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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 1,243 records · Page 69
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

A Hydrodynamic Theory for Spatially Inhomogeneous Semiconductor Lasers: Numerical Results - 2

We present numerical results of the diffusion coefficients (DCs) in the coupled diffusion model derived in the preceding paper for a semiconductor quantum well. These include self and mutual DCs in the general two-component case, as well as density- and temperature-related DCs under the single-component approximation. The results are analyzed from the viewpoint of free Fermi gas theory with many-body effects incorporated. We discuss in detail the dependence of these DCs on densities and temperatures in order to identify different roles played by the free carrier contributions including carrier statistics and carrier-LO phonon scattering, and many-body corrections including bandgap renormalization and electron-hole (e-h) scattering. In the general two-component case, it is found that the self- and mutual- diffusion coefficients are determined mainly by the free carrier contributions, but with significant many-body corrections near the critical density. Carrier-LO phonon scattering is dominant at low density, but e-h scattering becomes important in determining their density dependence above the critical electron density. In the single-component case, it is found that many-body effects suppress the density coefficients but enhance the temperature coefficients. The modification is of the order of 10% and reaches a maximum of over 20% for the density coefficients. Overall, temperature elevation enhances the diffusive capability or DCs of carriers linearly, and such an enhancement grows with density. Finally, the complete dataset of various DCs as functions of carrier densities and temperatures provides necessary ingredients for future applications of the model to various spatially inhomogeneous optoelectronic devices.

Li, Jianzhong↗
NASA NTRS1981

Observations of gamma radiation between 0.4 MeV and 7 MeV at balloon altitudes using a Compton telescope

Balloon-borne measurements of the atmospheric and diffuse gamma-ray flux in the energy range 0.4-7.0 MeV with a Compton telescope, which included pulse-shape discrimination of the first scattering detector and a time-of-flight system between the first and second detector elements, are reported. Comparison of the diffuse cosmic gamma-ray flux to the atmospheric gamma rays indicates that 0.2-5.0 MeV is the optimum energy range for measurements made at the top of the earth's atmosphere. The measured total atmospheric gamma-ray flux between zero and 40 deg has an energy spectrum that agrees with the calculations of Ling (1975). Observations indicate that the ratio of the diffuse to atmospheric gamma ray fluxes at 3.5 g/sq cm is a maximum, about 1.0, between 0.7 and 3.0 MeV.

Lockwood, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

An analytic solution of the radiative transfer equation for a gray scattering atmosphere in motion

We provide a formal analytic solution of the radiative transfer equation for a gray moving atmosphere in a plane parallel geometry. A formal solution in the diffusion and the free-streaming limit is also provided in the case of a spherically extended atmosphere. The formal solutions are written explicitly for scattering atmospheres in which the density and the velocity fields are given by a power law. A self-consistent temperature profile accurate to O(Beta = v/c) is provided for the case in which the absorption or the scattering are temperature independent. The gray extinction temperature profile is considerably simplified in the case of a scattering atmosphere. Steady state flow and homologous expansion are special cases that are considered in detail.

Pistinner, Shlomi↗
DOE OSTI2017

Microscopic diffusion in hydrated encysted eggs of brine shrimp

We have studied microscopic diffusion of water in fully hydrated encysted eggs of brine shrimp (Artemia). We utilized quasielastic neutron scattering. Dry eggs of brine shrimp were rehydrated using (1) water without additives, (2) eutectic mixture of water and dimethyl sulfoxide, and (3) a concentrated aqueous solution of lithium chloride. Despite the complexity of the hydrated multicellular organism, measurable microscopic diffusivity of water is rather well defined. Pure hydration water in eggs exhibits freezing temperature depression, whereas hydration water in eggs mixed with dimethyl sulfoxide or lithium chloride does not crystallize at all. The characteristic size of the voids occupied by water or aqueous solvents in hydrated brine shrimp eggs is between 2 and 10 nm. Those voids are accessible to co-solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide and lithium chloride. There is no evidence of intracellular water in the hydrated eggs. The lack of intracellular water in the fully hydrated (but still under arrested development) state must be linked to the unique resilience against adverse environmental factors documented not only for the anhydrous, but also hydrated encysted eggs of brine shrimp.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

