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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
DOE OSTI2016

The Solid Angle for a Spherical Surface Source and a Detector with an Arbitrary Aperture: An Elegant Proof

It has previously been proven that the solid angle (or geometry factor, also called the geometrical efficiency) for a spherically symmetric outward-directed surface source with an arbitrary radius and polar angle distribution and an arbitrary detector aperture is equal to the solid angle for an isotropic point source located at the center of the spherical surface source and the same detector aperture. The solid angle for a source-detector system is the fraction of source particles that enter the detector aperture and so it is not purely geometric-the angular distribution of the source is a factor. The previous proof relied on an analytic transport-theory (streaming only) calculation of the solid angle Ω for a spherically symmetric surface source and a point detector. In this paper, a new, more elegant proof is given. Since the net current across any portion of a plane that intersects the center of a spherical surface source is zero, the solid angle for a spherical surface source with any polar angle distribution and a uniform azimuthal angle distribution and any detector aperture is equal to the solid angle for an isotropic point source and the same detector. This insight obviates the calculus and trigonometry involved in the previous proof. (author)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

The solid angle (geometry factor) for a spherical surface source and an arbitrary detector aperture

It is proven that the solid angle (or geometry factor, also called the geometrical efficiency) for a spherically symmetric outward-directed surface source with an arbitrary radius and polar angle distribution and an arbitrary detector aperture is equal to the solid angle for an isotropic point source located at the center of the spherical surface source and the same detector aperture.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Portable Distortion Free Large Solid Angle Coverage Detector

Neutron single crystal diffractometers require large solid angle coverage for optimum performance. This can be achieved by tiling flat detectors in a cylindrical or spherical geometry, but results in large gaps in detector coverage and parallax distortion. The detector edges exhibit degraded resolution, distortion, and gamma rejection. Since the detector edge regions are a significant fraction of the detector active area, they must be removed from the experimental data set, requiring extra beam time to collect enough analysis data. A spherical detector with a continuous surface would effectively address this issue while eliminating most boundary ‘dead’ areas. Here we report on the development of a novel hemispherical shaped neutron detector using seamlessly tiled readout modules to form the desired shape. The heart of the detector is a specially developed curved neutron scintillator coupled to high resolution silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) Anger cameras via custom made fiber optic tapers (FOTs). The detector has been assembled and initial tests have been conducted at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) beamlines at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Here, in this work, we describe details of the scintillator design, fabrication and characterization, evaluation of individual detector modules, the details of the detector design implementation, and evaluation of the assembled detector at ORNL beamlines.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1987

Source-specular-reflector-sensor solid angles

A formula is derived that describes the size of the solid angle within which must be the normal to a flat specular reflector, if such a reflector is to redirect light from a small but finite extended source to a small but finite extended detector. The formula assumes the rules of geometrical optics and does not account for the effects of diffraction.

Vanderbilt, V. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Antenna beam solid angle relationships

Some of the useful formulas and methods for determining antenna beam solid angle are presented. The applicability of these formulas in evaluating radiometric systems performance is illustrated.

Otoshi, T. Y.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantitative Assessment and Measurement of X-ray Detector Performance and Solid Angle in the Analytical Electron Microscope

A wide range of X-ray detectors and geometries are available today on transmission/scanning transmission analytical electron microscopes. While there have been numerous reports of their individual performance, no single experimentally reproducible metric has been proposed as a basis of comparison between the systems. In this paper, we detail modeling, experimental procedures, measurements, and specimens which can be used to provide a manufacturer-independent assessment of the performance of an analytical system. Using these protocols, the geometrical collection efficiency, system peaks, and minimum detection limits can be independently assessed and can be used to determine the best conditions to conduct modern hyperspectral and/or spectrally resolved tomographic analyses for an individual instrument. Here, a simple analytical formula and specimen is presented which after suitable system calibrations can be used to experimentally determine the X-ray detector solid angle.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

An Extension of the Athena++ Code Framework for Radiation-magnetohydrodynamics in General Relativity Using a Finite-solid-angle Discretization

