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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

An Ab Initio Based Potential Energy Surface for Water

We report a new determination of the water potential energy surface. A high quality ab initio potential energy surface (PES) and dipole moment function of water have been computed. This PES is empirically adjusted to improve the agreement between the computed line positions and those from the HITRAN 92 data base. The adjustment is small, nonetheless including an estimate of core (oxygen 1s) electron correlation greatly improves the agreement with experiment. Of the 27,245 assigned transitions in the HITRAN 92 data base for H2(O-16), the overall root mean square (rms) deviation between the computed and observed line positions is 0.125/cm. However the deviations do not correspond to a normal distribution: 69% of the lines have errors less than 0.05/cm. Overall, the agreement between the line intensities computed in the present work and those contained in the data base is quite good, however there are a significant number of line strengths which differ greatly.

Partridge, Harry↗

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Asteroids, Meteors, Comets

Reports included:Long Term Stability of Mars Trojans; Horseshoe Asteroids and Quasi-satellites in Earth-like Orbits; Effect of Roughness on Visible Reflectance Spectra of Planetary Surface; SUBARU Spectroscopy of Asteroid (832) Karin; Determining Time Scale of Space Weathering; Change of Asteroid Reflectance Spectra by Space Weathering: Pulse Laser Irradiation on Meteorite Samples; Reflectance Spectra of CM2 Chondrite Mighei Irradiated with Pulsed Laser and Implications for Low-Albedo Asteroids and Martian Moons; Meteorite Porosities and Densities: A Review of Trends in the Data; Small Craters in the Inner Solar System: Primaries or Secondaries or Both?; Generation of an Ordinary-Chondrite Regolith by Repetitive Impact; Asteroid Modal Mineralogy Using Hapke Mixing Models: Validation with HED Meteorites; Particle Size Effect in X-Ray Fluorescence at a Large Phase Angle: Importance on Elemental Analysis of Asteroid Eros (433); An Investigation into Solar Wind Depletion of Sulfur in Troilite; Photometric Behaviour Dependent on Solar Phase Angle and Physical Characteristics of Binary Near-Earth-Asteroid (65803) 1996 GT; Spectroscopic Observations of Asteroid 4 Vesta from 1.9 to 3.5 micron: Evidence of Hydrated and/or Hydroxylated Minerals; Multi-Wavelength Observations of Asteroid 2100 Ra-Shalom: Visible, Infrared, and Thermal Spectroscopy Results; New Peculiarities of Cometary Outburst Activity; Preliminary Shape Modeling for the Asteroid (25143) Itokawa, AMICA of Hayabusa Mission; Scientific Capability of MINERVA Rover in Hayabusa Asteroid Mission; Characteristics and Current Status of Near Infrared Spectrometer for Hayabusa Mission; Sampling Strategy and Curation Plan of Hayabusa Asteroid Sample Return Mission; Visible/Near-Infrared Spectral Properties of MUSES C Target Asteroid 25143 Itokawa; Calibration of the NEAR XRS Solar Monitor; Modeling Mosaic Degradation of X-Ray Measurements of 433 Eros by NEAR-Shoemaker; Scattered Light Remediation and Recalibration of near Sheomaker s NIS Global Dataaset at 433 Eros; Evaluation of Preparation and Measuring Techniques for Interplanetary Dust Particles for the MIDAS Experiment on Rosetta; Chiron: a Proposed Remote Sensing Prompt Gamma Ray Activation Analysis Instrument for a Nuclear Powered Prometheus Mission;From Present Surveying to Future Prospecting of the Asteroid Belt; Asteroid Physical Properties Probe Microgravity Testing of a Surface Sampling System for Sample Return from Small Solar System Bodies;and Penetrator Coring Apparatus for Cometary Surfaces.

Source record↗

The Core of the Moon - Molten or Solid?

While several studies beginning in the Apollo era and continuing up to the present have tried to detect the lunar core, either geochemically, geophysically or geologically [e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4], it has so far proven somewhat elusive. The unambiguous detection of the lunar core is of prime importance as it holds the potential of distinguishing between the various theories for the formation of the Moon. The theory which currently enjoys the greatest success is the giant impact model, which has the Moon forming about 4.5 Gyr ago from the debris produced when a Mars sized proto planet collided with the proto Earth [e.g. 5, 6]. Simulations reveal that the material from which the Moon is made up contains very little iron and consequently a lunar core, if it exists, should be small.

