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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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At least 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

MSFC Analysis of Thermal Control Materials on MISSE

Many different passive thermal control materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment, including coatings, anodizes, and multi-layer insulation materials. Engineers and scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center have analyzed a number of these materials, including: Zinc oxide/potassium silicate coating, Zinc orthotitanate/potassium silicate coating, Sulfuric acid anodized aluminum, Various coatings for part marking, automated rendezvous and capture, and astronaut visual aids, FEP Teflon with silver/Inconel backing, and Beta cloth with and without aluminization. These and other material samples were exposed to the low Earth orbital environment of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum, though atomic oxygen exposure was very limited for some samples. Solar absorptance, infrared emittance, and mass measurements indicate the durability of these materials to withstand the space environment. The effect of contamination from an active space station on the performance of white thermal control coatings is discussed.

Finckenor, Miria↗
NASA NTRS2008

MISSE Thermal Control Materials with Comparison to Previous Flight Experiments

Many different passive thermal control materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), including inorganic coatings, anodized aluminum, and multi-layer insulation materials. These and other material samples were exposed to the low Earth orbital environment of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum, though atomic oxygen exposure was limited for some samples. Materials flown on MISSE-1 and MISSE-2 were exposed to the space environment for nearly four years. Materials flown on MISSE-3, MISSE-4, and MISSE-5 were exposed to the space environment for one year. Solar absorptance, infrared emittance, and mass measurements indicate the durability of these materials to withstand the space environment. Effects of short duration versus long duration exposure on ISS are explored, as well as comparable data from previous flight experiments, such as the Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA), Optical Properties Monitor (OPM), and Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

Finckenor, Miria↗
NASA NTRS2008

Part Marking and Identification Materials on MISSE

Many different spacecraft materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), including several materials used in part marking and identification. The experiment contained Data Matrix symbols applied using laser bonding, vacuum arc vapor deposition, gas assisted laser etch, chemical etch, mechanical dot peening, laser shot peening, and laser induced surface improvement. The effects of ultraviolet radiation on nickel acetate seal versus hot water seal on sulfuric acid anodized aluminum are discussed. These samples were exposed on the International Space Station to the low Earth orbital environment of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum, though atomic oxygen exposure was very limited for some samples. Results from the one-year exposure on MISSE-3 and MISSE-4 are compared to those from MISSE-1 and MISSE-2, which were exposed for four years. Part marking and identification materials on the current MISSE -6 experiment are also discussed.

Finckenor, Miria M.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Further Analysis of MISSE Polymeric Materials at MSFC

Many different spacecraft materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). MISSE was exposed to the low Earth orbital environment of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum. A number of polymer samples did not survive the atomic oxygen attack. Mass and thickness loss measurements indicate the durability of the remaining polymeric materials to withstand the space environment. Results from the one-year exposure on MISSE-3 and MISSE-4 are compared to those from the four-year exposure on MISSE-1 and MISSE-2. Solar absorptance and infrared emittance measurements are given for thermal control materials. Transmission measurements are given where appropriate. A wide variety of polymeric materials were flown on MISSE, ranging from extremely thin films for solar sails to bulk materials. Some of the candidate solar sail materials were flown underneath magnesium fluoride windows to eliminate atomic oxygen effects and allow the study of ultraviolet radiation damage. Exposed seal materials include Viton , silicone, and fluorosilicone. Multi-layer insulation materials were flown, including atomic oxygen-resistant polymers. Also flown were candidate inflatable materials for a High Altitude Airship or inflatable lunar habitat. Polymer materials being flown on MISSE-6 are discussed.

