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NASA NTRS2009

Theoretical Models of Astrochemical Processes

Interstellar chemistry provides a natural laboratory for studying exotic species and processes at densities, temperatures, and reaction rates. that are difficult or impractical to address in the laboratory. Thus, many chemical reactions considered too sloe by the standards of terrestrial chemistry, can be 'observed and modeled. Curious proposals concerning the nature and chemistry of complex interstellar organic molecules will be described. Catalytic reactions on "rain surfaces can, in principle, lead to a lame variety of species and this has motivated many laboratory and theoretical studies. Gas phase processes may also build lame species in molecular clouds. Future laboratory data and computational tools needed to construct accurate chemical models of various astronomical sources to be observed by Herschel and ALMA will be outlined.

Charnley, Steven↗

NASA NTRS2012

Theoretical Models of Astrochemical Processes

Interstellar chemistry provides a natural laboratory for studying exotic species and processes at densities, temperatures, and reaction rates, that are difficult or impractical to address in the laboratory. Thus, many chemical reactions considered too slow by the standards of terrestrial chemistry, can be 'observed' and modeled. Various proposals concerning the nature and chemistry of complex interstellar organic molecules will be described. Catalytic reactions on grain surfaces can, in principle, lead to a large variety of species and this has motivated many laboratory and theoretical studies. Gas phase processes may also build large species in molecular clouds. Future laboratory data and computational tools needed to construct accurate chemical models of various astronomical sources to be observed by Herschel and ALMA will be outlined

Charnley, Steven B.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Fundamental mechanisms that influence the estimate of heat transfer to gas turbine blades

Heat tranfer problems in aircraft gas turbines required for improved prediction of turbine blade or vane gas-side heat transfer are examined. Estimates of the heat transfer from the gas to vanes or rotating blades are uncertain due to the complexity of the heat transfer processes, since the gas flow is three dimensional with complex secondary viscous flow patterns that interact with the endwalls and blade surfaces. In addition, upstream disturbances, stagnation flow, curvature effects, and flow acceleration complicate the thermal transport mechanisms in the boundary layers. The thermal state and flow characteristics of the hot gases that enter the turbine blade row, analytical methods for calculating the gas-side heat transfer to turbine blades, and flow phenomena such as stagnation, curvature effects, acceleration, secondary flows, and transition that influences local heat transfer rates are discussed.

Graham, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Navier Stokes solution of the flowfield over ice accretion shapes

The numerical simulation of flow about ice accretion shapes has been accomplished by solving the Navier-Stokes equations using MacCormack's explicit finite difference scheme. The computations were performed on a CRAY-XMP computer. The influence of turbulence is taken into account by means of an algebraic eddy-viscosity model. In order to optimize the grid spacing and to achieve near orthogonality at the surface of the complex ice shapes, a hyperbolic grid generation scheme is utilized. Particular attention is given to the heat transfer process for which good agreement between the numerical and experimental results is achieved. In addition, liquid water droplet trajectories are coupled within the flowfield along with the resulting collection efficiencies using a parabolized Navier-Stokes formulation.

Scott, J. N.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Reflectance characteristics and surface processes in stabilized dune environments

Analysis of multitemporal TM data for three environmentally related field areas yields information on the response characteristics of stabilized dunes and desert-fringe environments. The three field sites studied include dune fields in Egypt, Mali, and Botswana, ranging in climate from hyperarid to semiarid, and may be classed as an environmental series relating surface processes under Saharan, Sahelian, and Savanna conditions. Sites were field mapped and monitored with TM data for lengths of time up to a year. The complexity of spectral response characteristics is greatest where vegetation is dense and diverse, but study of the three environments together places constraints on the importance of vegetation to spectral response as well as to mechanisms of sand transport. In both Mali and Botswana, the Sahelian and Savanna environments, contrast reversals occur on dune crests and reflectance patterns change through the dry season to resemble the response curves of the hyperarid study site in Egypt. In these analyses, overall surface brightness is controlled by sand composition, while spectral features are controlled by vegetation dynamics.

