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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
DOE OSTI2014

DRAMATIC CHANGE IN JUPITER'S GREAT RED SPOT FROM SPACECRAFT OBSERVATIONS

Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) is one of its most distinct and enduring features. Since the advent of modern telescopes, keen observers have noted its appearance and documented a change in shape from very oblong to oval, confirmed in measurements from spacecraft data. It currently spans the smallest latitude and longitude size ever recorded. Here we show that this change has been accompanied by an increase in cloud/haze reflectance as sensed in methane gas absorption bands, increased absorption at wavelengths shorter than 500 nm, and increased spectral slope between 500 and 630 nm. These changes occurred between 2012 and 2014, without a significant change in internal tangential wind speeds; the decreased size results in a 3.2 day horizontal cloud circulation period, shorter than previously observed. As the GRS has narrowed in latitude, it interacts less with the jets flanking its north and south edges, perhaps allowing for less cloud mixing and longer UV irradiation of cloud and aerosol particles. Given its long life and observational record, we expect that future modeling of the GRS's changes, in concert with laboratory flow experiments, will drive our understanding of vortex evolution and stability in a confined flow field crucial for comparison with other planetary atmospheres.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Disentangling Time-series Spectra with Gaussian Processes: Applications to Radial Velocity Analysis

Measurements of radial velocity variations from the spectroscopic monitoring of stars and their companions are essential for a broad swath of astrophysics; these measurements provide access to the fundamental physical properties that dictate all phases of stellar evolution and facilitate the quantitative study of planetary systems. The conversion of those measurements into both constraints on the orbital architecture and individual component spectra can be a serious challenge, however, especially for extreme flux ratio systems and observations with relatively low sensitivity. Gaussian processes define sampling distributions of flexible, continuous functions that are well-motivated for modeling stellar spectra, enabling proficient searches for companion lines in time-series spectra. We introduce a new technique for spectral disentangling, where the posterior distributions of the orbital parameters and intrinsic, rest-frame stellar spectra are explored simultaneously without needing to invoke cross-correlation templates. To demonstrate its potential, this technique is deployed on red-optical time-series spectra of the mid-M-dwarf binary LP661-13. We report orbital parameters with improved precision compared to traditional radial velocity analysis and successfully reconstruct the primary and secondary spectra. We discuss potential applications for other stellar and exoplanet radial velocity techniques and extensions to time-variable spectra. The code used in this analysis is freely available as an open-source Python package.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of photoevaporation on protoplanetary disc ‘isochrones’

ABSTRACT Protoplanetary discs are the site of star and planet formation, and their evolution and consequent dispersal deeply affect the formation of planetary systems. In the standard scenario they evolve on time-scales ∼Myr due to the viscous transport of angular momentum. The analytical self-similar solution for their evolution predicts specific disc isochrones in the accretion rate–disc mass plane. However, photoevaporation by radiation emitted by the central star is likely to dominate the gas disc dispersal of the innermost region, introducing another (shorter) time-scale for this process. In this paper, we include the effect of internal (X and EUV) photoevaporation on the disc evolution, finding numerical solutions for a population of protoplanetary discs. Our models naturally reproduce the expected quick dispersal of the inner region of discs when their accretion rates match the rate of photoevaporative mass loss, in line with previous studies. We find that photoevaporation preferentially removes the lightest discs in the sample. The net result is that, counter-intuitively, photoevaporation increases the average disc mass in the sample, by dispersing the lightest discs. At the same time, photoevaporation also reduces the mass accretion rate by cutting the supply of material from the outer to the inner disc. In a purely viscous framework, this would be interpreted as the result of a longer viscous evolution, leading to an overestimate of the disc age. Our results thus show that photoevaporation is a necessary ingredient to include when interpreting observations of large disc samples with measured mass accretion rates and disc masses. Photoevaporation leaves a characteristic imprint on the shape of the isochrone. Accurate data of the accretion rate–disc mass plane in the low disc mass region therefore give clues on the typical photoevaporation rate.

