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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Monochromatic calculations of atmospheric radiative transfer due to molecular line absorption

Sensitivity studies related to the effects of line cutoff, spectral resolution, and temperature and pressure interpolations in radiative transfer have been performed so that a data set of absorption coefficients for water vapor, CO2, and O3 may be created efficiently. Results show that computations of absorption coefficients are affected only slightly by cutting a line off at a wave number 190 times the Lorentz half width from the center, or equivalently, cutting off 0.33 percent of the line intensity from the wings. To achieve a relative cooling rate error smaller than 2 percent, it is sufficient to precompute the absorption coefficient at three temperatures (210, 250, and 290 K) and 19 pressures with Delta (log 10 p) = 0.2. The absorption coefficient at other conditions can be interpolated linearly with pressure and exponentially with a quadratic in temperature. For the spectral resolution the absorption coefficients can be adequately computed at 0.01, 0.002, 0.005, and 0.025/cm intervals in the thermal water vapor, the CO2 and O3 bands, and the solar water vapor bands, respectively, which limits the error to only a few percent in the cooling and heating rates. Using the precomputed absorption coefficients, repeated monochromatic calculations of atmospheric heating/cooling rates for radiation model developments and for comparison with less detailed calculations are no longer difficult.

Chou, M.-D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Measurement of plasma temperature and density using radiation absorption

A light beam of predetermined wavelength, preferably monochromatic, is directed through a plasma to be measured. The absorption of the light by the plasma is detected for deriving an absorption coefficient of the plasma. Knowing the absorption coefficient of the plasma and independently measuring either the electron density or temperature of the plasma allows solution of an equation to derive the other unknown quantity, i.e. either electron density or temperature. In a preferred method, the absorption coefficient of the plasma is derived simultaneously for two probing light beams of substantially different predetermined wave-lengths. Knowing these two coefficients allows solution of two simultaneous equations to derive the electron density and temperature of the plasma.

Kenneth W Billman↗
NASA NTRS2016

Implementation of an Analytical Raman Scattering Correction for Satellite Ocean-Color Processing

Raman scattering of photons by seawater molecules is an inelastic scattering process. This effect can contribute significantly to the water-leaving radiance signal observed by space-borne ocean-color spectroradiometers. If not accounted for during ocean-color processing, Raman scattering can cause biases in derived inherent optical properties (IOPs). Here we describe a Raman scattering correction (RSC) algorithm that has been integrated within NASA's standard ocean-color processing software. We tested the RSC with NASA's Generalized Inherent Optical Properties algorithm (GIOP). A comparison between derived IOPs and in situ data revealed that the magnitude of the derived backscattering coefficient and the phytoplankton absorption coefficient were reduced when the RSC was applied, whilst the absorption coefficient of colored dissolved and detrital matter remained unchanged. Importantly, our results show that the RSC did not degrade the retrieval skill of the GIOP. In addition, a timeseries study of oligotrophic waters near Bermuda showed that the RSC did not introduce unwanted temporal trends or artifacts into derived IOPs.

SeaDAS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Efficient Broadband Terahertz Radiation Detectors Based on Bolometers with a Thin Metal Absorber

The matrix method has been used to calculate the coefficients of absorption of terahertz radiation in conventional (with radiation incident from vacuum adjacent to the bolometer) and inverted (with radiation incident from the substrate on which the bolometer was fabricated) bolometric structures. Near-unity absorption coefficients were obtained when an additional cavity in the form of a gap between the bolometer and the input or output window was introduced. Conventional bolometers then became narrowband, while inverted-type devices remained broadband.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optical constants of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} for arbitrary Cu and Ga compositions