Jacobberger, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Process Model for Friction Stir Welding

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new process being applied for joining of metal alloys. The process was initially developed by The Welding Institute (TWI) in Cambridge, UK. The FSW process is being investigated at NASA/MSEC as a repair/initial weld procedure for fabrication of the super-light-weight aluminum-lithium shuttle external tank. The FSW investigations at MSFC were conducted on a horizontal mill to produce butt welds of flat plate material. The weldment plates are butted together and fixed to a backing plate on the mill bed. A pin tool is placed into the tool holder of the mill spindle and rotated at approximately 400 rpm. The pin tool is then plunged into the plates such that the center of the probe lies at, one end of the line of contact, between the plates and the shoulder of the pin tool penetrates the top surface of the weldment. The weld is produced by traversing the tool along the line of contact between the plates. A lead angle allows the leading edge of the shoulder to remain above the top surface of the plate. The work presented here is the first attempt at modeling a complex phenomenon. The mechanical aspects of conducting the weld process are easily defined and the process itself is controlled by relatively few input parameters. However, in the region of the weld, plasticizing and forging of the parent material occurs. These are difficult processes to model. The model presented here addresses only variations in the radial dimension outward from the pin tool axis. Examinations of the grain structure of the weld reveal that a considerable amount of material deformation also occurs in the direction parallel to the pin tool axis of rotation, through the material thickness. In addition, measurements of the axial load on the pin tool demonstrate that the forging affect of the pin tool shoulder is an important process phenomenon. Therefore, the model needs to be expanded to account for the deformations through the material thickness and the forging affect of the shoulder. The energy balance at the boundary of the plastic region with the environment required that energy flow away from the boundary in both radial directions. One resolution to this problem may be to introduce a time dependency into the process model, allowing the energy flow to oscillate across this boundary. Finally, experimental measurements are needed to verify the concepts used here and to aid in improving the model.

Adams, Glynn↗

NASA NTRS1989

Fast molecular shocks. I - Reformation of molecules behind a dissociative shock

The physical and chemical processes that operate in the cooling gas behind a fast, dissociative, single-fluid shock propagating in a dense interstellar cloud are discussed. The treatment extends previous theoretical work on fast molecular shocks by including the effects of the conversion of Ly-alpha photons into radiation of the two-photon continuum and into H2 Lyman band emission lines, the effects of CO photodissociation following line absorption, and the formation and destruction of molecules containing the elements nitrogen, silicon, and sulphur, and of the complex hydrocarbons. Abundance profiles for the molecular species of interest are presented. After molecular hydrogen begins to reform, by means of gas phase and grain surface processes, the neutral species OH, H2O, O2, CO, CN, HCN, N2, NO, SO, and SiO reach substantial abundances. The molecular ions HeH(+), OH(+), SO(+), CH(+), H2(+), and H3(+), are produced while the gas is still hot and partially ionized. Emissions from them provide a possible diagnostic probe of fast molecular shocks.

Neufeld, David A.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Low Temperature Regolith Bricks for In-Situ Structural Material

Current technology for producing in-situ structural materials on future missions to Mars or the moon relies heavily on energy-intensive sintering processes to produce solid bricks from regolith. This process requires heating the material up to temperatures in excess of 1000 C and results in solid regolith pieces with compressive strengths in the range of 14000 to 28000 psi, but are heavily dependent on the porosity of the final material and are brittle. This method is currently preferred over a low temperature cementation process to prevent consumption of precious water and other non-renewable materials. A high strength structural material with low energy requirements is still needed for future colonization of other planets. To fulfill these requirements, a nano-functionalization process has been developed to produce structural bricks from regolith simulant and shows promising mechanical strength results. Functionalization of granular silicate particles into alkoxides using a simple low temperature chemical process produces a high surface area zeolite particles that are held together via inter-particle oxygen bonding. Addition of water in the resulting zeolite particles produces a sol-gel reaction called "inorganic polymerization" which gives a strong solid material after a curing process at 60 C. The aqueous solution by-product of the reaction is currently being investigated for its reusability; an essential component of any ISRU technology. For this study, two batches of regolith bricks are synthesized from JSC-1A; the first batch from fresh solvents and chemicals, the second batch made from the water solution by-product of the first batch. This is done to determine the feasibility of recycling necessary components of the synthesis process, mainly water. Characterization including BET surface area, SEM, and EDS has been done on the regolith bricks as well as the constituent particles,. The specific surface area of 17.53 sq m/g (average) of the granular regolith material was obtained from nitrogen adsorption isotherm measurement. The size, shape and textures of regolith from SEM shows that the particles are 25-50 micrometers in size and mostly irregular in shape (Figure 1a). The elemental composition of regolith was identified from EDS analysis showed the presence of Si, Al, Fe, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, O and C (see figure 1b). Each set of cylindrical brick samples were prepared by low energy process, and cured for 21 and 28 days, respectively to compare their compressive strength. Figure 1c, and d shows the JSC-1A brick and the compressive strength measurements. The results from the 21 day cured bricks (2 bricks) have been done and yielded an aver-age strength of 3050 psi, considerably higher than Portland cement mortars (Type IV and V). This promising technology provides the benefits of construction material similar to concrete, with a low complexity, low energy synthesis process and the likelihood of complete reusability of precious resources. Compressive strength using this method can be improved by increasing the surface area of the particles, using bi-modal particle size distribution, and adding certain additives to increase inter-particle forces.

