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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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NASA NTRS1978

A review and interpretation of recent cosmic ray beryllium isotope measurements

Beryllium-10 is of interest for cosmic ray propagation, because its radioactive decay half-life is well matched to the expected cosmic ray age. Recent beryllium isotope measurements from satellites and balloon covered an energy range from about 30 to 300 MeV/nucleon. At the lowest energies, most of the Be-10 is absent, indicating a cosmic ray lifetime of order 2 x 10 to the 7th power years and the rather low average density of 0.2 atoms/cc traversed by the cosmic rays. At higher energies, a greater propagation of Be-10 is observed, indicating a somewhat shorter lifetime. These experiments will be reviewed and then compared with a new experiment covering from 100 to 1000 MeV/nucleon. Although improved experiments will be necessary to realize the full potential of cosmic ray beryllium isotope measurements, these first results are already disclosing interesting and unexpected facts about cosmic ray acceleration and propagation.

Buffington, A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The physics of a single-event upset in integrated circuits: A review and critique of analytical models for charge collection

When an energetic particle (kinetic energy 0.5 MeV) originating from a radioactive decay or a cosmic ray transverse the active regions of semiconductor devices used in integrated circuit (IC) chips, it leaves along its track a high density electron hole plasma. The subsequent decay of this plasma by drift and diffusion leads to charge collection at the electrodes large enough in most cases to engender a false reading, hence the name single-event upset (SEU). The problem of SEU's is particularly severe within the harsh environment of Jupiter's radiation belts and constitutes therefore a matter of concern for the Galileo mission. The physics of an SEU event is analyzed in some detail. Owing to the predominance of nonlinear space charge effects and the fact that positive (holes) and negative (electrons) charges must be treated on an equal footing, analytical models for the ionized-charge collection and their corresponding currents as a function of time prove to be inadequate even in the simplest case of uniformly doped, abrupt p-n junctions in a one-dimensional geometry. The necessity for full-fledged computer simulation of the pertinent equations governing the electron-hole plasma therefore becomes imperative.

Vonroos, O.↗
NASA NTRS1986

SN 1985f - Death of a Wolf-Rayet star

The optical spectrum of SN 1985f has been analyzed, and the supernova ejecta is shown to contain approximately 5 or more solar masses of oxygen and very little hydrogen. It is suggested that the explosion resulted from the pair instability supernova of a WO Wolf-Rayet star of about 50 solar masses, and that the optical luminosity of the supernova is powered by the radioactive decay of Co-56 synthesized in the explosion. As calculated from the rate of the optical emission decay, the explosion occurred about 350 days before its discovery in February, 1985. It is believed that some of the oxygen-rich supernova remnants may also have been produced by explosions of WO stars.

Begelman, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

When will a pulsar in supernova 1987a be seen?

The means by which a pulsar might be detected in the remnant of supernova 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud is examined. One possibility is that the slower-than-radioactive decay typically seen in the type II light curves is itself the sign of powering by the underlying pulsar, with the decline representing not the spinning down of the pulsar but rather the declining nebular opacity that would allow increasing amounts of the energy to escape as gamma rays. The test of this hypothesis (if the supernova conforms to type II expectations) would be to look for the 'missing' energy in the form of those gamma rays that escape from the remnant instead of powering it.

Michel, F. Curtis↗
NASA NTRS1988

Theoretical infrared spectra of SN 1987A

A simple model for the ejecta of SN 1987A is used to show that the expected fluxes in infared fine structure lines from nickel, cobalt, iron, argon, sulfur, silicon, and neon are likely to be detectable for several years following the supernova explosion. Energy sources due to radioactive decay and a central pulsar are considered separately. Most of the mass of heavy elements resides in the inner, pure metal shells of the ejecta, so that the infrared lines will probe the temperature, ejecta masses, and dynamics of this region and not the overlying, hydrogen-rich envelope.

Colgan, Sean W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Granulites: Melts and fluids in the deep crust

Known examples of granulite facies metamorphism span at least 3.5 by. of Earth history. Mineralogic geobarometry indicates that such metamorphism has occurred in the deep crust, typically at 20 to 30 km (6 to 9 kbar). Geothermometry indicates that peak T = 700 to 900 C and therefore that T was elevated by at least 200 C over an anorgenic geotherm of 15 to 20 C/km. Commonly invoked sources of heat include rising magmas, radioactive decay insulated by continent/continent collision, mantle volatiles, or crustal thinning. Present day crustal thicknesses are normal beneath exposed granulite terranes and the common absence of evidence for post-metamorphic underplating suggests synmetamorphic thicknesses of 60 to 80 km. Thus granulites form in tectonically active regions of thickened crust and elevated geotherm. Xenolith suites suggest that granulite facies mineralogy persists in the deepest crust after tectonism in spite of declining temperature to greenschist/amphibolite facies conditions. The relative proportions of granulite terranes that are formed by Adirondack-type metamorphism dominantly magmatic/fluid-absent), India-type metamorphism (CO2 saturated), or some combination of 1 and 2 remains an important tectonic question.