The optical constants of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS)-based polycrystalline layers with different Cu and Ga compositions are parameterized completely up to a photon energy of 6.5 eV assuming several Tauc-Lorentz transition peaks. Based on the modeled optical constants, we establish the calculation procedure for the CIGS optical constants in a two-dimensional compositional space of (Cu, Ga) by taking the composition-induced shift of the critical point energies into account. In particular, we find that the variation of the CIGS optical constants with the Cu composition can be modeled quite simply by a spectral-averaging method in which the dielectric function of the target Cu composition is estimated as a weighted average of the dielectric functions with higher and lower Cu compositions. To express the effect of the Ga composition, on the other hand, an energy shift model reported earlier is adopted. Our model is appropriate for a wide variety of CIGS-based materials having different Cu and Ga compositions, although the modeling error increases slightly at lower Cu compositions [Cu/(In + Ga) < 0.69]. From our model, the dielectric function, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and absorption coefficient for the arbitrary CIGS composition can readily be obtained. The optical database developed in this study is applied further for spectroscopic ellipsometry analyses of CIGS layers fabricated by single and multi-stage coevaporation processes. We demonstrate that the compositional and structural characterizations of the CIGS-based layers can be performed from established analysis methods.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantitative Mid-infrared Photoluminescence Characterization of Black Phosphorus–Arsenic Alloys

Black phosphorus (bP) is a promising material for mid-infrared (mid-IR) optoelectronic applications, exhibiting high performance light emission and detection. Alloying bP with arsenic extends its operation toward longer wavelengths from 3.7 μm (bP) to 5 μm (bP 3 As 7 ), which is of great practical interest. Quantitative optical characterizations are performed to establish black phosphorus-arsenic (bPAs) alloys optoelectronic quality. Anisotropic optical constants (refractive index, extinction coefficient, and absorption coefficient) of bPAs alloys from near-infrared to mid-IR (0.2-0.9 eV) are extracted with reflection measurements, which helps optical device design. Quantitative photoluminescence (PL) of bPAs alloys with different As concentrations are measured from room temperature to 77 K. PL quantum yield measurements reveal a 2 orders of magnitude decrease in radiative efficiency with increasing As concentration. An optical cavity is designed for bP 3 As 7 , which allows for up to an order of magnitude enhancement in the quantum yield due to the Purcell effect. In conclusion, our comprehensive optical characterization provides the foundation for high performance mid-IR optical device design using bPAs alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

On the theory of the two-photon linear photovoltaic effect in n-GaP

A quantitative theory of the diagonal (ballistic) and nondiagonal (shift) band index contributions to the two-photon current of the linear photovoltaic effect in a semiconductor with a complex band due to the asymmetry of events of electron scattering at phonons and photons is developed. It is shown that processes caused by the simultaneous absorption of two photons do not contribute to the ballistic photocurrent in n-GaP. This is due to the fact that, in this case, there is no asymmetric distribution of the momentum of electrons excited with photons; this distribution arises upon the sequential absorption of two photons with the involvement of LO phonons. It is demonstrated that the temperature dependence of the shift contribution to the two-photon photocurrent in n-GaP is determined by the temperature dependence of the light-absorption coefficient caused by direct optical transitions of electrons between subbands X{sub 1} and X{sub 3}. It is shown that the spectral dependence of the photocurrent has a feature in the light frequency range ω → Δ/2ℏ, which is related to the hump-like shape of subband X{sub 1} in n-GaP{sup 1} and the root-type singularity of the state density determined as k{sub ω}{sup -1}= (2ℏω–Δ){sup –1/2}, where Δ is the energy gap between subbands X{sub 1} and X{sub 3}. The spectral and temperature dependences of the coefficient of absorption of linearly polarized light in n-GaP are obtained with regard to the cone-shaped lower subband of the conduction band.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2022

Identifying Chemical Aerosol Signatures Using Optical Suborbital Observations: How Much Can Optical Properties Tell us about Aerosol Composition?

