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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 523 records · Page 29

A Parametric Study on Using Active Debris Removal for LEO Environment Remediation

Recent analyses on the instability of the orbital debris population in the low Earth orbit (LEO) region and the collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 have reignited the interest in using active debris removal (ADR) to remediate the environment. There are; however, monumental technical, resource, operational, legal, and political challenges in making economically viable ADR a reality. Before a consensus on the need for ADR can be reached, a careful analysis of its effectiveness must be conducted. The goal is to demonstrate the need and feasibility of using ADR to better preserve the future environment and to guide its implementation to maximize the benefit-to-cost ratio. This paper describes a new sensitivity study on using ADR to stabilize the future LEO debris environment. The NASA long-term orbital debris evolutionary model, LEGEND, is used to quantify the effects of several key parameters, including target selection criteria/constraints and the starting epoch of ADR implementation. Additional analyses on potential ADR targets among the currently existing satellites and the benefits of collision avoidance maneuvers are also included.

Source record↗

Conceptual Model of Autonomous Seed Germination Habitat for Mars Mission

As human space exploration extends to Mars, the ability to germinate seeds in extraterrestrial environments is becoming a necessity. Recent technological feats such as the development of the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) have made botany experiments possible on the International Space Station (ISS). Despite preliminary designs, a biocompatible plant life support system capable of traveling to Mars has yet to be developed. This study focuses on two preparatory measures regarding seed germination in spaceflight: analysis of seed dormancy protocols and compact autonomous habitat development.The objective of this project is to conceptualize a habitat capable of preserving arabidopsis plant seeds on a long duration spaceflight for the purpose of germinating the first plants on Mars. The proposed container will require a compact, low wattage system to provide gas ventilation, artificial light, and water. A visualization system will also need to be developed in order to monitor seed germination remotely. In order to test the effects of dormancy durations on plant viability, we will conduct a ground study to monitor seed germination in seeds which have been dormant for three, six, nine, and twelve months. We will also compare the effects of different sterilization procedures. The results of this study will be instrumental in developing a viable procedure for transferring the first living plants to Mars.

Peter, Jonah↗

Why We Do What We Do: Data Reuse, Open Access and Privacy in Data Management at the Life Sciences Data Archive

As custodians of the unique and irreplaceable collections of human subject research data generated by the Human Research Program and its predecessors throughout the agency’s history, the Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA) is charged with protecting participants’ privacy and implementing their consent decisions as it provides retrospective data for use in new studies. This active, stewardship-focused approach to data management and preservation shapes the products that LSDA provides to researchers and the responsibilities of researchers in using the data and publishing their results. This presentation reviews how federal and agency mandates shape LSDA’s data management procedures and expectations for researchers. Topics covered will include LSDA’s movement towards implementation of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles and the archive’s evolving data management practices; collaboration between LSDA and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) project (the repository of astronaut medical data); LSDA’s response to the challenges of performing its stewardship role and maintaining trust given the public profiles of the subjects whose data it preserves; and the ever-increasing challenges to expectations of subject privacy stemming from the growing power and ubiquity of data analysis and aggregation tools.

data management↗

Statistical Distribution of Inflation on Lava Flows: Analysis of Flow Surfaces on Earth and Mars

