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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

The microscopic state of the solar wind: Links between composition, velocity distributions, waves and turbulence

An overview is given of the microscopic state of the solar wind with emphasis on recent Ulysses high-latitude observations and previous Helios in-ecliptic observations. The possible links between composition, ionization state. velocity distribution functions of electrons, protons and heavy ions. kinetic plasma waves and MHD-scale turbulence are elaborated. Emphasis is placed on a connection of interplanetary kinetic-scale phenomena with their generating microscopic processes in the corona. The fast streams seem to consist of mesoscale pressure-balanced plasma filaments and magnetic flux tubes, reminiscent of the supergranular-size structures building the open corona, from which copious Alfven waves emanate. The wind from the magnetically structured and active corona shows developed compressive turbulence and considerable abundance and ionization state variations. Some modelling attempts to explain the observed element fractionation are briefly reviewed. The causes of the nonthermal particle features. such as proton-ion differential streaming, ion beams. temperature anisotropies, and skewed distributions associated with collisionless heat conduction, are ultimately to be searched in the fact, that the corona is never quiescent but fundamentally variable in space and time. Consequently, the radial evolution of the internal state of the wind resembles at all latitudes a complicated relaxation process, in the course of which the free (in comparison with LTE conditions) particle kinetic energy is converted into plasma waves and MHD turbulence on a wide range of scales. This leads to intermittent wave-particle interactions and unsteady anomalous transport, mixed with the weak effects of the rare Coulomb collisions. Spherical expansion and large-scale inhomogeneity forces the wind to attain microscopically a complex internal state of dynamic statistical equilibrium.

Marsch, E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Disintegration of Dust Aggregates in Interstellar Shocks and the Lifetime of Dust Grains in the ISM

Interstellar grains are destroyed by shock waves moving through the ISM. In fact, the destruction of grains may be so effective that it is difficult to explain the observed abundance of dust in the ISM as a steady state between input of grains from stellar sources and destruction of grains in shocks. This is especially a problem for the larger grains. Therefore, the dust grains must be protected in some way. Jones et al. have already considered coatings and the increased post-shock drag effects for low density grains. In molecular clouds and dense clouds, coagulation of grains is an important process, and the largest interstellar grains may indeed be aggregates of smaller grains rather than homogeneous particles. This may provide a means to protect the larger grains, in that, in moderate velocity grain-grain collisions in a shock the aggregates may disintegrate rather than be vaporized. The released small particles are more resilient to shock destruction (except in fast shocks) and may reform larger grains later, recovering the observed size distribution. We have developed a model for the binding forces in grain aggregates and apply this model to the collisions between an aggregate and fast small grains. We discuss the results in the light of statistical collision probabilities and grain life times.

Dominik, C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A non-thermal mechanism for forcing cumulonimbus cloud

Within the thunderstorm there is an extensive region of collision between airflows having different transports of momentum. The inflow-updraft should interact with cloud layer environmental wind to produce counter-rotating vortex pairs somewhat like those produced in the laboratory by a jet in a crossflow. Atmospheric evidence of vortex pairs for severe thunderstorms is shown from measurements made by aircraft and by radar. A model of a non-thermal mechanism for low pressure centers in thunderstorms is developed which scales from the laboratory to the atmosphere using a turbulence Reynolds number, a velocity ratio and the diameter of the updraft. Central pressure deficits and vorticity of lee vortices scaled up from the laboratory observations are consistent with the few available thunderstorm measurements. The model is used to explain deviate motion of thunderstorms as well as to suggest a mechanism for tornado development and movement.

