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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

SAMPEX Observations of the South Atlantic Anomaly Secular Drift During Solar Cycles 22-24

It is observed that charged particle intensities are very high near the South Atlantic anomaly (SAA) and are a potential hazard to spacecraft passing through the region. In this study, we examine the secular drift of the SAA location at approximately 400-600 kilometers altitude over nearly two solar cycles, using particle count rates to trace the geomagnetic field lines in the region near the SAA. We use data from the Low-Energy Ion Composition Analyzer sensor on board the SAMPEX (Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer) spacecraft to measure both the longitudinal and latitudinal drifts of the SAA. We find that the longitudinal drift rate is 0.20 plus or minus 0.04 degrees west per year and that the latitudinal drift rate is 0.11 plus or minus 0.01 degrees south per year. These measurements are compared with the IGRF12 (International Geomagnetic Reference Field) model calculations based on an analysis of magnetic field minima in the region of the SAA. Our results, which are in good agreement with model results and prior measurements when declining spacecraft altitude is taken into account, have important space weather implications.

Jones, A. D.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Analysis of the long-term drift rates and oscillations of Jupiter’s largest vortices

Jupiter’s troposphere is dynamically characterized by a series of alternating eastward and westward jets. Embedded between these alternating jets, large vortices, characterized by their high speed closed circulations can be found in several latitudinal bands. The Great Red Spot (GRS) and the White Ovals (WOS) located at ≈22 and ≈30 degrees south respectively1 are the largest of these vortices. The GRS has undergone significant changes in size, coloration and maximum circumferential wind speed over the last two decades. The three WOS also experienced changes in size, and they merged over time until there was only one remaining, which since then has been formally known as oval BA. Here we used over four decades worth of data from the Database for Object Positions on Jupiter (JUPOS), to investigate the long-term mean longitudinal drift of these largest vortices, and to characterize the deviations from this mean drift. A linear fit to the GRS drift speed for the last two decades gives a rate of change of (3.1 ± 0.4)^(-3°)/day/year. For oval BA we find that its annual drift rate changed from -0.39°/day in 2016 to -0.58°/day in 2020 following a steep trend that is best fitted by a second order polynomial. Regarding oscillations, we find that for the last two decades the GRS has continued to oscillate longitudinally with the same period (90 days) and peak-to-peak amplitude (1.2 degrees longitude) as reported historically. For the WOS, the data prior to 2000 seems to indicate that they presented similar oscillations with periods of ≈158 days and peak-to-peak amplitudes of ≈1.6 degrees. The analysis of the data for oval BA since the year 2000 reveals evidence of an oscillation with a period of ≈138 days and peak-to-peak amplitude of ≈1.6 degrees longitude.

Raúl Morales-Juberías↗
DOE OSTI2025

Role of E × B Drift in Divertor Detachment Control via Boron Powder Injection on EAST

Here, the effects of B powder injection on plasma detachment about EAST discharge were studied by using SOLPS-ITER code package with the effects of E × B drifts considered. The simulation results show that plasma detachment occurs at the inner target in favourable toroidal magnetic field (B t ) direction at a relatively low B powder flow rate, one order of magnitude lower than that at the outer target. In a similar scenario with unfavourable B t , it is found that the detachment thresholds of B flow rate for both the inner and outer targets are close and of the same order as that for the outer target with favourable Bt. In favourable B t direction at B powder flow rate of 1.2 × 10 21 atoms/s, a localized, broadened high-density region is formed near the inner target benefitted by the injection location and the E × B drift, and a radiation-intensified zone, mostly contributed by B 1+ and B 2+ , occurs there. The E × B drift facilitates plasma detachment at the inner target and simultaneously amplifies the in–out divertor asymmetry. In addition, the simulation results with three different injection locations show that the injection from outer strike point leads to the lowest Z eff inside the separatrix and has an intermediate flow rate for detachment at the outer target, comparing with the X-point and upstream locations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Implementation of a Drift Flux Model into SAM with Development of a Verification and Validation Test Suite for Modeling of Noncondensable Gas Mixtures

