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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

Field-free deterministic switching of all–van der Waals spin-orbit torque system above room temperature

Two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials hold promise for the development of high-density, energy-efficient spintronic devices for memory and computation. Recent breakthroughs in material discoveries and spin-orbit torque control of vdW ferromagnets have opened a path for integration of vdW magnets in commercial spintronic devices. However, a solution for field-free electric control of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) vdW magnets at room temperatures, essential for building compact and thermally stable spintronic devices, is still missing. Here, we report a solution for the field-free, deterministic, and nonvolatile switching of a PMA vdW ferromagnet, Fe 3 GaTe 2 , above room temperature (up to 320 K). We use the unconventional out-of-plane anti-damping torque from an adjacent WTe 2 layer to enable such switching with a low current density of 2.23 × 10 6 A cm –2 . This study exemplifies the efficacy of low-symmetry vdW materials for spin-orbit torque control of vdW ferromagnets and provides an all-vdW solution for the next generation of scalable and energy-efficient spintronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Chemical reactivity of twin-modified copper nanowire surfaces

Effect of twin boundary (TB) spacing on atomic surface structure and chemical reactivity of nanotwinned Cu nanowires (NWs) is investigated. Post-etching surface structure and wire diameter of Cu NWs were examined by transmission electron microscopy. When TB spacing is less than 10 nm, the Cu NWs remain almost intact after chemical attack and show faceted surface structures with low atomic step density. A mechanism based on surface tension torque acting on TB/surface triple junctions is proposed to explain the faceted structure formation and enhanced corrosion resistance of nanotwinned Cu NWs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Modelling and experiment to stabilize disruptive tearing modes in the ITER baseline scenario in DIII-D

Abstract The achievement of high gain, stationary conditions in a tokamak scenario aimed at producing fusion energy in the ITER Project is crucial to the demonstration that this form of energy can be used in future reactors to provide cheap and clean energy globally. Disruptions are a challenge for the fusion energy field, in particular for the ‘ITER Baseline Scenario’ (IBS), as reproduced in the DIII-D tokamak. This work shows that a solution has been found for the m = 2/ n = 1 tearing modes that have consistently caused disruptions in the IBS: stable operation down to zero input torque was achieved by modifying the current density profile at the beginning of the pressure flattop and the ELM character later in the discharges, guided by previous results showing that the most likely cause of these instabilities is the current density profile. The coupling between sawteeth, n>2 modes and the 2/1 TMs is shown to not be statistically significant, nor the leading origin for the evolution towards instability. Ideal and resistive MHD modeling provide positive verification that a steeper ‘well’ in the region of the q = 2 rational surface leads to worse ideal stability, higher tearing index Δ’ and lower threshold Δ’ c for resistive instabilities, consistent with the experimental results. This provides confidence that the methods used in this work can be extrapolated to other devices and applied to avoid disruptions in ITER and pulsed fusion devices worldwide.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Comparative Analysis of Direct and Indirect Cooling of Wide-Bandgap Power Modules and Performance Enhancement of Jet Impingement-Based Direct Substrate Cooling

With the development of high-power and high-torque machines, requirements for high-power density electronics are increasing. Thermal management of such systems requires high heat extraction. Conventional air cooling based heat sinks and cold plate based liquid cooling have their own benefits for various applications but has limitations for high power density applications. The current study explores a jet impingement based direct substrate cooling system that was implemented for a SiC based direct bonded Cu substrate for various power losses. Numerical comparison between jet impingement cooling and conventional horizontal/indirect cooling (pin fin heat sink and genetic algorithm-optimized heat sink) showed that the area weighted average of the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is high for both horizontal cooling designs, and the local HTC is higher for jet impingement. Design iterations were undertaken to resolve the bottleneck of this cooling system. Increasing the number of nozzles helped to cover more area at the direct bonded Cu bottom plate, which drops the chip temperature considerably. With a constant flow rate, increasing the number of nozzles would decrease local jet velocity, which reduces the heat extraction by jet impingement. This issue can be addressed by reducing the diameter of nozzle but doing so results in a high pressure drop where the design constraint is 2 psi. A flared nozzle design is proposed, which has a higher spreading angle of the jet that increases the flow coverage and reduces the pressure drop of the coolant loop.

Barua, Himel↗

Induction motor analysis

FORTRAN program calculates torque speed characteristics, electrical characteristics, magnetic flux densities, and weight plus other parameters. Input to program consists of physical dimensions, winding temperatures, winding description, material characteristics, and electrical design parameters.

