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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

Fine time structure in the 1979 March 5 gamma ray burst

Data on the impulsive phase of the 1979 March 5 gamma ray burst, taken by three identical detectors aboard the Prognoz 7, Venera 11, and Venera 12 spacecraft with 2 ms time resolution, are presented. The first 200 ms of the time history may be described by an exponential decay with time constant of approximately 120 ms up to approximately 100 ms, and time constant of approximately 30 ms thereafter; at low energies, a pulsating component with a period of approximately 23 ms appears. The data could be consistent with torsional vibrations of a neutron star, the rotation of a rapidly spinning neutron star, or oscillations caused by interactions between hot plasma and a magnetic field.

Barat, C.↗

Multiplexing of Hot-Electron Nanobolometers Using Microwave SQUIDs

We have obtained the first data on the multiplexed operation of titanium hot-electron bolometers (HEB). Because of their low thermal conductance and small electron heat capacity nanobolometers are particularly interesting as sensors for far-infrared spectroscopy and mid- and near-IR calorimetry. However, the short time constant of these devices (approximately microseconds at 300-400 mK) makes time domain or audio-frequency domain multiplexing impractical. The Microwave SQUID (MSQUID) approach pursued in this work uses dc SQUIDs coupled to X-band microresonators which are, in turn, coupled to a transmission line. We used a 4-element array of Ti HEBs operated at 415 mK in a He3 dewar with an optical fiber access. The microwave signal exhibited 10-MHz wide resonances at individual MSQUD frequencies between 9 GHz and 10 GHz. The resonance depth is modulated by the current through the bolometer via a change of the SQUID flux state. The transmitted signal was amplified by a cryogenic amplifier and downconverted to baseband using an IQ mixer. A 1-dB per ??/2 responsivity was sufficient for keeping the system noise at the level of ~ 2 pA/Hz1/2. This is more than an order of magnitude smaller than phonon noise in the HEB. The devices were able to detect single near- IR photons (1550 nm) with a time constant of 3.5 ?s. Follow-on work will scale the array to larger size and will address the microwave frequency signal generation and processing using a digital transceiver.

microwave readout↗

Recovery from vestibular ototoxicity

OBJECTIVE: Determine whether subjects with documented vestibular ototoxicity recover vestibular function and, if so, investigate the recovery dynamics. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective and retrospective reviews and repeated measures. SETTING: Clinical research and technology center. SUBJECTS: Twenty-eight subjects who received vestibulotoxic medications were followed for at least 12 months after initial treatment. CONTROLS: Our subject sample was compared with a published database of normal individuals. INTERVENTIONS: All 28 subjects received systemically administered medications known to be ototoxic. The subjects' treating physicians controlled medication, dosage, and administration schedules. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tests of horizontal canal vestibulo-ocular function were performed. Subjects' auditory and vestibular symptoms were recorded. RESULTS: Eleven subjects (39%) showed changes in horizontal canal vestibulo-ocular gain constant (GC) and/or time constant (TC) consistent with vestibular ototoxicity. When tested 1 year after ototoxic drug administration, eight of the nine subjects who experienced ototoxic decrease in GC showed a recovery of GC to normal limits. Only one of the eight subjects who experienced ototoxic decrease in TC showed recovery of TC to within normal limits. Ototoxicity onset and recovery were independent of baseline vestibular function, and ototoxicity onset did not correlate with cumulative dose of ototoxic medication. There was no relationship between subjective symptoms and ototoxicity onset. CONCLUSIONS: Recovery of GC after vestibular ototoxicity is more commonly observed than recovery of TC. Because ototoxic changes developed and continued in an unpredictable time and manner in relation to ototoxic drug administration, we propose that once ototoxic changes in vestibulo-ocular reflex are detected, ototoxic medications should be discontinued as soon as possible.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗

Theoretical investigation of braking of tearing mode rotation by resistive walls in ITER

The locking of the 2/1 tearing mode to the resistive wall in the ITER tokamak (15 MA inductive scenario 2) is investigated theoretically using a cylindrical asymptotic matching model. The model takes into account the fact that ITER plasmas will effectively be surrounded by two walls; the inner blanket module layer with a time constant of about 23 ms, and the outer vacuum vessel with a time constant of about 380 ms. The model also takes cognizance of the fact that neither the blanket module layer nor the vacuum vessel can be accurately described as “thin” walls (in the ordinarily accepted sense). The model incorporates changes in both the plasma poloidal and the toroidal angular velocity profiles, in response to the electromagnetic braking torque that develops at the rational surface, because it turns out that neoclassical poloidal flow-damping is not strong enough to completely suppress changes in the poloidal velocity. Finally, the model accurately calculates changes in the poloidal and toroidal plasma angular velocity profiles by evolving the full angular equations of motion, taking the electromagnetic braking torque, plasma inertia, plasma viscosity, and poloidal flow-damping into account. The time required for the 2/1 tearing mode to grow from a small amplitude to a sufficient one to lock to the walls is found to be about 3.5 s. As a result, the critical full radial island width at which wall locking is triggered is found to be about 9% of the plasma minor radius.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Single-Shot Decoding of Good Quantum LDPC Codes

