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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 NTRS2011

Space-Based Measurements of CO2 from the Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and the NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) Missions

Space-based remote sensing observations hold substantial promise for future long-term monitoring of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The principal advantages of space based measurements include: (1) Spatial coverage (especially over oceans and tropical land) (2) Sampling density (needed to resolve CO2 weather). The principal challenge is the need for high precision To reach their full potential, space based CO2 measurements must be validated against surface measurements to ensure their accuracy. The TCCON network is providing the transfer standard There is a need for a long-term vision to establish and address community priorities (1) Must incorporate ground, air, space-based assets and models (2) Must balance calls for new observations with need to maintain climate data records.

Orbiting Carbon Observatory -↗
NASA NTRS1975

Ion-atom charge-transfer reactions and a hot intercloud medium

An investigation is conducted concerning the ionization equilibrium of carbon in a hot intercloud medium (ICM), taking into account various charge-transfer reactions. Attention is given to problems related to observations of carbon along the lines of sight to several unreddened stars. It is pointed out that the observed underabundance of C III and overabundance of C I can be consistent with the presence of a hot, partially ionized ICM, provided that two of the charge-transfer reactions considered are rapid at thermal energies.

Steigman, G.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Connecting Surface Emissions, Convective Uplifting, and Long-Range Transport of Carbon Monoxide in the Upper Troposphere: New Observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder

Two years of observations of upper tropospheric (UT) carbon monoxide (CO) from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder are analyzed; in combination with the CO surface emission climatology and data from the NCEP analyses. It is shown that spatial distribution, temporal variation and long-range transport of UT CO are closely related to the surface emissions, deep-convection and horizontal winds. Over the Asian monsoon region, surface emission of CO peaks in boreal spring due to high biomass burning in addition to anthropogenic emission. However, the UT CO peaks in summer when convection is strongest and surface emission of CO is dominated by anthropogenic source. The long-range transport of CO from Southeast Asia across the Pacific to North America, which occurs most frequently during boreal summer, is thus a clear imprint of Asian anthropogenic pollution influencing global air quality.

upper tropospheric (UT)↗
NASA NTRS2019

Validation of Regional CO2 Concentrations in the ECMWF Real-Time Analysis and Carbon-Tracker Reanalysis with Airborne Observations from ACT-A Field Campaign

Through verifying against hundreds of hours of airborne in-situ measurements from the NASA-sponsored Atmospheric Carbon and Transport – America (ACT-A) field campaign, this study systematically examines the regional uncertainties and biases of the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations from two of the state-of-the-art global analysis products, namely the real-time analysis from the European Center (EC) for Medium Range Forecasting and NOAA’s near real-time Carbon Tracker (CT) reanalysis. It is found that both the EC and CT-NRT analyses agree reasonably well with the independent ACT-A flight-level CO2 measurements in the free troposphere but the uncertainties are considerably larger in the boundary layer during both the summer months of 2016 and the winter months of 2017. There are also strong variabilities in accuracy and bias between seasons, and across three different subregions in the United States (Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South). Overall, the analysis uncertainties of the EC and CT-NRT analyses in terms of root-mean square deviations against airborne data are comparable to each other, both of which are between 1-2 ppm in the free troposphere but can be as large as 10 ppm near the surface, which are grossly consistent with the difference between the two analyses. The current study not only provides systematic uncertainty estimates for both analysis products over North America but also demonstrated that these two independent estimates can be used to approximate the overall regional CO2 analysis uncertainties. Both statistics are important in future studies in quantifying the uncertainties of regional carbon concentration and flux estimates, as well as in assessing the impact of regional transport through more refined regional modeling and analysis systems.

