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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 325 records · Page 18

Synthesis of Al-26 in explosive hydrogen burning

The possibility of Al-26 synthesis during the explosive processing of hydrogen-rich material in the outer layers of a supernova or in nova envelopes is investigated. It is found that in the peak temperature range of 1-3 x 10 to the 8th deg K and for expansion time scales of the order of 1-1000 s, values of (Al-26)/(Al-27) as high as 0.1-1 can be obtained for values of 0.001-100,000 for the product of the peak density in g/cu cm and the proton mass fraction. Such a level of Al-26 production is considerably higher than that of recent carbon/neon burning nucleosynthesis models, and is sufficient to account for the magnesium anomalies detected in certain inclusions from the Leoville and Allende meteorites. Al abundances resulting from a hydrodynamical calculation performed on the grounds of a 25 solar mass presupernova model are also presented, and the influence of uncertainties in the input physics is discussed; in particular, the rates of the (Mg-25)(p,gamma)(Al-26) and (Al-26)(p,gamma)(Si-27) key reactions are studied.

Arnould, M.↗

Galactic cosmic rays and N2 dissociation on Titan

The electromagnetic and particle cascade resulting from the absorption of galactic cosmic rays in the atmosphere of Titan is shown to be an important mechanism for driving the photochemistry at pressures of 1 to 50 mbar in the atmosphere. In particular, the cosmic ray cascade dissociates N2, a process necessary for the synthesis of nitrogen organics such as HCN. The important interactions of the cosmic ray cascade with the atmosphere are discussed. The N2 excitation and dissociation rates and the ionization rates of the principal atmospheric consituents are computed for a Titan model atmosphere that is consistent with Voyager 1 observations. It is suggested that HCN may be formed efficiently in the lower atmosphere through the photodissociation of methylamine. It is also argued that models of nitrogen and hydrocarbon photochemistry in the lower atmosphere of Titan should include the absorption of galactic cosmic rays as an important energy source.

Capone, L. A.↗

Microgravity Science and Applications Program tasks, 1986 revision

The Microgravity Science and Applications (MSA) program is directed toward research in the science and technology of processing materials under conditions of low gravity to provide a detailed examination of the constraints imposed by gravitational forces on Earth. The program is expected to lead to the development of new materials and processes in commercial applications adding to this nation's technological base. The research studies emphasize the selected materials and processes that will best elucidate the limitations due to gravity and demonstrate the enhanced sensitivity of control of processes that may be provided by the weightless environment of space. Primary effort is devoted to a study of the specific areas of research which reveals potential value in the initial investigations of the previous decades. Examples of previous process research include crystal growth and directional solidification of metals; containerless processing of reactive materials; synthesis and separation of biological materials; etc. Additional efforts will be devoted to identifying the special requirements which drive the design of hardware to reduce risk in future developments.

Source record↗

Passive stabilization for large space systems

The optimal tuning of multiple tuned-mass dampers for the transient vibration damping of large space structures is investigated. A multidisciplinary approach is used. Structural dynamic techniques are applied to gain physical insight into absorber/structure interaction and to optimize specific cases. Modern control theory and parameter optimization techniques are applied to the general optimization problem. A design procedure for multi-absorber multi-DOF vibration damping problems is presented. Classical dynamic models are extended to investigate the effects of absorber placement, existing structural damping, and absorber cross-coupling on the optimal design synthesis. The control design process for the general optimization problem is formulated as a linear output feedback control problem via the development of a feedback control canonical form. The techniques are applied to sample micro-g and pointing problems on the NASA dual keel space station.

Sesak, J. R.↗

Preparation of B-trichloroborazine

The present invention relates to a method of preparing B-trichloroborazine. Generally, the method includes the combination of gaseous boron trichloride in an anhydrous aprotic organic solvent followed by addition of excess gaseous ammonia at ambient temperature or below. The reaction mixture is heated to about 100 to 140 C followed by cooling, removal of the solid ammonium chloride at ambient temperature, distillation of the solvent under vacuum if necessary at a temperature of up to about 112 C, and recovery of the B-trichloroborazine. Solvents include toluene, benzene, xylene, chlorinated hydrocarbons, chlorinated aromatic compounds, or mixtures thereof. Toluene is a preferred solvent. The process provides a convenient synthesis of a material which often decomposes on standing. B-trichloroborazine is useful in a number of chemical reactions, and particularly in the formation of high temperature inorganic polymers and polymer precursors.