Somigliana, Alice↗
DOE OSTI2013

Systematic variations of argon diffusion in feldspars and implications for thermochronometry

Coupled information about the time-dependent production and temperature-dependent diffusion of radiogenic argon in feldspars can be used to constrain the thermal evolution attending a host of Earth and planetary processes. To better assess the accuracy of thermal models, an understanding of the mechanisms and pathways by which argon diffuses in feldspars is desirable. Here we present step-heating Ar diffusion experiments conducted on feldspars with diverse compositions, structural states, and microstructural characteristics. The experiments reveal systematic variations in diffusive behavior that appear closely related to these variables, with apparent closure temperatures for 0.1–1 mm grains of ~200–400 °C (assuming a 10 °C/Ma cooling rate). Given such variability, there is no broadly applicable set of diffusion parameters that can be utilized in feldspar thermal modeling; sample-specific data are required. Diffusion experiments conducted on oriented cleavage flakes do not reveal directionally-dependent diffusive anisotropy to within the resolution limits of our approach (approximately a factor of 2). Additional experiments aimed at constraining the physical significance of the diffusion domain are presented and indicate that unaltered feldspar crystals with or without coherent exsolution lamellae diffuse at the grain-scale, whereas feldspars containing hydrothermal alteration and/or incoherent sub-grain intergrowths do not. Arrhenius plots for argon diffusion in plagioclase and alkali feldspars appear to reflect a confluence of intrinsic diffusion kinetics and structural transitions that occur during incremental heating experiments. These structural transitions, along with sub-grain domain size variations, cause deviations from linearity (i.e., upward and downward curvature) on Arrhenius plots. An atomistic model for Arrhenius behavior is proposed that incorporates the variable lattice deformations of different feldspars in response to heating and compression. Furthermore, the resulting implications for accurately extrapolating laboratory-derived diffusion parameters to natural settings and over geologic time are discussed. We find that considerable inaccuracies may exist in published thermal histories obtained using multiple diffusion domain (MDD) models fit to Arrhenius plots for exsolved alkali feldspar, where the inferred Ar partial retention zones may be spuriously hot.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

STAR HOPPERS: PLANET INSTABILITY AND CAPTURE IN EVOLVING BINARY SYSTEMS

Many planets are observed in stellar binary systems, and their frequency may be comparable to that of planetary systems around single stars. Binary stellar evolution in such systems influences the dynamical evolution of the resident planets. Here, we study the evolution of a single planet orbiting one star in an evolving binary system. We find that stellar evolution can trigger dynamical instabilities that drive planets into chaotic orbits. This instability leads to planet-star collisions, exchange of the planet between the binary stars ('star hoppers'), and ejection of the planet from the system. The means by which planets can be recaptured is similar to the pull-down capture mechanism for irregular solar system satellites. Because planets often suffer close encounters with the primary on the asymptotic giant branch, captures during a collision with the stellar envelope are also possible for more massive planets. Such capture could populate the habitable zone around white dwarfs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

THE PHASES OF WATER ICE IN THE SOLAR NEBULA

Understanding the phases of water ice that were present in the solar nebula has implications for understanding cometary and planetary compositions as well as the internal evolution of these bodies. Here we show that amorphous ice formed more readily than previously recognized, with formation at temperatures <70 K being possible under protoplanetary disk conditions. We further argue that photodesorption and freeze-out of water molecules near the surface layers of the solar nebula would have provided the conditions needed for amorphous ice to form. This processing would be a natural consequence of ice dynamics and would allow for the trapping of noble gases and other volatiles in water ice in the outer solar nebula.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EVOLUTION OF THE 1919 EJECTA OF V605 AQUILAE

