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AMMPER: Agent-based Model for Microbial Populations Exposed to Radiation

Exposure of microbial populations to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) in the deep-space radiation environment may lead to intracellular damage that compromises the ability of cells to repair and replicate. While simulation programs of deep-space radiation do exist, they focus primarily on single-cell damage, rather than population-wide effects. In this work, a new application and graphical user interface, Agent-Based Model for Microbial Populations Exposed to Radiation (AMMPER) is presented, which simulates the effects of proton-based GCR on Saccharomyces cerevisiae population growth. AMMPER consists of a 50x50x50 µm simulation space, analogous to an aqueous culture medium with non-limiting nutrient and pH buffering, in a microwell plate or microfluidic culture card. This model utilizes Relativistic Ion Tracks (RITRACKS) to create detailed track structures of the radiation traversals. AMMPER then calculates the radiation dose present at each cell, and subsequently determines the damage (chromosomal aberrations, oxidative stress, etc.) and resulting loss of cell viability from both primary and secondary radiative effects. Through implementing cell replication, repair, damage, and death, the effect of radiation exposure on the population growth can be determined. With AMMPER, long-duration effects of the deep space environment on entire populations can be determined and used to assess the feasibility of sustaining life in space.

Amrita Singh↗
NASA NTRS2010

Overview of the Graphical User Interface for the GERM Code (GCR Event-Based Risk Model

The descriptions of biophysical events from heavy ions are of interest in radiobiology, cancer therapy, and space exploration. The biophysical description of the passage of heavy ions in tissue and shielding materials is best described by a stochastic approach that includes both ion track structure and nuclear interactions. A new computer model called the GCR Event-based Risk Model (GERM) code was developed for the description of biophysical events from heavy ion beams at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). The GERM code calculates basic physical and biophysical quantities of high-energy protons and heavy ions that have been studied at NSRL for the purpose of simulating space radiobiological effects. For mono-energetic beams, the code evaluates the linear-energy transfer (LET), range (R), and absorption in tissue equivalent material for a given Charge (Z), Mass Number (A) and kinetic energy (E) of an ion. In addition, a set of biophysical properties are evaluated such as the Poisson distribution of ion or delta-ray hits for a specified cellular area, cell survival curves, and mutation and tumor probabilities. The GERM code also calculates the radiation transport of the beam line for either a fixed number of user-specified depths or at multiple positions along the Bragg curve of the particle. The contributions from primary ion and nuclear secondaries are evaluated. The GERM code accounts for the major nuclear interaction processes of importance for describing heavy ion beams, including nuclear fragmentation, elastic scattering, and knockout-cascade processes by using the quantum multiple scattering fragmentation (QMSFRG) model. The QMSFRG model has been shown to be in excellent agreement with available experimental data for nuclear fragmentation cross sections, and has been used by the GERM code for application to thick target experiments. The GERM code provides scientists participating in NSRL experiments with the data needed for the interpretation of their experiments, including the ability to model the beam line, the shielding of samples and sample holders, and the estimates of basic physical and biological outputs of the designed experiments. We present an overview of the GERM code GUI, as well as providing training applications.

Kim, Myung-Hee↗
NASA NTRS2021

ARTEMIS Observations of Plasma Waves in Laminar and Perturbed Interplanetary Shocks

The ‘Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun’ (ARTEMIS) mission provides a unique opportunity to study the structure of interplanetary shocks and the associated generation of plasma waves with frequencies between ~50-8000 Hz due to its long duration electric and magnetic field burst waveform captures. We compare wave properties and occurrence rates at 11 quasi-perpendicular interplanetary shocks with burst data within 10 minutes (~3200 proton gyroradii upstream, ~1900 downstream) of the shock ramp. A perturbed shock is defined as possessing a large amplitude whistler precursor in the quasi-static magnetic field with an amplitude greater than ⅓ the difference between the upstream and downstream average magnetic field magnitudes; laminar shocks lack these large precursors and have a smooth, step function-like transition. In addition to wave modes previously observed, including ion acoustic, whistler, and electrostatic solitary waves, waves in the ion acoustic frequency range that show rapid temporal frequency change are common. Three shocks had burst captures in the ramp; of these, the two laminar shocks with burst data in the ramp contained a wide range of large amplitude wave modes in the ramp whereas the one perturbed shock contained no such waves. Thus, energy dissipation through wave-particle interactions is more prominent in these two laminar shocks than in the perturbed shock. Based on observations from all 11 shocks, the The wave occurrence rates for laminar shocks are higher in the transition region, especially the ramp, than downstream. In contrast, perturbed shocks have approximately 2-3 times the wave occurrence rate downstream than laminar shocks.

