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At least 145 records · Page 8

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DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of photonuclear jet production in ultraperipheral Pb + Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector

In ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions at the LHC, each nucleus acts a sources of high-energy real photons that can scatter off the opposing nucleus in ultraperipheral photonuclear (𝛾 + 𝐴) collisions. Hard scattering processes initiated by the photons in such collisions provide a novel method for probing nuclear parton distributions in a kinematic region not easily accessible to other measurements. ATLAS has measured production of dijet and multijet final states in ultraperipheral Pb + Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV using a dataset recorded in 2018 with an integrated luminosity of 1.72 nb −1 . Photonuclear final states are selected by requiring a rapidity gap in the photon direction; this selects events where one of the outgoing nuclei remains intact. Jets are reconstructed using the anti-𝑘 t algorithm with radius parameter, 𝑅 = 0.4. Triple-differential cross sections, unfolded for detector response, are measured and presented using two sets of kinematic variables. The first set consists of the total transverse momentum (𝐻 T ), rapidity, and mass of the jet system. The second set uses 𝐻 T and particle-level nuclear and photon parton momentum fractions, 𝑥 A and 𝑧 𝛾 , respectively. The results are compared with leading-order perturbative QCD calculations of photonuclear jet production cross sections, where all leading order predictions using existing fits fall below the data in the shadowing region. More detailed theoretical comparisons will allow these results to strongly constrain nuclear parton distributions, and these data provide results from the LHC directly comparable to early physics results at the planned Electron-Ion Collider.

Parton distribution functions↗

NASA NTRS1993

Impact experiments into multiple-mesh targets: Concept development of a lightweight collisional bumper

The utility of multiple-mesh targets as potential lightweight shields to protect spacecraft in low-Earth orbit against collisional damage is explored. Earlier studies revealed that single meshes comminute hypervelocity impactors with efficiencies comparable to contiguous targets. Multiple interaction of projectile fragments with any number of meshes should lead to increased comminution, deceleration, and dispersion of the projectile, such that all debris exiting the mesh stack possesses low specific energies (ergs/sq cm) that would readily be tolerated by many flight systems. The study is conceptually exploring the sensitivity of major variables such as impact velocity, the specific areal mass (g/sq cm) of the total mesh stack (SM), and the separation distance (S) between individual meshes. Most experiments employed five or ten meshes with total SM typically less than 0.5 the specific mass of the impactor, and silicate glass impactors rather than metal projectiles. While projectile comminution increases with increasing impact velocity due to progressively higher shock stresses, encounters with multiple-meshes at low velocity (1-2 km/s) already lead to significant disruption of the glass impactors, with the resulting fragments being additionally decelerated and dispersed by subsequent meshes, and, unlike most contiguous single-plate bumpers, leading to respectable performance at low velocity. Total specific bumper mass must be the subject of careful trade-off studies; relatively massive bumpers will generate too much debris being dislodged from the bumper itself, while exceptionally lightweight designs will not cause sufficient comminution, deceleration, or dispersion of the impactor. Separation distance was found to be a crucial design parameter, as it controls the dispersion of the fragment cloud. Substantial mass savings could result if maximum separation distances were employed. The total mass of debris dislodged by multiple-mesh stacks is modestly smaller than that of single, contiguous-membrane shields. The cumulative surface area of all penetration holes in multiple mesh stacks is an order of magnitude smaller than that in analog multiple-foil shields, suggesting good long-term performance of the mesh designs. Due to different experimental conditions, direct and quantitative comparison with other lightweight shields is not possible at present.

Hoerz, Friedrich↗

NASA NTRS1993

Rapid mass-loss transients in VV Cephei

Biweekly ultraviolet observations of the red supergiant-hot dwarf binary VV Cephei during 1991, obtained near third quadrature, have revealed the existence of short-term continuum variations. We infer these are superposed on an underlying emission-line spectrum. The viewing geometry of this long-period system suggests we are seeing a process associated with nonuniform mass transfer to an accretion disk. This rapid variability can be related to global instabilities in the stellar wind and mass loss from the red supergiant.

