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NASA NTRS2003

Array biosensor for detection of toxins

The array biosensor is capable of detecting multiple targets rapidly and simultaneously on the surface of a single waveguide. Sandwich and competitive fluoroimmunoassays have been developed to detect high and low molecular weight toxins, respectively, in complex samples. Recognition molecules (usually antibodies) were first immobilized in specific locations on the waveguide and the resultant patterned array was used to interrogate up to 12 different samples for the presence of multiple different analytes. Upon binding of a fluorescent analyte or fluorescent immunocomplex, the pattern of fluorescent spots was detected using a CCD camera. Automated image analysis was used to determine a mean fluorescence value for each assay spot and to subtract the local background signal. The location of the spot and its mean fluorescence value were used to determine the toxin identity and concentration. Toxins were measured in clinical fluids, environmental samples and foods, with minimal sample preparation. Results are shown for rapid analyses of staphylococcal enterotoxin B, ricin, cholera toxin, botulinum toxoids, trinitrotoluene, and the mycotoxin fumonisin. Toxins were detected at levels as low as 0.5 ng mL(-1).

Review↗
NASA NTRS2006

Grism Performance for Mid-IR (5-40 microns) Spectroscopy

Grisms provide a straightforward method to transform an imager into a spectrometer with little change to the original imaging optics. This paper addresses the performance of a suite of grisms as part of an Astrobiology Science and Instrument Development (ASTID) Program to implement a moderate resolution spectroscopic capability to the mid/far-IR facility instrument FORCAST for the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) [see accompanying abstract by Adams et al.]. A moderate resolution mid-IR spectrometer on SOFIA will offer advantages not available to either ground or space-based instruments after the Spitzer Space Telescope ceases operation in approx. 2007. SOFIA will begin operations in 2007 and will have an operational lifetime of approx. 20 years. From aircraft altitudes, it will be possible to cover a range of wavelengths, particularly in the critical 5-9 micron band, where detection of astrobiologically interesting molecules have key spectral signatures, that are not accessible from the ground. This grism suite consists of six grisms: four monolithic Si grisms [see accompanying abstract by Mar et al.] and two KRS-5 grisms. These devices will allow long slit low-resolution and short slit, cross-dispersed high-resolution spectroscopic modes selectable by simply moving the camera filter wheels. This configuration will enable observing programs to gather images and spectra in a single SOFIA flight. The four silicon grisms, whose performance is highlighted in this paper, will operate in the following wavelength ranges: 5-8, 17-28, and 28-37 microns. In the 5-8 micron range, R=1200 is achievable for a 2 arcsecond slit using the grism as a cross-disperser. For the 17-28 and 28-37 micron ranges, the resolving powers are R approx. 130, 250 when used in low orders with a slit of 3 arcseconds. The silicon grisms demonstrate a new family of dispersive elements with good optical performance for spectroscopy from 1.2-8 micron and beyond 18 microns. Furthermore, the FORCAST grism modes are close in wavelength coverage and resolving power to the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS), so that among other possible observations, SOFIA can now enable follow-up studies of the brighter objects that Spitzer has observed and enable studies of sources that were too bright for observation with Spitzer.

Ennico, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Hierarchies of Models: Toward Understanding Planetary Nebulae

