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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Temperature admittance spectroscopy of boron doped chemical vapor deposition diamond

Precision admittance spectroscopy measurements over wide temperature and frequency ranges were carried out for chemical vapor deposition epitaxial diamond samples doped with various concentrations of boron. It was found that the experimentally detected boron activation energy in the samples decreased from 314 meV down to 101 meV with an increase of B/C ratio from 600 to 18000 ppm in the gas reactants. For the heavily doped samples, a transition from thermally activated valence band conduction to hopping within the impurity band (with apparent activation energy 20 meV) was detected at temperatures 120–150 K. Numerical simulation was used to estimate the impurity DOS broadening. Accurate determination of continuously altering activation energy, which takes place during the transformation of conduction mechanisms, was proposed by numerical differentiation of the Arrhenius plot. With increase of boron doping level the gradual decreasing of capture cross section from 3 × 10{sup −13} down to 2 × 10{sup −17} cm{sup 2} was noticed. Moreover, for the hopping conduction the capture cross section becomes 4 orders of magnitude less (∼2 × 10{sup −20} cm{sup 2}). At T > T{sub room} in doped samples the birth of the second conductance peak was observed. We attribute it to a defect, related to the boron doping of the material.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Operando Freezing Cryogenic Electron Microscopy of Active Battery Materials

Abstract Understanding structural and chemical evolution of battery materials during operation is critical to achieving safe, efficient, and long-lasting energy storage. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a valuable tool in battery characterization, leveraging low temperatures to improve stability of sensitive materials under electron beam irradiation. However, typical cryo-EM sample preparations leave extended time between the electrochemical point of interest and ex situ freezing of samples, during which active structures may relax, degrade, or otherwise evolve. Here, we detail a method for operando freezing cryo-EM to preserve and characterize native electrode and interfacial structures that arise during battery cycling, based on an operando plunge freezer and cold sample removal process. We validate the method on multiple electrode materials and quantify and discuss the freezing rate achieved. Operando freezing cryo-EM can be used to directly visualize transient features that arise at active electrochemical interfaces, to enable deeper understanding of structural evolution and interfacial chemistry in batteries and other electrochemical systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Efficient 2-μm laser oscillation of 5% Tm{sup 3+} : KLu(WO{sub 4}){sub 2} disks and 5% Tm{sup 3+} : KLu(WO{sub 4}){sub 2}/KLu(WO{sub 4}){sub 2} composite structures

The spectral and lasing characteristics of active disk elements made of double potassium – lutetium tungstates 5% Tm : KLuW and 5% Tm : KLuW/KLuW composite structures are comparatively studied. Laser power of about 5 W in the cw regime at a wavelength of 1.85 μm was achieved in a composite sample with the active layer thickness of 250 μm. Under quasi-cw pumping, the slope efficiency of all the studied samples exceeded 50%. It is experimentally shown that the internal stresses in the composite structures strongly affect the spectral characteristics of the laser radiation. (lasers)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

CH 4 combustion over a commercial Pd/CeO 2 -ZrO 2 three-way catalyst: Impact of thermal aging and sulfur exposure

Thermal aging and sulfur poisoning are major problems influencing the efficiency and lifetime of natural gas three-way catalysts (TWCs) during real-world operation. In the present study, thermal aging and sulfur-induced deactivations on CH 4 combustion were investigated over commercial monolithic honeycombs, i.e., Pd/CexZr 1-x O 2 (CZ)-based TWCs that are thermally aged in the bench (HTA), followed by being operated behind the stoichiometric natural gas engine in high sulfur fuel (HTA + S). In this work, both HTA and HTA + S samples show degraded performance in CH 4 combustion relative to the fresh one, which are caused by the reconstruction of Pd species induced by thermal aging and the decreased reducibility of the support. The 18 O 2 labelling experiments show that in all cases CH 4 combustion proceeds via a MvK mechanism in which lattice O (OL) plays a key role. The sulfation aging (HTA + S sample) promotes the activation of CH 4 and O 2 by forming Pd δ+ -(SO$_4^{2-}$) δ- and Ce 3+ -VO couples at the interface as compared to HTA sample. However, such a promotion effect could be compromised by the blocking effect of sulfate on the exchange of O L from the bulk to the surface and across the surface. The fundamental understanding of thermal and S deactivation mechanisms from this study could help to predict a real-world lifetime use curve of natural gas TWCs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