Stencel, Robert E.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation—Providing the first Systematic Measurements of Global Magnetospheric Energy Inputs and Ionosphere-Thermosphere Responses

The Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) is NASA's next strategic Living With a Star mission. GDC's goals are: 1) Understand how the high-latitude ionosphere-thermosphere system responds to variable solar wind/magnetosphere forcing; and 2) Understand how internal processes in the global ionosphere-thermosphere system redistribute mass, momentum, and energy. Planned for launch by the end of the decade, GDC will use six identical observatories, each identically instrumented to fully characterize the magnetospheric drivers of the I-T system as well as the global response of the ionized and neutral gases. GDC will do this with a series of orbital configurations that will enable it to study the widest range of spatial and temporal scales to date, ranging from hundreds of kilometers and several seconds to tens of minutes, and extending through the regional to the global scale. This talk presents GDC's current status, measurement capabilities, sampling scheme, and model development efforts and show how GDC will fit into the larger Heliophysics ecosystem, by 1) obtaining critically needed scientific observations; 2) providing a source for real-time space weather and situational awareness, as well as retrospective studies to further the science of space weather; 3) serving as a "strategic hub" for other space-based and ground-based efforts that want to leverage GDC to perform complementary science. To get the most benefit from GDC’s observations, it will be critical to identify partnerships with other research efforts in the ITM and Geospace arenas, including those utilizing space-based, ground-based, or theoretical investigations. We particularly would like to discuss with groups who are planning or considering observational campaigns during the GDC era, to find ways to leverage GDC observations to do synergistic science that could not be done otherwise.

Douglas E Rowland↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling Deformable Linear Objects for Autonomous Robotic Outfitting of Lunar Surface Systems

The construction of in-space facilities is a significant capability for the establishment of a long-term human presence in space. Autonomous robotic technologies are a critical tool to enabling the construction and maintenance of such permanent facilities. This paper evaluates the outfitting portion of the construction process, focusing on modeling required for robotic manipulation of cable-like objects, referred to as Deformable Linear Objects (DLOs). DLOs contain a high degree of variability, which makes accurate real-time autonomous operations a difficult task. Different modeling methods for DLOs such as discrete mass-spring systems and Cosserat elastic rod models range in problem complexity and accuracy, a trade-off that must be understood to fully realize autonomous cable routing technologies. This paper validates different DLO models through simulation and a hardware experiment, highlighting the size of the state space and accuracy of different approaches. The development of DLO manipulation models for outfitting enables an autonomous architecture for the construction of lunar surface systems.

Amy M Quartaro↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling Deformable Linear Objects for Autonomous Robotic Outfitting of Lunar Surface Systems

Deformable Modeling↗

NASA NTRS2016

Recent Variability Observations of Solar System Giant Planets: Fresh Context for Understanding Exoplanet and Brown Dwarf Weather

Over the past several years a number of high cadence photometric observations of solar system giant planets have been acquired by various platforms. Such observations are of interest as they provide points of comparison to the already expansive set of brown dwarf variability observations and the small, but growing, set of exoplanet variability observations. By measuring how rapidly the integrated light from solar system giant planets can evolve, variability observations of substellar objects that are unlikely to ever be resolved can be placed in a fuller context. Examples of brown dwarf variability observations include extensive work from the ground (e.g., Radigen et al. 2014), Spitzer (e.g., Metchev et al. 2015), Kepler (Gizis et al. 2015), and HST (Yang et al. 2015).Variability has been measured on the planetary mass companion to the brown dwarf 2MASS 1207b (Zhou et al. 2016) and further searches are planned in thermal emission for the known directly imaged planets with ground based telescopes (Apai et al. 2016) and in reflected light with future space based telescopes. Recent solar system variability observations include Kepler monitoring of Neptune (Simon et al. 2016) and Uranus, Spitzer observations of Neptune (Stauffer et al. 2016), and Cassini observations of Jupiter (West et al. in prep). The Cassini observations are of particular interest as they measured the variability of Jupiter at a phase angle of approximately 60 deg, comparable to the viewing geometry expected for space based direct imaging of cool extrasolar Jupiters in reflected light. These solar system analog observations capture many of the characteristics seen in brown dwarf variability, including large amplitudes and rapid light curve evolution on timescales as short as a few rotation periods. Simon et al. (2016) attribute such variations at Neptune to a combination of large scale, stable cloud structures along with smaller, more rapidly varying, cloud patches. The observed brown dwarf and exoplanet variability may well arise from comparable cloud structures. In my presentation I will compare and contrast the nature of the variability observed for the various solar system and other substelar objects and present a wish list for future observations.