Finckenor, Miria M.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Further Analysis of Thermal Control Coatings on MISSE for Aerospace Applications

Many different passive thermal control materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment. Engineers and scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center have analyzed a number of these materials, including Z93P zinc oxide/potassium silicate coating, YB-71P zinc orthotitanate/potassium silicate coating, NZOT, which is a low-cost alternative to YB-71P, several electrically conductive/static dissipative thermal control coatings, as well as black coatings for part marking and automated rendezvous and capture. These were exposed to the low Earth orbital environment of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum, though atomic oxygen exposure was very limited for some samples. Results from the one-year exposure of MISSE-3 and MISSE-4 are compared to the four-year exposure of MISSE-1 and MISSE-2. Solar absorptance, infrared emittance, and mass measurements indicate the durability of these materials to withstand the space environment. The effect of contamination from an active space station on the performance of white thermal control coatings is discussed.

Kenny, Mike↗
NASA NTRS2004

Texturing Carbon-carbon Composite Radiator Surfaces Utilizing Atomic Oxygen

Future space nuclear power systems will require radiator technology to dissipate excess heat created by a nuclear reactor. Large radiator fins with circulating coolant are in development for this purpose and an investigation of how to make them most efficient is underway. Maximizing the surface area while minimizing the mass of such radiator fins is critical for obtaining the highest efficiency in dissipating heat. Processes to develop surface roughness are under investigation to maximize the effective surface area of a radiator fin. Surface roughness is created through several methods including oxidation and texturing. The effects of atomic oxygen impingement on carbon-carbon surfaces are currently being investigated for texturing a radiator surface. Early studies of atomic oxygen impingement in low Earth orbit indicate significant texturing due to ram atomic oxygen. The surface morphology of the affected surfaces shows many microscopic cones and valleys which have been experimentally shown to increase radiation emittance. Further study of this morphology proceeded in the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Atomic oxygen experiments on the LDEF successfully duplicated the results obtained from materials in spaceflight by subjecting samples to 4.5 eV atomic oxygen from a fixed ram angle. These experiments replicated the conical valley morphology that was seen on samples subjected to low Earth orbit.

Raack, Taylor↗
NASA NTRS2024

Contamination Results of MISSE 8 Wake and Nadir Samples After 2 Years of Space Exposure on the International Space Station

Spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, including radiation (cosmic rays, ultraviolet, x-ray and charged particle radiation), micrometeoroids and orbital debris, temperature extremes, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen. In addition, on-orbit spacecraft contamination is a serious spaceflight issue, with silicone contamination being a particular concern. In an effort to understand on-orbit contamination of Materials International Space Station Experiment 8 (MISSE 8) flight samples and other International Space Station (ISS) payloads, contamination studies were conducted post-flight on retrieved Teflon fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) samples flown in the wake and nadir orientations on MISSE 8. The wake sample was Teflon FEP (M8-W11) flown as part of the Glenn MISSE 8 Polymers Experiment on the Optical Reflector Materials Experiment-III Ram/Wake (ORMatE-III R/W) tray and exposed to the LEO wake environment for 2.0 years. The nadir samples were silver-Teflon FEP radiator pieces taken from the MISSE 8 Single Events Upset Xilinx-Sandia Experiment II (SEUXSE II) Power Box and exposed to the LEO nadir environment for 2.14 years. The Teflon FEP flight materials were analyzed for changes in surface morphology and chemistry as compared to pristine control samples. The wake samples were also analyzed for changes in optical properties. There was no evidence of a molecular contamination layer present on the surface of the MISSE 8 wake or nadir facing Teflon FEP flight samples, although both the wake and nadir flight samples contained particulate contamination in some regions. The analyzed nadir particles were primarily zinc rich. The majority of analyzed wake particles were comprised of oxidized aluminum with small amounts of zinc and magnesium. The wake particles appear to have arrived early in the mission (or pre-flight) during a single event. This paper provides details of the MISSE 8 sample contamination analyses.

