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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Solar wind Fe and CNO measurements in high-speed flows

Solar wind characteristics in driver plasma and coronal hole-associated flow types are analyzed. Measurements of solar wind Fe charge states and densities in well-defined driver plasma and coronal hole-associated high-speed streams, and charge distributions of CNO ions in high speed streams collected with the ultra low energy charge analyzer on ISEE 3 are examined. The Fe-H velocity differences and Fe/H abundance ratios are studied. The data reveal that the driver plasma solar wind has charge states of 15 or 16 with a coronal temperature = 4 x 10 to the 6th K, and the Fe charge states distributions in coronal hole-associated streams = 9 or 10 with a coronal temperature = 1.4 x 10 to the 6th K; the ionization temperature for the CNO group = (1.3 + or - 0.3) x 10 to the 6th K.

Ipavich, F. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The lower atmosphere of solar flares; Proceedings of the Solar Maximum Mission Symposium, Sunspot, NM, Aug. 20-24, 1985

The topics discussed by the present conference encompass the chromospheric flare phenomenon, white light flares, UV emission and the flare transition region, the flare corona and high energy emissions, stellar flares, and flare energy release and transport. Attention is given to radiative shocks and condensation in flares, impulsive brightening of H-alpha flare points, the structure and response of the chromosphere to radiation backwarming during solar flares, the interpretation of continuum emissions in white light flares, and the radiation properties of solar plasmas. Also discussed are EUV images of a solar flare and C III intensity, an active region survey in H-alpha and X-rays, dynamic thermal plasma conditions in large flares, the evolution of the flare mechanism in dwarf stars, the evidence concerning electron beams in solar flares, the energetics of the nonlinear tearing mode, macroscopic electric fields during two-ribbon flares, and the low temperature signatures of energetic particles.

Neidig, Donald F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mechanosensory calcium-selective cation channels in epidermal cells

This paper explores the properties and likely functions of an epidermal Ca(2+)-selective cation channel complex activated by tension. As many as eight or nine linked or linkable equivalent conductance units or co-channels can open together. Open time for co-channel quadruplets and quintuplets tends to be relatively long with millimolar Mg2+ (but not millimolar Ca2+) at the cytosolic face of excised plasma membrane. Sensitivity to tension is regulated by transmembrane voltage and temperature. Under some circumstances channel activity is sychronized in rhythmic pulses. Certain lanthanides and a cytoskeleton-disturbing herbicide that inhibit gravitropic reception act on the channel system at low concentrations. Specifically, ethyl-N-phenylcarbamate promotes tension-dependent activity at micromolar levels. With moderate suction, Gd3+ provided at about 0.5 micromole at the extracellular face of the membrane promotes for several seconds but may then become inhibitory. Provision at 1-2 micromoles promotes and subsequently inhibits more vigorously (often abruptly and totally), and at high levels inhibits immediately. La3+, a poor gravitropic inhibitor, acts similarly but much more gradually and only at much higher concentrations. These properties, particularly these susceptibilities to modulation, indicate that in vivo the mechanosensitive channel must be mechanosensory and mechanoregulatory. It could serve to transduce the shear forces generated in the integrated wall-membrane-cytoskeleton system during turgor changes and cell expansion as well as transducing the stresses induced by gravity, touch and flexure. In so far as such transduction is modulated by voltage and temperature, the channels would also be sensors for these modalities as long as the wall-membrane-cytoskeleton system experiences mechanical stress.

NASA Discipline Number 40-50↗
NASA NTRS1994

Hard X-rays from NGC 4151: A thermal origin?