giant planets↗

NASA NTRS1993

VVNRS: Variable phenomena in VV Cephei

The current research project (VVNRS) involves VV Cephei, which is a binary system in which a 20 solar mass main sequence star orbits within the extended atmosphere of the 40 solar mass M-type supergiant primary. Although the period of the system is 20.3 years, the components are close enough for a stream of matter from the primary to form an accretion disk around the hot secondary. We had previously completed an ADP-sponsored study of twelve years of archival spectra of this system and were surprised to find intermittent changes in the line profiles of the chromosphere-like absorption spectrum. This we think may be related to the accretion process. The previously existing spectra were not closely spaced enough in time to clearly delineate the nature of these changes. Therefore, we proposed and were granted eleven half-shifts to obtain closely spaced IUE spectra during IUE's 14th year of operations (1991/1992).

Stencel, Robert E.↗

NASA NTRS1947

Performance Charts for a Turbojet System

Convenient charts are presented for computing the thrust, fuel consumption, and other performance values of a turbojet system. These charts take into account the effects of ram pressure, compressor pressure ratio, ratio of combustion-chamber-outlet temperature to atmospheric temperature, compressor efficiency, turbine efficiency, combustion efficiency, discharge-nozzle coefficient, losses in total pressure in the inlet to the jet-propulsion unit and in the combustion chamber, and variation in specific heats with temperature. The principal performance charts show clearly the effects of the primary variables and correction charts provide the effects of the secondary variables. The performance of illustrative cases of turbojet systems is given. It is shown that maximum thrust per unit mass rate of air flow occurs at a lower compressor pressure ratio than minimum specific fuel consumption. The thrust per unit mass rate of air flow increases as the combustion-chamber discharge temperature increases. For minimum specific fuel consumption, however, an optimum combustion-chamber discharge temperature exists, which in some cases may be less than the limiting temperature imposed by the strength temperature characteristics of present materials.

CHARTS-PERFORMANCE-ENGINES, TURBOJET↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Reactor Parametric Assessments for Alternative Propellant Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Engines

This work focuses on the implications of alternative working fluids for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) reactors. To perform this analysis, NASA’s Testing Reference Design (TRD) is altered using parametric studies with selected alternative propellants to determine the reactor modifications required to enable an operable system. This research investigates ammonia, water, methane, helium, and enriched diborane as feasible options to enable a specific impulse (Isp) greater than the chemical propulsion alternatives. Frozen and dissociated Isp for each propellant is shown for variable chamber temperature conditions. Geometrical sensitivities are performed to observe the impact on the neutron multiplication factor (keff), system mass, and HALEU loading. Control drum worth curves are included for 5- degree increments of rotation. The base TRD configuration does not enable a critical system for ammonia and enriched diborane, thus these propellants will be highlighted in the final results. Equivalent study results for hydrogen will be included as a point of comparison to the performance of the other options.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion↗

NASA NTRS2004

Earth Rotation Dynamics: Review and Prospects

Modem space geodetic measurement of Earth rotation variations, particularly by means of the VLBI technique, has over the years allowed studies of Earth rotation dynamics to advance in ever-increasing precision, accuracy, and temporal resolution. A review will be presented on our understanding of the geophysical and climatic causes, or "excitations", for length-of-day change, polar motion, and nutations. These excitations sources come from mass transports that constantly take place in the Earth system comprised of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, mantle, and the cores. In this sense, together with other space geodetic measurements of time-variable gravity and geocenter motion, Earth rotation variations become a remote-sensing tool for the integral of all mass transports, providing valuable information about the latter on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Future prospects with respect to geophysical studies with even higher accuracy and resolution will be discussed.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Earth Rotational Variations Excited by Geophysical Fluids

