Limits on the Abundance and Burial Depth of Lunar Polar Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, Richard C.; Paige, David A.; Siegler, Matthew A.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; Teodoro, Luis A.; Eke, Vincent R.

2012-01-01

The Diviner imaging radiometer experiment aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed that surface temperatures in parts of the lunar polar regions are among the lowest in the solar system. Moreover, modeling of these Diviner data using realistic thermal conductivity profiles for lunar regolith and topography-based illumination has been done, with surprising results. Large expanses of circum-polar terrain appear to have near-subsurface temperatures well below 110K, despite receiving episodic low-angle solar illumination [Paige et al., 2010]. These subsurface cold traps could provide areally extensive reservoirs of volatiles. Here we examine the limits to abundance and burial depth of putative volatiles, based on the signature they would create for orbital thermal and epithermal neutrons. Epithermals alone are not sufficient to break the abundance-depth ambiguity, while thermal neutrons provide an independent constraint on the problem. The subsurface cold traps are so large that even modest abundances, well below that inferred from LCROSS observations, would produce readily detectable signatures in the Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer data [Colaprete et al., 2010]. Specifically, we forward-model the thermal and epithermal neutron leakage flux that would be observed for various ice concentrations, given the depth at which ice stability begins. The LCROSS results point to a water-equivalent hydrogen abundance (WEH) in excess of 10 wt%, when all hydrogenous species are added together (except for H2, detected by LAMP on LRO [Gladstone et al., 2010]). When such an ice abundance is placed in a layer below the stability depth of Paige et al., the epithermal and thermal neutron leakage fluxes are vastly reduced and very much at odds with orbital observations. So clearly an environment that is conducive to cold trapping is necessary but not sufficient for the presence of volatiles such as water. We present the limits on the abundances that are indeed consistent with orbital data. At the LCROSS impact site itself, the data are consistent with very high ice abundances at 50-100 cm depth. However, radar results rule out these high abundances.

Possible Sources of Polar Volatiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, P. H.

2011-12-01

Extensive analyses of returned Apollo samples demonstrated that the Moon is extremely volatile poor. While this conclusion remains true, various measurements since the late 90's implicated the presence of water: e.g., enhanced reflection of circularly polarized radar signals and suppression of epithermal neutrons near the poles. More recently, traces of H2O have been discovered inside volcanic glass, along with more significant amounts residing in hydrous minerals (apatite) returned from both highland and mare landing sites. Three recent lunar missions (DIXI, M3, Cassini) identified hydrous phases on/near the lunar surface, whereas the LCROSS probe detected significant quantities of volatiles (OH, H2O and other volatiles) excavated by the Centaur impact. These new mission results and sample studies, however, now allow testing different hypotheses for the generation, trapping, and replenishment of these volatiles. Solar-proton implantation must contribute to the hydrous phases in the lunar regolith in order to account for the observed time-varying abundances and occurrence near the lunar equator. This also cannot be the entire story. The relatively low speed LCROSS-Centaur impact (2.5km/s) could not vaporize such hydrous minerals, yet emissions lines of OH (from the thermal disassociation of H2O), along with other compounds (CO2, NH2) were detected within the first second, before ejecta could reach sunlight. Telescopic observations by Potter and Morgan (1985) discovered a tenuous lunar atmosphere of Na, but the LCROSS UV/Vis spectrometer did not detect the Na-D line until after the ejecta reached sunlight (along with a line pair attributed to Ag). With time, other volatile species emerged (OH, CO). The LAMP instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter had a different viewpoint from the side (rather than from above) and detected many other atomic species release by the LCROSS-Centaur impact. Consequently, it appears that there is a stratigraphy for trapped species: surface layer of atomic/molecules over a regolith containing an assortment of cold-trapped elements (Na/Ca/Mg/K/Ag/Hg) and compounds (OH, CO, H2). In addition to the solar flux, cometary dust dominates the impact flux for particles less than 1g and dominates impact flashes observed telescopically (Cooke, pers. comm.). While large, volatile-rich impactors may be less frequent, they have the potential for injecting significant quantities (10-15%) into impact melts (Harris and Schultz, 2011). In addition, laboratory impact experiments at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range used high-speed spectroscopy to illustrate the capture of volatile fractions below the surface during hypervelocity impacts. On the Moon, melt-trapped volatiles comprising the regolith would be gradually recycled during each lunation during impact gardening, thereby titrating the supply of volatiles to the polar deep freeze. Consequently, diverse sources likely contributed this potpourri of trapped cold-trapped volatile

South Pole Hydrogen Distribution for Present Lunar Conditions: Implications for Past Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Paige, D. A.; Siegler, M. A.; Vasavada, A. R.; Eke, V. R.; Teodoro, L. F. A.; Lawrence, D. J.

2010-01-01

It has been known since the Lunar Prospector mission that the poles of the Moon evidently harbor enhanced concentrations of hydrogen [1,2]. The physical and chemical form of the hydrogen has been much debated. Using imagery from Clementine it was possible to roughly estimate permanently-shadowed regions (PSRs), and to perform image reconstructions of the Lunar Prospector epithermal neutron flux maps [3,4]. The hydrogen concentrations resulting from these reconstructions were consistent with a few weight percent water ice in selected locations. With the LCROSS impact, we now know that hydrogen in the form of ice does exist in lunar polar cold traps [5]. Armed with this information, and new data from LRO/Diviner, we can examine whether the pre-sent-day distribution of hydrogen in the form of water ice is consistent with a past large impact that delivered a large mass of volatiles to the lunar surface. These volatiles, mixed with solid impact ejecta, would then be lost from locations having high mean temperatures but would otherwise remain trapped in locations with sufficiently low mean annual temperatures [6]. The time scales for loss would depend on the location-dependent temperatures as well as impact history.

Hidden in the Neutrons: Physical Evidence for Lunar True Polar Wander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keane, J. T.; Siegler, M. A.; Miller, R. S.; Laneuville, M.; Paige, D. A.; Matsuyama, I.; Lawrence, D. J.; Crotts, A.; Poston, M.

2015-12-01

Airless bodies like the Moon are time capsules of planetary and solar system evolution. Lunar polar ices, in particular, record a history of volatile delivery, orbital dynamics, and solar system chemistry. However, despite two decades of orbital geochemistry measurements, the observed abundances and spatial distribution of lunar polar volatiles (likely water ice, as inferred by epithermal neutron deficits) remain unexplained. The observed deposits do not correlate with measured surface temperatures or thermal models of ice stability and are notably asymmetric about the lunar poles, with the peak abundance offset from the present-day pole by 5°. Here we show, for the first time, that polar volatile deposits at the North and South pole are antipodal, displaced equally from each each pole along opposite longitudes. These off-polar volatiles likely represent fossilized cold-traps, formed when the moon had a different spin pole. Reorientation of the Moon from this paleopole to the present pole (i.e. true polar wander) altered the locations of cold-traps and resulted in the asymmetric, but antipodal, polar hydrogen distribution. Since true polar wander results from changes in the distribution of mass within a planet, the direction and magnitude of this wander can be used to constrain the evolution of the lunar interior. We find a causal link between this paleopole and the unique thermal evolution of the nearside Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT). Radiogenic heating within this province not only resulted major mare volcanism, but also altered the Moon's moments of inertia. We use a combination of analytical, and numerical 3-D thermochemical convection models to show that the evolution of the PKT naturally produces the correct direction and magnitude of polar wander (albeit early in lunar history, when the PKT was most active). This work provides a self-consistent explanation for the spatial distribution of lunar polar volatiles and opens a deeper connection to the evolution of the lunar interior. Our hypothesis will be readily testable with forthcoming lunar missions, including high-resolution orbital geochemistry instruments, in-situ and returned sample analysis, and geophysical networks.

Using Microwaves for Extracting Water from the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ethridge, Edwin C.

2009-01-01

Twenty years ago, the Lunar Prospector remote sensing satellite provided evidence of relatively large hydrogen concentrations at the lunar poles and in particular concentrated in permanently shadowed craters. The scientific hypothesis is that the hydrogen is in the form of cryo-trapped water just under the surface of the soil. If true this would mean that an average of about 2% water ice is mixed with the lunar soil existing in the form of ice at cryogenic temperatures. For 5 years we have been investigating the use of microwaves for the processing of lunar soil. One of the early uses could be to use microwave energy to extract volatiles and in particular water from the lunar permafrost. Prototype experiments have shown that microwave energy at 2.45 GHz, as in consumer microwave ovens, will couple with and heat cryogenically cooled lunar soil permafrost simulant, resulting in the rapid sublimation of water vapor into the vacuum chamber. The water vapor has been collected on a cryogenic cold trap with high efficiency. The primary advantage of microwave processing is that the volatiles can be extracted in situ. Excavation would not be required. Microwave frequency dielectric property measurements are being made of different lunar soil simulants and plans are to measure Apollo lunar soil at different frequencies and over a range of temperatures. The materials properties are being used to evaluate the heating of lunar soil and develop COMSOL models that can be used to evaluate different microwave extraction scenarios. With COMSOL the heating from cryogenic temperatures can be calculated and COMSOL will permit temperature dependent materials properties to be used during the heating process. Calculations at different microwave frequencies will allow the evaluation of the type of hardware that would be needed to most efficiently extract the water and other volatiles.

Lunar polar ice deposits: scientific and utilization objectives of the Lunar Ice Discovery Mission proposal.

PubMed

Duke, Michael B

2002-03-01

The Clementine mission has revived interest in the possibility that ice exists in shadowed craters near the lunar poles. Theoretically, the problem is complex, with several possible sources of water (meteoroid, asteroid, comet impact), several possible loss mechanisms (impact vaporization, sputtering, photoionization), and burial by meteorite impact. Opinions of modelers have ranged from no ice to several times 10(16) g of ice in the cold traps. Clementine bistatic radar data have been interpreted in favor of the presence of ice, while Arecibo radar data do not confirm its presence. The Lunar Prospector mission, planned to be flown in the fall of 1997, could gather new evidence for the existence of ice. If ice is present, both scientific and utilitarian objectives would be addressed by a lunar polar rover, such as that proposed to the NASA Discovery program, but not selected. The lunar polar rover remains the best way to understand the distribution and characteristics of lunar polar ice. c2002 International Astronautical Federation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability of ice on the Moon with rough topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubanenko, Lior; Aharonson, Oded

2017-11-01

The heat flux incident upon the surface of an airless planetary body is dominated by solar radiation during the day, and by thermal emission from topography at night. Motivated by the close relationship between this heat flux, the surface temperatures, and the stability of volatiles, we consider the effect of the slope distribution on the temperature distribution and hence prevalence of cold-traps, where volatiles may accumulate over geologic time. We develop a thermophysical model accounting for insolation, reflected and emitted radiation, and subsurface conduction, and use it to examine several idealized representations of rough topography. We show how subsurface conduction alters the temperature distribution of bowl-shaped craters compared to predictions given by past analytic models. We model the dependence of cold-traps on crater geometry and quantify the effect that while deeper depressions cast more persistent shadows, they are often too warm to trap water ice due to the smaller sky fraction and increased reflected and reemitted radiation from the walls. In order to calculate the temperature distribution outside craters, we consider rough random surfaces with a Gaussian slope distribution. Using their derived temperatures and additional volatile stability models, we estimate the potential area fraction of stable water ice on Earth's Moon. For example, surfaces with slope RMS ∼15° (corresponding to length-scales ∼10 m on the lunar surface) located near the poles are found to have a ∼10% exposed cold-trap area fraction. In the subsurface, the diffusion barrier created by the overlaying regolith increases this area fraction to ∼40%. Additionally, some buried water ice is shown to remain stable even beneath temporarily illuminated slopes, making it more readily accessible to future lunar excavation missions. Finally, due to the exponential dependence of stability of ice on temperature, we are able to constrain the maximum thickness of the unstable layer to a few decimeters.

Landing Site and Traverse Plan Development for Resource Prospector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Colaprete, A.; Shirley, M.; McGovern, A.; Beyer, R.; Siegler, M. A.

2017-01-01

Resource Prospector (RP) will be the first lunar surface robotic expedition to explore the character and feasibility of in situ resource utilization at the lunar poles. It is aimed at determining where, and how much, hydrogen-bearing and other volatiles are sequestered in polar cold traps. To meet its goals, the mission should land where the likelihood of finding polar volatiles is high [1,2,3]. The operational environment is challenging: very low sun elevations, long shadows cast by even moderate relief, cryogenic subsurface temperatures, unknown regolith properties, and very dynamic sun and Earth communications geometries force a unique approach to landing, traverse design and mission operations.

Resource Prospector Landing Site and Traverse Plan Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Colaprete, A.; Shirley, M.; McGovern, A.; Beyer, R.

2016-01-01

Resource Prospector (RP) will be the first lunar surface robotic expedition to explore the character and feasibility of in situ resource utilization at the lunar poles. It is aimed at determining where, and how much, hydrogen-bearing and other volatiles are sequestered in polar cold traps. To meet its goals, the mission should land where the likelihood of finding polar volatiles is high. The operational environment is challenging: very low sun elevations, long shadows cast by even moderate relief, cryogenic subsurface temperatures, unknown regolith properties, and very dynamic sun and Earth communications geometries force a unique approach to landing, traverse design and mission operations.

Landing Site and Traverse Plan Development for Resource Prospector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Colaprete, A.; Shirley, M.; A.McGovern; Beyer, R.; Siegler, M. A.

2017-01-01

Resource Prospector (RP) will be the first lunar surface robotic expedition to explore the character and feasibility of in situ resource utilization at the lunar poles. It is aimed at determining where, and how much, hydrogen-bearing and other volatiles are sequestered in polar cold traps. To meet its goals, the mission should land where the likelihood of finding polar volatiles is high. The operational environment is challenging: very low sun elevations, long shadows cast by even moderate relief, cryogenic subsurface temperatures, unknown regolith properties, and very dynamic sun and Earth communications geometries force a unique approach to landing, traverse design and mission operations.

Microwave Extraction of Water from Lunar Regolith Simulant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ethridge, Edwin C.; Kaukler, William

2007-01-01

Nearly a decade ago the DOD Clementine lunar orbital mission obtained data indicating that the permanently shaded regions at the lunar poles may have permanently frozen water in the lunar soil. Currently NASA's Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, RLEP-2, is planned to land at the lunar pole to determine if water is present. The detection and extraction of water from the permanently frozen permafrost is an important goal for NASA. Extraction of water from lunar permafrost has a high priority in the In-Situ Resource Utilization, ISRU, community for human life support and as a fuel. The use of microwave processing would permit the extraction of water without the need to dig, drill, or excavate the lunar surface. Microwave heating of regolith is potentially faster and more efficient than any other heating methods due to the very low thermal conductivity of the lunar regolith. Also, microwaves can penetrate into the soil permitting water removal from deep below the lunar surface. A cryogenic vacuum test facility was developed for evaluating the use of microwave heating and water extraction from a lunar regolith permafrost simulant. Water is obtained in a cryogenic cold trap even with soil conditions below 0 C. The results of microwave extraction of water experiments will be presented.

Using Microwaves for Extracting Water from the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ethridge, Edwin C.; Kaukler, William; Hepburn, Frank

2009-01-01

This disk contains 2 videos that accompanies the talk. Twenty years ago, the Lunar Prospector remote sensing satellite provided evidence of relatively large hydrogen concentrations at the lunar poles and in particular concentrated in permanently shadowed craters. The scientific hypothesis is that the hydrogen is in the form of cryo-trapped water just under the surface of the soil. If true this would mean that an average of about 2% water ice is mixed with the lunar soil existing in the form of ice at cryogenic temperatures. For 5 years we have been investigating the use of microwaves for the processing of lunar soil. One of the early uses could be to use microwave energy to extract volatiles and in particular water from the lunar permafrost. Prototype experiments have shown that microwave energy at 2.45 GHz, as in consumer microwave ovens, will couple with and heat cryogenically cooled lunar soil permafrost simulant, resulting in the rapid sublimation of water vapor into the vacuum chamber. The water vapor has been collected on a cryogenic cold trap with high efficiency. The primary advantage of microwave processing is that the volatiles can be extracted in situ. Excavation would not be required. Microwave frequency dielectric property measurements are being made of different lunar soil simulants and plans are to measure Apollo lunar soil at different frequencies and over a range of temperatures. The materials properties are being used to evaluate the heating of lunar soil and develop COMSOL models that can be used to evaluate different microwave extraction scenarios. With COMSOL the heating from cryogenic temperatures can be calculated and COMSOL will permit temperature dependent materials properties to be used during the heating process. Calculations at different microwave frequencies will allow the evaluation of the type of hardware that would be needed to most efficiently extract the water and other volatiles. The 1st video shows the results of the COMSOL models. The second video shows brief views of the lunar surface.

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 11th, Houston, TX, March 17-21, 1980, Proceedings. Volume 3 - Physical processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrill, R. B.

1980-01-01

Geophysical investigations are discussed, taking into account laboratory measurements, planetary measurements, and structural implications and models. Impact processes are also examined. Experimental studies are considered along with aspects of crater morphology and frequency, and models theory. Volcanic-tectonic processes are investigated and topics related to the study of planetary atmospheres are examined. Attention is given to shallow moonquakes, the focal mechanism of deep moonquakes, lunar polar wandering, the search for an intrinsic magnetic field of Venus, the early global melting of the terrestrial planets, the first few hundred years of evolution of a moon of fission origin, the control of crater morphology by gravity and target type, crater peaks in Mercurian craters, lunar cold traps and their influence on argon-40, and solar wind sputtering effects in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus.

Direct Solar Wind Proton Access into Permanently Shadowed Lunar Polar Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M. I.; Farrell, W. M.; Stubbs, T. J.; Halekas, J. S.

2011-01-01

Recent analyses of Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer (LPNS) data have suggested that high abundances of hydrogen exist within cold traps at the lunar poles, and it has often been assumed that hydrogen-bearing volatiles sequestered in permanent shadow are topographically shielded from sputtering by solar wind protons. However, recent simulation results are presented showing that solar wind protons clearly access the floor of an idealized, shadowed lunar crater through a combination of thermal and ambipolar processes, in effect creating a plasma "miniwake". These simulations are the first to model the mini-wake environment in two spatial dimensions with a self-consistent lunar surface-plasma interaction. Progress is reported on constraining the nonzero particle fluxes and energies incident on kilometer-scale shadowed topography, such as a small crater embedded within a larger one. The importance of direct solar wind proton bombardment is discussed within the context of understanding the stability and inventory of hydrogen-bearing volatiles in shadow at the lunar poles. The support of the National Lunar Science institute, the DREAM institute, LPROPS, and the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center administered by ORAU are gratefully acknowledged.

Using Microwaves for Extracting Water from the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ethridge, Edwin C.; Kaukler, William; Hepburn, Frank

2009-01-01

This disk contains a video that accompanies the talk. Twenty years ago, the Lunar Prospector remote sensing satellite provided evidence of relatively large hydrogen concentrations at the lunar poles and in particular concentrated in permanently shadowed craters. The scientific hypothesis is that the hydrogen is in the form of cryo-trapped water just under the surface of the soil. If true this would mean that an average of about 2% water ice is mixed with the lunar soil existing in the form of ice at cryogenic temperatures. For 5 years we have been investigating the use of microwaves for the processing of lunar soil. One of the early uses could be to use microwave energy to extract volatiles and in particular water from the lunar permafrost. Prototype experiments have shown that microwave energy at 2.45 GHz, as in consumer microwave ovens, will couple with and heat cryogenically cooled lunar soil permafrost simulant, resulting in the rapid sublimation of water vapor into the vacuum chamber. The water vapor has been collected on a cryogenic cold trap with high efficiency. The primary advantage of microwave processing is that the volatiles can be extracted in situ. Excavation would not be required. Microwave frequency dielectric property measurements are being made of different lunar soil simulants and plans are to measure Apollo lunar soil at different frequencies and over a range of temperatures. The materials properties are being used to evaluate the heating of lunar soil and develop COMSOL models that can be used to evaluate different microwave extraction scenarios. With COMSOL the heating from cryogenic temperatures can be calculated and COMSOL will permit temperature dependent materials properties to be used during the heating process. Calculations at different microwave frequencies will allow the evaluation of the type of hardware that would be needed to most efficiently extract the water and other volatiles. The video shows the partial results of the COMSOL modeling.

Synodic and Semiannual Oscillations of Argon-40 in the Lunar Exosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, R. Richard, Jr.; Mahaffy, Paul R.

2016-01-01

The neutral mass spectrometer on the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft collected a trove of exospheric data, including a set of high-quality measurements of radiogenic Ar-40 over a period of 142 days. Data synthesis studies, using well-established exosphere simulation tools, show that the LADEE argon data are consistent with an exosphere-regolith interaction that is dominated by adsorption and that the desorption process generates the Armand distribution of exit velocities. The synthesis work has uncovered an apparent semiannual oscillation of argon that is consistent with temporal sequestration in the seasonal cold traps created at the poles by the obliquity of the Moon. In addition, the LADEE data provide new insight into the pristine nature of lunar regolith, its spatially varying sorption properties, and the influence of sorption processes on the synodic oscillation of the argon exosphere.

Advantages of a Lunar Cryogenic Astronomical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, James; Kaltenegger, Lisa

2017-04-01

ESA and collaborating agencies are preparing to establish a Moon Village at a south polar site. Robotic precursor missions will include resource prospecting in permanently shadowed cold traps. The environment there is favorable for infrared and millimeter-wave astronomy. In this paper we examine the evolutionary development of a cryogenic observatory, beginning with small telescopes robotically installed and operated in conjunction with prospecting precursor missions, and continuing into later phases supported from the Moon Village. Relay communications into and out of the cold traps may be shared or else provided by dedicated links. Candidate locations can be selected with the help of data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The first telescope will be primarily a proof-of-concept demonstrator but it can have scientific and applications uses too, supplementing other space-based survey instruments observing astrophysical objects and potentially hazardous asteroids and comets. A south polar site sees only half or the sky but that half includes the galactic center and many other interesting targets. The telescopes can stare at any object for as long as desired, providing monitoring capabilities for transiting or radial velocity planet searches, like NASA's TESS mission. In addition such telescopes are opening the prospect of gathering spectroscopic data on exoplanet atmospheres and cool stars - from UV information to assess the activity of a star to VIS to IR spectral data of the atmosphere and even atmospheric biosignatures. Preliminary design of the first telescope might be funded under a NASA call for lunar science payload concepts. An important additional product can be educational and outreach uses of the observatory, especially for the benefit of people in the developing world who can do southern hemisphere follow-up observations.

The influence of moonlight and lunar periodicity on the efficacy of CDC light trap in sampling Phlebotomus (Larroussius) orientalis Parrot, 1936 and other Phlebotomus sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Gebresilassie, Araya; Yared, Solomon; Aklilu, Essayas; Kirstein, Oscar David; Moncaz, Aviad; Tekie, Habte; Balkew, Meshesha; Warburg, Alon; Hailu, Asrat; Gebre-Michael, Teshome

2015-02-15

Phlebotomus orientalis is the main sandfly vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the north and northwest of Ethiopia. CDC light traps and sticky traps are commonly used for monitoring sandfly populations. However, their trapping efficiency is greatly influenced by various environmental factors including moonlight and lunar periodicity. In view of that, the current study assessed the effect of moonlight and lunar periodicity on the performance of light traps in collecting P. orientalis. Trapping of P. orientalis and other Phlebotomus spp. was conducted for 7 months between December 2012 and June 2013 using CDC light traps and sticky traps from peri-domestic and agricultural fields. Throughout the trapping periods, collections of sandfly specimens were carried out for 4 nights per month, totaling 28 trapping nights that coincided with the four lunar phases (viz., first quarter, third quarter, new and full moon) distributed in each month. In total, 13,533 sandflies of eight Phlebotomus species (P. orientalis, P. bergeroti, P. rodhaini, P. duboscqi, P. papatasi, P. martini, P. lesleyae and P. heischi) were recorded. The predominant species was P. orientalis in both trapping sites and by both methods of collection in all lunar phases. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed in the mean numbers of P. orientalis and other Phlebotomus spp. caught by CDC light traps among the four lunar phases. The highest mean number (231.13 ± 36.27 flies/trap/night) of P. orientalis was collected during the new moon phases, when the moonlight is absent. Fewer sandflies were attracted to light traps during a full moon. However, the number of P. orientalis and the other Phlebotomus spp. from sticky traps did not differ in their density among the four lunar phases (P = 0.122). Results of the current study demonstrated that the attraction and trapping efficiency of CDC light traps is largely influenced by the presence moonlight, especially during a full moon. Therefore, sampling of sandflies using light traps to estimate population density and other epidemiological studies in the field should take the effect of moonlight and lunar periodicity into account on the trapping efficacy of light traps.

Online Oxide Contamination Measurement and Purification Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, D. E.; Godfroy, T. J.; Webster, K. L.; Garber, A. E.; Polzin, K. A.; Childers, D. J.

2011-01-01

Liquid metal sodium-potassium (NaK) has advantageous thermodynamic properties indicating its use as a fission reactor coolant for a surface (lunar, martian) power system. A major area of concern for fission reactor cooling systems is system corrosion due to oxygen contaminants at the high operating temperatures experienced. A small-scale, approximately 4-L capacity, simulated fission reactor cooling system employing NaK as a coolant was fabricated and tested with the goal of demonstrating a noninvasive oxygen detection and purification system. In order to generate prototypical conditions in the simulated cooling system, several system components were designed, fabricated, and tested. These major components were a fully-sealed, magnetically-coupled mechanical NaK pump, a graphite element heated reservoir, a plugging indicator system, and a cold trap. All system components were successfully demonstrated at a maximum system flow rate of approximately 150 cc/s at temperatures up to 550 C. Coolant purification was accomplished using a cold trap before and after plugging operations which showed a relative reduction in oxygen content.

Design and characterization of a low cost CubeSat multi-band optical receiver to map water ice on the lunar surface for the Lunar Flashlight mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinckier, Quentin; Crabtree, Karlton; Paine, Christopher G.; Hayne, Paul O.; Sellar, Glenn R.

2017-08-01

Lunar Flashlight is an innovative NASA CubeSat mission dedicated to mapping water ice in the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, which may act as cold traps for volatiles. To this end, a multi-band reflectometer will be sent to orbit the Moon. This instrument consists of an optical receiver aligned with four lasers, each of which emits sequentially at a different wavelength in the near-infrared between 1 μm and 2 μm. The receiver measures the laser light reflected from the lunar surface; continuum/absorption band ratios are then analyzed to quantify water ice in the illuminated spot. Here, we present the current state of the optical receiver design. To optimize the optical signal-to-noise ratio, we have designed the receiver so as to maximize the laser signal collected, while minimizing the stray light reaching the detector from solarilluminated areas of the lunar surface outside the field-of-view, taking into account the complex lunar topography. Characterization plans are also discussed. This highly mass- and volume-constrained mission will demonstrate several firsts, including being one of the first CubeSats performing science measurements beyond low Earth orbit.

Experiment LEND of the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for high-resolution mapping of neutron emission of the Moon.

PubMed

Mitrofanov, I G; Sanin, A B; Golovin, D V; Litvak, M L; Konovalov, A A; Kozyrev, A S; Malakhov, A V; Mokrousov, M I; Tretyakov, V I; Troshin, V S; Uvarov, V N; Varenikov, A B; Vostrukhin, A A; Shevchenko, V V; Shvetsov, V N; Krylov, A R; Timoshenko, G N; Bobrovnitsky, Y I; Tomilina, T M; Grebennikov, A S; Kazakov, L L; Sagdeev, R Z; Milikh, G N; Bartels, A; Chin, G; Floyd, S; Garvin, J; Keller, J; McClanahan, T; Trombka, J; Boynton, W; Harshman, K; Starr, R; Evans, L

2008-08-01

The scientific objectives of neutron mapping of the Moon are presented as 3 investigation tasks of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. Two tasks focus on mapping hydrogen content over the entire Moon and on testing the presence of water-ice deposits at the bottom of permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles. The third task corresponds to the determination of neutron contribution to the total radiation dose at an altitude of 50 km above the Moon. We show that the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) will be capable of carrying out all 3 investigations. The design concept of LEND is presented together with results of numerical simulations of the instrument's sensitivity for hydrogen detection. The sensitivity of LEND is shown to be characterized by a hydrogen detection limit of about 100 ppm for a polar reference area with a radius of 5 km. If the presence of ice deposits in polar "cold traps" is confirmed, a unique record of many millions of years of lunar history would be obtained, by which the history of lunar impacts could be discerned from the layers of water ice and dust. Future applications of a LEND-type instrument for Mars orbital observations are also discussed.

Simulations of Water Migration in the Lunar Exosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, D.; Benna, M.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Elphic, R. C.; Goldstein, D. B.

2014-12-01

We perform modeling and analysis of water in the lunar exosphere. There were two controlled experiments of water interactions with the surface of the Moon observed by the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS). The Chang'e 3 landing on the Moon on 14 Dec 2013 putatively sprayed ~120 kg of water on the surface on the Moon at a mid-morning local time. Observations by LADEE near the noon meridian on six of the orbits in the 24 hours following the landing constrain the propagation of water vapor. Further, on 4 Apr 2014, LADEE's Orbital Maintenance Manuever (OMM) #21 sprayed the surface of the Moon with an estimated 0.73 kg of water in the pre-dawn sector. Observations of this maneuver and later in the day constrain the adsorption and release at dawn of adsorbed materials. Using the Chang'e 3 exhaust plume and LADEE's OMM-21 as control experiments, we set limits to the adsorption and thermalization of water with lunar regolith. This enables us to predict the efficiency of the migration of water as a delivery mechanism to the lunar poles. Then we simulate the migration of water through the lunar exosphere using the rate of sporadic inputs from meteoritic sources (Benna et al., this session). Simulations predict the amount of water adsorbed to the surface of the Moon and the effective delivery rate to the lunar polar cold traps.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Topics covered include: Ringwoodite-olivine assemblages in Dhofar L6 melt veins; Amorphization of forsterite grains due to high energy heavy ion irradiation: Implications for grain processing in ISM; Validation of AUTODYN in replicating large-scale planetary impact events; A network of geophysical observatories for mars; Modelling catastrophic floods on the surface of mars; Impact into coarse grained spheres; The diderot meteorite: The second chassignite; Galileo global color mosaics of Io; Ganymede's sulci on global and regional scales; and The cold traps near the south pole of the moon.

Redistribution of Lunar Polar Water to Mid-latitudes and Its Role in Forming an OH Veneer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, William M.; Hurley, D. M.; Hodges, R. R.; Killen, R. M.; Halekas, J. S.; Zimmerman, M. I.; Delory, G. T.

2013-01-01

We suggest that energization processes like ion sputtering and impact vaporization can eject/release polar water molecules residing within cold trapped regions with sufficient velocity to allow their redistribution to mid-latitudes. We consider the possibility that these polar-ejected molecules can contribution to the water/OH veneer observed as a 3 micrometer IR absorption feature at mid-latitudes by Chandrayaan-1, Cassini, and EPOXI. We find this source cannot fully account for the observed IR feature, but could be a low intensity additional source.

NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, Richard; Delory, Gregory; Colaprete, Anthony; Horanyi, Mihaly; Mahaffy, Paul; Hine, Butler; McClard, Steven; Grayzeck, Edwin; Boroson, Don

2011-01-01

Nearly 40 years have passed since the last Apollo missions investigated the mysteries of the lunar atmosphere and the question of levitated lunar dust. The most important questions remain: what is the composition, structure and variability of the tenuous lunar exosphere? What are its origins, transport mechanisms, and loss processes? Is lofted lunar dust the cause of the horizon glow observed by the Surveyor missions and Apollo astronauts? How does such levitated dust arise and move, what is its density, and what is its ultimate fate? The US National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council decadal surveys and the recent "Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon" (SCEM) reports have identified studies of the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment as among the leading priorities for future lunar science missions. These measurements have become particularly important since recent observations by the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission point to significant amounts of water and other volatiles sequestered within polar lunar cold traps. Moreover Chandrayaan/M3, EPOXI and Cassini/VIMS have identified molecular water and hydroxyl on lunar surface regolith grains. Variability in concentration suggests these species are likely to be present in the exosphere, and thus constitute a source for the cold traps. NASA s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is currently under development to address these goals. LADEE will determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions. LADEE will also determine whether dust is present in the lunar exosphere, and reveal its sources and variability. LADEE s results are relevant to surface boundary exospheres and dust processes throughout the solar system, will address questions regarding the origin and evolution of lunar volatiles, and will have implications for future exploration activities. LADEE will be the first mission based on the Ames Common Bus design. LADEE employs a high heritage instrument payload: a Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS), an Ultraviolet/Visible Spectrometer (UVS), and the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX). It will also carry a space terminal as part of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD), which is a technology demonstration. LLCD will also supply a ground terminal. LLCD is funded by the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD), managed by GSFC, and built by MIT Lincoln Lab. NMS was directed to the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and UVS to Ames Research Center (ARC). LDEX was selected through the Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) Acquisition Process, and is provided by the University of Colorado at Boulder. The LADEE NMS covers a m/z range of 2-150 and draws its design from mass spectrometers developed at GSFC for the MSL/SAM, Cassini Orbiter, CONTOUR, and MAVEN missions. The UVS instrument is a next-generation, high-reliability version of the LCROSS UV-Vis spectrometer, spanning 250-800 nm wavelength, with high (<1 nm) spectral resolution. UVS will also perform dust occultation measurements via a solar viewer optic. LDEX senses dust impacts in situ, at LADEE orbital altitudes of 50 km and below, with a particle size range of between 100 nm and 5 micron. Dust particle impacts on a large hemispherical target create electron and ion pairs. The latter are focused and accelerated in an electric field and detected at a microchannel plate. LADEE is an important part of NASA s portfolio of near-term lunar missions; launch is planned for May, 2013. The lunar atmosphere is the most accessible example of a surface boundary exosphere, and may reveal the sources and cycling of volatiles. Dynamic dust activity must be accounted for in the design and operation of lunar surface operations.

Integration of Lunar Polar Remote-Sensing Data Sets: Evidence for Ice at the Lunar South Pole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nozette, Stewart; Spudis, Paul D.; Robinson, Mark S.; Bussey, D. B. J.; Lichtenberg, Chris; Bonner, Robert

2001-01-01

In order to investigate the feasibility of ice deposits at the lunar south pole, we have integrated all relevant lunar polar data sets. These include illumination data, Arecibo ground-based monostatic radar data, newly processed Clementine bistatic radar data, and Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer measurements. The possibility that the lunar poles harbor ice deposits has important implications not only as a natural resource for future human lunar activity but also as a record of inner solar system volatiles (e.g., comets and asteroids) over the past billion years or more. We find that the epithermal neutron flux anomalies, measured by Lunar Prospector, are coincident with permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole, particularly those associated with Shackleton crater. Furthermore, these areas also correlate with the beta=0 circular polarization ratio (CPR) enhancements revealed by new processing of Clementine bistatic radar echoes, which in turn are colocated with areas of anomalous high CPR observed by Arecibo Observatory on the lower, Sun-shadowed wall of Shackleton crater. Estimates of the extent of high CPR from Arecibo Observatory and Clementine bistatic radar data independently suggest that approximately 10 square kilometers of ice may be present on the inner Earth-facing wall of Shackleton crater. None of the experiments that obtained the data presented here were ideally suited for definitively identifying ice in lunar polar regions. By assessing the relative merits of all available data, we find that it is plausible that ice does occur in cold traps at the lunar south pole and that future missions with instruments specifically designed to investigate these anomalies are worthy.

Ice in the lunar polar regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, J. R.

1979-01-01

The idea that ice and other trapped volatiles exist in permanently shadowed regions near the lunar poles was proposed by Watson, Murray, and Brown (1961). It is reexamined in the present paper, in the light of the vast increase of lunar knowledge. The stability of the traps and the trapping mechanism are verified. Four potential sources of lunar H2O, namely (1) solar wind reduction of Fe in the regolith, (2) H2O-containing meteoroids, (3) cometary impact, and (4) (the least certain) degassing of the interior, can supply amounts of trapped H2O estimated in the range of 10 to the 16th to 10 to the 17th g. Two important destructive mechanisms have been identified: photodissociation of H2O molecules adsorbed on the sunlit surface and sputtering or decomposition of trapped H2O by solar wind particles. The effect of impact gardening is mainly protective. The question of the presence of H2O in the traps remains open; it can be settled by experiment.

Laboratory studies of magnetic anomaly effects on electric potential distributions near the lunar surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Robertson, S. H.; Horanyi, M.; NASA Lunar Science Institute: Colorado CenterLunar Dust; Atmospheric Studies

2011-12-01

The Moon does not have a global magnetic field, unlike the Earth, rather it has strong crustal magnetic anomalies. Data from Lunar Prospector and SELENE (Kaguya) observed strong interactions between the solar wind and these localized magnetic fields. In the laboratory, a configuration of a horseshoe permanent magnet below an insulating surface is used as an analogue of lunar crustal magnetic anomalies. Plasmas are created above the surface by a hot filament discharge. Potential distributions are measured with an emissive probe and show complex spatial structures. In our experiments, electrons are magnetized with gyro-radii r smaller than the distance from the surface d (r < d) and ions are un-magnetized with r > d. Unlike negative charging on surfaces with no magnetic fields, the surface potential at the center of the magnetic dipole is found close to the plasma bulk potential. The surface charging is dominated by the cold unmagnetized ions, while the electrons are shielded away. A potential minimum is formed between the center of the surface and the bulk plasma, most likely caused by the trapped electrons between the two magnetic mirrors at the cusps. The value of the potential minimum with respect to the bulk plasma potential decreases with increasing plasma density and neutral pressure, indicating that the mirror-trapped electrons are scattered by electron-electron and electron-neutral collisions. The potential at the two cusps are found to be more negative due to the electrons following the magnetic field lines onto the surface.

Limits to the lunar atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, T. H.; Shemansky, D. E.

1991-02-01

Apollo UV spectrometer experiment set limits on the density of oxygen of less than 500/cu cm, and the Apollo Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment data imply a value less than 50/cu cm above the subsolar point. These limits are surprisingly small relative to the measured value for sodium. A simple consideration of sources and sinks predicts significantly greater densities of oxygen. It is possible but doubtful that the Apollo measurements occurred during an epoch in which source rates were small. A preferential loss process for oxygen on the darkside of the moon is considered in which ionization by electron capture in surface collisions leads to escape through acceleration in the local electric field. Cold trapping in permanently shadowed regions as a net sink is considered and discounted, but the episodic nature of cometary insertion may allow formation of ice layers which act as a stabilized source of OH. On the basis of an assumed meteoroid impact source, a possible emission brightness of 50 R in the OH(A - X)(0,0) band above the lunar bright limb is predicted.

Limits to the lunar atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, T. H.; Shemansky, D. E.

1991-01-01

Apollo UV spectrometer experiment set limits on the density of oxygen of less than 500/cu cm, and the Apollo Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment data imply a value less than 50/cu cm above the subsolar point. These limits are surprisingly small relative to the measured value for sodium. A simple consideration of sources and sinks predicts significantly greater densities of oxygen. It is possible but doubtful that the Apollo measurements occurred during an epoch in which source rates were small. A preferential loss process for oxygen on the darkside of the moon is considered in which ionization by electron capture in surface collisions leads to escape through acceleration in the local electric field. Cold trapping in permanently shadowed regions as a net sink is considered and discounted, but the episodic nature of cometary insertion may allow formation of ice layers which act as a stabilized source of OH. On the basis of an assumed meteoroid impact source, a possible emission brightness of 50 R in the OH(A - X)(0,0) band above the lunar bright limb is predicted.

The Discharging of Roving Objects in the Lunar Polar Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, T. L.; Farrell, W. M.; Killen, R. M.; Delory, G. T.; Halekas, J. S.; Stubbs, T. B.

2012-01-01

In 2007, the National Academy of Sciences identified the lunar polar regions as special environments: very cold locations where resources can be trapped and accumulated. These accumulated resources not only provide a natural reservoir for human explorers, but their very presence may provide a history of lunar impact events and possibly an indication of ongoing surface reactive chemistry. The recent LCROSS impacts confirm that polar crater floors are rich in material including approx 5%wt of water. An integral part of the special lunar polar environment is the solar wind plasma. Solar wind protons and electrons propagate outward from the Sun, and at the Moon's position have a nominal density of 5 el/cubic cm, flow speed of 400 km/sec, and temperature of 10 eV (approx. equal 116000K). At the sub-solar point, the flow of this plasma is effectively vertically incident at the surface. However, at the poles and along the lunar terminator region, the flow is effectively horizontal over the surface. As recently described, in these regions, local topography has a significant effect on the solar wind flow. Specifically, as the solar wind passes over topographic features like polar mountains and craters, the plasma flow is obstructed and creates a distinct plasma void in the downstream region behind the obstacle. An ion sonic wake structure forms behind the obstacle, not unlike that which forms behind a space shuttle. In the downstream region where flow is obstructed, the faster moving solar wind electrons move into the void region ahead of the more massive ions, thereby creating an ambipolar electric field pointing into the void region. This electric field then deflects ion trajectories into the void region by acting as a vertical inward force that draws ions to the surface. This solar wind 'orographic' effect is somewhat analogous to that occurring with terrestrial mountains. However, in the solar wind, the ambipolar E-field operating in the collision less plasma replaces the gradient in pressure that would act in a collisional neutral gas. Human systems (roving astronauts or robotic systems created by humans) may be required to gain access to the crater floor to collect resources such as water and other cold-trapped material. However, these human systems are also exposed to the above-described harsh thermal and electrical environments in the region. Thus, the objective of this work is to determine the nature of charging and discharging for a roving object in the cold, plasma-starved lunar polar regions. To accomplish this objective, we first define the electrical charging environment within polar craters. We then describe the subsequent charging of a moving object near and within such craters. We apply a model of an astronaut moving in periodic steps/cadence over a surface regolith. In fact the astronaut can be considered an analog for any kind of moving human system. An astronaut stepping over the surface accumulates charge via contact electrification (tribocharging) v.lith the lunar regolith. We present a model of this tribo-charge build-up. Given the environmental plasma in the region, we determine herein the dissipation time for the astronaut to bleed off its excess charge into the surrounding plasma.

Searching for water at the south pole of the Moon with a lunar impactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerdt, B.; Alkalai, L.

The idea that water on the Moon s surface would eventually migrate to the lunar poles and be cold-trapped there indefinitely was first proposed in the 1960 s and subsequent modeling has generally confirmed this possibility The existence of such polar water deposits is critical for planning future lunar exploration and it has important implications for lunar science as well However observations from the Earth and orbiting spacecraft have not been able to categorically confirm or deny the existence of ice in permanently shadowed depressions at the lunar poles The next generation of orbiters such as LRO Chandrayaan and SELENE while making important observations will be capable only of providing circumstantial evidence of water and its concentration and the challenges of landing and operating a spacecraft in the extreme conditions of permanent night are considerable We have studied a low-cost alternative approach similar to NASA s Deep Impact mission for enabling a direct detection of the existence of water in the upper few meters of the lunar subsurface Our mission uses a 1000-kg spacecraft to impact the lunar surface at 2 5-3 km sec from a geocentric trajectory This impact will excavate a crater 20 meters in diameter ejecting over 50 cubic meters of regolith Assuming a few volume percent water this ejecta would include several metric tons of ice Spectral evidence for water may be found across the electromagnetic spectrum from microwave and infrared to ultraviolet This could be derived from the immediate impact flash vapor produced through secondary

Proceedings of the Seventh International Space University Alumni Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Sheila (Editor)

1998-01-01

The Seventh Alumni Conference of the International Space University, coordinated by the ISU U.S. Alumni Organization (IUSAO), was held at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, July 24, 1998. These proceedings are a record of the presentations. The following topics are included: Remote sensing education in developing countries; Integrated global observing strategy; NASA's current earth science program; Europe's lunar initiative; Lunarsat: Searching for the South Polar cold traps; Asteroid hazards; ESA exobiological activities; Space testbed for photovoltaics; Teledesic Space infrastructure; Space instrument's concurrent design; NASA advanced fuel program; Mission preparation and training for the European Robotic Arm (ERA); and Global access to remote sensing systems.

Robust Exploration and Commercial Missions to the Moon Using LANTR Propulsion and In-Situ Propellants Derived From Lunar Polar Ice (LPI) Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borowski, Stanley K.; Ryan, Stephen W.; Burke, Laura M.; McCurdy, David R.; Fittje, James E.; Joyner, Claude R.

2017-01-01

Since the 1960s, scientists have conjectured that water icecould survive in the cold, permanently shadowed craters located at the Moons poles Clementine (1994), Lunar Prospector (1998),Chandrayaan-1 (2008), and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite(LCROSS) (2009) lunar probes have provided data indicating the existence of large quantities of water ice at the lunar poles The Mini-SAR onboard Chandrayaan-1discovered more than 40 permanently shadowed craters near the lunar north pole that are thought to contain 600 million metric tons of water ice. Using neutron spectrometer data, the Lunar Prospector science team estimated a water ice content (1.5 +-0.8 wt in the regolith) found in the Moons polar cold trap sand estimated the total amount of water at both poles at 2 billion metric tons Using Mini-RF and spectrometry data, the LRO LCROSS science team estimated the water ice content in the regolith in the south polar region to be 5.6 +-2.9 wt. On the basis of the above scientific data, it appears that the water ice content can vary from 1-10 wt and the total quantity of LPI at both poles can range from 600 million to 2 billion metric tons NTP offers significant benefits for lunar missions and can take advantage of the leverage provided from using LDPs when they become available by transitioning to LANTR propulsion. LANTR provides a variablethrust and Isp capability, shortens burn times and extends engine life, and allows bipropellant operation The combination of LANTR and LDP has performance capability equivalent to that of a hypothetical gaseousfuel core NTR (effective Isp 1575 s) and can lead to a robust LTS with unique mission capabilities that include short transit time crewed cargo transports and routine commuter flights to the Moon The biggest challenge to making this vision a reality will be the production of increasing amounts of LDP andthe development of propellant depots in LEO, LLO and LPO. An industry-operated, privately financed venture, with NASA as its initial customer, might provide a possible blueprint for future development and operation With industry interested in developing cislunar space and commerce, and competitive forces at work, the timeline for developing this capability could well be accelerated, quicker than any of us can imagine, and just the beginning of things to come.

Prospecting for Polar Volatiles: Results from the Resolve Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, Richard C.; Colarprete, Anthony; Deans, Matthew C.; Heldman, Jennifer; Sanders, Gerald B.; Larson, William E.

2013-01-01

Both the Moon and Mercury evidently host ice and other volatile compounds in cold traps at the planets poles. Determining the form, spatial distribution, and abundance of these volatiles at the lunar poles can help us understand how and when they were delivered and emplaced. This bears directly on the delivery of water and prebiotic compounds to the inner planets over the solar system s history, and also informs plans for utilizing the volatiles as resources for sustained human exploration as well as the commercial development of space. Temperature models and orbital data suggest near-surface volatile concentrations may exist at polar locations not strictly in permanent shadow. Remote operation of a robotic lunar rover mission for the 7-10 days of available sunlight would permit key questions to be answered. But such a short, quick-tempo mission has unique challenges and requires a new concept of operations. Both science and rover operations decisionmaking must be done in real time, requiring immediate situational awareness, data analysis, and decision support tools.

Robotic Subsurface Analyzer and Sample Handler for Resource Reconnaissance and Preliminary Site Assessment for ISRU Activities at the Lunar Cold Traps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorevan, S. P.; Wilson, J.; Bartlett, P.; Powderly, J.; Lawrence, D.; Elphic, R.; Mungas, G.; McCullough, E.; Stoker, C.; Cannon, H.

2004-01-01

Since the 1960s, claims have been made that water ice deposits should exist in permanently shadowed craters near both lunar poles. Recent interpretations of data from the Lunar Prospector-Neutron Spectrometer (LP- NS) confirm that significant concentrations of hydrogen exist, probably in the form of water ice, in the permanently shadowed polar cold traps. Yet, due to the large spatial resolution (45-60 Ian) of the LP-NS measurements relative to these shadowed craters (approx.5-25 km), these data offer little certainty regarding the precise location, form or distribution of these deposits. Even less is known about how such deposits of water ice might effect lunar regolith physical properties relevant to mining, excavation, water extraction and construction. These uncertainties will need to be addressed in order to validate fundamental lunar In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) precepts by 2011. Given the importance of the in situ utilization of water and other resources to the future of space exploration a need arises for the advanced deployment of a robotic and reconfigurable system for physical properties and resource reconnaissance. Based on a collection of high-TRL. designs, the Subsurface Analyzer and Sample Handler (SASH) addresses these needs, particularly determining the location and form of water ice and the physical properties of regolith. SASH would be capable of: (1) subsurface access via drilling, on the order of 3-10 meters into both competent targets (ice, rock) and regolith, (2) down-hole analysis through drill string embedded instrumentation and sensors (Neutron Spectrometer and Microscopic Imager), enabling water ice identification and physical properties measurements; (3) core and unconsolidated sample acquisition from rock and regolith; (4) sample handling and processing, with minimized contamination, sample containerization and delivery to a modular instrument payload. This system would be designed with three mission enabling goals, including: (1) a self-contained, low power, low mass, "black box'' configuration for operations from a lander, various classes of rovers or a surface-based platform with human assistance or robotic anchoring mechanisms; (2) reconfigurable and scalable sample handling for delivery to various types of instrumentation, depending on mission requirements; and (3) the use of advanced automation control and diagnostic techniques that will afford local human deployed, remote teleoperation and fully autonomous intelligent operations. Though a great deal of technology has been advanced toward these objectives, the SASH system faces significant design challenges, including the low gravity environment, various levels of autonomy in operations, radiation exposure, dust contamination, and temperature extremes and deltas. Significant input from the scientific and engineering communities, as well as a significant environmental testing program, will be required to guide the design process.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, T.; Chin, G.

2007-08-01

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) plans to launch in October 2008 with a companion secondary impactor mission, LCROSS, as the inaugural missions for the Exploration System Mission Directorate. LRO is a pathfinder whose objective is to obtain the needed information to prepare for eventual human return to the Moon. LRO will undertake at least one baseline year of operation with additional extended mission phase sponsored by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. LRO will employ six individual instruments to produce accurate maps and high-resolution images of future landing sites, to assess potential lunar resources, and to characterize the radiation environment. LRO will also test the feasibility of one advanced technology demonstration package. The LRO payload includes: Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) which will determine the global topography of the lunar surface at high resolution, measure landing site slopes, surface roughness, and search for possible polar surface ice in shadowed regions; Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) which will acquire targeted narrow angle images of the lunar surface capable of resolving meter-scale features to support landing site selection, as well as wide-angle images to characterize polar illumination conditions and to identify potential resources; Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) which will map the flux of neutrons from the lunar surface to search for evidence of water ice, and will provide space radiation environment measurements that may be useful for future human exploration; Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE) which will chart the temperature of the entire lunar surface at approximately 300 meter horizontal resolution to identify cold-traps and potential ice deposits; Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) which will map the entire lunar surface in the far ultraviolet. LAMP will search for surface ice and frost in the polar regions and provide images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight; Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER), which will investigate the effect of galactic cosmic rays on tissue-equivalent plastics as a constraint on models of biological response to background space radiation. The technology demonstration is an advanced radar (mini-RF) that will demonstrate X- and S-band radar imaging and interferometry using a light-weight synthetic aperture radar.

A Miniature Mineralogical Instrument for In-Situ Characterization of Ices and Hydrous Minerals at the Lunar Poles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarrazin, P.; Blake, D.; Vaniman, D.; Bish, D.; Chipera, S.; Collins, S. A.

2002-01-01

Lunar missions over the past few years have provided new evidence that water may be present at the lunar poles in the form of cold-trapped ice deposits, thereby rekindling interest in sampling the polar regions. Robotic landers fitted with mineralogical instrumentation for in-situ analyses could provide unequivocal answers on the presence of crystalline water ice and/or hydrous minerals at the lunar poles. Data from Lunar Prospector suggest that any surface exploration of the lunar poles should include the capability to drill to depths of more than 40 cm. Limited data on the lunar geotherm indicate temperatures of approximately 245-255 K at regolith depths of 40 cm, within a range where water may exist in the liquid state as brine. A relevant terrestrial analog occurs in Antarctica, where the zeolite mineral chabazite has been found at the boundary between ice-free and ice-cemented regolith horizons, and precipitation from a regolith brine is indicated. Soluble halogens and sulfur in the lunar regolith could provide comparable brine chemistry in an analogous setting. Regolith samples collected by a drilling device could be readily analyzed by CheMin, a mineralogical instrument that combines X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques to simultaneously characterize the chemical and mineralogical compositions of granular or powdered samples. CheMin can unambiguously determine not only the presence of hydrous alteration phases such as clays or zeolites, but it can also identify the structural variants or types of clay or zeolite present (e.g., well-ordered versus poorly ordered smectite; chabazite versus phillipsite). In addition, CheMin can readily measure the abundances of key elements that may occur in lunar minerals (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Fe) as well as the likely constituents of lunar brines (F, Cl, S). Finally, if coring and analysis are done during the lunar night or in permanent shadow, CheMin can provide information on the chemistry and structure of any crystalline ices that might occur in the regolith samples.

Drill System Development for the Lunar Subsurface Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacny, Kris; Davis, Kiel; Paulsen, Gale; Roberts, Dustyn; Wilson, Jack; Hernandez, Wilson

Reaching the cold traps at the lunar poles and directly sensing the subsurface regolith is a primary goal of lunar exploration, especially as a means of prospecting for future In Situ Resource Utilization efforts. As part of the development of a lunar drill capable of reaching a depth of two meters or more, Honeybee Robotics has built a laboratory drill system with a total linear stroke of 1 meter, capability to produce as much as 45 N-m of torque at a rotational speed of 200 rpm, and a capability of delivering maximum downforce of 1000 N. Since this is a test-bed, the motors were purposely chosen to be relative large to provide ample power to the drill system (the Apollo drill was a 500 Watt drill, i.e. not small in current standards). In addition, the drill is capable of using three different drilling modes: rotary, rotary percussive and percussive. The frequency of percussive impact can be varied if needed while rotational speed can be held constant. An integral part of this test bed is a vacuum chamber that is currently being constructed. The drill test-bed is used for analyzing various drilling modes and testing different drill bit and auger systems under low pressure conditions and in lunar regolith simulant. The results of the tests are used to develop final lunar drill design as well as efficient drilling protocols. The drill was also designed to accommodate a downhole neutron spectrometer for measuring the amount of hydrated material in the area surrounding the borehole, as well as downhole temperature sensors, accelerometers, and electrical properties tester. The presentation will include history of lunar drilling, challenges of drilling on the Moon, a description of the drill and chamber as well as preliminary drilling test results conducted in the ice-bound lunar regolith simulant with a variety of drill bits and augers systems.

The Large Scale Distribution of Water Ice in the Polar Regions of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, A.; Wilson, J. K.; Schwadron, N.; Spence, H. E.

2017-12-01

For in situ resource utilization, one must know where water ice is on the Moon. Many datasets have revealed both surface deposits of water ice and subsurface deposits of hydrogen near the lunar poles, but it has proved difficult to resolve the differences among the locations of these deposits. Despite these datasets disagreeing on how deposits are distributed on small scales, we show that most of these datasets do agree on the large scale distribution of water ice. We present data from the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), the Neutron Spectrometer on Lunar Prospector (LPNS), LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP), LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), and Chandrayaan-1's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3). All, including those that show clear evidence for water ice, reveal surprisingly similar trends with latitude, suggesting that both surface and subsurface datasets are measuring ice. All show that water ice increases towards the poles, and most demonstrate that its signature appears at about ±70° latitude and increases poleward. This is consistent with simulations of how surface and subsurface cold traps are distributed with latitude. This large scale agreement constrains the origin of the ice, suggesting that an ancient cometary impact (or impacts) created a large scale deposit that has been rendered locally heterogeneous by subsequent impacts. Furthermore, it also shows that water ice may be available down to ±70°—latitudes that are more accessible than the poles for landing.

Constraints on the Volatile Distribution Within Shackleton Crater at the Lunar South Pole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuber, Maria T.; Head, James W.; Smith, David E.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Mazarico, Erwan; Torrence, Mark H.; Aharonson, Oded; Tye, Alexander R.; Fassett, Caleb I.; Rosenburg, Margaret A.;

Cold-trapped organic compounds at the poles of the Moon and Mercury: Implications for origins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jo Ann; Paige, David A.

2009-08-01

We have calculated evaporation rates for a range of organic compounds that may be cold-trapped at the poles of the Moon and Mercury. Organics vary widely in their volatilities and thus can be stable to evaporation at higher and lower temperatures than water. The detection of cold-trapped organics would point to volatile delivery by impacts, as comets and asteroids are the only plausible sources for organic molecules. The characterization of cold-trapped organics on both bodies may provide constraints on the thermal evolution of cold traps over time and the history of volatiles in the inner solar system.

Constraining Lunar Cold Spot Properties Using Eclipse and Twilight Temperature Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, T. M.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Hayne, P. O.; Bandfield, J. L.

2016-12-01

Thermal mapping of the nighttime lunar surface by the Diviner instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has revealed anomalous "cold spot" regions surrounding young impact craters. These regions typically show 5-10K lower nighttime temperatures than background regolith. Previous modeling has shown that cold spot regions can be explained by a "fluffing-up" of the top centimeters of regolith, resulting in a layer of lower-density, highly-insulating material (Bandfield et al., 2014). The thickness of this layer is characterized by the H-parameter, which describes the rate of density increase with depth (Vasavada et al., 2012). Contrary to expectations, new Diviner and ground-based telescopic data have revealed that these cold spot regions remain warmer than typical lunar regolith during eclipses and for a short twilight period at the beginning of lunar night (Hayne et al., 2015). These events act on much shorter timescales than the full diurnal day-night cycle, and the surface temperature response is sensitive to the properties of the top few millimeters of regolith. Thermal modeling in this study shows that this behavior can be explained by a profile with higher surface density and higher H-parameter relative to typical regolith. This results in a relative increase in thermal inertia in the top few millimeters of regolith, but decreased thermal inertia at centimeter depth scales. Best-fit surface density and H-parameter values are consistent with the temperature behavior observed during diurnal night as well as early twilight and eclipse scenarios. We interpret this behavior to indicate the presence of small rocks at the surface deposited by granular flow mixing during cold spot formation. This study also shows that eclipse and twilight data can be used as an important constraint in determining the thermophysical properties of lunar regolith. References: Bandfield, et al. (2014), Icarus, 231, 221-231. Hayne, et al. (2015), In Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (Vol. 46, p. 1997). Vasavada, et al. (2012), J. Geophys. Res., 117(E12).

Polar Lunar Regions: Exploiting Natural and Augmented Thermal Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert E.; McKellip, Rodney; Brannon, David P.; Underwood, Lauren; Russell, Kristen J.

2007-01-01

In polar regions of the Moon, some areas within craters are permanently shadowed from solar illumination and can reach temperatures of 100 K or less. These regions could serve as cold traps, capturing ice and other volatile compounds. These potential ice stores have many applications for lunar exploration. Within double-shaded craters, even colder regions exist, with temperatures never exceeding 50 K in many cases. Observed temperatures suggest that these regions could enable equivalent liquid nitrogen cryogenic functions. These permanently shaded polar craters also offer unprecedented high-vacuum cryogenic environments, which in their current state could support cryogenic applications. Besides ice stores, the unique conditions at the lunar poles harbor an environment that provides an opportunity to reduce the power, weight, and total mass that needs to be carried from the Earth to the Moon for lunar exploration and research. Reducing the heat flux of geothermal, black body radiation can have significant impacts on the achievable temperature. With a few manmade augmentations, permanently shaded craters located near the lunar poles achieve temperatures even lower than those that naturally exist. Our analysis reveals that lightweight thermal shielding within shaded craters could create an environment several Kelvin above absolute zero. The temperature ranges of both naturally shaded and thermally augmented craters could enable the long-term storage of most gases, low-temperature superconductors for large magnetic fields, devices and advanced high-speed computing instruments. Augmenting thermal conditions in these craters could then be used as a basis for the development of an advanced thermal management architecture that would support a wide variety of cryogenically based applications. Lunar exploration and habitation capabilities would significantly benefit if permanently shaded craters, augmented with thermal shielding, were used to facilitate the operation of near absolute zero instruments, including a wide variety of cryogenically based propulsion, energy, communication, sensing, and computing devices. The required burden of carrying massive life-supporting components from the Earth to the Moon for lunar exploration and research potentially could be reduced.

Depth and Horizontal Distribution of Volatiles in Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, D. M.; Bussey, B.; Lawrence, D. J.; Gladstone, R.; Elphic, R. C.; Vondrak, R. R.

