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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

A framework for evaluating power electronic systems for grid integration

As power electronic systems (PESs) grow increasingly complex, integrating and testing these systems in the development stages is becoming more crucial and more challenging. New modes and resource integration strategies are in development and must be tested before pilot demonstrations and mass production. This paper proposes a framework for testing of PES technologies including early validation with integration of simulated resources. The framework is demonstrated to work in two example configurations as proof of principle.

Dean, Ben↗

Quantification Of 4H- To 3C-Polymorphism In Silicon Carbide (SiC) Epilayers And An Investigation Of Recombination-Enhanced Dislocation Motion In SiC By Optical Emission Microscopy (Oem) Techniques

Environments that impose operational constraints on conventional silicon-(Si) based semiconductor devices frequently appear in military- and space-grade applications. These constraints include high temperature, high power, and high radiation environments. Silicon carbide (SiC), an alternative type of semiconductor material, has received abundant research attention in the past few years, owing to its radiation-hardened properties as well as its capability to withstand high temperatures and power levels. However, the growth and manufacture of SiC devices is still comparatively immature, and there are severe limitations in present crystal growth and device fabrication processes. Among these limitations is a variety of crystal imperfections known as defects. These imperfections can be point defects (e.g., vacancies and interstitials), line defects (e.g., edge and screw dislocations), or planar defects (e.g., stacking faults and double-positioning boundaries). All of these defects have been experimentally shown to be detrimental to the performance of electron devices made from SiC. As such, it is imperative that these defects are significantly reduced in order for SiC devices to become a viable entity in the electronics world. The NASA Glenn High Temperature Integrated Electronics & Sensors Team (HTIES) is working to identify and eliminate these defects in SiC by implementing improved epitaxial crystal growth procedures. HTIES takes two-inch SiC wafers and etches patterns, producing thousands of mesas into each wafer. Crystal growth is then carried out on top of these mesas in an effort to produce films of improved quality-resulting in electron devices that demonstrate superior performance-as well as fabrication processes that are cost-effective, reliable, and reproducible. In this work, further steps are taken to automate HTIES' SiC wafer inspection system. National Instruments LabVIEW image processing and pattern recognition routines are developed that are capable of quantifying and mapping defects on both the substrate and mesa surfaces, and of quantifying polymorphic changes in the grown materials. In addition, an optical emission microscopy (OEM) system is developed that will facilitate comprehensive study of recombination-enhanced dislocation motion (REDM).

Speer, Kevin M.↗

Internal Charging Design Environments for the Earths Radiation Belts

Relativistic electrons in the Earth's radiation belts are a widely recognized threat to spacecraft because they penetrate lightly shielded vehicle hulls and deep into insulating materials where they accumulate to sufficient levels to produce electrostatic discharges. Strategies for evaluating the magnitude of the relativistic electron flux environment and its potential for producing ESD events are varied. Simple "rule of thumb" estimates such as the widely used 10(exp 10) e-/sq cm fluence within 10 hour threshold for the onset of pulsing in dielectric materials provide a quick estimate of when to expect charging issues. More sophisticated strategies based on models of the trapped electron flux within the Earth s magnetic field provide time dependent estimates of electron flux along spacecraft orbits and orbit integrate electron flux. Finally, measurements of electron flux can be used to demonstrate mean and extreme relativistic electron environments. This presentation will evaluate strategies used to specify energetic electron flux and fluence environments along spacecraft trajectories in the Earth s radiation belts.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Device Structures: Background, Fabrication Ecosystem, Relevance to Space Systems Applications, and Discussion of Related Radiation Effects

Electronic integrated circuits are considered one of the most significant technological advances of the 20th century, with demonstrated impact in their ability to incorporate successively higher numbers transistors and construct electronic devices onto a single CMOS chip. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) exist as the optical analog to integrated circuits; however, in place of transistors, PICs consist of numerous scaled optical components, including such "building-block" structures as waveguides, MMIs, lasers, and optical ring resonators. The ability to construct electronic and photonic components on a single microsystems platform offers transformative potential for the development of technologies in fields including communications, biomedical device development, autonomous navigation, and chemical and atmospheric sensing. Developing on-chip systems that provide new avenues for integration and replacement of bulk optical and electro-optic components also reduces size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) limitations, which are important in the selection of instrumentation for specific flight projects. The number of applications currently emerging for complex photonics systems-particularly in data communications-warrants additional investigations when considering reliability for space systems development. This Body of Knowledge document seeks to provide an overview of existing integrated photonics architectures; the current state of design, development, and fabrication ecosystems in the United States and Europe; and potential space applications, with emphasis given to associated radiation effects and reliability.