Stars like our sun (initial masses between 0.8 to 8 solar masses) end their lives as swollen red giants surrounded by cool extended atmospheres. The nuclear reactions in their cores create carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, which are transported by convection to the outer envelope of the stellar atmosphere. As the star finally collapses to become a white dwarf, this envelope is expelled from the star to form a planetary nebula (PN) rich in organic molecules. The physics, dynamics, and chemistry of these nebulae are poorly understood and have implications not only for our understanding of the stellar life cycle but also for organic astrochemistry and the creation of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. We are working toward generating three-dimensional models of planetary nebulae (PNe), which include the size, orientation, shape, expansion rate and mass distribution of the nebula. Such a reconstruction of a PN is a challenging problem for several reasons. First, the data consist of images obtained over time from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and spectra obtained from Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). These images are of course taken from a single viewpoint in space, which amounts to a very challenging tomographic reconstruction. Second, the fact that we have two disparate and orthogonal data types requires that we utilize a method that allows these data to be used together to obtain a solution. To address these first two challenges we employ Bayesian model estimation using a parameterized physical model that incorporates much prior information about the known physics of the PN. In our previous works we have found that the forward problem of the comprehensive model is extremely time consuming. To address this challenge, we explore the use of a set of hierarchical models, which allow us to estimate increasingly more detailed sets of model parameters. These hierarchical models of increasing complexity are akin to scientific theories of increasing sophistication, with each new model/theory being a refinement of a previous one by either incorporating additional prior information or by introducing a new set of parameters to model an entirely new phenomenon. We apply these models to both a simulated and a real ellipsoidal PN to initially estimate the position, angular size, and orientation of the nebula as a two-dimensional object and use these estimates to later examine its three-dimensional properties. The efficiency/accuracy tradeoffs of the techniques are studied to determine the advantages and disadvantages of employing a set of hierarchical models over a single comprehensive model.

Knuth, Kevin H.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Hierarchies of Models: Toward Understanding Planetary Nebulae

Stars like our sun (initial masses between 0.8 to 8 solar masses) end their lives as swollen red giants surrounded by cool extended atmospheres. The nuclear reactions in their cores create carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, which are transported by convection to the outer envelope of the stellar atmosphere. As the star finally collapses to become a white dwarf, this envelope is expelled from the star to form a planetary nebula (PN) rich in organic molecules. The physics, dynamics, and chemistry of these nebulae are poorly understood and have implications not only for our understanding of the stellar life cycle but also for organic astrochemistry and the creation of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. We are working toward generating three-dimensional models of planetary nebulae (PNe), which include the size, orientation, shape, expansion rate and mass distribution of the nebula. Such a reconstruction of a PN is a challenging problem for several reasons. First, the data consist of images obtained over time from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and spectra obtained from Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). These images are of course taken from a single viewpoint in space, which amounts to a very challenging tomographic reconstruction. Second, the fact that we have two disparate and orthogonal data types requires that we utilize a method that allows these data to be used together to obtain a solution. To address these first two challenges we employ Bayesian model estimation using a parameterized physical model that incorporates much prior information about the known physics of the PN. In our previous works we have found that the forward problem of the comprehensive model is extremely time consuming. To address this challenge, we explore the use of a set of hierarchical models, which allow us to estimate increasingly more detailed sets of model parameters. These hierarchical models of increasing complexity are akin to scientific theories of increasing sophistication, with each new model/theory being a refinement of a previous one by either incorporating additional prior information or by introducing a new set of parameters to model an entirely new phenomenon. We apply these models to both a simulated and a real ellipsoidal PN to initially estimate the position, angular size, and orientation of the nebula as a two-dimensional object and use these estimates to later examine its three-dimensional properties. The efficiency/accuracy tradeoffs of the techniques are studied to determine the advantages and disadvantages of employing a set of hierarchical models over a single comprehensive model.

Knuth, Kevin H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Sensitive VLA Search for Small-Scale Glycine Emission Toward OMC-1

We have conducted a deep Q-band (lambda-7 mm) search with the Very Large Array (VLA) toward OMC-1 for the lowest energy conformation (conformer I) of glycine (NH2CH2COOH) in four rotational transitions: the 6(sub 15)- 5(sub 14), 6(sub 24)-5(sub 23), 7(sub 17- 6(sub 16), and 7(sub 07)-6(sub 06). Our VLA observations sample the smallest-scale structures to date in the search for glycine toward OMC-1. No glycine emission features were detected. Thus if glycine exists in OMC-1, either it is below our detection limit, or it is more spatially extended than other large molecules in this source, or it is primarily in its high energy form (conformer II). Our VLA glycine fractional abundance limits in OMC-1 are comparable to those determined from previous IRAM 30m measurements -- somewhat better or worse depending on the specific source model -- and the entire approximately 1 foot primary beam of the VLA was searched while sensitive to an areal spatial scale approximately 150 times smaller than the 24 inch beam of the IRAM single-element telescope. In the course of this work, we detected and imaged the 4(sub 14)-3(sub 13) A and E transitions of methyl formate (HCOOCH3) and also the 2(sub 02) - 1(sub 01) transition of formic acid (HCOOH). Since formic acid is a possible precursor to glycine, our glycine limits and formic acid results provide a constraint on this potential formation chemistry route for glycine in OMC-1.

