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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 397 records · Page 22

Voids in the Ly-alpha forest

The general issue of using the Ly-alpha absorbers in quasar spectra as tracers of the large-scale matter distribution is discussed, emphasizing complications due to evolutionary effects and line blending. Then, a novel method of statistical analysis of the line data appropriate for studying large-scale structure is described. This method circumvents the problem of line blending by truncating the interval distribution at the low end. It also explicitly takes z-dependent effects into account. As an example, the method is applied to an 18-quasar spectrum sample of 417 lines.

Duncan, Robert C.↗

Raman scattering measurements in flames using a tunable KrF excimer laser

A narrow-band tunable KrF excimer laser is used as a spontaneous vibrational Raman scattering source to demonstrate that single-pulse concentration and temperature measurements, with only minimal fluorescence interference, are possible for all major species (O2, N2, H2O, and H2) at all stoichiometries (fuel-lean to fuel rich) of H2-air flames. Photon-statistics-limited precisions in these instantaneous and spatially resolved single-pulse measurements are typically 5 percent, which are based on the relative standard deviations of single-pulse probability distributions. In addition to the single-pulse N2 Stokes/anti-Stokes ratio temperature measurement technique, a time-averaged temperature measurement technique is presented that matches the N2 Stokes Raman spectrum to theoretical spectra by using a single intermediate state frequency to account for near-resonance enhancement. Raman flame spectra in CH4-air flames are presented that have good signal-to-noise characteristics and show promise for single-pulse UV Raman measurements in hydrocarbon flames.

Wehrmeyer, Joseph A.↗

On the adequacy of modeling turbulence and related effects on helicopter response

The present closed-form solution of a frequency-time spectrum for the dominant vertical turbulence velocity at an arbitrary blade station accounts for the instantaneous turbulence-energy transfer due to rotational velocity from the low-frequency to the high-frequency region, with the occurrence of several spectral peaks and split peaks. Comparisons of blade-flapping response to blade- and body-fixed turbulence is also presented, over a range of turbulence-scale length and advance ratios. Attention is given to the use of cyclostationary turbulence and blade-response frequency-time spectra to simultaneously predict temporal and frequency characteristics. Rotational velocity substantially affects response statistics in low-altitude, low advance-ratio flight.

George, V. V.↗

Techniques to improve maneuver stability characteristics of a nonlinear wide-body transport airplane in cruise flight

The maneuver control stability characteristics of an aircraft are a flying qualities parameter of critical importance, to ensure structural protection as well as adequate predictability to the pilot. Currently, however, maneuver stability characteristics are not uniquely addressed in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25, for transport aircraft. In past transport category certification programs, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has used a combination of requirements (longitudinal control, vibration and buffeting, high-speed characteristics, and out-of-trim characteristics) to ensure safe and controllable maneuver stability characteristics over a range of flight conditions and airplane configurations. Controversies exist regarding each of these regulations, however, and considerable expenditures in terms of design studies and testing time have resulted from the requirements. It is also recognized that additional engineering guidance is needed for identifying acceptable nonlinear maneuver stability characteristics, particularly as they relate to relaxed stability, highly augmented transport configurations. The current trend in large aircraft design is toward relaxed, or even negative, static margins for improved fuel efficiency. The advanced flight control systems developed for these aircraft, in many instances, have rendered current aforementioned maneuver stability criteria either too stringent or of little practical use. Current design requirements do not account for these advanced designs. The objective was to evaluate a broad spectrum of linear and nonlinear longitudinal stability characteristics to generate data for defining satisfactory and unacceptable maneuver characteristics, as defined by pilot opinion. Primary emphasis was placed on two techniques of varying column force per normal acceleration. This study was a joint venture with four pilots participating; one from NASA, one from the FAA, and two from industry.

Grantham, William D.↗

Constraints on the Galactic Halo Dark Matter from Fermi-LAT Diffuse Measurements

We have performed an analysis of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the Milky Way halo region, searching for a signal from dark matter annihilation or decay. In the absence of a robust dark matter signal, constraints are presented. We consider both gamma rays produced directly in the dark matter annihilation/decay and produced by inverse Compton scattering of the e+/e− produced in the annihilation/decay. Conservative limits are derived requiring that the dark matter signal does not exceed the observed diffuse gamma-ray emission. A second set of more stringent limits is derived based on modeling the foreground astrophysical diffuse emission using the GALPROP code. Uncertainties in the height of the diffusive cosmic-ray halo, the distribution of the cosmic-ray sources in the Galaxy, the index of the injection cosmic-ray electron spectrum, and the column density of the interstellar gas are taken into account using a profile likelihood formalism, while the parameters governing the cosmic-ray propagation have been derived from fits to local cosmic-ray data. The resulting limits impact the range of particle masses over which dark matter thermal production in the early universe is possible, and challenge the interpretation of the PAMELA/Fermi-LAT cosmic ray anomalies as the annihilation of dark matter.

