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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Hypervelocity impact simulation for micrometeorite and debris shield design

A new capability has been developed for direct computer simulation of hypervelocity impacts on multi-plate orbital debris shields, for combinations of low shield thickness and wide shield spacing which place extreme demands on conventional Eulerian analysis techniques. The modeling methodology represents a novel approach to debris cloud dynamics simulation, a problem of long term interest in the design of space structures. Software implementation of the modeling methodology provides a new design tool for engineering analysis of proposed orbital debris protection systems.

Fahrenthold, Eric P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Debris and micrometeorite impact measurements in the laboratory

A method was developed to simulate space debris in the laboratory. This method, which is an outgrowth of research in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), uses laser ablation to accelerate material. Using this method, single 60 micron aluminum spheres were accelerated to 15 km/sec and larger 500 micron aluminum spheres were accelerated to 2 km/sec. Also, many small (less than 10 micron diameter) irregularly shaped particles were accelerated to speeds of 100 km/sec.

Resnick, J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A proposition for the classification of carbonaceous chondritic micrometeorites

Classification of interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) should be unambiguous and, if possible, provide an opportunity to interrelate these ultrafine IDP's with the matrices of undifferentiated meteorites. I prefer a scheme of chemical groupings and petrologic classes that is based on primary IDP properties that can be determined without prejudice by individual investigators. For IDP's of 2-50 microns these properties are bulk elemental chemistry, morphology, shape, and optical properties. The two major chemical groups are readily determined by energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis using the scanning or analytical electron microscope. Refinement of chondritic IDP classification is possible using the dominant mineral species, e.g. olivine, pyroxene, and layer silicates, and is readily inferred from FTIR, and automated chemical analysis. Petrographic analysis of phyllosilicate-rich IDP's will identify smectite-rich and serpentine-rich particles. Chondritic IDP's are also classified according to morphology, viz., CP and CF IDP's are aggregate particles that differ significantly in porosity, while the dense CS IDP's have a smooth surface. The CP IDP's are characterized by an anhydrous silicate mineralogy, but small amounts of layer silicates may be present. Distinction between the CP and CF IDP's is somewhat ambiguous, but the unique CP IDP's are fluffy, or porous, ultrafine-grained aggregates. The CP IDP's, which may contain silicate whiskers, are the most carbon-rich extraterrestrial material presently known. The CF IDP's are much less porous that CP IDP's. Using particle type definitions, CP IDP's in the NASA JSC Cosmic Dust Catalogs are approx. 15 percent of all IDP's that include nonchondritic spheres. Most aggregate particles are of the CF type.

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Penetration of multiple thin films in micrometeorite capture cells

As part of a continuing effort to develop cosmic dust detectors/collectors for use in space, we performed a series of hypervelocity impact experiments on combined sensor/capture-cell assemblies using 10-200-micron-diameter glass projectiles and olivine crystals at velocities of 0.9-14.4 km/s. The design objective of the space-flight instrument is to measure the trajectories of individual particles with sufficient accuracy to permit identification of their parent bodies and to capture enough impactor material to allow chemical and isotopic analyses of samples returned to Earth. Three different multiple-film small-particle capture cell designs (0.1-100-micron-thick Al foils with approx. 10, 100, and 1800 micron spacing) were evaluated for their ability to capture impactor fragments and residue. Their performances were compared to two other types of capture cells, foil covered Ge crystals, and 0.50 and 0.120 g/cu cm aerogels. All capture cells were tested behind multifilm (1.4-6.0-micron-thick) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) velocity/trajectory sensor devices. Several tests were also done without the PVDF sensors for comparison. The results of this study were reported by Simon in a comprehensive report in which the morphology of impacts and impactor residues in various types of capture cells after passage through two PVDF sensor films is discussed. Impactor fragments in selected capture cells from impacts at velocities up to 6.4 km/s were identified using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS).

