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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4

Rescheduling with iterative repair

This paper presents a new approach to rescheduling called constraint-based iterative repair. This approach gives our system the ability to satisfy domain constraints, address optimization concerns, minimize perturbation to the original schedule, and produce modified schedules quickly. The system begins with an initial, flawed schedule and then iteratively repairs constraint violations until a conflict-free schedule is produced. In an empirical demonstration, we vary the importance of minimizing perturbation and report how fast the system is able to resolve conflicts in a given time bound. These experiments were performed within the domain of Space Shuttle ground processing.

Zweben, Monte↗

Self-organized criticality in sandpiles - Nature of the critical phenomenon

The scaling behavior of sandpile models is investigated analytically. First, it is shown that sandpile models contain a set of domain walls, referred to as troughs, which bound regions that can experience avalanches. It is further shown that the dynamics of the troughs is governed by a simple set of rules involving birth, death, and coalescence events. A simple trough model is then introduced, and it is proved that the model has a phase transition with the density of the troughs as an order parameter and that, in the thermodynamic limit, the trough density goes to zero at the transition point. Finally, it is shown that the observed scaling behavior is a consequence of finite-size effects.

Carlson, J. M.↗

Over-Expression, Purification and Crystallization of Human Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase

Dehydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3; dihydrolipoan-tide:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.8.1.4) is a common catalytic component found in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, and branched-chain cc-keto acid dehydrogenase complex. E3 is also a component (referred to as L protein) of the glycine cleavage system in bacterial metabolism (2). Active E3 forms a homodimer with four distinctive subdomain structures (FAD binding, NAD+ binding, central and interface domains) with non-covalently but tightly bound FAD in the holoenzyme. Deduced amino acids from cloned full-length human E3 gene showed a total of 509 amino acids with a leader sequence (N-terminal 35 amino acids) that is excised (mature form) during transportation of expressed E3 into mitochondria membrane. So far, three-dimensional structure of human E3 has not been reported. Our effort to achieve the elucidation of the X-ray crystal structure of human E3 will be presented. Recombinant pPROEX-1 expression vector (from GIBCO BRL Life Technologies) having the human E3 gene without leader sequence was constructed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and subsequent ligation, and cloned in E.coli XL1-Blue by transformation. Since pPROEX-1 vector has an internal His-tag (six histidine peptide) located at the upstream region of a multicloning site, one-step affinity purification of E3 using nickelnitriloacetic acid (Ni-NTA) agarose resin, which has a strong affinity to His-tag, was feasible. Also a seven-amino-acid spacer peptide and a recombinant tobacco etch virus protease recognition site (seven amino acids peptide) found between His-tag and first amino acid of expressed E3 facilitated the cleavage of His-tag from E3 after the affinity purification. By IPTG induction, ca. 15 mg of human E3 (mature form) was obtained from 1L LB culture with overnight incubation at 25C. Over 98% of purity of E3 from one-step Ni-NTA agarose affinity purification was confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis. For crystallization, E3 samples were prepared with and without His-tag. To minimize the aggregation of E3, apo- and holo- forms of E3s were tested, as well as a mutated E3. Dynamic light scattering measurements revealed that the E3 preparations without His-tag and substrate are highly monodispersive with regard to homodimers. Consequent crystallization trials of this E3 preparation led to single crystals of E3 grown by the vapor diffusion method. Crystals were obtained within a few days from solution containing poly (ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether 5000 as a precipitant. Autoindexing and integration of the X-ray diffraction data showed that E3 crystals belong to an orthorhombic system with unit cell parameters a-- 123. 1, b= 165.3 and c=214.3A. Further optimization of protein preparation and crystallization experiments for the structural determination will be discussed.

Hong, Y. S.↗

Synthesis of feedback systems with large plant ignorance for prescribed time domain tolerances

There is given a minimum-phase plant transfer function, with prescribed bounds on its parameter values. The plant is imbedded in a two-degree-of freedom feedback system, which is to be designed such that the system time response to a deterministic input lies within specified boundaries. Subject to the above, the design should be such as to minimize the effect of sensor noise at the input to the plant. This report presents a design procedure for this purpose, based on frequency response concepts. The time-domain tolerances are translated into equivalent frequency response tolerances. The latter lead to bounds on the loop transmission function in the form of continuous curves on the Nichols chart. The properties of the loop transmission function which satisfy these bounds with minimum effect of sensor noise, are derived.

Horowitz, I. M.↗

A generalized Lyapunov theory for robust root clustering of linear state space models with real parameter uncertainty

The problem of analyzing and designing controllers for linear systems subject to real parameter uncertainty is considered. An elegant, unified theory for robust eigenvalue placement is presented for a class of D-regions defined by algebraic inequalities by extending the nominal matrix root clustering theory of Gutman and Jury (1981) to linear uncertain time systems. The author presents explicit conditions for matrix root clustering for different D-regions and establishes the relationship between the eigenvalue migration range and the parameter range. The bounds are all obtained by one-shot computation in the matrix domain and do not need any frequency sweeping or parameter gridding. The method uses the generalized Lyapunov theory for getting the bounds.

