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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 NTRS2014

Optical Follow-Up Observations of PTF10qts, a Luminous Broad-Lined Type Ic Supernova Found by the Palomar Transient Factory

We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of the broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN Ic-BL) PTF10qts, which was discovered as part of the Palomar Transient Factory. The supernova was located in a dwarf galaxy of magnitude r = 21.1 at a redshift z = 0.0907.We find that the R-band light curve is a poor proxy for bolometric data and use photometric and spectroscopic data to construct and constrain the bolometric light curve. The derived bolometric magnitude at maximum light is Mbol = −18.51 +/- 0.2 mag, comparable to that of SN1998bw (Mbol = -18.7 mag) which was associated with a gamma-ray burst (GRB). PTF10qts is one of the most luminous SN Ic-BL observed without an accompanying GRB. We estimate the physical parameters of the explosion using data from our programme of follow-up observations, finding that it produced a larger mass of radioactive nickel compared to other SNeIc-BL with similar inferred ejecta masses and kinetic energies. The progenitor of the event was likely a approximately 20 solar mass star.

supernova↗
NASA NTRS2016

ACES M and S: Unmitigated Factorial Encounter Study on DAA/TCAS Interoperability

Realization of the expected proliferation of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) depends on the development and validation of standards for UAS Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems. The RTCA Special Committee 228 is charged with leading the development of draft Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for UAS DAA Systems. NASA, as a participating member of RTCA SC-228 is committed to supporting the development and validation of draft requirements for DAA alerting and guidance systems. This presentation contains the results of two combinatorial encounter analysis studies using NASA's SAA Control fast-time simulation capability for this purpose. In these studies, encounters between two aircraft were simulated one at a time for the full factorial combination of encounter geometries (e.g., encounter angle, CPA offset) and aircraft performance (e.g., ownership and intruder ground speeds and vertical rates). The first study analyzes the relationships (e.g., timeline) between the different alerting-safety regions in the SC-228 MOPS (in order of increasing severity): 1) DAA warning alert, 2) well clear recovery (WCR) guidance, 3) DAA-Collision Avoidance (CA), and 4) TCAS RA. This study will focus primarily on encounter situations in which TCAS RA occurs prior to any of the other alerting-safety boundaries. In particular, this study will investigate whether using vertical distance or vertical distance at closest point of approach (i.e., vertical miss distance or VMD) is more appropriate for the definition of the DAA-CA region. In addition, cases where transitions between different regions skip an intermediate region will be analyzed. The second study in this presentation explores a proposal to use an altitude rate error threshold to determine if vertical maneuvers are acceptable for DAA WCR guidance against non-cooperative intruders. This study incorporates the radar from the Honeywell sensor model and examines a series of pairwise encounters between a non-cooperative intruder and a UAS ownship, with different combinations of intruder states and ownship performance levels. The study uses SAA Control as a simulation platform and pilot model, and Omnibands to provide DWC recovery guidance. Two simulation sets, one that allows vertical DWC recovery guidance and one that does not, are compared to determine if encounters with altitude rate errors above 250 feet-per-minute are more likely to have more severe losses of well clear, as determined by the Loss of Well-Clear Severity metric.

SaaControl↗
NASA NTRS2016

The IPAC Image Subtraction and Discovery Pipeline for the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory

We describe the near real-time transient-source discovery engine for the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF), currently in operations at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), Caltech. We coin this system the IPAC/iPTF Discovery Engine (or IDE). We review the algorithms used for PSF-matching, image subtraction, detection, photometry, and machine-learned (ML) vetting of extracted transient candidates. We also review the performance of our ML classifier. For a limiting signal-to-noise ratio of 4 in relatively unconfused regions, bogus candidates from processing artifacts and imperfect image subtractions outnumber real transients by approximately equal to 10:1. This can be considerably higher for image data with inaccurate astrometric and/or PSF-matching solutions. Despite this occasionally high contamination rate, the ML classifier is able to identify real transients with an efficiency (or completeness) of approximately equal to 97% for a maximum tolerable false-positive rate of 1% when classifying raw candidates. All subtraction-image metrics, source features, ML probability-based real-bogus scores, contextual metadata from other surveys, and possible associations with known Solar System objects are stored in a relational database for retrieval by the various science working groups. We review our efforts in mitigating false-positives and our experience in optimizing the overall system in response to the multitude of science projects underway with iPTF.