Chen, Hans W.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Science and Observation Recommendations for Future NASA Carbon Cycle Research

Between October 2000 and June 2001, an Agency-wide planning, effort was organized by elements of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to define future research and technology development activities. This planning effort was conducted at the request of the Associate Administrator of the Office of Earth Science (Code Y), Dr. Ghassem Asrar, at NASA Headquarters (HQ). The primary points of contact were Dr. Mary Cleave, Deputy Associate Administrator for Advanced Planning at NASA HQ (Headquarters) and Dr. Charles McClain of the Office of Global Carbon Studies (Code 970.2) at GSFC. During this period, GSFC hosted three workshops to define the science requirements and objectives, the observational and modeling requirements to meet the science objectives, the technology development requirements, and a cost plan for both the science program and new flight projects that will be needed for new observations beyond the present or currently planned. The plan definition process was very intensive as HQ required the final presentation package by mid-June 2001. This deadline was met and the recommendations were ultimately refined and folded into a broader program plan, which also included climate modeling, aerosol observations, and science computing technology development, for contributing to the President's Climate Change Research Initiative. This technical memorandum outlines the process and recommendations made for cross-cutting carbon cycle research as presented in June. A separate NASA document outlines the budget profiles or cost analyses conducted as part of the planning effort.

McClain, Charles R.↗
NASA NTRS2023

New York Ecological Conservation: Evaluating Agricultural Conservation Easement Impact Using Earth Observations to Examine Avoided Soil Carbon Loss to Development

Farmland provides ecosystems and communities with services ranging from habitat conservation to food security. As total U.S. farmland continues to decline, agricultural lands near urban areas are especially vulnerable. Our project partners—Finger Lakes Land Trust, Genesee Land Trust, and Saratoga Preserving Land and Nature (PLAN)—can use study results to better profile farmland vulnerability, issuing conservation easements to protect maximum acreage in Saratoga County and the Finger Lakes Region of New York. Multiple existing studies effectively use remote sensing imagery to analyze historical land cover and forecast future change. This study examined soil carbon stocks and land cover change to estimate avoided soil carbon loss. We also predicted farmland vulnerability. We completed these analyses using European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA Earth observations that include Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Landsat 9 OLI-2, Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI), and Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) for nighttime lights data that aided in the land change model analysis. We determined that the conversion of agriculture to development from 1990 to 2022 occurred at rates of 0.91% (Finger Lakes) and 7% (Saratoga). Urban development is predicted to increase surrounding urban centers through 2030 and 2050. We also estimate that between 26.5 and 348,101 kilotons (Finger Lakes) and 3.7 and 58,006 kilotons (Saratoga) of soil carbon losses have been avoided through agricultural easements. Findings from this study will support our partners in determining agricultural conservation easement benefits and prioritizing the acquisition of future easement sites.

Agriculture↗
NASA NTRS1973

Loss of atomic oxygen in mass spectrometer ion sources.

A gas beam consisting of a mixture of atomic and molecular oxygen has been directed at the ion source of a mass spectrometer like those used in sounding rockets for determining the neutral composition of the lower thermosphere. The loss of atomic oxygen on mass spectrometer surfaces was evaluated by flagging the beam in several ways and comparing the experimental results with predicted values. The results obtained suggest that in rocket flights using similar instruments the atomic oxygen densities computed assuming no-loss conditions may be low by a factor of 2.5. Studies made using a beam containing tracer O-18 indicate that carbon dioxide observed when atomic oxygen enters the source is formed in a reaction involving atomic oxygen from the beam and carbon monoxide from the surfaces bombarded.

Lake, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The detection of H2 in cool carbon stars

Spectra of several carbon stars in the two micron region are examined and compared with synthetic spectra from model atmospheres. Molecular hydrogen has been directly observed in carbon stars for the first time through the quadrupole 1-0 S(1) line at 4712.9/cm. It is definitely present in several Mira variables, and is definitely not present in several irregular variables and one Mira variable. A discrepancy between the predicted and observed line depths at different temperatures is shown. Resolution of the discrepancy by change of temperature alone would require an upward revision of the present effective temperature scale by at least 600 K. Several possible resolutions of the dilemma are briefly examined.

