Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “structural chemistry”

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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

Symposium on Combustion /International/, 16th, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., August 15-20, 1976, Proceedings

Aspects of combustion technology in power systems are considered, taking into account a combustion in large boilers, the control of over-all thermal efficiency of combustion heating systems, a comparison of mathematical models of the radiative behavior of a large-scale experimental furnace, a concentric multiannular swirl burner, and the effects of water introduction on diesel engine combustion and emissions. Attention is also given to combustion and related processes in energy production from coal, spray and droplet combustion, soot formation and growth, the kinetics of elementary reactions, flame structure and chemistry, propellant ignition and combustion, fire and explosion research, mathematical modeling, high output combustion systems, turbulent flames and combustion, and ignition, optical, and electrical properties.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1978

US experiments flown on the Soviet satellite COSMOS 936

Results of spaceborne experiments onboard the Cosmos 936 satellite are reported. Alterations in normal bone chemistry, muscle structure, and general physiology resulting from spaceflight are covered along with measurements of cosmic radiation and its potential hazard to man during prolonged spaceflights. Postflight activities involving the seven U.S. experiments are emphasized.

Rosenzweig, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Laboratory analogues to cosmic dust

Results are reported for a study of the condensation of a number of solids that are likely candidates for dust formed in astronomical environments. The condensate materials were produced by vaporizing a portion of a solid target of chosen composition by a laser pulse in an atmosphere of H2, O2, or Ar at 1 atm pressure. The systems studied include olivine, pyroxene, Fe-Ni alloy, Al2O3, carbon, CaCO3, SiC, Au-olivine powders, and Au-Al2O3 powders. Possible relations among the sizes, chainlike structures, and chemistries of the condensates and of grains formed in astronomical systems are investigated. The results indicate that the laser evaporation technique is useful for providing a wide variety of grain systems that are analogous to astronomical grain systems and that the grain materials produced are useful for spectral studies of materials believed to exist in astronomical environments, both as single materials and as multicomponent grain systems

Stephens, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Symposium /International/ on Combustion, 17th, Leeds University, Leeds, England, August 20-25, 1978, Proceedings

The Symposium focused on deflagration to detonation transition, coal combustion, turbulent-combustion interactions, kinetics, furnace combustion, inhibition and ignition, flame structure and chemistry, combustion studies, measurement techniques, fire and explosion, engine combustion, soot, and propellants and explosives. Papers were presented on numerical modeling of the deflagration-to-detonation transition, the interaction between turbulence and combustion, turbulent flame propagation in premixed gases, spray evaporation in recirculating flow, dissociation of nitric oxide in shock waves, pollutant emissions from partially mixed turbulent flames, energy transfer and quenching rates of laser-pumped electronically excited alkalis in flames, a study of flammability limits using counterflow flames, the unified theory of explosions with fuel consumption, and the dynamics and radiant intensity of large hydrogen flames.

Source record↗
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 NTRS1987

The surface properties of carbon fibers and their adhesion to organic polymers

The state of knowledge of the surface properties of carbon fibers is reviewed, with emphasis on fiber/matrix adhesion in carbon fiber reinforced plastics. Subjects treated include carbon fiber structure and chemistry, techniques for the study of the fiber surface, polymer/fiber bond strength and its measurement, variations in polymer properties in the interphase, and the influence of fiber matrix adhesion on composite mechanical properties. Critical issues are summarized and search recommendations are made.

Bascom, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The atmospheres of the earth and the other planets: Origin, evolution and composition

The current understanding of the composition, chemistry, and structure of the atmospheres of the other planets and the origin, early history, and evolution of the earth's atmosphere is reviewed. The information on the atmospheres of the other planets is based on the successful Mariner, Viking, Pioneer, and Voyager missions to these planets. The information on the origin, early history, and evolution of the atmosphere, which is somewhat speculative, is largely based on numerical studies with geochemical and photochemical models.