L. A. Davis↗
NASA NTRS1974

Quantum crystals in neutron stars

Using the many-body techniques appropriate for quantum crystals it is shown that the deep interior of a neutron star is most likely an orderly arrangement of neutrons, protons and hyperons forming a solid. It is shown that a liquid or gas arrangement would produce higher energy. If so, a neutron star can be viewed as two solids (crust and core) permeated by a layer of ordinary or (perhaps) superfluid liquid. Astronomical evidence is in favor of such a structure: the sudden jumps in the periods of the Crab and Vela pulsars that differ by a factor of about 100 can be easily explained by the star-quake model. If the Crab is less massive than Vela (i.e., if it is not dense enough to have a solid core), the star-quakes take place in the crust whereas for Vela they occur in the core.

Canuto, V.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The solar probe and coronal dynamics

The discovery of coronal holes led to basic changes in ideas about the structure of the low corona and its expansion into the solar wind. The nature of the energy flux is not understood. Current ideas include enhanced thermal conductivities, extended MHD wave heating, and wave momentum transfer, all in rapidly diverging geometries. There is little feel for the relative importance of these processes. The Solar Probe, with its penetration deep into the solar corona, could lead to observational constraints on their relative importance, and thus to an understanding of the origin of the solar wind. Observations from the Solar Probe will also bear on such questions as to whether small scale "intrastream" structure is common close to the Sun in open field-line regions, whether the properties of the wind are pronouncedly different over closed and open field-line regions at five solar radii, and many others. The resolution of these questions requires measurements of the magnetic field and of the proton and electron distribution functions.

Belcher, J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Multifractal scaling of the kinetic energy flux in solar wind turbulence

The geometrical and scaling properties of the energy flux of the turbulent kinetic energy in the solar wind have been studied. By present experimental technology in solar wind measurements, we cannot directly measure the real volumetric dissipation rate, epsilon(t), but are constrained to represent it by surrogating the energy flux near the dissipation range at the proton gyro scales. There is evidence for the multifractal nature of the so defined dissipation field epsilon(t), a result derived from the scaling exponents of its statistical q-th order moments. The related generalized dimension D(q) has been determined and reveals that the dissipation field has a multifractal structure. which is not compatible with a scale-invariant cascade. The associated multifractal spectrum f(alpha) has been estimated for the first time for MHD turbulence in the solar wind. Its features resemble those obtained for turbulent fluids and other nonlinear multifractal systems. The generalized dimension D(q) can, for turbulence in high-speed streams, be fitted well by the functional dependence of the p-model with a comparatively large parameter, p = 0.87. indicating a strongly intermittent multifractal energy cascade. The experimental value for D(p)/3, if used in the scaling exponent s(p) of the velocity structure function, gives an exponent that can describe some of the observations. The scaling exponent mu of the auto correlation function of epsilon(t) has also been directly evaluated. It has the value of 0.37. Finally. the mean dissipation rate was determined, which could be used in solar wind heating models.

Marsch, E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The Kinetics of the Trimethoxyboroxine-Induced Thermal Polymerization of Phenyl Glycidyl Ether

The kinetics of the bulk thermal polymerization of phenyl glycidyl ether induced by trimethoxyboroxine were investigated. Infrared absorption spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography were used to follow the course of polymerization, while proton and boron-2 NMR spectroscopy were used to support the kinetic model developed. The postulated mechanism involves a fast-initiated, non-stationary cationic polymerization with five elementary steps, including spontaneous and monomer transfer as well as a termination reaction. The trimethoxyboroxine was found to be incorporated into the structure of the cured polymer. Tile polymerization was followed at several temperatures and with several ratios of initial concentrations of trimethoxyboroxine to phenyl glycidyl ether.