ISRU↗

NASA NTRS2000

Applications of Fractal Analytical Techniques in the Estimation of Operational Scale

The observational scale and the resolution of remotely sensed imagery are essential considerations in the interpretation process. Many atmospheric, hydrologic, and other natural and human-influenced spatial phenomena are inherently scale dependent and are governed by different physical processes at different spatial domains. This spatial and operational heterogeneity constrains the ability to compare interpretations of phenomena and processes observed in higher spatial resolution imagery to similar interpretations obtained from lower resolution imagery. This is a particularly acute problem, since longterm global change investigations will require high spatial resolution Earth Observing System (EOS), Landsat 7, or commercial satellite data to be combined with lower resolution imagery from older sensors such as Landsat TM and MSS. Fractal analysis is a useful technique for identifying the effects of scale changes on remotely sensed imagery. The fractal dimension of an image is a non-integer value between two and three which indicates the degree of complexity in the texture and shapes depicted in the image. A true fractal surface exhibits self-similarity, a property of curves or surfaces where each part is indistinguishable from the whole, or where the form of the curve or surface is invariant with respect to scale. Theoretically, if the digital numbers of a remotely sensed image resemble an ideal fractal surface, then due to the self-similarity property, the fractal dimension of the image will not vary with scale and resolution, and the slope of the fractal dimension-resolution relationship would be zero. Most geographical phenomena, however, are not self-similar at all scales, but they can be modeled by a stochastic fractal in which the scaling properties of the image exhibit patterns that can be described by statistics such as area-perimeter ratios and autocovariances. Stochastic fractal sets relax the self-similarity assumption and measure many scales and resolutions to represent the varying form of a phenomenon as the pixel size is increased in a convolution process. We have observed that for images of homogeneous land covers, the fractal dimension varies linearly with changes in resolution or pixel size over the range of past, current, and planned space-borne sensors. This relationship differs significantly in images of agricultural, urban, and forest land covers, with urban areas retaining the same level of complexity, forested areas growing smoother, and agricultural areas growing more complex as small pixels are aggregated into larger, mixed pixels. Images of scenes having a mixture of land covers have fractal dimensions that exhibit a non-linear, complex relationship to pixel size. Measuring the fractal dimension of a difference image derived from two images of the same area obtained on different dates showed that the fractal dimension increased steadily, then exhibited a sharp decrease at increasing levels of pixel aggregation. This breakpoint of the fractal dimension/resolution plot is related to the spatial domain or operational scale of the phenomenon exhibiting the predominant visible difference between the two images (in this case, mountain snow cover). The degree to which an image departs from a theoretical ideal fractal surface provides clues as to how much information is altered or lost in the processes of rescaling and rectification. The measured fractal dimension of complex, composite land covers such as urban areas also provides a useful textural index that can assist image classification of complex scenes.

Emerson, Charles W.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-33873-DND

NOAA's National Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC) model provides 48-hour forecast of surface ozone and other atmospheric constituents serving as the nation's key tool actively used by regulatory professionals in assessing air quality events and the issuance of public air quality alerts. NAQFC incorporates input meteorology from North American Mesoscale Model (NAM) at 12 km horizontal resolution that is coupled to the Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) to predict emissions, tropospheric gas and aerosol chemistry, and related deposition and removal processes. The NAQFC forecast simulations contain 35 steps in altitude, with about one third of these in a typical afternoon daytime boundary layer (0-1.5 km). While several studies have been conducted comparing NAQFC predictions to surface observations, investigations comparing the vertical distribution to observations remain limited. Vertical comparisons are needed in order to fully assess forecast model behavior and atmospheric mixing conditions leading to the formation of ozone at the surface. The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) instruments provide a unique observational capability in this regard, as ozone vertical measurements can be directly compared to models, such as NAQFC, and provide additional insight into atmospheric processes and enhance forecast capabilities. In this study, we utilize multiple TOLNet lidar observations obtained during the Ozone Water Land Environmental Transition Studies (OWLETS-2017 & OWLETS-2018) and the Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study (LISTOS-2018) to compare with NAQFC vertical predictions of ozone. These campaigns took place at different coastal locations along the US East coast with each campaign having multiple TOLNet lidars present, providing a unique opportunity to examine vertical structure of ozone in regions with complex water-land boundaries. Preliminary comparison results will be presented on ozone temporal and vertical differences between NAQFC and the TOLNet lidars along with example case studies to illustrate insights into boundary layer and surface processes of trace gases.

