Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Dynamic profiling”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 703 records · Page 39

High resolution measurements of core density collapse dynamics in LHD

The core density collapse (CDC) is an abrupt instability that degrades the performance of super dense core stellarator plasmas on the Large Helical Device (LHD). In LHD, CDCs have proved to be an operational limit in so-called outward-shifted configurations. New measurements with high time resolution Thomson scattering characterize dynamics of the instability in the core. The density profile is observed to collapse inwards, narrowing the density peak till the core itself collapses. A hot, radially localized feature is also observed in the electron temperature profile during the collapse and disappears within a few hundred microseconds of CDC onset.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Using 3D Measurements from MRI to Improve VVUQ

Magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV) is a diagnostic that can measure 3D, three-component turbulent velocity fields in arbitrarily complex flow configurations. The approach uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is a system commonly available in radiology departments or medical research centers. MRV acquires signal from hydrogen protons in water channel flows. Despite the obvious utility of the measurements for investigating a variety of flows, comparisons with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations largely retain traditional metrics, comparing velocity profiles and planes at discrete regions within the flow rather than using the 3D nature of the measured field. In this effort, MRV was conducted in a simple water channel with six spanwise-centered periodic obstacles roughly shaped as cubes. At a fully turbulent Reynolds number of 15,000, the channel includes two flows: a main streamwise flow and, in the wake of the second obstacle, an injected flow oriented perpendicular to the streamwise flow. The flow geometry includes partial obstacles on the side walls and is inherently 3D because of the interaction of the two streams and the wake features, making the flow challenging to completely measure with traditional optical techniques. Aside from line profiles and planar comparisons, two 3D metrics are used to compare the data with a steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulation result. A brief discussion about the comparison is provided, including comments about uncertainty.

Benson, Mike [ORNL] (ORCID:000000023210116X)↗

The development, testing and characterisation of a straw tracking detector and readout system for the Fermilab muon g-2 experiment

The anomalous magnetic moments of leptons can be both measured and theoretically predicted with high precision, and as such provide stringent tests of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_\mu$, in particular offers sensitivity to new physics within the reach of current experiments. The current world’s best measurement of aμ made at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) deviates from the SM prediction by over 3σ, providing a tantalising but inconclusive hint that contributions from new physics may be present. A new $a_\mu$ experiment is currently under construction at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), known as the Fermilab muon g-2 experiment. Due to commence in 2017, this new experiment is expected to improve the experimental measurement precision of $a_\mu$ by a factor of 4, and is seeking to confirm or reject the current discrepancy. The experiment, like its BNL predecessor, will measure the precession of the $\mu^{+}$ spin in a magnetic storage-ring. This new experiment has three straw tracking detectors used to measure the beam profile of the stored $\mu^{+}$, as well as other dynamic properties of the beam. This thesis describes the design of these detectors, and the data acquisition system and subsequent data processing systems that have been developed to read them out and make their data available for physics analysis. The performance of the straw trackers and the readout systems at a number of beam tests and test stands is presented, in addition to Monte-Carlo simulations of the trackers in the final experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Electric field measurements across the harang discontinuity

The Harang discontinuity, the area separating the positive and negative bay regions in the midnight sector of the auroral zone, is a focal point for changes in behavior of many phenomena. Through this region the electric field rotates through the west from a basically northward field in the positive bay region to a basically southward field in the negative bay region, appearing as a reversal in a single axis measurement; 32 of these reversals have been identified in the OGO-6 data from November and December, 1969. The discontinuity is dynamic in nature, moving southward and steepening its latitudinal profile as magnetic activity is increased. As activity decreases it relaxes poleward and spreads out in latitudinal width. It occurs over several hours of magnetic local time. The boundary in the electric field data is consistent with the reversal of ground magnetic disturbances from a positive to negative bay condition. The discontinuity is present in the electric field data both during substorms and during quiet times and appears to define a pattern on which other effects can occur.

