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NASA NTRS2003

Individual Aerosol Particles from Biomass Burning in Southern Africa: Compositions and Size Distributions of Carbonaceous Particles - 1

Individual aerosol particles in smoke plumes from biomass fires and in regional hazes in southern Africa were studied using analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which allowed detailed characterization of carbonaceous particle types in smoke and determination of changes in particle properties and concentrations during smoke aging. Based on composition, morphology, and microstructure, three distinct types of carbonaceous particles were present in the smoke: organic particles with inorganic (K-salt) inclusions, tar ball particles, and soot. The relative number concentrations of organic particles were largest in young smoke, whereas tar balls were dominant in a slightly aged (1 hour) smoke from a smoldering fire. Flaming fires emitted relatively more soot particles than smoldering fires, but soot was a minor constituent of all studied plumes. Further aging caused the accumulation of sulfate on organic and soot particles, as indicated by the large number of internally mixed organic/sulfate and soot/sulfate particles in the regional haze. Externally mixed ammonium sulfate particles dominated in the boundary layer hazes, whereas organic/sulfate particles were the most abundant type in the upper hazes. Apparently, elevated haze layers were more strongly affected by biomass smoke than those within the boundary layer. Based on size distributions and the observed patterns of internal mixing, we hypothesize that organic and soot particles are the cloud-nucleating constituents of biomass smoke aerosols. Sea-salt particles dominated in the samples taken in stratus clouds over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Namibia, whereas a distinct haze layer above the clouds consisted of aged biomass smoke particles.

Posfai, Mihaly↗

NASA NTRS1984

Saturn's rings - Structure, dynamics, and particle properties

The current state of knowledge of Saturn's rings is reviewed. A brief historical introduction is given, followed by a discussion of the radial profile of the rings, ring dynamics, features without azimuthal symmetry, ring particle size distribution, and the physical properties of ring particles. The direction for future analysis and observation is considered.

Esposito, L. W.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Quantitative molecular characterization of bovine vitreous and lens with non-invasive dynamic light scattering

The non-invasive technique of dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used to quantitatively characterize vitreous and lens structure on a molecular level by measuring the sizes of the predominant particles and mapping the three-dimensional topographic distribution of these structural macromolecules in three spatial dimensions. The results of DLS measurements in five fresh adult bovine eyes were compared to DLS measurements in model solutions of hyaluronan (HA) and collagen (Coll). In the bovine eyes DLS measurements were obtained from excised samples of gel and liquid vitreous and compared to the model solutions. Measurements in whole vitreous were obtained at multiple points posterior to the lens to generate a three-dimensional 'map' of molecular structure. The macromolecule distribution in bovine lens was similarly characterized.In each bovine vitreous (Bo Vit) specimen, DLS predominantly detected two distinct particles, which differed in diffusion properties and hence size. Comparisons with model vitreous solutions demonstrated that these most likely corresponded to the Coll and HA components of vitreous. Three-dimensional mapping of Bo Vit found heterogeneity throughout the vitreous body, with different particle size distributions for Coll and HA at different loci. In contrast, the three-dimensional distribution of lens macromolecules was more homogeneous. Thus, the non-invasive DLS technique can quantitate the average sizes of vitreous and lens macromolecules and map their three-dimensional distribution. This method to assess quantitatively the macromolecular structure of vitreous and lens should be useful for clinical as well as experimental applications in health and disease. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Models, Molecular↗

DOE OSTI2019

Effects of reformed fuel on dual-fuel combustion particulate morphology

Advancements in catalytic reforming have demonstrated the ability to generate syngas (a mixture of CO and hydrogen) from a single hydrocarbon stream. This syngas mixture can then be used to replace diesel fuel and enable dual-fuel combustion strategies. The role of port-fuel injected syngas, composed of equal parts hydrogen and carbon monoxide by volume, was explored experimentally for soot reduction benefits under diesel pilot ignition and reactivity controlled compression ignition strategies. Particle size distribution measurements were made with a scanning mobility particle sizer and condensation particle counter for different levels of syngas substitution. To explain the experimental findings, computational fluid dynamics simulations utilizing a detailed stochastic soot model were used to validate and initialize additional simulations that isolate mixing and chemistry effects. Based on these simulations, the influence of adding syngas on soot particle size and quantity is discussed.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1982