ZnO:SnO nanorods and nanosheets and their enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

ZnO-SnO nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. It was found that Sn concentration acted as a crucial factor in determining the morphology of ZnO-SnO nanostructures, in the presence of ethylenediamine (EDA) as a stabilizing agent. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of ZnO and SnO with good crystallinity. The morphological analysis revealed tin oxide (SnO) nanoparticles coated on the surface of ZnO nanorods and nanosheets. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized samples were evaluated by methylene blue (MB) as a model pollutant under visible light irradiation. Photocatalysis studies revealed that, ZnO-SnO nanocomposites show the enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to ZnO, which could be attributed to the formation of hetero-junction between ZnO and SnO of MB degradation. Sn concentration can extend the light absorption spectra of ZnO to visible light region and enhance the visible light photocatalytic activity. This research could provide new insights to the development of excellent photocatalyst with efficient performance for pollution control.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1985

JPL pulsar timing observations. III - Pulsar rotation fluctuations

Pulsar arrival-time data from a timing program carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory from 1968 to 1982 at 2390 MHz were analyzed to study the precision of neutron star rotation rates. Most of the 24 objects in the sample show 'timing activity' as deviations from the smooth spin-down expected from a simple electromagnetic torque mechanism. About 20 events in both frequency and frequency derivative across the sample of objects are identified, whose properties differ from those of the large-amplitude 'glitches' observed from a few objects. Prospects are good for the millisecond pulsar PSR 1937 + 214 being better than terrestrial maser clocks on time scales of a few years.

Cordes, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Technologies for pre-screening IAEA swipe samples

During the course of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, many samples are taken for the purpose of verifying the declared facility activities and identifying any possible undeclared activities. One of these sampling techniques is the environmental swipe sample. Due to the large number of samples collected, and the amount of time that is required to analyze them, prioritizing these swipes in the field or upon receipt at the Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) will allow sensitive or mission-critical analyses to be performed sooner. As a result of this study, technologies were placed into one of three categories: recommended, promising, or not recommended. Both neutron activation analysis (NAA) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are recommended for further study and possible field deployment. These techniques performed the best in initial trials for pre-screening and prioritizing IAEA swipes. We learned that for NAA more characterization of cold elements (such as calcium and magnesium) would need to be emphasized, and for XRF it may be appropriate to move towards a benchtop XRF versus a handheld XRF due to the increased range of elements available on benchtop equipment. Promising techniques that will require additional research and development include confocal Raman microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and infrared (IR) microscopy. These techniques showed substantive responses to uranium compounds, but expensive instrumentation upgrades (confocal Raman) or university engagement (fluorescence microscopy) may be necessary to investigate the utility of the techniques completely. Point-and-shoot (handheld) Raman and attenuated total reflectance–infrared (ATR-IR) measurements are not recommended, as they have not shown enough promise to continue investigations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2018

On the Ability of Space- Based Passive and Active Remote Sensing Observations of CO2 to Detect Flux Perturbations to the Carbon Cycle

