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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 19 records

Using ISS Telescopes for Electromagnetic Follow-up of Gravitational Wave Detections of NS-NS and NS-BH Mergers

The International Space Station offers a unique platform for rapid and inexpensive deployment of space telescopes. A scientific opportunity of great potential later this decade is the use of telescopes for the electromagnetic follow-up of ground-based gravitational wave detections of neutron star and black hole mergers. We describe this possibility for OpTIIX, an ISS technology demonstration of a 1.5 m diffraction limited optical telescope assembled in space, and ISS-Lobster, a wide-field imaging X-ray telescope now under study as a potential NASA mission. Both telescopes will be mounted on pointing platforms, allowing rapid positioning to the source of a gravitational wave event. Electromagnetic follow-up rates of several per year appear likely, offering a wealth of complementary science on the mergers of black holes and neutron stars.

NS-NS and NS-BH mergers↗

The Bursting Behavior of 4U 1728-34: Parameters of a Neutron Star and Geometry of a NS-disk system

We analyze a set of Type I X-ray bursts from the low mass X-ray binary 4U 1728-34, observed with Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). We infer the dependence of the neutron star (NS) mass and radius with respect to the assumed distance to the system using an analytical model of X-ray burst spectral formation. The model behavior clearly indicates that the burster atmosphere is helium-dominated. Our results strongly favor the soft equation of state (EOS) of NS for 4U 1728-34. We find that distance to the source should be within 4.5-5.0 kpc range. We obtain rather narrow constrains for the NS radius in 8.7-9.7 km range and interval 1.2-1.6 Ma for NS mass for this particular distance range. We uncover a temporal behavior of red-shift corrected burst flux for the radial expansion episodes and we put forth a dynamical evolution scenario for the NS accretion disk geometry during which an expanded envelope affects the accretion disk and increases the area of the neutron star exposed to the Earth observer. In the framework of this scenario we provide a new method for the estimation of the inclination angle which leads to the value of approximately 50 degrees for 4U 1728-34.

Shaposhnikov, Nickolai↗

One way time transfer via Meteosat capable of 30 (ns accuracy

The METEOSAT ranging signal's available every 3 hours for about 1.5 minutes, its phase is measured against the second pulses of the station clocks. A system study shows that the accuracy obtainable could be in the order of 30 ns. The receiver unit consists of a 2 m diameter fixed antenna, a low noise broadband receiver, and a phase tracker and demodulator. The overall costs will be less than $20.000 US.

Nottarp, K.↗

Assessing forest decline in coniferous forests of Vermont using NS-001 Thematic Mapper Simulator data

This study evaluates the potential of measuring/mapping forest decline in spruce-fir forests using airborne NS-001 TMS data. Using field instruments, it was found that ratios of 1.65/1.23 and 1.65/0.83-micron reflectance discriminated between spruce samples of low and high-damage sites. Using TMS data, band ratios were found to be strongly correlated with ground-based measurements of forest damage. Ratio colo-density slice images using these band ratios, and images using 0.56 and 1.65-micron bands with either of these band ratios in a false-color composite, provide accurate means of detecting, quantifying and mapping levels of forest decline.

Vogelmann, J. E.↗

Atmospheric correction of NS-001 data and extraction of multiple angle reflectance data sets

The percentage of incident solar flux reflected by a surface is a quantity of considerable interest in remote sensing studies. To calculate reflectance from remotely sensed radiance data some estimate of incident flux is needed. Since simultaneous ground-based radiometric measurements are often not available for observations by aircraft or satellite sensors, a procedure based on modeling atmospheric transmittance and scattering was developed. The primary application is to an aircraft data set collected with the NASA C-130 over the Superior National Forest, Minnesota. Atmospherically corrected multiple angle reflectance data sets and reflectance images are generated for areas of natural forest vegetation. These data and the technique may be useful for studies of the interactions of light with forested canopies.

