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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Roscoe Lidar: Initial Results from the Upward and Downward Looking Airborne Lidar from the ACCLIP and SABRE Campaigns

Backscatter lidars are a staple of airborne remote sensing and are primarily used in determining the altitude, vertical structure, and optical properties of clouds and aerosols. These airborne lidars typically observe in a downward direction which is sufficient for most tropospheric objectives. With more scientific attention being directed to upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric (UTLS) aerosols and recent volcanic and phrocumulonimbus events in the news, developing lidar instruments that can observe the UTLS will be vital in better understanding their composition and optical properties and determining their role in the planet's radiative balance. To meet this need, the downward and upward looking Roscoe lidar was developed and flown on two recent field campaigns: Stratospheric Aerosol processes, Budget, and Radiative Effects (SABRE) and Asian Summer Monsoon Chemical and CLimate Impact Project (ACCLIP) (both 2022). Building on its extensive Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) heritage, we show that Roscoe can deliver CPL-like products in both the up and down-looking directions providing an unmatched vertical view of the atmosphere from an airborne platform. Future work can leverage Roscoe's updward looking view to quantify the optical properties and extinction of UTLS aerosols.

Kenneth Christian↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of an Enhanced Radiation Physics Toolset for Modeling Spectral and Imaging Signatures in the Warm Dense Matter Experiments

Radiative and atomic processes in plasmas play a critical role in a wide variety of high energy density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) experiments. The emission, absorption, and transport of radiation can strongly affect the overall energetics and evolution of such plasmas. In addition, radiation-based diagnostics – including imaging, spectroscopy, and absolute flux measurements – are widely used to determine key features of HEDLPs. To advance our understanding of HEDLP science, it is vital to have high-fidelity computational physics tools that have well-tested radiation physics modeling, and that are readily accessible to researchers in the HEDLP community. Simulations play an extremely important role for planning and designing the experiments, as well as for post-experiment data analysis. Prism Computational Sciences develops software that is used by National Laboratories and universities (including five members of LaserNetUS network). Prominent examples of such research efforts include z-pinch and short-pulse laser experiments designed to study the basic physics of photoionized plasmas and photoionization fronts, as well as their application to astrophysical plasmas. The main effort was dedicated to the development of non-equilibrium equation-of-state (EOS) models within the HELIOS-CR code, a hydrodynamics code with inline collisional-radiative atomic kinetics. Gas cell experiments on Z and Omega demonstrated the importance of non-equilibrium effects on atomic kinetics in photoionized plasmas. Recent proof-of-principle experiments on Omega EP confirmed the advantages of using a short-pulse laser to create an intense radiation drive, leading to additional experiments being proposed. Photoionization front experiments at LLE also emphasizes the importance of radiation and atomic physics. In both studies, HELIOS-CR simulations played a crucial role in computing non-equilibrium opacities and ionization distributions. A newly developed non-LTE EOS model will help addressing possible non-equilibrium effects, on for example specific heat, and their influence in plasma evolution. Prism also implemented support for open-source atomic data generated by the Flexible Atomic Code. This allows researchers to generate custom atomic tables and use them within the complex framework of simulation tools developed by Prism. The ability to use open-source atomic data would be extremely valuable for hydrodynamics and spectroscopic simulations that include high-Z materials, e.g., picosecond x-ray pulse generation experiments. Support for new atomic structures was fully implemented, and the data can be used by all simulation tools developed at Prism: radiation-hydrodynamics, imaging and spectroscopy, EOS and opacity. The development resulted in a significant fidelity enhancement to the simulations tools developed by Prism that are currently used in other cutting-edge experiments including: opacity measurement experiments performed to both understand the basic radiative and atomic properties of plasmas as well as provide data for more accurately modeling the internal structure of the Sun and other stars, high-intensity short-pulse laser experiments performed to develop short-wavelength light sources for use as backlighters and to investigate fast ignition concepts for inertial fusion energy; capsule implosion experiments designed to develop inertial fusion as an energy source, etc.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1974

Certain problems in the physics of the magnetosphere

A review of experimental and theoretical studies devoted to analysis of physical processes in the magnetosphere is presented. Attention is focused on the interrelationships among the most important geophysical phenomena in the magnetosphere: magnetic storms, auroras, the radiation belts, and processes in the geomagnetic tail. Recommendations are submitted for future experiments that are needed for development of a theory of magnetospheric phenomena.

