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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 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Autonomous Ion Mass Spectrometer Sentry (AIMSS)

Satellite measurements of plasma density and temperature help predict the intensity of geomagnetic storms, which can impact satellites, communications, and power systems. Accurate forecasting requires knowledge of plasma composition. However, typical orbital mass spectrometers have difficulty distinguishing between nitrogen (N+) and oxygen (O+) ions due to their similar masses. This limitation makes it difficult to validate modern space weather models, which depend on accurate knowledge of ion composition in near-Earth space. N+ and O+ ions behave differently in space due to differences in their origin, transport, and loss mechanisms. Improving our ability to distinguish between these ions is critical for understanding and predicting space weather.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS2008

Saturn Magnetospheric Impact on Surface Molecular Chemistry and Astrobiological Potential of Enceladus

The active south polar surface of Enceladus is exposed to strong chemical processing by direct interaction with charged plasma and energetic particles in the local magnetospheric environment of this icy moon. Chemical oxidation activity is suggested by detection of H202 at the surface in this region and less directly by substantial presence of C02, CO, and N2 in the plume gases. Molecular composition of the uppermost surface, including ejecta from plume activity, is radiolytically transformed mostly by penetrating energetic electrons with lesser effects from more depleted populations of energetic protons. The main sources of molecular plasma ions and E-ring dust grains in the magnetospheric environment are the cryovolcanic plume emissions from Enceladus. These molecular ions and the dust grains are chemically processed by magnetospheric interactions that further impact surface chemistry on return to Enceladus. For example, H20 neutrals dominating the emitted plume gas return to the surface mostly as H30+ ions after magnetospheric processing. Surface oxidant loading is further increased by return of radiolytically processed ice grains from the E-ring. Plume frost deposition and micrometeoroid gardening protect some fraction of newly produced molecular species from destruction by further irradiation. The evident horizontal and vertical mobility of surface ices in the south polar region drive mixing of these processed materials into the moon interior with potential impacts on deep ice molecular chemistry and plume gas production. Similarly as suggested previously for Europa, the externally driven source of radiolytic oxidants could affect evolution of life in any subsurface liquid water environments of Enceladus.

Cooper, Paul D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Environmental life cycle assessment methods applied to amine-ionic liquid hybrid CO 2 absorbents

A hybrid solvent mixture of triethyl(octyl)phosphonium cyanopyrrolide [P2228][2-CNPyr] and aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) has the potential for absorbing CO 2 from post combustion flue gas. However, previous studies have found that the production of phosphonium based ionic liquids (IL) had significantly higher potential environmental impacts compared to MEA. Literature attributes these higher environmental impacts to the phosphine and phosgene-based intermediates required to produce the phosphonium ion of the ionic liquid. This study proposes a novel synthesis pathway that eliminates the need for phosphine and phosgene intermediates in the production of [P2228][2-CNPyr]. The environmental impacts of producing 1kg of the ionic liquid through this novel synthesis route was evaluated using the TRACI 2.1 methodology within the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. Additionally, the environmental impacts for the production of 1kg of a hybrid solvent was also evaluated and compared against MEA. The life cycle inventory for the production of the IL and its hybrid solvent were calculated based on the stoichiometry and then scaled up. This study found that the IL and its hybrid solvents had higher environmental impacts among 9 of the 10 environmental impact categories calculated by the TRACI 2.1 methodology, except for the ecotoxicity potential. A sensitivity analysis indicated that these solvents were more sensitive to the assumptions of the material requirements of the phosphonium cation than the overall energy or transportation requirements. Despite this sensitivity, both the solvents demonstrated a lower Ecotoxicity Potential compared to MEA, the rest of the environmental impacts were still found to be higher than that of MEA, thereby underscoring the need to investigate novel synthesis routes for the production of phosphonium cation. The uncertainty analysis performed confirmed the findings that the IL has a higher environmental impact potentials across all categories except ecotoxicity potential. The uncertainty analysis also confirms that the phosphonium cation is a major hotspot in production route of these solvents and a source of uncertainty in the model compared to the anion. Altogether, this study underscores the need for investigating novel green chemistry pathway for the synthesis of phosphonium based ionic liquids, such as [P2228][2-CNPyr], to ensure that the these ILs can be a truly green alternative to MEA by not only offering superior CO₂ capture capacity compared to MEA but also being sustainably produced.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Toward High-Voltage Cathodes for Zinc-Ion Batteries: Discovery Pipeline and Material Design Rules

