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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
DOE OSTI2022

Inferring Water Content from Neutron Die-away Curves for Planetary Science Applications

Signatures of liquid water on planetary bodies may provide evidence for past, present, or future life elsewhere in the solar system. Multiple current and upcoming planetary science missions are prioritizing the search for water, using innovative technologies and creative algorithms. For this project, we explore the capabilities of an instrument similar to the Dragonfly spacecraft to map water content on the surface of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. We simulate Dragonfly’s neutron observations for a variety of soil compositions and develop multiple techniques to extract water content from the resultant neutron data. Additionally, we supplement neutron observations with gamma spectroscopy in an attempt to further refine water content estimates. This work is part of a larger study to employ Gaussian process regression to estimate a map of water content along the surface of Titan. Using the estimated map, an algorithm based on prediction difference mapping is employed to optimally move multiple Dragonfly detectors around the surface of Titan, fully autonomously.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Rotation Rate for the Planetary-mass Companion DH Tau b

DH Tau b is a young planetary-mass companion orbiting at a projected separation of 320 au from its ∼2 Myr old host star DH Tau. With an estimated mass of 8–22 M{sub Jup} this object straddles the deuterium-burning limit, and might have formed via core or pebble accretion, disk instability, or molecular cloud fragmentation. To shed light on the formation history of DH Tau b, we obtain the first measurement of rotational line broadening for this object using high-resolution (R ∼ 25,000) near-infrared spectroscopy from Keck/NIRSPEC. We measure a projected rotational velocity (v sin i) of 9.6 ± 0.7 km s{sup −1}, corresponding to a rotation rate that is between 9% and 15% of DH Tau b’s predicted breakup speed. This low rotation rate is in good agreement with scenarios in which magnetic coupling between the companion and its circumplanetary disk during the late stages of accretion reduces angular momentum and regulates spin. We compare the rotation rate of DH Tau b to published values for other planetary-mass objects with masses between 0.3 and 20 M{sub Jup} and find no evidence of a correlation between mass and rotation rate in this mass regime. Finally, we search for evidence of individual molecules in DH Tau b’s spectrum and find that it is dominated by CO and H{sub 2}O, with no evidence of the presence of CH{sub 4}. This agrees with expectations given DH Tau b’s relatively high effective temperature (∼2300 K).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nature Versus Nurture: A Bayesian Framework for Assessing Apparent Correlations between Planetary Orbital Properties and Stellar Ages

Many exoplanets have orbital characteristics quite different from those seen in our own solar system, including planets locked in orbital resonances and planets on orbits that are elliptical or highly inclined from their host star’s spin axis. It is debated whether the wide variety in system architecture is primarily due to differences in formation conditions (nature) or due to evolution over time (nurture). Identifying trends between planetary and stellar properties, including stellar age, can help distinguish between these competing theories and offer insights as to how planets form and evolve. However, it can be challenging to determine whether observed trends between planetary properties and stellar age are driven by the age of the system—pointing to evolution over time being an important factor—or other parameters to which the age may be related, such as stellar mass or stellar temperature. The situation is complicated further by the possibilities of selection biases, small number statistics, uncertainties in stellar age, and orbital evolution timescales that are typically much shorter than the range of observed ages. Here, we develop a Bayesian statistical framework to assess the robustness of such observed correlations and to determine whether they are indeed due to evolutionary processes, are more likely to reflect different formation scenarios, or are merely coincidental. We apply this framework to reported trends between stellar age and 2:1 orbital resonances, spin–orbit misalignments, and hot Jupiters’ orbital eccentricities. We find strong support for the nurture hypothesis only in the final case.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lyapunov and Clearing Timescales in Planetary Chaotic Zones