Bollenbacher, G.↗

FORTRAN program for induction motor analysis

A FORTRAN program for induction motor analysis is described. The analysis includes calculations of torque-speed characteristics, efficiency, losses, magnetic flux densities, weights, and various electrical parameters. The program is limited to three-phase Y-connected, squirrel-cage motors. Detailed instructions for using the program are given. The analysis equations are documented, and the sources of the equations are referenced. The appendixes include a FORTRAN symbol list, a complete explanation of input requirements, and a list of error messages.

Bollenbacher, G.↗

Origin of regular satellites

The regular satellites of Jupiter and Saturn are generally believed to have accreted within cooling circumplanetary nebulae. Small silicate bodies are lost into the planet by gas drag before ice can condense. Larger silicate protosatellites survive by exerting tidal torques on the gas, clearing low-density 'tunnels' around their orbits. The nebula is thus divided into a series of gas rings depleted in silicates. Cooling eventually allows ice condensation, yielding another generation of icy bodies. Collisional accretion of these objects accounts for stochastic density variations of Saturn's inner satellites. High dynamic pressure may have prevented accretion in the inner part of the Jovian nebula; J5 may be an ablated remnant of a larger body.

Weidenschilling, S. J.↗

The growth of magnetic fields prior to galaxy formation

Hydromagnetic dynamo theory is applied to the problem of magnetic field amplification in the epoch after recombination but prior to galaxy formation. Large-scale density fluctuations acquire angular momentum from tidal torques exerted by neighboring fluctuations, and small-scale subfluctuations possess helicity due to the Coriolis forces associated with the rotation of the large-scale host fluctuations. Cosmic expansion and the interaction of matter with the ambient radiation field are taken into account. Despite many uncertainties, it is concluded that significant dynamo amplification may have occurred.

Zweibel, Ellen G.↗

Free swimming organisms: Microgravity as an investigative tool

On earth, micro-organisms are in the grip of gravitational and viscous forces. These forces, in combination with sensory stimuli, determine the average orientation of the organisms' swimming trajectories relative to the fluid environment. Microgravity provides the opportunity to study the rules which govern the summation or orienting influences and to develop quantitative physical measurements of sensory responses, e.g. the measurement of phototactic orientation tendency in torque units. Also, by reducing or eliminating density anisotropy-driven buoyant convection, it will be possible to study illumination, temperature gradient and concentration gradient-mediated collective dynamics.

Kessler, John O.↗

Simulation of Attitude and Trajectory Dynamics and Control of Multiple Spacecraft

Agora software is a simulation of spacecraft attitude and orbit dynamics. It supports spacecraft models composed of multiple rigid bodies or flexible structural models. Agora simulates multiple spacecraft simultaneously, supporting rendezvous, proximity operations, and precision formation flying studies. The Agora environment includes ephemerides for all planets and major moons in the solar system, supporting design studies for deep space as well as geocentric missions. The environment also contains standard models for gravity, atmospheric density, and magnetic fields. Disturbance force and torque models include aerodynamic, gravity-gradient, solar radiation pressure, and third-body gravitation. In addition to the dynamic and environmental models, Agora supports geometrical visualization through an OpenGL interface. Prototype models are provided for common sensors, actuators, and control laws. A clean interface accommodates linking in actual flight code in place of the prototype control laws. The same simulation may be used for rapid feasibility studies, and then used for flight software validation as the design matures. Agora is open-source and portable across computing platforms, making it customizable and extensible. It is written to support the entire GNC (guidance, navigation, and control) design cycle, from rapid prototyping and design analysis, to high-fidelity flight code verification. As a top-down design, Agora is intended to accommodate a large range of missions, anywhere in the solar system. Both two-body and three-body flight regimes are supported, as well as seamless transition between them. Multiple spacecraft may be simultaneously simulated, enabling simulation of rendezvous scenarios, as well as formation flying. Built-in reference frames and orbit perturbation dynamics provide accurate modeling of precision formation control.

Stoneking, Eric T.↗

Numerical calculations of the linear response of a gaseous disk to a protoplanet

Numerical calculations of the linear response of a 2D gaseous disk to the perturbations induced by a protoplanet and the corresponding torque are presented. When the pressure gradient is taken into account, torques are increased in disks with gradients in either surface density and sound speed, the effect of the latter being much greater for the same-sized gradient as measured by the power law index. The torques in turn may be used to calculate timescales for orbital migration of protoplanets.