Yershkovich, A. I.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Comparison of the degradation effects of heavy ion, electron, and cobalt-60 irradiation in an advanced bipolar process

Experimental measurements are reported of the degradation effects of high-energy particles (heavy Br ions and electrons) and Co-60 gamma-rays on the current gain of minimum-geometry bipolar transistors made from an advanced process. The data clearly illustrate the total-ionizing-dose vs particle-fluence behavior of this bipolar transistor produced by an advanced process. In particular, bulk damage from Co-60 gamma rays in bipolar transistors (base transport factor degradation) and surface damage in bipolar transistors from ionizing radiation (emitter-efficiency degradation) have been observed. The true equivalence between various types of radiation for this process technology has been determined on the basis of damage from the log K1 intercepts.

Zoutendyk, John A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Comments on "Tropical Convection and the Energy Balance at the Top of the Atmosphere"

Analyses of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data show that the effects of clouds on the solar and thermal infrared radiation in the tropical deep convective regions have a similar magnitude but opposite signs. This small difference in the effects of clouds on radiation led Hartmann et al. (2001) to conclude that the contrast in the net radiation at the top of the atmosphere between the convective and non-convective regions must also be small. However, we have found that the ERBE data do not generally show a small contrast in the radiation between the convective and non-convective regions, and the model used by Hartmann et al., therefore, seems unlikely to represent the real physical processes involving convection, radiation, and climate in an appropriate way.

Chou, Ming-Dah↗
NASA NTRS1985

Chemistry of MOS-LSI radiation hardening

The objective of this task was to obtain chemical information on MOS test samples. Toward this end, high resolution X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) has been the primary techniques used to characterize the chemistry and structure of the SiO2/Si interface for a variety of MOS structures with differing degrees of susceptibility to damage by ionizing radiation. The major accomplishments of this program are: (1) the identification of a structurally distinct region of SiO2 in the near-interfacial region of thermal SiO2 on Si; (2) the identification in the near-interfacial region of SiO2 structural differences between radiation hard and soft gate oxides; (3) the direct observation of radiation-induced damage sites in thermal SiO2 with XPS using in situ electron stress; (4) the correlation of suboxide state distributions at the SiO2/Si interface with processing parameters and radiation susceptibility; (5) the development of a chemical mechanism for radiation-induced interface state generation in SiO2/Si structures; and (6) the development benign chemical profiling techniques which permit the investigation of oxide/semiconductor structures using surface sensitive electron spectroscopic techniques.

Grunthaner, P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The nature of the hydrogen tori of Titan and Triton

The nature of the hydrogen tori of Titan and Triton is examined. Critical time scales of the two tori are discussed. For the Titan torus, where atom-atom collisions are not important, the time scale for solar radiation pressure to act on the system is shown to be comparable to the hydrogen lifetime due to ionization and charge exchange losses by solar, magnetospheric, and solar wind processes. The solar radiation pressure then provides a mechanism which destroys the initial azimuthal symmetry of the hydrogen atom orbits about the planet and causes atom orbits to move inward and to collide with the planet on its dusk side. For Triton, the atom-atom collision time scale dominates all other time scales in the system. The evolution of the torus is then an inherently nonlinear problem that depends upon the collisional redistribution of atom-orbit velocities in the presence of a planetary gravitational force field. This nonlinear process introduces an expansion mechanism into the torus problem which dramatically alters its structure.

Smyth, William H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Direct electron-pair production by high energy heavy charged particles

Direct electron pain production via virtual photons by moving charged particles is a unique electro-magnetic process having a substantial dependence on energy. Most electro-magnetic processes, including transition radiation, cease to be sensitive to the incident energy above 10 TeV/AMU. Thus, it is expected, that upon establishment of cross section and detection efficiency of this process, it may provide a new energy measuring technique above 10 TeV/AMU. Three accelerator exposures of emulsion chambers designed for measurements of direct electron-pains were performed. The objectives of the investigation were to provide the fundamental cross-section data in emulsion stacks to find the best-fit theoretical model, and to provide a calibration of measurements of direct electron-pairs in emulsion chamber configurations. This paper reports the design of the emulsion chambers, accelerator experiments, microscope measurements, and related considerations for future improvements of the measurements, and for possible applications to high energy cosmic ray experiments. Also discussed are the results from scanning 56m of emulsion tracks at 1200x magnification so that scanning efficiency is optimized. Measurements of the delta-ray range spectrum were also performed for much shorter track lengths, but with sufficiently large statistics in the number of measured delta-rays.

