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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 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Search in diphoton and dielectron final states for displaced production of Higgs or Z bosons with the ATLAS detector in s = 13 TeV p p collisions

A search is presented for displaced production of Higgs bosons or Z bosons, originating from the decay of a neutral long-lived particle (LLP) and reconstructed in the decay modes H → γ γ and Z → ee . The analysis uses the full Run 2 dataset of proton-proton collisions delivered by the LHC at an energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV between 2015 and 2018 and recorded by the ATLAS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . Exploiting the capabilities of the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter to precisely measure the arrival times and trajectories of electromagnetic objects, the analysis searches for the signature of pairs of photons or electrons which arise from a common displaced vertex and which arrive after some delay at the calorimeter. The results are interpreted in a gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking model with pair-produced Higgsinos that decay to LLPs, and each LLP subsequently decays into either a Higgs boson or a Z boson. The final state includes at least two particles that escape direct detection, giving rise to missing transverse momentum. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation. The results are used to set upper limits on the cross section for Higgsino pair production, up to a $\bar{χ}^0_1$ mass of 369 (704) GeV for decays with 100% branching ratio of $\bar{χ}^0_1$ to Higgs (Z) bosons for a $\bar{χ}^0_1$ lifetime of 2 ns. A model-independent limit is also set on the production of pairs of photons or electrons with a significant delay in arrival at the calorimeter.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2016

Trajectory Design Tools for Libration and Cis-Lunar Environments

Innovative trajectory design tools are required to support challenging multi-body regimes with complex dynamics, uncertain perturbations, and the integration of propulsion influences. Two distinctive tools, Adaptive Trajectory Design and the General Mission Analysis Tool have been developed and certified to provide the astrodynamics community with the ability to design multi-body trajectories. In this paper we discuss the multi-body design process and the capabilities of both tools. Demonstrable applications to confirmed missions, the Lunar IceCube Cubesat lunar mission and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Sun-Earth L2 mission, are presented.

Earth-Moon↗
NASA NTRS2023

Analysis of Strategic Conflict Management Approaches as Applied to Simulated UAM Operations

This report presents the results of a comparison analysis of candidate Strategic Conflict Management (SCM) strategies as applied to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations. The SCM strategies investigated included: no SCM, resource scheduling (RS), resource flow rates (FR), area-based flow rates (AR), and conflict detection and resolution (CR). The study evaluated each strategy against the same 3 levels of flight demand in a representative airspace construct for the Dallas/Fort Worth region. The study also accounted for different levels of uncertainty in operational planning and equivalent levels of trajectory following error. In the analysis, we compared the SCM strategies’ effectiveness in reducing the need for the tactical conflict management layer to act and looked at the metrics of unmitigated losses-of-separation (LOS), flight delays imposed by strategic planning, and throughput of the overall airspace. The study results indicated that the CR strategy was the most effective at reducing LOS and percentage of flights with LOS, even in the presence of trajectory error when uncertainty is accounted for in planning. Thus, if the objective is to reduce the number of actions that the tactical conflict management layer will have to take, in terms of conflicts that may need to be resolved, CR is the strategy to use. The FR strategy was found to be the worst at reducing LOS and percentage of flights with LOS. Thus, it is not very effective at reducing the actions required by a tactical conflict management layer. In the airspace tested, the demand was high enough to produce unacceptable levels of flight delay and reductions of throughput when the SCM strategies were implemented. This was especially evident at the higher levels of trajectory uncertainty and error. The need to account for expected levels of uncertainty becomes more and more important as the demand level increases and as the level of trajectory error increases. This is because the likelihood of flights with LOS increases as the density of operations increases and as the level of trajectory error increases. Accounting for uncertainty in the SCM strategies improves the strategy effectiveness with respect to LOS but increases delays and reduces throughput. Thus, there is a tradeoff between scalability and allowable levels of uncertainty. That is, we can implement an air traffic management construct that allows high levels of uncertainty, but we can expect that same system to have limits on scalability that may be evident even at small demand levels, such as those used in this study. Therefore, the results in this study indicate that an air traffic system should attempt to implement mechanisms appropriate for reducing uncertainty where possible in order to increase the chances for scalability. And this increased level of predictability of operations needs to be balanced with mechanisms for ensuring flexibility when operational conditions and plans need to change, even though those types of changes should be the exception rather than the rule under normal conditions. The study also introduced a trade space that could serve as a mechanism for selecting the appropriate SCM strategy in a trade-off between uncertainty and error, mean flight delay, and the LOS metrics (which this study equates to the potential for tactical conflict management actions). The optimal solution for a given airspace, demand level, and other factors, could likely be a combination of SCM strategies, although this study only compared the use of a single SCM strategy at a time. The CR strategy appeared to have the best opportunity for scalability by limiting the number of potential tactical actions to nearly zero.