Khan, A.↗

Exploration of the Habitability of Mars with the SAM Suite Investigation on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory

The 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) with a substantially larger payload capability that any other Mars rover, to date, is designed to quantitatively assess a local region on Mars as a potential habitat for present or past life. Its goals are (1) to assess past or present biological potential of a target environment, (2) to characterize geology and geochemistry at the MSL landing site, and (3) to investigate planetary processes that influence habitability. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Suite, in its final stages of integration and test, enables a sensitive search for organic molecules and chemical and isotopic analysis of martian volatiles. MSL contact and remote surface and subsurface survey Instruments establish context for these measurements and facilitate sample identification and selection. The SAM instruments are a gas chromatograph (GC), a mass spectrometer (MS), and a tunable laser spectrometer (TLS). These together with supporting sample manipulation and gas processing devices are designed to analyze either the atmospheric composition or gases extracted from solid phase samples such as rocks and fines. For example, one of the core SAM experiment sequences heats a small powdered sample of a Mars rock or soil from ambient to -1300 K in a controlled manner while continuously monitoring evolved gases. This is followed by GCMS analysis of released organics. The general chemical survey is complemented by a specific search for molecular classes that may be relevant to life including atmospheric methane and its carbon isotope with the TLS and biomarkers with the GCMS.

Mahaffy, P. R.↗

Implantable Wireless MEMS Sensors for Medical Uses

Sensors designed and fabricated according to the principles of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are being developed for several medical applications in outer space and on Earth. The designs of these sensors are based on a core design family of pressure sensors, small enough to fit into the eye of a needle, that are fabricated by a "dissolved wafer" process. The sensors are expected to be implantable, batteryless, and wireless. They would be both powered and interrogated by hand-held radio transceivers from distances up to about 6 in. (about 15 cm). One type of sensor would be used to measure blood pressure, particularly for congestive heart failure. Another type would be used to monitor fluids in patients who have hydrocephalus (high brain pressure). Still other types would be used to detect errors in delivery of drugs and to help patients having congestive heart failure.

Chimbayo, Alexander↗

Small Business Launches Down-to-Earth Products via NASA SBIR Program

Through the SBIR program, DSSP developed a multi-pulse solid rocket motor for NASA that will enable stabilized interplanetary flight for small satellites. Another of DSSP’s core innovations with roots in the SBIR program is already having an even greater impact. Originally proposed to fuel a microsatellite thruster for Earth-observation missions, DSSP’s HAN-based green electric monopropellants (GEM and AF-M315E) technology is powering larger satellites, enhancing downhole oil and gas recovery, and much more. Highly insensitive to ignition by spark, flame, or shock, GEM-based innovations are stable, non-toxic, and more controllable than conventional propellants.

Bruce R Cogan↗

Base Flow Characteristics for Several Four-Clustered Rocket Configurations at Mach Numbers from 2.0 to 3.5

A generalized study of base flow phenomena has been conducted with four 500-pound-thrust JP-4 fuel-liquid-oxygen rocket motors installed in the base of a 12-inch-diameter cylindrical model. Data were obtained over a Mach number and nozzle pressure ratio range of 2.0 to 3.5 and 340 to 600, respectively. Base heat flux, gas temperature, and pressure were highest in the center of the cluster core and decreased in a radial direction. Although a maximum heat flux of 93 Btu per square foot per second was measured within the cluster core, peripheral heat fluxes were low, averaging about 5 Btu per square foot per second for all configurations. Generally base heat flux was found to be independent of Mach number over the range investigated. Base heat flux within the cluster core was decreased by increasing motor spacing, motor extension, a combination of increasing nozzle area ratio and decreasing exit angle and gimbaling the two side engines. Small amounts of nitrogen injected within the cluster core sharply reduced core heat flux.

Musial, Norman T.↗

Kinematics of the SgrB2(N-LMH) Molecular Core

Ethyl cyanide (CH3CH2CN) emission and absorption have been imaged with the Very Large Array (VLA) toward SgrB2(N-LMH) by means of the 5(sub 15)-4(sub 14) rotational transition at 43.5 GHz (lambda approx. 7 mm). The 1.5" x 1.4" VLA beam shows two principal sources of ethyl cyanide emission: an unresolved source approx. 5" north of the LMH that is kinematically consistent with simple expansion, contraction, or small-scale turbulence, and the resolved LMH core source itself that shows kinematics indicating an edge-on rotating disk that extends 23" (approx. 0.1 pc) in the approximate east-west direction. A search for the 7(sub 07)-6(sub 06) rotational transition of the amino acid glycine (NH2CH2COOH) at 43.7 GHz toward SgrB2(N-LMH) gave negative results.

