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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 NTRS1973

Role of gas-surface interactions in the reduction of OGO 6 neutral-particle mass spectrometer data

Data obtained with the quadrupole mass spectrometer aboard the OGO 6 satellite show the effects of significant surface interaction processes, including nearly complete recombination of incoming atomic oxygen on the walls of the instrument antechamber plus absorption and desorption of oxygen and carbon monoxide. The observed data are fit by solving the time-dependent continuity equations accounting for production and loss of atomic oxygen, molecular oxygen, and (in the case of mass 28) carbon monoxide. The surface parameters that best fit the data are selected and applied to the determination of ambient densities and their estimated errors.

Hedin, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Role of gas-surface interactions in the reduction of Ogo 6 neutral particle mass spectrometer data.

Data obtained with the quadrupole mass spectrometer aboard the Ogo 6 satellite show the effects of significant surface interaction processes, including nearly complete recombination of incoming atomic oxygen on the walls of the instrument antechamber plus adsorption and desorption of oxygen and carbon monoxide. The observed data are fit by solving the time-dependent continuity equations accounting for production and loss of atomic oxygen, molecular oxygen, and (in the case of mass 28) carbon monoxide. The surface parameters that best fit the data are selected and applied to the determination of ambient densities and their estimated errors.

Hedin, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Miniaturized system of a gas chromatograph coupled with a Paul ion trap mass spectrometer

Miniature gas chromatography (GC) and miniature mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation has been developed to identify and quantify the chemical compounds present in complex mixtures of gases. The design approach utilizes micro-GC components coupled with a Paul quadrupole ion trap (QIT) mass spectrometer. Inherent to the system are high sensitivity, good dynamic range, good QIT resolution, low GC flow-rates to minimize vacuum requirements and the need for consumables; and the use of a modular approach to adapt to volatile organic compounds dissolved in water or present in sediment. Measurements are reported on system response to gaseous species at concentrations varying over four orders of magnitude. The ability of the system to deal with complicated mixtures is demonstrated, and future improvements are discussed. The GC/QIT system described herein has a mass, volume and power that are, conservatively, one-twentieth of those of commercial off-the-shelf systems. Potential applications are to spacecraft cabin-air monitoring, robotic planetary exploration and trace-species detection for residual gas analysis and environmental monitoring.

Miniaturization/instrumentation/methods↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Quadrupole Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer for Quantitative Analysis of Nitrogen-Purged Compartments within the Space Shuttle

To enter orbit the Space Shuttle burns 1.8 million liters of liquid hydrogen combined with 0.8 million liters of liquid oxygen through three rocket engines mounted in the aft. NASA monitors the nitrogen-purged aft compartment for increased levels of hydrogen or oxygen in order to detect and determine the severity of a cryogenic fuel leak. Current monitoring is accomplished with a group of mass spectrometer systems located as much as 400 feet away from the shuttle. It can take up to 45 seconds for gas to reach the mass spectrometer, which precludes monitoring for leaks in the final moments before liftoff (the orbiter engines are started at T-00:06 seconds). To remedy the situation, NASA is developing a small rugged mass spectrometer to be used as point-sources around the Space Shuttle.

Ottens, Andrew K.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A new mass spectrometer system for investigating laser-induced vaporization phenomena

A laser has been combined with a mass spectrometer in a new configuration developed for studies of high-temperature materials. A vacuum-lock, solid-sample inlet is mounted at one end of a cylindrical, high-vacuum chamber one meter in length with a nude ion-source, time-of-flight mass spectrometer at the opposite end. The samples are positioned along the axis of the chamber at distances up to one meter from the ion source, and their surfaces are vaporized by a pulsed laser beam entering via windows on one side of the chamber. The instrumentation along with its capabilities is described, and results from laser-induced vaporization of several graphites are presented.

Lincoln, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mars Solar Balloon Landed Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer

A Mars surface lander Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) is described to measure the chemical composition of abundant and trace volatile species and isotope ratios for noble gases and other elements. These measurements are relevant to the study of atmospheric evolution and past climatic conditions. A Micromission plan is under study where a surface package including a miniaturized GCMS would be delivered to the surface by a solar heated hot air balloon based system. The balloon system would be deployed about 8 km above the surface of Mars, wherein it would rapidly fill with Martian atmosphere and be heated quickly by the sun. The combined buoyancy and parachuting effects of the solar balloon result in a surface package impact of about 5 m/sec. After delivery of the package to the surface, the balloon would ascend to about 4 km altitude, with imaging and magnetometry data being taken for the remainder of the daylight hours as the balloon is blown with the Martian winds. Total atmospheric entry mass of this mission is estimated to be approximately 50 kg, and it can fit as an Ariane 5 piggyback payload. The GCMS would obtain samples directly from the atmosphere at the surface and also from gases evolved from solid phase material collected from well below the surface with a Sample Acquisition and Transport Mechanism (SATM). The experiment envisioned in the Mars Micromission described would obtain samples from a much greater depth of up to one meter below the surface, and would search for organic molecules trapped in ancient stratified layers well below the oxidized surface. Insitu instruments on upcoming NASA missions working in concert with remote sensing measurement techniques have the potential to provide a more detailed investigation of mineralogy and the extent of simple volatiles such as CO2 and H2O in surface and subsurface solid phase materials. Within the context of subsequent mission opportunities such as those provided by the Ariane 5 piggyback payload based Micromissions, it is essential to implement an even broader chemical analysis and to enable a significant extension of previous isotope measurements. Such a development would enhance the presently very active study of questions of atmospheric evolution and loss and past climatic conditions. The method selected to implement this program can be based on well-established mass spectrometry techniques. Sampled gas is chemically and physically processed to separate the gas mixture into components using gas chromatograph and related enrichment techniques. This allows trace species to be identified and reveals isotopic distributions in many cases with improved precision. Samples of interest, such as organic molecules, may lie deep below the highly oxidized surface layer and the suggested program includes enhanced sampling techniques to measure volatiles preserved in solid phase material deep below the surface as well as gas from the well mixed atmosphere.