The advanced thermal-hydraulic system code, System Analysis Module (SAM), was originally developed for the modeling of single-phase flow in advanced reactors. It has since been expanded to include a four-equation drift flux model for the modeling of two-phase flows containing a noncondensable gas. The model was expanded to support the modeling of molten salt reactor (MSR) designs in which the fuel is directly dissolved in the circulating coolant. These designs have shown that circulating gas bubbles can play an important role in the management of fission products and the operational behavior of the reactor. A drift flux model was implemented to more accurately capture the localized behavior of the void in the core and its impact on the mass transfer of fission products. A thorough assessment of the new model was performed by developing a verification and validation test suite. Verification problems were designed to test all major terms in the new governing equations. The new model converged to the correct solution at the expected order of accuracy for all verification cases. The validation cases included a wide range of flow and void conditions in different pipe geometries. Although higher void experiments show a slight underprediction of void by the drift flux model, experiments that aim to reproduce Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) experimental conditions show good agreement with the model. The gas transport model was activated for a SAM model of the MSRE to demonstrate that it can be used in a more complex model. Finally, this gas transport model will be used along with an interfacial area transport equation being implemented in SAM for the prediction of mass transport behavior in MSR conditions.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Model for the curvature response of the CDF II drift chamber

The CDF II experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron used a drift chamber to measure the momenta of charged particles. We present a model for the response of the drift chamber to the curvature of a charged particle's trajectory. Constraints on the model parameters are obtained from cosmic-ray data and from information published by CDF in the context of the W boson mass measurement. Implications for the calibration of the drift chamber measurement of momentum are discussed. The robustness of the CDF calibration procedure is demonstrated. The model provides a framework for the analysis of precision magnetic trackers of high-momentum particles. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Arctic Deployment of a Fully Integrated Self-Powered Drifting Buoy Harvesting Wave Energy via a Triboelectric Nanogenerator

The Arctic Ocean remains one of the most poorly sampled regions on Earth, where improved in situ environmental monitoring is vital for advancing oceanographic and atmospheric studies. However, data collection efforts are constrained by the short operational lifespans and high costs of conventional systems. Drifting buoys powered by pendulum-driven wave energy harvesters offer a cost-effective alternative, yet earlier designs have neither been optimized for real-world wave conditions nor validated in the Arctic. In this study, we develop a self-powered drifting buoy that integrates a pendulum-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) system with a mechanical motion rectifier, a high-gear-ratio transmission, and power management circuits. Through coupled buoy–pendulum dynamic simulations and laboratory testing using a motion simulator, we identify an optimal pendulum mass of 1.6 kg (12.7% of total buoy weight) that maximizes energy output while maintaining buoy stability. Laboratory experiments achieved average power outputs of 12.7 mW under Arctic-like wave and temperature conditions. The system was successfully deployed in the Bering Sea, where it generated 11 J of energy in 3.1 m waves, marking the first Arctic deployment of a TENG-based drifting buoy for sea surface temperature monitoring. This work establishes a cost-effective framework for designing self-powered Arctic monitoring platforms and advances the feasibility of long-term environmental observations in real Arctic waters.

marine enerby↗
DOE OSTI2025

Jet Drift in Heavy-Ion Collision: Acoplanarity and v 2

We introduce a sub-eikonal anisotropic contribution to jet-broadening, “jet drift,” that couples to the flow of the nuclear medium, showing that this effect results in a deflection of hard partons, and thus jets, in the direction of the medium flow. We study two-jet observables, i.e. v 2 and acoplanarity for √s = 5.02 TeV PbPb collisions at the LHC. We show that jet drift leads to an enhancement of the elliptic flow (v 2 ) of charged hadrons and modification of the acoplanarity of dihadrons and discuss the implications for jet substructure and medium response effects. We also demonstrate that we can obtain independent information about the event geometry encoded in the drift modification to acoplanarity vs v 2 enhancement, whereas the temperature dependence of these observables is qualitatively different. By disentangling this temperature vs geometry dependence of these observables, we can add discriminatory power to our analysis. Next, we study acoplanarity and v 2 across different system sizes and collisional energies i.e. 200 GeV AuAu collision at RHIC using our in-house simulation package (APE). Our analysis will be critical for understanding and generalizing dynamical jet-QGP interactions for different collisional systems and energies which will aid event engineering applications in the future.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Commissioning of an MPGD-based Drift Chamber for Heavy-ion Tracking in FRIB's Sweeper magnet system