We present a model for explaining the recent combined X-ray and low-energy gamma-ray observations of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. According to this model, soft photons become Comptonized in a hot spot producing simultaneously the low-energy power law as observed by Ginga and the high-energy cutoff observed by the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE). Implementing recently developed theoretical calculations toward a generalized theory of Comptonization, we were able to find fits to the observations using only two parameters which characterize the physical quantities of the emission region: the plasma cloud optical depth and its temperature. We find that there is no need for additional nonthermal, reflection, or higher temperature thermal components to fit the aforementioned OSSE and Ginga observations. We derive in addition the size of the photon region and the temperature of the upscattered soft photons. We should emphasize, also, that any attempt at fitting only the high-energy parts of the spectrum (photon energies greater than 60 keV) by the Sunyaev & Titarchuk (1980) nonrelativistic Comptonization model leads to an underestimate of the Comptonization parameter y (or, equivalently, to an overestimation of the X-ray power-law spectral slope) and leads, as a result, to incorrect proportions between the low-energy and high-energy parts of the spectrum.

Titarchuk, Lev↗
NASA NTRS2025

Erosion Behavior of Ti-hBN Multifunctional Coatings in A Custom-Made Planetary Test Rig at Extreme Lunar Temperatures

Spacecraft landings and takeoffs on the lunar surface, along with extreme temperature variations between day and night (-196 to 150° C), cause high-velocity dust impacts and erosion, resulting in the premature failure of structures. Ti/2 vol% hBN coatings were deposited using atmospheric (APS) and vacuum plasma spray (VPS) using cryo-milled powder feedstock to protect the structural components. The erosion performance of coatings at extreme lunar temperature regimes (-150 to 150° C) was evaluated in a custom-made planetary erosion test rig (PETR) at low (50 mph) and high impact velocities (250 mph). The mass loss of VPS coatings was reduced by 50% compared to the APS coatings and 40% compared to the Ti6Al4V substrate. The cryogenic temperature induces brittleness in the material, rendering it susceptible to extreme conditions of material loss. The particle impact-deformation behavior was captured using a high-speed camera to study the erosion mechanism. This analysis revealed chipping in substrates and brittle APS coatings, while particles rebounding and embedding were observed in VPS coatings. Energy calculations, aided by particle trajectory tracking from the high-speed camera, have conclusively shown that VPS coatings absorb 5–10% more energy than APS coatings during erosion tests. A modified erosion index was developed incorporating the fracture toughness and temperatures. New erosion models for brittle and ductile target materials are proposed for developing erosion-resistant material systems.

Abhijith Kunneparambil Sukumaran↗
NASA NTRS1990

Solar activity variation of ionospheric plasma temperatures

The present status of understanding and modeling of the variation of electron and ion temperatures with solar activity is reviewed. All atmospheric and ionospheric densities and temperatures are positively correlated with solar activity except the electron temperature, which exhibits a rather complex variation pattern during a solar cycle. The ion temperature at low altitudes closely follows the variation patterns of the neutral temperature. The electron temperature at high altitudes increases with increasing solar activity; the increase is larger during day than during night and exhibits a latitudinal variation. At low altitudes during daytime, tha amplitude of the seasonal variation of the electron temperature increases toward the solar maximum. At 400 km during daytime, the summer electron temperatures for Millstone Hill increase slightly toward higher solar activities, whereas the winter temperatures decrease distinctly. For Arecibo, an opposite trend is noticeable.

Bilitza, D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The effect of a metallic reflector upon cyclotron radiation.

A careful study of the effect of a metallic reflector upon cyclotron radiation emanating from a uniform plasma is made in which the angular polarization and frequency dependence of both the cyclotron radiation and the metallic reflector is taken into account. The properties of the metallic reflector then enter in a natural way and share equal status with the properties of the plasma. The radiation coefficient, the ratio of the cyclotron radiation absorbed by the reflector to that generated by the plasma, becomes a function of the electron temperature and the plasma depth to cyclotron radiation (or simply plasma depth). The radiation coefficient is determined for both slab and cylindrical geometries for electron temperatures from 20 to 120 keV and plasma depths from 10 to the 19th to 10 to the 27th MKS. A simple analytic approximation is given for the radiation coefficient for each geometry, and the results are then applied to a low-beta thermonuclear device based on the D-D reaction. For beta of the order of 1 to 2%, and for devices of moderate size, the metallic reflector is incapable of reducing the cyclotron radiation loss below that required for a self-sustained D-D reaction.