Levine, Joel S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Microbial trace fossils in Antarctica and the search for evidence of early life on Mars

It is possible to hypothesize that, if microbial life evolved on early Mars, fossil remnants of these organisms may be preserved on the surface. However, the cooling and drying of Mars probably resembled a cold desert and such an environment is not suitable for the process of fossilization. The frigid Ross Desert of Antarctica is probably the closest terrestrial analog to conditions that may have prevailed on the surface of the cooling and drying Mars. In this desert, cryptoendolithic microbial communities live in the airspaces of porous rocks, the last habitable niche in a hostile outside environment. The organisms produce characteristic chemical and physical changes in the rock substrate. Environmental changes (deterioration of conditions) may result in the death of the community. Although no cellular structures are fossilized, the conspicuous changes in the rock substrate are preserved as trace fossils. Likewise, microbial trace fossils (without cellular structures) may also be preserved on Mars: Discontinuities in structure or chemistry of the rock that are independent of physical or chemical gradients may be of biological origin. Ross Desert trace fossils can be used as a model for planning search strategies and for instrument design to find evidence of past Martian life.

Friedmann, E. Imre↗
NASA NTRS1989

Spectral characteristics of chlorites and Mg-serpentines using high-resolution reflectance spectroscopy

High-resolution reflectance spectroscopy is used to determine the spectral characteristics of serpentines and chlorites. The structure and chemistry of hydrous layered silicates are reviewed. The possibility of distinguishing between isochemical end-members of the Mg-rich serpentine group and the capability of recognizing spectral variations in chlorites as a function of Fe/Mg ratio are demonstrated. Consideration is given to the application of the findings to terrestrial, asteroid, and meteorite studies.

King, Trude V. V.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Reflectance spectra of 'featureless' materials and the surface mineralogies of M- and E-class asteroids

In a search for diagnostic spectral parameters which can be used to distinguish different materials on the surface of asteroids and to provide information on the detection limits for mafic silicates, the 0.3- to 2.6-micron reflectance spectra of meteoritic enstatite (nearly pure MgSiO3), iron meteorite metal, magnetite, and amorphous carbon as well as various mixtures of these materials with mafic silicates were examined. Results are presented on the dependence of the spectral detectability of mafic silicates associated with metal, carbon, and magnetite on the particle sizes of the phases, their chemistries, crystal structures, and abundances. It is shown that the observational data for a representative M-class asteroid, (16) Psyche, are largely consistent with a fine-grained metal-rich surface assemblage, whereas data for the E-class asteroid (44) Nysa indicate that its surface is composed of fine-grained material similar to enstatite achondrites, with a small amount of material comparable to the chondritic inclusions found in the Cumberland Falls aubrite.

Cloutis, Edward A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

An overview of the asteroids

An introductory overview of the field of asteroid science is presented, with emphasis placed on the accomplishments of the 1980s. Following the survey of known asteroids, attention is given to the observations of asteroids with the IRAS. Particular consideration is given to the origin and evolution of asteroids and their interrelations. Possible future directions of asteroid research are discussed together with the potential of the Hubble Space Telescope for providing new data on asteroid surface chemistry, geology, structure, and morphology.

Binzel, Richard P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

NASA's supercomputing experience

A brief overview of NASA's recent experience in supercomputing is presented from two perspectives: early systems development and advanced supercomputing applications. NASA's role in supercomputing systems development is illustrated by discussion of activities carried out by the Numerical Aerodynamical Simulation Program. Current capabilities in advanced technology applications are illustrated with examples in turbulence physics, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, chemistry, and structural mechanics. Capabilities in science applications are illustrated by examples in astrophysics and atmospheric modeling. Future directions and NASA's new High Performance Computing Program are briefly discussed.