Erosion↗
NASA NTRS1989

Undercutting of defects in thin film protective coatings on polymer surfaces exposed to atomic oxygen

Protection for polymeric surfaces is needed to make them durable in the low Earth orbital environment, where oxidation by atomic oxygen is the predominant failure mechanism. Thin film coatings of oxides such as silicon dioxide are viable candidates to provide this protection, but concern has been voiced over the ability of these coatings to protect when defects are present in the coating due to surface anomalies occurring during the deposition process, handling, or micrometeoroid and debris bombardment in low Earth orbit. When a defected coating protecting a polymer substrate is exposed to atomic oxygen, the defect provides a pathway to the underlying polymer allowing oxidation and subsequent undercutting to occur. Defect undercutting was studied for sputter deposited coatings of silicon dioxide on polyimide Kapton. Preliminary results indicate that undercutting may be limited as long as the coating remains intact with the substrate. Therefore, coatings may not need to be defect free to give protection to the underlying surface.

Rutledge, Sharon K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Magnetic molecular orbitals in MnSi

A large body of knowledge about magnetism is attained from models of interacting spins, which usually reside on magnetic ions. Proposals beyond the ionic picture are uncommon and seldom verified by direct observations in conjunction with microscopic theory. Here, using inelastic neutron scattering to study the itinerant near-ferromagnet MnSi, we find that the system’s fundamental magnetic units are interconnected, extended molecular orbitals consisting of three Mn atoms each rather than individual Mn atoms. This result is further corroborated by magnetic Wannier orbitals obtained by ab initio calculations. It contrasts the ionic picture with a concrete example and presents an unexplored regime of the spin waves where the wavelength is comparable to the spatial extent of the molecular orbitals. Our discovery brings important insights into not only the magnetism of MnSi but also a broad range of magnetic quantum materials where structural symmetry, electron itinerancy, and correlations act in concert.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Axial vs equatorial: Capturing the intramolecular charge transfer state geometry in conformational polymorphic crystals of a donor–bridge–acceptor dyad in nanosecond-time-scale

Two conformational polymorphs of a donor–bridge–acceptor (D-B-A) dyad, p-(CH 3 ) 2 N-C 6 H 4 -(CH 2 ) 2 -(1-pyrenyl)/PyCHDMA, were studied, where the electron donor (D) moiety p-(CH 3 ) 2 N-C 6 H 4 /DMA is connected through a bridging group (B), –CH 2 –CH 2 –, to the electron acceptor (A) moiety pyrene. Though molecular dyads like PyCHDMA have the potential to change solar energy into electrical current through the process of photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), the major challenge is the real-time investigation of the photoinduced ICT process in crystals, necessary to design solid-state optoelectronic materials. The time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements with the single crystals showed that the ICT state lifetime of the thermodynamic form, PyCHDMA1 (pyrene and DMA: axial), is ~3 ns, whereas, for the kinetic form, PyCHDMA20 (pyrene and DMA: equatorial), it is ~7 ns, while photoexcited with 375 nm radiation. The polymorphic crystals were photo-excited and subsequently probed with a pink Laue x-ray beam in time-resolved x-ray diffraction (TRXRD) measurements. The TRXRD results suggest that in the ICT state, due to electron transfer from the tertiary N-atom in DMA moiety to the bridging group and pyrene moiety, a decreased repulsion between the lone-pair and the bond-pair at N-atom induces planarity in the C–N–(CH 3 ) 2 moiety, in both polymorphs. The Natural Bond Orbital calculations and partial atomic charge analysis by Hirshfeld partitioning also corroborated the same. Although the interfragment charge transfer (IFCT) analysis using the TDDFT results showed that for the charge transfer excitation in both conformers, the electrons were transferred from the DMA moiety to mostly the pyrene moiety, the bridging group has little role to play in that.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1977

Semiclassical dynamics on multiple electronic surfaces - Three-dimensional treatment of reactive F + H2

The role of electron transitions in collisions is studied for the F + H2 reaction by combining quasi-classical Monte Carlo trajectories with a semiclassical decoupling approximation for the electron transitions. Attention is directed at the reaction of excited state F atoms reacting to form ground state products; the reactants are initiated in either of two spin-orbit states of the atom with the diatom in the ground vibrational state and the lowest four rotational states, at relative translational energies of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 eV. Even if the reactants are initiated on the excited state surface, the reactive cross sections (which are classically forbidden) are significant. The major dynamical effects of the excited state reaction are the flow of reactant electronic energy into product internal energy.