2011-12-01

Neutron spectroscopy from Lunar Prospector returned data consistent with the presence of water ice in the near-subsurface of the Moon in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at low spatial resolution. Clementine and ground-based radar returned tantalizing, but inconclusive evidence of ice in lunar PSRs. Later, Mini-RF on Chandrayaan-1 and LRO detected a signature consistent with water ice in some polar craters on the Moon, but not all PSRs. Similarly, LEND on LRO detected a heterogeneous distribution of hydrogen among lunar PSRs. In addition, LAMP on LRO detected FUV spectra consistent with a heterogeneous distribution of frost on the surface of permanently shadowed regions. Yet the weakest spectral feature from LAMP was associated with the crater with the strongest hydrogen feature from LEND. The impact of LCROSS into Cabeus released water and other volatiles, but abundances were higher than the background amounts detected by neutron spectroscopy implying heterogeneity within that PSR. Data from any one instrument taken alone would lead one to a different conclusion about the distribution of volatiles than data taken from any other single instrument. Although the data from different instrumentation can seem to be disparate, the apparent discrepancy results from the different fields of view and sensitivities of the detection techniques. The complementary nature of these data can be exploited to provide a multi-dimensional view of volatiles in lunar PSRs. We apply a Monte Carlo model to describe the retention and redistribution of volatiles within lunar cold traps. The model runs constrain the coherence of volatile deposits with depth, area, and time, which allows us to examine how a given volatile distribution would appear to remote sensing experiments. This provides a big picture framework for integrating the observations of volatiles on the surface and at depth at the poles of the Moon with the goal of finding a distribution of volatiles in lunar PSRs consistent with all of the data.

Water on the surface of the Moon as seen by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper: Distribution, abundance, and origins

PubMed Central

Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph E.

2017-01-01

A new thermal correction model and experimentally validated relationships between absorption strength and water content have been used to construct the first global quantitative maps of lunar surface water derived from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper near-infrared reflectance data. We find that OH abundance increases as a function of latitude, approaching values of ~500 to 750 parts per million (ppm). Water content also increases with the degree of space weathering, consistent with the preferential retention of water originating from solar wind implantation during agglutinate formation. Anomalously high water contents indicative of interior magmatic sources are observed in several locations, but there is no global correlation between surface composition and water content. Surface water abundance can vary by ~200 ppm over a lunar day, and the upper meter of regolith may contain a total of ~1.2 × 1014 g of water averaged over the globe. Formation and migration of water toward cold traps may thus be a continuous process on the Moon and other airless bodies. PMID:28924612

Liquid metal cold trap

DOEpatents

Hundal, Rolv

1976-01-01

A cold trap assembly for removing impurities from a liquid metal being provided with a hole between the incoming impure liquid metal and purified outgoing liquid metal which acts as a continuous bleed means and thus prevents the accumulation of cover gases within the cold trap assembly.

Lunar Sulfur Capture System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berggren, Mark; Zubrin, Robert; Bostwick-White, Emily

2013-01-01

The Lunar Sulfur Capture System (LSCS) protects in situ resource utilization (ISRU) hardware from corrosion, and reduces contaminant levels in water condensed for electrolysis. The LSCS uses a lunar soil sorbent to trap over 98 percent of sulfur gases and about two-thirds of halide gases evolved during hydrogen reduction of lunar soils. LSCS soil sorbent is based on lunar minerals containing iron and calcium compounds that trap sulfur and halide gas contaminants in a fixed-bed reactor held at temperatures between 250 and 400 C, allowing moisture produced during reduction to pass through in vapor phase. Small amounts of Earth-based polishing sorbents consisting of zinc oxide and sodium aluminate are used to reduce contaminant concentrations to one ppm or less. The preferred LSCS configuration employs lunar soil beneficiation to boost concentrations of reactive sorbent minerals. Lunar soils contain sulfur in concentrations of about 0.1 percent, and halogen compounds including chlorine and fluorine in concentrations of about 0.01 percent. These contaminants are released as gases such as H2S, COS, CS2,HCl, and HF during thermal ISRU processing with hydrogen or other reducing gases. Removal of contaminant gases is required during ISRU processing to prevent hardware corrosion, electrolyzer damage, and catalyst poisoning. The use of Earth-supplied, single-use consumables to entirely remove contaminants at the levels existing in lunar soils would make many ISRU processes unattractive due to the large mass of consumables relative to the mass of oxygen produced. The LSCS concept of using a primary sorbent prepared from lunar soil was identified as a method by which the majority of contaminants could be removed from process gas streams, thereby substantially reducing the required mass of Earth-supplied consumables. The LSCS takes advantage of minerals containing iron and calcium compounds that are present in lunar soil to trap sulfur and halide gases in a fixedbed reactor downstream of an in-ISRU process such as hydrogen reduction. The lunar-soil-sorbent trap is held at a temperature significantly lower than the operating temperature of the hydrogen reduction or other ISRU process in order to maximize capture of contaminants, but is held at a high enough temperature to allow moisture to pass through without condensing. The lunar soil benefits from physical beneficiation to remove ultrafine particles (to reduce pressure drop through a fixed bed reactor) and to upgrade concentrations of iron and/or calcium compounds (to improve reactivity with gaseous contaminants).

The lunar thermal ice pump

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schorghofer, Norbert; Aharonson, Oded, E-mail: norbert@hawaii.edu

2014-06-20

It has long been suggested that water ice can exist in extremely cold regions near the lunar poles, where sublimation loss is negligible. The geographic distribution of H-bearing regolith shows only a partial or ambiguous correlation with permanently shadowed areas, thus suggesting that another mechanism may contribute to locally enhancing water concentrations. We show that under suitable conditions, water molecules can be pumped down into the regolith by day-night temperature cycles, leading to an enrichment of H{sub 2}O in excess of the surface concentration. Ideal conditions for pumping are estimated and found to occur where the mean surface temperature ismore » below 105 K and the peak surface temperature is above 120 K. These conditions complement those of the classical cold traps that are roughly defined by peak temperatures lower than 120 K. On the present-day Moon, an estimated 0.8% of the global surface area experiences such temperature variations. Typically, pumping occurs on pole-facing slopes in small areas, but within a few degrees of each pole the equator-facing slopes are preferred. Although pumping of water molecules is expected over cumulatively large areas, the absolute yield of this pump is low; at best, a few percent of the H{sub 2}O delivered to the surface could have accumulated in the near-surface layer in this way. The amount of ice increases with vapor diffusivity and is thus higher in the regolith with large pore spaces.« less

A geochemical assessment of possible lunar ore formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.; Colson, Russell O.; Vaniman, David

1991-01-01

The Moon apparently formed without appreciable water or other relatively volatile materials. Interior concentrations of water or other volatile substances appear to be extremely low. On Earth, water is important to the genesis of nearly all types of ores. Thus, some have reasoned that only abundant elements would occur in ore concentrations. The definition and recognition of ores on the Moon challenge the imaginations and the terrestrial perceptions of ore bodies. Lunar ores included solar-wind soaked soils, which contain abundant but dilute H, C, N, and noble gases (including He-3). Oxygen must be mined; soils contain approximately 45 percent (wt). Mainstream processes of rock formation concentrated Si, Mg, Al, Fe, and Ca, and possibly Ti and Cr. The highland surface contains approximately 70 percent (wt) feldspar (mainly CaAl2Si2O8), which can be separated from some highland soils. Small fragments of dunite were collected; dunite may occur in walls and central peaks of some craters. Theoretical extensions of observations of lunar samples suggest that the Moon may have produced ores of trace elements. Some small fragments have trace-element concentrations 10(exp 4) times higher than the lunar average, indicating that effective geochemical separations occurred; processes included fractional crystallization, silicate immiscibility, vaporization and condensation, and sulfide metamorphism. Operations of these processes acting on indigenous materials and on meteoritic material in the regolith could have produced ores. Infalling carbonaceous meteorites and comets have added water and hydrocarbons that may have been cold-trapped. Vesicles in basalts, pyroclastic beads, and reported transient events suggest gag emission from the lunar interior; such gas might concentrate and transport rare elements. Large impacts may disperse ores or produce them through deposition of heat at depth and by vaporization and subsequent condensation. The main problem in assessing lunar resources is the ignorance about the largely unexplored Moon.

Analysis of Solar-Heated Thermal Wadis to Support Extended-Duration Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Wegeng, R. S.; Gokoglu, S. A.; Suzuki, N. H.; Sacksteder, K. R.

2010-01-01

The realization of the renewed exploration of the Moon presents many technical challenges; among them is the survival of lunar surface assets during periods of darkness when the lunar environment is very cold. Thermal wadis are engineered sources of stored solar energy using modified lunar regolith as a thermal storage mass that can enable the operation of lightweight robotic rovers or other assets in cold, dark environments without incurring potential mass, cost, and risk penalties associated with various onboard sources of thermal energy. Thermal wadi-assisted lunar rovers can conduct a variety of long-duration missions including exploration site surveys; teleoperated, crew-directed, or autonomous scientific expeditions; and logistics support for crewed exploration. This paper describes a thermal analysis of thermal wadi performance based on the known solar illumination of the moon and estimates of producible thermal properties of modified lunar regolith. Analysis was performed for the lunar equatorial region and for a potential Outpost location near the lunar south pole. The results are presented in some detail in the paper and indicate that thermal wadis can provide the desired thermal energy reserve, with significant margin, for the survival of rovers or other equipment during periods of darkness.

Near-Resonant Imaging of Trapped Cold Atomic Samples

PubMed Central

You, L.; Lewenstein, Maciej

1996-01-01

We study the formation of diffraction patterns in the near-resonant imaging of trapped cold atomic samples. We show that the spatial imaging can provide detailed information on the trapped atomic clouds. PMID:27805110

Polar Lunar Regions: Exploiting Natural and Augmented Thermal Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, R. E.; McKellip, R. C.; Brannon, D. P.; Underwood, L. W.; Russell, K. J.

2007-12-01

In polar regions of the Moon, there are areas within craters that are permanently shadowed from solar illumination, which can reach temperatures of 100K or less. These regions could serve as cold traps, capturing ice and other volatile compounds. These potential ice stores have many applications for lunar exploration. Within double-shaded craters, even colder regions exist, with temperatures never exceeding 50K in many cases. Temperatures observed in theses regions suggest that they could enable equivalent liquid nitrogen cryogenic functions. These permanently shaded polar craters also offer unprecedented high vacuum cryogenic environments, which in their current state could support cryogenic applications. The unique conditions at the lunar poles, besides ice stores, harbor an environment that provides an opportunity to reduce the power, weight and total mass that needs to be carried from the Earth to the moon for lunar exploration and research. Reducing the heat flux of geothermal, black body radiation can have significant impacts on the achievable temperature. With a few man-made augmentations, permanently shaded craters located near the lunar poles achieve temperatures even lower than those that naturally exist there. Our analysis reveals that lightweight thermal shielding, within shaded craters, could create an environment several Kelvin above absolute zero. The temperature ranges of naturally shaded craters and thermally augmented ones could enable the long-term storage of most gases, low temperature superconductors for large magnetic fields, devices and advanced high speed computing instruments. Augmenting thermal conditions in these craters could then be used as a basis for the development of an advanced thermal management architecture that would support a wide variety of cryogenically based applications. Lunar exploration and habitation capabilities would significantly benefit if permanently shaded craters, augmented with thermal shielding, were to be used to facilitate the operation of near absolute zero instruments, including wide variety of cryogenically based propulsion, energy, communication, sensing and computing devices. Potentially, the required burden of carrying massive life-supporting components from the Earth to the moon for lunar exploration and research could be reduced.

RESOLVE: Bridge between early lunar ISRU and science objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, G.; Sanders, G.; Larson, W.; Johnson, K.

2007-08-01

THE NEED FOR RESOURCES: When mankind returns to the moon, there will be an aspect of the architecture that will totally change how we explore the solar system. We will take the first steps towards breaking our reliance on Earth supplied consumables by extracting resources from planetary bodies. Our first efforts in this area, known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), will be to extract the abundant oxygen found in the lunar regolith. But the "holy grail" of lunar ISRU will be finding an exploitable source of lunar hydrogen. If we can find a source of extractable hydrogen, it would provide a foundation for true independence from Earth. With in-situ hydrogen (or water) and oxygen we can produce many of the major consumables needed to operate a lunar outpost. We would have water to drink, oxygen to breath, as well as rocket propellants and fuel cell reagents to enable extended access and operations on the moon. These items make up a huge percentage of the mass launched from the Earth. Producing them in-situ would significantly reduce the cost of operating a lunar outpost while increasing payload availability for science. PROSPECTING: The Lunar Prospector found evidence of elevated hydrogen at the lunar poles, and measurements made at these locations from the Clementine mission bistatic radar have been interpreted as correlating to water/ice concentrations. At the South Pole, there is reasonably strong correlation between the elevated areas of hydrogen and permanently shadowed craters. However, there is considerable debate on the form and concentration of this hydrogen since the orbiting satellites had limited resolution and their data can be interpreted in different ways. The varying interpretations are based on differing opinions and theories of lunar environment, evolution, and cometary bombardment within the lunar Science community. The only way to truly answer this question from both a Science and resource availability perspective is to go to the lunar poles and make direct measurements. With this in mind, NASA initiated development of a payload named RESOLVE (Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction) that could be flown to the lunar poles and answer the questions surrounding the hydrogen: what's its form? how much is there? how deep or distributed is it? To do this, RESOLVE will use a drill to take a 1-2 meter core sample, crush and heat sample segments of the core in an oven and monitor the amount and type of volatile gases that evolve with a gas chromatograph (GC). RESOLVE will also selectively capture both hydrogen gas and water as a secondary method of quantification. A specialized camera that is coupled with a Raman spectrometer will allow core samples to be microscopically examined while also determining its mineral composition and possible water content before heating. Because RESOLVE is aimed at demonstrating capabilities and techniques that might be later used for ISRU, a multi-use oven is utilized with the ability to produce oxygen using the hydrogen reduction method. SCIENCE BENEFITS: In the process of answering the hydrogen question, the RESOLVE instrument suite will provide data that can address a number of other scientific questions and debate issues, especially the sources of volatiles and reactions that might take place in cold traps. It should be noted that the original instrument suite for RESOLVE was selected to accomplish the largest number of ISRU and science objectives as possible within the limited funding available. Complementary instruments are noted when additional science objectives can be accomplished. Incorporation of these new instruments into RESOLVE and potential partnerships is an area of near-term interest. Sources of Volatiles: The main proposed sources are episodic comet impacts, moreor- less continuous micrometeorite (both comet and asteroidal) impacts, solar wind bombardment, occasional volcanic emissions from the interior, and episodic delivery of interstellar volatiles from cold molecular clouds. These sources leave distinctive signatures, many detectable by RESOLVE. Comet impacts are likely to produce coherent layers of ice (probably reduced to pebbles and boulders by subsequent small impacts, and buried); these would be detected by imaging and Raman spectroscopy, the high water (H2O) signal measured by the GC, and possibly by changes in the drilling rate or torque. More continuous delivery mechanism theories would not produce layers or boulders of ice, but might bond regolith grains together. Continuous sources might be distinguished by H/H2O ratios and the abundances of other volatiles. Hydrogen isotopic composition would provide additional important information because these sources have distinctive D/H ratios, so one enhancement to RESOLVE would be an incorporation of a mass spectrometer with the existing GC. Reactions in the Polar Regolith: Billions of years of micrometeorite bombardment, irradiation by cosmic rays and interstellar Lyman-alpha ultraviolet, and the presence of carbon-, hydrogen-, oxygen-, and nitrogen-bearing volatiles might have led to the production of organic compounds, a process that has been demonstrated experimentally. Heating by micrometeorite impacts might drive reactions involving water to produce phyllosilicates (clay minerals). If abundant enough, these reaction products could be observable by Raman spectroscopy and GC analysis. Thus, the polar cold traps are natural laboratories for the study of processes operating in interstellar space, and the RESOLVE suite of instruments can shed light on those processes.

Development and Analysis of Cold Trap for Use in Fission Surface Power-Primary Test Circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, T. M.; Dervan, C. A.; Pearson, J. B.; Godfroy, T. J.

2012-01-01

The design and analysis of a cold trap proposed for use in the purification of circulated eutectic sodium potassium (NaK-78) loops is presented. The cold trap is designed to be incorporated into the Fission Surface Power-Primary Test Circuit (FSP-PTC), which incorporates a pumped NaK loop to simulate in-space nuclear reactor-based technology using non-nuclear test methodology as developed by the Early Flight Fission-Test Facility. The FSP-PTC provides a test circuit for the development of fission surface power technology. This system operates at temperatures that would be similar to those found in a reactor (500-800 K). By dropping the operating temperature of a specified percentage of NaK flow through a bypass containing a forced circulation cold trap, the NaK purity level can be increased by precipitating oxides from the NaK and capturing them within the cold trap. This would prevent recirculation of these oxides back through the system, which may help prevent corrosion.

Lunar Simulation in the Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Sechkar, Edward A.

2007-01-01

The Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar has been assembled at the NASA Glenn Research Center to provide a high fidelity lunar simulation facility to test the interactions of lunar dust and lunar dust simulant with candidate aerospace materials and coatings. It has a sophisticated design which enables it to treat dust in a way that will remove adsorbed gases and create a chemically reactive surface. It can simulate the vacuum, thermal, and radiation environments of the Moon, including proximate areas of illuminated heat and extremely cold shadow. It is expected to be a valuable tool in the development of dust repellant and cleaning technologies for lunar surface systems.

A Compact, High-Flux Cold Atom Beam Source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellogg, James R.; Kohel, James M.; Thompson, Robert J.; Aveline, David C.; Yu, Nan; Schlippert, Dennis

2012-01-01

The performance of cold atom experiments relying on three-dimensional magneto-optical trap techniques can be greatly enhanced by employing a highflux cold atom beam to obtain high atom loading rates while maintaining low background pressures in the UHV MOT (ultra-high vacuum magneto-optical trap) regions. Several techniques exist for generating slow beams of cold atoms. However, one of the technically simplest approaches is a two-dimensional (2D) MOT. Such an atom source typically employs at least two orthogonal trapping beams, plus an additional longitudinal "push" beam to yield maximum atomic flux. A 2D atom source was created with angled trapping collimators that not only traps atoms in two orthogonal directions, but also provides a longitudinal pushing component that eliminates the need for an additional push beam. This development reduces the overall package size, which in turn, makes the 2D trap simpler, and requires less total optical power. The atom source is more compact than a previously published effort, and has greater than an order of magnitude improved loading performance.

Evidence for Surface and Subsurface Ice Inside Micro Cold-Traps on Mercury's North Pole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubanenko, L.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; Paige, D. A.

2017-01-01

The small obliquity of Mercury causes topographic depressions located near its poles to cast persistent shadows. Many [1, 9, 15] have shown these permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) may trap water ice for geologic time periods inside cold-traps. More recently, direct evidence for the presence of water ice deposits inside craters was remotely sensed in RADAR [5] and visible imagery [3]. Albedo measurements (reflectence at 1064 nm) obtained by the MErcury Space ENviroment GEochemistry and Ranging Laser Altimeter (MLA) found unusually bright and dark areas next to Mercury's north pole [7]. Using a thermal illumination model, Paige et al. [8] found the bright deposits are correlated with surface cold-traps, and the dark deposits are correlated with subsurface cold-traps. They suggested these anomalous deposits were brought to the surface by comets and were processed by the magnetospheric radiation flux, removing hydrogen and mixing C-N-O-S atoms to form a variety of molecules which will darken with time. Here we use a thermal illumination model to find the link between the cold-trap area fraction of a rough surface and its albedo. Using this link and the measurements obtained by MESSENGER we derive a surface and a subsurface ice distribution map on Mercury's north pole below the MESSENGER spatial resolution, approximately 500 m. We find a large fraction of the polar ice on Mercury resides inside micro cold-traps (of scales 10 - 100 m) distributed along the inter-crater terrain.

Dark optical lattice of ring traps for cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtade, Emmanuel; Houde, Olivier; Clément, Jean-François; Verkerk, Philippe; Hennequin, Daniel

2006-09-01

We propose an optical lattice for cold atoms made of a one-dimensional stack of dark ring traps. It is obtained through the interference pattern of a standard Gaussian beam with a counterpropagating hollow beam obtained using a setup with two conical lenses. The traps of the resulting lattice are characterized by a high confinement and a filling rate much larger than unity, even if loaded with cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap. We have implemented this system experimentally, and demonstrated its feasibility. Applications in statistical physics, quantum computing, and Bose-Einstein condensate dynamics are conceivable.

Method and apparatus for regenerating cold traps within liquid-metal systems

DOEpatents

McKee, Jr., John M.

1976-01-01

Oxide and hydride impurities of a liquid metal such as sodium are removed from a cold trap by heating to a temperature at which the metal hydroxide is stable in a molten state. The partial pressure of hydrogen within the system is measured to determine if excess hydride or oxide is present. Excess hydride is removed by venting hydrogen gas while excess oxide can be converted to molten hydroxide through the addition of hydrogen. The resulting, molten hydroxide is drained from the trap which is then returned to service at cold trap temperatures within the liquid-metal system.

Current Issues in Human Spacecraft Thermal Control Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ungar, Eugene K.

2008-01-01

Efficient thermal management of Earth-orbiting human spacecraft, lunar transit spacecraft and landers, as well as a lunar habitat will require advanced thermal technology. These future spacecraft will require more sophisticated thermal control systems that can dissipate or reject greater heat loads at higher input heat fluxes while using fewer of the limited spacecraft mass, volume and power resources. The thermal control designs also must accommodate the harsh environments associated with these missions including dust and high sink temperatures. The lunar environment presents several challenges to the design and operation of active thermal control systems. During the Apollo program, landings were located and timed to occur at lunar twilight, resulting in a benign thermal environment. The long duration polar lunar bases that are foreseen in 15 years will see extremely cold thermal environments. Long sojourns remote from low-Earth orbit will require lightweight, but robust and reliable systems. Innovative thermal management components and systems are needed to accomplish the rejection of heat from lunar bases. Advances are required in the general areas of radiators, thermal control loops and equipment. Radiators on the Moon's poles must operate and survive in very cold environments. Also, the dusty environment of an active lunar base may require dust mitigation and removal techniques to maintain radiator performance over the long term.

A model of optical trapping cold atoms using a metallic nano wire with surface plasmon effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thi Phuong Lan, Nguyen; Thi Nga, Do; Viet, Nguyen Ai

2016-06-01

In this work, we construct a new model of optical trapping cold atoms with a metallic nano wire by using surface plasmon effect generated by strong field of laser beams. Using the skin effect, we send a strong oscillated electromagnetic filed through the surface of a metallic nano wire. The local field generated by evanescent effect creates an effective attractive potential near the surface of metallic nano wires. The consideration of some possible boundary and frequency conditions might lead to non-trivial bound state solution for a cold atom. We discus also the case of the laser reflection optical trap with shell-core design, and compare our model with another recent schemes of cold atom optical traps using optical fibers and carbon nanotubes.

Future Exploration of the South Pole as Enabled by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speyerer, E. J.; Lawrence, S. J.; Stopar, J.

2016-12-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched in 2009 to collect the dataset required for future surface missions and to answer key questions about the lunar surface environment. In the first seven years of operations, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired over a million images of the lunar surface and collected key stereo observations for the production of meter-scale digital terrain models. Due to the configuration of the LRO orbit, LROC and the other onboard instruments have the opportunity to acquire observations at or near the poles every two hours. The lunar south polar region is an area of interest for future surface missions due to the benign thermal environment and areas of near-continuous illumination. These persistently illuminated regions are also adjacent to permanently shadowed areas (e.g. floors of craters and local depressions) that are of interest to both scientists and engineers prospecting for cold-trapped volatiles on or near the surface for future in situ resource utilization. Using a terramechanics model based on surface properties derived during the Apollo and Luna missions, we evaluated the accessibility of different science targets and the optimal traverse paths for a given set of waypoints. Assuming a rover that relies primarily on solar power, we identified a traverse that would keep the rover illuminated for 94.43% of the year between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021. Throughout this year-long period, the longest eclipse endured by the rover would last only 101 hours and the rover would move a total of 22.11 km with an average speed of 2.5 m/hr (max speed=30 m/hr). During this time the rover would be able to explore a variety of targets along the connecting ridge between Shackleton and de Gerlache craters. In addition to the southern polar regions, we are also examining traverses around other key exploration sites such as Marius Hills, Ina-D, Rima Parry, and the Mairan Domes in efforts to aid future mission planners and assess the requirements for future roving prospectors (e.g., maximum speed, maximum slope, etc.).

Future Exploration of the South Pole as Enabled by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Speyerer, Emerson J.; Lawrence, Samuel J.; Stopar, Julie

2016-01-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched in 2009 to collect the dataset required for future surface missions and to answer key questions about the lunar surface environment. In the first seven years of operations, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) acquired over a million images of the lunar surface and collected key stereo observations for the production of meter-scale digital terrain models. Due to the configuration of the LRO orbit, LROC and the other onboard instruments have the opportunity to acquire observations at or near the poles every two hours. The lunar south polar region is an area of interest for future surface missions due to the benign thermal environment and areas of near-continuous illumination. These persistently illuminated regions are also adjacent to permanently shadowed areas (e.g. floors of craters and local depressions) that are of interest to both scientists and engineers prospecting for cold-trapped volatiles on or near the surface for future in situ resource utilization. Using a terramechanics model based on surface properties derived during the Apollo and Luna missions, we evaluated the accessibility of different science targets and the optimal traverse paths for a given set of waypoints. Assuming a rover that relies primarily on solar power, we identified a traverse that would keep the rover illuminated for 94.43% of the year between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021. Throughout this year-long period, the longest eclipse endured by the rover would last only 101 hours and the rover would move a total of 22.11 km with an average speed of 2.5 m/hr (max speed=30 m/hr). During this time the rover would be able to explore a variety of targets along the connecting ridge between Shackleton and de Gerlache craters. In addition to the southern polar regions, we are also examining traverses around other key exploration sites such as Marius Hills, Ina-D, Rima Parry, and the Mairan Domes in efforts to aid future mission planners and assess the requirements for future roving prospectors (e.g., maximum speed, maximum slope, etc.).

Thermal electric vapor trap arrangement and method

DOEpatents

Alger, Terry

1988-01-01

A technique for trapping vapor within a section of a tube is disclosed herein. This technique utilizes a conventional, readily providable thermal electric device having a hot side and a cold side and means for powering the device to accomplish this. The cold side of this device is positioned sufficiently close to a predetermined section of the tube and is made sufficiently cold so that any condensable vapor passing through the predetermined tube section is condensed and trapped, preferably within the predetermined tube section itself.

Thermal electric vapor trap arrangement and method

DOEpatents

Alger, T.

1988-03-15

A technique for trapping vapor within a section of a tube is disclosed herein. This technique utilizes a conventional, readily providable thermal electric device having a hot side and a cold side and means for powering the device to accomplish this. The cold side of this device is positioned sufficiently close to a predetermined section of the tube and is made sufficiently cold so that any condensable vapor passing through the predetermined tube section is condensed and trapped, preferably within the predetermined tube section itself. 4 figs.

Trapped noble gases indicate lunar origin for Antarctic meteorite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogard, D. D.; Johnson, P.

1983-01-01

The isotopic abundances of the noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) are reported for Antarctic ALHA 81005. It contains solar wind-implanted gases whose absolute and relative concentrations are quite similar to lunar regolith samples but not to other meteorites. ALHA 81005 also contains a large excess Ar-40 component which is identical to the component in lunar fines implanted from the lunar atmosphere. Large concentrations of cosmogenic Ne-21, Kr-82, and Xe-126 in ALHA 81005 indicate a total cosmic ray exposure age of at least 200 million years. The noble gas data alone are strong evidence for a lunar origin of this meteorite.

Lunar Flashlight: Mapping Lunar Surface Volatiles Using a Cubesat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, B. A.; Hayne, P. O.; Banazadeh, P.; Baker, J. D.; Staehle, R. L.; Paine, C..; Paige, D. A.

2014-01-01

Water ice and other volatiles may be located in the Moon's polar regions, with sufficient quantities for in situ extraction and utilization by future human and robotic missions. Evidence from orbiting spacecraft and the LCROSS impactor suggests the presence of surface and/or nearsurface volatiles, including water ice. These deposits are of interest to human exploration to understand their potential for use by astronauts. Understanding the composition, quantity, distribution, and form of water/H species and other volatiles associated with lunar cold traps is identified as a NASA Strategic Knowledge Gap (SKG) for Human Exploration. These polar volatile deposits could also reveal important information about the delivery of water to the Earth- Moon system, so are of scientific interest. The scientific exploration of the lunar polar regions was one of the key recommendations of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey. In order to address NASA's SKGs, the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program selected three lowcost 6-U CubeSat missions for launch as secondary payloads on the first test flight (EM1) of the Space Launch System (SLS) scheduled for 2017. The Lunar Flashlight mission was selected as one of these missions, specifically to address the SKG associated with lunar volatiles. Development of the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat concept leverages JPL's Interplanetary Nano- Spacecraft Pathfinder In Relevant Environment (INSPIRE) mission, MSFC's intimate knowledge of the Space Launch System and EM-1 mission, small business development of solar sail and electric propulsion hardware, and JPL experience with specialized miniature sensors. The goal of Lunar Flashlight is to determine the presence or absence of exposed water ice and its physical state, and map its concentration at the kilometer scale within the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar south pole. After being ejected in cislunar space by SLS, Lunar Flashlight deploys its solar panels and solar sail and maneuvers into a low-energy transfer to lunar orbit. The solar sail and attitude control system work to bring the satellite into an elliptical polar orbit spiraling down to a perilune of 30-10 km above the south pole for data collection. Lunar Flashlight uses its solar sail to shine reflected sunlight into permanently shadowed regions, measuring surface albedo with a four-filter point spectrometer at 1.1, 1.5 1.9, and 2.0 microns. Water ice will be distinguished from dry regolith from these measurements in two ways: 1) spatial variations in absolute reflectance (water ice is much brighter in the continuum channels), and 2) reflectance ratios between absorption and continuum channels. Derived reflectance and reflectance ratios will be mapped onto the lunar surface in order to distinguish the composition of the PSRs from that of the sunlit terrain. Lunar Flashlight enables a low-cost path to in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) by identifying operationally useful deposits (if there are any), which is a game-changing capability for expanded human exploration.

Monitoring the perennial martian northern polar cap with MGS MOC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale, A. Snyder; Bass, D. S.; Tamppari, L. K.

2005-04-01

We have used the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Wide Angle (MGS MOC WA) dataset to study albedo trends on the martian northern residual cap. Six study regions were selected, the Chasma Boreale source region, three regions near the center of the cap ("fish hook" region, latitude = 87°; "bottle opener" region, latitude = 87°, "steep-shallow" region, latitude = 85°), and two lower latitude regions (crater, latitude = 77°, and polar outlier, latitude = 82°), and the albedos of these six regions were examined. These regions were chosen due to their good temporal coverage in the MOC dataset, as well as having been studied by other researchers (Bass et al., 2000, Icarus 144, 382-396; Calvin and Titus, 2004, Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXV, Abstract 1455). The picture which emerges is complex. Most areas experience a combination of darkening and brightening through the northern summer; only one area consistently brightens (the polar outlier region). A good deal of interannual repeatability in each region's albedo behavior is seen, however. Possible causes for the observed complex behaviors include dust deposition from late summer storms, sintering of frost grains over the course of the summer, and cold trapping of volatiles on bright, cold surfaces.

Cold Atom Source Containing Multiple Magneto-Optical Traps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez-Serrano, Jaime; Kohel, James; Kellogg, James; Lim, Lawrence; Yu, Nan; Maleki, Lute

2007-01-01

An apparatus that serves as a source of a cold beam of atoms contains multiple two-dimensional (2D) magneto-optical traps (MOTs). (Cold beams of atoms are used in atomic clocks and in diverse scientific experiments and applications.) The multiple-2D-MOT design of this cold atom source stands in contrast to single-2D-MOT designs of prior cold atom sources of the same type. The advantages afforded by the present design are that this apparatus is smaller than prior designs.

Analysis of data from LEND instrument on LRO: May water deposits be expected on poles of Mercury?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitrofanov, I.

2012-04-01

Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) of LRO measured the flux of epithermal neutrons with high spatial resolution ˜10 km for the amplitude of 50 km. The LEND data from the polar caps above 80° latitude were tested for the presence of local spots of epithermal Neutron Suppression Regions (NSRs), which have been identified with wa-ter ice permafrost. The model has been proposed, which explains the origin of water at lunar poles by chemical reactions between hydrogen of solar wind with oxygen of lunar regolith. The so-called solar water could be produced under the sunlit surface, and than migrate either at cold traps in he local vicinity from the irradiated spot of origin, or at cold subsur-face layer just below of the uppermost layer of origin. Similarly to the Moon, there are data of radio sensing of Mercury, which points out that this planet might have the water ice deposits at poles. Therefore, one may suspect that the main physics could also be similar at poles of the Moon and the Mercury: - if the water ice deposits are on the lunar poles, they should be at the Hermean poles as well; - if comets are not the main source for the water at lunar poles, they should not also be the main source for the polar water deposits on the Mercury. However, one should also take into account that the Moon and the Mercury have rather different physics of inter-action between the plasma of solar wind and the surface: - the Mercury have the dipole magnetic field, which is large enough to shield the equatorial belt of the planet from the direct interaction with the plasma of solar wind; - flux of solar wind and solar radiation at the orbit of Mercury are much larger than they are at the Earth orbit; - the average temperature of illuminated spots at Hermean poles is much larger than the temperature of illuminated spots at poles of the Moon. In addition to current neutron data from LRO, the data from MESSENGER should be studied for better under-standing of polar water ice deposits at the Moon and at the Mercury. Additional data will be provided by neutron mapping from the BeppiColombo spacecraft, which will map neutron albedo of bother Hermean poles (the MESSENGER maps only the southern hemisphere). First of all, one have to test that Mercury have extended suppression regions of epithermal neutrons around both poles, as the Moon has. If hydrogen at polar regolith is delivered by the solar wind, the polar suppression of Mercury should be rather different from one of the Moon, because Hermean magnetosphere should chanelize the plasma of solar wind plasma toward the poles. Second, one have to test the presence of local NSEs at the Hermean poles and to compare them with the lunar NSRs. If NSRs at both celestial bodies are associated with deposits of solar water, one could expect to find more water rich permafrost on the Mercury than on the Moon at areas with similarly cold surfaces, because at the same thermal conditions production rate of water molecules from the solar wind should be higher on Mercury than on the Moon.

Steam trap monitor

DOEpatents

Ryan, Michael J.

1988-01-01

A steam trap monitor positioned downstream of a steam trap in a closed steam system includes a first sensor (the combination of a hot finger and thermocouple well) for measuring the energy of condensate and a second sensor (a cold finger) for measuring the total energy of condensate and steam in the line. The hot finger includes one or more thermocouples for detecting condensate level and energy, while the cold finger contains a liquid with a lower boiling temperature than that of water. Vapor pressure from the liquid is used to do work such as displacing a piston or bellows in providing an indication of total energy (steam+condensate) of the system. Processing means coupled to and responsive to outputs from the thermocouple well hot and cold fingers subtracts the condensate energy as measured by the hot finger and thermocouple well from the total energy as measured by the cold finger to provide an indication of the presence of steam downstream from the trap indicating that the steam trap is malfunctioning.

Character and spatial distribution of OH/H2O on the surface of the Moon seen by M3 on Chandrayaan-1.

PubMed

Pieters, C M; Goswami, J N; Clark, R N; Annadurai, M; Boardman, J; Buratti, B; Combe, J-P; Dyar, M D; Green, R; Head, J W; Hibbitts, C; Hicks, M; Isaacson, P; Klima, R; Kramer, G; Kumar, S; Livo, E; Lundeen, S; Malaret, E; McCord, T; Mustard, J; Nettles, J; Petro, N; Runyon, C; Staid, M; Sunshine, J; Taylor, L A; Tompkins, S; Varanasi, P

2009-10-23

The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M3 data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration.

Character and spatial distribution of OH/H2O on the surface of the moon seen by M3 on chandrayaan-1

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pieters, C.M.; Goswami, J.N.; Clark, R.N.; Annadurai, M.; Boardman, J.; Buratti, B.; Combe, J.-P.; Dyar, M.D.; Green, R.; Head, J.W.; Hibbitts, C.; Hicks, M.; Isaacson, P.; Klima, R.; Kramer, G.; Kumar, S.; Livo, E.; Lundeen, S.; Malaret, E.; McCord, T.; Mustard, J.; Nettles, J.; Petro, N.; Runyon, C.; Staid, M.; Sunshine, J.; Taylor, L.A.; Tompkins, S.; Varanasi, P.

2009-01-01

The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M 3) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M3 data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration.

Selection of Environmentally Friendly Solvents for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit Secondary Oxygen Pack Cold Trap Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steele, John; Chullen, Cinda; Morenz, Jesse; Stephenson, Curtis

2010-01-01

Freon-113(TradeMark) has been used as a chemistry lab sampling solvent at NASA/JSC for EMU (extravehicular Mobility Unit) SOP (Secondary Oxygen Pack) oxygen testing Cold Traps utilized at the USA (United Space Alliance) Houston facility. Similar testing has occurred at the HSWL (Hamilton Sundstrand Windsor Locks) facility. A NASA Executive Order bans the procurement of all ODS (ozone depleting substances), including Freon-113 by the end of 2009. In order to comply with NASA direction, HSWL began evaluating viable solvents to replace Freon-113 . The study and testing effort to find Freon-113 replacements used for Cold Trap sampling is the subject of this paper. Test results have shown HFE-7100 (a 3M fluorinated ether) to be an adequate replacement for Freon-113 as a solvent to remove and measure the non-volatile residue collected in a Cold Trap during oxygen testing. Furthermore, S-316 (a Horiba Instruments Inc. high molecular weight, non-ODS chlorofluorocarbon) was found to be an adequate replacement for Freon-113 as a solvent to reconstitute non-volatile residue removed from a Cold Trap during oxygen testing for subsequent HC (hydrocarbon) analysis via FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy).

Apollo scientific experiments data handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichelman, W. F. (Editor); Lauderdale, W. W. (Editor)

1974-01-01

A brief description of each of the Apollo scientific experiments was described, together with its operational history, the data content and formats, and the availability of the data. The lunar surface experiments described are the passive seismic, active seismic, lunar surface magnetometer, solar wind spectrometer, suprathermal ion detector, heat flow, charged particle, cold cathode gage, lunar geology, laser ranging retroreflector, cosmic ray detector, lunar portable magnetometer, traverse gravimeter, soil mechanics, far UV camera (lunar surface), lunar ejecta and meteorites, surface electrical properties, lunar atmospheric composition, lunar surface gravimeter, lunar seismic profiling, neutron flux, and dust detector. The orbital experiments described are the gamma-ray spectrometer, X-ray fluorescence, alpha-particle spectrometer, S-band transponder, mass spectrometer, far UV spectrometer, bistatic radar, IR scanning radiometer, particle shadows, magnetometer, lunar sounder, and laser altimeter. A brief listing of the mapping products available and information on the sample program were also included.

Steam trap monitor

DOEpatents

Ryan, M.J.

1987-05-04

A steam trap monitor positioned downstream of a steam trap in a closed steam system includes a first sensor (a hot finger) for measuring the energy of condensate and a second sensor (a cold finger) for measuring the total energy of condensate and steam in the line. The hot finger includes one or more thermocouples for detecting condensate level and energy, while the cold finger contains a liquid with a lower boiling temperature than that of water. Vapor pressure from the liquid is used to do work such as displacing a piston or bellow in providing an indication of total energy (steam + condensate) of the system. Processing means coupled to and responsive to outputs from the hot and cold fingers subtracts the former from the latter to provide an indication of the presence of steam downstream from the trap indicating that the steam trap is malfunctioning. 2 figs.

Moist Climates with an Ineffective Cold Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, F.; Pierrehumbert, R.

2016-12-01

The tropopause of the Earth's atmosphere behaves as a cold trap, limiting the water vapor transport from the humid sea surface to the dry regions in the atmosphere including both the upper atmosphere and the highly sub-saturated places in the free troposphere. It is hypothesized that during some period of time on Earth, the cold trap mechanism would become less effective, due to either a reduced nitrogen inventory in the atmosphere or high surface temperatures. An ineffective cold trap favors a moist upper atmosphere and will lead to rapid water loss by the ultraviolet photodissociation, which was well studied in one-dimensional models. However, the effect of an ineffective cold trap on 3D climates has not yet received much attention. Here we explore the 3D effect with an idealized general circulation model especially designed for studying condensible-rich atmospheres. We consider two scenarios based on the orbital configuration of the planet. (a) With Earth's orbital parameters, sub-saturation in the free troposphere is difficult to be produced by large-scale atmospheric flows, which implies that an ineffective cold trap also favors the onset of the runaway greenhouse. (b) For synchronous-rotating planets, water vapor is easier to be transported to the nightside, building up an atmosphere with similar column water mass as the dayside. For extrasolar habitable planets detections around M dwarfs in the future, if the water vapor contrast between the day and night side could be provided by the phase-resolved emission spectra, the contrast might be useful as a constraint for evaluating the mass of the non-condensible components in the atmosphere.

High pre-eruptive water contents preserved in lunar melt inclusions.

PubMed

Hauri, Erik H; Weinreich, Thomas; Saal, Alberto E; Rutherford, Malcolm C; Van Orman, James A

2011-07-08

The Moon has long been thought to be highly depleted in volatiles such as water, and indeed published direct measurements of water in lunar volcanic glasses have never exceeded 50 parts per million (ppm). Here, we report in situ measurements of water in lunar melt inclusions; these samples of primitive lunar magma, by virtue of being trapped within olivine crystals before volcanic eruption, did not experience posteruptive degassing. The lunar melt inclusions contain 615 to 1410 ppm water and high correlated amounts of fluorine (50 to 78 ppm), sulfur (612 to 877 ppm), and chlorine (1.5 to 3.0 ppm). These volatile contents are very similar to primitive terrestrial mid-ocean ridge basalts and indicate that some parts of the lunar interior contain as much water as Earth's upper mantle.

Measurements of trap dynamics of cold OH molecules using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, John M.; Bossert, Jason A.; Shyur, Yomay; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-08-01

Trapping cold, chemically important molecules with electromagnetic fields is a useful technique to study small molecules and their interactions. Traps provide long interaction times, which are needed to precisely examine these low-density molecular samples. However, the trapping fields lead to nonuniform molecular density distributions in these systems. Therefore, it is important to be able to experimentally characterize the spatial density distribution in the trap. Ionizing molecules at different locations in the trap using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) and detecting the resulting ions can be used to probe the density distribution even at the low density present in these experiments because of the extremely high efficiency of detection. Until recently, one of the most chemically important molecules, OH, did not have a convenient REMPI scheme identified. Here, we use a newly developed 1 +1' REMPI scheme to detect trapped cold OH molecules. We use this capability to measure the trap dynamics of the central density of the cloud and the density distribution. These types of measurements can be used to optimize loading of molecules into traps, as well as to help characterize the energy distribution, which is critical knowledge for interpreting molecular collision experiments.

Noble gases in the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manuel, O. K.; Srinivasan, B.; Hennecke, E. W.; Sinclair, D. E.

1972-01-01

The abundance and isotopic composition of helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon which were released by stepwise heating of lunar fines (15601.64) and (15271.65) were measured spectrometrically. The results of a composition of noble gases released from the lunar fines with noble gases in meteorites and in the earth are presented along with the isotopic composition of noble gases in lunar fines, in meteorites, and in the atmosphere. A study of two isotopically distinct components of trapped xenon in carbonaceous chondrites is also included.

Two-Phase Thermal Switching System for a Small, Extended Duration Lunar Surface Science Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bugby, David C.; Farmer, Jeffery T.; OConnor, Brian F.; Wirzburger, Melissa J.; Abel, Elisabeth D.; Stouffer, Chuck J.

2010-01-01

This paper describes a novel thermal control system for the Warm Electronics Box (WEB) on board a small lunar surface lander intended to support science activities anywhere on the lunar surface for an extended duration of up to 6 years. Virtually all lander electronics, which collectively dissipate about 60 W in the reference mission, are contained within the WEB. These devices must be maintained below 323 K (with a goal of 303 K) during the nearly 15-earth-day lunar day, when surface temperatures can reach 390K, and above 263 K during the nearly 15-earth-day lunar night, when surface temperatures can reach 100K. Because of the large temperature swing from lunar day-to-night, a novel thermal switching system was required that would be able to provide high conductance from WEB to radiator(s) during the hot lunar day and low (or negligible) conductance during the cold lunar night. The concept that was developed consists of ammonia variable conductance heat pipes (VCHPs) to collect heat from WEB components and a polymer wick propylene loop heat pipe (LHP) to transport the collected heat to the radiator(s). The VCHPs autonomously maximize transport when the WEB is warm and autonomously shut down when the WEB gets cold. The LHP autonomously shuts down when the VCHPs shut down. When the environment transitions from lunar night to day, the VCHPs and LHP autonomously turn back on. Out of 26 analyzed systems, this novel arrangement was able to best achieve the combined goals of zero control power, autonomous operation, long life, low complexity, low T, and landed tilt tolerance.

Measurement of the Neutron Lifetime with Ultra-cold Neutrons Stored in a Magneto-gravitational Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezhov, V. F.; Andreev, A. Z.; Ban, G.; Bazarov, B. A.; Geltenbort, P.; Glushkov, A. G.; Knyazkov, V. A.; Kovrizhnykh, N. A.; Krygin, G. B.; Naviliat-Cuncic, O.; Ryabov, V. L.

2018-05-01

We report a measurement of the neutron lifetime using ultra-cold neutrons stored in a magneto-gravitational trap made of permanent magnets. Neutrons surviving in the trap after fixed storage times have been counted and the trap losses have continuously been monitored during storage by detecting neutrons leaking from the trap. The value of the neutron lifetime resulting from this measurement is τ n = (878.3 ± 1.6stat ± 1.0syst) s. A unique feature of this experiment is the monitoring of leaking neutrons providing a robust control of the main systematic loss.

Preparation of translationally cold neutral molecules.

PubMed

Di Domenicantonio, Giulia; Bertsche, Benjamin; Osterwalder, Andreas

2011-01-01

Efforts at EPFL to obtain translationally cold neutral molecules are described. Active deceleration of polar molecules is performed by confining the molecules in moving three-dimensional electrostatic traps, and by appropriately choosing the velocity of those traps. Alternatively, cold molecules can be obtained by velocity filtering. Here, the velocity of the molecules is not changed, but instead the cold molecules are extracted from a thermal sample by using the competition between the electrostatic force and the centrifugal force inside a bent electrostatic guide for polar molecules.

Analysis of Solar-Heated Thermal Wadis to Support Extended-Duration Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Gokoglu, S.; Sacksteder, K.; Wegeng, R.; Suzuki, N.

2011-01-01

The realization of the renewed exploration of the moon presents many technical challenges; among them is the survival of lunar-surface assets during periods of darkness when the lunar environment is very cold. Thermal wadis are engineered sources of stored solar energy using modified lunar regolith as a thermal storage mass that can supply energy to protect lightweight robotic rovers or other assets during the lunar night. This paper describes an analysis of the performance of thermal wadis based on the known solar illumination of the moon and estimates of producible thermal properties of modified lunar regolith. Analysis has been performed for the lunar equatorial region and for a potential outpost location near the lunar south pole. The calculations indicate that thermal wadis can provide the desired thermal energy and temperature control for the survival of rovers or other equipment during periods of darkness.

Analysis of Solar-Heated Thermal Wadis to Support Extended-Duration Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Gokoglu, S. A.; Sacksteder, K. R.; Wegeng, R.; Suzuki, N.

2011-01-01

The realization of the renewed exploration of the Moon presents many technical challenges; among them is the survival of lunar-surface assets during periods of darkness when the lunar environment is very cold. Thermal wadis are engineered sources of stored solar energy using modified lunar regolith as a thermal storage mass that can supply energy to protect lightweight robotic rovers or other assets during the lunar night. This paper describes an analysis of the performance of thermal wadis based on the known solar illumination of the Moon and estimates of producible thermal properties of modified lunar regolith. Analysis has been performed for the lunar equatorial region and for a potential outpost location near the Lunar South Pole. The calculations indicate that thermal wadis can provide the desired thermal energy and temperature control for the survival of rovers or other equipment during periods of darkness.

Shackleton Energy enabling Space Resources Exploitation on the Moon within a Decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keravala, J.; Stone, B.; Tietz, D.; Frischauf, N.

2013-09-01

Access to in-space natural resources is a key requirement for increasing exploration and expansion of humanity off Earth. In particular, making use of the Moon's resources in the form of lunar polar ice to fuel propellant depots at key locations in near Earth space enables dramatic reductions in the cost of access and operations in space, while simultaneously leveraging reusable in-space transporters essential to opening the newspace highway system. Success of this private venture will provide for a sustained balance of our terrestrial economy and the growth of our civilisation. Establishing the cis-Lunar highway required to access lunar sourced water from the cold traps of the polar craters provides the backbone infrastructure for an exponential growth of a space-based economy. With that core infrastructure in place, space-based solar power generation systems, debris mitigation capabilities and planetary protection systems plus scientific and exploratory missions, among others, can become commercial realities in our lifetime. Shackleton Energy was founded from the space, mining, energy and exploration sectors to meet this challenge as a fully private venture. Following successful robotic precursor missions, our industrial astronauts combined with a robotic mining capability will make first landings at the South Pole of the Moon and begin deliveries of propellant to our depots in within a decade. Customers, partners, technologies and most importantly, the investor classes aligned with the risk profiles involved, have been identified and all the components for a viable business are available. Infrastructure investment in space programs has traditionally been the province of governments, but sustainable expansion requires commercial leadership and this is now the responsibility of a dynamic new industry. The technologies and know-how are ready to be applied. Launch services to LEO are available and the industrial capability exists in the aerospace, mining and energy sectors to enable Shackleton Energy to build an in-orbit and Lunar infrastructure on a fully commercial basis.

Scaled Lunar Module Jet Erosion Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Land, Norman S.; Scholl, Harland F.

1966-01-01

An experimental research program was conducted on the erosion of particulate surfaces by a jet exhaust. These experiments were scaled to represent the lunar module (LM) during landing. A conical cold-gas nozzle simulating the lunar module nozzle was utilized. The investigation was conducted within a large vacuum chamber by using gravel or glass beads as a simulated soil. The effects of thrust, descent speed, nozzle terminal height, particle size on crater size, and visibility during jet erosion were determined.

Resource Prospector, the Decadal Survey and the Scientific Context for the Exploration of the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Colaprete, A.; Andrews, D. R.

2017-01-01

The Inner Planets Panel of the Planetary Exploration Decadal Survey defined several science questions related to the origins, emplacement, and sequestration of lunar polar volatiles: 1. What is the lateral and vertical distribution of the volatile deposits? 2. What is the chemical composition and variability of polar volatiles? 3. What is the isotopic composition of the volatiles? 4. What is the physical form of the volatiles? 5. What is the rate of the current volatile deposition? A mission concept study, the Lunar Polar Volatiles Explorer (LPVE), defined a approximately $1B New Frontiers mission to address these questions. The NAS/NRC report, 'Scientific Context for the Exploration of the Moon' identified he lunar poles as special environments with important implications. It put forth the following goals: Science Goal 4a-Determine the compositional state (elemental, isotopic, mineralogic) and compositional distribution (lateral and depth) of the volatile component in lunar polar regions. Science Goal 4b-Determine the source(s) for lunar polar volatiles. Science Goal 4c-Understand the transport, retention, alteration, and loss processes that operate on volatile materials at permanently shaded lunar regions. Science Goal 4d-Understand the physical properties of the extremely cold (and possibly volatile rich) polar regolith. Science Goal 4e-Determine what the cold polar regolith reveals about the ancient solar environment.

Water Molecule Hops on Ceres

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-15

This graphic shows a theoretical path of a water molecule on Ceres. Some water molecules fall into cold, dark craters at high latitudes called "cold traps," where very little of the ice turns into vapor, even over the course of a billion years. Other water molecules that do not land in cold traps are lost to space as they hop around the dwarf planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21083

Marshall Team Complete Testing for Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swofford, Philip

2013-01-01

Dr. Huu Trinh and his team with the Propulsion Systems and Test Departments at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. successfully complete a simulated cold-flow test series on the propulsion system used for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is leading NASA s work on the development of the LADEE spacecraft, and the Marshall center is the program office for the project. The spacecraft, scheduled for launch this fall, will orbit the Moon and gather information about the lunar atmosphere, conditions near the surface of the Moon, and collect samples of lunar dust. A thorough understanding of these characteristics will address long-standing unknowns, and help scientists understand other planetary bodies as well. The test team at the Marshall center conducted the cold flow test to identify how the fluid flows through the propulsion system feed lines, especially during critical operation modes. The test data will be used to assist the LADEE team in identifying any potential flow issues in the propulsion system, and allow them to address and correct them in advance of the launch.

COLD TRAPS

DOEpatents

Thompson, W.I.

1958-09-30

A cold trap is presented for removing a condensable component from a gas mixture by cooling. It consists of a shell, the exterior surface of which is chilled by a refrigerant, and conductive fins welded inside the shell to condense the gas, and distribute the condensate evenly throughout the length of the trap, so that the trap may function until it becomes completely filled with the condensed solid. The contents may then be removed as either a gas or as a liquid by heating the trap. This device has particuinr use as a means for removing uranium hexafluoride from the gaseous diffusion separation process during equipment breakdown and repair periods.

Extreme Adiabatic Expansion in Micro-gravity: Modeling for the Cold Atomic Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sackett, C. A.; Lam, T. C.; Stickney, J. C.; Burke, J. H.

2017-12-01

The upcoming Cold Atom Laboratory mission for the International Space Station will allow the investigation of ultracold gases in a microgravity environment. Cold atomic samples will be produced using evaporative cooling in a magnetic chip trap. We investigate here the possibility to release atoms from the trap via adiabatic expansion. We discuss both general considerations and a detailed model of the planned apparatus. We find that it should be possible to reduce the mean trap confinement frequency to about 0.2 Hz, which will correspond to a three-dimensional sample temperature of about 150 pK and a mean atom velocity of 0.1 mm/s.

Extreme Adiabatic Expansion in Micro-gravity: Modeling for the Cold Atomic Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sackett, C. A.; Lam, T. C.; Stickney, J. C.; Burke, J. H.

2018-05-01

The upcoming Cold Atom Laboratory mission for the International Space Station will allow the investigation of ultracold gases in a microgravity environment. Cold atomic samples will be produced using evaporative cooling in a magnetic chip trap. We investigate here the possibility to release atoms from the trap via adiabatic expansion. We discuss both general considerations and a detailed model of the planned apparatus. We find that it should be possible to reduce the mean trap confinement frequency to about 0.2 Hz, which will correspond to a three-dimensional sample temperature of about 150 pK and a mean atom velocity of 0.1 mm/s.

International manned lunar base - Beginning the 21st century in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Harlan J.; Gurshtejn, Aleksandr A.; Mendell, Wendell

An evaluation is made of requirements for, and advantages in, the creation of a manned lunar base whose functions emphasize astronomical investigations. These astronomical studies would be able to capitalize on the lunar environment's ultrahigh vacuum, highly stable surface, dark and cold sky, low-G, absence of wind, isolation from terrestrial 'noise', locally usable ceramic raw materials, and large radiotelescope dish-supporting hemispherical craters. Large telescope structures would be nearly free of the gravity and wind loads that complicate their design on earth.

Experimental Investigation of the Influence of the Laser Beam Waist on Cold Atom Guiding Efficiency.

PubMed

Song, Ningfang; Hu, Di; Xu, Xiaobin; Li, Wei; Lu, Xiangxiang; Song, Yitong

2018-02-28

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the vertical guiding laser beam waist on cold atom guiding efficiency. In this study, a double magneto-optical trap (MOT) apparatus is used. With an unbalanced force in the horizontal direction, a cold atomic beam is generated by the first MOT. The cold atoms enter the second chamber and are then re-trapped and cooled by the second MOT. By releasing a second atom cloud, the process of transferring the cold atoms from MOT to the dipole trap, which is formed by a red-detuned converged 1064-nm laser, is experimentally demonstrated. And after releasing for 20 ms, the atom cloud is guided to a distance of approximately 3 mm. As indicated by the results, the guiding efficiency depends strongly on the laser beam waist; the efficiency reaches a maximum when the waist radius ( w ₀) of the laser is in the range of 15 to 25 μm, while the initial atom cloud has a radius of 133 μm. Additionally, the properties of the atoms inside the dipole potential trap, such as the distribution profile and lifetime, are deduced from the fluorescence images.

Lunar Science Conference, 5th, Houston, Tex., March 18-22, 1974, Proceedings. Volume 1 - Mineralogy and petrology. Volume 2 Chemical and isotope analyses. Organic chemistry. Volume 3 - Physical properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gose, W. A.

1974-01-01

Numerous studies on the properties of the moon based on Apollo findings and samples are presented. Topics treated include ages of the lunar nearside light plains and maria, orange material in the Sulpicius Gallus formation at the southwestern edge of Mare Serenitatis, impact-induced fractionation in the lunar highlands, igneous rocks from Apollo 16 rake samples, experimental liquid line of descent and liquid immiscibility for basalt 70017, ion microprobe mass analysis of plagioclase from 'non-mare' lunar samples, grain size and the evolution of lunar soils, chemical composition of rocks and soils at Taurus-Littrow, the geochemical evolution of the moon, U-Th-Pb systematics of some Apollo 17 lunar samples and implications for a lunar basin excavation chronology, volatile-element systematics and green glass in Apollo 15 lunar soils, solar wind nitrogen and indigenous nitrogen in Apollo 17 lunar samples, lunar trapped xenon, solar flare and lunar surface process characterization at the Apollo 17 site, and the permanent and induced magnetic dipole moment of the moon. Individual items are announced in this issue.

'On-line' analyses of simulated solar wind implantations of terrestrial analogs of lunar materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanford, G. E.; Bergesen, P.; Moeller, W.; Maurette, M.; Monart, B.

1986-01-01

In connection with the establishment of a lunar base, it would be necessary to provide water, and the feasibility to obtain water from solar wind (SW) implanted lunar soils has been considered. In this context, a project involving the examination of materials under conditions of simulated SW irradiation has been initiated. A description is presented of initial results on oligoclase, ilmenite, and simulated lunar glass (SLG). Attention is given to the reaction chamber, the target materials, the saturation concentrations, aspects of water release, depth profiles, thermal release, effects from helium-3 preimplants, mechanisms of possible water release related to direct emission and thermal release, and lunar soil components enriched in trapped SW hydrogen. It is found that ilmenite stores about twice as much deuterium as the other target materials. However, it is unknown whether the small enrichment factor will be sufficient to make the material a potential source of lunar water.

A permanent magnet trap for buffer gas cooled atoms and molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nohlmans, D.; Skoff, S. M.; Hendricks, R. J.; Segal, D. M.; Sauer, B. E.; Hinds, E. A.; Tarbutt, M. R.

2013-05-01

Cold molecules are set to provide a wealth of new science compared to their atomic counterparts. Here we want to present preliminary results for cooling and trapping atoms/molecules in a permanent magnetic trap. By replacing the conventional buffer gas cell with an arrangement of permanent magnets, we will be able to trap a fraction of the molecules right where they are cooled. For this purpose we have designed a quadrupole trap using NdFeB magnets, which has a trap depth of 0.4 K for molecules with a magnetic moment of 1 μB. Cold helium gas is pulsed into the trap region by a solenoid valve and the atoms/molecules are subsequently ablated into this and cooled via elastic collisions, leaving a fraction of them trapped. This new set-up is currently being tested with lithium atoms as they are easier to make. After having optimised the trapping and detection processes, we will use the same trap for YbF molecules.

Integrated optical dipole trap for cold neutral atoms with an optical waveguide coupler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Park, D. H.; Mittal, S.; Dagenais, M.; Rolston, S. L.

2013-04-01

An integrated optical dipole trap uses two-color (red and blue-detuned) traveling evanescent wave fields for trapping cold neutral atoms. To achieve longitudinal confinement, we propose using an integrated optical waveguide coupler, which provides a potential gradient along the beam propagation direction sufficient to confine atoms. This integrated optical dipole trap can support an atomic ensemble with a large optical depth due to its small mode area. Its quasi-TE0 waveguide mode has an advantage over the HE11 mode of a nanofiber, with little inhomogeneous Zeeman broadening at the trapping region. The longitudinal confinement eliminates the need for a one dimensional optical lattice, reducing collisional blockaded atomic loading, potentially producing larger ensembles. The waveguide trap allows for scalability and integrability with nano-fabrication technology. We analyze the potential performance of such integrated atom traps.

Radiation and Plasma Environments for Lunar Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Edwards, David L.; Altstatt, Richard L.; Diekmann, Anne M.; Blackwell, William C., Jr.; Harine, Katherine J.

2006-01-01

Space system design for lunar orbit and extended operations on the lunar surface requires analysis of potential system vulnerabilities to plasma and radiation environments to minimize anomalies and assure that environmental failures do not occur during the mission. Individual environments include the trapped particles in Earth s radiation belts, solar energetic particles and galactic cosmic rays, plasma environments encountered in transit to the moon and on the lunar surface (solar wind, terrestrial magnetosheath and magnetotail, and lunar photoelectrons), and solar ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet photons. These are the plasma and radiation environments which contribute to a variety of effects on space systems including total ionizing dose and dose rate effects in electronics, degradation of materials in the space environment, and charging of spacecraft and lunar dust. This paper provides a survey of the relevant charged particle and photon environments of importance to lunar mission design ranging from the lowest (approx.few 10 s eV) photoelectron energies to the highest (approx.GeV) cosmic ray energies.

Geology, geochemistry, and geophysics of the Moon: Status of current understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaumann, R.; Hiesinger, H.; Anand, M.; Crawford, I. A.; Wagner, R.; Sohl, F.; Jolliff, B. L.; Scholten, F.; Knapmeyer, M.; Hoffmann, H.; Hussmann, H.; Grott, M.; Hempel, S.; Köhler, U.; Krohn, K.; Schmitz, N.; Carpenter, J.; Wieczorek, M.; Spohn, T.; Robinson, M. S.; Oberst, J.

