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At least 631 records · Page 35

First results from Spacelab 2

Preliminary results of physical experiments carried out during the Spacelab 2 Shuttle mission are summarized. Attention is given to experiments in the fields of plasma dynamics; solar physics; high-energy astrophysics; and astronomy. Plasma experiments included an ejectable plasma diagnosics package and measurements of the passive charging of the Shuttle vehicle in the surrounding space plasma. The solar physics instrument package consisted of a solar spectral irradiance monitor; a solar optical universal polarimeter (SOUP); and a solar helium abundance high-resolution telescope and spectrograph (HRTS). Astronomical observations were performed using a scanning infrared telescope (IRT) which consisted of a highly baffled herschelian telescope and 10 detectors covering wavelengths from 2 to 120 microns. Cosmic-ray nuclei were detected and analyzed using gas Cerenkov counters and a transition radiation detector. Addition experiments included a thin film fluid dynamics payload and analysis of blood samples taken from the mission specialists. Complete data records from the experiments have now been distributed for an analysis period which will take at least a year. A table listing the Spacelab 2 experiments and their principal investigators is provided.

Urban, E. W.↗

Completing below-ground carbon budgets for pastures, recovering forests, and mature forests of Amazonia

This progress report covers the following efforts initiated for the year: year-round monthly soil CO2 flux measurements were started in both primary and secondary forests and in managed and degraded pastures; root sorting and weighing has begun and all four ecosystems at Paragominas have been analyzed through samples; regional modeling of soil water dynamics and minimum rooting depth has been done and the RADAMBRASIL soils database has been digitized and a 20 year record of the precipitation for the region has been produced, along with a hydrological ('bucket-tipping') model that will run within a GIS framework; prototype tension lysimeters have been designed and installed in soil pits to begin assessing the importance of DOC as a source of organic matter in deep soils; and many publications, listed in this document, have resulted from this year's research. Two of the papers published are included with this annual report document.

Davidson, Eric A.↗

Thermal characteristics of Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have a very promising future for space applications. Currently they are being used on a few GEO satellites, and were used on the two recent Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. There are still problem that exist that need to be addressed before these batteries can fully take flight. One of the problems is that the cycle life of these batteries needs to be increased. battery. Research is being focused on the chemistry of the materials inside the battery. This includes the anode, cathode, and the cell electrolyte solution. These components can undergo unwanted chemical reactions inside the cell that deteriorate the materials of the battery. During discharge/ charge cycles there is heat dissipated in the cell, and the battery heats up and its temperature increases. An increase in temperature can speed up any unwanted reactions in the cell. Exothermic reactions cause the temperature to increase; therefore increasing the reaction rate will cause the increase of the temperature inside the cell to occur at a faster rate. If the temperature gets too high thermal runaway will occur, and the cell can explode. The material that separates the electrode from the electrolyte is a non-conducting polymer. At high temperatures the separator will melt and the battery will be destroyed. The separator also contains small pores that allow lithium ions to diffuse through during charge and discharge. High temperatures can cause these pores to close up, permanently damaging the cell. My job at NASA Glenn research center this summer will be to perform thermal characterization tests on an 18650 type lithium-ion battery. High temperatures cause the chemicals inside lithium ion batteries to spontaneously react with each other. My task is to conduct experiments to determine the temperature that the reaction takes place at, what components in the cell are reacting and the mechanism of the reaction. The experiments will be conducted using an accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC), which uses a heat-wait-search mode until an exothermic reaction is detected. After an exotherm is found the calorimeter maintains an adiabatic environment around a bomb which holds the test sample. The ARC will help identify important reactions and what temperature these exothermic reactions take place at. In order fully understand the battery, we are first going to take apart the battery and test the individual components of the battery using the ARC. I will first conduct a test on the electrolyte solution by itself. We will then test the electrolyte solution with the anode. We would like to see how the electrolyte solution reacts with the anode and its binder material. The next would be the same test using the cathode instead of the anode. By comparing the results of the electrolyte, electrolyte with anode, and the electrolyte with the cathode we can determine the reactions that are taking place due to each component. Using the heat capacity of the each individual sample and the temperature by which the sample increases, kinetic and thermo-dynamical information can then be found. A Gas chromatograph could be used to help with the task of identifying the by-products at the end of each test. One way of increasing the cycle life is to increase the stability of the materials inside the