Valley, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

High-resolution observations of gamma-ray line emission from SN 1987A

Observations of SN 1987A made with a balloon-borne gamma-ray spectrometer comprising an array of high-purity germanium detectors on October 29-31, 1987 are presented. High resolution data, typically 2.5 keV at 1.33 MeV, were obtained for two transists of the supernova with interspersed background data. A preliminary estimation of line flux is presented. It is found that there is evidence of dynamical broadening of the 847 keV line. It is suggested that this line may be an emission from the first excited state of Fe-56 due to the radioactive decay of Co-56 providing evidence for nucleosynthesis in the supernova.

Sandie, W. G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Gamma-ray lines produced by low-energy cosmic rays in SN 1987A

The Fe-56 nuclei excited by the inelastic collision of protons with the energy of around 10 MeV emit gamma rays in the same nuclear gamma-ray lines as those from the radioactive decay of Co-56. Since a very young supernova remnant like SN 1987A is most likely to accelerate cosmic rays by the shock and a possible pulsar embedded in the ejecta, this process may account for the gamma-ray lines observed from SN 1987A. The conditions required to explain the observed flux of the gamma-ray lines were investigated. It was found that this jet having a large fraction of the total kinetic energy of the supernova explosion.

Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu↗
NASA NTRS1989

Gamma-ray observations of SN 1987A from Antarctica

Gamma-ray lines from the dirction of supernova 1987A have been observed with a Ge detector flown on a high-altitude balloon platform over Antarctica in January 1988. Gamma rays at 844.1 + or - 1.0 and 1239.9 + or - 1.5 keV, with fluxes 0.0023 + or - 0.002 and 0.0021 + or - 0.001 photons/sq cm sec, respectively, are attributed to the radioactive decay of Co-56. Errors quoted do not include possible systematic effects.

Rester, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Supernova 1987A

Supernova 1987A (February 23, 1987) in the Large Magellanic Cloud is the brightest supernova to be observed since SN 1604 AD (Kepler). Detection of a burst of neutrinos indicates that a neutron star was formed. Radioactive decay of about 0.07 solar mass of Co-56 is responsible for the observed optical light as well as hard X-rays and gamma-ray lines. Ultraviolet, optical, and infrared 'light echoes' and soft X-rays provide information on the distribution of circumstellar matter and the evolution of the progenitor star.

Mccray, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1989

Late emission from supernovae - A window on stellar nucleosynthesis

Monte Carlo techniques are used to study the energy deposition of gamma rays from the radioactive decay of Co-56 in Type Ib and Type II SN. It is found that above an electron fraction of about 0.1, direct excitations are negligible, and the line emission arises from thermal processes. The results indicate that the emission is dominated by neutral and singly ionized lines, including forbiden O I, forbidden Ca II, forbidden C I, and forbidden Si I. The late spectrum is shown to be useful as a diagnostic of the nucleosynthetic structure of the ejecta. The present model has been applied to observations of the Type Ib SN 1985F, and it is suggested that Type Ib SN come from stars of greater than 25 solar masses.

Fransson, Claes↗
NASA NTRS1989

The GRAD high-altitude balloon flight over Antarctica

The Gamma Ray Advanced Detector (GRAD) consists of a n-type germanium detector inside an active bismuth-germanate Compton and charged particle shield with additional active plastic shielding across the aperture. It will be flown on a high-altitude balloon at 36 km altitude at a latitude of 78 deg S over Antarctica for observations of gamma radiation emitted by the radioactive decay of Co-56 in the supernova SN1987A, for assessment of the performance of bismuth-germanate scintillation material in the radiation environment of near space, for gathering information on the gamma-ray background over Antarctica, and for testing fault-tolerant software.