Goebel, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Capturing Complete Spatial Context in Satellite Observations of Greenhouse Gases

Scientific consensus from a 2015 pre-Decadal Survey workshop highlighted the essential need for a wide-swath (mapping) low earth orbit (LEO) instrument delivering carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements with global coverage. OCO-2 pioneered space-based CO2 remote sensing, but lacks the CH4, CO and mapping capabilities required for an improved understanding of the global carbon cycle. The Carbon Balance Observatory (CARBO) advances key technologies to enable high-performance, cost-effective solutions for a space-based carbon-climate observing system. CARBO is a compact, modular, 15-30° field of view spectrometer that delivers high-precision CO2, CH4, CO and solar induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) data with weekly global coverage from LEO. CARBO employs innovative immersion grating technologies to achieve diffraction-limited performance with OCO-like spatial (2 x 2 sq.km) and spectral (λ/Δλ≈ 20,000) resolution in a package that is >50% smaller, lighter and more cost-effective. CARBO delivers a 25- to 50-fold increase in spatial coverage compared to OCO-2 with no loss of detection sensitivity. Individual CARBO modules weigh < 20 kg, opening diverse new space-based platform opportunities.

Miller, Charles E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

High-resolution observations of the isotopic composition of carbon and silicon in the galactic cosmic rays

High resolution satellite observations of the galactic cosmic rays (approximately 100-300 MeV/amu) have yielded determinations of near-earth isotopic compositions, which are presented: (C-13)/(C-12) = 0.070 + or - 0.006; (Si-29)/(Si-28) = 0.109(+0.024, -0.014); and (Si-30)/(Si-28) = 0.084(+0.020, -0.014). Using a standard propagation model, source values greater than solar are derived for each of these ratios. The (C-13) excess may be the result of cross section uncertainties, but the (Si-29) and (Si-30) appear to reflect real differences between the galactic cosmic-ray source and the solar system.

Wiedenbeck, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Fungal degradation of fiber-reinforced composite materials

As described in a previous report, a fungal consortium isolated from degraded polymeric materials was capable of growth on presterilized coupons of five composites, resulting in deep penetration into the interior of all materials within five weeks. Data describing the utilization of composite constituents as nutrients for the microflora are described in this article. Increased microbial growth was observed when composite extract was incubated with the fungal inoculum at ambient temperatures. Scanning electron microscopic observation of carbon fibers incubated with a naturally developed population of microorganisms showed the formation of bacterial biofilms on the fiber surfaces, suggesting possible utilization of the fiber chemical sizing as carbon and energy sources. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to monitor the phenomena occurring at the fiber-matrix interfaces. Significant differences were observed between inoculated and sterile panels of the composite materials. A progressive decline in impedance was detected in the inoculated panels. Several reaction steps may be involved in the degradation process. Initial ingress of water into the resin matrix appeared to be followed by degradation of fiber surfaces, and separation of fibers from the resin matrix. This investigation suggested that composite materials are susceptible to microbial attack by providing nutrients for growth.

Environmental Microbiology↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bosch Carbon Catalyst Regeneration in Water II: Analysis of Bosch Catalyst Beads Throughout the Initial Regeneration Process

Catalyst integrity is an important factor in reactor longevity since it changes the effectiveness of a reaction. A Carbon Formation Reactor (CFR), used within Series Bosch (S-Bosch), utilizes an iron alloy catalyst to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into water and solid carbon. The catalyst promotes the formation of carbon to such an extent that pressure-causing clogs form within the reactor and reaction sites on the catalyst become limited. To remove carbon from both the reactor and the surface of the iron alloy catalyst, a technique was developed that utilizes water, an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Resource, and agitation to regenerate the reactor. To ascertain catalyst integrity throughout this regenerative process, sample catalyst beads were taken before and after the carbon formation reaction, and then after the regeneration process. Additionally, wastewater from the regeneration process was sampled. The sampled beads and wastewater were observed under a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microscope and the beads were chemically etched to determine if the catalyst had degraded at any point during this process, and if catalyst was lost. Minimal catalyst degradation was observed after carbon formation in the CFR.

