Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “charge correlations”

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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

A CCD System for Photometry of Direct and Spectroscopic Images

A charge-coupled device (CCD) for direct imagery at the focus of a ground-based telescope and for high dispersion spectroscopy of stars is evaluated. The CCD is an RCA SID 53612 thinned, buried channel array of 512x320 30-micron square pixels that are back-illuminated and refrigerated to about -60 C in a rugged, RF-shielded vacuum housing. The double-correlated sampling (integrator) readout system, the Z80 microprocessor readout control system, and the data collection system are described. The readout noise is 120 electron-hole pairs (ehp) per pixel per readout, the thermal dark current is 50 ehp/pixel/sec, and the scale of the 12-bit analog-to-digital converter is 25 ehp/AD unit. Unique features of this system are compared to other astronomical implementations of the same model of CCD.

Frecker, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Directly Driven Ion Outflow

We examine ionospheric outflows in the high altitude magnetospheric polar cap during the POLAR satellite's apogee on April 19, 1996 using the Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment (TIDE) instrument. The elevated levels of O(+) observed in this pass may be due to the geophysical conditions during and prior to the apogee pass. In addition to the high abundance of O(+) relative to H(+), several other aspects of this data are noteworthy. We observe relationships between the density, velocity, and temperature which appear to be associated with perpendicular heating and the mirror force, rather than adiabatic expansion. The H(+) outflow is at a fairly constant flux which is consistent with being source limited by charge exchange at lower altitudes. Local centrifugal acceleration in the polar cap is found to be insufficient to account for the main variations we observe in the outflow velocity. The solar wind speed is high during this pass approximately 700 kilometers per second, and there are Alfve'n waves present in the solar wind such that the solar wind speed and IMF Bx are correlated. In this pass both the H(+) and O(+) outflow velocities correlate with both the solar wind speed and IMF fluctuations. Polar cap magnetometer and Hydra electron data show the same long period wave structure as found in the solar wind and polar cap ion outflow. In addition, the polar cap Poynting flux along the magnetic field direction correlates well with the H(+) temperature (R=0.84). We conclude that the solar wind can drive polar cap ion outflow particularly during polar squalls by setting up a parallel drop that is tens of eV which then causes the ion outflow velocity of O(+) and H(+), the electrons, and magnetic perturbations to vary in a similar fashion.

Elliott, H. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Theoretical study of the bonding of Nb(2+) to CH2, C2H2, and C2H4

The bonding of Nb(2+) with CH2, C2H2, and C2H4 is studied by using electronic structure calculations that include high levels of electron correlation. The binding energy for NbCH2(2+) is in good agreement with the lower bound determined from the reaction with CH4 but is significantly smaller than the value determined from the binding energy and ionization potential of NbCH2(+). The calculations and a new interpretation of the experiment indicate that the larger value is in error primarily because the ionization potential of NbCH2(+) determined from bracketing charge-exchange reactions is too small. The computed binding energy of NbC2H2(2+) is in good agreement with experiment. The calculations show that the bonding is predominantly covalent in character for both NbCH2(2+) and NbC2H2(2+), whereas for NbC2H4(2+) the electronic states that are predominantly ionic and covalent are nearly degenerate. The trend in binding energies, CH2 greater than C2H2 greater than C2H4, is consistent with the energy required to prepare the ligands for bonding.

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Turbulent flame propagation and combustion in spark ignition engines

Pressure measurements synchronized with high-speed motion-picture records of flame propagation have been made in a transparent-piston engine. The data show that the initial expansion speed of the flame front is close to that of a laminar flame. As the flame expands, its speed rapidly accelerates to a quasi-steady value comparable with that of the turbulent velocity fluctuations in the unburned gas. During the quasi-steady propagation phase, a significant fraction of the gas behind the visible front is unburned. Final burnout of the charge may be approximated by an exponential decay in time. The data have been analyzed in a model-independent way to obtain a set of empirical equations for calculating mass burning rates in spark-ignition engines. The burning equations contain three parameters: the laminar burning speed, a characteristic speed (uT), and a characteristic length (lT). The laminar burning speed is known from laboratory measurements. Tentative correlations relating uT and lT to engine geometry and operating variables have been derived from the engine data.

