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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 1,441 records · Page 80
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Monte Carlo modeling of electron density in hypersonic rarefied gas flows

The electron density distribution around a vehicle employed in the RAM-C II flight test is calculated with the DSMC method. To resolve the mole fraction of electrons which is several orders lower than those of the primary species in the free stream, an algorithm named as trace species separation (TSS) is utilized. The TSS algorithm solves the primary and trace species separately, which is similar to the DSMC overlay techniques; however it generates new simulated molecules of trace species, such as ions and electrons in each cell, basing on the ionization and recombination rates directly, which differs from the DSMC overlay techniques based on probabilistic models. The electron density distributions computed by TSS agree well with the flight data measured in the RAM-C II test along a decent trajectory at three altitudes 81km, 76km, and 71km.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deep probabilistic direction prediction in 3D with applications to directional dark matter detectors

Abstract We present the first method to probabilistically predict 3D direction in a deep neural network model. The probabilistic predictions are modeled as a heteroscedastic von Mises-Fisher distribution on the sphere S 2 , giving a simple way to quantify aleatoric uncertainty. This approach generalizes the cosine distance loss which is a special case of our loss function when the uncertainty is assumed to be uniform across samples. We develop approximations required to make the likelihood function and gradient calculations stable. The method is applied to the task of predicting the 3D directions of electrons, the most complex signal in a class of experimental particle physics detectors designed to demonstrate the particle nature of dark matter and study solar neutrinos. Using simulated Monte Carlo data, the initial direction of recoiling electrons is inferred from their tortuous trajectories, as captured by the 3D detectors. For 40 keV electrons in a 70% He 30% CO 2 gas mixture at STP, the new approach achieves a mean cosine distance of 0.104 (26 ∘ ) compared to 0.556 (64 ∘ ) achieved by a non-machine learning algorithm. We show that the model is well-calibrated and accuracy can be increased further by removing samples with high predicted uncertainty. This advancement in probabilistic 3D directional learning could increase the sensitivity of directional dark matter detectors.

Computer Science↗
DOE OSTI2022

Extracting forces from noisy dynamics in dusty plasmas

Extracting environmental forces from noisy data is a common yet challenging task in complex physical systems. Machine learning (ML) represents a robust approach to this problem, yet is mostly tested on simulated data with known parameters. Here we use supervised ML to extract the electrostatic, dissipative, and stochastic forces acting on micron-sized charged particles levitated in an argon plasma (dusty plasma). By tracking the sub-pixel motion of particles in subsequent images, we successfully estimated these forces from their random motion. The experiments contained important sources of non-Gaussian noise, such as drift and pixel-locking, representing a data mismatch from methods used to analyze simulated data with purely Gaussian noise. Our model was trained on simulated particle trajectories that included all of these artifacts, and used more than 100 dynamical and statistical features, resulting in a prediction with 50\% better accuracy than conventional methods. Lastly, in systems with two interacting particles, the model provided non-contact measurements of the particle charge and Debye length in the plasma environment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Model for the curvature response of the CDF II drift chamber

The CDF II experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron used a drift chamber to measure the momenta of charged particles. We present a model for the response of the drift chamber to the curvature of a charged particle's trajectory. Constraints on the model parameters are obtained from cosmic-ray data and from information published by CDF in the context of the W boson mass measurement. Implications for the calibration of the drift chamber measurement of momentum are discussed. The robustness of the CDF calibration procedure is demonstrated. The model provides a framework for the analysis of precision magnetic trackers of high-momentum particles. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Utah FORGE Well 16A(78)-32 Stimulation DFN Fracture Plane Evaluation and Data

This dataset includes files used to fit planar fractures through the preliminary earthquake catalogs of the three stages of the April 2022 well 16A(78)-32 stimulation which is linked bellow. These planar features have been used to update the FORGE reference Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model. The files are provided to encourage other modelers to use additional workflows to find additional/alternative features. To this end, the dataset includes the cleaned earthquake catalog data translated to the FORGE reference model global reference frame, the well trajectory of 16A(78)-32 in those same coordinates, the fit 15 planar features in csv format, and a pdf file with slides illustrating the process used to fit the features. A recorded presentation of this material is available from the October 2022 FORGE Modeling and Simulation Forum which is also linked below.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Best-fit estimate of relativistic effects in time-delay experiments.

Time-delay experiments are analyzed within the frame of a curved space-time. Residuals from Newtonian best fits of relativistic data are used as a measure of the 'relativistic effects.' Radial transponder trajectories are considered. If the motion is towards the sun, the relativistic residuals are of the order of 100 m. If the motion is away from the sun, they are at the 10-km level and the fraction due to the second-order curvature of the metric is at the 1-km level. Those effects are significantly smaller than those calculated from the divergence of the Newtonian and relativistic predictions after exact fit of the initial measurements.