Maynard, N. C.↗

Electric field measurements across the Harang discontinuity

The Harang discontinuity, the area separating the positive and negative bay regions in the midnight sector of the auroral zone, is a focal point for changes in behavior of many phenomena. Through this region the electric field, in a frame corotating with the earth, rotates through the west from a basically northward field in the positive bay region to a basically southward field in the negative bay region, appearing as a reversal in a single-axis measurement of the north-south component. Thirty-two of these reversals have been identified in the Ogo 6 data from November and December 1969. The discontinuity is dynamic in nature, moving southward and steepening its latitudinal profile as magnetic activity is increased. As activity decreases, it relaxes poleward and spreads out in latitudinal width. It occurs over several hours of magnetic local time.

Maynard, N. C.↗

EDIN design study alternate space shuttle booster replacement concepts. Volume 1: Engineering analysis

The use of a recoverable liquid rocket booster (LRB) system to replace the existing solid rocket booster (SRB) system for the shuttle was studied. Historical weight estimating relationships were developed for the LRB using Saturn technology and modified as required. Mission performance was computed using February 1975 shuttle configuration groundrules to allow reasonable comparison of the existing shuttle with the study designs. The launch trajectory was constrained to pass through both the RTLS/AOA and main engine cut off points of the shuttle reference mission 1. Performance analysis is based on a point design trajectory model which optimizes initial tilt rate and exoatmospheric pitch profile. A gravity turn was employed during the boost phase in place of the shuttle angle of attack profile. Engine throttling add/or shutdown was used to constrain dynamic pressure and/or longitudinal acceleration where necessary. Four basic configurations were investigated: a parallel burn vehicle with an F-1 engine powered LRB; a parallel burn vehicle with a high pressure engine powered LRB; a series burn vehicle with a high pressure engine powered LRB. The relative sizes of the LRB and the ET are optimized to minimize GLOW in most cases.

Demakes, P. T.↗

EDIN design study alternate space shuttle booster replacement concepts. Volume 2: Design simulation results

Historical weight estimating relationships were developed for the liquid rocket booster (LRB) using Saturn technology, and modified as required to support the EDIN05 study. Mission performance was computed using February 1975 shuttle configuration groundrules to allow reasonable comparison of the existing shuttle with the EDIN05 designs. The launch trajectory was constrained to pass through both the RTLS/AOA and main engine cut-off points. Performance analysis was based on a point design trajectory model which optimized initial tilt rate and exo-atmospheric pitch profile. A gravity turn was employed during the boost phase in place of the shuttle angle-of-attack profile. Engine throttling add/or shutdown was used to constrain dynamic pressure and/or longitudinal acceleration where necessary.

Demakes, P. T.↗

Space shuttle wind tunnel testing program

The wind tunnel testing rationale and the associated test program management plan for the STS design and development stage are reviewed. Noting that estimates of the total ground testing facilities needed exceeded any previous program for an aircraft or space vehicle, tests were intended to cover launch, separation, and entry. An Orbiter flight profile is outlined, and the aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, and structural dynamics testing objectives for launch, Orbiter, and ferry concepts are explored. The division of the STS development tasks between the Johnson Space Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center also included the formation of a coordinating panel with representatives of various wind tunnel programs and other phases of the STS development program. A total of 42,200 wind tunnel hr were used for the Shuttle development, with an additional 23,000 run in NASA supporting centers.

Whitnah, A. M.↗

Accretion onto magnetized neutron stars - X-ray pulsars with intermediate rotation rates

Assuming that the accreting material originates in a wind or envelope and therefore carried no net angular momentum, the Kevin-Helmholtz instability is applied to the transport of accreting plasma across the magnetopause of a rotating and magnetized neutron star for the case in which this surface is interchange-stable. Magnetopause location is determined, and the blackbody emission temperature is estimated. A possible period-dependence is noted in the X-ray temperature data which is in approximate agreement with the present model calculations. The magnetopause is found to be insufficiently stable to support an optically thick sheath of plasma surrounding the source, so that neither shrouding of the X-ray source nor significant reprocessing of the radiation field is possible in the model presented. It is concluded that while the flow structure at the magnetopause can control accretion column geometry, the emerging pulse profile and spectra are only indirectly altered, through a dynamical influence on emission region geometry.