Strategic Conflict Management↗
NASA NTRS2007

Analysis Method for Non-Nominal First Acquisition

First this paper describes a method how the trajectory of the launcher can be modelled for the contingency analysis without having much information about the launch vehicle itself. From a dense sequence of state vectors a velocity profile is derived which is sufficiently accurate to enable the Flight Dynamics Team to integrate parts of the launcher trajectory on its own and to simulate contingency cases by modifying the velocity profile. Then the paper focuses on the thorough visibility analysis which has to follow the contingency case or burn performance simulations. In the ideal case it is possible to identify a ground station which is able to acquire the satellite independent from the burn performance. The correlations between the burn performance and the pointing at subsequent ground stations are derived with the aim of establishing simple guidelines which can be applied quickly and which significantly improve the chance of acquisition at subsequent ground stations. In the paper the method is applied to the Soyuz/Fregat launch with the MetOp satellite. Overall the paper shows that the launcher trajectory modelling with the simulation of contingency cases in connection with a ground station visibility analysis leads to a proper selection of ground stations and acquisition methods. In the MetOp case this ensured successful contact of all ground stations during the first hour after separation without having to rely on any early orbit determination result or state vector update.

Sieg, Detlef↗
DOE OSTI2013

3D Motion of DNA-Au Nanoconjugates in Graphene Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy

Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can probe and visualize dynamic events with structural or functional details at the nanoscale in a liquid medium. Prior efforts have focused on the growth and transformation kinetics of hard material systems, relying on their stability under electron beam. Our recently developed graphene liquid cell technique pushed the spatial resolution of such imaging to the atomic scale but still focused on growth trajectories of metallic nanocrystals. Here, we adopt this technique to imaging three-dimensional (3D) dynamics of soft materials instead, double strand (dsDNA) connecting Au nanocrystals as one example, at nanometer resolution. We show first that a graphene liquid cell can seal an aqueous sample solution of a lower vapor pressure than previously investigated well against the high vacuum in TEM. Then, from quantitative analysis of real time nanocrystal trajectories, we show that the status and configuration of dsDNA dictate the motions of linked nanocrystals throughout the imaging time of minutes. This sustained connecting ability of dsDNA enables this unprecedented continuous imaging of its dynamics via TEM. Moreover, the inert graphene surface minimizes sample-substrate interaction and allows the whole nanostructure to rotate freely in the liquid environment; we thus develop and implement the reconstruction of 3D configuration and motions of the nanostructure from the series of 2D projected TEM images captured while it rotates. In addition to further proving the nanoconjugate structural stability, this reconstruction demonstrates 3D dynamic imaging by TEM beyond its conventional use in seeing a flattened and dry sample. Altogether, we foresee the new and exciting use of graphene liquid cell TEM in imaging 3D biomolecular transformations or interaction dynamics at nanometer resolution.

