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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1977

Energetic solar flare particles and interplanetary shock waves

Estimates from hard X-ray measurements show that for many flares the bulk of the flare energy is released in the form of approximately 10-100-keV energy electrons. The interaction of these electrons with the solar atmosphere can produce the optical, UV, EUV, and radio emissions observed during the flare impulsive phase. In addition, explosive heating and evaporation of the chromosphere by these electrons can produce the roughly 10 million K soft X-ray plasma. For the large solar flares which produce interplanetary shock waves, the accelerated approximately 10-100-keV electron population may produce the heating and mass motion required for mass ejection and the formation of the shock wave. The shock wave can in turn accelerate ions and electrons to higher energy as it travels through the corona and interplanetary medium.

Lin, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Increased capabilities of the 30-cm diameter Hg ion thruster

Some space flight missions require advanced ion thrusters which operate at conditions much different than those for which the baseline 30-cm Hg thruster was developed. Results of initial tests of a 30-cm Hg thruster with two and three grid ion accelerating systems, operated at higher values of both thrust and power and over a greater range of specific impulse than the baseline conditions are presented. Thruster lifetime at increased input power was evaluated both by extended tests and real time spectroscopic measurements.

Rawlin, V. K.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Ionization states of heavy elements observed in the 1974 May 14-15 anomalous solar particle event

The charge states of heavy ions accelerated in the (3)He-Fe rich solar particle event of 1974 May 14-15 are determined using data from the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-8. In addition to Fe(+11,12) both 0(+5) and Fe(+16,17,18) are also present suggesting variations in coronal temperatures over a range from approximately 400,000 to 5,000,000 K. The presence of 0(+5) and Fe(+16-18) may be explained by a resonant plasma heating mechanism proposed to account for the enhancements of (3)He and Fe.

Ma Sung, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Ionization states of heavy elements observed in the 1974 May 14-15 anomalous solar particle event

The charge states of heavy ions accelerated in the (He-3)-Fe-rich solar particle event of May 14-15, 1974 have been determined by the use of using data from the University of Maryland/Max-Planck-Institut experiment on IMP 8. In addition to Fe(+11,12), it is found that both O(+5) and Fe(+16,17,18) are also present, suggesting variations in coronal temperatures over a range from approximately 400,000 to 5,000,000 K. The presence of O(+5) and Fe(+16-18) may be explained by a resonant plasma heating mechanism proposed by Fisk (1978) to account for the enhancements of He-3 and Fe.

Ma Sung, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Long-Life/Low-Power Ion-Gun Cathode

New cathode has form of hollow tube through which gas enters region of high electron density, produced by electric discharge with auxiliary electrode referred to as "keeper." Ion-gun cathode emits electrons that bombard gas in chamber. Ions accelerated out of source are used to dope semiconductor material.

Fitzgerald, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

The characteristics of particles emitted in energetic nucleus-nucleus interactions

The analysis of the interactions of heavy cosmic ray nuclei in nuclear emulsion exposed over Texas is continued, with 500 interactions of nuclei of E greater than 1.5 GeV/nucleon added. In this paper the experimental data correlating meson production with fragmentation of the projectile and target nuclei are given. These data, combined with earlier results, are also used to reexamine the problem of the mean free path of secondary fragments. Using the same techniques of analysis used for the accelerator ions, evidence is found for anomalously short mean free paths of secondary fragments in the first centimeter after production.

Barber, H. B.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Advanced ion thruster and electrochemical launcher research

The theoretical model of orificed hollow cathode operation predicted experimentally observed cathode performance with reasonable accuracy. The deflection and divergence characteristics of ion beamlets emanating from a two grid optics system as a function of the relative offset of screen and accel grids hole axes were described. Ion currents associated with discharge chamber operation were controlled to improve ion thruster performance markedly. Limitations imposed by basic physical laws on reductions in screen grid hole size and grid spacing for ion optics systems were described. The influence of stray magnetic fields in the vicinity of a neutralizer on the performance of that neutralizer was demonstrated. The ion current density extracted from a thruster was enhanced by injecting electrons into the region between its ion accelerating grids. Theoretical analysis of the electrothermal ramjet concept of launching space bound payloads at high acceleration levels is described. The operation of this system is broken down into two phases. In the light gas gun phase the payload is accelerated to the velocity at which the ramjet phase can commence. Preliminary models of operation are examined and shown to yield overall energy efficiences for a typical Earth escape launch of 60 to 70%. When shock losses are incorporated these efficiencies are still observed to remain at the relatively high values of 40 to 50%.