Hollis, J. M.↗

A First Look at the DGEN380 Engine Acoustic Data from a Core-Noise Perspective

This work is a first look at acoustic data acquired in the NASA Glenn Research Center Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory using the Price Induction DGEN380 small turbofan engine, with particular emphasis on broadband combustor (core) noise. Combustor noise is detected by using a two-signal source separation technique employing one engine-internal sensor and one semi-far-field microphone. Combustor noise is an important core-noise component and is likely to become a more prominent contributor to overall airport community noise due to turbofan design trends, expected aircraft configuration changes, and advances in fan-noise-mitigation techniques. This work was carried out under the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program, Fixed Wing Project, Quiet Performance Subproject

Combustor Noise↗

The gamma ray experiment for the Small Astronomy Satellite B (SAS-B)

A magnetic core digitized spark chamber gamma ray telescope has been developed for satellite use. The detector has the following characteristics: effective area = 500 cu/cm, solid angle = 1/4 SR; efficiency (high energy) = 0.29; and time resolution of better than two milliseconds.

Fichtel, C. E.↗

Effects of Fe/C phase separation on the ages of white dwarfs

The energy release associated with the phase separation of Fe from C in a predominantly C white dwarf is calculated. The total gravitational-plus-internal energy differences between models of homogeneous compositions and those wth Fe-enriched cores are computed. In the unlikely case where the core is pure Fe, a substantial extension of the white dwarf cooling times is found, even with the small cosmic abundance of this element. For the more realistic core compositions that result if the Fe/C phase diagram is either of the spindle or of the azeotropic type, the energy release is still sufficient to prolong the cooling times by about 0.6 Gyr, comparable to that produced by C/O phase separation. Phase separation is found to produce an appreciable 'bump' in the luminosity function, although not one large enough to exceed the observational errors at low luminosities.

Xu, Z. W.↗

Very-broadband-structure and the linear rise in the extinction curve

Measurements of the very broadband structure in the visual part of the extinction curve are compared to IUE extinction curve parameters in the scheme of Fitzpatrick and Massa. The correlation of Very-broadband-structure (VBS) depth with FUV rise found by Reimann & Friedemann (1991) is shown to be a correlation with linear rise and not with far UV non-linear rise. The correlation with linear rise suggests that the VBS is due to an onset of extinction at about 1.8/micrometer, rather than what has previously been suggested: due to luminescence or the presence of two extinction components longward and shortward of the VBS. The optical properties inferred for the linear rise carrier are consistent with some amorphous solid with a large optical gap. Small carbonaceous grains may be the carrier of the linear rise in extinction, because the erosion of core-mantle particles is expected to produce many of such small grains and offers a natural mechanism for the existence of the inferred two populations of big (a approximately 0.13 micrometer) and small (a approximately 0.005 micrometer) grains.

Jenniskens, P.↗

A Search for Interstellar Oxiranecarbonitrile (C3H3NO)

We report a search in cold, quiescent and in 'hot core' type interstellar molecular clouds for the small cyclic molecule oxiranecarbonitrile (C3H3NO), which has been suggested as a precursor of important prebiotic molecules. We have determined upper limits to the column density and fractional abundance for the observed sources and find that, typically, the fractional abundance by number relative to molecular hydrogen Of C3H3NO is less than a few times 10(exp -10). This limit is one to two orders of magnitude less than the measured abundance of such similarly complex species as CH3CH2CN and HCOOCH3 in well-studied hot cores. A number of astrochemical discoveries were made, including the first detection of the species CH3CH2CN in the massive star-forming clouds G34.3+0.2 and W51M and the first astronomical detections of some eight rotational transitions of CH3CH2CN, CH3CCH, and HCOOCH3. In addition, we found 8 emission lines in the 89 GHz region and 18 in the 102 GHz region which we were unable to assign.

