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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 NTRS2020

Charon: A Brief History of Tides

In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and its moon Charon, providing the first clear look at Charon's surface. New Horizons images revealed an ancient surface, a large, intricate canyon system, and many fractures, among other geologic features. Here, we assess whether tidal stresses played a significant role in the formation of Charon's tensile fractures. Although presently in a circular orbit, most scenarios for Charon's orbital evolution include an eccentric orbit for some period of time and possibly an internal ocean. Past work has shown that these conditions could have generated stresses comparable in magnitude to other tidally fractured moons, such as Europa and Enceladus. However, we find no correlation between observed fracture orientations and those predicted to form due to eccentricity driven tidal stress. It, thus, seems more likely that Charon's orbit circularized before its ocean froze and that either tidal stresses alone were insufficient to fracture the surface or subsequent resurfacing removed these ancient fractures.

Alyssa Rose Rhoden↗
NASA NTRS1976

Radar imaging from a spinning spacecraft

The feasibility of imaging the surface of Venus using a synthetic aperture radar in a spin stabilized Pioneer class spacecraft operating in an eccentric orbit is studied. Imaging radar fundamentals, constraints, power requirements and data processing considerations are reviewed. Additional effects due to operation from an elliptical orbit with a spinning spacecraft are covered. Recommended spin parameters are determined by simulations. Extensions to include noncoherent integration and stereo coverage are briefly reviewed. The results indicate that resolution on the order of 100 meters can be obtained from a 0.2 eccentricity orbit using a 2 meter antenna and reasonable transmitter power levels.

Bayma, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Geodesy at Mercury with MESSENGER

In 2011 the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft will enter Mercury orbit and begin the mapping phase of the mission. As part of its science objectives the MESSENGER mission will determine the shape and gravity field of Mercury. These observations will enable the topography and the crustal thickness to be derived for the planet and will determine the small libration of the planet about its axis, the latter critical to constraining the state of the core. These measurements require very precise positioning of the MESSENGER spacecraft in its eccentric orbit, which has a periapsis altitude as low as 200 km, an apoapsis altitude near 15,000 km, and a closest approach to the surface varying from latitude 60 to about 70 N. The X-band tracking of MESSENGER and the laser altimetry are the primary data that will be used to measure the planetary shape and gravity field. The laser altimeter, which has an expected range of 1000 to 1200 km, is expected to provide significant data only over the northern hemisphere because of MESSENGER's eccentric orbit. For the southern hemisphere, radio occultation measurements obtained as the spacecraft passes behind the planet as seen from Earth and images obtained with the imaging system will be used to provide the long-wavelength shape of the planet. Gravity, derived from the tracking data, will also have greater resolution in the northern hemisphere, but full global models for both topography and gravity will be obtained at low harmonic order and degree. The limiting factor for both gravity and topography is expected to be knowledge of the spacecraft location. Present estimations are that in a combined tracking, altimetry, and occultation solution the spacecraft position uncertainty is likely to be of order 10 m. This accuracy should be adequate for establishing an initial geodetic coordinate system for Mercury that will enable positioning of imaged features on the surface, determination of the planet's obliquity, and detection of the librational motion of the planet about its axis.

Smith, David E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Tidal dissipation, orbital evolution, and the nature of Saturn's inner satellites

Estimates of tidal damping times of the orbital eccentricities of Saturn's inner satellites place constraints on some satellite rigidities and dissipation functions Q. These constraints favor rock-like rather than ice-like properties for Mimas and probably Dione. Photometric and other observational data are consistent with relatively higher densities for these two satellites, but require lower densities for Tethys, Enceladus, and Rhea. This leads to a nonmonotonic density distribution for Saturn's inner satellites, apparently determined by different mass fractions of rocky materials. In spite of the consequences of tidal dissipation for the orbital eccentricity decay and implications for satellite compositions, tidal heating is not an important contributor to the thermal history of any Saturnian satellite.