Hauser, Dan↗

Light Microscopy Module: An On-Orbit Microscope Planned for the Fluids and Combustion Facility on the International Space Station

The Light Microscopy Module (LMM) is planned as a fully remotely controllable on-orbit microscope subrack facility, allowing flexible scheduling and control of fluids and biology experiments within NASA Glenn Research Center's Fluids and Combustion Facility on the International Space Station. Within the Fluids and Combustion Facility, four fluids physics experiments will utilize an instrument built around a light microscope. These experiments are the Constrained Vapor Bubble experiment (Peter C. Wayner of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), the Physics of Hard Spheres Experiment-2 (Paul M. Chaikin of Princeton University), the Physics of Colloids in Space-2 experiment (David A. Weitz of Harvard University), and the Low Volume Fraction Colloidal Assembly experiment (Arjun G. Yodh of the University of Pennsylvania). The first experiment investigates heat conductance in microgravity as a function of liquid volume and heat flow rate to determine, in detail, the transport process characteristics in a curved liquid film. The other three experiments investigate various complementary aspects of the nucleation, growth, structure, and properties of colloidal crystals in microgravity and the effects of micromanipulation upon their properties. Key diagnostic capabilities for meeting the science requirements of the four experiments include video microscopy to observe sample features including basic structures and dynamics, interferometry to measure vapor bubble thin film thickness, laser tweezers for colloidal particle manipulation and patterning, confocal microscopy to provide enhanced three-dimensional visualization of colloidal structures, and spectrophotometry to measure colloidal crystal photonic properties.

Doherty, Michael P.↗

Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation

The Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (MAPSS) is a graphical simulation environment designed for the development of advanced control algorithms and rapid testing of these algorithms on a generic computational model of a turbofan engine and its control system. MAPSS is a nonlinear, non-real-time simulation comprising a Component Level Model (CLM) module and a Controller-and-Actuator Dynamics (CAD) module. The CLM module simulates the dynamics of engine components at a sampling rate of 2,500 Hz. The controller submodule of the CAD module simulates a digital controller, which has a typical update rate of 50 Hz. The sampling rate for the actuators in the CAD module is the same as that of the CLM. MAPSS provides a graphical user interface that affords easy access to engine-operation, engine-health, and control parameters; is used to enter such input model parameters as power lever angle (PLA), Mach number, and altitude; and can be used to change controller and engine parameters. Output variables are selectable by the user. Output data as well as any changes to constants and other parameters can be saved and reloaded into the GUI later.

Parker, Khary I.↗

Results from One Year of Ka-Band Beacon Measurements at Svalbard

Since April 1, 2016, a Ka-band (20.198 GHz) propagation terminal has been installed and operating at the Svalsat facility in Longyearbyen, Norway. This campaign is a joint effort between the European Space Agency (ESA), Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), the French Aerospace Laboratory (ONERA), the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to characterize atmospheric attenuation, scintillation, and depolarization in the Ka-band in high latitude regions at low elevation angles. The propagation terminal observes the Thor 7 20.198 GHz RHCP beacon at nominally 2.6 deg elevation angle. Simultaneous 10 Hz and 1 Hz sampling is performed and a total dynamic range of 35 dB is achieved. One year of propagation data has been collected and the preliminary results are presented in this paper. From the first year of measurements, it is observed that at these low elevation angles, strong scintillation/multi-path conditions, as well as significant depolarization events can occur which may impose difficulties in meeting mission link acquisition requirements at 5 deg elevation angle, such as those desired by the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) mission. The design of the dual-polarized terminal with integrated digital radiometer, as well as the data processing techniques are described, along with the first year results and preliminary conclusions.

