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Results for “charge transport layer”

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 NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Handheld Ionizer Tool for Astronauts

NASA’s next human lunar mission will require handheld tools to eliminate dust accumulation as well as electrostatic charge for the upcoming manned missions to the moon in the Artemis Program. The Moon’s lack of substantial atmosphere means the lunar surface is directly exposed to the solar wind, solar UV radiation, and cosmic rays which can cause dielectric charging of the lunar regolith via the photoelectric effect. The result is a layer of highly charged dust that is levitated and transported about a meter off the surface called the “horizon glow” as seen by the Apollo astronauts. The complex lunar electrostatic environment coupled with the surface dust behavior poses a concern for the longevity of surface infrastructures. The Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at NASA’S Kennedy Space Center retrofitted a commercial ionizer and successfully demonstrated that air ionizers are effective at removing dust particles and the static charge in high vacuum. Additional work is planned to establish the optimal voltage and flow characteristic to develop a high-fidelity ground prototype for future flight certification.

Electrostatics↗
NASA NTRS1987

Anomalous transport in discrete arcs and simulation of double layers in a model auroral circuit

The evolution and long-time stability of a double layer (DL) in a discrete auroral arc requires that the parallel current in the arc, which may be considered uniform at the source, be diverted within the arc to charge the flanks of the U-shaped double layer potential structure. A simple model is presented in which this current redistribution is effected by anomalous transport based on electrostatic lower hybrid waves driven by the flank structure itself. This process provides the limiting constraint on the double layer potential. The flank charging may be represented as that of a nonlinear transmission line. A simplified model circuit, in which the transmission line is represented by a nonlinear impedance in parallel with a variable resistor, is incorporated in a one-dimensional simulation model to give the current density at the DL boundaries. Results are presented for the scaling of the DL potential as a function of the width of the arc and the saturation efficiency of the lower hybrid instability mechanism.

Smith, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Anomalous transport in discrete arcs and simulation of double layers in a model auroral circuit

The evolution and long-time stability of a double layer in a discrete auroral arc requires that the parallel current in the arc, which may be considered uniform at the source, be diverted within the arc to charge the flanks of the U-shaped double-layer potential structure. A simple model is presented in which this current re-distribution is effected by anomalous transport based on electrostatic lower hybrid waves driven by the flank structure itself. This process provides the limiting constraint on the double-layer potential. The flank charging may be represented as that of a nonlinear transmission. A simplified model circuit, in which the transmission line is represented by a nonlinear impedance in parallel with a variable resistor, is incorporated in a 1-d simulation model to give the current density at the DL boundaries. Results are presented for the scaling of the DL potential as a function of the width of the arc and the saturation efficiency of the lower hybrid instability mechanism.

Smith, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A General Model for the Electrochemical Double Layer in Solids

It has long been clear that electrochemical double layer / space charge zone in the vicinity of interfaces and other extended defects greatly influences transport and reactivity. Over the past several years, multiple microscopic measurements of defect concentrations in the vicinity of solid-solid interfaces made clear that dilute-case thermodynamic theories to describe the behavior of charged species in space charge zones are untenable. Inhomogeneous thermodynamics – i.e., phase field models – have delivered the most success in describing both microscopic and macroscopic experiments. We still need a generalized approach that quantitatively reproduces the microscopic and macroscopic evidence, while remaining accessible to a wide range of researchers and engineers. In my talk I will present such a framework, which builds on the previously introduced Poisson-Cahn theory but utilizes data science methods which come into the thermodynamic framework in a well-defined way. I will review recent applications to both microscopic and macroscopic datasets while previewing our plans for connecting the theory to atomistic / first principles calculations and experiment simultaneously. I will also review plans for releasing open source code that runs on desktop-level computational resources.

David Mebane↗
NASA NTRS1981

Transport velocity transformation - A convenient method for performance analysis of multilayer solar cell structure

It is noted that in the case of low-level injection, space-charge quasi-neutrality, and spatially constant material parameters (including an electrostatic field), the individual layer can be treated analytically and the basic solar cell performance parameters can be evaluated from three equations. The first equation represents the transformation of the transport velocity across the layer from the other layer boundary. The second establishes the light-generated current output from the layer interface, under the influence of the transport velocities and minority-carrier density at both layer boundaries and of bulk recombination. The third equation describes the flow of these carriers across other layers. The power of the approach is considered to lie in its facility for analysis of the solar cell's performance layer by layer, giving a clear picture of the individual layer's influence on cell efficiency.