The surface morphology of a lava flow results from processes that take place during the emplacement of the flow. Certain types of features, such as tumuli, lava rises and lava rise pits, are indicators of flow inflation or endogenous growth of a lava flow. Tumuli in particular have been identified as possible indicators of tube location, indicating that their distribution on the surface of a lava flow is a junction of the internal pathways of lava present during flow emplacement. However, the distribution of tumuli on lava flows has not been examined in a statistically thorough manner. In order to more rigorously examine the distribution of tumuli on a lava flow, we examined a discrete flow lobe with numerous lava rises and tumuli on the 1969 - 1974 Mauna Ulu flow at Kilauea, Hawaii. The lobe is located in the distal portion of the flow below Holei Pali, which is characterized by hummocky pahoehoe flows emplaced from tubes. We chose this flow due to its discrete nature allowing complete mapping of surface morphologies, well-defined boundaries, well-constrained emplacement parameters, and known flow thicknesses. In addition, tube locations for this Mauna Ulu flow were mapped by Holcomb (1976) during flow emplacement. We also examine the distribution of tumuli on the distal portion of the hummocky Thrainsskjoldur flow field provided by Rossi and Gudmundsson (1996). Analysis of the Mauna Ulu and Thrainsskjoldur flow lobes and the availability of high-resolution MOC images motivated us to look for possible tumuli-dominated flow lobes on the surface of Mars. We identified a MOC image of a lava flow south of Elysium Mons with features morphologically similar to tumuli. The flow is characterized by raised elliptical to circular mounds, some with axial cracks, that are similar in size to the tumuli measured on Earth. One potential avenue of determining whether they are tumuli is to look at the spatial distribution to see if any patterns similar to those of tumuli-dominated terrestrial flows can be identified. Since tumuli form by the injection of lava beneath a crust, the distribution of tumuli on a flow should represent the distribution of thermally preferred pathways beneath the surface of the crust. That distribution of thermally preferred pathways may be a function of the evolution of a basaltic lava flow. As a longer-lived flow evolves, initially broad thermally preferred pathways would evolve to narrower, more well-defined tube-like pathways. The final flow morphology clearly preserves the growth of the flow over time, with inflation features indicating pathways that were not necessarily contemporaneously active. Here, we test using statistical analysis whether this final flow morphology produces distinct distributions that can be used to readily determine the distribution of thermally preferred pathways beneath the surface of the crust.

Glazel, L. S.↗

Classical Non-Markovian Noise in Symmetry-Preserving Quantum Dynamics

In quantum dynamics, symmetries are vital for identifying and assessing conserved quantities that govern the evolution of a quantum system. When promoted to the open quantum system setting, dynamical symmetries can be negatively altered by system-environment interactions, thus, complicating their analysis. Previous work on noisy symmetric quantum dynamics has focused on the Markovian setting, despite the ubiquity of non-Markovian noise in a number of widely used quantum technologies. Here, in this Letter, we develop a framework for quantifying the impact of non-Markovian noise on symmetric quantum evolution via root space decompositions and the filter function formalism. We demonstrate analytically that symmetry-preserving noise maintains the symmetric subspace, while nonsymmetric noise leads to highly specific leakage errors that are block diagonal in the symmetry representation. We support our findings with numerical studies of a transverse-field Ising model and a quantum error detecting code subject to spatiotemporally correlated multiaxis noise. Our results are broadly applicable, providing new analytic insights into the control and characterization of open quantum system dynamics.

decoherence↗

Genelab: Scientific Partnerships and an Open-Access Database to Maximize Usage of Omics Data from Space Biology Experiments

NASA's mission includes expanding our understanding of biological systems to improve life on Earth and to enable long-duration human exploration of space. The GeneLab Data System (GLDS) is NASA's premier open-access omics data platform for biological experiments. GLDS houses standards-compliant, high-throughput sequencing and other omics data from spaceflight-relevant experiments. The GeneLab project at NASA-Ames Research Center is developing the database, and also partnering with spaceflight projects through sharing or augmentation of experiment samples to expand omics analyses on precious spaceflight samples. The partnerships ensure that the maximum amount of data is garnered from spaceflight experiments and made publically available as rapidly as possible via the GLDS. GLDS Version 1.0, went online in April 2015. Software updates and new data releases occur at least quarterly. As of October 2016, the GLDS contains 80 datasets and has search and download capabilities. Version 2.0 is slated for release in September of 2017 and will have expanded, integrated search capabilities leveraging other public omics databases (NCBI GEO, PRIDE, MG-RAST). Future versions in this multi-phase project will provide a collaborative platform for omics data analysis. Data from experiments that explore the biological effects of the spaceflight environment on a wide variety of model organisms are housed in the GLDS including data from rodents, invertebrates, plants and microbes. Human datasets are currently limited to those with anonymized data (e.g., from cultured cell lines). GeneLab ensures prompt release and open access to high-throughput genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data from spaceflight and ground-based simulations of microgravity, radiation or other space environment factors. The data are meticulously curated to assure that accurate experimental and sample processing metadata are included with each data set. GLDS download volumes indicate strong interest of the scientific community in these data. To date GeneLab has partnered with multiple experiments including two plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) experiments, two mice experiments, and several microbe experiments. GeneLab optimized protocols in the rodent partnerships for maximum yield of RNA, DNA and protein from tissues harvested and preserved during the SpaceX-4 mission, as well as from tissues from mice that were frozen intact during spaceflight and later dissected on the ground. Analysis of GeneLab data will contribute fundamental knowledge of how the space environment affects biological systems, and as well as yield terrestrial benefits resulting from mitigation strategies to prevent effects observed during exposure to space environments.