New imaging of V605 Aql, was obtained in 2009 with HST/WFPC2, which had a nova-like outburst in 1919, and is located at the center of the planetary nebula (PN), A58. This event has long been ascribed to a final helium shell flash, but it has been suggested recently that it may instead have been an ONe nova. The new images provide an 18 yr baseline for the expansion of the ejecta from the 1919 event. In addition, the central star has been directly detected in the visible for the first time since 1923, when it faded from sight due to obscuration by dust. The expansion of the ejecta has a velocity of {approx}200 km s{sup -1}, and an angular expansion rate of {approx}10 mas yr{sup -1}, consistent with a 1919 ejection. This implies a geometric distance of 4.6 kpc for V605 Aql, consistent with previous estimates. The gas mass in the central knot of ejecta was previously estimated to be 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} M{sub Sun }. It is estimated that warm dust associated with this gas has a mass of {approx}10{sup -5} M{sub Sun }. There is also evidence for a significant amount, 10{sup -3} M{sub Sun }, of cold (75 K) dust, which may be associated with its PN. The knot ejected in 1919 is asymmetrical and is approximately aligned with the asymmetry of the surrounding PN. Polarimetric imaging was obtained to investigate whether the 2001 spectrum of V605 Aql was obtained primarily in scattered light from dust in the central knot, but the signal-to-noise in the data was insufficient to measure the level of polarization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Shock response and phase transitions of MgO at planetary impact conditions

The moon-forming impact and the subsequent evolution of the proto-Earth is strongly dependent on the properties of materials at the extreme conditions generated by this violent collision. We examine the high pressure behavior of MgO, one of the dominant constituents in Earth’s mantle, using high-precision, plate impact shock compression experiments performed on Sandia National Laboratories’ Z Machine and extensive quantum calculations using density functional theory (DFT) and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods. The combined data span from ambient conditions to 1.2 TPa and 42,000 K, showing solid-solid and solid-liquid phase boundaries. Furthermore our results indicate that under impact the solid and liquid phases coexist for more than 100 GPa, pushing complete melting to pressures in excess of 600 GPa. Furthermore, the high pressure required for complete shock melting has implications for a broad range of planetary collision events.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Orbital circularization of a planet accreting disk gas: the formation of distant jupiters in circular orbits based on a core accretion model

Recently, gas giant planets in nearly circular orbits with large semimajor axes (a ∼ 30-1000 AU) have been detected by direct imaging. We have investigated orbital evolution in a formation scenario for such planets, based on a core accretion model. (1) Icy cores accrete from planetesimals at ≲ 30 AU, (2) they are scattered outward by an emerging nearby gas giant to acquire highly eccentric orbits, and (3) their orbits are circularized through the accretion of disk gas in outer regions, where they spend most of their time. We analytically derived equations to describe the orbital circularization through gas accretion. Numerical integrations of these equations show that the eccentricity decreases by a factor of more than 5 while the planetary mass increases by a factor of 10. Because runaway gas accretion increases planetary mass by ∼10-300, the orbits are sufficiently circularized. On the other hand, a is reduced at most only by a factor of two, leaving the planets in the outer regions. If the relative velocity damping by shock is considered, the circularization slows down, but is still efficient enough. Therefore, this scenario potentially accounts for the formation of observed distant jupiters in nearly circular orbits. If the apocenter distances of the scattered cores are larger than the disk sizes, their a shrink to a quarter of the disk sizes; the a-distribution of distant giants could reflect the outer edges of the disks in a similar way that those of hot jupiters may reflect inner edges.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Evolution of Morphological and Physical Properties of Laboratory Interstellar Organic Residues with Ultraviolet Irradiation

