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At least 37 records · Page 2

Substorm associated ion acceleration in the dynamic magnetotail

Ion acceleration and flux increase associated with substorm energetic particle injections are investigated on the basis of geosynchronous observations and test proton orbits in the dynamic fields of a three dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation of neutral line formation and dipolarization in the magnetotail. The energetic particle flux changes obtained from the test particle orbits agree well with observations that demonstrate rapid ion flux increases at energies of above 20 keV. The injection region inferred from the test particles has a sharp earthward boundary and a sharp ragged tailward boundary. The earthward portion of the enhanced ion flux can be traced to the enhanced cross-tail electric field associated with the near-earth x-type neutral line. Due to the rapid earthward motion of accelerated ions away from the neutral line, this boundary is displaced earthward to where the energetic ions become more adiabatic in the stronger dipolar field.

Birn, J.↗

Advancements in Dual-Pump Broadband CARS for Supersonic Combustion Measurements

Space- and time-resolved measurements of temperature and species mole fractions of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen were obtained with a dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) system in hydrogen-fueled supersonic combustion free jet flows. These measurements were taken to provide time-resolved fluid properties of turbulent supersonic combustion for use in the creation and verification of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models. CFD models of turbulent supersonic combustion flow currently facilitate the design of air-breathing supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engines. Measurements were made in supersonic axi-symmetric free jets of two scales. First, the measurement system was tested in a laboratory environment using a laboratory-scale burner (approx.10 mm at nozzle exit). The flow structures of the laboratory-burner were too small to be resolved with the CARS measurements volume, but the composition and temperature of the jet allowed the performance of the system to be evaluated. Subsequently, the system was tested in a burner that was approximately 6 times larger, whose length scales are better resolved by the CARS measurement volume. During both these measurements, weaknesses of the CARS system, such as sensitivity to vibrations and beam steering and inability to measure temperature or species concentrations in hydrogen fuel injection regions were indentified. Solutions were then implemented in improved CARS systems. One of these improved systems is a dual-pump broadband CARS technique called, Width Increased Dual-pump Enhanced CARS (WIDECARS). The two lowest rotational energy levels of hydrogen detectable by WIDECARS are H2 S(3) and H2 S(4). The detection of these lines gives the system the capability to measure temperature and species concentrations in regions of the flow containing pure hydrogen fuel at room temperature. WIDECARS is also designed for measurements of all the major species (except water) in supersonic combustion flows fueled with hydrogen and hydrogen/ethylene mixtures (N2, O2, H2, C2H4, CO, and CO2). This instrument can characterize supersonic combustion fueled with surrogate fuel mixtures of hydrogen and ethylene. This information can lead to a better understanding of the chemistry and performance of supersonic combustion fueled with cracked jet propulsion (JP)-type fuel.

Tedder, Sarah Augusta Umberger↗

Validation of Supersonic Film Cooling Modeling for Liquid Rocket Engine Applications

Topics include: upper stage engine key requirements and design drivers; Calspan "stage 1" results, He slot injection into hypersonic flow (air); test articles for shock generator diagram, slot injector details, and instrumentation positions; test conditions; modeling approach; 2-d grid used for film cooling simulations of test article; heat flux profiles from 2-d flat plate simulations (run #4); heat flux profiles from 2-d backward facing step simulations (run #43); isometric sketch of single coolant nozzle, and x-z grid of half-nozzle domain; comparison of 2-d and 3-d simulations of coolant nozzles (run #45); flowfield properties along coolant nozzle centerline (run #45); comparison of 3-d CFD nozzle flow calculations with experimental data; nozzle exit plane reduced to linear profile for use in 2-d film-cooling simulations (run #45); synthetic Schlieren image of coolant injection region (run #45); axial velocity profiles from 2-d film-cooling simulation (run #45); coolant mass fraction profiles from 2-d film-cooling simulation (run #45); heat flux profiles from 2-d film cooling simulations (run #45); heat flux profiles from 2-d film cooling simulations (runs #47, #45, and #47); 3-d grid used for film cooling simulations of test article; heat flux contours from 3-d film-cooling simulation (run #45); and heat flux profiles from 3-d and 2-d film cooling simulations (runs #44, #46, and #47).

