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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Measurement of surface reactions in the space environment

The Atomic Oxygen Measurement Spacecraft, ATOMS, and a suite of associated instruments, designed to measure the performance of improved atomic-oxygen-resistant materials and coatings in orbit and to telemeter the resulting data and video images to earth at intervals during a one-year mission, have been described in a definition study sponsored by the Langley Research Center under NASA's In-Space Technology Experiments Program. The objective of the program is to work toward an improvement of base materials and surface coatings which will resist the serious degradation experienced by the external surfaces of LEO spacecraft as a result of the ablative effects of atmospheric oxygen, possibly catalyzed by solar UV radiation. This miniature orbiting laboratory includes a radio-frequency mass spectrometer, a set of osmium actinometers, and a scanning optical microscope. The design of these instruments and their use in the overall experiment are discussed.

Abdou, Wedad A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Atom Interferometry for Fundamental Physics and Gravity Measurements in Space

Laser-cooled atoms are used as freefall test masses. The gravitational acceleration on atoms is measured by atom-wave interferometry. The fundamental concept behind atom interferometry is the quantum mechanical particle-wave duality. One can exploit the wave-like nature of atoms to construct an atom interferometer based on matter waves analogous to laser interferometers.

atom interferometry↗
NASA NTRS2007

Atomic Calculations and Laboratory Measurements Relevant to X-ray Warm Absorbers

This viewgraph document reviews the atomic calculations and the measurements from the laboratory that are relevant to our understanding of X-Ray Warm Absorbers. Included is a brief discussion of the theoretical and the experimental tools. Also included is a discussion of the challenges, and calculations relevant to dielectronic recombination, photoionization cross sections, and collisional ionization. A review of the models is included, and the sequence that the models were applied.

Kallman, Tim↗
NASA NTRS2002

Techniques for Measuring Low Earth Orbital Atomic Oxygen Erosion of Polymers

Polymers such as polyimide Kapton and Teflon FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) are commonly used spacecraft materials due to their desirable properties such as flexibility, low density, and in the case of FEP, a low solar absorptance and high thermal emittance. Polymers on the exterior of spacecraft in the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment are exposed to energetic atomic oxygen. Atomic oxygen reaction with polymers causes erosion, which is a threat to spacecraft durability. It is therefore important to understand the atomic oxygen erosion yield (E, the volume loss per incident oxygen atom) of polymers being considered in spacecraft design. The most common technique for determining E is through mass loss measurements. For limited duration exposure experiments, such as shuttle experiments, where the atomic oxygen fluence is often so low that mass loss measurements can not produce acceptable uncertainties, recession measurements based on atomic force microscopy analyses can be used. Equally necessary to knowing the mass loss or recession depth for determining the erosion yield of polymers is the knowledge of the atomic oxygen fluence that the polymers were exposed to in space. This paper discusses the procedures and relevant issues for mass loss and recession depth measurements for passive atomic oxygen erosion yield characterization of polymers, along with techniques for active atomic oxygen fluence and erosion characterization. One active atomic oxygen erosion technique discussed is a new technique based on optical measurements. Details including the use of both semi-transparent and opaque polymers for active erosion measurement are reviewed.

deGroh, Kim K.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evolution of the Heliotail Lobes over a Solar Cycle as Measured by IBEX

Energetic neutral atom (ENA) measurements by IBEX reveal that the heliotail comprises an energy-dependent multilobe structure. We examine the heliotail evolution over 11 yr of IBEX observations covering a full solar cycle (SC). We find the following: (1) The heliotail structure persists over the entire SC, comprising three ENA-enhanced and two ENA-suppressed lobes. (2) Lobe sizes and locations are generally stable but exhibit variations in ENA fluxes driven by the SC. (3) Lobe centers follow a cyclic behavior over multiple SC phases, indicating direct signatures of slow and fast solar wind (SW) interactions in the inner heliosheath (IHS). (4) The tilted plane passing through the port–starboard lobes' centers oscillates in latitude but maintains its tilt from the ecliptic plane, likely a consequence of the interstellar magnetic field draping around the heliosphere. (5) The transition of the central heliotail from a single lobe at ~1.1 keV to two lobes above ~2 keV is SC-dependent and directly reflects the IHS plasma properties, i.e., when ENA fluxes from fast SW from the polar coronal holes change over time. (6) The central lobe exhibits a substructure that is enhanced and offset from the downwind direction, possibly indicating an asymmetric ENA emission or an asymmetry in the parent plasma distribution. These results reveal the general stability of the heliotail structure over time and distinct variations in individual lobes' properties in relation to the SC phases. Furthermore, results show the effects of multiple SC phases in the tail, reflecting different ENA travel times and source histories.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1995

