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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

Bistatic Radar Observations of the Moon Using Mini-RF on LRO and the Arecibo Observatory

The Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a hybrid dual-polarized synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that operated in concert with the Arecibo Observatory to collect bistatic radar data of the lunar nearside from 2012 to 2015. The purpose of this bistatic campaign was to characterize the radar scattering properties of the surface and near-surface, as a function of bistatic angle, for a variety of lunar terrains and search for a coherent backscatter opposition effect indicative of the presence of water ice. A variety of lunar terrain types were sampled over a range of incidence and bistatic angles; including mare, highland, pyroclastic, crater ejecta, and crater floor materials. Responses consistent with an opposition effect were observed for the ejecta of several Copernican-aged craters and the floor of the south-polar crater Cabeus. The responses of ejecta material varied by crater in a manner that suggests a relationship with crater age. The response for Cabeus was observed within the portion of its floor that is not in permanent shadow. The character of the response differs from that of crater ejecta and appears unique with respect to all other lunar terrains observed. Analysis of data for this region suggests that the unique nature of the response may indicate the presence of near-surface deposits of water ice.

Patterson, G. W.↗

Characterizing Spatio-Temporal Ozone Gradients Along Coastal Boundaries: Sondes and Mobile Measurements from OWLETS-2

One of the major difficulties for the modeling and satellite communities is the validation of O3 levels in sharp coastal transition regions within metropolitan areas. Land-water gradients of ozone as well as its precursors can be significant due to differences in emissions, land use, surface deposition, boundary layer height, and mesoscale wind patterns. The Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study (OWLETS-2) was a follow-on field campaign spearheaded by NASA GSFC and LaRC's Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLnet) conducted in the summer of 2018 within the Upper Chesapeake region to better characterize spatial and vertical distribution of various pollutants across the coastal boundary. Supporting this campaign, 40 ozonesondes were simultaneously launched directly in the marine environment on Hart Miller Island (HMI) and on two land sites: both the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Howard University-Beltsville (HUBV). In addition, Personal Ozone Monitors (POMs) - small sensors - were deployed in a variety of environments - car, boat, and drone, to name a few - to quantify ozone across fine spatial and temporal thresholds. The purpose of these measurements is multifaceted: to provide both ozone pollution information to coastal metropolitan communities and validation to satellite, modeling, and forecasting communities, especially in current and future satellite endeavors such as TROPOMI and TEMPO.

coastal pollution↗

BioMoSS: ROS-generating Photocatalysts for the Disinfection of Potable Water Systems

With NASA’s desire to replace iodine as the biocide within the potable water system of future missions, we continue our development of the biocidal MoS2 (BioMoSS) system. BioMoSS is a visible-light activated photocatalyst based upon few-layered vertically aligned molybdenum disulfide (FLV-MoS2) for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a biocide. FLV-MoS2 has been reported to have a high bacterial kill rate. We report significant improvements in the vertical-alignment and biocidal efficacy of the FLV-MoS2 compared to our initial results reported last year. Furthermore, we report the results of peroxide formation with and without surface deposition using gold. Finally, we investigate the delamination of the FLV-MoS2 films under immersion in water.

Antiseptics↗

Determination of the Complex Refractive Indices of Aerosol Analogs Formed at Low Temperatures with the NASA Ames Optical Constants Facility (OCF)

The NASA Ames COsmic SImulation Chamber (COSmIC) [1] is a unique experimental facility that allows: 1) cooling a gas mixture to low temperature (150 K) in a jet expansion before inducing chemistry by plasma; and 2) controlling the extent of the chemical reactions by employing a pulsed plasma discharge. This enables the study of the early stages of aerosol production, as well as specific chemical pathways in planetary environments (e.g. Titan’s and Pluto’s atmospheres). Both the gas and solid products can be studied. For a decade COSmIC has been used to simulate Titan’s atmospheric chemistry at low, Titan-like temperature [2]. New developments on the COSmIC facility are investigating formation of aerosols in tenuous, or transitory, atmospheres of other icy bodies [3-5], as well as cool exoplanets atmospheres having a hydrocarbon component, that results in formation of hazes and/or surface deposits of refractory materials. The new Ames Optical Constants Facility enables determination of the aerosol analogs' complex refractive indices, n and k, from 0.59 to 200 μm [2]. Here we report efforts of determining n and k from ex-situ transmission measurements of solid samples produced from binary N-CH and Ar-CH, and tertiary N-CH-CH and Ar-CH-CHgas mixtures in COSmIC, and deposited onto various substrates. A computational technique [6] that addresses interference fringes observed in the laboratory transmission data, particularly at wavelengths < 3 μm, has been implemented and applied to determine n and k for the samples. At visible and near-infrared wavelengths(0.4-1.6 μm) the deposit thickness, and its variation, as well as n and k were determined by a commercial entity. These data provide the ability to compare results, from independent methods, in the region of overlap between the two approaches.

Ella M Sciamma-O'Brien↗

Comparison of 2017 OWLETS Mobile Ozone Data to the National Air Quality Forecast (NAQFC) Model

The OWLETS study occurred during the summer of 2017 [Sullivan et al.]. The motivation for this study was to better understand significant ozone (O3) land-water gradients in coastal regions that can occur due to differences in surface deposition, boundary layer height, and cloud coverage. This study focuses on data collected by a marine research vessel that obtained NO2and O3 measurements on the Chesapeake Bay over a span of two days.

Amber Verstynen↗

Uniform reflective films deposited on large surfaces

Specially designed baffle which intercepts varying amounts of the vapor stream from an evaporant source, vacuum deposits films of uniform thickness on large substrates, using a single small area evaporation source. A mirror coated by this method will have a reflectance as high as 82 percent at 1216 angstroms with a variation of only plus/minus 2 percent over the surface.

