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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Collisional Evolution of the Enceladus Neutral Cloud

Water vapor ejected from Saturn's small moon Enceladus easily escapes its meager gravity to form a Saturn-encircling cloud with a low collision rate. Observations show that the cloud is quite broad in the radial direction, and we show here that collisions, though quite rare, may be largely responsible for this radial spreading. We modeled this cloud using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method, as fluid methods would be inappropriate for such a tenuous gas.

magnetic fields↗
NASA NTRS1984

Saturation Phenomena in LIF Measurements, Appendix B

Optical saturation is the phenomenon in which the laser-induced rates of absorption and spontaneous emission between two levels, induced by a laser, become comparable to or greater than the spontaneous emission and collision rates connecting these levels. This results in the excited state population N(u) acquiring a value of similar magnitude to that of the ground state, N(e). Under these conditions the observed fluorescence signal, which is proportional to N(u), is no longer linearly dependent on laser intensity I, but increases at a slower rate, and in principle ultimately becomes independent of I. A conceptual picture of optical saturation using a two-level picture is described. This is, however, inadequate for the description of a real experiment involving a molecule, such as OH, for several reasons, which will be explained briefly; these are the multi-level nature of the electronic states and energy transfer among them and effects due to spatial, spectral, and temporal fluctuations in the laser pulse.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2016

Airport Traffic Conflict Detection and Resolution Algorithm Evaluation

Two conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) algorithms for the terminal maneuvering area (TMA) were evaluated in a fast-time batch simulation study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. One CD&R algorithm, developed at NASA, was designed to enhance surface situation awareness and provide cockpit alerts of potential conflicts during runway, taxi, and low altitude air-to-air operations. The second algorithm, Enhanced Traffic Situation Awareness on the Airport Surface with Indications and Alerts (SURF IA), was designed to increase flight crew awareness of the runway environment and facilitate an appropriate and timely response to potential conflict situations. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the performance of the aircraft-based CD&R algorithms during various runway, taxiway, and low altitude scenarios, multiple levels of CD&R system equipage, and various levels of horizontal position accuracy. Algorithm performance was assessed through various metrics including the collision rate, nuisance and missed alert rate, and alert toggling rate. The data suggests that, in general, alert toggling, nuisance and missed alerts, and unnecessary maneuvering occurred more frequently as the position accuracy was reduced. Collision avoidance was more effective when all of the aircraft were equipped with CD&R and maneuvered to avoid a collision after an alert was issued. In order to reduce the number of unwanted (nuisance) alerts when taxiing across a runway, a buffer is needed between the hold line and the alerting zone so alerts are not generated when an aircraft is behind the hold line. All of the results support RTCA horizontal position accuracy requirements for performing a CD&R function to reduce the likelihood and severity of runway incursions and collisions.

Jones, Denise R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Self-, N2- and Ar-broadening and line mixing in HCN and C2H2

Self-, N2- and Ar-broadening coefficients were measured for the stretch-bend infrared combination bands nu-1 + nu-1/2 (4004/cm) of HCN and nu-1 + nu-1/5 (4091/cm) of C2H2, using a tunable difference-frequency laser. At atmospheric pressures, the Q branches of these bands exhibit significant rotational narrowing or line mixing. The broadening coefficients are fit with empirical rotationally inelastic collision rate laws, which are then used to model the line mixing in the overlapped Q-branch profiles. Simple energy gap fitting laws appear to be suitable for the shorter-range intermolecular quadrupole-quadrupole and induction forces, whereas an energy-corrected-sudden scaling law works better for the longer-range dipole-dipole and dipole-quadrupole collision partners. In all cases, the line-coupling coefficients are substantially reduced from the rotationally inelastic rates fit to the broadening coefficients, indicating that 35-70 percent of the broadening may be due to other collisional mechanisms such as cross-relaxation to the degenerate H state vibrational level.

Pine, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Condensation in CO2 free jet expansions. I - Dimer formation.

A theoretical and experimental investigation of the kinetics of CO2 dimer formation in the adiabatically expanding core of a free jet expansion has been carried out. The theoretical analysis is based on dimer formation by an efficient termolecular process and dimer destruction by bimolecular collisions. Account is taken of the expected variation of the specific heat ratio during the expansion and of the effective increase in the termolecular collision rate at low temperatures due to the presence of loosely bound orbiting pairs. Experimental dimer concentrations were measured mass spectrometrically by forming a molecular beam from the expanded gas mixture after the onset of molecular flow. Observed dimer concentrations, for a range of pre-expansion conditions of 400 to 900 torr pressure and room temperature, are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis, provided that account is taken of the effect of loosely bound orbiting pairs at low temperatures.

