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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2021

A Field-Particle Correlation Analysis of a Perpendicular Magnetized Collisionless Shock

Using the field-particle correlation technique, we examine the particle energization in a 1D-2V continuum Vlasov-Maxwell simulation of a perpendicular magnetized collisionless shock. The combination of the field-particle correlation technique with the high fidelity representation of the particle distribution function provided by a direct discretization of the Vlasov equation allows us to ascertain the details of the exchange of energy between the electromagnetic fields and the particles in phase space. We identify the velocity-space signatures of shock-drift acceleration of the ions and adiabatic heating of the electrons due to the perpendicular collisionless shock by constructing a simplified model with the minimum ingredients necessary to produce the observed energization signatures in the self-consistent Vlasov-Maxwell simulation. We are thus able to completely characterize the energy transfer in the perpendicular collisionless shock considered here and provide predictions for the application of the field-particle correlation technique to spacecraft measurements of collisionless shocks.

James Juno↗
NASA NTRS1987

Particle field holography data reduction by Fourier transform analysis

The size distribution of a particle field hologram is obtained with a Fourier transformation of the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of the reconstructed hologram. Off-axis absorption holograms of particle fields with known characteristics were obtained and analyzed with a commercially available instrument. The mean particle size of the reconstructed hologram was measured with an error of + or - 5 percent, while the distribution broadening was estimated within + or - 15 percent. Small sections of a pulsed laser hologram of a synthetic fuel spray were analyzed with this method thus yielding a spatially resolved size distribution. The method yields fast and accurate automated analysis of particle field holograms.

Hess, Cecil F.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Data Compression Algorithm Architecture for Large Depth-of-Field Particle Image Velocimeters

A large depth-of-field particle image velocimeter (PIV) is designed to characterize dynamic dust environments on planetary surfaces. This instrument detects lofted dust particles, and senses the number of particles per unit volume, measuring their sizes, velocities (both speed and direction), and shape factors when the particles are large. To measure these particle characteristics in-flight, the instrument gathers two-dimensional image data at a high frame rate, typically >4,000 Hz, generating large amounts of data for every second of operation, approximately 6 GB/s. To characterize a planetary dust environment that is dynamic, the instrument would have to operate for at least several minutes during an observation period, easily producing more than a terabyte of data per observation. Given current technology, this amount of data would be very difficult to store onboard a spacecraft, and downlink to Earth. Since 2007, innovators have been developing an autonomous image analysis algorithm architecture for the PIV instrument to greatly reduce the amount of data that it has to store and downlink. The algorithm analyzes PIV images and automatically reduces the image information down to only the particle measurement data that is of interest, reducing the amount of data that is handled by more than 10(exp 3). The state of development for this innovation is now fairly mature, with a functional algorithm architecture, along with several key pieces of algorithm logic, that has been proven through field test data acquired with a proof-of-concept PIV instrument.

Bos, Brent↗
NASA NTRS1968

Particles and fields

Particles and fields research in 1967, including solar wind interactions and cosmic ray data

Kavanagh, L. D., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Laser velocimetry in turbulent flow fields - Particle response

Measurements of the particle response in a decelerating flow and a highly turbulent two-phase flow were obtained. Simultaneous measurements of the particle size and velocity served to quantify the particle response to the prevailing flow field. In the case of a flow incident upon a cylinder, the particle lag for a range of size classes was recorded. Results were also obtained in the flow generated by an atomizer operating on the leeward side of a flat disk bluff body in a coflowing air stream. Measurements of the mean axial, mean radial, and rms velocities and angles of trajectories were obtained for representative particle size classes. The air velocity and turbulence intensity were inferred from the seed particles on the order of one micrometer in diameter. Particles 9 micrometers and larger showed significant differences with respect to the gas phase mean velocity and turbulence intensity even at low velocities. In two-phase flows, reliable measurements of the continuous phase velocity and turbulence parameters requires the simultaneous measurement of particle size as a means for rejecting readings from large particles from the velocity pdf's.