Body of Knowledge (BOK)↗

Integration of design, structural, thermal and optical analysis: And user's guide for structural-to-optical translator (PATCOD)

Electronic integration of design and analysis processes was achieved and refined at Langley Research Center (LaRC) during the development of an optical bench for a laser-based aerospace experiment. Mechanical design has been integrated with thermal, structural and optical analyses. Electronic import of the model geometry eliminates the repetitive steps of geometry input to develop each analysis model, leading to faster and more accurate analyses. Guidelines for integrated model development are given. This integrated analysis process has been built around software that was already in use by designers and analysis at LaRC. The process as currently implemented used Pro/Engineer for design, Pro/Manufacturing for fabrication, PATRAN for solid modeling, NASTRAN for structural analysis, SINDA-85 and P/Thermal for thermal analysis, and Code V for optical analysis. Currently, the only analysis model to be built manually is the Code V model; all others can be imported for the Pro/E geometry. The translator from PATRAN results to Code V optical analysis (PATCOD) was developed and tested at LaRC. Directions for use of the translator or other models are given.

Amundsen, R. M.↗

One-center r sub ij integrals over Slater-type orbitals.

Expressions are derived for the integrals which arise in calculations of atomic wavefunctions of four or more electrons, using the method of explicit introduction of interelectronic distances into a configuration interaction wavefunction (subject to the restriction of at most one interelectronic distance per configuration). The approach followed in the derivations is similar to one followed by OEhrn and Nordling for three electron integrals; however, in extending the OEhrn and Nordling scheme to four electrons for a basis of s, p, and d Slater-type orbitals, numerical snags are encountered which have been obviated by a Euler transformation on certain of the auxiliary integrals.

Sims, J. S.↗

A simulation framework for evaluating electronic order workflows in integrated health records

Electronic health record (EHR) systems are critical to modern healthcare delivery, yet the dynamic workflows that govern electronic order processing remain underexplored. Inefficiencies in these digital pathways can cause delays in care, repetitive workloads, and even patient harm. This study presents a discrete-event simulation framework used to reconstruct and evaluate EHR-based order workflows in a large integrated healthcare system. Using real-world data extracted from the Veterans Health Administration’s Corporate Data Warehouse, the authors mapped order events to standardized state transitions and modeled their progression across different facilities of varying complexity levels. After being calibrated with empirical distributions of transition times and validated against observed time-in-system metrics, the simulation demonstrates close alignment with historical performance. Scenario analyses reveal that resource capacity constraints significantly amplify the impact of electronic order surges, which are reflected in the disproportionate growth in backlogs and processing delays. Adjustments in transition probabilities further increased recirculation and extended workflow paths. Network-based analysis identified Reserved, InProgress, and Completed as structurally critical states that function as hubs within the process network but the transitions in-between also act as major bottlenecks. These results showcased the effectiveness of simulation-based approaches in monitoring EHR order processing performance and evaluating consequences of workflow changes on healthcare network resources planning. The proposed simulation framework provides a scalable data-driven tool to support operational decision-making and improve the efficiency of electronic order management in complex healthcare environments.

Engineering↗

The conical fit approach to modeling ionospheric total electron content

The Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to measure the integrated electron density along raypaths between satellites and receivers. Such measurements may, in turn, be used to construct regional and global maps of the ionospheric total electron content (TEC). Maps are generated by fitting measurements to an assumed ionospheric model.

ionosphere WAAS GPS TEC↗

Electron-proton spectrometer design summary

The electron-proton spectrometer (EPS) will be placed aboard the Skylab in order to provide data from which electron and proton radiation dose can be determined. The EPS has five sensors, each consisting of a shielded silicon detector. These provide four integral electron channels and five integral proton channels from which can be deduced four differential proton increments.

Source record↗

Determination of ionospheric electron content from the Faraday rotation of geostationary satellite signals.

Observation that calculations of the integrated electron content up to the height of the satellite, using a wide range of model ionospheres (with a peak at 300 km) could be up to four times the value deduced from Faraday rotation measurements. However, using a fixed mean field height of 400 km, the observed Faraday rotation gives the electron content up to a height h sub F of 2000 km with an accuracy of plus or minus 3%. For observations at different magnetic and geographic latitudes, and geostationary satellites at different longitudes, the optimum value of h sub F varies by only plus or minus 200 km. Nighttime increases in the height of the ionosphere have little effect on h sub F, but increase the mean field height to about 470 km. Using a fixed value of 420 km, with h sub F = 2000 km, gives an accuracy of plus or minus 5% under most conditions.