DIFFUSE MEASUREMENTS↗

Empirical Model Development for Predicting Shock Response on Composite Materials Subjected to Pyroshock Loading

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) received a request to develop an analysis model based on both frequency response and wave propagation analyses for predicting shock response spectrum (SRS) on composite materials subjected to pyroshock loading. The model would account for near-field environment (approx. 9 inches from the source) dominated by direct wave propagation, mid-field environment (approx. 2 feet from the source) characterized by wave propagation and structural resonances, and far-field environment dominated by lower frequency bending waves in the structure. This report documents the outcome of the assessment.

Gentz, Steven J.↗

Empirical Model Development for Predicting Shock Response on Composite Materials Subjected to Pyroshock Loading: Appendices - Volume 2, Part 1

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) received a request to develop an analysis model based on both frequency response and wave propagation analyses for predicting shock response spectrum (SRS) on composite materials subjected to pyroshock loading. The model would account for near-field environment (approximately 9 inches from the source) dominated by direct wave propagation, mid-field environment (approximately 2 feet from the source) characterized by wave propagation and structural resonances, and far-field environment dominated by lower frequency bending waves in the structure. This document contains appendices to the Volume I report.

Gentz, Steven J.↗

Empirical Model Development for Predicting Shock Response on Composite Materials Subjected to Pyroshock Loading

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) received a request to develop an analysis model based on both frequency response and wave propagation analyses for predicting shock response spectrum (SRS) on composite materials subjected to pyroshock loading. The model would account for near-field environment (~9 inches from the source) dominated by direct wave propagation, mid-field environment (approximately 2 feet from the source) characterized by wave propagation and structural resonances, and far-field environment dominated by lower frequency bending waves in the structure. This document contains appendices to the Volume I report.

Gentz, Steven J.↗

Empirical Model Development for Predicting Shock Response on Composite Materials Subjected to Pyroshock Loading: Appendices

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) received a request to develop an analysis model based on both frequency response and wave propagation analyses for predicting shock response spectrum (SRS) on composite materials subjected to pyroshock loading. The model would account for near-field environment (approx. 9 inches from the source) dominated by direct wave propagation, mid-field environment (approx. 2 feet from the source) characterized by wave propagation and structural resonances, and far-field environment dominated by lower frequency bending waves in the structure. This document contains appendices to the Volume I report.

Gentz, Steven J.↗

Chooz-A steam generators characterization - 15205

EDF nuclear waste management requires a deep understanding of characterization, classification and waste sorting operations. In fact, French nuclear waste management defines several classes with specific management, treatment and storage facilities. Based on particular criteria, the more the radiological risk of the nuclear waste is important, the more its management will be complex and expensive. During the dismantling of the first French pressurized reactor Chooz-A, decontamination of the primary water circuits (not including the reactor vessel), the steam generators and the pressurizer have been carried out in order to reduce their activity levels. Thanks to these decontamination operations, and a specific characterization methodology, EDF was able to de-classify the 4 steam generators and store them in one piece at the ANDRA Very Low Level Activity disposal facilities instead of the Low and Intermediate Level activity one. This de-classification allowed EDF to avoid important cutting and packaging processes. Therefore, significant dose reductions for the operators and financial gain have been made. To characterize and declare Chooz-A SG activity, EDF-CIDEN uses a methodology defined by the French institute of atomic energy, CEA. The method is based on external gamma spectrometry measurements performed with NaI collimated detectors, associated with MERCURAD simulations providing the transfer functions for the detectors and activity sources. Internal measurements are carried out with a CZT (CdZnTe) probe inside the SG tubes to refine the 3D model. In fact, the primary side represents the main source of activity, and understanding its contamination distribution is important to reduce the model and calculation uncertainties. Measurements eventually provide SG {sup 60}Co global activity, from which the activities of other radionuclides of the spectrum are determined using scaling factors. The final activity declaration takes into account the standard deviation of the measurements in order to cover the uncertainties of the methodology. Thereby, the declaration is 'slightly over-estimative', enough to meet the waste storage facility acceptance criteria. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Internal delensing of Planck CMB temperature and polarization

