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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 NTRS1998

Ly(alpha) Photolysis in the Primitive Solar Nebula

This is the final report for the third year of work on this project. Our proposal was to quantitatively investigate the importance of photochemistry in the solar nebula. In the generally accepted theory for the chemical evolution of the primitive solar nebula, Prinn and Fegley argued that photochemistry is unimportant, and that thermochemistry controls the relative abundances of molecular species throughout the planet-forming region. They provided useful estimates of the chemical energy available to the solar nebula from a variety of sources, and established that even the small photolysis rate due to starlight is more important than the photolysis rate from direct sunlight (although small, the UV flux from starlight could have processed a non-negligible fraction of the solar nebula. The reason for this is that the opacity of the disk was so large that direct sunlight could only penetrate to 0.1 AU or so, despite the expectation that the protosun, if comparable to a T-Tauri star, would be emitting up to 10(exp 4) more H I Ly(alpha) photons than the current sun. We developed a Monte Carlo resonance fine radiative transfer code, capable of accurately calculating the radiation field of H I Ly(alpha), He I 584 A, and He II 304 A emissions throughout the nebula and the nearby interstellar medium in which it is embedded. We applied the code to two appropriate models of the primitive solar nebula. Our model provided the photolysis rates of various species over the entire surface layer of the nebula, and from this we evaluated the importance of UV photochemistry due to backscattered solar UV resonance line emissions on different parts of the nebula. The results discussed below were presented.

Gladstone, G. Randall↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Quantitative, Time-Dependent Model of Oxygen Isotopes in the Solar Nebula: Step one

The remarkable discovery that oxygen isotopes in primitive meteorites were fractionated along a line of slope I rather than along the typical slope 0,52 terrestrial fractionation line occurred almost 40 years ago, However, a satisfactory, quantitative explanation for this observation has yet to be found, though many different explanations have been proposed, The first of these explanations proposed that the observed line represented the final product produced by mixing molecular cloud dust with a nucleosynthetic component, rich in O-16, possibly resulting from a nearby supernova explosion, Donald Clayton suggested that Galactic Chemical Evolution would gradually change the oxygen isotopic composition of the interstellar grain population by steadily producing O-16 in supernovae, then producing the heavier isotopes as secondary products in lower mass stars, Thiemens and collaborators proposed a chemical mechanism that relied on the availability of additional active rotational and vibrational states in otherwise-symmetric molecules, such as CO2, O3 or SiO2, containing two different oxygen isotopes and a second, photochemical process that suggested that differential photochemical dissociation processes could fractionate oxygen , This second line of research has been pursued by several groups, though none of the current models is quantitative,

Nuth, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Stellar Evolutionary Effects on the Abundance of PAHS and SN-Condensed Dust in Galaxies

Spectral aid photometric observations of nearby galaxies show a correlation between the strength of their mid-IR aromatic features and their metal abundance, and a deficiency of these features in low-metallicity galaxies. The aromatic features are most commonly attributed to emission from PAH molecules. In this paper, we suggest that the observed correlation represents a trend of PAH abundance with galactic age, reflecting the delayed injection of PAHs and carbon dust into the ISM, by AGB stars in their final, post-AGB phase of their evolution. These AGB stars are the primary sources of PAHs and carbon dust in galaxies, and recycle their ejecta back to the interstellar medium only after a few hundred million years of evolution on the main sequence. In contrast, more massive stars that explode as Type II supernovae inject their metals and dust almost instantaneously after their formation. After determining the PAH abundances in 35 nearby galaxies, we use a chemical evolution model to show that the delayed injection of carbon dust by AGB stars provides a natural explanation to the dependence of the PAH content, in galaxies with metallicity. We also show that larger dust particles giving rise to the far-IR emission follow a distinct evolutionary trend closely related to the injection of dust by massive stars into the ISM.