Refractory organic compounds formed in molecular clouds are among the building blocks of the solar system objects and could be the precursors of organic matter found in primitive meteorites and cometary materials. However, little is known about the evolutionary pathways of molecular cloud organics from dense molecular clouds to planetary systems. In this study, we focus on the evolution of the morphological and viscoelastic properties of molecular cloud refractory organic matter. We found that the organic residue, experimentally synthesized at ∼10 K from UV-irradiated H{sub 2}O-CH{sub 3}OH-NH{sub 3} ice, changed significantly in terms of its nanometer- to micrometer-scale morphology and viscoelastic properties after UV irradiation at room temperature. The dose of this irradiation was equivalent to that experienced after short residence in diffuse clouds (≤10{sup 4} years) or irradiation in outer protoplanetary disks. The irradiated organic residues became highly porous and more rigid and formed amorphous nanospherules. These nanospherules are morphologically similar to organic nanoglobules observed in the least-altered chondrites, chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles, and cometary samples, suggesting that irradiation of refractory organics could be a possible formation pathway for such nanoglobules. The storage modulus (elasticity) of photo-irradiated organic residues is ∼100 MPa irrespective of vibrational frequency, a value that is lower than the storage moduli of minerals and ice. Dust grains coated with such irradiated organics would therefore stick together efficiently, but growth to larger grains might be suppressed due to an increase in aggregate brittleness caused by the strong connections between grains.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

CONSEQUENCES OF MAGNETIC FIELD STRUCTURE FOR HEAT TRANSPORT IN MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS

Interfaces between hot and cold magnetized plasmas exist in various astrophysical contexts, for example, where hot outflows impinge on an ambient interstellar medium. It is of interest to understand how the structure of the magnetic field spanning the interface affects the temporal evolution of the temperature gradient. Here, we explore the relation between the magnetic field topology and the heat transfer rate by adding various fractions of tangled versus ordered field across a hot-cold interface that allows the system to evolve to a steady state. We find a simple mathematical relation for the rate of heat conduction as a function of the initial ratio of ordered-to-tangled field across the interface. We discuss potential implications for the astrophysical context of magnetized wind blown bubbles around evolved stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hydrodynamic instability at impact interfaces and planetary implications

Abstract Impact-induced mixing between bolide and target is fundamental to the geochemical evolution of a growing planet, yet aside from local mixing due to jetting – associated with large angles of incidence between impacting surfaces – mixing during planetary impacts is poorly understood. Here we describe a dynamic instability of the surface between impacting materials, showing that a region of mixing grows between two media having even minimal initial topography. This additional cause of impact-induced mixing is related to Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI), and results from pressure perturbations amplified by shock-wave refraction through the corrugated interface between impactor and target. However, unlike RMI, this new impact-induced instability appears even if the bodies are made of the same material. Hydrocode simulations illustrate the growth of this mixing zone for planetary impacts, and predict results suitable for experimental validation in the laboratory. This form of impact mixing may be relevant to the formation of stony-iron and other meteorites.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

PLANETARY CHAOTIC ZONE CLEARING: DESTINATIONS AND TIMESCALES

We investigate the orbital evolution of particles in a planet's chaotic zone to determine their final destinations and their timescales of clearing. There are four possible final states of chaotic particles: collision with the planet, collision with the star, escape, or bounded but non-collision orbits. In our investigations, within the framework of the planar circular restricted three body problem for planet-star mass ratio μ in the range 10{sup –9} to 10{sup –1.5}, we find no particles hitting the star. The relative frequencies of escape and collision with the planet are not scale-free, as they depend upon the size of the planet. For planet radius R{sub p} ≥ 0.001 R{sub H} where R{sub H} is the planet's Hill radius, we find that most chaotic zone particles collide with the planet for μ ≲ 10{sup –5}; particle scattering to large distances is significant only for higher mass planets. For fixed ratio R{sub p} /R{sub H} , the particle clearing timescale, T {sub cl}, has a broken power-law dependence on μ. A shallower power law, T {sub cl} ∼ μ{sup –1/3}, prevails at small μ where particles are cleared primarily by collisions with the planet; a steeper power law, T {sub cl} ∼ μ{sup –3/2}, prevails at larger μ where scattering dominates the particle loss. In the limit of vanishing planet radius, we find T {sub cl} ≈ 0.024 μ{sup –3/2}. The interior and exterior boundaries of the annular zone in which chaotic particles are cleared are increasingly asymmetric about the planet's orbit for larger planet masses; the inner boundary coincides well with the classical first order resonance overlap zone, Δa {sub cl,} {sub int} ≅ 1.2 μ{sup 0.28} a{sub p} ; the outer boundary is better described by Δa {sub cl,} {sub ext} ≅ 1.7 μ{sup 0.31} a{sub p} , where a{sub p} is the planet-star separation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Preventing star formation in early-type galaxies with late-time stellar heating

