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At least 145 records · Page 8

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NASA NTRS1990

Molecular dynamics of liquid SiO2 under high pressure

The molecular dynamics of pure SiO2 liquids was investigated up to pressures of 20 GPa at 4000 K using 252, 498, 864, and 1371 particles. The results obtained suggest that the pressure-induced maxima in the self-diffusion coefficients of both oxygen and silicon are dependent on the system size. In the case of larger systems, the maximum decreases and shifts to lower pressures. Changes in the velocity autocorrelation function with increasing pressure are described. The populations of anomalously coordinated silicon and oxygen are then discussed as a function of pressure and system size.

Rustad, James R.↗

NASA NTRS2012

NPP VIIRS and Aqua MODIS RSB Comparison Using Observations from Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses (SNO)

Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite (http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/viirs.html) began to daily collect global data following its successful launch on October 28, 2011. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key NPP sensor. Similar to the design of the OLS, SeaWiFS and MODIS instruments, VIIRS has on-board calibration components including a solar diffuser (SD) and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) for the reflective solar bands (RSB), a V-groove blackbody for the thermal emissive bands (TEB), and a space view (SV) port for background subtraction. Immediately after the VIIRS nadir door s opening on November 21, 2011, anomalously large degradation in the SD response was identified in the near-IR wavelength region, which was unexpected as decreases in the SD reflectance usually occur gradually in the blue (~0.4 m) wavelength region based on past experience. In this study, we use a well-calibrated Aqua MODIS as reference to track and evaluate VIIRS RSB stability and performance. Reflectances observed by both sensors from simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNO) are used to determine VIIRS to MODIS reflectance ratios for their spectral matching bands. Results of this study provide an immediate post-launch assessment, independent validation of the anomalous degradation observed in SD measurements at near-IR wavelengths and initial analysis of calibration stability and consistency.

Xiong, X.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Tools for probing new physics with newly discovered gamma-ray targets

Here, we present a computational tool, TweedleDEE, for empirically modeling diffuse gamma-ray background emission in a 1° region of the sky, using publicly available gamma-ray data off-axis from the region of interest. This background model allows a user to perform a purely data-driven search for anomalous localized sources of gamma-ray emission, including new physics. A major application of this tool would be in searching for dark matter annihilation in newly discovered astrophysical targets. For this purpose, we derive a scaling relation for determining velocity-dependent 𝐽-factors using only the stellar parameters, which can be broadly applied to obtain dark matter constraints from new targets. As an application of these tools, we use TweedleDEE and MADHATv2 to perform the first search for dark matter annihilation in the newly discovered Leo VI dwarf spheroidal galaxy, and present model constraints for a variety of choices of the annihilation channel and velocity dependence of the cross section.

dark matter↗

NASA NTRS1983

Anomalous bulk viscosity of two-phase fluids and implications for planetary interiors

The irreversible entropy production is calculated for the imposition of a pressure perturbation on a two-phase medium composed of a dilute suspension of droplets (or snowflakes) and a liquid phase of other materials. An absence of metastability is assumed, allowing the relaxation to be dominated by the solute finite diffusivity. The fluid medium was found to display a behavior suggestive of a bulk viscosity near 10 trillion P, a finding that is significant for studies of dissipation in planetary cores for tidal or seismic disturbances. A minimum quality factor for acoustic or tidal pressure oscillations and the accompanying frequency are calculated. An example is provided in terms of helium rain clouds in the deep interiors of giant planets. Additionally, a tidal quality factor of 10 to the 15th is found necessary to account for Io volcanism and resurfacing on Enceladus.

Stevenson, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Performance of high resistivity n+pp+ silicon solar cells under 1 MeV electron irradiation

High resistivity (1250 and 84 ohm-cm) n(+)pp(+) silicon solar cells were irradiated and their performance evaluated as a function of fluence. The greatest degradation in power occurred for the higher resistivity cell. The data were analyzed under open circuit conditions, and the components of V sub oc determined as a function of fluence. It was found that the voltage contributions from the front and back junctions decreased while the base component (V sub B) increased with fluence. The anomalous behavior of V sub B was attributed to an increase in the base minority carrier gradient with fluence. An argument that the increased power degradation in the 1250 ohm-cm cells was attributable to an increased voltage drop in the base is presented. Diffusion lengths calculated under high injection conditions were significantly greater than those determined under low injection. This was attributed to a saturation of recombination centers under high injection conditions.

