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At least 289 records · Page 16

Inducing gravitropic curvature of primary roots of Zea mays cv Ageotropic

Primary roots of the mutant 'Ageotropic' cultivar of Zea mays are nonresponsive to gravity. Their root caps secrete little or no mucilage and touch the root only at the extreme apex. A gap separates the cap and root at the periphery of the cap. Applying mucilage from normal roots or substances with a consistency similar to that of mucilage to tips of mutant roots causes these roots to become strongly graviresponsive. Gravicurvature stops when these substances are removed. Caps of some mutants secrete small amounts of mucilage and are graviresponsive. These results indicate that (a) the lack of graviresponsiveness in the mutant results from disrupting the transport pathway between the cap and root, (b) movement of the growth-modifying signal from the cap to the root occurs via an apoplastic pathway, and (c) mucilage is necessary for normal communication between the root cap and root in Zea mays cv Ageotropic.

NASA Discipline Number 29-20↗

Hub moment springs on two-bladed teetering rotors

Two-bladed teetering rotors with elastic flapping hinge restraint are shown to be suitable for zero-g flight. The alternating moment component introduced into the fuselage by the hinge spring can be balanced about the aircraft center of gravity by alternating hub shears. Such shears can be produced in proper magnitude, frequency, and phase by additional underslinging of the hub and by judicious choice of the location of the first inplane cantilevered natural frequency. Trends of theoretical results agree with test results from a small scale model and a modified OH-58A helicopter.

Sonneborn, W.↗

Life sciences biomedical research planning for Space Station

The Biomedical Research Project (BmRP), a major component of the NASA Life Sciences Space Station Program, incorporates a laboratory for the study of the effects of microgravity on the human body, and the development of techniques capable of modifying or counteracting these effects. Attention is presently given to a representative scenario of BmRP investigations and associated engineering analyses, together with an account of the evolutionary process by which the scenarios and the Space Station design requirements they entail are identified. Attention is given to a tether-implemented 'variable gravity centrifuge'.

Primeaux, Gary R.↗

VHF radar measurements during MAP/WINE

Sensitive Doppler radars which operate in the very high frequency (VHF) band, usually near 50 MHz can measure profiles of background winds, tides, atmospheric gravity waves and turbulence at tropospheric, stratospheric and mesospheric heights. Their ability to observe simultaneously large and small-scale processes makes them unique instruments for studying not only each process separately but also their nonlinear interactions. The mobile VHF radar to be used during the MAP/WINE campaign on Andoya is a modified version of the SOUSY VHF radar being in operation for six years in the Harz Mountains.

Czechowsky, P.↗

Reinterpretation of otolith input as a primary factor in space motion sickness

It is hypothesized that exposure to prolonged free fall is a form of sensory/motor rearrangement rather than a direct change in otolith sensitivity or sensory compensation for a reduced otolith input. The rearrangement of stimuli will force a new interpretation by the CNS of otolith input. This reinterpretation is necessary for a structured and meaningful interaction with the new environment. Data from two flight experiments are presented which support an otolith reinterpretation hypothesis. The first experiment measured vestibulo-spinal reflex changes as a function of sustained free fall. Findings indicate that when a monosynaptic reflex (H-reflex), measured from the major postural muscles (soleus), is used adaptation to space flight includes a change in how the CNS interprets a fall. In a normal gravity environment a sudden unexpected fall will produce a potentiated H reflex. After seven days in flight an equivalent fall does not potentiate the reflex. During postflight a greatly increased reflex is observed in those crewmen most susceptible to space motion sickness. In the second experiment self motion perception and torsional eyemovements were modified as a function of exposure to sustained free fall. Preflight roll motion (about the X axis) was perceived as pure roll, and the eye movements recorded were countertorsional. Postflight, roll stimulation was perceived as linear translation (side to side movement) with a small angular motion component. Eye movement measurements confirmed significantly more horizontal motion.

