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At least 73 records · Page 4

GHRS observations of mass-loaded flows in Abell 78

Spectroscopic observations of the central star of the planetary nebula Abell 78 were obtained with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the vicinity of the C IV lambda 1548.2, 1550.8 doublet. We find a series of narrow absorption features superposed on the broad, P Cygni stellar wind profile. These features are seen in both components of the doublet at heliocentric radial velocities of -18, -71, -131, and -192 km/s. At higher velocities, individual components are no longer distinct but, rather, merge into a continuous absorption extending to approximately -385 km/s. This is among the highest velocities ever detected for gas in a planetary nebula. The -18 km/s feature originates in an outer envelope of normal composition, while the -71 km/s feature is produced in the wind-swept shell encircling an irregular wind-blown bubble in the planetary nebula center. The hydrogen-poor ejecta of Abell 78, consisting of dense knots with wind-blown tails, are located in the bubble's interior, in the vicinity of the stellar wind termination shock. The high-velocity C IV lambda 154 absorption features can be explained as due to parcels of ejecta being accelerated to high velocities as they are swept up by the stellar wind during its interaction with dense condensations of H-poor ejecta. As the ablated material is accelerated, it will partially mix with the stellar wind, creating a mass-loaded flow. The abundance anomalies seen at the rim of the bubble attest to the transport of H-poor knot material by such a flow.

Harrington, J. Patrick↗

Lithium‐Containing Hybrid SEI Layer Enabling High Mass Loading and Anode‐Less Sodium Metal Batteries

The continuous rupturing and rebuilding of unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer during cycling would block Na + diffusion and induce Na dendrite formation, ultimately limiting the practical application of high-energy-density sodium metal batteries. Herein, a hybrid SEI layer containing Li-species is dexterously constructed on the surface of sodium metal anode. Li-containing inorganic components (Li 3 N, LiF, and Li 2 CO 3 ) are introduced to stabilize the Na/electrolyte interface and enhance the mechanical and diffusion kinetic properties of the SEI layer, which can reduce the side reactions and gas generation, regulate Na + flux during cycling and promote rapid Na + migration for uniform dendrite-free Na deposition. As a result, the constructed Na symmetric cells achieve low overpotential and long cycle life of 5900, 1800, and 500 h at current densities of 3, 10, and 30 mA cm −2 , respectively. Furthermore, the full cells paired with the Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ cathode demonstrate high specific capacity and excellent cycle stability, even at an ultra-high cathode loading of 39.3 mg cm −2 and a low N/P ratio (negative/positive electrode capacity ratio of 1.21).

Diffusion kinetic↗

Isolating Added Mass Load Components of CPAS Main Clusters

The current simulation for the Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) lacks fidelity in representing added mass for the 116 ft Do ringsail Main parachute. The availability of 3-D models of inflating Main canopies allowed for better estimation the enclosed air volume as a function of time. This was combined with trajectory state information to estimate the components making up measured axial loads. A proof-of-concept for an alternate simulation algorithm was developed based on enclosed volume as the primary independent variable rather than drag area growth. Databases of volume growth and parachute drag area vs. volume were developed for several flight tests. Other state information was read directly from test data, rather than numerically propagated. The resulting simulated peak loads were close in timing and magnitude to the measured loads data. However, results are very sensitive to data curve fitting and may not be suitable for Monte Carlo simulations. It was assumed that apparent mass was either negligible or a small fraction of enclosed mass, with little difference in results.

Ray, Eric S.↗

Mass loading of the Earth's magnetosphere by micron size lunar ejecta. 2: Ejecta dynamics and enhanced lifetimes in the Earth's magnetosphere

Extensive studies were conducted concerning the indivdual mass, temporal and positional distribution of micron and submicron lunar ejecta existing in the Earth-Moon gravitational sphere of influence. Initial results show a direct correlation between the position of the Moon, relative to the Earth, and the percentage of lunar ejecta leaving the Moon and intercepting the magnetosphere of the Earth at the magnetopause surface. It is seen that the Lorentz Force dominates all other forces, thus suggesting that submicron dust particles might possibly be magnetically trapped in the well known radiation zones.

Alexander, W. M.↗

Mass loading of the Earth's magnetosphere by micron size lunar ejecta. 1: Ejecta production and orbital dynamics in cislunar space

Particulate matter possessing lunar escape velocity sufficient to enhance the cislunar meteroid flux was investigated. While the interplanetary flux was extensively studied, lunar ejecta created by the impact of this material on the lunar surface is only now being studied. Two recently reported flux models are employed to calculate the total mass impacting the lunar surface due to sporadic meteor flux. There is ample evidence to support the contention that the sporadic interplanetary meteoroid flux enhances the meteroid flux of cislunar space through the creation of micron and submicron lunar ejecta with lunar escape velocity.

Alexander, W. M.↗

Sulfur mass loading of the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions: Calibration of the ice core record on basis of sulfate aerosol deposition in polar regions from the 1982 El Chichon eruption

Major volcanic eruptions disperse large quantities of sulfur compound throughout the Earth's atmosphere. The sulfuric acid aerosols resulting from such eruptions are scavenged by snow within the polar regions and appear in polar ice cores as elevated acidity layers. Glacio-chemical studies of ice cores can, thus, provide a record of past volcanism, as well as the means for understanding the fate of volcanic sulfur in the atmosphere. The primary objectives of this project are to study the chemistry and physical properties of volcanic fallout in a Greenland Ice Core in order to evaluate the impact of the volcanic gases on the atmospheric chemistry and the total atmospheric mass of volcanic aerosols emitted by major volcanic eruptions. We propose to compare the ice core record to other atmospheric records performed during the last 10 years to investigate transport and deposition of volcanic materials.