Abstract Quantum Tanner codes constitute a family of quantum low-density parity-check codes with good parameters, i.e., constant encoding rate and relative distance. In this article, we prove that quantum Tanner codes also facilitate single-shot quantum error correction (QEC) of adversarial noise, where one measurement round (consisting of constant-weight parity checks) suffices to perform reliable QEC even in the presence of measurement errors. We establish this result for both the sequential and parallel decoding algorithms introduced by Leverrier and Zémor. Furthermore, we show that in order to suppress errors over multiple repeated rounds of QEC, it suffices to run the parallel decoding algorithm for constant time in each round. Combined with good code parameters, the resulting constant-time overhead of QEC and robustness to (possibly time-correlated) adversarial noise make quantum Tanner codes alluring from the perspective of quantum fault-tolerant protocols.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Efficient SABRE-SHEATH Hyperpolarization of Potent Branched-Chain-Amino-Acid Metabolic Probe [1-13C]ketoisocaproate

Efficient 13C hyperpolarization of ketoisocaproate is demonstrated in natural isotopic abundance and [1-13C]enriched forms via SABRE-SHEATH (Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange in SHield Enables Alignment Transfer to Heteronuclei). Parahydrogen, as the source of nuclear spin order, and ketoisocaproate undergo simultaneous chemical exchange with an Ir-IMes-based hexacoordinate complex in CD3OD. SABRE-SHEATH enables spontaneous polarization transfer from parahydrogen-derived hydrides to the 13C nucleus of transiently bound ketoisocaproate. 13C polarization values of up to 18% are achieved at the 1-13C site in 1 min in the liquid state at 30 mM substrate concentration. The efficient polarization build-up becomes possible due to favorable relaxation dynamics. Specifically, the exponential build-up time constant (14.3 ± 0.6 s) is substantially lower than the corresponding polarization decay time constant (22.8 ± 1.2 s) at the optimum polarization transfer field (0.4 microtesla) and temperature (10 °C). The experiments with natural abundance ketoisocaproate revealed polarization level on the 13C-2 site of less than 1%—i.e., one order of magnitude lower than that of the 1-13C site—which is only partially due to more-efficient relaxation dynamics in sub-microtesla fields. We rationalize the overall much lower 13C-2 polarization efficiency in part by less favorable catalyst-binding dynamics of the C-2 site. Pilot SABRE experiments at pH 4.0 (acidified sample) versus pH 6.1 (unaltered sodium [1-13C]ketoisocaproate) reveal substantial modulation of SABRE-SHEATH processes by pH, warranting future systematic pH titration studies of ketoisocaproate, as well as other structurally similar ketocarboxylate motifs including pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, with the overarching goal of maximizing 13C polarization levels in these potent molecular probes. Finally, we also report on the pilot post-mortem use of HP [1-13C]ketoisocaproate in a euthanized mouse, demonstrating that SABRE-hyperpolarized 13C contrast agents hold promise for future metabolic studies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

An analysis of aircraft lateral-directional handling qualities using pilot models.

An analytical study of the combined pilot-aircraft system to develop a procedure for computing pilot ratings for the lateral-directional response. In the analytical procedure the pilot is represented by a linear, second-order pilot model, and the aircraft by linear equations of motion. Two levels of pilot response were described by the pilot model. The first level contains a static gain and a second-order lag function with a time constant of 0.2 second. The second level added a 1-sec lead time constant. The second level is assumed to represent a greater effort on the part of the pilot. If the system response characteristics can be achieved with the first-level pilot model, it is concluded that the aircraft will be given a pilot rating of satisfactory. If the aircraft characteristics are such that the second-level pilot model is required to achieve the prescribed system response, it is concluded that the aircraft will be rated tolerable.

Adams, J. J.↗

Polar process and world climate /A brief overview/

A review is presented of events relating polar regions to the world climate, the mechanisms of sea ice and polar ice sheets, and of two theories of the Pleistocene Ice Ages. The sea ice which varies over time scales of one or two years and the polar ice sheets with time changes measured in tens or hundreds of thousands of years introduce two distinct time constants into global time changes; the yearly Arctic sea ice variations affect northern Europe and have some effect over the entire Northern Hemisphere; the ice-albedo coupling in the polar ice sheets is involved in major climatic events such as the Pleistocene ice ages. It is concluded that climate problems require a global approach including the atmosphere, the oceans, and the cryosphere.

