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NASA NTRS1974

The origin of life

Research in the areas of precambrian paleontology, chemical evolution of genetically important monomers, prebiotic dehydration-condensation reactions, organic compounds in meteorites and interstellar space, and biological exploration of the planets is summarized. Fossils in precambrian cherts and findings of eukaryotic cells are described, and recent investigations of prebiotic conditions, energy sources, and starting materials for genetic molecules are outlined. Studies of homogeneous and heterogeneous dehydrations and of nonaqueous thermal dehydrations are described. The detection of amino acids, purines, and pyrimidines in meteorites and of biologically significant molecules in interstellar clouds is discussed, as well as the possibilities of life on Jupiter, Mars, and Titan.

Horowitz, N. H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

An interferometric spectral mapper for the Cassini mission to Saturn and Titan

The research reported resulted in a detailed proposal for the Cassini Mission that addressed fundamental atmospheric structure and composition questions for both Saturn and Titan. Due to the brief time available between the initiation of the research and the proposal date, it was necessary to develop the science goals in close synchronicity with the instrument design. A major goal of the program was to acquire, implement, and test SWIR and MWIR arrays suitable for use with the DIGITAL ARRAY SCANNED INTERFEROMETERS, (DASI's), for the extended goal of developing DASI's for a range of spectral mapping research in solar system exploration. These goals were all reached or exceeded in the course of this work.

Smith, William Hayden↗

DOE OSTI2022

Surface Functionalized Barium Titanate Nanoparticles: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study

Barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles show great potential for use in electrostatic capacitors with high energy density. This includes both polymer composite and sintered capacitors. However, questions about the nanoparticles' size distribution, amount of agglomeration, and surface ligand effect on performance properties remain. Reducing particle agglomeration is a crucial step to understanding the properties of nanoscale particles, as agglomeration has significant effects on the composite dielectric constant. BTO surface functionalization using phosphonic acids is known reduce BTO nanoparticle agglomeration. We explore solution synthesized 10 nm BTO particles with tert-butylphosphonic acid ligands. Recent methods to quantifying agglomeration using an epoxy matrix before imaging shows that tert-butylphosphonic acid ligands reduce BTO agglomeration by 33%. Thermometric, spectroscopic, and computational methods provide confirmation of ligand binding and provide evidence of multiple ligand binding modes on the BTO particle surface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1989

Planetary exploration in the 1990's

Planned and proposed near-term missions for planetary exploration are outlined. The history of planetary missions is reviewed and the characteristics of proposed future missions are discussed. The missions include the Magellan mission to map Venus, the Mars Observer mission, the Lunar Geochemical Orbiter, the Lunar Observer mission, the second and third phases of the Venus Orbiter, the future of the Voyager mission, and the Galileo mission to study the rings and satellites of Jupiter. Other missions include the Ulysses solar polar mission, the Cassini Saturn and Titan probes, the Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby mission, the Mars Sample Return Mission, and the Comet Nucleus Sample Return.

Blanchard, Douglas↗

NASA NTRS2003

Performance Enhancement of Tunable Bandpass Filters Using Selective Etched Ferroelectric Thin Films

The inclusion of voltage-tunable barium strontium titanate (BSTO) thin films into planar band pass filters offers tremendous potential to increase their versatility. The ability to tune the passband so as to correct for minor deviations in manufacturing tolerances, or to completely reconfigure the operating frequencies of a microwave communication system, are highly sought-after goals. However, use of ferroelectric films in these devices results in higher dielectric losses, which in turn increase the insertion loss and decrease the quality factors of the filters. This study explores the use of patterned ferroelectric layers to minimize dielectric losses without degrading tunability. Patterning the ferroelectric layers enables us to constrict the width of the ferroelectric layers between the coupled microstrip lines, and minimize losses due to ferroelectric layers. Coupled one-pole microstrip bandpass filters with fundamental resonances at approx. 7.2 GHz and well defined harmonic resonances at approx. 14.4 and approx. 21.6 GHz, were designed, simulated and tested. For one of the filters, experimental results verified that its center frequency was tunable by 528 MHz at a center frequency of 21.957 GHz, with insertion losses varying from 4.3 to 2.5 dB, at 0 and 3.5 V/micron, respectively. These data demonstrate that the tuning-to-loss figure of merit of tunable microstrip filters can be greatly improved using patterned ferroelectric thin films as the tuning element, and tuning can be controlled by engineering the ferroelectric constriction in the coupled sections.