Riccitiello, Salvatore R.↗

Sound radiation from single and annular stream nozzles, with modal decomposition of in-duct acoustic power

An experimental program was carried out to study the acoustic characteristics of single and annular stream duct-nozzle systems at various flow conditions by using a refined acoustic impulse technique. In this technique, signal synthesis and signal averaging processes are incorporated to generate a desired impulsive signal from acoustic driver(s) and to eliminate background noise (flow noise) from in-duct and far field signals, respectively. The contribution of higher order modes to incident reflected and transmitted acoustic powers is accounted for by using a modal decomposition process. The annular stream terminations were tested statically at various annular stream flow velocities with no inner stream flow. The results derived from the experiments include in-duct acoustic powers, termination reflection coefficients, transmission coefficients, far field power, and acoustic dissipation.

Salikuddin, M.↗

The triose model - Glyceraldehyde as a source of energy and monomers for prebiotic condensation reactions

Glyceraldehyde acts as a source of energy and monomers in a new model of the origin of life. The simplest form of the model functions by converting formaldehyde from the environment into glyceraldehyde which spontaneously forms hemiacetal adducts that are oxidized to polyglyceric acid. Polyglyceric acid, in turn, acts as an autocatalyst with a rudimentary replicating ability. A unique property of the model is its ability to unite the origin of metabolism and the origin of polymer synthesis into a single process. Furthermore, the chemical resemblance of the model to glycolysis gives it the potential to develop a biological metabolism in a straightforward manner.

Weber, Arthur L.↗

Autonomous frequency domain identification: Theory and experiment

The analysis, design, and on-orbit tuning of robust controllers require more information about the plant than simply a nominal estimate of the plant transfer function. Information is also required concerning the uncertainty in the nominal estimate, or more generally, the identification of a model set within which the true plant is known to lie. The identification methodology that was developed and experimentally demonstrated makes use of a simple but useful characterization of the model uncertainty based on the output error. This is a characterization of the additive uncertainty in the plant model, which has found considerable use in many robust control analysis and synthesis techniques. The identification process is initiated by a stochastic input u which is applied to the plant p giving rise to the output. Spectral estimation (h = P sub uy/P sub uu) is used as an estimate of p and the model order is estimated using the produce moment matrix (PMM) method. A parametric model unit direction vector p is then determined by curve fitting the spectral estimate to a rational transfer function. The additive uncertainty delta sub m = p - unit direction vector p is then estimated by the cross spectral estimate delta = P sub ue/P sub uu where e = y - unit direction vectory y is the output error, and unit direction vector y = unit direction vector pu is the computed output of the parametric model subjected to the actual input u. The experimental results demonstrate the curve fitting algorithm produces the reduced-order plant model which minimizes the additive uncertainty. The nominal transfer function estimate unit direction vector p and the estimate delta of the additive uncertainty delta sub m are subsequently available to be used for optimization of robust controller performance and stability.

Yam, Yeung↗

Predicting Mission Success in Small Satellite Missions

In our global society with its increasing international competition and tighter financial resources, governments, commercial entities and other organizations are becoming critically aware of the need to ensure that space missions can be achieved on time and within budget. This has become particularly true for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Office of Space Science (OSS) which has developed their Discovery and Explorer programs to meet this need. As technologies advance, space missions are becoming smaller and more capable than their predecessors. The ability to predict the mission success of these small satellite missions is critical to the continued achievement of NASA science mission objectives. The NASA Office of Space Science, in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center, has implemented a process to predict the likely success of missions proposed to its Discovery and Explorer Programs. This process is becoming the basis for predicting mission success in many other NASA programs as well. This paper describes the process, methodology, tools and synthesis techniques used to predict mission success for this class of mission.