Hollis, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Structure of Young Stellar Systems: Establishing the Initial Conditions for Planet Formation

FYO1-FY03 Origins support to the PI had been as part of an effort involving Profs. Blake, van Dishoeck and L.G. Mundy of the University of Maryland. As outlined below, the merging of BIMA+OVRO into the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter Astronomy (CARMA) and our mutual involvement in the Spitzer Legacy Science program now provides a more natural means of continuing the Caltech/Maryland collaboration. In addition, the spectroscopy/radiative transfer programs led by Profs. Blake, Hogerheijde, and van Dishoeck form a more cohesive basis for a single proposal. Students supported by our previous Origins grant have been involved in making some of the first sub-arcsecond resolution images of the morphology and chemistry of individual YSOs at OVRO and BIMA, in the analysis of IR spectra taken by ISO, and in continuing exploratory IR diffraction-limited imaging and spectroscopy at the Keck and VLT observatories. Notable scientific accomplishments in the past grant period include: 1) detecting high density and temperature hot cores in the dynamically accreting envelopes of low mass protostars that contain significant quantities of complex, prebioitc molecules, 2) imaging chemical and isotopic zonation in the outer regions of T Tauri star accretion disks, particularly fractional ionization and D/H studies, 3) acquiring and modeling the first extensive CO v = 1 approaches 0 spectroscopy survey of the terrestrial planet-forming region of circumstellar accretion disks, and 4) optimizing detailed radiative transfer modeling of the molecular and dust emission from YSO envelopes and from comets, including a new parallelized implementation.

Blake, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

In Situ Geochronology for the Next Decade

Geochronology, or determination of absolute ages for geologic events, underpins many inquiries into the formation and evolution of planets and our Solar System. The bombardment chronology inferred from lunar samples has played a significant role in the development of models of early Solar System and extrasolar planet dynamics, as well as the timing of volatile, organic, and siderophile element delivery. Absolute ages of ancient and recent magmatic products provide strong constraints on the dynamics of magma oceans and crustal formation, and the longevity and evolution of interior heat engines and distinct mantle/crustal source regions. Absolute dating also relates habitability markers to the timescale of evolution of life on Earth. The number of geochronologically-significant terrains across the inner Solar System far exceeds our ability to conduct sample return to all of them. Therefore NASA has invested in the development of in situ dating techniques; several such instruments will be TRL 6 by the time of the next Decadal Survey. We formulated a set of medium-class (New Frontiers) mission concepts to three different locations (the Moon, Mars, and Vesta) with a notional payload consisting of the CDEX and KArLE instruments to measure radiometric ages, an imaging spectrometer and optical cameras to provide site geologic context and sample characterization, an ICP-MS to augment sample contextualization, and a sample acquisition and handling system. A Vesta hopper and single-site lunar and Mars landers to advance Solar System chronology fit into the New Frontiers cost cap in our study. Such missions would also enable a broad suite of geologic investigations such as basic geologic characterization, geomorphologic analysis, establishing ground truth for remote sensing analyses, analyses of major, minor, trace, and volatile elements, atmospheric and other long-lived monitoring, organic molecule analyses, and soil and geotechnical properties.