TEMPORAL SMEARING OF TRANSIENT RADIO SOURCES BY THE INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM

The temporal smearing of impulsive radio events at cosmological redshifts probes the properties of the ionized intergalactic medium (IGM). We relate the degree of temporal smearing and the profile of a scattered source to the evolution of a turbulent structure in the IGM as a function of redshift. We estimate the degree of scattering expected by analyzing the contributions to the scattering measure of the various components of baryonic matter embedded in the IGM, including the diffuse IGM, intervening galaxies, and intracluster gas. These estimates predict that the amount of temporal smearing expected at 300 MHz is typically as low as ∼1 ms and suggests that these bursts may be detectable with low-frequency widefield arrays. A generalization of the dispersion-measure-scattering-measure relation observed for Galactic scattering to the densities and turbulent conditions relevant to the IGM suggests that scattering measures on the order of 10{sup –6} kpc m{sup –20/3} would be expected at z ∼ 1. This scattering is sufficiently low enough that its effects would not, for most lines of sight, be manifested in existing observations of the scatter broadening in images of extragalactic compact sources. The redshift dependence on the temporal smearing discriminates between scattering that occurs in the host galaxy of the burst and the IGM, with τ{sub host}∝(1 + z){sup –3} if the scattering probes length scales below the inner scale of the turbulence or τ{sub host}∝(1 + z){sup –17/5} if the turbulence follows a Kolmogorov spectrum. This differs strongly from the expected IGM scaling τ{sub IGM} ∼ z {sup 2} for z ∼< 1 and (1 + z){sup 0.2–0.5} for z ∼> 1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Determination of the spectral absorption of solar radiation by marine stratocumulus clouds from airborne measurements within clouds

Results of the first experimental application of the diffusion domain method to the determination of the spectral similarity parameter, and hence the single scattering albedo, of clouds are presented. The angular distribution of scattered radiation deep within a cloud layer at discrete wavelengths between 0.5 and 2.3 microns was measured by a multiwavelength scanning radiometer. The relative angular distribution of the intensity field at each wavelength was used to determine the similarity parameter of the cloud at that wavelength utilizing the diffusion domain method. Results of the analysis are presented for a 50 km section of clean marine stratocumulus clouds over the coast of California on July 10, 1987. It is concluded that the measured absorption is close to, but persistently larger than, theoretical predictions.

King, Michael D.↗
DOE OSTI2011

The influence of diffusion temperature on the structural, optical and magnetic properties of manganese-doped zinc oxysulfide thin films

We investigated the structural, optical and magnetic properties of Mn-doped zinc oxysulfide films. Zn(O,S) films were deposited by a spray pyrolysis method on glass substrate. A thin Mn layer evaporated on these films served as the source for the diffusion doping. The XRD pattern of undoped films revealed the presence of two wurtzite phases corresponding to ZnS and ZnO with a strong preferred orientation along the ZnS (0 0 2) hexagonal plane direction. SEM showed a similar surface morphology for the undoped and Mn-doped films, displaying regular arrays of hexagonal micro-rods perpendicular to the substrate. The optical transmission measurements showed that both undoped and Mn diffusion-doped films had a low average transmittance less than about 10%. The gap energy is decreased from 3.42 to 3.33 eV upon annealing at 400 deg. C. Photoluminescence studies at 300 K show that the incorporation of manganese leads to a decrease of deep level band intensity compared to undoped sample. Clear ferromagnetic loops were observed for the Mn-doped Zn(O,S) films, which might be due to the presence of point defects. - Graphical abstract: M-H variation of Mn diffusion-doped Zn(O,S) thin films measured at 300 K. Highlights: > Zinc oxysulfide thin films fabricated by spray pyrolysis and doped with Mn. > Regular arrays of hexagonal micro-rods perpendicular to the substrate. > Optical transmission measurements showed that both undoped and Mn diffusion-doped films had a low average transmittance less than about 10%. > Magnetic measurements show that Mn-doped zinc oxysulfide thin films exhibit a ferromagnetism behavior at room temperature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Double-layer composite film based on hollow TiO{sub 2} boxes and P25 as photoanode for enhanced efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells

Highlights: • A novel TiO{sub 2} double-layer composite film is successfully fabricated. • The TiO{sub 2}-HB overlayer exhibited intense scattering ability. • The P25 particles underlayer can enlarge the contact area and increase the contact points between TiO{sub 2}-HB and FTO glass. • TiO{sub 2}-DLL film cells have the maximum conversion efficiency. - Abstract: A TiO{sub 2} double-layer composite film consisting of hollow TiO{sub 2} boxes (HB-TiO{sub 2}) as overlayer and commercial-grade TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles (P25) as underlayer is designed as the photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The hollow TiO{sub 2} box has been employed as light-scattering part to increase the optical length in the film and enhance light-harvesting. It was found that the double-layer film cell with lower absorbed dye achieved the highest conversion efficiency and reach up to a maximum value of 6.4%, which is 226% higher than that of pure HB-TiO{sub 2} film cell (η = 1.96%) and 57.2% higher than that of pure P25 particles film cell under identical film thickness at a constant irradiation of 100 mW cm{sup −2}. The enhanced efficiency of double-layer film can be attributed to its light-scattering capability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intermittent cluster dynamics and temporal fractional diffusion in a bulk metallic glass

