Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “electromagnetic processes”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16

DSN microwave antenna holography. Part 2: Data processing and display of high-resolution effective maps

The results of a recently completed computer graphic package for the process and display of holographically recorded data into effective aperture maps are presented. The term effective maps (labelled provisional on the holograms) signifies that the maps include contributions of surface mechanical errors as well as other electromagnetic factors (phase error due to feed/subreflector misalignment, linear phase error contribution due to pointing errors, subreflector flange diffraction effects, and strut diffraction shadows). While these maps do not show the true mechanical surface errors, they nevertheless show the equivalent errors, which are effective in determining overall antenna performance. Final steps to remove electromagnetic pointing and misalignment factors are now in progress. The processing and display of high-resolution effective maps of a 64m antenna (DSS 63) are presented.

Rochblatt, D. J.↗

Panning for Gold: New Emission Lines from UV–VIS Spectroscopy of Au i and Au ii

The recent detection of a neutron star merger by the LIGO collaboration has renewed interest in laboratory studies of r-process elements. Accurate modeling and interpretation of the electromagnetic transients following the mergers requires computationally expensive calculations of both the structure and opacity of all trans-iron elements. To date, the necessary atomic data to benchmark structure codes are incomplete or, in some cases, absent entirely. Within the available laboratory studies, the literature on Au i and Au ii provides incomplete reports of the emission lines and level structures. We present a new study of Au i and Au ii lines and levels by exposing a solid gold target to plasma in the Compact Toroidal Hybrid (CTH) experiment at Auburn University. A wavelength range from 187 to 800 nm was studied. In Au i, 86 lines are observed, 43 of which are unreported in the literature, and the energies of 18 $5{d}^{9}6s6p$ levels and 16 of the 18 known $5{d}^{9}6s6d$ levels are corroborated by a least-squares level energy optimization. In Au ii, 76 emission lines are observed, and 51 of the lines are unreported in the literature. For both Au i and Au ii, the new lines predominantly originate from the most energetic of the known levels, and over half of the new Au ii lines have wavelengths longer than 300 nm. For the estimated electron parameters of CTH plasmas at the gold target (ne ~ 10 12 cm -3 , T e ~ 10 eV), two-electron transitions are similar in intensity to LS-allowed one-electron transitions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The updated DESGW processing pipeline for the third LIGO/VIRGO observing run

The DESGW group seeks to identify electromagnetic counterpartsof gravitational wave events seen by the LIGO-VIRGO network, such as thoseexpected from binary neutron star mergers or neutron star- black hole mergers.DESGW was active throughout the first two LIGO observing seasons, followingup several binary black hole mergers and the first binary neutron star merger,GW170817. We describe the modifications to the observing strategy generationand image processing pipeline between the second (ending in August 2017)and third (beginning in April 2019) LIGO observing seasons. The modifica-tions include a more robust observing strategy generator, further parallelizationof the image reduction software and dierence imaging processing pipeline,data transfer streamlining, and a web page listing identified counterpart candi-dates that updates in real time. Taken together, the additional parallelizationsteps enable us to identify potential electromagnetic counterparts within fullycalibrated search images in less than one hour, compared to the 3-5 hours itwould typically take during the first two seasons. These performance improve-ments are critical to the entire EM followup community, as rapid identification(or rejection) of candidates enables detailed spectroscopic followup by multipleinstruments as soon as possible, leading to more information about the environ-ment immediately following such gravitational wave events.

Herner, Kenneth R.↗

Textile composite processing science

A multi-dimensional model of the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process was developed for the prediction of the infiltration behavior of a resin into an anisotropic fiber preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) was developed for in-situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization and mold filling experiments were conducted to verify sensor measurements and model predictions. Test results indicated good agreement between model predictions, sensor readings, and experimental data.

Loos, Alfred C.↗

Analytical modeling and sensor monitoring for optimal processing of advanced textile structural composites by resin transfer molding

A two-dimensional model of the resin transfer molding (RTM) process was developed which can be used to simulate the infiltration of resin into an anisotropic fibrous preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) has been developed for in situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization tests were performed to obtain data which can be used to verify the sensor measurements and the model predictions. Results of the tests showed that FDEMS can accurately detect the position of the resin flow-front during mold filling, and that the model predicted flow-front patterns agreed well with the measured flow-front patterns.