Peale, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Computer simulations of planetary accretion dynamics - Sensitivity to initial conditions

A computer simulation program which generates mature planetary systems using only Newtonian physics and accretion with unit sticking efficiency is examined. The dependence of the simulation on a variety of radial and vertical density distribution laws, on the ratio of gas to dust in the solar nebula, on the total nebular mass, and on the orbital eccentricity of the accreting grains is explored. To approach physically realistic models, these parameters are altered according to various empirically- and theoretically-suggested criteria. The program is found to generate many recognizable planetary systems, including multiple-star systems with accompanying planets; single stars surrounded only by asteroids; and systems with large Jovian planets, planets similar to Pluto, or objects of asteroidal mass, as well as the usual terrestrial planets. Planetary spacing in the simulation obeys a relation of the Titius Bode variety; in general, the number of planets per system is inversely proportional to the orbital eccentricity. Some reservations about the simulation program are expressed; however, it does support the idea of abundant and diverse planetary systems throughout the galaxy.

Isaacman, R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Global Patterns of Tectonism on Titan from Mountain Chains and Virgae

This research is based on the exploration of tectonic patterns on Titan from a global perspective. Several moons in the outer solar system display patterns of surface tectonic features that imply global stress fields driven or modified by global forces. Patterns such as these are seen in Europa's tidally induced fracture patterns, Enceladus's tiger stripes, and Ganymede's global expansion induced normal fault bands. Given its proximity to Saturn, as well as its eccentric orbit, tectonic features and global stresses may be present on Titan as well. Titan displays possible tectonic structures, such as mountain chains along its equator (Radebaugh et al. 2007), as well as the unexplored dark linear streaks termed virgae by the IAU. Imaged by Cassini with the RADAR instrument, mountain chains near the equator are observed with a predominante east-west orientation (Liu et al. 2012, Mitri et al. 2010). Orientations such as these can be explained by modifications in the global tidal stress field induced by global contraction followed by rotational spin-up. Also, due to Titan's eccentric orbit, its current rotation rate may be in an equilibrium between tidal spin-up near periapsis and spin-down near apoapsis (Barnes and Fortney 2003). Additional stress from rotational spin-up provides an asymmetry to the stress field. This, combined with an isotropic stress from radial contraction, favors the formation of equatorial mountain chains in an east-west direction. The virgae, which have been imaged by Cassini with both the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) and Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) instruments, are located predominately near 30 degrees latitude in either hemisphere. Oriented with a pronounced elongation in the east-west direction, all observed virgae display similar characteristics: similar relative albedos as the surrounding terrain however darkened with an apparent neutral absorber, broken-linear or rounded sharp edges, and connected, angular elements with distinct, linear edges. Virgae imaged during northern latitude passes are oriented with their long dimensions toward Titan's antiSaturn point. If the virgae are of tectonic origin, for instance if the turn out to be i.e. grabens, they could serve as markers to Titan's global stress field. Using them in this way allows for a mapping of global tectonic patterns. These patterns will be tested for consistency against the various sources of global stress and orientations of mountain chains. By determining what drives Titan's tectonics globally, we will be able to place Titan within the context of the other outer planet icy satellites.

Cook, C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Precession Index and a Nonlinear Energy Balance Climate Model

A simple nonlinear energy balance climate model yields a precession index-like term in the temperature. Despite its importance in the geologic record, the precession index e sin (Omega)S, where e is the Earth's orbital eccentricity and (Omega)S is the Sun's perigee in the geocentric frame, is not present in the insolation at the top of the atmosphere. Hence there is no one-for-one mapping of 23,000 and 19,000 year periodicities from the insolation to the paleoclimate record; a nonlinear climate model is needed to produce these long periods. A nonlinear energy balance climate model with radiative terms of form T n, where T is surface temperature and n less than 1, does produce e sin (omega)S terms in temperature; the e sin (omega)S terms are called Seversmith psychroterms. Without feedback mechanisms, the model achieves extreme values of 0.64 K at the maximum orbital eccentricity of 0.06, cooling one hemisphere while simultaneously warming the other; the hemisphere over which perihelion occurs is the cooler. In other words, the nonlinear energy balance model produces long-term cooling in the northern hemisphere when the Sun's perihelion is near northern summer solstice and long-term warming in the northern hemisphere when the aphelion is near northern summer solstice. (This behavior is similar to the inertialess gray body which radiates like T 4, but the amplitude is much lower for the energy balance model because of its thermal inertia.) This seemingly paradoxical behavior works against the standard Milankovitch model, which requires cool northern summers (Sun far from Earth in northern summer) to build up northern ice sheets, so that if the standard model is correct it must be more efficient than previously thought. Alternatively, the new mechanism could possibly be dominant and indicate southern hemisphere control of the northern ice sheets, wherein the southern oceans undergo a long-term cooling when the Sun is far from the Earth during northern summer. The cold water eventually flows north, cooling the northern hemisphere. This might explain why the northern oceans lag the southern ones when it comes to orbital forcing.