Efficient energy storage systems are crucial to address the intermittency of renewable energy sources. As multivalent batteries, Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs), while inherently low voltage, offer a promising low-cost alternative to Li-ion batteries due to the viable use of zinc as the anode. However, to maximize the potential impact of ZIBs, rechargeable cathodes with improved Zn diffusion are needed. To better understand the chemical and structural factors influencing Zn-ion mobility within battery electrode materials, we employ a high-throughput computational screening approach to systematically evaluate candidate intercalation hosts for ZIB cathodes, expanding the chemical search space on empty intercalation hosts that do not contain Zn. We leverage a high-throughput screening funnel to identify promising cathodes in ZIBs, integrating screening criteria with density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations of Zn2+ intercalation and diffusion inside the host materials. Using these data, we identify the design principles that favor Zn-ion mobility in candidate cathode materials. Building on previous work on divalent-ion cathodes, this study broadens the chemical space for next-generation multivalent energy storage systems.

electrodes↗
NASA NTRS1993

SIMS chemical analysis of extended impacts on the leading and trailing edges of LDEF experiment AO187-2

Numerous 'extended impacts' found in both leading and trailing edge capture cells were successfully analyzed for the chemical composition of projectile residues by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Most data were obtained from the trailing edge cells where 45 of 58 impacts were classified as 'probably natural' and the remainder as 'possibly man-made debris.' This is in striking contrast to leading edge cells where 9 of 11 impacts so far measured are definitely classified as orbital debris. Although all the leading edge cells had lost their plastic entrance foils during flight, the rate of foil failure was similar to that of the trailing edge cells, 10 percent of which were recovered intact. Ultraviolet embrittlement is suspected as the major cause of failure on both leading and trailing edges. The major impediment to the accurate determination of projectile chemistry is the fractionation of volatile and refractory elements in the hypervelocity impact and redeposition processes. This effect had been noted in a simulation experiment but is more pronounced in the LDEF capture cells, probably due to the higher average velocities of the space impacts. Surface contamination of the pure Ge surfaces with a substance rich in Si, but also containing Mg and Al, provides an additional problem for the accurate determination of impactor chemistry. The effect is variable, being much larger on surfaces that were exposed to space than in those cells that remained intact. Future work will concentrate on the analyses of more leading edge impacts and the development of new SIMS techniques for the measurement of elemental abundances in extended impacts.

Amari, S.↗
NASA NTRS2020

A Multi-Sims Investigation of Water Content and D/H Ratios in Roberts Massif 04262 with Insight to Sources of Hydrogen in Maskelynite

We want to define the H2O content ([H2O]) and hydrogen (H) isotope composition of meteoritic material from Mars [1-3] with motivation to understand Mars’ volatile history, constrain geochemical signatures of interior water reservoirs (i.e. the Martian mantle) and explore effects of planetary (e.g. planet formation, magma ocean degassing) and local (e.g. volcanic degassing, impact melting and degassing) processes on H incorporated in minerals. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) allows multiple avenues to address these questions. However, application to (1) precious astromaterials and (2) low level H measurements, pose specific challenges that are further complicated when combined. We present preliminary data of a multi-approach (SIMS vs. NanoSIMS) study of H in Roberts Massif 04262 (RBT 04262), an enriched lherzolitic shergottite with nonpoikilitic (NP) and poikilitic (P) lithologies [4]. We analyze olivine, pyrox-ene, and melt inclusions to compare indigenous mantle water, with impact-generated maskelynite to investigate H signatures due to shock.