Glassy solids evolve towards lower-energy structural states by physical aging. This can be characterized by structural relaxation times, the assessment of which is essential for understanding the glass’ time-dependent property changes. Conducted over short times, a continuous increase of relaxation times with time is seen, suggesting a time-dependent dissipative transport mechanism. By focusing on micro-structural rearrangements at the atomic-scale, we demonstrate the emergence of sub-diffusive anomalous transport and therefore temporal fractional diffusion in a metallic glass, which we track via coherent x-ray scattering conducted over more than 300,000 s. At the longest probed decorrelation times, a transition from classical stretched exponential to a power-law behavior occurs, which in concert with atomistic simulations reveals collective and intermittent atomic motion. Our observations give a physical basis for classical stretched exponential relaxation behavior, uncover a new power-law governed collective transport regime for metallic glasses at long and practically relevant time-scales, and demonstrate a rich and highly non-monotonous aging response in a glassy solid, thereby challenging the common framework of homogeneous aging and atomic scale diffusion.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Subsurface Structure of Long Valley Caldera Imaged With Seismic Scattering and Intrinsic Attenuation

Here we image seismic intrinsic (Q i -1 ) and scattering (Q s -1 ) attenuations in Long Valley Caldera, California, by analyzing more than 1,700 vertical component waveforms from local earthquakes. Observed energy envelopes are fit to the diffusion model and seismic attenuation images are produced using two-dimensional space weighting functions. Low intrinsic and low scattering attenuation anomalies in the center south of the caldera correspond to the location of an earthquake swarm in 2014. We identify high intrinsic and high scattering attenuation anomalies in the fluid-rich western and eastern areas of the caldera. From a comparison with other geophysical images (magnetotellurics and seismic tomography) we attribute these anomalies to a hydrothermal system (high attenuation). Average to high attenuation values are also observed at the adjacent Mammoth Mountain (southwest of the caldera) and may also have a hydrothermal origin. High intrinsic attenuation at low frequencies to the west of the Hartley Springs Fault may be produced by the magmatic system that produced the Inyo Craters. Finally, seismic attenuation imaging provides insights into subsurface structures that are complementary to velocity and conductivity images.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-270: Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration for Linear Boltzmann Transport Equation

Purpose: Linear Boltzmann transport equation (LBTE) is as accurate as the Monte Carlo method (MC) for dose calculation in photon/particle therapy (LBTE is a deterministic and Eulerian formulation and MC is a statistical and Lagrangian description). An advantage of LBTE is that numerous acceleration techniques can be utilized for acceleration. This work is to explore the acceleration of LBTE via diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA). Methods: For simplicity, two-dimensional, steady-state, and within-group LBTE is considered with two angular dimensions and two spatial dimensions. The discrete ordinate method is developed for solving this integro-differential equation. The angular variables are discretized using a level-symmetric quadrature set on the unit sphere. The spatial variables are discretized on the structured grid based on the diamond scheme. The source-iteration method (SI) is used to solve the discretized system.Since SI is slow in optically thick and highly scattering regime. DSA is developed to accelerate SI. The motivation for DSA is that diffusion equation (DE) is a good approximation of LBTE in the above regime. However, DE is much cheaper than LBTE computationally since DE only involves spatial variables. Thus, in each DSA iteration, DSA adds to the SI step a computationally-negligible DE step, i.e., to first solve DE with the SI residual as source term, and then compensate the SI solution with DE solution. Results: DSA was benchmarked and compared with SI. The difference between two methods was within 0.12% which verifies the accuracy of DSA, while DSA demonstrated the great advantage in speed, e.g., the reduction of iteration number to 6% and 4% respectively for cases with 100 and 1,000 scattering-absorption ratio that commonly occur in clinical dose calculation. Conclusion: DSA has been developed as one of many possible means for accelerating the numerical solver of LBTE for dose calculation. The authors were partially supported by the NSFC (#11405105), the 973 Program (#2015CB856000) and the Shanghai Pujiang Talent Program (#14PJ1404500)

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1986

Focusing anisotropy of solar cosmic rays

Analysis of 50-MeV particle data from ICE and 1-GeV data from eight high-latitude neutron monitors of the February 16, 1984 solar cosmic ray event indicates that an exponential with scattering mean free path of greater than 2 AU and with index in the 1.3-1.7 range provides a better description of particle anisotropies than the first-order form, confirming the prediction from cosmic ray transport theories which incorporate the effect of adiabatic focusing into the usual pitch angle scattering formalism. The time profile of the event is largely a reflection of coronal transport processes, with good fits provided by a coronal diffusion coefficient of about 10 to the 18th sq cm/s and with velocity-dependent escape. The simple method of predicting the interplanetary scattering parameters has application where particle injection is nearly continuous, but where previously accelerated particles have filled the heliosphere with a large omnidirectional background.