Improvements in air quality and Earth’s climate predictions require improvements of the aerosol speciation in chemical transport models, using observational constraints. Aerosol speciation (e.g., organic aerosols, black carbon, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, dust or sea salt) is typically determined using in situ instrumentation. Continuous, routine surface network aerosol composition measurements are not uniformly widespread over the globe. Satellites, on the other hand, can provide a maximum coverage of the horizontal and vertical atmosphere but observe aerosol optical properties (and not aerosol speciation) based on remote sensing instrumentation. Combinations of satellite-derived aerosol optical properties can inform on air mass aerosol types (AMTs e.g., clean marine, dust, polluted continental). However, these AMTs are subjectively defined, might often be misclassified and are hard to relate to the critical parameters that need to be refined in models. In this paper, we derive AMTs that are more directly related to sources and hence to speciation. They are defined, characterized, and derived using simultaneous in situ gas-phase, chemical and optical instruments on the same aircraft during the Study of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds, and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS, US, summer of 2013). First, we prescribe well-informed AMTs that display distinct aerosol chemical and optical signatures to act as a training AMT dataset. These in situ observations reduce the errors and ambiguities in the selection of the AMT training dataset. We also investigate the relative skill of various combinations of aerosol optical properties to define AMTs and how much these optical properties can capture dominant aerosol speciation. We find distinct optical signatures for biomass burning (from agricultural or wildfires), biogenic and dust-influence AMTs. Useful aerosol optical properties to characterize these signatures are the extinction angstrom exponent (EAE), the single scattering albedo, the difference of single scattering albedo in two wavelengths, the absorption coefficient, the absorption angstrom exponent (AAE), and the real part of the refractive index (RRI). We find that all four AMTs studied when prescribed using mostly airborne in situ gas measurements, can be successfully extracted from at least three combinations of airborne in situ aerosol optical properties (e.g., EAE, AAE and RRI) over the US during SEAC4RS. However, we find that the optically based classifications for BB from agricultural fires and polluted dust include a large percentage of misclassifications that limit the usefulness of results relating to those classes. The technique and results presented in this study are suitable to develop a representative, robust and diverse source-based AMT database. This database could then be used for widespread retrievals of AMTs using existing and future remote sensing suborbital instruments/networks. Ultimately, it has the potential to provide a much broader observational aerosol data set to evaluate chemical transport and air quality models than is currently available by direct in situ measurements. This study illustrates how essential it is to explore existing airborne datasets to bridge chemical and optical signatures of different AMTs, before the implementation of future spaceborne missions (e.g., the next generation of Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites addressing Aerosol, Cloud, Convection and Precipitation (ACCP) designated observables).

Meloe S F Kacenelenbogen↗
NASA NTRS1985

Measured acoustic properties of variable and low density bulk absorbers

Experimental data were taken to determine the acoustic absorbing properties of uniform low density and layered variable density samples using a bulk absober with a perforated plate facing to hold the material in place. In the layered variable density case, the bulk absorber was packed such that the lowest density layer began at the surface of the sample and progressed to higher density layers deeper inside. The samples were placed in a rectangular duct and measurements were taken using the two microphone method. The data were used to calculate specific acoustic impedances and normal incidence absorption coefficients. Results showed that for uniform density samples the absorption coefficient at low frequencies decreased with increasing density and resonances occurred in the absorption coefficient curve at lower densities. These results were confirmed by a model for uniform density bulk absorbers. Results from layered variable density samples showed that low frequency absorption was the highest when the lowest density possible was packed in the first layer near the exposed surface. The layers of increasing density within the sample had the effect of damping the resonances.

