorticity advection is the most consistent contributor to the explosive development of a given cyclone. Warm air advection and latent heat release also contributed to explosive development in varying degrees. The adiabatic temperature changes forced by vertical motion opposed the development of both over-water and over-land cyclone development.

Lupo, Anthony R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Adiabatic Hamiltonian of charged particle motion in a dipole field

The Hamiltonian for a dipole field is developed, and the result is expressed by an analytic approximation accurate to within about 1%. This allows extension of results derived for equatorial particles to particles with arbitrary pitch angles; in particular, it makes available even in the presence of electric fields orthogonal to the magnetic field a function K that is preserved by the bounce-averaged motion. This function provides at once the equations of drift paths in (alpha, beta) or of their projections onto the equatorial plane; the derivation of a pacing function that times the progress of particles along such drift paths is also described.

Chen, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Nonguiding Center Motion and Substorm Effects in the Magnetotail

Thick and thin models of the middle magnetotail were developed using a consistent orbit tracing technique. It was found that currents carried near the equator by groups of ions with anisotropic distribution functions are not well approximated by the guiding center expressions. The guiding center equations fail primarily because the calculated pressure tensor is not magnetic field aligned. The pressure tensor becomes field aligned as one moves away from the equator, but here there is a small region in which the guiding center equations remain inadequate because the two perpendicular components of the pressure tensor are unequal. The significance of nonguiding center motion to substorm processes then was examined. One mechanism that may disrupt a thin cross-tail current sheet involves field changes that cause ions to begin following chaotic orbits. The lowest-altitude chaotic region, characterized by an adiabaticity parameter kappa approx. equal to 0.8, is especially important. The average cross-tail particle drift is slow, and we were unable to generate a thin current sheet using such ions. Therefore, any process that tends to create a thin current sheet in a region with kappa approaching 0.8 may cause the cross-tail current to get so low that it becomes insufficient to support the lobes. A different limit may be important in resonant orbit regions of a thin current sheet because particles reach a maximum cross-tail drift velocity. If the number of ions per unit length decreases as the tail is stretched, this part of the plasma sheet also may become unable to carry the cross-tail current needed to support the lobes. Thin sheets are needed for both resonant and chaotic orbit mechanisms because the distribution function must be highly structured. A description of current continuity is included to show how field aligned currents can evolve during the transition from a two-dimensional (2-D) to a 3-D configuration.

Kaufmann, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Data Processing, Sky Maps, and Basic Results

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) is a Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) satellite aimed at elucidating cosmology through full-sky observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The WMAP full-sky maps of the temperature and polarization anisotropy in five frequency bands provide our most accurate view to date of conditions in the early universe. The multi-frequency data facilitate the separation of the CMB signal from foreground emission arising both from our Galaxy and from extragalactic sources. The CMB angular power spectrum derived from these maps exhibits a highly coherent acoustic peak structure which makes it possible to extract a wealth of information about the composition and history of the universe. as well as the processes that seeded the fluctuations. WMAP data have played a key role in establishing ACDM as the new standard model of cosmology (Bennett et al. 2003: Spergel et al. 2003; Hinshaw et al. 2007: Spergel et al. 2007): a flat universe dominated by dark energy, supplemented by dark matter and atoms with density fluctuations seeded by a Gaussian, adiabatic, nearly scale invariant process. The basic properties of this universe are determined by five numbers: the density of matter, the density of atoms. the age of the universe (or equivalently, the Hubble constant today), the amplitude of the initial fluctuations, and their scale dependence. By accurately measuring the first few peaks in the angular power spectrum, WMAP data have enabled the following accomplishments: Showing the dark matter must be non-baryonic and interact only weakly with atoms and radiation. The WMAP measurement of the dark matter density puts important constraints on supersymmetric dark matter models and on the properties of other dark matter candidates. With five years of data and a better determination of our beam response, this measurement has been significantly improved. Precise determination of the density of atoms in the universe. The agreement between the atomic density derived from WMAP and the density inferred from the deuterium abundance is an important test of the standard big bang model. Determination of the acoustic scale at redshift z = 1090. Similarly, the recent measurement of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the galaxy power spectrum (Eisenstein et al. 2005) has determined the acoustic scale at redshift z approx. 0.35. When combined, these standard rulers accurately measure the geometry of the universe and the properties of the dark energy. These data require a nearly flat universe dominated by dark energy consistent with a cosmological constant. Precise determination of the Hubble Constant, in conjunction with BAO observations. Even when allowing curvature (Omega(sub 0) does not equal 1) and a free dark energy equation of state (w does not equal -1), the acoustic data determine the Hubble constant to within 3%. The measured value is in excellent agreement with independent results from the Hubble Key Project (Freedman et al. 2001), providing yet another important consistency test for the standard model. Significant constraint of the basic properties of the primordial fluctuations. The anti-correlation seen in the temperature/polarization (TE) correlation spectrum on 4deg scales implies that the fluctuations are primarily adiabatic and rule out defect models and isocurvature models as the primary source of fluctuations (Peiris et al. 2003).