We present a first internal delensing of CMB maps, both in temperature and polarization, using the public foreground-cleaned (SMICA) Planck 2015 maps. After forming quadratic estimates of the lensing potential, we use the corresponding displacement field to undo the lensing on the same data. We build differences of the delensed spectra to the original data spectra specifically to look for delensing signatures. After taking into account reconstruction noise biases in the delensed spectra, we find an expected sharpening of the power spectrum acoustic peaks with a delensing efficiency of 29 % (TT) 25 % (TE) and 22 % (EE). The detection significance of the delensing effects is very high in all spectra: 12 σ in EE polarization; 18 σ in TE; and 20 σ in TT. The null hypothesis of no lensing in the maps is rejected at 26 σ. While direct detection of the power in lensing B-modes themselves is not possible at high significance at Planck noise levels, we do detect (at 4.5 σ {under the null hypothesis}) delensing effects in the B-mode map, with 7 % reduction in lensing power. Our results provide a first demonstration of polarization delensing, and generally of internal CMB delensing, and stand in agreement with the baseline ΛCDM Planck 2015 cosmology expectations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Strong Spin–Charge Coupling and Its Manifestation in the Quasiparticle Structure, Cooper Instability, and Electromagnetic Properties of Cuprates

The Fermi excitation spectrum, the problem of Cooper instability, and the Londons magnetic field penetration depth in cuprate superconductors are considered using the unified conception based on accounting for the strong coupling between the spin of copper ions and holes at oxygen ions. This coupling leads to strong renormalization of the primary spectrum of oxygen holes with the formation of spin-polaron quasiparticles. Analysis of Cooper instability performed using the spin-polaron concept for different channels has shown that only the superconducting d-wave pairing occurs in the ensemble of spin-polaron quasiparticles, and there are no solutions corresponding to the s-wave pairing. It has been demonstrated that the superconducting d-wave pairing is not suppressed by the Coulomb repulsion of holes located at neighboring oxygen ions. This effect is due to peculiarities in the crystallographic structure of the CuO{sub 2} plane and the aforementioned strong spin–fermion coupling. As a result, such interaction of holes is omitted in the kernel of the integral equation for the superconducting order parameter with the d-wave symmetry. It has been shown the Hubbard repulsion of holes and their interaction for the second coordination sphere of the oxygen sublattice for actual intensities of the interaction do not suppress the d-wave type of superconductivity. For the spin-polaron ensemble, we have analyzed the dependence of the Londons magnetic field penetration depth on the temperature and hole concentration. It has been established that the peculiarities of this dependence are closely related to specific features of the spin-polaron spectrum.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Safeguards Material Control And Accountancy Considerations For Molten Salt Reactors

Molten salt reactors are a class of nuclear reactor designs with features and operational characteristics that vary significantly. Variations in design features include the physical, chemical, and isotopic composition of fresh and irradiated fuel, neutron energy spectrums, breeding ratios, and the design’s plans for chemical processing. Specific designs within these variations affect the material control and accountancy approaches implemented by both domestic and international nuclear safeguards. This paper identifies safeguards-relevant design features for molten salt reactors and describes how each feature might influence both domestic and international nuclear safeguards implementation. Additionally, this paper describes two potential general categories of material control and accountancy approaches that may be appropriate for molten salt reactors: a black box material-balance approach with measurements on the feed and waste streams combined with robust containment and surveillance on the nuclear material within the reactor or an approach that aims to quantify the nuclear material throughout the reactor (i.e., a process monitoring approach). This paper describes the benefits and challenges of these approaches to meet technical safeguards objectives and identifies gaps in current technologies.

Hogue, Karen↗

On the origin of the soft X-ray background

The angular autocorrelation function and spectrum of the soft X-ray background is studied below a discrete source detection limit, using two deep images from the Rosat X-ray satellite. The average spectral shape of pointlike sources, which account for 40 to 60 percent of the background intensity, is determined by using the autocorrelation function. The background spectrum, in the 0.5-0.9 keV band (M band), is decomposed into a pointlike source component characterized by a power law and a diffuse component represented by a two-temperature plasma. These pointlike sources cannot contribute more than 60 percent of the X-ray background intensity in the M band without exceeding the total observed flux in the R7 band. Spectral analysis has shown that the local soft diffuse component, although dominating the background intensity at energies not greater than 0.3 keV, contributes only a small fraction of the M band background intensity. The diffuse component may represent an important constituent of the interstellar or intergalactic medium.