Dahl, M. D.↗
DOE OSTI2018

An Investigation on Transparency and Mechano-Acoustic Properties of Poly Methyl Methacrylate/Polycarbonate Based Nanocomposites

The main goal of this paper was to investigate transparency and mechano-acoustic properties of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)/polycarbonate (PC) based nanocomposites, reinforced with silica (SiO{sub 2}), zinc dioxide (ZnO), and titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanoparticles. For this purpose, morphological, transparency, acoustical and mechanical tests were carried out on the specimens, prepared by melt-compounding method in a twin-screw extruder. The morphological test results confirmed uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The results also revealed that transparency of the PC and PMMA nanocomposites, characterized by the degree of light transmittance, was decreased by adding 0.3 wt% of the nanoparticles. Also, tensile modulus of the nanocomposite specimens was higher than that of neat PC and PMMA. Unlike the neat PC specimens, tensile strength showed a decrease in PMMA specimens. The presence of nanoparticles in the composites decreased mobility of polymer chains and consequently, reduced elongation at break in the specimens. After surface roughening process, noise absorption coefficient in PC/PMMA nanocomposite specimens (PCSI3-R, PMSI3-R, and PMZN3-R) showed a higher absorption coefficient than the other specimens in the dominant frequency of traffic noise (500 Hz). As conclusion, roughening the surface of materials would be one of the most important factors enhancing the absorption coefficient of some of the nanocomposites in the middle frequency. The rough surface of particles in the base matrix increases the absorption coefficient of the materials, especially in the frequency of 500 Hz, as the dominant frequency of noise traffic. The suggested materials are predestinated to be appropriate in building industry, particularly in the structure of noise barriers.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Gamma-radiation-induced negative nonlinear absorption in quartz glass

The effect of ionizing radiation on the nonlinear optical properties of materials needs to be considered for applications that employ high-power laser pulses in extreme radiation environments. The Heraeus Infrasil302 optical quartz glass was irradiated by gamma rays, and its nonlinear absorption was measured using the open-aperture Z-scan technique with nanosecond laser pulses. Irradiation results in a negative nonlinear absorption coefficient whose magnitude increases with irradiation dose. Nonlinear absorption coefficients of -0.78, -1.14, -1.29, and -1.88~ × ~10 -13 m/W are measured for gamma doses of 600 krad, 1.2 Mrad, 3.6 Mrad, and 10 Mrad, respectively. Thermal annealing restores the optical properties of quartz-glass to their unirradiated values. It is suggested that metallic impurities introduced by the manufacturing process have a role in inducing saturated absorption in irradiated quartz glass, which manifests as negative nonlinear absorption coefficient, and is demonstrated by comparing Infrasil302 quartz results to equivalent irradiated measurements for Spectrosil2000 quartz.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Electronic and optical properties of mixed perovskites CsSn{sub x}Pb{sub (1−x)}I{sub 3}

The electronic structure and optical properties of the new solar cells absorber material: mixed perovskites CsSn{sub x}Pb{sub (1−x)}I{sub 3} are studied by the first-principle calculations with mBJ + SOC (modified Beak Johnson approximation plus spin-orbit coupling) method. The band gap of the serial of compounds almost quasi-linearly reduces with increasing Sn content from 0.96 eV (x = 0) to 0.16 eV (x = 1). Optical absorption coefficient revealed a progressive red shift with the increment of the Sn content, accompanying with the absorption edge broadening. The absorption coefficient and Ideal Power Absorption Coefficient (IPAC) increase greatly with the Pb atoms being partially substituted by Sn atoms. The pure CsSnI{sub 3} has the highest IPAC, but it is unstable in the air because the Sn{sup 2+} will be oxidized to Sn{sup 4+}. So our results indicate that partially substituted CsSn{sub x}Pb{sub (1−x)}I{sub 3} might be the good solar cell absorption material.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2015

Examination of the Measurement of Absorption Using the Reverberant Room Method for Highly Absorptive Acoustic Foam

The absorption coefficient for material specimens are needed to quantify the expected acoustic performance of that material in its actual usage and environment. The ASTM C423-09a standard, "Standard Test Method for Sound Absorption and Sound Absorption Coefficients by the Reverberant Room Method" is often used to measure the absorption coefficient of material test specimens. This method has its basics in the Sabine formula. Although widely used, the interpretation of these measurements are a topic of interest. For example, in certain cases the measured Sabine absorption coefficients are greater than 1.0 for highly absorptive materials. This is often attributed to the diffraction edge effect phenomenon. An investigative test program to measure the absorption properties of highly absorbent melamine foam has been performed at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories. This paper will present and discuss the test results relating to the effect of the test materials' surface area, thickness and edge sealing conditions. A follow-on paper is envisioned that will present and discuss the results relating to the spacing between multiple piece specimens, and the mounting condition of the test specimen.