Dorfeld, W. G.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Some modifications of the theory of colloidal plasmas

Two effects leading to significant modifications of the theory of colloidal plasmas are discussed. The first concerns the fact that depending on the sign of the electric potential on a droplet in a colloidal plasma, the electrons or the ions impact on the droplet with a much higher effective temperature than their background plasma temperature. The analytical expression for this temperature is derived in the first part of the paper. In the second part, it is shown that the electron-droplet collision rate in a wet alkali-metal vapor plasma may be substantially modified by the effect of the attractive potential between a droplet and an electron because of the image of the electron in the droplet. This effect is found to be important when the droplet sizes are in the submicron range.

De, B. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The interaction of T-Tauri stars with molecular clouds

Winds from T-Tauri stars may provide an important dynamical input into cold molecular clouds. If the frequency of T-Tauri stars exceeds 20/cu pc, wind-driven shells collide and form ram-pressure-confined clumps. The supersonic clump motions can account for cloud line widths. Clumps collide inelastically, coalescing and eventually becoming Jeans unstable. For characteristic dark cloud temperatures low-mass stars form, and it is speculated that in this manner clouds can be self-sustaining for 10 million to 100 million yr. Only when either the gas supply is exhausted or an external trigger stimulates massive star formation (for example, by heating the cloud or enhancing the clump collision rate), will the cloud eventually be disrupted. A natural consequence of this model is that dark cloud lifetimes are identified with the duration of low-mass star formation, inferred to exceed 10 million yr from studies of nearby star clusters. Other implications include the prediction of the existence of embedded low-mass stars in turbulent cloud cores, the presence of an internal source of radiation in dark clouds, and a clumpy structure for cold molecular clouds.

Silk, J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Earth-crossing asteroids - New discoveries

An earth-crossing asteroid is an asteroid whose orbit will intersect the orbit of the earth as a result of secular perturbations. Astronomical observations have led to the discovery of 43 earth-crossing asteroids during the last fifty years. Nearly sixty percent of these were found in the decade 1971-1981. Noteworthy results of the last decade are discussed, taking into account the Aten asteroids, accidental rediscoveries, asteroids of possible cometary origin, candidates for rendezvous and sample return missions, and populations and collision rates with earth. The observed earth-crossing asteroids are listed in a table, and the orbits of earth, Mars, and four Atens projected on ecliptic plane are shown.

Helin, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

NASA/JSC orbital debris study: Debris model

The possibility of the creation of a debris belt around the Earth is discussed. A computer model which describes the near-Earth space environment created by the existing spacecraft and fragments from the associated spent launching vehicle attachments and explosions was developed. The present debris model adopts the mathematical formulations published in a paper by Kessler. Thus, the model uses more rigorous mathematical formulation in calculating the collision rate between two orbiting objects than the one published by Kessler and Cour-Palais (1978). The present model contains many general but detailed analyses on the debris environment such as manipulating and/or sorting the existing debris objects, the physical dimensions of the objects and extrapolating the number density describing to include the unobservable small objects.

Roberts, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Collisional balance of the meteoritic complex

The present study has the objective to reevaluate the size distribution of interplanetary meteoroids on the basis of the most recent data, and to analyze the probable nature of the sinks and sources of meteoritic material. The flux of interplanetary meteorites at 1 AU is discussed, taking into account general characteristics, lunar crater distribution, flux curves, spatial densities, and cross-sectional distribution and light scattering. Collisional effects are examined, giving attention to catastrophic collisions, collision rate, and destroyed mass and generated fragments. The effect of radiation pressure on small particles is considered along with the difference between the lunar and interplanetary flux models, collisional evolution at 1 AU, potential sources for large meteoroids, and observational evidence of losses of small micrometeoroids.

Gruen, E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Skylab observations of the solar O I resonance triplet

Profile variations from center to limb, as well as at different heights above the quiet solar limb, are illustrated by profile observations of the solar O I resonant triplet at 1302, 1304, and 1306 A that were obtained with the Skylab S082-B spectrograph. Since these lines share a common upper energy level, source function equality should exist for them when the lower states are populated according to their statistical weights. Profile congruency and profile inversion calculations comparisons show, however, that this is not the case, suggesting either errors in the fine structure collision rates, or the H I Ly-beta flux preferentially depopulating the 1302 A lower level, or two-dimensional transfer effects.