Beretta, G. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

IUE spectra and optical imaging of the oxygen-rich supernova remnant N132D

We present new optical Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) interference filter imagery and International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectroscopy for the oxygen-rich supernova remnant N132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The optical images show a wealth of structure, and comparison with an archival Einstein High Resolution Imager (HRI) X-ray image shows that a few optical features have X-ray counter-parts, but in general there is little correlation between X-ray and optical features. The IUE spectra at two positions show strong lines of carbon and oxygen, with lines of neon, magnesium, silicon, and helium also present and variable in relative intensities. We use optical data for N132D from Dopita & Tuohy (1984) with our UV observations to compare with shock models (both with and without thermal conduction) and X-ray photoionization model calculations. While none of the model fits is entirely satisfactory, the generally weak UV emission relative to optical disagrees with the general character of shock model predictions and indicates that photoionization is the dominant excitation mechanism for the UV/optical emission. This conclusion is similar to what was found for E0102 - 7219, the oxygen-rich remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We derive rough abundances for the emitting material in N132D, compare to stellar nucleosynthesis models, and discuss the implications for its precursor. A precursor near 20 solar mass is consistent with the data.

Blair, William P.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Multiple Velocity Profile Measurements in Hypersonic Flows Using Sequentially-Imaged Fluorescence Tagging

Nitric-oxide planar laser-induced fluorescence (NO PLIF) was used to perform velocity measurements in hypersonic flows by generating multiple tagged lines which fluoresce as they convect downstream. For each laser pulse, a single interline, progressive scan intensified CCD (charge-coupled device) camera was used to obtain two sequential images of the NO molecules that had been tagged by the laser. The CCD configuration allowed for sub-microsecond acquisition of both images, resulting in sub-microsecond temporal resolution as well as sub-mm spatial resolution (0.5-mm horizontal, 0.7-mm vertical). Determination of axial velocity was made by application of a cross-correlation analysis of the horizontal shift of individual tagged lines. A numerical study of measured velocity error due to a uniform and linearly-varying collisional rate distribution was performed. Quantification of systematic errors, the contribution of gating/exposure duration errors, and the influence of collision rate on temporal uncertainty were made. Quantification of the spatial uncertainty depended upon the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquired profiles. This velocity measurement technique has been demonstrated for two hypersonic flow experiments: (1) a reaction control system (RCS) jet on an Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) wind tunnel model and (2) a 10-degree half-angle wedge containing a 2-mm tall, 4-mm wide cylindrical boundary layer trip. The experiments were performed at the NASA Langley Research Center's 31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel.

Bathel, Brett F.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Use of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) in the Real-Time Operational Warning Environment During the March 2nd, 2012 Severe Weather Outbreak in Northern Alabama

The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) is a three-dimensional very high frequency (VHF) detection network consisting of 11 sensors spread across north central Alabama and two sensors located in the Atlanta, Georgia region. The primary advantage of this network is that it detects total lightning, or the combination of both cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud lightning, instead of cloud-to-ground lightning alone. This helps to build a complete picture of storm evolution and development, and can serve as a proxy for storm updraft strength, particularly since intra-cloud lightning makes up the majority of all lightning in a typical thunderstorm. While the NALMA data do not directly indicate severe weather, they can indirectly indicate when a storm is strengthening (weakening) due to increases (decreases) in updraft strength, as the updraft is responsible for charging mechanisms within the storm. Data output are VHF radiation sources, which are produced during lightning breakdown processes. These sources are made into 2x2 km source density grids and are ported into the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) for National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Huntsville, AL, Nashville, TN, Morristown, TN, and Birmingham, AL, in near real-time. An increase in sources, or source densities, correlates to increased lightning activity and trends in updraft magnitude as long as the storm is within about 125 km of the center of the LMA network. Operationally, these data have been used at the Huntsville NWS office since early 2003 through a collaborative effort with NASA s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center. Since then, total lightning observations have become an essential tool for forecasters during real-time warning operations. One of the operational advantages of the NALMA is the two-minute temporal resolution of the data. This provides forecasters with two to three updates during a typical volume scan of the WSR-88D radar.

White, Kristopher↗
NASA NTRS1975

A correlative study of simultaneously measured He(++) fluxes in the solar wind and in the magnetosphere utilizing Imp-1 and 1971-089A satellite data

Simultaneously measured He(++) fluxes in the solar wind and in the magnetosphere were studied using data from the plasma spectrometer on the Imp I satellite and the energetic ion mass spectrometer on the low altitude polar orbiting satellite 1971-89A. A detailed comparison of the He(++) energy spectra measured simultaneously in the solar wind and in the low altitude dayside polar cusp on March 7, 1972 was made. The energy-per-unit-charge range of the energetic ion mass spectrometer on board the polar orbiting satellite was 700 eV to 12 keV. Within this range there was a clear maximum in the He(++) energy spectrum at approximately 1.5 keV/nucleon. There was not a clearly defined maximum in the H(+) spectrum, but the data were consistent with a peak between 0.7 and 1.0 keV/nucleon. Both spectra could be reasonably well fit with a convecting Maxwellian plus a high energy tail; however, the mean velocity for He(++) distribution was significantly greater than that for the H(+) distribution. The simultaneous solar wind measurements showed the mean velocities for both ion species to be approximately 600 km/sec. The discrepancies between the relative velocity distributions in the low altitude cusp and those in the solar wind are consistent with a potential difference of approximately 1.4 kV along their flow direction between the two points of observation.