Reschke, M. F.↗

Consort and Joust sounding rocket missions

The two suborbital rocket programs are described in terms of their common objective of examining commercial applications of materials processing under microgravitational conditions. The sounding rocket programs have unique launch-service capabilities but provide essentially interchangeable payload accommodations. Major differences include longer low gravity times and larger payload volume for the Joust rocket, spin stabilization and land recovery for the Consort rocket, and faster ascent and reentry accelerations for the Joust rocket. A summary of previous and planned experiments for the rocket programs is given which includes studies of the morphology and strength of elastomer-modified epoxy resins, electrodeposition studies, the demixing of immiscible polymers, foam formation, and polymer experiments. These and other experiments can be facilitated by the microgravity time available on flights of the two sounding rockets.

Wessling, Francis C.↗

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2006

Topics covered include: Semiautonomous Avionics-and-Sensors System for a UAV; Biomimetic/Optical Sensors for Detecting Bacterial Species; System Would Detect Foreign-Object Damage in Turbofan Engine; Detection of Water Hazards for Autonomous Robotic Vehicles; Fuel Cells Utilizing Oxygen From Air at Low Pressures; Hybrid Ion-Detector/Data-Acquisition System for a TOF-MS; Spontaneous-Desorption Ionizer for a TOF-MS; Equipment for On-Wafer Testing From 220 to 325 GHz; Computing Isentropic Flow Properties of Air/R-134a Mixtures; Java Mission Evaluation Workstation System; Using a Quadtree Algorithm To Assess Line of Sight; Software for Automated Generation of Cartesian Meshes; Optics Program Modified for Multithreaded Parallel Computing; Programs for Testing Processor-in-Memory Computing Systems; PVM Enhancement for Beowulf Multiple-Processor Nodes; Ion-Exclusion Chromatography for Analyzing Organics in Water; Selective Plasma Deposition of Fluorocarbon Films on SAMs; Water-Based Pressure-Sensitive Paints; System Finds Horizontal Location of Center of Gravity; Predicting Tail Buffet Loads of a Fighter Airplane; Water Containment Systems for Testing High-Speed Flywheels; Vapor-Compression Heat Pumps for Operation Aboard Spacecraft; Multistage Electrophoretic Separators; Recovering Residual Xenon Propellant for an Ion Propulsion System; Automated Solvent Seaming of Large Polyimide Membranes; Manufacturing Precise, Lightweight Paraboloidal Mirrors; Analysis of Membrane Lipids of Airborne Micro-Organisms; Noninvasive Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease Using 12-Lead High-Frequency Electrocardiograms; Dual-Laser-Pulse Ignition; Enhanced-Contrast Viewing of White-Hot Objects in Furnaces; Electrically Tunable Terahertz Quantum-Cascade Lasers; Few-Mode Whispering-Gallery-Mode Resonators; Conflict-Aware Scheduling Algorithm; and Real-Time Diagnosis of Faults Using a Bank of Kalman Filters.

Source record↗

Successful Starshade Petal Deployment Tolerance Verification in Support of NASA's Technology Development for Exoplanet Missions

A Starshade is a sunflower-shaped satellite with a large inner disk structure surrounded by petals that flies in formation with a space-borne telescope, creating a deep shadow around the telescope over a broad spectral band to permit nearby exoplanets to be viewed. Removing extraneous starlight before it enters the observatory optics greatly loosens the tolerances on the telescope and instrument that comprise the optical system, but the nature of the Starshade dictates a large deployable structure capable of deploying to a very precise shape. These shape requirements break down into key mechanical requirements, which include the rigid-body position and orientation of each of the petals that ring the periphery of the Starshade. To verify our capability to meet these requirements, we modified an existing flight-like Astromesh reflector, provided by Northrup Grumman, as the base ring to which the petals attach. The integrated system, including 4 of the 30 flight-like subscale petals, truss, connecting spokes and central hub, was deployed tens of times in a flight-like manner using a gravity compensation system. After each deployment, discrete points in prescribed locations covering the petals and truss were measured using a highly-accurate laser tracker system. These measurements were then compared against the mechanical requirements, and the as-measured data shows deployment accuracy well within our milestone requirements and resulting in a contrast ratio consistent with exoplanet detection and characterization.