Roussel-Dupre, D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

S V line ratios in the sun

In the present prediction of level populations and emission line intensity ratios for electron densities and temperatures appropriate to the sun, on the basis of new atomic data for S V, the electron impact collision rates for spin-forbidden transitions, and the intercombination transition spontaneous radiative rate, are noted to be substantially larger than previously ascertained. The S V intensity ratio is shown to be a useful electron density diagnostic for log N(e) greater than 11.5 ratios deduced from observations obtained with a slit spectrograph aboard Skylab generally agree with the theoretical values presented.

Dufton, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Chemical interactions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Although several observations of material changes on-orbit have been reported, mechanistic understanding has not yet become clear because new sets of non-intuitive processes are occurring on orbit. Reactant kinetic energy, low collision rates and surface/adsorbate interactions must be considered in the analysis of these observations. The specific example of oxide formation of elemental materials is examined in terms of thermodynamics and possible reaction pathways. On the basis of this approach, a rational trend emerges from the orbital behavior of these samples. The role of reactant kinetic energy as opposed to internal energy in chemiluminescent product formation is also presented. Development of a systematic thermochemical approach may be useful in making screening predictions of long-term material behavior on-orbit.

Green, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Heterogeneous chemical reaction of chlorine nitrate and water on sulfuric-acid surfaces at room temperature

The use of H2SO4 as a catalyst for aerosol production of chlorine compounds in the chemistry of the antarctic stratosphere was investigated in laboratory trials. The experiments involved the gas surface collision rate of a molecule on a given surface during its residence time in a Knudsen cell in molecular flow conditions. Chlorine nitrate gas was made to flow through a chamber exposed to a container holding a 95.6 pct H2SO4 solution. Gas leaving the cell was scanned with a mass spectrometer. A sticking coefficient of 0.00032 was found for the chlorine nitrate, a value five times that previously reported.

Rossi, Michel J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Relationship of radar cross section to the geometric size of orbital debris

An accurate determination of the sizes of orbiting debris objects is essential to predicting collision rates, atmospheric decay rates, and fragmentation laws for orbiting objects. The radar cross section (RCS) is the most common means of estimating the size of orbiting objects. However, the RCS is prone to error due to Mie scattering, compositional effects, geometrical effects, tumbling, and other dependencies. Optical measurement methods are theoretically much more accurate, but necessitate estimates of the object's albedo. This paper examines the relationship of RCS and optical cross section to physical size and albedo, and presents rules useful for quantizing the physical size of space objects.

Badhwar, Gautam D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Orbital debris environment for spacecraft in low earth orbit

Modeling and measurement results used in formulating an environment model that can be used for the engineering design of spacecraft are reviewed. Earth-based and space-based sensors are analyzed and it is noted that the effects of satellite breakups can be modeled to predict a uncatalogued population, if the nature of the breakup is understood. It is observed that the telescopic data indicate that the current model is too low for sizes slightly larger than 10 cm, and may be too low for sizes between 2 cm and 10 cm, while there is an uncertainty in the current development, especially for sizes smaller than 10 cm, and at altitudes different from 500 km. Projections for the catastrophic collision rate for different growth conditions are made, emphasizing that the rate of growth of fragments will be twice the rate of intact objects.

Kessler, Donald J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

LIGO - The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

The goal of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project is to detect and study astrophysical gravitational waves and use data from them for research in physics and astronomy. LIGO will support studies concerning the nature and nonlinear dynamics for gravity, the structures of black holes, and the equation of state of nuclear matter. It will also measure the masses, birth rates, collisions, and distributions of black holes and neutron stars in the universe and probe the cores of supernovae and the very early universe. The technology for LIGO has been developed during the past 20 years. Construction will begin in 1992, and under the present schedule, LIGO's gravitational-wave searches will begin in 1998.

Abramovici, Alex↗
NASA NTRS1992

Electrode performance parameters for a radioisotope-powered AMTEC for space power applications

The alkali metal thermoelastic converter (AMTEC) is a device for the direct conversion of heat to electricity. Recently a design of an AMTEC using a radioisotope heat source was described, but the optimum condenser temperature was hotter than the temperatures used in the laboratory to develop the electrode performance model. Now laboratory experiments have confirmed the dependence of two model parameters over a broader range of condenser and electrode temperatures for two candidate electrode compositions. One parameter, the electrochemical exchange current density at the reaction interface, is independent of the condenser temperature, and depends only upon the collision rate of sodium at the reaction zone. The second parameter, a morphological parameter, which measures the mass transport resistance through the electrode, is independent of condenser and electrode temperatures for molybdenum electrodes. For rhodium-tungsten electrodes, however, this parameter increases for decreasing electrode temperature, indicating an activated mass transport mechanism such as surface diffusion.

Underwood, M. L.↗