Mahaffy, P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Mars surface gas chromatograph mass spectrometer

A Mars surface lander Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) is described to measure the chemical composition of abundant and trace volatile species and isotope ratios for noble gases and other elements. These measurements are relevant to the study of atmospheric evolution and past climatic conditions. A Micromission plan is under study where a surface package including a miniaturized GCMS would be delivered to the surface by a solar heated hot air balloon based system. The balloon system would be deployed about 8 km above the surface of Mars, wherein it would rapidly fill with Martian atmosphere and be heated quickly by the sun. The combined buoyancy and parachuting effects of the solar balloon result in a surface package impact of about 5 m/sec. After delivery of the package to the surface, the balloon would ascend to about 4 km altitude, with imaging and magnetometry data being taken for the remainder of the daylight hours as the balloon is blown with the Martian winds. Total atmospheric entry mass of this mission is estimated to be approximately 50 kg, and it can fit as an Ariane 5 piggyback payload.

Mahaffy, P.↗
DOE OSTI2020

High Mass Analysis with a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer: From Inorganic Salt Clusters to Antibody Conjugates and Beyond

Analysis of proteins and complexes under native mass spectrometric (MS) and solution conditions was typically performed using time-of-flight (ToF) analyzers, due to their routine high m/z transmission and detection capabilities. However, over recent years, the ability of Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers to transmit and detect a range of high molecular weight species is well documented. Herein, we describe how a 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (15 T FT-ICR MS) is more than capable of analyzing a wide range of ions in the high m/z scale (>5000), in both positive and negative instrument polarities, ranging from the inorganic cesium iodide salt clusters; a humanized IgG1k monoclonal antibody (mAb; 148.2 kDa); an IgG1-mertansine drug conjugate (148.5 kDa, drug-to-antibody ratio; DAR 2.26); an IgG1-siRNA conjugate (159.1 kDa; ribonucleic acid to antibody ratio; RAR 1); the membrane protein aquaporin-Z (97.2 kDa) liberated from a C8E4 detergent micelle; the empty MSP1D1-nanodisc (142.5 kDa) and the tetradecameric chaperone protein complex GroEL (806.2 kDa; GroEL dimer at 1.6 MDa). We also investigate different regions of the FT-ICR MS that impact ion transmission and desolvation. Finally, we demonstrate how the transmission of these species and resultant spectra are highly consistent with those previously generated on both quadrupole-ToF (Q-ToF) and Orbitrap instrumentation. This article serves as an impactful example of how FT-ICR mass analyzers are competitive to Q-ToFs and Orbitraps for high mass detection at high m/z.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1971

The Lunar Mass Spectrometer experiment.

The features of the Lunar Mass Spectrometer (LMS), the purpose of which will be to determine the global distributions and the diurnal variations of the lunar atmosphere from the lunar surface, are outlined. Particular attention is given to its configuration, design, and latest engineering refinements. A brief description is also given of the experiment operation and data return.

Ormsby, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Viking gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer

The Mars Viking gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer is described. The system is designed to determine the composition of the Martian atmosphere and detect and identify chemical compounds vaporized or pyrolyzed from the Martian soil. Construction details, performance data, data processing methods, and references to manufacturing and test procedures are also provided.

Rushneck, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Anomaly of the composition of the F-2 equatorial region of the ionosphere during the hours after sunset according to data from the mass-spectrometer experiment on the Cosmos-274

A mass spectrometer on board Cosmos-274 measured concentrations of light atoms and ions. While traversing the geomagnetic equator during the evening hours it recorded on anomalous drop in ionized molecular oxygen and ionized atomic oxygen and nitrogen. A similar, less dramatic, decline was observed in the concentration of neutral atomic oxygen. A possible explanation for this and previously observed behavior is an ascent in altitude of the F layer in the hours after sunset, a possibility which is supported by calculations.

Gaydukov, V. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Water-Vapor Sample Holder for Mass Spectrometers

Water-vapor sample holder for mass spectrometer contains water vapor for calibration. It is sealed by aluminum disk. Calibration sample and integrated circuit modules are tested sequentially in same manner.

Haack, R. F.↗