Nessel, James↗

Microcanonical Hamiltonian Monte Carlo

We develop Microcanonical Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (MCHMC), a class of models that follow fixed energy Hamiltonian dynamics, in contrast to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC), which follows canonical distribution with different energy levels. MCHMC tunes the Hamiltonian function such that the marginal of the uniform distribution on the constant-energy-surface over the momentum variables gives the desired target distribution. We show that MCHMC requires occasional energy-conserving billiard-like momentum bounces for ergodicity, analogous to momentum resampling in HMC. We generalize the concept of bounces to a continuous version with partial direction preserving bounces at every step, which gives energy-conserving underdamped Langevin-like dynamics with non-Gaussian noise (MCLMC). MCHMC and MCLMC exhibit favorable scalings with condition number and dimensionality. We develop an efficient hyperparameter tuning scheme that achieves high performance and consistently outperforms NUTS HMC on several standard benchmark problems, in some cases by orders of magnitude.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The Innograph irradiations; HTR graphite material properties from 0 to 25 DPA - 18541

In the fifth, sixth, and seventh Framework Program of the European Commission, the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) have conducted a large graphite irradiation program for the development of High Temperature Reactor technology. The graphite irradiation program comprises five irradiations executed in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten, resulting in design curves at irradiation temperatures between 650 deg. C and 950 deg. C. The neutron doses of these irradiations, called INNOGRAPH, range from 1 dpa to 23 dpa. The irradiation facilities contained present day available graphite grades: NBG-10, NBG-17, NBG-18, NBG-20, NBG-25, PCEA, PPEA, PCIB, LPEB, IG-110 and IG-430. The post-irradiation examination of the INNOGRAPH samples is focused on dimensional changes, dynamic Young s modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and coefficient of thermal conductivity. Irradiation behaviour of HTR candidate graphite grades are compared with respect to manufacturing process and raw coke material. Accuracy and reliability of irradiation parameters and post irradiation examination methods are essential for safety and performance relevant material property determination, in particular for probabilistic material behaviour such as graphite. Considerations on quality requirements with regards to graphite material property determination are therefore included in the paper. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Quality Control Analysis in Real-time (QC-ART): A Tool for Real-time Quality Control Assessment of Mass Spectrometry-based Proteomics Data

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based proteomics studies of large sample cohorts can easily require from months to years to complete. Acquiring consistent, high-quality data in such large-scale studies is challenging because of normal variations in instrumentation performance over time, as well as artifacts introduced by the samples themselves, such as those due to collection, storage and processing. Existing quality control methods for proteomics data primarily focus on post-hoc analysis to remove low-quality data that would degrade downstream statistics; they are not designed to evaluate the data in near real-time, which would allow for interventions as soon as deviations in data quality are detected. In addition to flagging analyses that demonstrate outlier behavior, evaluating how the data structure changes over time can aide in understanding typical instrument performance or identify issues such as a degradation in data quality due to the need for instrument cleaning and/or re-calibration. To address this gap for proteomics, we developed Quality Control Analysis in Real-Time (QC-ART), a tool for evaluating data as they are acquired in order to dynamically flag potential issues with instrument performance or sample quality. QC-ART has similar accuracy as standard post-hoc analysis methods with the additional benefit of real-time analysis. We demonstrate the utility and performance of QC-ART in identifying deviations in data quality due to both instrument and sample issues in near real-time for LC-MS-based plasma proteomics analyses of a sample subset of The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young cohort. We also present a case where QC-ART facilitated the identification of oxidative modifications, which are often underappreciated in proteomic experiments.