Eichhorn, G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Radiation response issues for infrared detectors

Researchers describe the most important radiation response issues for infrared detectors. In general, the two key degradation mechanisms in infrared detectors are the noise produced by exposure to a flux of ionizing particles (e.g.; trapped electronics and protons, debris gammas and electrons, radioactive decay of neutron-activated materials) and permanent damage produced by exposure to total dose. Total-dose-induced damage is most often the result of charge trapping in insulators or at interfaces. Exposure to short pulses of ionization (e.g.; prompt x rays or gammas, delayed gammas) will cause detector upset. However, this upset is not important to a sensor unless the recovery time is too long. A few detector technologies are vulnerable to neutron-induced displacement damage, but fortunately most are not. Researchers compare the responses of the new technologies with those of the mainstream technologies of PV HgCdTe and IBC Si:As. One important reason for this comparison is to note where some of the newer technologies have the potential to provide significantly improved radiation hardness compared with that of the mainstream technologies, and thus to provide greater motivation for the pursuit of these technologies.

Kalma, Arne H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Triton: A hot potato

The effect of sunlight on the surface of Triton was studied. Widely disparate models of the active geysers observed during Voyager 2 flyby were proposed, with a solar energy source almost their only feature. Yet Triton derives more of its heat from internal sources (energy released by the radioactive decay) than any other icy satellite. The effect of this relatively large internal heat on the observable behavior of volatiles on Triton's surface is investigated. The following subject areas are covered: the Global Energy Budget; insulation polar caps; effect on frost stability; mantle convection; and cryovolcanism.

Kirk, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Triton's global heat budget

Internal heat flow from radioactive decay in Triton's interior along with absorbed thermal energy from Neptune total 5 to 20 percent of the insolation absorbed by Triton, thus comprising a significant fraction of Triton's surface energy balance. These additional energy inputs can raise Triton's surface temperature between approx. 0.5 to 1.5 K above that possible with absorbed sunlight alone, resulting in a factor of approx. 1.5 to 2.5 increase in Triton's basal atmospheric pressure. If Triton's internal heatflow is concentrated in some areas, as is likely, local effects such as enhanced sublimation with subsequent modification of albedo could be quite large. Furthermore, indications of recent albedo change on Triton suggest that Triton's surface temperature and pressure may not now be in steady state, further suggesting that atmospheric pressure on Triton was as much as 10 times higher in the recent past.

Brown, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Triton's global heat budget

Internal heat flow from radioactive decay in Triton's interior along with absorbed thermal energy from Neptune total 5 to 20 percent of the isolation absorbed by Triton, thus comprising a significant fraction of Triton's surface energy balance. These additional energy inputs can raise Triton's surface temperature between about 0.5 and 1.5 K above that possible with absorbed sunlight alone, resulting in an increase of about a factor of about 1.5 to 2.5 in Triton's basal atmospheric pressure. If Triton's internal heat flow is concentrated in some areas, as is likely, local effects such as enhanced sublimation with subsequent modification of albedo could be quite large. Furthermore, indications of recent global albedo change on Triton suggest that Triton's surface temperature and pressure may not now be in steady state, further suggesting that atmospheric pressure on Triton was as much as ten times higher in the recent past.

Brown, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Thermal models for icy satellites

The solid state greenhouse models were constrained for water ice surfaces using thermal eclipse data. As a result, it was determined that at depths of 3 cm or more Europa can have about a 30 K temperature enhancement over the diurnal mean surface temperature of about 97 K at the equator. It was also determined that the unusual shape of Europa's thermal flux curves during eclipses can be explained by the solid state greenhouse effect. The solid state greenhouse models were applied to the problem of the origin and energy sources of Triton's geyser-like plumes. Two classes of models are examined which may explain the driving energy for Triton's plumes. Triton's internal heatflow is recognized as a major contributor to its global energy balance. Internal heat flow from radioactive decay in Triton's interior along with absorbed thermal energy from Neptune total 5 to 20 pct. of the insolation absorbed by Triton, thus comprising a significant fraction of Triton's surface energy balance.

Brown, Robert H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Postexplosion hydrodynamics of SN 1987A

A comprehensive study is presented of the postexplosion hydrodynamics of the ejecta of SN 1987A encompassing the Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities at the shell interfaces and the dynamical effects of the energy input due to the radioactive decay of Ni-56 and Co-56. The dependence of the hydrodynamical behavior on progenitor structure, initial perturbations, explosion energy, and dimensionality of the numerical simulation is investigated in order to explain the observed high-velocity wings of the iron line of SN 1987A. It is shown that none of these factors leads to the required high-velocity tail of iron. When nickel is artificially premixed in the initial model, it is found that this early mixing has to affect the inner 1.5 solar mass of the ejecta to reproduce the high-velocity wings at a time of 90 d. It is argued that the high-entropy bubble associated with the delayed mechanism is responsible for this premixing by driving convective motions early in the explosion.

Herant, Marc↗