Timothy Berkoff↗

NASA NTRS2003

A Search for Signs of Life and Habitability on Europa

Europa is a key target in the search for life beyond the Earth because of consistent evidence that below the icy surface there is liquid water. Future missions to Europa could confirm the presence and nature of the ocean and determine the thickness of the ice layer. Confirming the presence of an ocean and determining the habitability of Europa are key astrobiology science objectives. Nevertheless, the highest priority objective for astrobiology will be a search for life. How could a search for life be accomplished on a near-term mission given the thick ice cover? One answer may lie in the surface materials. If Europa has an ocean, and if that ocean contains life, and if water from the ocean is carried up to the surface, then signs of life may be contained in organic material on the surface. Organics that derive from biological processes (dead organisms) are distinct from organics derived from non-biological processes in several aspects. First, biology is selective and specific in its use of molecules. For example, Earth life uses 20 left-handed amino acids. Second, biology can leave characteristic isotopic patterns. Third, biology often produces large complex molecules in high concentrations, for example lipids. Organic material that has been on the surface of Europa for long periods of time would be reprocessed by the strong radiation field probably erasing any signature of biological origin. Evidence of life in the ocean may be found on the surface of Europa if regions of the surface contained relatively recent material carried up from the ocean through cracks in the icy lithosphere. But organic material that has been on the surface of Europa for long periods of time would be reprocessed by the strong radiation field probably erasing any signature of biological origin. Thus, the detailed analysis required may not be possible via remote sensing but direct sampling of the material below the radiation processed upper meter is probably required.

Fonda, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1986

Biological consequences of a recurrent eddy off Point Conception, California

The biological effects on three different time scales (100-day mesoscale, annual, and several-year) of a mesoscale anticyclonic eddy consistently found in shipboard surveys and satellite-sensed data several hundred kilometers southwest of Point Conception, CA, are described. A detailed shipboard study of the eddy in January 1981 found a complex system of fronts in surface chlorophyll at the northern edge of the eddy; microplankton and zooplankton distributions were strongly affected by entrainment processes at the surface and, apparently, at depth. Concurrent satellite coastal zone color scanner ocean color images show agreement with the general surface characteristics of the eddy chlorophyll field but do not reflect features deeper than about 25 m, including the contribution of the deep chlorophyll maximum to the integrated chlorophyll values. Satellite data for the period October 1980 through October 1981 and shipboard data from California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) for December 1980 to July 1981 show the continued presence of the eddy in the sea surface temperature and color field and in the distributions of surface chlorophyll and zooplankton displacement volume. A review of the CalCOFI survey results from 1949 to the present time demonstrates the recurrent nature of the eddy system on a year-to-year basis. The eddy system appears to have a significant effect on the distribution of both oceanic and nearshore organisms. Offshore transport of coastal species occurs in the form of large entrained plumes or filaments.

Haury, Loren R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Magellan radar to reveal secrets of enshrouded Venus

Imaging Venus with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with 70 percent global coverage at 1-km optical line-pair resolution to provide a detailed global characterization of the volcanic land-forms on Venus by an integration of image data with altimetry is discussed. The Magellan radar system uses navigation predictions to preset the radar data collection parameters. The data are collected in such a way as to preserve the Doppler signature of surface elements and later they are transmitted to the earth for processing into high-resolution radar images. To maintain high accuracy, a complex on-board filter algorithm allows the altitude control logic to respond only to a narrow range of expected photon intensity levels and only to signals that occur within a small predicted interval of time. Each mapping pass images a swath of the planet that varies in width from 20 to 25 km. Since the orbital plane of the spacecraft remains fixed in the inertial space, the slow rotation of Venus continually brings new areas into view of the spacecraft.

Saunders, R. Stephen↗

NASA NTRS1990

What we learn from eclipsing binaries in the ultraviolet

Recent results on stars and stellar physics from IUE (International Ultraviolet Explorer) observations of eclipsing binaries are discussed. Several case studies are presented, including V 444 Cyg, Aur stars, V 471 Tau and AR Lac. Topics include stellar winds and mass loss, stellar atmospheres, stellar dynamos, and surface activity. Studies of binary star dynamics and evolution are discussed. The progress made with IUE in understanding the complex dynamical and evolutionary processes taking place in W UMa-type binaries and Algol systems is highlighted. The initial results of intensive studies of the W UMa star VW Cep and three representative Algol-type binaries (in different stages of evolution) focused on gas flows and accretion, are included. The future prospects of eclipsing binary research are explored. Remaining problems are surveyed and the next challenges are presented. The roles that eclipsing binaries could play in studies of stellar evolution, cluster dynamics, galactic structure, mass luminosity relations for extra galactic systems, cosmology, and even possible detection of extra solar system planets using eclipsing binaries are discussed.