Stanfill, Bryan A.↗

Experimental study of three-dimensional CO 2 -water drainage and fracture-matrix interactions in fractured porous media

Estimation of CO 2 storage capacity in fractured porous reservoirs requires a better understanding of the CO 2 -water flow fundamentals in fracture-matrix systems. There are few core-flood experiments on three-dimensional CO 2 -water drainage in a fracture-matrix system, yet none have examined the impacts of the capillary continuity of fractures and fracture-matrix interactions. In this study, twelve drainage experiments were conducted in four fracture-matrix columns, each comprising a vertical stack of a cylindrical rock core, a filter paper serving as an analogue to a horizontal fracture, and a ceramic plate. Here, the core sample was surrounded by open space at the top and circumferential sides to model fractures, allowing for 3-D CO 2 -water drainage in the rock core and displaced water draining across the horizontal fracture. X-ray computed tomography was conducted to visualize the dynamic invasion/drainage processes in four rock core samples showing contrasts in anisotropy, permeability, and heterogeneity. Experimental results show (1) the equilibrium CO 2 saturations in the rock matrix vary from 0.10 to 0.60 at controlled capillary pressures up to 200 kPa, (2) the CO 2 saturations in the matrix increase with water saturation in the horizontal fracture resulting in better capillary continuity for water to drain across the fracture, and (3) the fracture water saturation can be enhanced by the non-uniform fracture capillary pressure and countercurrent flow of CO 2 and water across the fracture-matrix interface. In the case of high fracture water saturation, matrix CO 2 saturation largely depends on matrix anisotropy and heterogeneity. The core-scale experimental results contribute to understand the fracture-matrix interactions and CO 2 storage efficiency in fractured porous media.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Rotation curves and dynamical masses of MaNGA barred galaxies

In this paper we analyse a sample of 46 barred galaxies of MaNGA. Our goal is to investigate the stellar kinematics of these galaxies and obtain their rotation curves. Additionally, we aim to derive the total stellar and dynamical masses, as well as the maximum rotation velocity, in order to examine their distributions and scaling relations. Using the Pipe3D dataproducts publicly available we obtained the rotation curves, which were fitted considering two components of an axisymmetric Miyamoto–Nagai gravitational potential. We found a wide range of the maximum rotation velocities (117–340 ${\rm km\, s^{-1}}$), with a mean value of 200 ${\rm km\, s^{-1}}$. In addition we found that the total stellar and dynamical masses are in the range of log(M star /M ⊙ ) = 10.1−11.5, with a mean value of log(M star /M ⊙ ) = 10.8, and log(M dyn /M ⊙ ) = 10.4−12.0, with a mean value of log(M dyn /M ⊙ ) = 11.1, respectively. We found a strong correlation between dynamical mass and maximum velocity, between maximum velocity and magnitude, and between stellar mass and maximum velocity. According to these results, barred galaxies exhibit similar behaviour to that of normal spiral galaxies with respect to these relations, as well as in terms of the distribution of their dynamical mass and maximum rotation velocity. However, we found that the distribution of stellar masses of barred galaxies is statistically different from other samples including non-barred galaxies. Finally, analysing the galaxies that show nuclear activity, we find no difference with the rotation curves of normal galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Reduction of Sample Rotation in Electrostatic Levitation

In many containerless processing systems, control of sample rotation is an important issue. Sample rotation is even more important for microgravity containerless processing systems, where the centrifugal acceleration can approach 1 g for even a small rotation rate. Prior work on rotation control by Rhim focused on driving the sample rotation at a controlled rate for droplet dynamics experiments and measurement of electrical conductivity. His technique allows controlled, fast rotation, but for many microgravity experiments the goal is zero rotation. To minimize sample rotation, two approaches are apparent: first, to identify and balance or eliminate the driving forces for undesired sample rotation, or second, implement a feedback-based rotation control loop in parallel with the position control loop. In this work, we have taken the first approach. To minimize sample rotation, the simplest approach is to identify and balance or eliminate the driving forces for undesired sample rotation. Our experiments show that the dominant driving force for rotation of machined Zr spheres in the MSFC ESL is photon pressure from the heating laser. Experimental results showing the correlation between heating power and torque are compared to theoretical predictions, and a strategy for minimizing the torque due to photon pressure is presented.