Weinberg, I.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The diffuse ionized interstellar medium perpendicular to the plane of NGC 891

In an attempt to study the structure and the properties of the diffuse ionized interstellar medium perpendicular to the plane of disk galaxies researchers obtained H alpha images and spectra of NGC 891. Perhaps the most remarkable property of the H alpha emission line in NGC 891 is its extension out of the plane of the galaxy: researchers are able to measure the H alpha line out to more than 30 seconds (1.4 kpc) from the midplane. This means that the ionized hydrogen extends at least four times higher than the neutral hydrogen layer. An anomalously large scale-height for the ionized gas of approx. equals 1 kpc is also found in the Milky Way. The echelle spectra show a changing ratio of NII to H alpha. This excludes the possibility that the large scaleheight of the emission is due to scattering of disk emission by dust high above the plane. The z-extent of the H alpha emission is confirmed by the imaging result. The large z-extent of the ionized gas is confined to the inner half of the visible disk. In this inner region the H alpha distribution also shows a filamentary structure of the diffuse ionized medium. These filaments, sticking out of the plane, originate in HII regions in the plane. The H alpha image also shows a large scale asymmetry if the NE and SW parts of the disk are compared. The NE part is more prominent and extended in H alpha. The same asymmetry is also seen in the radio continuum distribution. This correlation between the diffuse ionized medium and the distribution of relativistic electrons is one example of a relation between star formation processes in the disk and the various components of the halo. Thermal filaments or spurs which are related to HII regions are also known in the Galaxy. These filamentary structures perpendicular to the galactic planes may represent the chimneys which result in the supernova dominated model of the Interstellar Medium by Norman and Ikeuchi (1989).

Dettmar, Ralf-Juergen↗

NASA NTRS1976

Diffusion artifacts in dating by stepwise thermal release of rare gases

It is demonstrated that the age of an isochron of apparent age plateau can be easily altered during a thermal release experiment, and that constant rare gas compositions can be observed which are artifacts of the experimental technique and are not chronologically meaningful. Examples are selected from 40Ar-39Ar dating of lunar samples in which anomalous variations in apparent ages can be ascribed to such experimental artifacts.

Huneke, J. C.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Modulation of galactic cosmic rays in the heliosphere

Observations of the intensity of galactic cosmic rays and anomalous components near earth and in the outer heliosphere are providing important tests for theories of solar modulation. The most recent observations show effects that seem to require that models for modulation include gradient and curvature drifts as well as the conventional processes of convection, adiabatic deceleration, and diffusion. New observations are required to define the interplay of these processes in the three-dimensional heliosphere.

Mckibben, R. B.↗

NASA NTRS1981

On the magnetic viscosity in Keplerian accretion disks

The paper develops a model for the anomalous viscosity in accretion disks based on the hypothesis that the hydrodynamic turbulence within the disk takes the form of spatially localized magnetic flux cells. The local shear flow due to Keplerian differential rotation distorts the flux cell topology, converting shear flow energy into magnetic energy. In the radial diffusion approximation, the kinematic viscosity is estimated from the radial displacement and is shown to maximize at flux cell scale lengths for which the shear flow stopping and reconnection times are equal.

Coroniti, F. V.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Unique impacts of strong and westward-extended western Pacific subtropical high on ozone pollution over eastern China

As a subtropical anticyclonic high-pressure system that typically forms over the northwestern Pacific Ocean in summer, the Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) affects meteorological conditions and ozone pollution in China. The relationship between maximum daily 8-h average ozone (MDA8 O 3 ) concentrations and the extremely strong and westward-extended WPSH occurred in 2022 is investigated using observations, reanalysis data and GEOS-Chem model simulations. The intensity of WPSH has a significant positive correlation with MDA8 O3 over southern China during July-August in 2022, with a correlation coefficient of +0.44, but the correlation is negative (–0.40) in northern China. During the strong WPSH days, MDA8 O 3 increased by 16.5µgm -3 (16.4% relative to July-August average) over southern China and decreased by 19.0µgm -3 (14.5%) in northern China compared to the weak WPSH days. The unique dipole pattern in the relationship between ozone levels and the WPSH in 2022 exhibited a contrast to that during 2015–2021. The difference is primarily due to the extremely strong WPSH intensity and its unusual westward expansion in 2022. In this case, an anomalous anticyclone at 500 hPa dominates over southern China, which creates conditions conducive for ozone formation and accumulation. The anticyclone weakened horizontal winds and reduced the dispersion of ozone, alongside a high temperature and low relative humidity, which favored the chemical production of ozone. In contrast, abnormal northerly winds enhanced ozone diffusion in northern China and the low temperature reduced ozone chemical production. Here, this study reveals the mechanism for the significant impact of strong and westward-extended WPSH on ozone concentrations over China, emphasizing the role of the WPSH location in modulating meteorology and ozone levels.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1988

