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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 NTRS1982

Noble gases in planetary atmospheres - Implications for the origin and evolution of atmospheres

The radiogenic and primordial noble gas contents of the Venus, earth, and Mars atmospheres are compared with one another and with the noble gas content of other extraterrestrial samples, particularly meteorites. Key trends in the primordial noble gas content of terrestrial planetary atmospheres are shown to include: (1) a several-orders-of-magnitude decrease in Ne-20 and Ar-36 from Venus to earth to Mars; (2) a nearly constant Ne-20/Ar-36 ratio, which is comparable to that found in the more primitive carbonaceous chondrites and which is two orders of magnitude smaller than the solar ratio; (3) a sizable fractionation of Ar, Kr, and Xe from their solar ratios, though the degree of fractionation (especially for Ar-36/Xe-132) appears to decrease systematically from carbonaceous chondrites to Mars to earth to Venus; and (4) large differences in Ne and Xe isotopic ratios among earth, meteorites, and the sun. It is suggested that the grain-accretion hypothesis can explain all four trends, though the assumptions needed to achieve this agreement are far from proven.

Pollack, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Shock-implanted noble gases. II - Additional experimental studies and recognition in naturally shocked terrestrial materials

The process by which ambient gases can be implanted into silicates by shocks was investigated by analyzing the noble-gas content of several experimentally and naturally shocked silicate samples. The retentivity of shock-implanted gas during stepwise heating in the laboratory was defined in terms of two parameters, namely, the activation energy for diffusion and the extraction temperature at which 50 percent of the gas is released, both of which correlate with the shock pressure. The experiments indicate that, with increasing shock pressure, gas implantation occurs through an increasing production of microcracks/defects in the silicate lattice. The degree of annealing of these defects control the degree of diffusive loss of implanted gas.

Bogard, Donald↗
NASA NTRS1979

Isotopic anomalies of noble gases in meteorites and their origins. III - LL-chondrites

Nine LL-chondrites were studied by selective etching to characterize the noble gas components in three mineral fractions: HF-HCl-solubles, chromite and carbon. The Ne-20/Ar-36 ratio is considered, noting that chondrites of different petrologic types cannot all be derived from the same volatile rich ancestor, but must have formed over a range of temperatures, with correspondingly different volatile contents. Variations in the carbonaceous chondrite fission (CCFXe) component in LL3, LL5, and LL6 chondrites are discussed, noting that if CCFXe comes from a supernova, then its distribution in LL-chondrites requires three presolar carrier minerals of the right solubility properties, containing three different xenon components. However, if CCFXe comes from fission of a volatile superheavy element, then its decrease from LL3 to LL6 can be attributed to less complete condensation from the solar nebula. Finally, the three types of primordial xenon components which occur in different minerals of the same meteorite are described.

Alaerts, L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Fractionation of noble gases by thermal escape from accreting planetesimals

Assuming solar initial elemental and isotopic ratios and a determination of the degree of fractionation occurring by competition between gravitational binding and escape, a model is developed for selective noble gas loss through escape during the growth of planetesimals to form the terrestrial planets. Of the two classes of planetesimals that can form on a time scale that is consistent with modern accretion models, one is depleted in neon while the other is neon-rich. The mechanism is noted to be capable of accounting for all known properties of the noble gas volatiles on the terrestrial planets, with only one exception, namely the Ar-36/Ar-38 ratios for Mars and the earth, which are much lower than observed.

Donahue, T. M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

SAM Code Enhancements for Fission Product Tracking of Noble Gases and Metals in MSRs