Hyers, R. W↗

Efficient Quantum Gibbs Samplers with Kubo–Martin–Schwinger Detailed Balance Condition

Lindblad dynamics and other open-system dynamics provide a promising path towards efficient Gibbs sampling on quantum computers. In these proposals, the Lindbladian is obtained via an algorithmic construction akin to designing an artificial thermostat in classical Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics methods, rather than being treated as an approximation to weakly coupled system-bath unitary dynamics. Recently, Chen, Kastoryano, and Gilyén (arXiv:2311.09207) introduced the first efficiently implementable Lindbladian satisfying the Kubo–Martin–Schwinger (KMS) detailed balance condition, which ensures that the Gibbs state is a fixed point of the dynamics and is applicable to non-commuting Hamiltonians. This Gibbs sampler uses a continuously parameterized set of jump operators, and the energy resolution required for implementing each jump operator depends only logarithmically on the precision and the mixing time. In this work, we build upon the structural characterization of KMS detailed balanced Lindbladians by Fagnola and Umanità, and develop a family of efficient quantum Gibbs samplers using a finite set of jump operators (the number can be as few as one), akin to the classical Markov chain-based sampling algorithm. Compared to the existing works, our quantum Gibbs samplers have a comparable quantum simulation cost but with greater design flexibility and a much simpler implementation and error analysis. Moreover, it encompasses the construction of Chen, Kastoryano, and Gilyén as a special instance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Mars Science Laboratory Drill

This drill (see Figure 1) is the primary sample acquisition element of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) that collects powdered samples from various types of rock (from clays to massive basalts) at depths up to 50 mm below the surface. A rotary-percussive sample acquisition device was developed with an emphasis on toughness and robustness to handle the harsh environment on Mars. It is the first rover-based sample acquisition device to be flight-qualified (see Figure 2). This drill features an autonomous tool change-out on a mobile robot, and novel voice-coil-based percussion. The drill comprises seven subelements. Starting at the end of the drill, there is a bit assembly that cuts the rock and collects the sample. Supporting the bit is a subassembly comprising a chuck mechanism to engage and release the new and worn bits, respectively, and a spindle mechanism to rotate the bit. Just aft of that is a percussion mechanism, which generates hammer blows to break the rock and create the dynamic environment used to flow the powdered sample. These components are mounted to a translation mechanism, which provides linear motion and senses weight-on-bit with a force sensor. There is a passive-contact sensor/stabilizer mechanism that secures the drill fs position on the rock surface, and flex harness management hardware to provide the power and signals to the translating components. The drill housing serves as the primary structure of the turret, to which the additional tools and instruments are attached. The drill bit assembly (DBA) is a passive device that is rotated and hammered in order to cut rock (i.e. science targets) and collect the cuttings (powder) in a sample chamber until ready for transfer to the CHIMRA (Collection and Handling for Interior Martian Rock Analysis). The DBA consists of a 5/8-in. (.1.6- cm) commercial hammer drill bit whose shank has been turned down and machined with deep flutes designed for aggressive cutting removal. Surrounding the shank of the bit is a thick-walled maraging steel collection tube allowing the powdered sample to be augured up the hole into the sample chamber. For robustness, the wall thickness of the DBA was maximized while still ensuring effective sample collection. There are four recesses in the bit tube that are used to retain the fresh bits in their bit box. The rotating bit is supported by a back-to-back duplex bearing pair within a housing that is connected to the outer DBA housing by two titanium diaphragms. The only bearings on the drill in the sample flow are protected by a spring-energized seal, and an integrated shield that diverts the ingested powdered sample from the moving interface. The DBA diaphragms provide radial constraint of the rotating bit and form the sample chambers. Between the diaphragms there is a sample exit tube from which the sample is transferred to the CHIMRA. To ensure that the entire collected sample is retained, no matter the orientation of the drill with respect to gravity during sampling, the pass-through from the forward to the aft chamber resides opposite to the exit tube.