Rubincam, David↗
NASA NTRS2004

Oceanic Tidal Mixing As a Contributor to Milankovitch-scale Climate Change

We propose that changes in the magnitude of oceanic tidal mixing on long time scales is an important, but previously unrecognized, contributor to global climate change. it is well known that Earth's orbital and rotational state changes significantly on 10(exp 4)-10(exp 5) year time scales, and that this influences the spatial and temporal pattern of incident radiation. It is widely supposed that climatic variations on these same time scales are, in large part, a response of the ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system to this radiative forcing. Our proposal is that variations in the luni-solar tidal potential, induced by these same orbital and rotational variations, influences oceanic mixing and thus modulates meridional heat transport, by amounts which are competitive with the radiative forcing. There are some obvious differences between tidal potential and insolation. First is that the Sun and Moon both contribute to tides, whereas the radiation is entirely of solar origin. Second is that the Earth is transparent to gravity but opaque to radiation. Clipping associated with this opacity makes the radiation pattern temporal spectrum rather more complex than the tidal spectrum. A third point is that solar radiation directly delivers energy to Earth's surface whereas tidal mixing will only expedite lateral transport of heat in association with oceanic thermohaline circulation. The diurnal average insolation pattern is best parameterized via a Fourier series in time of year and Legendre polynomials in sine of latitude. Our present focus will be on the annual average terms. The Legendre degree n=0 term describes the global average insolation, and is nearly constant. The degree n=l term describes differences between northern and southern hemispheres, and the annual mean is zero. The degree n=2 term is the main contributor to the equator to pole variations, and varies with obliquity and orbital eccentricity, with the obliquity variation dominating. The lowest order decomposition of the tidal potential recognizes 3 constituents: semi-diurnal, diurnal, and long period, with solar and lunar contributions to each. Our present focus will be on long term variations in the mean square amplitude of the semi-diurnal constituent, with averaging over all the short period variations. For the solar tide that includes the day and year. For the lunar tide it includes the day, month, year, and the apsidal (8.85 year) and nodal (18.6 year) periods. We present calculations of the variations in radiative and tidal forcing for the past 3 million years. The two signals are quite similar. Both vary by approximately 1% of their respective mean values, are dominated by obliquity variations, and exhibit only secondary influence from orbital eccentricity.

Munk, Walter↗
DOE OSTI2021

Giant Outer Transiting Exoplanet Mass (GOT ‘EM) Survey. I. Confirmation of an Eccentric, Cool Jupiter with an Interior Earth-sized Planet Orbiting Kepler-1514

Despite the severe bias of the transit method of exoplanet discovery toward short orbital periods, a modest sample of transiting exoplanets with orbital periods greater than 100 days is known. Long-term radial velocity (RV) surveys are pivotal to confirming these signals and generating a set of planetary masses and densities for planets receiving moderate to low irradiation from their host stars. Here we conduct RV observations of Kepler-1514 from the Keck I telescope using the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. From these data, we measure the mass of the statistically validated giant (1.108 ± 0.023 R {sub J}) exoplanet Kepler-1514 b with a 218-day orbital period as 5.28 ± 0.22 M {sub J}. The bulk density of this cool (∼390 K) giant planet is 4.82{sub −0.25}{sup +0.26}g cm{sup −3}, consistent with a core supported by electron degeneracy pressure. We also infer an orbital eccentricity of 0.401{sub −0.014}{sup +0.013} from the RV and transit observations, which is consistent with planet–planet scattering and disk cavity migration models. The Kepler-1514 system contains an Earth-size, Kepler Object of Interest on a 10.5-day orbit that we statistically validate against false-positive scenarios, including those involving a neighboring star. The combination of the brightness (V = 11.8) of the host star and the long period, low irradiation, and high density of Kepler-1514 b places this system among a rare group of known exoplanetary systems and as one that is amenable to continued study.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Discovery of Extended Tidal Tails around the Globular Cluster Palomar 13