methods: analytical – methods: data analysis –↗
NASA NTRS2016

On-Orbit Manufacturing From Orbital Factories to In Situ Resource Utilization

This webinar will review commercial prospects for manufacturing in orbit. Doing business in space is rapidly becoming more reliable, affordable and accessible. From 2010 to 2015 launch prices went down by a factor of 10 or more, to about $5,000kg while investments into Space 2.0 companies and technologies are closing in on $2.5 Billion (New Space Global). With three commercial suppliers (SpaceX, Orbital ATK and Sierra Nevada Corp) to Earths orbits, mission frequency is improving dramatically. Moreover, private space companies (SpaceX Reusable Dragon Lab; Bigelows B330) are also scouting the opportunities of renting or selling modules as platforms for orbital free-flying facilities; modules that can be used for automated fabrication to manned experiments.Topics addressed in the webinar include: 1. Case studies of unique competitive advantages that can be gained from microgravity and space vacuum: wafer reprocessing, fiber optics, crystal growth;2. Prospective solar power orbital data centers;3. Reuse and recycling of orbital debris as a possible feedstock for robotic 3D fabrication potentially in the vacuum as well as inside facilities;4. The story behind the original WakeShield wafer fabrication facility and its relevance to todays activities;5. Energy needs for on-orbit manufacturing6. Environmental value proposition of on-orbit manufacturing for products with toxic byproducts or excessively large green house gases footprints;7. Longer term scenario of flexible, connected, automated, intelligent and sustainable orbital factories of the future.Opening up a less-appreciated aspect of NewSpace, this webinar will be of high interest to CTOs, Directors and Managers from product development to RD, Innovation Strategy leaders, and investors, across many different industrial verticals (materials, electronics, pharmaceuticals, advanced sustainable manufacturing, bioengineering, etc.)and anyone trying to understand what value space can have for their business in the near and far future.

Cozmuta, Ioana↗
NASA NTRS2019

Analysis of Broad-Lined Type Ic Supernovae From the (Intermediate) Palomar Transient Factory

We study 34 Type Ic supernovae that have broad spectral features (SNe Ic-BL). This is the only SN type found in association with long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).We obtained our photometric data with the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and its continuation, the intermediate PTF (iPTF). This is the first large, homogeneous sample of SNe Ic-BL from an untargeted survey. Furthermore, given the high observational cadence of iPTF, most of these SNe Ic-BL were discovered soon after explosion. We present K-corrected Bgriz light curves of these SNe, obtained through photometry on template-subtracted images. We analyzed the shape of the r-band light curves, finding a correlation between the decline parameter delta m15 and the rise parameter delta m-10. We studied the SN colors and, based on g - r, we estimated the host-galaxy extinction for each event. Peak r-band absolute magnitudes have an average of -18:6 +- 0:5 mag. We fit each r-band light curve with that of SN 1998bw (scaled and stretched) to derive the explosion epochs. We computed the bolometric light curves using bolometric corrections, r-band data, and g - r colors. Expansion velocities from Fe ii were obtained by fitting spectral templates of SNe Ic. Bolometric light curves and velocities at peak were fitted using the semianalytic Arnett model to estimate ejecta mass Mej, explosion energy EK and 56Ni mass M(56Ni) for each SN. We find average values of Mej = 4 +- 3 M sun, EK = (7 +- 6) x 1051 erg, and M(56Ni) = 0:31 +- 0:16 M . The parameter distributions were compared to those presented in the literature and are overall in agreement with them. We also estimated the degree of 56Ni mixing using scaling relations derived from hydrodynamical models and we find that all the SNe are strongly mixed. The derived explosion parameters imply that at least 21% of the progenitors of SNe Ic-BL are compatible with massive (>28 M ), possibly single stars, whereas at least 64% might come from less massive stars in close binary systems.

Supernovae↗
NASA NTRS2020

Host Galaxies of Type Ic and Broad-lined Type Ic Supernovae from the Palomar Transient Factory: Implications for Jet Production

Unlike ordinary supernovae (SNe), some of which are hydrogen and helium deficient (called Type Ic SNe), broadlined Type Ic SNe (SNe Ic-bl) are very energetic events, and only SNe Ic-bl are coincident with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Understanding the progenitors of SN Ic-bl explosions versus those of their SNIc cousins is key to understanding the SN–GRB relationship and jet production in massive stars. Here we present the largest existing set of host galaxy spectra of 28 SNe Ic and 14 SNe Ic-bl, all discovered by the same galaxy untargeted survey, namely, the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). We carefully measure their gas-phase metallicities, stellar masses (M*), and star formation rates (SFRs). We further reanalyze the hosts of 10 literature SN–GRBs using the same methods and compare them to our PTF SN hosts with the goal of constraining their progenitors from their local environments. We find that the metallicities, SFRs, and M* values of our PTF SN Ic-bl hosts are statistically comparable to those of SN–GRBs but significantly lower than those of the PTF SNe Ic. The mass–metallicity relations as defined by the SNe Ic-bl and SN–GRBs are not significantly different from the same relations as defined by Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies, contradicting claims by earlier works. Our findings point toward low metallicity as a crucial ingredient for SN Ic-bl and SN–GRB production since we are able to break the degeneracy between high SFR and low metallicity. We suggest that the PTF SNe Ic-bl may have produced jets that were choked inside the star or were able to break out of the star as unseen low-luminosity or off-axis GRBs.