Dwek, Eli↗
NASA NTRS2012

Three Decades of High Energy Transients

Gamma-Ray Bursts are the most brilliant explosions in space. The first GRB was discovered on 1967, just over 40 years ago. It took several years and multiple generations of space and ground instruments to unravel some of the mysteries of this phenomenon. However, many questions remain open today. I will discuss the history, evolution and current status of the GRB field and its contributions in our understanding of the transient high energy sky. Finally, I will describe how GRBs can be utilized in future missions as tools, to probe the cosmic chemical evolution of the Universe Magnetars are magnetically powered rotating neutron stars with extreme magnetic fields (over 10(exp 14) Gauss). They were discovered in the X- and gamma-rays where they predominantly emit their radiation. Very few sources (roughly 24) have been found since their discovery in 1987. NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope was launched June 11, 2009; since then the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) recorded emission from several magnetar sources. In total, six new sources were discovered between 2008 and 2011, with a synergy between Swift, RXTE, Fermi and the Interplanetary Network (IPN). I will give a short history of magnetars and describe how this, once relatively esoteric field, has emerged as a link between several astrophysical areas including Gamma-Ray Bursts.

Kouveliotou, Chryssa↗
NASA NTRS2013

Three Decades of Explosive High Energy Transients

Gamma-Ray Bursts are the most brilliant explosions in space. The first GRB was discovered on 1967, just 40 years ago. It took several years and multiple generations of space and ground instruments to unravel some of the mysteries of this phenomenon. However, many questions remain open today. I will discuss the history, evolution and current status of the GRB field and its contributions in our understanding of the transient high energy sky. Finally, I will describe how GRBs can be utilized in future missions as tools, to probe the cosmic chemical evolution of the Universe and the star formation rates.

Kouveliotou, Chryssa↗
NASA NTRS2020

Coordinated NanoSIMS and TEM Analysis of a Large 26Mg-Rich AGB Silicate from the Meteorite Hills 00426 CR2 Chondrite

Silicates are one of the most abundant presolar phases around evolved stars, in the inter-stellar medium (ISM), and in our Solar System. These grains afford the opportunity for O, Si, Mg, Fe, and Ca isotopic analyses to constrain stellar nucleosynthetic and mixing processes, and Galactic chemical evolution (GCE). While Mg and Fe isotopic studies have been successfully conducted on presolar silicates, isotopic analyses beyond O and Si are often hampered by the small grain sizes (average ~250 nm). This also makes coordinated mineral and chemical characterization challenging. These studies provide insight into the dust condensation conditions as well as subsequent alteration in the ISM and/or the Solar System. TEM studies of presolar silicates have shown that they are much more mineralogically and chemically diverse than other presolar phases [1 and references therein]. Large (>500nm) presolar silicate grains are rare, but they allow for detailed isotopic, mineral, and chemical characterization. We identified a large presolar silicate grain in the MET 00426 CR2 chondrite and report the O, Si, Mg, and Fe isotopic compositions and TEM study of this grain.

Nguyen, A. N.↗
DOE OSTI2024

The R -process Alliance: Fifth Data Release from the Search for R -process-enhanced Metal-poor Stars in the Galactic Halo with the GTC

Understanding the abundance pattern of metal-poor stars and the production of heavy elements through various nucleosynthesis processes offers crucial insights into the chemical evolution of the Milky Way, revealing primary sites and major sources of rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) material in the Universe. In this fifth data release from the R-Process Alliance (RPA), we present the detailed chemical abundances of 41 faint (down to V = 15.8) and extremely metal-poor (down to [Fe/H] = -3.3) halo stars selected from the RPA. We obtained high-resolution spectra for these objects with the HORuS spectrograph on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. We measure the abundances of light, α, Fe-peak, and neutron-capture elements. We report the discovery of five carbon-enhanced metal-poor, one limited-r, three r-I, and four r-II stars, and six Mg-poor stars. We also identify one star of a possible globular cluster origin at an extremely low metallicity at [Fe/H] = -3.0. This adds to the growing evidence of a lower-limit metallicity floor for globular cluster abundances. We use the abundances of Fe-peak elements and the α-elements to investigate the contributions from different nucleosynthesis channels in the progenitor supernovae. We find the distribution of [Mg/Eu] as a function of [Fe/H] to have different enrichment levels, indicating different possible pathways and sites of their production. We also reveal differences in the trends of the neutron-capture element abundances of Sr, Ba, and Eu of various r-I and r-II stars from the RPA data releases, which provide constraints on their nucleosynthesis sites and subsequent evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1985

