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NASA NTRS2000

Device Physics Analysis of Parasitic Conduction Band Barrier Formation in SiGe HBTs

This paper presents a physics-based model describing the current-induced formation of a parasitic barrier in the conduction band at the base collector heterojunction in npn SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). Due to the valence band discontinuity DELTA E(sub v), hole injection into the collector at the onset of base pushout is impeded, which gives rise to formation of a barrier to electron transport which degrades the device's high frequency performance. In this paper, we present results from an analytical model for the height of the barrier calculated from the device's structure as a function of the collector junction bias and collector current density.

Roenker, K. P.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Characteristics of Precipitation, Cloud, and Latent Heating Associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillation

This study investigates the evolution of cloud and rainfall structures associated with Madden Julian oscillation (MJO) using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data. Two complementary indices are used to define MJO phases. Joint probability distribution functions (PDFs) of cloud-top temperature and radar echo-top height are constructed for each of the eight MJO phases. The genesis stage of MJO convection over the western Pacific (phases 1 and 2) features a bottom-heavy PDF, characterized by abundant warm rain, low clouds, suppressed deep convection, and higher sea surface temperature (SST). As MJO convection develops (phases 3 and 4), a transition from the bottom-heavy to top-heavy PDF occurs. The latter is associated with the development of mixed-phase rain and middle-to-high clouds, coupled with rapid SST cooling. At the MJO convection peak (phase 5), a top-heavy PDF contributed by deep convection with mixed-phase and ice-phase rain and high echo-top heights (greater than 5 km) dominates. The decaying stage (phases 6 and 7) is characterized by suppressed SST, reduced total rain, increased contribution from stratiform rain, and increased nonraining high clouds. Phase 7, in particular, signals the beginning of a return to higher SST and increased warm rain. Phase 8 completes the MJO cycle, returning to a bottom-heavy PDF and SST conditions similar to phase 1. The structural changes in rain and clouds at different phases of MJO are consistent with corresponding changes in derived latent heating profiles, suggesting the importance of a diverse mix of warm, mixed-phase, and ice-phase rain associated with low-level, congestus, and high clouds in constituting the life cycle and the time scales of MJO.

Lau, K-M.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Effects of digital fringe projection operational parameters on detecting powder bed defects in additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is a technology transforming traditional production timelines. Specifically, metal additive manufacturing (MAM) has been increasingly adopted by a variety of industries, not only to prototype, but also to fulfill full production scale applications with much lower lead times. Like any maturing manufacturing technology, developments in verifying and validating processes are necessary to support continuous growth. Due to the complex nature of MAM, part quality and repeatability remain integral challenges that inhibit further adoption of MAM for critical component production. In this study, we present data taken from a developing in-process monitoring system designed to measure and detect powder bed defects (PBDs) in powder bed fusion MAM systems using surface height maps created with structured light illumination. We showcase the feasibility of the monitoring technique for in-process implementation by detecting streak PBDs with varying severities (height, width) created in a lab environment. We present results of powder bed measurements for varying experimental parameters of the structured light system such as illumination angle, illumination pattern, and number of illuminations. We also present an expression used to determine experimental height noise based on input parameters for PBD detection based on the instrument transfer function of the structured light monitoring system for arbitrary pixel intensity noise contributions. In conclusion, with the results of PBD detection across multiple experimental measurement parameters, we provide a best practices approach to in-process implementation of the monitoring system in powder bed fusion manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2017

Surface-Height Determination of Crevassed Glaciers-Mathematical Principles of an Autoadaptive Density-Dimension Algorithm and Validation Using ICESat-2 Simulator (SIMPL) Data