Absorption↗
DOE OSTI2022

Monte Carlo calculations of the extraction of scintillation light from cryogenic $N$-type GaAs

We report the high scintillation luminosity of n-type GaAs at 10 °K is surprising because (1) with a refractive index of 3.5, escape is inhibited by total internal reflection and (2) narrow-beam experiments at 90 °K report infrared absorption coefficients of several per cm. This paper presents Monte Carlo calculations showing that the high luminosity at 10 °K can be explained if (1) the narrow-beam absorption is almost all optical scattering and (2) the absolute absorption coefficient is below 0.1 per cm. Sixteen surface reflector configurations are simulated for a range of internal scattering and absolute absorption coefficients, and these can guide the design of cryogenic scintillating GaAs targets for the direct detection of dark matter. The discussion section presents a possible infrared scattering mechanism based on the metallic nature of n-type GaAs. A supplement file describes (1) the Monte Carlo program steps in detail and (2) how narrow-beam and integrating sphere experiments can measure the cryogenic optical scattering and absolute absorption coefficients.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1993

Modeling the reflectance of CO2 frost with new optical constants: Application to Martian south polar cap spectra

New measurements of the absorption coefficients of CO2 ice, in most of the spectral range 0.2 to 3.9 microns where absorption coefficients are below 1.5 per cm, have recently been made. Although these measurements are preliminary, they contain spectral detail not seen previously in the literature. Therefore, it is useful to combine these new data with older data from spectral regions of stronger absorption and reformulate models of the albedo or reflectance of CO2 frost. These models can then be adjusted in an attempt to match measurements of Martian polar deposits, such as the set of spectra returned by the IRS instrument on Mariner 7 (1969). The new absorption coefficients of CO2 ice were measured on several samples of 41-mm thickness at 150-155 K. A portion of the spectrum from 1.9 to 3.9 microns wavelength is shown in the form of imaginary coefficient of refraction ( = linear absorption x wavelength / 4 pi). The data above 3x10(exp -5) are obtained from, except for the absorption line at 3.32 micrometers, which is extrapolated in a way that is consistent with laboratory frost measurements, but the peak level is still highly uncertain. This new imagary coefficient, combined with the real coefficient, can be immediately applied to the models for hemispherical albedo, resulting in markedly different results from those in that study. The results for an infinite optical depth layer and solar incidence of 60 degrees are plotted for a range of mean particle radii from 0.03 to 3 mm.

Hansen, Gary B.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Light output measurements and computational models of microcolumnar CsI scintillators for x-ray imaging