Weiland, J.L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Simulation of a Synthetic Jet in Quiescent Air Using TLNS3D Flow Code

Although the actuator geometry is highly three-dimensional, the outer flowfield is nominally two-dimensional because of the high aspect ratio of the rectangular slot. For the present study, this configuration is modeled as a two-dimensional problem. A multi-block structured grid available at the CFDVAL2004 website is used as a baseline grid. The periodic motion of the diaphragm is simulated by specifying a sinusoidal velocity at the diaphragm surface with a frequency of 450 Hz, corresponding to the experimental setup. The amplitude is chosen so that the maximum Mach number at the jet exit is approximately 0.1, to replicate the experimental conditions. At the solid walls zero slip, zero injection, adiabatic temperature and zero pressure gradient conditions are imposed. In the external region, symmetry conditions are imposed on the side (vertical) boundaries and far-field conditions are imposed on the top boundary. A nominal free-stream Mach number of 0.001 is imposed in the free stream to simulate incompressible flow conditions in the TLNS3D code, which solves compressible flow equations. The code was run in unsteady (URANS) mode until the periodicity was established. The time-mean quantities were obtained by running the code for at least another 15 periods and averaging the flow quantities over these periods. The phase-locked average of flow quantities were assumed to be coincident with their values during the last full time period.

Vatsa, Veer N.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Cold equation of state in a strong magnetic field - Effects of inverse beta-decay

The influence of a high magnetic field (B is greater than 10 exp 12 G) on the degenerate matter equation of state appropriate to a neutron star is studied. The regime dominated by relativistic electrons up to the neutron drip density is highlighted. The equilibrium matter composition and equation of state, allowing for inverse beta-decay. Two different equilibrium models are determined: an ideal neutron-proton-electron (npe) gas and the more realistic model of Baym, Pethick, and Sutherland (1971) consisting of a Coulomb lattice of heavy nuclei embedded in an electron gas. For a sufficiently high field strength, the magnetic field has an appreciable effect, changing the adiabatic index of the matter and the nuclear transition densities. The influence of a strong field on some simple nonequilibrium processes, including beta-decay and inverse beta-decay (electron capture) is also considered. The effects produced by the magnetic field are mainly due to the changes in the transverse electron quantum orbits and the allowed electron phase space induced by the field.

Lai, Dong↗
NASA NTRS2018

Instability Wave–Streak Interactions in a High Mach Number Boundary Layer at Flight Conditions

The interaction of stationary streaks undergoing nonmodal growth with modally unstable instability waves in a hypersonic boundary-layer flow is studied using numerical computations. The geometry and flow conditions are selected to match a relevant trajectory location from the ascent phase of the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment; namely, a 7 degree half-angle, circular cone with 2.5 mm nose radius, freestream Mach number equal to 5.30, unit Reynolds number equal to 13.42 m -1 , and wall-to-adiabatic temperature ratio of approximately 0.35 over most of the vehicle. This paper investigates the nonlinear evolution of initially linear optimal disturbances that evolve into finite-amplitude streaks, followed by an analysis of the modal instability characteristics of the perturbed, streaky boundary-layer flow. The investigation is performed with stationary direct numerical simulations (DNS) and plane-marching parabolized stability equations (PSE), in conjunction with partial-differential-equation-based planar eigenvalue analysis. The overall effect of streaks is to reduce the peak amplification factors of instability waves, indicating a possible downstream shift in the onset of laminar-turbulent transition. The present study confirms previous findings that the mean flow distortion of the nonlinear streak perturbation reduces the amplification rates of the Mack-mode instability. More importantly, however, the present results demonstrate that the spanwise varying component of the streak can produce a larger effect on the Mack-mode amplification. The study with selected azimuthal wavenumbers for the stationary streaks reveals that a wavenumber of approximately 1.4 times larger than the optimal wavenumber is more effective in stabilizing the planar Mack-mode instabilities. In the absence of unstable first-mode waves for the present cold-wall condition, transition onset is expected to be delayed until the peak streak amplitude increases to nearly 35 percent of the freestream velocity, when intrinsic instabilities of the boundary-layer streaks begin to dominate the transition process. For streak amplitudes below that limit a significant net stabilization is achieved, yielding a potential transition delay that can exceed 100 percent of the length of the laminar region in the uncontrolled case.

Boundary layer stability↗