Titheridge, J. E.↗

Characterization of suspended membrane waveguides towards a photonic atom trap integrated platform

We demonstrate an optical waveguide device, capable of supporting the high, in-vacuum, optical power necessary for trapping a single atom or a cold atom ensemble with evanescent fields. Our photonic integrated platform, with suspended membrane waveguides, successfully manages optical powers of 6 mW (500 μ m span) to nearly 30 mW (125 μ m span) over an un-tethered waveguide span. This platform is compatible with laser cooling and magneto-optical traps (MOTs) in the vicinity of the suspended waveguide, called the membrane MOT and the needle MOT, a key ingredient for efficient trap loading. We evaluate two novel designs that explore critical thermal management features that enable this large power handling. This work represents a significant step toward an integrated platform for coupling neutral atom quantum systems to photonic and electronic integrated circuits on silicon.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

On the maintenance of the Venus nightside ionosphere - Electron precipitation and plasma transport

The relative contributions of electron precipitation and transport of dayside plasma to the maintenance of the Venus nightside ionosphere during the long Venusian night are investigated based on simultaneous Pioneer Venus Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer measurements of suprathermal electron fluxes and plasma densities. In about 20 orbits, the nightside integral electron flux of electrons with energies between 5 and 45 eV is observed to be relatively constant in time and altitude, while plasma density is observed to vary by a factor of 10 or more with no correlation with the electron flux. Ionization rates and ion density height profiles are computed for O(+) and O2(+) as a function of magnetic dip angle based on a typical electron spectrum, or a downward flux of O(+) ions. Comparison of the computed profiles with the measured median O(+) and O2(+) density profiles reveals that the measured profiles can only be reproduced by a downward flux of O(+) equal to about 10 to the 8th/sq cm per sec; suprathermal electron energy distributions produce O2(+) and O(+) levels only about half and one tenth those usually observed, respectively. It is thus concluded that transport of O(+) ions from the dayside Venus ionosphere is responsible for approximately 75% of the typical nightside ionization, with variations in O(+) transport mechanism responsible for most of the observed nightside density variations. The remaining ionization is attributed to suprathermal electrons, which contribute principally to the O2(+) peak.

Spenner, K.↗

Printable Spacecraft: Flexible Electronic Platforms for NASA Missions

Why printed electronics? Why should NASA use printed electronics to make a spacecraft? Three words provide the answer: universal, impactful, progressive. The technology is universal because the applications it can affect are broad and diverse from simple sensors to fully functional spacecraft. The impact of flexible, printed electronics range from straightforward mass, volume and cost savings all the way to enabling new mission concepts. The benefits of the technology will become progressively larger from what is achievable today so that investments will pay dividends tomorrow, next year and next decade. We started off three years ago asking the question can you build an entire spacecraft out of printed electronics? In other words, can you design and fabricate a fully integrated, electronic system that performs the same end-to-end functions of a spacecraft - take scientific measurements, perform data processing, provide data storage, transmit the data, powers itself, orients and propels itself - all out of thin flexible sheets of printed electronics? This "Printable Spacecraft" pushes the limits of printed flexible electronics performance. So the answer is yes, more or less. In our studies for the NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) program, we have explored this question further, to explain more completely what "more or less" means and to outline what is needed to make the answer a definitive "yes". Despite its appealing "Flat Stanley"-like (a book series by Jeff Brown) qualities, making a Printable Spacecraft is not as easy as flattening the Cassini spacecraft with a bulletin board, as was Stanley Lamchop's fate. But, if NASA invests in the design challenges, the materials challenges, the performance challenges of printed electronics, it might find itself with a spacecraft that can enable as many adventures and advantages as Flat Stanley including putting it in an envelope and mailing it to the planet of your choice. You just have to let your imagination take over. In this report we document the work of the Phase 2 Printable Spacecraft task conducted under the guidance and leadership of the NIAC program. In Phase One of the NIAC task entitled "Printable Spacecraft", we investigated the viability of printed electronics technologies for creating multi-functional spacecraft platforms. Mission concepts and architectures that could be enhanced or enabled with this technology were explored. In Phase 2 we tried to answer the more practical questions such as can you really build a multi-functional printed electronic spacecraft system? If you do, can it survive the space environment? Even if it can, what benefit does a printable system provide over a traditional implementation of a spacecraft?