Krajcik, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Ultraviolet observations of yellow giant stars

Low-dispersion spectra of 18 yellow giant stars of spectral types G4-KO were obtained with the short wavelength camera of IUE. Using the emission strength of the C IV 1550 A multiplet as a measure of high temperature 100,000K plasma, we find that the normalized C IV flux is typically 10 to the minus 7th power or smaller, indicating very feeble stellar transition regions. By combining these results with earlier data from IUE, it is shown that there is nearly a two orders of magnitude spread in carbon IV bolometric flux among the yellow giants. Several likely reasons for the observed range in high-temperature emission line strengths are discussed; the more likely appears to be that the majority of the yellow giant stars observed are slow rotators evolving across the Hertzsprung Gap for the second time along a blue loop.

Simon, T.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Direct measurements of plasma characteristics in space-simulation beam-plasma interactions

Recent laboratory investigations of space-simulated electron-beam-plasma interactions are discussed. The plasma has been characterized with respect to its spatial distributions in density, temperature, and density fluctuation power spectra. The latter results have been further classified in terms of amplitude and spectral distributions. The overall results include: (1) detailed radial profiles of plasma density as a function of beam parameters; (2) the association of low-frequency large amplitude fluctuations with ion acoustic, ion cyclotron, and drift-wave modes; (3) the identification and spatial mapping of suprathermal electrons in the beam core; and (4) the experimental definition of a density-dependent criterion for the ignition of the beam-plasma-discharge.

Szuszczewicz, E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Thermal response of various thermal barrier coatings in a high heat flux rocket engine

Traditional APS ZrO2-Y2O3 thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) formed by air plasma spraying and low pressure and air plasma sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3/NiCrAlY cermet coatings were tested in an H2-O2 rocket engine. The test cycle was approximately 1.2 s at 1400 C in a hydrogen-rich environment. During testing, the maximum metal temperature without a coating was 1310 C. The traditional ZrO2-Y2O3 TBCs with a 100-125 micron thick ceramic layer reduced the maximum metal temperature by approximately 350 C. Increasing the ceramic layer thickness to 200-225 microns resulted in an additional metal temperature reduction of 100 C. However, the cermet coatings, consisting of a ceramic and metal mixture, exhibited a much lower thermal protection capability by reducing the maximum metal temperature by approximately 100 C. It was also found that the surface roughness of the traditional TBCs had little effect on the thermal response.

Nesbitt, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Coronal Magnetic Structures Observing Campaign. 3: Coronal plasma and magnetic field diagnostics derived from multiwaveband active region observations

Simultaneous soft X-ray, microwave, and photospheric magnetic field observations were taken during the Coronal Magnetic Structures Observing Campaign (CoMStOC '87). The plasma electron temperature and emission measures determined from the X-ray data are used to predict the free-free emission expected at 20 and 6 cm. Comparing these predictions with the microwave observations, it is found that the predicted 20 cm brightness temperatures are higher than the observed, requiring cool absorbing material between the hot X-ray plasma and the observer. The model that is most consistent with all the observations and minimizes the required coronal fields indicates that this 20 cm emission is either free-free or a combination of free-free and fourth harmonic cyclotron emanating from the X-ray plasma with an electron temperature of approximately 3.1 x 10(exp 6) K and an emission measure of approximately 1.3 x 10(exp 29)/cm(exp 5). The observed 20 cm polarization requires a field strength of greater than or equal to 150 G. In addition, the 6 cm emission is free-free, emanating from cooler plasma with an electron temperature of approximately 1.5 x 10(exp 6) K and an emission measure of approximately 3-6 x 10(exp 29)/cm(exp 5). This model is consistent with the rather unusual combination of high 20 cm and low 6 cm polarization as well as the low extrapolated coronal fields.