bioinformatics↗

GeneLab: Scientific Partnerships and an Open-Access Database to Maximize Usage of Omics Data from Space Biology Experiments

NASA's mission includes expanding our understanding of biological systems to improve life on Earth and to enable long-duration human exploration of space. The GeneLab Data System (GLDS) is NASAs premier open-access omics data platform for biological experiments. GLDS houses standards-compliant, high-throughput sequencing and other omics data from spaceflight-relevant experiments. The GeneLab project at NASA-Ames Research Center is developing the database, and also partnering with spaceflight projects through sharing or augmentation of experiment samples to expand omics analyses on precious spaceflight samples. The partnerships ensure that the maximum amount of data is garnered from spaceflight experiments and made publically available as rapidly as possible via the GLDS. GLDS Version 1.0, went online in April 2015. Software updates and new data releases occur at least quarterly. As of October 2016, the GLDS contains 80 datasets and has search and download capabilities. Version 2.0 is slated for release in September of 2017 and will have expanded, integrated search capabilities leveraging other public omics databases (NCBI GEO, PRIDE, MG-RAST). Future versions in this multi-phase project will provide a collaborative platform for omics data analysis. Data from experiments that explore the biological effects of the spaceflight environment on a wide variety of model organisms are housed in the GLDS including data from rodents, invertebrates, plants and microbes. Human datasets are currently limited to those with anonymized data (e.g., from cultured cell lines). GeneLab ensures prompt release and open access to high-throughput genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data from spaceflight and ground-based simulations of microgravity, radiation or other space environment factors. The data are meticulously curated to assure that accurate experimental and sample processing metadata are included with each data set. GLDS download volumes indicate strong interest of the scientific community in these data. To date GeneLab has partnered with multiple experiments including two plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) experiments, two mice experiments, and several microbe experiments. GeneLab optimized protocols in the rodent partnerships for maximum yield of RNA, DNA and protein from tissues harvested and preserved during the SpaceX-4 mission, as well as from tissues from mice that were frozen intact during spaceflight and later dissected on the ground. Analysis of GeneLab data will contribute fundamental knowledge of how the space environment affects biological systems, and as well as yield terrestrial benefits resulting from mitigation strategies to prevent effects observed during exposure to space environments.

spaceflight↗

Proximal Galerkin: A Structure-Preserving Finite Element Method for Pointwise Bound Constraints