Properties of dust in the Martian atmosphere and its effect on temperature structure

Data from the Viking lander imaging experiment and the IRIS experiment on board the Mariner 9 Orbiter are used to develop a one-dimensional radiative-convective model to describe the Mars temperature profile. Photography was employed to determine the optical depth, mean size, shape, visible absorption coefficient, and vertical distribution of aerosols in the Mars atmosphere. The calculation procedures are outlined, particularly for the particle size distribution function, which indicated a cross-sectional average particle radius of 2.5 microns. Dust-free conditions in the atmosphere near the equator and at lower altitudes permit full surface absorption of sunlight and subsequent adiabatic lapse rates. Difficulties were encountered in accurately modeling temperature profiles to fit Viking lander data, and resultant variations are attributed to effects of both suspended dust particles and large scale circulation.

Pollack, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Saturn's rings through a microscope - Particle size constraints from the Voyager PPS scan

The Voyager-2 photopolarimeter PPS experiment obtained the highest resolution of any ring observation of Saturn, profiling the variation of optical depth in radial steps of about 100 meters. A detailed treatment of the PPS statistics is presented here, and it is shown how these statistics can be related to the particle size distribution. An expression for the excess noise in the scan due to large particles is obtained, and the observed noise is used to constrain the upper end of the size distribution through the rings. It is shown that the Cassini Division and the C Ring have the smallest proportion of large particles, while the A ring has the largest proportion.

Showalter, Mark R.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Size Distributions and Characterization of Native and Ground Samples for Toxicology Studies

This slide presentation shows charts and graphs that review the particle size distribution and characterization of natural and ground samples for toxicology studies. There are graphs which show the volume distribution versus the number distribution for natural occurring dust, jet mill ground dust, and ball mill ground dust.

McKay, David S.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Retrieval of Stratospheric Aerosol Size Distribution Parameters Using Satellite Solar Occultation Measurements at Three Wavelengths

In this work, a novel approach for the determination of the particle size distribution (PSD) parameters of stratospheric sulfate aerosols is presented. For this, ratios of extinction coefficients obtained from SAGE III/ISS (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station) solar occultation measurements at 449, 756 and 1544 nm were used to retrieve the mode width and median radius of a size distribution assumed to be monomodal lognormal. The estimated errors at the peak of the stratospheric aerosol layer, on average, lie between 20% and 25% for the median radius and 5% and 7% for the mode width. The results are consistent in magnitude with other retrieval results from the literature, but a robust comparison is difficult, mainly because of differences in temporal and spatial coverage. Other quantities like number density and effective radius were also calculated. A major advantage of the described method over other retrieval techniques is that both the median radius and the mode width can be retrieved simultaneously, without having to assume one of them. This is possible due to the broad wavelength spectrum covered by the SAGE III/ISS measurements. Also, the presented method – being based on the analysis of three wavelengths – allows unique solutions for the retrieval of PSD parameters for almost all of the observed extinction spectra, which is not the case when using only two spectral channels. In addition, the extinction coefficients from SAGE III/ISS solar occultation measurements, on which the retrieval is based, are calculated without a priori assumptions about the PSD. For those reasons, the data produced with the presented retrieval technique may be a valuable contribution for a better understanding of the variability of stratospheric aerosol size distributions, e.g. after volcanic eruptions. While this study focuses on describing the retrieval method, and a future study will discuss the PSD parameter data set produced in depth, some exemplary results for background conditions in June 2017 are shown.