Dudley, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The composition and plasma signature of a large dust impact on the Giotto spacecraft

At about 14,800 km from the Comet Halley nucleus, on the inbound leg, at least six of the sensors onboard the Giotto spacecraft observed an unusual, brief (about 30 to 500 ms) event: the ion-mass spectrometer data show a brief flow of energetic (up to several hundred electron volts) plasma consisting of protons, water group, and heavier ions. The Johnstone plasma analyzer data show a short burst of plasma, while the dust impact detector system data show an impact event in four of its detectors. The magnetometer signature of the event shows two brief dips in the field. The sudden change in the spacecraft attitude and spin rate observed by the camera at that same time has been interpreted as the result of a large (5 mg or more) dust-particle impact on the front bumper shield of the spacecraft. In addition, at about the same time the spacecraft star-tracker suffered damage. The report combines direct measurements of the composition and dynamics of a dust-impact plasma cloud, the dust particle mass, and the location of the impact on the spacecraft. Analysis of the data indicate that the impacting particle was water or ice-bearing, possibly loosely compared, and was composed of one or more of: carbon, nitrogen, and silicon.

Goldstein, R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Ion Transport in the September 24, 1998 CME Event

On 24 September 1998 Earth's magnetosphere was impacted by a large CME with an associated shock front. This impact moved the magnetopause inward by several Re and pushed dayside magnetospheric boundaries anti-sunward by more than 1 Re. The resulting observations from the Polar spacecraft, which was located over the northern polar cap, show signatures of the polar cap, the cusp, and the mantle as these regions were moved across the spacecraft position. An enhanced Cleft Ion Fountain outflow was observed as Polar moved sunward towards the cusp following the shock passage. Analysis of these data shows the velocity filter/mass spectrometer nature of the CIF in association with anti-sunward convection. These signatures are used to investigate time scales for reconnection, energy transfer to the Ionosphere, and CIF outflow generation.

Chandler, M. O.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Implications of a two-fluid heat diffusion model for RF condensation effects in magnetic islands

Theoretical calculations have predicted an “RF condensation” effect through which the temperature perturbation and current drive may be nonlinearly enhanced in electron cyclotron (EC) heated magnetic islands. Previously, two-fluid effects had been neglected in the OCCAMI code used to model RF condensation. For realistic experimental conditions, we show that two-fluid effects in an EC heated plasma may have a major impact on RF condensation. Less collisional plasmas, where electron and ion temperatures are decoupled, exhibit an enhanced linear temperature perturbation in the island, and an even stronger nonlinear enhancement of the perturbed temperature. This can occur even when nonlinear effects are small in the single-fluid limit. We also calculate corresponding hysteresis effects. Finally, we demonstrate that other physical effects, including the rotation of the magnetic island and the Gaussian spread of the beam from a gyrotron, can significantly decrease the predicted observable RF condensation effect.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nuclear Energy Critical Material Waste Minimization Enabled by AM Techniques

This project provides evidence of the successful recycling of solid waste offcuts resulting from conventional manufacturing processes from three relevant alloys to next-generation nuclear reactor developers, providing a potentially upscalable circular process where no critical elements will be lost. Furthermore, iMOF-based adsorbents were successfully designed for CM extraction from aqueous solution, thereby providing a pathway for future upscaling for salvaging dissolved Ni ions. This research has achieved its goal of showing the impact of novel applications of recycling technologies for solid and liquid wastes that can be upscaled for application.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1980

Atomic data and level populations of highly ionized Ti for tokamak plasmas

The paper presents calculations of electron impact collision strengths and spontaneous radiative decay rates for titanium ions of the LiI through FI isoelectronic sequences for transitions between levels of the 2S(2)2p(k), 2s2p(k+1), and 2p(k+2) configurations. From these atomic data, excitation-rate coefficients are calculated along with level populations for these three configurations. The calculations of level populations include the effects of proton excitation, and are carried out at electron temperatures and densities typical of tokamak plasmas. Wavelengths of forbidden and intersystem lines are given, and a synthetic spectrum is presented for a typical temperature and density.

Bhatia, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The solar wind interaction with Venus