3D motion↗
DOE OSTI2014

Semiclassical wave-packets emerging from interaction with an environment

We study the quantum evolution in dimension three of a system composed by a test particle interacting with an environment made of N harmonic oscillators. At time zero the test particle is described by a spherical wave, i.e., a highly correlated continuous superposition of states with well localized position and momentum, and the oscillators are in the ground state. Furthermore, we assume that the positions of the oscillators are not collinear with the center of the spherical wave. Under suitable assumptions on the physical parameters characterizing the model, we give an asymptotic expression of the solution of the Schrödinger equation of the system with an explicit control of the error. The result shows that the approximate expression of the wave function is the sum of two terms, orthogonal in L{sup 2}(R{sup 3(N+1)}) and describing rather different situations. In the first one, all the oscillators remain in their ground state and the test particle is described by the free evolution of a slightly deformed spherical wave. The second one consists of a sum of N terms where in each term there is only one excited oscillator and the test particle is correspondingly described by the free evolution of a wave packet, well concentrated in position and momentum. Moreover, the wave packet emerges from the excited oscillator with an average momentum parallel to the line joining the oscillator with the center of the initial spherical wave. Such wave packet represents a semiclassical state for the test particle, propagating along the corresponding classical trajectory. The main result of our analysis is to show how such a semiclassical state can be produced, starting from the original spherical wave, as a result of the interaction with the environment.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Navigation Performance Using the Deep Space Network and Alternate Solutions to Support Precision Landing

As human exploration once again targets the surface of the Moon, questions continue to emerge regarding the necessity of Earth-based tracking systems, such as the Deep Space Network, for spacecraft navigation in support of lunar descent and landing. This paper will derive an extensive Deep Space Network sensor model for use in linear covariance analysis and demonstrate the resulting trajectory dispersions and navigation performance in comparison with alternate solutions, such as terrain relative navigation. An in-depth trade study with considerations for various trajectory profiles, time allocated to ground tracking, number of active ground stations, and interaction with other sensors will be conducted to shed significant insight into sensor suite requirements to ensure safe and precise landing on the Moon.

Navigation↗
NASA NTRS1976

Launch opportunity classification of VEGA and delta V-EGA trajectories to the outer planets

Two concepts in spacecraft trajectory design which have been proposed by Hollenbeck (1975) and Bender and Friedlander (1975) are considered. Both concepts are intended for planetary missions and require an earth reencounter created by either a Venus gravity assist (VEGA) or a large midcourse impulse (delta V-EGA). In the case of outer planet missions, the new concepts offer significantly lower launch energy requirements than the direct ballistic flight mode. However, at least an additional two years flight time is needed for geometry phasing to set up the earth reencounter. A description is given of the trajectory characteristics for the two concepts. Attention is also given to the method of analysis used for the studies, aspects of trajectory generation, payload calculations, and target opportunity data.

Stancati, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Gravitational experiments on solar probe

A covariance analysis was performed for a solar probe trajectory which encounters the sun at four solar radii. The unknown parameters in the analysis are the six initial cartesian coordinates for the probe, six initial cartesian coordinates for the earth, the astronomical unit, the solar gravitational quadrupole coefficient and two post Newtonian meters (beta, gamma). Errors in the unknown parameters were computed as a function of standard errors on the radio tracking data and on the nongravitational forces which act on the probe. Results were obtained for several tracking geometries and for several orbital inclinations to the ecliptic. The analysis shows that the principal scientific result from the radio tracking of a solar probe would be the determination of the quadrupole moment, which would place a constraint on models of the solar interior.