Debris disks in planetary systems are known to possess gaps “opened” by planets in their close-to-coorbital neighborhoods; the gaps are free from low-mass material such as planetesimals. We consider the escape process of the initially zero-eccentric particles from the gap zone in a scenario consisting of two basic consequent stages: (1) the particle orbit's eccentricity is inflated, while its specific energy is relatively constant, and (2) the particle orbit's semimajor axis is inflated, while its specific angular momentum is relatively constant. During the first stage, the chaotic transport (diffusion) proceeds along the “staircase” of (p + 1):p (with integer p ≫ 1) overlapping particle–planet resonances, and during the second stage, it proceeds along the p:1 particle–planet resonance staircase. A specialized two-dimensional area-preserving map (a “tokamap” version) is derived to describe the first stage, while a multiharmonic Kepler map theory is used to describe the second stage. We derive the μ (mass parameter) scaling for the clearing timescale in the planetary chaotic zone. At small μ, it turns out to be inverse-quadratic in μ. The μ scaling for the Lyapunov timescale inside the gap is also derived. The derived scalings are in qualitative agreement with available numerical-experimental data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Two Young Planetary Systems around Field Stars with Ages between 20 and 320 Myr from TESS

Planets around young stars trace the early evolution of planetary systems. We report the discovery and validation of two planetary systems with ages ≲300 Myr from observations by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The 40--320 Myr old G star TOI-251 hosts a 2.74{sub −0.18}{sup +0.18} R{sub ⊕} mini-Neptune with a 4.94 day period. The 20--160 Myr old K star TOI-942 hosts a system of inflated Neptune-sized planets, with TOI-942b orbiting in a period of 4.32 days with a radius of 4.81{sub −0.20}{sup +0.20} R{sub ⊕} and TOI-942c orbiting in a period of 10.16 days with a radius of 5.79{sub −0.18}{sup +0.19} R{sub ⊕}. Though we cannot place either host star into a known stellar association or cluster, we can estimate their ages via their photometric and spectroscopic properties. Both stars exhibit significant photometric variability due to spot modulation, with measured rotation periods of ∼3.5 days. These stars also exhibit significant chromospheric activity, with age estimates from the chromospheric calcium emission lines and X-ray fluxes matching that estimated from gyrochronology. Both stars also exhibit significant lithium absorption, similar in equivalent width to well-characterized young cluster members. TESS has the potential to deliver a population of young planet-bearing field stars, contributing significantly to tracing the properties of planets as a function of their age.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Increased frequency of planetary wave resonance events over the past half-century

We demonstrate a tripling in the frequency of planetary wave resonance events over the past halfcentury, coinciding with the rise in persistent boreal summer weather extremes. This increase aligns with changes in the underlying climate conditions favoring these events, including amplified Arctic warming and land-sea thermal contrast. We also observe increased prevalence of resonant amplification events following the mature phase of strong El Niño events, suggesting that such events may precondition the mean state conditions in ways that favor large-scale quasi-stationary wave patterns and quasi-resonant wave amplification. Since the impact of anthropogenic warming on quasi-resonant amplification is not well captured by current-generation climate models, it is likely that models are underpredicting the potential increase, indicating even greater risk of persistent extreme summer weather events with ongoing warming.

Arctic amplification↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bipolar planetary nebulae from outflow collimation by common envelope evolution

ABSTRACT The morphology of bipolar planetary nebulae (PNe) can be attributed to interactions between a fast wind from the central engine and the dense toroidal-shaped ejecta left over from common envelope (CE) evolution. Here we use the 3D hydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code AstroBEAR to study the possibility that bipolar PN outflows can emerge collimated even from an uncollimated spherical wind in the aftermath of a CE event. The output of a single CE simulation via the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code phantom serves as the initial conditions. Four cases of winds, all with high enough momenta to account for observed high momenta pre-PN outflows, are injected spherically from the region of the CE binary remnant into the ejecta. We compare cases with two different momenta and cases with no radiative cooling versus application of optically thin emission via a cooling curve to the outflow. Our simulations show that in all cases highly collimated bipolar outflows result from deflection of the spherical wind via the interaction with the CE ejecta. Significant asymmetries between the top and bottom lobes are seen in all cases. The asymmetry is strongest for the lower momentum case with radiative cooling. While real post-CE winds may be aspherical, our models show that collimation via ‘inertial confinement’ will be strong enough to create jet-like outflows even beginning with maximally uncollimated drivers. Our simulations reveal detailed shock structures in the shock-focused inertial confinement (SFIC) model and develop a lens-shaped inner shock that is a new feature of SFIC-driven bipolar lobes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Comparison of Observations and Predictions of Daytime Planetary-Boundary-Layer Heights and Surface Meteorological Variables in the Columbia River Gorge and Basin During the Second Wind Forecast Improvement Project