Lopata, Eugene S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Jet Stability and the Generation of Superluminal and Stationary Components

We present a numerical simulation of the response of an expanding relativistic jet to the ejection of a superluminal component. The simulation has been performed with a relativistic time-dependent hydrodynamical code from which simulated radio maps are computed by integrating the transfer equations for synchrotron radiation. The interaction of the superluminal component with the underlying jet results in the formation of multiple conical shocks behind the main perturbation. These trailing components can be easily distinguished because they appear to be released from the primary superluminal component instead of being ejected from the core. Their oblique nature should also result in distinct polarization properties. Those appearing closer to the core show small apparent motions and a very slow secular decrease in brightness and could be identified as stationary components. Those appearing farther downstream are weaker and can reach superluminal apparent motions. The existence of these trailing components indicates that not all observed components necessarily represent major perturbations at the jet inlet; rather, multiple emission components can be generated by a single disturbance in the jet. While the superluminal component associated with the primary perturbation exhibits a rather stable pattern speed, trailing components have velocities that increase with distance from the core but move at less than the jet speed. The trailing components exhibit motion and structure consistent with the triggering of pinch modes by the superluminal component. The increase in velocity of the trailing components is an indirect consequence of the acceleration of the expanding fluid, which is assumed to be relativistically hot; if observed, such accelerations would therefore favor an electron-positron (as opposed to proton rest mass) dominated jet.

Agudo, Ivan↗
NASA NTRS2001

Effects of Electrons, Protons, and Ultraviolet Radiation on Thermophysical Properties of Polymeric Films

The response of coated thin polymer films to ultraviolet (UV), electron and proton radiation simultaneously has been evaluated, with selected measurements in situ. Exposure was intended to simulate the electron and proton radiation environment near the Earth-Sun Lagrangian points (LI and L2) for five years and approximately 1000 equivalent solar hours (ESH) UV. These orbital environments are relevant to several potential missions such as the Next Generation Space Telescope and Geomagnetic Storm Warning, both of which may use thin film based structures for a sunshade and solar sail, respectively. The thin film candidates (12.5 micrometers thick) consisted of commercially available materials (Kapton(R) E, HN, Upilex(R) S, CP-1, CP-2, TOR-RC, and TOR-LMBP) that were metalized on one side with vapor deposited aluminum. All of the films are aromatic polyimides, with the exception of TORLMBP, which is a copoly(arylene ether benzimidazole). The films were exposed as second surface mirrors and the effects of the exposure on solar absorptance, thermal emittance, and tensile properties were determined. The in situ changes in solar absorptance from Kapton(R) and Upilex(R) were less than 0. 1, whereas the solar absorptance of TOR and CP films increased by more than 0.3 without saturating. The thermal emittance measurements also showed that the Kapton(R) and Upilex(R) materials increased only 1-2%, but the remaining materials increased 5-8%. Based on tensile property measurements made in air following the test, the failure stress of every type of polymer film decreased as a result of irradiation. The polymers most stable in reflectance, namely Upilex(R) and Kapton(R), were also the strongest in tension before irradiation, and they retained the greatest percentage of tensile strength. The films less stable in reflectance were also weaker in tension, and lost more tensile strength as a result of irradiation. The apparent failure strain (as a percent of original gage length) of every type of polymer film except TOR-RC, decreased as a result of irradiation.

Russell, Dennis A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Polymer Electrolyte-Based Ambient Temperature Oxygen Microsensors for Environmental Monitoring

An ambient temperature oxygen microsensor, based on a Nafion polymer electrolyte, has been developed and was microfabricated using thin-film technologies. A challenge in the operation of Nafion-based sensor systems is that the conductivity of Nafion film depends on the humidity in the film. Nafion film loses conductivity when the moisture content in the film is too low, which can affect sensor operation. The advancement here is the identification of a method to retain the operation of the Nafion films in lower humidity environments. Certain salts can hold water molecules in the Nafion film structure at room temperature. By mixing salts with the Nafion solution, water molecules can be homogeneously distributed in the Nafion film increasing the film s hydration to prevent Nafion film from being dried out in low-humidity environment. The presence of organics provides extra sites in the Nafion film to promote proton (H+) mobility and thus improving Nafion film conductivity and sensor performance. The fabrication of ambient temperature oxygen microsensors includes depositing basic electrodes using noble metals, and metal oxides layer on one of the electrode as a reference electrode. The use of noble metals for electrodes is due to their strong catalytic properties for oxygen reduction. A conducting polymer Nafion, doped with water-retaining components and extra sites facilitating proton movement, was used as the electrolyte material, making the design adequate for low humidity environment applications. The Nafion solution was coated on the electrodes and air-dried. The sensor operates at room temperature in potentiometric mode, which measures voltage differences between working and reference electrodes in different gases. Repeat able responses to 21-percent oxygen in nitrogen were achieved using nitrogen as a baseline gas. Detection of oxygen from 7 to 21 percent has also been demonstrated. The room-temperature oxygen micro sensor developed has extremely low power consumption (no heating for operation, no voltage applied to the sensor, only a voltmeter is needed to measure the output), is small in size, is simple to batch-fabricate, and is high in sensor yield. It is applicable in a wide humidity range, with improved operation in low humidity after the additives were added to the Nafion film. Through further improvement and development, the sensor can be used for aerospace applications such as fuel leak detection, fire detection, and environmental monitoring.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Determining large-scale heliospheric structure using ultraviolet resonance line observations