Modern space geodetic measurement of Earth rotation variations, particularly by means of the VLBI technique, has over the years allowed studies of Earth rotation dynamics to advance in ever-increasing precision, accuracy, and temporal resolution. A review will be presented on our understanding of the geophysical and climatic causes, or "excitations". for length-of-day change, polar motion, and nutations. These excitations sources come from mass transports that constantly take place in the Earth system comprised of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, mantle, and the cores. In this sense, together with other space geodetic measurements of time-variable gravity and geocenter motion, Earth rotation variations become a remote-sensing tool for the integral of all mass transports, providing valuable information about the latter on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Future prospects with respect to geophysical studies with even higher accuracy and resolution will be discussed.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The FK Comae candidate UX Librae

New optical spectroscopic and photometric data are presented for the active chromosphere FK Com candidate UZ Lib. The star is shown to have an extremely large photometric amplitude in V of 0.35 mag, and its rotation period is established as 4.75 + or - 0.01 days. The optical spectrum is that of an early K giant, broadened by a rotation velocity of approximately 65 km/s. H-alpha is visible as a very broad emission feature, with a profile resembling that seen in FK Com. The emission intensity and profile are variable over the rotation period, with the strongest emission present at photometric minimum, in accord with dark starspot models. The photospheric absorption line profiles show variable asymmetries and distortions which are interpreted as due to the effects of the dark starspot rotating across the line of sight. New radial velocity measures are combined with published data to demonstrate the UZ Lib is a member of a binary system in synchronous rotation with a secondary of mass approximately 0.5 solar masses. This information is considered in light of the conflicting models for the origin of the optical and spectral variability of the FK Com stars, as well as their uncertain evolutionary status.

Bopp, B. W.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Spectroscopic, orbital, and physical properties of the binary Feige 24 and detection of transient He II absorption in the system

We have obtained new high-dispersion optical spectroscopy at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and new International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectroscopy of the white dwarf+red dwarf binary system Feige 24. The optical range shows a composite DA+dM spectrum, together with H I Balmer and He I emission. The orbital phase dependence of the emission shows that it results from extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light reprocessing in the red dwarf upper atmosphere. The systems close enough and hot enough to show this reprocessing signature only recently emerged from common-envelope evolution. The ultraviolet spectrum exclusively emanates from the white dwarf and shows numerous heavy element absorption lines. We measured accurate radial velocities of the red dwarf component motion, traced by both optical absorption and emission lines, and new radial velocities of the white dwarf, traced by ultraviolet Fe V lines. Combining these measurements, we refined the orbital parameters presented by Vennes et al. (1991), and we confirmed that the white dwarf gravitational redshift is exceptionally small with 9 +/- 2 km/s. From this we deduced that the interior is either pure helium or carbon with a thick hydrogen layer, and we derived, for the combined interior compositions, a white dwarf mass and radius of M(sub WD) = 0.44-050 solar mass and R(sub WD) = 0.028-0.036 solar radius. We suggest that Feige 24 could be a typical case of close binary evolution leading to the formation of a low-mass helium white dwarf. The mass of the red dwarf and the inclination of the system naturally follow: M(sub dM) = 0.26-0.33 solar mass, i greater than or equal to 75 deg. High-dispersion H-alpha line profiles are asymmetrical, strongly enhanced toward the blue, suggesting a moving atmosphere possibly linked to a mass loss rate of 10(exp -10) solar mass/yr. The IUE spectra taken when the system is near inferior conjunction show strong He II 1640 A absorption. The profile is highly variable in width and intensity. Because it is correlated with the passage of the white dwarf at inferior conjunction, the absorption may occur in some foreground plasma emanated by the red dwarf and accumulating near a Lagrangian point or, alternatively, it may originate in an accretion spot on the white dwarf surface coaligned with the major orbital axis. Either way, the He II detection may imply substantial mass loss from the red dwarf with a corollary reclassification of Feige 24 as a mixed He/H DAO white dwarf resulting from accretion of secondary mass-loss material. Feige 24 is the prototype of a class of young, EUV-emitting, binary systems comprising a late main sequence secondary and a hot H-rich white dwarf; the class is characterized by optical and ultraviolet photospheric He II absorption, circumstellar C IV lambda (1550) absorption, and by the presence of EUV-induced, phase-dependent Balmer fluorescence. These young systems present the best opportunity to constrain theory of common-envelope evolution.