The proximal Galerkin finite element method is a high-order, low iteration complexity, nonlinear numerical method that preserves the geometric and algebraic structure of pointwise bound constraints in infinite-dimensional function spaces. This paper introduces the proximal Galerkin method and applies it to solve free boundary problems, enforce discrete maximum principles, and develop a scalable, mesh-independent algorithm for optimal design with pointwise bound constraints. This paper also introduces the latent variable proximal point (LVPP) algorithm, from which the proximal Galerkin method derives. When analyzing the classical obstacle problem, we discover that the underlying variational inequality can be replaced by a sequence of second-order partial differential equations (PDEs) that are readily discretized and solved with, e.g., the proximal Galerkin method. Throughout this work, we arrive at several contributions that may be of independent interest. These include (1) a semilinear PDE we refer to as the entropic Poisson equation; (2) an algebraic/geometric connection between high-order positivity-preserving discretizations and certain infinite-dimensional Lie groups; and (3) a gradient-based, bound-preserving algorithm for two-field, density-based topology optimization. The complete proximal Galerkin methodology combines ideas from nonlinear programming, functional analysis, tropical algebra, and differential geometry and can potentially lead to new synergies among these areas as well as within variational and numerical analysis. Open-source implementations of our methods accompany this work to facilitate reproduction and broader adoption.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Flowthrough Pretreatment of Softwood under Water-only and Alkali Conditions

Flowthrough pretreatment provides valuable insight in the fundamentals of deconstruction of plant biomass. In this study, the potential softwood degradation pathways under water-only and alkali conditions were determined by elucidating the deconstructed biomass-derived products at 0-270 °C for 2-10 min at a flow rate of 25 mL/min with water-only or alkaline at initial pH of 8, 9, 11, and 12, respectively. Results indicated that the initial pH value was a convenient indicator along with the severity parameter to control biomass degradation through the non-oxidative (pH<9) and oxidative (pH=9) pathways. Up to 100 % of hemi-sugars, 90 % of cellulose, and 70 % of lignin were derived from softwood under non-oxidative conditions at severity parameter LogR0 around 5.5, respectively. On the contrary, at pH 12, the oxidative degradation resulted in pretreated hydrolysate rich in monomeric and oligomeric phenolic products as well as glycolic acid, acetic acid, and formic acid from carbohydrates. The two dimensional 1H-13C heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis revealed that non-oxidative degradation at initial pH values lower than 9 mainly cleaved ß-O-4, all of the ß-ß, and ß-5/a-O-4 linkages, whereas substantial aromatic ring structures with limited ß-O-4 structures remaining at pH 12 through oxidative degradation.

Zhang, Libing↗

Surface Variability Mapping and Roughness Analysis of the Moon Using a Coarse–Graining Decomposition

The lunar surface contains a wide variety of topographic shapes and features, each with different distributions and scales, and any analysis technique to objectively measure roughness must respect these qualities. Coarse-graining is a naturally scale-dependent filtering technique that preserves scale-dependent symmetries and produces coarse elevation maps that gradually erase the smaller features from the original topography. In this study of the lunar surface, we present two surface variability metrics obtained from coarse-graining lunar topography: fine elevation and coarse curvature. Both metrics are isotropic, deterministic, slope-independent, and coordinate-agnostic. Fine (detrended) elevation is acquired by subtracting the coarse elevation from the original topography and contains features that are smaller than the coarse-graining length-scale. Coarse curvature is the Laplacian of coarsened topography, and naturally quantifies the curvature at any scale and indicates whether a location is elevated or depressed relative to its neighborhood at that scale. We find that highlands and maria have distinct roughness characteristics at all length-scales. Our topographic spectra reveal four scale-breaks that mark characteristic shifts in surface roughness: 100, 300, 1,000, and 4,000 km. Comparing fine elevation distributions between maria and highlands, we show that maria fine elevation is biased toward smaller-magnitude elevations and that the maria–highland discrepancies are more pronounced at larger length-scales. Here, we also provide local examples of selected regions to demonstrate that these metrics can successfully distinguish geological features of different length-scales.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Phenotypic and functional characterization of corneal endothelial cells during in vitro expansion