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) mission has played a key role in establishing the nature of the solar wind interaction with Venus. Although earlier probes had determined that Venus presented an obstacle much smaller than the size of earth's magnetosphere to the solar wind, they did not carry out in situ measurements pertaining to solar wind interaction studies at low enough altitudes to determine why. They also did not provide datasets of sufficient duration to study the variability of the interaction of both short (one day) and long (solar cycle) timescales. The first 600 of the nearly 5000 orbits of PVO magnetometer data have been used to determine a very low upper limit on the intrinsic dipolar magnetic moment of Venus. The consequence of that low magnetic moment is that the solar wind interacts directly with the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. Relative to a dipolar field obstacle, the ionospheric obstacle is rather incompressible. A bow shock is observed to stand in front of the nearly Venus-sized ionospheric obstacle at a comparatively steady subsolar altitude of approximately 1.5 R(v) (Venus radii). This shock decelerates the supersonic solar wind plasma so that it can flow around the obstacle. It was found to change its average position in the terminator plane from about 2.4 R(v) to 2.1 R(v) as the solar cycle progressed from the 1978 orbit insertion near solar maximum through the 1986-87 solar minimum, and back again during the latest solar activity increase. Between the bow shock and the ionosphere proper, the slowed solar wind plasma flow diverges near the subsolar point and makes its way across the terminator where it reaccelerates and continues anti-Sunward. The solar wind magnetic field, which is in effect frozen into the flowing plasma, is distorted in this 'magnetosheath' region so that it appears to hang up or drape over the dayside ionosphere before it slips around with the flow. These features of the solar wind interaction are also seen when the obstacle is a dipole magnetic field, but there are two important distinctions. In the wake of the Venus obstacle one finds an induced magnetic tail composed of varying interplanetary fields rather than the constant fields of intrinsic origin. This magnetotail is further seen to be populated by Heavy (0+) ions that are evidently escaping from the planet at significant (approximately 10(exp -25) s(exp -1)) rates. These heavy ions are also observed in the dayside magnetosheath. The interpretation is that ions are produced by both photoionization and solar wind electron impact ionization of the upper neutral atmosphere that extends into the magnetosheath.

Luthmann, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Dissociative Ionization of Aromatic and Heterocyclic Molecules

Space radiation poses a major health hazard to humans in space flight. The high-energy charged particles in space radiation ranging from protons to high atomic number, high-energy (HZE) particles, and the secondary species they produce, attack DNA, cells, and tissues. Of the potential hazards, long-term health effects such as carcinogenesis are likely linked to the DNA lesions caused by secondary electrons in the 1 - 30 eV range. Dissociative ionization (DI) is one of the electron collision processes that can damage the DNA, either directly by causing a DNA lesion, or indirectly by producing radicals and cations that attack the DNA. To understand this process, we have developed a theoretical model for DI. Our model makes use of the fact that electron motion is much faster than nuclear motion and assumes DI proceeds through a two-step process. The first step is electron-impact ionization resulting in a particular state of the molecular ion in the geometry of the neutral molecule. In the second step the ion undergoes unimolecular dissociation. Thus the DI cross section sigma(sup DI)(sub a) for channel a is given by sigma(sup DI)(sub a) = sigma(sup I)(sub a) P(sub D) with sigma(sup I)(sub a) the ionization cross section of channel a and P(sub D) the dissociation probability. This model has been applied to study the DI of H2O, NH3, and CH4, with results in good agreement with experiment. The ionization cross section sigma(sup I)(sub a) was calculated using the improved binary encounter-dipole model and the unimolecular dissociation probability P(sub D) obtained by following the minimum energy path determined by the gradients and Hessians of the electronic energy with respect to the nuclear coordinates of the ion. This model is used to study the DI from the low-lying channels of benzene and pyridine to understand the different product formation in aromatic and heterocyclic molecules. DI study of the DNA base thymine is underway. Solvent effects will also be discussed.

Huo, Winifred M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Sensitivity of Precipitation Processes of Microphysics and Resolution in a Cloud-Resolving Model

The Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model is used to examine the impact of various microphysical schemes, and vertical and horizontal resolution ion the development, intensity and rainfall associated with mesoscale convective systems, idealized hurricanes and an ensemble f clouds. The model variables include horizontal and vertical velocities, potential temperatures, perturbation pressure, turbulent kinetic energy, and mixing ratios of all water phases (vapor, liquid, and ice). The major characteristics of the GCE model are the explicit representation of warm rain and ice microphysical processes, and their complex interactions with solar and infrared radiative transfer processes, and with surface processes. For idealized hurricane, an axisymmetric version of the GCE model was developed and used successfully to simulate the tropical cyclogenesis process using both a Rankin vortex and saturated air within a specified radius as initial conditions. For mesoscale convective systems, the 3-D version of the GCE model was used to simulated squall lines that developed in the western Pacific, eastern Atlantic and central US. For the cloud ensemble, the GCE model was integrated for several days in order to have good sampling of cloud statistics. In this paper, the sensitivities of hurricane intensity to various microphysical processes and model grid resolution will be examined. This will be mainly achieved by performing sensitivity tests using various horizontal (from 1- to 5-km) and vertical resolutions (from 20- to 200-m in the lower troposphere to 200- to 500-m in the middle and upper troposphere). Sensitivity tests using various microphysical schemes (warm rain only, and three ice with either graupel or hail) will also be performed. The thermodynamic and water budget associated with various types of precipitation systems will also be evaluated. The budgets will be calculated for different regions (i.e., convective and stratiform regions).