Glacial acceleration is a main source of uncertainty in sea-level-change assessment. Measurement of ice-surface heights with a spatial and temporal resolution that not only allows elevation-change calculation, but also captures ice-surface morphology and its changes is required to aid in investigations of the geophysical processes associated with glacial acceleration.The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System aboard NASAs future ICESat-2 Mission (launch 2017) will implement multibeam micropulse photon-counting lidar altimetry aimed at measuring ice-surface heights at 0.7-m along-track spacing. The instrument is designed to resolve spatial and temporal variability of rapidly changing glaciers and ice sheets and the Arctic sea ice. The new technology requires the development of a new mathematical algorithm for the retrieval of height information.We introduce the density-dimension algorithm (DDA) that utilizes the radial basis function to calculate a weighted density as a form of data aggregation in the photon cloud and considers density an additional dimension as an aid in auto-adaptive threshold determination. The auto-adaptive capability of the algorithm is necessary to separate returns from noise and signal photons under changing environmental conditions. The algorithm is evaluated using data collected with an ICESat-2 simulator instrument, the Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-counting Lidar, over the heavily crevassed Giesecke Braer in Northwestern Greenland in summer 2015. Results demonstrate that ICESat-2 may be expected to provide ice-surface height measurements over crevassed glaciers and other complex ice surfaces. The DDA is generally applicable for the analysis of airborne and spaceborne micropulse photon-counting lidar data over complex and simple surfaces.

Herzfeld, Ute C.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Surface dependence of electronic growth of Cu(111) on MoS 2

Scanning tunneling microscopy shows that copper deposited at room temperature onto a freshly exfoliated MoS 2 surface forms Cu(111) clusters with periodic preferred heights of 5, 8, and 11 atomic layers. These height intervals correlate with Fermi nesting regions along the necks of the bulk Cu Fermi surface, indicating a connection between physical and electronic structures. Density functional theory calculations of freestanding Cu(111) films support this as well, predicting a lower density of states at the Fermi level for these preferred heights. This is consistent with other noble metals deposited on MoS 2 that exhibit electronic growth, in which the metal films self-assemble as nanostructures minimizing quantum electronic energies. Here, we have discovered that it is critical for the metal deposition to begin on a clean MoS 2 surface. If copper is deposited onto an already Cu coated surface, even if the original film displays electronic growth, the resulting Cu film lacks quantization. Instead, the preferred heights of the Cu clusters simply increase linearly with the amount of Cu deposited upon the surface. We believe this is due to different bonding conditions during the initial stages of growth. Newly deposited copper would bond strongly to the already present copper clusters, rather than the weak bonding, which exists to the van der Waals terminated surface of MoS 2 . The stronger bonding with previously deposited clusters hinders additional Cu atoms from reaching their lowest quantum energy state. The interface characteristics of the van der Waals surface enable surface engineering of self-assembled structures to achieve different applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS1993

Inference of cirrus cloud properties using satellite-observed visible and infrared radiances. I - Parameterization of radiance fields

The impact of using phase functions for spherical droplets and hexagonal ice crystals to analyze radiances from cirrus is examined. Adding-doubling radiative transfer calculations are employed to compute radiances for different cloud thicknesses and heights over various backgrounds. These radiances are used to develop parameterizations of top-of-the-atmosphere visible reflectance and IR emittance using tables of reflectances as a function of cloud optical depth, viewing and illumination angles, and microphysics. This parameterization, which includes Rayleigh scattering, ozone absorption, variable cloud height, and an anisotropic surface reflectance, reproduces the computed top-of-the-atmosphere reflectances with an accruacy of +/- 6 percent for four microphysical models: 10-micron water droplet, small symmetric crystal, cirrostratus, and cirrus uncinus. The accuracy is twice that of previous models.

Minnis, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS1993

Inference of cirrus cloud properties using satellite-observed visible and infrared radiances. II - Verification of theoretical cirrus radiative properties

The study presents a methodology developed to apply a parameterization of radiative transfer calculations to satellite analyses of cirrus clouds. Cloud heights and optical depths are derived from visible and IR window measurements taken during FIRE when cirrus clouds were present. Geostationary satellite retrievals are compared to lidar-derived cloud heights and retrievals from a polar-orbiting satellite taken at different angles to determine which theoretical models of scattering phase function and single-scattering albedo best represent actual cirrus clouds. Models using small scattering phase function and single-scattering albedo best represent actual cirrus clouds. It is concluded that interpretation of cirrus reflectance with water-droplet models leads to biased results. The cloud-height and optical depth biases can be minimized with the aid of the C20 or cirrostratus models.