Shelley, E. G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Spacecraft Potential of Wind Over Time

In a space plasma, exposed to ionizing radiation, a conducting object like a spacecraft will generate a net charge as the relevant currents from the plasma and photoelectrons attempt to reach equilibrium over time. This net charging is measured (or inferred from particle measurements) as an electrostatic potential, called the spacecraft potential. The Wind spacecraft will be 30 years old on November 1, 2023 and as such, has one of the longest baselines of continuous spacecraft potential measurements of any space mission. We determine the spacecraft potential from observations of photoelectrons in the thermal particle data. We examine the variations over time finding oscillations that correlate with solar rotation. This preliminary study examines for other effects but is ultimately for the purpose of generating a properly calibrated velocity moment dataset for the entire Wind mission.

Lynn B. Wilson III↗
NASA NTRS1982

Asymptotic freedom in solids - A theorem

A cusp theorem is proved that relates the zero-separation value and slope of two-particle position correlation functions in quantum many-body systems with Coulombic interactions. The theorem is independent of the particle type and symmetry of the wave function. Its proof uses only the integral form of the Schroedinger equation and the continuity and exponential decay of the wave function. It is used to derive a sum rule for the electron-gas structure factor and an exact statement about the screening of point charges. Applications to atomic-orbital-based calculations for H2 and metallic H are described.

Carlsson, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Acceleration of particles in the magnetotail

Using data from the Electrostatic Energy-vs-Charge Analyzer of the IMP-7 and -8 satellites for October 1973-October 1974, evidence is adduced for the neutral sheet association of bursts of ions and electrons in the 10 to 500 KeV energy range that have been frequently observed in the earth's magnetotail. It is also noted that the degree of asymmetry for the ion distribution is less for lower energy ions. On the basis of the correlation of the particle bursts with AE indices, two particle acceleration mechanisms are proposed.

Xu, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Application of piezoelectric devices to vibration suppression - From modeling and controller designs to implementation

Embedded piezoelectric devices may be ideally suited for vibration control of space structures, which lack an inertial ground. When subjected to an input voltage, an embedded piezoelectric actuator changes its dimensions, which in turn generates a pair of forces exerted on adjacent structural members. From the direct piezoelectric effect, an embedded piezoelectric transducer generates an electric charge proportional to the structural dynamic response. In this paper, the implementation, testing and modeling of an active truss structure consisting of piezoelectric sensors and actuators are described. Linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG), second-order, and direct rate feedback control schemes are designed to suppress the vibrations of the active structure. Simulation and test results are presented. It is shown that special model reduction considerations are required to achieve good correlation between test and analysis.

Won, Chin C.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Electric Field Induced Interfacial Instabilities

The study of the interface in a charge-free, critical and near-critical binary fluid in the presence of an externally applied electric field is presented. At sufficiently large fields, the interface between the two phases of the binary fluid should become unstable and exhibit an undulation with a predefined wavelength on the order of the capillary length. As the critical point is approached, this wavelength is reduced, potentially approaching length-scales such as the correlation length or critical nucleation radius. At this point the critical properties of the system may be affected. In this paper, the flat interface of a marginally polar binary fluid mixture is stressed by a perpendicular alternating electric field and the resulting instability is characterized by the critical electric field E(sub c) and the pattern observed. The character of the surface dynamics at the onset of instability is found to be strongly dependent on the frequency f of the field applied. The plot of E(sub c) vs. f for a fixed temperature shows a sigmoidal shape, whose low and high frequency limits are well described by a power-law relationship, E(sub c) = epsilon(exp zeta) with zeta = 0.35 and zeta = 0.08, respectively. The low-limit exponent compares well with the value zeta = 4 for a system of conducting and non-conducting fluids. On the other hand, the high-limit exponent coincides with what was first predicted by Onuki. The instability manifests itself as the conducting phase penetrates the non-conducting phase. As the frequency increases, the shape of the pattern changes from an array of bifurcating strings to an array of column-like (or rod-like) protrusions, each of which spans the space between the plane interface and one of the electrodes. For an extremely high frequency, the disturbance quickly grows into a parabolic cone pointing toward the upper plate. As a result, the interface itself changes its shape from that of a plane to that of a high sloping pyramid.