This report documents fiscal year 2026 enhancements to the System Analysis Module (SAM) for modeling fission product transport in liquid-fueled molten salt reactors (MSRs). The work advances three principal areas: noble gas transport, noble metal deposition, and user interface improvements. The noble gas transport capability integrates drift-flux gas transport, Henry’s law two-film interphase mass transfer with pressure-based nucleation suppression, Knudsen-regime pore diffusion into porous graphite with a conjugate salt-graphite interface constraint, built-in material properties, five Sherwood-number mass transfer correlations including three derived from high-fidelity NekRS simulations, and xenon-135 reactivity feedback through SAM’s point-kinetics model. This work also presents a comprehensive verification test suite, including new analytically verified cases for pressure-dependent onset of interphase gas transfer in a stagnant vertical pipe, a postulated FLiBe-graphite Xe extraction permeator, a gravity riser with a fission-product source, and a descending pipe with gas redissolution driven by hydrostatic pressure. A machine learning framework for bubble rise velocity prediction in molten salt systems is developed and benchmarked on molten-salt and diverse aqueous bubble datasets. The best-performing fine-tuned transfer-learning networks achieve an 82% reduction in RMSE relative to the Clift correlation, and is implemented directly in SAM. The noble metal transport capability is developed, including a liquid-wall deposition model and a gas-surface flotation mechanism that transfers insoluble particles entrained by sparging gas to wetted structures. Verification tests and demonstration cases cover the surface deposition, flotation efflux, and flotation shedding. Finally, a new [SpeciesTransport] input structure replaces positional global vectors with selfcontained, order-independent, named species blocks, simplifies the specification of multiphase species and decay chains, and remains fully compatible with existing SAM input files. Together, these developments improve the physical fidelity, verification basis, and usability of SAM for system-level analyses of fissionproduct behavior in MSRs.

Mui, Travis (ORCID:0000000303736470)↗
NASA NTRS1980

Carbynes - Carriers of primordial noble gases in meteorites

Five carbynes (triply bonded allotropes of carbon) have been found by electron diffraction in the Allende and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites: carbon VI, VIII, X, XI, and (tentatively) XII. From the isotopic composition of the associated noble-gas components, it appears that the carbynes in Allende (C3V chondrite) are local condensates from the solar nebula, whereas at least two carbynes in Murchison (C2 chondrite) are of exotic, presolar origin. They may be dust grains that condensed in stellar envelopes and trapped isotropically anomalous matter from stellar nucleosynthesis.

Whittaker, A. G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Real-time monitoring of trace noble gases using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy—An investigation of the impact of bulk gas on plasma properties and sensitivity

The impact of Ar and He bulk gases on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) real-time monitoring of trace Xe and Kr was assessed. LIBS is being developed as a monitoring tool for measuring noble gas transport in molten salt systems, in which traditional sensors may face challenges associated with radiation, corrosive materials, and/or mixed phases. The plasma temperature and electron densities of LIBS plasmas were measured in both static and various flowing Ar and He streams (0–5 L min −1 ). The use of an Ar bulk gas resulted in higher plasma temperature, greater electron densities by an order of magnitude, and extended plasma lifetime compared with when He bulk gas was used. Gas flow rate was found to have little impact on plasma temperature; however, its effect on electron density was significant, indicating the need to consider flow rate–specific models. Matrix effects on emission peaks were reported for both bulk gases. Due to these matrix effects, multivariate models were developed for Xe and Kr ranging from 0 to 700 ppm in both bulk gases. Although the predictive behavior was similar (root mean square error of prediction ranging from 11.1 to 20.6 ppm), the limits of detection were superior in He (Xe: 22.9 ppm, Kr: 30.4 ppm). Furthermore, these models were employed in demonstrative real-time tests (>1 h), which showed strong predictive precision (relative standard deviation <5 %) regardless of the bulk gas. Ultimately, this study provides a guide for the considerations required when developing gaseous LIBS models for real-time monitoring.

Gas flow effects↗
NASA NTRS1984

Colloidally separated samples from Allende residues - Noble gases, carbon and an ESCA-study

Results are presented which strengthen the hypothesis of heterogeneity among the carbon- and nitrogen-bearing phases of the Allende meteorite. These data also highlight the possibility of performing physical separations yielding samples in which some of the noble gas- and carbon-bearing phases are extraordinarily predominant over others. The conclusion, based on mass and isotope balance arguments, that a significant portion of the carbonaceous matter in Allende is likely to be gas-poor or gas-free need not weaken the case for carbonaceous carriers for the major noble gas components. The concept that acid-soluble carbonaceous phases contain a multiplicity of components, each of which may have formed under a multiplicity of different physical-chemical conditions, is reemphasized by the results of the present study.