Schmelz, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Photoelectron Effects on the Self-Consistent Potential in the Collisionless Polar Wind

The presence of unthermalized photoelectrons in the sunlit polar cap leads to an enhanced ambipolar potential drop and enhanced upward ion acceleration. Observations in the topside ionosphere have led to the conclusion that large-scale electrostatic potential drops exist above the spacecraft along polar magnetic field lines connected to regions of photoelectron production. A kinetic approach is used for the O(+), H(+), and photoelectron (p) distributions, while a fluid approach is used to describe the thermal electrons (e) and self-consistent electric field (E(sub II)) electrons are allowed to carry a flux that compensates for photoelectron escape, a critical assumption. Collisional processes are excluded, leading to easier escape of polar wind particles and therefore to the formation of the largest potential drop consistent with this general approach. We compute the steady state electric field enhancement and net potential drop expected in the polar wind due to the presence of photoelectrons as a function of the fractional photoelectron content and the thermal plasma characteristics. For a set of low-altitude boundary conditions typical of the polar wind ionosphere, including 0.1% photoelectron content, we found a potential drop from 500 km to 5 R(sub E) of 6.5 V and a maximum thermal electron temperature of 8800 K. The reasonable agreement of our results with the observed polar wind suggests that the assumptions of this approach are valid.

Khazanov, G. V.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Implications of Depleted flux Tubes in the Jovian Magnetosphere

A rare but persistent phenomenon in the jovian magnetosphere is the occurrence of apparently depleted flux tubes, whose magnetic pressures are significantly above ambient levels. These flux tubes occur about 0.25% of the observing time in the region of the Io torus in the Galileo high resolution data. The importance of these tubes is that they can return to the inner magnetosphere the magnetic flux that has been convected radially outward with the iogenic plasma to the tail. The paucity of these tubes is consistent with the expected flux return rates if the tubes are moving inward at an average rate of about 5-10 km/s in the torus. Depleted flux tubes have yet to be observed inside of the lo orbit where the plasma beta is lower than in the hot torus. Estimates of the plasma density outside the tube from plasma wave measurements enable the average perpendicular temperature to be obtained from the magnetic field change. Extrapolating this temperature back to lo, we obtain an average ion temperature of approximately 60 eV. These values are generally consistent with earlier Voyager observations but on the low side of their range of uncertainty, and agree quite well with contemporaneous Galileo measurements where these are available.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Method and apparatus for maintaining thermal control in plasma conditions

An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining the effects of exposure of oxygen plasma on a thin film polymer whose bulk is maintained at a predetermined temperature. The apparatus includes a chamber having a specimen therein. A plasma environment is provided in the chamber. A closure member is provided for sealing the chamber after the specimen is introduced into the chamber. The closure member also serves as a support for the test apparatus which includes a cooling coil. A platform having the test specimen thereon is supported on the cooling coil to be cooled by coolant flowing through the cooling coils. A thermoelectric module is supported on the platform to assist in maintaining a low test temperature for the test samples. The temperature of the sample is monitored by a thermocouple probe which is in contact with the sample. Any change in bulk sample temperature caused by the thermocouple probe is quickly adjusted to maintain the initial bulk temperature by the thermoelectric module.

Whitaker, Ann F.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Low arc drop hybrid mode thermionic converter

The hybrid mode operation for the reduction of plasma drops is being investigated. This report discusses the results obtained from two molybdenum emitter converters. One converter had a molybdenum collector and the other a nickel collector. The molybdenum collector converter was operated in a hybrid mode (at an interelectrode distance of 1.7 mm) and produced a minimum barrier index of 1.96 eV at an emitter temperature of 1500 K. The arc drop was calculated to be 0.14 eV, using the published results for a molybdenum collector. On the other hand, the nickel collector converter was operated in a conventional ignited mode (at an interelectrode distance of 0.5 mm) and produced a minimum barrier index of 2.1 eV at an emitter temperature of 1700 K. It is tentatively concluded that a large-gap operation of the hybrid mode converter permits the diffusion of cesium ions to a distance in the order of one millimeter for an effective neutralization of electron space charge. By employing a low work function collector (1.55 eV) in a hybrid mode converter with an arc drop of 0.14 eV, it appears that a barrier index as low as 1.69 eV could be achieved.

