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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
DOE OSTI2023

Diagnosis of 3D magnetic field and mode composition in MHD turbulence with Y -parameter

ABSTRACT Magnetic fields are crucial in numerous astrophysical processes within the interstellar medium (ISM). However, the detailed determination of magnetic field geometry is notoriously challenging. Based on the modern magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence theory, we introduce a novel statistical technique, the ‘Y-parameter’, to decipher the magnetic field inclination in the ISM and identify dominant turbulence modes. The Y-parameter, calculated as the ratio of anisotropies of different Stokes parameter combinations, displays contrasting trends with the mean-field inclination angle in Alfvénic and compressible turbulence modes. A Y-parameter value around 1.5 ± 0.5 provide a statistical boundary to determine the dominant MHD turbulence modes. We have discovered specific correlations between the Y-parameter value and the inclination angle that unveil the dominant turbulence mode. This methodology, when applied to future radio polarization surveys such as LOFAR and SKA, promises to significantly enhance our knowledge of 3D magnetic field in the ISM and improve our understanding of interstellar turbulence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1975

The effect of adiabatic focusing upon charged particle propagation in random magnetic fields

Charged particles propagating along the diverging lines of force of a spatially inhomogeneous guiding field were considered as they are scattered by random fields. Their longitudinal transport is described in terms of the eigenfunctions of a Sturm-Liouville operator incorporating the effect of adiabatic focussing along with that of scattering. The relaxation times and characteristic velocities are graphed and tabulated. The particle density is evaluated as a function of space and time for two different regimes. In the first regime (relatively weak focussing), a diffusive mode of propagation is dominant but coherent modes are also dominant. In the second regime (strong focussing), diffusion does not occur and the propagation is purely coherent. This supercoherent mode corresponds exactly to the so-called scatter-free propagation of kilovolt solar flare electrons. On a larger scale, focussed transport provides an interpretation of many observed characteristics of extragalactic radio sources.

Earl, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The effect of background plasma density on the growth of ordinary and Z mode emissions in the auroral zone

Using an electron distribution function measured in the auroral zone, the growth rates of both ordinary and Z-mode radiation are calculated via the cyclotron maser mechanism. The growth rates of Z-mode radiation are much more sensitive to the background plasma density than those of ordinary mode radiation, which are essentially constant over a wide range of the ratio of the background electron plasma frequency to the gyrofrequency. In very low density regions, Z-mode waves are dominant over the ordinary mode, but as the ratio of the electron plasma frequency over the gyrofrequency increases, the growth rates of Z-mode are substantially reduced, leading to an eventual dominance of the ordinary mode over the Z-mode. A comparison between the growth rates of Z-mode due to the upgoing loss cone electrons and those due to the trapped and 'hole' electrons shows that the presence of trapped and hole electrons can greatly enhance the growth rates.

Omidi, N.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dynamic recrystallization of a wrought magnesium alloy: Grain size and texture maps and their application for mechanical behavior predictions

Effect of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) on the grain refinement and texture modification was studied by conducting a series of hot compression on AZ31B Mg alloy. Processing-grain size-texture maps were established as a function of temperature, strain rate, strain, and the Zener-Hollomon parameter (Z). Moreover, influence of simultaneous changes in the grain size and texture on tensile yield strength and ductility of the hot-worked Mg alloy was studied using the grain size and texture maps established. The processing-grain size map showed that the DRX grain size decreased with the increase in Z, also revealing various characteristics ranging from a grain growth, grain refinement, to a bimodal distribution of ultrafine grains and partially recrystallized grains. The effect of twinning on the grain refinement was also evident at high Z conditions. The processing-texture map revealed that the initial fiber texture was altered significantly to a shear, off-normal, or extension-twin texture with the increase in Z. The Schmid-factor maps were calculated to identify a dominant deformation mode during a subsequent tensile deformation of the hot-worked samples. Finally, a corresponding Hall-Petch relationship for each dominant deformation mode was used to establish tensile yield-strength maps, which agree well with the measured data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Saturation physics of threshold heat-flux reduction