Ott, U.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Nitrogen and light noble gases in Shergotty

Two samples of Shergotty and a sample of EETA 79001's lithology A have been analyzed for N, He, Ne, and Ar abundances and isotopic composition. After correcting for spallogenic nitrogen, the nitrogen isotopic ratios were found to be close to that of the terrestrial atmosphere. The spallogenic noble gas data are consistent with cosmic ray irradiation of both Shergotty and EETA 79001 at shallow shielding depths. Cosmic ray exposure ages were estimated to be in the range of 0.5-0.8 Myr for EETA 79001, and of 2.0-5.2 Myr for Shergotty, depending on the choice of object size and shielding. Among the two Shergotty samples, the contents of Ar-40 differed by a factor of 3. This difference can be attributed to either a small-scale mineralogical inhomogeneity or a significant variation in the degree of degassing of minerals during shock, although the presence of trapped argon with a high Ar-40/Ar-36 ratio and its heterogeneous distribution cannot be ruled out.

Becker, R. H.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Large-scale paleo water-table rise in a deep desert aquifer recorded by dissolved noble gases

Illuminating past hydrological and climatological conditions in arid regions may provide insights into future trends in groundwater availability. The main objective of this study is to explore paleorecharge processes in the deep regional Nubian Sandstone Aquifer (NSA), which stretches below the hyperarid deserts of the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt) and the Negev (Israel), using dissolved noble gas data. Extremely high amounts of dissolved excess air (Ne concentrations up to 4 × solubility equilibrium) were observed in the ancient ( 81 Kr-depleted) groundwater that was recharged during past pluvial epochs in the basin. Here, the observed unique excess air signal and the clear spatiotemporal structure of the noble gas compositions in the aquifer are hypothesized to reflect two major characteristics of the groundwater system: (a) large-scale, long-term rises in the water table that facilitate the entrapment and dissolution of air bubbles under increased hydrostatic pressure, and (b) the geological settings in the southern recharge area in Sinai, including an almost horizontal position of the layers and intercalation of low-permeability rock formations within the aquifer, which inefficiently reject air bubbles from groundwater, thereby allowing for substantial entrapment of bubbles that dissolve as the water table rises. Enhanced dissolution of entrapped air was also observed in other paleo-groundwater-containing regional sandstone aquifers across North Africa, which, together with the recent findings from the NSA, suggest that largescale water table fluctuations have likely extensively occurred during past pluvial periods over these (and possibly other) arid regions. A preliminary assessment of noble gas recharge temperatures (NGTs) indicates an apparent decoupling of surface and water table temperatures in the case of deep aquifers with a thick (hundreds of m) unsaturated zone. This observed decoupling calls for a re-evaluation of previously obtained NGT records and a need for future work to consider the modification of NGTs due to soil air fractionation and geothermal heating of the underlying deep unsaturated zones.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1986

Nitrogen and noble gases in the 71501 bulk soil and ilmenite as records of the solar wind exposure: Which is correct?

The N determination in mg sized mineral separates from lunar soils by static mass spectrometry is an experimental break-through likely to contribute to the deciphering of the records left in the mineral grains by the exposure to the solar wind. In this discussion some comparisons of the results of N and noble gas analyses of the 71501 bulk soil and an ilmenite separate thereof are focussed on. Conclusions from noble gas data obtained on mineral separates from some 20 soils are summarized in a companion paper and are also discussed herein.

Signer, P.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Cosmogenic Records in 18 Ordinary Chondrites from the Dar Al Gani Region, Libya: Noble Gases - 1

In the last decade thousands of meteorites have been recovered from hot deserts in the Sahara and Oman. One of the main meteorite concentration surfaces in the Sahara is the Dar al Gani plateau in Libya, which covers a total area of ~8000 km2. More than 1000 meteorites have been reported from this area. The geological setting, meteorite pairings and the meteorite density of the Dar al Gani (DaG) field are described in more detail in [1]. In this work we report concentrations of the noble gas isotopes of He, Ne, Ar as well as 84Kr and 132Xe in 18 DaG meteorites. In a separate paper we will report the cosmogenic radionuclides [2]. We discuss the thermal history and cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) history of these meteorites, and evaluate the effects of the hot desert environment on the noble gas record.