2012-12-01

The Moon is key to understanding both Earth and our Solar System in terms of planetary processes and has been a witness of the Solar System history for more than 4.5 Ga. Building on earlier telescopic observations, our knowledge about the Moon was transformed by the wealth of information provided by Apollo and other space missions. These demonstrated the value of the Moon for understanding the fundamental processes that drive planetary formation and evolution. The Moon was understood as an inert body with its geology mainly restricted to impact and volcanism with associated tectonics, and a relative simple composition. Unlike Earth, an absence of plate tectonics has preserved a well-defined accretion and geological evolution record. However recent missions to the Moon show that this traditional view of the lunar surface is certainly an over simplification. For example, although it has long been suspected that ice might be preserved in cold traps at the lunar poles, recent results also indicate the formation and retention of OH- and H2O outside of polar regions. These volatiles are likely to be formed as a result of hydration processes operating at the lunar surface including the production of H2O and OH by solar wind protons interacting with oxygen-rich rock surfaces produced during micrometeorite impact on lunar soil particles. Moreover, on the basis of Lunar Prospector gamma-ray data, the lunar crust and underlying mantle has been found to be divided into distinct terranes that possess unique geochemical, geophysical, and geological characteristics. The concentration of heat producing elements on the nearside hemisphere of the Moon in the Procellarum KREEP Terrane has apparently led to the nearside being more volcanically active than the farside. Recent dating of basalts has shown that lunar volcanism was active for almost 3 Ga, starting at about 3.9-4.0 Ga and ceasing at ˜1.2 Ga. A recent re-processing of the seismic data supports the presence of a partially molten layer at the base of the mantle and shows not only the presence of a 330 km liquid core, but also a small solid inner core. Today, the Moon does not have a dynamo-generated magnetic field like that of the Earth. However, remnant magnetization of the lunar crust and the paleomagnetic record of some lunar samples suggest that magnetization was acquired, possibly from an intrinsic magnetic field caused by an early lunar core dynamo. In summary, the Moon is a complex differentiated planetary object and much remains to be explored and discovered, especially regarding the origin of the Moon, the history of the Earth-Moon system, and processes that have operated in the inner Solar System over the last 4.5 Ga. Returning to the Moon is therefore the critical next stepping-stone to further exploration and understanding of our planetary neighborhood.

Spontaneous evolution of rydberg atoms into an ultracold plasma

PubMed

Robinson; Tolra; Noel; Gallagher; Pillet

2000-11-20

We have observed the spontaneous evolution of a dense sample of Rydberg atoms into an ultracold plasma, in spite of the fact that each of the atoms may initially be bound by up to 100 cm(-1). When the atoms are initially bound by 70 cm(-1), this evolution occurs when most of the atoms are translationally cold, <1 mK, but a small fraction, approximately 1%, is at room temperature. Ionizing collisions between hot and cold Rydberg atoms and blackbody photoionization produce an essentially stationary cloud of cold ions, which traps electrons produced later. The trapped electrons rapidly collisionally ionize the remaining cold Rydberg atoms to form a cold plasma.

Regarding the Possible Generation of a Lunar Nightside Exo-Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Halekas, J. S.; Stubbs, T. J.; Delory, G. T.; Killen, R. M.; Hartle, R. E.; Collier, M. R.

2011-01-01

The non-condensing neutral helium exosphere is at its most concentrated levels on the cold lunar nightside. We show herein that these He atoms are susceptible to impact ionization from primary and secondary electrons flowing in the vicinity of the negatively-charged nightside lunar surface. The secondary electron beams are a relatively recent discovery and are found to be emitted from the nightside surface at energies consistent with the negative surface potential. The effect is to create an electron impact-created ionosphere in nightside regions. possibly especially potent within polar craters.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Viewing the Lunar Interior Through Titanium-Colored Glasses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session"Viewing the Lunar Interior Through Titanium-Colored Glasses" included the following reports:Consequences of High Crystallinity for the Evolution of the Lunar Magma Ocean: Trapped Plagioclase; Low Abundances of Highly Siderophile Elements in the Lunar Mantle: Evidence for Prolonged Late Accretion; Fast Anorthite Dissolution Rates in Lunar Picritic Melts: Petrologic Implications; Searching the Moon for Aluminous Mare Basalts Using Compositional Remote-Sensing Constraints II: Detailed analysis of ROIs; Origin of Lunar High Titanium Ultramafic Glasses: A Hybridized Source?; Ilmenite Solubility in Lunar Basalts as a Function of Temperature and Pressure: Implications for Petrogenesis; Garnet in the Lunar Mantle: Further Evidence from Volcanic Glasses; Preliminary High Pressure Phase Relations of Apollo 15 Green C Glass: Assessment of the Role of Garnet; Oxygen Fugacity of Mare Basalts and the Lunar Mantle. Application of a New Microscale Oxybarometer Based on the Valence State of Vanadium; A Model for the Origin of the Dark Ring at Orientale Basin; Petrology and Geochemistry of LAP 02 205: A New Low-Ti Mare-Basalt Meteorite; Thorium and Samarium in Lunar Pyroclastic Glasses: Insights into the Composition of the Lunar Mantle and Basaltic Magmatism on the Moon; and Eu2+ and REE3+ Diffusion in Enstatite, Diopside, Anorthite, and a Silicate Melt: A Database for Understanding Kinetic Fractionation of REE in the Lunar Mantle and Crust.

The Mercury-Drag Effect, a Demonstration of Transport Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, D. H.; Teese, R. B

1969-01-01

The mercury-drag effect is demonstrated when mercury vapor diffuses through nitrogen gas at low pressure, passing through tubes of different radii to liquid nitrogen-cooled cold traps. The pressure changes of the nitrogen gas on the mercury-deficient side of the cold traps are observed and compared with theoretical and experimental valves from the…

Free-radical chemistry as a means to evaluate lunar dust health hazard in view of future missions to the moon.

PubMed

Turci, Francesco; Corazzari, Ingrid; Alberto, Gabriele; Martra, Gianmario; Fubini, Bice

2015-05-01

Lunar dust toxicity has to be evaluated in view of future manned missions to the Moon. Previous studies on lunar specimens and simulated dusts have revealed an oxidant activity assigned to HO· release. However, the mechanisms behind the reactivity of lunar dust are still quite unclear at the molecular level. In the present study, a complementary set of tests--including terephthalate (TA) hydroxylation, free radical release as measured by means of the spin-trapping/electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique, and cell-free lipoperoxidation--is proposed to investigate the reactions induced by the fine fraction of a lunar dust analogue (JSC-1A-vf) in biologically relevant experimental environments. Our study proved that JSC-1A-vf is able to hydroxylate TA also in anaerobic conditions, which indicates that molecular oxygen is not involved in such a reaction. Spin-trapping/EPR measures showed that the HO· radical is not the reactive intermediate involved in the oxidative potential of JSC-1A-vf. A surface reactivity implying a redox cycle of phosphate-complexed iron via a Fe(IV) state is proposed. The role of this iron species was investigated by assessing the reactivity of JSC-1A-vf toward hydrogen peroxide (Fenton-like activity), formate ions (homolytic rupture of C-H bond), and linoleic acid (cell-free lipoperoxidation). JSC-1A-vf was active in all tests, confirming that redox centers of transition metal ions on the surface of the dust may be responsible for dust reactivity and that the TA assay may be a useful field probe to monitor the surface oxidative potential of lunar dust.

Hydrogen and fluorine in the surfaces of lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leich, D. A.; Goldberg, R. H.; Burnett, D. S.; Tombrello, T. A.

1974-01-01

The resonant nuclear reaction F-19 (p, alpha gamma)0-16 has been used to perform depth sensitive analyses for both fluorine and hydrogen in lunar samples. The resonance at 0.83 MeV (center-of-mass) in this reaction has been applied to the measurement of the distribution of trapped solar protons in lunar samples to depths of about 1/2 micrometer. These results are interpreted in terms of terrestrial H2O surface contamination and a redistribution of the implanted solar H which has been influenced by heavy radiation damage in the surface region. Results are also presented for an experiment to test the penetration of H2O into laboratory glass samples which have been irradiated with 0-16 to simulate the radiation damaged surfaces of lunar glasses. Fluorine determinations have been performed in a 1 pm surface layer on lunar samples using the same F-19 alpha gamma)0-16 resonance. The data are discussed from the standpoint of lunar fluorine and Teflon contamination.

Workshop on Past and Present Solar Radiation: The Record in Meteoritic and Lunar Regolith Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepin, R. O. (Compiler); Mckay, D. S. (Compiler)

1986-01-01

The principal question addressed in the workshop was the extent to which asteroidal and lunar regoliths have collected and preserved, in meteoritic regolith breccias and in lunar soils and regolith breccias, a record of the flux, energy, and compositional history of the solar wind and solar flares. Six central discussion topics were identified. They are: (1)Trapped solar wind and flare gases, tracks, and micrometeorite pits in regolith components; (2)Comparison between lunar regolith breccias, meteoritic regolith breccias, and the lunar soil; (3)The special role of regolith breccias and the challenge of dating their times of compaction; (4)Implications of the data for the flux and compositional history of solar particle emission, composition, and physical mechanisms in the solar source regions, and the composition of the early nebula; (5)How and to what extent have records of incident radiation been altered in various types of grains; (6)Future research directions

The formation of Charon's red poles from seasonally cold-trapped volatiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grundy, W. M.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Gladstone, G. R.; Howett, C. J. A.; Lauer, T. R.; Spencer, J. R.; Summers, M. E.; Buie, M. W.; Earle, A. M.; Ennico, K.; Parker, J. Wm.; Porter, S. B.; Singer, K. N.; Stern, S. A.; Verbiscer, A. J.; Beyer, R. A.; Binzel, R. P.; Buratti, B. J.; Cook, J. C.; Dalle Ore, C. M.; Olin, C. B.; Parker, A. H.; Protopapa, S.; Quirico, E.; Retherford, K. D.; Robbins, S. J.; Schmitt, B.; Stansberry, J. A.; Umurhan, O. M.; Weaver, H. A.; Young, L. A.; Zangari, A. M.; Bray, V. J.; Cheng, A. F.; McKinnon, W. B.; McNutt, R. L.; Morre, J. M.; Nimmo, F.; Reuter, D. C.; Schenk, P. M.; New Horizons Science Team; Stern, S. A.; Bagenal, F.; Ennico, K.; Gladstone, G. R.; Grundy, W. M.; McKinnon, W. B.; Moore, J. M.; Olkin, C. B.; Spencer, J. R.; Weaver, H. A.; Young, L. A.; Andert, T.; Barnouin, O.; Beyer, R. A.; Binzel, R. P.; Bird, M.; Bray, V. J.; Brozovic, M.; Buie, M. W.; Buratti, B. J.; Cheng, A. F.; Cook, J. C.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Dalle Ore, C. M.; Earler, A. M.; Elliott, H. A.; Greathouse, T. K.; Hahn, M.; Hamilton, D. P.; Hill, M. E.; Hinson, D. P.; Hofgartner, J.; Horányi, M.; Howard, A. D.; Howett, C. J. A.; Jennings, D. E.; Kammer, J. A.; Kollmann, P.; Lauer, T. R.; Lavvas, P.; Linscott, I. R. Lisse, C. M.; Lunsford, A. W.; McComas, D. J.; McNutt, R. L., Jr.; Mutchler, M.; Nimmo, F.; Nunez, J. I.; Paetzold, M.; Parker, A. H.; Parker, J. Wm.; Philippe, S.; Piquette, M.; Porter, S. B.; Protopapa, S.; Quirico, E.; Reitsema, H. J.; Reuter, D. C.; Robbins, S. J.; Roberts, J. H.; Runyon, K.; Schenk, P. M.; Schindhelm, E.; Schmitt, B.; Showalter, M. R.; Singer, K. N.; Stansberry, J. A.; Steffl, A. J.; Strobel, D. F.; Stryk, T.; Summers, M. E.; Szalay, J. R.; Throop, H. B.; Tsang, C. C. C.; Tyler, G. L.; Umurhan, O. M.; Verbiscer, A. J.; Versteeg, M. H.; Weigle, G. E., II; White, O. L.; Woods, W. W.; Young, E. F.; Zangari, A. M.

2016-11-01

A unique feature of Pluto's large satellite Charon is its dark red northern polar cap. Similar colours on Pluto's surface have been attributed to tholin-like organic macromolecules produced by energetic radiation processing of hydrocarbons. The polar location on Charon implicates the temperature extremes that result from Charon's high obliquity and long seasons in the production of this material. The escape of Pluto's atmosphere provides a potential feedstock for a complex chemistry. Gas from Pluto that is transiently cold-trapped and processed at Charon's winter pole was proposed as an explanation for the dark coloration on the basis of an image of Charon's northern hemisphere, but not modelled quantitatively. Here we report images of the southern hemisphere illuminated by Pluto-shine and also images taken during the approach phase that show the northern polar cap over a range of longitudes. We model the surface thermal environment on Charon and the supply and temporary cold-trapping of material escaping from Pluto, as well as the photolytic processing of this material into more complex and less volatile molecules while cold-trapped. The model results are consistent with the proposed mechanism for producing the observed colour pattern on Charon.

The Formation of Charon's Red Poles from Seasonally Cold-Trapped Volatiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grundy, W. M.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Gladstone, D. R.; Howett, C. J. A.; Lauer, T. R.; Spencer, J. R.; Summers, M. E.; Buie, M. W.; Earle, A. M.; Ennico, K.;

The formation of Charon's red poles from seasonally cold-trapped volatiles.

PubMed

Grundy, W M; Cruikshank, D P; Gladstone, G R; Howett, C J A; Lauer, T R; Spencer, J R; Summers, M E; Buie, M W; Earle, A M; Ennico, K; Parker, J Wm; Porter, S B; Singer, K N; Stern, S A; Verbiscer, A J; Beyer, R A; Binzel, R P; Buratti, B J; Cook, J C; Dalle Ore, C M; Olkin, C B; Parker, A H; Protopapa, S; Quirico, E; Retherford, K D; Robbins, S J; Schmitt, B; Stansberry, J A; Umurhan, O M; Weaver, H A; Young, L A; Zangari, A M; Bray, V J; Cheng, A F; McKinnon, W B; McNutt, R L; Moore, J M; Nimmo, F; Reuter, D C; Schenk, P M

2016-11-03

A unique feature of Pluto's large satellite Charon is its dark red northern polar cap. Similar colours on Pluto's surface have been attributed to tholin-like organic macromolecules produced by energetic radiation processing of hydrocarbons. The polar location on Charon implicates the temperature extremes that result from Charon's high obliquity and long seasons in the production of this material. The escape of Pluto's atmosphere provides a potential feedstock for a complex chemistry. Gas from Pluto that is transiently cold-trapped and processed at Charon's winter pole was proposed as an explanation for the dark coloration on the basis of an image of Charon's northern hemisphere, but not modelled quantitatively. Here we report images of the southern hemisphere illuminated by Pluto-shine and also images taken during the approach phase that show the northern polar cap over a range of longitudes. We model the surface thermal environment on Charon and the supply and temporary cold-trapping of material escaping from Pluto, as well as the photolytic processing of this material into more complex and less volatile molecules while cold-trapped. The model results are consistent with the proposed mechanism for producing the observed colour pattern on Charon.

Symmetry breaking in linear multipole traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedregosa-Gutierrez, J.; Champenois, C.; Kamsap, M. R.; Hagel, G.; Houssin, M.; Knoop, M.

2018-03-01

Radiofrequency multipole traps have been used for some decades in cold collision experiments and are gaining interest for precision spectroscopy due to their low micromotion contribution and the predicted unusual cold-ion structures. However, the experimental realisation is not yet fully controlled, and open questions in the operation of these devices remain. We present experimental observations of symmetry breaking of the trapping potential in a macroscopic octupole trap with laser-cooled ions. Numerical simulations have been performed in order to explain the appearance of additional local potential minima and be able to control them in a next step. We characterise these additional potential minima, in particular with respect to their position, their potential depth and their probability of population as a function of the radial and angular displacement of the trapping rods.

COLD TRAP

DOEpatents

Milleron, N.

1963-03-12

An improved linear-flow cold trap is designed for highvacuum applications such as mitigating back migration of diffusion pump oil moiecules. A central pot of liquid nitrogen is nested within and supported by a surrounding, vertical, helical coil of metai sheet, all enveloped by a larger, upright, cylindrical, vacuum vessel. The vertical interstices between successive turns of the coil afford lineal, axial, high-vacuum passages between open mouths at top and bottom of said vessel, while the coil, being cold by virtue of thermal contact of its innermost turn with the nitrogen pot, affords expansive proximate condensation surfaces. (AEC)

Searching for Water Ice at the Lunar North Pole Using High-Resolution Images and Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, J. L.; Lawrence, S. J.; Robinson, M. S.; Speyerer, E. J.; Denevi, B. W.

2017-01-01

Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles are potential reservoirs of frozen volatiles, and are therefore high-priority exploration targets. PSRs trap water and other volatiles because their annual maximum temperatures (40-100K) are lower than the sublimation temperatures of these species (i.e. H2O approx.104K). Previous studies using various remote sensing techniques have not been able to definitively characterize the distribution or abundance of ice in lunar PSRs. The purpose of this study is to search for signs of ice in PSRs using two complimentary remote sensing techniques: radar and visible images.

Mass loading of the Earth's magnetosphere by micron size lunar ejecta. 2: Ejecta dynamics and enhanced lifetimes in the Earth's magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, W. M.; Tanner, W. G.; Anz, P. D.; Chen, A. L.

1986-01-01

Extensive studies were conducted concerning the indivdual mass, temporal and positional distribution of micron and submicron lunar ejecta existing in the Earth-Moon gravitational sphere of influence. Initial results show a direct correlation between the position of the Moon, relative to the Earth, and the percentage of lunar ejecta leaving the Moon and intercepting the magnetosphere of the Earth at the magnetopause surface. It is seen that the Lorentz Force dominates all other forces, thus suggesting that submicron dust particles might possibly be magnetically trapped in the well known radiation zones.

Low Temperature (<100K) Regolith Thermal Conductivity - Preliminary Laboratory Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegler, M.; Zhong, F.; Woods-Robinson, R.; Paige, D. A.

2016-12-01

The Diviner Lunar Radiometer, aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has shown materials with in the polar cold traps of the Moon to have thermal inertias at least 1 order of magnitude than the rest of the lunar surface. This detection was unexpected, but has a potentially straight-forward explanation in solid state theory (see companion Woods-Robinson et. al. abstract). Thermal conductivity, λ, of a solid should be directly proportional to the specific heat capacity, cp, phonon mean-free path, l, and phonon velocity, v, as: λ(T)=cplvAs temperature decreases, cp also decreases, while l increases. Phonon velocity, v, is generally thought to be constant with temperature. Therefore, thermal conductivity, λ, as a function temperature, T, can be thought of as a battle between cp and l. In crystalline materials, the increase of l with decreasing T generally dominates. However, in polycrystalline materials, like are found on most planetary surfaces, the growth of l (which is fundimantally a measurement of likelihood of phonon scattering) is limited by phonon scattering off of individual grains and subgrain boundaries. In these cases, cpdominates, causing thermal conductivity to plummet at low (<100K for silicate materials) temperatures. Therefore, thermal conductivity as a function of temperature should be inherently related to crystallinity of a given material. In regolith, this solid state drop in material thermal conductivity of polycrystalline materials will act on top of a well understood, but difficult to predict, physical bottleneck of heat transfer at grain contact points. This leads to λ on the order of 10-3 Wm-1K-1 in lunar regolith. Preliminary models predict thermal conductivities on the order 10-5 to 10-4 Wm-1K-1are likely at temperatures below 50K for materials dominated by small crystals (amorphous materials such as glass). Here we report on preliminary laboratory measurements of regolith and regolith simulants down to 15K and 10-7 torr. These results are obtained through an active heated needle measurement within a 10cc samples of regolith from the Apollo 11 and 16 missions at roughly 1500g/cc densities. The samples chamber is nested within a sterling-cooled cryogenic system located at JPL. We will also show results from glass beads (an amorphous "end member") as well as lunar regolith simulants.

Toward a Unified View of the Moon's Polar Volatiles from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayne, Paul

2016-04-01

Although the scientific basis for the possibility of water and other volatiles in the cold traps of the lunar polar regions was developed in the 1960's and '70's [1,2], only recently have the data become available to test the theories in detail. Furthermore, comparisons with other planetary bodies, particularly Mercury, have revealed surprising differences that may point to inconsistencies or holes in our understanding of the basic processes involving volatiles on airless bodies [3]. Addressing these gaps in understanding is critical to the future exploration of the Moon, for which water is an important scientific and engineering resource [4]. Launched in 2009, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been acquiring data from lunar orbit for more than six years. All seven of the remote sensing instruments on the payload have now contributed significantly to advancing understanding of volatiles on the Moon. Here we present results from these investigations, and discuss attempts to synthesize the disparate information to create a self-consistent model for lunar volatiles. In addition to the LRO data, we must take into account results from earlier missions [5,6], ground-based telescopes [7], and sample analyses [8]. The results from these inter-comparisons show that water is likely available in useful quantities, but key additional measurements may be required to resolve remaining uncertainties. [1] Watson, K., Murray, B. C., & Brown, H. (1961), J. Geophys. Res., 66(9), 3033-3045. [2] Arnold, J. R. (1979), J. Geophys. Res. (1978-2012), 84(B10), 5659-5668. [3] Paige, D. A., Siegler, M. A., Harmon, J. K., Neumann, G. A., Mazarico, E. M., Smith, D. E., ... & Solomon, S. C. (2013), Science, 339(6117), 300-303. [4] Hayne, P. O., et al. (2014), Keck Inst. Space Studies Report. [5] Nozette, S., Lichtenberg, C. L., Spudis, P., Bonner, R., Ort, W., Malaret, E., ... & Shoemaker, E. M. (1996), Science, 274(5292), 1495-1498. [6] Pieters, C. M., Goswami, J. N., Clark, R. N., Annadurai, M., Boardman, J., Buratti, B., ... & Varanasi, P. (2009), Science, 326(5952), 568-572. [7] Campbell, D. B., Campbell, B. A., Carter, L. M., Margot, J. L., & Stacy, N. J. (2006), Nature, 443(7113), 835-837. [8] Boyce, J. W., Liu, Y., Rossman, G. R., Guan, Y., Eiler, J. M., Stolper, E. M., & Taylor, L. A. (2010), Nature, 466(7305), 466-469.

Redistribution of Lunar Polar Water to Mid-latitudes and its Role in Forming an OH veneer - Revisited

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Killen, R. M.; Hurley, D. M.; Hodges, R. R.; Halekas, J. S.; Delory, G. T.

2012-01-01

We suggest that energization processes like ion sputtering and impact vaporization can eject/release polar water molecules residing within lunar cold trapped regions with sufficient velocity to allow their redistribution to mid-latitudes. We consider the possibility that these polar-ejected molecules can be an additional (but not dominant) contribution to the water/OH veneer observed as a 3 micron absorption feature at mid-latitudes by Chandrayaan-I, Cassini, and EPOXI. Taking the conservative case that polar water is ejected only from the floor of polar craters with an 0.1 % icy regolith then overall source rates are near 10(exp 18) H20s/s. This outflow amounts to approx 10(exp -7) kg/s of water to be ejected from each pole and is a water source rate that is 10(exp .5 lower than the overall exospheric source rate for all species. Hence, the out-flowing polar water is a perturbation in the overall exosphere composition & dynamics. This polar water 'fountain' model may not fully account for the relatively high concentrations in the mid-latitude water veneer observed in the IR (approx 10-1000 ppm). However, it may account for some part of the veneer. We note that the polar water fountain source rates scale linearly with ice concentration, and larger mass fractions of polar crater water should provide correspondingly larger fractions of water emission out of the poles which then 'spills' on to mid-latitude surfaces.

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noble, Sarah; French, Raymond; Nall, Mark; Muery, Kimberly

2009-01-01

LMMP was initiated in 2007 to help in making the anticipated results of the LRO spacecraft useful and accessible to Constellation. The LMMP is managing and developing a suite of lunar mapping and modeling tools and products that support the Constellation Program (CxP) and other lunar exploration activities. In addition to the LRO Principal Investigators, relevant activities and expertise that had already been funded by NASA was identified at ARC, CRREL (Army Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory), GSFC, JPL, & USGS. LMMP is a cost capped, design-to-cost project (Project budget was established prior to obtaining Constellation needs)

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 18th, Houston, TX, Mar. 16-20, 1987, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryder, Graham (Editor)

1988-01-01

Papers on lunar and planetary science are presented, including petrogenesis and chemistry of lunar samples, geology and petrogenesis of the Apollo 15 landing site, lunar geology and applications, cratering records and cratering effects, differentiated meteorites, chondritic meteorites and asteroids, extraterrestrial grains, Venus, Mars, and icy satellites. The importance of lunar granite and KREEP in very high potassium basalt petrogenesis, indentifying parent plutonic rocks from lunar breccia and soil fragments, glasses in ancient and young Apollo 16 regolith breccias, the formation of the Imbrium basin, the chemistry and petrology of the Apennine Front, lunar mare ridges, studies of Rima Mozart, electromagnetic energy applications in lunar resource mining and construction, detecting a periodic signal in the terrestrial cratering record, and a search for water on the moon, are among the topics discussed. Other topics include the bidirectional reflectance properties of Fe-Ni meteorites, the nature and origin of C-rich ordinary chondrites and chondritic clasts, the dehydration kinetics of shocked serpentine, characteristics of Greenland Fe/Ni cosmic grains, electron microscopy of a hydrated interplanetary dust particle, trapping Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe in Si2O3 smokes, gossans on Mars, and a model of the porous structure of icy satellites.

A lunar polar expedition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dowling, Richard; Staehle, Robert L.; Svitek, Tomas

1992-01-01

Advanced exploration and development in harsh environments require mastery of basic human survival skill. Expeditions into the lethal climates of Earth's polar regions offer useful lessons for tommorrow's lunar pioneers. In Arctic and Antarctic exploration, 'wintering over' was a crucial milestone. The ability to establish a supply base and survive months of polar cold and darkness made extensive travel and exploration possible. Because of the possibility of near-constant solar illumination, the lunar polar regions, unlike Earth's may offer the most hospitable site for habitation. The World Space Foundation is examining a scenario for establishing a five-person expeditionary team on the lunar north pole for one year. This paper is a status report on a point design addressing site selection, transportation, power, and life support requirements.

Space Solar Power Technology for Lunar Polar Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henley, Mark W.; Howell, Joe T.

2004-01-01

The technology for Laser-Photo-Voltaic Wireless Power Transistor (Laser-PV WPT) is being developed for lunar polar applications by Boeing and NASA Marshall Space Center. A lunar polar mission could demonstrate and validate Laser-PV WPT and other SSP technologies, while enabling access to cold, permanently shadowed craters that are believed to contain ice. Crater may hold frozen water and other volatiles deposited over billion of years, recording prior impact event on the moon (and Earth). A photo-voltaic-powered rover could use sunlight, when available, and laser light, when required, to explore a wide range of lunar terrain. The National Research Council recently found that a mission to the moon's south pole-Aitkir basin has priority for space science

Studies on equatorial shock formation during plasmaspheric refilling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, N.

1994-01-01

Investigations based on small-scale simulations of microprocesses occurring when a magnetic flux tube refills with a cold plasma are summarized. Results of these investigations are reported in the following attached papers: (1) 'Numerical Simulation of Filling a Magnetic Flux Tube with a Cold Plasma: The Role of Ion Beam-Driven Instabilities'; and (2) 'Numerical Simulation of Filling a Magnetic Flux Tube with a Cold Plasma: Effects of Magnetically Trapped Hot Plasma'. Other papers included are: 'Interaction of Field-Aligned Cold Plasma Flows with an Equatorially-Trapped Hot Plasma: Electrostatic Shock Formation'; and 'Comparison of Hydrodynamic and Semikinetic Treatments for a Plasma Flow along Closed Field Lines'. A proposal for further research is included.

Cold Trap Dismantling and Sodium Removal at a Fast Breeder Reactor - 12327

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graf, A.; Petrick, H.; Stutz, U.

2012-07-01

The first German prototype Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor (KNK) is currently being dismantled after being the only operating Fast Breeder-type reactor in Germany. As this reactor type used sodium as a coolant in its primary and secondary circuit, seven cold traps containing various amounts of partially activated sodium needed to be disposed of as part of the dismantling. The resulting combined difficulties of radioactive contamination and high chemical reactivity were handled by treating the cold traps differently depending on their size and the amount of sodium contained inside. Six small cold traps were processed onsite by cutting them up intomore » small parts using a band saw under a protective atmosphere. The sodium was then converted to sodium hydroxide by using water. The remaining large cold trap could not be handled in the same way due to its dimensions (2.9 m x 1.1 m) and the declared amount of sodium inside (1,700 kg). It was therefore manually dismantled inside a large box filled with a protective atmosphere, while the resulting pieces were packaged for later burning in a special facility. The experiences gained by KNK during this process may be advantageous for future dismantling projects in similar sodium-cooled reactors worldwide. The dismantling of a prototype fast breeder reactor provides the challenge not only to dismantle radioactive materials but also to handle sodium-contaminated or sodium-containing components. The treatment of sodium requires additional equipment and installations to ensure a safe handling. Since it is not permitted to bring sodium into a repository, all sodium has to be neutralized either through a controlled reaction with water or by incinerating. The resulting components can be disposed of as normal radioactive waste with no further conditions. The handling of sodium needs skilled and experienced workers to minimize the inherent risks. And the example of the disposal of the large KNK cold trap shows the interaction with others and also foreign decommissioning projects can provide solutions with were unknown before. (authors)« less

Moonlight and blood-feeding behaviour of Lutzomyia intermedia and Lutzomyia whitmani (Diptera:Psychodidae:Phlebotominae), vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil.

PubMed

Souza, Nataly A; Andrade-Coelho, Cláudia A; Silva, Vanderlei C; Peixoto, Alexandre A; Rangel, Elizabeth F

2005-02-01

Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) and L. whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), two important vectors of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil, occur in sympatry in the locality of Posse county, Petropolis municipality, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We investigated the influence of the lunar cycle on the frequency of specimens of the two species caught while attempting to bite the collectors and in CDC light traps. Analysis of the numbers of sand flies captured in different lunar phases for two consecutive years in the peridomestic site and forest shows that there is a significant positive correlation between moonlight intensity and the numbers of L. intermedia and L. whitmani females collected while blood-feeding, whereas the opposite was observed for the CDC traps.

Plasmonic trapping potentials for cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mildner, Matthias; Horrer, Andreas; Fleischer, Monika; Zimmermann, Claus; Slama, Sebastian

2018-07-01

This paper reports on conceptual and experimental work towards the realization of plasmonic surface traps for cold atoms. The trapping mechanism is based on the combination of a repulsive and an attractive potential generated by evanescent light waves that are plasmonically enhanced. The strength of enhancement can be locally manipulated via the thickness of a metal nanolayer deposited on top of a dielectric substrate. Thus, in principle the trapping geometry can be predefined by the metal layer design. We present simulations of a plasmonic lattice potential using a gold grating with sinusoidally modulated thickness. Experimentally, a first plasmonic test structure is presented and characterized. Furthermore, the surface potential landscape is detected by reflecting ultracold atom clouds from the test structure revealing the influence of both evanescent waves. A parameter range is identified where stable traps can be expected.

Reply to ``Comment on `Quantum time-of-flight distribution for cold trapped atoms' ''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Md. Manirul; Home, Dipankar; Majumdar, A. S.; Pan, Alok K.

2008-02-01

In their comment Gomes [Phys. Rev. A 77, 026101 (2008)] have questioned the possibility of empirically testable differences existing between the semiclassical time of flight distribution for cold trapped atoms and a quantum distribution discussed by us recently [Ali , Phys. Rev. A 75, 042110 (2007).]. We argue that their criticism is based on a semiclassical treatment having restricted applicability for a particular trapping potential. Their claim does not preclude, in general, the possibility of differences between the semiclassical calculations and fully quantum results for the arrival time distribution of freely falling atoms.

Reply to 'Comment on 'Quantum time-of-flight distribution for cold trapped atoms''

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ali, Md. Manirul; Home, Dipankar; Pan, Alok K.

2008-02-15

In their comment Gomes et al. [Phys. Rev. A 77, 026101 (2008)] have questioned the possibility of empirically testable differences existing between the semiclassical time of flight distribution for cold trapped atoms and a quantum distribution discussed by us recently [Ali et al., Phys. Rev. A 75, 042110 (2007).]. We argue that their criticism is based on a semiclassical treatment having restricted applicability for a particular trapping potential. Their claim does not preclude, in general, the possibility of differences between the semiclassical calculations and fully quantum results for the arrival time distribution of freely falling atoms.

Synchronization of a self-sustained cold-atom oscillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimonen, H.; Kwek, L. C.; Kaiser, R.; Labeyrie, G.

2018-04-01

Nonlinear oscillations and synchronization phenomena are ubiquitous in nature. We study the synchronization of self-oscillating magneto-optically trapped cold atoms to a weak external driving. The oscillations arise from a dynamical instability due the competition between the screened magneto-optical trapping force and the interatomic repulsion due to multiple scattering of light. A weak modulation of the trapping force allows the oscillations of the cloud to synchronize to the driving. The synchronization frequency range increases with the forcing amplitude. The corresponding Arnold tongue is experimentally measured and compared to theoretical predictions. Phase locking between the oscillator and drive is also observed.

Insolation Effects on Lunar Hydrogen: Observation from the LRO LEND and LOLA Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClanahan, T. P.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Boynton, W. V.; Chin, G.; Droege, G.; Evans, L. G.; Garvin, J.; Harshman, K.; Livak, M. M.; Malakhov, A.;

Cold Start of a Radiator Equipped with Titanium-Water Heat Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaworske, Donald A.; Sanzi, James L.; Siamidis, John

2008-01-01

Radiator panels utilizing titanium-water heat pipes are being considered for lunar applications. A traditional sandwich structure is envisioned where heat pipes are embedded between two high thermal conductivity face sheets. The heat pipe evaporators are to be thermally connected to the heat source through one or more manifolds containing coolant. Initial radiator operation on the lunar surface would likely follow a cold soak where the water in the heat pipes is purposely frozen. To achieve heat pipe operation, it will be necessary to thaw the heat pipes. One option is to allow the sunlight impinging on the surface at sunrise to achieve this goal. Testing was conducted in a thermal vacuum chamber to simulate the lunar sunrise and additional modeling was conducted to identify steady-state and transient response. It was found that sunlight impinging on the radiator surface at sunrise was insufficient to solely achieve the goal of thawing the water in the heat pipes. However, starting from a frozen condition was accomplished successfully by applying power to the evaporators. Start up in this fashion was demonstrated without evaporator dryout. Concern is raised over thawing thermosyphons, vertical heat pipes operating in a gravity field, with no wick in the condenser section. This paper presents the results of the simulated cold start study and identifies future work to support radiator panels equipped with titanium-water heat pipes.

Monitoring xenon purity in the LUX detector with a mass spectrometry system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balajthy, Jon; LUX Experiment Collaboration

2015-04-01

The LUX dark matter search experiment is a 350 kg two-phase liquid/gas xenon time projection chamber located at the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD. To monitor for radioactive impurities such as krypton and impurities which limit charge yield such as oxygen, LUX uses a xenon sampling system consisting of a mass spectrometer and a liquid nitrogen cold trap. The cold trap separates the gaseous impurities from a small sample of xenon and allows them to pass to the mass spectrometer for analysis. We report here on results from the LUX xenon sampling program. We also report on methods to enhance the sensitivity of the cold trap technique in preparation for the next-generation LUX-ZEPLIN experiment which will have even more stringent purity requirements.

Lunar magma transport phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spera, Frank J.

1992-01-01

An outline of magma transport theory relevant to the evolution of a possible Lunar Magma Ocean and the origin and transport history of the later phase of mare basaltic volcanism is presented. A simple model is proposed to evaluate the extent of fractionation as magma traverses the cold lunar lithosphere. If Apollo green glasses are primitive and have not undergone significant fractionation en route to the surface, then mean ascent rates of 10 m/s and cracks of widths greater than 40 m are indicated. Lunar tephra and vesiculated basalts suggest that a volatile component plays a role in eruption dynamics. The predominant vapor species appear to be CO CO2, and COS. Near the lunar surface, the vapor fraction expands enormously and vapor internal energy is converted to mixture kinetic energy with the concomitant high-speed ejection of vapor and pyroclasts to form lunary fire fountain deposits such as the Apollo 17 orange and black glasses and Apollo 15 green glass.

Narrow-field imaging of the lunar sodium exosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, S. Alan; Flynn, Brian C.

1995-01-01

We present the first results of a new technique for imaging the lunar Na atmosphere. The technique employs high resolution, a narrow bandpass, and specific observing geometry to suppress scattered light and image lunar atmospheric Na I emission down to approximately 50 km altitude. Analysis of four latitudinally dispersed images shows that the lunar Na atmosphere exhibits intersting latitudinal and radial dependencies. Application of a simple Maxwellian collisionless exosphere model indicates that: (1) at least two thermal populations are required to adequately fit the soldium's radial intensity behavior, and (2) the fractional abundances and temperatures of the two components vary systematically with latitude. We conclude that both cold (barometric) and hot (suprathermal) Na may coexist in the lunar atmosphere, either as distinct components or as elements of a continuum of populations ranging in temperature from the local surface temperature up to or exceeding escape energies.

Design of a device to remove lunar dust from space suits for the proposed lunar base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrington, David; Havens, Jack; Hester, Daniel

1990-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to begin construction of a lunar base soon after the turn of the century. During the Apollo missions, lunar dust proved to be a problem because the dust adhered to all exposed material surfaces. Since lunar dust will be a problem during the establishment and operation of this base, the need exists for a device to remove the dust from space suits before the astronauts enter clean environments. The physical properties of lunar dust were characterized and energy methods for removing the dust were identified. Eight alternate designs were developed to remove the dust. The final design uses a brush and gas jet to remove the dust. The brush bristles are made from Kevlar fibers and the gas jet uses pressurized carbon dioxide from a portable tank. A throttling valve allows variable gas flow. Also, the tank is insulated with Kapton and electrically heated to prevent condensation of the carbon dioxide when the tank is exposed to the cold (- 240 F) lunar night.

Thermophysical behavior of the uppermost lunar surface from Diviner high time-resolution, post-sunset observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, P.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Paige, D. A.; Hayne, P. O.; Williams, J. P.

2016-12-01

Lunar "Cold Spots" are areas around small fresh craters that are colder than their surroundings in nighttime regolith temperature (e.g., Bandfield et al., 2014, Williams et al., 2016), implying that the thermophysical properties of the surface here, exterior to the visible ejecta, have somehow been altered by the impact process. Intriguingly, this cold anomaly does not appear in Diviner observations during eclipses, when the sun has been blocked for only a short period of time (Hayne et al., 2011). Here, we extend the investigation of the immediate reaction of Cold Spots and other areas of interest to the cessation of solar heating by specifically targeting and analyzing observations in the post-sunset, or twilight, period (i.e., 16:00-17:00 local time). Analysis of this time period focuses specifically on variability in the thermophysical structure of the upper 1 cm of lunar surface, whereas previous analyses of nighttime temperatures typically speak to the upper 10s of cm. Initial results suggest that twilight temperatures mimic the behavior of eclipse temperatures, in that the Cold Spot does not become colder until 30-45 min. after sunset. In fact, it is warmer than surroundings in the first 30 min. This suggests that the thermal inertia of the upper 1 cm is higher than surroundings, while the thermal inertia of the upper 10s of cm may be lower. A current impediment to such a study is that, the finer the Diviner data is resolved temporally, the fewer areas exist that have data at all time resolutions. As part of a goal of the LRO extended mission to better constrain the thermophysical properties of the upper regolith, we plan to take advantage of the 5 twilight crossings between 10/2016 - 10/2018 to make targeted observations of a variety of types of geological features up to 5 times, spaced 4 lunar min. apart, during the post-sunset hour. A trial campaign 4-5/2015 observed 22 targets a total of 94 times. At one of the 2 targeted large Cold Spots, 4 co-located data points were obtained within the first 15 min. after sunset, all of which showed the Cold Spot surface to be warmer than surroundings. These results are consistent with and more robust than the eclipse and non-targeted observations above. Further results from this campaign, possible implied scenarios of regolith structure, and extended mission plans will be discussed.

Key technologies and applications of laser cooling and trapping {sup 87}Rb atomic system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ru, Ning, E-mail: runing@buaa.edu.cn; Zhang, Li, E-mail: mewan@buaa.edu.cn; Key Laboratory for Metrology, Changcheng Institute of Metrology and Measurement

2016-06-28

Atom Interferometry is proved to be a potential method for measuring the acceleration of atoms due to Gravity, we are now building a feasible system of cold atom gravimeter. In this paper development and the important applications of laser cooling and trapping atoms are introduced, some key techniques which are used to obtain {sup 87}Rb cold atoms in our experiments are also discussed.

Winter frost at Viking Lander 2 site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svitek, Thomas; Murray, Bruce

1990-01-01

This paper presents quantitative evidence for cold trapping (frost redeposition) at the Viking Lander 2 site. This evidence consists of the frost surface coverage and color transition, the timing of this transition, and the limited vertical mixing and horizontal water transport. It is argued that cold trapping must be a general property of seasonal frost and, therefore, must be considered in order to understand the evolution of the surface environment of Mars.

Auto-metasomatism of the western lunar highlands: Result of closed system fractionation and mobilization of a KREEPy trapped liquid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shervais, John W.; Vetter, Scott K.

1993-01-01

The discovery of REE-rich phosphates (dominantly whitlockite) in pristine, non-mare rocks of the western lunar nearside (Apollo 14, Apollo 12, and most recently, Apollo 17) has created a paradox for lunar petrologists. These phases are found in feldspar-rich cumulates of both the Mg-suite and the Alkali suite, which differ significantly in their mineral chemistries and major element compositions. Despite the differences in host rock compositions, whitlockites in both suites have similar compositions, with LREE concentrations around 21,000 to 37,000 x chondrite. Simple modeling of possible parent magma compositions using the experimental whitlockite/liquid partition coefficients of Dickinson and Hess show that these REE concentrations are too high to form from normal lunar magmas, even those characterized as 'urKREEP.'

The Moon is a Planet Too: Lunar Science and Robotic Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara A.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of what is known about the moon, and draws parallels between the moon and any other terrestrial planet. The Moon is a cornerstone for all rocky planets The Moon is a terrestrial body, formed and evolved similarly to Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and large asteroids The Moon is a differentiated body, with a layered internal structure (crust, mantle, and core) The Moon is a cratered body, preserving a record of bombardment history in the inner solar system The Moon is an active body, experiencing moonquakes, releasing primordial heat, conducting electricity, sustaining bombardment, and trapping volatile molecules Lunar robotic missions provide early science return to obtain important science and engineering objectives, rebuild a lunar science community, and keep our eyes on the Moon. These lunar missions, both past and future are reviewed.

Sympathetic cooling of nanospheres with cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montoya, Cris; Witherspoon, Apryl; Ranjit, Gambhir; Casey, Kirsten; Kitching, John; Geraci, Andrew

2016-05-01

Ground state cooling of mesoscopic mechanical structures could enable new hybrid quantum systems where mechanical oscillators act as transducers. Such systems could provide coupling between photons, spins and charges via phonons. It has recently been shown theoretically that optically trapped dielectric nanospheres could reach the ground state via sympathetic cooling with trapped cold atoms. This technique can be beneficial in cases where cryogenic operation of the oscillator is not practical. We describe experimental advances towards coupling an optically levitated dielectric nanosphere to a gas of cold Rubidium atoms. The sphere and the cold atoms are in separate vacuum chambers and are coupled using a one-dimensional optical lattice. This work is partially supported by NSF, Grant Nos. PHY-1205994,PHY-1506431.

Exposure history of the lunar meteorite, Elephant Moraine 87521

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogt, S.; Herzog, G. F.; Eugster, O.; Michel, TH.; Niedermann, S.; Kraehenbuhl, U.; Middleton, R.; Dezfouly-Arjomandy, B.; Fink, D.; Klein, J.

1993-01-01

We report the noble gas concentrations and the Al-26, Be-10, Cl-36, and Ca-41 activities of the Antarctic lunar meteorite Elephant Moraine 87521. Although the actual exposure history of the meteorite may have been more complex, the following model history accounts satisfactorily for the cosmogenic nuclide data: A first stage of lunar irradiation for about 1 Ma at a depth of 1-5 g/sq cm followed, not necessarily directly, by a second one for 26 Ma at about 565 g/sq cm; launch from the moon less than 0.1 Ma ago; and arrival on earth 15-50 ka ago. The small concentration of trapped gases shows that except for some material that may have been introduced at the moment of launch, EET 87521 spent less than 1 Ma at a lunar depth less than 1 g/sq cm. EET 87521 has a K/Ar age in the range 3.0-3.4 Ga, which is typical for lunar mare basalts.

Formation of the lunar helium corona and atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, R. R., Jr.

1977-01-01

Helium is one of the dominant gases of the lunar atmosphere. Its presence is easily identified in data from the mass spectrometer at the Apollo 17 landing site. The major part of these data was obtained in lunar nighttime, where helium concentration reaches the maximum of its diurnal cyclic variation. The large night to day concentration ratio agrees with the basic theory of exospheric lateral transport reported by Hodges and Johnson (1968). A reasonable fraction of atmospheric helium atoms has a velocity in excess of the gravitational escape velocity. The result is a short average lifetime and a tenuous helium atmosphere. A description is presented of an investigation which shows that the atmosphere of the moon has two distinct components including low energy atoms, which are gravitationally bound in trajectories that intersect the lunar surface, and higher energy atoms, which are trapped in satellite orbits. The total helium abundance in the lunar corona is shown to be about 1.3 times 10 to the 30th power atoms.

Proton flux and radiation dose from galactic cosmic rays in the lunar regolith and implications for organic synthesis at the poles of the Moon and Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crites, S. T.; Lucey, P. G.; Lawrence, D. J.

2013-11-01

Galactic cosmic rays are a potential energy source to stimulate organic synthesis from simple ices. The recent detection of organic molecules at the polar regions of the Moon by LCROSS (Colaprete, A. et al. [2010]. Science 330, 463-468, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1186986), and possibly at the poles of Mercury (Paige, D.A. et al. [2013]. Science 339, 300-303, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1231106), introduces the question of whether the organics were delivered by impact or formed in situ. Laboratory experiments show that high energy particles can cause organic production from simple ices. We use a Monte Carlo particle scattering code (MCNPX) to model and report the flux of GCR protons at the surface of the Moon and report radiation dose rates and absorbed doses at the Moon’s surface and with depth as a result of GCR protons and secondary particles, and apply scaling factors to account for contributions to dose from heavier ions. We compare our results with dose rate measurements by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) experiment on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (Schwadron, N.A. et al. [2012]. J. Geophys. Res. 117, E00H13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011JE003978) and find them in good agreement, indicating that MCNPX can be confidently applied to studies of radiation dose at and within the surface of the Moon. We use our dose rate calculations to conclude that organic synthesis is plausible well within the age of the lunar polar cold traps, and that organics detected at the poles of the Moon may have been produced in situ. Our dose rate calculations also indicate that galactic cosmic rays can induce organic synthesis within the estimated age of the dark deposits at the pole of Mercury that may contain organics.

LRO-LAMP Observations of Illumination Conditions in the Lunar South Pole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandt, K.; Greathouse, T. K.; Retherford, K. D.; Mazarico, E.; Gladstone, R.; Liu, Y.; Hendrix, A.; Hurley, D.; Lemelin, M.; Patterson, G. W.; Bowman-Cisneros, E.

2016-12-01

The south pole of the Moon is an area of great interest for space exploration and scientific research, because many low-lying regions are permanently shaded while adjacent topographic highs experience near constant sunlight. The lack of direct sunlight in permanently shaded regions (PSRs) provides cold enough conditions for them to potentially trap and retain large quantities of volatiles in their soils, while the locations that receive extended periods of sunlight could provide a reliable source of solar energy and relatively stable temperature conditions. Illumination conditions at the lunar south pole vary diurnally and seasonally, but on different timescales than days and seasons on the Earth. The most important advancements in understanding illumination conditions at the poles are provided by topographic mapping and illumination modeling. These efforts have provided estimates of the extent of PSRs and the percent of time that sunlit peaks are illuminated. They also help to constrain the thermal balance of the PSRs based on other sources of illumination. However, comparing model results with spacecraft observations can help to validate the models and provides ground truth for planning future exploration efforts. We have developed a new method for observing illumination conditions at the south pole using data taken by the LRO Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP), a far ultraviolet (FUV) imaging spectrograph. LAMP produces maps of the albedo of the upper 25-100 nm of lunar regolith using measurements of the brightness of reflected light relative to known light sources in daytime and nighttime conditions. Nighttime observations have been used previously to determine the abundance of surface frost within the PSRs and the surface porosity of regolith within the PSRs. The maps that have been used for these studies excluded scattered sunlight by restricting observations to nighttime conditions when the solar zenith angle is greater than 91°. However, by producing maps of the PSRs using data that was excluded from these previous studies we are able to observe scattering of far-UV sunlight at night within the PSRs.

Radial cold trap

DOEpatents

Grundy, Brian R.

1981-01-01

The radial cold trap comprises a housing having a plurality of mesh bands disposed therein. The mesh bands comprise concentrically arranged bands of mesh with the mesh specific surface area of each band increasing from the outermost mesh band to the innermost mesh band. An inlet nozzle is attached to the outside section of the housing while an outlet nozzle is attached to the inner portion of the housing so as to be concentrically connected to the innermost mesh band. An inlet baffle having orifices therein may be disposed around the outermost mesh band and within the housing for directing the flow of the fluid from the inlet nozzle to the outermost mesh band in a uniform manner. The flow of fluid passes through each consecutive mesh band and into the outlet nozzle. The circular pattern of the symmetrically arranged mesh packing allows for better utilization of the entire cold trap volume.

Radial cold trap

DOEpatents

Grundy, B.R.

1981-09-29

The radial cold trap comprises a housing having a plurality of mesh bands disposed therein. The mesh bands comprise concentrically arranged bands of mesh with the mesh specific surface area of each band increasing from the outermost mesh band to the innermost mesh band. An inlet nozzle is attached to the outside section of the housing while an outlet nozzle is attached to the inner portion of the housing so as to be concentrically connected to the innermost mesh band. An inlet baffle having orifices therein may be disposed around the outermost mesh band and within the housing for directing the flow of the fluid from the inlet nozzle to the outermost mesh band in a uniform manner. The flow of fluid passes through each consecutive mesh band and into the outlet nozzle. The circular pattern of the symmetrically arranged mesh packing allows for better utilization of the entire cold trap volume. 2 figs.

Integrated Optical Dipole Trap for Cold Neutral Atoms with an Optical Waveguide Coupler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Park, D. H.; Mittal, S.; Meng, Y.; Dagenais, M.; Rolston, S. L.

2013-05-01

Using an optical waveguide, an integrated optical dipole trap uses two-color (red and blue-detuned) traveling evanescent wave fields for trapping cold neutral atoms. To achieve longitudinal confinement, we propose using an integrated optical waveguide coupler, which provides a potential gradient along the beam propagation direction sufficient to confine atoms. This integrated optical dipole trap can support an atomic ensemble with a large optical depth due to its small mode area. Its quasi-TE0 waveguide mode has an advantage over the HE11 mode of a nanofiber, with little inhomogeneous Zeeman broadening at the trapping region. The longitudinal confinement eliminates the need for a 1D optical lattice, reducing collisional blockaded atomic loading, potentially producing larger ensembles. The waveguide trap allows for scalability and integrability with nano-fabrication technology. We analyze the potential performance of such integrated atom traps and present current research progress towards a fiber-coupled silicon nitride optical waveguide integrable with atom chips. Work is supported by the ARO Atomtronics MURI. Work is supported by the ARO Atomtronics MURI.

Miniaturized Lab System for Future Cold Atom Experiments in Microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulas, Sascha; Vogt, Christian; Resch, Andreas; Hartwig, Jonas; Ganske, Sven; Matthias, Jonas; Schlippert, Dennis; Wendrich, Thijs; Ertmer, Wolfgang; Maria Rasel, Ernst; Damjanic, Marcin; Weßels, Peter; Kohfeldt, Anja; Luvsandamdin, Erdenetsetseg; Schiemangk, Max; Grzeschik, Christoph; Krutzik, Markus; Wicht, Andreas; Peters, Achim; Herrmann, Sven; Lämmerzahl, Claus

2017-02-01

We present the technical realization of a compact system for performing experiments with cold 87Rb and 39K atoms in microgravity in the future. The whole system fits into a capsule to be used in the drop tower Bremen. One of the advantages of a microgravity environment is long time evolution of atomic clouds which yields higher sensitivities in atom interferometer measurements. We give a full description of the system containing an experimental chamber with ultra-high vacuum conditions, miniaturized laser systems, a high-power thulium-doped fiber laser, the electronics and the power management. In a two-stage magneto-optical trap atoms should be cooled to the low μK regime. The thulium-doped fiber laser will create an optical dipole trap which will allow further cooling to sub- μK temperatures. The presented system fulfills the demanding requirements on size and power management for cold atom experiments on a microgravity platform, especially with respect to the use of an optical dipole trap. A first test in microgravity, including the creation of a cold Rb ensemble, shows the functionality of the system.

Trapping hydrogen atoms from a neon-gas matrix: a theoretical simulation.

PubMed

Bovino, S; Zhang, P; Kharchenko, V; Dalgarno, A

2009-08-07

Hydrogen is of critical importance in atomic and molecular physics and the development of a simple and efficient technique for trapping cold and ultracold hydrogen atoms would be a significant advance. In this study we simulate a recently proposed trap-loading mechanism for trapping hydrogen atoms released from a neon matrix. Accurate ab initio quantum calculations are reported of the neon-hydrogen interaction potential and the energy- and angular-dependent elastic scattering cross sections that control the energy transfer of initially cold atoms are obtained. They are then used to construct the Boltzmann kinetic equation, describing the energy relaxation process. Numerical solutions of the Boltzmann equation predict the time evolution of the hydrogen energy distribution function. Based on the simulations we discuss the prospects of the technique.

Constraints on Transport and Emplacement Mechanisms of Labile Fractions in Lunar Cold Traps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rickman, D.; Gertsch, L.

2014-01-01

Sustaining the scientific exploration of the Solar System will require a significant proportion of the necessary fuels and propellants, as well as other bulk commodities, to be produced from local raw materials [1]. The viability of mineral production depends on the ability to locate and characterize mineable deposits of the necessary feedstocks. This requires, among other things, a workable understanding of the mechanisms by which such deposits form, which is the subject of Economic Geology. Multiple deposition scenarios are possible for labile materials on the Moon. This paper suggests labile fractions moved diffusely through space; deposits may grow richer with depth until low porosity rock; lateral transport is likely to have occurred with the regolith, at least for short distances; crystalline ice may not exist; the constituent phases could be extremely complex. At present we can constrain the sources only mildly; once on the Moon, the transport mechanisms inherently mix and therefore obscure the origins. However, the importance of expanding our understanding of ore-forming processes on the Moon behooves us to make the attempt. Thus begins a time of new inquiry for Economic Geology.

Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Traps Improve the Light-Trapping of Anopheline Mosquitoes.

PubMed

Costa-Neta, B M; da Silva, A A; Brito, J M; Moraes, J L P; Rebêlo, J M M; Silva, F S

2017-11-07

Numerous advantages over the standard incandescent lamp favor the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as an alternative and inexpensive light source for sampling medically important insects in surveillance studies. Previously published studies examined the response of mosquitoes to different wavelengths, but data on anopheline mosquito LED attraction are limited. Center for Disease Control and Prevention-type light traps were modified by replacing the standard incandescent lamp with 5-mm LEDs, one emitting at 520 nm (green) and the other at 470 nm (blue). To test the influence of moon luminosity on LED catches, the experiments were conducted during the four lunar phases during each month of the study period. A total of 1,845 specimens representing eight anopheline species were collected. Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) evansae (35.2%) was the most frequently collected, followed by An. (Nys.) triannulatus (21.9%), An. (Nys.) goeldii (12.9%), and An. (Nys.) argyritarsis (11.5%). The green LED was the most attractive light source, accounting for 43.3% of the individuals collected, followed by the blue (31.8%) and control (24.9%) lights. The LED traps were significantly more attractive than the control, independent of the lunar phase. Light trapping of anopheline mosquitoes was more efficient when the standard incandescent lamp was replaced with LEDs, regardless of the moon phase. The efficiency of LEDs improves light trapping results, and it is suggested that the use of LEDs as an attractant for anopheline mosquitoes should be taken into consideration when sampling anopheline mosquitoes. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammond, Monica; Bassler, Julie; Morse, Brian

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the status of the development of a robotic lunar lander. The goal of the project is to perform engineering tests and risk reduction activities to support the development of a small lunar lander for lunar surface science. This includes: (1) risk reduction for the flight of the robotic lander, (i.e., testing and analyzing various phase of the project); (2) the incremental development for the design of the robotic lander, which is to demonstrate autonomous, controlled descent and landing on airless bodies, and design of thruster configuration for 1/6th of the gravity of earth; (3) cold gas test article in flight demonstration testing; (4) warm gas testing of the robotic lander design; (5) develop and test landing algorithms; (6) validate the algorithms through analysis and test; and (7) tests of the flight propulsion system.

Problem of nature of inert gases in lunar surface material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levskiy, L. K.

1974-01-01

The origin of isotopes of inert gases in lunar surface material was investigated from the standpoint of the isotopic two-component status of inert gases in the solar system. Helium and neon represent the solar wind component, while krypton and xenon are planetary gases. Type A gases are trapped by the material of the regolith in the early stages of the existence of the solar system and were brought to the lunar surface together with dust. The material of the regolith therefore cannot be considered as the product of the erosion of the crystalline rocks of the moon and in this sense are extralunar. The regolith material containing type A gases must be identified with the high temperature minerals of the carbonaceous chondrites.

Experimental determination of in situ utilization of lunar regolith for thermal energy storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, Scott W.

1992-01-01

A Lunar Thermal Energy from Regolith (LUTHER) experiment has been designed and fabricated at the NASA Lewis Research Center to determine the feasibility of using lunar soil as thermal energy storage media. The experimental apparatus includes an alumina ceramic canister which contains simulated lunar regolith, a heater, nine heat shields, a heat transfer cold jacket, and 19 type-B platinum rhodium thermocouples. The simulated lunar regolith is a basalt that closely resembles the lunar basalt returned to earth by the Apollo missions. The experiment will test the effects of vacuum, particle size, and density on the thermophysical properties of the regolith, which include melt temperature, specific heat thermal conductivity, and latent heat of storage. Two separate tests, using two different heaters, will be performed to study the effect of heating the system using radiative and conductive heat transfer. A finite differencing SINDA model was developed at NASA Lewis Research Center to predict the performance of the LUTHER experiment. The code will predict the effects of vacuum, particle size, and density has on the heat transfer to the simulated regolith.

An Extension of Analysis of Solar-Heated Thermal Wadis to Support Extended-Duration Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Gokoglu, S. A.; Sacksteder, K. R.; Wegeng, R. S.; Suzuki, N. H.

2010-01-01

The realization of the renewed exploration of the Moon presents many technical challenges; among them is the survival of lunar surface assets during periods of darkness when the lunar environment is very cold. Thermal wadis are engineered sources of stored solar energy using modified lunar regolith as a thermal storage mass that can supply energy to protect lightweight robotic rovers or other assets during the lunar night. This paper describes an extension of an earlier analysis of performance of thermal wadis based on the known solar illumination of the Moon and estimates of producible thermal properties of modified lunar regolith. The current analysis has been performed for the lunar equatorial region and validates the formerly used 1-D model by comparison of predictions to those obtained from 2-D and 3-D computations. It includes the effects of a thin dust layer covering the surface of the wadi, and incorporating either water as a phase-change material or aluminum stakes as a high thermal conductivity material into the regolith. The calculations indicate that thermal wadis can provide the desired thermal energy and temperature control for the survival of rovers or other equipment during periods of darkness.

Scientific support of the Apollo infrared scanning radiometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, W. W.

1976-01-01

The Infrared Scanning Radiometer (ISR) was designed to map the thermal emission of the lunar surface from the service module of the orbiting Apollo 17 spacecraft. Lunar surface nighttime temperatures, which are extremely difficult to map from earth based telescopes were measured. The ISR transmitted approximately 90 hours of lunar data spread over 5 days in lunar orbit. Approximately 10 to the 8th power independent lunar temperature measurements were made with an absolute accuracy of 2K. Spatial resolution at nadir was approximately 2.2 km (depending on orbital altitude), exceeding that of earth based measurements by at least an order of magnitude. Preliminary studies of the data reveal the highest population of thermal anomalies (or hot spots) in Oceanus Procellarum. Very few anomalies exist on the far side of the moon as was predicted from the association of anomalies with mare on the near side. A number of negative anomalies (or cold spots) have also been found.

Simple, reliable, and nondestructive method for the measurement of vacuum pressure without specialized equipment.