Minnis, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS2018

Multi-Parameter Nonlinear Gain Correction of X-Ray Transition Edge Sensors for the X-Ray Integral Field Unit

With its array of 3840 Transition Edge Sensors (TESs), the Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) will provide spatially resolved high-resolution spectroscopy (2.5 eV up to 7 keV) from 0.2 to 12 keV, with an absolute energy scale accuracy of 0.4 eV. Slight changes in the TES operating environment can cause significant variations in its energy response function, which may result in systematic errors in the absolute energy scale. We plan to monitor such changes at pixel level via onboard X-ray calibration sources and correct the energy scale accordingly using a linear or quadratic interpolation of gain curves obtained during ground calibration. However, this may not be sufficient to meet the 0.4 eV accuracy required for the XIFU. In this contribution, we introduce a newtwo-parameter gain correction technique, based on both the pulse-height estimate of a fiducial line and the baseline value of the pixels. Using gain functions that simulate ground calibration data, we show that this technique can accurately correct deviations in detector gain due to changes in TES operating conditions such as heat sink temperature, bias voltage, thermal radiation loading and linear amplifier gain. We also address potential optimisations of the onboard calibration source and compare the performance of this new technique with those previously used.

Cucchetti, E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer for environmental monitoring of inorganic pollutants

A portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer has a portable sensor unit containing a battery, a high voltage power supply, an x-ray tube which produces a beam x-ray radiation directed toward a target sample, and a detector for fluorescent x-rays produced by the sample. If a silicon-lithium detector is used, the sensor unit also contains either a thermoelectric or thermochemical cooler, or a small dewar flask containing liquid nitrogen to cool the detector. A pulse height analyzer (PHA) generates a spectrum of data for each sample consisting of the number of fluorescent x-rays detected as a function of their energy level. The PHA can also store spectrum data for a number of samples in the field. A processing unit can be attached to the pulse height analyzer to upload and analyze the stored spectrum data for each sample. The processing unit provides a graphic display of the spectrum data for each sample, and provides qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the elemental composition of the sample by comparing the peaks in the sample spectrum against known x-ray energies for various chemical elements. An optional filtration enclosure can be used to filter particles from a sample suspension, either in the form of a natural suspension or a chemically created precipitate. The sensor unit is then temporarily attached to the filtration unit to analyze the particles collected by the filter medium.

Thornton, Michael G.↗

DOE OSTI2020

The Sensitivity of Hyporheic Exchange to Fractal Properties of Riverbeds

Hyporheic exchange in riverbeds is driven by current-bed topography interactions. Because riverbeds exhibit topographic roughness across scales, from individual grains to bedforms and bars, they can exhibit fractal patterns. This study analyzed the influence of fractal properties of riverbed topography on hyporheic exchange. A set of synthetic fractal riverbeds with different scaling statistics was used as inputs to sequentially coupled numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow and hyporheic flow. In the analysis, the maximum power spectrum (dune size) and the fractal dimension (topographic complexity) were considered as independent variables and we then investigated how interfacial fluxes and hyporheic travel times are functionally related to these variables. As the maximum power spectrum increases (i.e., dune height to flow depth ratio), the average interfacial flux increases logarithmically whereas it increases exponentially with an increase in fractal dimension. Hyporheic exchange is more sensitive to additional roughness (larger fractal dimensions) than to bedform size (larger maximum power). Our results imply that fractal properties of riverbeds are crucial to predicting hyporheic exchange. The predictive relationships we propose could be integrated with reduced complexity, large-scale models. Further, they can also be used to design artificial topographies that target hyporheic ecosystem services.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Time Evolution and Diurnal Variability of the Parametric Sensitivity of Turbine-Height Winds in the MYNN-EDMF Parameterization

The Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN) parameterization applied in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been augmented to include the Eddy-Diffusion Mass-Flux (EDMF) approach to better represent transport by boundary-layer eddies. This change includes the addition of new parameters associated with convective updrafts and boundary-layer clouds. These additions lead to new parametric sensitivities in the hub-height wind speed compared to simulations using the standard MYNN parameterization that were explored previously. This work builds on efforts focused on WRF’s MYNN parameterization by examining the sensitivity of hub-height wind speed to parameters in the MYNN-EDMF parameterization as a function of simulation lead time. Summer and winter periods were selected from the second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2). Five sets of simulations were completed for each season, with lead times ranging from 2 to 6 days. The results show that the sensitivity to the new parameters associated with the EDMF scheme is generally small compared to other parameters, with the largest impact in convective boundary layers. The spread in the perturbed parameter ensembles was found to grow quickly over the first 8 to 19 hours in the summer simulations and 17 to 24 hours in the winter simulations with little change after that, regardless of the simulation length. A strong diurnal cycle in the parameter sensitivity was also found associated with changes in the atmospheric stability, as well as an increase in the sensitivity to the entrainment parameter used in the EDMF parameterization that is associated with increasing fractional areas covered by plumes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