We use photometry from the DECam Legacy Survey to detect candidate tidal tails extending ~5° on either side of the Palomar 13 globular cluster. The tails are aligned with the proper motion of Palomar 13 and are consistent with its old, metal-poor stellar population. We identify three RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) that are plausibly associated with the tails, in addition to four previously known in the cluster. From these RRLs, we find that the mean distance to the cluster and tails is 23.6 ± 0.2 kpc and estimate the total (initial) luminosity of the cluster to be , consistent with previous claims that its initial luminosity was higher than its current luminosity. Combined with previously determined proper motion and radial velocity measurements of the cluster, we find that Palomar 13 is on a highly eccentric orbit (e ~ 0.8) with a pericenter of ~9 kpc and an apocenter of ~69 kpc, and a recent pericentric passage of the cluster ~75 Myr ago. We note a prominent linear structure in the interstellar dust map that runs parallel to the candidate tidal features, but conclude that reddening due to dust is unlikely to account for the structure that we observe. If confirmed, the Palomar 13 stellar stream would be one of very few streams with a known progenitor system, making it uniquely powerful for studying the disruption of globular clusters, the formation of the stellar halo, and the distribution of matter within our Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Patterns of Fracture and Tidal Stresses Due to Nonsynchronous Rotation: Implications for Fracturing on Europa

Global lineaments on Europa were interpreted as fractures in an icy crust. A variety of lineament types were identified, which appear to form a systematic pattern on the surface. For a synchronously rotating body, the patterns of fractures observed could be produced by a combination of stresses due to orbital recession, orbital eccentricity, and internal contraction. However, it was recently suggested that the forced eccentricity of Europa's orbit may result in nonsynchronous rotation. The hypothesis that fractures in a thin icy crust may have formed in response to stresses resulting from nonsynchronous rotation is studied.

Parmentier, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Estimated performance and future potential of solar dynamic and photovoltaic power systems for selected LEO and HEO missions

Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) and thermal dynamic power systems for application to selected Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and High Eccentric Orbit (Energy) (HEO) missions are characterized in the regime 7 to 35 kWe. Input parameters to the characterization are varied corresponding to anticipated introduction of improved or new technologies. Comparative assessment is made between the two power system types utilizing newly emerging technologies in cells and arrays, energy storage, optical surfaces, heat engines, thermal energy storage, and thermal management. The assessment is made to common ground rules and assumptions. The four missions (space station, sun-synchronous, Van Allen belt and GEO) are representative of the anticipated range of multi-kWe earth orbit missions. System characterizations include all required subsystems, including power conditioning, cabling, structure, to deliver electrical power to the user. Performance is estimated on the basis of three different levels of component technology: (1) state-of-art, (2) near-term, and (3) advanced technologies. These range from planar array silicon/IPV nickel hydrogen batteries and Brayton systems at 1000 K to thin film GaAs with high energy density secondary batteries or regenerative fuel cells and 1300 K Stirling systems with ultra-lightweight concentrators and radiators. The system estimates include design margin for performance degradations from the known environmental mechanisms (micrometeoroids and space debris, atomic oxygen, electron and proton flux) which are modeled and applied depending on the mission. The results give expected performance, mass and drag of multi-kWe earth orbiting solar power systems and show how overall system figures of merit will improve as new component technologies are incorporated.

Bents, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Evolution of wide binary millisecond pulsars in globular clusters

The evolution of a binary radio pulsar in a wide orbit about a low-mass degenerate dwarf companion in a globular cluster environment is investigated. An extensive series of numerical scattering experiments is used to study encounters between such a pulsar and passing cluster field stars. A wide range of initial orbital periods from 3 to 1000 days is considered with a corresponding range of masses for the degenerate dwarf companions. The calculative results are summarized in the form of scattering cross sections. In particular, cross sections are presented for three final 'channels' in which the end product of the encounter is an isolated neutron star. Cross sections for inducing various orbital eccentricities into initially circular orbits are also derived. The implications of the results for the formation of the single millisecond pulsars in M28 and M15 and for the nearly circular obit of the M4 binary radio pulsar are discussed.