PubMed

Yuan, Jin-Peng; Ji, Zhong-Hua; Zhao, Yan-Ting; Chang, Xue-Fang; Xiao, Lian-Tuan; Jia, Suo-Tang

2013-09-01

We present a simple, reliable, and nondestructive method for the measurement of vacuum pressure in a magneto-optical trap. The vacuum pressure is verified to be proportional to the collision rate constant between cold atoms and the background gas with a coefficient k, which can be calculated by means of the simple ideal gas law. The rate constant for loss due to collisions with all background gases can be derived from the total collision loss rate by a series of loading curves of cold atoms under different trapping laser intensities. The presented method is also applicable for other cold atomic systems and meets the miniaturization requirement of commercial applications.

NH2- in a cold ion trap with He buffer gas: Ab initio quantum modeling of the interaction potential and of state-changing multichannel dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández Vera, Mario; Yurtsever, Ersin; Wester, Roland; Gianturco, Franco A.

2018-05-01

We present an extensive range of accurate ab initio calculations, which map in detail the spatial electronic potential energy surface that describes the interaction between the molecular anion NH2 - (1A1) in its ground electronic state and the He atom. The time-independent close-coupling method is employed to generate the corresponding rotationally inelastic cross sections, and then the state-changing rates over a range of temperatures from 10 to 30 K, which is expected to realistically represent the experimental trapping conditions for this ion in a radio frequency ion trap filled with helium buffer gas. The overall evolutionary kinetics of the rotational level population involving the molecular anion in the cold trap is also modelled during a photodetachment experiment and analyzed using the computed rates. The present results clearly indicate the possibility of selectively detecting differences in behavior between the ortho- and para-anions undergoing photodetachment in the trap.

Investigation of the enhanced spatial density of submicron lunar ejecta between L values 1.2 and 3.0 in the earth's magnetosphere: Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, W. M.; Tanner, W. G.; Goad, H. S.

1987-01-01

Initial results from the measurement conducted by the dust particle experiment on the lunar orbiting satellite Lunar Explorer 35 (LE 35) were reported with the data interpreted as indicating that the moon is a significant source of micrometeroids. Primary sporadic and stream meteoroids impacting the surface of the moon at hypervelocity was proposed as the source of micron and submicron particles that leave the lunar craters with velocities sufficient to escape the moon's gravitational sphere of influence. No enhanced flux of lunar ejecta with masses greater than a nanogram was detected by LE 35 or the Lunar Orbiters. Hypervelocity meteoroid simulation experiments concentrating on ejecta production combined with extensive analyses of the orbital dynamics of micron and submicron lunar ejecta in selenocentric, cislunar, and geocentric space have shown that a pulse of these lunar ejecta, with a time correlation relative to the position of the moon relative to the earth, intercepts the earth's magnetopause surface (EMPs). As shown, a strong reason exists for expecting a significant enhancement of submicron dust particles in the region of the magnetosphere between L values of 1.2 and 3.0. This is the basis for the proposal of a series of experiments to investigate the enhancement or even trapping of submicron lunar ejecta in this region. The subsequent interaction of this mass with the upper-lower atmosphere of the earth and possible geophysical effects can then be studied.

Development of the Science Data System for the International Space Station Cold Atom Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

van Harmelen, Chris; Soriano, Melissa A.

2015-01-01

Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is a facility that will enable scientists to study ultra-cold quantum gases in a microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 2016. The primary science data for each experiment consists of two images taken in quick succession. The first image is of the trapped cold atoms and the second image is of the background. The two images are subtracted to obtain optical density. These raw Level 0 atom and background images are processed into the Level 1 optical density data product, and then into the Level 2 data products: atom number, Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) lifetime, magnetic chip-trap atom lifetime, and condensate fraction. These products can also be used as diagnostics of the instrument health. With experiments being conducted for 8 hours every day, the amount of data being generated poses many technical challenges, such as downlinking and managing the required data volume. A parallel processing design is described, implemented, and benchmarked. In addition to optimizing the data pipeline, accuracy and speed in producing the Level 1 and 2 data products is key. Algorithms for feature recognition are explored, facilitating image cropping and accurate atom number calculations.

Trapping cold ground state argon atoms.

PubMed

Edmunds, P D; Barker, P F

2014-10-31

We trap cold, ground state argon atoms in a deep optical dipole trap produced by a buildup cavity. The atoms, which are a general source for the sympathetic cooling of molecules, are loaded in the trap by quenching them from a cloud of laser-cooled metastable argon atoms. Although the ground state atoms cannot be directly probed, we detect them by observing the collisional loss of cotrapped metastable argon atoms and determine an elastic cross section. Using a type of parametric loss spectroscopy we also determine the polarizability of the metastable 4s[3/2](2) state to be (7.3±1.1)×10(-39)  C m(2)/V. Finally, Penning and associative losses of metastable atoms in the absence of light assisted collisions, are determined to be (3.3±0.8)×10(-10)  cm(3) s(-1).

The Permanently Shadowed Regions of Dwarf Planet Ceres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schorghofer, Norbert; Mazarico, Erwan; Platz, Thomas; Preusker, Frank; Schroeder, Stefan E.; Raymond, Carol A.; Russell, Christopher T.

2016-01-01

Ceres has only a small spin axis tilt (4 deg), and craters near its rotational poles can experience permanent shadow and trap volatiles, as is the case on Mercury and on Earth's Moon. Topography derived from stereo imaging by the Dawn spacecraft is used to calculate direct solar irradiance that defines the extent of the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). In the northern polar region, PSRs cover approximately 1800 sq km or 0.13% of the hemisphere, and most of the PSRs are cold enough to trap water ice over geological time periods. Based on modeling of the water exosphere, water molecules seasonally reside around the winter pole and ultimately an estimated 0.14% of molecules get trapped. Even for the lowest estimates of the amount of available water, this predicts accumulation rates in excess of loss rates, and hence, there should be fresh ice deposits in the cold traps.

LRO-LAMP observations of the LCROSS impact plume.

PubMed

Gladstone, G Randall; Hurley, Dana M; Retherford, Kurt D; Feldman, Paul D; Pryor, Wayne R; Chaufray, Jean-Yves; Versteeg, Maarten; Greathouse, Thomas K; Steffl, Andrew J; Throop, Henry; Parker, Joel Wm; Kaufmann, David E; Egan, Anthony F; Davis, Michael W; Slater, David C; Mukherjee, Joey; Miles, Paul F; Hendrix, Amanda R; Colaprete, Anthony; Stern, S Alan

2010-10-22

On 9 October 2009, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) sent a kinetic impactor to strike Cabeus crater, on a mission to search for water ice and other volatiles expected to be trapped in lunar polar soils. The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) ultraviolet spectrograph onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) observed the plume generated by the LCROSS impact as far-ultraviolet emissions from the fluorescence of sunlight by molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide, plus resonantly scattered sunlight from atomic mercury, with contributions from calcium and magnesium. The observed light curve is well simulated by the expansion of a vapor cloud at a temperature of ~1000 kelvin, containing ~570 kilograms (kg) of carbon monoxide, ~140 kg of molecular hydrogen, ~160 kg of calcium, ~120 kg of mercury, and ~40 kg of magnesium.

Preliminary Mapping of Permanently Shadowed and Sunlit Regions Using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speyerer, E.; Koeber, S.; Robinson, M. S.

2010-12-01

The spin axis of the Moon is tilted by only 1.5° (compared with the Earth's 23.5°), leaving some areas near the poles in permanent shadow while other nearby regions remain sunlit for a majority of the year. Theory, radar data, neutron measurements, and Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) observations suggest that volatiles may be present in the cold traps created inside these permanently shadowed regions. While areas of near permanent illumination are prime locations for future lunar outposts due to benign thermal conditions and near constant solar power. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has two imaging systems that provide medium and high resolution views of the poles. During almost every orbit the LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) acquires images at 100 m/pixel of the polar region (80° to 90° north and south latitude). In addition, the LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) targets selected regions of interest at 0.7 to 1.5 m/pixel [Robinson et al., 2010]. During the first 11 months of the nominal mission, LROC acquired almost 6,000 WAC images and over 7,300 NAC images of the polar region (i.e., within 2° of pole). By analyzing this time series of WAC and NAC images, regions of permanent shadow and permanent, or near-permanent illumination can be quantified. The LROC Team is producing several reduced data products that graphically illustrate the illumination conditions of the polar regions. Illumination movie sequences are being produced that show how the lighting conditions change over a calendar year. Each frame of the movie sequence is a polar stereographic projected WAC image showing the lighting conditions at that moment. With the WAC’s wide field of view (~100 km at an altitude of 50 km), each frame has repeat coverage between 88° and 90° at each pole. The same WAC images are also being used to develop multi-temporal illumination maps that show the percent each 100 m × 100 m area is illuminated over a period of time. These maps are derived by stacking all the WAC frames, selecting a threshold to determine if the surface is illuminated, and summing the resulting binary images. In addition, mosaics of NAC images are also being produced for regions of interest at a scale of 0.7 to 1.5 m/pixel. The mosaics produced so far have revealed small illuminated surfaces on the tens of meters scale that were previously thought to be shadowed during that time. The LROC dataset of the polar regions complements previous illumination analysis of Clementine images [Bussey et al., 1999], Kaguya topography [Bussey et al., 2010], and the current efforts underway by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) Team [Mazarico et al., 2010] and provide an important new dataset for science and exploration. References: Bussey et al. (1999), Illumination conditions at the lunar south pole, Geophysical Research Letters, 26(9), 1187-1190. Bussey et al. (2010), Illumination conditions of the south pole of the Moon derived from Kaguya topography, Icarus, 208, 558-564. Mazarico et al. (2010), Illumination of the lunar poles from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) Topography Data, paper presented at 41st LPSC, Houston, TX. Robinson et al. (2010), Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Instrument Overview, Space Sci Rev, 150, 81-124.

Mechanisms of polymer degradation using an oxygen plasma generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colony, Joe A.; Sanford, Edward L.

1987-01-01

An RF oxygen plasma generator was used to produce polymer degradation which appears to be similar to that which has been observed in low Earth orbit. Mechanisms of this type of degradation were studied by collecting the reaction products in a cryogenic trap and identifying the molecular species using infrared, mass spectral, and X-ray diffraction techniques. No structurally dependent species were found from Kapton, Teflon, or Saran polymers. However, very reactive free radical entities are produced during the polymer degradation, as well as carbon dioxide and water. Reactions of the free radicals with the glass reaction vessel, with copper metal in the cold trap, and with a triphenyl phosphate scavenger in the cold trap, demonstrated the reactivity of the primary products.

Lunar Thermal Wadis and Exploration Rovers: Outpost Productivity and Participatory Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sacksteder, Kurt; Wegeng, Robert; Suzuki, Nantel

2009-01-01

The presentation introduces the concept of a thermal wadi, an engineered source of thermal energy that can be created using native material on the moon or elsewhere to store solar energy for use by various lunar surface assets to survive the extremely cold environment of the lunar night. A principal benefit of this approach to energy storage is the low mass requirement for transportation from Earth derived from the use of the lunar soil, or regolith, as the energy storage medium. The presentation includes a summary of the results of a feasibility study involving the numerical modeling of the performance of a thermal wadi including a manufactured thermal mass, a solar energy reflector, a nighttime thermal energy reflector and a lunar surface rover. The feasibility study shows that sufficient thermal energy can be stored using unconcentrated solar flux to keep a lunar surface rover sufficiently warm throughout a 354 hour lunar night at the lunar equator, and that similar approaches can be used to sustain surface assets during shorter dark periods that occur at the lunar poles. The presentation includes descriptions of a compact lunar rover concept that could be used to manufacture a thermal wadi and could alternatively be used to conduct a variety of high-value tasks on the lunar surface. Such rovers can be produced more easily because the capability for surviving the lunar night is offloaded to the thermal wadi infrastructure. The presentation also includes several concepts for operational scenarios that could be implemented on the moon using the thermal wadi and compact rover concepts in which multiple affordable rovers, operated by multiple terrestrial organizations, can conduct resource prospecting and human exploration site preparation tasks.

Origin of the moon - Capture by gas drag of the earth's primordial atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakazawa, K.; Komuro, T.; Hayashi, C.

1983-06-01

The novel lunar formation scenario proposed is an extension of planetary formation process studies suggesting that the earth originated in a gaseous solar nebula. Attention is given to a series of dynamical processes in which a low energy planetesimal is trapped within the terrestrial Hill sphere under circumstances in which the primordial atmosphere's gas density gradually decreases. An unbound planetesimal entering the Hill sphere would have had to dissipate its kinetic energy and then come into a bound orbit, before escaping from the Hill sphere, without falling onto the earth's surface. The kinetic energy dissipation condition is considered through the calculation of the solar gravity and atmospheric gas drag effects on the planetesimal's orbital motion. The result obtained shows that a low energy planetesimal of less than lunar mass can be trapped in the Hill sphere with a high probability, if it enters at those stages before atmospheric density has decreased to about 1/50th of the initial value.

A One-Piece Lunar Regolith Bag Garage Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smithers, G. A.; Nehls, M. K.; Hovater, M. A.; Evans, S. W.; Miller, J. S.; Broughton, R. M., Jr.; Beale, D.; Kilinc-Balci, F.

2007-01-01

Shelter structures on the moon, even in early phases of exploration, should incorporate lunar materials as much as possible. This Technical Memorandum details the design and construction of a prototype for a one-piece regolith bag unpressurized garage concept and a materials testing program to investigate six candidate fabrics to learn how they might perform in the lunar environment. The conceptualization was that a lightweight fabric form be launched from Earth and landed on the lunar surface to be robotically filled with raw lunar regolith. Regolith bag fabric candidates included: Vectran(TM), Nextel(TM), Gore PTFE Fabric(TM), Zylon(TM), Twaron(TM), and Nomex(TM). Tensile (including post radiation exposure), fold, abrasion, and hypervelocity impact testing were performed under ambient conditions, and also performed under cold and elevated temperatures. In some cases, Johnson Space Center lunar simulant (JSC-1) was used in conjunction with testing. A series of preliminary structures was constructed during final prototype design based on the principles of the classic masonry arch. The prototype was constructed of Kevlar(TM) and filled with vermiculite. The structure is free-standing, but has not yet been load tested. Future plans would be to construct higher fidelity prototypes and to conduct appropriate tests of the structure.

A 'dynamic' landscape of fear: prey responses to spatiotemporal variations in predation risk across the lunar cycle.

PubMed

Palmer, M S; Fieberg, J; Swanson, A; Kosmala, M; Packer, C

2017-11-01

Ambiguous empirical support for 'landscapes of fear' in natural systems may stem from failure to consider dynamic temporal changes in predation risk. The lunar cycle dramatically alters night-time visibility, with low luminosity increasing hunting success of African lions. We used camera-trap data from Serengeti National Park to examine nocturnal anti-predator behaviours of four herbivore species. Interactions between predictable fluctuations in night-time luminosity and the underlying risk-resource landscape shaped herbivore distribution, herding propensity and the incidence of 'relaxed' behaviours. Buffalo responded least to temporal risk cues and minimised risk primarily through spatial redistribution. Gazelle and zebra made decisions based on current light levels and lunar phase, and wildebeest responded to lunar phase alone. These three species avoided areas where likelihood of encountering lions was high and changed their behaviours in risky areas to minimise predation threat. These patterns support the hypothesis that fear landscapes vary heterogeneously in both space and time. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Extreme Access & Lunar Ice Mining in Permanently Shadowed Craters Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Robert P.

2014-01-01

Results from the recent LCROSS mission in 2010, indicate that H2O ice and other useful volatiles such as CO, He, and N are present in the permanently shadowed craters at the poles of the moon. However, the extreme topography and steep slopes of the crater walls make access a significant challenge. In addition temperatures have been measured at 40K (-233 C) so quick access and exit is desirable before the mining robot cold soaks. The Global Exploration Roadmap lists extreme access as a necessary technology for Lunar Exploration.

Ion-Atom Cold Collisions and Atomic Clocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prestage, John D.; Maleki, Lute; Tjoelker, Robert L.

1997-01-01

Collisions between ultracold neutral atoms have for some time been the subject of investigation, initially with hydrogen and more recently with laser cooled alkali atoms. Advances in laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms in a Magneto-Optic Trap (MOT) have made cold atoms available as the starting point for many laser cooled atomic physics investigations. The most spectacularly successful of these, the observation of Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) in a dilute ultra-cold spin polarized atomic vapor, has accelerated the study of cold collisions. Experimental and theoretical studies of BEC and the long range interaction between cold alkali atoms is at the boundary of atomic and low temperature physics. Such studies have been difficult and would not have been possible without the development and advancement of laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms. By contrast, ion-atom interactions at low temperature, also very difficult to study prior to modern day laser cooling, have remained largely unexplored. But now, many laboratories worldwide have almost routine access to cold neutral atoms. The combined technologies of ion trapping, together with laser cooling of neutrals has made these studies experimentally feasible and several very important, novel applications might come out of such investigations . This paper is an investigation of ion-atom interactions in the cold and ultra-cold temperature regime. Some of the collisional ion-atom interactions present at room temperature are very much reduced in the low temperature regime. Reaction rates for charge transfer between unlike atoms, A + B(+) approaches A(+) + B, are expected to fall rapidly with temperature, approximately as T(sup 5/2). Thus, cold mixtures of atoms and ions are expected to coexist for very long times, unlike room temperature mixtures of the same ion-atom combination. Thus, it seems feasible to cool ions via collisions with laser cooled atoms. Many of the conventional collisional interactions, exploited as a useful tool at room temperature and higher, are greatly enhanced at low energy. For example, collisional spin transfer from one species of polarized atoms to another has long been a useful method for polarizing a sample of atoms where no other means was available. Because optical pumping cannot be used to polarize the nuclear spin of Xe-129 or He-3 (for use in nmr imaging of the lungs), the nuclear spins are polarized via collisions with an optically pumped Rb vapor in a cell containing both gases. In another case, a spin polarized thermal Cs beam was used to polarize the hyperfine states of trapped He(+)-3 ions in order to measure their hyperfine clock transition frequency. The absence of an x-ray light source to optically pump the ground state of the He(+)-3 ion necessitated this alternative state preparation. Similarly, Cd(+) and Sr(+) ions were spin-oriented via collisions in a cell with optically pumped Rb vapor. Resonant RF spin changing transitions in the ground state of the ions were detected by changes in the Rb resonance light absorption. Because cold collision spin exchange rates scale with temperature as T(sup -1/2) this technique is expected to be a far more powerful tool than the room temperature counterpart. This factor of 100 or more enhancement in spin exchange reaction rates at low temperatures is the basis for a novel trapped ion clock where laser cooled neutrals will cool, state select and monitor the ion clock transition. The advantage over conventional direct laser cooling of trapped ions is that the very expensive and cumbersome UV laser light sources, required to excite the ionic cooling transition, are effectively replaced by simple diode lasers.

LADEE Propulsion System Cold Flow Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Jonathan Hunter; Chapman, Jack M.; Trinh, Hau, P.; Bell, James H.

2013-01-01

Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a NASA mission that will orbit the Moon. Its main objective is to characterize the atmosphere and lunar dust environment. The spacecraft development is being led by NASA Ames Research Center and scheduled for launch in 2013. The LADEE spacecraft will be operated with a bi-propellant hypergolic propulsion system using MMH and NTO as the fuel and oxidizer, respectively. The propulsion system utilizes flight-proven hardware on major components. The propulsion layout is composed of one 100-lbf main thruster and four 5-lbf RCS thrusters. The propellants are stored in four tanks (two parallel-connected tanks per propellant component). The propellants will be pressurized by regulated helium. A simulated propulsion system has been built for conducting cold flow test series to characterize the transient fluid flow of the propulsion system feed lines and to verify the critical operation modes, such as system priming, waterhammer, and crucial mission duty cycles. Propellant drainage differential between propellant tanks will also be assessed. Since the oxidizer feed line system has a higher flow demand than the fuel system does, the cold flow test focuses on the oxidizer system. The objective of the cold flow test is to simulate the LADEE propulsion fluid flow operation through water cold flow test and to obtain data for anchoring analytical models. The models will be used to predict the transient and steady state flow behaviors in the actual flight operations. The test activities, including the simulated propulsion test article, cold flow test, and analytical modeling, are being performed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. At the time of the abstract submission, the test article checkout is being performed. The test series will be completed by November, 2012

Electronic circuit provides automatic level control for liquid nitrogen traps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turvy, R. R.

1968-01-01

Electronic circuit, based on the principle of increased thermistor resistance corresponding to decreases in temperature provides an automatic level control for liquid nitrogen cold traps. The electronically controlled apparatus is practically service-free, requiring only occasional reliability checks.

Atmospheric H2O2 measurement: comparison of cold trap method with impinger bubbling method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakugawa, H.; Kaplan, I. R.

1987-01-01

Collection of atmospheric H2O2 was performed by a cold trap method using dry ice-acetone as the refrigerant. The air was drawn by a pump into a glass gas trap immersed in the dry ice-acetone slush in a dewar flask at a flow rate of 2.5 l min-1 for approximately 2 h. Collection efficiency was > 99% and negligible interferences by O3, SO2 or organic matter with the collected H2O2 in the trap were observed. This method was compared with the air impinger bubbling method which has been previously described (Kok et al., 1978a, b, Envir. Sci. Technol. 12, 1072-1080). The measured total peroxide (H2O2 + organic peroxide) values in a series of aim samples collected by the impinger bubbling method (0.06-3.7 ppb) were always higher than those obtained by the cold trap method (0.02-1.2 ppb). Laboratory experiments suggest that the difference in values between the two methods probably results from the aqueous phase generation of H2O2 and organic peroxide in the impinger solution by a reaction of atmospheric O3 with olefinic and aromatic compounds. If these O3-organic compound reactions which occur in the impinger also occur in aqueous droplets in the atmosphere, the process could be very important for aqueous phase generation of H2O2 in clouds and rainwater.

Robotic Lunar Lander Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, Benjamin; Cohen, Barbara A.; McGee, Timothy; Reed, Cheryl

2012-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have developed several mission concepts to place scientific and exploration payloads ranging from 10 kg to more than 200 kg on the surface of the moon. The mission concepts all use a small versatile lander that is capable of precision landing. The results to date of the lunar lander development risk reduction activities including high pressure propulsion system testing, structure and mechanism development and testing, and long cycle time battery testing will be addressed. The most visible elements of the risk reduction program are two fully autonomous lander flight test vehicles. The first utilized a high pressure cold gas system (Cold Gas Test Article) with limited flight durations while the subsequent test vehicle, known as the Warm Gas Test Article, utilizes hydrogen peroxide propellant resulting in significantly longer flight times and the ability to more fully exercise flight sensors and algorithms. The development of the Warm Gas Test Article is a system demonstration and was designed with similarity to an actual lunar lander including energy absorbing landing legs, pulsing thrusters, and flight-like software implementation. A set of outdoor flight tests to demonstrate the initial objectives of the WGTA program was completed in Nov. 2011, and will be discussed.

NASA's Robotic Lunar Lander Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, Benjamin W.; Reed, Cheryl L. B.; Artis, David; Cole, Tim; Eng, Doug S.; Kubota, Sanae; Lafferty, Paul; McGee, Timothy; Morese, Brian J.; Chavers, Gregory;

Formation Ages of the Apollo 16 Regolith Breccias: Implications for Accessing the Bombardment History of the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joy, K. H.; Kring, D. A.; Bogard, D. D.; Zolensky, M. E.; McKay, D. S.

2010-01-01

Regolith breccias are lithified samples of the regolith that have been fused together by impact shock and thermal metamorphism. In lunar regolith samples, the ratio of trapped 40Ar/36Ar is a useful indicator of antiquity and can be used to model the closure age/lifithication event of the regolith (i.e. the apparent time when Ar became trapped [1]), thus providing an important insight into specific times when that regolith was interacting with the the dynamic inner solar system space environment [2-4].

Elemental mass spectroscopy of remote surfaces from laser-induced plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Situ, W.; DeYoung, R. J.

1994-01-01

The elemental mass analysis of laser-produced ions from Al, Cu, Ge, Ag, and a lunar simulant target when irradiated by a 400-mJ, 8-ns, Nd: YAG laser at 1 x 10(exp 9) W/cm(exp 2), is reported. Ions traveled down a 11.1-m evacuated tube to an ion-trap 1-m time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer where an elemental mass spectrum was recorded. The amount of target material removed per laser pulse and the ionization fraction were measured. The ion spatial distribution was measured at 11.1-m distance and found to be near a fourth-power cosine distribution. These results indicate the ability to mass analyze a surface over a distance of many kilometers for lunar and asteroid surface elemental mass analysis by a remote satellite or lunar rover.

Cryogenic Propellant Management Device: Conceptual Design Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wollen, Mark; Merino, Fred; Schuster, John; Newton, Christopher

2010-01-01

Concepts of Propellant Management Devices (PMDs) were designed for lunar descent stage reaction control system (RCS) and lunar ascent stage (main and RCS propulsion) missions using liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid methane (LCH4). Study ground rules set a maximum of 19 days from launch to lunar touchdown, and an additional 210 days on the lunar surface before liftoff. Two PMDs were conceptually designed for each of the descent stage RCS propellant tanks, and two designs for each of the ascent stage main propellant tanks. One of the two PMD types is a traditional partial four-screen channel device. The other type is a novel, expanding volume device which uses a stretched, flexing screen. It was found that several unique design features simplified the PMD designs. These features are (1) high propellant tank operating pressures, (2) aluminum tanks for propellant storage, and (3) stringent insulation requirements. Consequently, it was possible to treat LO2 and LCH4 as if they were equivalent to Earth-storable propellants because they would remain substantially subcooled during the lunar mission. In fact, prelaunch procedures are simplified with cryogens, because any trapped vapor will condense once the propellant tanks are pressurized in space.

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving.

PubMed

Li, Jiaming; de Melo, Leonardo F; Luo, Le

2017-03-30

We present a cooling method for a cold Fermi gas by parametrically driving atomic motions in a crossed-beam optical dipole trap (ODT). Our method employs the anharmonicity of the ODT, in which the hotter atoms at the edge of the trap feel the anharmonic components of the trapping potential, while the colder atoms in the center of the trap feel the harmonic one. By modulating the trap depth with frequencies that are resonant with the anharmonic components, we selectively excite the hotter atoms out of the trap while keeping the colder atoms in the trap, generating parametric cooling. This experimental protocol starts with a magneto-optical trap (MOT) that is loaded by a Zeeman slower. The precooled atoms in the MOT are then transferred to an ODT, and a bias magnetic field is applied to create an interacting Fermi gas. We then lower the trapping potential to prepare a cold Fermi gas near the degenerate temperature. After that, we sweep the magnetic field to the noninteracting regime of the Fermi gas, in which the parametric cooling can be manifested by modulating the intensity of the optical trapping beams. We find that the parametric cooling effect strongly depends on the modulation frequencies and amplitudes. With the optimized frequency and amplitude, we measure the dependence of the cloud energy on the modulation time. We observe that the cloud energy is changed in an anisotropic way, where the energy of the axial direction is significantly reduced by parametric driving. The cooling effect is limited to the axial direction because the dominant anharmonicity of the crossed-beam ODT is along the axial direction. Finally, we propose to extend this protocol for the trapping potentials of large anharmonicity in all directions, which provides a promising scheme for cooling quantum gases using external driving.

Exploring Regolith Depth and Cycling on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassett, C.; Needham, D. H.; Watters, W. A.; Hundal, C.

2017-12-01

Regolith or loose sediment is ubiquitous on the surface of Mars, but our understanding of how this fragmental layer forms and evolves with time is limited. In particular, how regolith thickness varies spatially on Mars is not well known. A common perspective is to start from the canonical model for lunar regolith, which is not unreasonable, given that both Mars and the Moon are heavily cratered surfaces. However, this lunar-like paradigm is not supported by observations of Mars from recent missions. On Mars, bedrock exposures are more common and bedrock is generally closer to the surface than on the Moon, and the processes modifying the regolith differ substantially on the two bodies. Moreover, boulders on the Moon have much shorter lifetimes than on Mars, so boulders are much less common on the lunar surface. The sediment transport processes infilling craters differs dramatically on these two bodies as well. On Mars, fine-grained sediment is efficiently transported (advectively) by wind and trapped in craters rapidly after they form. Lateral transport of lunar regolith is comparatively inefficient and dominated by slow impact-driven (diffusive) transport of regolith. The goal of this contribution is to discuss observational constraints on Mars' regolith depth, and to place observations into a model for Mars landform evolution and regolith cycle. Our operating hypothesis is that the inter-crater surface on Mars is comparatively starved of fine-grained sediment (compared to the Moon), because transport and trapping of fines in craters out-competes physical weathering. Moreover, thick sedimentary bodies on Mars often get (weakly) cemented and lithified due to interactions with fluids, even in the most recent, Amazonian epoch. This is consistent with what is observed at the MER and MSL landing sites and what is known from the SNC meteorites.

Formation of Low-Energy Antihydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzscheiter, Michael H.

1999-02-01

Antihydrogen atoms, produced near rest, trapped in a magnetic well, and cooled to the lowest possible temperature (kinetic energy) could provide an extremely powerful tool for the search of violations of CPT and Lorentz invarianz. We describe our plans to trap antiprotons and positrons in a combined Penning trap and to form a significant number of cold antihydrogen atoms for comparative precision spectroscopy of hydrogen and antihydrogen.

A One-Piece Lunar Regolith-Bag Garage Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smithers, Gweneth A.; Nehls, Mary K.; Hovater, Mary A.; Evans, Steven W.; Miller, J. Scott; Broughton, Roy M., Jr.; Beale, David; Killinc-Balci, Fatma

2006-01-01

Shelter structures on the moon, even in early phases of exploration, should incorporate lunar materials as much as possible. We designed and constructed a prototype for a one-piece regolith-bag unpressurized garage concept, and, in parallel, we conducted a materials testing program to investigate six candidate fabrics to learn how they might perform in the lunar environment. In our concept, a lightweight fabric form is launched from Earth to be landed on the lunar surface and robotically filled with raw lunar regolith. In the materials testing program, regolith-bag fabric candidates included: VectranTM, NextelTM, Gore PTFE FabricTM, ZylonTM TwaronTM and NomexTM. Tensile (including post radiation exposure), fold, abrasion, and hypervelocity impact testing were performed under ambient conditions, and, within our current means, we also performed these tests under cold and elevated temperatures. In some cases, lunar simulant (JSC-1) was used in conjunction with testing. Our ambition is to continuously refine our testing to reach lunar environmental conditions to the extent possible. A series of preliminary structures were constructed during design of the final prototype. Design is based on the principles of the classic masonry arch. The prototype was constructed of KevlarTM and filled with vermiculite (fairly close to the weight of lunar regolith on the moon). The structure is free-standing, but has not yet been load tested. Our plan for the future would be to construct higher fidelty mockups with each iteration, and to conduct appropriate tests of the structure.

A One-Piece Lunar Regolith-Bag Garage Prototype

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smithers, Gweneth A.; Nehls, Mary K.; Hovater, Mary A.; Evans, Steven W.; Miller, J. Scott; Broughton, Roy M.; Beale, David; Killing-Balci, Fatma

2007-01-01

Shelter structures on the moon, even in early phases of exploration, should incorporate lunar materials as much as possible. We designed and constructed a prototype for a one-piece regolith-bag unpressurized garage concept, and, in parallel, we conducted a materials testing program to investigate six candidate fabrics to learn how they might perform in the lunar environment. In our concept, a lightweight fabric form is launched from Earth to be landed on the lunar surface and robotically filled with raw lunar regolith. In the materials testing program, regolith-bag fabric candidates included: Vectran(TM), Nextel(TM), Gore PTFE Fabric(TM), Zylon(TM), Twaron(TM), and Nomex(TM). Tensile (including post radiation exposure), fold, abrasion, and hypervelocity impact testing were performed under ambient conditions, and, within our current means, we also performed these tests under cold and elevated temperatures. In some cases, lunar simulant (JSC-1) was used in conjunction with testing. Our ambition is to continuously refine our testing to reach lunar environmental conditions to the extent possible. A series of preliminary structures were constructed during design of the final prototype. Design is based on the principles of the classic masonry arch. The prototype was constructed of Kevlar(TM) and filled with vermiculite (fairly close to the weight of lunar regolith on the moon). The structure is free-standing, but has not yet been load tested. Our plan for the future would be to construct higher fidelity mockups with each iteration, and to conduct appropriate tests of the structure.

Generation of forerunner electron beam during interaction of ion beam pulse with plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hara, Kentaro; Kaganovich, Igor D.; Startsev, Edward A.

2018-01-01

The long-time evolution of the two-stream instability of a cold tenuous ion beam pulse propagating through the background plasma with density much higher than the ion beam density is investigated using a large-scale one-dimensional electrostatic kinetic simulation. The three stages of the instability are investigated in detail. After the initial linear growth and saturation by the electron trapping, a portion of the initially trapped electrons becomes detrapped and moves ahead of the ion beam pulse forming a forerunner electron beam, which causes a secondary two-stream instability that preheats the upstream plasma electrons. Consequently, the self-consistent nonlinear-driven turbulent state is set up at the head of the ion beam pulse with the saturated plasma wave sustained by the influx of the cold electrons from upstream of the beam that lasts until the final stage when the beam ions become trapped by the plasma wave. The beam ion trapping leads to the nonlinear heating of the beam ions that eventually extinguishes the instability.

How Cold are the Floors of Lunar Polar Shadowed Craters?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, Wendell W.

2010-01-01

Almost five decades ago Watson, et al, [1] speculated that molecules of volatile species might accumulate within the cryogenic environments of permanently shadowed polar craters. The subject was largely a scientific curiosity until recently. In the mid-1980's, people began to seriously discuss the feasibility of long-term or permanent human settlement of the Moon. Given that the Moon was known be missing the compounds need to support life and that importing volatiles from Earth is prohibitively expensive, lunar colonists were pictured as processing the putative polar volatiles. A bistatic radar experiment performed with the Clementine spacecraft was interpreted to suggest the presence of large quantities of ice at some polar locations. [2] The neutron spectrometer aboard the Lunar Prospector spacecraft reported high concentrations of hydrogen in the polar regolith, [3] and some interpretations of the data set pointed to very high concentrations in permanently shadowed craters. The reformulation of civilian space policy in 2004, known as the Vision for Space Exploration, emphasized lunar exploration with eye toward development of economic returns from cislunar space and long-tern human presence on the Moon. The theme of finding lunar resources was an impetus for the inclusion of the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Preliminary results from Diviner report an unexpectedly low temperature down to 35K in the depths of some craters. [4

Assessing the shock state of the lunar highlands: Implications for the petrogenesis and chronology of crustal anorthosites.

PubMed

Pernet-Fisher, J F; Joy, K H; Martin, D J P; Donaldson Hanna, K L

2017-07-19

Our understanding of the formation and evolution of the primary lunar crust is based on geochemical systematics from the lunar ferroan anorthosite (FAN) suite. Recently, much effort has been made to understand this suite's petrologic history to constrain the timing of crystallisation and to interpret FAN chemical diversity. We investigate the shock histories of lunar anorthosites by combining Optical Microscope (OM) 'cold' cathodoluminescence (CL)-imaging and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses. In the first combined study of its kind, this study demonstrates that over ~4.5 Ga of impact processing, plagioclase is on average weakly shocked (<15 GPa) and examples of high shock states (>30 GPa; maskelynite) are uncommon. To investigate how plagioclase trace-element systematics are affected by moderate to weak shock (~5 to 30 GPa) we couple REE+Y abundances with FTIR analyses for FAN clasts from lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2995. We observe weak correlations between plagioclase shock state and some REE+Y systematics (e.g., La/Y and Sm/Nd ratios). This observation could prove significant to our understanding of how crystallisation ages are evaluated (e.g., plagioclase-whole rock Sm-Nd isochrons) and for what trace-elements can be used to differentiate between lunar lithologies and assess magma source compositional differences.

The tropopause cold trap in the Australian Monsoon during STEP/AMEX 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selkirk, Henry B.

1993-01-01

The relationship between deep convection and tropopause cold trap conditions is examined for the tropical northern Australia region during the 1986-87 summer monsoon season, emphasizing the Australia Monsoon Experiment (AMEX) period when the NASA Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP) was being conducted. The factors related to the spatial and temporal variability of the cold point potential temperature (CPPT) are investigated. A framework is developed for describing the relationships among surface average equivalent potential temperature in the surface layer (AEPTSL) the height of deep convection, and stratosphere-troposphere exchange. The time-mean pattern of convection, large-scale circulation, and surface AEPTSL in the Australian monsoon and the evolution of the convective environment during the monsoon period and the extended transition season which preceded it are described. The time-mean fields of cold point level variables are examined and the statistical relationships between mean CPPT, surface AEPTSL, and deep convection are described. Day-to-day variations of CPPT are examined in terms of these time mean relationships.

Implications of elastic wave velocities for Apollo 17 rock powders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talwani, P.; Nur, A.; Kovach, R. L.

1974-01-01

Ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities of lunar rock powders 172701, 172161, 170051, and 175081 were measured at room temperature and to 2.5 kb confining pressure. The results compare well with those of terrestrial volcanic ash and powdered basalt. P-wave velocity values up to pressures corresponding to a lunar depth of 1.4 km preclude cold compaction alone as an explanation for the observed seismic velocity structure at the Apollo 17 site. Application of small amounts of heat with simultaneous application of pressure causes rock powders to achieve equivalence of seismic velocities for competent rocks.

A new quasi-thermal trap model for solar flare hard X-ray bursts - An electrostatic trap model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spicer, D. S.; Emslie, A. G.

1988-01-01

A new quasi-thermal trap model of solar flare hard X-ray bursts is presented. The new model utilizes the trapping ability of a magnetic mirror and a magnetic field-aligned electrostatic potential produced by differences in anisotropies of the electron and ion distribution function. It is demonstrated that this potential can, together with the magnetic mirror itself, effectively confine electrons in a trap, thereby enhancing their bremsstrahlung yield per electron. This analysis makes even more untenable models involving precipitation of the bremsstrahlung-producing electrons onto a cold target.

Moonshine: Diurnally varying hydration through natural distillation on the Moon, detected by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND).

PubMed

Livengood, T A; Chin, G; Sagdeev, R Z; Mitrofanov, I G; Boynton, W V; Evans, L G; Litvak, M L; McClanahan, T P; Sanin, A B; Starr, R D; Su, J J

2015-07-15

The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), on the polar-orbiting Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft, has detected suppression in the Moon's naturally-occurring epithermal neutron leakage flux that is consistent with the presence of diurnally varying quantities of hydrogen in the regolith near the equator. Peak hydrogen concentration (neutron flux suppression) is on the dayside of the dawn terminator and diminishes through the dawn-to-noon sector. The minimum concentration of hydrogen is in the late afternoon and dusk sector. The chemical form of hydrogen is not determinable from these measurements, but other remote sensing methods and anticipated elemental availability suggest water molecules or hydroxyl ions. Signal-to-noise ratio at maximum contrast is 5.6 σ in each of two detector systems. Volatiles are deduced to collect in or on the cold nightside surface and distill out of the regolith after dawn as rotation exposes the surface to sunlight. Liberated volatiles migrate away from the warm subsolar region toward the nearby cold nightside surface beyond the terminator, resulting in maximum concentration at the dawn terminator. The peak concentration within the upper ~1 m of regolith is estimated to be 0.0125 ± 0.0022 weight-percent water-equivalent hydrogen (wt% WEH) at dawn, yielding an accumulation of 190 ± 30 ml recoverable water per square meter of regolith at each dawn. Volatile transport over the lunar surface in opposition to the Moon's rotation exposes molecules to solar ultraviolet radiation. The short lifetime against photolysis and permanent loss of hydrogen from the Moon requires a resupply rate that greatly exceeds anticipated delivery of hydrogen by solar wind implantation or by meteoroid impacts, suggesting that the surface inventory must be continually resupplied by release from a deep volatile inventory in the Moon. The natural distillation of water from the regolith by sunlight and its capture on the cold night surface may provide energy-efficient access to volatiles for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) by direct capture before volatiles can enter the surface, eliminating the need to actively mine regolith for volatile resource recovery.

Moonshine: Diurnally varying hydration through natural distillation on the Moon, detected by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livengood, T. A.; Chin, G.; Sagdeev, R. Z.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Boynton, W. V.; Evans, L. G.; Litvak, M. L.; McClanahan, T. P.; Sanin, A. B.; Starr, R. D.; Su, J. J.

2015-07-01

The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), on the polar-orbiting Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft, has detected suppression in the Moon's naturally-occurring epithermal neutron leakage flux that is consistent with the presence of diurnally varying quantities of hydrogen in the regolith near the equator. Peak hydrogen concentration (neutron flux suppression) is on the dayside of the dawn terminator and diminishes through the dawn-to-noon sector. The minimum concentration of hydrogen is in the late afternoon and dusk sector. The chemical form of hydrogen is not determinable from these measurements, but other remote sensing methods and anticipated elemental availability suggest water molecules or hydroxyl ions. Signal-to-noise ratio at maximum contrast is 5.6σ in each of two detector systems. Volatiles are deduced to collect in or on the cold nightside surface and distill out of the regolith after dawn as rotation exposes the surface to sunlight. Liberated volatiles migrate away from the warm subsolar region toward the nearby cold nightside surface beyond the terminator, resulting in maximum concentration at the dawn terminator. The peak concentration within the upper ∼1 m of regolith is estimated to be 0.0125 ± 0.0022 weight-percent water-equivalent hydrogen (wt% WEH) at dawn, yielding an accumulation of 190 ± 30 ml recoverable water per square meter of regolith at each dawn. Volatile transport over the lunar surface in opposition to the Moon's rotation exposes molecules to solar ultraviolet radiation. The short lifetime against photolysis and permanent loss of hydrogen from the Moon requires a resupply rate that greatly exceeds anticipated delivery of hydrogen by solar wind implantation or by meteoroid impacts, suggesting that the surface inventory must be continually resupplied by release from a deep volatile inventory in the Moon. The natural distillation of water from the regolith by sunlight and its capture on the cold night surface may provide energy-efficient access to volatiles for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) by direct capture before volatiles can enter the surface, eliminating the need to actively mine regolith for volatile resource recovery.

Moonshine: Diurnally varying hydration through natural distillation on the Moon, detected by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND)

PubMed Central

Livengood, T.A.; Chin, G.; Sagdeev, R.Z.; Mitrofanov, I.G.; Boynton, W.V.; Evans, L.G.; Litvak, M.L.; McClanahan, T.P.; Sanin, A.B.; Starr, R.D.; Su, J.J.

2016-01-01

The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), on the polar-orbiting Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft, has detected suppression in the Moon’s naturally-occurring epithermal neutron leakage flux that is consistent with the presence of diurnally varying quantities of hydrogen in the regolith near the equator. Peak hydrogen concentration (neutron flux suppression) is on the dayside of the dawn terminator and diminishes through the dawn-to-noon sector. The minimum concentration of hydrogen is in the late afternoon and dusk sector. The chemical form of hydrogen is not determinable from these measurements, but other remote sensing methods and anticipated elemental availability suggest water molecules or hydroxyl ions. Signal-to-noise ratio at maximum contrast is 5.6σ in each of two detector systems. Volatiles are deduced to collect in or on the cold nightside surface and distill out of the regolith after dawn as rotation exposes the surface to sunlight. Liberated volatiles migrate away from the warm subsolar region toward the nearby cold nightside surface beyond the terminator, resulting in maximum concentration at the dawn terminator. The peak concentration within the upper ~1 m of regolith is estimated to be 0.0125 ± 0.0022 weight-percent water-equivalent hydrogen (wt% WEH) at dawn, yielding an accumulation of 190 ± 30 ml recoverable water per square meter of regolith at each dawn. Volatile transport over the lunar surface in opposition to the Moon’s rotation exposes molecules to solar ultraviolet radiation. The short lifetime against photolysis and permanent loss of hydrogen from the Moon requires a resupply rate that greatly exceeds anticipated delivery of hydrogen by solar wind implantation or by meteoroid impacts, suggesting that the surface inventory must be continually resupplied by release from a deep volatile inventory in the Moon. The natural distillation of water from the regolith by sunlight and its capture on the cold night surface may provide energy-efficient access to volatiles for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) by direct capture before volatiles can enter the surface, eliminating the need to actively mine regolith for volatile resource recovery. PMID:28798496

Optimized coupling of cold atoms into a fiber using a blue-detuned hollow-beam funnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulin, Jerome; Light, Philip S.; Kashyap, Raman; Luiten, Andre N.

2011-11-01

We theoretically investigate the process of coupling cold atoms into the core of a hollow-core photonic-crystal optical fiber using a blue-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian beam. In contrast to the use of a red-detuned Gaussian beam to couple the atoms, the blue-detuned hollow beam can confine cold atoms to the darkest regions of the beam, thereby minimizing shifts in the internal states and making the guide highly robust to heating effects. This single optical beam is used as both a funnel and a guide to maximize the number of atoms into the fiber. In the proposed experiment, Rb atoms are loaded into a magneto-optical trap (MOT) above a vertically oriented optical fiber. We observe a gravito-optical trapping effect for atoms with high orbital momentum around the trap axis, which prevents atoms from coupling to the fiber: these atoms lack the kinetic energy to escape the potential and are thus trapped in the laser funnel indefinitely. We find that by reducing the dipolar force to the point at which the trapping effect just vanishes, it is possible to optimize the coupling of atoms into the fiber. Our simulations predict that by using a low-power (2.5 mW) and far-detuned (300 GHz) Laguerre-Gaussian beam with a 20-μm-radius core hollow fiber, it is possible to couple 11% of the atoms from a MOT 9 mm away from the fiber. When the MOT is positioned farther away, coupling efficiencies over 50% can be achieved with larger core fibers.

Solar-wind interactions - Nature and composition of lunar atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukherjee, N. R.

1975-01-01

The nature and composition of the lunar atmosphere are examined on the basis of solar-wind interactions, and the nature of the species in the trapped-gas layer is discussed using results of theoretical and experimental investigations. It is shown that the moon has a highly tenuous atmosphere consisting of various species derived from five sources: solar-wind interaction products, cosmic-ray interaction products, effects of meteoritic impacts, planetary degassing, and radioactive-decay products. Atmospheric concentrations are determined for those species derived from solar-wind protons, alpha particles, and oxygen ions. Carbon chemistry is briefly discussed, and difficulties encountered in attempts to determine quantitatively the concentrations of molecular oxygen, atomic oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane are noted. The calculated concentrations are shown to be in good agreement with observations by the Apollo 17 lunar-surface mass spectrometer and orbital UV spectrometer.

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noble, S. K.; Nall, M. E.; French, R. A.; Muery, K. G.

2009-12-01

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project (LMMP) has been created to manage the development of a suite of lunar mapping and modeling products that support the Constellation Program (CxP) and other lunar exploration activities, including the planning, design, development, test and operations associated with lunar sortie missions, crewed and robotic operations on the surface, and the establishment of a lunar outpost. The information provided through LMMP will assist CxP in: planning tasks in the areas of landing site evaluation and selection, design and placement of landers and other stationary assets, design of rovers and other mobile assets, developing terrain-relative navigation (TRN) capabilities, and assessment and planning of science traverses. The project draws on expertise from several NASA and non-NASA organizations (MSFC, ARC, GSFC, JPL, CRREL - US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and the USGS). LMMP will utilize data predominately from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but also historical and international lunar mission data (e.g. Apollo, Lunar Orbiter, Kaguya, Chandrayaan-1), as available and appropriate, to meet Constellation’s data needs. LMMP will provide access to this data through a single intuitive and easy to use NASA portal that transparently accesses appropriately sanctioned portions of the widely dispersed and distributed collections of lunar data, products and tools. Two visualization systems are being developed, a web-based system called Lunar Mapper, and a desktop client, ILIADS, which will be downloadable from the LMMP portal. LMMP will provide such products as local and regional imagery and DEMs, hazard assessment maps, lighting and gravity models, and resource maps. We are working closely with the LRO team to prevent duplication of efforts and to ensure the highest quality data products. While Constellation is our primary customer, LMMP is striving to be as useful as possible to the lunar science community, the lunar commercial community, the lunar education and public outreach (E/PO) community, and anyone else interested in accessing or utilizing lunar data. A beta version of the portal and visualization systems is expected to be released in late 2009, with a version 1 release planned for early 2011.

Long-Range Transhorizon Lunar Surface Radio Wave Propagation in the Presence of a Regolith and a Sparse Exospheric Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manning, Robert M.

2008-01-01

Long-range, over-the-horizon (transhorizon) radio wave propagation is considered for the case of the Moon. In the event that relay satellites are not available or otherwise unwarranted for use, transhorizon communication provides for a contingency or backup option for non line-of-sight lunar surface exploration scenarios. Two potential low-frequency propagation mechanisms characteristic of the lunar landscape are the lunar regolith and the photoelectron induced plasma exosphere enveloping the Moon. Although it was hoped that the regolith would provide for a spherical waveguide which could support a trapped surface wave phenomena, it is found that, in most cases, the regolith is deleterious to long range radio wave propagation. However, the presence of the plasma of the lunar exosphere supports wave propagation and, in fact, surpasses the attenuation of the regolith. Given the models of the regolith and exosphere adopted here, it is recommended that a frequency of 1 MHz be considered for low rate data transmission along the lunar surface. It is also recommended that further research be done to capture the descriptive physics of the regolith and the exospheric plasma so that a more complete model can be obtained. This comprehensive theoretical study is based entirely on first principles and the mathematical techniques needed are developed as required; it is self-contained and should not require the use of outside resources for its understanding.

Green spherules from Apollo 15 - Inferences about their origin from inert gas measurements.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakatos, S.; Yaniv, A.; Heymann, D.

1973-01-01

Green spherules from the 'clod' 15426 and from fines 15421 contain about 100 times less trapped inert gases than normal bulk fines from Apollo 15. These spherules have apparently never been directly exposed to the solar wind. Spherules from other fines contain about 10 times more trapped gas than those from the 'clod.' The gas in the former is surface correlated. However, spherules from fines 15401 are exceptionally gas-poor. The trapped gases can be of solar-wind origin, but this origin requires a two-stage model for the spherules from the clods. Another possibility is that the gases were absorbed from an ambient gas phase. The trapped gases may also be assumed to represent primordial lunar gas. The composition of this gas is then similar to the 'solar' or 'unfractionated' component of gas-rich meteorites, but unlike that in most of the carbonaceous chondrites.

FTIR gas chromatographic analysis of perfumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diederich, H.; Stout, Phillip J.; Hill, Stephen L.; Krishnan, K.

1992-03-01

Perfumes, natural or synthetic, are complex mixtures consisting of numerous components. Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques have been extensively utilized for the analysis of perfumes and essential oils. A limited number of perfume samples have also been analyzed by FT-IR gas chromatographic (GC-FTIR) techniques. Most of the latter studies have been performed using the conventional light pipe (LP) based GC-FTIR systems. In recent years, cold-trapping (in a matrix or neat) GC-FTIR systems have become available. The cold-trapping systems are capable of sub-nanogram sensitivities. In this paper, comparison data between the LP and the neat cold-trapping GC- FTIR systems is presented. The neat cold-trapping interface is known as Tracer. The results of GC-FTIR analysis of some commercial perfumes is also presented. For comparison of LP and Tracer GC-FTIR systems, a reference (synthetic) mixture containing 16 major and numerous minor constituents was used. The components of the mixture are the compounds commonly encountered in commercial perfumes. The GC-FTIR spectra of the reference mixture was obtained under identical chromatographic conditions from an LP and a Tracer system. A comparison of the two sets of data thus generated do indeed show the enhanced sensitivity level of the Tracer system. The comparison also shows that some of the major components detected by the Tracer system were absent from the LP data. Closer examination reveals that these compounds undergo thermal decomposition on contact with the hot gold surface that is part of the LP system. GC-FTIR data were obtained for three commercial perfume samples. The major components of these samples could easily be identified by spectra search against a digitized spectral library created using the Tracer data from the reference mixture.

Wire and Cable Cold Bending Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colozza, Anthony

2010-01-01

One of the factors in assessing the applicability of wire or cable on the lunar surface is its flexibility under extreme cold conditions. Existing wire specifications did not address their mechanical behavior under cold, cryogenic temperature conditions. Therefore tests were performed to provide this information. To assess this characteristic 35 different insulated wire and cable pieces were cold soaked in liquid nitrogen. The segments were then subjected to bending and the force was recorded. Any failure of the insulation or jacketing was also documented for each sample tested. The bending force tests were performed at room temperature to provide a comparison to the change in force needed to bend the samples due to the low temperature conditions. The results from the bending tests were plotted and showed how various types of insulated wire and cable responded to bending under cold conditions. These results were then used to estimate the torque needed to unroll the wire under these low temperature conditions.

Innovative techniques for the production of energetic radicals for lunar materials processing including photogeneration via concentrated solar energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osborn, D. E.; Lynch, D. C.; Fazzolari, R.

1990-01-01

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is investigating the use of monatomic chlorine produced in a cold plasma to recover oxygen and metallurgically significant metals from lunar materials. Development of techniques for the production of the chlorine radical (and other energetic radicals for these processes) using local planetary resources is a key step for a successful approach. It was demonstrated terrestrially that the use of UV light to energize the photogeneration of OH radicals from ozone or hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solutions can lead to rapid reaction rates for the breakdown of toxic organic compounds in water. A key question is how to use the expanded solar resource at the lunar surface to generate process-useful radicals. This project is aimed at investigating that question.

Cold Weather and Cardiovascular Disease

MedlinePlus

... This traps air between layers, forming a protective insulation. Also, wear a hat or head scarf. Heat can be lost through your head. And ears ... which traps air between layers forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body’s heat can be lost through your head. Learn CPR. ...

Fast separation of two trapped ions (Open Access, Publisher’s Version)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

of quantum states and separation of ions in a dual rf ion trapQuantum Inf. Comput . 2 257 [10] KaufmannH, Ruster T, SchmiegelowCT, Schmidt-Kaler F...Ruschhaupt et al. Shortcuts to adiabaticity for an ion in a rotating radially-tight trap M Palmero, Shuo Wang, D Guéry-Odelin et al. Optimal shortcuts for...Kiely, J P L McGuinness, J G Muga et al. Quantum simulations with cold trapped ions Michael Johanning, Andrés F Varón and Christof Wunderlich Quantum

Local condensate depletion at trap center under strong interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yukalov, V. I.; Yukalova, E. P.

2018-04-01

Cold trapped Bose-condensed atoms, interacting via hard-sphere repulsive potentials are considered. Simple mean-field approximations show that the condensate distribution inside a harmonic trap always has the shape of a hump with the maximum condensate density occurring at the trap center. However, Monte Carlo simulations at high density and strong interactions display the condensate depletion at the trap center. The explanation of this effect of local condensate depletion at trap center is suggested in the frame of self-consistent theory of Bose-condensed systems. The depletion is shown to be due to the existence of the anomalous average that takes into account pair correlations and appears in systems with broken gauge symmetry.

Cold atoms as a coolant for levitated optomechanical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjit, Gambhir; Montoya, Cris; Geraci, Andrew A.

2015-01-01

Optically trapped dielectric objects are well suited for reaching the quantum regime of their center-of-mass motion in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment. We show that ground-state cooling of an optically trapped nanosphere is achievable when starting at room temperature, by sympathetic cooling of a cold-atomic gas optically coupled to the nanoparticle. Unlike cavity cooling in the resolved-sideband limit, this system requires only a modest cavity finesse and it allows the cooling to be turned off, permitting subsequent observation of strongly coupled dynamics between the atoms and sphere. Nanospheres cooled to their quantum ground state could have applications in quantum information science or in precision sensing.

Alkali vapor pressure modulation on the 100 ms scale in a single-cell vacuum system for cold atom experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dugrain, Vincent; Reichel, Jakob; Rosenbusch, Peter

2014-08-15

We describe and characterize a device for alkali vapor pressure modulation on the 100 ms timescale in a single-cell cold atom experiment. Its mechanism is based on optimized heat conduction between a current-modulated alkali dispenser and a heat sink at room temperature. We have studied both the short-term behavior during individual pulses and the long-term pressure evolution in the cell. The device combines fast trap loading and relatively long trap lifetime, enabling high repetition rates in a very simple setup. These features make it particularly suitable for portable atomic sensors.

Reflected Charged Particle Populations around Dipolar Lunar Magnetic Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deca, Jan; Divin, Andrey

2016-10-01

In this work we analyze and compare the reflected particle populations for both a horizontal and a vertical dipole model embedded in the lunar surface, representing the solar wind interaction with two different lunar magnetic anomaly (LMA) structures. Using the 3D full-kinetic electromagnetic code iPic3D, in combination with a test-particle approach to generate particle trajectories, we focus on the ion and electron dynamics. Whereas the vertical model electrostatically reflects ions upward under both near-parallel and near-perpendicular angles with respect to the lunar surface, the horizontal model only has a significant shallow component. Characterizing the electron dynamics, we find that the interplay of the mini-magnetosphere electric and magnetic fields is capable of temporarily trapping low-energy electrons and possibly ejecting them upstream. Our results are in agreement with recent high-resolution observations. Low- to medium-altitude ion and electron observations might be excellent indicators to complement orbital magnetic field measurements and better uncover the underlying magnetic field structure. The latter is of particular importance in defining the correlation between LMAs and lunar swirls, and further testing the solar wind shielding hypothesis for albedo markings due to space weathering. Observing more reflected ions does not necessarily point to the existence of a mini-magnetosphere.

REFLECTED CHARGED PARTICLE POPULATIONS AROUND DIPOLAR LUNAR MAGNETIC ANOMALIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deca, Jan; Divin, Andrey

2016-10-01

In this work we analyze and compare the reflected particle populations for both a horizontal and a vertical dipole model embedded in the lunar surface, representing the solar wind interaction with two different lunar magnetic anomaly (LMA) structures. Using the 3D full-kinetic electromagnetic code iPic3D, in combination with a test-particle approach to generate particle trajectories, we focus on the ion and electron dynamics. Whereas the vertical model electrostatically reflects ions upward under both near-parallel and near-perpendicular angles with respect to the lunar surface, the horizontal model only has a significant shallow component. Characterizing the electron dynamics, we find that themore » interplay of the mini-magnetosphere electric and magnetic fields is capable of temporarily trapping low-energy electrons and possibly ejecting them upstream. Our results are in agreement with recent high-resolution observations. Low- to medium-altitude ion and electron observations might be excellent indicators to complement orbital magnetic field measurements and better uncover the underlying magnetic field structure. The latter is of particular importance in defining the correlation between LMAs and lunar swirls, and further testing the solar wind shielding hypothesis for albedo markings due to space weathering. Observing more reflected ions does not necessarily point to the existence of a mini-magnetosphere.« less

The Evolution of Remnant Ice at the Lunar South Pole from Diviner Surface Temperature Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, Richard C.; Siegler, Mathew; Paige, David; Teodoro, Luis Filipe; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

2010-01-01

The Diviner lunar radiometer instrument aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission has revealed large areas of lunar polar terrain with surface temperatures well below 100K. At these temperatures, the sublimation rate of water ice is well below 1 mm per billion years. In contrast, the loss rate at 120K is more than 1 meter of ice in that time consequently volatiles delivered to the coldest locations can be trapped for over 1 Ga, but will be quickly lost from warmer locales. Here we investigate the loss or retention of a layer of ice-bearing regolith at the lunar south poe, assuming contemporary surface temperature conditions and no other loss processes. We use an analytic solution for the one-dimensional diffusion equation of water ice, assuming an isothermal regolith with pore space comparable to mean grain size, 75 micrometers. Only the top meter of soil is assumed to be ice-bearing. We can then calculate the history of ice content with time based on local temperature, and predict what the epithermal neutron output would be in the presence of such a concentration of hydrogen. We compare the present, observed distribution of hydrogen with what one would expect from the temperature-dependent loss or retention of ice for various times since emplacement.

Advanced Curation Preparation for Mars Sample Return and Cold Curation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fries, M. D.; Harrington, A. D.; McCubbin, F. M.; Mitchell, J.; Regberg, A. B.; Snead, C.

2017-01-01

NASA Curation is tasked with the care and distribution of NASA's sample collections, such as the Apollo lunar samples and cometary material collected by the Stardust spacecraft. Curation is also mandated to perform Advanced Curation research and development, which includes improving the curation of existing collections as well as preparing for future sample return missions. Advanced Curation has identified a suite of technologies and techniques that will require attention ahead of Mars sample return (MSR) and missions with cold curation (CCur) requirements, perhaps including comet sample return missions.

Geophysical evidence for melt in the deep lunar interior and implications for lunar evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, A.; Connolly, J. A. D.; Pommier, A.; Noir, J.