The saturation physics of ion-temperature-gradient-driven turbulence is examined in relation to the temperature-gradient variation of the heat flux, which can exhibit an upshift of the critical gradient for significant flux relative to the linear instability threshold. Gyrokinetic measurements of saturation properties and spectral energy transfer, which will be defined in Sec. II, are presented, indicating that the physics of saturation is fundamentally unchanged on either side of the upshifted gradient. To analyze heat transport below and above the upshifted critical gradient, a fluid model for toroidal ion-temperature-gradient turbulence is modified to include the kinetic instability threshold. The model and the heat flux are rendered in the eigenmode decomposition to track the dominant mode-coupling channel of zonal-flow-catalyzed transfer to a conjugate stable mode. Given linear and nonlinear symmetries, the stable mode level and the cross-correlation of the unstable and stable mode amplitudes are related to the unstable mode level via linear physics. Here, the heat flux can then be written in terms of the unstable-mode level, which through a nonlinear balance depends on the eigenmode-dependent coupling coefficients and the triplet correlation time of the dominant coupled modes. Resonance in these quantities leads to suppressed heat flux above the linear threshold, with a nonlinear upshift of the critical gradient set by the resonance broadening of a finite perpendicular wavenumber and collisionality.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

On resistive interchange, double tearing, and resonant and non-resonant infernal modes in spherical tokamak negative central shear discharges

We examine the linear and nonlinear stability of a sequence of reversed shear NSTX equilibria with the same toroidal current density and pressure profile but with different toroidal field strengths. All equilibria have two q = 2 surfaces and have q > 1 everywhere. For this sequence, which all have β P ∼ 0.5, as the minimum value of q decreases below about 1.4, the localized resistive interchange criterion is strongly violated, and the unstable mode with toroidal mode number n=1 changes its dominant poloidal mode number m from a (m,n)=(2,1) double tearing mode to a non-resonant (1,1) infernal mode. This (1,1) mode nonlinearly flattens both the current density and the pressure near the magnetic axis. The higher-n unstable modes are all resistive infernal modes localized around the surface where q has a minimum and the magnetic shear vanishes. They generally saturate nonlinearly at low amplitude but can cause magnetic surface breakup near the axis.

Spitzer resistivity↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low- n global ideal MHD instabilities in the CFETR baseline scenario

This article reports an evaluation on the linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) baseline scenario for various first-wall locations. The initial-value code NIMROD and eigen-value code AEGIS are employed in this analysis. Despite the distinctly different approaches in modeling the scrape off layer region, the dominant growth in each of the low-n (n=1–10) modes are consistent between the two codes. We report the higher-n modes are dominated by ballooning modes and localized in the pedestal region, while the lower-n modes have more prominent external kink components and broader mode profiles. The influence of the plasma-vacuum profile and wall shape are also examined using NIMROD. In the presence of a resistive wall, the low-n ideal MHD instabilities are further studied using AEGIS. For the designed first-wall location, the n=1 resistive wall mode is found to be unstable, which could be fully stabilized by uniform toroidal rotation above the 2.9% core Alfven speed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Frequency multiplication with toroidal mode number of kink/fishbone modes on a static HL-2A-like tokamak

In the presence of energetic particles (EPs), the long-lived mode (LLM) frequency multiplication with n = 1, 2, 3, or higher is often observed on HL-2A, where n is the toroidal mode number. Hybrid kinetic-MHD model simulations of the energetic particle (EP) driven kink/fishbone modes on a static HL-2A-like tokamak using NIMROD code find that when the background plasma pressure is relatively high, and the EP pressure and the beam energy are relatively low, the mode frequency increases almost linearly with EP pressure, and the frequency is proportional to n (‘frequency multiplication’), even in the absence of any equilibrium plasma rotation. In addition, the frequency multiplication persists as the safety factor at the magnetic axis q 0 varies. In the absence of EPs, the growth rate of the 1/1 mode is the largest; however, as the EP pressure increases, the growth rate of 2/2 modes or 3/3 modes becomes dominant, suggesting that higher-n modes are more vulnerable to EPs. These results may shed light on the understanding of the toroidal mode number dependence of kink/fishbone modes in the advanced scenarios of tokamaks with weak or reversed central magnetic shear.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1985