Earth radiation pressure effects on satellites

A diffuse-earth radiation force model is presented, which includes a latitudinally varying representation of the shortwave and longwave radiation of the terrestrial sphere. Applications to various earth satellites indicate that this force, in particular the shortwave component, can materially affect the recovery of estimated parameters. Earth radiation pressure cannot explain the anomalous deceleration of LAGEOS, but can produce significant along track accelerations on satellites with highly eccentric orbits. Analyses of GEOS-1 tracking data confirm this result.

Knocke, P. C.↗

NASA NTRS2007

The Cosmic Battery Revisited

We reinvestigate the generation and accumulation of magnetic flux in optically thin accretion flows around active gravitating objects. The source of the magnetic field is the azimuthal electric current associated with the Poynting-Robertson drag on the electrons of the accreting plasma. This current generates magnetic field loops which open up because of the differential rotation of the flow. We show through simple numerical simulations that what regulates the generation and accumulation of magnetic flux near the center is the value of the plasma conductivity. Although the conductivity is usually considered to be effectively infinite for the fully ionized plasmas expected near the inner edge of accretion disks, the turbulence of those plasmas may actually render them much less conducting due to the presence of anomalous resistivity. We have discovered that if the resistivity is sufficiently high throughout the turbulent disk while it is suppressed interior to its inner edge, an interesting steady-state process is established: accretion carries and accumulates magnetic flux of one polarity inside the inner edge of the disk, whereas magnetic diffusion releases magnetic flux of the opposite polarity to large distances. In this scenario, magnetic flux of one polarity grows and accumulates at a steady rate in the region inside the inner edge and up to the point of equipartition when it becomes dynamically important. We argue that this inward growth and outward expulsion of oppositely-directed magnetic fields that we propose may account for the approx. 30 min cyclic variability observed in the galactic microquasar GRS1915+105.

Contopoulos, Ioannis↗

NASA NTRS1979

Anomalous growth of single ice crystals in solution

It is shown that major discrepancies exist between experiments and theory for ice crystal growth from solution. Accurate data, taken in a microgravity environment, approximate analytical models, and exact (probably numerical) models all are needed to advance our understanding of ice crystal growth phenomena. A new approximate semi-empirical theory is presented which predicts that a relatively sharp transition from natural convection control to diffusion control for ice growth in pure water occurs at a subcooling of about 10 C (a reduced temperature difference of about 0.125). No reliable data exist to test this prediction. The theory also predicts qualitatively the growth of ice in NaCl solution in which maxima in the growth rates are observed at various levels of subcooling.

Gill, W. N.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Effect of Scattering on Instabilities in Line-driven Stellar Winds

Line driven O-B stellar winds are unstable to perturbations of short spatial wavelength and the growth rates for such instabilities are very rapid. The nature of the nonlinear development of this instability is unknown, but might possibly be one of blobs of gas driven through ambient gas or a quasiregular train of outward moving shocks. In either case the resulting dissipation of mechanical energy might explain the observed anomalous heating n O-B stars as evidenced by their X-ray emission and high ionization state. It also might explain the observed fine structure of the absorption lines and their time variability. The driving due to the absorption of the stellar continuum flux was considered and the effects of the diffuse, scattered radiation field were neglected. It was shown that under certain special conditions the effect of scattering could reduce the instability growth rate to zero. A stability analysis that includes scattering, but that uses the more physically realistic assumption of complete redistribution instead of coherent scattering, and that includes the effects of transverse velocity gradients, which become important as the flow moves away from the stellar surface is presented. It is found that the instability is eliminated right at the base of the wind, but that as the flow moves outward the instability rate rapidly becomes equal to a substantial fraction of the calculated value, the fraction asymptotically reaching 80% at large radii. Since this still implies many e folds in a characteristic outflow time, the primary conclusion that these winds are highly unstable is unchanged.