Maryam Modjaz↗
NASA NTRS2019

The volumetric rate of normal type Ia supernovae in the local Universe discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory

We present the volumetric rate of normal type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Using strict data-quality cuts, and considering only periods when the PTF maintained a regular cadence, PTF discovered 90 SNe Ia at z ≤ 0.09 in a well-controlled sample over three years of operation (2010–2012). We use this to calculate the volumetric rate of SN Ia events by comparing this sample to simulations of hundreds of millions of SN Ia light curves produced in statistically representative realizations of the PTF survey. This quantifies the recovery efficiency of each PTF SN Ia event, and thus the relative weighting of each event. From this, the volumetric SN Ia rate was found to be r(v) = 2.43 ± 0.29 (stat)(+0.33,−0.19)(sys) × 10^(−5) SNe per yr Mpc^(-3) h(3,70). This represents the most precise local measurement of the SNIa rate. We fit a simple SNIa delay-time distribution model, ∝ t^(−β) , to our PTF rate measurement combined with a literature sample of rate measurements from surveys at higher redshifts. We find β ∼ 1, consistent with a progenitor channel governed by the gravitational inspiral of binary white dwarfs.

C. Frohmaier↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Microbial Factories for Solar System Exploration

As humans venture deeper into space for longer duration missions, resupply missions become far more difficult and costly. To address this, alternative methods of in situ biomanufacturing can be developed to provide a reliable source of required nutrients. BioNutrients is an ongoing project including three separate flight experiments that aims to provide on-demand nutrient production through 5-year shelf stable microbial factories for astronauts on long-duration missions. The BioNutrients-3 (BN-3) flight experiment aims to demonstrate on-orbit food safety, user-friendly production pack design, and multi-compound production capability. This current study seeks to support the multiple compound production element of BN-3 by investigating the production of multiple compounds via multiple pathways in one organism. An experiment has been designed to modify an existing strain of Saccharomyces boulardii designed by the BioNutrients team to efficiently produce β-carotene to also efficiently produce a second nutrient, riboflavin. This experiment entails the random shuffling and recombination of gene elements including promoters and terminators of various strengths to identify optimal combinations for the upregulation of the riboflavin production pathway. Implementation of this experiment would provide insight into the efficiency of the multiple pathways production method and pave the way for additional fine tuning of the riboflavin production pathway and additional nutrient production pathways in S. boulardii.

Biomanufacturing↗
NASA NTRS2023

Factories-in-Space for Servicing, Assembly, & Manufacturing

Space 2.0 is a promising frontier for scientific exploration and the advancement of commerce, security, and technology. To effectively harness this potential, it is imperative to establish a multifunctional, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure that enables the maintenance and production of space-based systems. This capability is a driver for mission success on-orbit and for interplanetary travel to other celestial bodies. Central to this infrastructure is the establishment of orbital manufacturing facilities, referred to as 'factories-in-space' (FiS), which serve as critical nodes in the supply chain for the servicing, assembly, and production of systems essential for space-based operations. This paper presents a framework for understanding the key principles and design considerations underpinning FiS.

Technology↗
NASA NTRS1976

Correction factory techniques for improving aerodynamic prediction methods

A method for correcting discrete element lifting surface theory to reflect given experimental data is presented. Theoretical pressures are modified such that imposed constraints are satisfied while minimizing the changes to the pressures. Several types of correction procedures are presented and correlated; (1) scaling of pressures; (2) scaling of downwash values; and (3) addition of an increment to the downwash that is proportioned to pressure. Some special features are included in these methods and they include: (1) consideration of experimental data from multiple deflection modes, (2) limitation of the amplitudes of the correction factors, and (3) the use of correction factor mode shapes. These methods are correlated for cases involving all three Mach Number ranges using a FORTRAN IV computer program. Subsonically, a wing with an oscillating partial span control surface and a wing with a leading edge droop are presented. Transonically a two-dimensional airfoil with an oscillating flap is considered. Supersonically an arrow wing with and without camber is analyzed. In addition to correction factor methods an investigation is presented dealing with a new simplified transonic modification of the two-dimensional subsonic lifting surface theory. Correlations are presented for an airfoil with an oscillating flap.

Giesing, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Backward deletion to minimize prediction errors in models from factorial experiments with zero to six center points

Population model coefficients were chosen to simulate a saturated 2 to the fourth power fixed effects experiment having an unfavorable distribution of relative values. Using random number studies, deletion strategies were compared that were based on the F distribution, on an order statistics distribution of Cochran's, and on a combination of the two. Results of the comparisons and a recommended strategy are given.

Holms, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

ID slicing and the automated factory

The automation of the slicing system utilizing internal-diameter saws for the production of the silicon wafers used in solar arrays is discussed. It is argued that saw productivity can be increased by reducing silicon waste, decreasing usage of consumables, keeping the saw slicing, and increasing the cutting speed. Several machine enhancements utilizing automatic control are discussed. The need for record keeping to anticipate maintenance operations is noted, and a digital serial communication interface with the microprocessor-based saws is recommended. Distributed control of the manufacturing process is discussed in detail, and is recommended as a method for increasing productivity.

Lewandowski, T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The Factory of the Future

A brief history of aircraft production techniques is given. A flexible machining cell is then described. It is a computer controlled system capable of performing 4-axis machining part cleaning, dimensional inspection and materials handling functions in an unmanned environment. The cell was designed to: allow processing of similar and dissimilar parts in random order without disrupting production; allow serial (one-shipset-at-a-time) manufacturing; reduce work-in-process inventory; maximize machine utilization through remote set-up; maximize throughput and minimize labor.

Byman, J. E.↗