Miranda, Felix A.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2002

The year 2002 brought advances on many fronts in our space exploration ventures. A new orbiter settled in at Mars and delivered tantalizing science results suggesting a vast store of water ice under the planet's surface, a discovery that may have profound consequences for exploring Mars. A long-lived spacecraft made its final fly-bys of Jupiter's moons, while another started its final approach toward Saturn and yet another flew by an asteroid on its way to a comet. A new ocean satellite began science observations, joined in Earth orbit by a pair of spacecraft measuring our home planets gravity field, as well as JPL instruments on NASA and Japanese satellites. A major new infrared observatory and a pair of Mars rovers were readied for launch. All told, JPL is now communicating with 14 spacecraft cast like gems across the velvet expanses of the solar system. It is a far cry from the early 1960's, when JPL engineers made prodigious efforts to get the first planetary explorers off the ground and into space - an achievement of which we were especially mindful this year, as 2002 marked the 40th anniversary of the first successful planetary mission, Mariner 2, which barely reached our closest planetary neighbor, Venus. Added to this anniversary were celebrations surrounding the 25th anniversaries of the launches of Voyagers 1 and 2, two remarkable spacecraft that are still flying and are actively probing the outer realms of the solar system. These events of the past and present provide an occasion for reflection on the remarkable era of exploration that we at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are privileged to be a part of. As 2002 neared its end, the Laboratory had yet another reason for celebration, as a new five-year management contract between NASA and the California Institute of Technology was signed that calls for a closer working relationship with NASA and other NASA centers as a member of the 'One NASA' team. There is a strong emphasis on cost control and management, areas in which we can improve, enabling us to become more competitive. This new agreement again confirms NASA's trust and faith in Caltech and JPL, in which we should all take great pride. If the history of JPL were a book, we are on the verge of turning the page to one that promises to be one of the most exciting and busiest chapters in JPL's history. In 2003 and 2004, we will launch 11 spacecraft or major payloads. We will land two rovers on Mars; put a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, deliver a probe to the surface of its largest moon, Titan, and map Titan's surface withimaging radar; send a spacecraft past a comet collecting samples from its tail, while another one is launched toward a comet impact; bring a capsule back to Earth with the first samples ever collected beyond the orbit of the Moon; map the skies in the ultraviolet as well as the infrared spectrum to unprecedented accuracy; and continue the mapping of ocean topography and winds on our home planet, Earth.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Multiscale modeling-enabled design of multifunctional composites

This study aims to create a comprehensive model that considers multiple scales and physics for predicting the electromechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced composites enhanced with barium titanate (BaTiO3). In our earlier work, we have demonstrated that depositing BaTiO3 microparticles of 200-nm-diameter, on fiber surfaces during fiber-reinforced composite fabrication enhances mechanical strength, passive self-sensing, and energy harvesting properties. The key is to carefully control the microparticle concentration to prevent agglomeration. Since the particles are micron-sized, understanding how agglomeration affects the composites' electromechanical properties is crucial for guiding such multifunctional materials’ design. This study introduces a micromechanics-based approach to explore the impact of microparticle dispersion on the bulk composites' electromechanical properties. Insights gained from this investigation are applied in experiments, enabling accurate predictions of mechanical and self-sensing responses in BaTiO3-enhanced fiber-reinforced composites. Micro-level findings from this computational approach can be integrated into larger continuum models to comprehensively capture the electromechanical behavior of the composite structures at bulk scale. The proposed model is validated by comparing predictions with experimental results, accounting for the nonlinear mechanical and electromechanical behaviors of constituent materials. Consequently, this computational model serves as a digital platform for efficiently designing multifunctional composites.

Gupta, Sumit↗

NASA NTRS2004

Airships for Planetary Exploration

The feasibility of utilizing an airship for planetary atmospheric exploration was assessed. The environmental conditions of the planets and moons within our solar system were evaluated to determine their applicability for airship flight. A station-keeping mission of 50 days in length was used as the baseline mission. Airship sizing was performed utilizing both solar power and isotope power to meet the baseline mission goal at the selected planetary location. The results show that an isotope-powered airship is feasible within the lower atmosphere of Venus and Saturn s moon Titan.