Morris, Christopher I.↗

Energetic Electrons in Dipolarization Events: Spatial Properties and Anisotropy

Using the electromagnetic fields of an MHD simulation of magnetotail reconnection, flow bursts, and dipolarization, we further investigate the acceleration of electrons to suprathermal energies. Particular emphasis is on spatial properties and anisotropies as functions of energy and time. The simulation results are compared with Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms observations. The test particle approach successfully reproduces several observed injection features and puts them into a context of spatial maps of the injection region(s): a dominance of perpendicular anisotropies farther down the tail and closer to the equatorial plane, an increasing importance of parallel anisotropy closer to Earth and at higher latitudes, a drop in energy fluxes at energies below approximately 10 keV, coinciding with the plasma density drop, together with increases at higher energy, a triple peak structure of flux increases near 0 deg, 90 deg, and 180 deg, and a tendency of flux increases to extend to higher energy closer to Earth and at lower latitudes. We identified the plasma sheet boundary layers and adjacent lobes as a main source region for both increased and decreased energetic electron fluxes, related to the different effects of adiabatic acceleration at high and low energies. The simulated anisotropies tend to exceed the observed ones, particularly for perpendicular fluxes at high energies. The most plausible reason is that the MHD simulation lacks the effects of anisotropy-driven microinstabilities and waves, which would reduce anisotropies.

anisotropy↗

Qualitative investigation of cryogenic injected shock dissipation

The injection of fluid nitrogen into the flow discharged from a two-dimensional, ambient, static-temperature and static pressure Mach = 2.7 nitrogen flow tunnel was observed. A bow shock stands approximately one diameter off the end of the 3.2 mm o.d. x 1.6 mm i.d. injection tube placed directly into the tunnel exhaust. Cryogenic injection creates a high density region in the injected region and within the bow shock wake but the standoff distance remains unchanged. However as the temperature reaches a critical value the sharp shock interface begins to fade resembling the density gradient seen at the interface of a supercritical fluid and the shock interface begins to move into the supersonic stream. As the injection temperature decreases, the interface continues to move into the supersonic stream and becomes more diffuse; the shock interface can not be distinguished. The phenomena is completely reversible.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Large optical cavity AlGaAs injection lasers with multiple active regions

A new type of AlGaAs injection laser is presented whose basic structure consists of alternating p- and n-type layers of GaAs and Al(x)Ga(1-x), with the GaAs layers serving as the active regions of the device. The electrical mode of operation is found to be that of a bistable device (SCR) and not of a simple pn junction. Optically, the device oscillates in a 'supermode' made up of a coherent superposition of single waveguide modes. Possible applications include pulsed mode operation of injection lasers and power combining of the output of many individual lasers.

Katz, J.↗

Two Azimuthally Separated Regions of Cusp Ion Injection Observed via Energetic Neutral Atoms

The low-energy neutral atom (LENA) imager on the IMAGE spacecraft can detect energetic neutral atoms produced by ion injection into the cusp through a charge exchange with the Earth's hydrogen exosphere. We examined the occurrence of the LENA cusp signal during positive IMF B(sub z) in terms of the arrival direction and the IMF clock angle theta(sub CA). Results of statistical analyses show that the occurrence frequency is high on the postnoon side when theta(sub CA) is between approximately 20 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. This is ascribed to ion injection caused by cusp reconnection typical of positive IMF B(sub z). Our results also show that there is another situation of high occurrence frequency, which can be identified with theta(sub CA) of approximately 30 degrees to approximately 80 degrees. When theta(sub CA) is relatively large (60 degrees - 80 degrees), occurrence frequencies are high at relatively low latitudes over a wide extent spanning both prenoon and postnoon sectors. This feature suggests that the ion injection is caused by reconnection at the dayside magnetopause. Its postnoon side boundary shifts toward the prenoon as theta(sub CA) decreases. When theta(sub CA) is less than approximately 50 degrees, the high occurrence frequency exists well inside the prenoon sector, which is azimuthally separated from the postnoon region ascribed to cusp reconnection. The prenoon region, which is thought due to ion injection caused by dayside reconnection, may explain the recent report that proton aurora brightening occurs in the unanticipated prenoon sector of the northern high-latitude ionosphere for IMF B(sub y) greater than 0 and B(sub z) greater than 0.