We revisit previous suggestions that the heating provided by the winds of dying low-mass stars plays an important role in preventing star formation in quiescent galaxies. At the end of their asymptotic giant branch phase, intermediate and low-mass stars eject their envelopes rapidly in a super-wind phase, usually giving rise to planetary nebulae. In spheroidal galaxies with high stellar velocity dispersions, the interaction of these ejected envelopes with the ambient diffuse gas can lead to significant, isotropic and steady-state heating that scales as M-dot {sub *}σ{sub *}{sup 2}. We show that cooling of the central regions of the hot diffuse halo gas can be delayed for a Hubble time for halos more massive than ∼10{sup 12.5} M{sub ⊙} at 0<z<2, although stellar heating alone is unlikely to forestall cooling in the most massive clusters at z = 0. This mechanism provides a natural explanation for the strong trend of galaxy quiescence with stellar surface density and velocity dispersion. In addition, since the ejected material will thermalize to kT ∼ σ{sub ∗}{sup 2}, this mechanism provides an explanation for the observed similarity between the central temperature of the hot diffuse gas and σ{sub ∗}{sup 2}, a result that is not trivial in light of the short inferred cooling times of the hot gas. The main uncertainty in this analysis is the ultimate fate of the stellar ejecta. Preventing accumulation of the ejecta in the central regions may require energy input from another source, such as Type Ia supernovae. Detailed simulations of the interaction of the stellar wind with the ambient gas are required to better quantify the net effect of AGB heating.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Comparison of Observations and Predictions of Daytime Planetary-Boundary-Layer Heights and Surface Meteorological Variables in the Columbia River Gorge and Basin During the Second Wind Forecast Improvement Project

The second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2) is an 18-month field campaign in the Pacific Northwest U.S.A., whose goal is to improve the accuracy of numerical-weather-prediction forecasts in complex terrain. The WFIP2 campaign involved the deployment of a large suite of in situ and remote sensing instrumentation, including eight 915-MHz wind-profiling radars, and surface meteorological stations. The evolution and annual variability of the daytime convective planetary-boundary-layer (PBL) height is investigated using the wind-profiling radars. Three models with different horizontal grid spacing are evaluated: the Rapid Refresh, the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh, and its nested version. The results are used to assess errors in the prediction of PBL height within the experimental and control versions of the models, with the experimental versions including changes and additions to the model parametrizations developed during the field campaign, and the control version using the parametrizations present in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Centers for Environmental Prediction operational version of the models at the start of the project. Results show that the high-resolution models outperform the low-resolution versions, the experimental versions perform better compared with the control versions, model PBL height estimations are more accurate on cloud-free days, and model estimates of the PBL height growth rate are more accurate than model estimates of the rate of decay. Finally, using surface sensors, we assess surface meteorological variables, finding improved surface irradiance and, to a lesser extent, improved 2-m temperature in the experimental version of the model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