Colozza, Anthony↗

NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 7

Topics discussed include: Lunar Geologic Mapping: Preliminary Mapping of Copernicus Quad High-Resolution Topography of Layers in the Valles Marineris Via Thermoclinometry ; The Critical Importance of Data Reduction Calibrations in the Interpretability of S-type Asteroid Spectra; (sup 238)U-(sup 206)Pb Age and Uranium-Lead Isotope Systematics of Mare Basalt 10017; Morphological Investigations of Martian Spherules, Comparisons to Collected Terrestrial Counterparts; The Vapor Pressure of Palladium at Temperatures up to 1973K; Areas of Favorable Illumination at the Lunar Poles Calculated from Topography; An Indigenous Origin for the South Pole-Aitken Basin Thorium Anomaly; Ar-Ar Ages of Nakhlites Y000593, NWA998, and Nakhla and CRE Ages of NWA998; Experiments on the Acoustic Properties of Titan-like Atmospheres; Analysis of Downstream Transitions in Morphology and Structure of Lava Channels on Mars; Structure and Bonding of Carbon in Clays from CI Carbonaceous Chondrites; Comparison of Three Hydrogen Distributions at the Equator of Mars; An Impact Origin for the Foliation of Ordinary Chondrites; A New Micrometeorite Collection from Antarctica and Its Preliminary Characterization by Microobservation, Microanalysis and Magnetic Methods; Volcanic Plumes and Plume Deposits on Io; Results of the Alpha-Particle-X-Ray Spectrometer on Board of the Mars Exploration Rovers; Effects of Oceans on Atmospheric Loss During the Stage of Giant Impacts; and Identification of Predominant Ferric Signatures in Association to the Martian Sulfate Deposits

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2008

Polar Gateways Arctic Circle Sunrise Conference 2008, Barrow, Alaska: IHY-IPY Outreach on Exploration of Polar and Icy Worlds in the Solar System

Polar, heliophysical, and planetary science topics related to the International Heliophysical and Polar Years 2007-2009 were addressed during this circumpolar video conference hosted January 23-29, 2808 at the new Barrow Arctic Research Center of the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium in Barrow, Alaska. This conference was planned as an IHY-IPY event science outreach event bringing together scientists and educational specialists for the first week of sunrise at subzero Arctic temperatures in Barrow. Science presentations spanned the solar system from the polar Sun to Earth, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Kuiper Belt. On-site participants experienced look and feel of icy worlds like Europa and Titan by being in the Barrow tundra and sea ice environment and by going "on the ice" during snowmobile expeditions to the near-shore sea ice environment and to Point Barrow, closest geographic point in the U.S. to the North Pole. Many science presentations were made remotely via video conference or teleconference from Sweden, Norway, Russia, Canada, Antarctica, and the United States, spanning up to thirteen time zones (Alaska to Russia) at various times. Extensive educational outreach activities were conducted with the local Barrow and Alaska North Slope communities and through the NASA Digital Learning Network live from the "top of the world" at Barrow. The Sun- Earth Day team from Goddard, and a videographer from the Passport to Knowledge project, carried out extensive educational interviews with many participants and native Inupiaq Eskimo residents of Barrow. Video and podcast recordings of selected interviews are available at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2008/multimedidpodcasts.php. Excerpts from these and other interviews will be included in a new high definition video documentary called "From the Sun to the Stars: The New Science of Heliophysics" from Passport to Knowledge that will later broadcast on NASA TV and other educational networks. Full conference proceedings are accessible at http://polargateways2008.org/.

Cooper, John F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Low cost, SPF aluminum cryogenic tank structure for ALS

Past production work has shown that cryogenic tank structure for the Shuttle Booster Rockets and the Titan system have very high life cycle costs for the fuel tank structure. The tanks are machined stiffener-skin combination that are subsequently formed into the required contour after machining. The material scrap rate for these configurations are usually high, and the loss of a tank panel due to forming or heat treatment problems is very costly. The idea of reducing the amount of scrap material and scrapped structural members has prompted the introduction of built-up structure for cryogenic tanks to be explored on the ALS program. A build-up structure approach that has shown improvements in life cycle cost over the conventional built-up approach is the use of superplastically formed (SPF) stiffened panels (reducing the overall part count and weight for the tank) resistance spot welded (RSW) to outer tank skin material. The stiffeners provide for general stability of the tank, while the skin material provides hoop direction continuity for the loads.