Strebel, D. E.↗

Excitation cross sections for the ns 2S yields np 2P resonance transitions in Mg(+) (n = 3) and Zn(+) (n = 4) using electron-energy-loss and merged-beams methods

Electron-excitation cross sections are reported for the 3s 2S yields 3p 2P(h, k) resonance transition in Mg(+) at energies from threshold (4.43 eV) to approximately 9 times threshold (40.0 eV). The electron-energy-loss merged-beams technique used in these measurements is described in detail. In addition, the method of separating contributions of the elastically scattered (Coulomb) and the inelastically scattered electrons in the present Mg(+) case and previously reported Zn(+) results is described. Comparisons in the experimental energy range are made for Mg(+) with the two five-state close-coupling theoretical calculations carried out herein, and with other published close-coupling, distorted-wave, and semiempirical calculations. The present Mg(+) cross sections and Zn(+) cross sections from earlier measurements are tabulated.

Smith, Steven J.↗

Three Year Aging of Prototype Flight Laser at 10 Khz and 1 Ns Pulses with External Frequency Doubler for the Icesat-2 Mission

We present the results of three year life-aging of a specially designed prototype flight source laser operating at 1064 nm, 10 kHz, 1ns, 15W average power and external frequency doubler. The Fibertek-designed, slightly pressurized air, enclosed-container source laser operated at 1064 nm in active Q-switching mode. The external frequency doubler was set in a clean room at a normal air pressure. The goal of the experiment was to measure degradation modes at 1064 and 532 nm discreetly. The external frequency doubler consisted of a Lithium triborate, LiB3O5, crystal operated at non-critical phase-matching. Due to 1064 nm diagnostic needs, the amount of fundamental frequency power available for doubling was 13.7W. The power generated at 532 nm was between 8.5W and 10W, depending on the level of stress and degradation. The life-aging consisted of double stress-step operation for doubler crystal, at 0.35 J/cm2 for almost 1 year, corresponding to normal conditions, and then at 0.93 J/cm2 for the rest of the experiment, corresponding to accelerated testing. We observed no degradation at the first step and linear degradation at the second step. The linear degradation at the second stress-step was related to doubler crystal output surface changes and linked to laser-assisted contamination. We discuss degradation model and estimate the expected lifetime for the flight laser at 532 nm. This work was done within the laser testing for NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) LIDAR at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD with the goal of 1 trillion shots lifetime.

Frequency Doubling↗

Three Three-Year Aging of Prototype Flight Laser at 10 kHz and 1 ns Pulses With External Frequency Doubler for ICESat-2 Mission

We present the results of three year life-aging of a specially designed prototype flight source laser operating at 1064 nm, 10 kHz, 1ns, 15W average power and external frequency doubler. The Fibertek-designed, slightly pressurized air, enclosed-container source laser operated at 1064 nm in active Q-switching mode. The external frequency doubler was set in a clean room at a normal air pressure. The goal of the experiment was to measure degradation modes at 1064 and 532 nm discreetly. The external frequency doubler consisted of a Lithium triborate, LiB3O5, crystal operated at non-critical phase-matching. Due to 1064 nm diagnostic needs, the amount of fundamental frequency power available for doubling was 13.7W. The power generated at 532 nm was between 8.5W and 10W, depending on the level of stress and degradation. The life-aging consisted of double stress-step operation for doubler crystal, at 0.35 Jcm2 for almost 1 year, corresponding to normal conditions, and then at 0.93 Jcm2 for the rest of the experiment, corresponding to accelerated testing. We observed no degradation at the first step and linear degradation at the second step. The linear degradation at the second stress-step was related to doubler crystal output surface changes and linked to laser-assisted contamination. We discuss degradation model and estimate the expected lifetime for the flight laser at 532 nm. This work was done within the laser testing for NASAs Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) LIDAR at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD with the goal of 1 trillion shots lifetime.

Lidar↗

Time Domain Stability Margin Assessment of the NS Space Launch System GN&C Design for Exploration Mission One

The baseline stability margins for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle were generated via the classical approach of linearizing the system equations of motion and determining the gain and phase margins from the resulting frequency domain model. To improve the fidelity of the classical methods, the linear frequency domain approach can be extended by replacing static, memoryless nonlinearities with describing functions. This technique, however, does not address the time varying nature of the dynamics of a launch vehicle in flight. An alternative technique for the evaluation of the stability of the nonlinear launch vehicle dynamics along its trajectory is to incrementally adjust the gain and/or time delay in the time domain simulation until the system exhibits unstable behavior. This technique has the added benefit of providing a direct comparison between the time domain and frequency domain tools in support of simulation validation.