Sigurdsson, Haraldur↗

Terrestrial Water Mass Load Changes from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)

Recent studies show that data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) is promising for basin- to global-scale water cycle research. This study provides varied assessments of errors associated with GRACE water storage estimates. Thirteen monthly GRACE gravity solutions from August 2002 to December 2004 are examined, along with synthesized GRACE gravity fields for the same period that incorporate simulated errors. The synthetic GRACE fields are calculated using numerical climate models and GRACE internal error estimates. We consider the influence of measurement noise, spatial leakage error, and atmospheric and ocean dealiasing (AOD) model error as the major contributors to the error budget. Leakage error arises from the limited range of GRACE spherical harmonics not corrupted by noise. AOD model error is due to imperfect correction for atmosphere and ocean mass redistribution applied during GRACE processing. Four methods of forming water storage estimates from GRACE spherical harmonics (four different basin filters) are applied to both GRACE and synthetic data. Two basin filters use Gaussian smoothing, and the other two are dynamic basin filters which use knowledge of geographical locations where water storage variations are expected. Global maps of measurement noise, leakage error, and AOD model errors are estimated for each basin filter. Dynamic basin filters yield the smallest errors and highest signal-to-noise ratio. Within 12 selected basins, GRACE and synthetic data show similar amplitudes of water storage change. Using 53 river basins, covering most of Earth's land surface excluding Antarctica and Greenland, we document how error changes with basin size, latitude, and shape. Leakage error is most affected by basin size and latitude, and AOD model error is most dependent on basin latitude.

Seo, K.-W.↗

Lithium‐Containing Hybrid SEI Layer Enabling High Mass Loading and Anode‐Less Sodium Metal Batteries

Abstract The continuous rupturing and rebuilding of unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer during cycling would block Na + diffusion and induce Na dendrite formation, ultimately limiting the practical application of high‐energy‐density sodium metal batteries. Herein, a hybrid SEI layer containing Li‐species is dexterously constructed on the surface of sodium metal anode. Li‐containing inorganic components (Li 3 N, LiF, and Li 2 CO 3 ) are introduced to stabilize the Na/electrolyte interface and enhance the mechanical and diffusion kinetic properties of the SEI layer, which can reduce the side reactions and gas generation, regulate Na + flux during cycling and promote rapid Na + migration for uniform dendrite‐free Na deposition. As a result, the constructed Na symmetric cells achieve low overpotential and long cycle life of 5900, 1800, and 500 h at current densities of 3, 10, and 30 mA cm −2 , respectively. Furthermore, the full cells paired with the Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ cathode demonstrate high specific capacity and excellent cycle stability, even at an ultra‐high cathode loading of 39.3 mg cm −2 and a low N/P ratio (negative/positive electrode capacity ratio of 1.21).

Xia, Li [State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistr↗

Upcycling Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Waste into Graphene for High Mass Loading Supercapacitors

Upcycling plastic into advanced carbons, such as graphene and porous carbon, offers attractive options to manage waste streams by converting the plastic into carbon electrode materials for energy storage devices. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) is firstly bulk-oxidized with a facile and scalable method and then carbonized and catalyticlly graphenized into porous graphene materials. The LLDPE derived graphene (LLDPE-G) has a BET specific surface area up to 1800 m2/g and Raman ID/IG ratio of 0.85. When used as electrode material for symmetric supercapacitor, LLDPE-G possesses outstanding specific capacitance and excellent areal capacitance. Moreover, LLDPE-G exhibits exceptional cycling stability with capacitance retention of 95.8% after 100,000 cycles. Last but not least, KCl is recycled and reused over 3 cycles with material quality and electrocapacitive performance of LLDPE-G retained and verified after each cycle.

Gao, Yuan↗

Solar wind mass-loading at Comet Halley - A lesson from Venus?

Recent observations at Comet Halley show that the region within which cometary ions become the dominant component lies outside of the magnetic field-free cavity. This behavior resembles that found at Venus under conditions where the incident solar wind dynamic pressure exceeds the ionospheric pressure. On these occasions the magnetosheath magnetic field is found well inside of the region where planetary ions are observed. Although scaling and the details of formation of the inner boundary of the magnetic field are different for these two objects, the processes by which the interplanetary magnetic field penetrates into the ionospheres at Venus and at Comet Halley are in many ways analogous.

Breus, T. K.↗

The structure of mass-loading shocks. 1: Comets

A new multifluid model to describe the solar wind-cometary ion plasma in the outer cometary coma is derived. This model is distinguished from previous multifluid models in that wave-particle effects are included explicitly. By considering hydrodynamic timescales, self-consistent dissipative terms (which correspond to the spatial diffusion of cometary ions) are derived, thereby allowing the structure of a cometary bow shock to be resolved. In the hypersonic limit, our diffusive multifluid model reveals an attractive connection to the one-fluid model formulated by Biermann et al. (1967), a connection which serves as an important guide when investigating our more complicated nonhypersonic diffusive model. The detailed model consists of cometary ions diffusing in a warm solar wind which is heated by the dissipation of Alfvenic turbulence (in situ and generated by the initial ring beam distribution). The quasi-parallel cometary shock is found to be at least an order of magnitude thicker than a quasi-perpendicular cometary shock. It is furthermore found that for undisturbed solar wind (sonic) Mach numbers in excess of approximately 6, the cometary bow shock (for both perpendicular and parallel cases) is smoothed completely by the cometary ions and no 'proton' or thermal subshock is necessary. Finally, a detailed comparison of the model with the plasma observations made at Halley by Giotto is undertaken. It is found that the observed shock structure, thickness, location, and plasma parameters compare well with the predictions of the theoretical model, particularly in the case of the quasi-parallel shock.

Zank, G. P.↗