Korycansky, D. G.↗

Static property and current-driven precession of 2π-vortex in nano-disk with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

An interesting type of skyrmion-like spin texture, 2π-vortex, is obtained in a thin nano-disk with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. We have simulated the existence of 2π-vortex by micromagnetic method. Furthermore, the spin polarized current is introduced in order to drive the motion of 2π-vortex in a nano-disk with diameter 2 R = 140 nm. When the current density matches with the current injection area, 2π-vortex soon reaches a stable precession (3∼4 ns). The relationship between the precession frequency of 2π-vortex and the current density is almost linear. It may have potential use in spin torque nano-oscillators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Density limit in peeling-limited pedestals at and above the Greenwald value in DIII-D high poloidal beta plasmas

High pressure, peeling limited pedestals with pedestal normalized beta β N,ped >2 and pedestal top density n ped at or above the Greenwald density nG have been achieved in DIII-D high poloidal beta plasmas, with high global normalized beta β N >3 and energy confinement H 98 ~1.2-1.7. Higher β N allows higher pedestal density above the Greenwald value and higher pedestal pressure, even with a low injected torque. MHD modeling confirms that the experimental profiles lie near the peeling-mode unstable boundary with high normalized pressure gradient βMHD and high edge current density. Experimental analysis and stability calculations indicate that the high poloidal beta with strong Shafranov shift, high βMHD and weak/negative magnetic shear improves the pedestal stability by decoupling the peeling and ballooning modes and stabilizing the ballooning modes, thus facilitating access to the second stable region of peeling-ballooning mode. The access to the second stable peeling-ballooning stability region opens Super-H-like channels without extremely strong shaping or strong torque injection. The high-pressure peeling pedestal allows the pedestal density to go beyond the Greenwald limit with strong ExB shear maintained: pedestal pressure increases with pedestal density even when n ped >n G , until reaching the ideal MHD instability boundary, where giant ELMs occur. The giant ELMs are dominated by a strong n=1 component and cause a large reduction of the edge pressure, but a negligible change of the core pressure, consistent with kink/peeling-mode induced instability. The pedestal recovers from the collapse and typically sustains a high baseline density, around the Greenwald limit, during the whole discharge duration. Experiments also found that internal transport barriers and n ped ~0.9nG, peeling limited pedestals could be simultaneously achieved in high β N plasmas, while an internal feedback between ITB strength and pedestal performance is found.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Determination of climbing ability

The vertical distribution of the pressure, temperature, and density of the atmosphere varies from day to day. Thus, rates of climb on different days cannot be compared directly, but must be corrected with reference to a standard rate of diminution of air density with increasing altitude. The following problem, therefore, has to be solved. An airplane has climbed on a certain day under prevailing atmospheric conditions as shown by the barograph. How would the same airplane climb in a standard atmosphere? This problem has already been dealt with by Everling, using the monthly and yearly mean of the vertical temperature distribution. Von Mises solved the problem by arithmetical methods. Here, conditions are examined which shorten or lengthen the climbing time. In establishing the corrected barogram, computation seems more practical than graphical treatment. The basis of the answer to the question answered here is summed up in the remark that lift, drag, propeller thrust, and torque and engine power depend only on the density of the air and do not change with the pressure and temperature, provided that the density remains constant.

Blasius, H↗

Thermophysical Properties of Liquid Te: Density, Electrical Conductivity, and Viscosity

The thermophysical properties of liquid Te, namely, density, electrical conductivity, and viscosity, were determined using the pycnometric and transient torque methods from the melting point of Te (723 K) to approximately 1150 K. A maximum was observed in the density of liquid Te as the temperature was increased. The electrical conductivity of liquid Te increased to a constant value of 2.89 x 10(exp 5 OMEGA-1m-1) as the temperature was raised above 1000 K. The viscosity decreased rapidly upon heating the liquid to elevated temperatures. The anomalous behaviors of the measured properties are explained as caused by the structural transitions in the liquid and discussed in terms of Eyring's and Bachiskii's predicted behaviors for homogeneous liquids. The Properties were also measured as a function of time after the liquid was coded from approximately 1173 or 1123 to 823 K. No relaxation phenomena were observed in the properties after the temperature of liquid Te was decreased to 823 K, in contrast to the relaxation behavior observed for some of the Te compounds.