The second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2) is an 18-month field campaign in the Pacific Northwest U.S.A., whose goal is to improve the accuracy of numerical-weather-prediction forecasts in complex terrain. The WFIP2 campaign involved the deployment of a large suite of in situ and remote sensing instrumentation, including eight 915-MHz wind-profiling radars, and surface meteorological stations. The evolution and annual variability of the daytime convective planetary-boundary-layer (PBL) height is investigated using the wind-profiling radars. Three models with different horizontal grid spacing are evaluated: the Rapid Refresh, the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh, and its nested version. The results are used to assess errors in the prediction of PBL height within the experimental and control versions of the models, with the experimental versions including changes and additions to the model parametrizations developed during the field campaign, and the control version using the parametrizations present in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Centers for Environmental Prediction operational version of the models at the start of the project. Results show that the high-resolution models outperform the low-resolution versions, the experimental versions perform better compared with the control versions, model PBL height estimations are more accurate on cloud-free days, and model estimates of the PBL height growth rate are more accurate than model estimates of the rate of decay. Finally, using surface sensors, we assess surface meteorological variables, finding improved surface irradiance and, to a lesser extent, improved 2-m temperature in the experimental version of the model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dust-planetary boundary layer interactions amplified by entrainment and advections

Mineral dust contributes to more than half of the global aerosol loading. However, the radiative impacts of dust aerosols on planetary boundary layer (PBL) structure have not been explored sufficiently. During a typical dust storm event over Tarim Basin, dust aerosols exhibit a well-mixed distribution during the daytime in spite of a shallow layer of dust particles accumulated at higher altitudes. By contrast, nocturnal dust plumes are located near the surface due to stable stratification. We demonstrate that these differentiated vertical distributions determine the spatial heterogeneity of dust loading, radiative fluxes and PBL height variations. Dust aerosols cause daytime PBL suppression and nighttime PBL promotion through modulating surface and atmospheric radiative budgets. Specifically, dust-induced cooling effect within PBL directly inhibits the daytime PBL development. PBL suppression effect is then amplified by entrainment processes resulting in excessively low PBL height, especially for dust particles below but near the PBL top. Dust plumes weaken updrafts from PBL and downdrafts of the free atmosphere, which further reduce the entrainment mixing through attenuating horizontal and vertical advection, and eventually amplify PBL suppression. At night, near-surface dust aerosols stimulate a warm and unstable lower atmosphere, generate warm advection heating and promote the PBL development. Our study highlights the importance of specifying entrainment parameters and nighttime advection activities in quantifying the dust-PBL interactions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Glass transition temperature studies of planetary ball milled glasses: Accessing the rapidly cooled glassy state in Na 4 P 2 S 7-x O x , 0 ≤ x ≤ 7, Oxy-thio phosphate glasses