Source record↗

Comparison of Contamination Model Predictions to LDEF Surface Measurements

Contaminant deposition measurements have been made on species content and depth profiles on three experiments trays from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), Auger, Argon sputtering, Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. The integrated spacecraft environment model (ISEM) was used to predict the deposition levels of the contaminants measured on the three trays. The details of the modeling and assumptions used are presented along with the predictions for the deposition on select surfaces on the trays. These are compared to the measured results. The trays represent surfaces that have a high atomic oxygen flux, and intermediate oxygen flux, and no oxygen flux. All surfaces received significant solar Ultraviolet flux. It appears that the atomic oxygen was the primary agent that caused significant deposition to occur. Surfaces that saw significant contaminant flux solar UV and no atomic oxygen did not show any appreciable levels of observable deposition. The implications of the atom ic oxygen interaction with contaminant deposits containing silicon contaminant sources is discussed. The primary contaminant sources are DC61104 adhesive and Z306 paint. The results and interpretation of the findings have a potential significant impact on spacecraft surfaces that are exposed to solar UV and atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit.

Gordon, Tim↗

Determination of the extent of ion thruster efflux deposition on spacecraft surfaces from the SERT II flight thermal data

The flight thermal data from the SERT II satellite, the only electric propulsion mission with an extensive thruster operational history, is reviewed specifically to see if there is any evidence of contamination that could be attributed to the 5860 hours of mercury bombardment ion thruster operation. This evaluation shows that the only evidence of deposition occurred on the contamination experiment solar cells, which are located at the edge of the thruster exhaust beam. There is no evidence of any deposition of ion thruster efflux on any other surface of the vehicle.

Stevens, N. J.↗

Differential Deposition to Correct Surface Figure Deviations in Astronomical Grazing-Incidence X-Ray Optics

A coating technique is being developed to correct the surface figure deviations in reflective-grazing-incidence X-ray optics. These optics are typically designed to have precise conic profiles, and any deviation in this profile, as a result of fabrication, results in a degradation of the imaging performance. To correct the mirror profiles, physical vapor deposition has been utilized to selectively deposit a filler material inside the mirror shell. The technique, termed differential deposition, has been implemented as a proof of concept on miniature X-ray optics developed at MSFC for medical-imaging applications. The technique is now being transferred to larger grazing-incidence optics suitable for astronomy and progress to date is reported.

Kilaru, Kiranmayee↗

Role of GaAs surface clearing in plasma deposition of silicon nitride films for encapsulated annealing

The role of GaAs surface cleaning and plasma reactor cleaning prior to deposition of silicon nitride films for encapsulated annealing has been investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to determine the surface characteristics of GaAs treated with HCl, HF, and NH4OH solutions preceded by a degreasing procedure. The HCl clean left the least amount of oxygen on the surface. Fluorine contamination resulting from the CF4 plasma used to clean the reactor was found to be located at the film-substrate interface by Auger electron spectroscopy with argon-ion sputtering. A modified deposition procedure was developed to eliminate the fluorine contamination. Plasma deposition of silicon nitride encapsulating films was found to modify the I-V characteristics of Schottky diodes subsequently formed on GaAs surface. The reverse current of the diodes was slightly reduced. Substrates implanted with Si at 100 keV and a dose of 5 x 10 to the 12th/sq cm showed a peak electron concentration of 1.7 x 10 to the 17th/cu cm at a depth of 0.1-micron with 60 percent activation after encapsulation and annealing at 800 C for 7 min.

Valco, G. J.↗

Negative Electron Affinity Effect on the Surface of Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond Polycrystalline Films

Strong negative electron affinity effects have been observed on the surface of as-grown chemical vapor deposited diamond using Secondary Electron Emission. The test samples were randomly oriented and the surface was terminated with hydrogen. The effect appears as an intensive peak in the low energy part of the spectrum of the electron energy distribution and may be described in the model of effective negative electron affinity.

Krainsky, I. L.↗

Dependence of millimeter wave surface resistance on the deposition parameters of laser ablated YBa2Cu3O(x) thin films

Measurements of millimeter-wave surface resistance versus temperature have been performed for YBa2Cu3O(x) thin films on 100 line-type SrTiO(3) substrates using a TE(011) cylindrical copper cavity at 80 GHz. The 0.6-micron thick films were grown at several deposition temperatures in the range 690 C to 810 C by means of a pulsed excimer laser ablation technique. A surface resistance minimum (60 milliohm at 77 K) near 770 C is shown to correlate with a minimum in c-axis lattice parameter (11.72 A). The highest value of Tc also occurs near this temperature. The surface resistance of films deposited at 790 C on 110 line-type LaAlO3 subtrates is lower, reaching 8 milliohm at 98 GHz and 80 K, demonstrating the influence of substate material on film quality.

Wosik, J.↗

Masks For Deposition Of Aspherical Optical Surfaces

Masks of improved design developed for use in fabrication of aspherical, rotationally symmetrical surfaces of mirrors, lenses, and lens molds by evaporative deposition onto rotating substrates. In deposition chamber, source and mask aligned with axis of rotation of substrate. Mask shadows source of rotating substrate. Azimuthal opening (as function of radius) in mask proportional to desired thickness (as function of radius) to which material deposited on substrate. Combination of improved masks and modern coating chambers provides optical surfaces comparable or superior to those produced by conventional polishing, computer-controlled polishing, replication from polished molds, and diamond turning, at less cost in material, labor, and capital expense.

Rogers, John R.↗