The advent of cell culture-based methods for the establishment and expansion of human corneal endothelial cells (CEnC) has provided a source of transplantable corneal endothelium, with a significant potential to challenge the one donor-one recipient paradigm. However, concerns over cell identity remain, and a comprehensive characterization of the cultured CEnC across serial passages has not been performed. To this end, we compared two established CEnC culture methods by assessing the transcriptomic changes that occur during in vitro expansion. In confluent monolayers, low mitogenic culture conditions preserved corneal endothelial cell state identity better than culture in high mitogenic conditions. Expansion by continuous passaging induced replicative cell senescence. Transcriptomic analysis of the senescent phenotype identified a cell senescence signature distinct for CEnC. We identified activation of both classic and new cell signaling pathways that may be targeted to prevent senescence, a significant barrier to realizing the potential clinical utility of in vitro expansion.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Digital Rocks Portal (Digital Porous Media): Connecting data, simulation and community

Digital Rocks Portal (DRP, https://www.digitalrocksportal.org) organizes and preserves imaged datasets and experimental measurements of porous materials in subsurface, and beyond, with the mission to connect them to simulation and analysis, as well as educate the research community. We have over 150 projects represented in more than 200 publications, and an active community that reuses the data, most recently in multiple machine learning applications for automating image analysis as well as the prediction of transport. Such automation is crucial for performing formation evaluation tasks in near-real time. We present benchmark datasets that have played a role in recent machine learning prediction successes in the field. We further discuss the vision for further research advances, educational materials, as well as growth and sustainability plan of this digital rock physics community resource. In particular, we are in the process of expanding into a broader repository of engineered porous materials, specifically those for energy storage and the portal will transition to Digital Porous Media (DPM) in near future.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

High-pressure polymorphism in pyridine

Single crystals of the high-pressure phases II and III of pyridine have been obtained by in situ crystallization at 1.09 and 1.69 GPa, revealing the crystal structure of phase III for the first time using X-ray diffraction. Phase II crystallizes in P 2 1 2 1 2 1 with Z ′ = 1 and phase III in P 4 1 2 1 2 with Z ′ = ½. Neutron powder diffraction experiments using pyridine-d 5 establish approximate equations of state of both phases. The space group and unit-cell dimensions of phase III are similar to the structures of other simple compounds with C 2v molecular symmetry, and the phase becomes stable at high pressure because it is topologically close-packed, resulting in a lower molar volume than the topologically body-centred cubic phase II. Phases II and III have been observed previously by Raman spectroscopy, but have been mis-identified or inconsistently named. Raman spectra collected on the same samples as used in the X-ray experiments establish the vibrational characteristics of both phases unambiguously. The pyridine molecules interact in both phases through CH...π and CH...N interactions. The nature of individual contacts is preserved through the phase transition between phases III and II, which occurs on decompression. A combination of rigid-body symmetry mode analysis and density functional theory calculations enables the soft vibrational lattice mode which governs the transformation to be identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Visual Impact Assessment of the Energetic Materials Complex Construction Project on Manhattan Project–Era Historic Properties, the TA-06-0037 Concrete Bowl, and the TA-22-0001 Quonset Hut

Concern for potential visual effects to historic Manhattan Project–era properties emerged early in the planning and consultation phase for the upcoming Energetic Materials Complex (EMC) construction project. In initial discussions with project managers and design team members, resource managers became aware of the need to consider potential impacts to the viewsheds of two nearby properties that are eligible for inclusion in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park (MAPR). Resource managers recognized that viewshed characteristics important to the integrity of the Concrete Bowl (Technical Area [TA-]06-0037) and the Quonset Hut (TA-22-0001) conceivably faced the prospect of lasting and irreversible visual impacts. A strategy to gather necessary data soon emerged. The approach presented to the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) on April 7, 2021, combined gathering baseline information from field visits with a geographic information system (GIS)-supported viewshed analysis. Accordingly, results from the viewshed analysis would help resource managers determine if a more comprehensive visual impact assessment (VIA) would be needed. If necessitated by the outcome of the GIS viewshed analysis, initial consultation with the SHPO specified the production of a VIA that would explore any potential visual adverse impacts to the Concrete Bowl and the Quonset Hut. Cultural resources and GIS specialists with the Laboratory performed a viewshed analysis shortly after consultation with the SHPO. The analysis indicated a high likelihood that at least one of the two Manhattan Project–era properties would experience at least a minimal level of visual impact and that a VIA would be needed. The resulting analysis provides a description of the undertaking, an account of the properties affected along with an evaluation of historical significance, an examination of potential visual impacts, and a determination of effect to the identified historic properties.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Preparation of satellite soundings for insertion in a variational objective analysis model