Komornicki, A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Intelsat solar array coupon atomic oxygen flight experiment

A Hughes communications satellite (INTELSAT series) belonging to the INTELSAT Organization was marooned in low-Earth orbit (LEO) on March 14, 1990, following failure of the Titan launch vehicle third stage to separate properly. The satellite, INTELSAT 6, was designed for service in geosynchronous orbit and contains several materials that are potentially susceptible to attack by atomic oxygen. Analysis showed that direct exposure of the silver interconnects in the satellite photovoltaic array to atomic oxygen in LEO was the key materials issue. Available data on atomic oxygen degradation of silver are limited and show high variance, so solar array configurations of the INTELSAT 6 type and individual interconnects were tested in ground-based facilities and during STS-41 (Space Shuttle Discovery, October 1990) as part of the ISAC flight experiment. Several materials for which little or no flight data exist were also tested for atomic oxygen reactivity. Dry lubricants, elastomers, and polymeric and inorganic materials were exposed to an oxygen atom fluence of 1.1 x 10(exp 20) atoms cm(exp 2). Many of the samples were selected to support Space Station Freedom design and decision making. This paper provides an overview of the ISAC flight experiment and a brief summary of results. In addition to new data on materials not before flown, ISAC provided data supporting the decision to rescue INTELSAT 6, which was successfully undertaken in May 1992.

TRT-GENERAL REVIEW↗
NASA NTRS1994

A facility to produce an energetic, ground state atomic oxygen beam for the simulation of the Low-Earth Orbit environment

Because of the continuing commitment to activity in low-Earth orbit (LEO), a facility is under development to produce energetic atmospheric species, particularly atomic oxygen, with energies ranging from 5 to 80 eV. This relatively high flux facility incorporates an ion engine to produce the corresponding specie ion which is charge exchanged to produce a neutral atomic beam. Ion fluxes of around 10(exp 15) sec(exp -1) with energies of 20-70 eV have been achieved. A geometrically augmented inertially tethered charge exchanger (GAITCE) was designed to provide a large column depth of charge exchange gas while reducing the gas load to the low pressure portion of the atomic beam facility. This is accomplished using opposed containment jets which act as collisional barriers to the escape of the dense gas region formed between the jets. Leak rate gains to the pumping system on the order of 10 were achieved for moderate jet mass flows. This system provides an attractive means for the charge exchange of atomic ions with a variety of gases to produce energetic atomic beams.

Ketsdever, Andrew D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Detection of atomic oxygen and its electronic coherence decays using time-resolved ultrafast coherent Raman scattering

We report the detection of atomic oxygen and quantitative measurements of its electronic Raman coherence decays in flames and low-temperature plasmas using time-resolved hybrid femtosecond/picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). Atomic oxygen was detected using the Raman transitions between the spin–orbit coupled triplet ground states. Atomic oxygen was generated in an H 2 /O 2 /Ar diffusion flame and an O 2 /Ar pulsed plasma discharge. Single exponential decays were observed for the O( 3 P 2 )–O( 3 P 1 ) Raman transition at 158.3 cm −1 and the O( 3 P 2 )–O( 3 P 0 ) Raman transition at 227 cm −1 . From the decay measurements, the atomic O Raman linewidths were obtained from 25 to 150 Torr in non-equilibrium plasma and at 760 Torr in a flame. Enhanced signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of atomic oxygen and atomic to molecular oxygen signal contrasts were obtained by taking advantage of electronic triplet coherence beating. Enhancement of up to seven times in the atomic O SNR was observed. Furthermore, we also found that the dephasing rates of O 2 (v = 0–3, N = 37) were similar, which provides evidence for the assumption that vibrational excitation does not influence the dephasing of diatomic molecular rotational CARS transitions.