Wilbur, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

The association of energetic particles and shocks in the heliosphere

The observational and theoretical work on heliospheric shocks and cosmic rays in the recent past is surveyed. The data have come mainly from spacecraft in the regions from 0.3-25 AU, and include detection of particles and plasma waves upstream of the earth's bow shock. The theory of shock acceleration is reviewed, together with analytical models of energetic particle enhancement in association with shocks or shocks within the heliosphere. It has been determined that shocks in the heliosphere are associated with energetic suprathermal particles, which are conversely all associated with shocks. Solar cosmic rays and other anomalous components are therefore accelerated by shocks, a factor that is significant for studies of the acceleration mechanisms for galactic cosmic rays. The Solar Polar Mission will provide data on all solar latitudes, and the ISEE-3 spacecraft will continue to gather information on shock accelerated ions in travelling interplanetary shock waves.

Lee, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Ion trajectories in a space-charge wave on a relativistic electron beam

The motion of an ion in a space-charge wave on a strongly magnetized electron beam is investigated. The motions of the ion perpendicular and parallel to the beam direction are coupled by a nonlinear term in the ion Hamiltonian that is proportional to the wave amplitude, and this coupling causes the motion of the ion to deviate significantly from that of a linear harmonic oscillator in certain resonant regions of phase space. A sequence of canonical transformations is employed to investigate the motion of the ion in these regions. It is determined that wave amplitudes that are too small to trap beam electrons are too small to cause these resonances to overlap. When this overlap does not occur, the motion is found not to be discernibly ergodic in any three-dimensional subspace of the energy hypersurface because there exists a third constant of the motion in addition to the total energy and angular momentum. The numerically integrated ion trajectories are studied using surface-of-section techniques in order to verify these findings. It is found that the third constant of the motion constrains an ion initially trapped in a potential well of the wave to remain trapped in this well. It is concluded that ergodic behavior poses no threat at attempts at collective ion acceleration in space-charge waves on an electron beam.

Russell, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Collisionless Shock Waves in the Solar Terrestrial Environment

Natural shocks, magnetohydrodynamics, shock extensions, global asymmetries, shock profiles, quasiperpendicular supercritical process; ion dynamics and field structure, numerical simulations, ion reflection machinery, electrons, instabilities, phenomenology, and ion acceleration were described.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1984

Experimental observations of self-similar plasma expansion

The present investigation is concerned with measurements of the plasma potential profile of an expanding plasma, taking into account the demonstration of the self-similar behavior of such a plasma. The obtained experimental results are consistent with self-similar solutions reported by Crow et al. (1975). It is found that the quasi-neutrality condition breaks down early during the experiment. A consideration of the effect of charge separation is, therefore, required. Attention is given to the evolution of the potential profiles of the expanding plasma as a function of time, the accelerated ion fronts, and the sheath formation of the expanding plasma into a floating boundary.

Chan, C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Solar and interplanetary particles at 2 to 4 MEV during solar cycles 21, solar cycle variations of event sizes, and compositions

In This paper 2 to 4 MeV/nucleon protons, alpha particles, and medium (CNO) nuclei in the near-Earth interplanetary medium during the years 1974 to 1981 are studied. This period contains both the solar activity minimum in 1976, and the very active onset phase of Solar Cycle 21. Characteristic compositional differences between the solar minimum and solar maximum ion populations have been investigated. Previous studies of interplanetary composition at these energies have concentrated on well-defined samples of the heliospheric medium. During flare particle events, the ambient plasma is dominated by ions accelerated in specific regions of the solar atmosphere; observation of the proton/alpha and alpha/medium ratios for flare events shows that there is marked compositional variability both during an event and from event to event suggesting the complicated nature of flare particle production and transport.