Anton, Claire E.↗

NASA NTRS1999

The Cassini/Huygens Mission to the Saturnian System

Cassini/Huygens will carry out an in-depth exploration of the Saturnian system. On October 15, 1996 the spacecraft was launched on its interplanetary journey. On the way to Saturn, Cassini/Huygens, will flyby Venus, twice (April 26, 1998; June 24, 1999), the Earth once (August 18, 1999), and Jupiter (December 30, 2000). On approach to Saturn, the small satellite Phoebe will be encountered on June 11, 2004. Upon arrival at Saturn on July 1, 2004, Cassini/Huygens will fire its main engine and go into orbit about the planet. Huygens will be delivered to Titan on November 27, 2004. After deceleration in the upper atmosphere, Huygens will deploy a parachute system and its six instruments will make scientific measurements and observations as it descends to the surface. These data then will be transmitted to the Orbiter which, in turn, will relay them to the Earth. The Orbiter will then commence a four year long tour of the Saturnian system. With its complement of 12 instruments, Cassini is capable of making a wide range of in situ and remote sensing observations. There will be repeated close flybys of Titan both to make measurements and for gravity-assisted orbit changes that will enable Cassini to visit other satellites, various parts of the magnetosphere, and obtain occultations of the rings and atmospheres of Saturn and Titan. During the span of the mission, Cassini will also record temporal changes in many of the properties that it can observe. The presentation will emphasize current status and plans for the mission. (The Cassini mission is a joint undertaking by NASA and ESA. This work was carried out at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA.)

Matson, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Titan's Elusive Lakes? Properties and Context of Dark Spots in Cassini TA Radar Data

Titan's atmospheric methane abundance suggests the likelihood of a surface reservoir of methane and a surface sink for its photochemical products, which might also be predominantly liquid. Although large expanses of obvious hydrocarbon seas have not been unambiguously observed, a number of rather radar-dark spots up to approximately 30 km across are observed in the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired during the Cassini TA encounter on October 26th 2004. Here we review the properties and setting of these dark spots to explore whether these may be hydrocarbon lakes.

Lorenz, R. D.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Combined Plasmonic Au-nanoparticle and Conducting Metal Oxide High-temperature Optical Sensing with LSTO

<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.79); font-family: "Source Sans Pro", source-sans-pro, museo_sans300, museo-sans, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Fiber optic sensor technology offers several advantages for harsh-environment applications. However, the development of optical gas sensing layers that are stable under harsh environmental conditions is an ongoing research challenge. In this work, electronically conducting metal oxide lanthanum-doped strontium titanate (LSTO) films embedded with gold nanoparticles are examined as a sensing layer for application in reducing gas flows at high temperature (600–800 °C). A strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) based response to hydrogen is demonstrated in the visible region of the spectrum, while a Drude free electron-based response is observed in the near-IR. Characteristics of these responses are studied both on planar glass substrates and on silica fibers. Charge transfer between the oxide film and the gold nanoparticles is explored as a possible mechanism governing the Au LSPR response and is considered in terms of the corresponding properties of the conducting metal oxide-based matrix phase. Principal component analysis is applied to the combined plasmonic and free-carrier based response over a range of temperatures and hydrogen concentrations. It is demonstrated that the combined visible and near-IR response of these films provides improved versatility for multiwavelength interrogation, as well as improved discrimination of important process parameters (concentration and temperature) through application of multivariate analysis techniques.</span>

Wuenschell, Jeffrey K.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Planetary Airplane Extraction System Development and Subscale Testing

The Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey (ARES) project will employ an airplane as the science platform from which to collect science data in the previously inaccessible, thin atmosphere of Mars. In order for the airplane to arrive safely in the Martian atmosphere, a number of sequences must occur. A critical element in the entry sequence at Mars is an extraction maneuver to separate the airplane quickly (in less than a second) from its protective backshell to reduce the possibility of re-contact, potentially leading to mission failure. This paper describes the development, testing, and lessons learned from building a 1/3 scale model of this airplane extraction system. This design, based on the successful Mars Exploration Rover (MER) extraction mechanism, employs a series of trucks rolling along tracks located on the surface of the central parachute can. Numerous tests using high speed video were conducted at the Langley Research Center to validate this concept. One area of concern was that that although the airplane released cleanly, a pitching moment could be introduced. While targeted for a Mars mission, this concept will enable environmental surveys by aircraft in other planetary bodies with a sensible atmosphere such as Venus or Saturn's moon, Titan.

Teter, John E., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2017

The Saturn System Through the Eyes of Cassini

More than 400 years ago, Galileo Galilei trained his homemade telescope on the night sky and observed that Saturn had two objects closely related to the planet extending on either side. At the time, in 1610, Galileo declared them to be moons. A few decades later, Saturn moon science accelerated at a dizzying pace. Christiaan Huygens first observed Saturn's largest moon Titan in 1655 and was the first to describe the extended moon-like features at Saturn as a disk of material sounding the planet. From 1671 to 1674, Giovanni Cassini discovered the moons lapetus, Rhea, Dione and Tethys. In 1675, Cassini discovered the gap in Saturn's rings that we now know as the Cassini Division. In the space age, before the Cassini-Huygens mission, we had only hints of the discoveries awaiting us at Saturn. Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 conducted flybys decades ago. But these quick encounters didn't allow time for more extensive research. NASA and the European Space Agency created a partnership to orbit a Saturn orbiter (Cassini) and a lander (Huygens) on Titan. Like its namesakes, the Cassini-Huygens mission not only discovered previously unknown moons, but it also helped us understand the science behind their formation, their interactions with the rings, and how truly diverse they are. The Cassini-Huygens mission revolutionized what we know about the Saturn system. The rings of Saturn, the moons, and the planet itself offer irresistible and inexhaustible subjects for intense study, and Cassini-Huygens did not disappoint. The Saturnian system proved to be a rich ground for science exploration and discoveries, and Cassini has been nothing short of a discovery machine. At the time Cassini plunged into Saturn at the end of its mission, it had observed the planet for a little less than half of a Saturn year. But it also orbited the gas giant 293 times, forever changing our understanding of the Saturn system and yielding tremendous insight for understanding the entire Solar System.

Green, James↗

NASA NTRS1982

Mariner Mark II - An approach to solar system exploration in the 1990's

Significant progress has been made in the twenty-plus years since the start of direct solar system exploration. NASA through its Solar System Exploration Committee (SSEC), has been developing guidelines and plans for continuing this exploration. The Mariner Mark II (MMII) development project has been initiated as one element of this planning to focus primarily on imaging class, deep space missions at minimum cost. A description is presented of concepts for a new spacecraft and ground system capability, uniquely focused on the selected mission scenarios and lower cost approaches of MMII. A summary of Mariner Mark II candidate missions is provided, taking into account a comet rendezvous, a comet elemental sample return, main-belt asteroid flybys and rendezvous, a Saturn orbiter, Titan or Saturn flyby and probe, Uranus flyby and probe, Neptune flyby and probe, and a Mars Orbiter.

Heacock, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS2000

PV Theories For Planetary Atmospheric Circulations

Potential vorticity (or PV) has become an important tool for the diagnosis and modeling of the Earth's atmospheric and oceanic circulations. More recently, the application of PV thinking to numerical simulations and spacecraft observations of other atmospheres, including those of Mars, Venus, and Titan, has encouraged the hope for a unified understanding of planetary circulation regimes encompassing a wide range of rotation, stratification, and forcing parameters. Specifically, the accumulated evidence suggests that zonal-mean winds and temperatures at upper tropospheric levels approximate a state of zero potential vorticity within the bounding latitudes of the westerly jets, while the poleward regions of cyclonic shear conform to a PV state that is well mixed with respect to its polar limit. This review of the prospects for conceptual planetary circulation models will explore the possibility that the zonal-mean state of an atmosphere can be calculated in terms of a simple link between the latitudinal PV and potential temperature variation at an upper baroclinic steering level.

Allison, Michael↗