This paper details the very first in-depth study of the glass transition temperature (T g ) for planetary balled milled (PBM) Na 4 P 2 S 7-x O x (NaPSO), where 0 ≤ x ≤ 7, glasses. For 0 ≤ x ≤ 5, fully amorphous, homogeneous, and chemically reacted compositions can be prepared. For samples with 5 < x ≤ 7, partially amorphous but fully chemically reacted glass-ceramics can be produced. The reproducible, thermally cyclable onset T g and the onset crystallization temperature, T c , were investigated as a function of the composition and of the short-range order (SRO) structures of the glasses. Additionally, we examined the extreme sub-T g exothermic relaxations present due to the high energy milling processing and correspondingly high effective quenching rate. Using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and scanning from well below the onset T g , the glasses are observed to relax exothermally below T g . The integrated relaxation enthalpy, ΔH rel , is ~ 0 for the x = 2 glass, but is significantly exothermic for lower and higher values of x. Once the high fictive state of these glasses has been erased by scanning to above the T g , but below the T c of the glass, the DSC scans of the glasses recover normal behavior for a normally cooled glass without any relaxation exotherm. The T g s of these glasses remain relatively constant for 0 ≤ x ≤ 3, but for glasses with 3 < x ≤ 5, T g increases sharply following the combined effects of the phosphate chain length increasing caused by the formation of bridging oxygens and the increasing concentration of more charge dense non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). For x > 5, both T g and Tc decrease sharply, becoming nearly identical at x = 7 where glass formation essentially ceases. For smaller values of x, T c increases with both chain length and the structural complexity of the composition but decreases sharply for glass-ceramics of x > 5.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Remote sensing of planetary boundary layer from ground and space: Structure, thermodynamics, and boundary layer clouds

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is a critical interface between Earth's surface and atmosphere, influencing atmospheric convection, weather patterns, and air quality. Recognized by the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Earth Science Decadal Survey as an Incubation Targeted Observable, high-quality and effective observation of the PBL has become a priority. This paper reviews surface-based and satellite remote sensing techniques for characterizing PBL features, including PBL height (PBLH), boundary layer thermodynamics, turbulence, and boundary layer clouds (BLCs). These elements are treated as interconnected aspects of the PBL system, while recognizing that different instruments retrieve different physical manifestations of the PBL. The review summarizes recent advances and limitations in Micro-Pulse Lidar (MPL), Doppler lidar, Raman lidar, Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL), ceilometers, wind profilers, GNSS Radio Occultation, radar, and hyperspectral sounders. These observations help trace dynamic processes within the PBL and link PBL structure to broader weather and climate processes. The review also highlights persistent observational gaps over oceans, remote land, and polar regions, where continuous surface-based profiling is sparse. By comparing instrument capabilities, practical limitations, and interpretation issues, this review emphasizes the need for integrated remote sensing approaches and careful definition of the retrieved PBL quantities.

Boundary layer clouds↗
DOE OSTI2023

Look Up: Probing the Vertical Profile of New Particle Formation and Growth in the Planetary Boundary Layer With Models and Observations

Abstract The processes of new particle formation (NPF) and growth are important contributors to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, and CCN are important for climate from their impact on planetary radiative forcing. While the general ubiquity and importance of NPF is understood, the vertical extent and governing mechanisms of NPF and growth in the lower troposphere are uncertain. We present an analysis of four NPF events and two non‐NPF events during the HI‐SCALE field campaign at the Southern Great Plains observatory in Oklahoma, USA. First, we analyzed airborne and ground‐based observations of aerosol and gas‐phase properties. Second, we used a column aerosol chemistry and microphysics model to probe factors that influence the vertical profile of NPF. During HI‐SCALE, we found several instances of enhanced NPF occurring several hundred meters above the surface; however, the spatio‐temporal characteristics of the observed NPF made comparisons between airborne‐ and ground‐based observations difficult. The model represented the observed NPF (or lack of NPF) and particle growth at the surface to final diameters within 10 nm. The model predicted enhanced NPF rates in the upper mixed layer, and this enhancement is primarily due to the temperature dependence in the NPF schemes, but this was also dependent on the vertical profile of gas‐phase precursors measured during HI‐SCALE. We found vertical mixing in the model either enhanced or suppressed NPF rates, aerosol number concentrations, and particle growth rates at the surface. Finally, our analysis provides insights for future field campaigns and modeling efforts investigating the vertical profile of NPF.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of the Planetary Boundary Layer Height From ERA5 Reanalysis With MOSAiC Observations Over the Arctic Ocean

The planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) is a crucial indicator reflecting the region of the atmosphere characterized by continuous turbulence. Here, we use radiosonde and surface meteorological observations (4–7 times per day, year-round measurements) during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition to derive the PBLH (PBLH MOSAiC ), and further evaluate the PBLH from the ERA5 reanalysis (PBLH ERA5 ). Comparisons between PBLH MOSAiC and PBLH ERA5 from different perspectives reveal that: (a) The overestimation of PBLH ERA5 when the sea ice concentration is >90% is significant with the centered root mean squared error reaching up to 201 m; (b) The difference between the two products is notably pronounced in cold seasons, while it is comparatively diminished in warm seasons; (c) In neutral boundary layers, differences in PBLH ERA5 are larger compared with stable and convective boundary layers. In addition, the analysis of error sources indicates that the bias of PBLH ERA5 is sensitive to the bias of vertical thermal structure and wind speed profiles in ERA5 data sets in all conditions. Finally, we find a Random Forest model effectively reduces the bias of PBLH ERA5 with the index of agreement reaching up to 0.71 in the test data set, while a multiple linear regression demonstrates comparable performance to the Random Forest model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multi‐Sensor Trajectory Reconstruction of the 24 April 2025 Alaska Fireball and Implications for Planetary Defense

On 24 April 2025 at 18:30:57 UTC, a bright daytime fireball over Southcentral Alaska was detected by 37 seismic stations, 16 single infrasound sensors, and four infrasound arrays, yielding 30 ballistic and multiple fragmentation arrivals. Here, the unprecedented density of seismoacoustic coverage enabled detailed reconstruction of the event using acoustic signals, with fragmentation source locations further guiding the identification of Doppler weather radar signatures of a meteorite fall. Incorporation of a radar-derived terminal point yielded a final trajectory solution, which agreed closely with an independent optical trajectory solution from video analysis. The reconstructed entry parameters from seismoacoustic analysis indicate a velocity of 25.3 km/s, an entry angle of 19°, and an energy release of ∼38 t TNT equivalent. Assuming a chondritic composition, the pre-entry object diameter was ∼0.7 m. Using orbital parameters from the optical solution, we estimate meteoroid composition as most likely an L-type ordinary chondrite. The event occurred in the sub-Arctic, where space-based optical systems face challenges in detection, demonstrating the critical role of dense ground-based seismoacoustic networks in characterizing high-latitude atmospheric entries. This uniquely well-recorded event demonstrates the capability of dense seismoacoustic networks to constrain bolide trajectories, energetics, and fragmentation, with radar and optical data providing critical confirmation and complementary perspectives. These results bridge the methodological gap between planetary-defense monitoring of natural impactors and space-traffic analyses of artificial reentries, illustrating how multi-sensor integration can deliver calibration-grade trajectories even for unpredicted events.

Fireball↗
DOE OSTI2023

Rate coefficients for rotational state-to-state transitions in H 2 O + H 2 O collisions for cometary and planetary applications, as predicted by mixed quantum-classical theory

We present new calculations of collision cross sections for state-to-state transitions between the rotational states in an H 2 O + H 2 O system, which are used to generate a new database of collisional rate coefficients for cometary and planetary applications. Calculations were carried out using a mixed quantum-classical theory approach that is implemented in the code MQCT. The large basis set of rotational states used in these calculations permits us to predict thermally averaged cross sections for 441 transitions in para- and ortho-H 2 O in a broad range of temperatures. It is found that all state-to-state transitions in the H 2 O + H 2 O system split into two well-defined groups, one with higher cross-section values and lower energy transfer, which corresponds to the dipole-dipole driven processes. The other group has smaller cross sections and higher energy transfer, driven by higher-order interaction terms. We present a detailed analysis of the theoretical error bars, and we symmetrized the state-to-state transition matrixes to ensure that excitation and quenching processes for each transition satisfy the principle of microscopic reversibility. We also compare our results with other data available from the literature for H 2 O + H 2 O collisions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Metagenomic Methods for Addressing NASA's Planetary Protection Policy Requirements on Future Missions: A Workshop Report