Armstrong, T. P.↗

NASA NTRS1983

The non-Z-squared response of the heavy nuclei cosmic ray detector on HEAO-3

A combination of ion chambers and Cerenkov radiators similar to the Heavy Nuclei Experiment flown on HEAO-3 was calibrated at the Bevalac heavy-ion accelerator using beams of Mn-25 nuclei at kinetic energies up to about 1700 MeV/nucleon and Au-79 nuclei up to about 1000 MeV/nucleon. The data show only a small deviation (about 2-3 charge units at Au) from the Z-squared scaling used previously (Binns et al., 1981, 1982, 1983) to analyze the HNE data. Although at lower energy, the calibration indicates that the published relative abundances of the Sn-50/Ba-56 group and the published upper-limit actinide abundances are not likely to be significantly affected by non-Z-squared effects.

Garrard, T. L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Nuclear gamma rays and interplanetary proton events

From February 1980 - February 1982, the Gamma Ray Spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite observed the impulsive phases of sixteen western hemisphere flares that were associated with prompt solar proton events. Six of these flares had a detectable excess in the 4-8 MeV window and four others had detectable continuum emission above 300 keV. As indicated in earlier studies based on fewer events, a lack of correlation is found between the peak 10 MeV near-earth proton fluxes and prompt gamma-ray-line fluences. The two largest proton events in the sample did not have detectable emission above 300 keV. For the 9 December event, an upper limit for the density of the ion acceleration region of 8 billion/cu cm or less is obtained for an acceleration time constant of 1500 s.

Cliver, E. W.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Neoplastic cell transformation by energetic heavy ions and its modification with chemical agents

One of the major deleterious late effects of ionizing radiation is related to the induction of neoplasms. In the present report recent experimental results on neoplastic cell transformation by heavy ions are presented, and possible means to circumvent the carcinogenic effect of space radiation are discussed. Biological effects observed in experiments involving the use of energetic heavy ions accelerated at the Bevalac suggest that many of the biological effects observed in earlier space flight experiments may be due to space radiation, particularly cosmic rays. It is found that the effect of radiation on cell transformation is dose-rate dependent. The frequency of neoplastic transformation for a given dose decreases with a decrease of dose rate of Co-60 gamma rays. It is found that various chemical agents give radiation protection, including DMSO.

Yang, T. C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Solar particle acceleration and propagation

The research performed in the period 1983-1986 on solar-particle acceleration and propagation is discussed. Special attention is given to satellite-based observations of large solar energetic particles and (He-3)-rich events; measurements of solar gamma rays, neutrons, and low-energy (1-100-keV) electrons; and observations related to the interplanetary propagation of fast particles. Consideration is also given to theoretical acceleration models based on satellite measurements of accelerated ions.

Lin, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Hydromagnetic wave excitation by ionised interstellar hydrogen and helium in the solar wind

The modification of the interplanetary MHD wave spectrum due to the pickup and isotropization of interstellar hydrogen and helium in the solar wind is predicted on the basis of quasi-linear and (for hydrogen) WKB theory. Results indicate that pickup helium has a very small (unobservable) effect on the solar wind wave spectrum, but that pickup hydrogen results in substantial modifications of cyclotron resonant frequencies (about 0.01 Hz at about 7 AU). It is noted that the predicted modifications beyond about 5 AU are substantial and could be observable at spacecraft frequencies greater than about 0.005 Hz if not degraded by turbulent wave-wave interactions or stochastic ion acceleration.

Lee, Martin A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The Scintillating Optical Fiber Isotope Experiment

This paper describes the Scintillating Optical Fiber Isotope Experiment (SOFIE) which is being developed by Washington University and the University of New Hampshire to study the abundances of cosmic ray isotopes in the iron charge region. This detector system is a Cerenkov-Range-dE/dx experiment and utilizes range and trajectory detectors made of scintillating optical fibers, a fused silica Cerenkov counter, and plastic scintillator dE/dx counters to determine the charge and mass of cosmic ray nuclei. A brief description of the balloon flight instrument presently being developed will be given followed by initial results of an engineering model calibration at the LBL Bevalac heavy ion accelerator. In addition a brief discussion of the potential of scintillating fiber trajectory detectors for use in experiments requiring precise trajectory determination such as those being planned for the NASA Particle Astrophysics Magnet Facility (Astromag) program is presented.

Binns, W. Robert↗