Burnard, D. J.↗

Protostellar formation in rotating interstellar clouds. VI - Nonuniform initial conditions

The collapse and fragmentation of rotating protostellar clouds is explored, starting from nonuniform density and nonuniform rotation initial conditions. Whether binary fragmentation occurs during the first dynamic collapse phase depends strongly on the initial density profile. Exponential clouds are only somewhat more resistant to fragmentation than uniform-density clouds, but power-law clouds do not undergo fragmentation for likely values of a relevant parameter. Because binary fragments start from profiles intermediate between uniform density and exponential clouds, minimum protostellar mass for population I stars should be increased to approximately 0.02 solar mass. The axisymmetric Terey et al. (1984) model should be stable with respect to nonaxisymmetric perturbations. Considering the observed binary frequency, collapse from power-law initial conditions appears to be less common than collapse from more uniform initial conditions.

Boss, Alan P.↗

Cometary H2(+) and solar wind He(2+) dynamics across the Halley cometopause

Two Mass/Charge (M/Q) of about 2 distributions were observed by the Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer/High Energy Range Spectrometer (IMS/HERS) during the encounter with comet Halley. The first, present throughout the encounter, is identified as solar wind He(2+). The second, detectable only within about 600,000 km of the nucleus, is identified as H2(+) (produced primarily by dissociation and ionization of cometary H2O). When these two distributions are separated, distinct differences in their dynamics are apparent, particularly in the density and velocity profiles near the 'cometopause'.

Fuselier, S. A.↗

Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) - Experiment overview

The Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) is one of a complement of instruments on the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite which is expected to study atmospheric photochemistry, energy input, and dynamics following a 1991 launch. CLAES measures stratospheric altitude profiles of temperature, pressure, O3, H2O, CH4, N2O, NO, NO2, N2O5, HNO3, ClONO2, HCl, CFC-11, and CFC-12. These data are obtained typically between 10 and 60 km, with 2.5-km vertical resolution and 500-km horizontal grid size. Coverage is obtained between latitudes 80 deg north and south, thereby providing substantial coverage of the Antarctic spring polar ozone-hole region. CLAES derives the listed geophysical parameters from measurement of earth-limb spectral emissions between 3.5 and 13 microns. Brief discussions of the measurement concept, instrument design, and performance are presented, followed by a more detailed discussion of scientific capabilities and measurement modes.

Roche, Aidan E.↗

Modeling personnel turnover in the parametric organization

A model is developed for simulating the dynamics of a newly formed organization, credible during all phases of organizational development. The model development process is broken down into the activities of determining the tasks required for parametric cost analysis (PCA), determining the skills required for each PCA task, determining the skills available in the applicant marketplace, determining the structure of the model, implementing the model, and testing it. The model, parameterized by the likelihood of job function transition, has demonstrated by the capability to represent the transition of personnel across functional boundaries within a parametric organization using a linear dynamical system, and the ability to predict required staffing profiles to meet functional needs at the desired time. The model can be extended by revisions of the state and transition structure to provide refinements in functional definition for the parametric and extended organization.

Dean, Edwin B.↗

GRO: Black hole models for gamma ray bursts

This grant deals with the production of gamma-ray bursts (GRB's) close to horizons of black holes (BH's), mainly via accretion of small chunks of matter onto extreme Kerr BH's. In the past year, we laid the ground work for actual calculations close to Kerr BH's. Because of technical reasons, actual work has only started very recently. Following the detailed list of research subprojects as per our original proposal, we have performed research in the following areas: spectrum calculation; burst dynamics; tidal capture and primordial cloud collapse; halo density profile; and capture of other objects.