A newly developed drift chamber equipped with an innovative hybrid Micro-Pattern Gaseous Detector based readout was commissioned at FRIB. The detector consists of a Multi-layer Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (M-THGEM) mounted over a high-granularity, position-sensitive readout board. Denoted as the Micro-Pattern Drift Chamber (MPDC), the new device is used to provide tracking capability as part of the detectors of the Sweeper magnet system for neutron-invariant-mass spectrometry at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The localization of impinging ions in a 30 × 30 cm 2 drift area is derived by processing the charge-avalanche distribution induced on the segmented readout board. The signals induced on the readout pads are processed by a compact, multi-channel Data Acquisition System (DAQ) based on the Scalable Readout System (SRS). To facilitate synchronization with other detector systems of the Sweeper magnet system, the SRS has been configured to accept an external trigger.

Gaseous detectors↗
DOE OSTI2026

Casimir interactions between two parallel graphene sheets carrying steady-state drift currents

Here, we investigate the fluctuation-induced Casimir interactions between two parallel graphene sheets carrying steady-state drift currents. The graphene properties are modeled based on the shifted Fermi disk model to capture the nonequilibrium optical response of the system. We find that the drift current introduces a repulsive correction to the perpendicular to the layers Casimir interaction, thereby reducing the overall attractive force. Although the correction is repulsive, it does not overcome the underlying attraction between the layers. It also generates a lateral force that opposes the carrier flow direction. Both contributions are studied in terms of distance and drift velocity functionalities showing pathways for Casimir force control.

Ke, Modi [University of South Florida, Tampa, FL (↗
DOE OSTI2024

First Measurement of Drift-Alfvén Wave Polarization in Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas

Polarization of drift-Alfvén waves, defined as the ratio of electrostatic to electromagnetic fluctuations, has remained unmeasurable in fusion plasmas for decades, despite its pivotal role in understanding wave dynamics and their impact on plasmas. We report the first measurements of drift-Alfvén wave polarization in a hot, magnetically-confined plasma. Here, the breakthrough is enabled by a novel methodology developed from gyrokinetic theory, utilizing fluctuations of electron temperature and density. Analysis of data from the DIII-D tokamak reveals that the waves above the geodesic acoustic mode frequency exhibit dominant electromagnetic polarization, whereas lower frequency waves show a mix of electromagnetic and electrostatic polarization, indicating a strong coupling between shear Alfvén waves and drift-acoustic waves.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantitative Description and Correction of Longitudinal Drifts in the Fermilab Linac

The Fermilab Linac accepts the 0.75 MeV H- ions from the front end and accelerates them to 400 MeV for injection into the Booster. Day-to-day drifts of the longitudinal trajectory in the Linac, reconstructed from phase readings of Beam Position Monitors, are at the level of several degrees. They are believed to cause additional losses both in the Linac and Booster, and are addressed by empirically adjusting the phases of Linac cavities. This work explores the option of expressing these drifts in terms of phase shifts in two cavities at the low-energy part of the Linac. Such description allows for a simplified visual representation of the drifts, suggest a clear algorithm for their compensation, and provides a tool for estimating efficiency of such compensation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1965

Electrometer preamplifier has drift correction feedback

Negative feedback circuit corrects output drift in an electrometer. The negative feedback is used in the no signal state to maintain the output level at zero reference. Drift voltage storage in the signal on state is also used to provide a drift-free readout.

Labarthe, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Ion drift velocities in gaseous mixtures at arbitrary field strengths.

A momentum-transfer theory is used to obtain an expression for the drift velocity of an ion in a multicomponent gas mixture. This is combined with an approximate calculation of the partition of the ion energy in the mixture to yield a formula for the drift velocity in terms of the drift velocities in the pure component gases. Positive deviations from Blanc's law at high fields are predicted, of magnitudes that should be easily measured experimentally.