Barbara A Cohen↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2008

Topics covered inclde: Deployable Wireless Camera Penetrators; Hand-Held Units for Short-Range Wireless Biotelemetry; Wearable Wireless Telemetry System for Implantable BioMEMS Sensors; Electronic Escape Trails for Firefighters; Architecture for a High-to-Medium-Voltage Power Converter; 24-Way Radial Power Combiner/Divider for 31 to 36 GHz; Three-Stage InP Submillimeter-Wave MMIC Amplifier; Fast Electromechanical Switches Based on Carbon Nanotubes; Solid-State High-Temperature Power Cells; Fast Offset Laser Phase-Locking System; Fabricating High-Resolution X-Ray Collimators; Embossed Teflon AF Laminate Membrane Microfluidic Diaphragm Valves; Flipperons for Improved Aerodynamic Performance; System Estimates Radius of Curvature of a Segmented Mirror; Refractory Ceramic Foams for Novel Applications; Self-Deploying Trusses Containing Shape-Memory Polymers; Fuel-Cell Electrolytes Based on Organosilica Hybrid Proton Conductors; Molecules for Fluorescence Detection of Specific Chemicals; Cell-Detection Technique for Automated Patch Clamping; Redesigned Human Metabolic Simulator; Compact, Highly Stable Ion Atomic Clock; LiGa(OTf)(sub 4) as an Electrolyte Salt for Li-Ion Cells; Compact Dielectric-Rod White-Light Delay Lines; Single-Mode WGM Resonators Fabricated by Diamond Turning; Mitigating Photon Jitter in Optical PPM Communication; MACOS Version 3.31; Fiber-Optic Determination of N2, O2, and Fuel Vapor in the Ullage of Liquid-Fuel Tanks; Spiking Neurons for Analysis of Patterns; Symmetric Phase-Only Filtering in Particle-Image Velocimetry; Efficient Coupler for a Bessel Beam Dispersive Element; and Attitude and Translation Control of a Solar Sail Vehicle.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

Water Ice and Life's Roots in Space

Nearly three decades ago as Voyager 2 spacecraft raced out of the Solar System. NASA engineers turned its camera arm around (at the request of the American astronomer Carl Sagan) to take a parting snapshot of Earth. Earth's image was a single pale blue pixel, its color caused by the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight in the water of our oceans. Earth is a water planet, and this is the color of life. No matter how far we travel on our planet, no matter how high or deep, if we find liquid water, we find some form of life that manages to survive there. And yet there is a cruel irony. Water in its solid crystalline form is hostile to life. Organisms can roost in geysers, wallow in brine and gulp down acid, but they cowered from ice. The rigid ordering of water molecules in ice crystals expels impurities and tears organic tissue beyond repair. In fact, about the only good thing you can say about ice is that it gets out of the way: Its low density ensures that it floats and leaves the water dwelling creatures in peace. Recent discoveries have caused us to rethink this basic premise. New lines of evidence both observational and experimental - suggest that prebiotic organic compounds are not only comfortable in, but in fact had their origin in a peculiar form of solid water ice that is ubiquitous in interstellar space, but completely absent from Earth. Only recently have we been able to create even submicroscopic quantities of this ice in terrestrial laboratories, yet it constitutes the most abundant form of water in the universe. Interstellar ice is a far cry from the ice we are so familiar with on Earth. This interstellar ice has no crystalline structure, and despite the fact that its temperature is a scant few degrees above absolute zero (where all molecular motion ceases), it is highly reactive and can flow like water when exposed to radiation. It is in fact this ice's similarity to liquid water that allows it to participate in the creation of the very first organic compounds.