Space-borne observations of CO2 are vital to gaining understanding of the carbon cycle in regions of the world that are difficult to measure directly, such as the tropical terrestrial biosphere, the high northern and southern latitudes, and in developing nations such as China. Measurements from passive instruments such as GOSAT (Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite) and OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2), however, are constrained by solar zenith angle limitations as well as sensitivity to the presence of clouds and aerosols. Active measurements such as those in development for the Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission show strong potential for making measurements in the high-latitude winter and in cloudy regions. In this work we examine the enhanced flux constraint provided by the improved coverage from an active measurement such as ASCENDS. The simulation studies presented here show that with sufficient precision, ASCENDS will detect permafrost thaw and fossil fuel emissions shifts at annual and seasonal time scales, even in the presence of transport errors, representativeness errors, and biogenic flux errors. While OCO-2 can detect some of these perturbations at the annual scale, the seasonal sampling provided by ASCENDS provides the stronger constraint. Plain Language Summary: Active and passive remote sensors show the potential to provide unprecedented information on the carbon cycle. With the all-season sampling, active remote sensors are more capable of constraining high-latitude emissions. The reduced sensitivity to cloud and aerosol also makes active sensors more capable of providing information in cloudy and polluted scenes with sufficient accuracy. These experiments account for errors that are fundamental to the top-down approach for constraining emissions, and even including these sources of error, we show that satellite remote sensors are critical for understanding the carbon cycle.

tropical terrestrial biosphere↗
DOE OSTI2011

Preparation of bismuth oxyiodides and oxides and their photooxidation characteristic under visible/UV light irradiation

Bismuth oxyiodides and oxides were prepared by a solution combination with thermal treatment method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas. The photooxidation activity of the samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of acid orange II under both visible light ({lambda} > 420 nm) and UV light ({lambda} = 365 nm) irradiation. Results show that a series of changes in the compounds take place during the course of calcination, described as: BiOI {yields} Bi{sub 5}O{sub 7}I {yields} {alpha}-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Under visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic activities follow the order: BiOI > Bi{sub 5}O{sub 7}I > Bi{sub 5}O{sub 7}I/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} mixture > Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}, which is mainly attributed to the different absorption ability to visible light due to the different band gap energy; the activities are in the order: BiOI < Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} < Bi{sub 5}O{sub 7}I/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} mixture < Bi{sub 5}O{sub 7}I under UV light irradiation, which is mainly caused by the different oxidability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Project “Analogs for VENus’s GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS): Unveiling Active Volcanism on Venus

The recently selected missions to Venus opened a new era for the exploration of the Earth’s hellish twin sister. One of the key questions that the selected missions to Venus will address is whether the planet is volcanically active. The identification of ongoing volcanic activity on Venus can indeed unveil important clues on the geologic evolution of the planet, also helping us to better understand how volcanic and atmospheric processes work on Earth, especially those related to the climate change produced by greenhouse gases. To fully contextualize the higher resolution datasets to be provided by the future missions to Venus, we need to be able to exploit the wealth of data to be produced in the best possible way. Different types of instruments will indeed perform unprecedent orbiting and in-situ investigations of the surface and subsurface of Venus. To this regard, the Project “Analogs for VENus’s GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS) aims to build a comprehensive database of Terrestrial active volcanoes which may act as suitable analogs for identifying ongoing volcanic activity on Venus. To do this, the project AVENGERS will combine the implementation of terrestrial orbiter radar data analysis techniques (i.e., radar interferometry) with infrared and laboratory analyses of lava flow samples from Terrestrial active volcanoes. As a first suitable analog of the Project AVENGERS, we selected Mount Etna in Sicily for a direct comparison with potentially active volcanic structures of Venus, and with Idunn Mons, one of the most promising possibly active volcanoes of Venus. Given its composite nature, Mount Etna offers the opportunity to identify and study multiple types of eruptive products (both effusive and explosive) from the analysis of high-resolution radar images. The frequent eruptions characterizing this volcano will also allow to test techniques of radar interferometry. Moreover, its ease of access facilitates geologic field trips and in-situ investigations with related sample retrieving. Ongoing infrared laboratory analysis on several altered and unaltered samples retrieved by Mount Etna will help to distinguish spectral signatures of fresh vs weathered volcanic deposits.