Vennes, Stephane↗

NASA NTRS2016

A Strategic Approach to Medical Care for Exploration Missions

Exploration missions will present significant new challenges to crew health, including effects of variable gravity environments, limited communication with Earth-based personnel for diagnosis and consultation for medical events, limited resupply, and limited ability for crew return. Providing health care capabilities for exploration class missions will require system trades be performed to identify a minimum set of requirements and crosscutting capabilities which can be used in design of exploration medical systems. Current and future medical data, information, and knowledge must be cataloged and put in formats that facilitate querying and analysis. These data may then be used to inform the medical research and development program through analysis of risk trade studies between medical care capabilities and system constraints such as mass, power, volume, and training. These studies will be used to define a Medical Concept of Operations to facilitate stakeholder discussions on expected medical capability for exploration missions. Medical Capability as a quantifiable variable is proposed as a surrogate risk metric and explored for trade space analysis that can improve communication between the medical and engineering approaches to mission design. The resulting medical system approach selected will inform NASA mission architecture, vehicle, and subsystem design for the next generation of spacecraft.

Antonsen, E.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Fuel cells for single-aisle regional aircraft: System configuration, performance and cost

A hydrogen fuel cell propelled electric aircraft can compete with incumbent turbofan technologies for single-aisle regional aircraft by coupling design of stack, air handling, thermal management, propulsion, and airframe to optimize performance. The stack operates at 95°C to facilitate heat rejection during take-off and below 75°C during cruise to extend lifetime and is oversized to satisfy power requirements at end of life. A multi-stage turbocompressor with a compression ratio >10 is selected to reach high stack power density at 11,300-m cruise altitude. The propulsion system is configured to accommodate air handling within the core duct, an inclined heat exchanger in the outer duct to limit the nacelle size, and variable area nozzles to independently control mass flows through the core and bypass ducts. The airframe is modified for maximum lift coefficient and longer balanced field length for dramatically reduced thrust during take-off, and the fuselage is stretched by 20% to store liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ). Modularization of power systems promotes safety in one engine inoperative scenarios and allows reaching specific power metrics for stack, balance-of-plant and fuel cell system (FCS), necessary for acceptable take-off weight. In conclusion, cost parity requires increase in FCS lifetime, LH 2 cost reduction, and improved FCS specific power.

Catalyst durability↗

NASA NTRS1987

Optimization of a heat-pipe-cooled space radiator for use with a reactor-powered Stirling engine

The design optimization of a reactor-Stirling heat-pipe-cooled radiator is presented. The radiator is a self-deploying concept that uses individual finned heat pipe 'petals' to reject waste heat from a Stirling engine. Radiator optimization methodology is presented, and the results of a parametric analysis of the radiator design variables for a 100-kW(e) system are given. The additional steps of optiminzing the radiator resulted in a net system mass savings of 3 percent.

Moriarty, Michael P.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Composite sizing and ply orientation for stiffness requirements using a large finite element structural model

A NASTRAN bulk dataset preprocessor was developed to facilitate the integration of filamentary composite laminate properties into composite structural resizing for stiffness requirements. The NASCOMP system generates delta stiffness and delta mass matrices for input to the flutter derivative program. The flutter baseline analysis, derivative calculations, and stiffness and mass matrix updates are controlled by engineer defined processes under an operating system called CBUS. A multi-layered design variable grid system permits high fidelity resizing without excessive computer cost. The NASCOMP system uses ply layup drawings for basic input. The aeroelastic resizing for stiffness capability was used during an actual design exercise.

Radovcich, N. A.↗