Molecular biology methods and technologies have advanced substantially over the past decade. These new molecular methods should be incorporated among the standard tools of planetary protection (PP) and could be validated for incorporation by 2026. To address the feasibility of applying modern molecular techniques to such an application, NASA conducted a technology workshop with private industry partners, academics, and government agency stakeholders, along with NASA staff and contractors. The technical discussions and presentations of the Multi-Mission Metagenomics Technology Development Workshop focused on modernizing and supplementing the current PP assays. The goals of the workshop were to assess the state of metagenomics and other advanced molecular techniques in the context of providing a validated framework to supplement the bacterial endospore-based NASA Standard Assay and to identify knowledge and technology gaps. In particular, workshop participants were tasked with discussing metagenomics as a stand-alone technology to provide rapid and comprehensive analysis of total nucleic acids and viable microorganisms on spacecraft surfaces, thereby allowing for the development of tailored and cost-effective microbial reduction plans for each hardware item on a spacecraft. Workshop participants recommended metagenomics approaches as the only data source that can adequately feed into quantitative microbial risk assessment models for evaluating the risk of forward (exploring extraterrestrial planet) and back (Earth harmful biological) contamination. Participants were unanimous that a metagenomics workflow, in tandem with rapid targeted quantitative (digital) PCR, represents a revolutionary advance over existing methods for the assessment of microbial bioburden on spacecraft surfaces. The workshop highlighted low biomass sampling, reagent contamination, and inconsistent bioinformatics data analysis as key areas for technology development. Finally, it was concluded that implementing metagenomics as an additional workflow for addressing concerns of NASA's robotic mission will represent a dramatic improvement in technology advancement for PP and will benefit future missions where mission success is affected by backward and forward contamination.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spectroscopic survey of faint planetary-nebula nuclei – II. The subdwarf O central star of Fr 2-30

Fr 2-30 = PN? G126.8−15.5 is a faint emission nebula, hosting a 14th-mag central star that we identify here for the first time. Deep Hα and [O III ] images reveal a roughly elliptical nebula with dimensions of at least 22 arcmin × 14 arcmin, fading into a surrounding network of even fainter emission. Optical spectrograms of the central star show it to have a subdwarf O spectral type, with a Gaia parallax distance of 890 pc. A model-atmosphere analysis gives parameters of T eff = 60 000 K, log g = 6.0, and a low helium content of n He /n H = 0.0017. The location of the central star in the log g–T eff plane is inconsistent with a post-asymptotic-giant-branch evolutionary status. Two alternatives are that it is a helium-burning post-extreme-horizontal-branch object, or a hydrogen-burning post-red-giant-branch star. In either case, the evolutionary ages are so long that a detectable planetary nebula (PN) should not be present. We find evidence for a variable radial velocity (RV), suggesting that the star is a close binary. However, there are no photometric variations, and the spectral-energy distribution rules out a companion earlier than M2 V. The RVs of the star and surrounding nebula are discordant, and the nebula lacks typical PN morphology. We suggest that Fr 2-30 is a ‘PN mimic’ – the result of a chance encounter between the hot sdO star and an interstellar cloud. However, we note the puzzling fact that there are several nuclei of genuine PNe that are known to be in evolutionary states similar to that of the Fr 2-30 central star.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark matter hail: Detecting macroscopic dark matter with asteroids, planetary rings, and craters

Dark matter could be composed of macroscopic objects with large masses and geometric cross-sections spanning many decades. Here, we investigate the potential interaction of such “stuff-sized” dark matter by considering its interactions with asteroids, planetary rings, and terrestrial bodies. This hail of dark matter could catastrophically destroy these Solar System objects, evaporate them from their orbits, or cause substantial cratering. We estimate these effects and use them to place competitive bounds on a wide, previously unconstrained swathe of the dark matter parameter space.

asteroids, meteors, & meteorites↗