Shaham, Jacob↗

Discovery Venera surface: Atmosphere geochemistry experiments mission concept

The phenomenal increase in our understanding of Venus provided by the Magellan Mission has raised a series of focused, fundamental scientific questions about the geochemistry of the surface of Venus, the nature of the lower atmosphere, and the relationship of the lower atmosphere and surface. First, surface geochemical measurements from the Venera/Vega spacecraft showed that widely spaced regions of the venusian plains are made of basalts; thus basalts are significant and may be the only component of the venusian crust. But we lack information on the composition of several key elements of Venus geology: (1) Tessera terrain (which may be outcrops of continental-like non-basaltic crustal material) and steep-sided domes/festoons are promising candidates for non-basaltic geochemically evolved material. The composition of the lower part of the Venusian crust is unknown: however, ejecta from large venusian craters provides us with the possibility of sampling this material on the surface; (2) bulk chemistry (structure and dynamics) of the venusian atmosphere are known. The altitude profiles of water vapor content and minor admixtures relevant to redox conditions in the lower atmosphere (less than 20 km altitude) remain uncertain. Lack of that knowledge means that we do not understand the fine chemical structure of the main mass of the Venusian atmosphere; and (3) thermodynamic models predict that igneous materials on the surface of Venus should react with gases of the venusian atmosphere. But because the water vapor content and redox conditions in the lower atmosphere are not well known, we do not understand the nature of venusian weathering: oxidation, sulfatization, carbonatization, and hydration. The answers to these questions are critical to the understanding of Venus, the most Earth-like of the terrestrial planets.

Surkov, Yuri A.↗

Quantification of Gear Tooth Damage by Optimal Tracking of Vibration Signatures

This paper presents a technique for quantifying the wear or damage of gear teeth in a transmission system. The procedure developed in this study can be applied as a part of either an onboard machine health-monitoring system or a health diagnostic system used during regular maintenance. As the developed methodology is based on analysis of gearbox vibration under normal operating conditions, no shutdown or special modification of operating parameters is required during the diagnostic process. The process of quantifying the wear or damage of gear teeth requires a set of measured vibration data and a model of the gear mesh dynamics. An optimization problem is formulated to determine the profile of a time-varying mesh stiffness parameter for which the model output approximates the measured data. The resulting stiffness profile is then related to the level of gear tooth wear or damage. The procedure was applied to a data set generated artificially and to another obtained experimentally from a spiral bevel gear test rig. The results demonstrate the utility of the procedure as part of an overall health-monitoring system.

Choy, F. K.↗

Turbulent Diffusivities for Momentum, Heat, Salt and Passive Scalars

A program began ten years ago to build a turbulence model to describe high Reynolds numbers flows. Specifically, the aim was to devise a model that would satisfy two basic conditions: reproduce available turbulence data (laboratory, numerical simulations, etc.) concerning shear driven flows, buoyancy driven flows, 2D turbulence, freely decaying turbulence etc., and yet be manageable so as to be used, for example, in GCM'S. The model was presented in a series of papers that have appeared in Physics of FLuids since 1996. A total of about 80 turbulence statistics were reproduced. The model has no adjustable parameters. The next step was to apply the model to construct the vertical diffusivities K for moment K(sub m), temperature K(sub h), salt K(sub g) and passive scalars K(sub c). First, we took K(sub g) = K(sub h) and tested the model using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) ocean model. The results for the profiles of T and S vs. depth are indistinguishable from those derided using the latest model, the KPP model by the NCAR group. Presently, we are running the same GFDL code relaxing the assumptive K(sub g) = K(sub h). Indeed, the turbulence model yields a salt diffusivity that depends on Ri and R Rho (= Beta Sigma S/Sigma z/Alpha Sigma T/Sigma z) in such a way that K(sub g) may be quite different from K(sub h). Salt fingers and double diffusivity laboratory data are reproduced. Results from the ocean model will be available shortly. Finally, we are trying to derive the horizontal diffusivities with the goal of providing a physically acceptable representation of mesoscale eddies. The recently suggested GMW parameterization has improved several O-GCM results and the goal here is to try to derive/justify it from a turbulence model and/or propose improvements/modifications. Theoretical work is in progress.

Canuto, Vittorio↗

An X-Ray Study of the Evolution of the CTB1 Supernova Remnant

The subject grant supported an X-ray study of the evolution of CTB1, a supernova remnant with a centrally brightened morphology in X-rays and a curious optical structure suggesting the possibility of evolution in a stellar wind cavity. The primary questions to be answered in the study were: 1) is the X-ray emission thermal, and thus associated with hot gas in the remnant interior, or nonthermal, presumably driven by an unseen pulsar; 2) if the emission is thermal, is the ionization timescale of the hot gas consistent with a dynamically young SNR, such as might be expected for a cavity explosion, or is it consistent with dynamically older remnant whose centrally enhanced X-ray profile is the result of thermal conduction with a radiative shell, or perhaps evaporation of cool clouds being slowly heated in the SNR interior?

Slane, P.↗