Materials↗

Multi-MeV Electrons from Above-Threshold Ionization of the Neon K-Shell

We present measurements of integrated electron energies produced by above-threshold ionization (ATI) of neon in a laser field with intensity exceeding 10 20 W/cm 2 . We observe electrons with energy exceeding 10 MeV ejected in the laser forward direction above a threshold intensity of 2 ×10 20 W/cm 2 . Here, we compare to ATI models using both tunneling (ADK-PPT) and barrier suppression ionization and observe the onset of ATI at a higher threshold intensity than predicted by these 15 models.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Design and "As Flown" Radiation Environments for Materials in Low Earth Orbit

A conservative design approach was adopted by the International Space Station Program for specifying total ionizing radiation dose requirements for use in selecting and qualifying materials for construction of the International Space Station. The total ionizing dose design environment included in SSP 30512 Space Station Ionizing Radiation Design Environment is based on trapped proton and electron fluence derived from the solar maximum versions of the AE-8 and AP-8 models, respectively, specified for a circular orbit at 500 km altitude and 51.7 degree inclination. Since launch, the range of altitudes utilized for Space Station operations vary from a minimum of approximately 330 km to a maximum of approximately 405 km with a mean operational altitude less than 400 km. The design environment, therefore, overestimates the radiation environment because the particle flux in the South Atlantic Anomaly is the primary contributor to radiation dose in low Earth orbit and flux within the Anomaly is altitude dependent. In addition, a 2X multiplier is often applied to the design environment to cover effects from the contributions of galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particle events, geomagnetic storms, and uncertainties in the trapped radiation models which are not explicitly included in the design environment. Application of this environment may give radiation dose overestimates on the order of 1OX to 30X for materials exposed to the space environment, suggesting that materials originally qualified for ten year exposures on orbit may be used for longer periods without replacement. In this paper we evaluate the "as flown" radiation environments derived from historical records of the ISS flight trajectory since launch and compare the results with the SSP 30512 design environment to document the magnitude of the radiation dose overestimate provided by the design environment. "As flown" environments are obtained from application of the AE-8/AP-8 trapped particle models along the ISS flight trajectory including variations in altitude due to decay of the vehicle orbit and periodic reboosts to higher altitudes. In addition, an estimate of the AE-8 model to predict low Earth orbit electron flux (because the radiation dose for thin materials is dominated by the electron component of the radiation environment) is presented based on comparisons of the AE-8 model to measurements of electron integral flux at approximately 850 km from the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector on board the NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellite.

Minow, Joseph↗

Unified Description of Cuprate Superconductors by Fractionalized Electrons Emerging from Integrated Analyses of Photoemission Spectra and Quasiparticle Interference

Electronic structure of high-temperature superconducting cuprates is studied by analyzing experimental data independently obtained from two complementary spectroscopies: one, quasiparticle interference (QPI) measured by scanning-tunneling microscopy, and the other, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We combine these two sets of data in a unified theoretical analysis. Through explicit calculations of experimentally measurable quantities, we show that a simple two-component fermion model (TCFM) representing electron fractionalization succeeds in reproducing various detailed features of these experimental data: ARPES and QPI data are concomitantly reproduced by the TCFM in full energy and momentum spaces. The measured QPI pattern reveals a signature characteristic of the TCFM, distinct from the conventional single-component prediction, supporting the validity of the electron fractionalization in the cuprates. The integrated analysis also solves the puzzles of ARPES and QPI data that are seemingly inconsistent with each other. The overall success of the TCFM offers a comprehensive understanding of the electronic structure of the cuprates, in particular, the unoccupied side of the spectra, of which momentum-resolved structure has long been unexplored experimentally. We further predict that a characteristic QPI pattern should appear in the unoccupied high-energy part if the fractionalization is at work. We propose that integrated-spectroscopy analyses offer a promising way to explore challenging issues of strongly correlated electron systems.

Sakai, Shiro [Sophia University; RIKEN Center for ↗

Convergence acceleration of Monte Carlo many-body perturbation methods by using many control variates

Herein, the use of many control variates is proposed as a method to accelerate the second- and third-order Monte Carlo (MC) many-body perturbation (MC-MP2 and MC-MP3) calculations. A control variate is an exactly integrable function that is strongly correlated or anti-correlated with the target function to be integrated by the MC method. Evaluating both integrals as well as their covariances in the same MC run, one can effect a mutual cancellation of the statistical uncertainties and biases in the MC integrations, thereby accelerating its convergence considerably. Six and thirty-six control variates, whose integrals are known a priori, are generated for MC-MP2 and MC-MP3, respectively, by systematically replacing one or more two-electron-integral vertexes of certain configurations by zero-valued overlap-integral vertexes in their Goldstone diagrams. The variances and co- variances of these control variates are computed at a marginal cost, enhancing the overall efficiency of the MC-MP2 and MC-MP3 calculations by a factor of up to 14 and 20, respectively.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