Takahashi, Y.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Radiative decay branching ratio of the Hoyle state

The triple-alpha process is a vital reaction in nuclear astrophysics, characterized by two consecutive reactions [2α ⇌ 8 Be (α, γ) 12 C] that drive carbon formation. The second reaction occurs through the Hoyle state, a 7.65 MeV excited state in 12 C with J π = 0 + . The rate of the process depends on the radiative width, which can be determined by measuring the branching ratio for electromagnetic decay. Recent measurements by Kibédi et al. conflicted with the adopted value and resulted in a significant increase of nearly 50% in this branching ratio, directly affecting the triple-alpha reaction. Here, this work aims to utilize charged-particle spectroscopy with magnetic selection as a means to accurately measure the total radiative branching ratio (Γ rad /Γ) of the Hoyle state in 12 C.

6 ≤ A ≤ 19↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design and qualification of the SEU/TD Radiation Monitor chip

This report describes the design, fabrication, and testing of the Single-Event Upset/Total Dose (SEU/TD) Radiation Monitor chip. The Radiation Monitor is scheduled to fly on the Mid-Course Space Experiment Satellite (MSX). The Radiation Monitor chip consists of a custom-designed 4-bit SRAM for heavy ion detection and three MOSFET's for monitoring total dose. In addition the Radiation Monitor chip was tested along with three diagnostic chips: the processor monitor and the reliability and fault chips. These chips revealed the quality of the CMOS fabrication process. The SEU/TD Radiation Monitor chip had an initial functional yield of 94.6 percent. Forty-three (43) SEU SRAM's and 14 Total Dose MOSFET's passed the hermeticity and final electrical tests and were delivered to LL.

Buehler, Martin G.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Role of Global Hydrologic Processes in Interannual and Long-Term Climate Variability

The earth's climate and its variability is linked inextricably with the presence of water on our planet. El Nino / Southern Oscillation-- the major mode of interannual variability-- is characterized by strong perturbations in oceanic evaporation, tropical rainfall, and radiation. On longer time scales, the major feedback mechanism in CO2-induced global warming is actually that due to increased water vapor holding capacity of the atmosphere. The global hydrologic cycle effects on climate are manifested through influence of cloud and water vapor on energy fluxes at the top of atmosphere and at the surface. Surface moisture anomalies retain the "memory" of past precipitation anomalies and subsequently alter the partitioning of latent and sensible heat fluxes at the surface. At the top of atmosphere, water vapor and cloud perturbations alter the net amount of radiation that the earth's climate system receives. These pervasive linkages between water, radiation, and surface processes present major complexities for observing and modeling climate variations. Major uncertainties in the observations include vertical structure of clouds and water vapor, surface energy balance, and transport of water and heat by wind fields. Modeling climate variability and change on a physical basis requires accurate by simplified submodels of radiation, cloud formation, radiative exchange, surface biophysics, and oceanic energy flux. In the past, we m safely say that being "data poor' has limited our depth of understanding and impeded model validation and improvement. Beginning with pre-EOS data sets, many of these barriers are being removed. EOS platforms with the suite of measurements dedicated to specific science questions are part of our most cost effective path to improved understanding and predictive capability. This talk will highlight some of the major questions confronting global hydrology and the prospects for significant progress afforded by EOS-era measurements.

Robertson, Franklin R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Biocore experiment

The Apollo 17 biological cosmic ray experiment to determine the effect of heavy cosmic ray particles on the brain and eyes is reported. The pocket mouse was selected as the biological specimen for the experiment. The radiation monitors, animal autopsy and animal processing are described, and the radiation effects on the scalp, retina, and viscera are analyzed.

Bailey, O. T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Radiative shock dynamics. II - Hydrogen continua

The interaction between radiation and a shock wave propagating through a stellar atmosphere is investigated. Departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) are permitted in the first two levels of a 10-level hydrogen atom; levels 3-10 are in LTE. A piston moving at constant velocity into the bottom of the atmosphere drives a shock wave. This shock produces precursor radiation that diffuses through the gas well ahead of the shock and causes a mild luminosity flash in the emergent Balmer and free-free radiation when it reaches the surface. The precursor wave deposits a large amount of radiative energy in the outer layers of the atmosphere, initiating a radiation-induced pressure wave. The process of energy transfer from the radiation field to the compression wave is similar to the Eddington valve mechanism which drives stellar pulsations. Material is accelerated outward by the radiation-induced wave; eventually it free-falls inward, hits the quasistationary atmosphere, and forms an accretion shock. The piston driven shock is weakened by radiative energy losses. When it reaches the surface, the shock is invisible in the continuum radiation.