Goody, R.↗

Solar UV variability - Effects on stratospheric ozone, trace constituents and thermal structure

The effect of long-term (11-year solar cycle) solar UV variability on stratospheric chemical and thermal structure has been studied using a time-dependent one-dimensional model. Previous studies have suggested substantial variations in local and total ozone, and in stratospheric thermal structure from solar minimum to solar maximum. It is shown that significant variations also occur in some of the trace constituents. Members of the HOx family and N2O exhibit the largest variations, and these changes, if detected, may provide additional means of verifying the presence of solar UV variability and its effects. Some of the species show large phase differences with the assumed solar flux variation. The role of chemical and transport time constants on the time variations of the trace species is examined. Comparisons with reported ozone and temperature data show reasonable agreement for the period 1960 to 1972.

Natarajan, M.↗

Development and Certification of a New Stall Warning and Avoidance System

Several methods may be employed to improve natural stall characteristics. The method employed on all learjets to obtain improved stall characteristics is a stall warning and avoidance system that employs angle of attack vanes, an electronic computer, a control column shaker motor, and a torquer which drives the control column in a pusher mode to avoid unwanted further buildup of angle of attack. The new system was developed with changes that improve system response with no performance penalty or increase in turbulence sensitivity. The following changes were made included modified system time constants and (alpha) time rate of change of vane angle dead zone and the addition of an alpha signal limiter and an alpha cut out below a specified angle of attack.

Gertsen, W. M.↗

Criteria for Side-Force Control in Air-to-Ground Target Acquisition and Tracking

A moving-base simulator experiment conducted at Ames Research Center demonstrated that a wings-level-turn control mode improved flying qualities for air-to-ground weapons delivery compared with those of a conventional aircraft. Evaluations of criteria for dynamic response for this system have shown that pilot ratings correlate well with equivalent time constant of the initial response and with system bandwidth. Ranges of this time constant, as well as digital-system transport delays and lateral-acceleration control authorities that encompassed level 1 through level 3 handling qualities, were determined.

Sammonds, Robert I.↗

The effect of delta 3 on a yawing HAWT blade and on yaw dynamics

A single degree of freedom aeroelastic computer model, WMSTAB3, was employed to perform a parametric analysis of HAWT blade behavior during yaw maneuvers. Over 1,000 different combinations of delta sub 3 and normal frequency were analyzed. The effect of delta sub 3 and flapping stiffness on flapping frequency, phase, and magnitude are discussed. The moments transmitted to the fixed system during yaw maneuvers were calculated and reduced to time constants of response to step changes in wind direction. The significance of the time constants for the configurations considered relative to yaw response rate and lag angle is discussed, along with their possible significance for large HAWT.

Perkins, F. W.↗

The effects of multiplicative motor noise on the optimal human operator model

The effects of a multiplicative motor noise model on the optimal-control human operator model were analyzed. A study of the interaction between multiplicative motor noise variance, plant dynamics, and predicted operator response behavior shows that, in general, an increase in motor noise variance produces a decrease in operator gain and a decrease in high-frequency remnant. An increase in multiplicative motor noise variance is also reflected by an increase in the effective motor time constant; in the absence of a cost penalty on commanded control, the motor time constant equals the motor noise variance.

Caglayan, A. K.↗

Depth-Penetrating Temperature Measurements of Thermal Barrier Coatings Incorporating Thermographic Phosphors

Thermographic phosphors have been previously demonstrated to provide effective non-contact, emissivity-independent surface temperature measurements. Because of the translucent nature of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), thermographic phosphor-based temperature measurements can be extended beyond the surface to provide depth-selective temperature measurements by incorporating the thermographic phosphor layer at the depth where the temperature measurement is desired. In this paper, thermographic phosphor (Y2O3:Eu) fluorescence decay time measurements are demonstrated to provide through-the-coating thickness temperature readings up to 1100 C with the phosphor layer residing beneath a 100 micron thick TBC (plasma-sprayed 8wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia). With an appropriately chosen excitation wavelength and detection configuration, it is shown that sufficient phosphor emission is generated to provide effective temperature measurements, despite the attenuation of both the excitation and emission intensities by the overlying TBC. This depth-penetrating temperature measurement capability should prove particularly useful for TBC diagnostics where a large thermal gradient is typically present across the TBC thickness. The fluorescence decay from the Y2O3:Eu layer exhibited both an initial short-term exponential rise and a longer-term exponential decay. The rise time constant was demonstrated to provide better temperature indication below 500 C while the decay time constant was a better indicator at higher temperatures.