Bailey, F. Ron↗
NASA NTRS1994

The circumstellar environment of IRAS 05338-0624

Millimeter continuum and spectral line observations with 10 sec, 30 sec, and 60 sec resolution are used to characterize the structure and chemistry of the gas around the young, embedded star, IRAS 05338-0624. On arcminute scales, emission from dense gas tracers outline an isolated condensation centered on the IRAS source position. The condensation is characterized by a size of approximately 60 sec, a density of 2 x 10(exp 5)/cc, and a virial mass of 40 solar mass. Interferometric CS J = 2-1 observations show two peaks, one toward the continuum peak and the other toward a position 14 sec west and 8 sec south. Single-dish maps of SO, CH3OH, and SiO show pronounced wing emission to the west of the IRAS source, which interferometer observations reveal to be a compact region of outflow activity. CS emission at redshifted and blueshifted velocities reveals a bipolar outflow oriented with a position angle of 45 deg, while SiO emission appears to be tracing a fast shock interaction region at the CS red-lobe peak, 14 sec west and 8 sec south of the IRAS source. Finally, H(13)CO(+) emission traces clumps of quiescent gas toward the IRAS source and adjacent to the blue lobe of the outflow. Column densities and molecular fractional abundances are derived to explore the interaction between the surrounding condensation and the young stellar object. We find evidence for gas phase depletions within the overall condensation in several gas tracers (CO, CS, HCN, SO) but not in the region immediately around the young stellar object. Enhanced abundances of SO, CH3OH, and SiO (by factors of 4, greater than 100, greater than 1000, respectively) are observed in the shocked gas; these enhancements may be explained in terms of a nondissociative shock liberating mantle materials that contain some amount of refractory materials, a moderate velocity dissociative shock in which only minor sputtering of Si occurs, or a shock that impacts surrounding material with a range of speeds.

Mcmullin, Joseph P.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Microstructures of BN/SiC coatings on nicalon fibers

The microstructures of Nicalon silicon carbide (SiC) fibers and layered coatings of boron nitride (BN) followed by chemical vapor infiltrated silicon carbide (CVI-SiC) were characterized using optical and electron microscopy. Two different precursors and reactions were used to produce the BN layers while the deposition of CVI silicon carbide was nearly identical. Coated tows were examined in cross-section to characterize the chemistry and structures of the constituents and the interfaces. One BN precursor yielded three sublayers while the other gave a relatively homogeneous nanocrystalline layer.

Dickerson, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

X-Ray Fingerprinting Techniques for Recognizing A Hydrological Role in the Formation of Minerals on the Surface of Mars

Previous work has demonstrated the ability of a miniaturized XRD-XRF instrument to perform in-situ analyses without sample preparation or acquisition. Deployment of this instrument on a Martian rover will allow a large number of rapid qualitative analyses, which will maximize the diversity of samples studied and selected for possible return. As a first step in designing a decision tree for recognizing minerals in complex mixtures, d spacings were plotted against intensity for several mineral groups comprising rock and soil types inferred for the surface of Mars (weathered basalt, playa and hydrothermal deposits, clay-rich soils). In all groups, d spacings cluster in a range from about 1-4 angstroms, which can under certain circumstances obscure patterns for individual phases. However, within the silicate family, minerals containing either bound OH- or molecules of H20 (clays, micas, amphiboles, zeolites) are characterized by a shift of peaks to higher d spacings. Large d spacings (greater than about 7 angstroms) thus act as a first-order filter for distinguishing hydrous from anhydrous silicates. The ability to quickly verify the presence of silicates that have interacted with water has important implications for using mineral chemistry and structure to help decipher the hydrologic and atmospheric history of Mars. This represents a beginning for developing more sophisticated methods of pattern recognition. These will combine XRD and XRF analyses with optical data to rapidly7 discern environmentally diagnostic assemblages without the necessity of identifying every peak individual mineral phase.