P. D’Incecco↗
DOE OSTI2012

Preparation of porous nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide microspheres and a study of their photocatalytic, antibacterial and electrochemical activities

Graphical abstract: Porous N-doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres were prepared for the first time via plasma technique. The sample exhibited better photocatalytic activity, photoinduced inactivation activity and better electrochemical activity than those of TiO{sub 2} microspheres and P25. Display Omitted Highlights: ► Porous N-doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres were prepared via nitrogen plasma technique. ► Plasma treatment did not affect the porous structure of the TiO{sub 2} microspheres. ► With the plasma treatment, the N contents in the samples increased. ► Their photocatalytic, antibacterial and electrochemical activities were studied. -- Abstract: Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO{sub 2}) microspheres with porous structure were prepared via the nitrogen-assisted glow discharge plasma technique at room temperature for the first time. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the plasma treatment did not affect the porous structure of the TiO{sub 2} microspheres. With the plasma treatment, the N contents in the samples increased. During the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under simulative sunlight irradiation, the sample after plasma treatment for 60 min (N-TiO{sub 2}-60) exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than those of the TiO{sub 2} microspheres, P25 and other N-doped TiO{sub 2} microspheres. Furthermore, the N-TiO{sub 2}-60 showed excellent antibacterial activities towards Escherichia coli under visible irradiation. These should be attributed to the enhancement of the visible light region absorption for TiO{sub 2} after N-doping. Electrochemical data demonstrated that the N-doping not only enhanced the electrochemical activity of TiO{sub 2}, but also improved the reversibility of Li insertion/extraction reactions and the rate behavior of TiO{sub 2} during charge–discharge cycles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Characterization and photo-chemical applications of nano-ZnO prepared by wet chemical and thermal decomposition methods

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nano-ZnO particles were synthesized by soft-wet precipitation and dry methods. • ZnO nanoparticle with different morphologies was obtained. • Nano ZnO samples showed a high photocatalytic activity. • ZnO nanoparticle showed strong ultraviolet emission at room temperature. • The samples showed high biological activity depending on their synthetic method. - Abstract: Nano-crystalline ZnO particles were synthesized using two different routes: soft-wet and dry methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to identify the particles structures and morphologies, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used for verifying the particles crystal structure. The thermal stabilities of the particles were examined through thermal gravimetric analysis technique and their surface areas were calculated using BET method. Moreover, the photocatalytic activities were evaluated using UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) characterization. The results showed that all the prepared ZnO samples possess a hexagonal wurtzite structure with high purity. Different particle sizes and morphologies of spheres, rods and wires were obtained depending on the preparation method used. Particle sizes obtained by the dry method are smaller than that found by the wet chemical method. The effects of both particle size and morphology on each of surface as well as optical properties, photocatalytic activity, dye/ZnO solar cell efficiency and biological activity have been studied and discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization Results for the September 2023 Tank Farm 3H Evaporator Overhead Sample

On an annual basis, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) provides 2H and 3H evaporator overhead samples to Savannah River National Lab (SRNL) to be analyzed per Section 5.2 of the Effluent Treatment Project (ETP) Waste Compliance Plan (WCP) and the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). This report presents the average characterization results for the September 2023 3H evaporator overhead sample. The sample was clear and colorless with no visible solids. The results provide measurements for cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), strontium-90 ( 90 Sr), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) with the radionuclide concentration limits specified by the WAC. These analyses were performed in duplicate, and all three measured radionuclide concentrations were within ETP WAC limits. A summary of the analytical results for this 3H evaporator overhead sample includes the following: The measured cesium-137 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged 5.70E+01 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.30E+03 dpm/mL. As seen through historical results, Cs-137 continues to present a decreasing activity since 2020. The strontium-90 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged <2.16E00 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.76E+02 dpm/mL. The iodine-129 activity in the 3H evaporator overhead sample averaged <9.08E-02 dpm/mL, which is below the ETP WAC limit of 1.00E+00 dpm/mL