Guinan, Edward F.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Grid generation for computational CFD of full aerodynamic configurations

It is now possible to compute flow about very complex three-dimensional aerodynamic configurations. Grid generation is an essential part of such computations and a basic capability has been demonstrated. The present problems are: (1) choosing among the competing approaches (structured, unstructured or rectangular); (2) automating and packaging software for grid generation; (3) assessing and assuring grid quality; (4) solid boundary-surface representation and grid generation on solid boundaries; (5) automated domain decomposition (structured grids); (6) grid adaption during the flow solution process. This paper discusses some of the capabilities in the computation of complex three-dimensional grids and addresses some of he current challenges.

Smith, Robert E.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Predicting Antarctic Net Snow Accumulation at the Kilometer Scale and Its Impact on Observed Height Changes

Sub-grid-scale processes occurring at or near the surface of an ice sheet have a potentially large impact on local and integrated net accumulation of snow via redistribution and sublimation. Given observational complexity, they are either ignored or parameterized over large-length scales. Here, we train random forest (RF) models to predict variability in net accumulation over the Antarctic Ice Sheet using atmospheric variables and topographic characteristics as predictors at 1 km resolution. Observations of net snow accumulation from both in situ and airborne radar data provide the input observable targets needed to train the RF models. We find that local net accumulation deviates by as much as 172% of the atmospheric model mean. The correlation in space between the predicted net accumulation variability and satellite-derived surface-height change indicates that surface processes operate differently through time, driven largely by the seasonal anomalies in snow accumulation.

Antarctic↗

NASA NTRS1972

Diffusion bonding and its application to manufacturing

In its simplest form diffusion bonding is accomplished by placing clean metal surfaces together under a sufficient load and heating. The natural interatomic attractive force between atoms transforms the interface into a natural grain boundary. Therefore, in principle, the properties of the bond area are identical to those of the parent metal. Other advantages of diffusion bonding over conventional methods of bonding include freedom from residual stresses, excessive deformation, foreign metals, or changed crystal structures. Stainless steels, nickel-base superalloys, and aluminum alloys have all been successfully joined. Complex hardware, including integrated flueric devices, jet engine servovalves, and porous woven structures have been fabricated. The processing involved is discussed, along with such theoretical considerations as the role of metal surfaces, the formation of metal contact junctions, and the mechanisms of material transport in diffusion bonding.

Spurgeon, W. M.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Laboratory Studies on the Formation of Carbon-Bearing Molecules in Extraterrestrial Environments: From the Gas Phase to the Solid State

A detailed knowledge of the formation of carbon-bearing molecules in interstellar ices and in the gas phase of the interstellar medium is of paramount interest to understand the astrochemical evolution of extraterrestrial environments (1). This research also holds strong implications to comprehend the chemical processing of Solar System environments such as icy planets and their moons together with the atmospheres of planets and their satellites (2). Since the present composition of each interstellar and Solar System environment reflects the matter from which it was formed and the processes which have changed the chemical nature since the origin (solar wind, planetary magnetospheres, cosmic ray exposure, photolysis, chemical reactions), a detailed investigation of the physicochemical mechanisms altering the pristine environment is of paramount importance to grasp the contemporary composition. Once these underlying processes have been unraveled, we can identify those molecules, which belonged to the nascent setting, distinguish molecular species synthesized in a later stage, and predict the imminent chemical evolution of, for instance, molecular clouds. Laboratory experiments under controlled physicochemical conditions (temperature, pressure, chemical composition, high energy components) present ideal tools for simulating the chemical evolution of interstellar and Solar System environments. Here, laboratory experiments can predict where and how (reaction mechanisms; chemicals necessary) in extraterrestrial environments and in the interstellar medium complex, carbon bearing molecules can be formed on interstellar grains and in the gas phase. This paper overviews the experimental setups utilized in our laboratory to mimic the chemical processing of gas phase and solid state (ices) environments. These are a crossed molecular beams machine (3) and a surface scattering setup (4). We also present typical results of each setup (formation of amino acids, aldehydes, epoxides; synthesis of hydrogen terminated carbon chains as precursors to complex PAHs and to carbonaceous dust grains in general; nitriles as precursor to amino acids).

Jamieson, C. S.↗