Clements, Keith↗

SEE Test Report for Texas Instruments LMV7219 7 ns, 2.7 V to 5 V Comparator with Rail-to-Rail Output

The primary purpose of this testing is to characterize the Texas Instruments LMV7219 comparator for single-event latchup (SEL) susceptibility. These data will be used to assess the Single-Event Latchup (SEL) risk for the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA). A secondary goal is to assess the susceptibility of the comparator to single-event transients (SET) and other nondestructive Single-Event Effects (SEE).

Raymond Ladbury↗

Gamma-ray burst constraints on the galactic frequency of extra-solar Oort clouds

With the strong CGRO/BATSE evidence that most gamma-ray bursts do not come from galactic neutron stars, models involving the accretion of a comet onto a neutron star (NS) no longer appear to be strong contenders for explaining the majority of bursts. If this is the case, then it is worth asking whether the lack of an observed galactic gamma-ray burst population provides a useful constraint on the number of comets and comet clouds in the galaxy. Owing to the previously unrecognized structural weakness of cometary nuclei, we find the capture cross sections for comet-NS events to be much higher than previously published estimates, with tidal breakup at distances R(sub b) approximately equals to 4 x 10(exp 10) cm from the NS. As a result, impacts of comets onto field NS's penetrating the Oort Clouds of other stars are found to dominate all other galactic NS-comet capture rates by a factor of 100. This in turn predicts that if comet clouds are common, there should be a significant population of repeater sources with (1) a galactic distribution, (2) space-correlated repetition, and (3) a wide range of peak luminosities and luminosity time histories. If all main sequences stars have Oort Clouds like our own, we predict approximately 4000 such repeater sources in the Milky Way at any time, each repeating on timescales of months to years. Based on estimates of the sensitivity of the CGRO/BATSE instrument and assuming isotropic gamma-ray beaming from such events, we estimate that a population of approximately 20-200 of these galactic NS-Oort Cloud gamma-ray repeater sources should be detectable by CGRO. In addition, if giant planet formation is common in the galaxy, we estimate that the accretion of isolated comets injected to the interstellar medium by giant planet formation should produce an additional source of galactic, nonrepeating events. Comparing these estimates to the three to four soft gamma-ray repeater sources detected by BATSE, one is forced to conclude that (1) comet impacts on NS's are inefficient at producing gamma-rays; or (2) the gamma-rays from such events are highly beamed; or (3) the fraction of stars in the galaxy with Oort Cloud like our own is not higher than a few percent.

Shull, J. Michael↗

Fracture behavior of thick, laminated graphite/epoxy composites

The effect of laminate thickness on the fracture behavior of laminated graphite epoxy (T300/5208) composites was studied. The predominantly experimental research program included the study of the 0/+ or - 45/90 sub ns and 0/90 sub ns laminates with thickness of 8, 32, 64, 96 and 120 plies and the 0/+ or - 45 sub ns laminate with thickness of 6, 30, 60, 90 and 120 plies. The research concentrated on the measurement of fracture toughness utilizing the center-cracked tension, compact tension and three point bend specimen configurations. The development of subcritical damage at the crack tip was studied nondestructively using enhanced X-ray radiography and destructively using the laminate deply technique. The test results showed fracture toughness to be a function of laminate thickness. The fracture toughness of the 0 + or - 45/90 sub ns and 0/90 sub ns laminates decreased with increasing thickness and asymptotically approached lower bound values of 30 ksi square root of in. (1043 MPa square root of mm and 25 ksi square root of in (869 MPa square root of mm respectively. In contrast to the other two laminates, the fracture toughness of the 0/+ or - 45 sub ns laminate increased sharply with increasing thickness but reached an upper plateau value of 40 ksi square root of in (1390 MPa square root of mm) at 30 plies. Fracture toughness was independent of crack size for both thin and thick laminates for all three laminate types except for the 0/90 sub 2s laminate which spilt extensively. The center cracked tension, three point bend and compact tension specimens gave comparable results.