Anderson, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Air-breathing hypersonic vehicle guidance and control studies: An integrated trajectory/control analysis methodology, phase 2

An integrated trajectory/control analysis algorithm has been used to generate trajectories and desired control strategies for two different hypersonic air-breathing vehicle models and orbit targets. Both models used cubic spline curve fit tabulated winged-cone accelerator vehicle representations. Near-fuel-optimal, horizontal takeoff trajectories, imposing a dynamic pressure limit of 1000 psf, were developed. The first model analysis case involved a polar orbit and included the dynamic effects of using elevons to maintain longitudinal trim. Analysis results indicated problems with the adequacy of the propulsion model and highlighted dynamic pressure/altitude instabilities when using vehicle angle of attack as a control variable. Also, the magnitude of computed elevon deflections to maintain trim suggested a need for alternative pitch moment management strategies. The second analysis case was reformulated to use vehicle pitch attitude relative to the local vertical as the control variable. A new, more realistic, air-breathing propulsion model was incorporated. Pitch trim calculations were dropped and an equatorial orbit was specified. Changes in flight characteristics due to the new propulsion model have been identified. Flight regimes demanding rapid attitude changes have been noted. Also, some issues that would affect design of closed-loop controllers were ascertained.

Hattis, Philip D.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Reconstruction of the Adaptable Deployable Entry and Placement Technology Sounding Rocket One Flight Test

The Adaptable Deployable Entry and Placement Technology Sounding Rocket One flight test is a demonstration experiment for deployable atmospheric decelerator technologies. The suborbital flight test occurred on 12 September 2018, at the White Sands Missile Range. Data from on-board and ground-based sensors were collected, from which the as-flown trajectory was reconstructed using an iterative extended Kalman filter-smoother. This paper describes the methodology, test vehicle instrumentation, and data analysis results from the flight test trajectory reconstruction.

Tynis, Jake A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Dispersion analysis and linear error analysis capabilities of the space vehicle dynamics simulation program

Previous error analyses conducted by the Guidance and Dynamics Branch of NASA have used the Guidance Analysis Program (GAP) as the trajectory simulation tool. Plans are made to conduct all future error analyses using the Space Vehicle Dynamics Simulation (SVDS) program. A study was conducted to compare the inertial measurement unit (IMU) error simulations of the two programs. Results of the GAP/SVDS comparison are presented and problem areas encountered while attempting to simulate IMU errors, vehicle performance uncertainties and environmental uncertainties using SVDS are defined. An evaluation of the SVDS linear error analysis capability is also included.

Snow, L. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Program manual for HILTOP, a heliocentric interplanetary low thrust trajectory optimization program. Part 1: User's guide

A performance-analysis computer program, that was developed explicitly to generate optimum electric propulsion trajectory data for missions of interest in the exploration of the solar system is presented. The program was primarily designed to evaluate the performance capabilities of electric propulsion systems, and in the simulation of a wide variety of interplanetary missions. A numerical integration of the two-body, three-dimensional equations of motion and the Euler-Lagrange equations was used in the program. Transversality conditions which permit the rapid generation of converged maximum-payload trajectory data, and the optimization of numerous other performance indices for which no transversality conditions exist are included. The ability to simulate constrained optimum solutions, including trajectories having specified propulsion time and constant thrust cone angle, is also in the program. The program was designed to handle multiple-target missions with various types of encounters, such as rendezvous, stopover, orbital capture, and flyby. Performance requirements for a variety of launch vehicles can be determined.

Mann, F. I.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Mid-Lift-to-Drag Ratio Rigid Vehicle 6-DOF EDL Performance Using Tunable Apollo Powered Guidance

The Mid-Lift-to-Drag ratio Rigid Vehicle (MRV) is a candidate in the NASA multi-center effort to determine the most cost effective vehicle to deliver a large-mass payload to the surface of Mars for a human mission. Products of this effort include six-degree-of-freedom (6DoF) entry-to-descent trajectory performance studies for each candidate vehicle. These high fidelity analyses help determine the best guidance and control (G&C) strategies for a feasible, robust trajectory. This paper presents an analysis of the MRV's G&C design by applying common entry and descent associated uncertainties using a Fully Numerical Predictor-corrector Entry Guidance (FNPEG) and tunable Apollo powered descent guidance.

human↗
NASA NTRS2014

Trades Between Opposition and Conjunction Class Trajectories for Early Human Missions to Mars