Metzger, Ellen P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Uncertainty Analysis of Decomposing Polyurethane Foam

Sensitivity/uncertainty analyses are necessary to determine where to allocate resources for improved predictions in support of our nation's nuclear safety mission. Yet, sensitivity/uncertainty analyses are not commonly performed on complex combustion models because the calculations are time consuming, CPU intensive, nontrivial exercises that can lead to deceptive results. To illustrate these ideas, a variety of sensitivity/uncertainty analyses were used to determine the uncertainty associated with thermal decomposition of polyurethane foam exposed to high radiative flux boundary conditions. The polyurethane used in this study is a rigid closed-cell foam used as an encapsulant. Related polyurethane binders such as Estane are used in many energetic materials of interest to the JANNAF community. The complex, finite element foam decomposition model used in this study has 25 input parameters that include chemistry, polymer structure, and thermophysical properties. The response variable was selected as the steady-state decomposition front velocity calculated as the derivative of the decomposition front location versus time. An analytical mean value sensitivity/uncertainty (MV) analysis was used to determine the standard deviation by taking numerical derivatives of the response variable with respect to each of the 25 input parameters. Since the response variable is also a derivative, the standard deviation was essentially determined from a second derivative that was extremely sensitive to numerical noise. To minimize the numerical noise, 50-micrometer element dimensions and approximately 1-msec time steps were required to obtain stable uncertainty results. As an alternative method to determine the uncertainty and sensitivity in the decomposition front velocity, surrogate response surfaces were generated for use with a constrained Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique. Two surrogate response surfaces were investigated: 1) a linear surrogate response surface (LIN) and 2) a quadratic response surface (QUAD). The LHS techniques do not require derivatives of the response variable and are subsequently relatively insensitive to numerical noise. To compare the LIN and QUAD methods to the MV method, a direct LHS analysis (DLHS) was performed using the full grid and timestep resolved finite element model. The surrogate response models (LIN and QUAD) are shown to give acceptable values of the mean and standard deviation when compared to the fully converged DLHS model.

Hobbs, Michael L.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Fact Sheet: Range Complex

NASA Ames has a long tradition in leadership with the use of ballistic ranges and shock tubes for the purpose of studying the physics and phenomena associated with hypervelocity flight. Cutting-edge areas of research run the gamut from aerodynamics, to impact physics, to flow-field structure and chemistry. This legacy of testing began in the NACA era of the 1940's with the Supersonic Free Flight Tunnel, and evolved dramatically up through the late 1950s with the pioneering work in the Ames Hypersonic Ballistic Range. The tradition continued in the mid-60s with the commissioning of the three newest facilities: the Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR) in 1964, the Hypervelocity Free Flight Facility (HFFF) in 1965 and the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) in 1966. Today the Range Complex continues to provide unique and critical testing in support of the Nation's programs for planetary geology and geophysics; exobiology; solar system origins; earth atmospheric entry, planetary entry, and aerobraking vehicles; and various configurations for supersonic and hypersonic aircraft.

Cornelson, C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Microbial monitoring of spacecraft and associated environments

Rapid microbial monitoring technologies are invaluable in assessing contamination of spacecraft and associated environments. Universal and widespread elements of microbial structure and chemistry are logical targets for assessing microbial burden. Several biomarkers such as ATP, LPS, and DNA (ribosomal or spore-specific), were targeted to quantify either total bioburden or specific types of microbial contamination. The findings of these assays were compared with conventional, culture-dependent methods. This review evaluates the applicability and efficacy of some of these methods in monitoring the microbial burden of spacecraft and associated environments. Samples were collected from the surfaces of spacecraft, from surfaces of assembly facilities, and from drinking water reservoirs aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Culture-dependent techniques found species of Bacillus to be dominant on these surfaces. In contrast, rapid, culture-independent techniques revealed the presence of many Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms, as well as actinomycetes and fungi. These included both cultivable and noncultivable microbes, findings further confirmed by DNA-based microbial detection techniques. Although the ISS drinking water was devoid of cultivable microbes, molecular-based techniques retrieved DNA sequences of numerous opportunistic pathogens. Each of the methods tested in this study has its advantages, and by coupling two or more of these techniques even more reliable information as to microbial burden is rapidly obtained. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag.

Environmental Monitoring/methods↗