We extend the general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) capabilities of Athena++ to incorporate radiation. The intensity field in each finite-volume cell is discretized in angle, with explicit transport in both space and angle properly accounting for the effects of gravity on null geodesics, and with matter and radiation coupled in a locally implicit fashion. Here we describe the numerical procedure in detail, verifying its correctness with a suite of tests. Motivated in particular by black hole accretion in the high-accretion-rate, thin-disk regime, we demonstrate the application of the method to this problem. With excellent scaling on flagship computing clusters, the port of the algorithm to the GPU-enabled AthenaK code now allows the simulation of many previously intractable radiation-GRMHD systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1969

Simple switch actuated by force applied over wide solid angle

Electric switch can be actuated /closed/ by a force applied from any direction within a hemispheric envelope. The switch is comprised of a flexible, electrically conductive reed holding a conductive contact disc, mounted concentrically within a conductive tube.

Nelson, B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Light-trap design using multiple reflections and solid-angle attenuation - Application to a spaceborne electron spectrometer

The design and performance of a new light trap for a spaceborne electron spectrometer are described. The light trap has a measured photon-rejection ratio of 2 x 10 exp -11, allowing only one in 5 x 10 exp 10 incident photons to reach the sensitive area of the instrument. This rejection is more than sufficient because the ambient UV in earth orbit requires a rejection no better than 10 exp -8 to maintain the photon interference to less than 10 count/s. The light trap uses triple reflections to keep most of the light passing through the entrance slit away from the sensitive area of the spectrometer. It is shown that the average reflectance of all the internal surfaces must be less than 0.006, which is consistent with the data on the black coating applied to all surfaces. The analysis makes it possible to compare the photon contributions of each of the internal reflecting areas and to estimate the effective scattering width of the metallic electrode edge.

Herrero, Federico A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Axial flow rotor unsteady response to circumferential inflow distortions

The unsteady response of an axial flow fan rotor to steady, circumferential inflow velocity and stagnation pressure distortions is assessed by two different methods. These are: (1) investigation of the unsteady normal force and pitching moment on a chordwise element of a rotor blade; and (2) investigation of the variation of the stagnation pressure distortion between the inlet and exit of the rotor. Experimental measurements of these unsteady characteristics are presented as a function of the geometry of the rotor -- stagger angle, solidity and steady angle of incidence -- for sinusoidally varying circumferential distortions with different numbers of distortion cycles. These measurements are compared with several theoretical analyses. While these comparisons indicate some of the deficiencies which exist in the theories, the existence of an unsteady cascade effect and the ability of the theories to adequately predict the trend of the unsteady response due to variations in reduced frequency, rotor stagger angle, solidity and mean incidence angle is clearly demonstrated.

Bruce, E. P.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark matter in X-rays: revised XMM-Newton limits and new constraints from eROSITA

We investigate two classes of dark matter (DM) candidates, sub-GeV particles and primordial black holes (PBHs), that can inject low-energy electrons and positrons into the Milky Way and leave observable signatures in the X-ray sky. In the case of sub-GeV DM, annihilation or decay into e + e - contributes to the diffuse sea of cosmic-ray (CR) leptons, which can generate bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton (IC) emission on Galactic photon fields, producing a broad spectrum from X-rays to γ-rays detectable by instruments such as eROSITA and XMM-Newton. For PBHs with masses below ∼10 17 g, Hawking evaporation similarly yields low-energy e ± , leading to comparable diffuse emission. Using the first data release from eROSITA and incorporating up-to-date CR propagation and diffusion parameters, we derive new constraints on both scenarios. For sub-GeV DM, we exclude thermally averaged annihilation cross sections in the range ∼ 10 -27 –10 -25 cm 3 /s and decay lifetimes of ∼ 10 24 –10 25 s for masses between 1 MeV and 1 GeV, with eROSITA outperforming previous X-ray constraints below ∼ 30 MeV. For asteroid-mass PBHs, we set new bounds on the DM fraction based on their Hawking-induced emission. Finally, we revisit previous constraints in 10.1088/1475-7516/2023/07/026JCAP 07 (2023) 026 and consequently 10.3847/1538-4357/ad41e0Astrophys. J. 968 (2024) 46 derived from XMM-Newton, finding that they were approximately four orders of magnitude too stringent due to the use of the instrument's geometric solid angle rather than its exposure-weighted solid angle. Upon using the exposure-weighted solid angle, we show that the revised XMM-Newton limits are slightly weaker than those from eROSITA.