Bieber, J. W.↗
DOE OSTI2013

FAR-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF THE SPICA NEBULA AND THE INTERACTION ZONE

We report the analysis results of far-ultraviolet (FUV) observations, made for a broad region around {alpha} Vir (Spica) including the interaction zone of Loop I and the Local Bubble. The whole region was optically thin and a general correlation was seen between the FUV continuum intensity and the dust extinction, except in the neighborhood of the bright central star, indicating the dust scattering nature of the FUV continuum. We performed Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations to obtain the optical parameters related to the dust scattering as well as to the geometrical structure of the region. The albedo and asymmetry factor were found to be 0.38 {+-} 0.06 and 0.46 {+-} 0.06, respectively, in good agreement with the Milky Way dust grain models. The distance to and the thickness of the interaction zone were estimated to be 70{sup +4}{sub -8} pc and 40{sup +8}{sub -10} pc, respectively. The diffuse FUV continuum in the northern region above Spica was mostly the result of scattering of the starlight from Spica, while that in the southern region was mainly due to the background stars. The C IV {lambda}{lambda}1548, 1551 emission was found throughout the whole region, in contrast to the Si II* {lambda}1532 emission which was bright only within the H II region. This indicates that the C IV line arises mostly at the shell boundaries of the bubbles, with a larger portion likely from the Loop I than from the Local Bubble side, whereas the Si II* line is from the photoionized Spica Nebula.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Space-Dependent Wielandt Shift Methods for Multigroup Diffusion Eigenvalue Problems

In the calculation of neutronic eigenfunctions and eigenvalues, it is often desirable to approximate the neutron transport equation by a diffusion equation that requires significantly less computational resources to solve. Even when a full transport solution is needed, the solution of the diffusion system can be used to accelerate iterative methods for calculating the transport eigenfunction and eigenvalue. The convergence rate of the basic power iteration method for eigenvalue problems is governed by the dominance ratio; realistic reactor core problems often have high dominance ratios and the power iteration method can converge slowly as a result. A common technique for accelerating the convergence of power iteration is the Wielandt shift (WS) method, which reduces the dominance ratio by 'shifting' the eigenvalue spectrum using an estimate of the desired eigenvalue. WS provides a significant speedup over power iteration if the eigenvalue estimate is close to the true eigenvalue, but it can be difficult to obtain such an estimate. In practice, the shift in the WS method can be dynamically updated in the iteration scheme, in a way that depends on the eigenvalue estimates from the most recent iterations. We present a physically-motivated Space-Dependent Wielandt Shift (SDWS) for solving multigroup diffusion eigenvalue problems. The space-dependence of the eigenvalue shift in SDWS enables a more effective acceleration of the power iteration scheme than WS at the beginning of the iteration scheme, when the current estimate of the eigenvalue is not close to the actual eigenvalue. Several variants of SDWS are discussed here, including an SDWS method that combines the strengths of SDWS (in the early iterations) with those of standard WS (in the later iterations). Numerical results from a 1-D multigroup diffusion problem demonstrate an order of magnitude speedup over power iteration and a 41% speedup over a standard WS technique. This speedup is problem-dependent and appears to be greater for 'more difficult' problems. In this summary, the term 'speedup' refers to a reduction in the number of iterations required to converge to the correct eigenvalue and eigenfunction. Because the scattering is treated fully implicitly (i.e., it is part of the left-hand side of the diffusion system and directly inverted), the computational cost of a single iteration does not vary significantly among the methods discussed in this summary. The number of iterations is therefore representative of the total computational cost for a method. We acknowledge that certain iterative solvers for linear systems (e.g., GMRES) require more computational time to converge when the system is nearly singular (i.e., when a very aggressive Wielandt shift is applied). Nonetheless, when using SDWS in the manner described in this summary, we have seen that the reduction in computational time from reducing the number of power iterations generally outweighs the extra computational time required by iterative solvers such as GMRES. (authors)

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1980

Influence of the interplanetary magnetic field on cometary and primordial dust orbits - Applications of Lorentz Scattering

The equations describing the change in orbital elements of interplanetary dust due to Lorentz-force accelerations are presented in a simplified form. Such accelerations depend on the charge state of the dust; results of theoretical calculations for five possible dust materials are presented. Under present-day conditions, it is possible that semiconducting material such as graphite might carry a net voltage near zero, compared with a roughly 10-V charge expected for other grains. The scattering of dust by a randomly changing magnetic field can be viewed analogously to the dust diffusing in space; the equations presented thus can be used to interpret observations of the present distribution of dust in terms of its possible sources and sinks. The stronger magnetic fields of the early solar system would have led to more vigorous scattering of the dust; particles as large as 1 mm could have been significantly transported by Lorentz scattering during this time.