Harris, C. E.↗

Nitrogen sulfide in quiescent dark clouds

We report the first detection of interstellar nitrogen sulfide (NS) in cold dark clouds. Several components of the (2)Pi(sub 1/2), J = 3/2 to 1/2 and J = 5/2 to 3/2 transitions were observed in TMC-1 and L134N. The inferred column density for TMC-1 is N(sub NS) approximately 8 x 10(exp 12)/sq cm toward the NH3 peak in that cloud, and in L134N is N(sub NS) approximately 3 x 10(exp 12)/sq cm toward the position of peak NH3 emission. These values correspond to fractional abundances relative to molecular hydrogen of f(sub NS) approximately 8 x 10(exp -10) for TMC-1, and f(sub NS) approximately 6 x 10(exp -10) for L134N. The NS emission is extended along the TMC-1 ridge and is also extended in L134N. The measured abundances are significantly higher than those predicted by some recent gas phase ion-molecule models.

Mcgonagle, Douglas↗

Functional brain imaging of a complex navigation task following one night of total sleep deprivation

Study Objectives: To assess the cerebral effects associated with sleep deprivation in a simulation of a complex, real-world, high-risk task. Design and Interventions: A two-week, repeated measures, cross-over experimental protocol, with counterbalanced orders of normal sleep (NS) and total sleep deprivation (TSD). Setting: Each subject underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a dual-joystick, 3D sensorimotor navigation task (simulated orbital docking). Scanning was performed twice per subject, once following a night of normal sleep (NS), and once following a single night of total sleep deprivation (TSD). Five runs (eight 24s docking trials each) were performed during each scanning session. Participants: Six healthy, young, right-handed volunteers (2 women; mean age 20) participated. Measurements and Results: Behavioral performance on multiple measures was comparable in the two sleep conditions. Neuroimaging results within sleep conditions revealed similar locations of peak activity for NS and TSD, including left sensorimotor cortex, left precuneus (BA 7), and right visual areas (BA 18/19). However, cerebral activation following TSD was substantially larger and exhibited higher amplitude modulations from baseline. When directly comparing NS and TSD, most regions exhibited TSD>NS activity, including multiple prefrontal cortical areas (BA 8/9,44/45,47), lateral parieto-occipital areas (BA 19/39, 40), superior temporal cortex (BA 22), and bilateral thalamus and amygdala. Only left parietal cortex (BA 7) demonstrated NS>TSD activity. Conclusions: The large network of cerebral differences between the two conditions, even with comparable behavioral performance, suggests the possibility of detecting TSD-induced stress via functional brain imaging techniques on complex tasks before stress-induced failures.

Strangman, Gary↗

Gamma-ray burst constraints on the galactic frequency of extrasolar Oort Clouds

With the strong Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory/Burst and Transient Source Experiment (CGRO/BATSE) evidence that most gamma-ray bursts do not come from galactic neutron stars, models involving the accretion of a comet onto a neutron star (NS) no longer appear to be strong contenders for explaining the majority of bursts. If this is the case, then it is worth asking whether the lack of an observed galactic gamma-ray burst population provides a useful constraint on the number of comets and comet clouds in the galaxy. Owing to the previously unrecognized structural weakness of cometary nuclei, we find the capture cross sections for comet-NS events to be much higher than previously published estimates, with tidal breakup at distances R(sub b) approx. equals 4 x 10(exp 10) cm from the NS. As a result, impacts of comets onto field NSs penetrating the Oort Clouds of other stars are found to dominate all other galactic NS-comet capture rates by a factor of 100. This in turn predicts that if comet clouds are common, there should be a significant population of repeater sources with (1) a galactic distribution, (2) space-correlated repetition, and (3) a wide range of peak luminosities and luminosity time histories. If all main sequence stars have Oort Clouds like our own, we predict approximately 4000 such repeater sources in the Milky Way at any time, each repeating on time scales of months to years. Based on estimates of the sensitivity of the CGRO/BATSE instrument and assuming isotropic gamma-ray beaming from such events, we estimate that a population of approximately 20-200 of these galactic NS-Oort Cloud gamma-ray repeater sources should be detectable by CGRO. In addition, if giant planet formation is common in the galaxy, we estimate that the accretion of isolated comets injected to the interstellar medium by giant planet formation should produce an additional source of galactic, nonrepeating, events. Comparing these estimates to the 3-4 soft gamma-ray repeater sources detected by BATSE, one is forced to conclude that (1) comet impacts on NSs are inefficient at producing gamma rays; or (2) the gamma rays from such events are highly beamed; or (3) the fraction of stars in the galaxy with Oort Clouds like our own is not higher than a few percent.