Blake, David↗
NASA NTRS2001

Modulation of lens cell adhesion molecules by particle beams

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are proteins which anchor cells to each other and to the extracellular matrix (ECM), but whose functions also include signal transduction, differentiation, and apoptosis. We are testing a hypothesis that particle radiations modulate CAM expression and this contributes to radiation-induced lens opacification. We observed dose-dependent changes in the expression of beta 1-integrin and ICAM-1 in exponentially-growing and confluent cells of a differentiating human lens epithelial cell model after exposure to particle beams. Human lens epithelial (HLE) cells, less than 10 passages after their initial culture from fetal tissue, were grown on bovine corneal endothelial cell-derived ECM in medium containing 15% fetal bovine serum and supplemented with 5 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). Multiple cell populations at three different stages of differentiation were prepared for experiment: cells in exponential growth, and cells at 5 and 10 days post-confluence. The differentiation status of cells was characterized morphologically by digital image analysis, and biochemically by Western blotting using lens epithelial and fiber cell-specific markers. Cultures were irradiated with single doses (4, 8 or 12 Gy) of 55 MeV protons and, along with unirradiated control samples, were fixed using -20 degrees C methanol at 6 hours after exposure. Replicate experiments and similar experiments with helium ions are in progress. The intracellular localization of beta 1-integrin and ICAM-1 was detected by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies specific for each CAM. Cells known to express each CAM were also processed as positive controls. Both exponentially-growing and confluent, differentiating cells demonstrated a dramatic proton-dose-dependent modulation (upregulation for exponential cells, downregulation for confluent cells) and a change in the intracellular distribution of the beta 1-integrin, compared to unirradiated controls. In contrast, there was a dose-dependent increase in ICAM-1 immunofluorescence in confluent, but not exponentially-growing cells. These results suggest that proton irradiation downregulates beta 1-integrin and upregulates ICAM-1, potentially contributing to cell death or to aberrant differentiation via modulation of anchorage and/or signal transduction functions. Quantification of the expression levels of the CAMs by Western analysis is in progress.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
NASA NTRS2017

Single Object & Time Series Spectroscopy with JWST NIRCam

JWST will enable high signal-to-noise spectroscopic observations of the atmospheres of transiting planets with high sensitivity at wavelengths that are inaccessible with HST or other existing facilities. We plan to exploit this by measuring abundances, chemical compositions, cloud properties, and temperature-pressure parameters of a set of mostly warm (T 600 - 1200 K) and low mass (14 -200 Earth mass) planets in our guaranteed time program. These planets are expected to have significant molecular absorptions of H2O, CH4, CO2, CO, and other molecules that are key for determining these parameters and illuminating how and where the planets formed. We describe how we will use the NIRCam grisms to observe slitless transmission and emission spectra of these planets over 2.4 - 5.0 microns wavelength and how well these observations can measure our desired parameters. This will include how we set integration times, exposure parameters, and obtain simultaneous shorter wavelength images to track telescope pointing and stellar variability. We will illustrate this with specific examples showing model spectra, simulated observations, expected information retrieval results, completed Astronomer's Proposal Tools observing templates, target visibility, and other considerations.

NIRCam↗
NASA NTRS1999

Science Observations of Deep Space One

During the Deep Space One (DS1) primary mission, the spacecraft will fly by asteroid 1992 KD and possibly comet Borrelly. There are two technologies being validated on DS1 that will provide science observations of these targets, the Miniature Integrated Camera Spectrometer (MICAS) and the Plasma Experiment for Planetary Exploration (PEPE). MICAS encompasses a camera, an ultraviolet imaging spectrometer and an infrared imaging spectrometer. PEPE combines an ion and electron analyzer designed to determine the three-dimensional distribution of plasma over its field of view. MICAS includes two visible wavelength imaging channels, an ultraviolet imaging spectrometer, and an infrared imaging spectrometer all of which share a single 10-cm diameter telescope. Two types of visible wavelength detectors, both operating between about 500 and 1000 nm are used: a CCD with 13-microrad pixels and an 18-microrad-per-pixel, metal-on-silicon active pixel sensor (APS). Unlike the CCD the APS includes the timing and control electronics on the chip along with the detector. The UV spectrometer spans 80 to 185 nm with 0.64-nm spectral resolution and 316-microrad pixels. The IR spectrometer covers the range from 1200 to 2400 nm with 6.6-nm resolution and 54-microrad pixels PEPE includes a very low-power, low-mass micro-calorimeter to help understand plasma-surface interactions and a plasma analyzer to identify de individual molecules and atoms in the immediate vicinity of the spacecraft that have been eroded off the surface of asteroid 1992 KD. It employs common apertures with separate electrostatic energy analyzers. It measures electron and ion energies spanning a range of 3 eV to 30 keV, with a resolution of five percent. and measures ion mass from one to 135 atomic mass units with 5 percent resolution. It electrostatically sweeps its field of view both in elevation and azimuth. Both MICAS and PEPE represent a new direction for the evolution of science instruments for interplanetary spacecraft. These two instruments incorporate a large fraction of the capability of five instruments that had typically flown on NASA's deep space missions The Deep Space One science team acknowledges the support of Philip Varghese, David H. Lehman, Leslie Livesay, and Marc Rayman for providing invaluable assistance in making the science observations possible.