Saunders, Mark↗

Dynamics in Layer Models of Solid Flame Propagation

Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) is a process in which combustion waves, e.g., "solid flames", which are considered here, are employed to synthesize desired materials. Like many other systems, SHS is a pattern forming system. The problem of describing experimentally observed patterns and of predicting new, as yet unobserved, patterns continues to attract the attention of scientists and mathematicians due to the fundamental significance of the phenomena in combustion in particular, and in nonlinear science in general. Here, we analyze the dynamics of solid flame propagation in a 2D region by considering the region to be composed of parallel, identical layers aligned along the direction of propagation and having thermal contact. Each layer is then described by wave propagation in 1D, with the transverse Laplacian replaced by a term describing heat exchange between neighboring layers. This configuration is the simplest model of a 2D system because it accounts, in a simple way, for the principal feature of the problem, i.e., heat exchange between neighbors in the transverse direction. For simplicity, we describe the situation for two layers. Because the layers are identical, uniformly propagating waves in each layer must be identical, independent of the heat exchange rate alpha. When the Zeldovich number Z exceeds a critical value Z(sub c), which depends on alpha, uniformly propagating waves become unstable. The stability diagram for the two coupled layers reproduces that for the full 2D problem after appropriate identification of parameters in the two problems. Depending on parameter values, we determine three different steady-state dynamical behaviors (though additional behaviors are also expected to occur). The three behaviors are: (i) waves in each layer which pulsate in phase as they propagate, so that together they form a single pulsating propagating wave; (ii) the waves in each layer are no longer identical, and antiphase pulsations occur, with the two waves alternately advancing and receding as they propagate. This wave is the analog of the spinning wave on the surface of a circular cylinder; (iii) finally, there is a region of bistability between the in phase and antiphase waves. with each having its own domain of attraction, so that which of the two behaviors occur depends on the condition of initiation of the wave. The results of our computations indicate a qualitative similarity in the behavior of combustion waves in the layer model and in the full 2D model. Specifically, due to the similarity between the small alpha wave behavior in the layer model and the large diameter behavior in the model of waves on the surface of a cylinder, we are able to predict the behavior of the mean velocity for the waves on the cylinder, where computations of the full problem can be rather difficult. We also compute solutions for three or more layers. The results of our computations prompt us to predict that, while planar uniformly propagating waves are unstable, the wave will be quasiplanar, i.e., the resulting spinning waves have very low amplitude hot spots, and travel with the velocity close to that of the uniformly propagating wave. Such waves may be difficult to distinguish from uniformly propagating waves in experiments. We also find that for both the layer model and full 2D problem, steady-state time-dependent waves, e.g., pulsating and spinning wave, have a conserved quantity H which characterizes the excess energy in the wave, just as in the case of uniformly propagating waves. The quantity H, which is generated by dissipation, does not vary in time and is proportional to the diffusivity and caloricity of the system, and inversely proportional to the mean wave velocity.

Aldushin, A. P.↗

Predicting Mission Success in Small Satellite Missions

In our global society with its increasing international competition and tighter financial resources, governments, commercial entities and other organizations are becoming critically aware of the need to ensure that space missions can be achieved on time and within budget. This has become particularly true for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Office of Space Science (OSS) which has developed their Discovery and Explorer programs to meet this need. As technologies advance, space missions are becoming smaller and more capable than their predecessors. The ability to predict the mission success of these small satellite missions is critical to the continued achievement of NASA science mission objectives. The NASA Office of Space Science, in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center, has implemented a process to predict the likely success of missions proposed to its Discovery and Explorer Programs. This process is becoming the basis for predicting mission success in many other NASA programs as well. This paper describes the process, methodology, tools and synthesis techniques used to predict mission success for this class of mission.

Saunders, Mark↗

Localized infusion of IGF-I results in skeletal muscle hypertrophy in rats

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) peptide levels have been shown to increase in overloaded skeletal muscles (G. R. Adams and F. Haddad. J. Appl. Physiol. 81: 2509-2516, 1996). In that study, the increase in IGF-I was found to precede measurable increases in muscle protein and was correlated with an increase in muscle DNA content. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that direct IGF-I infusion would result in an increase in muscle DNA as well as in various measurements of muscle size. Either 0.9% saline or nonsystemic doses of IGF-I were infused directly into a non-weight-bearing muscle of rats, the tibialis anterior (TA), via a fenestrated catheter attached to a subcutaneous miniosmotic pump. Saline infusion had no effect on the mass, protein content, or DNA content of TA muscles. Local IGF-I infusion had no effect on body or heart weight. The absolute weight of the infused TA muscles was approximately 9% greater (P < 0.05) than that of the contralateral TA muscles. IGF-I infusion resulted in significant increases in the total protein and DNA content of TA muscles (P < 0.05). As a result of these coordinated changes, the DNA-to-protein ratio of the hypertrophied TA was similar to that of the contralateral muscles. These results suggest that IGF-I may be acting to directly stimulate processes such as protein synthesis and satellite cell proliferation, which result in skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