Loos, Alfred C.↗

Field evaluation of semi‐automated moisture estimation from geophysics using machine learning

Geophysical methods can provide three-dimensional (3D), spatially continuous estimates of soil moisture. However, point-to-point comparisons of geophysical properties to measure soil moisture data are frequently unsatisfactory, resulting in geophysics being used for qualitative purposes only. This is because (1) geophysics requires models that relate geophysical signals to soil moisture, (2) geophysical methods have potential uncertainties resulting from smoothing and artifacts introduced from processing and inversion, and (3) results from multiple geophysical methods are not easily combined within a single soil moisture estimation framework. To investigate these potential limitations, an irrigation experiment was performed wherein soil moisture was monitored through time, and several surface geophysical datasets indirectly sensitive to soil moisture were collected before and after irrigation: ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and frequency domain electromagnetics (FDEM). Data were exported in both raw and processed form, and then snapped to a common 3D grid to facilitate moisture prediction by standard calibration techniques, multivariate regression, and machine learning. A combination of inverted ERT data, raw FDEM, and inverted FDEM data was most informative for predicting soil moisture using a random regression forest model (one-thousand 60/40 training/test cross-validation folds produced root mean squared errors ranging from 0.025–0.046 cm 3 /cm 3 ). This cross-validated model was further supported by a separate evaluation using a test set from a physically separate portion of the study area. Machine learning was conducive to a semi-automated model-selection process that could be used for other sites and datasets to locally improve accuracy.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Engineering lithium-ion battery cathodes for high-voltage applications using electromagnetic excitation

Microwave radiation (MWR), a type of electromagnetic excitation source, reduces the synthesis temperature and processing time for chemical reactions compared to traditional synthesis methods. Recently, we demonstrated that MWR can engineer ceramics with different crystal phases compared to traditional methods [ Journal of Materials Chemistry A 5 , 35 (2017)]. Here, we further apply the MWR-assisted technique to improve the electrochemical performance of LiCoO 2 cathodes by engineering TiO 2 and ZrO 2 ceramic coatings. Electrochemical tests suggest that the TiO 2 coating improves the rate capability of the LiCoO 2 electrode. Both TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings improve the high-voltage (4.5 V) cycling stability of LiCoO 2 . The capacity remaining is improved from 52.8 to 84.4% and 81.9% by the TiO 2 coating and the ZrO 2 coating, respectively, after 40 cycles. We compare these results with existing studies that apply traditional methods to engineer TiO 2 /ZrO 2 on LiCoO 2 , and find that the MWR-assisted method shows better performance improvement. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements suggest that the improved cycling stability arises from the formation of metal fluorides that protect the electrode from side reactions with electrolytes. This mechanism is further supported by the reduced Co dissolution from TiO 2 /ZrO 2 -coated LiCoO 2 electrode after cycling. This study provides a new toolbox facilitating the integration of many delicate, low melting point materials like polymers into battery electrodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Improved geophysical monitoring of carbon sequestration through parameter linkage to reservoir modeling

Predictive reservoir modeling, even if present in the form of only basic hydrogeological model assumptions, is expected to accompany the majority of carbon capture and sequestration monitoring activities. It thus represents a source of prior information about the migration of injected fluids that can benefit geophysical survey planning and ensuing monitoring. Constraining the imaging of geophysical monitoring data with reservoir modeling is preferable over standalone geophysical imaging because of additional complementary hydrogeological information. However, fully coupled hydrogeophysical data inversion for flow-modeling parameters that control saturation predictions is an involved process. Within the context of three-dimensional electromagnetic (EM) inversion of data from borehole-to-surface layouts, we employ a "poor people's" alternative. The approach constrains geophysical inversion parameters through saturation predictions. The coupling is realized through spatially variable lower and upper parameter bounds that scale with gas saturation magnitudes, the latter provided by reservoir modeling. In this work, enhancement of three-dimensional time-lapse plume EM imaging is demonstrated for simulated sequestration into a depleted gas reservoir.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