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2012

Deliverable for FαST project: Ln Resin based PLE

This memo describes the fabrication of a polymer ligand extractant based on Eichrom's LN-1 resin. This work has been in support of the Fast Alpha Spectrometry Tool (FαST) project. The first part of LANL's role in this project is to evaluate new extractants for use in polymer ligand extractants (PLEs). The first new extractant evaluated is Di(2-ethyl hexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP), which is an effective metal extractant. It has very efficient chelating properties for a wide variety of metal ions. HDEHP is an amphiphillic molecule with two long hydrocarbon chains and a polar end with a phosphoryl oxygen (P=O) and an acidic -OH group as shown in Figure 1. HDEHP has shown effectiveness in extracting lanthanides, selective actinides, and other trivalent elements. Several authors have reported that lanthanides and elements with +3 oxidation state have similar extraction behavior in nitric acid. The distribution ratio for lanthanides rapidly decreases at lower nitric concentration then start to increase at higher concentration as shown in. The trivalent americium, curium, and yttrium exhibit similar trend as trivalent lanthanides. This extraction trend can be also observed from hydrogen chloride solution. This work describes the use of this ligand in a PLE to extract plutonium from solution. Polymer ligand films were prepared by dissolving HDEHP ligands and polystyrene beads in THF. The solution was directly deposited onto a 40 mm diameter stainless steel substrate using an automated pipette. HDEHP based PLEs with direct stippling method are shown in Figure 2. The solution was air dried at room temperature overnight to ensure complete evaporation of THF. The plutonium tracer solution was prepared in 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 8M nitric solutions to study the effect of nitric concentration in plutonium extraction. 0.1667 Bq 239 Pu tracer solution was directly stippled on each PLE and was allowed to equilibrate for 3 hours before removing the solution. The plutonium activity of each sample was measured by direct alpha counting to quantify the plutonium recovery by HDEHP PLE. The alpha spectra from alpha spectroscopy are shown in Figure 3. 1:5, 1:10, and 1:20 PLEs had sharp peak with low tailing. 1:2 had an extremely long tail, which is a possible indication that a large amount of ligands caused the film to not form a smooth surface. Also, it can be noted that 1:2 ratio PLE surface was not as rigid as the other ratio PLEs and it was prone to scratching during sample handing. The resolution of alpha spectra was quantified by measuring Full Width at Half of the Maximum (FWHM) using Bortels equation. The tailing component of the peak was also measured along with FWHM. The peak resolutions and tailing measurements for 0.1M nitric solution samples are given in Table 1. The best resolution was achieved with 1:5 PLE and worst was given by 1:2 PLE. The plutonium recovery by HDEHP PLE was dependent on both nitric concentration and ligand to polymer ratio. 1:2 PLE consistently had the highest recovery followed by 1:5 as shown in Figure 4. It should be noted that 1:2 ratio PLEs consistently had long tailing and the ROI of the spectrum had to be increased to encompass total counts from the tracer. 1:10 and 1:20 PLEs had close to zero percent recovery in all nitric concentration except for 0.01M. The highest plutonium recovery was observed for 0.1M nitric acid. 1:5 PLE gave the best combination of alpha spectroscopy resolution and plutonium recovery. Radiography image of samples were generated to study the plutonium distribution on the PLE surface. Samples were placed on an imaging plate (Fujifilm BAS-TR 2025) for 24 hours and the plate was scanned using GE Typhoon FLA 7000 system. The radiography image in Figure 5 shows uneven distribution with hot spots along the edge and in the center of the samples. These hot spots may be the result of highly localized concentration of ligands or surface defects that were observed in SEM. This unevenness in distribution may cause inaccurate activity measurement by alpha spectroscopy due to a bias in the energy calibration. PLEs based on HDEHP have been evaluated. The concentration of ligand in polystyrene is critical in the performance of the PLE; both for extraction efficiency as well as for alpha spectrometry results. The optimal PLE using this ligand has a concentration of 1:5 ligand to polystyrene. Under laboratory conditions, this configuration can produce similar results to those obtained for DIPEX based PLEs from previous studies. The concentration is very important to the results obtained for this ligand. This PLE is a good candidate for use in later field studies. Our next report will detail the evaluation of PLEs utilizing crown ether ligands.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Shielding experiments by the JASMIN Collaboration at Fermilab (II) - radioactivity measurement induced by secondary particles from the anti-proton production target