Dicken, J. E.↗

Semiconvection and period changes in RR Lyrae stars

The possibility is considered that convective mixing inherently associated with composition redistribution inward through a semiconvective zone (SCZ) and into the convective core by the end of the horizontal-branch (HB) phase may be primarily responsible for the observed period changes in RR Lyrae stars. Specifically, it is proposed that the period changes in RR Lyrae stars are caused mainly by small random mixing events within the SCZ and at the edge of the convective core. Tests of several HB models that include semiconvection are presented which demonstrate that stellar evolution cannot satisfactorily account for the observed period changes but that mixing events involving only a very small part of the SCZ or a very small extension of the convective core are sufficient to change the pulsation period of an RR Lyrae star by the amount typically observed. The frequency of the period changes is predicted theoretically and found to be in good agreement with the observed value within the substantial uncertainties involved. A procedure is outlined for future period-change testing of HB models.

Sweigart, A. V.↗

Asteroids and meteorites - Origin of stony-iron meteorites at mantle-core boundaries

Stony-iron meteorites formed at the core/mantle interfaces of small asteroidal parents. The mesosiderites formed when the thick crust of a largely molten parent body (100-200 km in diameter) foundered and sank through the mantle to the core. Pallasites formed in smaller parent bodies (50-100 km) in which olivine crystals from the partially molten mantle sank to the core/mantle interface and rafted there. Subsequent collisions stripped away the rocky mantles of both kinds of parent bodies, exposing the stony-iron surfaces of their cores to direct impacts, which continue to knock off meteorite fragments.

Greenberg, R.↗

Vortex bursting and associated twist dynamics on helical vortex tubes and vortex rings

The interaction of opposite-signed twist waves on vortex tubes can lead to vortex bursting, a process where the core expands into a double ring-like structure with strong swirling flows. Previous works have studied vortex bursting on rectilinear vortices by axially perturbing the initial core size to generate the twist waves, and observed largely axisymmetric bursting dynamics. In this work, we numerically study bursting on vortical structures with curved centrelines, analysing the interaction between the centreline dynamics, twist wave generation and propagation, and vortex bursting. We focus on axially perturbed helical vortex tubes with small radius-to-pitch ratios up to$0.0625$, as well as vortex rings with a large radius-to-core size ratio$10$, both at a circulation-based Reynolds number$5000$. The results show that though the initial twist wave propagation speeds are relatively unaffected by the curvature and torsion of the centreline, the bursting process is altered significantly compared with rectilinear vortices. The self-induced rotation of the centreline of the helical tube induces a non-axisymmetric distortion of the bursting structure, which rapidly breaks up the vortex core into small-scale helical structures. A similar destabilization of the bursting structure also occurs on vortex rings. The enstrophy increase and accelerated energy decay associated with bursting are predominantly determined by the twist wave strength, rather than the curvature and torsion of the centreline. Combined, our findings imply that bursting could play an important role in transferring and dissipating energy of vortical structures in wakes, and turbulent flows in general.

Mechanics↗

Ventilation Heat Exchanger / Flow Meter for xPLSS

The flow meter / heat exchanger (FMHX) in the ventilation loop of the exploration EMU cools the ventilation gas and measures the ventilation flow rate. The heat exchanger transfers heat from the ventilation gas to the thermal control loop via a miniature shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The flow meters calculate the flow rate of gas through the ventilation loop based on the pressure drop across the heat exchanger core. Creare has delivered four design validation test (DVT) heat exchangers and five DVT flow meters to NASA JSC to support development of the exploration portable life support system (xPLSS). This paper describes the design and performance of the DVT units.The heat exchangers are designed to cool the ventilation gas to a specified temperature with low pressure losses under the most challenging operating conditions. The measured performance of the DVT heat exchangers agrees well with design models and meets all performance requirements. The flow meters use a MEMS thermal flow sensor to produce a signal that is proportional to a small bypass flow around the heat exchanger core. They are designed to achieve high measurement accuracy across the full range of xPLSS operating conditions. We calibrated the flow meters in a special-purpose flow facility that simulates operation in the xPLSS ventilation loop. Calibration testing shows that DVT flow meters produce digital output for vent loop mass flow that meets NASA’s accuracy requirements across the range of xPLSS operating conditions. This paper reviews the design of the heat exchangers and flow meters and presents data from the final flow meter calibration testing, heat exchanger performance validation, and initial ground testing in NASA’s xPLSS.

spacesuit↗