regeneration↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bosch Carbon Catalyst Regeneration in Water II: Analysis of Bosch Catalyst Beads Throughout the Initial Regeneration Process

Catalyst integrity is an important factor in reactor longevity since it changes the effectiveness of a reaction. A Carbon Formation Reactor (CFR), used within Series Bosch (S-Bosch), utilizes an iron alloy catalyst to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into water and solid carbon. The catalyst promotes the formation of carbon to such an extent that pressure-causing clogs form within the reactor and reaction sites on the catalyst become limited. To remove carbon from both the reactor and the surface of the iron alloy catalyst, a technique was developed that utilizes water, an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Resource, and agitation to regenerate the reactor. To ascertain catalyst integrity throughout this regenerative process, sample catalyst beads were taken before and after the carbon formation reaction, and then after the regeneration process. Additionally, wastewater from the regeneration process was sampled. The sampled beads and wastewater were observed under a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microscope and the beads were chemically etched to determine if the catalyst had degraded at any point during this process, and if catalyst was lost. Minimal catalyst degradation was observed after carbon formation in the CFR.

Series Bosch↗
NASA NTRS2001

Substantial reservoirs of molecular hydrogen in the debris disks around young stars

Circumstellar accretion disks transfer matter from molecular clouds to young stars and to the sites of planet formation. The disks observed around pre-main-sequence stars have properties consistent with those expected for the pre-solar nebula from which our own Solar System formed 4.5 Gyr ago. But the 'debris' disks that encircle more than 15% of nearby main-sequence stars appear to have very small amounts of gas, based on observations of the tracer molecule carbon monoxide: these observations have yielded gas/dust ratios much less than 0.1, whereas the interstellar value is about 100 (ref. 9). Here we report observations of the lowest rotational transitions of molecular hydrogen (H2) that reveal large quantities of gas in the debris disks around the stars beta Pictoris, 49 Ceti and HD135344. The gas masses calculated from the data are several hundreds to a thousand times greater than those estimated from the CO observations, and yield gas/dust ratios of the same order as the interstellar value.

unmanned↗
NASA NTRS1976

Infrared astronomy and high energy astrophysics

Observations of the diffuse far infrared flux from the galactic plane as well as far infrared measurements of the properties of dense molecular clouds, when combined with recent high-energy gamma ray measurements and radio observations of carbon monoxide, can yield new information about the total mass of molecular clouds, the large scale structure of the inner galaxy, and the density of cosmic rays. These observations are discussed.

Fazio, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Ultraviolet carbon lines in the spectrum of the white dwarf BPM 11668

The southern hemisphere DC white dwarf BPM 11668 has been found to show strong ultraviolet lines of neutral carbon using observations from the IUE satellite. This star seems typical of the growing number of DC white dwarfs found to be of this type and appears to have a carbon abundance near C:He = 0.0001, with an effective temperature of 8500 K.

Wegner, G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Three-dimensional analysis of potential vorticity associated with tropopause folds and observed variations of ozone and carbon monoxide

The usability and reliability of potential vorticity as a meteorological stratospheric tracer are evaluated. The concept of potential vorticity conservation during transport in which stratospheric and tropospheric air are mixing is tested. Aircraft data collected on April 20, 1984 in the western and southwestern U.S. are analyzed in order to derive potential vorticity data; vertical cross sections of constant-pressure data and temperature and wind speed gradients are examined. The tropopause fold observed during the April 20, 1984 aircraft flights is described. The potential vorticity, ozone mixing ratio, and carbon monoxide mixing ratio are compared; a positive correlation between potential vorticity and the ozone mixing ratio and a negative correlation between the potential vorticity and the carbon monoxide mixing ratio are detected. The data support the concepts of the conservation of potential vorticity, the entrainment and mixing of tropospheric air across the boundaries of the fold, and the applicability of potential vorticity as a stratospheric tracer.

Danielsen, Edwin F.↗