The Second Radio Synchrotron Background Workshop: Conference Summary and Report

We summarize the second radio synchrotron background workshop, which took place on 2022 June 15–17 in Barolo, Italy. This meeting was convened because available measurements of the diffuse radio zero level continue to suggest that it is several times higher than can be attributed to known Galactic and extragalactic sources and processes, rendering it the least well-understood electromagnetic background at present and a major outstanding question in astrophysics. The workshop agreed on the next priorities for investigations of this phenomenon, which include searching for evidence of the radio Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, carrying out cross-correlation analyses of radio emission with other tracers, and supporting the completion of the 310 MHz absolutely calibrated sky map project.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Improving ICARUS track reconstruction algorithms

The ICARUS experiment is part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino program at Fermilab. Its primary objective is to explore the possible existence of sterile neutrinos in the O(1 eV) mass range and to clarify the anomalies observed in the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector and MiniBooNE experiments. The ICARUS-T600 detector is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber, capable of producing high-resolution 3D images and precise calorimetric measurements of ionizing particles. This technology allows for a detailed study of neutrino interactions across a broad energy range, from a few keV to several hundred GeV. The track reconstruction is achieved through a software framework that applies a series of pattern recognition algorithms, transforming raw detector signals into fully reconstructed event topologies. This process involves identifying interaction vertices, particle tracks, and electromagnetic showers within the TPC. However, in certain cases, these algorithms may mistakenly break a single particle track into several shorter segments, interpreting each as a distinct particle. Since track length is used to estimate the particle's energy, such fragmentation can result in an energy underestimation of several hundred MeV. Furthermore, when a track is split into multiple segments, the particle identification (which relies on analyzing the energy loss as a function of the residual range) may fail, potentially leading to the loss of the entire event. To mitigate this problem, we have developed a dedicated algorithm designed to identify and reconnect (“stitch”) the tracks that were erroneously divided into multiple segments.

Ricci, Alessandro Maria [Pisa U.; INFN, Pisa] (ORC↗

Control of Nonlinear Compton Scattering in a Squeezed Vacuum

Electromagnetic radiation by accelerated charges is a fundamental process in physics. Here, we introduce a quantum-optical framework for controlling the emission of radiation of an electron in an intense laser field via squeezed vacuum states. By engineering the quantum fluctuations of the emission modes, we demonstrate that the probability of nonlinear Compton scattering can be significantly enhanced or suppressed through tunable squeezing amplitude and angle. We show numerically that our predictions are experimentally accessible with current squeezing technologies, establishing a new paradigm for quantum control in high-intensity light-matter interactions.

Light-matter interaction↗

First-principles-integrated Study of Blazar Synchrotron Radiation and Polarization Signatures from Magnetic Turbulence

Blazar emission is dominated by nonthermal radiation processes that are highly variable across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Turbulence, which can be a major source of nonthermal particle acceleration, can widely exist in the blazar emission region. The Turbulent Extreme Multi-Zone (TEMZ) model has been used to describe turbulent radiation signatures. Recent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations have also revealed the stochastic nature of the turbulent emission region and particle acceleration therein. However, radiation signatures have not been systematically studied via first-principles-integrated simulations. In this paper, we perform combined PIC and polarized radiative transfer simulations to study synchrotron emission from magnetic turbulence in the blazar emission region. We find that the multiwavelength flux and polarization are generally characterized by stochastic patterns. Specifically, the variability timescale and average polarization degree (PD) are governed by the correlation length of the turbulence. Interestingly, magnetic turbulence can result in polarization angle swings with arbitrary amplitudes and duration, in either direction, that are not associated with changes in flux or PD. Surprisingly, these swings, which are stochastic in nature, can appear either bumpy or smooth, although large-amplitude swings (>180°) are very rare, as expected. Our radiation and polarization signatures from first-principles-integrated simulations are consistent with the TEMZ model, except that in the latter, there is a weak correlation, with zero lag, between flux and degree of polarization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Exhaust plume structure in a quasi-steady MPD arc.