Purpose: The authors report on measurements of light output and spatial resolution of microcolumnar CsI:Tl scintillator detectors for x-ray imaging. In addition, the authors discuss the results of simulations aimed at analyzing the results of synchrotron and sealed-source exposures with respect to the contributions of light transport to the total light output. Methods: The authors measured light output from a 490-μm CsI:Tl scintillator screen using two setups. First, the authors used a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to measure the response of the scintillator to sealed-source exposures. Second, the authors performed imaging experiments with a 27-keV monoenergetic synchrotron beam and a slit to calculate the total signal generated in terms of optical photons per keV. The results of both methods are compared to simulations obtained with hybridMANTIS, a coupled x-ray, electron, and optical photon Monte Carlo transport package. The authors report line response (LR) and light output for a range of linear absorption coefficients and describe a model that fits at the same time the light output and the blur measurements. Comparing the experimental results with the simulations, the authors obtained an estimate of the absorption coefficient for the model that provides good agreement with the experimentally measured LR. Finally, the authors report light output simulation results and their dependence on scintillator thickness and reflectivity of the backing surface. Results: The slit images from the synchrotron were analyzed to obtain a total light output of 48 keV{sup −1} while measurements using the fast PMT instrument setup and sealed-sources reported a light output of 28 keV{sup −1}. The authors attribute the difference in light output estimates between the two methods to the difference in time constants between the camera and PMT measurements. Simulation structures were designed to match the light output measured with the camera while providing good agreement with the measured LR resulting in a bulk absorption coefficient of 5 × 10{sup −5} μm{sup −1}. Conclusions: The combination of experimental measurements for microcolumnar CsI:Tl scintillators using sealed-sources and synchrotron exposures with results obtained via simulation suggests that the time course of the emission might play a role in experimental estimates. The procedure yielded an experimentally derived linear absorption coefficient for microcolumnar Cs:Tl of 5 × 10{sup −5} μm{sup −1}. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first time this parameter has been validated against experimental observations. The measurements also offer insight into the relative role of optical transport on the effective optical yield of the scintillator with microcolumnar structure.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1977

Microwave absorption characteristics of the clouds of Venus from Mariner 10 radio occultation

Measurements of received signal strength at S-band (13 cm) and X-band (4.8 cm) wavelengths during the radio occultation of Mariner 10 by Venus on February 5, 1974, are examined in order to study the structure and composition of the absorbing medium. The frequency excursions of the signals are determined and used to obtain the structure of the refractive index in the lower atmosphere. Profiles of excess signal attenuation due to atmospheric scattering and absorption are presented which indicate that the X-band signal experienced much more absorption and was extinguished at about 50 km, while the S-band signal penetrated to about 42 km. The optical-depth data are inverted by means of a discrete inversion method to obtain the absorption coefficient for each band as a function of height, and the resulting absorption-coefficient profiles are compared with the attenuation at vertical incidence modeled from planetary radar and passive microwave observations of Venus. The absorption coefficients at the two wavelengths are employed to estimate the liquid content and composition of the microwave-absorbing cloud particles.

Kliore, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Comparison of the Radiative Two-Flux and Diffusion Approximations

Approximate solutions are sometimes used to determine the heat transfer and temperatures in a semitransparent material in which conduction and thermal radiation are acting. A comparison of the Milne-Eddington two-flux approximation and the diffusion approximation for combined conduction and radiation heat transfer in a ceramic material was preformed to determine the accuracy of the diffusion solution. A plane gray semitransparent layer without a substrate and a non-gray semitransparent plane layer on an opaque substrate were considered. For the plane gray layer the material is semitransparent for all wavelengths and the scattering and absorption coefficients do not vary with wavelength. For the non-gray plane layer the material is semitransparent with constant absorption and scattering coefficients up to a specified wavelength. At higher wavelengths the non-gray plane layer is assumed to be opaque. The layers are heated on one side and cooled on the other by diffuse radiation and convection. The scattering and absorption coefficients were varied. The error in the diffusion approximation compared to the Milne-Eddington two flux approximation was obtained as a function of scattering coefficient and absorption coefficient. The percent difference in interface temperatures and heat flux through the layer obtained using the Milne-Eddington two-flux and diffusion approximations are presented as a function of scattering coefficient and absorption coefficient. The largest errors occur for high scattering and low absorption except for the back surface temperature of the plane gray layer where the error is also larger at low scattering and low absorption. It is shown that the accuracy of the diffusion approximation can be improved for some scattering and absorption conditions if a reflectance obtained from a Kubelka-Munk type two flux theory is used instead of a reflection obtained from the Fresnel equation. The Kubelka-Munk reflectance accounts for surface reflection and radiation scattered back by internal scattering sites while the Fresnel reflection only accounts for surface reflections.

Spuckler, Charles M.↗