Candidate human missions to Mars, including NASA's Design Reference Architecture 5.0, have focused on conjunction-class missions with long crewed durations and minimum energy trajectories to reduce total propellant requirements and total launch mass. However, in order to progressively reduce risk and gain experience in interplanetary mission operations, it may be desirable that initial human missions to Mars, whether to the surface or to Mars orbit, have shorter total crewed durations and minimal stay times at the destination. Opposition-class missions require larger total energy requirements relative to conjunction-class missions but offer the potential for much shorter mission durations, potentially reducing risk and overall systems performance requirements. This paper will present a detailed comparison of conjunction-class and opposition-class human missions to Mars vicinity with a focus on how such missions could be integrated into the initial phases of a Mars exploration campaign. The paper will present the results of a trade study that integrates trajectory/propellant analysis, element design, logistics and sparing analysis, and risk assessment to produce a comprehensive comparison of opposition and conjunction exploration mission constructs. Included in the trade study is an assessment of the risk to the crew and the trade offs between the mission duration and element, logistics, and spares mass. The analysis of the mission trade space was conducted using four simulation and analysis tools developed by NASA. Trajectory analyses for Mars destination missions were conducted using VISITOR (Versatile ImpulSive Interplanetary Trajectory OptimizeR), an in-house tool developed by NASA Langley Research Center. Architecture elements were evaluated using EXploration Architecture Model for IN-space and Earth-to-orbit (EXAMINE), a parametric modeling tool that generates exploration architectures through an integrated systems model. Logistics analysis was conducted using NASA's Human Exploration Logistics Model (HELM), and sparing allocation predictions were generated via the Exploration Maintainability Analysis Tool (EMAT), which is a probabilistic simulation engine that evaluates trades in spacecraft reliability and sparing requirements based on spacecraft system maintainability and reparability.

Mattfeld, Bryan↗
NASA NTRS1971

The relative effects of entry parameters on thermal protection system weight

Shielding a spacecraft from the severe thermal environment of an atmospheric entry requires a sophisticated thermal protection system (TPS). Thermal computer program models were developed for two such TPS designs proposed for the space shuttle orbiter. The multilayer systems, a reusable surface insulation TPS, and a re-radiative metallic skin TPS, were sized for a cross-section of trajectories in the entry corridor. This analysis indicates the relative influence of the entry parameters on the weight of each TPS concept. The results are summarized graphically. The trajectory variables considered were down-range, cross-range, orbit inclination, entry interface velocity and flight path angle, maximum heating rate level, angle of attack, and ballistic coefficient. Variations in cross-range and flight path angle over the ranges considered had virtually no effect on the required entry TPS weight. The TPS weight was significantly more sensitive to variations in angle of attack than to dispersions in the other trajectory considered.

Hirasaki, P. N.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reversible Electron-Beam Patterning of Colloidal Nanoparticles at Fluid Interfaces

The directed self-assembly of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) using external fields guides the formation of sophisticated hierarchical materials but becomes less effective with decreasing particle size. As an alternative, electron-beam-driven assembly offers a potential avenue for targeted nanoscale manipulation, yet remains poorly controlled due to the variety and complexity of beam interaction mechanisms. Here, we investigate the beam–particle interaction of silica NPs pinned to the fluid–vacuum interface of ionic liquid droplets. In these experiments, scanning electron microscopy of the droplet surface resolves NP trajectories over space and time while simultaneously driving their reorganization. With this platform, we demonstrate the ability to direct particle transport and create transient, reversible colloidal patterns on the droplet surface. By tuning the beam voltage, we achieve precise control over both the strength and sign of the beam–particle interaction, with low voltages repelling particles and high voltages attracting them. This response stems from the formation of well-defined solvent flow fields generated from trace radiolysis of the ionic liquid, as determined through statistical analysis of single-particle trajectories under varying solvent composition. Altogether, electron-beam-guided assembly introduces a versatile strategy for nanoscale colloidal manipulation, offering new possibilities for the design of dynamic, reconfigurable systems with applications in adaptive photonics and catalysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