Wolf, M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Lunar Dust Charging by Photoelectric Emissions

The lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of sub-micron/micron size dust grains formed by meteoritic impact over billions of years. The fine dust grains are levitated and transported on the lunar surface, as indicated by the transient dust clouds observed over the lunar horizon during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon s surface with its observed adhesive characteristics has the potential of severe impact on human habitat and operations and lifetime of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the charging properties and the lunar dust phenomena in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. Photoelectric emission induced by the solar UV radiation with photon energies higher than the work function of the grain materials is recognized to be the dominant process for charging of the lunar dust, and requires measurements of the photoelectric yields to determine the charging and equilibrium potentials of individual dust grains. In this paper, we present the first laboratory measurements of the photoelectric efficiencies and yields of individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains selected from sample returns of Apollo 17, and Luna 24 missions, as well as similar size dust grains from the JSC-1 simulants. The measurements were made on a laboratory facility based on an electrodynamic balance that permits a variety of experiments to be conducted on individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains in simulated space environments. The photoelectric emission measurements indicate grain size dependence with the yield increasing by an order of magnitude for grains of sub-micron to several micron size radii, at which it reaches asymptotic values. The yield for large size grains is found to be more than an order of magnitude higher than the bulk measurements on lunar fines reported in the literature.

Abbas, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Lunar Dust Charging by Photoelectric Emissions

The lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of sub-micron/micron size dust grains formed by meteoritic impact over billions of years. The fine dust grains are levitated and transported on the lunar surface, as indicated by the transient dust clouds observed over the lunar horizon during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics has the potential of severe impact on human habitat and operations and lifetime of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the charging properties and the lunar dust phenomena in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. Photoelectric emission induced by the solar UV radiation with photon energies higher than the work function (WF) of the grain materials is recognized to be the dominant process for charging of the lunar dust, and requires measurements of the photoelectric yields to determine the charging and equilibrium potentials of individual dust grains. In this paper, we present the first laboratory measurements of the photoelectric efficiencies and yields of individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains selected from sample returns of Apollo 17 and Luna-24 missions as well as similar size dust grains from the JSC-1 simulants. The measurements were made on a laboratory facility based on an electrodynamic balance that permits a variety of experiments to be conducted on individual sub-micron/micron size dust grains in simulated space environments. The photoelectric emission measurements indicate grain size dependence with the yield increasing by an order of magnitude for grains of sub-micron to several micron size radii, at which it reaches asymptotic values. The yield for large size grains is found to be more than an order of magnitude higher than the bulk measurements on lunar fines reported in the literature.

Abbas, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Effects of anomalous transport on the potentials of discrete auroral arcs

The evolution of U-shaped double layers in discrete auroral arcs occurs much faster than the global current in the arc flux tube can be redistributed. For asymptotic stability of the arc on MHD time scales, this implies that local transport mechanisms are required to charge the nearly field-aligned flanks of the equipotential structure over an extended region along the magnetic field. The diversion of the uniform upstream current provides a constraint which limits the double-layer potential.

Smith, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Measurements of Charging of Apollo 17 Lunar Dust Grains by Electron Impact

It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron size dust grains with unusually high adhesive characteristics. The dust grains observed to be levitated and transported on the lunar surface are believed to have a hazardous impact on the robotic and human missions to the Moon. The observed dust phenomena are attributed to the lunar dust being charged positively during the day by UV photoelectric emissions, and negatively during the night by the solar wind electrons. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena, with the uncertainty of dust charging processes and the equilibrium potentials of the individual dust grains. It is well recognized that the charging properties of individual dust grains are substantially different from those determined from measurements made on bulk materials that are currently available. An experimental facility has been developed in the Dusty Plasma Laboratory at MSFC for investigating the charging and optical properties of individual micron/sub-micron size positively or negatively charged dust grains by levitating them in an electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. In this paper, we present the laboratory measurements on charging of Apollo 17 individual lunar dust grains by a low energy electron beam. The charging rates and the equilibrium potentials produced by direct electron impact and by secondary electron emission process are discussed.

Abbas, Mian M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

HZE beam transport in multilayered materials

A nonperturbative analytic solution of the high charge and energy (HZE) Green's function is used to implement a computer code for laboratory ion beam transport in multiple-layered materials. The code is established to operate on the Langley nuclear fragmentation model used in space engineering applications. Computational procedures are established to generate linear energy transfer (LET) distributions for a specified ion beam and target for comparison with experimental measurement. Comparison with Fe-56 ion with Pb-Al and Pb-(CH2)(x) targets shows reasonable agreement.

Shinn, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

HZE beam transport in multilayered materials

A nonperturbative analytic solution of the high charge and energy (HZE) Green's function is used to implement a computer code for laboratory ion beam transport in multiple-layered materials. The code is established to operate on the Langley nuclear fragmentation model used in space engineering applications. Computational procedures are established to generate linear energy transfer (LET) distributions for a specified ion beam and target for comparison with experimental measurement. Comparison with 56Fe ion with Pb-Al and Pb-(CH2)x targets shows reasonable agreement.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
NASA NTRS1979

Decay of the zincate concentration gradient at an alkaline zinc cathode after charging

The transport of the zincate ion to the alkaline zinc cathode was studied by observing the decay of the zincate concentration gradient at a horizontal zinc cathode after charging. This decay was found to approximate first order kinetics as expected from a proposed boundary layer model. The concentrations were calculated from polarization voltages. The decay half life was shown to be a linear function of the thickness of porous zinc deposit on the cathode indicating a very rapid transport of zincate through porous zinc metal. The rapid transport is attributed to an electrochemical mechanism. From the linear dependence of the half life on the thickness the boundary layer thickness was found to be about 0.010 cm when the cathode was at the bottom of the cell. No significant dependence of the boundary layer thickness on the viscosity of electrolyte was observed. The data also indicated a relatively sharp transition between the diffusion and convection transport regions. When the cathode was at the top of the cell, the boundary layer thickness was found to be roughly 0.080 cm. The diffusion of zincate ion through asbestos submerged in alkaline electrolyte was shown to be comparable with that predicted from the bulk diffusion coefficient of the zincate ion in alkali.