Simon, Charles G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Post-entry and volcanic contaminant abundances of zinc, copper, selenium, germanium and gallium in stratospheric micrometeorites

Some fraction of Zn, Cu, Se, Ga and Ge in chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected in the lower stratosphere between 1981 May and 1984 June has a volcanic origin. I present a method to evaluate the extent of this unavoidable type of stratospheric contamination for individual particles. The mass-normalized abundances for Cu and Ge as a function of mass-normalized stratospheric residence time show their time-integrated stratospheric aerosol abundances. The Zn, Se and Ga abundances show a subdivision into two groups that span approximately two-year periods following the eruptions of the Mount St. Helens (1980 May) and El Chichon (1982 April) volcanoes. Elemental abundances in particles collected at the end of each two-year period indicate low, but not necessarily ambient, volcanic stratospheric abundances. Using this time-integrated baseline, I calculate the straospheric contaminant fractions in nine IDPs and show that Zn, SE and Ga abundances in chondritic IDPs derive in part from stratospheric aerosol contaminants. Post-entry elemental abundances (i.e., the amount that survived atmospheric entry heating of the IDP) show enrichments relative to the CI abundances but in a smaller number of particles than previously suggested.

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Densities of stratospheric micrometeorites

We have measured the densities of roughly 150 5- to 15-microns interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) harvested in the stratosphere. Care was taken to minimize selection bias in the sample population. Masses were determined using an absolute X-ray analysis technique with a transmission electron microscope, and volumes were found using scanning electron microscope imagery. Unmelted chondritic particles have densities ranging between 0.3 and 6.2 g/cu cm, averaging 2.0 g/cu cm. The low medium densities indicates appreciable porosity, suggesting primitive, uncompacted parent bodies for these particles. Porosities greater than 70% are rare. IDPs with densities above 3.5 g/cu cm usually contain large sulfide grains. We find no evidence of bimodality in the unmelted particle density distribution. Chondritic spherules (melted particles) have densities near 3.4 g/cu cm, consistent with previous results for stony spheurles culled from deep-sea sediments.

Love, Stanley G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

A Chemical Model of Micrometeorite Impact into Olivine

Laboratory simulations of space weathering using laser irradiation have been successful in reproducing space weathering characteristics such as the reduction of olivine to form nanophase iron particles. However, the chemistry of the reduction of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe metal has not been fully explored. We present a thermodynamic model of olivine undergoing post-impact cooling and decompression.

Sheffer, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Data Processing and Experimental Design for Micrometeorite Impacts in Small Bodies

Comets and asteroids have been altered from their original "pristine" state by impacts occurring throughout their 4.5 billion year lives: [1]. Proof of shock deformation has been detected in the crystal structure of several Stardust samples from Comet Wild 2 [2, 3]. Analyses indicated that the planar dislocations in the crystal structure of the minerals had been imparted by impacts sustained during their lives, and not due to the aerogel capture process. Distortions to crystal structure also affect the ideal absorption spectra in the infrared, and [4], thus providing indirect evidence of its impact history and a means of remotely investigating the impact history of small bodies through comparing laboratory spectra with spectra observed by telescopes or spacecraft. -The effects of impacts propagating shock waves through minerals were investigated through laboratory impact experiments. Utilizing NASA Johnson Space Center's Experimental Impact Laboratory, projectiles were fired from the vertical gun at velocities ranging from 2.0 to 2.8 km/sec, projected impact velocities between Kuiper Belt Objects. Two types of projectiles were used, including spherical alumina ceramic, whose density mimics that of rock, and cylinders made from the same material that they impacted. The target materials chosen for testing included: OLIVINES forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and fayalite, Fe2SiO4); PYROXENES enstatite (Mg2Si2O6) and diopside (MgCaSi2O6); and CARBONATES magnesite (MgCO3) and siderite (FeCO3). Targets were impacted at either 25 C or cooled to -20 C to examine the effects of temperature, if any, on lattice distortions during the shock propagation. As comets and asteroids can undergo a wide range of temperatures in their orbital lifetimes, the effect of temperature on the equation of state of minerals being shocked needs to be examined for interpreting the results of these experiments. The porosity of the target mineral is varied by either grinding it into a powder/granular texture or as whole mineral rocks to investigate the differences in shock propagation when voids are present. By varying velocity, ambient temperature, and porosity, we can investigate different variables affecting impacts in the solar system. -Data indicates that there is a non-linear relationship between peak shock pressure and the variation in infrared spectral absorbances by the distorted crystal structure. The maximum variability occurs around 37 GPa in enstatite and forsterite. The particle size distribution of the impacted material similarly changes with velocity/peak shock pressure. -The experiments described above are designed to measure the near- to mid-IR effects from these changes to the mineral structure. See Lederer et al., this meeting for additional experimental results.