Development of optical diagnostics for performance evaluation of arcjet thrusters

Laser and optical emission-based measurements have been developed and implemented for use on low-power hydrogen arcjet thrusters and xenon-propelled electric thrusters. In the case of low power hydrogen arcjets, these laser induce fluorescence measurements constitute the first complete set of data that characterize the velocity and temperature field of such a device. The research performed under the auspices of this NASA grant includes laser-based measurements of atomic hydrogen velocity and translational temperature, ultraviolet absorption measurements of ground state atomic hydrogen, Raman scattering measurements of the electronic ground state of molecular hydrogen, and optical emission based measurements of electronically excited atomic hydrogen, electron number density, and electron temperature. In addition, we have developed a collisional-radiative model of atomic hydrogen for use in conjunction with magnetohydrodynamic models to predict the plasma radiative spectrum, and near-electrode plasma models to better understand current transfer from the electrodes to the plasma. In the final year of the grant, a new program aimed at developing diagnostics for xenon plasma thrusters was initiated, and results on the use of diode lasers for interrogating Hall accelerator plasmas has been presented at recent conferences.

Cappelli, Mark A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Winter bulge and diurnal variations in hydrogen inferred from AE-C composition measurements

The atomic hydrogen distribution at 250 km during December 1974 solstice was inferred, considering charge exchange equilibrium, from Atmosphere Explorer-C measurements of n(H(+)), n(O(+) and N(O). An empirical model, derived from the observations by least suqare analysis in terms of spherical harmonics, has the following characteristics: (1) n(H) increases by as much as a factor of two between the summer and winter hemispheres, (2) the n(H) diurnal variation is largest at the equator and (3) the diurnal variation is larger in the winter hemisphere than in the summer. Similar analysis of the gas temperature derived from n(N2) measurements reveals that all n(H) and Tg spherical harmonic coefficients are anticorrelated. Both the diurnal and latitudinal (annual) n(H) and Tg amplitudes are in substantial agreement with the zero flux condition, in which exospheric flow dominates the hydrogen distribution. The observed diurnal phase lag of n(H) with respect to Tg is about one hour, agreeing with theory.

Brinton, H. C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Measurement of material isotopics and atom number ratio with α-particle spectroscopy for a NIFFTE fission Time Projection Chamber actinide target

In this work, we present the results of a measurement of isotopic concentrations and atomic number ratio of a double-sided actinide target using α-spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The double-sided actinide target, with predominantly 239 Pu on one side and 235 U on the other, was used in the fission Time Projection Chamber (fissionTPC) for a measurement of the neutron-induced fission cross-section ratio between the two isotopes. The measured atomic number ratio is needed to extract an absolute measurement fission cross-section ratio. The 239 Pu/ 235 U atom number ratio was measured with a combination of mass spectrometry and α-spectroscopy with a planar silicon detector achieving uncertainties of less than 1%. Different strategies for estimating isotopic concentration from the α-spectrum are presented to demonstrate the potential of these methods for non-destructive target assay. We found that a combination of fitting spectra with constraints from mass spectrometry, and summing counts in a region of the spectrum provided the most consistent results with the lowest uncertainty.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer experiment - Mars airglow spectroscopy and variations in Lyman alpha.

Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer observations show the Mars airglow consists principally of emissions that arise from the interaction of solar ultraviolet radiation with carbon dioxide, the principal constituent of the Mars atmosphere. Two minor constituents, atomic hydrogen and atomic oxygen, also produce airglow emissions. The airglow measurements show that ionized carbon dioxide is only a minor constituent of the ionosphere. Using the airglow measurements of atomic oxygen, it is possible to infer that the major ion is ionized molecular oxygen. The escape rate of atomic hydrogen measured by Mariner 9 is approximately the same as that measured two years earlier by Mariner 6 and 7. If the current escape rate has been operating for 4.5 billion years and if water vapor is the ultimate source, an amount of oxygen has been generated that is far in excess of that observed at present. Mariner 9 observations of Mars Lyman alpha emission over a period of 120 days show variations of 20%.

Barth, C. A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Guided cold atom inertial sensors with membrane integrated photonics on atom trap integrated platforms

A guided cold-atom inertial sensor system comprises an atom trap integrated platform, a laser system, a magnetic field system, a control system, and a computing system. The laser system and magnetic field system are adapted to form a magneto-optical trap (MOT) about a suspended waveguide of the atom trap integrated platform made of membrane integrated photonics. After loading cold atoms from a MOT, the photonic atom trap integrated platform generates one-dimensional guided atoms with an evanescent field optical dipole trap (EF-ODT) along the optical waveguide to create guided atomic accelerometers/gyroscopes. Motion of atomic wavepackets in a superposition state is created along the guided atom geometry by way of state-dependent momentum kicks. The light-pulse sequence of guided atom interferometry splits, redirects, and recombines atomic wavepackets, which allows measurement of atom interference fringes sensitive to inertial forces via a probe laser.

Lee, Jongmin↗
DOE OSTI2023

A diagnostic to measure time-resolved atom column density and Doppler temperature in atomic vapors produced by laser ablation

We report on the development of a diagnostic to measure the time-resolved column density and Doppler temperature of atomic vapors produced by laser ablation. The diagnostic is based on the strong frequency dependence of the atomic susceptibility near an electronic transition in the interrogated atomic species. Interference on the face of a fast photodetector between the several frequency components present in a sinusoidally phase-modulated probe beam will produce a time signature uniquely determined by the column density of atoms in the probed atomic state and the Doppler temperature of the atomic vapor. With the extensive, high precision atomic spectroscopy data available in the literature, it is possible to model the vapor and extract the desired parameters through comparison of the model result with the experimental data.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison between Hayabusa 2 Spectral Measurements and Simulations

This paper compares recent Hayabusa 2 spectral measurements with state-of-the-art shock-layer radiation simulations resulting from the LAURA/HARA code suite. These simulations include coupled ablation, which accounts for the injection of ablation products into the flowfield, and coupled radiation, which accounts for radiative energy loss in the flowfield. To enable the coupled ablation simulations, a best-estimate model is developed for Hayabusa’s carbon-phenolic ablator, based on the limited available published information. The comparison between the simulations and measurements focuses on two atomic nitrogen lines and two atomic oxygen lines, as well as the CN Violet band system. For the atomic lines, the measurements and simulations agree within 25% over most of the trajectory. This excellent agreement is unprecedented for observed radiation measurements of atomic lines, where previous Stardust and Hayabusa 1 comparisons were significantly worse. The improved agreement for these Hayabusa 2 comparisons is both the result of improved measurement quality and enhanced flowfield/radiation modeling. To provide a link between these observed radiation measurements and the radiative heating to a vehicle surface, the recently developed flowfield property binning approach is used to identify flowfield properties that provide the dominant emission contribution to the measured spectrum. These identified flowfield properties are then shown to match those for the surface radiative heating to the currently developed Mars Sample Return (MSR) Earth Entry System (EES) at a specific trajectory point and surface location. This matching of flowfield properties indicates that this EES radiative heating and Hayabusa 2 observed radiation simulations are equivalent radiation problems. Therefore, the excellent agreement between Hayabusa 2 measurements and simulations may be leveraged to inform the radiation heating margin for the MSR EES.

Christopher O Johnston↗