Connell, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Ballistic Models for Radio Jets in Colliding Galaxies: 3C 278 (NGC 4782/4783)

We present here a general numerical simulation algorithm for ballistic radio jets. The evolution of the jets is determined by their response to mechanical forces (i.e., gravity and ram pressure). Using a previously derived collision model for the interacting pair of elliptical galaxies NGC 4782/4783, we have used this algorithm to simulate the specific two-sided jet morphology seen in the radio source associated with NGC 4782 (3C 278). This is the first time such simulations have been attempted for a galaxy pair whose relative orbit was determined independently from the jet modeling. The general morphological features of the jets in 3C 278 (e.g., position angles, lengths, curvature, and deflection angles) are well matched by the simulations, indicating that our model of the mechanical forces acting on the jets can indeed reproduce most of the basic details of the jet morphology and thereby provide an opportunity to model a combination of detailed optical, radio, and X-ray data for a wide variety of interacting radio-jet galaxies. Our models constrain the initial jet parameters (i.e., the ejection speed, direction, and starting time), the properties of the gaseous medium into which the jets are ejected, and the relative importance of gravitational deflection versus ram pressure bending in influencing the jet morphology. For 3C 278, we find that the effects of ram pressure dominate the structural evolution of the jets. In our best-fit simulation the jet ejection speed is of order 10(exp 4) km/s, to within 50%, suggesting that similar low-luminosity radio jets are also significantly subluminal. We also find that the jets are ejected within approximately 5 deg of the line of sight, the ISM in the nonjet galaxy has a much larger effect on the jet deflection than does the host galaxy, and the jet activity began just over 70 million years ago, roughly 50 million years before the pericenter passage of the two galaxies. Therefore, the onset of nuclear activity appears in 3C 278 to be related to the kinematically observed tidal shock that has been induced in the core of NGC 4782 as a result of its deeply penetrating collision with NGC 4783.

Borne, Kirk D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Mathematical modeling of the flow field and particle motion in a rotating bioreactor at unit gravity and microgravity

The biotechnology group at NASA Johnson Space Center is developing systems for culturing mammalian cells that stimulate some aspect of microgravity and provide a low shear environment for microgravity-based studies on suspension and anchorage dependent cells. The design of these vessels for culturing cells is based on the need to suspend cells and aggregates of cells and microcarrier beads continually in the culturing medium. The design must also provide sufficient circulation for adequate mass transfer of nutrients to the cells and minimize the total force on the cells. Forces, resulting from sources such as hydrodynamic fluid shear and collisions of cells and walls of the vessels, may damage delicate cells and degrade the formation of three dimensional structures. This study examines one particular design in both unit gravity and microgravity based on two concentric cylinders rotating in the same direction at different speeds to create a Couette flow between them. A numerical simulation for the flow field and the trajectories of particles in the vessel. The flow field for the circulation of the culturing medium is modeled by the Navier-Stokes equations. The forces on a particle are assumed to be drag from the fluid's circulation, buoyancy from the gravitational force and centrifugal force from the rotation of the vessel. The problem requires first solving the system of partial differential equations for the fluid flow by a finite difference method and then solving the system of ordinary differential equations for the trajectories by Gear's stiff method. Results of the study indicate that the trajectories in unit gravity and microgravity are very similar except for small spatial deviations on the fast time scale in unit gravity. The total force per unit cross sectional area on a particle in microgravity, however, is significantly smaller than the corresponding value in unit gravity, which is also smaller than anticipated. Hence, this study indicates that this design for a bioreactor with optimal rates of rotation can provide a good environment for culturing cells in microgravity with adequate circulation and minimal force on the cells.

Boyd, Ernest J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Investigation of the collision line broadening problem as applicable to the NASA Optical Plume Anomaly Detection (OPAD) system, phase 1

As a final report for phase 1 of the project, the researchers are submitting to the Tennessee Tech Office of Research the following two papers (reprinted in this report): 'Collision Line Broadening Effects on Spectrometric Data from the Optical Plume Anomaly System (OPAD),' presented at the 30th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, 27-29 June 1994, and 'Calculation of Collision Cross Sections for Atomic Line Broadening in the Plume of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME),' presented at the IEEE Southeastcon '95, 26-29 March 1995. These papers fully state the problem and the progress made up to the end of NASA Fiscal Year 1994. The NASA OPAD system was devised to predict concentrations of anomalous species in the plume of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) through analysis of spectrometric data. The self absorption of the radiation of these plume anomalies is highly dependent on the line shape of the atomic transition of interest. The Collision Line Broadening paper discusses the methods used to predict line shapes of atomic transitions in the environment of a rocket plume. The Voigt profile is used as the line shape factor since both Doppler and collisional line broadening are significant. Methods used to determine the collisional cross sections are discussed and the results are given and compared with experimental data. These collisional cross sections are then incorporated into the current self absorbing radiative model and the predicted spectrum is compared to actual spectral data collected from the Stennis Space Center Diagnostic Test Facility rocket engine. The second paper included in this report investigates an analytical method for determining the cross sections for collision line broadening by molecular perturbers, using effective central force interaction potentials. These cross sections are determined for several atomic species with H2, one of the principal constituents of the SSME plume environment, and compared with experimental data.