External occulters↗

OMV mission simulator

The Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) will be remotely piloted during rendezvous, docking, or proximity operations with target spacecraft from a ground control console (GCC). The real-time mission simulator and graphics being used to design a console pilot-machine interface are discussed. A real-time orbital dynamics simulator drives the visual displays. The dynamics simulator includes a J2 oblate earth gravity model and a generalized 1962 rotating atmospheric and drag model. The simulator also provides a variable-length communication delay to represent use of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and NASA Communications (NASCOM). Input parameter files determine the graphics display. This feature allows rapid prototyping since displays can be easily modified from pilot recommendations. A series of pilot reviews are being held to determine an effective pilot-machine interface. Pilots fly missions with nominal to 3-sigma dispersions in translational or rotational axes. Console dimensions, switch type and layout, hand controllers, and graphic interfaces are evaluated by the pilots and the GCC simulator is modified for subsequent runs. Initial results indicate a pilot preference for analog versus digital displays and for two 3-degree-of-freedom hand controllers.

Cok, Keith E.↗

A computer module used to calculate the horizontal control surface size of a conceptual aircraft design

The creation of a computer module used to calculate the size of the horizontal control surfaces of a conceptual aircraft design is discussed. The control surface size is determined by first calculating the size needed to rotate the aircraft during takeoff, and, second, by determining if the calculated size is large enough to maintain stability of the aircraft throughout any specified mission. The tail size needed to rotate during takeoff is calculated from a summation of forces about the main landing gear of the aircraft. The stability of the aircraft is determined from a summation of forces about the center of gravity during different phases of the aircraft's flight. Included in the horizontal control surface analysis are: downwash effects on an aft tail, upwash effects on a forward canard, and effects due to flight in close proximity to the ground. Comparisons of production aircraft with numerical models show good accuracy for control surface sizing. A modified canard design verified the accuracy of the module for canard configurations. Added to this stability and control module is a subroutine that determines one of the three design variables, for a stable vectored thrust aircraft. These include forward thrust nozzle position, aft thrust nozzle angle, and forward thrust split.

Sandlin, Doral R.↗

Trajectory Engineering with Modular Patched Conics for Entry Systems and TPS (TEMPEST)