How wind speed shear and directional veer affect the power production of a megawatt-scale operational wind turbine

Most megawatt-scale wind turbines align themselves into the wind as defined by the wind speed at or near the center of the rotor (hub height). However, both wind speed and wind direction can change with height across the area swept by the turbine blades. A turbine aligned to hub-height winds might experience suboptimal or superoptimal power production, depending on the changes in the vertical profile of wind, also known as shear. Using observed winds and power production over 6 months at a site in the high plains of North America, we quantify the sensitivity of a wind turbine's power production to wind speed shear and directional veer as well as atmospheric stability. We measure shear using metrics such as α (the log-law wind shear exponent), β bulk (a measure of bulk rotor-disk-layer veer), β total (a measure of total rotor-disk-layer veer), and rotor-equivalent wind speed (REWS; a measure of actual momentum encountered by the turbine by accounting for shear). We also consider the REWS with the inclusion of directional veer, REWS θ , although statistically significant differences in power production do not occur between REWS and REWS θ at our site. When REWS differs from the hub-height wind speed (as measured by either the lidar or a transfer function-corrected nacelle anemometer), the turbine power generation also differs from the mean power curve in a statistically significant way. This change in power can be more than 70 kW or up to 5 % of the rated power for a single 1.5 MW utility-scale turbine. Over a theoretical 100-turbine wind farm, these changes could lead to instantaneous power prediction gains or losses equivalent to the addition or loss of multiple utility-scale turbines. At this site, REWS is the most useful metric for segregating the turbine's power curve into high and low cases of power production when compared to the other shear or stability metrics. Therefore, REWS enables improved forecasts of power production.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1984

Consequences of a chromospheric temperature gradient on the width of H Alpha in late-type giants

An analytic expression for the integrated H alpha optical depth profile is derived for a one dimensional slab geometry model chromosphere, with electron temperature increasing as a power law with height. The formula predicts H alpha opacity and profile width to be sensitive functions of the thermal gradient. Application of the model to observation reveals that broad H alpha absorption widths in G and K giant stars are consistent with a mean H alpha chromospheric optical depth of 50, while narrower widths in M stars indicate slightly lower opacities. It is proposed that differences in H alpha width between late-type giants of similar spectral type may be due, in part, to differences in their chromospheric thermal gradient, and associated H alpha opacity.

Zarro, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Consequences of a chromospheric temperature gradient on the width of H-alpha in late-type giants

Zarro, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The calculation of theoretical chromospheric models and the interpretation of solar spectra from rockets and spacecraft

Calculated results based on two chromospheric flare models F1 and F2 of Machado, et al., (1980) are presented. Two additional models are included: F1*, which has enhanced temperatures relative to the weak-flare model F1 in the upper photosphere and low chromosphere, and F3 which has enhanced temperatures relative to the strong flare model F2 in the upper chromosphere. Each model is specified by means of a given variation of the temperature as a function of column mass. The corresponding variation of particle density and the geometrical height scale are determined by assuming hydrostatic equilibrium. The coupled equations of statistical equilibrium is solved as is radiative transfer for H, H-, He I-II, C I-IV, Si I-II, Mg I-II, Fe, Al, O I-II, Na, and Ca II. The overall absorption and emission of radiation by lines throughout the spectrum is determined by means of a reduced set of opacities sampled from a compilation of over 10 to the 7th power individual lines. That the white flight flare continuum may arise by extreme chromospheric overheating as well as by an enhancement of the minimum temperature region is also shown. The radiative cooling rate calculations for our brightest flare model suggest that chromospheric overheating provides enhanced radiation that could cause significant heating deep in the flare atmosphere.