DYNAMICAL EVOLUTION OF MULTI-RESONANT SYSTEMS: THE CASE OF GJ 876

The GJ 876 system was among the earliest multi-planetary detections outside of the Solar System, and has long been known to harbor a resonant pair of giant planets. Subsequent characterization of the system revealed the presence of an additional Neptune mass object on an external orbit, locked in a three body Laplace mean motion resonance with the previously known planets. While this system is currently the only known extrasolar example of a Laplace resonance, it differs from the Galilean satellites in that the orbital motion of the planets is known to be chaotic. In this work, we present a simple perturbative model that illuminates the origins of stochasticity inherent to this system and derive analytic estimates of the Lyapunov time as well as the chaotic diffusion coefficient. We then address the formation of the multi-resonant structure within a protoplanetary disk and show that modest turbulent forcing in addition to dissipative effects is required to reproduce the observed chaotic configuration. Accordingly, this work places important constraints on the typical formation environments of planetary systems and informs the attributes of representative orbital architectures that arise from extended disk-driven evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A search for planetary Nebulae with the Sloan digital sky survey: the outer regions of M31

We have developed a method to identify planetary nebula (PN) candidates in imaging data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). This method exploits the SDSS's five-band sampling of emission lines in PN spectra, which results in a color signature distinct from that of other sources. Selection criteria based on this signature can be applied to nearby galaxies in which PNe appear as point sources. We applied these criteria to the whole area of M31 as scanned by the SDSS, selecting 167 PN candidates that are located in the outer regions of M31. The spectra of 80 selected candidates were then observed with the 2.2 m telescope at Calar Alto Observatory. These observations and cross-checks with literature data show that our method has a selection rate efficiency of about 90%, but the efficiency is different for the different groups of PN candidates. In the outer regions of M31, PNe trace different well-known morphological features like the Northern Spur, the NGC 205 Loop, the G1 Clump, etc. In general, the distribution of PNe in the outer region 8 < R < 20 kpc along the minor axis shows the {sup e}xtended disk{sup —}a rotationally supported low surface brightness structure with an exponential scale length of 3.21 ± 0.14 kpc and a total mass of ∼10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}, which is equivalent to the mass of M33. We report the discovery of three PN candidates with projected locations in the center of Andromeda NE, a very low surface brightness giant stellar structure in the outer halo of M31. Two of the PNe were spectroscopically confirmed as genuine PNe. These two PNe are located at projected distances along the major axis of ∼48 Kpc and ∼41 Kpc from the center of M31 and are the most distant PNe in M31 found up to now. With the new PN data at hand we see the obvious kinematic connection between the continuation of the Giant Stream and the Northern Spur. We suggest that 20%-30% of the stars in the Northern Spur area may belong to the Giant Stream. In our data we also see a possible kinematic connection between the Giant Stream and PNe in Andromeda NE, suggesting that Andromeda NE could be the core or remnant of the Giant Stream. Using PN data we estimate the total mass of the Giant Stream progenitor to be ≈10{sup 9} M {sub ☉}. About 90% of its stars appear to have been lost during the interaction with M31.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A LAGRANGIAN INTEGRATOR FOR PLANETARY ACCRETION AND DYNAMICS (LIPAD)

We present the first particle-based Lagrangian code that can follow the collisional/accretional/dynamical evolution of a large number of kilometer-sized planetesimals through the entire growth process of becoming planets. We refer to it as the Lagrangian Integrator for Planetary Accretion and Dynamics or LIPAD. LIPAD is built on top of SyMBA, which is a symplectic N-body integrator. In order to handle the very large number of planetesimals required by planet formation simulations, we introduce the concept of a tracer particle. Each tracer is intended to represent a large number of disk particles on roughly the same orbit and size as one another and is characterized by three numbers: the physical radius, the bulk density, and the total mass of the disk particles represented by the tracer. We developed statistical algorithms that follow the velocity and size evolution of the tracers due to close gravitational encounters and physical collisions with one another. The tracers mainly dynamically interact with the larger objects (planetary embryos) in the normal N-body way. LIPAD's greatest strength is that it can accurately model the wholesale redistribution of planetesimals due to gravitational interaction with the embryos, which has recently been shown to significantly affect the growth rate of planetary embryos. We verify the code via a comprehensive set of tests that compare our results with those of Eulerian and/or direct N-body codes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