Abe, M.↗

Thrust augmentation options for the Beta 2 two-stage-to-orbit vehicle

NASA LeRC is continuing to study propulsion concepts for a horizontal takeoff and landing, fully reusable, two-stage-to-orbit vehicle. This will be capable of launching and returning a 10,000 pound payload to a 100 nautical mile polar orbit using low-risk technology. The vehicle, Beta 2, is a derivative of the USAF/Boeing Beta vehicle which was designed to deliver a 50,000 pound payload to a similar orbit. Beta 2 stages at Mach 6.5 and about 100,000 ft altitude. The propulsion system for the booster is an over/under turbine bypass engine/ramjet configuration. In this paper, several options for thrust augmentation were studied in order to improve the performance of this engine where there was a critical need. Options studies were turbine engine overspeed in the transonic region, water injection at a various turbine engine locations also during the transonic region, and water injection at the turbine engine face during high speed operation. The methodology, constraints, propulsion performance, and mission study results are presented.

Snyder, Christopher A.↗

Plasma injection and transport in the mid-altitude polar cusp

DE-1 hot plasma observations in the mid-altitude polar cusp have shown evidence of a significant velocity filtering phenomenon which is consistent with a latitudinally narrow region of plasma injection located at a geocentric distance of about eight earth radii (in a dipole approximation). Plasma convection from the injection region into the polar cap results in a V-shaped log E vs. observed pitch angle relation at geocentric distances near 4 earth radii. This velocity filtering effect allows the measurement of much smaller flow velocities (about 10 km/sec) than have heretofore been possible with hot plasma measurements. The flows thus determined are consistent with ionospheric flows measured nearly simultaneously by the DE-2 spacecraft, although the magnitudes of the higher altitude flows are higher by a factor of 2 or more than an approximately r to the 3/2 power dipole-field mapping would predict.

Burch, J. L.↗

Substorm-injected protons and electrons and the injection boundary model

Analysis of observations of substorm-associated enhancements of proton and electron fluxes: (1) makes a strong case for the existence of a boundary limiting the regional particle injection associated with substorms, (2) supports the hypothesis that the injection process is almost instantaneous (less than approximately 5 min), and (3) indicates that the injection takes place within a large region extending at least several earth radii tailward of the injection boundary. The injection boundary model is superior to others in that it simultaneously explains: (1) the drift and energy dispersion of substorm-injected protons between 1 and 30 keV, (2) the relative behavior of protons with 81 deg and 27 deg pitch angles, (3) the absence of observed electrons below 30 keV, and (4) the time dispersion of impulsively injected electrons seen outside the plasmapause.

Konradi, A.↗

Turbine vane gas film cooling with injection in the leading edge region from a single row of spanwise angled holes

An experimental study of gas film cooling was conducted on a 3X size model turbine vane. Injection in the leading edge region was from a single row of holes angled in a spanwise direction. Measurements of the local heat flux downstream from the row of coolant holes, both with and without film coolant flow, were used to determine the film cooling performance presented in terms of the Stanton number ratio. Results for a range of coolant blowing ratio, M = 0 to 2.0, indicate a reduction in heat flux of up to 15 to 30 percent at a point 10 to 11 hole diameters downstream from injection. An optimum coolant blowing ratio corresponds to a coolant-to-freestream velocity ratio in the range of 0.5. The shallow injection angle resulted in superior cooling performance for injection closest to stagnation, while the effect of injection angle was insignificant for injection further from stagnation.

Lecuyer, M. R.↗

Stagnation region gas film cooling: Spanwise angled injection from multiple rows of holes

The stagnation region of a cylinder in a cross flow was used in experiments conducted with both a single row and multiple rows of spanwise angled (25 deg) coolant holes for a range of the coolant blowing ratio with a freestream to wall temperature ratio approximately equal to 1.7 and R(eD) = 90,000. Data from local heat flux measurements are presented for injection from a single row located at 5 deg, 22.9 deg, 40.8 deg, 58.7 deg from stagnation using a hole spacing ratio of S/d(o) = 5 and 10. Three multiple row configurations were also investigated. Data are presented for a uniform blowing distribution and for a nonuniform blowing distribution simulating a plenum supply. The data for local Stanton Number reduction demonstrated a lack of lateral spreading by the coolant jets. Heat flux levels larger than those without film cooling were observed directly behind the coolant holes as the blowing ratio exceeded a particular value. The data were spanwise averaged to illustrate the influence of injection location, blowing ratio and hole spacing. The large values of blowing ratio for the blowing distribution simulating a plenum supply resulted in heat flux levels behind the holes in excess of the values without film cooling. An increase in freestream turbulence intensity from 4.4 to 9.5 percent had a negligible effect on the film cooling performance.