Richard, J.-P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Twin jet noise shielding for a supersonic cruise vehicle

An engine arrangement for a supersonic cruise vehicle (SCV) has been developed that shows promise for jet noise reduction without the performance penalties associated with mechanical suppressors and engine oversizing. This arrangement, wherein two engines are placed on top of the wing directly above two similarly-mounted engines below the wing, can produce 3 to 5 dB less noise below the aircraft flight path than when four engines are installed under the wing. This noise reduction is due to acoustic shielding of the upper jets by the lower jets. Test data are reviewed to verify this acoustical shielding phenomenon, and detailed takeoff trajectories are calculated to show the effects of sideline and flyover noise levels on constraining maximum range SCV configurations. Engine placement variation and differential throttling, wherein thrust is unloaded from the lower engine and added to the upper engine, are to be explored as means for maximizing the shielding effect.

Clauss, J. S., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Influence of radiant energy exchange on the determination of convective heat transfer rates to Orbiter leeside surfaces during entry

Temperatures measured at the aerodynamic surface of the Orbiter's thermal protection system (TPS), and calorimeter measurements, are used to determine heating rates to the TPS surface during atmospheric entry. On the Orbiter leeside, where convective heating rates are low, it is possible that a significant portion of the total energy input may result from solar radiation, and for the wing, cross radiation from the hot (relatively) Orbiter fuselage. In order to account for the potential impact of these sources, values of solar- and cross-radiation heat transfer are computed, based upon vehicle trajectory and attitude information and measured surface temperatures. Leeside heat-transfer data from the STS-2 mission are presented, and the significance of solar radiation and fuselage-to-wing cross-radiation contributions to total energy input to Orbiter leeside surfaces is assessed.

Throckmorton, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Aerodynamic heating and surface temperatures on vehicles for computer-aided design studies

A computer subprogram has been developed to calculate aerodynamic and radiative heating rates and to determine surface temperatures by integrating the heating rates along the trajectory of a vehicle. Convective heating rates are calculated by applying the axisymmetric analogue to inviscid surface streamlines and using relatively simple techniques to calculate laminar, transitional, or turbulent heating rates. Options are provided for the selection of gas model, transition criterion, turbulent heating method, Reynolds Analogy factor, and entropy-layer swallowing effects. Heating rates are compared to experimental data, and the time history of surface temperatures are given for a high-speed trajectory. The computer subprogram is developed for preliminary design and mission analysis where parametric studies are needed at all speeds.

Dejarnette, F. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Numerical solution of Space Shuttle Orbiter flow field including real gas effects

The hypersonic, laminar flow around the Space Shuttle Orbiter has been computed for both an ideal gas (gamma = 1.2) and equilibrium air using a real-gas, parabolized Navier-Stokes code. This code employs a generalized coordinate transformation; hence, it places no restrictions on the orientation of the solution surfaces. The initial solution in the nose region was computed using a 3-D, real-gas, time-dependent Navier-Stokes code. The thermodynamic and transport properties of equilibrium air were obtained from either approximate curve fits or a table look-up procedure. Numerical results are presented for flight conditions corresponding to the STS-3 trajectory. The computed surface pressures and convective heating rates are compared with data from the STS-3 flight.

Prabhu, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Force and moment tests to determine the interaction effects of the reaction control system jet plumes on the space shuttle Orbiter aerodynamics at Mach Number 6 (Test OA352)

The purpose of this test was to expand the existing Space Shuttle aerodynamics and Reaction Control System (RCS) data base to support the Glide Return to Launch Site (GRTLS) abort trajectory and the new Digital Autopilot. An existing model of the orbiter was used to investigate the aerodynamic effects of several combinations of RCS thrusters and thruster momentum ratios at Mach number 6. Two separate model installations were used to achieve an angle-of-attack range of -11 to 46 deg. The test was conducted at a unit Reynolds number of 0.8 x 10 to the 6th per foot.

Cayse, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Incompressible Navier-Stokes solutions for a sharp-edged double-delta wing

An implicit finite-difference scheme is used to compute the incompressible laminar vortical flow around a double-delta wing with an aspect ratio of 2.06. By adding a time derivative of the pressure to the continuity equation, the unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations can be integrated like a conventional parabolic time-dependent system of equations. The flux-difference split scheme combines approximate factorization in crossflow planes with a symmetric planar Gauss-Seidel relaxation in the remaining spatial direction. The trajectory of the vortical core is well predicted in comparison with experimental data.