Tao, Wei-Kuo↗
NASA NTRS1995

Mass Spectrometric Study of Sulfur Vapor

It is well known that sulfur catenates and forms oligmers ranging from S2 to S20. The actual number of species present in the vapor depends on several factors and has been the subject of many studies (e.g.: ref. 1). The main problem associated with the mass spectrometric studies is the tendency of the sulfur vapor to depolymerize or break up into smaller units under the ion source conditions. Therefore, one has to employ lower electron impact energies to identify the true abundances of various species present in the sulfur vapor and the pathways of dissociation.

Sulfur Vapor↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Tech Briefs, April 2008

Topics covered include: Gas Sensors Based on Coated and Doped Carbon Nanotubes; Tactile Robotic Topographical Mapping Without Force or Contact Sensors; Thin-Film Magnetic-Field-Response Fluid-Level Sensor for Non-Viscous Fluids; Progress in Development of Improved Ion-Channel Biosensors; Simulating Operation of a Complex Sensor Network; Using Transponders on the Moon to Increase Accuracy of GPS; Controller for Driving a Piezoelectric Actuator at Resonance; Coaxial Electric Heaters; Dual-Input AND Gate From Single-Channel Thin-Film FET; High-Density, High-Bandwidth, Multilevel Holographic Memory; Fabrication of Gate-Electrode Integrated Carbon-Nanotube Bundle Field Emitters; Hydroxide-Assisted Bonding of Ultra-Low-Expansion Glass; Photochemically Synthesized Polyimides; Optimized Carbonate and Ester-Based Li-Ion Electrolytes; Compact 6-DOF Stage for Optical Adjustments; Ultrasonic/Sonic Impacting Penetrators; Miniature, Lightweight, One-Time-Opening Valve; Supplier Management System; Improved CLARAty Functional-Layer/Decision-Layer Interface; JAVA Stereo Display Toolkit; Remote-Sensing Time Series Analysis, a Vegetation Monitoring Tool; PyPele Rewritten To Use MPI; Data Assimilation Cycling for Weather Analysis; Hydrocyclone/Filter for Concentrating Biomarkers from Soil; Activating STAT3 Alpha for Promoting Healing of Neurons; and Probing a Spray Using Frequency-Analyzed Light Scattering.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2014

Nanoscale Analysis of Space-Weathering Features in Soils from Itokawa

Space weathering alters the spectral properties of airless body surface materials by redden-ing and darkening their spectra and attenuating characteristic absorption bands, making it challenging to characterize them remotely [1,2]. It also causes a discrepency between laboratory analysis of meteorites and remotely sensed spectra from asteroids, making it difficult to associate meteorites with their parent bodies. The mechanisms driving space weathering include mi-crometeorite impacts and the interaction of surface materials with solar energetic ions, particularly the solar wind. These processes continuously alter the microchemical and structural characteristics of exposed grains on airless bodies. The change of these properties is caused predominantly by the vapor deposition of reduced Fe and FeS nanoparticles (npFe(sup 0) and npFeS respectively) onto the rims of surface grains [3]. Sample-based analysis of space weathering has tra-ditionally been limited to lunar soils and select asteroidal and lunar regolith breccias [3-5]. With the return of samples from the Hayabusa mission to asteroid Itoka-wa [6], for the first time we are able to compare space-weathering features on returned surface soils from a known asteroidal body. Analysis of these samples will contribute to a more comprehensive model for how space weathering varies across the inner solar system. Here we report detailed microchemical and microstructal analysis of surface grains from Itokawa.

Thompson, M. S.↗