2014-10-01

Analysis of lunar laser ranging and seismic data has yielded evidence that has been interpreted to indicate a molten zone in the lowermost mantle overlying a fluid core. Such a zone provides strong constraints on models of lunar thermal evolution. Here we determine thermochemical and physical structure of the deep Moon by inverting lunar geophysical data (mean mass and moment of inertia, tidal Love number, and electromagnetic sounding data) in combination with phase-equilibrium computations. Specifically, we assess whether a molten layer is required by the geophysical data. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that a region with high dissipation located deep within the Moon is required to explain the geophysical data. This region is located within the mantle where the solidus is crossed at a depth of ˜1200 km (≥1600°C). Inverted compositions for the partially molten layer (150-200 km thick) are enriched in FeO and TiO2 relative to the surrounding mantle. The melt phase is neutrally buoyant at pressures of ˜4.5-4.6 GPa but contains less TiO2 (<15 wt %) than the Ti-rich (˜16 wt %) melts that produced a set of high-density primitive lunar magmas (density of 3.4 g/cm3). Melt densities computed here range from 3.25 to 3.45 g/cm3 bracketing the density of lunar magmas with moderate-to-high TiO2 contents. Our results are consistent with a model of lunar evolution in which the cumulate pile formed from crystallization of the magma ocean as it overturned, trapping heat-producing elements in the lower mantle.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon: Fact and Fiction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciocca, Marco; Wang, Jing

2013-01-01

Is moonlight "silver" or "cold"? In this paper we discuss the interesting combination of factors that contribute to the common descriptions of moonlight. Sunlight is reflected from the lunar surface and red-shifted. When traversing the atmosphere, moonlight is further depleted of short wavelength content by Rayleigh scattering.…

Lunar Surface Properties from Diviner Eclipse Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayne, Paul; Paige, David; Greenhagen, Benjamin; Bandfield, Joshua; Siegler, Matthew; Lucey, Paul

2015-04-01

The thermal behavior of planetary bodies can reveal information about fundamental processes shaping their surfaces and interiors. Diviner [1] has been mapping the Moon's diurnal temperatures since the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) arrived in 2009, yielding new insights into regolith formation [2, 3], the distribution of volatiles [4, 5], lunar volcanism [6, 7, 8], and impact processes [9]. The Moon's cooling during eclipse provides complementary information on the physical properties of the uppermost surface layer, which can be used to further investigate these and other processes. We used data from Diviner's seven thermal infrared spectral channels to measure surface temperatures before, during and after the 8 Oct., 2014 eclipse. In its standard nadir-pushbroom mode, Diviner maps surface temperatures in a ~6-km swath with a spatial resolution of ~250 m. Using Diviner's independent scanning capability [11], we also targeted two regions of interest on sequential orbits to create a time series of thermal observations: 1) Kepler crater (-38°E, 8°N) and 2) an unnamed nighttime "cold spot" (-33.3°E, 3°N). Pre-eclipse surface temperatures in these regions were ~380 K. As a relatively young Copernican-aged impact crater, Kepler was selected to investigate the abundance and size distribution of rocks in the ejecta and interior. Lunar nighttime "cold spots" are anomalous features around very young impact craters, extending for up to hundreds of crater radii, notable for their low temperatures in the Diviner nighttime data [9]. Although their origins are not fully explained, they are likely the result of in-situ disruption and decompression of regolith during the impact process. The selected cold spot (one of hundreds or even thousands on the lunar surface) was located with good viewing ge- ometry from LRO, and had a diameter of ~10 km surrounding a crater < 1 km in diameter. At Kepler crater, we observed dramatic differences in the amount of cooling related to the presence of blocky ejecta material. Comparisons of the rock abundance derived from the eclipse measurements can be made to those derived from the standard Diviner diurnal data [2] in order to constrain the rock size distribution. At a small nighttime cold spot, we observed brightness temperatures during the eclipse that were more than 10K higher than those observed in surrounding non-cold-spot regions. This seemingly paradoxical result implies that the vertical stratigraphy of the Moon's near-surface regolith may be more complex than has been previously appreciated. We are in the process of evaluating several possible explanations for this phenomenon quantitatively. References: [1] Paige D. A., et al. (2010) Space Sci. Rev. 150, 125-160. [2] Bandfield J. L., et al. (2011) J. Geophys. Res., 116, E12. [3] Ghent R. R., et al. (2014) Geology, 42 (12), 1059-1062. [4] Paige D. A., et al. (2010) Science, 330, 479-482. [5] Hayne P. O., et al. (2015) Icarus, submitted. [6] Greenhagen B. T., et al. (2010) Science, 329, 1507-1509. [7] Glotch T. D., et al. (2010) Science, 329, 1510-1513. [8] Allen C. C., et al. (2012) J. Geophys. Res., 117, E12. [9] Bandfield J. L., et al. (2014) Icarus, 231, 221-231. [10] Hayne P. O., et al. (2011) AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, p. 1712. [11] Hayne P. O., et al. (2010) Science, 330, 477-479. Acknowledgement: Part of this work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Generation of forerunner electron beam during interaction of ion beam pulse with plasma

DOE PAGES

Hara, Kentaro; Kaganovich, Igor D.; Startsev, Edward A.

2018-01-01

The long-time evolution of the two-stream instability of a cold tenuous ion beam pulse propagating through the background plasma with density much higher than the ion beam density is investigated using a large-scale one-dimensional electrostatic kinetic simulation. The three stages of the instability are investigated in detail. After the initial linear growth and saturation by the electron trapping, a portion of the initially trapped electrons becomes detrapped and moves ahead of the ion beam pulse forming a forerunner electron beam, which causes a secondary two-stream instability that preheats the upstream plasma electrons. Consequently, the self-consistent nonlinear-driven turbulent state is setmore » up at the head of the ion beam pulse with the saturated plasma wave sustained by the influx of the cold electrons from upstream of the beam that lasts until the final stage when the beam ions become trapped by the plasma wave. Finally, the beam ion trapping leads to the nonlinear heating of the beam ions that eventually extinguishes the instability.« less

Generation of forerunner electron beam during interaction of ion beam pulse with plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hara, Kentaro; Kaganovich, Igor D.; Startsev, Edward A.

The long-time evolution of the two-stream instability of a cold tenuous ion beam pulse propagating through the background plasma with density much higher than the ion beam density is investigated using a large-scale one-dimensional electrostatic kinetic simulation. The three stages of the instability are investigated in detail. After the initial linear growth and saturation by the electron trapping, a portion of the initially trapped electrons becomes detrapped and moves ahead of the ion beam pulse forming a forerunner electron beam, which causes a secondary two-stream instability that preheats the upstream plasma electrons. Consequently, the self-consistent nonlinear-driven turbulent state is setmore » up at the head of the ion beam pulse with the saturated plasma wave sustained by the influx of the cold electrons from upstream of the beam that lasts until the final stage when the beam ions become trapped by the plasma wave. Finally, the beam ion trapping leads to the nonlinear heating of the beam ions that eventually extinguishes the instability.« less

Decelerating and Trapping Large Polar Molecules.

PubMed

Patterson, David

2016-11-18

Manipulating the motion of large polyatomic molecules, such as benzonitrile (C 6 H 5 CN), presents significant difficulties compared to the manipulation of diatomic molecules. Although recent impressive results have demonstrated manipulation, trapping, and cooling of molecules as large as CH 3 F, no general technique for trapping such molecules has been demonstrated, and cold neutral molecules larger than 5 atoms have not been trapped (M. Zeppenfeld, B. G. U. Englert, R. Glöckner, A. Prehn, M. Mielenz, C. Sommer, L. D. van Buuren, M. Motsch, G. Rempe, Nature 2012, 491, 570-573). In particular, extending Stark deceleration and electrostatic trapping to such species remains challenging. Here, we propose to combine a novel "asymmetric doublet state" Stark decelerator with recently demonstrated slow, cold, buffer-gas-cooled beams of closed-shell volatile molecules to realize a general system for decelerating and trapping samples of a broad range of volatile neutral polar prolate asymmetric top molecules. The technique is applicable to most stable volatile molecules in the 100-500 AMU range, and would be capable of producing trapped samples in a single rotational state and at a motional temperature of hundreds of mK. Such samples would immediately allow for spectroscopy of unprecedented resolution, and extensions would allow for further cooling and direct observation of slow intramolecular processes such as vibrational relaxation and Hertz-level tunneling dynamics. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optical coupling of cold atoms to a levitated nanosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montoya, Cris; Witherspoon, Apryl; Fausett, Jacob; Lim, Jason; Kitching, John; Geraci, Andrew

2017-04-01

Cooling mechanical oscillators to their quantum ground state enables the study of quantum phenomena at macroscopic levels. In many cases, the temperature required to cool a mechanical mode to the ground state is below what current cryogenic systems can achieve. As an alternative to cooling via cryogenic systems, it has been shown theoretically that optically trapped nanospheres could reach the ground state by sympathetically cooling the spheres via cold atoms. Such cooled spheres can be used in quantum limited sensing and matter-wave interferometry, and could also enable new hybrid quantum systems where mechanical oscillators act as transducers. In our setup, optical fields are used to couple a sample of cold Rubidium atoms to a nanosphere. The sphere is optically levitated in a separate vacuum chamber, while the atoms are trapped in a 1-D optical lattice and cooled using optical molasses. This work is partially supported by NSF, Grant No. PHY-1506431.

Design of a Day/Night Lunar Rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkelman, Peter; Easudes, Jesse; Martin, Martin C.; Rollins, Eric; Silberman, Jack; Chen, Mei; Hancock, John; Mor, Andrew B.; Sharf, Alex; Warren, Tom; Bapna, Deepak

1995-06-01

The pair of lunar rovers discussed in this report will return video and state data to various ventures, including theme park and marketing concerns, science agencies, and educational institutions. The greatest challenge accepted by the design team was to enable operations throughout the extremely cold and dark lunar night, an unprecedented goal in planetary exploration. This is achieved through the use of the emerging technology of Alkali Metal Thermal to Electric Converters (AMTEC), provided with heat from a innovative beta-decay heat source, Krypton-85 gas. Although previous space missions have returned still images, our design will convey panoramic video from a ring of cameras around the rover. A six-wheel rocker bogie mechanism is implemented to propel the rover. The rovers will also provide the ability to safeguard their operation to allow untrained members of the general public to drive the vehicle. Additionally, scientific exploration and educational outreach will be supported with a user operable, steerable and zoomable camera.

Cold trap dehydration in the Tropical Tropopause Layer characterised by SOWER chilled-mirror hygrometer network data in the Tropical Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasebe, F.; Inai, Y.; Shiotani, M.; Fujiwara, M.; Vömel, H.; Nishi, N.; Ogino, S.-Y.; Shibata, T.; Iwasaki, S.; Komala, N.; Peter, T.; Oltmans, S. J.

2013-04-01

A network of balloon-borne radiosonde observations employing chilled-mirror hygrometers for water and electrochemical concentration cells for ozone has been operated since the late 1990s in the Tropical Pacific to capture the evolution of dehydration of air parcels advected quasi-horizontally in the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL). The analysis of this dataset is made on isentropes taking advantage of the conservative properties of tracers moving adiabatically. The existence of ice particles is diagnosed by lidars simultaneously operated with sonde flights. Characteristics of the TTL dehydration are presented on the basis of individual soundings and statistical features. Supersaturations close to 80% in relative humidity with respect to ice (RHice) have been observed in subvisible cirrus clouds located near the cold point tropopause at extremely low temperatures around 180 K. Although further observational evidence is needed to confirm the credibility of such high values of RHice, the evolution of TTL dehydration is evident from the data in isentropic scatter plots between the sonde-observed mixing ratio (OMR) and the minimum saturation mixing ratio (SMRmin) along the back trajectories associated with the observed air mass. Supersaturation exceeding the critical value of homogeneous ice nucleation (OMR > 1.6 × SMRmin) is frequently observed on the 360 and 365 K surfaces indicating that cold trap dehydration is in progress in the TTL. The near correspondence between the two (OMR ~ SMRmin) at 380 K on the other hand implies that this surface is not sufficiently cold for the advected air parcels to be dehydrated. Above 380 K, cold trap dehydration would scarcely function while some moistening occurs before the air parcels reach the lowermost stratosphere at around 400 K where OMR is generally smaller than SMRmin.

Reactor Simulator Testing Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenfeld, Michael P.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Integrated testing of the TDU components TESTING SUMMARY: a) Verify the operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation and control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. b) Thermal test heat regeneration design aspect of a cold trap purification filter. c) Pump performance test at pump voltages up to 150 V (targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s was not obtained in the RxSim at the originally constrained voltage of 120 V). TESTING HIGHLIGHTS: a) Gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively for NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain operations. b) Instrumentation and control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings. c) Cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the cold temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. d) ALIP produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz.

Rydberg Excitation of a Single Trapped Ion.

PubMed

Feldker, T; Bachor, P; Stappel, M; Kolbe, D; Gerritsma, R; Walz, J; Schmidt-Kaler, F

2015-10-23

We demonstrate excitation of a single trapped cold (40)Ca(+) ion to Rydberg levels by laser radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet at a wavelength of 122 nm. Observed resonances are identified as 3d(2)D(3/2) to 51F, 52F and 3d(2)D(5/2) to 64F. We model the line shape and our results imply a large state-dependent coupling to the trapping potential. Rydberg ions are of great interest for future applications in quantum computing and simulation, in which large dipolar interactions are combined with the superb experimental control offered by Paul traps.

A circularly polarized optical dipole trap and other developments in laser trapping of atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corwin, Kristan Lee

Several innovations in laser trapping and cooling of alkali atoms are described. These topics share a common motivation to develop techniques for efficiently manipulating cold atoms. Such advances facilitate sensitive precision measurements such as parity non- conservation and 8-decay asymmetry in large trapped samples, even when only small quantities of the desired species are available. First, a cold, bright beam of Rb atoms is extracted from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) using a very simple technique. This beam has a flux of 5 × 109 atoms/s and a velocity of 14 m/s, and up to 70% of the atoms in the MOT were transferred to the atomic beam. Next, a highly efficient MOT for radioactive atoms is described, in which more than 50% of 221Fr atoms contained in a vapor cell are loaded into a MOT. Measurements were also made of the 221Fr 7 2P1/2 and 7 2P3/2 energies and hyperfine constants. To perform these experiments, two schemes for stabilizing the frequency of the light from a diode laser were developed and are described in detail. Finally, a new type of trap is described and a powerful cooling technique is demonstrated. The circularly polarized optical dipole trap provides large samples of highly spin-polarized atoms, suitable for many applications. Physical processes that govern the transfer of large numbers of atoms into the trap are described, and spin-polarization is measured to be 98(1)%. In addition, the trap breaks the degeneracy of the atomic spin states much like a magnetic trap does. This allows for RF and microwave cooling via both forced evaporation and a Sisyphus mechanism. Preliminary application of these techniques to the atoms in the circularly polarized dipole trap has successfully decreased the temperature by a factor of 4 while simultaneously increasing phase space density.

Perigean Spring Tides and Apogean Neap Tides in History

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Donald W.

2012-01-01

On January 4, 1912 - almost exactly 100 years ago - both a full Moon and a lunar perigee occurred, with these two events separated by only a few minutes of time and with the Earth near perihelion. The resulting lunar distance (356,375 km) on that date stands as the closest approach of the Moon to the Earth in an interval of more than 1400 years. The centennial of this extreme lunar perigee is an appropriate time to consider the effect of lunar distance on the range of ocean tides. At most ocean ports, spring tides of increased range occur near new and full Moon. If a lunar perigee falls near new or full Moon, then perigean spring tides of even greater range are possible. Conversely, if a lunar apogee falls near first quarter or last quarter Moon, then apogean neap tides of unusually reduced range can occur. Examples of perigean spring tides include a near-coincidence of lunar perigee and new Moon in December 1340 that may be related to a plot device in Chaucer's "The Franklin's Tale,” a Canterbury tale that describes an extreme high tide covering the rocks on the coast of Brittany in "the cold and frosty season of December.” Another example, the disaster known as the Bristol Channel Flood, occurred shortly after a lunar perigee and new Moon in January 1607. A German U-boat employed an exceptionally high perigean spring tide shortly after the new Moon of October 1939 to enter Scapa Flow by an unexpected route and sink the HMS Royal Oak. An apogean neap tide prevailed during the amphibious assault of the U. S. Marines at Tarawa in November 1943, making the eventual victory more costly because the landing craft were unable to reach the island and instead grounded on the surrounding reef.

Single-shot imaging of trapped Fermi gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajda, Mariusz; Mostowski, Jan; Sowiński, Tomasz; Załuska-Kotur, Magdalena

2016-07-01

Recently developed techniques allow for simultaneous measurements of the positions of all ultra-cold atoms in a trap with high resolution. Each such single-shot experiment detects one element of the quantum ensemble formed by the cloud of atoms. Repeated single-shot measurements can be used to determine all correlations between particle positions as opposed to standard measurements that determine particle density or two-particle correlations only. In this paper we discuss the possible outcomes of such single-shot measurements in the case of cloud of ultra-cold noninteracting Fermi atoms. We show that the Pauli exclusion principle alone leads to correlations between particle positions that originate from unexpected spatial structures formed by the atoms.

Design and Development of a Sub-Zero Fluid System for Demonstration of Orion's Phase Change Material Heat Exchangers on ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheth, Rubik B.; Ahlstrom, Thomas D.; Le, Hung V.

2016-01-01

NASA's Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle's Exploration Mission 2 is expected to loiter in Lunar orbit for a relatively long period of time. In low Lunar orbit (LLO) the thermal environment is cyclic - extremely cold in the eclipse and relatively hot near the subsolar point. Phase change material heat exchangers (PCM HXs) are the best option for long term missions in these environments. A PCM HX allows a vehicle to store excess waste energy by thawing a phase change material such as n-pentadecane wax. During portions of the orbit that are extremely cold, the excess energy is rejected, resolidifying the wax. Due to the inherent risk of compromising the heat exchanger during multiple freeze and thaw cycles, a unique payload was designed for the International Space Station to test and demonstration the functions of a PCM HX. The payload incorporates the use of a pumped fluid system and a thermoelectric heat exchanger to promote the freezing and thawing of the PCM HX. This paper shall review the design and development undertaken to build such a system.

Records of Coendouichillus (Rodentia, Erethizontidae) from the Lower Urubamba Region of Peru.

PubMed

Gregory, Tremaine; Lunde, Darrin; Zamora-Meza, Hugo Tomás; Carrasco-Rueda, Farah

2015-01-01

Coendouichillus was first described in 2001 by Voss and da Silva, with a range from Amazonian Ecuador to Iquitos, Peru. Here, we describe an adult female Coendouichillus specimen collected in a Tomahawk trap in the forest canopy of the Lower Urubamba Region of Peru in October 2013. We also describe pathologies and behaviors observed through 379 camera trapping photo events (2,196 photos) gathered in natural canopy bridges over the course of a year (7,198 trap nights), including information on activity period over the course of the day and over the course of the lunar cycle. We conservatively estimate that 17 individuals were photographed, including one juvenile. Being 900 km away from Iquitos, Peru (the site of the closest record), discovery of this species in the Lower Urubamba constitutes a significant range extension.

Resource Prospector Propulsion Cold Flow Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Hunter; Pederson, Kevin; Dervan, Melanie; Holt, Kimberly; Jernigan, Frankie; Trinh, Huu; Flores, Sam

2014-01-01

For the past year, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Johnson Space Center have been working on a government version of a lunar lander design for the Resource Prospector Mission. A propulsion cold flow test system, representing an early flight design of the propulsion system, has been fabricated. The primary objective of the cold flow test is to simulate the Resource Prospector propulsion system operation through water flow testing and obtain data for anchoring analytical models. This effort will also provide an opportunity to develop a propulsion system mockup to examine hardware integration to a flight structure. This paper will report the work progress of the propulsion cold flow test system development and test preparation. At the time this paper is written, the initial waterhammer testing is underway. The initial assessment of the test data suggests that the results are as expected and have a similar trend with the pretest prediction. The test results will be reported in a future conference.

Active Solid State Dosimetry for Lunar EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wrbanek, John D.; Fralick, Gustave C.; Wrbanek, Susan Y.; Chen, Liang-Yu.

2006-01-01

The primary threat to astronauts from space radiation is high-energy charged particles, such as electrons, protons, alpha and heavier particles, originating from galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), solar particle events (SPEs) and trapped radiation belts in Earth orbit. There is also the added threat of secondary neutrons generated as the space radiation interacts with atmosphere, soil and structural materials.[1] For Lunar exploration missions, the habitats and transfer vehicles are expected to provide shielding from standard background radiation. Unfortunately, the Lunar Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit is not expected to afford such shielding. Astronauts need to be aware of potentially hazardous conditions in their immediate area on EVA before a health and hardware risk arises. These conditions would include fluctuations of the local radiation field due to changes in the space radiation field and unknown variations in the local surface composition. Should undue exposure occur, knowledge of the dynamic intensity conditions during the exposure will allow more precise diagnostic assessment of the potential health risk to the exposed individual.[2

Trapping of Methanol, Hydrogen Cyanide, and n-Hexane in Water Ice, above Its Transformation Temperature to the Crystalline Form

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Notesco, G.; Bar-Nun, A.

1997-04-01

HCN and n-C 6H 14were found experimentally to be trapped in water ice, when codeposited with water vapor on a cold plate, at 140 K and CH 3OH even at 160 K. At these temperatures at least part of the water ice is cystalline. These three gases have relatively high sublimation temperatures, whereas the gases studied earlier, Ar, Kr, Xe, CO, CH 4, and N 2, which have lower sublimination temperatures, are trapped only in amorphous water ice, up to ˜100 K. It seems that the major factor determining the efficiency of gas trapping by water ice, during codeposition of a gas-water vapor mixture on a cold plate, is the sublimation temperatures of the gases to be trapped. Those with a high sublimation temperature remain, during codeposition, longer in the pores of the water ice which are open to the surface, until they are covered by additional ice layers. Only methanol seems to form a clathrate hydrate, in agreement with the experimental results of D. Blake et al.(1991), Science254, 548-551), which points to the importance of the interaction of the gas molecules with the water molecules in the ice. Consequently, comets and icy satellites that were formed in the Jupiter-Saturn region and their subnebulae could trap CH 3OH, HCN, and heavy hydrocarbons, whereas comets and icy satellites that were formed in the Uranus-Neptune region, at the outskirts of the Saturnian subnebulae (Titan), and beyond the planets in the Kuiper belt could trap also gases having lower sublimation temperatures.

Ultracold molecules for the masses: Evaporative cooling and magneto-optical trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuhl, B. K.

While cold molecule experiments are rapidly moving towards their promised benefits of precision spectroscopy, controllable chemistry, and novel condensed phases, heretofore the field has been greatly limited by a lack of methods to cool and compress chemically diverse species to temperatures below ten millikelvin. While in atomic physics these needs are fulfilled by laser cooling, magneto-optical trapping, and evaporative cooling, until now none of these techniques have been applicable to molecules. In this thesis, two major breakthroughs are reported. The first is the observation of evaporative cooling in magnetically trapped hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which potentially opens a path all the way to Bose-Einstein condensation of dipolar radicals, as well as allowing cold- and ultracold-chemistry studies of fundamental reaction mechanisms. Through the combination of an extremely high gradient magnetic quadrupole trap and the use of the OH Λ-doublet transition to enable highly selective forced evaporation, cooling by an order of magnitude in temperature was achieved and yielded a final temperature no higher than 5mK. The second breakthrough is the successful application of laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping to molecules. Motivated by a proposal in this thesis, laser cooling of molecules is now known to be technically feasible in a select but substantial pool of diatomic molecules. The demonstration of not only Doppler cooling but also two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping in yttrium (II) oxide, YO, is expected to enable rapid growth in the availability of ultracold molecules—just as the invention of the atomic magneto-optical trap stimulated atomic physics twenty-five years ago.

Noble gas isotopic composition, cosmic ray exposure history, and terrestrial age of the meteorite Allan Hills A81005 from the moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eugster, O.; Geiss, J.; Kraehenbuehl, U.; Niedermann, S.

1986-06-01

A comprehensive study of the elemental and isotopic abundances of the noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe in the meteorite Allan Hills A81005 from the moon is presented. In addition to a bulk sample, five grain-size fractions were analyzed. Chemical abundances relevant to the interpretation of the cosmic-ray-produced noble gases were determined and indicate that the grain size fractions are chemically uniform. Except for the fact that the trapped noble gas concentrations appear to be grain size correlated, the isotopic and elemental pattern of the trapped solar wind noble gases in A81005 are very similar to those observed in lunar soils and breccias. The A81005 material resided during (580 + or - 180) Myr in the nuclear active zone of the lunar regolith at an average shielding depth of about 40 g/sq cm. From literature data, it is concluded that the moon-earth transit time lasted less than a few million years. Finally, A81005 was captured by the earth more than 140,000 years ago, as indicated by the abundance of cosmic-ray-produced Kr-81.

Sources and physical processes responsible for OH/H2O in the lunar soil as revealed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCord, T.B.; Taylor, L.A.; Combe, J.-P.; Kramer, G.; Pieters, C.M.; Sunshine, J.M.; Clark, R.N.

2011-01-01

Analysis of two absorption features near 3 m in the lunar reflectance spectrum, observed by the orbiting M3 spectrometer and interpreted as being due to OH and H2O, is presented, and the results are used to discuss the processes producing these molecules. This analysis focuses on the dependence of the absorptions on lunar physical properties, including composition, illumination, latitude, and temperature. Solar wind proton-induced hydroxylation is proposed as the creation process, and its products could be a source for other reported types of hydrogen-rich material and water. The irregular and damaged fine-grained lunar soil seems especially adapted for trapping solar wind protons and forming OH owing to abundant dangling oxygen bonds. The M3 data reveal that the strengths of the two absorptions are correlated and widespread, and both are correlated with lunar composition but in different ways. Feldspathic material seems richer in OH. These results seem to rule out water from the lunar interior and cometary infall as major sources. There appear to be correlations of apparent band strengths with time of day and lighting conditions. However, thermal emission from the Moon reduces the apparent strengths of the M3 absorptions, and its removal is not yet completely successful. Further, many of the lunar physical properties are themselves intercorrelated, and so separating these dependencies on the absorptions is difficult, due to the incomplete M3 data set. This process should also operate on other airless silicate surfaces, such as Mercury and Vesta, which will be visited by the Dawn spacecraft in mid-2011. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Phase Equilibria of a S- and C-Poor Lunar Core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Go, B. M.; Danielson, L. R.; Habermann, M.

2016-01-01

The composition of the lunar core can have a large impact on its thermal evolution, possible early dynamo creation, and physical state. Geochemical measurements have placed better constraints on the S and C content of the lunar mantle. In this study we have carried out phase equilibrium studies of geochemically plausible S- and C-poor lunar core compositions in the Fe-Ni-S-C system, and apply them to the early history of the Moon. We chose two bulk core compositions, with differing S and C content based on geochemical analyses of S and C trapped melts in Apollo samples, and on the partitioning of S and C between metal and silicate. This approach allowed calculation of core S and C contents - 90% Fe, 9% Ni, 0.5% C, and 0.375% S by weight; a second composition contained 1% each of S and C. Experiments were carried out from 1473K to 1973K and 1 GPa to 5 GPa, in piston cylinder and multi- anvil apparatuses. Combination of the thermal model of with our results, shows that a solid inner core (and therefore initiation of a dynamo) may have been possible in the earliest history of the Moon (approximately 4.2 Ga ago), in agreement with. Thus a volatile poor lunar core may explain the thermal and magnetic history of the Moon.

Ion-neutral-atom sympathetic cooling in a hybrid linear rf Paul and magneto-optical trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, D. S.; Sivarajah, I.; Wells, J. E.; Narducci, F. A.; Smith, W. W.

2012-09-01

Long-range polarization forces between ions and neutral atoms result in large elastic scattering cross sections (e.g., ˜106a.u. for Na-Na+ or Na-Ca+ at cold and ultracold temperatures). This suggests that a hybrid ion-neutral trap should offer a general means for significant sympathetic cooling of atomic or molecular ions. We present simion 7.0 simulation results concerning the advantages and limitations of sympathetic cooling within a hybrid trap apparatus consisting of a linear rf Paul trap concentric with a Na magneto-optical trap (MOT). This paper explores the impact of various heating mechanisms on the hybrid system and how parameters related to the MOT, Paul trap, number of ions, and ion species affect the efficiency of the sympathetic cooling.

Secondary scattering on the intensity dependence of the capture velocity in a magneto-optical trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loos, M. R.; Massardo, S. B.; de S. Zanon, R. A.; de Oliveira, A. L.

2005-08-01

In this work, we consider a three-dimensional model to simulate the capture velocity behavior in a sample of cold-trapped sodium atoms as a function of the trapping laser intensity. We expand on previous work [V. S. Bagnato, L. G. Marcassa, S. G. Miranda, S. R. Muniz, and A. L. de Oliveira, Phys. Rev. A 62, 013404 (2000)] by calculating the capture velocity over a broad range of light intensities considering the secondary scattering in a magneto-optical trap. Our calculations are in a good agreement with recent measured values [S. R. Muniz , Phys. Rev. A 65, 015402 (2001)].

Optical ferris wheel for ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franke-Arnold, S.; Leach, J.; Padgett, M. J.; Lembessis, V. E.; Ellinas, D.; Wright, A. J.; Girkin, J. M.; Ohberg, P.; Arnold, A. S.

2007-07-01

We propose a versatile optical ring lattice suitable for trapping cold and quantum degenerate atomic samples. We demonstrate the realisation of intensity patterns from pairs of Laguerre-Gauss (exp(iℓө) modes with different ℓ indices. These patterns can be rotated by introducing a frequency shift between the modes. We can generate bright ring lattices for trapping atoms in red-detuned light, and dark ring lattices suitable for trapping atoms with minimal heating in the optical vortices of blue-detuned light. The lattice sites can be joined to form a uniform ring trap, making it ideal for studying persistent currents and the Mott insulator transition in a ring geometry.

Robust Exploration and Commercial Missions to the Moon Using LANTR Propulsion and Lunar Liquid Oxygen Derived from FeO-Rich Pyroclastic Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borowski, Stanley K.; Ryan, Stephen W.; Burke, Laura M.; McCurdy, David R.; Fittje, James E.; Joyner, Claude R.

2017-01-01

Studies conducted by NASA and its contractors (early 1980s early 1990s) indicated a substantial benefit from using lunar-derived propellants specifically lunar-derived LO2 (LLO2) or LUNOX in a lunar space transportation system (LTS). With a LTS using LO2/LH2 chemical rockets, approx. 6 kilograms (kg) of mass in low Earth orbit (LEO) is required to place 1 kg of payload on the lunar surface (LS). Of this 6 kg, approx. 70% (4.2 kg) is propellant and 6/7th of this mass (3.6 kg) is oxygen assuming an O/H MR 6:1. Since the cost of placing a kilogram of mass on the LS is approx. 6X the cost of delivering it to LEO, the ability to produce and utilize LUNOX or lunar-derived LO2 and hydrogen (LLH2) from lunar polar ice (LPI) deposits can provide significant mission leverage. Providing LUNOX for use in fuel cells, life support systems and LO2/LH2 chemical rockets used on lunar landing vehicles (LLVs), can allow high value cargo (people, manufacturing and scientific equipment, etc.) to be transported to LEO, then to the Moon instead of bulk LO2 propellant. Oxygen is abundant in the lunar regolith (approx. 43% by mass) and can be extracted using a variety of techniques, such as hydrogen reduction of ilmenite (FeOTiO2) or FeO-rich volcanic glass (orange soil) discovered during the Apollo 17 mission to Taurus-Littrow. While considerable interest has been expressed about mining and processing LPI for rocket propellant, ground truth must first be established to quantify the physical state of the ice (e.g., its vertical thickness and areal extent, levels of soil contamination, etc.) and the deep, extremely cold (approx. 26-100 K) permanently shadowed craters where the ice resides.

Lepton-rich cold QCD matter in protoneutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, J. C.; Fraga, E. S.

2018-05-01

We investigate protoneutron star matter using the state-of-the-art perturbative equation of state for cold and dense QCD in the presence of a fixed lepton fraction in which both electrons and neutrinos are included. Besides computing the modifications in the equation of state due to the presence of trapped neutrinos, we show that stable strange quark matter has a more restricted parameter space. We also study the possibility of nucleation of unpaired quark matter in the core of protoneutron stars by matching the lepton-rich QCD pressure onto a hadronic equation of state, namely TM1 with trapped neutrinos. Using the inherent dependence of perturbative QCD on the renormalization scale parameter, we provide a measure of the uncertainty in the observables we compute.

Ferroelectric nanotraps for polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Omjyoti; Giedke, G.

2018-02-01

We propose and analyze an electrostatic-optical nanoscale trap for cold diatomic polar molecules. The main ingredient of our proposal is a square array of ferroelectric nanorods with alternating polarization. We show that, in contrast to electrostatic traps using the linear Stark effect, a quadratic Stark potential supports long-lived trapped states. The molecules are kept at a fixed height from the nanorods by a standing-wave optical dipole trap. For the molecules and materials considered, we find nanotraps with trap frequency up to 1 MHz, ground-state width ˜20 nm with lattice periodicity of ˜200 nm . Analyzing the loss mechanisms due to nonadiabaticity, surface-induced radiative transitions, and laser-induced transitions, we show the existence of trapped states with lifetime ˜1 s , competitive with current traps created via optical mechanisms. As an application we extend our discussion to a one-dimensional (1D) array of nanotraps to simulate a long-range spin Hamiltonian in our structure.

Vegetation and Cold Trapping Modulating Elevation-dependent Distribution of Trace Metals in Soils of a High Mountain in Eastern Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Bing, Haijian; Wu, Yanhong; Zhou, Jun; Li, Rui; Luo, Ji; Yu, Dong

2016-04-07

Trace metals adsorbed onto fine particles can be transported long distances and ultimately deposited in Polar Regions via the cold condensation effect. This study indicated the possible sources of silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb) and zinc (Zn) in soils on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga, eastern Tibetan Plateau, and deciphered the effects of vegetation and mountain cold condensation on their distributions with elevation. The metal concentrations in the soils were comparable to other mountains worldwide except the remarkably high concentrations of Cd. Trace metals with high enrichment in the soils were influenced from anthropogenic contributions. Spatially, the concentrations of Cu and Zn in the surface horizons decreased from 2000 to 3700 m a.s.l., and then increased with elevation, whereas other metals were notably enriched in the mid-elevation area (approximately 3000 m a.s.l.). After normalization for soil organic carbon, high concentrations of Cd, Pb, Sb and Zn were observed above the timberline. Our results indicated the importance of vegetation in trace metal accumulation in an alpine ecosystem and highlighted the mountain cold trapping effect on trace metal deposition sourced from long-range atmospheric transport.

Extraction of Thermal Performance Values from Samples in the Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Siamidis, John; Larkin, Elizabeth M. G.

2008-01-01

A simulation chamber has been developed to test the performance of thermal control surfaces under dusty lunar conditions. The lunar dust adhesion bell jar (LDAB) is a diffusion pumped vacuum chamber (10(exp -8) Torr) built to test material samples less than about 7 cm in diameter. The LDAB has the following lunar dust simulant processing capabilities: heating and cooling while stirring in order to degas and remove adsorbed water; RF air-plasma for activating the dust and for organic contaminant removal; RF H/He-plasma to simulate solar wind; dust sieving system for controlling particle sizes; and a controlled means of introducing the activated dust to the samples under study. The LDAB is also fitted with an in situ Xe arc lamp solar simulator, and a cold box that can reach 30 K. Samples of thermal control surfaces (2.5 cm diameter) are introduced into the chamber for calorimetric evaluation using thermocouple instrumentation. The object of this paper is to present a thermal model of the samples under test conditions and to outline the procedure to extract the absorptance, emittance, and thermal efficiency from the pristine and sub-monolayer dust covered samples.

Extraction of Thermal Performance Values from Samples in the Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Siamidis, John; Larkin, Elizabeth M.G.

2008-01-01

A simulation chamber has been developed to test the performance of thermal control surfaces under dusty lunar conditions. The lunar dust adhesion bell jar (LDAB) is a diffusion pumped vacuum chamber (10-8 Torr) built to test material samples less than about 7 cm in diameter. The LDAB has the following lunar dust stimulant processing capabilities: heating and cooling while stirring in order to degas and remove absorbed water; RF air-plasma for activating the dust and for organic contaminant removal; RF H/He-plasma to simulate solar wind; dust sieving system for controlling particle sizes; and a controlled means of introducing the activated dust to the samples under study. The LDAB is also fitted with an in situ Xe arc lamp solar simulator, and a cold box that can reach 30 K. Samples of thermal control surfaces (2.5 cm diameter) are introduced into the chamber for calorimetric evaluation using thermocouple instrumentation. The object of this paper is to present a thermal model of the samples under test conditions, and to outline the procedure to extract the absorptance, emittance, and thermal efficiency from the pristine and sub-monolayer dust covered samples

Monte Carlo Model Insights into the Lunar Sodium Exosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurley, Dana M.; Killen, R. M.; Sarantos, M.

2012-01-01

Sodium in the lunar exosphere is released from the lunar regolith by several mechanisms. These mechanisms include photon stimulated desorption (PSD), impact vaporization, electron stimulated desorption, and ion sputtering. Usually, PSD dominates; however, transient events can temporarily enhance other release mechanisms so that they are dominant. Examples of transient events include meteor showers and coronal mass ejections. The interaction between sodium and the regolith is important in determining the density and spatial distribution of sodium in the lunar exosphere. The temperature at which sodium sticks to the surface is one factor. In addition, the amount of thermal accommodation during the encounter between the sodium atom and the surface affects the exospheric distribution. Finally, the fraction of particles that are stuck when the surface is cold that are rereleased when the surface warms up also affects the exospheric density. In [1], we showed the "ambient" sodium exosphere from Monte Carlo modeling with a fixed source rate and fixed surface interaction parameters. We compared the enhancement when a CME passes the Moon to the ambient conditions. Here, we compare model results to data in order to determine the source rates and surface interaction parameters that provide the best fit of the model to the data.

Extraction of Thermal Performance Values from Samples in the Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Siamidis, John; Larkin, Elizabeth M. G.

2010-01-01

A simulation chamber has been developed to test the performance of thermal control surfaces under dusty lunar conditions. The lunar dust adhesion bell jar (LDAB) is a diffusion pumped vacuum chamber (10(exp -8) Torr) built to test material samples less than about 7 cm in diameter. The LDAB has the following lunar dust simulant processing capabilities: heating and cooling while stirring in order to degas and remove adsorbed water; RF air-plasma for activating the dust and for organic contaminant removal; RF H/He-plasma to simulate solar wind; dust sieving system for controlling particle sizes; and a controlled means of introducing the activated dust to the samples under study. The LDAB is also fitted with an in situ Xe arc lamp solar simulator, and a cold box that can reach 30 K. Samples of thermal control surfaces (2.5 cm diameter) are introduced into the chamber for calorimetric evaluation using thermocouple instrumentation. The object of this paper is to present a thermal model of the samples under test conditions and to outline the procedure to extract the absorptance, emittance, and thermal efficiency from the pristine and sub-monolayer dust covered samples.

Flexible Packaging Concept for a Space Suit Portable Life Support Subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Gretchen; Dillon, Paul; Oliver, Joe; Zapata, Felipe

2009-01-01

Neither the Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), the space suit currently used for space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) missions, nor the Apollo EMU, the space suit successfully used on previous lunar missions, will satisfy the requirements for the next generation Constellation Program (CxP) lunar suit. The CxP system or Constellation Space Suit Element (CSSE) must be able to tolerate more severe environmental and use conditions than any previous system. These conditions include missions to the severely cold lunar poles and up to 100 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) excursions without ground maintenance. Much effort is focused on decreasing the mass and volume of the Portable Life Support Subsystem (PLSS) over previous suit designs in order to accommodate the required increase in functionality. This paper documents the progress of a conceptual packaging effort of a flexible backpack for the CSSE PLSS. The flexible backpack concept relies on a foam protection system to absorb, distribute, and dissipate the energy from falls on the lunar surface. Testing and analysis of the foam protection system concept that was conducted during this effort indicates that this method of system packaging is a viable solution.

Records of Coendou ichillus (Rodentia, Erethizontidae) from the Lower Urubamba Region of Peru

PubMed Central

Gregory, Tremaine; Lunde, Darrin; Zamora-Meza, Hugo Tomás; Carrasco-Rueda, Farah

2015-01-01

Abstract Coendou ichillus was first described in 2001 by Voss and da Silva, with a range from Amazonian Ecuador to Iquitos, Peru. Here, we describe an adult female Coendou ichillus specimen collected in a Tomahawk trap in the forest canopy of the Lower Urubamba Region of Peru in October 2013. We also describe pathologies and behaviors observed through 379 camera trapping photo events (2,196 photos) gathered in natural canopy bridges over the course of a year (7,198 trap nights), including information on activity period over the course of the day and over the course of the lunar cycle. We conservatively estimate that 17 individuals were photographed, including one juvenile. Being 900 km away from Iquitos, Peru (the site of the closest record), discovery of this species in the Lower Urubamba constitutes a significant range extension. PMID:26175605

Experimental Determination of in Situ Utilization of Lunar Regolith for Thermal Energy Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, Scott W.

1993-01-01

A Lunar Thermal Energy from Regolith (LUTHER) experiment has been designed and fabricated at the NASA Lewis Research Center to determine the feasibility of using lunar soil as thermal energy storage media. The experimental apparatus includes an alumina ceramic canister (25.4 cm diameter by 45.7 cm length) which contains simulated lunar regolith, a heater (either radiative or conductive), 9 heat shields, a heat transfer cold jacket, and 19 type B platinum rhodium thermocouples. The simulated lunar regolith is a basalt, mined and processed by the University of Minnesota, that closely resembles the lunar basalt returned to earth by the Apollo missions. The experiment will test the effects of vacuum, particle size, and density on the thermophysical properties of the regolith. The properties include melt temperature (range), specific heat, thermal conductivity, and latent heat of storage. Two separate tests, using two different heaters, will be performed to study the effect of heating the system using radiative and conductive heat transfer. The physical characteristics of the melt pattern, material compatibility of the molten regolith, and the volatile gas emission will be investigated by heating a portion of the lunar regolith to its melting temperature (1435 K) in a 10(exp -4) pascal vacuum chamber, equipped with a gas spectrum analyzer. A finite differencing SINDA model was developed at NASA Lewis Research Center to predict the performance of the LUTHER experiment. The analytical results of the code will be compared with the experimental data generated by the LUTHER experiment. The code will predict the effects of vacuum, particle size, and density has on the heat transfer to the simulated regolith.

Collisional Cooling of Light Ions by Cotrapped Heavy Atoms.

PubMed

Dutta, Sourav; Sawant, Rahul; Rangwala, S A

2017-03-17

We experimentally demonstrate cooling of trapped ions by collisions with cotrapped, higher-mass neutral atoms. It is shown that the lighter ^{39}K^{+} ions, created by ionizing ^{39}K atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), when trapped in an ion trap and subsequently allowed to cool by collisions with ultracold, heavier ^{85}Rb atoms in a MOT, exhibit a longer trap lifetime than without the localized ^{85}Rb MOT atoms. A similar cooling of trapped ^{85}Rb^{+} ions by ultracold ^{133}Cs atoms in a MOT is also demonstrated in a different experimental configuration to validate this mechanism of ion cooling by localized and centered ultracold neutral atoms. Our results suggest that the cooling of ions by localized cold atoms holds for any mass ratio, thereby enabling studies on a wider class of atom-ion systems irrespective of their masses.

Thermal control on the lunar surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Sherry T.; Alexander, Reginald A.; Tucker, Stephen P.

1995-01-01

For a mission to the Moon which lasts more than a few days, thermal control is a challenging problem because of the Moon's wide temperature swings and long day and night periods. During the lunar day it is difficult to reject heat temperatures low enough to be comfortable for either humans or electronic components, while excessive heat loss can damage unprotected equipment at night. Fluid systems can readily be designed to operate at either the hot or cold temperature extreme but it is more difficult to accomodate both extermes within the same system. Special consideration should be given to sensitive systems, such as optics and humans, and systems that generate large amounts of waste heat, such as lunar bases or manufacturing facilities. Passive thermal control systems such as covers, shades and optical coatings can be used to mitigate the temperature swings experienced by components. For more precise thermal control active systems such as heaters or heat pumps are required although they require more power than passive systems.

Lunar Base Sitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staehle, Robert L.; Burke, James D.; Snyder, Gerald C.; Dowling, Richard; Spudis, Paul D.

1993-12-01

Speculation with regard to a permanent lunar base has been with us since Robert Goddard was working on the first liquid-fueled rockets in the 1920's. With the infusion of data from the Apollo Moon flights, a once speculative area of space exploration has become an exciting possibility. A Moon base is not only a very real possibility, but is probably a critical element in the continuation of our piloted space program. This article, originally drafted by World Space Foundation volunteers in conjuction with various academic and research groups, examines some of the strategies involved in selecting an appropriate site for such a lunar base. Site selection involves a number of complex variables, including raw materials for possible rocket propellant generation, hot an cold cycles, view of the sky (for astronomical considerations, among others), geological makeup of the region, and more. This article summarizes the key base siting considerations and suggests some alternatives. Availability of specific resources, including energy and certain minerals, is critical to success.

Lunar Base Sitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staehle, Robert L.; Burke, James D.; Snyder, Gerald C.; Dowling, Richard; Spudis, Paul D.

1993-01-01

Speculation with regard to a permanent lunar base has been with us since Robert Goddard was working on the first liquid-fueled rockets in the 1920's. With the infusion of data from the Apollo Moon flights, a once speculative area of space exploration has become an exciting possibility. A Moon base is not only a very real possibility, but is probably a critical element in the continuation of our piloted space program. This article, originally drafted by World Space Foundation volunteers in conjuction with various academic and research groups, examines some of the strategies involved in selecting an appropriate site for such a lunar base. Site selection involves a number of complex variables, including raw materials for possible rocket propellant generation, hot an cold cycles, view of the sky (for astronomical considerations, among others), geological makeup of the region, and more. This article summarizes the key base siting considerations and suggests some alternatives. Availability of specific resources, including energy and certain minerals, is critical to success.

Lunar mass spectrometer test program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torney, F. L.; Dobrott, J. R.

1972-01-01

The procedures are described along with results obtained in a test program conducted to demonstrate the performance of a candidate lunar mass spectrometer. The instrument was designed to sample and measure gases believed to exist in the lunar atmosphere at the surface. The subject instrument consists of a cold cathode ion source, a small quadrupole mass analyzer and an off axis electron multiplier ion counting detector. The major program emphasis was placed on demonstrating instrument resolution, sensitivity and S/N ratio over the mass range 0-150 amu and over a partial pressure range from 10 to the minus 9th power to 10 to the minus 13th power torr. Ultrahigh vacuum tests were conducted and the minimum detectable partial pressure for neon, argon, krypton and xenon was successfully determined for the spectrometer using isotopes of these gases. With the exception of neon, the minimum detectable partial pressure is approximately 4 x 10 to the minus 14th power torr for the above gases.

Hydrogen Permeation in Cold-Rolled High-Mn Twinning-Induced Plasticity Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Do Kyeong; Hwang, A. In; Byeon, Woo Jun; Noh, Seung Jeong; Suh, Dong-Woo

2017-11-01

Hydrogen permeation is investigated in cold-rolled Fe-0.6C-18Mn-(1.5Al) alloys. The hydrogen mobility is lower in cold-rolled alloys compared with annealed alloys. Al-containing alloy shows less deceleration of hydrogen mobility compared with the Al-free alloy. This is attributed to the reduced formation of mechanical twins and dislocations. Mechanical twins trap hydrogen strongly but are vulnerable to crack initiation; suppression of these is thought to be a major favorable influence of Al on hydrogen-induced mechanical degradation.

Frostbite

MedlinePlus

... trapped between the layers of clothing acts as insulation against the cold. Wear windproof and waterproof outer ... liners that fit well, wick moisture and provide insulation. You might also try hand and foot warmers. ...

Single-beam, dark toroidal optical traps for cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatemi, Fredrik K.; Olson, Spencer E.; Bashkansky, Mark; Dutton, Zachary; Terraciano, Matthew

2007-02-01

We demonstrate the generation of single-beam dark toroidal optical intensity distributions, which are of interest for neutral atom storage and atom interferometry. We demonstrate experimentally and numerically optical potentials that contain a ring-shaped intensity minimum, bounded in all directions by higher intensity. We use a spatial light modulator to alter the phase of an incident laser beam, and analyze the resulting optical propagation characteristics. For small toroidal traps (< 50 μm diameter), we find an optimal superposition of Laguerre-Gaussian modes that allows the formation of single-beam toroidal traps. We generate larger toroidal bottle traps by focusing hollow beams with toroidal lenses imprinted onto the spatial light modulator.

Geophysical evidence for melt in the deep lunar interior and implications for lunar evolution (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, A.; Connolly, J. A.; Pommier, A.

2013-12-01

Analysis of lunar seismic and lunar laser ranging data has yielded evidence that has been interpreted to indicate a molten zone in the lower-most mantle and/or the outer core of the Moon. Such a zone would provide strong constraints on models of the thermal evolution of the Moon. Here we invert lunar geophysical data in combination with phase-equilibrium modeling to derive information about the thermo-chemical and physical structure of the deep lunar interior. Specifically, we assess whether a molten layer is required by the geophysical data and, if so, its likely composition and physical properties (e.g., density and seismic wave speeds). The data considered are mean mass and moment of inertia, second-degree tidal Love number, and frequency-dependent electromagnetic sounding data. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that a region with high dissipation located deep within the Moon is indeed required to explain the geophysical data. If this dissipative region is located within the mantle, then the solidus is crossed at a depth of ~1200 km (>1600 deg C). The apparent absence of far-side deep moonquakes (DMQs) is supporting evidence for a highly dissipative layer. Inverted compositions for the partially molten layer (typically 100--200 km thick) are enriched in FeO and TiO2 relative to the surrounding mantle. While the melt phase in >95 % of inverted models is neutrally buoyant at pressures of ~4.5--4.6 GPa, the melt contains less TiO2 (>~4 wt %) than the Ti-rich (~16 wt % TiO2) melts that produced a set of high-density primitive lunar magmas (~3.4 g/ccm). Melt densities computed here range from 3.3 to 3.4 g/ccm bracketing the density of lunar magmas with moderate-to-high TiO2 contents. Our results are consistent with a model of lunar evolution in which the cumulate pile formed from crystallization of the magma ocean as it overturned, trapping heat-producing elements in the lower mantle.

21st Century Lunar Exploration: Advanced Radiation Exposure Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Brooke; Clowdsley, Martha; Wilson, John; Nealy, John; Luetke, Nathan

2006-01-01

On January 14, 2004 President George W Bush outlined a new vision for NASA that has humans venturing back to the moon by 2020. With this ambitious goal, new tools and models have been developed to help define and predict the amount of space radiation astronauts will be exposed to during transit and habitation on the moon. A representative scenario is used that includes a trajectory from LEO to a Lunar Base, and simplified CAD models for the transit and habitat structures. For this study galactic cosmic rays, solar proton events, and trapped electron and proton environments are simulated using new dynamic environment models to generate energetic electron, and light and heavy ion fluences. Detailed calculations are presented to assess the human exposure for transit segments and surface stays.

Distribution of inert gases in fines from the Cayley-Descartes region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walton, J. R.; Lakatos, S.; Heymann, D.

1973-01-01

The inert gases in 14 different fines and in one sample of 2 to 4 mm fines from Apollo 16 were measured by mass spectroscopy with respect to trapped solar wind gases, cosmogenic gases, and 'parentless' Ar-40. Such studies are helpful for the understanding of regolith evolution, of transport of regolith fines, and of the lunar atmosphere. The Apollo 16 soils are unique because they represent, after Luna 20, the second and much more extensive record from the lunar highlands. The landing site presents the problem of materials from the Cayley Formation vs those from the Descartes Formation. There are two large, relatively fresh craters in the area, North Ray and South Ray, whose ejecta patterns may be recognized in the inert-gas record.

Thermal Wadis in Support of Lunar Exploration: Concept Development and Utilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matyas, Josef; Wegeng, Robert S.; Burgess, Jeremy M.

2009-10-12

Thermal wadis, engineered sources of heat, can be used to extend the life of lunar rovers by keeping them warm during the extreme cold of the lunar night. Thermal wadis can be manufactured by sintering or melting lunar regolith into a solid mass with more than two orders of magnitude higher thermal diffusivities compared to native regolith dust. Small simulant samples were sintered and melted in the electrical furnaces at different temperatures, different heating and cooling rates, various soaking times, under air, or in an argon atmosphere. The samples were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-raymore » diffraction, a laser-flash thermal diffusivity system, and the millimeter-wave system. The melting temperature of JSC-1AF simulant was ~50°C lower in an Ar atmosphere compared to an air atmosphere. The flow of Ar during sintering and melting resulted in a small mass loss of 0.04 to 0.1 wt% because of the volatization of alkali compounds. In contrast, the samples that were heat-treated under an air atmosphere gained from 0.012 to 0.31 wt% of the total weight. A significantly higher number of cavities were formed inside the samples melted under an argon atmosphere, possibly because of the evolution of oxygen bubbles from iron redox reactions. The calculated emissivity of JSCf-1AF simulant did not change much with temperature, varying between 0.8 and 0.95 at temperatures from 100 to 1200°C. The thermal diffusivities of raw regolith that was compressed under a pressure of 9 metric tons ranged from 0.0013 to 00011 in the 27 to 390°C temperature range. The thermal diffusivities of sintered and melted JSC-1AF simulant varied from 0.0028 to 0.0072 cm2/s with the maximum thermal diffusivities observed in the samples that were heated up 5°C/min from RT to 1150°C under Ar or air. These thermal diffusivities are high enough for the rovers to survive the extreme cold of the Moon at the rim of the Shackleton Crater and allow them to operate for months (or years) as opposed to weeks on the lunar surface. Future investigations will be focused on a system that can efficiently construct a thermal wadi from the lunar mare regolith. Solar heating, microwave heating, or electrical resistance melting are considered.« less

Early Operations Flight Correlation of the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) on the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peabody, Hume; Yang, Kan; Nguyen, Daniel; Cornwell, Donald

2015-01-01

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission launched on September 7, 2013 with a one month cruise before lunar insertion. The LADEE spacecraft is a power limited, octagonal, composite bus structure with solar panels on all eight sides with four vertical segments per side and 2 panels dedicated to instruments. One of these panels has the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD), which represents a furthering of the laser communications technology demonstration proved out by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). LLCD increases the bandwidth of communication to and from the moon with less mass and power than LROs technology demonstrator. The LLCD Modem and Controller boxes are mounted to an internal cruciform composite panel and have no dedicated radiator. The thermal design relies on power cycling of the boxes and radiation of waste heat to the inside of the panels, which then reject the heat when facing cold space. The LADEE mission includes a slow roll and numerous attitudes to accommodate the challenging thermal requirements for all the instruments on board. During the cruise phase, the internal Modem and Controller avionics for LLCD were warmer than predicted by more than modeling uncertainty would suggest. This caused concern that if the boxes were considerably warmer than expected while off, they would also be warmer when operating and could limit the operational time when in lunar orbit. The thermal group at Goddard Space Flight Center evaluated the models and design for these critical avionics for LLCD. Upon receipt of the spacecraft models and audit was performed and data was collected from the flight telemetry to perform a sanity check of the models and to correlate to flight where possible. This paper describes the efforts to correlate the model to flight data and to predict the thermal performance when in lunar orbit and presents some lessons learned.

Experimental Demonstration of Quantum Stationary Light Pulses in an Atomic Ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Kwang-Kyoon; Cho, Young-Wook; Chough, Young-Tak; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2018-04-01

We report an experimental demonstration of the nonclassical stationary light pulse (SLP) in a cold atomic ensemble. A single collective atomic excitation is created and heralded by detecting a Stokes photon in the spontaneous Raman scattering process. The heralded single atomic excitation is converted into a single stationary optical excitation or the single-photon SLP, whose effective group velocity is zero, effectively forming a trapped single-photon pulse within the cold atomic ensemble. The single-photon SLP is then released from the atomic ensemble as an anti-Stokes photon after a specified trapping time. The second-order correlation measurement between the Stokes and anti-Stokes photons reveals the nonclassical nature of the single-photon SLP. Our work paves the way toward quantum nonlinear optics without a cavity.

Dual-axis high-data-rate atom interferometer via cold ensemble exchange

DOE PAGES

Rakholia, Akash V.; McGuinness, Hayden J.; Biedermann, Grant W.

2014-11-24

We demonstrate a dual-axis accelerometer and gyroscope atom interferometer, which can form the building blocks of a six-axis inertial measurement unit. By recapturing the atoms after the interferometer sequence, we maintain a large atom number at high data rates of 50 to 100 measurements per second. Two cold ensembles are formed in trap zones located a few centimeters apart and are launched toward one another. During their ballistic trajectory, they are interrogated with a stimulated Raman sequence, detected, and recaptured in the opposing trap zone. As a result, we achieve sensitivities at μg/ √Hz and μrad/s/ √Hz levels, making thismore » a compelling prospect for expanding the use of atom interferometer inertial sensors beyond benign laboratory environments.« less

AEgIS at ELENA: outlook for physics with a pulsed cold antihydrogen beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doser, M.; Aghion, S.; Amsler, C.; Bonomi, G.; Brusa, R. S.; Caccia, M.; Caravita, R.; Castelli, F.; Cerchiari, G.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, G.; Demetrio, A.; Di Noto, L.; Evans, C.; Fanì, M.; Ferragut, R.; Fesel, J.; Fontana, A.; Gerber, S.; Giammarchi, M.; Gligorova, A.; Guatieri, F.; Haider, S.; Hinterberger, A.; Holmestad, H.; Kellerbauer, A.; Khalidova, O.; Krasnický, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Lansonneur, P.; Lebrun, P.; Malbrunot, C.; Mariazzi, S.; Marton, J.; Matveev, V.; Mazzotta, Z.; Müller, S. R.; Nebbia, G.; Nedelec, P.; Oberthaler, M.; Pacifico, N.; Pagano, D.; Penasa, L.; Petracek, V.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Rienaecker, B.; Robert, J.; Røhne, O. M.; Rotondi, A.; Sandaker, H.; Santoro, R.; Smestad, L.; Sorrentino, F.; Testera, G.; Tietje, I. C.; Widmann, E.; Yzombard, P.; Zimmer, C.; Zmeskal, J.; Zurlo, N.

2018-03-01

The efficient production of cold antihydrogen atoms in particle traps at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator has opened up the possibility of performing direct measurements of the Earth's gravitational acceleration on purely antimatter bodies. The goal of the AEgIS collaboration is to measure the value of g for antimatter using a pulsed source of cold antihydrogen and a Moiré deflectometer/Talbot-Lau interferometer. The same antihydrogen beam is also very well suited to measuring precisely the ground-state hyperfine splitting of the anti-atom. The antihydrogen formation mechanism chosen by AEgIS is resonant charge exchange between cold antiprotons and Rydberg positronium. A series of technical developments regarding positrons and positronium (Ps formation in a dedicated room-temperature target, spectroscopy of the n=1-3 and n=3-15 transitions in Ps, Ps formation in a target at 10 K inside the 1 T magnetic field of the experiment) as well as antiprotons (high-efficiency trapping of ?, radial compression to sub-millimetre radii of mixed ? plasmas in 1 T field, high-efficiency transfer of ? to the antihydrogen production trap using an in-flight launch and recapture procedure) were successfully implemented. Two further critical steps that are germane mainly to charge exchange formation of antihydrogen-cooling of antiprotons and formation of a beam of antihydrogen-are being addressed in parallel. The coming of ELENA will allow, in the very near future, the number of trappable antiprotons to be increased by more than a factor of 50. For the antihydrogen production scheme chosen by AEgIS, this will be reflected in a corresponding increase of produced antihydrogen atoms, leading to a significant reduction of measurement times and providing a path towards high-precision measurements. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue `Antiproton physics in the ELENA era'.

Albedo of Permanently Shadowed Regions of the Lunar Poles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riner, M. A.; Lucey, P. G.; Bussey, B.; Cahill, J. T.; McGovern, A.

2012-12-01

Due to the slight tilt in the Moon's spin axis, some topographic depressions near the lunar poles experience permanent shadow and may serve as cold traps, harboring water ice and/or other volatile compounds [1]. Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) provide an opportunity toward understanding the amount, nature and transport of volatiles on the Moon and may also be a potential resource for human exploration. While many different data sets have suggested the presence of water ice in PSRs near the lunar poles many questions remain. For example, ice does not appear to be uniformly distributed across identified PSRs. More work is needed to understand the distribution of ice in PSRs and how delivery and retention mechanisms influence the distribution. The active illumination of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) provides a unique contribution toward exploration PSR exploration. While LOLA is principally a laser altimeter used for quantitative topography and related cartographic and geodetic applications [2], LOLA also measures the intensity and width of the return laser pulse (1064 nm) from the surface. Here we use a global mosaic (4 pixels per degree) of LOLA albedo data corrected for instrumental drift, irregular variations, and calibrated to normal albedo using local equatorial measurements of normal albedo obtained by the Kaguya Multiband Imager [3]. Recent work using LOLA albedo shows the floor of Shackleton crater, near the lunar south pole, is brighter than the surrounding terrain (and the interior of nearby craters) at 1064 nm [4]. This albedo difference may be due to decreased space weathering due to shadowing from the Sun or to a 1 μm thick layer with 20% water ice a the surface of the crater floor [4]. Here we use LOLA dayside reflectance measurements to examine the albedo of PSRs catalogued by [5] derived from illumination modeling of a hybrid 100 m/pixel LOLA-LROC digital terrain model (DTM) up to 83° north and south latitudes. The upper latitude limit is due to a complete loss of received laser signal as the spacecraft crosses the terminator due to thermal contraction of insulating blankets that pull the LOLA telescope out of alignment with the detectors. Fortuitously, two of the five laser spots reposition onto detectors after a transition period, so good laser range is obtained on a portion of the lunar night side. Additional calibration of night side reflectance data pole ward of 83° is ongoing [4]. The albedo of measured permanently shaded regions is 0.31 +/- 0.031 (1σ) compared to 0.31 +/- 0.033 (1σ) for measured sunlit regions from 60-80° north and south latitudes. This suggests that the high albedo of the floor of Shackleton is either unique or that the cause of the high albedo only acts at higher latitudes. Additional study of PSRs pole ward of 83° from LOLA night side data and examination of individual orbit tracks through PSRs may help elucidate the relationship between PSRs and albedo and contribute to understanding of these unique thermal environments, distribution of ice in PSRs, and volatile delivery and retention mechanisms. [1] Ingersoll et al. (1992) Icarus, 100, 40-47. [2] Smith et al. (2010) Space Sci. Rev., 150, 209-241. [3] Riner and Lucey (2011) AGU Fall Meeting, #P13D-1707. [4] Zuber et al. (2012) Nature, 486, 378-381. [5] McGovern et al. (2012), Icarus, accepted pending final review.