Dean, Timothy C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Magnetic Fluxtube Tunneling

We present numerical simulations of the collision and subsequent interaction of two initially orthogonal, twisted, force free field magnetic fluxtubes. The simulations were carried out using a new three dimensional explicit parallelized Fourier collocation algorithm for solving the viscoresistive equations of compressible magnetohydrodynamics. It is found that, under a wide range of conditions, the fluxtubes can 'tunnel' through each other. Two key conditions must be satisfied for tunneling to occur: the magnetic field must be highly twisted with a field line pitch much greater than 1, and the magnetic Lundquist number must be somewhat large, greater than or equal to 2880. This tunneling behavior has not been seen previously in studies of either vortex tube or magnetic fluxtube interactions. An examination of magnetic field lines shows that tunneling is due to a double reconnection mechanism. Initially orthogonal field lines reconnect at two specific locations, exchange interacting sections and 'pass' through each other. The implications of these results for solar and space plasmas are discussed.

Dahlburg, Russell B.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Biological Visualization, Imaging and Simulation(Bio-VIS) at NASA Ames Research Center: Developing New Software and Technology for Astronaut Training and Biology Research in Space

The Bio- Visualization, Imaging and Simulation (BioVIS) Technology Center at NASA's Ames Research Center is dedicated to developing and applying advanced visualization, computation and simulation technologies to support NASA Space Life Sciences research and the objectives of the Fundamental Biology Program. Research ranges from high resolution 3D cell imaging and structure analysis, virtual environment simulation of fine sensory-motor tasks, computational neuroscience and biophysics to biomedical/clinical applications. Computer simulation research focuses on the development of advanced computational tools for astronaut training and education. Virtual Reality (VR) and Virtual Environment (VE) simulation systems have become important training tools in many fields from flight simulation to, more recently, surgical simulation. The type and quality of training provided by these computer-based tools ranges widely, but the value of real-time VE computer simulation as a method of preparing individuals for real-world tasks is well established. Astronauts routinely use VE systems for various training tasks, including Space Shuttle landings, robot arm manipulations and extravehicular activities (space walks). Currently, there are no VE systems to train astronauts for basic and applied research experiments which are an important part of many missions. The Virtual Glovebox (VGX) is a prototype VE system for real-time physically-based simulation of the Life Sciences Glovebox where astronauts will perform many complex tasks supporting research experiments aboard the International Space Station. The VGX consists of a physical display system utilizing duel LCD projectors and circular polarization to produce a desktop-sized 3D virtual workspace. Physically-based modeling tools (Arachi Inc.) provide real-time collision detection, rigid body dynamics, physical properties and force-based controls for objects. The human-computer interface consists of two magnetic tracking devices (Ascention Inc.) attached to instrumented gloves (Immersion Inc.) which co-locate the user's hands with hand/forearm representations in the virtual workspace. Force-feedback is possible in a work volume defined by a Phantom Desktop device (SensAble inc.). Graphics are written in OpenGL. The system runs on a 2.2 GHz Pentium 4 PC. The prototype VGX provides astronauts and support personnel with a real-time physically-based VE system to simulate basic research tasks both on Earth and in the microgravity of Space. The immersive virtual environment of the VGX also makes it a useful tool for virtual engineering applications including CAD development, procedure design and simulation of human-system systems in a desktop-sized work volume.