Owocki, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Heliosheath Space Environment Interactions with Icy Bodies in the Outermost Solar System

The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are exploring the space environment of the outermost solar system at the same time that earth-based astronomy continues to discover new icy bodies, one larger than Pluto, in the transitional region outward from the Classical Kuiper Belt to the Inner Oort Cloud. Some of the Scattered Disk Objects in this region periodically pass through the heliosheath, entered by Voyager 1 in Dec. 2004 and later expected to be reached by Voyager 2, and out even beyond the heliopause into the Very Local Interstellar Medium. The less energetic heliosheath ions, important for implantation and sputtering processes, are abundant near and beyond the termination shock inner boundary, but the source region of the more penetrating anomalous cosmic ray component has not yet been found. Advantageous for modeling of icy body interactions, the measured heliosheath flux spectra are relatively more stable within this new regime of isotropic compressional magnetic turbulence than in the upstream heliospheric environment. The deepest interactions and resultant radiation-induced chemistry arise from the inwardly diffusing component of the galactic cosmic ray ions with significant intensity modulation also arising in the heliosheath beyond Voyager 1. Surface gardening by high-velocity impacts of smaller bodies (e.g., fragments of previous KBO collisions) and dust is a further space weathering process setting the time scales for long term exposure of different regolith layers to the ion irradiation. Sputtering and ionization of impact ejecta grains may provide a substantial feedback of pickup ions for multiple cycles of heliosheath acceleration and icy body interaction. Thus the space weathering interactions are potentially of interest not only for effects on sensible surface composition of the icy bodies but also for evolution of the heliosheath plasma energetic ion, and neutral emission environment.

Cooper, John F.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Relativistic electron precipitation enhancements near the outer edge of the radiation belt

Characteristics of relativistic electron precipitation bursts observed by the Heavy Ion Large Telescope (HILT) experiment onboard the Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Partical Explorer (SAMPEX) satellite were examined. Relatively narrow, persitent, latitudinal bands of precipitation with time scales of 10 to approximately 30 sec near the outer edge of the radiation belt which develop and decay with a time scale of a few hours are reported. Acceleration processes more effective than the usual radial diffusion process or scattering process would be needed to explain this strong precipitation band phenomenon. Another prominent signature is microbursts with a time scale down to a few hundred milliseconds. It is suggested that these microbursts are due to wave-particle interaction involving a relaxation-oscillator type of mechanism.

Nakamura, R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Laser Subdivision of the Genesis Concentrator Target Sample 60000

The Genesis Allocation Committee received a request for ~ 1 square centimeter of the diamond-like-carbon (DLC) concentrator target for the analysis of solar wind nitrogen isotopes. The target consists of a single crystal float zone (FZ) silicon substrate having a thickness on the order of 550 micrometers with a 1.5-3.0 micrometer-thick coating of DLC on the exposed surface. The solar wind is implanted shallowly in the front side DLC. The original target was a circular quadrant with a radius of 3.1 cm; however, the piece did not survive intact when the spacecraft suffered an anomalous landing upon returning to Earth on September 8, 2004. An estimated 75% of the DLC target was recovered in at least 18 fragments. The largest fragment, Genesis sample 60000, has been designated for this allocation and is the first sample to be subdivided using our laser scribing system Laser subdivision has associated risks including thermal diffusion of the implant if heating occurs and unintended breakage during cleavage. A careful detailed study and considerable subdividing practice using non-flight FZ diamond on silicon, DOS, wafers has considerably reduced the risk of unplanned breakage during the cleaving process. In addition, backside scribing reduces the risk of possible thermal excursions affecting the implanted solar wind, implanted shallowly in the front side DLC.

Lauer, Howard V., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Plasmaspheric hiss.

A relatively steady band of ELF hiss has been detected by the OGO 5 search coil magnetometer on almost every passage through the plasmasphere; except for an anomalous region of the dayside at high geomagnetic latitudes, the emissions terminate abruptly at the plasmapause and are therefore referred to as 'plasmaspheric hiss.' A preliminary statistical study of the properties of the observed whistler mode turbulence has yielded the following characteristics: the waves are band limited with a sharp lower-frequency cutoff and a more diffuse upper-frequency cutoff; power spectra show a well-defined maximum near a few hundred hertz, the peak intensities generally ranging between 10 to the minus 7th power and 0.00001 gamma squared/Hz; the wave energy is spread over a bandwidth of a few hundred hertz, and corresponding wideband amplitudes are 5 to 50 milligamma; the waves are highly turbulent in nature and show little tendency toward definite polarization.

Thorne, R. M.↗