Currently the Pioneer 10 and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are beyond the orbit of Pluto, traveling outward from the Sun. Each is capable of detecting ultraviolet radiation resonantly scattered from hydrogen and helium atoms in the heliosphere and local interstellar medium. These observations are particularly well suited for the investigation of the large-scale heliospheric H and He distributions because the Voyager spacecraft are heading upstream, into the direction of local interstellar flow, whereas Pioneer 10 is heading downstream. Observations of the brightest resonance line, H Lyman-alpha, reveals that beyond about 20 AU from the Sun, upstream intensities decrease less quickly as a function of solar distance than downstream intensities. This implies that the heliospheric H distributions in the upstream and downstream directions are significantly different. Heliospheric H atoms originate in the local interstellar flow, and must penetrate through the heliospheric interface, where they are subject to charge exchange collisions with solar wind and interstellar protons. Models indicate that this process is probably responsible for the upstream/downstream difference in H Lyman-alpha. In addition, a recent spectroscopic determination of the H atom velocity distribution in the inner heliosphere implies a significant deceleration in the bulk flow speed of the heliospheric hydrogen gas relative to the helium flow, an effect that is also likely due to H-p charge exchange occurring in the upstream heliospheric interface region. In this presentation, recent heliospheric resonance line observations and their interpretations will be reviewed, focusing on their sensitivity to large-scale heliospheric structure.

Hall, Doyle T.↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Stochastic Model of Space Radiation Transport as a Tool in the Development of Time-Dependent Risk Assessment

A new computer model, the GCR Event-based Risk Model code (GERMcode), was developed to describe biophysical events from high-energy protons and heavy ions that have been studied at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) [1] for the purpose of simulating space radiation biological effects. In the GERMcode, the biophysical description of the passage of heavy ions in tissue and shielding materials is made with a stochastic approach that includes both ion track structure and nuclear interactions. The GERMcode accounts for the major nuclear interaction processes of importance for describing heavy ion beams, including nuclear fragmentation, elastic scattering, and knockout-cascade processes by using the quantum multiple scattering fragmentation (QMSFRG) model [2]. The QMSFRG model has been shown to be in excellent agreement with available experimental data for nuclear fragmentation cross sections

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.↗
NASA NTRS1982

DE-2 cusp observations - Role of plasma instabilities in topside ionospheric heating and density fluctuations

Observations by the low altitude Dynamics Explorer satellite (DE-2) in the polar cusp show the ionospheric plasma electron temperature and the ratio of electron to ion temperature to be increased, and the electron density fluctuations to be enhanced. Also, downward fluxes of energetic eletrons and ions increase in the cusp, and the magnetic field structure are consistent with the existence of a field-aligned current. Simultaneously, there is characteristic broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) with amplitudes of 1-10 mV/m, peaking in the cusp but extending into the polar cap. These emissions range from far below the local 0(+) gyrofrequency F sub O(+) to the vicinity of the proton gyrofrequency, but below the oxygen lower hybrid frequency. The BEN observations are compared to the predictions of several theories. The amplitude of these waves is shown to be far too small to contribute significantly to the observed ionospheric heating or density fluctuations by local wave-particle interactions. Rather, the observed spatial variations are attributed to nonlocal field aligned heating processes and reflect the nonuniformity of the magnetosheath plasma's penetration into the ionosphere.