Kautz, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Recent Progress in the Development of a Multi-Layer Green's Function Code for Ion Beam Transport

To meet the challenge of future deep space programs, an accurate and efficient engineering code for analyzing the shielding requirements against high-energy galactic heavy radiation is needed. To address this need, a new Green's function code capable of simulating high charge and energy ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. The computational model consists of combinations of physical perturbation expansions based on the scales of atomic interaction, multiple scattering, and nuclear reactive processes with use of the Neumann-asymptotic expansions with non-perturbative corrections. The code contains energy loss due to straggling, nuclear attenuation, nuclear fragmentation with energy dispersion and downshifts. Previous reports show that the new code accurately models the transport of ion beams through a single slab of material. Current research efforts are focused on enabling the code to handle multiple layers of material and the present paper reports on progress made towards that end.

Tweed, John↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Sheath Transport Observer for the Redistribution of Mass (STORM) Image

All of the solar wind energy that powers magnetospheric processes passes through the magnetosheath and magnetopause. Global images of the magnetosheath and magnetopause boundary layers will resolve longstanding controversy surrounding fundamental phenomena that occur at the magnetopause and provide information needed to improve operational space weather models. Recent developments showing that soft X-rays (0.15-1 keV) result from high charge state solar wind ions undergoing charge exchange recombination through collisions with exospheric neutral atoms has led to the realization that soft X-ray imaging can provide global maps of the high-density shocked solar wind within the magnetosheath and cusps, regions lying between the lower density solar wind and magnetosphere. We discuss an instrument concept called the Sheath Transport Observer for the Redistribution of Mass (STORM), an X-ray imager suitable for simultaneously imaging the dayside magnetosheath, the magnetopause boundary layers, and the cusps.

Kuntz, Kip↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Sheath Transport Observer for the Redistribution of Mass (STORM) Imager

All of the solar wind energy that powers magnetospheric processes passes through the magnetosheath and magnetopause. Global images of the magnetosheath and magnetopause boundary layers will resolve longstanding controversies surrounding fundamental phenomena that occur at the magnetopause and provide information needed to improve operational space weather models. Recent developments showing that soft X-rays (0.15-1 keV) result from high charge state solar wind ions undergoing charge exchange recombination through collisions with exospheric neutral atoms has led to the realization that soft X-ray imaging can provide global maps of the high-density shocked solar wind within the magnetosheath and cusps, regions lying between the lower density solar wind and magnetosphere. We discuss an instrument concept called the Sheath Transport Observer for the Redistribution of Mass (STORM), an X-ray imager suitable for simultaneously imaging the dayside magnetosheath, the magnetopause boundary layers, and the cusps.

Collier, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Measurements of Photoelectric Yield and Physical Properties of Individual Lunar Dust Grains

Micron size dust grains levitated and transported on the lunar surface constitute a major problem for the robotic and human habitat missions for the Moon. It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron/sub-micron size dust grains. Transient dust clouds over the lunar horizon were observed by experiments during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics is believed to have a severe impact on the human habitat and the lifetime and operations of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the phenomena and the charging properties of the lunar dust in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. We will present results of some recent laboratory experiments on individual micro/sub-micron size dust grains levitated in electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. The experiments involve photoelectric emission measurements of individual micron size lunar dust grains illuminated with UV radiation in the 120-160 nm wavelength range. The photoelectric yields are required to determine the charging properties of lunar dust illuminated by solar UV radiation. We will present some recent results of laboratory measurement of the photoelectric yields and the physical properties of individual micron size dust grains from the Apollo and Luna-24 sample returns as well as the JSC-1 lunar simulants.

Abbas, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Use of Fluka to Create Dose Calculations

Monte Carlo codes provide an effective means of modeling three dimensional radiation transport; however, their use is both time- and resource-intensive. The creation of a lookup table or parameterization from Monte Carlo simulation allows users to perform calculations with Monte Carlo results without replicating lengthy calculations. FLUKA Monte Carlo transport code was used to develop lookup tables and parameterizations for data resulting from the penetration of layers of aluminum, polyethylene, and water with areal densities ranging from 0 to 100 g/cm^2. Heavy charged ion radiation including ions from Z=1 to Z=26 and from 0.1 to 10 GeV/nucleon were simulated. Dose, dose equivalent, and fluence as a function of particle identity, energy, and scattering angle were examined at various depths. Calculations were compared against well-known results and against the results of other deterministic and Monte Carlo codes. Results will be presented.

Lee, Kerry T.↗