Brief Presenter Biography (35 word limit): Bohdan Wesely is an Aerospace Engineer in the Entry Systems and Technology Division at Ames. He has worked on a variety of projects for NASA including integrated TPS (thermal protection system) flight hardware deliveries and testing services for commercial partners. Introduction: TEMPEST is a new trajectory analysis framework that is designed to fill the gap between dedicated flight mechanics tools and aerothermal and TPS sizing tools. The project started as an SJSU master’s thesis and has since evolved into a general conceptual design tool capable of studying a wide variety of entry problems. Development is ongoing in the Entry Systems and Technology Division at NASA ARC. Why TEMPEST: Space missions involving entry into a planetary atmosphere involve a series of unique requirements across multiple disciplines. Whether it is traditional entry descent and landing (EDL), or aerocapture, the vehicle must navigate to its target landing location or orbit state, and the TPS must protect the payload during entry. The design process typically involves iterative handoffs between various flight mechanics, flow solver, and material response level tools. During the early conceptual phase, a wide variety of feasible trajectories are simulated in a Monte Carlo scenario which broadly satisfy the mission or landing requirements. Next, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), and other flow solver analyses are performed at various key trajectory points to generate an aero-database, heating and TPS design requirements also emerge at this stage. At this point, with updated aerodynamics from the various flow solvers, trajectories can be re-run, this in turn can change the required freestream conditions for the CFD tools, and as a project progresses, these analyses converge, and uncertainty is reduced. However, there is always a “hand-off” occurring between two inherently coupled phenomena. Analysis Description: One of the goals with TEMPEST is to use a variety of first principles estimation methods coupled with an atmosphere model to predict vehicle aerothermodynamics across the entire flight regime while propagating a 3 or 6 degree of freedom (DoF) trajectory. Aerodynamics methods include modified Newtonian, Maxwell and Cercignani- Lampis-Lord (CLL) for continuum, transitional, and free molecular flow regimes. Aerothermodynamics include boundary layer and reference enthalpy methods, and Mutation++ for non-equilibrium chemistry modeling. TEMPEST is also capable of stitching multiple trajectory segments together to study mission scenarios like multi-pass aerocapture and aero-gravity assists. Most of the program is implemented in MATLAB using modern system objects, it relies on several C++ shared libraries for supporting tools like Gmsh, the Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM), and Mutation++. The various first principles aerothermal estimation methods are discretized across either a structured axisymmetric panel mesh or an unstructured tri-mesh generated from an open-source tool such as Gmsh, this allows solutions on the same mesh to be compared across tools such as CB-Aero. CFD Coupling. A physics-aware, gaussian process CFD anchoring scheme is proposed to adjust the various first principles methods as a CFD database is populated. One goal for this anchoring module is to inform the project where CFD should be run. Full knowledge of the entire trajectory, atmosphere, and aerothermodynamics allows for easier identification of high sensitivity areas and uncertainty quantification. While the first principles effects are well known and proven accurate in existing tools such as CB- Aero and Cart3D, a physics aware CFD anchoring scheme increases tool credibility across a project lifecycle. Material Response Modeling. Correct TPS sizing is critical for optimizing mass for science payloads and ensuring mission success. The process typically involves a thermal analysis along the trajectory with surface heating environments as a boundary condition. Several design constraints are maximum bondline temperature and maximum recession with various margining techniques. The material response tool FIAT, developed out of NASA Ames, is currently being integrated into the TEMPEST environment. TPS recession, shape change, mass loss, and mass property alteration are all factors that can perturb an entry trajectory. For missions like Mars 2020, recession was minimal and was safely handled separately as a post process. For missions such as Jupiter Galileo with a high TPS mass fraction or asteroid entries, recession plays a major role. The proposed fully coupled scheme is to use an epoch-based approach where the trajectory integration is halted after a recession threshold, the energy balance and FIAT are solved at each panel, the mesh, aerodynamics, and mass properties are updated, and the trajectory continues. Several computational tradeoffs have been made during the development of TEMPEST to limit the cost of a single trajectory and preserve its utility as a conceptual, rapid iteration tool. Conclusion: Development of TEMPEST is ongoing and the project is still in its infancy. This talk aims to showcase its unique capabilities to support future NASA entry systems missions.

Bohdan O Wesely↗

Supersymmetry breaking in SYK and the black hole spectrum

The spectrum and dynamics of near-extremal black holes is strongly modified by quantum effects at low temperatures. When the extremal limit does not preserve any supersymmetry, the density of states goes to zero at extremality and no extremal black holes remain. However, when the extremal limit is supersymmetric, a large microscopic degeneracy survives and there is a gap to the first excited black hole visible from gravity. In this article we study large N quantum mechanical models where supersymmetry is explicitly broken, allowing us to interpolate between these two qualitatively different pictures. We propose and analyze deformations of N = 2 SYK models with such a pattern of (super) symmetry breaking which violate the U(1) R-symmetry. These models feature a lifting of the BPS degeneracy and a closing of the spectral gap, and we further show that the large N soft effective action is given by a modification of the N = 2 Schwarzian theory in which the U(1) R mode becomes massive.

1/N Expansion↗

Dynamics of liquid sloshing in upright and inverted bladdered tanks

A system identification methodology was used to examine the dynamics of liquid sloshing in the upright and inverted bladdered hydrazine tanks of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, (TDRS) and to evaluate the effects of bladder stiffness on the sloshing parameters. Mechanical models of the two systems were developed using the numerical values derived from static stability tests and from slosh frequency response tests of a full-size model tank fitted with a prototype bladder. For the upright tank (liquid below the bladder) a modified conventional pendulum was used. In the inverted tank (liquid above the bladder) where sloshing is unconventional due to the highly nonsymmetrical orientation of the liquid held by the bladder, a mechanical model using an inverted pendulum which is able to undergo small oscillations as well as large reorientations was necessary. Both thrusting and low-gravity conditions are considered.