Klein, R. I.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Radiative forcing of stationary planetary waves

To elucidate the role of solar and long-wave transfers in maintaining stationary planetary waves, the potential vorticity equation appropriate to these disturbances in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere during winter is solved with realistic radiation physics included in the heating term. A series of model experiments demonstrates the roles of the various optically active constituents in maintaining the stationary planetary waves. Clouds and the net radiative heating tend to amplify stationary planetary wavenumber one by increasing the forcing asymmetry, but destructive interference between radiative heating and other diabatic processes and topography causes the net radiative heating to dampen stationary planetary wavenumber two. In the presence of clouds, water vapor and to a lesser extent carbon dioxide damp the waves by reducing cloud-generated forcing asymmetries, particularly at zonal wavenumber one.

Donner, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Standardizing Microprocessor and GPU Radiation Test Approaches

Microprocessor, Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and DDRx memory devices have emerged as promising next-generation technologies that enables both high performance processing and acceleration of complex algorithms for the latest challenges in human spaceflight, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI). The feature sets of these devices offer exponential increases to throughput, calculation capability and system autonomy when compared to legacy flight systems. NASA's Electronic Part and Packaging (NEPP) Program has conducted an investigation into the radiation susceptibility of leading edge devices and process technologies by establishing standardized test approaches. Unlike most discrete devices, these require state of the art test systems to induce specific hardware activity similar to application software, thus allowing the characterization of failure modes within the system. To best characterize the tested part, NEPP eliminates variables that may impact device performance under radiation. Simplification of remaining system-level variables leads to an improved understanding of complex computational devices and their intended applications. The failure modes and error signatures that are recorded during testing are used to determine radiation sensitivity of the semiconductor process and the microcode architecture of the design. This presentation will discuss the test methodology that NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) is working to establish for its microprocessor, GPU and DDRx memory test programs to provide guidance on these devices and their underlying technology, in regards to their potential usage in future space flight systems.

GPU↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Fortran–Python interface for integrating machine learning parameterization into earth system models

Abstract. Parameterizations in earth system models (ESMs) are subject to biases and uncertainties arising from subjective empirical assumptions and incomplete understanding of the underlying physical processes. Recently, the growing representational capability of machine learning (ML) in solving complex problems has spawned immense interests in climate science applications. Specifically, ML-based parameterizations have been developed to represent convection, radiation, and microphysics processes in ESMs by learning from observations or high-resolution simulations, which have the potential to improve the accuracies and alleviate the uncertainties. Previous works have developed some surrogate models for these processes using ML. These surrogate models need to be coupled with the dynamical core of ESMs to investigate the effectiveness and their performance in a coupled system. In this study, we present a novel Fortran–Python interface designed to seamlessly integrate ML parameterizations into ESMs. This interface showcases high versatility by supporting popular ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, and scikit-learn. We demonstrate the interface's modularity and reusability through two cases: an ML trigger function for convection parameterization and an ML wildfire model. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of memory usage and computational overhead resulting from the integration of Python codes into the Fortran ESMs. By leveraging this flexible interface, ML parameterizations can be effectively developed, tested, and integrated into ESMs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Fortran-Python Interface for Integrating Machine Learning Parameterization into Earth System Models

Parameterizations in Earth System Models (ESMs) are subject to biases and uncertainties arising from subjective empirical assumptions and incomplete understanding of the underlying physical processes. Recently, the growing representational capability of machine learning (ML) in solving complex problems has spawned immense interests in climate science applications. Specifically, ML-based parameterizations have been developed to represent convection, radiation and microphysics processes in ESMs by learning from observations or high-resolution simulations, which have the potential to improve the accuracies and alleviate the uncertainties. Previous works have developed some surrogate models for these processes using ML. These surrogate models need to be coupled with the dynamical core of ESMs to investigate the effectiveness and their performance in a coupled system. In this study, we present a novel Fortran-Python interface designed to seamlessly integrate ML parameterizations into ESMs. This interface showcases high versatility by supporting popular ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit-learn. We demonstrate the interface's modularity and reusability through two cases: a ML trigger function for convection parameterization and a ML wildfire model. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of memory usage and computational overhead resulting from the integration of Python codes into the Fortran ESMs. By leveraging this flexible interface, ML parameterizations can be effectively developed, tested, and integrated into ESMs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