Bachalo, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Dynamics Explorer measurements of particles, fields, and plasma drifts over a horse-collar auroral pattern

As shown from ground-based measurements and satellite-borne imagers, one type of global auroral pattern characteristic of quiet (usually northward IMF) intervals is that of a contracted but thickened emission region in which the dawn and dusk portions can spread poleward to very high latitudes, (the type of a pattern referred to as a 'horse-collar' aurora by Hones et al., 1989). In this report we use a DE data set to examine a case in which this horse-collar pattern was observed by the DE-1 auroral imager while at the same time the DE-2, at lower altitude, measured precipitating particles, electric and magnetic fields, and plasma drifts. There is close agreement between the optical signatures and the particle precipitation patterns. The particle, plasma, and field measurements made along the satellite track and the 2-D perspective of the imager provide a means of determining the configuration of convective flows in the high-latitude ionosphere during this interval of northward IMF. Recent mapping studies are used to relate the low-altitude observations to possible magnetospheric source regions.

Sharber, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Dynamics Explorer measurements of particles, fields, and plasma drifts over a horse-collar auroral pattern

As shown from ground-based measurements and satellite-borne imagers, one type of global auroral pattern characteristic of quiet (usually northward IMF) intervals is that of a contracted but thickened emission region of a pattern referred to as 'horse-collar' aurora (Hones et al., 1989). In this report we use the Dynamics Explorer data set to examine a case in which this horse-collar pattern was observed by the DE-1 auroral imager, while at the same time DE-2, at lower altitude, measured precipitating particles, electric and magnetic fields, and plasma drifts. Our analysis shows that, in general, there is close agreement between the optical signatures and the particle precipitation patterns. In many instances, over scales ranging from tens to a few hundred kilometers, electron precipitation features and upward field-aligned currents are observed at locations where the plasma flow gradients indicate negative V-average x E. The particle, plasma, and field measurements made along the satellite track and the 2D perspective of the imager provide a means of determining the configuration of convective flows in the high-latitude ionosphere during this interval of northward IMF. Recent mapping studies are used to relate the low-altitude observations to possible magnetospheric source regions.

Sharber, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Humidity and particle fields around some small cumulus clouds

Aircraft-borne measurements showed that five small cumulus clouds were surrounded by regions of high humidity out to distances of several cloud radii from their centers. Total particle concentrations in the regions of high humidity were about twice those in the air at the same level but well removed from the cloud boundaries. The regions of high humidity and particle concentrations also coincided with regions of high turbulence surrounding the clouds. In addition to affecting particle production, regions of high humidity surrounding clouds can be expected to affect chemical process and atmospheric radiation transfer.

Radke, Lawrence F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Evidence for parallel electric field particle acceleration in the dayside auroral oval

Electron and ion energy spectra and electron pitch angle distributions are presented for two sounding rocket flights in the dayside auroral zone. At times, effects of dc electric fields parallel to the magnetic field are evident in that: (1) within precipitation features, protons are decelerated by an amount of energy consistent with that which electrons gain and (2) electrons are sometimes aligned to within 3 deg (full width at half maximum) of the magnetic field. A maximum altitude for the accelerating region of several thousand kilometers is deduced from the narrow width of the pitch angle distribution and also from time-of-flight delays between the observation of accelerated electrons and decelerated protons.

Torbert, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Image analysis of particle field by means of computed tomography

In order to visualize and investigate spray structures, computed tomography technique is applied to analyze droplet information. From the transmitted light intensity through the spray and/or the data of particle size distribution obtained from a Fraunhofer diffraction principle, the quantitative volume of spray droplet or local particle size was calculated and the reconstruction of spray structures was made. The background of computed tomography is described along with some experimental results of the structure of intermittent spray such as diesel spray.

Nakayama, Mitsushige↗
NASA NTRS1975

Rocket-borne particle, field, and plasma observations in the cleft region

Results are reported for comprehensive observations of magnetic and electric fields together with ambient and suprathermal plasmas above the dayside auroral oval with rocket-borne instrumentation which penetrated the cleft region. Measurements were also obtained equatorward and poleward of the cleft. Convection velocities as inferred from electric-field measurements were generally toward noon equatorward of the cleft and were antisunward over the polar cap. Observations of electron temperatures, electric fields, and low-frequency electrostatic noise provide strong evidence of a plasma instability (Farley-Buneman) in the E-layer associated with the appearance of the 'slant E condition' identified in ground-acquired ionograms. The positions of these measurements relative to that of the cleft were firmly established via the determination of the plasma environment with an electrostatic analyzer.

Ungstrup, E.↗