Luckey, D. W.↗

Impulsive ion injections in the morning auroral region

Low altitude (less than 1000 km) measurements of ions precipitating into the morning auroral region are presented and analyzed. The ion fluxes exhibited time-energy signatures consistent with impulsive injection onto high-altitude field lines, followed by time-of-flight dispersion. The origin of these ions is investigated through the detailed examination of these signatures in conjunction with simultaneous measurements of precipitating electrons and a magnetic field model. A model is developed which indicates that the source for these particles was located in or near the magnetopause boundary layer, with the position deduced to be in the midlatitude flank region about 20-30 R(sub E) tailward of the Earth. The model explains the existence of multiple injections on a given field line as due to a quasi-periodic source, with the periodicity being about 100-200 s at the source. Several mechanisms are examined in an attempt to explain the injections, with a mechanism related to the propagation of waves on the surface of the boundary layer found to be the most plausible. The observations and results are compared to those of similar experiments and some unifying ideas are discussed.

Clemmons, J. H.↗

A wavelength scannable XeCl oscillator-ring amplifier laser system

A holographic grating at grazing angle of incidence was used to achieve tunable, narrow bandwidth (0.005 nm) operation of a XeCl oscillator for injection locking of a ring amplifier. The amplifier's narrow bandwidth output energy was constant and equal to the untuned, broadband output (approximately 15 mJ) in regions where injection locking was achieved. Scanning was provided by use of a stepping motor-driven differential micrometer on the tuning mirror. This system was used to produce a laser excitation spectrum of hydroxyl radicals (OH) in a flame.

Pacala, T. J.↗

MHD simulation of mass injection - A mechanism for the formation of active region loops

A two-dimensional nonlinear MHD numerical code is used to simulate the formation and dynamic evolution of active regions loops subjected to mass injections at the footpoints. The UV and X-ray signatures of the plasmas are also calculated. It is found that it is possible to form loops in a low beta plasma that occurs in the solar active regions.

Cheng, Chung-Chieh↗

Sensitivity tests of two-dimensional model predictions of corridor effects

Future aerospace-vehicle systems, such as supersonic transport fleets, the Space Shuttle (SS), and the Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) system will inject substantial amounts of pollutants into the stratosphere. It is, therefore, pertinent to ask whether the operation of these systems will lead to deleterious effects in the atmosphere. The current investigation is concerned with the development of criteria to assess the likelihood of a detectable corridor effect being caused by the long-term deposition of pollutants at a single latitude. The sources are assumed to operate continuously and at a uniform rate for periods of many years. It is found that transport by meridional winds and by eddy processes acts to diminish the corridor effect by advecting the pollutants out of the region of injection and by mixing them with the ambient air. Attention is given to the altitude for which a detectable corridor effect can be expected for the hypothetical launching of 400 HLLV's per year for 10 years.

Borucki, W. J.↗

DE-1 observations of solar wind-magnetosphere coupling processes in the polar cusp

Measurements of hot plasma distribution functions in the midaltitude polar cusp by the Dynamics Explorer-1 spacecraft have provided new information on the processes of magnetosheath plasma injection and transport and the dependence of these phenomena on solar-wind parameters. Results on magnetosheath plasma injection have included: (1) localization of the region of plasma injection to the high-latitude cusp-magnetosheath interface, (2) movement of this region toward lower latitudes as B(z) becomes more southward, (3) maintenance of quasi-neutrality of suprathermal plasmas within the cusp, and (4) support for merging-type injection at the high-latitude cusp boundary for northward IMF. Plasma flow measurements from Dynamics Explorer-1 have led to a global IMF-dependent convection model which contains both merging and viscous driving forces.

Burch, J. L.↗