Jensen, E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Micrometeorite Impact Test of Flex Solar Array Coupon

Spacecraft with solar arrays operate throughout the near earth environment and are planned for outer planet missions. An often overlooked test condition for solar arrays that is applicable to these missions is micrometeoroid impacts and possibly electrostatic discharge (ESD) events resulting from these impacts. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is partnering with Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SSL) to examine the results of simulated micrometeoroid impacts on the electrical performance of an advanced, lightweight flexible solar array design. The test is performed at MSFC's Micro Light Gas Gun Facility with SSL-provided coupons. Multiple impacts were induced at various locations on a powered test coupon under different string voltage (0V-150V) and string current (1.1A - 1.65A) conditions. The setup, checkout, and results from the impact testing are discussed.

Wright, K. H.↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Origin of Titan’s External Oxygen: Further Constraints from ALMA Upper Limits on CS and CH{sub 2}NH

Titan’s atmospheric inventory of oxygen compounds (H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2}, CO) are thought to result from photochemistry acting on externally supplied oxygen species (O{sup +}, OH, H{sub 2}O). These species potentially originate from two main sources: (1) cryogenic plumes from the active moon Enceladus and (2) micrometeoroid ablation. Enceladus is already suspected to be the major O{sup +} source, which is required for CO creation. However, photochemical models also require H{sub 2}O and OH influx to reproduce observed quantities of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. Here, we exploit sulphur as a tracer to investigate the oxygen source because it has very different relative abundances in micrometeorites (S/O ∼ 10{sup −2}) and Enceladus’ plumes (S/O ∼ 10{sup −5}). Photochemical models predict most sulphur is converted to CS in the upper atmosphere, so we use Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations at ∼340 GHz to search for CS emission. We determined stringent CS 3σ stratospheric upper limits of 0.0074 ppb (uniform above 100 km) and 0.0256 ppb (uniform above 200 km). These upper limits are not quite stringent enough to distinguish between Enceladus and micrometeorite sources at the 3σ level and a contribution from micrometeorites cannot be ruled out, especially if external flux is toward the lower end of current estimates. Only the high-flux micrometeorite source model of Hickson et al. can be rejected at 3σ. We determined a 3σ stratospheric upper limit for CH{sub 2}NH of 0.35 ppb, which suggests cosmic rays may have a smaller influence in the lower stratosphere than predicted by some photochemical models. Disk-averaged C{sub 3}H{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 5}CN profiles were determined and are consistent with previous ALMA and Cassini/CIRS measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Thin-sectioning and microanalysis of individual extraterrestrial particles

A long standing constraint on the study of micrometeorites has centered on difficulties in preparing them for analysis. This is due largely to their small dimensions and consequent practical limitations on sample manipulation. Chondritic micrometeorites provide a good example; although much has been learned about their chemistry and mineralogy almost nothing was known about such basic properties as texture and petrographic associations. The only way to assess such properties is to examine microstructure indigenous to the particles. Unfortunately, almost all micrometeorites, out of necessity, have been crushed and dispersed onto appropriate substances prior to analysis, and most information about texture and petrography was lost. Recently, thin-sections of individual extraterrestrial particles have been prepared using an ultramicrotome equipped with a diamond knife. This procedure has been applied to stratospheric micrometeorites and Solar Max impact debris. In both cases the sections have enabled observation of a variety of internal particle features, including textures, porosity, and petrographic associations. The sectioning procedure is described and analysis results for chondritic micrometeoroids and select particles from Solar Max are presented.