Dodge, F. T.↗

Seasonal and latitudinal variations of gravity wave-driven fluctuations in OH nightglow

A model which incorporates extended OH-layer emission and gravity-wave dynamics with eddy diffusivities is set forth to analyze seasonal and latitudinal variations in the OH nightglow. The 2D analysis is aimed at determining the nature of the relationship between the oscillation in intensity about a mean intensity and the oscillation in temperature of the emission region about a mean temperature. Competing eddy diffusivities modify the local values and altitudes of maximum wave amplitude, so long-period characterization of the relationship is imprecise. Seasonal trends in the relationship are noted for periods of several hrs or less that are primarily related to seasonal changes in the mesopause undisturbed temperature. Latitudinal trends are shown to be less pronounced, and trends that exist at intermediate periods are difficult to isolate due to interference effects.

Hickey, M. P.↗

Liquid Fuels: Pyrolytic Degradation and Fire Spread Behavior as Influenced by Buoyancy

This work is being conducted by the Combustion and Emission Control Lab in the Engineering Department at Clark Atlanta University under NASA Grant No. NCC3-707. The work aims at providing data to supplement the ongoing NASA research activities on fire spread across liquid pools by providing flow visualization and velocity measurements especially in the gas phase and gas-liquid interface. The fabrication, installation, and testing were completed during this reporting period. The system shakedown and detailed quantitative measurements with High Speed Video and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) systems using butanol as fuel were performed. New and interesting results, not previously reported in the literature, were obtained from the experiments using a modified NASA tray and butanol as fuel. Three distinct flame spread regimes, as previously reported, were observed. These were the pseudo-uniform regime below 20 C, the pulsating regime between 22 and 30 C and the uniform regime above about 31 C. In the pulsating regime the jump velocity appeared to be independent of the pool temperature. However, the retreat velocity between jumps appeared to depend on the initial pool temperature. The flame retreated before surging forwards with increasing brightness. Previous literature reported this phenomenon only under microgravity conditions. However, we observed such behavior in our normal gravity experiments. Mini-pulsations behind the flame front were also observed. Two or three of these pulsations were observed within a single flame front pulsating time period. The velocity vector maps of the gas and liquid phases ahead, during, and behind the flame front were characterized. At least one recirculation cell was observed right below the flame front.The size of the liquid phase vortex (recirculation cell) below the flame front appeared to decrease with increasing initial pool temperature. The experiments also showed how multiple vortices developed in the liquid phase. A large recirculation cell, which generally spins counterclockwise as the flame spread from right to left, was observed ahead of and near the flame front in the gas phase. Detailed quantitative measurements will be undertaken with the LDV and PIV systems using the modified NASA tray and propanol.

Yeboah, Yaw D.↗

Unveiling horizons in quantum critical collapse

Critical gravitational collapse offers a unique window into regimes of arbitrarily high curvature, culminating in a naked singularity arising from smooth initial data — thus providing a dynamical counterexample to weak cosmic censorship. Near the critical regime, quantum effects from the collapsing matter are expected to intervene before full quantum gravity resolves the singularity. Despite its fundamental significance, a self-consistent treatment has so far remained elusive. In this work, we perform a one-loop semiclassical analysis using the robust anomaly-based method in the canonical setup of Einstein gravity minimally coupled to a free, massless scalar field. Focusing on explicitly solvable near-critical solutions in both 2 + 1 and 3 + 1 dimensions, we analytically solve the semiclassical Einstein equations and obtain controlled, quantitative results for several long-standing questions within the dominant s-wave sector. We find that regularity uniquely selects a Boulware-like quantum state, encoding genuine vacuum polarization effects from the collapsing matter. Remarkably, the resulting quantum corrections manifest as a growing mode. Horizon-tracing analyses, incorporating both classical and quantum modes, reveal the emergence of a finite mass gap, signaling a phase transition from classical Type II to quantum-modified Type I behavior, thereby providing a quantum enforcement of the weak cosmic censorship. The most non-trivial aspect of our analysis involves dealing with non-conformal matter fields in explicitly time-dependent critical spacetimes. Along the way, we uncover intriguing and previously underexplored features of quantum field theory in curved spacetime.