Sources and physical processes responsible for OH/H2O in the lunarsoil as revealed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCord, T.B.; Taylor, L.A.; Combe, J.-P.; Kramer, G.; C.M. Pieters,; Sunshine, J.M.; Clark, R.N.

2011-01-01

Analysis of two absorption features near 3 μm in the lunar reflectance spectrum, observed by the orbiting M3 spectrometer and interpreted as being due to OH and H2O, is presented, and the results are used to discuss the processes producing these molecules. This analysis focuses on the dependence of the absorptions on lunar physical properties, including composition, illumination, latitude, and temperature. Solar wind proton-induced hydroxylation is proposed as the creation process, and its products could be a source for other reported types of hydrogen-rich material and water. The irregular and damaged fine-grained lunar soil seems especially adapted for trapping solar wind protons and forming OH owing to abundant dangling oxygen bonds. The M3data reveal that the strengths of the two absorptions are correlated and widespread, and both are correlated with lunar composition but in different ways. Feldspathic material seems richer in OH. These results seem to rule out water from the lunar interior and cometary infall as major sources. There appear to be correlations of apparent band strengths with time of day and lighting conditions. However, thermal emission from the Moon reduces the apparent strengths of the M3absorptions, and its removal is not yet completely successful. Further, many of the lunar physical properties are themselves intercorrelated, and so separating these dependencies on the absorptions is difficult, due to the incomplete M3 data set. This process should also operate on other airless silicate surfaces, such as Mercury and Vesta, which will be visited by the Dawn spacecraft in mid-2011.

Volatile Analyzer for Lunar Polar Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibons, Everett K.; Pillinger, Colin T.; McKay, David S.; Waugh, Lester J.

2011-01-01

One of the major questions remaining for the future exploration of the Moon by humans concerns the presence of volatiles on our nearest neighbor in space. Observational studies, and investigations involving returned lunar samples and using robotic spacecraft infer the existence of volatile compounds particularly water [1]. It seems very likely that a volatile component will be concentrated at the poles in circumstances where low-temperatures exist to provide cryogenic traps. However, the full inventory of species, their concentration and their origin and sources are unknown. Of particular importance is whether abundances are sufficient to act as a resource of consumables for future lunar expeditions especially if a long-term base involving humans is to be established. To address some of these issues requires a lander designed specifically for operation at a high-lunar latitude. A vital part of the payload needs to be a volatile analyzer such as the Gas Analysis Package specifically designed for identification quantification of volatile substances and collecting information which will allow the origin of these volatiles to be identified [1]. The equipment included, particularly the gas analyzer, must be capable of operation in the extreme environmental conditions to be encountered. No accurate information yet exists regarding volatile concentration even for sites closer to the lunar equator (because of contamination). In this respect it will be important to understand (and thus limit) contamination of the lunar surface by extraneous material contributed from a variety of sources. The only data for the concentrations of volatiles at the poles comes from orbiting spacecraft and whilst the levels at high latitudes may be greater than at the equator, the volatile analyzer package under consideration will be designed to operate at the highest specifications possible and in a way that does not compromise the data.

Magnetic trapping of cold bromine atoms.

PubMed

Rennick, C J; Lam, J; Doherty, W G; Softley, T P

2014-01-17

Magnetic trapping of bromine atoms at temperatures in the millikelvin regime is demonstrated for the first time. The atoms are produced by photodissociation of Br2 molecules in a molecular beam. The lab-frame velocity of Br atoms is controlled by the wavelength and polarization of the photodissociation laser. Careful selection of the wavelength results in one of the pair of atoms having sufficient velocity to exactly cancel that of the parent molecule, and it remains stationary in the lab frame. A trap is formed at the null point between two opposing neodymium permanent magnets. Dissociation of molecules at the field minimum results in the slowest fraction of photofragments remaining trapped. After the ballistic escape of the fastest atoms, the trapped slow atoms are lost only by elastic collisions with the chamber background gas. The measured loss rate is consistent with estimates of the total cross section for only those collisions transferring sufficient kinetic energy to overcome the trapping potential.

The Buffer-Gas Positron Accumulator and Resonances in Positron-Molecule Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surko, C.M.

2007-01-01

This is a personal account of the development of our buffer-gas positron trap and the new generation of cold beams that these traps enabled. Dick Drachman provided much appreciated advice to us from the time we started the project. The physics underlying trap operation is related to resonances (or apparent resonances) in positron-molecule interactions. Amusingly, experiments enabled by the trap allowed us to understand these processes. The positron-resonance "box score" to date is one resounding "yes," namely vibrational Feshbach resonances in positron annihilation on hydrocarbons; a "probably" for positron-impact electronic excitation of CO and NZ;an d a "maybe" for vibrational excitation of selected molecules. Two of these processes enabled the efficient operation of the trap, and one almost killed it in infancy. We conclude with a brief overview of further applications of the trapping technology discussed here, such as "massive" positron storage and beams with meV energy resolution.

Ion gyroradius effects on particle trapping in kinetic Alfven waves along auroral field lines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Damiano, P. A.; Johnson, J. R.; Chaston, C. C.

In this study, a 2-D self-consistent hybrid gyrofluid-kinetic electron model is used to investigate Alfven wave propagation along dipolar magnetic field lines for a range of ion to electron temperature ratios. The focus of the investigation is on understanding the role of these effects on electron trapping in kinetic Alfven waves sourced in the plasma sheet and the role of this trapping in contributing to the overall electron energization at the ionosphere. This work also builds on our previous effort by considering a similar system in the limit of fixed initial parallel current, rather than fixed initial perpendicular electric field.more » It is found that the effects of particle trapping are strongest in the cold ion limit and the kinetic Alfven wave is able to carry trapped electrons a large distance along the field line yielding a relatively large net energization of the trapped electron population as the phase speed of the wave is increased. However, as the ion temperature is increased, the ability of the kinetic Alfven wave to carry and energize trapped electrons is reduced by more significant wave energy dispersion perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field which reduces the amplitude of the wave. This reduction of wave amplitude in turn reduces both the parallel current and the extent of the high-energy tails evident in the energized electron populations at the ionospheric boundary (which may serve to explain the limited extent of the broadband electron energization seen in observations). Here, even in the cold ion limit, trapping effects in kinetic Alfven waves lead to only modest electron energization for the parameters considered (on the order of tens of eV) and the primary energization of electrons to keV levels coincides with the arrival of the wave at the ionospheric boundary.« less

Ion gyroradius effects on particle trapping in kinetic Alfven waves along auroral field lines

DOE PAGES

Damiano, P. A.; Johnson, J. R.; Chaston, C. C.

2016-11-10

In this study, a 2-D self-consistent hybrid gyrofluid-kinetic electron model is used to investigate Alfven wave propagation along dipolar magnetic field lines for a range of ion to electron temperature ratios. The focus of the investigation is on understanding the role of these effects on electron trapping in kinetic Alfven waves sourced in the plasma sheet and the role of this trapping in contributing to the overall electron energization at the ionosphere. This work also builds on our previous effort by considering a similar system in the limit of fixed initial parallel current, rather than fixed initial perpendicular electric field.more » It is found that the effects of particle trapping are strongest in the cold ion limit and the kinetic Alfven wave is able to carry trapped electrons a large distance along the field line yielding a relatively large net energization of the trapped electron population as the phase speed of the wave is increased. However, as the ion temperature is increased, the ability of the kinetic Alfven wave to carry and energize trapped electrons is reduced by more significant wave energy dispersion perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field which reduces the amplitude of the wave. This reduction of wave amplitude in turn reduces both the parallel current and the extent of the high-energy tails evident in the energized electron populations at the ionospheric boundary (which may serve to explain the limited extent of the broadband electron energization seen in observations). Here, even in the cold ion limit, trapping effects in kinetic Alfven waves lead to only modest electron energization for the parameters considered (on the order of tens of eV) and the primary energization of electrons to keV levels coincides with the arrival of the wave at the ionospheric boundary.« less

Lifetime of the Lunar Dynamo Constrained by the Young Apollo Regolith Breccia 15015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Weiss, B. P.

2016-12-01

Paleomagnetic studies have shown that a dynamo magnetic field of tens of µT likely existed on the surface of the Moon from at least 4.5 to 3.6 Ga and declined to several µT by 3.3 Ga [Weiss and Tikoo, 2014]. Furthermore, a recent analysis of lunar regolith breccia 15498 found that the lunar surface field was still 5 µT at 1-2.5 Ga [Tikoo et al., 2015]. However, a key unknown is when the dynamo finally ceased. To address this, we studied the melt glass matrix of Apollo lunar regolith breccia 15015. 40Ar/39Ar measurements suggest that the glass formed at 1.0 ± 0.2 Ga [Eglinton et al., 1974], consistent with its trapped 40Ar/36Ar model age of 0.5 ± 0.4 Ga [Fagan et al. 2014]. Hysteresis data indicate a predominately pseudo-single domain grain size, making 15015 an exceptional paleomagnetic recorder among lunar rocks. Alternating field (AF) demagnetization and anhysteretic remanence (ARM) paleointensity experiments found that 15015 subsamples with faces exposed to band-saw cutting at Johnson Space Center contain highly stable natural remanence (NRM) (>420 mT) and yield paleointensities up to 60 µT, but have NRM directions that are highly non-unidirectional across the parent sample. Subsamples taken away from the saw-cut faces (>5 mm depth) contain no stable NRM and formed in a paleofield <0.1 µT (Fig. 1). Thermal demagnetization of band-sawed samples found that their AF-stable NRM demagnetizes by 150ºC, indicating that their stable NRMs are in fact partial thermoremanence (TRM) overprints from the band-saw cutting process, rather than true lunar total TRM. Thus, the lunar surface paleomagnetic field recorded by 15015 was apparently extremely weak (<0.1 µT) at 1.0 Ga. For typically assumed lunar interior parameters, essentially all published models of the lunar dynamo predict surface fields >0.1 µT for > 90% of the time period while the dynamo is active. Such a minimum field is comparable to estimates of the strongest lunar crustal surface fields and below even the weakest known dynamo surface field in the solar system today. Therefore, our 0.1 µT upper limit indicates that the lunar dynamo likely turned off sometime between 2.5 Ga and 1.0 Ga. This timing appears to be consistent with both thermochemical convection due to core crystallization and mantle precession as the major power sources for the late lunar dynamo.

Cold Bose-Einstein condensates for surface reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saba, M.; Leanhardt, A. E.; Pasquini, T. A.; Sanner, C.; Schirotzek, A.; Shin, Y.; Pritchard, D. E.; Ketterle, W.

2004-05-01

Atoms can be reflected from a solid surface in spite of the attraction provided by the Casimir-Polder potential if their de Broglie wavelength exceeds the range of the attractive potential, an effect known as quantum reflection and demonstrated for atomic beams hitting a surface at grazing angle [1]. Quantum reflection of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates would have important consequences for experiments and applications requiring manipulation of condensates close to surfaces. However, no matter how cold a condensate is when approaching a surface, the atoms will hit the surface with a kinetic energy appropriate to the healing length, an energy roughly equal to the chemical potential and determined by atom-atom interactions. We circumvented this limitation by building a loose trap for the condensate, so that the atomic cloud can be kept very dilute, reaching the large healing length required to observe quantum reflection [2]. The trap consisted of a small single coil with electric current running in it that pushes the atoms upward, balancing gravity downward. The gravito-magnetic trap had a mean trap frequency of 1 Hz, so that condensates could sit in the trap for several minutes and reach temperatures as low as 500 pK, the lowest temperature ever recorded. We will then discuss how these condensates, whose healing length equals the condensate size, behave when approached to a silicon surface. [1] F. Shimizu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 987 (2001); [2] A. E. Leanhardt et al., Science 301, 1513 (2003)

Probing the Cold Dust Emission in the AB Aur Disk: A Dust Trap in a Decaying Vortex?

PubMed

Fuente, Asunción; Baruteau, Clément; Neri, Roberto; Carmona, Andrés; Agúndez, Marcelino; Goicoechea, Javier R; Bachiller, Rafael; Cernicharo, José; Berné, Olivier

2017-09-01

One serious challenge for planet formation is the rapid inward drift of pebble-sized dust particles in protoplanetary disks. Dust trapping at local maxima in the disk gas pressure has received much theoretical attention but still lacks observational support. The cold dust emission in the AB Aur disk forms an asymmetric ring at a radius of about 120 au, which is suggestive of dust trapping in a gas vortex. We present high spatial resolution (0".58×0".78 ≈ 80×110 au) NOEMA observations of the 1.12 mm and 2.22 mm dust continuum emission from the AB Aur disk. Significant azimuthal variations of the flux ratio at both wavelengths indicate a size segregation of the large dust particles along the ring. Our continuum images also show that the intensity variations along the ring are smaller at 2.22 mm than at 1.12 mm, contrary to what dust trapping models with a gas vortex have predicted. Our two-fluid (gas+dust) hydrodynamical simulations demonstrate that this feature is well explained if the gas vortex has started to decay due to turbulent diffusion, and dust particles are thus losing the azimuthal trapping on different timescales depending on their size. The comparison between our observations and simulations allows us to constrain the size distribution and the total mass of solid particles in the ring, which we find to be of the order of 30 Earth masses, enough to form future rocky planets.

Communication: Fourier-transform infrared probing of remarkable quantities of gas trapped in cold homogeneously nucleated nanodroplets.

PubMed

Uras-Aytemiz, Nevin; Devlin, J Paul

2013-07-14

Studies of catalyzed all-vapor gas-hydrate formation on a sub-second timescale have been extended with a special focus on liquid-droplet compositions at the instant of hydrate crystallization. This focus has been enabled by inclusion of methanol in the all-vapor mixture. This slows droplet to gas-hydrate conversion near 200 K to a time scale suited for standard FTIR sampling. Such droplet data are sought as a guide to ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of guest catalyst required for instant formation of the gas hydrates. For the same reason, all-vapor sampling has also been extended to the generation of long-lived liquid droplets with reduced or no water content. Observations of single-solvent droplets show that surprising quantities of gas molecules are trapped during rapid droplet growth. For example, CO2 is trapped at levels near 50 mol. % in droplets of acetone, tetrahydrofuran, or trimethylene oxide formed under CO2 pressures of several Torr in a cold-chamber at 170 K. Less but significant amounts of gas are trapped at higher temperatures, or in methanol or water-methanol droplets. The droplet metastability appears to commonly lead to formation of bubbles larger than the original nanodroplets. Besides serving as a guide for the all-vapor gas-hydrate studies, the semiquantitative evidence of extensive trapping of gases is expected to have a role in future studies of atmospheric aerosols.

Communication: Fourier-transform infrared probing of remarkable quantities of gas trapped in cold homogeneously nucleated nanodroplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uras-Aytemiz, Nevin; Devlin, J. Paul

2013-07-01

Studies of catalyzed all-vapor gas-hydrate formation on a sub-second timescale have been extended with a special focus on liquid-droplet compositions at the instant of hydrate crystallization. This focus has been enabled by inclusion of methanol in the all-vapor mixture. This slows droplet to gas-hydrate conversion near 200 K to a time scale suited for standard FTIR sampling. Such droplet data are sought as a guide to ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of guest catalyst required for instant formation of the gas hydrates. For the same reason, all-vapor sampling has also been extended to the generation of long-lived liquid droplets with reduced or no water content. Observations of single-solvent droplets show that surprising quantities of gas molecules are trapped during rapid droplet growth. For example, CO2 is trapped at levels near 50 mol. % in droplets of acetone, tetrahydrofuran, or trimethylene oxide formed under CO2 pressures of several Torr in a cold-chamber at 170 K. Less but significant amounts of gas are trapped at higher temperatures, or in methanol or water-methanol droplets. The droplet metastability appears to commonly lead to formation of bubbles larger than the original nanodroplets. Besides serving as a guide for the all-vapor gas-hydrate studies, the semiquantitative evidence of extensive trapping of gases is expected to have a role in future studies of atmospheric aerosols.

Stick-slip nanofriction in cold-ion traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandelli, Davide; Vanossi, Andrea; Tosatti, Erio

2013-03-01

Trapped cold ions are known to form linear or planar zigzag chains, helices or clusters depending on trapping conditions. They may be forced to slide over a laser induced corrugated potential, a mimick of sliding friction. We present MD simulations of an incommensurate 101 ions chain sliding subject to an external electric field. As expected with increasing corrugation, we observe the transition from a smooth-sliding, highly lubric regime to a strongly dissipative stick-slip regime. Owing to inhomogeneity the dynamics shows features reminiscent of macroscopic frictional behaviors. While the chain extremities are pinned, the incommensurate central part is initially free to slide. The onset of global sliding is preceded by precursor events consisting of partial slips of chain portions further from the center. We also look for frictional anomalies expected for the chain sliding across the linear-zigzag structural phase transition. Although the chain is too short for a proper critical behavior, the sliding friction displays a frank rise near the transition, due to opening of a new dissipative channel via excitations of transverse modes. Research partly sponsored by Sinergia Project CRSII2 136287/1.

Ion-neutral chemistry at ultralow energies:Dynamics of reactive collisions between laser-cooled Ca+ or Ba+ ions and Rb atoms in an ion-atom hybrid trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dulieu, O.; Hall, F. H. J.; Eberle, P.; Hegi, G.; Raoult, M.; Aymar, M.; Willitsch, S.

2013-05-01

Cold chemical reactions between laser-cooled Ca+ or Ba+ ions and Rb atoms were studied in an ion-atom hybrid trap. Reaction rate constants were determined in the collision energy range Ecoll /kB = 20 mK-20 K. Product branching ratios were studied using resonant-excitation mass spectrometry. The dynamics of the reactive processes including the radiative formation of CaRb+ and BaRb+ molecular ions has been analyzed using accurate potential energy curves and quantum-scattering calculations for the radiative channels. It is shown that the energy dependence of the reaction rates is governed by long-range interactions, while its magnitude is determined by short-range non-adiabatic and radiative couplings. The quantum character of the collisions is predicted to manifest itself in the occurrence of narrow shape resonances at well-defined collision energies. The present results highlight both universal and system-specific phenomena in cold ion-neutral collisions. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the COST Action ''Ion Traps for Tomorrow's Applications''.

Optimizing the performance of catalytic traps for hydrocarbon abatement during the cold-start of a gasoline engine.

PubMed

Puértolas, B; Navlani-García, M; García, T; Navarro, M V; Lozano-Castelló, D; Cazorla-Amorós, D

2014-08-30

A key target to reduce current hydrocarbon emissions from vehicular exhaust is to improve their abatement under cold-start conditions. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of factorial analysis to design a highly efficient catalytic trap. The impact of the synthesis conditions on the preparation of copper-loaded ZSM-5 is clearly revealed by XRD, N2 sorption, FTIR, NH3-TPD, SEM and TEM. A high concentration of copper nitrate precursor in the synthesis improves the removal of hydrocarbons, providing both strong adsorption sites for hydrocarbon retention at low temperature and copper oxide nanoparticles for full hydrocarbon catalytic combustion at high temperature. The use of copper acetate precursor leads to a more homogeneous dispersion of copper oxide nanoparticles also providing enough catalytic sites for the total oxidation of hydrocarbons released from the adsorption sites, although lower copper loadings are achieved. Thus, synthesis conditions leading to high copper loadings jointly with highly dispersed copper oxide nanoparticles would result in an exceptional catalytic trap able to reach superior hydrocarbon abatement under highly demanding operational conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shadowed Craters on Ceres

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-07-08

At the poles of Ceres, scientists have found craters that are permanently in shadow (indicated by blue markings). Such craters are called "cold traps" if they remain below about minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 151 degrees Celsius). These shadowed craters may have been collecting ice for billions of years because they are so cold. This image was created using data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20696

Optimizing Catalysts for Solar Fuel Production: Spectroscopic Characterization of the Key Reaction Intermediates

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

which freezes ions into well defined structures and coats them with an inert layer of weakly bound adducts. These cold aggregates were then...evaporation of the cryogenic solvent. Instrument development. Cryogenic ion processing. Cold ion spectroscopy. Trapped reaction intermediates U U U...spectrometer. The key advance incorporated into this instrument is the introduction of a cryogenic (10K) ion processing stage, where ions can be frozen

Saturation spectroscopy of calcium atomic vapor in hot quartz cells with cold windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilshanskaya, E. V.; Saakyan, S. A.; Sautenkov, V. A.; Murashkin, D. A.; Zelener, B. B.; Zelener, B. V.

2018-01-01

Saturation spectroscopy of calcium atomic vapor was performed in hot quartz cells with cold windows. The Doppler-free absorption resonances with spectral width near 50 MHz were observed. For these experiments and future applications long-lived quartz cells with buffer gas were designed and made. A cooling laser for calcium magneto-optical trap will be frequency locked to the saturation resonances in the long-lived cells.

Program for studying fundamental interactions at the PIK reactor facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrov, A. P.; Vassiljev, A. V.; Varlamov, V. E.; Geltenbort, P.; Gridnev, K. A.; Dmitriev, S. P.; Dovator, N. A.; Egorov, A. I.; Ezhov, V. F.; Zherebtsov, O. M.; Zinoviev, V. G.; Ivochkin, V. G.; Ivanov, S. N.; Ivanov, S. A.; Kolomensky, E. A.; Konoplev, K. A.; Krasnoschekova, I. A.; Lasakov, M. S.; Lyamkin, V. A.; Martemyanov, V. P.; Murashkin, A. N.; Neustroev, P. V.; Onegin, M. S.; Petelin, A. L.; Pirozhkov, A. N.; Polyushkin, A. O.; Prudnikov, D. V.; Ryabov, V. L.; Samoylov, R. M.; Sbitnev, S. V.; Fomin, A. K.; Fomichev, A. V.; Zimmer, O.; Cherniy, A. V.; Shoka, I. V.

2016-05-01

A research program aimed at studying fundamental interactions by means of ultracold and polarized cold neutrons at the GEK-4-4' channel of the PIK reactor is presented. The apparatus to be used includes a source of cold neutrons in the heavy-water reflector of the reactor, a source of ultracold neutrons based on superfluid helium and installed in a cold-neutron beam extracted from the GEK-4 channel, and a number of experimental facilities in neutron beams. An experiment devoted to searches for the neutron electric dipole moment and an experiment aimed at a measurement the neutron lifetime with the aid of a large gravitational trap are planned to be performed in a beam of ultracold neutrons. An experiment devoted to measuring neutron-decay asymmetries with the aid of a superconducting solenoid is planned in a beam of cold polarized neutrons from the GEK-4' channel. The second ultracold-neutron source and an experiment aimed at measuring the neutron lifetime with the aid of a magnetic trap are planned in the neutron-guide system of the GEK-3 channel. In the realms of neutrino physics, an experiment intended for sterile-neutrino searches is designed. The state of affairs around the preparation of the experimental equipment for this program is discussed.

Vegetation and Cold Trapping Modulating Elevation-dependent Distribution of Trace Metals in Soils of a High Mountain in Eastern Tibetan Plateau

PubMed Central

Bing, Haijian; Wu, Yanhong; Zhou, Jun; Li, Rui; Luo, Ji; Yu, Dong

2016-01-01

Trace metals adsorbed onto fine particles can be transported long distances and ultimately deposited in Polar Regions via the cold condensation effect. This study indicated the possible sources of silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb) and zinc (Zn) in soils on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga, eastern Tibetan Plateau, and deciphered the effects of vegetation and mountain cold condensation on their distributions with elevation. The metal concentrations in the soils were comparable to other mountains worldwide except the remarkably high concentrations of Cd. Trace metals with high enrichment in the soils were influenced from anthropogenic contributions. Spatially, the concentrations of Cu and Zn in the surface horizons decreased from 2000 to 3700 m a.s.l., and then increased with elevation, whereas other metals were notably enriched in the mid-elevation area (approximately 3000 m a.s.l.). After normalization for soil organic carbon, high concentrations of Cd, Pb, Sb and Zn were observed above the timberline. Our results indicated the importance of vegetation in trace metal accumulation in an alpine ecosystem and highlighted the mountain cold trapping effect on trace metal deposition sourced from long-range atmospheric transport. PMID:27052807

Recovery of Missing Apollo Lunar ALSEP Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, P. T.; Nagihara, S.; Nakamura, Y.; Williams, D. R.; Kiefer, W. S.

2016-12-01

Apollo astronauts on missions 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 installed instruments on the lunar surface, the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP). The last astronauts departed from the Moon in December 1972; however ALSEP instruments continued to send data until 1977. These long-term in-situ data, along with data from orbital satellites launched from the Command Module, are some of the best information on the Moon's environment, surface and interior. Much of these data were archived at the now NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive (NSSDCA) in the 70's and 80's, but some were never submitted. This is particularly true of the ALSEP data returned autonomously after the last Apollo astronauts departed. The data that were archived were generally on microfilm, microfiche, or magnetic tape in now obsolete formats, making them difficult to use. Some of the documentation and metadata are insufficient for current use. The Lunar Data Node at Goddard Space Flight Center, under the auspices of the Planetary Data System (PDS) Geosciences Node, is attempting to collect and restore the original data that were never archived, in addition to much of the archived data that were on media and in formats that are outmoded. 440 original data archival tapes for the ALSEP experiments were found at the Washington National Records Center. We have recently completed extraction of binary files from these tapes filling a number of gaps in the current ALSEP data collection at NSSDCA. Some of these experiments include: Solar Wind Spectrometer (Apollo12, 15); Cold Cathode Ion Gage (14, 15); Heat Flow (15, 17); Dust Detector (11, 12, 14, 15); Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites (17); Lunar Atmosphere composition Experiment (17); Suprathermal Ion Detector (12, 14, 15); Lunar Surface Magnetometer (12,15, 16). The purpose of the Lunar Data Project is to take data collections already archived at the NSSDCA and prepare them for archive through PDS, and to locate lunar data that were never archived into NSSDCA, and then archive them through PDS. In addition results of recent re-analyses of some of these data with advanced data processing algorithms revealed more detailed interpretation (e.g., seismicity data). We expect that more techniques will be developed in the future.

Hydrogen at the Lunar Terminator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livengood, T. A.; Chin, G.; Sagdeev, R. Z.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Boynton, W. V.; Evans, L. G.; Litvak, M. L.; McClanahan, T. P.; Sanin, A. B.; Starr, R. D.; Su, J. J.

2015-10-01

Suppression of the Moon's naturally occurring epithermal neutron leakage flux near the equatorial dawn terminator is consistent with the presence of diurnally varying quantities of hydrogen in the regolith with maximum concentration on the day side of the dawn terminator. This flux suppression has been observed using the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on the polar-orbiting Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The chemical form of hydrogen is not determined, but other remote sensing methods and elemental availability suggest water. The observed variability is interpreted as frost collecting in or on the cold nightside surface, thermally desorbing in sunlight during the lunar morning,and migrating away from the warm subsolar region across the nearby terminator to return to the lunar surface. The maximum concentration, averaged over the upper ~1m of regolith to which neutron detection is sensitive,is estimated to be 0.0125±0.0022 weight-percent water-equivalent hydrogen (wt% WEH), yielding an accumulation of 190±30 ml recoverable water per square meter of regolith at each dawn. The source of hydrogen (water) must be in equilibrium with losses due to solar photolysis and escape. A chemical recycling process or self-shielding from solar UV must be assumed in order to bring the loss rate down to compatibility with possible sources, including solar wind or micrometeoroid delivery of hydrogen, which require near-complete retention of hydrogen,or outgassing of primordial volatiles, for which a plausible supply rate requires significantly less retention efficiency.

Modeling Strongly Correlated Fermi Systems Using Ultra-Cold Atoms

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-28

the two-dimensional Hubbard model on a square lattice ( a model which is purported to describe the high-temperature superconducting cuprates...beams and (2) stroboscopically alternating the beams very rapidly (~100 kHz) such that the beams were never on simultaneously ( the atoms experience a ...gases relies on (1) using a large-volume, magnetic trap to compress the atomic gas to a volume that can be captured by an optical trap

Reflectance of Mercury's Polar Regions: Calibration and Implications for Mercury's Volatiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, G. A.; Sun, X.; Cao, A.; Deutsch, A. N.; Head, J. W.

2018-05-01

Calibration of laser altimeter reflectances under widely varying conditions is supported by laboratory data from an engineering simulator to address the distribution of volatile deposits in Mercury's polar cold traps.

Low-temperature physics: Chaos in the cold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julienne, Paul S.

2014-03-01

A marriage between theory and experiment has shown that ultracold erbium atoms trapped with laser light and subjected to a magnetic field undergo collisions that are characterized by quantum chaos. See Letter p.475

Restoration of Apollo Data for Future Lunar Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Alfred B.; Williams, D. R.; Hills, H. K.

2007-10-01

The Lunar Data Project (LDP) at NASA's National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is retrieving and restoring relevant, scientifically important Apollo data into accessible digital form for use by researchers and mission planners. Much of the Apollo data housed at the NSSDC are in forms which are not readily usable, such as microfilm, hardcopy, and magnetic tapes written using machine representations of computers no longer in use. The LDP has prioritized these data based on scientific and engineering value and level of effort required and is in the process of restoring these data collections. In association with the Planetary Data System (PDS), the restored data are converted into standard format and subject to a data peer review before ingestion into PDS. The Apollo 12 and 15 Solar Wind Spectrometer data have been restored and are awaiting data review. The Apollo 14 and 15 ALSEP Cold Cathode Ion Gage data have been scanned, the Apollo 14 Dust, Thermal, and Radiation Engineering Measurements data are in the process of being scanned, and the Apollo 14 Charged Particle Lunar Environment Experiment data have been retrieved from magnetic tape. An optical character recognition software to produce digital tables of the scanned data, where appropriate, is under development. These data represent some of the only long-term lunar surface environment information that exists. We will report on our progress. Metadata, ancillary information to aid in the use and understanding of the data, will be included in these online data collections. These cover complete descriptions of the data sets, formats, processing history, relevant references and contacts, and instrument descriptions. Restored data and associated metadata are posted online and easily accessible to interested users. The data sets and more information on the LDP can be found at nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/lunar_data/

Cold Helium Pressurization for Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Propulsion Systems: Fully-Integrated Hot-Fire Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morehead, R. L.; Atwell, M. J.; Melcher, J. C.; Hurlbert, E. A.

2016-01-01

Hot-fire test demonstrations were successfully conducted using a cold helium pressurization system fully integrated into a liquid oxygen (LOX) / liquid methane (LCH4) propulsion system (Figure 1). Cold helium pressurant storage at near liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperatures (-275 F and colder) and used as a heated tank pressurant provides a substantial density advantage compared to ambient temperature storage. The increased storage density reduces helium pressurant tank size and mass, creating payload increases of 35% for small lunar-lander sized applications. This degree of mass reduction also enables pressure-fed propulsion systems for human-rated Mars ascent vehicle designs. Hot-fire test results from the highly-instrumented test bed will be used to demonstrate system performance and validate integrated models of the helium and propulsion systems. A pressurization performance metric will also be developed as a means to compare different active pressurization schemes.

High Temperature Superconducting Bearings for Lunar Telescope Mounts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamb, Mark; BuiMa, Ki; Cooley, Rodger; Mackey, Daniel; Meng, Ruling; Chu, Ching Wu; Chu, Wei Kan; Chen, Peter C.; Wilson, Thomas

1995-01-01

A telescope to be installed on the lunar surface in the near future must work in a cold and dusty vacuum environment for long periods without on site human maintenance. To track stars, the drive mechanism must be capable of exceedingly fine steps and repeatability. Further, the use of lightweight telescopes for obvious economic benefits burdens the requirement for stable support and rotation. Conventional contact bearings and gear drives have numerous failure modes under such a restrictive and harsh environment. However, hybrid superconducting magnetic bearings (HSMB) fit in naturally. These bearings are stable, light, passive, and essentially frictionless, allowing high precision electronic positioning control. By passive levitation, the HSMB does not wear out and requires neither maintenance nor power. A prototype illustrating the feasibility of this application is presented.

Counterflow Regolith Heat Exchanger

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zubrin, Robert; Jonscher, Peter

2013-01-01

A problem exists in reducing the total heating power required to extract oxygen from lunar regolith. All such processes require heating a great deal of soil, and the heat energy is wasted if it cannot be recycled from processed material back into new material. The counterflow regolith heat exchanger (CoRHE) is a device that transfers heat from hot regolith to cold regolith. The CoRHE is essentially a tube-in-tube heat exchanger with internal and external augers attached to the inner rotating tube to move the regolith. Hot regolith in the outer tube is moved in one direction by a right-hand - ed auger, and the cool regolith in the inner tube is moved in the opposite direction by a left-handed auger attached to the inside of the rotating tube. In this counterflow arrangement, a large fraction of the heat from the expended regolith is transferred to the new regolith. The spent regolith leaves the heat exchanger close to the temperature of the cold new regolith, and the new regolith is pre-heated close to the initial temperature of the spent regolith. Using the CoRHE can reduce the heating requirement of a lunar ISRU system by 80%, reducing the total power consumption by a factor of two. The unique feature of this system is that it allows for counterflow heat exchange to occur between solids, instead of liquids or gases, as is commonly done. In addition, in variants of this concept, the hydrogen reduction can be made to occur within the counterflow heat exchanger itself, enabling a simplified lunar ISRU (in situ resource utilization) system with excellent energy economy and continuous nonbatch mode operation.

Could thermal sensitivity of mitochondria determine species distribution in a changing climate?

PubMed

Iftikar, Fathima I; MacDonald, Julia R; Baker, Daniel W; Renshaw, Gillian M C; Hickey, Anthony J R

2014-07-01

For many aquatic species, the upper thermal limit (Tmax) and the heart failure temperature (THF) are only a few degrees away from the species' current environmental temperatures. While the mechanisms mediating temperature-induced heart failure (HF) remain unresolved, energy flow and/or oxygen supply disruptions to cardiac mitochondria may be impacted by heat stress. Recent work using a New Zealand wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) found that ATP synthesis capacity of cardiac mitochondria collapses prior to T(HF). However, whether this effect is limited to one species from one thermal habitat remains unknown. The present study confirmed that cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to heat stress-induced HF in two additional wrasses that occupy cold temperate (Notolabrus fucicola) and tropical (Thalassoma lunare) habitats. With exposure to heat stress, T. lunare had the least scope to maintain heart function with increasing temperature. Heat-exposed fish of all species showed elevated plasma succinate, and the heart mitochondria from the cold temperate N. fucicola showed decreased phosphorylation efficiencies (depressed respiratory control ratio, RCR), cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) flux and electron transport system (ETS) flux. In situ assays conducted across a range of temperatures using naive tissues showed depressed complex II (CII) and CCO capacity, limited ETS reserve capacities and lowered efficiencies of pyruvate uptake in T. lunare and N. celidotus. Notably, alterations of mitochondrial function were detectable at saturating oxygen levels, indicating that cardiac mitochondrial insufficiency can occur prior to HF without oxygen limitation. Our data support the view that species distribution may be related to the thermal limits of mitochondrial stability and function, which will be important as oceans continue to warm. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Research on the transfers to Halo orbits from the view of invariant manifolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ming; Tan, Tian; Xu, ShiJie

2012-04-01

This paper discusses the evolutions of invariant manifolds of Halo orbits by low-thrust and lunar gravity. The possibility of applying all these manifolds in designing low-thrust transfer, and the presence of single-impulse trajectories under lunar gravity are also explained. The relationship between invariant manifolds and the altitude of the perigee is investigated using a Poincaré map. Six types of single-impulse transfer trajectories are then attained from the geometry of the invariant manifolds. The evolutions of controlled manifolds are surveyed by the gradient law of Jacobi energy, and the following conclusions are drawn. First, the low thrust (acceleration or deceleration) near the libration point is very inefficient that the spacecraft free-flies along the invariant manifolds. The purpose is to increase its velocity and avoid stagnation near the libration point. Second, all controlled manifolds are captured because they lie inside the boundary of Earth's gravity trap in the configuration space. The evolutions of invariant manifolds under lunar gravity are indicated from the relationship between the lunar phasic angle and the altitude of the perigee. Third and last, most of the manifolds have preserved their topologies in the circular restricted three-body problem. However, the altitudes of the perigee of few manifolds are quite non-continuous, which can be used to generate single- impulse flyby trajectories.

Oxygen isotopic fractionation of O₂ during adsorption and desorption processes using molecular sieve at low temperatures.

PubMed

Ahn, Insu; Kusakabe, Minoru; Lee, Jong Ik

2014-06-15

Cryogenic trapping using molecular sieves is commonly used to collect O2 extracted from silicates for (17)O/(16)O and (18)O/(16)O analyses. However, gases which interfere with (17)O/(16)O analysis, notably NF3, are also trapped and their removal is essential for accurate direct measurement of the (17)O/(16)O ratio. It is also necessary to identify and quantify any isotopic fractionation associated with the use of cryogenic trapping using molecular sieves. The oxygen isotopic compositions of O2 before and after desorption from, and adsorption onto, 13X and 5A molecular sieves (MS13X and MS5A) at 0°C, -78°C, -114°C, and -130°C were measured in order to determine the oxygen isotopic fractionation at these temperatures. We also investigated whether isotopic fractionation occurred when O2 gas was transferred sequentially into a second cold finger, also containing molecular sieve. It was confirmed that significant oxygen isotopic fractionation occurs between the gaseous O2 and that adsorbed onto molecular sieve, if desorption and adsorption are incomplete. As the fraction of released or untrapped O2 becomes smaller with decreasing trapping temperature (from 0 to -130°C), the isotopic fractionation becomes larger. Approximately half of the total adsorbed O2 is released from the molecular sieve during desorption at -114°C, which is the temperature recommended for separation from NF3 (retained on the molecular sieve), and this will interfere with (17)O/(16)O measurements. The use of a single cold finger should be avoided, because partial desorption is accompanied by oxygen isotopic fractionation, thereby resulting in inaccurate isotopic data. The use of a dual cold finger arrangement is recommended because, as we have confirmed, the transfer of O2 from the first trap to the second is almost 100%. However, even under these conditions, a small isotopic fractionation (0.18 ± 0.05‰ in δ(17)O values and 0.26 ± 0.06‰ in δ(18)O values) occurred, with O2 in the second trap being isotopically enriched in the heavier isotopes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Connecting Returned Apollo Soils and Remote Sensing: Application to the Diviner Lunar Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhagen, B. T.; DonaldsonHanna, K. L.; Thomas, I. R.; Bowles, N. E.; Allen, Carlton C.; Pieters, C. M.; Paige, D. A.

2014-01-01

The Diviner Lunar Radiometer, onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has produced the first global, high resolution, thermal infrared observations of an airless body. The Moon, which is the most accessible member of this most abundant class of solar system objects, is also the only body for which we have extraterrestrial samples with known spatial context, returned Apollo samples. Here we present the results of a comprehensive study to reproduce an accurate simulated lunar environment, evaluate the most appropriate sample and measurement conditions, collect thermal infrared spectra of a representative suite of Apollo soils, and correlate them with Diviner observations of the lunar surface. It has been established previously that thermal infrared spectra measured in simulated lunar environment (SLE) are significantly altered from spectra measured under terrestrial or martian conditions. The data presented here were collected at the University of Oxford Simulated Lunar Environment Chamber (SLEC). In SLEC, we simulate the lunar environment by: (1) pumping the chamber to vacuum pressures (less than 10-4 mbar) sufficient to simulate lunar heat transport processes within the sample, (2) cooling the chamber with liquid nitrogen to simulate radiation to the cold space environment, and (3) heating the samples with heaters and lamp to set-up thermal gradients similar to those experienced in the upper hundreds of microns of the lunar surface. We then conducted a comprehensive suite of experiments using different sample preparation and heating conditions on Apollo soils 15071 (maria) and 67701 (highland) and compared the results to Diviner noontime data to select the optimal experimental conditions. This study includes thermal infrared SLE measurements of 10084 (A11 - LM), 12001 (A12 - LM), 14259 (A14 - LM), 15071 (A15 - S1), 15601 (A15 - S9a), 61141 (A16 - S1), 66031 (A16 - S6), 67701 (A16 - S11), and 70181 (A17 - LM). The Diviner dataset includes all six Apollo sites at approximately 200 m spatial resolution We find that analyses of Diviner observations of individual sampling stations and SLE measurements returned Apollo soils show good agreement, while comparisons to thermal infrared reflectance under ambient conditions do not agree well, which underscores the need for SLE measurements and validates the Diviner compositional measurement technique.

Test and Evaluation of the Surveyor 3 Television Camera Returned from the Moon by Apollo 12. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

Results are presented of engineering tests of the Surveyor III television camera, which resided on the moon for 2 and 1/2 years before being brought back to earth by the Apollo XII astronauts. Electric circuits, electrical, mechanical, and optical components and subsystems, the vidicon tube, and a variety of internal materials and surface coatings were examined to determine the effects of lunar exposure. Anomalies and failures uncovered were analyzed. For the most part, the camera parts withstood the extreme environment exceedingly well except where degradation of obsolete parts or suspect components had been anticipated. No significant evidence of cold welding was observed, and the anomalies were largely attributable to causes other than lunar exposure. Very little evidence of micrometeoroid impact was noted. Discoloration of material surfaces -- one of the major effects noted--was found to be due to lunar dust contamination and radiation damage. The extensive test data contained in this report are supplemented by results of tests of other Surveyor parts retrieved by the Apollo XII astronauts, which are contained in a companion report.

3D mixing in hot Jupiters atmospheres. I. Application to the day/night cold trap in HD 209458b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parmentier, Vivien; Showman, Adam P.; Lian, Yuan

2013-10-01

Context. Hot Jupiters exhibit atmospheric temperatures ranging from hundreds to thousands of Kelvin. Because of their large day-night temperature differences, condensable species that are stable in the gas phase on the dayside - such as TiO and silicates - may condense and gravitationally settle on the nightside. Atmospheric circulation may counterbalance this tendency to gravitationally settle. This three-dimensional (3D) mixing of condensable species has not previously been studied for hot Jupiters, yet it is crucial to assess the existence and distribution of TiO and silicates in the atmospheres of these planets. Aims: We investigate the strength of the nightside cold trap in hot Jupiters atmospheres by investigating the mechanisms and strength of the vertical mixing in these stably stratified atmospheres. We apply our model to the particular case of TiO to address the question of whether TiO can exist at low pressure in sufficient abundances to produce stratospheric thermal inversions despite the nightside cold trap. Methods: We modeled the 3D circulation of HD 209458b including passive (i.e. radiatively inactive) tracers that advect with the 3D flow, with a source and sink term on the nightside to represent their condensation into haze particles and their gravitational settling. Results: We show that global advection patterns produce strong vertical mixing that can keep condensable species aloft as long as they are trapped in particles of sizes of a few microns or less on the nightside. We show that vertical mixing results not from small-scale convection but from the large-scale circulation driven by the day-night heating contrast. Although this vertical mixing is not diffusive in any rigorous sense, a comparison of our results with idealized diffusion models allows a rough estimate of the effective vertical eddy diffusivities in these atmospheres. The parametrization Kzz=5 × 104/ Pbar m2s-1, valid from ~1 bar to a few μbar, can be used in 1D models of HD 209458b. Moreover, our models exhibit strong spatial and temporal variability in the tracer concentration that could result in observable variations during either transit or secondary eclipse measurements. Finally, we apply our model to the case of TiO in HD 209458b and show that the day-night cold trap would deplete TiO if it condenses into particles bigger than a few microns on the planet's nightside, keeping it from creating the observed stratosphere of the planet. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A Theoretical Study of Cold Air Damming.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qin

1990-12-01

The dynamics of cold air damming are examined analytically with a two-layer steady state model. The upper layer is a warm and saturated cross-mountain (easterly or southeasterly onshore) flow. The lower layer is a cold mountain-parallel (northerly) jet trapped on the windward (eastern) side of the mountain. The interface between the two layers represents a coastal front-a sloping inversion layer coupling the trapped cold dome with the warm onshore flow above through pressure continuity.An analytical expression is obtained for the inviscid upper-layer flow with hydrostatic and moist adiabatic approximations. Blackadar's PBL parameterization of eddy viscosity is used in the lower-layer equations. Solutions for the mountain-parallel jet and its associated secondary transverse circulation are obtained by expanding asymptotically upon a small parameter proportional to the square root of the inertial aspect ratio-the ratio between the mountain height and the radius of inertial oscillation. The geometric shape of the sloping interface is solved numerically from a differential-integral equation derived from the pressure continuity condition imposed at the interface.The observed flow structures and force balances of cold air damming events are produced qualitatively by the model. In the cold dome the mountain-parallel jet is controlled by the competition between the mountain-parallel pressure gradient and friction: the jet is stronger with smoother surfaces, higher mountains, and faster mountain-normal geostrophic winds. In the mountain-normal direction the vertically averaged force balance in the cold dome is nearly geostrophic and controls the geometric shape of the cold dome. The basic mountain-normal pressure gradient generated in the cold dome by the negative buoyancy distribution tends to flatten the sloping interface and expand the cold dome upstream against the mountain-normal pressure gradient (produced by the upper-layer onshore wind) and Coriolis force (induced by the lower-layer mountain-parallel jet). It is found that the interface slope increases and the cold dome shrinks as the Froude number and/or upstream mountain-parallel geostrophic wind increase, or as the Rossby number, upper-layer depth, and/or surface roughness length decrease, and vice versa. The cold dome will either vanish or not be in a steady state if the Froude number is large enough or the roughness length gets too small. The theoretical findings are explained physically based on detailed analyses of the force balance along the inversion interface.

Temporal and spatiotemporal correlation functions for trapped Bose gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohnen, M.; Nyman, R. A.

2015-03-01

Density correlations unambiguously reveal the quantum nature of matter. Here, we study correlations between measurements of density in cold-atom clouds at different times at one position, and also at two separated positions. We take into account the effects of finite-size and -duration measurements made by light beams passing through the atom cloud. We specialize to the case of Bose gases in harmonic traps above critical temperature, for weakly perturbative measurements. For overlapping measurement regions, shot-noise correlations revive after a trap oscillation period. For nonoverlapping regions, bosonic correlations dominate at long times, and propagate at finite speeds. Finally, we give a realistic measurement protocol for performing such experiments.

Astronomy from the Moon: A New Frontier for 21st Century Astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durst, Steve

2018-06-01

The International Lunar Observatory Association of Hawai'i USA continues into its second decade with research and development of South Pole instruments for astronomy, observation and communication from the Moon. Since the pioneering first astronomy observations from the Moon by Apollo 16 Commander John Young (an ILOA founding-emeritus director until his recent passing), with China Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope LUT operations and current American and European considerations for far-side radio telescopes, today's climate is most promising for a diversity of lunar-based astronomy locations, instruments and technologies. ILOA is aiming to advance this frontier through its Galaxy First Light Imaging program, being developed through contracts with Moon Express and Canadensys Aerospace Corp.A wide variety of extreme and unique lunar conditions enable many astronomy activities and installations, on the Moon's near-side, far-side, north pole, and south pole: The extremely thin lunar exosphere favors observations in millimeter / submillimeter to optical, UV, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths; the highly stable platform that is the Moon provides for long-duration observations; ultra cold, shaded areas for cryogenic infrared instruments; far-side radio-quiet environment for radio telescopes and VLF astronomy; 1/6-Earth gravity for production and utilization of new, very lightweight materials and instruments, including large refractors, 100-m class liquid mirror telescopes, and possibly 1,000-m class radio telescopes and interferometer antenna arrays vastly larger than Atacama LMA; North and especially South Pole sites, with high peaks and long solar power windows, offer perhaps the widest variety of lunar conditions and opportunities for astronomical innovation on the Moon: a veritable "condominium of observatories".21st century astrophysics seems likely to find Luna a very busy and productive new frontier, as American Astronomical Society and IAU members will validate, with astronomers providing rationale and direction for lunar outpost build-out, while offering Galaxy / Cosmos perspective on the human advance towards a multi world civilization.

Variable-temperature cryogenic trap for the separation of gas mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Des Marais, D. J.

1978-01-01

The paper describes a continuous variable-temperature U-shaped cold trap which can both purify vacuum-line combustion products for subsequent stable isotopic analysis and isolate the methane and ethane constituents of natural gases. The canister containing the trap is submerged in liquid nitrogen, and, as the gas cools, the gas mixture components condense sequentially according to their relative vapor pressures. After the about 12 min required for the bottom of the trap to reach the liquid-nitrogen temperature, passage of electric current through the resistance wire wrapped around the tubing covering the U-trap permits distillation of successive gas components at optimal temperatures. Data on the separation achieved for two mixtures, the first being typical vacuum-line combustion products of geochemical samples such as rocks and the second being natural gas, are presented, and the thermal behavior and power consumption are reported.

Magneto-optical trapping of potassium isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, Robert Sylvester, III

1997-12-01

We have demonstrated a magneto-optical trap (scMOT) suitable for capturing radioactive potassium produced on- line with the UW-Madison 12MeV tandem electrostatic accelerator. To do this, we made and characterized the first scMOT for potassium, measured the potassium ultracold collision rate, and developed a numerical trap- loading rate model that makes useful quantitative predictions. We have created a cold beam of collimated potassium atoms using a pyramidal magneto-optical funnel and used it to load a long-lifetime scMOT operating at ultrahigh vacuum. We have also built a target that produces a beam of radioactive 37K and 38K and coupled it to the magneto-optical funnel and trap. Once a trap of radioactive 38K has been demonstrated, the primary goal of this project is to measure the beta-asymmetry parameter in the decay of 38K, performing a sensitive test of the Standard Model of weak interactions.

Recent developments in trapping and manipulation of atoms with adiabatic potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garraway, Barry M.; Perrin, Hélène

2016-09-01

A combination of static and oscillating magnetic fields can be used to ‘dress’ atoms with radio-frequency (RF), or microwave, radiation. The spatial variation of these fields can be used to create an enormous variety of traps for ultra-cold atoms and quantum gases. This article reviews the type and character of these adiabatic traps and the applications which include atom interferometry and the study of low-dimensional quantum systems. We introduce the main concepts of magnetic traps leading to adiabatic dressed traps. The concept of adiabaticity is discussed in the context of the Landau-Zener model. The first bubble trap experiment is reviewed together with the method used for loading it. Experiments based on atom chips show the production of double wells and ring traps. Dressed atom traps can be evaporatively cooled with an additional RF field, and a weak RF field can be used to probe the spectroscopy of the adiabatic potentials. Several approaches to ring traps formed from adiabatic potentials are discussed, including those based on atom chips, time-averaged adiabatic potentials and induction methods. Several proposals for adiabatic lattices with dressed atoms are also reviewed.

Probing the Cold Dust Emission in the AB Aur Disk: A Dust Trap in a Decaying Vortex?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuente, Asunción; Bachiller, Rafael; Baruteau, Clément

One serious challenge for planet formation is the rapid inward drift of pebble-sized dust particles in protoplanetary disks. Dust trapping at local maxima in the disk gas pressure has received much theoretical attention but still lacks observational support. The cold dust emission in the AB Aur disk forms an asymmetric ring at a radius of about 120 au, which is suggestive of dust trapping in a gas vortex. We present high spatial resolution (0.″58 × 0.″78 ≈ 80 × 110 au) NOEMA observations of the 1.12 mm and 2.22 mm dust continuum emission from the AB Aur disk. Significant azimuthalmore » variations of the flux ratio at both wavelengths indicate a size segregation of the large dust particles along the ring. Our continuum images also show that the intensity variations along the ring are smaller at 2.22 mm than at 1.12 mm, contrary to what dust trapping models with a gas vortex have predicted. Our two-fluid (gas+dust) hydrodynamical simulations demonstrate that this feature is well explained if the gas vortex has started to decay due to turbulent diffusion, and dust particles are thus losing the azimuthal trapping on different timescales depending on their size. The comparison between our observations and simulations allows us to constrain the size distribution and the total mass of solid particles in the ring, which we find to be of the order of 30 Earth masses, enough to form future rocky planets.« less

A dark-line two-dimensional magneto-optical trap of 85Rb atoms with high optical depth.

PubMed

Zhang, Shanchao; Chen, J F; Liu, Chang; Zhou, Shuyu; Loy, M M T; Wong, G K L; Du, Shengwang

2012-07-01

We describe the apparatus of a dark-line two-dimensional (2D) magneto-optical trap (MOT) of (85)Rb cold atoms with high optical depth (OD). Different from the conventional configuration, two (of three) pairs of trapping laser beams in our 2D MOT setup do not follow the symmetry axes of the quadrupole magnetic field: they are aligned with 45° angles to the longitudinal axis. Two orthogonal repumping laser beams have a dark-line volume in the longitudinal axis at their cross over. With a total trapping laser power of 40 mW and repumping laser power of 18 mW, we obtain an atomic OD up to 160 in an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) scheme, which corresponds to an atomic-density-length product NL = 2.05 × 10(15) m(-2). In a closed two-state system, the OD can become as large as more than 600. Our 2D MOT configuration allows full optical access of the atoms in its longitudinal direction without interfering with the trapping and repumping laser beams spatially. Moreover, the zero magnetic field along the longitudinal axis allows the cold atoms maintain a long ground-state coherence time without switching off the MOT magnetic field, which makes it possible to operate the MOT at a high repetition rate and a high duty cycle. Our 2D MOT is ideal for atomic-ensemble-based quantum optics applications, such as EIT, entangled photon pair generation, optical quantum memory, and quantum information processing.

Highly Oxidizing Surface Radicals in Lunar Dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulahci, I.; Freund, F. T.; Bose, M.; Loftus, D. J.

2007-12-01

Lunar rocks are generally believed to be very "dry" with little or no evidence for hydroxyl as indicators of traces of dissolved H2O. The absence of hydroxyl, however, is not a sure sign of the absence of dissolved H2O. The reason is that hydroxyl pairs in the structure of host minerals, O3X-OH HO-XO3, with X=Si4+, Al3+ etc., tend to undergo an electronic rearrangement (redox conversion) in the course of which two oxygen anions are oxidized from the 2- to the 1- valence, forming a peroxy link, O3X-OO-XO3, plus an H2 molecule. If the H2 molecules diffuse out (which they are expected to do from lunar rocks and lunar fines over the course of 4 Gyrs), the peroxy links remain as the only "memory" of a former solute H2O content. Hard UV causes peroxy links to dissociate. In the process an electron from a neighboring O2- jumps into the broken peroxy bond. This is equivalent to forming an O-, e.g. a defect electron in the oxygen anion sublattice. Such defect electrons, also known as positive holes or pholes for short, represent highly mobile charge carriers. When trapped at the surface of dust grains, these charge carriers turn into highly reactive, highly oxidizing O- radicals, which are of concern because of their toxicity when lunar dust is inhaled by astronauts. We propose a device to measure the UV-activation of peroxy links by dusting lunar fines onto a polyethylene base plate with Au electrodes sputtered onto both ends and an ammeter connecting the two electrodes. One end of the dust layer will be exposed to the ambient UV radiation, while the remainder will be shaded. During the lunar night no current is expected to flow between the two Au electrodes. During passage through the night-day terminator, a current is expected to flow between the Au electrodes carried by defect electrons activated in the irradiated portion of the dust layer. Such a current would be an indicator that lunar fines and, by implication, lunar rocks contain peroxy links as a memory of a former solute H2O content.

When did the lunar core dynamo cease?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikoo, S. M.; Weiss, B. P.; Shuster, D. L.; Fuller, M.

2013-12-01

Remanent magnetization in the lunar crust and in returned Apollo samples has long suggested that the Moon formed a metallic core and an ancient dynamo magnetic field. Recent paleomagnetic investigations of lunar samples demonstrate that the Moon had a core dynamo which produced ~30-110 μT surface fields between at least 4.2 and 3.56 billion years ago (Ga). Tikoo et al. (1) recently found that the field declined to below several μT by 3.19 Ga. However, given that even values of a few μT are at the upper end of the intensities predicted by dynamo theory for this late in lunar history, it remains uncertain when the lunar dynamo actually ceased completely. Determining this requires a young lunar rock with extraordinarily high magnetic recording fidelity. With this goal, we are conducting a new analysis of young regolith breccia 15498. Although the breccia's age is currently uncertain, the presence of Apollo 15-type mare basalt clasts provides an upper limit constraint of ~3.3 Ga, while trapped Ar data suggest a lithification age of ~1.3 Ga. In stark contrast to the multidomain character of virtually all lunar crystalline rocks, the magnetic carriers in 15498 are on average pseudo-single domain to superparamagnetic, indicating that the sample should provide high-fidelity paleointensity records. A previous alternating field (AF) and thermal demagnetization study of 15498 by Gose et al. (2) observed that the sample carries stable remanent magnetization which persists to unblocking temperatures of at least 650°C. Using a modified Thellier technique, they reported a paleointensity of 2 μT. Although this value may have been influenced by spurious remanence acquired during pretreatment with AF demagnetization, our results confirm the presence of an extremely stable (blocked to coercivities >290 mT) magnetization in the glassy matrix. We also found that this magnetization is largely unidirectional across mutually oriented subsamples. The cooling timescale of this rock (~1 hour) likely precludes impact fields as a source of thermoremanent magnetization. Our paleointensity experiments and Ar/Ar thermochronometry, currently in progress, should permit us to determine whether this remanence was acquired from a late lunar core dynamo. (1) Tikoo et al. (2012) Proc. Lunar Planet Sci. Conf. 43rd, #2691. (2) Gose et al. (1973) The Moon (7), p. 196-201.

A Novel Gravito-Optical Surface Trap for Neutral Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Chun-Xia; Wang, Zhengling; Yin, Jian-Ping

2006-04-01

We propose a novel gravito-optical surface trap (GOST) for neutral atoms based on one-dimensional intensity gradient cooling. The surface optical trap is composed of a blue-detuned reduced semi-Gaussian laser beam (SGB), a far-blue-detuned dark hollow beam and the gravity field. The SGB is produced by the diffraction of a collimated Gaussian laser beam passing through the straight edge of a semi-infinite opaque plate and then is reduced by an imaging lens. We calculate the intensity distribution of the reduced SGB, and study the dynamic process of the SGB intensity-gradient induced Sisyphus cooling for 87Rb atoms by using Monte Carlo simulations. Our study shows that the proposed GOST can be used not only to trap cold atoms loaded from a standard magneto-optical trap, but also to cool the trapped atoms to an equilibrium temperature of 3.47 μK from ~120 μK, even to realize an all-optical two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensation by using optical-potential evaporative cooling.

A versatile electrostatic trap with open optical access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Sheng-Qiang; Yin, Jian-Ping

2018-04-01

A versatile electrostatic trap with open optical access for cold polar molecules in weak-field-seeking state is proposed in this paper. The trap is composed of a pair of disk electrodes and a hexapole. With the help of a finite element software, the spatial distribution of the electrostatic field is calculated. The results indicate that a three-dimensional closed electrostatic trap is formed. Taking ND3 molecules as an example, the dynamic process of loading and trapping is simulated. The results show that when the velocity of the molecular beam is 10 m/s and the loading time is 0.9964 ms, the maximum loading efficiency reaches 94.25% and the temperature of the trapped molecules reaches about 30.3 mK. A single well can be split into two wells, which is of significant importance to the precision measurement and interference of matter waves. This scheme, in addition, can be further miniaturized to construct one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional spatial electrostatic lattices.

Direct observation of individual hydrogen atoms at trapping sites in a ferritic steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.-S.; Haley, D.; Gerstl, S. S. A.; London, A. J.; Sweeney, F.; Wepf, R. A.; Rainforth, W. M.; Bagot, P. A. J.; Moody, M. P.

2017-03-01

The design of atomic-scale microstructural traps to limit the diffusion of hydrogen is one key strategy in the development of hydrogen-embrittlement-resistant materials. In the case of bearing steels, an effective trapping mechanism may be the incorporation of finely dispersed V-Mo-Nb carbides in a ferrite matrix. First, we charged a ferritic steel with deuterium by means of electrolytic loading to achieve a high hydrogen concentration. We then immobilized it in the microstructure with a cryogenic transfer protocol before atom probe tomography (APT) analysis. Using APT, we show trapping of hydrogen within the core of these carbides with quantitative composition profiles. Furthermore, with this method the experiment can be feasibly replicated in any APT-equipped laboratory by using a simple cold chain.