Bradley, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Chemical compositions of primitive solar system particles

Chemical studies of micrometeorites are of fundamental importance primarily because atmospheric entry selection effects (such as destruction of friable objects) are less significant than those for conventional meteorites. As a result, particles that have experienced very little postaccretional processing have a significant chance of surviving the Earth encounter and subsequent collection. Thus, chemical analyses of these relatively unaltered micrometeorites may lead to a better understanding of the compositions of the most primitive materials in the solar system and thereby constrain the conditions (physical and chemical) that existed in the early solar nebula. Micrometeorites have been collected from the stratosphere, polar ices, and ocean sediments, but the stratospheric collection is the best source for the most unaltered material because they are small and are not heated to their melting points. Despite the fact that the stratospheric micrometeorites have masses in the nanogram range, a variety of microanalytical techniques have been applied to bulk chemical analyses with part-per-million sensitivity. In some cases, multi-disciplinary studies (e.g., chemistry and mineralogy) have been performed on individual particles. The first-order conclusion is that the chondrite-like particles are chemically similar to carbonaceous chondrites but in detail are distinct from members of the conventional meteorite collection. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the results to date and identify important areas for further study.

Sutton, Steve R.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Compositional and Microstructural Evolution of Olivine During Pulsed Laser Irradiation: Insights Based on a FIB/Field-Emission TEM Study

Introduction: The use of pulsed laser irradiation to simulate the short duration, high-energy conditions characteristic of micrometeorite impacts is now an established approach in experimental space weathering studies. The laser generates both melt and vapor deposits that contain nanophase metallic Fe (npFe(sup 0)) grains with size distributions and optical properties similar to those in natural impact-generated melt and vapor deposits. There remains uncertainty, however, about how well lasers simulate the mechanical work and internal (thermal) energy partitioning that occurs in actual impacts. We are currently engaged in making a direct comparison between the products of laser irradiation and experimental/natural hypervelocity impacts. An initial step reported here is to use analytical TEM is to attain a better understanding of how the microstructure and composition of laser deposits evolve over multiple cycles of pulsed laser irradiation. Experimental Methods: We irradiated pressed-powder pellets of San Carlos olivine (Fo(sub 90)) with up to 99 rastered pulses of a GAM ArF excimer laser. The irradiated surface of the sample were characterized by SEM imaging and areas were selected for FIB cross sectioning for TEM study using an FEI Quanta dual-beam electron/focused ion beam instrument. FIB sections were characterized using a JEOL2500SE analytical field-emission scanning transmission electron microscope (FE-STEM) optimized for quantitative element mapping at less than 10 nm spatial resolutions. Results: In the SEM the 99 pulse pressed pellet sample shows a complex, inhomogeneous, distribution of laser-generated material, largely concentrated in narrow gaps and larger depressions between grains. Local concentrations of npFe0 spherules 0.1 to 1 micrometers in size are visible within these deposits in SEM back-scatter images. Fig. 1 shows bright-field STEM images of a FIB cross-section of a one of these deposits that continuously covers the top and sloping side of an olivine grain. The deposit has 3 microstructurally distinct sub-layers composed of silicate glass with varying modal fractions and size distributions of npFe( sup 0) spherules, along with nanocrystalline silicate material. A relatively thin (50-300 nm) topmost surface layer has a high-concentration of npFe0 spherules 5-20 nm in size. Element mapping shows the layer to be enriched in Fe by a factor of 2.5 relative to the olivine substrate, with Mg and Si depleted by 20% and 10% respectively. This is compositionally complementary to the underlying, middle layer of the deposit that is depleted in Fe, enriched in Mg and has a much lower npFe0 concentration. A third layer of nanocrystalline olivine occurs at the substrate interface. Discussion: The FE-STEM results suggest the topmost layer is a vapor deposit, underlain by a thicker microstructurally complex melt-generated layer. The compositional relations suggest the melt layer was partially vaporized, preferentially losing more volatile elements (e.g., Fe). The vaporized material re-condensed to form the thin, npFe(sup 0)-rich surface deposit during or immediately after the scan cycle. Nanocrystalline olivine that grew within the melt layer as it formed and cooled is similar in volume and microstructure to what we have observed in the impact melt lining of a micrometeorite impact crater in olivine. This suggest the time-temperature relations attained in the laser sample may not be too different from a micrometeorite impact. Our TEM observations, however, do not show evidence for the same level of mechanical dam-age (e.g., fracturing) seen around the natural micrometeorite crater.

Christoffersen, R.↗