2D Gravity↗

Feasibility of Earthbound Motion in Lunar Gravity

BACKGROUND: Marginal stability of astronaut movement while performing lunar surface tasks has been well documented, and is clearly demonstrated in videos of falls, and near falls, during Apollo Lunar Extravehicular Activities. Referencing mission reports from Apollo 15 and 16 [1, 2], suspected causes for falls include: surface conditions, visibility, and gravitational effects (hypogravity). In this preliminary test, we employ the open-source biomechanical tool OpenSim [3, 4] to analyze the impact of lunar gravity (Lg) on two object-pickup motions performed by a single shirt-sleeved subject. Specifically, we attempt to answer the following questions based on an estimation of the Center of Mass Projection (CoMP) and ground reaction force Center of Pressure (COP) as it relates to the astronaut Base of Support (BOS) for 1g and Lg conditions: 1. Is the task motion, as performed in 1g, dynamically feasible in 1g and Lg? 2. Can we make the motion dynamically feasible in Lg by slowing it down? 3. Is the Lg COP equal to the 1g COP at a theoretically predicted reduction in motion speed? METHODS AND RESULTS: To answer the first question, the gravitational acceleration in the OpenSim model is modified from a nominal 9.81 m/s2 to 1.64 m/s2, and the 1g joint trajectory is input to an OpenSim based method [5] for estimating ground reaction forces and moments. From this method, the position of the CoMP and COP can be estimated and checked to see if they remain within a simulated BOS formed from the footprint of the OpenSim model to determine whether the motion is dynamically feasible. As expected, both of the motions were estimated to be feasible in a 1g environment, however, both motions had periods of infeasibility in Lg. It is well known that crew members make adjustments to motion trajectories in altered gravity fields to maintain balance. As a first step, we considered the simple adjustment of slowing the motion in Lg by a constant factor. This was accomplished by scaling the time stamps in the motion trajectory file by that factor. For the two motions considered, it was found that scale factors of 1.3 and 1.4 kept the COP just within the subject BOS. The CoMP is unchanged by the gravity field. Simple analysis of an inverted pendulum in the Lg environment, which generalizes to a general multibody system, leads to a theoretical prediction that a reduction in speed factor of √1g/Lg, or 2.445, will make the COP trajectory in Lg equivalent to that in 1g. When the above procedure was performed with a factor of 2.445, the estimated COP in Lg, was observed to be very close to that in 1g. In summary, we have developed a method for estimating the CoMP and COP in Lg, for subject motion collected in 1g. We believe this method can prove to be a valuable check and balance for simulated Lg training and testing by exposing potential simulator-induced artifacts that make the simulated task motion seem possible, when in fact, it would violate the above criteria. We also note that a reduction in task speed should tend the task motion towards stability, with a theoretical slowdown factor of √1g/Lg making the motion stability equal to that in 1g according to the CoMP and COP criteria.

R K Huffman↗

Vapor-Gas Bubble Evolution and Growth in Extremely Viscous Fluids Under Vacuum

Formation of vapor and gas bubbles and voids is normal and expected in flow processes involving extremely viscous fluids in normal gravity. Practical examples of extremely viscous fluids are epoxy-like filler materials before the epoxy fluids cure to their permanent form to create a mechanical bond between two substrates. When these fluids flow with a free liquid interface exposed to vacuum, rapid bubble expansion process may ensue. Bubble expansion might compromise the mechanical bond strength. The potential sources for the origin of the gases might be incomplete out-gassing process prior to filler application; regasification due to seal leakage in the filler applicator; and/or volatiles evolved from cure reaction products formed in the hardening process. We embarked on a study that involved conducting laboratory experiments with imaging diagnostics in order to deduce the seriousness of bubbling caused by entrained air and volatile fluids under space vacuum and low gravity environment. We used clear fluids with the similar physical properties as the epoxy-like filler material to mimic the dynamics of bubbles. Another aspect of the present study was to determine the likelihood of bubbling resulting from dissolved gases nucleating from solution. These experimental studies of the bubble expansion are compared with predictions using a modified Rayleigh- Plesset equation, which models the bubble expansion.

Kizito, John↗