Weyl Exceptional Rings in a Three-Dimensional Dissipative Cold Atomic Gas (Author’s Manuscript)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-27

Weyl Exceptional Rings in a Three-Dimensional Dissipative Cold Atomic Gas Yong Xu,∗ Sheng-Tao Wang, and L.-M. Duan Department of Physics, University...atomic gas trapped in an optical lattice. Recently, condensed matter systems have proven to be a powerful platform to study low energy gapless...possess a nonzero quantized Chern number. This leads to a natural question of whether there exists a topological ring exhibiting both a quantized Chern

Forest filter effect versus cold trapping effect on the altitudinal distribution of PCBs: a case study of Mt. Gongga, eastern Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Liu, Xin; Li, Jun; Zheng, Qian; Bing, Haijian; Zhang, Ruijie; Wang, Yan; Luo, Chunling; Liu, Xiang; Wu, Yanhong; Pan, Suhong; Zhang, Gan

2014-12-16

Mountains are observed to preferentially accumulate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) at higher altitude due to the cold condensation effect. Forest soils characterized by high organic carbon are important for terrestrial storage of POPs. To investigate the dominant factor controlling the altitudinal distribution of POPs in mountainous areas, we measured concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in different environmental matrices (soil, moss, and air) from nine elevations on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga, the highest mountain in Sichuan Province on the Tibetan Plateau. The concentrations of 24 measured PCBs ranged from 41 to 510 pg/g dry weight (dw) (mean: 260 pg/g dw) in the O-horizon soil, 280 to 1200 pg/g dw (mean: 740 pg/g dw) in moss, and 33 to 60 pg/m(3) (mean: 47 pg/m(3)) in air. Soil organic carbon was a key determinant explaining 75% of the variation in concentration along the altitudinal gradient. Across all of the sampling sites, the average contribution of the forest filter effect (FFE) was greater than that of the mountain cold trapping effect based on principal components analysis and multiple linear regression. Our results deviate from the thermodynamic theory involving cold condensation at high altitudes of mountain areas and highlight the importance of the FFE.

Reactor Simulator Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenfeld, Michael P.; Webster, Kenny L.; Pearson, Boise J.

2013-01-01

As part of the Nuclear Systems Office Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) project, a reactor simulator test loop (RxSim) was design & built to perform integrated testing of the TDU components. In particular, the objectives of RxSim testing was to verify the operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation and control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. In addition, it was decided to include a thermal test of a cold trap purification design and a pump performance test at pump voltages up to 150 V since the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s was not obtained in the RxSim at the originally constrained voltage of 120 V. This paper summarizes RxSim testing. The gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively in NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain operations. The instrumentation and control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings. The cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the cold temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. The annular linear induction pump (ALIP) tested was able to produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz.

Reactor Simulator Integration and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenfield, M. P.; Webster, K. L.; Pearson, J. B.

2013-01-01

As part of the Nuclear Systems Office Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) project, a reactor simulator (RxSim) test loop was designed and built to perform integrated testing of the TDU components. In particular, the objectives of RxSim testing were to verify the operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation and control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. In addition, it was decided to include a thermal test of a cold trap purification design and a pump performance test at pump voltages up to 150 V because the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s was not obtained in the RxSim at the originally constrained voltage of 120 V. This Technical Memorandum summarizes RxSim testing. The gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively in NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain operations. The instrumentation and control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings. The cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained, which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the cold temperature, indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. The annular linear induction pump tested was able to produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz.

Radioactivities induced in some LDEF samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reedy, Robert C.; Moss, Calvin E.; Bobias, S. George; Masarik, Jozef

1993-01-01

Radioactivities induced in several Long Duration Exposure Facilities (LDEF) samples were measured by low-level counting at Los Alamos and elsewhere. These radionuclides have activities similar to those observed in meteorites and lunar samples. Some trends were observed in these measurements in terms of profiles in trunnion layers and as a function of radionuclide half-life. Several existing computer codes were used to model the production by the protons trapped in the Earth's radiation belts and by the galactic cosmic rays of some of these radionuclides, Mn-54 and Co-57 in steel, Sc-46 in titanium, and Na-22 in alloys of titanium and aluminum. Production rates were also calculated for radionuclides possibly implanted in LDEF, Be-7, Be-10, and C-14. Enhanced concentrations of induced isotopes in the surfaces of trunnion sections relative to their concentrations in the center are caused by the lower-energy protons in the trapped radiation. Secondary neutrons made by high-energy trapped protons and by galactic cosmic rays produce much of the observed radioactivities, especially deep in an object. Comparisons of the observed to calculated activities of several radionuclides with different half-lives indicate that the flux of trapped protons at LDEF decreased significantly at the end of the mission.

Coulomb clusters in RETRAP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steiger, J.; Beck, B. R.; Gruber, L.; Church, D. A.; Holder, J. P.; Schneider, D.

1999-01-01

Storage rings and Penning traps are being used to study ions in their highest charge states. Both devices must have the capability for ion cooling in order to perform high precision measurements such as mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy. This is accomplished in storage rings in a merged beam arrangement where a cold electron beam moves at the speed of the ions. In RETRAP, a Penning trap located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a sympathetic laser/ion cooling scheme has been implemented. In a first step, singly charged beryllium ions are cooled electronically by a tuned circuit and optically by a laser. Then hot, highly charged ions are merged into the cold Be plasma. By collisions, their kinetic energy is reduced to the temperature of the Be plasma. First experiments indicate that the highly charged ions form a strongly coupled plasma with a Coulomb coupling parameter exceeding 1000.

Light-induced atomic desorption in a compact system for ultracold atoms

PubMed Central

Torralbo-Campo, Lara; Bruce, Graham D.; Smirne, Giuseppe; Cassettari, Donatella

2015-01-01

In recent years, light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) of alkali atoms from the inner surface of a vacuum chamber has been employed in cold atom experiments for the purpose of modulating the alkali background vapour. This is beneficial because larger trapped atom samples can be loaded from vapour at higher pressure, after which the pressure is reduced to increase the lifetime of the sample. We present an analysis, based on the case of rubidium atoms adsorbed on pyrex, of various aspects of LIAD that are useful for this application. Firstly, we study the intensity dependence of LIAD by fitting the experimental data with a rate-equation model, from which we extract a correct prediction for the increase in trapped atom number. Following this, we quantify a figure of merit for the utility of LIAD in cold atom experiments and we show how it can be optimised for realistic experimental parameters. PMID:26458325

Spectroscopy of the three-photon laser excitation of cold Rubidium Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Entin, V. M.; Yakshina, E. A.; Tretyakov, D. B.

2013-05-15

The spectra of the three-photon laser excitation 5S{sub 1/2} {yields} 5P{sub 3/2} {yields} 6S{sub 1/2}nP of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in an operating magneto-optical trap based on continuous single-frequency lasers at each stage are studied. These spectra contain two partly overlapping peaks of different amplitudes, which correspond to coherent three-photon excitation and incoherent three-step excitation due to the presence of two different ways of excitation through the dressed states of intermediate levels. A four-level theoretical model based on optical Bloch equations is developed to analyze these spectra. Good agreement between the experimental and calculated data is achieved by introducing additionalmore » decay of optical coherence induced by a finite laser line width and other broadening sources (stray electromagnetic fields, residual Doppler broadening, interatomic interactions) into the model.« less

The Putative Cerean Exosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schorghofer, Norbert; Byrne, Shane; Landis, Margaret E.; Mazarico, Erwan; Prettyman, Thomas H.; Schmidt, Britney E.; Villarreal, Michaela N.; Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Raymond, Carol A.; Russell, Christopher T.

2017-11-01

The ice-rich crust of dwarf planet 1 Ceres is the source of a tenuous water exosphere, and the behavior of this putative exosphere is investigated with model calculations. Outgassing water molecules seasonally condense around the winter pole in an optically thin layer. This seasonal cap reaches an estimated mass of at least 2× {10}3 {kg}, and the aphelion summer pole may even retain water throughout summer. If this reservoir is suddenly released by a solar energetic particle event, it would form a denser transient water exosphere. Our model calculations also explore species other than H2O. Light exospheric species escape rapidly from Ceres due to its low gravity, and hence their exospheres dissipate soon after their respective source has faded. For example, the theoretical turn-over time in a water exosphere is only 7 hr. A significant fraction of CO2 and SO2 molecules can get trapped and stored in perennially shadowed regions at the current spin axis orientation, but not at the higher spin axis tilt, leaving H2O as the only common volatile expected to accumulate in polar cold traps over long timescales. The D/H fractionation during migration to the cold traps is only about 10%.

Geochronology and petrogenesis of the western highlands alkali suite: Radiogenic isotopic evidence from Apollo 14

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, Gregory A.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Halliday, Alex N.

1993-03-01

Several rocks of alkalic affinity, from the western highlands of the Moon, have been analyzed for their Nd and Sr isotopic compositions. One sample yields a Sm-Nd mineral isochron of 4110 = 41 Ma. This age, in conjunction with U-Pb zircon ages on two other alkalic rocks from the Apollo 14 landing site suggests a distinct western highlands 'event' which was approximately 100 Ma in duration. Since the last dregs of the lunar magma ocean likely crystallized prior to 4.3 Ga, this alkalic 'event' may have included the re-melting of evolved plutons or the remobilization of urKREEP trapped liquid from upper mantle cumulates. Alkalic lithologies such as granites and felsites have been known from the Moon since the earliest days of the Apollo lunar sample returns. However, not until 1977 were alkali-rich rocks recognized from typical highlands suites such as ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and norites and Mg-suite rocks. In the intervening years, several other alkali suite samples have been discovered and characterized, mostly through labor-intesive breccia pull-apart studies of clasts and analyses of coarse-fine fractions of soils. We will speculate on the origins of this suite of lunar highlands rocks.

Geochronology and petrogenesis of the western highlands alkali suite: Radiogenic isotopic evidence from Apollo 14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Gregory A.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Halliday, Alex N.

1993-01-01

Several rocks of alkalic affinity, from the western highlands of the Moon, have been analyzed for their Nd and Sr isotopic compositions. One sample yields a Sm-Nd mineral isochron of 4110 = 41 Ma. This age, in conjunction with U-Pb zircon ages on two other alkalic rocks from the Apollo 14 landing site suggests a distinct western highlands 'event' which was approximately 100 Ma in duration. Since the last dregs of the lunar magma ocean likely crystallized prior to 4.3 Ga, this alkalic 'event' may have included the re-melting of evolved plutons or the remobilization of urKREEP trapped liquid from upper mantle cumulates. Alkalic lithologies such as granites and felsites have been known from the Moon since the earliest days of the Apollo lunar sample returns. However, not until 1977 were alkali-rich rocks recognized from typical highlands suites such as ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and norites and Mg-suite rocks. In the intervening years, several other alkali suite samples have been discovered and characterized, mostly through labor-intesive breccia pull-apart studies of clasts and analyses of coarse-fine fractions of soils. We will speculate on the origins of this suite of lunar highlands rocks.

Documenting Surface and Sub-surface Volatiles While Drilling in Frozen Lunar Simulant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roush, T. L.; Cook, A. M.; Colaprete, A.; Bielawski, R.; Fritzler, E.; Benton, J.; White, B.; Forgione, J.; Kleinhenz, J.; Smith, J.;

An Automated Air Sampling System Comprising an OPTIC GC Injector II, Quantification of VX Vapour

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Convention in 1989. In 1990 a Canadian research institute reported their work on the thermodesorption of VX using Tenax minitubes [3]. They obtained best...is to convert VX to a volatile derivative which is then trapped on Tenax and easily desorbed. This approach is used by Robert B. Walton [4] in...measure levels of 0.001 mg/m3 with a 20 minutes sampling time. With the Hapsite as well as with the abovementioned minitubes no cold trap is used

Tests of CPT, Lorentz invariance and the WEP with antihydrogen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holzscheiter, M.H.; ATHENA Collaboration

1999-03-01

Antihydrogen atoms, produced near rest, trapped in a magnetic well, and cooled to the lowest possible temperature (kinetic energy) could provide an extremely powerful tool for the search of violations of CPT and Lorentz invariance. Equally well, such a system could be used for searches of violations of the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) at high precision. The author describes his plans to form a significant number of cold, trapped antihydrogen atoms for comparative precision spectroscopy of hydrogen and antihydrogen and comment on possible first experiments.

Note: A 3D-printed alkali metal dispenser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norrgard, E. B.; Barker, D. S.; Fedchak, J. A.; Klimov, N.; Scherschligt, J.; Eckel, S.

2018-05-01

We demonstrate and characterize a source of Li atoms made from direct metal laser sintered titanium. The source's outgassing rate is measured to be 5(2) × 10-7 Pa L s-1 at a temperature T = 330 °C, which optimizes the number of atoms loaded into a magneto-optical trap. The source loads ≈107 7Li atoms in the trap in ≈1 s. The loaded source weighs 700 mg and is suitable for a number of deployable sensors based on cold atoms.

Coherent Spectroscopy of Ultra-Cold Mercury for the UV to VUV

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-20

clock. During this funding period a novel UV laser system was developed to efficiently cool and trap atomic Hg to temperatures below 100 microKelvin...During this funding period a novel UV laser system was developed to efficiently cool and trap atomic Hg to temperatures below 100 microKelvin. This...able  to  slowly  scan  the   UV   laser  system  to  locate  the  clock  transition   (using  the  standard  technique

Steady state composition with low Fe(2+) concentrations for efficient O2 production by 'magma' electrolysis of lunar soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.; Colson, Russell O.

1992-01-01

Parameters are estimated for a hypothetical, well stirred, continuous-feed electrolytic cell that converts 20 percent of a lunar soil feedstock to O2 gas, 26 percent to Fe-Si metal, 13 percent to spinel, and 41 percent to slag. Advantages of a molten Fe-Si cathode for trapping metal on reduction, a relatively conductive steady-state composition in equilibrium with spinel (a proposed container material), and close electrodes (less than 1 cm cathode-anode distance) are discussed. To produce 1 ton of O2, about 6 MHW of energy are required for the electrolysis and IR heating within the melt, and another about 6 MHW may be introduced as waste heat through internal resistance of the electrodes. Thus, to produce 1 ton of O2 per 24 hours, about 0.5 MW of power delivered to the cell would be required.

Studies of K-Ar dating and xenon from extinct radioactivities in breccia 14318; implications for early lunar history

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, J. H.; Alexander, E. C., Jr.; Davis, P. K.; Srinivasan, B.

1974-01-01

The lunar breccia 14318 is one of three Apollo-14 breccias containing substantial amounts of parentless xenon from the spontaneous fission of extinct Pu-244. The argon and xenon contained in this breccia were studied by stepwise heating of pristine and neutron-irradiated samples. The isotopic composition of xenon from fission, determined by an improved method, is shown to be from Pu-244. Concentrations of this fissiogenic xenon are in substantial excess (15-fold) of what could be produced by spontaneous fission of U-238. The breccia is found to contain abundant trapped argon with an Ar-40/Ar-36 ratio of roughly 14. Otherwise, the argon is radiogenic and gives a convincing K-Ar age of 3.69 plus or minus 0.09 b.y. by the stepwise Ar-40/Ar-39 method, nearly in agreement with ages for other Apollo-14 breccias.

Reactor Simulator Testing Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenfeld, Michael P.

2013-01-01

Test Objectives Summary: a) Verify operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation & control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. b) Examine cooling & heat regeneration performance of the cold trap purification. c) Test the ALIP pump at voltages beyond 120V to see if the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s can be obtained in the RxSim. Testing Highlights: a) Gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively for operations (NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain). b) Instrumentation & Control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings and ramped within prescribed constraints. It effectively interacted with reactor simulator control model and defaulted back to temperature control mode if the transient fluctuations didn't dampen. c) Cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the minimum temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. d) ALIP produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz.

Wastewater heat recovery method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Kronberg, J.W.

1991-01-01

This invention is comprised of a heat recovery system with a heat exchanger and a mixing valve. A drain trap includes a heat exchanger with an inner coiled tube, baffle plate, wastewater inlet, wastewater outlet, cold water inlet, and preheated water outlet. Wastewater enters the drain trap through the wastewater inlet, is slowed and spread by the baffle plate, and passes downward to the wastewater outlet. Cold water enters the inner tube through the cold water inlet and flows generally upward, taking on heat from the wastewater. This preheated water is fed to the mixing valve, which includes a flexible yoke to which are attached an adjustable steel rod, two stationary zinc rods, and a pivoting arm. The free end of the arm forms a pad which rests against a valve seat. The rods and pivoting arm expand or contract as the temperature of the incoming preheated water changes. The zinc rods expand more than the steel rod, flexing the yoke and rotating the pivoting arm. The pad moves towards the valve seat as the temperature of the preheated water rises, and away as the temperature falls, admitting a variable amount of hot water to maintain a nearly constant average process water temperature.

Wastewater heat recovery apparatus

DOEpatents

Kronberg, James W.

1992-01-01

A heat recovery system with a heat exchanger and a mixing valve. A drain trap includes a heat exchanger with an inner coiled tube, baffle plate, wastewater inlet, wastewater outlet, cold water inlet, and preheated water outlet. Wastewater enters the drain trap through the wastewater inlet, is slowed and spread by the baffle plate, and passes downward to the wastewater outlet. Cold water enters the inner tube through the cold water inlet and flows generally upward, taking on heat from the wastewater. This preheated water is fed to the mixing valve, which includes a flexible yoke to which are attached an adjustable steel rod, two stationary zinc rods, and a pivoting arm. The free end of the arm forms a pad which rests against a valve seat. The rods and pivoting arm expand or contract as the temperature of the incoming preheated water changes. The zinc rods expand more than the steel rod, flexing the yoke and rotating the pivoting arm. The pad moves towards the valve seat as the temperature of the preheated water rises, and away as the temperature falls, admitting a variable amount of hot water to maintain a nearly constant average process water temperature.

Compression of a mixed antiproton and electron non-neutral plasma to high densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghion, Stefano; Amsler, Claude; Bonomi, Germano; Brusa, Roberto S.; Caccia, Massimo; Caravita, Ruggero; Castelli, Fabrizio; Cerchiari, Giovanni; Comparat, Daniel; Consolati, Giovanni; Demetrio, Andrea; Di Noto, Lea; Doser, Michael; Evans, Craig; Fanì, Mattia; Ferragut, Rafael; Fesel, Julian; Fontana, Andrea; Gerber, Sebastian; Giammarchi, Marco; Gligorova, Angela; Guatieri, Francesco; Haider, Stefan; Hinterberger, Alexander; Holmestad, Helga; Kellerbauer, Alban; Khalidova, Olga; Krasnický, Daniel; Lagomarsino, Vittorio; Lansonneur, Pierre; Lebrun, Patrice; Malbrunot, Chloé; Mariazzi, Sebastiano; Marton, Johann; Matveev, Victor; Mazzotta, Zeudi; Müller, Simon R.; Nebbia, Giancarlo; Nedelec, Patrick; Oberthaler, Markus; Pacifico, Nicola; Pagano, Davide; Penasa, Luca; Petracek, Vojtech; Prelz, Francesco; Prevedelli, Marco; Rienaecker, Benjamin; Robert, Jacques; Røhne, Ole M.; Rotondi, Alberto; Sandaker, Heidi; Santoro, Romualdo; Smestad, Lillian; Sorrentino, Fiodor; Testera, Gemma; Tietje, Ingmari C.; Widmann, Eberhard; Yzombard, Pauline; Zimmer, Christian; Zmeskal, Johann; Zurlo, Nicola; Antonello, Massimiliano

2018-04-01

We describe a multi-step "rotating wall" compression of a mixed cold antiproton-electron non-neutral plasma in a 4.46 T Penning-Malmberg trap developed in the context of the AEḡIS experiment at CERN. Such traps are routinely used for the preparation of cold antiprotons suitable for antihydrogen production. A tenfold antiproton radius compression has been achieved, with a minimum antiproton radius of only 0.17 mm. We describe the experimental conditions necessary to perform such a compression: minimizing the tails of the electron density distribution is paramount to ensure that the antiproton density distribution follows that of the electrons. Such electron density tails are remnants of rotating wall compression and in many cases can remain unnoticed. We observe that the compression dynamics for a pure electron plasma behaves the same way as that of a mixed antiproton and electron plasma. Thanks to this optimized compression method and the high single shot antiproton catching efficiency, we observe for the first time cold and dense non-neutral antiproton plasmas with particle densities n ≥ 1013 m-3, which pave the way for an efficient pulsed antihydrogen production in AEḡIS.

Wastewater heat recovery apparatus

DOEpatents

Kronberg, J.W.

1992-09-01

A heat recovery system is described with a heat exchanger and a mixing valve. A drain trap includes a heat exchanger with an inner coiled tube, baffle plate, wastewater inlet, wastewater outlet, cold water inlet, and preheated water outlet. Wastewater enters the drain trap through the wastewater inlet, is slowed and spread by the baffle plate, and passes downward to the wastewater outlet. Cold water enters the inner tube through the cold water inlet and flows generally upward, taking on heat from the wastewater. This preheated water is fed to the mixing valve, which includes a flexible yoke to which are attached an adjustable steel rod, two stationary zinc rods, and a pivoting arm. The free end of the arm forms a pad which rests against a valve seat. The rods and pivoting arm expand or contract as the temperature of the incoming preheated water changes. The zinc rods expand more than the steel rod, flexing the yoke and rotating the pivoting arm. The pad moves towards the valve seat as the temperature of the preheated water rises, and away as the temperature falls, admitting a variable amount of hot water to maintain a nearly constant average process water temperature. 6 figs.

Simulation and Characterization of a Miniaturized Scanning Electron Microscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica A.; Jerman, Gregory A.; Medley, Stephanie; Gregory, Don; Abbott, Terry O.; Sampson, Allen R.

2011-01-01

A miniaturized Scanning Electron Microscope (mSEM) for in-situ lunar investigations is being developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center with colleagues from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Advanced Research Systems (ARS), the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UTK) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). This effort focuses on the characterization of individual components of the mSEM and simulation of the complete system. SEMs can provide information on the size, shape, morphology and chemical composition of lunar regolith. Understanding these basic properties will allow us to better estimate the challenges associated with In-Situ Resource Utilization and to improve our basic science knowledge of the lunar surface (either precluding the need for sample return or allowing differentiation of unique samples to be returned to Earth.) The main components of the mSEM prototype includes: a cold field emission electron gun (CFEG), focusing lens, deflection/scanning system and backscatter electron detector. Of these, the electron gun development is of particular importance as it dictates much of the design of the remaining components. A CFEG was chosen for use with the lunar mSEM as its emission does not depend on heating of the tungsten emitter (lower power), it offers a long operation lifetime, is orders of magnitude brighter than tungsten hairpin guns, has a small source size and exhibits low beam energy spread.

AEgIS at ELENA: outlook for physics with a pulsed cold antihydrogen beam.

PubMed

Doser, M; Aghion, S; Amsler, C; Bonomi, G; Brusa, R S; Caccia, M; Caravita, R; Castelli, F; Cerchiari, G; Comparat, D; Consolati, G; Demetrio, A; Di Noto, L; Evans, C; Fanì, M; Ferragut, R; Fesel, J; Fontana, A; Gerber, S; Giammarchi, M; Gligorova, A; Guatieri, F; Haider, S; Hinterberger, A; Holmestad, H; Kellerbauer, A; Khalidova, O; Krasnický, D; Lagomarsino, V; Lansonneur, P; Lebrun, P; Malbrunot, C; Mariazzi, S; Marton, J; Matveev, V; Mazzotta, Z; Müller, S R; Nebbia, G; Nedelec, P; Oberthaler, M; Pacifico, N; Pagano, D; Penasa, L; Petracek, V; Prelz, F; Prevedelli, M; Rienaecker, B; Robert, J; Røhne, O M; Rotondi, A; Sandaker, H; Santoro, R; Smestad, L; Sorrentino, F; Testera, G; Tietje, I C; Widmann, E; Yzombard, P; Zimmer, C; Zmeskal, J; Zurlo, N

2018-03-28

The efficient production of cold antihydrogen atoms in particle traps at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator has opened up the possibility of performing direct measurements of the Earth's gravitational acceleration on purely antimatter bodies. The goal of the AEgIS collaboration is to measure the value of g for antimatter using a pulsed source of cold antihydrogen and a Moiré deflectometer/Talbot-Lau interferometer. The same antihydrogen beam is also very well suited to measuring precisely the ground-state hyperfine splitting of the anti-atom. The antihydrogen formation mechanism chosen by AEgIS is resonant charge exchange between cold antiprotons and Rydberg positronium. A series of technical developments regarding positrons and positronium (Ps formation in a dedicated room-temperature target, spectroscopy of the n =1-3 and n =3-15 transitions in Ps, Ps formation in a target at 10 K inside the 1 T magnetic field of the experiment) as well as antiprotons (high-efficiency trapping of [Formula: see text], radial compression to sub-millimetre radii of mixed [Formula: see text] plasmas in 1 T field, high-efficiency transfer of [Formula: see text] to the antihydrogen production trap using an in-flight launch and recapture procedure) were successfully implemented. Two further critical steps that are germane mainly to charge exchange formation of antihydrogen-cooling of antiprotons and formation of a beam of antihydrogen-are being addressed in parallel. The coming of ELENA will allow, in the very near future, the number of trappable antiprotons to be increased by more than a factor of 50. For the antihydrogen production scheme chosen by AEgIS, this will be reflected in a corresponding increase of produced antihydrogen atoms, leading to a significant reduction of measurement times and providing a path towards high-precision measurements.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Antiproton physics in the ELENA era'. © 2018 The Author(s).

The earth and the moon /Harold Jeffreys Lecture/.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Press, F.

1971-01-01

The internal structures of the earth and the moon are compared in the light of the latest extensive data on the earth structure, mobility of the earth outer layers, and the properties of lunar crust. The Monte Carlo method is applied to develop an earth model by a stepwise process beginning with a random distribution of two elastic velocities and the density as a function of de pth. Lunar seismic, magnetic, and rock analysis data are used to infer the properties of the moon. The marked planetological contrast between the earth and the moon is shown to consist in that the earth is highly differentiated and still undergoes a large-scale differentiation, while the moon has lost its volatiles in its early history and has a cold dynamically inactive shell which has been without basic changes for three billion years.

Simulation of Laser Cooling and Trapping in Engineering Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez-Serrano, Jaime; Kohel, James; Thompson, Robert; Yu, Nan; Lunblad, Nathan

2005-01-01

An advanced computer code is undergoing development for numerically simulating laser cooling and trapping of large numbers of atoms. The code is expected to be useful in practical engineering applications and to contribute to understanding of the roles that light, atomic collisions, background pressure, and numbers of particles play in experiments using laser-cooled and -trapped atoms. The code is based on semiclassical theories of the forces exerted on atoms by magnetic and optical fields. Whereas computer codes developed previously for the same purpose account for only a few physical mechanisms, this code incorporates many more physical mechanisms (including atomic collisions, sub-Doppler cooling mechanisms, Stark and Zeeman energy shifts, gravitation, and evanescent-wave phenomena) that affect laser-matter interactions and the cooling of atoms to submillikelvin temperatures. Moreover, whereas the prior codes can simulate the interactions of at most a few atoms with a resonant light field, the number of atoms that can be included in a simulation by the present code is limited only by computer memory. Hence, the present code represents more nearly completely the complex physics involved when using laser-cooled and -trapped atoms in engineering applications. Another advantage that the code incorporates is the possibility to analyze the interaction between cold atoms of different atomic number. Some properties that cold atoms of different atomic species have, like cross sections and the particular excited states they can occupy when interacting with each other and light fields, play important roles not yet completely understood in the new experiments that are under way in laboratories worldwide to form ultracold molecules. Other research efforts use cold atoms as holders of quantum information, and more recent developments in cavity quantum electrodynamics also use ultracold atoms to explore and expand new information-technology ideas. These experiments give a hint on the wide range of applications and technology developments that can be tackled using cold atoms and light fields. From more precise atomic clocks and gravity sensors to the development of quantum computers, there will be a need to completely understand the whole ensemble of physical mechanisms that play a role in the development of such technologies. The code also permits the study of the dynamic and steady-state operations of technologies that use cold atoms. The physical characteristics of lasers and fields can be time-controlled to give a realistic simulation of the processes involved such that the design process can determine the best control features to use. It is expected that with the features incorporated into the code it will become a tool for the useful application of ultracold atoms in engineering applications. Currently, the software is being used for the analysis and understanding of simple experiments using cold atoms, and for the design of a modular compact source of cold atoms to be used in future research and development projects. The results so far indicate that the code is a useful design instrument that shows good agreement with experimental measurements (see figure), and a Windows-based user-friendly interface is also under development.

Comparison of free radicals formation induced by cold atmospheric plasma, ultrasound, and ionizing radiation.

PubMed

Rehman, Mati Ur; Jawaid, Paras; Uchiyama, Hidefumi; Kondo, Takashi

2016-09-01

Plasma medicine is increasingly recognized interdisciplinary field combining engineering, physics, biochemistry and life sciences. Plasma is classified into two categories based on the temperature applied, namely "thermal" and "non-thermal" (i.e., cold atmospheric plasma). Non-thermal or cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is produced by applying high voltage electric field at low pressures and power. The chemical effects of cold atmospheric plasma in aqueous solution are attributed to high voltage discharge and gas flow, which is transported rapidly on the liquid surface. The argon-cold atmospheric plasma (Ar-CAP) induces efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous solutions without thermal decomposition. Their formation has been confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping, which is reviewed here. The similarities and differences between the plasma chemistry, sonochemistry, and radiation chemistry are explained. Further, the evidence for free radical formation in the liquid phase and their role in the biological effects induced by cold atmospheric plasma, ultrasound and ionizing radiation are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phenomenological theory of laser-plasma interaction in ``bubble'' regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostyukov, I.; Pukhov, A.; Kiselev, S.

2004-11-01

The electron trapping in the "bubble" regime of laser-plasma interaction as proposed by Pukhov and Meyer-ter-Vehn [A. Pukhov and J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, Appl. Phys. B 74, 355 (2002)] is studied. In this regime the laser pulse generates a solitary plasma electron cavity: the bubble. It is free from the cold plasma electrons and runs with nearly light velocity. The present work discusses the form of the bubble and the spatial distribution of electromagnetic fields within the cavity. We extend the one-dimensional electron capture theory to the three-dimensional case. It is shown that the bubble can trap plasma electrons. The trapping condition is derived and the trapping cross section is estimated. Electron motion in the self-generated electron bunch is investigated. Estimates for the maximum of electron bunch energy and the bunch density are provided.

The effect of fasting and body reserves on cold tolerance in 2 pit-building insect predators.

PubMed

Scharf, Inon; Daniel, Alma; MacMillan, Heath Andrew; Katz, Noa

2017-06-01

Pit-building antlions and wormlions are 2 distantly-related insect species, whose larvae construct pits in loose soil to trap small arthropod prey. This convergent evolution of natural histories has led to additional similarities in their natural history and ecology, and thus, these 2 species encounter similar abiotic stress (such as periodic starvation) in their natural habitat. Here, we measured the cold tolerance of the 2 species and examined whether recent feeding or food deprivation, as well as body composition (body mass and lipid content) and condition (quantified as mass-to-size residuals) affect their cold tolerance. In contrast to other insects, in which food deprivation either enhanced or impaired cold tolerance, prolonged fasting had no effect on the cold tolerance of either species, which had similar cold tolerance. The 2 species differed, however, in how cold tolerance related to body mass and lipid content: although body mass was positively correlated with the wormlion cold tolerance, lipid content was a more reliable predictor of cold tolerance in the antlions. Cold tolerance also underwent greater change with ontogeny in wormlions than in antlions. We discuss possible reasons for this lack of effect of food deprivation on both species' cold tolerance, such as their high starvation tolerance (being sit-and-wait predators).

Efficient rotational cooling of Coulomb-crystallized molecular ions by a helium buffer gas.

PubMed

Hansen, A K; Versolato, O O; Kłosowski, L; Kristensen, S B; Gingell, A; Schwarz, M; Windberger, A; Ullrich, J; López-Urrutia, J R Crespo; Drewsen, M

2014-04-03

The preparation of cold molecules is of great importance in many contexts, such as fundamental physics investigations, high-resolution spectroscopy of complex molecules, cold chemistry and astrochemistry. One versatile and widely applied method to cool molecules is helium buffer-gas cooling in either a supersonic beam expansion or a cryogenic trap environment. Another more recent method applicable to trapped molecular ions relies on sympathetic translational cooling, through collisional interactions with co-trapped, laser-cooled atomic ions, into spatially ordered structures called Coulomb crystals, combined with laser-controlled internal-state preparation. Here we present experimental results on helium buffer-gas cooling of the rotational degrees of freedom of MgH(+) molecular ions, which have been trapped and sympathetically cooled in a cryogenic linear radio-frequency quadrupole trap. With helium collision rates of only about ten per second--that is, four to five orders of magnitude lower than in typical buffer-gas cooling settings--we have cooled a single molecular ion to a rotational temperature of 7.5(+0.9)(-0.7) kelvin, the lowest such temperature so far measured. In addition, by varying the shape of, or the number of atomic and molecular ions in, larger Coulomb crystals, or both, we have tuned the effective rotational temperature from about 7 kelvin to about 60 kelvin by changing the translational micromotion energy of the ions. The extremely low helium collision rate may allow for sympathetic sideband cooling of single molecular ions, and eventually make quantum-logic spectroscopy of buffer-gas-cooled molecular ions feasible. Furthermore, application of the present cooling scheme to complex molecular ions should enable single- or few-state manipulations of individual molecules of biological interest.

Lunar volatiles: a clue for understanding the evolution of the Moon and a resource to its exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerasimov, Mikhail

Introduction: The discovery of noticeable hydrogen concentration (believed to be in the form of water) in the polar regions was among the most exciting recent events in the exploration of the Moon. Concentration of water in polar regolith was estimated at a level of 4-6 wt.% [1,2]. Such high concentration of water in polar regolith on volatiles depleted Moon is probably a result of migration of water molecules from its hot equatorial latitudes to cold traps of the northern and southern polar regions. These depositions of volatiles on one hand contain important information on the evolution of the Moon and on the other hand their utilization can be a bases for the future human exploration. The question about diversity and source of the volatiles is still open. Sources of lunar volatiles: Three main possible sources of the Lunar polar volatiles are: Degassing of the interior. Endogenous source of volatiles is provided by degassing of heated interior of planetary bodies. In this case chemical composition of released gases reflects thermodynamic equilibrium of gases over typical magmas at temperatures around 1000°C. The composition of such gas mixtures is characterized by domination of H2O, CO2, and SO2 over other H, C, and S containing components. CO/CO2 ratio here is typically far below 0.1 level. Hydrocarbons are mainly aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, and cycloalkanes. Sulfur containing gases are mainly SO2, H2S, and Sx. Isotopic ratios of volatile elements should be the same as for the bulk Moon. Interaction of solar wind protons with surface rocks. Energetic solar wind protons with the absence of an atmospheric shield can react with oxygen of surface rocks and produce water molecules as end product. Such a mechanism provides a source of mainly water on the Moon with solar hydrogen isotopes and Moon rocks oxygen isotopes. Degassing of impacting meteorites and comets. Volatiles of impacting meteorites and comets are released into transient atmosphere. It was shown experimentally [3] that the forming gases are qualitatively similar for various rocky materials including meteorites of different classes. Such gas mixtures have the following characteristics: the CO/CO2 ratio is ³1, hydrocarbons are presented mainly by alkenes and PAHs, sulfur containing gases are presented by SO2, CS2, H2S, and COS in decreasing sequence, production of HCN, and noticeable release of water. Isotopic composition of volatile elements reflects the projectile to target proportion of their source. Gas-analytic package (GAP) of the Lunar-Resource mission: It is very important to investigate all the inventory of polar volatiles as well as isotopic composition of volatile elements to understand the real source of lunar volatiles and to evaluate their validity as a resource for the Moon exploration. The GAP is aimed on comprehensive investigation of the inventory of volatiles in the regolith of polar regions. It consists of three instruments: 1) Thermal Analyzer; 2) Gas Chromatograph with Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer for isotopic measurements of H, O, and C in evolved gases; and 3) Neutral Gas Mass-Spectrometer. References: [1] Mitrofanov, I. G. et al. 2010. Science 330: 483-486. [2] Colaprete, A. et al. 2010. Science 330: 463-468. [3] Gerasimov, M.V. 2002. Geological Society of America Special Paper 356: 705-716. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by P-22 Program of the RAS.

Space Resource Roundtable Rationale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duke, Michael

1999-01-01

Recent progress in the U.S. Space Program has renewed interest in space resource issues. The Lunar Prospector mission conducted in NASA's Discovery Program has yielded interesting new insights into lunar resource issues, particularly the possibility that water is concentrated in cold traps at the lunar poles. This finding has not yet triggered a new program of lunar exploration or development, however it opens the possibility that new Discovery Missions might be viable. Several asteroid missions are underway or under development and a mission to return samples from the Mars satellite, Phobos, is being developed. These exploration missions are oriented toward scientific analysis, not resource development and utilization, but can provide additional insight into the possibilities for mining asteroids. The Mars Surveyor program now includes experiments on the 2001 lander that are directly applicable to developing propellants from the atmosphere of Mars, and the program has solicited proposals for the 2003/2005 missions in the area of resource utilization. These are aimed at the eventual human exploration of Mars. The beginning of construction of the International Space Station has awakened interest in follow-on programs of human exploration, and NASA is once more studying the human exploration of Moon, Mars and asteroids. Resource utilization will be included as objectives by some of these human exploration programs. At the same time, research and technology development programs in NASA such as the Microgravity Materials Science Program and the Cross-Enterprise Technology Development Program are including resource utilization as a valid area for study. Several major development areas that could utilize space resources, such as space tourism and solar power satellite programs, are actively under study. NASA's interests in space resource development largely are associated with NASA missions rather than the economic development of resources for industrial processes. That is why there is an emphasis in NASA programs on propellant production on Mars - NASA plans missions to Mars, so could make use of those propellants. For other types of applications, however, it will be up to market forces to define the materials and products needed and develop the technologies for extracting them from space resources. Some leading candidates among the potential products from space resources are propellants for other space activities, water from the Moon for use in space, silicon for photovoltaic energy collection in space, and, eventually, He-3 from the Moon for fusion energy production. As the capabilities for manufacturing materials in space are opened up by research aboard the International Space Station, new opportunities for utilization of space resources may emerge. Whereas current research emphasizes increasing knowledge, one program objective should be the development of industrial production techniques for space. These will be based on the development of value-added processing in space, where materials are brought to the space facility, processed there, and returned to Earth. If enough such space processing is developed that the materials transportation requirements are measured in the hundreds of tons a year level, opportunities for substituting lunar materials may develop. The fundamental message is that it is not possible to develop space resources in a vacuum. One must have three things: a recoverable resource, technology to recover it, and a customer. Of these, the customer probably is the most important. All three must be integrated in a space resource program. That is what the Space Resource Roundtable, initiated with this meeting, will bring together.

Resource Prospector Propulsion System Cold Flow Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Hunter; Holt, Kim; Addona, Brad; Trinh, Huu

2015-01-01

Resource Prospector (RP) is a NASA mission being led by NASA Ames Research Center with current plans to deliver a scientific payload package aboard a rover to the lunar surface. As part of an early risk reduction activity, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC) have jointly developed a government-version concept of a lunar lander for the mission. The spacecraft consists of two parts, the lander and the rover which carries the scientific instruments. The lander holds the rover during launch, cruise, and landing on the surface. Following terminal descent and landing the lander portion of the spacecraft become dormant after the rover embarks on the science mission. The lander will be equipped with a propulsion system for lunar descent and landing, as well as trajectory correction and attitude control maneuvers during transit to the moon. Hypergolic propellants monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide will be used to fuel sixteen 70-lbf descent thrusters and twelve 5-lbf attitude control thrusters. A total of four metal-diaphragm tanks, two per propellant, will be used along with a high-pressure composite-overwrapped pressure vessel for the helium pressurant gas. Many of the major propulsion system components are heritage missile hardware obtained by NASA from the Air Force. In parallel with the flight system design activities, a simulated propulsion system based on flight drawings was built for conducting a series of water flow tests to characterize the transient fluid flow of the propulsion system feed lines and to verify the critical operation modes such as system priming, waterhammer, and crucial mission duty cycles. The primary objective of the cold flow testing was to simulate the RP propulsion system fluid flow operation through water flow testing and to obtain data for anchoring analytical models. The models will be used to predict the transient and steady state flow behaviors in the actual flight operations. All design and build efforts, including the analytical modeling, have been performed. The cold flow testing of the propulsion system was set up and conducted at a NASA MSFC test facility. All testing was completed in the summer of 2014, and this paper documents the results of that testing and the associated fluid system modeling efforts.

Tune-out wavelengths and landscape-modulated polarizabilities of alkali-metal Rydberg atoms in infrared optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topcu, Turker; Derevianko, Andrei

2013-11-01

Intensity-modulated optical lattice potentials can change sign for an alkali-metal Rydberg atom, and the atoms are not always attracted to intensity minima in optical lattices with wavelengths near the CO2 laser band. Here we demonstrate that such IR lattices can be tuned so that the trapping potential experienced by the Rydberg atom can be made to vanish for atoms in “targeted” Rydberg states. Such state-selective trapping of Rydberg atoms can be useful in controlled cold Rydberg collisions, cooling Rydberg states, and species-selective trapping and transport of Rydberg atoms in optical lattices. We tabulate wavelengths at which the trapping potential vanishes for the ns, np, and nd Rydberg states of Na and Rb atoms and discuss advantages of using such optical lattices for state-selective trapping of Rydberg atoms. We also develop exact analytical expressions for the lattice-induced polarizability for the mz=0 Rydberg states and derive an accurate formula predicting tune-out wavelengths at which the optical trapping potential becomes invisible to Rydberg atoms in targeted l=0 states.

High Speed Video Measurements of a Magneto-optical Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horstman, Luke; Graber, Curtis; Erickson, Seth; Slattery, Anna; Hoyt, Chad

2016-05-01

We present a video method to observe the mechanical properties of a lithium magneto-optical trap. A sinusoidally amplitude-modulated laser beam perturbed a collection of trapped ce7 Li atoms and the oscillatory response was recorded with a NAC Memrecam GX-8 high speed camera at 10,000 frames per second. We characterized the trap by modeling the oscillating cold atoms as a damped, driven, harmonic oscillator. Matlab scripts tracked the atomic cloud movement and relative phase directly from the captured high speed video frames. The trap spring constant, with magnetic field gradient bz = 36 G/cm, was measured to be 4 . 5 +/- . 5 ×10-19 N/m, which implies a trap resonant frequency of 988 +/- 55 Hz. Additionally, at bz = 27 G/cm the spring constant was measured to be 2 . 3 +/- . 2 ×10-19 N/m, which corresponds to a resonant frequency of 707 +/- 30 Hz. These properties at bz = 18 G/cm were found to be 8 . 8 +/- . 5 ×10-20 N/m, and 438 +/- 13 Hz. NSF #1245573.

Improved atom number with a dual color magneto—optical trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Qiang; Luo, Xin-Yu; Gao, Kui-Yi; Wang, Xiao-Rui; Chen, Dong-Min; Wang, Ru-Quan

2012-04-01

We demonstrate a novel dual color magneto—optical trap (MOT), which uses two sets of overlapping laser beams to cool and trap 87Rb atoms. The volume of cold cloud in the dual color MOT is strongly dependent on the frequency difference of the laser beams and can be significantly larger than that in the normal MOT with single frequency MOT beams. Our experiment shows that the dual color MOT has the same loading rate as the normal MOT, but much longer loading time, leading to threefold increase in the number of trapped atoms. This indicates that the larger number is caused by reduced light induced loss. The dual color MOT is very useful in experiments where both high vacuum level and large atom number are required, such as single chamber quantum memory and Bose—Einstein condensation (BEC) experiments. Compared to the popular dark spontaneous-force optical trap (dark SPOT) technique, our approach is technically simpler and more suitable to low power laser systems.

Črna Jama as a cold air trap cave within Postojna Cave, Slovenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šebela, Stanka; Turk, Janez

2017-10-01

Črna Jama is the coldest section of cave within the Postojna Cave System. Mean annual air temperatures at the Črna Jama 2 site are 5.6 °C (2015) and 5.7 °C (2016), and at the Črna Jama 3 site 7.1 °C (2015) and 7.2 (2016), whereas the mean external air temperature was 10.3 °C (2015) and 10.0 °C (2016). In Lepe Jame, the passage most heavily visited by tourists, the mean cave-air temperature is 10.7 °C (2014-2017). Črna Jama exhibits winter and summer temperature regimes. During warm periods (Tcave < Tout), it acts as a cold air trap, exchanging no air with the outside atmosphere. Under such conditions the cave-air temperature shows no short-term diurnal temperature oscillations. Cave-air temperature is significantly stable and affected only by elevation of the groundwater table, which is associated with precipitation. During cold periods (Tcave > Tout), ventilation takes place and dense, cold, outside air sinks into Črna Jama because of the favourable cave entrance morphology. Recent Črna Jama air temperature data (2014-2017) indicate a < 0.5 °C higher temperature than that recorded in historical data since 1933. Črna Jama is the most appropriate place within the Postojna Cave System to study long-term climatic changes. There are hardly any tourist visits to the cave, and human impacts on the cave climate are essentially reduced.

Two-Photon Excitation of Launched Cold Atoms in Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodsell, Anne; Gonzalez, Rene; Alejandro, Eduardo; Erwin, Emma

2017-04-01

We demonstrate two-photon bi-chromatic excitation of cold rubidium atoms in flight, using the pathway 5S1 / 2 -> 5P3 / 2 -> 5D5 / 2 with two resonant photons. In our experiment, atoms are laser-cooled in a magneto-optical trap and launched upward in discrete clouds with a controllable vertical speed of 7.1 +/-0.6 m/s and a velocity spread that is less than 10% of the launch speed. Outside the cooling beams, as high as 14 mm above the original center of the trap, the launched cold atoms are illuminated simultaneously by spatially-localized horizontal excitation beams at 780 nm (5S1 / 2 -> 5P3 / 2) and 776 nm (5P3 / 2 -> 5D5 / 2). We monitor transmission of the 780-nm beam over a range of intensities of 780-nm and 776-nm light. As the center of the moving cloud passes the excitation beams, we observe as much as 97.9 +/-1.2% transmission when the rate of two-photon absorption is high and the 5S1 / 2 and 5P3 / 2 states are depopulated, compared to 87.6 +/-0.9% transmission if only the 780-nm beam is present. This demonstrates two-photon excitation of a launched cold-atom source with controllable launch velocity and narrow velocity spread, as a foundation for three-photon excitation to Rydberg states. Research supported by Middlebury College Bicentennial Fund, Palen Fund, and Gladstone Award.

Reactor Simulator Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenfeld, Michael P.; Webster, Kenny L.; Pearson, Boise Jon

2013-01-01

As part of the Nuclear Systems Office Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) project, a reactor simulator test loop (RxSim) was design & built to perform integrated testing of the TDU components. In particular, the objectives of RxSim testing was to verify the operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation and control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. In addition, it was decided to include a thermal test of a cold trap purification design and a pump performance test at pump voltages up to 150 V since the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s was not obtained in the RxSim at the originally constrained voltage of 120 V. This paper summarizes RxSim testing. The gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively in NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain operations. The instrumentation and control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings. The cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the cold temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. The annular linear induction pump (ALIP) tested was able to produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz. Keywords: fission, space power, nuclear, liquid metal, NaK.

Remembering Apollo 11: The 30th Anniversary Data Archive CD-ROM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cortright, Edgar M. (Editor)

1999-01-01

On July 20, 1969, the human race accomplished its single greatest technological achievement of all time when a human first set foot on another celestial body. Six hours after landing at 4:17 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (with less than thirty seconds of fuel remaining), Neil A. Armstrong took the "small step" into our greater future when he stepped off the Lunar Module, named Eagle, onto the surface of the Moon, from which he could look up and see Earth in the heavens as no one had done before him. He was shortly joined by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and the two astronauts spent twenty-one hours on the lunar surface and returned forty-six pounds of lunar rocks. After their historic walks on the Moon, they successfully docked with Michael Collins, patiently orbiting the cold but no longer lifeless Moon alone in the Command module Columbia. This CR-ROM is intended as a collection of hard to find technical data and other interesting information about the Apollo 11 mission, as well as the apollo program in general. It includes basic overviews, such as a retrospective analysis, an annotated bibliography, and history of the lunar-orbit rendezvous concept. It also contains technical data, such as mission operations reports, press kits, and news references for all of the Apollo missions, the Apollo spacecraft, and the Saturn V launch vehicle. Rounding out this CD-ROM are extensive histories of the lunar Orbiter program (the robotic predecessor to Apollo, biographies of the Apollo astronauts and other key individuals, and interesting audio-visual materials, such as video and audio clips, photo galleries, and blueprint-like diagrams of the Apollo spacecraft.

Preserving Perishables (Dormavac)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

A new commercial product that can preserve perishable commodities for weeks without freezing, so that they can be shipped fresh without the cost of air freight, has been developed by Grumman Corporation, Bethpage, Long Island, New York. The development benefited from the company's experience in developing the environmental control system for the Lunar Module, which delivered Apollo astronauts to the surface of the moon. Called Dormavac, the system provides a commodity-preserving environment within an aluminum container that can be transported by truck, rail or ship. Dormavac creates a cold-but above freezing-environment with high relative humidity and very low air pressure. The saturated air minimizes commodity weight loss and the air is automatically changed several times an hour to flush away odors and harmful gases released by the commodities. According to company literature, Dormavac significantly extends the transportation life of perishables. For example, pork has a normal cold storage life of about seven days, beef two weeks and tomatoes three weeks; with Dormavac, pork remains fresh for three weeks, beef more than six weeks and tomatoes seven weeks or more. Dormavac is manufactured and marketed by Grumman Allied Industries, Woodbury, New York. In developing the system, Grumman Allied drew upon the technological resources of another company subsidiary, Grumman Aerospace. Engineers who had earlier worked on Lunar Module environmental control brought their know-how and experience to the Dormavac development.

Lunar and Planetary Robotic Exploration Missions in the 20th Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntress, W. T., Jr.; Moroz, V. I.; Shevalev, I. L.

2003-07-01

The prospect of traveling to the planets was science fiction at the beginning of the 20th Century and science fact at its end. The space age was born of the Cold War in the 1950s and throughout most of the remainder of the century it provided not just an adventure in the exploration of space but a suspenseful drama as the US and USSR competed to be first and best. It is a tale of patience to overcome obstacles, courage to try the previously impossible and persistence to overcome failure, a tale of both fantastic accomplishment and debilitating loss. We briefly describe the history of robotic lunar and planetary exploration in the 20th Century, the missions attempted, their goals and their fate. We describe how this enterprise developed and evolved step by step from a politically driven competition to intense scientific investigations and international cooperation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maxwell, D.P.; Richardson, C.F.

Three mercury measurement techniques were performed on synthesis gas streams before and after an amine-based sulfur removal system. The syngas was sampled using (1) gas impingers containing a nitric acid-hydrogen peroxide solution, (2) coconut-based charcoal sorbent, and (3) an on-line atomic absorption spectrophotometer equipped with a gold amalgamation trap and cold vapor cell. Various impinger solutions were applied upstream of the gold amalgamation trap to remove hydrogen sulfide and isolate oxidized and elemental species of mercury. The results from these three techniques are compared to provide an assessment of these measurement techniques in reducing gas atmospheres.

Oxygen Production from Lunar Regolith using Ionic Liquids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paley, Mark Steven; Karr, Laurel J.; Curreri, Peter

2009-01-01

The objective of this work and future follow-on work is to develop a safe, efficient, and recyclable method for oxygen and/or metals extraction from lunar regolith, in support of establishing a manned lunar outpost. The approach is to solubilize the oxides that comprise lunar regolith in media consisting of ionic liquids (ILs) and/or their mixtures at temperatures at or below 300 C. Once in solution, electrolysis can either be performed in-situ to generate oxygen at the anode and hydrogen and/or metals (silicon, iron, aluminum, titanium, etc.) at the cathode. Alternatively, the water that is generated during the solubilization process can be distilled out and condensed into a separate IL and then electrolysized to produce hydrogen and oxygen. In the case of lunar regolith, this method could theoretically produce 44g oxygen per 100g of regolith. The oxygen can be used for human life support and/or as an oxidizer for rocket fuels, and the metals can be used as raw materials for construction and/or device fabrication. Moreover, the hydrogen produced can be used to re-generate the acidic medium, which can then be used to process additional regolith, thereby making the materials recyclable and limiting upmass requirements. An important advantage of IL acid systems is that they are much "greener" and safer than conventional materials used for regolith processing such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acids. They have very low vapor pressures, which means that they contain virtually no toxic and/or flammable volatile content, they are relatively non-corrosive, and they can exhibit good stability in harsh environments (extreme temperatures, hard vacuum, etc.). Furthermore, regolith processing can be achieved at lower temperatures than other processes such as molten oxide electrolysis or hydrogen reduction, thereby reducing initial power requirements. Six ILs have been synthesized and tested for their capability to dissolve lunar simulant, and for electrochemical and thermal stability. The results showed that ILs can be very efficient electrolytes; in particular IL/phosphoric-acid mixtures appear extremely promising for solubilizing lunar simulant. Results from preliminary experiments for distillation of water produced from the oxygen within the metal oxides of the simulant and the hydrogen from the acid indicates that over 75% of the oxygen from the simulant can be harvested as water at a temperature of 150 C. A method for collection of oxygen from electrolysis of the water derived from solubilizing simulant was developed by using a liquid nitrogen trap to liquefy and collect the oxygen. Although precise quantification of the liquid oxygen trapped is difficult to obtain, the amount of hydrogen and oxygen collected from electrolysis of water in this system was greater than 98%. This set-up also included a portable mass spectrometer for the identification of gases released from electrolysis cells. Regeneration of ILs through re-protonation was also demonstrated. Four sequential re-generations of an IL following solubilization of simulant showed no significant differences in amounts of simulant dissolved. Follow-on work for this project should include more studies of IL/phosphoric acid systems. Also, much more work is necessary for defining methods for electrolysis and purification of metals from regolith solubilized in ILs, and for developing a system to use the produced hydrogen to regenerate the spent IL. Finally, design and development of flight breadboard and prototype hardware is required.

Trapped atoms along nanophotonic resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fields, Brian; Kim, May; Chang, Tzu-Han; Hung, Chen-Lung

2017-04-01

Many-body systems subject to long-range interactions have remained a very challenging topic experimentally. Ultracold atoms trapped in extreme proximity to the surface of nanophotonic structures provides a dynamic system combining the strong atom-atom interactions mediated by guided mode photons with the exquisite control implemented with trapped atom systems. The hybrid system promises pair-wise tunability of long-range interactions between atomic pseudo spins, allowing studies of quantum magnetism extending far beyond nearest neighbor interactions. In this talk, we will discuss our current status developing high quality nanophotonic ring resonators, engineered on CMOS compatible optical chips with integrated nanostructures that, in combination with a side illuminating beam, can realize stable atom traps approximately 100nm above the surface. We will report on our progress towards loading arrays of cold atoms near the surface of these structures and studying atom-atom interaction mediated by photons with high cooperativity.

Distribution of metals between particulate and gaseous forms in a volcanic plume

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinkley, T.K.

1991-01-01

In order to gain information on the distribution of metals between particles and gaseous forms in the plume of Kilauea volcano, a filter designed to collect metals associated with particles was followed in series by two other collectors intended to trap metals present in gaseous (atomic, molecular, or complexed) form: first an acid-bubbler bath and then a cold trap. Of the six metals measured, all of the In, Tl and Bi, and almost all of the Cd, Pb and Cu were found on the filter. None of any of the metals was detected in the acid-bubbler bath. Masses equivalent to 0.3% of the amount of Cd on the filter, 0.4% of the amount of Pb, and 9.3% of the Cu, were measured in the cold trap. The results indicate that all or nearly all of the six metals were partitioned to the particulate portion of the physical mixture of gases and particles that constitutes a volcanic plume, but that there may be systematic differences between chalcophile metals in the ways they are partitioned between particulate and gaseous phases in a cooled plume, and possibly differences in the acidity or other chemical properties of the molecular phases. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag.

Precision Spectroscopy on Single Cold Trapped Molecular Nitrogen Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegi, Gregor; Najafian, Kaveh; Germann, Matthias; Sergachev, Ilia; Willitsch, Stefan

2016-06-01

The ability to precisely control and manipulate single cold trapped particles has enabled spectroscopic studies on narrow transitions of ions at unprecedented levels of precision. This has opened up a wide range of applications, from tests of fundamental physical concepts, e.g., possible time-variations of fundamental constants, to new and improved frequency standards. So far most of these experiments have concentrated on atomic ions. Recently, however, attention has also been focused on molecular species, and molecular nitrogen ions have been identified as promising candidates for testing a possible time-variation of the proton/electron mass ratio. Here, we report progress towards precision-spectroscopic studies on dipole-forbidden vibrational transitions in single trapped N2+ ions. Our approach relies on the state-selective generation of single N2+ ions, subsequent infrared excitation using high intensity, narrow-band quantum-cascade lasers and a quantum-logic scheme for non-destructive state readout. We also characterize processes limiting the state lifetimes in our experiment, which impair the measurement fidelity. P. O. Schmidt et. al., Science 309 (2005), 749. M. Kajita et. al., Phys. Rev. A 89 (2014), 032509 M. Germann , X. Tong, S. Willitsch, Nature Physics 10 (2014), 820. X. Tong, A. Winney, S. Willitsch, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 (2010), 143001

Automated two-dimensional interface for capillary gas chromatography

DOEpatents

Strunk, M.R.; Bechtold, W.E.

1996-02-20

A multidimensional gas chromatograph (GC) system is disclosed which has wide bore capillary and narrow bore capillary GC columns in series and has a novel system interface. Heart cuts from a high flow rate sample, separated by a wide bore GC column, are collected and directed to a narrow bore GC column with carrier gas injected at a lower flow compatible with a mass spectrometer. A bimodal six-way valve is connected with the wide bore GC column outlet and a bimodal four-way valve is connected with the narrow bore GC column inlet. A trapping and retaining circuit with a cold trap is connected with the six-way valve and a transfer circuit interconnects the two valves. The six-way valve is manipulated between first and second mode positions to collect analyte, and the four-way valve is manipulated between third and fourth mode positions to allow carrier gas to sweep analyte from a deactivated cold trap, through the transfer circuit, and then to the narrow bore GC capillary column for separation and subsequent analysis by a mass spectrometer. Rotary valves have substantially the same bore width as their associated columns to minimize flow irregularities and resulting sample peak deterioration. The rotary valves are heated separately from the GC columns to avoid temperature lag and resulting sample deterioration. 3 figs.

Automated two-dimensional interface for capillary gas chromatography

DOEpatents

Strunk, Michael R.; Bechtold, William E.

1996-02-20

A multidimensional gas chromatograph (GC) system having wide bore capillary and narrow bore capillary GC columns in series and having a novel system interface. Heart cuts from a high flow rate sample, separated by a wide bore GC column, are collected and directed to a narrow bore GC column with carrier gas injected at a lower flow compatible with a mass spectrometer. A bimodal six-way valve is connected with the wide bore GC column outlet and a bimodal four-way valve is connected with the narrow bore GC column inlet. A trapping and retaining circuit with a cold trap is connected with the six-way valve and a transfer circuit interconnects the two valves. The six-way valve is manipulated between first and second mode positions to collect analyte, and the four-way valve is manipulated between third and fourth mode positions to allow carrier gas to sweep analyte from a deactivated cold trap, through the transfer circuit, and then to the narrow bore GC capillary column for separation and subsequent analysis by a mass spectrometer. Rotary valves have substantially the same bore width as their associated columns to minimize flow irregularities and resulting sample peak deterioration. The rotary valves are heated separately from the GC columns to avoid temperature lag and resulting sample deterioration.

Curation of Frozen Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fletcher, L. A.; Allen, C. C.; Bastien, R.

2008-01-01

NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and the Astromaterials Curator are charged by NPD 7100.10D with the curation of all of NASA s extraterrestrial samples, including those from future missions. This responsibility includes the development of new sample handling and preparation techniques; therefore, the Astromaterials Curator must begin developing procedures to preserve, prepare and ship samples at sub-freezing temperatures in order to enable future sample return missions. Such missions might include the return of future frozen samples from permanently-shadowed lunar craters, the nuclei of comets, the surface of Mars, etc. We are demonstrating the ability to curate samples under cold conditions by designing, installing and testing a cold curation glovebox. This glovebox will allow us to store, document, manipulate and subdivide frozen samples while quantifying and minimizing contamination throughout the curation process.

Coherence properties of nanofiber-trapped cesium atoms.

PubMed

Reitz, D; Sayrin, C; Mitsch, R; Schneeweiss, P; Rauschenbeutel, A

2013-06-14

We experimentally study the ground state coherence properties of cesium atoms in a nanofiber-based two-color dipole trap, localized ∼ 200 nm away from the fiber surface. Using microwave radiation to coherently drive the clock transition, we record Ramsey fringes as well as spin echo signals and infer a reversible dephasing time of T(2)(*) = 0.6 ms and an irreversible dephasing time of T(2)(') = 3.7 ms. By modeling the signals, we find that, for our experimental parameters, T(2)(*) and T(2)(') are limited by the finite initial temperature of the atomic ensemble and the heating rate, respectively. Our results represent a fundamental step towards establishing nanofiber-based traps for cold atoms as a building block in an optical fiber quantum network.

Sympathetic cooling of polyatomic molecules with S-state atoms in a magnetic trap.