Atomic and molecular spectroscopy↗
NASA NTRS1990

Symbolic description of periodic orbits for the quadratic Zeeman effect

The organization of the periodic orbits of a hydrogen atom in a uniform magnetic field is studied. It is shown that the dynamics is qualitatively different from that for weak fields and negative energies. The orbits can be mapped one-to-one onto a ternary symbolic tree, an organization which turns out to be applicable for all values of energy and field strength. The results indicate that the field-free hydrogen atom has a purely chaotic limit for positive energies.

Eckhardt, Bruno↗
NASA NTRS1981

Sodium remote from Io

Measurements of sodium emission lines originating in the middle Jupiter magnetosphere are measured, confirming the wide dispersal of neutral sodium in the Jovian system in at least two distinct manifestations. Candidate neutral transport processes in the context of the observed kinematical signatures are discussed. It is argued that the normal emission feature is produced by sodium atoms on bound elliptical orbits originating in the Io sodium cloud but with apojove in the field of view. Observations of the fast sodium feature indicate that atoms episodically acquire a broad range of line-of-sight velocities above the Jupiter gravitational escape speed and far above the speeds characteristic of surface-sputtered atoms. Three suggested reactions are distinguished according to (1) production rates based on estimated plasmaspheric properties, (2) kinematical signature, and (3) the timing of occurrences of the fast sodium feature.

Brown, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Analysis of LDEF experiment AO187-2 chemical and isotopic measurements of micrometeoroids by secondary ion mass spectrometry

#Experiment AO187-2, that was flown on board the Long Duration Exposure Facility(LDEF), was designed to measure the chemical and isotopic compositions of interplanetary dust impinging on the spacecraft from outer space. Information on the nature and composition of orbital debris was also anticipated. The spacecraft maintained a constant orientation with respect to its velocity vector thereby defining leading and trailing edges that faced respectively into and away from the direction of motion. Arrays of individual capture cells each 80.8 sq cm in size and totaling 237 in number were exposed on both the leading and trailing edges of LDEF. Each cell consisted of a pure Ge target surface slightly separated from a thin (2.5 micrometers) metallized plastic 'entrance foil.' The basic concept was that incoming projectiles would penetrate the foil, strike the Ge target plate at high velocity producing a vapor-liquid cloud that would re-deposit material on the underside of the plastic foil. This material would then be analyzed using the sensitive surface analysis technique of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). In practice, most of the plastic entrance foils failed during the extended period of orbital exposure probably due to a combination of UV embrittlement, large densities of impact events and (for the leading edge) the effects of atomic oxygen erosion in orbit. However the foils failed gradually and most remained in place on the capture cells for a significant fraction of the duration of the flight . Because most of the impactors were small (less than 10 micrometers) they were heated and dispersed in traversing the entrance foils producing clouds of molten droplets and vapor that produced easily identifiable 'extended impacts' on the Ge target plates. Fortunately, it proved possible to make ion probe measurements of projectile compositions from material deposited on the Ge in the extended impact structures.

Zinner, Ernst↗
DOE OSTI2024

Anderson critical metal phase in trivial states protected by average magnetic crystalline symmetry

Transitions between distinct obstructed atomic insulators (OAIs) protected by crystalline symmetries, where electrons form molecular orbitals centering away from the atom positions, must go through an intermediate metallic phase. In this work, we find that the intermediate metals will become a scale-invariant critical metal phase (CMP) under certain types of quenched disorder that respect the magnetic crystalline symmetries on average. We explicitly construct models respecting average C 2z T, m, and C 4z T and show their scale-invariance under chemical potential disorder by the finite-size scaling method. Conventional theories, such as weak anti-localization and topological phase transition, cannot explain the underlying mechanism. A quantitative mapping between lattice and network models shows that the CMP can be understood through a semi-classical percolation problem. Ultimately, we systematically classify all the OAI transitions protected by (magnetic) groups Pm, P2', P4', and P6' with and without spin-orbit coupling, most of which can support CMP.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