Yedavalli, R. K.↗

Comparison of Health and Performance Risk for Accelerated Mars Mission Scenarios

This document details the results for a quantitative estimate of the difference in human health and performance risk that crews would face for two hypothetical variations on Mars mission scenarios: an Accelerated Mars Mission (AMM) and a Standard Mars Mission(SMM).NASA goals for Mars mission concepts, duration, and tasks have varied over the years. While neither of the cases considered here are likely to accurately represent the initial mission to Mars, the exercise of evaluating significant differences in mission duration from an astronaut health perspective can provide bounding insight to the level of risk that is likely to be encountered in an eventual Mars mission. Medical Probabilistic Risk Assessment using the Integrated Medical Model (IMM)(1–3)and the NASA Space Radiation Cancer Risk Model (NSCR)(4,5) are used here to help mission planners gain the best insight currently available into the expected magnitude of impacts to astronaut health when undertaking a Mars mission. These impacts occur both in-mission as well as in the long-term health of the astronauts post-mission. These evaluations are currently the best available modeling estimates to characterize and bound the health risks in a proposed mission domain where humans have no experience.

Erik Antonsen↗

Feasibility investigation of general time-domain unsteady aerodynamics of rotors

The feasibility of a general theory for the time-domain unsteady aerodynamics of helicopter rotors is investigated. The wake theory gives a linearized relation between the downwash and the wing bound circulation, in terms of the impulse response obtained directly in the time domain. This approach makes it possible to treat general wake configurations, including discrete wake vorticity with rolled-up and distorted geometry. The investigation establishes the approach for model order reduction; determines when a constrained identification method is needed; verifies the formulation of the theory for rolled-up, distorted trim wake geometry; and verifies the formulation of the theory for wake geometry perturbations. The basic soundness of the approach is demonstrated by the results presented. A research program to complete the development of the method is outlined. The result of this activity will be an approach for analyzing the aeroelastic stability and response of helicopter rotors, while retaining the important influence of the complicated rotor wake configuration.

Johnson, Wayne↗

Constraints on Axions from Cosmic Distance Measurements

Axion couplings to photons could induce photon-axion conversion in the presence of magnetic fields in the Universe. This conversion could impact various cosmic distance measurements, such as luminosity distances to type Ia supernovae and angular distances to galaxy clusters, in different ways. In this paper we consider different combinations of the most up-to-date distance measurements to constrain the axion-photon coupling. Employing the conservative cell magnetic field model for the magnetic fields in the intergalactic medium (IGM) and ignoring the conversion in the intracluster medium (ICM), we find the upper bounds on axion-photon couplings to be around 5 × 10^(−12) (nG/B) √(Mpc/s) Ge/V for axion masses m(a) below 10^(−13) eV, where B is the strength of the IGM magnetic field, and s is the comoving size of the magnetic domains. When including the conversion in the ICM, the upper bound is lowered and could reach 5 × 10^(−13) Ge/V for m(a) < 5 × 10^(−12) eV. While this stronger bound depends on the ICM modeling, it is independent of the strength of the IGM magnetic field, for which there is no direct evidence yet. These constraints could be placed on firmer footing with an enhanced understanding and control of the astrophysical uncertainties associated with the IGM and ICM. All the bounds are determined by the shape of the Hubble rate as a function of redshift reconstructable from various distance measurements, and insensitive to today’s Hubble rate, of which there is a tension between early and late cosmological measurements. As an appendix, we discuss the model building challenges of the use of photon-axion conversion to make type Ia supernovae brighter to alleviate the Hubble problem/crisis.

Cosmology of Theories beyond the SM↗

Discussion summary: Fictitious domain methods

Fictitious Domain methods are constructed in the following manner: Suppose a partial differential equation is to be solved on an open bounded set, Omega, in 2-D or 3-D. Let R be a rectangle domain containing the closure of Omega. The partial differential equation is first solved on R. Using the solution on R, the solution of the equation on Omega is then recovered by some procedure. The advantage of the fictitious domain method is that in many cases the solution of a partial differential equation on a rectangular region is easier to compute than on a nonrectangular region. Fictitious domain methods for solving elliptic PDEs on general regions are also very efficient when used on a parallel computer. The reason is that one can use the many domain decomposition methods that are available for solving the PDE on the fictitious rectangular region. The discussion on fictitious domain methods began with a talk by R. Glowinski in which he gave some examples of a variational approach to ficititious domain methods for solving the Helmholtz and Navier-Stokes equations.

Glowinski, Rowland↗

Navier-Stokes calculations for vortex rings in an unbounded domain

A computational code for the vorticity-potential method is developed for a three-dimensional bounded vorticity field. The evaluation of the boundary data for the vector potential in the code is improved so that the numerical solution simulates that in an unbounded domain to a high order. The time evolution of two vortex rings and that of an elliptic ring are investigated with this code. The cut-and-connect phenomena of vortex rings are successfully captured. The results are compared with those of asymptotic theory and the experiment. They also highlight the need for additional theoretical and numerical investigations.