Hsu, Chung-Hao↗
NASA NTRS1988

Numerical simulation of the vortical flow over a round-edged double-delta wing

Simulations of three-dimensional vortical flows over a thin double-delta wing with an aspect ratio of 2.05 have been performed. Steady-state solutions to the unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are obtained using a new implicit upwind-relaxation finite-difference scheme. The method is second-order accurate spatially and naturally dissipative. Numerical results indicate that key features of both vortical interaction and vortex breakdown are successfully simulated. The computed lift coefficients and lateral trajectories of the vortical cores are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Hsu, C.-H.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The solar wind interaction with Venus: A comparison of Galileo and Pioneer Venus observations

The rudimentary measurements of the instruments on Pioneer Venus over a 14-year span have provided a strong framework for the interpretation of the observations with a more sophisticated instrument package during the Galileo Venus flyby in February 1990. In some cases the Galileo results provided independent confirmation of earlier inferences. In other cases completely new data were obtained. Nevertheless, because of limitations of the instruments and the trajectory and thermal restraints some outstanding questions were not addressed. Much has been learned but there is still much more to do.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Carbon Monoxide Distributions and Atmosphere Transports over Southern Africa

Sources and transports of CO as measured by the Measurement of Air Pollution from Space (MAPS) over a substantial sector of the southern hemisphere between South America and southern Africa are described by air parcel trajectories based upon European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model data fields. Observations, made by NASA Shuttle astronauts during the October 1994 mission, of vegetation fires suggest a direct relationship between in situ biomass burning, at least over South America and southern Africa, and coincident tropospheric measurements of CO. Results of this paper indicate that the transport of CO from the surface to the levels of maximum MAPS sensitivity (about 450 hPa) over these regions is not of a direct nature due largely to the well stratified atmospheric environment. The atmospheric transport of CO from biomass burning within this region is found to occur over intercontinental scales over numbers of days to more than a week. Three distinct synoptic circulation and transport classes are found to have occurred over southern Africa during the October 1994 MAPS experiment: (1) transport from South America and Africa to southern Africa associated with elevated MAPS measured CO (> 150 ppbv); (2) weakening anticyclonic transport from South America associated with moderate CO (< 150 ppbv and > 105 ppbv); and (3) transport from the high southern latitudes associated with low CO (<105 ppbv).

Garstang, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2001

Investigation of Nitride Morphology After Self-Aligned Contact Etch

Self-Aligned Contact (SAC) etch has emerged as a key enabling technology for the fabrication of very large-scale memory devices. However, this is also a very challenging technology to implement from an etch viewpoint. The issues that arise range from poor oxide etch selectivity to nitride to problems with post etch nitride surface morphology. Unfortunately, the mechanisms that drive nitride loss and surface behavior remain poorly understood. Using a simple langmuir site balance model, SAC nitride etch simulations have been performed and compared to actual etched results. This approach permits the study of various etch mechanisms that may play a role in determining nitride loss and surface morphology. Particle trajectories and fluxes are computed using Monte-Carlo techniques and initial data obtained from double Langmuir probe measurements. Etched surface advancement is implemented using a shock tracking algorithm. Sticking coefficients and etch yields are adjusted to obtain the best agreement between actual etched results and simulated profiles.

Hwang, Helen H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Effects of Aircraft On Aerosol Abundance in the Upper Troposphere

A significant increase in sulfuric acid aerosol concentration was detected above 10 km pressure altitude during a cross-corridor flight out of Shannon on October 23, 1997. The source of this aerosol is ascribed to commercial aircraft operations in flight corridors above 10 km, because (1) a stable atmosphere prevented vertical air mass exchanges and thus eliminated surface sources, (2) air mass back trajectories documented the absence of remote continental sources, and (3) temperature profiler data showed the tropopause at least one kilometers above flight altitude throughout the flight. Particle volatility identified 70% H2SO4, 20% (NH4)2SO4 and 10% nonvolatile aerosol in the proximity of flight corridors, and (10-30)% H2SO4, up to 50% (NH4)2SO4, and (40-60)% nonvolatile aerosols in air that was not affected by aircraft operations below 10 km. Only a very small fraction of the nonvolatile particles (determined with a condensation nucleus counter) could be morphologically identified as soot aerosol (validated by scanning electron microscopy of wire impactor samples). The newly formed H2SO4 particles did not measurably affect surface area and volume of the background aerosol due to their small size, hence did not affect radiative transfer directly.

Ferry, G. V.↗