The evolution of partially differentiated planetesimals Evidence from iron meteorite groups IAB and IIICD

Some of the properties of IAB and IIICD iron meteorites thought to be derived from partially differentiated planetesimals are summarized, and the physical aspects that may have controlled parent body differentiation and affected the composition of the sulfide melt are outlined. The chemical evolution of the parent body is then discussed, and observations supporting the partial differentiation model are examined. Finally, an attempt is made to reinterpret barometric and chronometric data in light of the partial differentiation model, and tentative conclusions are presented.

Kracher, A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ultraviolet photochemistry of cyanoacetylene: Application to Titan

Cyanoacetylene is believed to have had a central role in the formation of the pyrimidines essential for RNA synthesis leading to the origin of life on Earth. Cyanoacetylene has also been detected on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, and the only moon in the solar system that possesses a dense atmosphere. It is generally accepted that photochemistry plays a major role in the formation of the complex organic molecules and aerosols found in Titan's atmosphere. Because of its long wavelength absorption and low dissociation threshold it is expected that cyanoacetylene is an important part of these photochemical processes. Since cyanoacetylene would also have been subject to ultraviolet light in the atmosphere of early Earth, an investigation of cyanoacetylene photochemistry on Titan might lead to a better understanding of both the photochemical reactions occurring on primitive earth and the processes of chemical evolution as they occur in planetary atmospheres. The effects of irradiation wavelength, mixing with Titan's atmospheric gases, reducing the temperature and lowering cyanoacetylene partial pressures on product formation and polymer composition have been determined with the ultimate goal of understanding the chemical transformations taking place in Titan's atmosphere.

Clarke, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Origin and Evolution of Interstellar Dust

In this lecture I will discuss the many different manifestation of interstellar dust, and current dust models that satisfy interstellar extinction, diffuse infrared emission, and interstellar abundances constraints. Dust is made predominantly in AGB stars and Type I1 supernovae, and I will present observational evidence for the presence of dust in these sources. I will then present chemical evolution models that follow the abundance of dust which is determined by the combined processes of formation, destruction by interstellar shock waves, and accretion in molecular clouds. The model will be applied to the evolution of PAHs and the evolution of dust in the high-redshift galaxy (z=6.42) JD11.

Dwek, Eli↗
NASA NTRS1987

A processing method and results of meteor shower radar observations

Studies of meteor showers permit the solving of some principal problems of meteor astronomy: to obtain the structure of a stream in cross section and along its orbits; to retrace the evolution of particle orbits of the stream taking into account gravitational and nongravitational forces and to discover the orbital elements of its parent body; to find out the total mass of solid particles ejected from the parent body taking into account physical and chemical evolution of meteor bodies; and to use meteor streams as natural probes for investigation of the average characteristics of the meteor complex in the solar system. A simple and effective method of determining the flux density and mass exponent parameter was worked out. This method and its results are discussed.

Belkovich, O. I.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Greenstone belt tectonics: Thermal constraints

Archaean rocks provide a record of the early stages of planetary evolution. The interpretation is frustrated by the probable unrepresentative nature of the preserved crust and by the well known ambiguities of tectonic geological synthesis. Broad constraints can be placed on the tectonic processes in the early Earth from global scale modeling of thermal and chemical evolution of the Earth and its hydrosphere and atmosphere. The Archean record is the main test of such models. Available general model constraints are outlined based on the global tectonic setting within which Archaean crust evolved and on the direct evidence the Archaean record provides, particularly the thermal state of the early Earth.