Nelson, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Multi-Component, Multi-Point Interferometric Rayleigh/Mie Doppler Velocimeter

An interferometric Rayleigh scattering system was developed to enable the measurement of multiple, orthogonal velocity components at several points within very-high-speed or high-temperature flows. The velocity of a gaseous flow can be optically measured by sending laser light into the gas flow, and then measuring the scattered light signal that is returned from matter within the flow. Scattering can arise from either gas molecules within the flow itself, known as Rayleigh scattering, or from particles within the flow, known as Mie scattering. Measuring Mie scattering is the basis of all commercial laser Doppler and particle imaging velocimetry systems, but particle seeding is problematic when measuring high-speed and high-temperature flows. The velocimeter is designed to measure the Doppler shift from only Rayleigh scattering, and does not require, but can also measure, particles within the flow. The system combines a direct-view, large-optic interferometric setup that calculates the Doppler shift from fringe patterns collected with a digital camera, and a subsystem to capture and re-circulate scattered light to maximize signal density. By measuring two orthogonal components of the velocity at multiple positions in the flow volume, the accuracy and usefulness of the flow measurement increase significantly over single or nonorthogonal component approaches.

Danehy, Paul M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Magnetite Plaquettes in Orgueil

Magnetite sometimes takes the form of a plaquette - barrel-shaped stack of magnetite disks - in carbonaceous chondrites (CC) that show evidence of aqueous alteration. The asymmetric nature of the plaquettes caused Pizzarello and Groy to propose magnetite plaquettes as a naturally asymmetric mineral that can indroduce symmetry-breaking in organic molecules. Our previous synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography (SXRCT) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses of the magnetite plaquettes in fifteen CCs indicate that magnetite plaquettes are composed of nearly parallel discs, and the crystallographic orientations of the discs change around a rotational axis normal to the discs surfaces. In order to further investigate the nanostructures of magnetite plaquettes, we made two focused ion beam (FIB) sections of nine magnetite plaquettes from a thin section of CI Orgueil for transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. The X-ray spectrum imaging shows that the magnetite discs are purely iron oxide Fe3O4 (42.9 at% Fe and 57.1 at% O), which suggest that the plaquettes are of aqueous origin as it is difficult to form pure magnetite as a nebular condensate. The selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns acquired across the plaquettes show that the magnetite discs are single crystals. SEM and EBSD analyses suggest that the planar surfaces of the magnetite discs belong to the {100} planes of the cubic inverse spinel structure, which are supported by our TEM observations. Kerridge et al. suggested that the epitaxial relationship between magnetite plaquette and carbonate determines the magnetite face. However, according to our TEM observation, the association of magnetite with porous networks of phyllosilicate indicates that the epitaxial relationship with carbonate is not essential to the formation of magnetite plaquettes. It was difficult to determine the preferred rotational orientation of the plaquettes due to the symmetry of the cubic structure, however, we are able to observe small but consistent rotational orientation across several discs within a plaquette.

Chan, Q. H. S.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Three-dimensional characterization of tethered microspheres by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy

Tethered particle microscopy is a powerful tool to study the dynamics of DNA molecules and DNA-protein complexes in single-molecule experiments. We demonstrate that stroboscopic total internal reflection microscopy can be used to characterize the three-dimensional spatiotemporal motion of DNA-tethered particles. By calculating characteristic measures such as symmetry and time constants of the motion, well-formed tethers can be distinguished from defective ones for which the motion is dominated by aberrant surface effects. This improves the reliability of measurements on tether dynamics. For instance, in observations of protein-mediated DNA looping, loop formation is distinguished from adsorption and other nonspecific events.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Star-Grazing Bodies in the HD 172555 System