Kusner, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Electric Field Induced Interfacial Instabilities

The study of the interface in a charge-free, nonpolar, critical and near-critical binary fluid in the presence of an externally applied electric field is presented. At sufficiently large fields, the interface between the two phases of the binary fluid should become unstable and exhibit an undulation with a predefined wavelength on the order of the capillary length. As the critical point is approached, this wavelength is reduced, potentially approaching length-scales such as the correlation length or critical nucleation radius. At this point the critical properties of the system may be affected. In zero gravity, the interface is unstable at all long wavelengths in the presence of a field applied across it. It is conjectured that this will cause the binary fluid to break up into domains small enough to be outside the instability condition. The resulting pattern formation, and the effects on the critical properties as the domains approach the correlation length are of acute interest. With direct observation, laser light scattering, and interferometry, the phenomena can be probed to gain further understanding of interfacial instabilities and the pattern formation which results, and dimensional crossover in critical systems as the critical fluctuations in a particular direction are suppressed by external forces.

Kusner, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Joule heating and field-aligned currents: Preliminary results from DE-2

There are three main processes by which energy is transferred from the magnetosphere to the thermosphere: (1) charge exchange of the ring current particles; (2) precipitation of charged particles; and (3) joule dissipation by the magnetosphere-ionosphere current systems. The importance of this last process has been recognized and the rate of joule heating has been estimated by many workers. Observations of the electric (E) and magnetic (B) fields from Dynamics Explorer Satellite 2 are providing a new set of data on field-aligned currents. One of the remarkable features found in these observations is the high correlation between an orthogonal pair of the E and B field components. In recent years, observational data have accrued concerning the relationship between the interplanetary magnetic field and the size of the polar cap and also about the evolution of a substorm or a magnetic storm. It is suggested that these findings be incorporated in future model calculations.

Sugiura, M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Science observed: The mass-extinction debates

The upheaval triggered in 1980 by the Alvarez-Berkeley group impact hypothesis transformed the literature of mass extinctions from an unfocused, sporadic collection of papers that virtually ignored extraterrestrial causes and treated endogenous ones only sparingly better to an integrated, diverse body of literature. Research programs organized seemingly overnight spawned collaborative teams whose members, often from distant, isolated disciplines, redirected their careers in order to address the captivating, high-stakes issues. The initial, generally skeptical, cool reception of the impact hypothesis might have been predicted for any of a number of reasons: such an instantaneous catastrophe contravened earth science's reigning philosophy of uniformitarianism; it was formulated from a form of evidence - siderophile element anomalies - alien to the community charged with its appraisal; it advanced a causal mechanism that was improbable in terms of canonical knowledge; and it was proffered mainly by specialists alien to earth and biological science, especially paleobiology. Early on it became clear that irrespective of which causal hypothesis was chosen, the chosen one would be the strongest predictor of how the chooser would select and apply standards in assessing evidence bearing on all such hypothesis. Less strong correlation also appeared between disciplinary speciality and the assessment of evidence. Such correlations varied with the level of specialization; the most robust correlations appeared in the broadest areas of science practice. The gestalt (mindset) seemingly engendered by the embrace of an extinction hypothesis overrode, or was stronger than, the intellectual predispositions attributable to disciplinary specialty.

Glen, W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

High Current Hollow Cathode Plasma Plume Measurements

Plasma plume measurements are reported for a hollow cathode assembly (HCA) oper-ated at discharge currents of 50, 70, and 100 A at xenon ow rates between 19 - 46 sccm.The HCA was centrally mounted in the annulus of the NASA-300MS Hall Thruster andwas operated in the spot and plume modes with additional data taken with an appliedmagnetic eld. Langmuir probes, retarding potential analyzers, and optical emission spec-troscopy were employed to measure plasma properties near the orice of the HCA and toassess the charge state of the near-eld plasma. Electron temperatures (2-6 eV) and plasmapotentials are consistent with probe-measured values in previous investigations. Operationwith an applied-eld yields higher discharge voltages, increased Xe III production, andincreased signals from the 833.5 nm C I line. While operating in plume mode and with anapplied eld, ion energy distribution measurements yield ions with energies signicantlyexceeding the applied discharge voltage. These ndings are correlated with high-frequencyoscillations associated with each mode.

Plasma diagnostics↗
NASA NTRS1986

A spacecraft cooling system for a charged coupled device

This paper describes the thermal analysis, design, and testing of a dedicated cooling system for a Spartan spacecraft payload. A simple reliable design that requires minimum power consumption and minimum weight was developed. The payload has a CCD detector that must be maintained at a temperature of approximately -40 C or colder. The cooling system consists of a fin radiator, dual redundant heat pipes, and a thermal electric device (TED). The system was analytically modeled through the use of the Simplified Shuttle Payload Thermal Analyzer (SSPTA) computer program. A thermal test of the system simulating flight conditions was conducted to correlate the computer model and verify performance specifications.

Walker, Mary S.↗