Mason, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Dynamics and morphology of Beaufort Sea ice determined from satellites, aircraft, and drifting stations

A series of measurements from drifting stations, aircraft, the ERTS-1, Nimbus 4, and Nimbus 5 satellites have jointly provided a new description of the dynamics and morphology of the ice cover of the Beaufort Sea. The combined analysis of these data show that the eastern Beaufort Sea ice cover is made up of large multiyear floes while the western part is made of small, predominantly first-year floes. The analysis suggests that this distribution might be quasi-steady and that the dynamics and thermodynamics of the region are more complex than hitherto known. The measurements consist of: (1) high resolution ERTS-1 imagery which is used to describe floe size and shape distribution, short term floe dynamics, and lead and polynya dynamics; (2) tracking by Nimbus 4 of IRLS drifting buoys to provide ice drift information which enhances the interpretation of the ERTS-1 imagery; (3) Nimbus 5 microwave (1.55 cm wavelength) imagery which provides synoptic, sequential maps on the distribution of multiyear and first-year ice types; (4) airborne microwave surveys and surface based observations made during 1971 and 1972 in conjunction with the AIDJEX (Arctic Ice Dynamics Joint Experiment) program.

Campbell, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Drift shell splitting by internal geomagnetic multipoles.

Computations on an 80-coefficient model of the earth's field illustrate the 'topography' of the magnetic equatorial surface and the geometry of the drift shells of geomagnetically trapped particles. Individual terms in the spherical harmonic expansion of the geomagnetic scalar potential V(r, theta, phi) are either even or odd in cos theta, where theta = 90 deg denotes the dipole equator. Terms that are even in cos theta tend to 'warp' the equatorial surface, but do not (in first order) distort particle drift shells radially nor split the drift shells of particles having different equatorial pitch angles. Azimuthally asymmetric terms that are odd in cos theta do cause shell splitting in first order. Shell splitting at large L values (neglecting deformation of the earth's field by the solar wind) is found to be dominated by the geomagnetic octupole. At L approximately equal to 1, shell splitting is strongly enhanced by the South American and South African anomalies. When combined with pitch angle diffusion caused by atmospheric scattering, these results may be able to account for anomalous radial diffusion of inner zone electrons.

Roederer, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Zonal drifts of irregularities imparted by meridional winds.

In a uniform ionosphere, meridional winds cause only meridional motions of irregularities. It is shown, however, that, if F-region irregularities are considered in a real ionosphere in which there is a highly conductive E-layer, zonal motions occur. During the day a substantial westward drift takes place, while at night the drift is eastward but smaller, owing to the much smaller E-layer conductivity. Thus, the effect of meridional winds is to impart a net westward drift to small irregularities in the ionization, provided such irregularities persist long enough.

Waldman, H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Measured drift of irradiated and unirradiated W3%Re/W25%Re thermocouples at a nominal 2000 K.

Seven tantalum sheathed, BeO insulated, 0.157-cm-diam, grounded-junction W-3%Re/W-25%Re thermocouples were irradiated in a helium-argon environment at a temperature of 1900 to 2100 K. Six other thermocouples from the same lot were operated out-of-pile with the same temperature history as the in-pile thermocouples. Drift-in-pile was determined by periodically replacing a 'reference' thermocouple in the irradiation capsule. Drift out-of-pile was determined with an optical pyrometer. After 8000 hours irradiation, the estimated neutron fluence was 4 x 10 to the 21st power thermal neutrons/sq cm and 0.9 x 10 to the 21st power fast neutrons/sq cm (E greater than 0.18 MeV). At this time the in-pile group had decreased in output the equivalent of 340 K at 2073 K, while the out-of-pile group had decreased in output the equivalent of 54 K at 2073 K. The maximum deviation in drift between thermocouples of the in-pile group and between thermocouples of the out-of-pile group was less than plus or minus 15 K and less than plus or minus 10 K, respectively.

Heckelman, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The drift field model applied to the lithium-containing silicon solar cell

The drift field model used by Wolf to calculate the short-circuit current was extended to permit calculations of the open-circuit voltage and the maximum power under conditions of illumination of either tungsten (2800 C) source or AMO sunlight. Voltages were calculated using an expression for the drift field diode saturation current derived here. The model, applied to the oxygen rich (C-13 group) lithium solar cells, was used to calculate the pre-and post-electron bombardment trends for lithium gradients in the range of 10 to the 18th power to 10 to the 19th power Li/cm to the 4th power. Published experimental data characterizing these cells were used to tailor the model. The calculated trends are in reasonable agreement with the empirical data of Faith. Diffusion length degradation and carrier removal effects were sufficient to predict the cell performance up to 3 x 10 to the 14th power e/sq cm. Beyond this fluence it was necessary to include drift field removal effects.

Godlewski, M. P.↗