Smith, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS1990

The effects of van der Waals attractions on cloud droplet growth by coalescence

The inclusion of van der Waals attractions in the interaction between cloud droplets has been recently shown to significantly increase the collision efficiencies of the smaller droplets. In the current work, these larger values for the collision efficiencies are used in a population dynamics model of the droplet size distribution evolution with time, in hopes of at least partially resolving the long-standing paradox in cloud microphysics that predicted rates of the onset of precipitation are generally much lower than those which are observed. Evolutions of several initial cloud droplet spectra have been tracked in time. Size evolutions are compared as predicted from the use of collision efficiencies computed using two different models to allow for droplet-droplet contact: one which considers slip flow effects only, and one which considers the combined effects of van der Waals forces and slip flow. The rate at which the droplet mass density function shifts to larger droplet sizes is increased by typically 20-25 percent, when collision efficiencies which include van der Waals forces are used.

Rogers, Jan R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Scattering of water from the glycerol liquid-vacuum interface

Molecular dynamics calculations of the scattering of D2O from the glycerol surface at different collision energies are reported. The results for the trapping probabilities and energy transfer are in good agreement with experiments. The calculations demonstrate that the strong attractive forces between these two strongly hydrogen bonding molecules have only a minor effect on the initial collision dynamics. The trapping probability is influenced to a significant extent by the repulsive hard sphere-like initial encounter with the corrugated surface and, only at a later stage, by the efficiency of energy flow in the multiple interactions between the water and the surface molecules.

NASA Center ARC↗
NASA NTRS1991

Collisional processes in cometary plasmas

The interaction of the solar wind with comets is initiated at large distances from the nucleus by the ionization of cometary neutrals. The resulting contamination of the solar wind with cometary ions mass-loads the solar wind flow, causing it to slow down. The plasma-comet interaction is largely collisionless at large cometocentric distances. However, collisional processes become important in the inner coma (within the cometopause). Collisional processes include charge-transfer between solar wind protons and neutrals, ion-neutral friction, electron and ion thermal cooling, and ion-neutral chemistry. For example, the magnetometer on the Giotto spacecraft observed a diamagnetic cavity near closest approach. This cavity is a consequence of the balance between an inward-directed magnetic pressure gradient force and an outward ion-netural frictional force. Thermalization of the cometary ion distribution function by Coulomb collisions is another important process in the inner coma of an active comet.

Cravens, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Study of Molecular Line Parameters down to Very Low Temperature

The impact of precise spectroscopic measurements on the P(9) multiplet in the v3 band of 12CH4, obtained using a newly developed cold Herriott cell coupled with a tunable diode laser spectrometer, is examined in the context of remote sensing of methane in the atmosphere. More specifically, the influence of the air-broadening temperature dependence, of line narrowing and of line-mixing effects is assessed when fitting high resolution atmospheric spectra recorded from a balloon in the solar occultation mode. This is achieved by considering residuals and retrieved methane volume mixing ratio profiles. By combining data from previous studies together with new measurements, the expression for the temperature dependence of the broadening coefficient has been revisited. It is shown that a correcting factor applied to the usual law gives better results, when considering all the available measurements from room temperature down to about 10-20 K, as compared to the usual expression of the width versus temperature. These results clearly demonstrate that collision broadening is more sensitive to long-range attractive forces when the temperature is decreased.

Mondelain, D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Dynamics of low velocity collisions of ice particle, coated with frost

We continued our investigations of low velocity collisions of ice particles for velocities in range 10(exp -3) - 2 cm/s. The work focused on two effects: (1) the sticking forces for ice particles coated with CO2 frost, and (2) the completion of a 2-D pendulum system for glancing collisions. A new computer software was also developed to control and monitor the position of the 2-D pendulum.