Longitudinal splitting in unidirectional composites, analysis and experiments

An experimental study is conducted to determine the fracture behavior of center notched, unidirectional graphite/epoxy laminates when subjected to tensile loading. The actual behavior is compared to the behavior predicted by a mathematical model based on classical shear-lag assumptions. The model allows for damage to occur in the form of longitudinal matrix yielding and splitting with the matrix assumed to fail in pure shear. Results indicate that the model is capable of predicting split initiation stress levels accurately, but does not describe the subsequent split growth adequately. The model predicts rapid split growth following split initiation due to shear failure, while the actual behavior involves a slow split growth region prior to the rapid growth region. It is suggested that transverse matrix normal stresses are responsible for split initiation and the early, slow split growth. The model predicts the actual initiation stress levels reliably, and also appears to be able to predict the point at which the shear failure mode begins to dominate. The shear failure mode does eventually dominate, but at a slower rate than predicted. The nonuniform structure of the graphite/epoxy laminates is thought to be responsible for decreasing the split growth rate due to shear failure.

Goree, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Stability Experiments on a Flared-Cone Model at Angle of Attack in a Quiet Wind Tunnel

An experimental investigation of the effects of angle of attack on hypersonic boundary-layer stability on a flared-cone model was conducted in the low-disturbance Mach-6 Nozzle-Test Chamber Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. This unique facility provided a 'quiet' flow test environment which is well suited for stability experiments because the low levels of freestream 'noise' minimize artificial stimulation of flow-disturbance growth. Surface pressure and temperature measurements documented the adverse-pressure gradient and transition-onset location. Hot-wire anemometry diagnostics were applied to identify the instability mechanisms which lead to transition. In addition, the mean flow over the flared-cone geometry was modeled by laminar Navier-Stokes computations. Results show that the boundary layer becomes more stable on the windward ray and less stable on the leeward ray relative to the zero-degree angle-of-attack case. The second-mode instability dominates the transition process at a zero-degree angle of attack, however, on the windward ray at an angle of attack this mode was completely stabilized. The less-dominant first-mode instability was slightly destabilized on the windward ray. Non-linear mechanisms such as saturation and harmonic generation are identified from the flow-disturbance bispectra.

Doggett, Glen P.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Methodologies for Verification and Validation of Space Launch System (SLS) Structural Dynamic Models

Responses to challenges associated with verification and validation (V&V) of Space Launch System (SLS) structural dynamics models are presented in this paper. Four methodologies addressing specific requirements for V&V are discussed. (1) Residual Mode Augmentation (RMA), which has gained acceptance by various principals in the NASA community, defines efficient and accurate FEM modal sensitivity models that are useful in test-analysis correlation and reconciliation and parametric uncertainty studies. (2) Modified Guyan Reduction (MGR) and Harmonic Reduction (HR, introduced in 1976), developed to remedy difficulties encountered with the widely used Classical Guyan Reduction (CGR) method, are presented. MGR and HR are particularly relevant for estimation of "body dominant" target modes of shell-type SLS assemblies that have numerous "body", "breathing" and local component constituents. Realities associated with configuration features and "imperfections" cause "body" and "breathing" mode characteristics to mix resulting in a lack of clarity in the understanding and correlation of FEM- and test-derived modal data. (3) Mode Consolidation (MC) is a newly introduced procedure designed to effectively "de-feature" FEM and experimental modes of detailed structural shell assemblies for unambiguous estimation of "body" dominant target modes. Finally, (4) Experimental Mode Verification (EMV) is a procedure that addresses ambiguities associated with experimental modal analysis of complex structural systems. Specifically, EMV directly separates well-defined modal data from spurious and poorly excited modal data employing newly introduced graphical and coherence metrics.