Shull, J. Michael↗

Rayleigh-Taylor Gravity Waves and Quasiperiodic Oscillation Phenomenon in X-ray Binaries

Accretion onto compact objects in X-ray binaries (black hole, neutron star (NS), white dwarf) is characterized by non-uniform flow density profiles. Such an effect of heterogeneity in presence of gravitational forces and pressure gradients exhibits Rayleigh-Taylor gravity waves (RTGW). They should be seen as quasiperiodic wave oscillations (QPO) of the accretion flow in the transition (boundary) layer between the Keplerian disk and the central object. In this paper the author shows that the main QPO frequency, which is very close to the Keplerian frequency, is split into separate frequencies (hybrid and low branch) under the influence of the gravitational forces in the rotational frame of reference. The RTGWs must be present and the related QPOs should be detected in any system where the gravity, buoyancy and Coriolis force effects cannot be excluded (even in the Earth and solar environments). The observed low and high QPO frequencies are an intrinsic signature of the RTGW. The author elaborates the conditions for the density profile when the RTGW oscillations are stable. A comparison of the inferred QPO frequencies with QPO observations is presented. The author finds that hectohertz frequencies detected from NS binaries can be identified as the RTGW low branch frequencies. The author also predicts that an observer can see the double NS spin frequency during the NS long (super) burst events when the pressure gradients and buoyant forces are suppressed. The Coriolis force is the only force which acts in the rotational frame of reference and its presence causes perfect coherent pulsations with a frequency twice of the NS spin. The QPO observations of neutron binaries have established that the high QPO frequencies do not go beyond of the certain upper limit. The author explains this observational effect as a result of the density profile inversions. Also the author demonstrates that a particular problem of the gravity waves in the rotational frame of reference in the approximation of very small pressure gradients is reduced to the problem of the classical oscillator in the rotational frame of reference which was previously introduced and applied for the interpretation of kHZ QPO observation by Osherovich & Titarchuk.

Titarchuk, Lev↗

Reduced gravitropic sensitivity in roots of a starch-deficient mutant of Nicotiana sylvestris

Gravitropism was studied in seedlings of Nicotiana sylvestris Speg. et Comes wild-type (WT) and mutant NS 458 which has a defective plastid phosphoglucomutase (EC 2.7.5.1.). Starch was greatly reduced in NS 458 compared to the WT, but small amounts of starch were detected in rootcap columella cells in NS 458 by light and electron microscopy. The roots of WT are more sensitive to gravity than mutant NS 458 roots since: (1) in mutant roots, curvature was reduced and delayed in the time course of curvature; (2) curvature of mutant roots was 24-56% that of WT roots over the range of induction periods tested; (3) in intermittent-stimulation experiments, curvature of mutant roots was 37% or less than that of WT roots in all treatments tested. The perception time, determined by intermittent-stimulation experiments, was < or = 5 s for WT roots and 30-60 s for mutant roots. The growth rates for WT and NS 458 roots were essentially equal. These results and our previous results with WT and starchless mutant Arabidopsis roots (Kiss et al. 1989, Planta 177, 198-206) support the conclusions that a full complement of starch is necessary for full gravitropic sensitivity and that amyloplasts function in gravity perception. Since a presumed relatively small increase in plastid buoyant mass (N. sylvestris mutant versus Arabidopsis mutant) significantly improves the orientation of the N. sylvestris mutant roots, we suggest that plastids are the likeliest candidates to be triggering gravity perception in roots of both mutants.

Non-NASA Center↗