Wang, Q. D.↗

Studies on solar hard X-Rays and gamma-rays: Compton backscatter, anisotropy, polarization and evidence for two phases of acceleration

Observations of solar X-rays and gamma-rays from large flares show that the hard X-ray spectrum extends into the gamma ray region, where a flattening in the spectrum of the continuum emission is observed above about 1 MeV. This emission is believed to be due to bremsstrahlung. In addition to electron-proton collisions, at energies greater than approximately 500 keV, bremsstrahlung due to electron-electron collisions becomes significant. Bremsstrahlung production was calculated for a variety of electron spectra extending from the nonrelativistic region to relativistic energies and electron-electron bremsstrahlung is taken into account. By comparing these calculations with data, it is shown that the flattening in the spectrum of the continuum emission can be best explained by an electron spectrum consisting of two distinctive components. This evidence, together with information on the X-ray and gamma ray time profiles, implied the existence of two phases of acceleration. The first phase accelerates electrons mainly up to about several hundred keV; the second phase accelerates a small fraction of the electrons accelerated in the first phase to relativistic energies and accelerates protons to tens and hundreds of MeV.

Bai, T.↗

Parameter inference with non-linear galaxy clustering: accounting for theoretical uncertainties

ABSTRACT We implement euclidemulator (version 1), an emulator for the non-linear correction of the matter power spectrum, into the Markov chain Monte Carlo forecasting code montepython. We compare the performance of halofit, hmcode, and euclidemulator1, both at the level of power spectrum prediction and at the level of posterior probability distributions of the cosmological parameters, for different cosmological models and different galaxy power spectrum wavenumber cut-offs. We confirm that the choice of the power spectrum predictor has a non-negligible effect on the computed sensitivities when doing cosmological parameter forecasting, even for a conservative wavenumber cut-off of $0.2\, h\, {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$. We find that euclidemulator1 is on average up to 17 per cent more sensitive to the cosmological parameters than the other two codes, with the most significant improvements being for the Hubble parameter of up to 42 per cent and the equation of state of dark energy of up to 26 per cent, depending on the case. In addition, we point out that the choice of the power spectrum predictor contributes to the risk of computing a significantly biased mean cosmology when doing parameter estimations. For the four tested scenarios we find biases, averaged over the cosmological parameters, of between 0.5σ and 2σ (from below 1σ up to 6σ for individual parameters). This paper provides a proof of concept that this risk can be mitigated by taking a well-tailored theoretical uncertainty into account as this allows to reduce the bias by a factor of 2 to 5, depending on the case under consideration, while keeping posterior credibility contours small: the standard deviations are amplified by a factor of ≤1.4 in all cases.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Negative running of the spectral index, hemispherical asymmetry and the consistency of Planck with large r

Planck favours a negative running of the spectral index, with the likelihood being dominated by low multipoles l ∼< 50 and no preference for running at higher l. A negative spectral index is also necessary for the 2- Planck upper bound on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r to be consistent with values significantly larger than 0.1. Planck has also observed a hemispherical asymmetry of the CMB power spectrum, again mostly at low multipoles. Here we consider whether the physics responsible for the hemispherical asymmetry could also account for the negative running of the spectral index and the consistency of Planck with a large value of r. A negative running of the spectral index can be generated if the hemispherical asymmetry is due to a scale- and space-dependent modulation which suppresses the CMB power spectrum at low multipoles. We show that the observed hemispherical asymmetry at low l can be generated while satisfying constraints on the asymmetry at higher l and generating a negative spectral index of the right magnitude to account for the Planck observation and to allow Planck to be consistent with a large value of r.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Synchrotron emissivity from mildly relativistic particles

A simple approximate method for the evaluation of the spectrum and directivity of the synchrotron radiation from an ensemble of particles in a given magnetic field is considered, taking into account the results of this method for the total emissivity at high harmonics. The general formula is presented along with the details of the derivation of the emissivity for an arbitrary energy spectrum and pitch angle distribution of particles. The emissivities for some commonly encountered particle distributions are provided and some empirical formulae valid for a large range of the parameters are given. The results from the analytic expressions are compared with those obtained by detailed numerical calculations. For isotropic pitch angle distributions, spectra from the simple analytic expressions agree with the numerical results to a high degree of accuracy even at lower harmonics.

Petrosian, V.↗