Shimada, K.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Electron Bremsstrahlung Hard X-Ray Spectra, Electron Distributions and Energetics in the 2002 July 23 Solar Flare

We present and analyze the first high-resolution hard X-ray spectra from a solar flare observed in both X-ray/gamma-ray continuum and gamma-ray lines. The 2002 July 23 flare was observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The spatially integrated photon flux spectra are well fitted between 10 and 300 keV by the combination of an isothermal component and a double power law. The flare plasma temperature peaks at 40 MK around the time of peak hard X-ray emission and remains above 20 MK 37 min later. We derive the evolution of the nonthermal mean electron flux distribution by directly fitting the RHESSI X-ray spectra with the thin-target bremsstrahlung from a double power-law electron distribution with a low-energy cutoff. We also derive the evolution of the electron flux distribution on the assumption that the emission is thick-target bremsstrahlung. We find that the injected nonthermal electrons are well described throughout the flare by this double power-law distribution with a low-energy cutoff that is typically between 20 - 40 keV. Using our thick-target results, we compare the energy contained in the nonthermal electrons with the energy content of the thermal flare plasma observed by RHESSI and GOES. We find that the minimum total energy deposited into the flare plasma by nonthermal electrons, 2.6 x 10(exp 31) erg, is on the order of and possibly less than the energy in the thermal plasma. However, these fits do not rule out the possibility that the energy in nonthermal electrons exceeds the energy in the thermal plasma. This work was supported in part by the RHESSI Project and the NASA Sun-Earth Connection program.

Holman, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Electron Bremsstrahlung Hard X-Ray Spectra, Electron Distributions and Energetics in the 2002 July 23 Solar Flare

We present and analyze the first high-resolution hard X-ray spectra from a solar flare observed in both X-ray/gamma-ray continuum and gamma-ray lines. The 2002 July 23 flare was observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The spatially integrated photon flux spectra are well fitted between 10 and 300 keV by the combination of an isothermal component and a double power law. The flare plasma temperature peaks at 40 MK around the time of peak hard X-ray emission and remains above 20 MK 37 min later. We derive the evolution of the nonthermal mean electron flux distribution by directly fitting the RHESSI X-ray spectra with the thin-target bremsstrahlung from a double power-law electron distribution with a low-energy cutoff. We also derive the evolution of the electron flux distribution on the assumption that the emission is thick-target bremsstrahlung. We find that the injected nonthermal electrons are well described throughout the flare by this double power-law distribution with a low-energy cutoff that is typically between 20-40 keV. Using our thick-target results, we compare the energy contained in the nonthermal electrons with the energy content of the thermal flare plasma observed by RHESSI and GOES. We find that the minimum total energy deposited into the flare plasma by nonthermal electrons, 2.6 x 10(exp 31)erg, is on the order of and possibly less than the energy in the thermal plasma. However, these fits do not rule out the possibility that the energy in nonthermal electrons exceeds the energy in the thermal plasma.

Holman, Gordon D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Visceral predictors of cardiovascular deconditioning in late middle-aged men

A number of visceral and behavioral factors connected with cardiovascular deconditioning were investigated, in order to identify a method for predicting the degree of orthostatic intolerance to spaceflight in several late-middle-aged men (55-65 years). Preliminary measurements were made of: mean arterial blood pressure plasma cortisol levels; and norepinephrine levels. Measurements of core temperature; plasma epinephrine level and subjective arousal from sleep were also obtained. Pairwise correlations were found for each of the variables and the time-to-blackout due centrifugal acceleration of up to +3 Gz. It is shown that the men with relatively low resting blood pressure were at greater risk of developing the clinical signs of cardiovascular deconditioning than were the men with higher basal blood pressure. Some applications of the experimental results to the development of selection criteria for Shuttle crews are discussed.

Goldwater, D. J.↗