X-rays↗
NASA NTRS1983

Instrumental effects on the temperature and density derived from the light ion mass spectrometer

An expression for the flux into a retarding potential analyzer (RPA) is derived which takes into account the instrumental effect of a dependence on energy of the solid angle of the acceptance cone. A second instrumental effect of a limited bandpass is briefly discussed. Using the (LIMS) instrument on SCATHA, it is shown that temperatures and densities derived without considering the effect of the solid angle dependence on energy will be too low, dramatically so for E(t) E(1), where E(1) is the e folding distance of the solid angle dependence and E(t) is the thermal energy of the plasma. For E(t) E(1), there is effectively no impact on the derived temperatures and densities if the solid angle effect is ignored.

Craven, P. D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A coded aperture with sub-mean-free-path thickness for implosion geometry imaging on ICF and IFE experiments

Inertial confinement fusion and inertial fusion energy experiments diagnose the geometry of the fusion region through imaging of the neutrons released through fusion reactions. Pinhole arrays typically used for such imaging require thick substrates to obtain high contrast along with a small pinhole diameter to obtain high resolution capability, resulting in pinholes that have large aspect ratios. This leads to expensive pinhole arrays that have small solid angles and are difficult to align. Here, we propose a coded aperture with scatter and partial attenuation (CASPA) for fusion neutron imaging that relaxes the thick substrate requirement for good image contrast. These coded apertures are expected to scale to larger solid angles and are easier to align without sacrificing imaging resolution or throughput. We use Monte Carlo simulations (Geant4) to explore a coded aperture design to measure neutron implosion asymmetries on fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and discuss the viability of this technique, matching the current nominal resolution of 10 µm. The results show that a 10 mm thick tungsten CASPA can image NIF implosions with neutron yields above 10 14 with quality comparable to unprocessed data from a current NIF neutron imaging aperture. Furthermore, this CASPA substrate is 20 times thinner than the current aperture arrays for fusion neutron imaging and less than one mean free-path of 14.1 MeV neutrons through the substrate. Since the resolution, solid angle, and throughput are decoupled in coded aperture imaging, the resolution and solid angle achievable with future designs will be limited primarily by manufacturing capability.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1978

Tabulated data from the SAS-2 high energy gamma ray telescope

The second small astronomy satellite (SAS-2) carried a high energy gamma ray telescope into an equitorial orbit with a 2 D inclination, an apogee of 610 km, and a perigee of 440 km. The energy threshold of the instrument was about 30 MeV, the energy of the gamma rays could be measured up to about 200 MeV, and the integral intensity above 200 MeV could also be measured. Summary tables of the gamma ray data are presented in two energy bands, 35-100 MeV and 100 MeV. The sky was divided into 144 solid angle elements, and, in each solid angle element for which data exist, the number of gamma rays observed is given and also the exposure factor. Information is provided to permit conversion of these data into approximate intensities.

Fichtel, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Radiometric Performance Model for AVIRIS

This slide presentation reviews the radiometric performance model for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). This model allows for an estimation of the signal throughput and noise properties of AVIRIS for the components. This understanding can point to areas for improvements of the components.. The signal to noise ratio properties may be estimated. An accurate radiometric performance model is essential for the use of existing instruments and the design of new instruments. Included in the presentation is a design view and a picture of the AVIRIS instrument. There is discussion of the signal, the signal area solid angle product, aspects of area solid angle time, the idealized radiometer photon calculation and noise both instrument read and photon counting noise. Graphs of signal throughput efficiency, input radiance, photons at the detector, signal e-, noise e- and the signal to noise ratio are presented.

imaging spectroscopy↗