Li, C.↗

Evidence of Temporal Variation of Titan Atmospheric Density in 2005-2013

One major science objective of the Cassini mission is an investigation of Titan's atmosphere constituent abundances. Titan's atmospheric density is of interest not only to planetary scientists but also to mission design and mission control engineers. Knowledge of the dependency of Titan's atmospheric density with altitude is important because any unexpectedly high atmospheric density has the potential to tumble the spacecraft during a flyby. During low-altitude Titan flyby, thrusters are fired to counter the torque imparted on the spacecraft due to the Titan atmosphere. The denser the Titan's atmosphere is, the higher are the duty cycles of the thruster firings. Therefore thruster firing telemetry data could be used to estimate the atmospheric torque imparted on the spacecraft. Since the atmospheric torque imparted on the spacecraft is related to the Titan's atmospheric density, atmospheric densities are estimated accordingly. In 2005-2013, forty-three low-altitude Titan flybys were executed. The closest approach altitudes of these Titan flybys ranged from 878 to 1,074.8 km. Our density results are also compared with those reported by other investigation teams: Voyager-1 (in November 1980) and the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument, HASI (in January 2005). From our results, we observe a temporal variation of the Titan atmospheric density in 2005-2013. The observed temporal variation is significant and it isn't due to the estimation uncertainty (5.8%, 1 sigma) of the density estimation methodology. Factors that contributed to this temporal variation have been conjectured but are largely unknown. The observed temporal variation will require synergetic analysis with measurements made by other Cassini science instruments and future years of laboratory and modeling efforts to solve. The estimated atmospheric density results are given in this paper help scientists to better understand and model the density structure of the Titan atmosphere.

Atmosphere↗

Forward Flight Rotor Performance at Martian Atmospheric Densities and Sensitivity to Low Reynolds Numbers

Much effort has been made to enhance exploration on Mars. In addition to a rover and Mars-orbiting satellites, a Mars Helicopter Technology Demonstrator was proposed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to augment planetary research for the Mars 2020 Mission. Understanding rotor performance is vital for operations at Martian atmospheric conditions. The work presented is a study investigating rotor performance at Martian atmospheric conditions. Forward flight rotor tests were conducted in the Planetary Aeolian Laboratory (PAL) at NASA Ames Research Center, which has the capability to evacuate the air in the chamber to reach Martian atmospheric densities. A 1-meter-diameter rotor, roughly approximating the Mars Helicopter Technology Demonstrator, was tested at multiple atmospheric densities, including that of Mars. Rotor rotational speed, thrust, torque, power, and airspeed measurements were collected during the test. These results were then correlated with simulated cases using a mid-fidelity computational fluid dynamics software, Rotorcraft CFD (RotCFD). C81Generator (C81Gen) was used to generate airfoil aerodynamic coefficient for the spanwise locations along the rotor. To observe the differences between the C81Gen flow type modes at low Reynolds number, the simulations at Martian atmospheric densities were run under the “fully turbulent”, and the fully laminar flow type. In addition, Reynolds number effects (within 2x104 to 9x104) on experimental thrust coefficient, power coefficient, and figure of merit were analyzed. Within this chord- based Reynolds number range, CT and FM decreased around 26% and 36%, respectively, while CP remained fairly constant, exhibiting variations of no more than 5.5%. Despite the challenges involved in testing at a large difference of atmospheric ensities between Earth and Mars, repeatable data was obtained in all the measurements at Martian atmospheric conditions.

Perez Perez, Brenda NAtalia↗

The formation of cores of giant planets at convergence zones of planetary migration

The formation of solid cores in giant planets of mass ∼10 M{sub ⊕} is numerically simulated following the scenario of Sándor et al. In this scenario, there are two convergence zones, corresponding to the outer and inner edges of the dead zone, where the torque exerted on planetary embryos by the gas nebula is zero. At the outer edge of the dead zone, anticyclonic vortices accumulate infalling dust aggregates, and planetary embryos are continuously formed in this scenario. We performed N-body simulations and show that massive objects of ≃10 M{sub ⊕} are formed in ∼2.5 Myr, starting from the embryos. The largest object is formed at the inner convergence zone, although planetary embryos are placed at the outer convergence zone. This is due to the scattering of embryos from the outer to the inner convergence zone, and the shorter damping timescale of eccentricity at the inner convergence zone compared to the outer one. We varied the migration timescale due to the torque from gas by changing the gas surface density around the convergence zones. We found that there is a critical migration timescale below which 10 M{sub ⊕}-sized objects are formed. Furthermore, we conducted simulations in which the gas surface density evolves according to viscous accretion. The largest object is also formed at the inner convergence zone irrespective of the strength of turbulence. Throughout the simulations, the location of the largest mass is the inner convergence zone. We confirmed that the formation timescale of a core of a Jovian planet can be explained in this scenario.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