Bickle, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Stochastic self-propagating star formation in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The considered investigation provides a unifying theoretical basis for an understanding of a variety of observations on the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). It is demonstrated that an intrinsically statistical theory can supply a model for individual objects. With the aid of the model of stochastic self-propagating star formation described by Gerola and Seiden (1978), many structural features, both in the stars and in the gas are related to the process of star formation and the evolution of the LMC. It is found that the pattern of massive star formation in the LMC is partially ordered. The stars occur in large clumps and their global pattern is basically irregular and asymmetric with respect to the rotation center. The mean rate of chemical evolution of the LMC is smaller than that of the Milky Way. This fact is largely explained by the model in terms of the difference in shear for these galaxies. The formation of large, dense regions of massive stars has a great effect on the gas.

Feitzinger, V.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Agricultural Fires in the Southeastern U.S. During SEAC4RS: Emissions of Trace Gases and Particles and Evolution of Ozone, Reactive Nitrogen, and Organic Aerosol

Emissions from 15 agricultural fires in the southeastern U.S. were measured from the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during the summer 2013 Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) campaign. This study reports a detailed set of emission factors (EFs) for 25 trace gases and 6 fine particle species. The chemical evolution of the primary emissions in seven plumes was examined in detail for ~1.2 h. A Lagrangian plume cross-section model was used to simulate the evolution of ozone (O3), reactive nitrogen species, and organic aerosol (OA). Observed EFs are generally consistent with previous measurements of crop residue burning, but the fires studied here emitted high amounts of SO2 and fine particles, especially primary OA and chloride. Filter-based measurements of aerosol light absorption implied that brown carbon (BrC) was ubiquitous in the plumes. In aged plumes, rapid production of O3, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), and nitrate was observed with (Delta)O3/(Delta)CO, (Delta)PAN/(Delta)NOy, and (Delta)nitrate/(Delta)NOy reaching approx. 0.1, approx. 0.3, and approx.0.3. For five selected cases, the model reasonably simulated O3 formation but underestimated PAN formation. No significant evolution of OA mass or BrC absorption was observed. However, a consistent increase in oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratios of OA indicated that OA oxidation in the agricultural fire plumes was much faster than in urban and forest fire plumes. Finally, total annual SO2, NOx, and CO emissions from agricultural fires in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri were estimated (within a factor of approx. 2) to be equivalent to approx. 2% SO2 from coal combustion and approx. 1% NOx and approx. 9% CO from mobile sources.

OA mass or BrC absorption↗
DOE OSTI2025

The aluminium-26 distribution in a cosmological simulation of a Milky Way-type Galaxy

Context . The 1.8 MeV γ -rays corresponding to the decay of the radioactive isotope 26 Al (with a half-life of 0.72 Myr ) have been observed by the SPI detector on the INTEGRAL spacecraft and extensively used as a tracer of star formation and current nucleosynthetic activity in the Milky Way Galaxy. Further information is encoded in the observation related to the higher 26 Al content found in regions of the Galaxy with the highest line-of-sight (LoS) velocity relative to an observer located in the Solar System. However, this feature remains unexplained. Aims . We ran a cosmological “zoom-in” chemodynamical simulation of a Milky Way-type galaxy, including the production and decays of radioactive nuclei in a fully self-consistent way. We then analyzed the results to follow the evolution of 26 Al throughout the lifetime of the simulated galaxy to provide a new method for interpreting the 26 Al observations. Methods . We included the massive star sources of 26 Al in the Galaxy and its radioactive decay into a state-of-the-art galactic chemical evolution model, coupled with cosmological growth and hydrodynamics. This approach allowed us to follow the spatial and temporal evolution of the 26 Al content in the simulated galaxy. Results . Our results are in agreement with the observations with respect to the fact that gas particles in the simulation with relatively higher 26 Al content also have the highest LoS velocities. On the other hand, gas particles with relatively lower 26 Al content (i.e., not bright enough to be observed) generally display the lowest LoS velocities. However, this result is not conclusive because the overall rotational velocity of our simulated galaxy is higher than that observed for cold CO gas in the Milky Way Galaxy. Furthermore, we found no significant correlation between gas temperature, rotational velocity, and 26 Al content at any given radius. We also found the presence of transient 26 Al-rich spots at low LoS velocities and we show that one such spot had been captured by the INTEGRAL/SPI data. Based on our model, we present a prediction for the detection of 1.8 MeV γ -rays by the future COSI mission. We find that according to our model, the new instrument will be able to observe similar 26 Al-emission patterns to those seen by INTEGRAL/SPI.