The performance of a variational analysis model being developed at the Illinois State Water Survey, which allows blending of satellite and conventional soundings in a way which preserves the information content of both data sources, requires preparation of the input data before insertion into the model. Using operationally retrieved Tiros-N TOVS soundings and rawinsonde data, four procedures to prepare satellite soundings for model insertion are demonstrated: (1) determination and removal of biases, (2) determination of standard errors of the satellite temperatures to assist in the assignment of weights in the model, (3) conversion of layer mean temperatures to level temperatures, and (4) determination of the action necessary for correcting for the nonsynoptic nature of the satellite data.

Kidder, Stanley Q.↗

Multibody model reduction by component mode synthesis and component cost analysis

The classical assumed-modes method is widely used in modeling the dynamics of flexible multibody systems. According to the method, the elastic deformation of each component in the system is expanded in a series of spatial and temporal functions known as modes and modal coordinates, respectively. This paper focuses on the selection of component modes used in the assumed-modes expansion. A two-stage component modal reduction method is proposed combining Component Mode Synthesis (CMS) with Component Cost Analysis (CCA). First, each component model is truncated such that the contribution of the high frequency subsystem to the static response is preserved. Second, a new CMS procedure is employed to assemble the system model and CCA is used to further truncate component modes in accordance with their contribution to a quadratic cost function of the system output. The proposed method is demonstrated with a simple example of a flexible two-body system.

Spanos, J. T.↗

Partially Turboelectric Aircraft Drive Key Performance Parameters

The purpose of this paper is to propose electric drive specific power, electric drive efficiency, and electrical propulsion fraction as the key performance parameters for a partially turboelectric aircraft power system and to investigate their impact on the overall aircraft performance. Breguet range equations for a base conventional turbofan aircraft and a partially turboelectric aircraft are found. The benefits and costs that may result from the partially turboelectric system are enumerated. A break even analysis is conducted to find the minimum allowable electric drive specific power and efficiency, for a given electrical propulsion fraction, that can preserve the range, fuel weight, operating empty weight, and payload weight of the conventional aircraft. Current and future power system performance is compared to the required performance to determine the potential benefit.

turbogenerator↗

Global-scale Evaluation of SMAP, SMOS and ASCAT Soil Moisture Products Using Triple Collocation

Global-scale surface soil moisture products are currently available from multiple remote sensing platforms. Footprint-scale assessments of these products are generally restricted to limited number of densely-instrumented validation sites. However, by taking active and passive soil moisture products together with a third independent soil moisture estimates via land surface modeling, triple collocation (TC) can be applied to estimate the correlation metric of satellite soil moisture products (versus an unknown ground truth) over a quasi-global domain. Here, an assessment of Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) surface soil moisture retrievals via TC is presented. Considering the potential violation of TC error assumptions, the impact of active-passive and satellite-model error cross correlations on the TC-derived inter-comparison results is examined at in situ sites using quadruple collocation analysis. In addition, confidence intervals for the TC-estimated correlation metric are constructed from moving-block bootstrap sampling designed to preserve the temporal persistence of the original (unevenly-sampled) soil moisture time-series. This study is the first to apply TC to obtain a robust global-scale cross-assessment of SMAP, SMOS and ASCAT soil moisture retrieval accuracy in terms of anomaly temporal correlation. Our results confirm the overall advantage of SMAP (with a global average anomaly correlation of 0.76) over SMOS (0.66) and ASCAT (0.63) that has been established in several recent regional, ground-based studies. SMAP is also the best-performing product over the majority of applicable land pixels (52%), although SMOS and ASCAT each shows advantage in distinct geographic regions.

global-scale↗