Felix Wrana↗

DOE OSTI2022

Heat transfer in directly-irradiated high-temperature solid–gas flows laden with polydisperse particles

Heat transfer in directly-irradiated high-temperature solid–gas flows laden with polydisperse particles is investigated using a novel transient three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model. The model couples particle–gas hydrodynamics of solid–gas flows laden with polydisperse particles, radiative heat transfer in non-grey absorbing, emitting and anisotropically-scattering multi-component participating media, conduction heat transfer in the gas phase, and interfacial convection heat transfer. The multiphase particle-in-cell method is used to predict high-fidelity solid–gas flow characteristics, such as the local discrete particle size distribution, with increased computational efficiency by combining the advantages of both Eulerian and Lagrangian methods. The multi-component radiative transfer model is implemented using an advanced collision-based Monte Carlo ray-tracing method. The number of the prescribed discrete particle components is found to be the key parameter affecting the computational accuracy and efficiency, which primarily depends on the size distribution of the particles. For the model particle–gas flow featuring free-falling Gamma-distributed ceramic particles exposed to concentrated solar irradiation, the particle volume fraction, radiative, fluid flow and thermal characteristics appear to converge with the increasing number of the discrete particle components. Five particle components are sufficient to obtain physically meaningful results. A further increase in the number of the particle components only slightly increases the accuracy of the numerical predictions at the expense of a rapidly increasing computational time. For five particle components, the particle vertical velocity at the receiver exit for particles with the diameter of 43.4 μm is 57% of that for the particles with the diameter of 202.8 μm. The temperatures of these two particle components increase from the initial ambient values by factors of 2 and 1.2, respectively, during the simulation time. In conclusion, the model developed allows for increased fidelity of particle–gas flow simulations with significant radiative effects.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA NTRS2023

Insights Into the Size-Resolved Dust Emission From Field Measurements in the Moroccan Sahara

The particle size distribution (PSD) of mineral dust has a strong effect on the impacts of dust on climate. However, our understanding of the emitted dust PSD, including its variability and the fraction of super-coarse dust (diameter >10 µm), remains limited. Here, we provide new insights into the size-resolved dust emission process based on a field campaign performed in the Moroccan Sahara in September 2019 in the context of the FRontiers in dust minerAloGical coMposition and its Effects upoN climaTe (FRAGMENT) project. The obtained dust concentration and diffusive flux PSDs show significant dependencies upon the friction velocity (u*), wind direction and type of event (regular events versus haboob events). For instance, the number fraction of sub-micrometre particles increases with u*, along with a large decrease in the mass fraction of super-coarse dust. We identify dry deposition, which is modulated by u* and fetch length, as a potential cause for this PSD variability. Using a resistance model constrained with field observations to estimate the dry deposition flux and thereby also the emitted dust flux, we show that deposition could represent up to ∼90 % of the emission of super-coarse particles (>10 µm) and up to ∼65 % of the emission of particles as small as ∼5 µm in diameter. Importantly, removing the deposition component significantly reduces the variability with u* in the PSD of the emitted dust flux compared with the diffusive flux, particularly for super-coarse dust. The differences between regular and haboob event concentration and diffusive flux PSDs are suspected to result from a smaller and variable dust source fetch during the haboob events, and/or an increased resistance of soil aggregates to fragmentation associated with the observed increase in relative humidity along the haboob outflow. Finally, compared to the invariant emitted dust flux PSD estimated based on brittle fragmentation theory, we obtain a substantially higher proportion of super-micrometre particles in the dust flux. Overall, our results suggest that dry deposition needs to be adequately considered to estimate the emitted PSD, even in studies limited to the fine and coarse size ranges (<10 µm).

particle size distribution↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Three–Dimensional Nanoscale View of Electrocatalyst Degradation in Hydrogen Fuel Cells

The loss of platinum (Pt) electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) is a critical degradation mode that often becomes a limiting factor for heavy-duty proton exchange membrane fuel cell vehicles. High surface area carbon supports have been shown to improve Pt dispersion and limit detrimental ionomer-electrocatalyst interactions due to their large interior pore volume. Here, in this work, using automated scanning transmission electron tomography, the degradation of nanoparticles located on the interior versus exterior surfaces of the carbon support is compared following a catalyst-specific accelerated stress test (AST) of 90,000 voltage cycles between 0.6 V to 0.95 V. The results reveal a notable increase in median particle size for both interior and exterior Pt catalyst particles, with a slightly higher increase in particle size distribution and loss of specific surface area for the particles located on the exterior carbon surface. The fraction of Pt nanoparticles that reside within the interior of the carbon support also increased following the AST test, accompanied by evidence of an increase in average carbon mesopore size. Here, the results shed light on the degradation mechanisms affecting electrochemical properties and the enhanced particle accessibility at lower relative humidity.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS1987