Curtis, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Particle acceleration

Data is compiled from Solar Maximum Mission and Hinothori satellites, particle detectors in several satellites, ground based instruments, and balloon flights in order to answer fundamental questions relating to: (1) the requirements for the coronal magnetic field structure in the vicinity of the energization source; (2) the height (above the photosphere) of the energization source; (3) the time of energization; (4) transistion between coronal heating and flares; (5) evidence for purely thermal, purely nonthermal and hybrid type flares; (6) the time characteristics of the energization source; (7) whether every flare accelerates protons; (8) the location of the interaction site of the ions and relativistic electrons; (9) the energy spectra for ions and relativistic electrons; (10) the relationship between particles at the Sun and interplanetary space; (11) evidence for more than one acceleration mechanism; (12) whether there is single mechanism that will accelerate particles to all energies and also heat the plasma; and (13) how fast the existing mechanisms accelerate electrons up to several MeV and ions to 1 GeV.

Vlahos, L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere; Proceedings of the Topical Meeting of the Twenty-sixth COSPAR Plenary Meeting, Toulouse, France, June 30-July 11, 1986

Papers are presented on satellite observations of new particle and field signatures associated with SAR arc field lines at magnetospheric heights, the structure of the polar oval from simultaneous observations of the optical emissions and particle precipitations during the period of high solar activity between 1981 and 1982, and SAR-arcs and emissions in the main trough of the electron concentration. Also considered are a model calculation of hydrogen Balmer emissions under various modes of proton precipitation, electron precipitation near L = 4, and an investigation of the thermosphere-ionosphere interaction by means of the neutral post-storm effect. Other topics include auroral electric field penetration into the middle-latitude trough, field-aligned currents and related phenomena in the cust, and the positive phase of ionospheric storms and its connection with the dayside cusp.

Schmerling, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Simulations of Solar Wind Plasma Flow Around a Simple Solar Sail

In recent years, a number of solar sail missions of various designs and sizes have been proposed (e.g., Geostorm). Of importance to these missions is the interaction between the ambient solar wind plasma environment and the sail. Assuming a typical 1 AU solar wind environment of 400 km/s velocity, 3.5 cu cm density, ion temperature of approx.10 eV, electron temperature of 40 eV, and an ambient magnetic field strength of 10(exp -4) G, a first order estimate of the plasma interaction with square solar sails on the order of the sizes being considered for a Geostorm mission (50 m x 50 m and 75 m x 75 m corresponding to approx.2 and approx.3 times the Debye length in the plasma) is carried out. First, a crude current balance for the sail surface immersed in the plasma environment and in sunlight was used to estimate the surface potential of the model sails. This gave surface potentials of approx.10 V positive relative to the solar wind plasma. A 3-D, Electrostatic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code was then used to simulate the solar wind flowing around the solar sail. It is assumed in the code that the solar wind protons can be treated as particles while the electrons follow a Boltzmann distribution. Next, the electric field and particle trajectories are solved self-consistently to give the proton flow field, the electrostatic field around the sail, and the plasma density in 3-D. The model sail was found to be surrounded by a plasma sheath within which the potential is positive compared to the ambient plasma and followed by a separate plasma wake which is negative relative to the plasma. This structure departs dramatically from a negatively charged plate such as might be found in the Earth s ionosphere on the night side where both the plate and its negative wake are contiguous. The implications of these findings are discussed as they apply to the proposed Geostorm solar sail mission.

Garrett, Henry B.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Physics of solar cosmic rays

A review of the historical development of solar cosmic ray research is presented and details concerning the solar atmosphere, the interplanetary space, and solar activity are considered, giving attention to solar-atmosphere structure, problems of radiative transfer, questions of solar magnetism, solar wind, and interplanetary plasmas. Solar flares and associated phenomena are discussed along with the generation of solar cosmic ray events, the mechanism of solar flares, the acceleration process of solar cosmic rays, the propagation of solar cosmic rays, and relations between the flow of energetic protons and solar active regions. Questions regarding the origin theory of cosmic rays are also explored, taking into account the solar origin theory and problems of flare stars.

Sakurai, K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

OGO 5 observations of Pc 5 waves - Particle flux modulations

An investigation is conducted concerning the modulations of particle fluxes associated with Pc 5 waves in the region beyond the plasmapause. A study of thermal flux modulations indicates that some of the density enhancements observed are not spatial structures but are spurious features caused by temporal flux variations associated with hydromagnetic waves. A resonance model of the energetic particle flux modulations is discussed. Energetic particle modulations are also considered. The reported observations reveal that modulations are dominant at energies of about 100 keV for electrons and at 100 keV to 1 MeV for protons. This may indicate that the bounce resonance interaction is not important for Pc 5 waves.

Kokubun, S.↗