Schultz, L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Laboratory simulation of meteoritic noble gases. II - Sorption of xenon on carbon: Etching and heating experiments

The release of trapped Xe from amorphous-C phases of meteorites is simulated experimentally by HNO3 etching of carbon-black and pyrolyzed polyvinylidene chloride samples exposed to Xe-127 for 0.5-240 h at 100-1000 C and then degassed for 9 h or more at the same temperatures, as reported by Wacker et al. (1985). The results are presented in tables and graphs and characterized in detail. Samples exposed at 100-200 C are found to lose most of their Xe after etching to a depth of only about 20 pm, while those exposed at 800-1000 C exhibit a second more tightly bound component extending to a depth of 3 nm, indicative of diffusion of Xe during exposure and resembling planetary Xe. The higher noble-gas concentrations measured in meteorites are attributed to rate-controlled Xe uptake over a long period in the solar nebula.

Zadnik, M. G.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Genetic Relationship Between Martian Chassignites and Nakhlites Revealed from Noble Gases

A group called as Martian meteorites is composed of shergottites, nakhlites, chassignites, and orthopyroxenite, and they are thought to be derived from Mars. Among the Martian meteorites nakhlites and chassignites show similar cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) ages of 11-12 million years, although petrologic characteristics are very different between them. Both nakhlites and chassignites indicate similar cooling rates, and would have cooled in identical scale of igneous bodies. However, the relationship between nakhlites and chassignites is still unclear, although they might have ejected at the same time, i.e., by accidentally coincidental impact events which occurred at different places on Mars or by a single impact which excavated both nakhlites and chassignites residing in a relatively small area. Here we propose that the chassignites show a genetically close relationship with nakhlites, i.e., both groups could be located within a relatively narrow area from where a single impact could have launched those meteorites, based on noble gas data obtained in our laboratory. If chassignites were really ejected with nakhlites by a single impact, both types of meteorites will provide us with geological/petrological profile in the area where both pyroxene-rich lava (nakhlites) and dunite-rich rocks (chassignites) are located close to the Martian surface. [i.e. discusses NWA 2737, etc. (Martian meteorites that fell in Northwest Africa)]

Nagao, K.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comets and carbonaceous chondrites delivered noble gases to the Moon

Trapped xenon isotopes in two Apollo 17 mare basalt fragments are similar to those in primitive meteorites. Xenon would have been effectively excluded from the Moon in the aftermath of its formation in a giant impact. As such, lunar mantle xenon trapped in the mare basalts is best explained as being derived from late accretion occurring before or concurrent with the formation of the lunar crust. Here, the isotopic composition indicates that a combination of comets and carbonaceous chondrites delivered this xenon to the lunar mantle. The inferred mass of accreted cometary ice would have delivered significantly less than a part per million of water to the lunar mantle. The inferred mass of accreted carbonaceous chondrites would have supplied at least a half of a part per million of water. The data further indicate that enstatite chondrites are unlikely to have supplied the majority of late accreted mass.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fluorescence imaging of individual ions and molecules in pressurized noble gases for barium tagging in 136Xe

Abstract The imaging of individual Ba 2+ ions in high pressure xenon gas is one possible way to attain background-free sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay and hence establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino. In this paper we demonstrate selective single Ba 2+ ion imaging inside a high-pressure xenon gas environment. Ba 2+ ions chelated with molecular chemosensors are resolved at the gas-solid interface using a diffraction-limited imaging system with scan area of 1 × 1 cm 2 located inside 10 bar of xenon gas. This form of microscopy represents key ingredient in the development of barium tagging for neutrinoless double beta decay searches in 136 Xe. This also provides a new tool for studying the photophysics of fluorescent molecules and chemosensors at the solid-gas interface to enable bottom-up design of catalysts and sensors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Anomalous ellipticity dependence of the generation of near-threshold harmonics in noble gases

We measured the ellipticity dependence of the harmonic yield of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. It is found that the harmonic yield in general decreases monotonically with increasing laser ellipticity but anomalous dependence does occur for each atom for some harmonic orders. Additionally, we found that the degree of anomaly is weakest in helium but is stronger for the heavier atoms. The anomaly also depends on laser intensity. To explain these features, we developed a quantum trajectory Monte Carlo (QTMC) model based on the quantum path integral theory to study high-order harmonic generation (HHG). The model includes the effect of Coulomb potential from the target ion, thus it is capable of calculating near-threshold harmonics quantitatively. This model reveals that the presence of Coulomb potential would generate orbiting trajectories which are responsible for the anomalous ellipticity dependence near the threshold.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