Wehmeyer, B. (ORCID:0009000254149292)↗
NASA NTRS1991

Time evolution of interstellar dust and far-infrared luminosity of disk galaxies

The evolution of interstellar dust in disk galaxies is modeled, assuming that dust forms predominantly in molecular clouds associated with star formation. Analytical solutions for the dust abundance in disk galaxies as a function of galaxy age are obtained for the prompt initial enrichment and accretion models of chemical evolution, consistent with observations of the heavy element abundance in the Galaxy. Star formation rates in the disks of galaxies are taken as either constant or decreasing exponentially with time. It is found that the total amount of dust in the early history of galaxies can be up to 4 times the value observed today. The total emission from dust in galaxies is calculated, using an average dust temperature derived from IRAS observations. In the strongly evolving models, the far-infrared luminosity from galaxies can be roughly two orders of magnitude larger than the current value.

Wang, Boqi↗
NASA NTRS1994

Exobiology opportunities from Discovery-class missions

Discovery-class missions that are now planned, and those in the concept stage, have the potential to expand our knowledge of the origins and evolution of biogenic compounds, and ultimately, of the origins of life in the solar system. This class of missions, recently developed within NASA's Solar System Exploration Program, is designed to meet important scientific objectives within stringent guidelines--$150 million cap on development cost and a 3-year cap on the development schedule. The Discovery Program will effectively enable "faster, cheaper" missions to explore the inner solar system. The first two missions are Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) Pathfinder and Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR). MESUR Pathfinder will be the first Discovery mission, with launch planned for November/December 1996. It will be primarily a technical demonstration and validation of the MESUR Program--a network of automated landers to study the internal structure, meteorology, and surface properties of Mars. Besides providing engineering data, Pathfinder will carry atmospheric instrumentation and imaging capabilities, and may deploy a microrover equipped with an alpha proton X-ray spectrometer to determine elemental composition, particularly the lighter elements of exobiological interest. NEAR is expected to be launched in 1998 and to rendezvous with a near-Earth asteroid for up to 1 year. During this time, the spacecraft will assess the asteroid's mass, size, density, map its surface topography and composition, determine its internal properties, and study its interaction with the interplanetary environment. A gamma ray or X-ray spectrometer will be used to determine elemental composition. An imaging spectrograph, with 0.35 to 2.5 micron spectral range, will be used to determine the asteroid's compositional disbribution. Of the 11 Discovery mission concepts that have been designated as warranting further study, several are promising in terms of determining the composition and chemical evolution of organic matter on small planetary bodies. The following mission concepts are of particular interest to the Exobiology Program: Cometary coma chemical composition, comet nucleus tour, near earth asteroid returned sample, small missions to asteroids and comets, and solar wind sample return. The following three Discovery mission concepts that have been targeted for further consideration are relevant to the study of the evolution of biogenic compounds: Comet nucleus penetrator, mainbelt asteroid rendezvous explorer, and the Mars polar Pathfinder.

Meyer, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Igneous activity in the early solar system

Although the main emphasis of this book is on what can be learned about the early solar system from material that has escaped secondary processing, the study of differentiated meteorites can provide unique insights into the processes of basalt generation and core formation. Such processes would have been of fundamental importance during the evolution of planetary objects, including the terrestrial planets, early in solar-system history. The properties of igneous meteorites are studied with attention given to the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) suite. Geochemical and petrologic trends in those meteorites are discussed with the objective of defining the thermal and chemical evolution of the HED parent body. A major issue is the nature of the dominant source of heat in the early solar system.

Hewins, R. H.↗