Okon, Avi B.↗

Shock Response of Commercial Purity Polycrystalline Magnesium Under Uniaxial Strain at Elevated Temperatures

Here, results of plate impact experiments designed to investigate the onset of incipient plasticity in commercial purity polycrystalline magnesium (99.9%) under weak uniaxial strain compression and elevated temperatures up to melt are presented. The dynamic stress at yield and post yield of magnesium, as inferred from the measured normal component of the particle velocity histories at the free (rear) surface of the target plate, are observed to decrease progressively with increasing test temperatures in the range from 23 to 500 °C. At (higher) test temperatures in the range 500–610 °C, the rate of decrease of dynamic stress with temperature at yield and post-yield in the sample is observed to weaken. At still higher test temperatures (617 and 630 °C), a dramatic increase in dynamic yield as well as flow stress is observed indicating a change in dominant mechanism of plastic deformation as the sample approaches the melt point of magnesium at strain rates of ~105/s. In addition to these measurements at the wavefront, the plateau region of the free surface particle velocity profiles indicates that the longitudinal (plastic) impedance of the magnesium samples decreases continuously as the sample temperatures are increased from room to 610 °C, and then reverses trend (indicating increasing material longitudinal impedance/ strength) as the sample temperatures are increased to 617 and 630 °C. Lastly, electron back scattered diffraction analysis of the as-received and annealed pre-test magnesium samples reveal grain coarsening as well as grain re-orientation to a different texture during the heating process of the samples.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A 3-D Coupled CFD-DSMC Solution Method With Application to the Mars Sample Return Orbiter

A method to obtain coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics-Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (CFD-DSMC), 3-D flow field solutions for highly blunt bodies at low incidence is presented and applied to one concept of the Mars Sample Return Orbiter vehicle as a demonstration of the technique. CFD is used to solve the high-density blunt forebody flow defining an inflow boundary condition for a DSMC solution of the afterbody wake flow. By combining the two techniques in flow regions where most applicable, the entire mixed flow field is modeled in an appropriate manner.

Glass, Christopher E.↗

Stress-induced hydrogen self-trapping in tungsten

The molecular dynamics simulations of trapping of hydrogen atoms in tungsten are presented. The simulations reveal formation of platelet-like structures of self-trapped hydrogen induced by stresses in tungsten, in particular, those produced by dislocations, at the interstitial hydrogen concentrations ~0.3-1 at.%. The spontaneous hydrogen platelet formation in absence of dislocations and external stresses has been also observed at the higher hydrogen concentrations ~10 at.%. It is shown that the platelets can retain substantial quantities of hydrogen, exceeding trapping capacity of other non-cavity defects in tungsten. The properties of the hydrogen latelets formed in tungsten under various conditions are assessed and a formation mechanism is proposed. A model of hydrogen retention by the dislocation-induced structures is also presented, which describes retained quantities and outgassing dynamics of hydrogen in plasma exposed tungsten samples.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Particlization in fluid dynamical simulations of heavy-ion collisions: The IS3D module

The IS3D particlization module simulates the emission of hadrons from heavy-ion collisions via Monte-Carlo sampling of the Cooper–Frye formula which converts fluid dynamical information into local phase-space distributions for hadrons. The code package includes multiple choices for the non-equilibrium correction to these distribution functions: the 14-moment approximation, first-order Chapman–Enskog expansion, and two types of modified equilibrium distributions. This makes it possible to explore to what extent heavy-ion experimental data are sensitive to different choices for δf n , presently the main source of theoretical uncertainty in the particlization stage. Here, we validate our particle sampler with a high degree of precision by generating several million hadron emission events from a longitudinally boost-invariant hypersurface and comparing the event-averaged particle spectra and space–time distributions to the Cooper–Frye formula.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