Rappaport, S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Thermal Expansion of Ring Particles and the Secular Orbital Evolution of Rings Around Planets and Asteroids

The thermal expansion and contraction of ring particles orbiting a planet or asteroid can cause secular orbit evolution. This effect, called here the thermal expansion effect, depends on ring particles entering and exiting the shadow of the body they orbit. A particle cools off in the shadow and heats up again in the sunshine, suffering thermal contraction and expansion. The changing cross-section it presents to solar radiation pressure plus time lags due to thermal inertia lead to a net along-track force. The effect causes outward drift for rocky particles. For the equatorial orbits considered here, the thermal expansion effect is larger than Poynting-Robertson drag in the inner solar system for particles in the size range approx. 0.001 - 0.02 m. This leads to a net increase in the semimajor axis from the two opposing effects at rates ranging from approx. 0.1 R per million years for Mars to approx. 1 R per million years for Mercury, for distances approx. 2R from the body, where R is the body's radius. Asteroid 243 Ida has approx. 10 R per million years, while a hypothetical Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) can have faster rates of approx. 0.5 R per thousand years, due chiefly to its small radius compared to the planets. The thermal expansion effect weakens greatly at Jupiter and is overwhelmed by Poynting-Robertson for icy particles orbiting Saturn. Meteoroids in eccentric orbits about the Sun also suffer the thermal expansion effect, but with only approx. 0.0003e2 AU change in semimajor axis over a million years for a 2 m meteoroid orbiting between Mercury and Earth.

Ring particles↗
NASA NTRS2008

Planetary Protection Trajectory Analysis for the Juno Mission

Juno is an orbiter mission expected to launch in 2011 to Jupiter. Juno's science orbit is a highly eccentric orbit with a period of about 11 days and a nominal duration of one year. Initially, the equatorial crossing near apojove occurs outside Callisto's orbit, but as the mission evolves the apsidal rotation causes this distance to move much closer to Jupiter. This motion could lead to potential impacts with the Galilean satellites as the ascending node crosses the satellite orbits. In this paper, we describe the method to estimate impact probabilities with the satellites and investigate ways of reducing the probabilities for the Juno mission.

Lam, Try↗
NASA NTRS2018

Space User Visibility Benefits of the Multi-GNSS Space Service Volume: An Internationally-Coordinated, Global and Mission-Specific Analysis

The number and scope of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based space applications has grown significantly since the first GNSS space receiver was flown in the early 1980's. The vast majority of GNSS space users operate in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), where the use of GNSS receivers has become routine. However, the use of GNSS has expanded to other orbit regimes like Geostationary Orbits (GEO) and High Eccentric Orbits (HEO) but has been very limited due to the challenges involved. The major challenges for such types of orbits including much weaker signals, reduced geometric diversity, and limited signal availability. In any case, considering the recent development of multiple GNSS constellations and ongoing upgrades to existing constellations, GNSS signal availability will improve significantly. As a result, this expanded multi-GNSS signal capability will enable improved on-orbit navigation performance and will also allow the development of new mission concepts. High altitude space users will especially benefit from this evolution, which will provide GNSS signals to challenging regimes well beyond Low Earth Orbit. These benefits will only be realised, however, if additional signals are designed to be interoperable, are clearly documented and supported. In order to enhance the overall GNSS performance for spacecraft's in regimes from LEO, GEO to HEO and beyond, all Satellite Navigation constellation providers and regional augmentation system providers are working together through the United Nations International Committee on GNSS (ICG) forum to establish an interoperable GNSS Space Service Volume (SSV) for the benefit of all GNSS space users. This paper provides an overview of the technical work and in particular the simulations, performance analysis and discussions of the outcomes and results obtained by the UN ICG Working Group-B in the context of the GNSS Space Service Volume activities, which were supported by all GNSS service providers.

systems↗