Results of spectroscopic and photographic investigations revealing a complex azimuthal species structure in the exhaust plume of a quasi-steady argon MPD arc. The features of the plume structure are found to be dependent on the arc current and mass flow rate. Time-resolved spectroscopic velocity measurements, obtained by a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer, indicate argon ion jet velocities of 16,500 m/sec at a current of 16 kA and a matched mass flow of 6 g/sec. It is found that nearly half this velocity is attained in an acceleration region well downstream of the region of significant electromagnetic interaction. Temperature measurements suggest that simple expansion processes in the argon jets cannot fully explain the observed acceleration. It is possible that a transfer of momentum from the ablated core flow to the argon jets may contribute to the high argon velocities.

Bruckner, A. P.↗

Theory of type 3b solar radio bursts

During the initial space-time evolution of an electron beam injected into the corona, the strong beam-plasma interaction occurs at the head of the beam, leading to the amplification of a quasi-monochromatic large-amplitude plasma wave that stabilizes by trapping the beam particles. Oscillation of the trapped particles in the wave troughs amplifies sideband electrostatic waves. The sidebands and the main wave subsequently decay to observable transverse electromagnetic waves through the parametric decay instability. This process gives rise to the elementary striation bursts. Owing to velocity dispersion in the beam and the density gradient of the corona, the entire process may repeat at a finite number of discrete plasma levels, producing chains of elementary bursts. All the properties of the type IIIb bursts are accounted for in the context of the theory.

Smith, R. A.↗

Theory of type IIIb solar radio bursts

During the initial space-time evolution of an electron beam injected into the corona, the strong beam-plasma interaction occurs at the head of the beam, leading to the amplification of a quasi-monochromatic large-amplitude plasma wave that stabilizes by trapping the beam particles. Oscillation of the trapped particles in the wave troughs amplifies sideband electrostatic waves. The sidebands and the main wave subsequently decay to observable transverse electromagnetic waves through the parametric decay instability. This process gives rise to the elementary striation bursts. Owing to velocity dispersion in the beam and the density gradient of the corona, the entire process may repeat at a finite number of discrete plasma levels, producing chains of elementary bursts. All the properties of the type IIIb bursts are accounted for in the context of the theory.

Smith, R. A.↗

Advanced solar space missions

The space missions in solar physics planned for the next decade are similar in that they will have, for the most part, distinct, unifying science objectives in contrast to the more general 'exploratory' nature of the Orbiting Solar Observatory and Skylab/ATM missions of the 1960's and 70's. In particular, the strategy for advanced solar physics space missions will focus on the quantitative understanding of the physical processes that create and control the flow of electromagnetic and particulate energy from the sun and through interplanetary space at all phases of the current sunspot cycle No. 21. Attention is given to the Solar Maximum Mission, the International Solar Polar Mission, solar physics on an early Shuttle mission, principal investigator class experiments for future spacelabs, the Solar Optical Telescope, the Space Science Platform, the Solar Cycle and Dynamics Mission, and an attempt to send a spacecraft to within 4 solar radii of the sun's surface.

Bohlin, J. D.↗

Shuttle Tethered Satellite System Program Overview

The first of two demonstration flights of the tethered satellite system (TSS) is planned for the STS-52 flight and is designed to study tether electromagnetic interaction. The magnetospheric-ionospheric-atmospheric coupling processes in the lower troposphere are to be directly measured on the second TSS mission. An operational overview of the TSS-to-orbiter-to-ground interface is given and the TSS deployment concept is explained. Other aspects discussed include the tethered satellite-to-orbiter interface; tether control mechanisms; tether materials, and electrical interfaces. The design of the demonstration flight satellite and its instruments is described. The capabilities of the TSS for the demonstration flight are listed.

Crouch, D.↗

Technique for the efficient and reproducible fabrication of electromagnetic levitation coils

A technique has been developed for fabricating electromagnetic induction coils in a reproducible manner. The process utilizes a split mandrel that can be disassembled to remove the mandrel from the coil. The technique has increased coil production rates by a factor of 8 over the freehand winding method. The success rate for producing a functional levitation coil has been increased from 50 percent to 95 percent. The levitation coil designed during this work has successfully levitated and melted a variety of alloys including Cu, Ag, Ag-Ni, Cu-Fe, Fe-C, and Nb-Ge. W was also levitated but not melted at temperatures as high as 2700 C. The highest sample melt temperature achieved was 2400 C for the Nb-Ge samples.

Ethridge, E. C.↗