Image analysis of particle field by means of computed tomography

In order to visualize and investigate spray structures, computed tomography technique is applied to analyze droplet information. From the transmitted light intensity through the spray and/or the data of particle size distribution obtained from a Fraunhofer diffraction principle, the quantitative volume of spray droplet or local particle size was calculated and the reconstruction of spray structures was made. The background of computed tomography is described along with some experimental results of the structure of intermittent spray such as diesel spray.

Nakayama, Mitsushige↗

NASA NTRS2022

Stability of the Dual-Frequency Radar Equations and a New Method Applied to the GPM’s Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) Data

A new algorithm is proposed that estimates two parameters of the particle size distribution (PSD) at each range bin from the Global Precipitation Measurement’s (GPM’s) Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar data. The equation that expresses the relationship of the PSD parameters between adjacent range bins is derived. By including the attenuation effect within the bin in the discretized equation, the new algorithm alleviates the double-solution problem when attenuation within the bin is sufficiently large. The stability of the solutions to the equation depends on the value of the mean diameter D(sub m) and its gradient with respect to range in the case of liquid precipitation. If the critical diameter above which the dual-frequency ratio (DFR) of radar reflectivity factors becomes a monotonically increasing function of D(sub m), the backward processing of the equation provides a stable or moderately diverging solution, unlike the forward processing that often gives unstable solutions. To provide a set of initial conditions without using the surface reference technique (SRT) in the backward processing, an initialization method using the Hitschfeld-Bordan attenuation correction method is proposed and tested. The proposed algorithm may provide a tool for investigating the assumptions used in various algorithms.

GPM↗

DOE OSTI2020

Unsaturated and Saturated Hydraulic Parameters of Soils at the East River Watershed, Colorado Calculated using the Pedotransfer Function Method.

The purpose of the data package is to present the results of calculations of the following unsaturated-saturated hydraulic parameters of soils of the East River Watershed, Colorado: fully saturated water content (Qs), residual saturation (Qr), van genuchten parameters alpha and n, field capacity (FC), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Calculations were conducted for the following soil texture types: sandy_loam, loam, silty_clay_loam, clay_loam, silt loam; the particle size distribution included the percentage of sand, silt, clay, and the bulk density (BD) of soils. Calculations were conducted for the following areas- Lower_Subalpine (6 samples),- Lower_Montane_lower_hillslope (7 samples),- Floodplain_at_base_of_lower_montane_hillslope, (11 samples),- PLM-0 (10 samples),- PLM-1 (10 samples), and - PLM-3 (13 samples)Calculations were conducted using the Pedotransfer Function Method developed by Tóth et al. (2014) with the application of the code ”euptf” in Rstudio. The data are being summarized in the Excel file ”Unsaturated_Saturated_Hydraulic_Parameters_PTF_calculated_EASt_EIver.xls" including two worksheets:“full_data_EAST_RIVER” which includes (a) the input data used for calculations, the soil texture triangle, and the plots of the water retention curves and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity for several types of soil texture, and (b) the summary table with the averaged parameters for each area. The the texture triangle was plotted using the Rstudio "soiltexture." Microsoft Excel software is required to open the Excel file. The metadata and a list of references to the Rstudio libraries used for calculations and data visualization are giving in the Word Readme file.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2021

An Evaluation of Size-Resolved Cloud Microphysics Scheme Numerics for use with Radar Observations Part II: Condensation and Evaporation