The JASMIN Collaboration has performed an experiment to conduct measurements of nuclear reaction rates around the anti-proton production (Pbar) target at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). At the Pbar target station, the target, consisting of an Inconel 600 cylinder, was irradiated by a 120 GeV/c proton beam from the FNAL Main Injector. The beam intensity was 3.6 x 10 12 protons per second. The samples of Al, Nb, Cu, and Au were placed near the target to investigate the spatial and energy distribution of secondary particles emitted from it. After irradiation, the induced activities of the samples were measured by studying their gamma ray spectra using HPGe detectors. The production rates of 30 nuclides induced in Al, Nb, Cu, Au samples were obtained. These rates increase for samples placed in a forward (small angle) position relative to the target. The angular dependence of these reaction rates becomes larger for increasing threshold energy. These experimental results are compared with Monte Carlo calculations. The calculated results generally agree with the experimental results to within a factor of 2 to 3.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Shielding experiments by the JASMIN collaboration at Fermilab (II) - Radioactivity measurement induced by secondary particles from the anti-proton production target

The JASMIN Collaboration has performed an experiment to conduct measurements of nuclear reaction rates around the anti-proton production (Pbar) target at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). At the Pbar target station, the target, consisting an Inconel 600 cylinder, was irradiated by a 120 GeV/c proton beam from the FNAL Main Injector. The beam intensity was 3.6 x 10{sub 12} protons per second. Samples of Al, Nb, Cu, and Au were placed near the target to investigate the spatial and energy distribution of secondary particles emitted from it. After irradiation, the induced activities of the samples were measured by studying their gamma ray spectra using HPGe detectors. The production rates of 30 nuclides induced in Al, Nb, Cu, Au samples were obtained. These rates increase for samples placed in a forward (small angle) position relative to the target. The angular dependence of these reaction rates becomes larger for increasing threshold energy. These experimental results are compared with Monte Carlo calculations. The calculated results generally agree with the experimental results to within a factor of 2 to 3.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing a Tool to Collect Microbiological Samples in Space

We developed and tested a tool to collect aseptic samples during extravehicular activity or space walks. This tool can withstand the extreme temperature (-92 – 90 ˚C) and pressure variations without compromising the sterility of the collection device or the integrity of the sample. Results from ground testing the tool demonstrate that external surfaces of space suits are not sterile and that a wide variety of human associated bacteria and some fungi can survive at least seven hours of exposure to vacuum. These bacteria include non-spore forming organisms like Staphylococcus that are not normally considered extremophiles We plan to use this tool to characterize the exterior of the International Space Station. We expect the results of this work to guide the planetary protection requirements and contamination control strategy for crewed missions to Mars. This tool could also be used to monitor contamination associated with the Artemis missions to the moon or collect aseptic samples robotically in environments that are not suitable for human exploration.

A B Regberg↗
DOE OSTI2016

Neon and [C II] 158 μm emission line profiles in dusty starbursts and active galactic nuclei

A sample of 379 extragalactic sources is presented that has mid-infrared, high-resolution spectroscopy from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) and also spectroscopy of the [C ii] 158 μm line from the Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS). The emission line profiles of [Ne ii] 12.81 μm, [Ne iii] 15.55 μm, and [C ii] 158 μm are presented, and intrinsic line widths are determined (full width half maximum of Gaussian profiles after instrumental correction). All line profiles, together with overlays comparing the positions of PACS and IRS observations, are made available in the Cornell Atlas of Spitzer IRS Sources. Sources are classified from active galactic nucleus (AGN) to starburst based on equivalent widths of the 6.2 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon feature. It is found that intrinsic line widths do not change among classifications for [C ii], with median widths of 207 km s{sup −1} for AGNs, 248 km s{sup −1} for composites, and 233 km s{sup −1} for starbursts. The [Ne ii] line widths also do not change with classification, but [Ne iii] lines are progressively broader from starburst to AGN. A few objects with unusually broad lines or unusual redshift differences in any feature are identified.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