Coppolino, Robert N.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Designing clutter rejection filters with complex coefficients for airborne pulsed Doppler weather radar

Ground clutter interference is a major problem for airborne pulse Doppler radar operating at low altitudes in a look-down mode. With Doppler zero set at the aircraft ground speed, ground clutter rejection filtering is typically accomplished using a high-pass filter with real valued coefficients and a stopband notch centered at zero Doppler. Clutter spectra from the NASA Wind Shear Flight Experiments of l991-1992 show that the dominant clutter mode can be located away from zero Doppler, particularly at short ranges dominated by sidelobe returns. Use of digital notch filters with complex valued coefficients so that the stopband notch can be located at any Doppler frequency is investigated. Several clutter mode tracking algorithms are considered to estimate the Doppler frequency location of the dominant clutter mode. From the examination of night data, when a dominant clutter mode away from zero Doppler is present, complex filtering is able to significantly increase clutter rejection over use of a notch filter centered at zero Doppler.

Jamora, Dennis A.↗
NASA NTRS1954

A Method for Prevention of Screaming in Rocket Engines

Lateral and longitudinal combustion-pressure oscillations that occurred in screaming combustion of a 1000-pound-thrust rocket engine using white fuming nitric acid and JP-4 fuel as propellants were successfully prevented by means of longitudinal fins in the combustion chamber. Fin position was critical, and complete attenuation was achieved only when the fins were located in a zone approximately 8 to 16 inches from the injector. Fins located in other zones, that is, near the injector or far downstream from the injector, did not stop the oscillations. When oscillations occurred in finned chambers, the longitudinal mode seemed more dominant than the lateral mode; in chambers without fins, the lateral mode tended to be dominant. The lateral oscillation was distorted and its intensity diminished by the fins. Fins, however, did not affect the frequencies; the longitudinal frequency varied inversely with chamber length, and lateral frequencies varied only slightly from an average of 6000 cycles per second.

ROCKET ENGINE NOISE↗
NASA NTRS2012

Secondary Instability of Second Modes in Hypersonic Boundary Layers

Second mode disturbances dominate the primary instability stage of transition in a number of hypersonic flow configurations. The highest amplification rates of second mode disturbances are usually associated with 2D (or axisymmetric) perturbations and, therefore, a likely scenario for the onset of the three-dimensionality required for laminar-turbulent transition corresponds to the parametric amplification of 3D secondary instabilities in the presence of 2D, finite amplitude second mode disturbances. The secondary instability of second mode disturbances is studied for selected canonical flow configurations. The basic state for the secondary instability analysis is obtained by tracking the linear and nonlinear evolution of 2D, second mode disturbances using nonlinear parabolized stability equations. Unlike in previous studies, the selection of primary disturbances used for the secondary instability analysis was based on their potential relevance to transition in a low disturbance environment and the effects of nonlinearity on the evolution of primary disturbances was accounted for. Strongly nonlinear effects related to the self-interaction of second mode disturbances lead to an upstream shift in the upper branch neutral location. Secondary instability computations confirm the previously known dominance of subharmonic modes at relatively small primary amplitudes. However, for the Purdue Mach 6 compression cone configuration, it was shown that a strong fundamental secondary instability can exist for a range of initial amplitudes of the most amplified second mode disturbance, indicating that the exclusive focus on subharmonic modes in the previous applications of secondary instability theory to second mode primary instability may not have been fully justified.

Li, Fei↗
DOE OSTI2021

Linear simulation of kinetic electromagnetic instabilities in a tokamak plasma with weak magnetic shear

Gyrokinetic simulation and eigenvalue calculation of electromagnetic instabilities are carried out for an experimentally observed low-n mode in weak magnetic shear discharge. With different magnetic shear values, the Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code simulation of the ion temperature gradient mode is consistent with the eigenvalue code (HD7) calculation. Due to the sensitivity of the kinetic ballooning mode (KBM) to global equilibrium, the simulation of the KBM deviates from the eigenvalue results, for the ballooning representation used in HD7 satisfies its spatial scale separations. Under a flat safety factor profile, the KBM is more unstable and its mode structure tends to move with the peak of the ion temperature drive. Further simulation of the KBM in an HL-2A-like equilibrium shows that the β excitation threshold of the mode is lower than 0.2% and the dominant toroidal mode number is n = 4, which is consistent with the measured experimental spectrum.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1992