Accurate numerical modeling of clouds and precipitation is essential for weather forecasting and climate change research. While size-resolved (bin) cloud microphysics models predict particle size distributions without imposing shapes, results are subject to artificial size distribution broadening owing to numerical diffusion associated with various processes. Whereas Part 1 addressed collision-coalescence, here we investigate numerical diffusion that occurs in solving condensation and evaporation. In a parcel model framework, all of the numerical schemes examined converge to one solution of condensation and evaporation as the mass grid is refined, and the advection-based schemes are recommended over the reassigning schemes. Including Eulerian vertical advection in a column limits the convergence to some extent, but that limitation occurs at a sufficiently fine mass grid, and the number of iterations in solving vertical advection should be minimized to reduce numerical diffusion. Insubstantial numerical diffusion in solving condensation can be amplified if collision-coalescence is also active, which in turn can be substantially diminished if turbulence effects on collision are incorporated. Large-eddy simulations of a drizzling stratocumulus field reveal that changes in moments of Doppler spectra obtained using different mass grids are consistent with those obtained from the simplified framework, and that spectral moments obtained using a mass grid designed to effectively reduce numerical diffusion are generally closer to observations. Notable differences between the simulations and observations still exist, and our results suggest a need to consider whether factors other than numerical diffusion in the fundamental process schemes employed can cause such differences.

Cloud microphysics↗

NASA NTRS2013

Evaluation of Low-Gravity Smoke Particulate for Spacecraft Fire Detection

Tests were conducted on the International Space Station to evaluate the smoke particulate size from materials and conditions that are typical of those expected in spacecraft fires. Five different materials representative of those found in spacecraft (Teflon, Kapton, cotton, silicone rubber and Pyrell) were heated to temperatures below the ignition point with conditions controlled to provide repeatable sample surface temperatures and air flow. The air flow past the sample during the heating period ranged from quiescent to 8 cm/s. The effective transport time to the measurement instruments was varied from 11 to 800 seconds to simulate different smoke transport conditions in spacecraft. The resultant aerosol was evaluated by three instruments which measured different moments of the particle size distribution. These moment diagnostics were used to determine the particle number concentration (zeroth moment), the diameter concentration (first moment), and the mass concentration (third moment). These statistics were combined to determine the diameter of average mass and the count mean diameter and by assuming a log-normal distribution, the geometric mean diameter and the geometric standard deviations were also calculated. Smoke particle samples were collected on TEM grids using a thermal precipitator for post flight analysis. The TEM grids were analyzed to determine the particle morphology and shape parameters. The different materials produced particles with significantly different morphologies. Overall the majority of the average smoke particle sizes were found to be in the 200 to 400 nanometer range with the quiescent cases and the cases with increased transport time typically producing with substantially larger particles. The results varied between materials but the smoke particles produced in low gravity were typically twice the size of particles produced in normal gravity. These results can be used to establish design requirements for future spacecraft smoke detectors.

Fire Safety↗

NASA NTRS2013

Evaluation of Low-Gravity Smoke Particulate for Spacecraft Fire Detection

Fire↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Survey of microphysical properties of marine boundary-layer clouds in the Western North Atlantic

Oceanic low level clouds strongly affect the atmospheric radiation budget. Uncertainties in their microphysical properties and cover currently limit the accuracy of climate predictions. Further, studies quantifying the relative importance of aerosol and dynamics on cloud properties in specific meteorological regimes are poorly constrained by observations in the Western North Atlantic boundary layer. Low level clouds were measured during the Aerosol Cloud meTereology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) campaign in winter and summer 2020. The two NASA LaRC research aircraft HU-25 Falcon and UC-12 B-200 King Air conducted 35 simultaneous flights to investigate aerosol-cloud interactions of maritime clouds and their impact on radiation. Number concentration, liquid water content, ice water content, and particle size distribution in the size range of 3 µm to 1460 µm in diameter were measured with the fast forward scattering cloud probe (FCDP) and 2-dimensional optical array imaging probe (2D-S) onboard the Falcon. Here, we present an overview of late winter (February-March) and late summer (August-September) oceanic cloud properties in the region 65°W to 80°W and 30°N to 40°N. We compare cloud properties in these two seasons and investigate their dependence on meteorological parameters and aerosol abundance. In a case study, we present cloud observations in a cold air outbreak event on 1 March 2020 with a specific focus on mixed-phase clouds.

microphysical properties↗