Kiefer et al. reported the detection of infalling Ca II absorption in HD 172555, a member of the β Pictoris Moving Group (βPMG). We obtained HST Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectroscopy of this star at 2 epochs separated by a week, and we report the discovery of infalling gas in resonant transitions of Si III and IV, C II and IV, and neutral atomic oxygen. Variable absorption is seen in the C II transitions and is optically thick, with covering factors which range between 58% and 68%, similar to features seen in β Pictoris. The O I spectral profile resembles that of C II, showing a strong low-velocity absorption to +50 km/s in the single spectral segment obtained during orbital night, as well as what may be higher-velocity absorption. Studies of the mid-IR spectrum of this system have suggested the presence of silica. The O I absorption differs from that seen in Si III, suggesting that the neutral atomic oxygen does not originate in SiO dissociation products but in a more volatile parent molecule such as CO.

C. A. Grady↗
NASA NTRS2016

Utilization of O4 Slant Column Density to Derive Aerosol Layer Height from a Space-Borne UV-Visible Hyperspectral Sensor: Sensitivity and Case Study

The sensitivities of oxygen-dimer (O4) slant column densities (SCDs) to changes in aerosol layer height are investigated using the simulated radiances by a radiative transfer model, the linearized pseudo-spherical vector discrete ordinate radiative transfer (VLIDORT), and the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. The sensitivities of the O4 index (O4I), which is defined as dividing O4 SCD by 10(sup 40) molecules (sup 2) per centimeters(sup -5), to aerosol types and optical properties are also evaluated and compared. Among the O4 absorption bands at 340, 360, 380, and 477 nanometers, the O4 absorption band at 477 nanometers is found to be the most suitable to retrieve the aerosol effective height. However, the O4I at 477 nanometers is significantly influenced not only by the aerosol layer effective height but also by aerosol vertical profiles, optical properties including single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol optical depth (AOD), particle size, and surface albedo. Overall, the error of the retrieved aerosol effective height is estimated to be 1276, 846, and 739 meters for dust, non-absorbing, and absorbing aerosol, respectively, assuming knowledge on the aerosol vertical distribution shape. Using radiance data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), a new algorithm is developed to derive the aerosol effective height over East Asia after the determination of the aerosol type and AOD from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). About 80 percent of retrieved aerosol effective heights are within the error range of 1 kilometer compared to those obtained from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) measurements on thick aerosol layer cases.

Air Pollution↗
NASA NTRS2000

Structural Characterization of Crystalline Ice Nanoclusters

Water ice nanoclusters are useful analogs for studying a variety of processes that occur within icy grains in the extraterrestrial environment. The surface of ice nanoclusters prepared in the laboratory is similar to the surface of interstellar ice grains. In cold molecular clouds, the silicate cores of interstellar grains are typically approx. 100 nm in diameter and have a coating of impure amorphous water ice. Depositional, thermal and radiolytic processes leave the surface and subsurface molecules in a disordered state. In this state, structural defects become mobile and reactions of trapped gases and small molecules can occur. The large surface area of nanocluster deposits relative to their bulk allows for routine observation of such surface-mediated processes. Furthermore, the disordered surface and subsurface layers in nanocluster deposits mimic the structure of amorphous ice rinds found on interstellar dust grains. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM has been used tn characterize the crystallinity, growth mechanism, and size distribution of nanoclusters formed from a mixture of water vapor with an inert carrier gas that has been rapidly cooled to 77K. E M imaging reveals a Gaussian size distribution around a modal diameter that increases from approx. 15 to 30 nm as the percentage of water vapor within the mixture increases from 0.5 to 2.007, respectively . TEM bright and dark field imaging also reveals the crystalline nature of the clusters. h4any of the clusters show a mosaic structure in which crystalline domains originate at the center Other images show mirror planes that are separated by approx. 10 nm. Electron diffraction patterns of these clusters show that the clusters are composed of cubic ice with only a small hexagonal component. Further, the crystalline domain size is approximately the same as the modal diameter suggesting that the clusters are single crystals.

Blake, David↗