Excitation of pressure modes in common envelopes

The excitation of oscillatory modes by a low-mass star orbiting inside a common envelope with a more massive star is investigated, with emphasis on adiabatic high spherical harmonic degree (l is much greater than 1) modes propagating outward in the envelope. The dominant oscillatory modes are those for which the spherical harmonic order is large, and thus the amplitudes are large close to the equatorial plane and small closer to the poles. A secondary of mass about 1 percent of the primary mass excites modes with relative surface amplitudes of a few x 10 percent. Even a Jupiter-like brown dwarf, when it is very deep in the envelope of an asymptotic giant branch star, can cause perturbations of relative surface amplitudes of about 10 percent near the equatorial plane. If mass loss is influenced by oscillation, then this mechanism can lead to higher mass loss in the equatorial plane. In case of an asymptotic giant branch primary, this might lead to the formation of an elliptical planetary nebula.

Soker, Noam↗
NASA NTRS1987

Measurement of impact-induced delamination buckling in composite laminates

High-velocity impact tests were performed on graphite/epoxy laminates with embedded delaminations. High-speed photography of the transversely impacted laminates shows that dynamic local buckling of the sublaminate region formed by the delamination can cause a mode-I-dominated propagation of that delamination. Simultaneous recordings of the dynamic strain histories at several locations in the buckled sublaminate region are used to measure the laminate and sublaminate responses to the impact loading. Flexural motion resulting from transverse impact is shown to reduce local buckling of the sublaminate. This buckling causes a progressive separation of the delaminated surfaces and subsequent extension of the delamination in a mode-I dominated fashion.

Grady, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Nonlinear Evolution of Instabilities in a Laminar Separation Bubble at a Hypersonic Mach Number

The development of both convective stationary perturbation as well as global instabilities in the vicinity of a laminar separation bubble above an axisymmetric compression corner in a hypersonic flow is investigated using numerical simulations. The flow configuration of primary interest corresponds to the cone-cylinder-flare model used in experimental measurements in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel at Purdue University. For a flare angle of 10 degrees and a unit Reynolds number of 11.5 x 10 6 m -1 , their surface flow visualizations identified the presence of streamwise elongated thermal streaks near the reattachment position and the dominant azimuthal spacing between the streaks was determined to be approximately 10 degrees (i.e., an azimuthal mode number of 36). Previous linear stability analyses predicted that the amplification characteristics of small amplitude, unsteady, convective instabilities within this flow were consistent with the surface pressure fluctuations measured in the experiment. However, their accompanying analysis of global instabilities had found the separation bubble to be weakly unstable at the 10 degrees flare angle, with the most unstable global mode corresponding to a stationary disturbance with an azimuthal wavenumber of m ≈ 5, which was well below the measured wavenumber of m = 36. Besides confirming the presence of the global instability at these flow conditions, the present numerical simulations quantify the details of the stationary equilibrium state associated with the supercritical bifurcation resulting from the nonlinear saturation of the unstable global mode. Although velocity perturbations associated with the saturated global mode are dominated by the fundamental spanwise wavelength associated with the linear global instability, the surface heat flux downstream of reattachment is dominated by m = 36 in agreement with experimental measurements. However, the shorter wavelength peak ( m = 36) in the azimuthal spectrum is not manifested as streaks with an azimuthal spacing of 10 degrees. An additional simulation of the combined evolution of both unsteady convective and global instabilities indicates that the nonlinear interactions between a broadband spectrum of oblique Mack’s first mode instabilities generate stationary vortex modes with a higher dominant wavenumber ( m = 60) as that observed in the experiments. Additional analyses are performed to predict the global mode behavior at other flare angles and how it differs from the convective centrifugal instability due to concave streamline curvature over the compression corner.

Hypersonic flow↗