Bridges, F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Terrestrial mass extinctions, cometary impacts and the sun's motion perpendicular to the galactic plane

An analysis of the data of Raup and Sepkoski (1984) is reported which suggests that the dominant cyclicity in major marine extinctions during at least the past 250 Myr is 30 + or - 1 Myr, with the standard deviation of an individual episode being + or - 9 Myr. This terrestrial cycle is found to be strongly correlated with the time needed for the solar system to oscillate vertically about the galactic plane. It is argued that galactic triggering or forcing of terrestrial biological crises may arise as a result of collisions or close encounters of the solar system with clouds of gas and dust, which would gravitationally perturb the solar system's family of comets and thereby increase the flux of comets and meteorites near the earth, leading to large-body impacts. A dominant cyclicity of 31 + or - 1 Myr is found for the observed age distribution of impact craters on earth, the phase of this cycle agreeing with the shown by the major biological crises.

Rampino, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cometary MHD and chemistry

An MHD and chemical comet-coma model was developed, applying the computer program of Huebner (1985) for the detailed chemical evolution of a spherically expanding coma and the program of Schmidt and Wegman (1982) and Wegman (1987) for the MHD flow of plasma and magnetic field in a comet to the Giotto-mission data on the ion abundances measured by the HIS ion mass spectrometer. The physics and chemistry of the coma are modeled in great detail, including photoprocesses, gas-phase chemical kinetics, energy balance with a separate electron temperature, multifluid hydrodynamics with a transition to free molecular flow, fast-streaming atomic and molecular hydrogen, counter and cross streaming of the ionized species relative to the neutral species in the coma-solar wind interaction region with momentum exchange by elastic collisions, mass-loading through ion pick-up, and Lorentz forces of the advected magnetic field. The results, both inside and outside of the contact surface, are discussed and compared with the relevant HIS ion mass spectra.

Wegmann, R.↗
NASA NTRS2018

[Micron]ADS-B Detect and Avoid Flight Tests on Phantom 4 Unmanned Aircraft System

Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and Vigilant Aerospace Systems collaborated for the flight-test demonstration of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast based collision avoidance technology on a small unmanned aircraft system equipped with the uAvionix Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transponder. The purpose of the testing was to demonstrate that National Aeronautics and Space Administration / Vigilant software and algorithms, commercialized as the FlightHorizon UAS"TM", are compatible with uAvionix hardware systems and the DJI Phantom 4 small unmanned aircraft system. The testing and demonstrations were necessary for both parties to further develop and certify the technology in three key areas: flights beyond visual line of sight, collision avoidance, and autonomous operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Vigilant Aerospace Systems have developed and successfully flight-tested an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Detect and Avoid system on the Phantom 4 small unmanned aircraft system. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Detect and Avoid system architecture is especially suited for small unmanned aircraft systems because it integrates: 1) miniaturized Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast hardware; 2) radio data-link communications; 3) software algorithms for real-time Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data integration, conflict detection, and alerting; and 4) a synthetic vision display using a fully-integrated National Aeronautics and Space Administration geobrowser for three dimensional graphical representations for ownship and air traffic situational awareness. The flight-test objectives were to evaluate the performance of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Detect and Avoid collision avoidance technology as installed on two small unmanned aircraft systems. In December 2016, four flight tests were conducted at Edwards Air Force Base. Researchers in the ground control station looking at displays were able to verify the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast target detection and collision avoidance resolutions.

avoidance↗
NASA NTRS1976

Theoretical investigations of plasma processes

System analyses are presented for electrically sustained, collision dominated plasma centrifuges, in which the plasma rotates under the influence of the Lorentz forces resulting from the interaction of the current density fields with an external magnetic field. It is shown that gas discharge centrifuges are technically feasible in which the plasma rotates at speeds up to 1 million cm/sec. The associated centrifugal forces produce a significant spatial isotope separation, which is somewhat perturbed in the viscous boundary layers at the centrifuge walls. The isotope separation effect is the more pronounced. The induced magnetic fields have negligible influence on the plasma rotation if the Hall coefficient is small. In the technical realization of collision dominated plasma centrifuges, a trade-off has to be made between power density and speeds of rotation. The diffusion of sputtered atoms to system surfaces of ion propulsion systems and the deposition of the atoms are treated theoretically by means of a simple model which permits an analytical solution. The problem leads to an inhomogeneous integral equation.

Wilhelm, H. E.↗