Ishii, Katsuya↗

Kodiak: An Implementation Framework for Branch and Bound Algorithms

Recursive branch and bound algorithms are often used to refine and isolate solutions to several classes of global optimization problems. A rigorous computation framework for the solution of systems of equations and inequalities involving nonlinear real arithmetic over hyper-rectangular variable and parameter domains is presented. It is derived from a generic branch and bound algorithm that has been formally verified, and utilizes self-validating enclosure methods, namely interval arithmetic and, for polynomials and rational functions, Bernstein expansion. Since bounds computed by these enclosure methods are sound, this approach may be used reliably in software verification tools. Advantage is taken of the partial derivatives of the constraint functions involved in the system, firstly to reduce the branching factor by the use of bisection heuristics and secondly to permit the computation of bifurcation sets for systems of ordinary differential equations. The associated software development, Kodiak, is presented, along with examples of three different branch and bound problem types it implements.

Smith, Andrew P.↗

Stability analysis of spectral methods for hyperbolic initial-boundary value systems

A constant coefficient hyperbolic system in one space variable, with zero initial data is discussed. Dissipative boundary conditions are imposed at the two points x = + or - 1. This problem is discretized by a spectral approximation in space. Sufficient conditions under which the spectral numerical solution is stable are demonstrated - moreover, these conditions have to be checked only for scalar equations. The stability theorems take the form of explicit bounds for the norm of the solution in terms of the boundary data. The dependence of these bounds on N, the number of points in the domain (or equivalently the degree of the polynomials involved), is investigated for a class of standard spectral methods, including Chebyshev and Legendre collocations.

Gottlieb, D.↗

Extension theorems for homogenization on lattice structures

When applying homogenization techniques to problems involving lattice structures, it is necessary to extend certain functions defined on a perforated domain to a simply connected domain. This paper provides general extension operators which preserve bounds on derivatives of order l. Only the special case of honeycomb structures is considered.

Miller, Robert E.↗

On the application of a frequency domain controller design methodology to non-minimum phase and unstable systems

A frequency-domain design methodology was developed for controller synthesis maximizing the allowable size of an unknown-but-bounded disturbance while satisfying prespecified control and output constraints. The design technique, which accounts for bandwidth limitations, is based on mapping time-domain constraints into the frequency domain. Application of this technique to non-minimum-phase and/or unstable systems is presented. A non-minimum-phase, unstable SIMO (single-input/multiple-output) system is examined, and the results are compared to those obtained by the set-theoretic (ST) approach. The comparison shows that this methodology can yield controllers that reject step disturbances larger than those obtained by the ST method.

Sobhani, Massoud↗

Bifurcation Analysis Using Rigorous Branch and Bound Methods

For the study of nonlinear dynamic systems, it is important to locate the equilibria and bifurcations occurring within a specified computational domain. This paper proposes a new approach for solving these problems and compares it to the numerical continuation method. The new approach is based upon branch and bound and utilizes rigorous enclosure techniques to yield outer bounding sets of both the equilibrium and local bifurcation manifolds. These sets, which comprise the union of hyper-rectangles, can be made to be as tight as desired. Sufficient conditions for the existence of equilibrium and bifurcation points taking the form of algebraic inequality constraints in the state-parameter space are used to calculate their enclosures directly. The enclosures for the bifurcation sets can be computed independently of the equilibrium manifold, and are guaranteed to contain all solutions within the computational domain. A further advantage of this method is the ability to compute a near-maximally sized hyper-rectangle of high dimension centered at a fixed parameter-state point whose elements are guaranteed to exclude all bifurcation points. This hyper-rectangle, which requires a global description of the bifurcation manifold within the computational domain, cannot be obtained otherwise. A test case, based on the dynamics of a UAV subject to uncertain center of gravity location, is used to illustrate the efficacy of the method by comparing it with numerical continuation and to evaluate its computational complexity.

Smith, Andrew P.↗

Preparation and Fluorescence Anisotropy Study of a Ribonuclease-Lucifer Yellow Conjugate

We have prepared a chemical derivative of ribonuclease A (RNase) with lucifer yellow (LY). The rotational dynamics of the LY-RNase conjugate were characterized by steady state and time resolved fluorescence techniques. Steady state anisotropy measurements were performed at varying viscosities at 10C and 20C, and the rotational correlation time of both RNase and the covalently linked LY probe were determined by time resolved frequency domain measurements. Our data suggest that the fluorophore is rigidly bound at 10C.

Malone, C. C.↗

Distributed deformation and block rotation in three dimensions

A model is developed that attempts to explain distributed deformation, particularly the relationship between fault slip and rotation of faults and blocks in a 3D stress field. Regions of distributed deformation (such as Southern California) are organized in complex arrays of contemporaneously active block-faulted domains. A 3D block rotation model is proposed here that tracks the orientation of blocks and their bounding faults during rotation. It is shown how only one set of faults, preexisting and rotating in an irrotational strike-slip stress field, can account for the three major phases of deformation observed in the Western Transverse Range domain, Southern California.

Scotti, Oona↗