Non-NASA Center↗

Prebiotic Peptide (Amide) Bond Synthesis Accelerated by Glycerol and Bicarbonate Under Neutral to Alkaline Dry-Down Conditions

Past studies of prebiotic peptide bond synthesis have generally been carried out in the acidic to neutral pH range [1, 2]. Here we report a new process for peptide bond (amide) synthesis in the neutral to alkaline pH range that involves simple dry-down heating of amino acids in the presence of glycerol and bicarbonate. Glycerol was included in the reaction mixture as a solvent and to provide hydroxyl groups for possible formation of ester intermediates previously implicated in peptide bond synthesis under acidic to neutral conditions [1]. Bicarbonate was added to raise the reaction pH to 8-9.

Forsythe, J. G.↗

Preparation and Characterization of YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 Superconductor

Solid-state reaction of appropriate amounts of Y 2 O 3 , BaCOs, and CuO for 2 h at 800°C in flowing oxygen with a total pressure of 2.7 x 10 2 Pa (2 mm Hg), followed by cooling and annealing at 750°C for 10 h in oxygen at ambient pressure, has produced orthorhombic YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 (124) as the main phase with YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (123) as an impurity phase. After the as-calcined powder was annealed in oxygen at 800°C for 24 h under ambient pressure, the phase purity improved considerably. Calcined 124 powder was pressed into pellets and rapidly annealed at temperatures from 870°C to 935°C. At these temperatures, the 124 decomposed into 123. The superconducting transition temperature, T c , of the annealed samples depended upon the annealing temperature and atmosphere. The decomposed samples have been characterized by low field RF SQUID magnetometer and high resolution transmission electron microscopy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Distribution of Aliphatic Amines in CO, CV, and CK Carbonaceous Chondrites and Relation to Mineralogy and Processing History

The analysis of water-soluble organic compounds in meteorites provides valuable insights into the prebiotic synthesis of organic matter and the processes that occurred during the formation of the solar system. We investigated the concentration of aliphatic monoamines present in hot acid water extracts of the unaltered Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites, Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 (CO3) and Miller Range (MIL) 05013 (CO3), and the thermally altered meteorites, Allende (CV3), LAP 02206 (CV3), GRA 06101 (CV3), Allan Hills (ALH) 85002 (CK4), and EET 92002 (CK5). We have also reviewed and assessed the petrologic characteristics of the meteorites studied here to evaluate the effects of asteroidal processing on the abundance and molecular distributions of monoamines. The CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here contain total concentrations of amines ranging from 1.2 to 4.0 nmol/g of meteorite; these amounts are 1-3 orders of magnitude below those observed in carbonaceous chondrites from the CI, CM, and CR groups. The low-amine abundances for CV and CK chondrites may be related to their extensive degree of thermal metamorphism and/or to their low original amine content. Although the CO3 meteorites, DOM 08006 and MIL 05013, do not show signs of thermal and aqueous alteration, their monoamine contents are comparable to those observed in moderately/extensively thermally altered CV3, CK4, and CK5 carbonaceous chondrites. The low content of monoamines in pristine CO carbonaceous chondrites suggests that the initial amounts, and not asteroidal processes, play a dominant role in the content of monoamines in carbonaceous chondrites. The primary monoamines, methylamine, ethylamine, and n-propylamine constitute the most abundant amines in the CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here. Contrary to the predominance of n-x-amino acid isomers in CO3 and thermally altered meteorites, there appears to be no preference for the larger n-amines.

mineralogy↗

A process yields large quantities of pure ribosome subunits

Development of process for in-vitro protein synthesis from living cells followed by dissociation of ribosomes into subunits is discussed. Process depends on dialysis or use of chelating agents. Operation of process and advantages over previous methods are outlined.

Friedman, M.↗

Effect of processing on Polymer/Composite structure and properties

Advances in the vitality and economic health of the field of polymer forecasting are discussed. A consistent and rational point of view which considers processing as a participant in the underlying triad of relationships which comprise materials science and engineering is outlined. This triad includes processing as it influences material structure, and ultimately properties. Methods in processing structure properties, polymer science and engineering, polymer chemistry and synthesis, structure and modification and optimization through processing, and methods of melt flow modeling in processing structure property relations of polymer were developed. Mechanical properties of composites are considered, and biomedical materials research to include polymer processing effects are studied. An analysis of the design technology of advances graphite/epoxy composites is also reported.

Source record↗