Eldridge, Jeffrey I.↗

Nanosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy for the study of electron transfer in photosystem I

Abstract Microsecond time-resolved step-scan FTIR difference spectroscopy was used to study photosystem I (PSI) from Thermosynechococcus vestitus BP-1 ( T. vestitus, formerly known as T. elongatus ) at 77 K. In addition, photoaccumulated (P700 + –P700) FTIR difference spectra were obtained at both 77 and 293 K. The FTIR difference spectra are presented here for the first time. To extend upon these FTIR studies nanosecond time-resolved infrared difference spectroscopy was also used to study PSI from T. vestitus at 296 K. Nanosecond infrared spectroscopy has never been used to study PSI samples at physiological temperatures, and here it is shown that such an approach has great value as it allows a direct probe of electron transfer down both branches in PSI. In PSI at 296 K, the infrared flash-induced absorption changes indicate electron transfer down the B- and A-branches is characterized by time constants of 33 and 364 ns, respectively, in good agreement with visible spectroscopy studies. These time constants are associated with forward electron transfer from A 1 – to F X on the B- and A-branches, respectively. At several infrared wavelengths flash-induced absorption changes at 296 K recover in tens to hundreds of milliseconds. The dominant decay phase is characterized by a lifetime of 128 ms. These millisecond changes are assigned to radical pair recombination reactions, with the changes being associated primarily with P700 + rereduction. This conclusion follows from the observation that the millisecond infrared spectrum is very similar to the photoaccumulated (P700 + –P700) FTIR difference spectrum.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Shuffle-exchanges on augmented meshes

A mesh connected array of size N = two to the Kth power, K an integer, can be augmented by adding at most one edge per node such that it can perform a shuffle-exchange of size N/2 in constant time. A shuffle-exchange of size N is performed on this augmented array in constant time. This is done by combining the available perfect shuffle of size N/2 with the existing nearest neighbor connections of the mesh. By carefully scheduling the different permutations that are composed in order to achieve the shuffle, the time required is reduced to 5 steps, which is optimal for this network.

Bokhari, S. H.↗

NASA supporting studies for microgravity research on eye movements

The purpose of the work on this project was to provide support for ground-based studies on the effects of gravity on eye movements. The effects of microgravity on the optokinetic eye movements of humans are investigated. OKN was induced by having subjects watch 3.3 deg stripes moving at 35 deg/s for 45 s in a binocular, head-fixed apparatus. The field (hor., 88 deg; vert., 72 deg), was rotated about axes that were upright or tilted 45 deg or 90 deg. The head was upright or tilted 45 deg on the body. Head-horizontal (yaw axis) and head-vertical (pitch axis) components of OKN were recorded with electro-oculography (EOG). Slow phase velocity vectors were determined relative to gravity. With the head upright, the axis of eye rotation during yaw axis OKN was coincident with the stimulus axis and the spatial vertical. With the head tilted 45 deg on the body, a persistent vertical component of eye velocity developed during yaw axis stimulation, and there was an average shift of the axis of eye rotation toward the spatial vertical of approximately 18 deg in six subjects. During oblique optokinetic stimulation with the head upright, the axis of eye rotation shifted 12 deg toward the spatial vertical. When the head was tilted, the axis of eye rotation rotated to the other side of the spatial vertical by 5.4 deg during the same oblique stimulation. This counter-rotation of the axis of eye rotation is similar to the 'Muller (E) effect', in which the perception of the upright counter-rotates to the opposite side of the spatial vertical when subjects are tilted in darkness. The data were simulated by a model of OKN. Despite the short OKAN time constants, strong horizontal to vertical cross-coupling was produced if the horizontal and vertical time constants were in proper ratio, and there was no suppression of nystagmus orthogonal to the stimulus direction. This shows that the spatial orientation of OKN can be due to a restructuring of the system matrix of velocity storage as a function of gravity. It is concluded that although human OKAN is weak, velocity storage orients the slow phase velocity of OKN towards the spatial vertical.

Cohen, Bernard↗

Analysis of the feedback system in a nonintrusive dynamic flowmeter for measuring Pogo oscillations

Equations were developed which describe the closed loop feedback system operation of a proposed ultrasonic, dynamic, nonintrusive flowmeter whose design is based on a constant phase, voltage controlled frequency feedback concept. These equations are based on linear feedback system theory. The time constant of a low pass filter is taken into account. The equations show that the larger the open loop gain, the smaller the error due to fluctuations in the speed of sound and the smaller the effective time constant.

Chapin, W. G.↗