Consolmagno, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Bulk properties and velocity distributions of water group ions at Comet Halley - Giotto measurements

In the region upstream of Comet Halley, pickup heavy ions of cometary origin were directly observed by the implanted ion spectrometer on Giotto. Diffusion of this population in pitch angle and in energy, during the approach to the comet and on the outbound leg is discussed. The two data sets are compared and qualitative ideas on scattering timescales are inferred. In addition the bulk parameters of these distributions have been computed and a comparison of the observed speed in the solar wind frame and the observed density with expectations is presented. Pitch angle scattering occurs more slowly than expected with filled shells appearing at 2,500,000 km, and significant energy diffusion does not occur until the bow shock region. Also the shell distributions downstream of the shock flow at the bispherical bulk speed (related to the Alfven speed) along the magnetic field with respect to the solar wind in accordance with conservation of energy between the pickup ions and the wave turbulence.

Coates, A. J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Processing-Dependent Structure and Poroelasticity of Nafion in Liquid Water

Ionomers act as the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in many modern electrochemical devices, yet the role of their nanostructure in modulating the poroelastic response remains poorly understood, especially in liquid water, where few techniques can measure simultaneous transport-mechanical properties. Poroelastic Relaxation Indentation (PRI) is uniquely suited for measuring time-dependent transport-mechanical properties of porous solids, specifically hydraulic diffusivity, elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and intrinsic permeability, for porous solids. While ionomers such as Nafion are not porous in the typical sense, Nafion has a nanophase-segregated structure that, when fully swollen in liquid water, behaves as a poroelastic solid with a coupled mechanical-transport response. Using a poroelastic framework, we investigate how casting and pretreatment of Nafion membranes alter their poroelastic response in liquid environments. We characterize both extruded and dispersion-cast Nafion membranes pretreated in water at 25 or 100 °C and relate the mechanical-transport properties to the ionomer structure via hydrophilic and intercrystalline domain spacing measured using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). At 25 °C, dispersion-cast membranes exhibit distinctly lower hydraulic diffusivity and intrinsic permeability than extruded membranes but with comparable mechanical properties. Pretreatment at 100 °C increases hydrophilic domain spacing, improving transport but at the expense of mechanical stiffness. Dispersion-cast membranes respond more strongly to pretreatment than extruded membranes. Using the Carman-Kozeny pore network model and the hydrophilic domain-spacing, we estimate the pore radius and tortuosity to show how pretreatment reduces structure-related tortuosity differences between dispersion-cast and extruded membranes. Here, in this work, we show that nanophase-segregated materials such as Nafion can be rigorously characterized using poroelasticity, resulting in physically meaningful transport-mechanical properties. Coupling PRI with SAXS provides insights into the nanostructural features that govern the coupled mechanical-transport response. By establishing PRI for a nanophase-segregated material, this approach opens avenues for this technique’s application in other hydrated polymeric materials not typically considered to be poroelastic.

Shen, Margaret [University of California, Berkeley↗
NASA NTRS1994

Coherent pulses in the diffusive transport of charged particles`

We present exact solutions to the diffusive transport of charged particles following impulsive injection for a simple model of scattering. A modified, two-parameter relaxation-time model is considered that simulates the low rate of scattering through perpendicular pitch-angle. Scattering is taken to be isotropic within each of the foward- and backward-pointing hemispheres, respectively, but, at the same time, a reduced rate of sccattering is assumed from one hemisphere to the other one. By applying a technique of Fourier- and Laplace-transform, the inverse transformation can be performed and exact solutions can be reached. By contrast with the first, and so far only exact solutions of Federov and Shakov, this wider class of solutions gives rise to coherent pulses to appear. The present work addresses omnidirectional densities for isotropic injection from an instantaneous and localized source. The dispersion relations are briefly discussed. We find, for this particular model, two diffusive models to exist up to a certain limiting wavenumber. The corresponding eigenvalues are real at the lowest wavenumbers. Complex eigenvalues, which are responsible for coherent pulses, appear at higher wavenumbers.

Kota, J.↗