Avrett, E. H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Geosat crossover analysis in the tropical Pacific. II - Verification analysis of altimetric sea level maps with expendable bathythermograph and island sea level data

Altimetric sea level time series for the tropical Pacific have been generated from the Geosat crossover differences during the classified era of the Geosat mission from April 1985 to September 1986. These are compared with the expendable bathythermograph (XBT)-derived dynamic height and island sea level observations, yielding good agreement. A complex empirical orthogonal function analysis is also applied to the altimetric and XBT results. The analysis demonstrates the dominance of the annual signal in this relatively short time series and the westward propagation of major features away from the equator.

Tai, Chang-Kou↗

NASA NTRS1995

Validation of clear-sky fluxes for tropical oceans from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

The existence and magnitude of a systematic bias in the clear-sky longwave fluxes from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) is investigated. The bias is apparently introduced because the ERBE method for scene identification does not account for large zonal gradients in longwave absorption by water vapor. The ERBE fluxes are compared to fluxes calculated with a radiative transfer model from ship radiosonde measurements. The comparison is based upon an analysis of 5 yr of coincident satellite and radiosonde observations for equatorial ocean regions. The differences between the ERBE and model fluxes are examined as functions of sea surface temperature (SST) and relative humidity. The authors use height-mean relative humidity bar-RH as an index of atmospheric moisture. The average offset between and model ERBE fluxes ranges between +2 and +6 W/sq m for SSTs above 295 K, and the gradients with respect to SST are nearly identical. However, the difference between the model and ERBE depends significantly on the tropospheric relative humidity. ERBE fluxes exceed model fluxes for bar-RH above 70%, and the maximum offset of +9 to +12 W/sq m is consistent with previous estimates. There are also indications that the clear-sky fluxes for bar-RH below 25% may be underestimated by about 10-15 W/sq m. Since extreme values of height-mean humidity are relatively infrequent, the net bias introduced in the ERBE monthly mean clear-sky fluxes is generally less than the systematic error in estimates introduced in the ERBE monthly mean clear-sky fluxes is generally less than the systematic error in estimates of the instantaneous fluxes. These findings support earlier work on the coupling between SST and the atmospheric greenhouse effect, in particular the existence of a super greenhouse effect for oceans warmer than 300 K. Recent reports of much larger systematic differences are not supported by this analysis. The results indicate that comparison of general circulation model (GCM) and ERBE clear-sky longwave fluxes will depend explicitly on atmospheric humidity.

Collins, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Modelling and Estimation of Dynamic Ocean Topography Within Global Geopotential Solutions

In this poster, we will present a report on the ongoing investigation "Improved Gravitational and Dynamic Height Models Through the use of Oceanographic Data." we have used a two year mean (1993-1994) of the Dynamic ocean Topography (DOT) field implied by the Semtner and Chervin POCM_4B model, and developed normal equations in surface spherical harmonics to degree and order 30. These normal equations, were combined with normal equations derived from TOPEX and ERS-1 altimeter data over the same time period. Combination solutions (based on satellite tracking data, altimeter data, surface gravity data and OCM data) were were developed Test solutions were obtained estimating the DOT field to 2Ox2O and 3ox3O. These solutions were tested with independent DOT values computed over 38 WOCE hydrographic sections, which contained a total of 3072 stations and represented 216000 km of travelled lines. The weighted standard deviation of the differences between the DOT obtained from the hydrographic data and and the field estimated from the joint combination solutions was computed for each of the test models, the weighted standard deviation for the baseline combination solution excluding the POCM4_B data was 9.7 cm for a DOT solution to 30x30, where introducing the POCM4_B data into the combination model reduced the standard deviation to 9.2 cm, indicating the the introduction of oceanographic information benefits the solution for the dynamic ocean topography. We will discuss the weighting schemes applied and the method of solution. Another aspect of our investigation involves testing alternate parametric representations of the dynamic height field. We looked at the alternative representations in terms of the Proudman functions (PF), and compared these to the use of spherical harmonics (SH) to represent the dynamic ocean topography, using once again the 1993 and 1994 output of the POCM4_B OCM as the reference model. A significant advantage of PF's over SH's is that the former require no "fill-in" values over areas where the DOT is undefined. We show that the PF and SH results using equal number of parameters agree quite well in overall content. In addition, PFs appear better suited for representation of high frequency signals close to the signal boundary. The development of the PF solutions for the DOT will be described and the statistics of the comparisons will be presented.

Lemoine, Frank G.↗