PubMed

Tscherbul, T V; Yu, H-G; Dalgarno, A

2011-02-18

We present a rigorous theoretical study of low-temperature collisions of polyatomic molecular radicals with (1)S(0) atoms in the presence of an external magnetic field. Accurate quantum scattering calculations based on ab initio and scaled interaction potentials show that collision-induced spin relaxation of the prototypical organic molecule CH(2)(X(3)B(1)) (methylene) and nine other triatomic radicals in cold (3)He gas occurs at a slow rate, demonstrating that cryogenic buffer-gas cooling and magnetic trapping of these molecules is feasible with current technology. Our calculations further suggest that it may be possible to create ultracold gases of polyatomic molecules by sympathetic cooling with alkaline-earth atoms in a magnetic trap.

Evidence for Atmospheric Cold-trap Processes in the Noninverted Emission Spectrum of Kepler-13Ab Using HST /WFC3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beatty, Thomas G.; Zhao, Ming; Gilliland, Ronald L.

We observed two eclipses of the Kepler-13A planetary system, on UT 2014 April 28 and UT 2014 October 13, in the near-infrared using Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope . By using the nearby binary stars Kepler-13BC as a reference, we were able to create a differential light curve for Kepler-13A that had little of the systematics typically present in HST /WFC3 spectrophotometry. We measure a broadband (1.1–1.65 μ m) eclipse depth of 734 ± 28 ppm and are able to measure the emission spectrum of the planet at R  ≈ 50 with an average precision of 70 ppm. Wemore » find that Kepler-13Ab possesses a noninverted, monotonically decreasing vertical temperature profile. We exclude an isothermal profile and an inverted profile at more than 3 σ . We also find that the dayside emission of Kepler-13Ab appears generally similar to an isolated M7 brown dwarf at a similar effective temperature. Due to the relatively high mass and surface gravity of Kepler-13Ab, we suggest that the apparent lack of an inversion is due to cold-trap processes in the planet’s atmosphere. Using a toy model for where cold traps should inhibit inversions, as well as observations of other planets in this temperature range with measured emission spectra, we argue that with more detailed modeling and more observations we may be able to place useful constraints on the size of condensates on the daysides of hot Jupiters.« less

Evidence for Water Ie on the Moon: Results for Anomalous Polar Craters from the LRO Mini-RF Imaging Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spudis, P.D.; Bussey, D. B. J.; Baloga, S. M.; Cahill, J. T. S.; Glaze, L. S.; Patterson, G. W.; Raney, R. K.; Thompson, T. W.; Thomson, B. J.; Ustinov, E. A.

2013-01-01

The Mini-RF radar instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft mapped both lunar poles in two different RF wavelengths (complete mapping at 12.6 cm S-band and partial mapping at 4.2 cm X-band) in two look directions, removing much of the ambiguity of previous Earth- and spacecraft-based radar mapping of the Moon's polar regions. The poles are typical highland terrain, showing expected values of radar cross section (albedo) and circular polarization ratio (CPR). Most fresh craters display high values of CPR in and outside the crater rim; the pattern of these CPR distributions is consistent with high levels of wavelength-scale surface roughness associated with the presence of block fields, impact melt flows, and fallback breccia. A different class of polar crater exhibits high CPR only in their interiors, interiors that are both permanently dark and very cold (less than 100 K). Application of scattering models developed previously suggests that these anomalously high-CPR deposits exhibit behavior consistent with the presence of water ice. If this interpretation is correct, then both poles may contain several hundred million tons of water in the form of relatively "clean" ice, all within the upper couple of meters of the lunar surface. The existence of significant water ice deposits enables both long-term human habitation of the Moon and the creation of a permanent cislunar space transportation system based upon the harvest and use of lunar propellant.

Evidence for Water Ice on the Moon: Results for Anomalous Polar Craters from the LRO Mini-RF Imaging Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spudis, P. D.; Bussey, D. B. J.; Baloga, S. M.; Cahill, J. T. S.; Glaze, L. S.; Patterson, G. W.; Raney, R. K.; Thompson, T. W.; Thomson, B. J.; Ustinov, E. A.

2013-01-01

The Mini-RF radar instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft mapped both lunar poles in two different RF wavelengths (complete mapping at 12.6 cm S-band and partial mapping at 4.2 cm X-band) in two look directions, removing much of the ambiguity of previous Earth- and spacecraft-based radar mapping of the Moon's polar regions. The poles are typical highland terrain, showing expected values of radar cross section (albedo) and circular polarization ratio (CPR). Most fresh craters display high values of CPR in and outside the crater rim; the pattern of these CPR distributions is consistent with high levels of wavelength-scale surface roughness associated with the presence of block fields, impact melt flows, and fallback breccia. A different class of polar crater exhibits high CPR only in their interiors, interiors that are both permanently dark and very cold (less than 100 K). Application of scattering models developed previously suggests that these anomalously high-CPR deposits exhibit behavior consistent with the presence of water ice. If this interpretation is correct, then both poles may contain several hundred million tons of water in the form of relatively "clean" ice, all within the upper couple of meters of the lunar surface. The existence of significant water ice deposits enables both long-term human habitation of the Moon and the creation of a permanent cislunar space transportation system based upon the harvest and use of lunar propellant.

Velocity fluctuations of a heavy particle interacting with a hot and cold gas: Applications to molecular ion traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaca, Christian; Bruinsma, Robijn; Levine, Alex J.

2014-03-01

Understanding the stochastic motion of a heavy particle in a gas of lighter ones is a classic problem in statistical mechanics. Alkemade, MacDonald, and Van Kampen (AMvK) analyzed this problem in one dimension, computing the velocity distribution function of the heavy particle in a perturbation expansion using the ratio of mass of the light to the heavy particle as a small parameter. Novel tests of this theory are now being provided by modern molecular ion traps [arXiv:1310.5190]. In such experiments, the heavy molecular ion interacts with a cold gas used for sympathetic cooling and low density hot gasses that leak into the system. Thus, the heavy ion is maintained in a complex nonequilibrium state due to its interactions with the hot and cold gasses. In this talk, we present an extension of the AMvK model appropriate to these experiments. Using new analytic and computational techniques, we explore the time-dependent velocity distribution function of the molecular ion interacting with the gasses including higher order perturbative corrections necessary to discuss the case in which the ion's mass is not significantly larger than that of the other two species. Using this analysis we address the experimental observation of non-Gaussian velocity distributions of the heavy ions.

Multirobot Lunar Excavation and ISRU Using Artificial-Neural-Tissue Controllers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangavelautham, Jekanthan; Smith, Alexander; Abu El Samid, Nader; Ho, Alexander; Boucher, Dale; Richard, Jim; D'Eleuterio, Gabriele M. T.

2008-01-01

Automation of site preparation and resource utilization on the Moon with teams of autonomous robots holds considerable promise for establishing a lunar base. Such multirobot autonomous systems would require limited human support infrastructure, complement necessary manned operations and reduce overall mission risk. We present an Artificial Neural Tissue (ANT) architecture as a control system for autonomous multirobot excavation tasks. An ANT approach requires much less human supervision and pre-programmed human expertise than previous techniques. Only a single global fitness function and a set of allowable basis behaviors need be specified. An evolutionary (Darwinian) selection process is used to `breed' controllers for the task at hand in simulation and the fittest controllers are transferred onto hardware for further validation and testing. ANT facilitates `machine creativity', with the emergence of novel functionality through a process of self-organized task decomposition of mission goals. ANT based controllers are shown to exhibit self-organization, employ stigmergy (communication mediated through the environment) and make use of templates (unlabeled environmental cues). With lunar in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) efforts in mind, ANT controllers have been tested on a multirobot excavation task in which teams of robots with no explicit supervision can successfully avoid obstacles, interpret excavation blueprints, perform layered digging, avoid burying or trapping other robots and clear/maintain digging routes.

Optical storage with electromagnetically induced transparency in cold atoms at a high optical depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shanchao; Zhou, Shuyu; Liu, Chang; Chen, J. F.; Wen, Jianming; Loy, M. M. T.; Wong, G. K. L.; Du, Shengwang

2012-06-01

We report experimental demonstration of efficient optical storage with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a dense cold ^85Rb atomic ensemble trapped in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap. By varying the optical depth (OD) from 0 to 140, we observe that the optimal storage efficiency for coherent optical pulses has a saturation value of 50% as OD > 50. Our result is consistent with that obtained from hot vapor cell experiments which suggest that a four-wave mixing nonlinear process degrades the EIT storage coherence and efficiency. We apply this EIT quantum memory for narrow-band single photons with controllable waveforms, and obtain an optimal storage efficiency of 49±3% for single-photon wave packets. This is the highest single-photon storage efficiency reported up to today and brings the EIT atomic quantum memory close to practical application because an efficiency of above 50% is necessary to operate the memory within non-cloning regime and beat the classical limit.

Cold Rydberg atoms in circular states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, David; Schwarzkopf, Andrew; Raithel, Georg

2012-06-01

Circular-state Rydberg atoms are interesting in that they exhibit a unique combination of extraordinary properties; long lifetimes (˜n^5), large magnetic moments (l=|m|=n-1) and no first order Stark shift. Circular states have found applications in cavity quantum electrodynamics and precision measurements [1,2], among other studies. In this work we present the production of circular states in an atom trapping apparatus using an adiabatic state-switching method (the crossed-field method [3]). To date, we have observed lifetimes of adiabatically prepared states of several milliseconds. Their relatively large ionization electric fields have been verified by time-of-flight signatures of ion trajectories. We intend to explore the magnetic trapping of circular state Rydberg atoms, as well as their production and interaction properties in ultra-cold and degenerate samples.[4pt] [1] P. Bertet et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 88, 14 (2002)[0pt] [2] M. Brune et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 72, 21 (1994)[0pt] [3] D. Delande and J.C. Gay, Europhys. Lett., 5, 303-308 (1988).

Energy efficient of ethanol recovery in pervaporation membrane bioreactor with mechanical vapor compression eliminating the cold traps.

PubMed

Fan, Senqing; Xiao, Zeyi; Li, Minghai

2016-07-01

An energy efficient pervaporation membrane bioreactor with mechanical vapor compression was developed for ethanol recovery during the process of fermentation coupled with pervaporation. Part of the permeate vapor at the membrane downstream under the vacuum condition was condensed by running water at the first condenser and the non-condensed vapor enriched with ethanol was compressed to the atmospheric pressure and pumped into the second condenser, where the vapor was easily condensed into a liquid by air. Three runs of fermentation-pervaporation experiment have been carried out lasting for 192h, 264h and 360h respectively. Complete vapor recovery validated the novel pervaporation membrane bioreactor. The total flux of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane was in the range of 350gm(-2)h(-1) and 600gm(-2)h(-1). Compared with the traditional cold traps condensation, mechanical vapor compression behaved a dominant energy saving feature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spin-Orbit Interactions and Quantum Spin Dynamics in Cold Ion-Atom Collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tscherbul, Timur V.; Brumer, Paul; Buchachenko, Alexei A.

2016-09-01

We present accurate ab initio and quantum scattering calculations on a prototypical hybrid ion-atom system Yb+ -Rb, recently suggested as a promising candidate for the experimental study of open quantum systems, quantum information processing, and quantum simulation. We identify the second-order spin-orbit (SO) interaction as the dominant source of hyperfine relaxation in cold Yb+ -Rb collisions. Our results are in good agreement with recent experimental observations [L. Ratschbacher et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 160402 (2013)] of hyperfine relaxation rates of trapped Yb+ immersed in an ultracold Rb gas. The calculated rates are 4 times smaller than is predicted by the Langevin capture theory and display a weak T-0.3 temperature dependence, indicating significant deviations from statistical behavior. Our analysis underscores the deleterious nature of the SO interaction and implies that light ion-atom combinations such as Yb+ -Li should be used to minimize hyperfine relaxation and decoherence of trapped ions in ultracold atomic gases.

Cold Active Motion: How Time-Independent Disorder Affects the Motion of Self-Propelled Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peruani, Fernando; Aranson, Igor S.

2018-06-01

Assemblages of self-propelled particles, often termed active matter, exhibit collective behavior due to competition between neighbor alignment and noise-induced decoherence. However, very little is known of how the quenched (i.e., time-independent) disorder impacts active motion. Here we report on the effects of quenched disorder on the dynamics of self-propelled point particles. We identified three major types of quenched disorder relevant in the context of active matter: random torque, force, and stress. We demonstrate that even in the absence of external fluctuations ("cold active matter"), quenched disorder results in nontrivial dynamic phases not present in their "hot" counterpart. In particular, by analyzing when the equations of motion exhibit a Hamiltonian structure and when attractors may be present, we identify in which scenarios particle trapping, i.e., the asymptotic convergence of particle trajectories to bounded areas in space ("traps"), can and cannot occur. Our study provides new fundamental insights into active systems realized by self-propelled particles on natural and synthetic disordered substrates.

Temperature variability inferred from tree-ring records in Weichang region, China, and its teleconnection with large-scale climate forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanchao; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Huifang; Wang, Hui; Guo, Jingli; Zhang, Erliang; Wang, Jun; Li, Xiao

2018-04-01

Based on the combination of two dendrochronologies, the annual mean temperature from May to June for the last 160 years was reconstructed in Weichang region, China, with the predictor variables accounting 43.3% of the variance during the calibration period of 1956-2012. Warm periods with temperature levels great than the mean (17.66 °C) occurred in 1853-1881, 1886-1891, 1904-1909, 1923-1930, 1964-1970, 1980-1988, 1998-2002 and 2007-2011; and cold periods with temperature levels less than the mean occurred in 1882-1885, 1892-1898, 1901-1903, 1910-1922, 1931-1963, 1971-1979, 1989-1997 and 2003-2006. The reconstruction showed that droughts usually occurred in the warm years. And the reconstructed temperature series showed an almost reverse trend to the total precipitation of previous August to present July from Chifeng-Weichang on inter-decadal scale, which indicate the basic feature of climate was warm-dry and cold-wet in Weichang region. The reconstructed temperature series showed a linear increasing trend with a rise 0.11 °C from 1880 to 2012. Comparisons with other temperature series revealed a consistently warming trend after the mid-1950s and confirmed a good repeatability and high reliability in our reconstruction. Spatial correlation implied the reconstruction could represent a regional temperature signal in the large parts of northern China and Central-Eastern Mongolia. The multi-taper method reveals several significant periodicities in our reconstruction over the past 160 years, suggesting possible linkages with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, lunar gravity, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and solar activity. Correlation analysis between the reconstruction and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), lunar geocentric declination, PDO and sunspot number further demonstrates that the temperature variations in Weichang region are negatively correlated with SOI and positively correlated with lunar gravity, PDO and solar activity in the long term.

A novel microfluidic rapid freeze-quench device for trapping reactions intermediates for high field EPR analysis.

PubMed

Kaufmann, Royi; Yadid, Itamar; Goldfarb, Daniella

2013-05-01

Rapid freeze quench electron paramagnetic resonance (RFQ)-EPR is a method for trapping short lived intermediates in chemical reactions and subjecting them to EPR spectroscopy investigation for their characterization. Two (or more) reacting components are mixed at room temperature and after some delay the mixture is sprayed into a cold trap and transferred into the EPR tube. A major caveat in using commercial RFQ-EPR for high field EPR applications is the relatively large amount of sample needed for each time point, a major part of which is wasted as the dead volume of the instrument. The small sample volume (∼2μl) needed for high field EPR spectrometers, such as W-band (∼3.5T, 95GHz), that use cavities calls for the development of a microfluidic based RFQ-EPR apparatus. This is particularly important for biological applications because of the difficulties often encountered in producing large amounts of intrinsically paramagnetic proteins and spin labeled nucleic acid and proteins. Here we describe a dedicated microfluidic based RFQ-EPR apparatus suitable for small volume samples in the range of a few μl. The device is based on a previously published microfluidic mixer and features a new ejection mechanism and a novel cold trap that allows collection of a series of different time points in one continuous experiment. The reduction of a nitroxide radical with dithionite, employing the signal of Mn(2+) as an internal standard was used to demonstrate the performance of the microfluidic RFQ apparatus. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Solar Wind Conditions on the Plasma Wake Within a Polar Crater: Preliminary Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M. I.; Farrell, W. M.; Stubbs, T. J.

2011-01-01

As the solar wind sweeps horizontally past a shadowed lunar crater it simultaneously diffuses toward the surface through an ambipolar process, forming a plasma wake (e.g., Figure 1). Importantly, the resulting electric field structure diverts solar wind protons toward the cold crater floor where they may represent a source of surficial hydrogen. We present a handful of two-dimensional kinetic simulations exploring the range of wake structures and surface particle fluxes possible under various background plasma conditions.

Studies of radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irvine, W. M.; Schloerb, F. P.

1984-01-01

Progress is reported in modeling cometary emission in the 18-cm OH transition with specific application and predictions for Comet Halley. Radiative transfer is also being studied in rough and porous media. The kinematics of the cold, dark interstellar cloud Li34N were examined, and CO monitoring of Venus and Mars continues. Analysis of 3.4 mm maps of the lunar surface shows thermal anomalies associated with such surface features as the Crater Copernicus, Mare Imbrium, Mare Nubium, Mare Serenitatis, and Mare Tranquillatis.

Laser and Optical Subsystem for NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohel, James; Kellogg, James; Elliott, Ethan; Krutzik, Markus; Aveline, David; Thompson, Robert

2016-05-01

We describe the design and validation of the laser and optics subsystem for NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), a multi-user facility being developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for studies of ultra-cold quantum gases in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. Ultra-cold atoms will be generated in CAL by employing a combination of laser cooling techniques and evaporative cooling in a microchip-based magnetic trap. Laser cooling and absorption imaging detection of bosonic mixtures of 87 Rb and 39 K or 41 K will be accomplished using a high-power (up to 500 mW ex-fiber), frequency-agile dual wavelength (767 nm and 780 nm) laser and optical subsystem. The CAL laser and optical subsystem also includes the capability to generate high-power multi-frequency optical pulses at 784.87 nm to realize a dual-species Bragg atom interferometer. Currently at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

The Depth of Ice Inside the Smallest Cold-Traps on Mercury: Implications for Age and Origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubanenko, L.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; Paige, D. A.

2018-05-01

We use Mercury Laser Altimeter data and an illumination model to constrain the depth of the smallest ice deposits on Mercury. By comparing this depth to modeled gardening rates, we estimate the age and delivery method of this ice.

Solar flare neon and solar cosmic ray fluxes in the past using gas-rich meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nautiyal, C. M.; Rao, M. N.

1986-01-01

Methods were developed earlier to deduce the composition of solar flare neon and to determine the solar cosmic ray proton fluxes in the past using etched lunar samples and at present, these techniques are extended to gas rich meteorites. By considering high temperature Ne data points for Pantar, Fayetteville and other gas rich meteorites and by applying the three component Ne-decomposition methods, the solar cosmic ray and galactic cosmic ray produced spallation Ne components from the trapped SF-Ne was resolved. Using appropiate SCR and GCR production rates, in the case of Pantar, for example, a GCR exposure age of 2 m.y. was estimated for Pantar-Dark while Pantar-Light yielded a GCR age of approx. 3 m.y. However the SCR exposure age of Pantar-Dark is two orders of magnitude higher than the average surface exposure ages of lunar soils. The possibility of higher proton fluxes in the past is discussed.

Effect of diurnal and seasonal temperature variation on Cussac cave ventilation using co2 assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peyraube, Nicolas; Lastennet, Roland; Villanueva, Jessica Denila; Houillon, Nicolas; Malaurent, Philippe; Denis, Alain

2017-08-01

Cussac cave was investigated to assess the cave air temperature variations and to understand its ventilation regime. This cave is located in an active karst system in the south west part of France. It has a single entrance and is considered as a cold air trap. In this study, air mass exchanges were probed. Measurements of temperature and Pco2 with a 30-min frequency were made in several locations close to the cave entrance. Speed of the air flow was also measured at the door of cave entrance. Results show that cave air Pco2 varies from 0.18 to 3.33 %. This cave appears to be a CO2 source with a net mass of 2319 tons blown in 2009. Carbon-stable isotope of CO2 (13Cco2) ranges from -20.6 ‰ in cold season to -23.8 ‰ in warm season. Cave air is interpreted as a result of a mix between external air and an isotopically depleted air, coming from the rock environment. The isotopic value of the light member varies through time, from -23.9 to -22.5 ‰. Furthermore, this study ascertains that the cave never stops in communicating with the external air. The ventilation regime is identified. (1) In cold season, the cave inhales at night and blows a little at the warmest hours. However, in warm season, (2) cave blows at night, but (3) during the day, a convection loop takes place in the entrance area and prevents the external air from entering the cave, confirming the cold air trap.

Slow electron acoustic double layer (SEADL) structures in bi-ion plasma with trapped electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Shaukat Ali; Imtiaz, Nadia

2018-05-01

The properties of ion acoustic double layer (IADL) structures in bi-ion plasma with electron trapping are investigated by using the quasi-potential analysis. The κ-distributed trapped electrons number density expression is truncated to some finite order of the electrostatic potential. By utilizing the reductive perturbation method, a modified Schamel equation which describes the evolution of the slow electron acoustic double layer (SEADL) with the modified speed due to the presence of bi-ion species is investigated. The Sagdeev-like potential has been derived which accounts for the effect of the electron trapping and superthermality in a bi-ion plasma. It is found that the superthermality index, the trapping efficiency of electrons, and ion to electron temperature ratio are the inhibiting parameters for the amplitude of the slow electron acoustic double layers (SEADLs). However, the enhanced population of the cold ions is found to play a supportive role for the low frequency DLs in bi-ion plasmas. The illustrations have been presented with the help of the bi-ion plasma parameters in the Earth's ionosphere F-region.

Characterizations of SiN and AlN microfabricated waveguides for evanescent-field atom-trap applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jongmin; Eichenfield, Matt; Douglas, Erica; Mudrick, John; Biedermann, Grant; Jau, Yuan-Yu

2017-04-01

Trapping neutral atoms in the evanescent fields generated by microfabricated nano-waveguides will provide a new platform for neutral atom quantum controls via strong atom-photon interactions. At Sandia National Labs, we are aiming at developing the related technology that can enable the efficient optical coupling to the waveguide at multiple wavelengths, fabrication nano-waveguides to handle required optical power, more robust waveguide structure, and the new fabrication geometry to facilitate the cold-atom experiments. We will report our latest results on the related subjects. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA.

Phytosanitary cold treatment for oranges infested with Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders), attacks a wide range of tree fruits in countries from Egypt to Vietnam and is occasionally trapped in the US. Phytosanitary treatments are required to export fruit hosts of this insect from infested countries to non-infested countries where it might...

ROLE OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES ON THE PHOTOCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF MERCURY

EPA Science Inventory

Solutions containing mercury and fulvic acids (isolated from the Florida Everglades) were exposed to simulated sunlight from a 1000-W Xenon lamp. In the ensuing reaction, ionic mercury was reduced to elemental mercury, which was collected on a gold trap and measured on a cold va...

Calibration of the Neutral Mass Spectrometer for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahaffy, P. R.; Hodges, R. R.; Harpold, D. N.; King, T. T.; Jaeger, F.; Raaen, E.; Lyness, E.; Collier, M.; Benna, M.

2012-01-01

Science objectives of the LADEE Mission are to (1) determine the composition, and time variability of the tenuous lunar atmosphere and (2) to characterize the dust environment and its variability. These studies will extend the in-situ characterization of the environment that were carried out decades ago with the Apollo missions and a variety of ground based studies. The focused LADEE measurements will enable a more complete understanding of dust and gas sources and sinks. Sources of gas include UV photo-stimulated desorption, sputtering by plasma and micrometeorites, as well as thermal release of species such as argon from the cold service or venting from the lunar interior. Sinks include recondensation on the surface and escape through a variety of mechanisms. The LADEE science payload consists of an Ultraviolet Spectrometer, a Neutral Mass Spectrometer, and a Dust Detector. The LADEE orbit will include multiple passes at or below 50 km altitude and will target repeated sampling at the sunrise terminator where exospheric density will be highest for some thermally released species. The science mission will be implemented in approximately three months to allow measurements to be made over a period of one or more lunations In addition to the science mission NASA will use this mission to demonstrate optical communication technology away from low Earth orbit.

Improved understanding of the hot cathode current modes and mode transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campanell, M. D.; Umansky, M. V.

2017-12-01

Hot cathodes are crucial components in a variety of plasma sources and applications, but they induce mode transitions and oscillations that are not fully understood. It is often assumed that negatively biased hot cathodes have a space-charge limited (SCL) sheath whenever the current is limited. Here, we show on theoretical grounds that a SCL sheath cannot persist. First, charge-exchange ions born within the virtual cathode (VC) region get trapped and build up. After the ion density reaches the electron density at a point in the VC, a new neutral region is formed and begins growing in space. In planar geometry, this ‘new plasma’ containing cold trapped ions and cold thermoelectrons grows towards the anode and fills the gap, leaving behind an inverse cathode sheath. This explains how transitions from temperature-limited mode to anode glow mode occur in thermionic discharge experiments with magnetic fields. If the hot cathode is a small filament in an unmagnetized plasma, the trapped ion region is predicted to grow radially in both directions, get expelled if it reaches the cathode, and reform periodically. Filament-induced current oscillations consistent with this prediction have been reported in experiments. Here, we set up planar geometry simulations of thermionic discharges and demonstrate several mode transition phenomena for the first time. Our continuum kinetic code lacks the noise of particle simulations, enabling a closer study of the temporal dynamics.

Estimating Surface and Subsurface Ice Abundance on Mercury Using a Thermophysical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubanenko, L.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; Paige, D. A.

2016-12-01

The small obliquity of the Moon and Mercury causes some topographic features near their poles to cast permanent shadows for geologic time periods. In the past, these permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) were found to have low enough temperatures to trap surface and subsurface water ice. On Mercury, high normal albedo is correlated with maximum temperatures <100 m and high radar backscatter, possibly indicating the presence of surface ice. Areas with slightly higher maximum temperatures were measured to have a decreased albedo, postulated to contain of organic materials overlaying buried ice. We evaluate this theory by employing a thermophysical model that considers insolation, scattering, thermal emissions and subsurface conduction. We model the area fraction of surface and subsurface cold-traps on realistic topography at scales of ˜500 m , recorded by the Mercury Laster Altimeter (MLA) on board the MErcury Surface, Space ENviroment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. At smaller scales, below the instrument threshold, we consider a statistical description of the surface assuming a Gaussian slope distribution. Using the modeled cold-trap area fraction we calculate the expected surface albedo and compare it to MESSENGER's near-infrared surface reflectance data. Last, we apply our model to other airless small-obliquity planetary bodies such as the Moon and Ceres in order to explain other correlations between the maximum temperature and normal albedo.

Precision measurements and computations of transition energies in rotationally cold triatomic hydrogen ions up to the midvisible spectral range.

PubMed

Pavanello, Michele; Adamowicz, Ludwik; Alijah, Alexander; Zobov, Nikolai F; Mizus, Irina I; Polyansky, Oleg L; Tennyson, Jonathan; Szidarovszky, Tamás; Császár, Attila G; Berg, Max; Petrignani, Annemieke; Wolf, Andreas

2012-01-13

First-principles computations and experimental measurements of transition energies are carried out for vibrational overtone lines of the triatomic hydrogen ion H(3)(+) corresponding to floppy vibrations high above the barrier to linearity. Action spectroscopy is improved to detect extremely weak visible-light spectral lines on cold trapped H(3)(+) ions. A highly accurate potential surface is obtained from variational calculations using explicitly correlated Gaussian wave function expansions. After nonadiabatic corrections, the floppy H(3)(+) vibrational spectrum is reproduced at the 0.1 cm(-1) level up to 16600 cm(-1).

Mesoscopic coherence in light scattering from cold, optically dense and disordered atomic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupriyanov, D. V.; Sokolov, I. M.; Havey, M. D.

2017-02-01

Coherent effects manifested in light scattering from cold, optically dense and disordered atomic systems are reviewed from a primarily theoretical point of view. Development of the basic theoretical tools is then elaborated through several physical atomic physics based processes which have been at least partly explored experimentally. These include illustrations drawn from the coherent backscattering effect, random lasing in atomic gases, quantum memories and light-atoms interface assisted by the light trapping mechanism. Current understanding and challenges associated with the transition to high atomic densities and cooperativity in the scattering process are also discussed in some detail.

Does moonlight influence the biting behaviour of Anopheles funestus?

PubMed

Kampango, A; Cuamba, N; Charlwood, J D

2011-09-01

The possible effect of moonlight on the biting behaviour of mosquitoes in southern Mozambique, in particular that of Anopheles funestus (Diptera: Culicidae), a primary vector of malaria, was investigated by comparing catches indoors and outdoors using CDC light traps and 'Furvela' tent traps, respectively, for 35 consecutive nights, from 9 September to 15 October 2008. Collections were separated into three 4-hourly samples each night. A total of 17 591 mosquitoes belonging to nine species were collected, 6747 in light traps and 10 844 in tent traps. Anopheles funestus (n = 7634) and Mansonia africana (n = 4859) were the most abundant species. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity were the two environmental variables associated with changes in relative abundance of mosquitoes. Most An. funestus were collected indoors, with the majority collected in the first 4 h of the night. This was most evident on nights when moonlight was present in the early part of the night. A total of 3488 An. funestus were dissected for gonotrophic age determination. Parous rates did not change with lunar phase, but estimated oviposition cycle length was significantly shorter on nights when moonlight was present at the time of oviposition. Moonlight at dusk did not, however, affect the proportion of newly emerged insects with mating plugs collected. Outdoor transmission of malaria, especially on moonlit nights, remains a problem for control programmes. © 2010 The Authors. Medical and Veterinary Entomology © 2010 The Royal Entomological Society.

Two body and multibody interaction in a cold Rydberg gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jianing; Gallagher, Tom

2009-05-01

Cold Rydberg atoms trapped in a Magneto Optical Trap (MOT) are not isolated and they tend to bond through dipole-dipole and multiple-multiple interactions between Rydberg atoms. The dipole-dipole interaction and van der Waals interaction between two atoms have been intensively studied. However, the fact that the dipole-dipole interaction and van der Waals interaction show the same size of broadening, studied by Raithel's group, and there is transition between two molecular states, studied by Farooqi and Overstreet, can not be explained by the two atom picture. The purpose of this paper is to show the multibody nature of a dense cold Rydberg gas by studying the molecular state microwave spectrum. Specifically, single body, two body and three body interaction regions are separated. Moreover, the multibody energy levels for selected geometries are calculated. In addition, multibody blockade will be discussed. [3pt] [1] A. Reinhard, K. C. Younge, T. Cubel Liebisch, B. Knuffman, P. R. Berman, and G. Raithel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 233201 (2008).[0pt] [2] S.M. Farooqi, D. Tong, S. Krishnan, J. Stanojevic,Y.P. Zhang, J.R. Ensher, A.S. Estrin, C. Boisseau, R. Cote, E.E. Eyler, and P.L. Gould, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 183002 (2003).[0pt] [3] K. Richard Overstreet, Arne Schwettmann, Jonathan Tallant, and James P. Shaffer, Phys. Rev. A 76, 011403 (2007).

Blue-detuned optical ring trap for Bose-Einstein condensates based on conical refraction.

PubMed

Turpin, A; Polo, J; Loiko, Yu V; Küber, J; Schmaltz, F; Kalkandjiev, T K; Ahufinger, V; Birkl, G; Mompart, J

2015-01-26

We present a novel approach for the optical manipulation of neutral atoms in annular light structures produced by the phenomenon of conical refraction occurring in biaxial optical crystals. For a beam focused to a plane behind the crystal, the focal plane exhibits two concentric bright rings enclosing a ring of null intensity called the Poggendorff ring. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that the Poggendorff dark ring of conical refraction is confined in three dimensions by regions of higher intensity. We derive the positions of the confining intensity maxima and minima and discuss the application of the Poggendorff ring for trapping ultra-cold atoms using the repulsive dipole force of blue-detuned light. We give analytical expressions for the trapping frequencies and potential depths along both the radial and the axial directions. Finally, we present realistic numerical simulations of the dynamics of a ⁸⁷Rb Bose-Einstein condensate trapped inside the Poggendorff ring which are in good agreement with corresponding experimental results.

Non-thermalization in trapped atomic ion spin chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hess, P. W.; Becker, P.; Kaplan, H. B.; Kyprianidis, A.; Lee, A. C.; Neyenhuis, B.; Pagano, G.; Richerme, P.; Senko, C.; Smith, J.; Tan, W. L.; Zhang, J.; Monroe, C.

2017-10-01

Linear arrays of trapped and laser-cooled atomic ions are a versatile platform for studying strongly interacting many-body quantum systems. Effective spins are encoded in long-lived electronic levels of each ion and made to interact through laser-mediated optical dipole forces. The advantages of experiments with cold trapped ions, including high spatio-temporal resolution, decoupling from the external environment and control over the system Hamiltonian, are used to measure quantum effects not always accessible in natural condensed matter samples. In this review, we highlight recent work using trapped ions to explore a variety of non-ergodic phenomena in long-range interacting spin models, effects that are heralded by the memory of out-of-equilibrium initial conditions. We observe long-lived memory in static magnetizations for quenched many-body localization and prethermalization, while memory is preserved in the periodic oscillations of a driven discrete time crystal state. This article is part of the themed issue 'Breakdown of ergodicity in quantum systems: from solids to synthetic matter'.

Non-thermalization in trapped atomic ion spin chains.

PubMed

Hess, P W; Becker, P; Kaplan, H B; Kyprianidis, A; Lee, A C; Neyenhuis, B; Pagano, G; Richerme, P; Senko, C; Smith, J; Tan, W L; Zhang, J; Monroe, C

2017-12-13

Linear arrays of trapped and laser-cooled atomic ions are a versatile platform for studying strongly interacting many-body quantum systems. Effective spins are encoded in long-lived electronic levels of each ion and made to interact through laser-mediated optical dipole forces. The advantages of experiments with cold trapped ions, including high spatio-temporal resolution, decoupling from the external environment and control over the system Hamiltonian, are used to measure quantum effects not always accessible in natural condensed matter samples. In this review, we highlight recent work using trapped ions to explore a variety of non-ergodic phenomena in long-range interacting spin models, effects that are heralded by the memory of out-of-equilibrium initial conditions. We observe long-lived memory in static magnetizations for quenched many-body localization and prethermalization, while memory is preserved in the periodic oscillations of a driven discrete time crystal state.This article is part of the themed issue 'Breakdown of ergodicity in quantum systems: from solids to synthetic matter'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Toroidal nanotraps for cold polar molecules

DOE PAGES

Salhi, Marouane; Passian, Ali; Siopsis, George

2015-09-14

Electronic excitations in metallic nanoparticles in the optical regime that have been of great importance in surface-enhanced spectroscopy and emerging applications of molecular plasmonics, due to control and confinement of electromagnetic energy, may also be of potential to control the motion of nanoparticles and molecules. Here, we propose a concept for trapping polarizable particles and molecules using toroidal metallic nanoparticles. Specifically, gold nanorings are investigated for their scattering properties and field distribution to computationally show that the response of these optically resonant particles to incident photons permit the formation of a nanoscale trap when proper aspect ratio, photon wavelength, andmore » polarization are considered. However, interestingly the resonant plasmonic response of the nanoring is shown to be detrimental to the trap formation. The results are in good agreement with analytic calculations in the quasistatic limit within the first-order perturbation of the scalar electric potential. The possibility of extending the single nanoring trapping properties to two-dimensional arrays of nanorings is suggested by obtaining the field distribution of nanoring dimers and trimers.« less

New Generation of ELF/VLF Wave Injection Experiments for HAARP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonwalkar, V. S.; Reddy, A.; Watkins, B. J.

2016-12-01

We present a ray tracing study to investigate the feasibility of a new generation of wave injection experiments from HAARP transmitter (L 4.9). Highly successful whistler mode wave injection experiments from SIPLE station, Antarctica, have established the importance of such experiments to study magnetospheric wave-particle interactions, and for cold and hot plasma diagnostics [Helliwell and Katsufrakis, 1974; Carpenter and Miller, 1976; Sonwalkar et al., 1997]. Modulated heating experiments from HAARP have shown that it is possible to launch ELF/VLF waves into the magnetosphere that can be observed on the ground after one-, two-, and multi-hop ducted propagation [Inan et al., 2004]. Recent research has also shown that ionospheric heating experiments using HAARP can lead to the formation of magnetospheric ducts [e.g. Milikh et al., 2010; Fallen et al., 2011]. Collectively, these results indicate that the HAARP (or similar) transmitter can be used first to form ducts on nearby L shells, and then to inject and trap transmitter generated ELF/VLF waves in those ducts. Ray tracing studies using a model magnetosphere shows that ELF/VLF waves in a few kilohertz range can be trapped in ducts with L shells near the HAARP transmitter. For example, 1.5 kHz waves injected from L shell = 4.9 and altitude = 200 km can be trapped in ducts located within 0.3 L of the transmitter L-shell. The duct parameters needed for ray-trapping are typically duct width dL 0.1-0.3 and duct enhancement factor dNe/Ne 10-20% or more. The location of plasmapause with respect to transmitter plays a role in the nature of trapping. The duct locations and parameters required for trapping ELF/VLF waves inside the ducts are consistent with past observations of ducts generated by the HAARP transmitter. Ray tracing calculations provide trapped wave normal angles, time delays, resonant energetic electron energy, estimates of wave intensity inside the duct, on the ground, and on satellites such DEMETER, Van Allen probe, and planned DSX. We discuss the potential of a new generation of wave injection experiments from HAARP transmitter to investigate: duct and ELF/VLF generation by high power HF transmitters, whistler mode wave propagation and wave particle interactions, and cold and hot plasma diagnostics.

Space Solar Power Technology Demonstration for Lunar Polar Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henley, M. W.; Fikes, J. C.; Howell, J.; Mankins, J. C.; Howell, J.

2002-01-01

A solar power generation station on a mountaintop near the moon's North or South pole can receive sunlight 708 hours per lunar day, for continuous power generation. Power can be beamed from this station over long distances using a laser-based wireless power transmission system and a photo-voltaic receiver. This beamed energy can provide warmth, electricity, and illumination for a robotic rover to perform scientific experiments in cold, dark craters where no other power source is practical. Radio-frequency power transmission may also be demonstrated in lunar polar applications to locate and recover sub-surface deposits of volatile material, such as water ice. High circular polarization ratios observed in data from Clementine spacecraft and Arecibo radar reflections from the moon's South pole suggest that water ice is indeed present in certain lunar polar craters. Data from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft's epi-thermal neutron spectrometer also indicate that hydrogen is present at the moon's poles. Space Solar Power technology enables investigation of these craters, which may contain a billion-year-old stratigraphic record of tremendous scientific value. Layers of ice, preserved at the moon's poles, could help us determine the sequence and composition of comet impacts on the moon. Such ice deposits may even include distinct strata deposited by secondary ejecta following significant Earth (ocean) impacts, linked to major extinctions of life on Earth. Ice resources at the moon's poles could provide water and air for human exploration and development of space as well as rocket propellant for future space transportation. Technologies demonstrated and matured via lunar polar applications can also be used in other NASA science missions (Valles Marineris. Phobos, Deimos, Mercury's poles, asteroids, etc.) and in future large-scale SSP systems to beam energy from space to Earth. Ground-based technology demonstrations are proceeding to mature the technology for such a near-term scientific mission to the moon. This paper reviews the progress to date in demonstrating this technology on Earth and details the plans for near-term applications, to meet NASA's needs, in the moon's polar regions.

The Plasma Wake Downstream of Lunar Topographic Obstacles: Preliminary Results from 2D Particle Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, Michael I.; Farrell, W. M.; Snubbs, T. J.; Halekas, J. S.

2011-01-01

Anticipating the plasma and electrical environments in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) of the moon is critical in understanding local processes of space weathering, surface charging, surface chemistry, volatile production and trapping, exo-ion sputtering, and charged dust transport. In the present study, we have employed the open-source XOOPIC code [I] to investigate the effects of solar wind conditions and plasma-surface interactions on the electrical environment in PSRs through fully two-dimensional pattic1e-in-cell simulations. By direct analogy with current understanding of the global lunar wake (e.g., references) deep, near-terminator, shadowed craters are expected to produce plasma "mini-wakes" just leeward of the crater wall. The present results (e.g., Figure I) are in agreement with previous claims that hot electrons rush into the crater void ahead of the heavier ions, fanning a negative cloud of charge. Charge separation along the initial plasma-vacuum interface gives rise to an ambipolar electric field that subsequently accelerates ions into the void. However, the situation is complicated by the presence of the dynamic lunar surface, which develops an electric potential in response to local plasma currents (e.g., Figure Ia). In some regimes, wake structure is clearly affected by the presence of the charged crater floor as it seeks to achieve current balance (i.e. zero net current to the surface).

LRO-LAMP Observations of Illumination Conditions in the Lunar South Pole: Multi-Dataset and Model Comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandt, Kathleen; Mazarico, Erwan; Greathouse, Thomas K.; Byron, Ben; Retherford, Kurt D.; Gladstone, Randy; Liu, Yang; Hendrix, Amanda R.; Hurley, Dana; Stickle, Angela; Wes Patterson, G.; Cahill, Joshua; Williams, Jean-Pierre

2017-10-01

The south pole of the Moon is an area of great interest for exploration and scientific research because many low-lying regions are permanently shaded and are likely to trap volatiles for extended periods of time, while adjacent topographic highs can experience extended periods of sunlight. One of the goals of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission is to characterize the temporal variability of illumination of the lunar polar regions for the benefit of future exploration efforts. We use far ultraviolet (FUV) observations made by the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) to evaluate illumination at the lunar south pole (within 5° of the pole).LAMP observations are made through passive remote sensing in the FUV wavelength range of 57-196 nm using reflected sunlight during daytime observations and reflected light from the IPM and UV-bright stars during nighttime observations. In this study we focused on the region within 5° of the pole, and produced maps using nighttime data taken between September 2009 and February 2014. Summing over long time periods is necessary to obtain sufficient signal to noise. Many of the maps produced for this study show excess brightness in the “Off Band”, or 155-190 nm, because sunlight scattered into the PSRs is most evident in this wavelength range.LAMP observes the highest rate of scattered sunlight in two large PSRs during nighttime observations: Haworth and Shoemaker. We focus on these craters for comparisons with an illumination model and other LRO datasets. We find that the observations of scattered sunlight do not agree with model predictions. However, preliminary results comparing LAMP maps with other LRO datasets show a correlation between LAMP observations of scattered sunlight and Diviner measurements for maximum temperature.

The effect of atomic response time in the theory of Doppler cooling of trapped ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janacek, H.; Steane, A. M.; Lucas, D. M.; Stacey, D. N.

2018-03-01

We describe a simple approach to the problem of incorporating the response time of an atom or ion being Doppler-cooled into the theory of the cooling process. The system being cooled does not in general respond instantly to the changing laser frequencies it experiences in its rest frame, and this 'dynamic effect' can affect significantly the temperatures attainable. It is particularly important for trapped ions when there is a slow decay out of the cooling cycle requiring the use of a repumping beam. We treat the cases of trapped ions with two and three internal states, then apply the theory to ?. For this ion experimental data exist showing the ion to be cold under conditions for which heating is predicted if the dynamic effect is neglected. The present theory accounts for the observed behaviour.

Lunar near-surface structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, M. R.; Kovach, R. L.; Watkins, J. S.

1974-01-01

Seismic refraction data obtained at the Apollo 14, 16, and 17 landing sites permit a compressional wave velocity profile of the lunar near surface to be derived. Beneath the regolith at the Apollo 14 Fra Mauro site and the Apollo 16 Descartes site is material with a seismic velocity of about 300 m/sec, believed to be brecciated material or impact-derived debris. Considerable detail is known about the velocity structure at the Apollo 17 Taurus-Littrow site. Seismic velocities of 100, 327, 495, 960, and 4700 m/sec are observed. The depth to the top of the 4700-m/sec material is 1385 m, compatible with gravity estimates for the thickness of mare basaltic flows, which fill the Taurus-Littrow valley. The observed magnitude of the velocity change with depth and the implied steep velocity-depth gradient of more than 2 km/sec/km are much larger than have been observed on compaction experiments on granular materials and preclude simple cold compaction of a fine-grained rock powder to thicknesses of the order of kilometers.

Development of a Strontium Magneto-Optical Trap for Probing Casimir-Polder Potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Paul J.

In recent years, cold atoms have been the centerpiece of many remarkably sensitive measurements, and much effort has been made to devise miniaturized quantum sensors and quantum information processing devices. At small distances, however, mechanical effects of the quantum vacuum begin to significantly impact the behavior of the cold-atom systems. A better understanding of how surface composition and geometry affect Casimir and Casimir-Polder potentials would benefit future engineering of small-scale devices. Unfortunately, theoretical solutions are limited and the number of experimental techniques that can accurately detect such short-range forces is relatively small. We believe the exemplary properties of atomic strontium--which have enabled unprecedented frequency metrology in optical lattice clocks--make it an ideal candidate for probing slight spectroscopic perturbations caused by vacuum fluctuations. To that end, we have constructed a magneto-optical trap for strontium to enable future study of atom-surface potentials, and the apparatus and proposed detection scheme are discussed herein. Of special note is a passively stable external-cavity diode laser we developed that is both affordable and competitive with high-end commercial options.

Thermal infrared and visual observations of a water ice lag in the Mars southern summer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Titus, T.N.

2005-01-01

We present thermal infrared and visual evidence for the existence of water ice lags in the early southern summer. The observed H2O-ice lags lay in and near a chasma and appears to survive between 6-8 sols past the sublimation of the CO2. Possible sources of the H2O that compose the lag are (1) atmospheric H2O that is incorporated into the seasonal cap during condensation, (2) cold trapping of atmospheric water vapor onto the surface of the cap in the spring, or (3) a combination of the 2 processes where water is released from the sublimating cap only to be transported back over the cap edge and cold trapped. We refer to this later process as the "Houben" effect which may enrich the amount of water contained in the seasonal cap at 85??S by as much as a factor of 15. This phenomenon, which has already been identified for the northern retreating cap, may present an important water transport mechanism in the Southern Hemisphere.

Keeping warm with fur in cold water: entrainment of air in hairy surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasto, Alice; Regli, Marianne; Brun, Pierre-Thomas; Clanet, Christophe; Hosoi, Anette

2015-11-01

Instead of relying on a thick layer of body fat for insulation as many aquatic mammals do, fur seals and otters trap air in their dense fur for insulation in cold water. Using a combination of model experiments and theory, we rationalize this mechanism of air trapping underwater for thermoregulation. For the model experiments, hairy surfaces are fabricated using laser cut molds and casting samples with PDMS. Modeling the hairy texture as a network of capillary tubes, the imbibition speed of water into the hairs is obtained through a balance of hydrostatic pressure and viscous stress. In this scenario, the bending of the hairs and capillary forces are negligible. The maximum diving depth that can be achieved before the hairs are wetted to the roots is predicted from a comparison of the diving speed and imbibition speed. The amount of air that is entrained in hairy surfaces is greater than what is expected for classic Landau-Levich-Derjaguin plate plunging. A phase diagram with the parameters from experiments and biological data allows a comparison of the model system and animals.

Robust Exploration and Commercial Missions to the Moon Using LANTR Propulsion and In-Situ Propellants Derived from Lunar Polar Ice (LPI) Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borowski, Stanley K.; Ryan, Stephen W.; Burke, Laura M.; McCurdy, David R.; Fittje, James E.; Joyner, Claude R.

2017-01-01

The nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) has frequently been identified as a key space asset required for the human exploration of Mars. This proven technology can also provide the affordable access through cislunar space necessary for commercial development and sustained human presence on the Moon. It is a demonstrated technology capable of generating both high thrust and high specific impulse (Isp 900 s) twice that of todays best chemical rockets. Nuclear lunar transfer vehicles consisting of a propulsion stage using three approx.16.5 klbf "Small Nuclear Rocket Engines (SNREs)", an in-line propellant tank, plus the payload can enable a variety of reusable lunar missions. These include cargo delivery and crewed lunar landing missions. Even weeklong "tourism" missions carrying passengers into lunar orbit for a day of sightseeing and picture taking are possible. The NTR can play an important role in the next phase of lunar exploration and development by providing a robust in-space lunar transportation system (LTS) that can allow initial outposts to evolve into settlements supported by a variety of commercial activities such as in-situ propellant production used to supply strategically located propellant depots and transportation nodes. The processing of LPI deposits (estimated to be approx. 2 billion metric tons) for propellant production - specifically liquid oxygen (LO2) and hydrogen (LH2) can significantly reduce the launch mass requirements from Earth and can enable reusable, surface-based lunar landing vehicles (LLVs) using LO2/LH2 chemical rocket engines. Afterwards, LO2/LH2 propellant depots can be established in lunar polar and equatorial orbits to supply the LTS. At this point a modified version of the conventional NTR called the LO2-augmented NTR, or LANTR would be introduced into the LTS allowing bipropellant operation and leveraging the mission benefits of refueling with lunar-derived propellants (LDPs) for Earth return. The bipropellant LANTR engine utilizes the large divergent section of its nozzle as an afterburner into which oxygen is injected and supersonically combusted with nuclear preheated hydrogen emerging from the engines choked sonic throat essentially scramjet propulsion in reverse. By varying the oxygen-to-hydrogen mixture ratio, LANTR engines can operate over a range of thrust and Isp values while the reactor core power level remains relatively constant. A LANTR-based LTS offers unique mission capabilities including short transit time crewed cargo transports. Even a commuter shuttle service may be possible allowing one-way trip times to and from the Moon on the order of 36 hours or less. If only 1 of the postulated water ice trapped in deep shadowed craters at the lunar poles were available for use in lunar orbit, such a supply could support daily commuter flights to the Moon for many thousands of years! The proposed paper outlines an evolutionary mission architecture and examines a variety of mission types and transfer vehicle designs, along with the increasing demands on LDP production as mission complexity and delta V requirements increase. A comparison of vehicle features and engine operating characteristics are also provided together with a discussion of the propellant production and mining requirements, and issues, associated with using LPI as the source material.

Small Radioisotope Power System Testing at NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dugala, Gina; Bell, Mark; Oriti, Salvatore; Fraeman, Martin; Frankford, David; Duven, Dennis

2013-01-01

In April 2009, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) formed an integrated product team (IPT) to develop a Small Radioisotope Power System (SRPS) utilizing a single Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) with passive balancer. A single ASC produces approximately 80 We making this system advantageous for small distributed lunar science stations. The IPT consists of Sunpower, Inc., to provide the single ASC with a passive balancer, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) to design an engineering model Single Convertor Controller (SCC) for an ASC with a passive balancer, and NASA GRC to provide technical support to these tasks and to develop a simulated lunar lander test stand. The single ASC with a passive balancer, simulated lunar lander test stand, and SCC were delivered to GRC and were tested as a system. The testing sequence at GRC included SCC fault tolerance, integration, electromagnetic interference (EMI), vibration, and extended operation testing. The SCC fault tolerance test characterized the SCCs ability to handle various fault conditions, including high or low bus power consumption, total open load or short circuit, and replacing a failed SCC card while the backup maintains control of the ASC. The integrated test characterized the behavior of the system across a range of operating conditions, including variations in cold-end temperature and piston amplitude, including the emitted vibration to both the sensors on the lunar lander and the lunar surface. The EMI test characterized the AC and DC magnetic and electric fields emitted by the SCC and single ASC. The vibration test confirms the SCCs ability to control the single ASC during launch. The extended operation test allows data to be collected over a period of thousands of hours to obtain long term performance data of the ASC with a passive balancer and the SCC. This paper will discuss the results of each of these tests.

Lunar mining of oxygen using fluorine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burt, Donald M.; Tyburczy, James A.; Roberts, Jeffery J.; Balasubramanian, Rajan

1992-01-01

Experiments during the first year of the project were directed towards generating elemental fluorine via the electrolysis of anhydrous molten fluorides. Na2SiF6 was dissolved in either molten NaBF4 or a eutectic (minimum-melting) mixture of KF-LiF-NaF and electrolyzed between 450 and 600 C to Si metal at the cathode and F2 gas at the anode. Ar gas was continuously passed through the system and F2 was trapped in a KBr furnace. Various anode and cathode materials were investigated. Despite many experimental difficulties, the capability of the process to produce elemental fluorine was demonstrated.

Compact field programmable gate array-based pulse-sequencer and radio-frequency generator for experiments with trapped atoms.

PubMed

Pruttivarasin, Thaned; Katori, Hidetoshi

2015-11-01

We present a compact field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based pulse sequencer and radio-frequency (RF) generator suitable for experiments with cold trapped ions and atoms. The unit is capable of outputting a pulse sequence with at least 32 transistor-transistor logic (TTL) channels with a timing resolution of 40 ns and contains a built-in 100 MHz frequency counter for counting electrical pulses from a photo-multiplier tube. There are 16 independent direct-digital-synthesizers RF sources with fast (rise-time of ∼60 ns) amplitude switching and sub-mHz frequency tuning from 0 to 800 MHz.

Tunable Holstein model with cold polar molecules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herrera, Felipe; Krems, Roman V.

2011-11-15

We show that an ensemble of polar molecules trapped in an optical lattice can be considered as a controllable open quantum system. The coupling between collective rotational excitations and the motion of the molecules in the lattice potential can be controlled by varying the strength and orientation of an external dc electric field as well as the intensity of the trapping laser. The system can be described by a generalized Holstein Hamiltonian with tunable parameters and can be used as a quantum simulator of excitation energy transfer and polaron phenomena. We show that the character of excitation energy transfer canmore » be modified by tuning experimental parameters.« less

Compact field programmable gate array-based pulse-sequencer and radio-frequency generator for experiments with trapped atoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pruttivarasin, Thaned, E-mail: thaned.pruttivarasin@riken.jp; Katori, Hidetoshi; Innovative Space-Time Project, ERATO, JST, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656

We present a compact field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based pulse sequencer and radio-frequency (RF) generator suitable for experiments with cold trapped ions and atoms. The unit is capable of outputting a pulse sequence with at least 32 transistor-transistor logic (TTL) channels with a timing resolution of 40 ns and contains a built-in 100 MHz frequency counter for counting electrical pulses from a photo-multiplier tube. There are 16 independent direct-digital-synthesizers RF sources with fast (rise-time of ∼60 ns) amplitude switching and sub-mHz frequency tuning from 0 to 800 MHz.

Magnetic conveyor belt for transporting and merging trapped atom clouds.

PubMed

Hänsel, W; Reichel, J; Hommelhoff, P; Hänsch, T W

2001-01-22

We demonstrate an integrated magnetic device which transports cold atoms near a surface with very high positioning accuracy. Time-dependent currents in a lithographic conductor pattern create a moving chain of potential wells; atoms are transported in these wells while remaining confined in all three dimensions. We achieve mean fluxes up to 10(6) s(-1) with a negligible heating rate. An extension of this device allows merging of atom clouds by unification of two Ioffe-Pritchard potentials. The unification, which we demonstrate experimentally, can be performed without loss of phase space density. This novel, all-magnetic atom manipulation offers exciting perspectives, such as trapped-atom interferometry.

Cold antihydrogen: a new frontier in fundamental physics.

PubMed

Madsen, Niels

2010-08-13

The year 2002 heralded a breakthrough in antimatter research when the first low energy antihydrogen atoms were produced. Antimatter has inspired both science and fiction writers for many years, but detailed studies have until now eluded science. Antimatter is notoriously difficult to study as it does not readily occur in nature, even though our current understanding of the laws of physics have us expecting that it should make up half of the universe. The pursuit of cold antihydrogen is driven by a desire to solve this profound mystery. This paper will motivate the current effort to make cold antihydrogen, explain how antihydrogen is currently made, and how and why we are attempting to trap it. It will also discuss what kind of measurements are planned to gain new insights into the unexplained asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe.

An evaluation of a combined scanning probe and optical microscope for lunar regolith studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S.; Pike, W. T.; Staufer, U.; Claus, D.; Rodenburg, J. M.

2011-12-01

The microscopic properties of the lunar regolith such as the shape, the surface texture and the size distribution are required for an understanding of both past surface processes and potential hazards for future human exploration [1]. To reveal the particle morphology at the sub micrometer scale, scanning-probe microscopy (SPM), first used on the 2008 Phoenix mission [1], is a proven approach; however, there are two main challenges for the measurement of lunar particles. Firstly, the SPM tip is liable to move particles during scanning, even when using the lower contact forces of the dynamic-mode imaging. Hence the particles need to be stabilised during imaging. Secondly, typically the AFM tip extends about 10 μm from its cantilever, so larger particles protruding more than this height above their substrates cannot be scanned completely. To immobilize particles and eliminate large particles during SPM scanning, micromachined Si substrates, which have been successfully applied in the Phoenix project for Mars investigation in 2008 [2], have been investigated for lunar analogue material. On these substrates micrometer pits are patterned and serve as traps to enhance the stability of the AFM scanning by grasping the particles. In addition, the diameter of pits can determine the size of dusts to be captured and reduce the adhesion for the larger dust and so eliminate the oversized particles. To extend the imaging range and assist in selecting scan areas for the SPM, we use a type of lensless optical imaging (LOM) which uses ptychographic diffractive imaging [3] to eliminate the restrictions and performance limitations of conventional focusing devices. As a reference, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which minimizes particle-probe interactions and has the advantage of an extended depth of field, is employed to image the same particle fields at resolutions covering both the SPM and LOM. By comparing the differences and the similarities between SEM and LOM images, the ability of LOM for illuminating the details about the lunar particles sample, is demonstrated. The analysis of SEM and SPM images of the same particles of JSC-LunarA analogue soil reveals the potential of the SPM to obtain reliable microscopic images of lunar dusts including detailed morphology with the help of the micromachined Si substrates. [1] J. D. Carpenter, O. Angerer, M. Durante, D. Linnarson, W. T. Pike, "Life Sciences Investigations for ESA's First Lunar Lander," Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol.107, pp. 11-23, 2010. [2] S. Vijendran, H.Sykulska, and W. T. Pike, "AFM investigation of Martian soil simulant on micromachined Si substrates," Journal of Microscopy, Vol.227, pp.236-245, Sep. 2007. [3] J.M. Rodenburg, "Ptychography and related diffractive imaging techniques," Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics, Vol.150, pp. 87-184, 2008

Generalized Software Architecture Applied to the Continuous Lunar Water Separation Process and the Lunar Greenhouse Amplifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perusich, Stephen; Moos, Thomas; Muscatello, Anthony

2011-01-01

This innovation provides the user with autonomous on-screen monitoring, embedded computations, and tabulated output for two new processes. The software was originally written for the Continuous Lunar Water Separation Process (CLWSP), but was found to be general enough to be applicable to the Lunar Greenhouse Amplifier (LGA) as well, with minor alterations. The resultant program should have general applicability to many laboratory processes (see figure). The objective for these programs was to create a software application that would provide both autonomous monitoring and data storage, along with manual manipulation. The software also allows operators the ability to input experimental changes and comments in real time without modifying the code itself. Common process elements, such as thermocouples, pressure transducers, and relative humidity sensors, are easily incorporated into the program in various configurations, along with specialized devices such as photodiode sensors. The goal of the CLWSP research project is to design, build, and test a new method to continuously separate, capture, and quantify water from a gas stream. The application is any In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) process that desires to extract or produce water from lunar or planetary regolith. The present work is aimed at circumventing current problems and ultimately producing a system capable of continuous operation at moderate temperatures that can be scaled over a large capacity range depending on the ISRU process. The goal of the LGA research project is to design, build, and test a new type of greenhouse that could be used on the moon or Mars. The LGA uses super greenhouse gases (SGGs) to absorb long-wavelength radiation, thus creating a highly efficient greenhouse at a future lunar or Mars outpost. Silica-based glass, although highly efficient at trapping heat, is heavy, fragile, and not suitable for space greenhouse applications. Plastics are much lighter and resilient, but are not efficient for absorbing longwavelength infrared radiation and therefore will lose more heat to the environment compared to glass. The LGA unit uses a transparent polymer antechamber that surrounds part of the greenhouse and encases the SGGs, thereby minimizing infrared losses through the plastic windows. With ambient temperatures at the lunar poles at 50 C, the LGA should provide a substantial enhancement to currently conceived lunar greenhouses. Positive results obtained from this project could lead to a future large-scale system capable of running autonomously on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The software for both applications needs to run the entire units and all subprocesses; however, throughout testing, many variables and parameters need to be changed as more is learned about the system operation. The software provides the versatility to permit the software operation to change as the user requirements evolve.

Cold chemistry with ionic partners: quantum features of HeH+(1Σ) with H(1S) at ultralow energies.

PubMed

Bovino, S; Tacconi, M; Gianturco, F A

2011-07-28

Quantum reactive calculations are presented for an ion-atom reaction involving the HeH(+)cation and its destruction via a barrierless interaction with H atoms. The range of collision energies considered is that of a cold trap regime (around and below millikelvin) where the ionic partner could be spatially confined. Specific resonant features caused by the interplay of the strong ionic interaction with the very slow partners' dynamics are found and analyzed. Indications are also given on the consequences of the abstraction mechanism that acts for this reaction at low energies. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Ceres Persistent Shadow

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-15

This frame from an animation made of images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows a crater in the northern polar region of Ceres that is partly in shadow year-round. In several craters like this one, bright water ice deposits have been observed by Dawn's framing camera. This finding suggests that water ice can be stored for significant amounts of time in cold, dark craters on Ceres. Such reservoirs are called "cold traps." At less than minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (110 Kelvin), they are so chilly that very little of the ice turns into vapor in the course of a billion years. A movie is available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21082

Plasma Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubin, D. H. E.

This chapter explores several aspects of the linear electrostatic normal modes of oscillation for a single-species non-neutral plasma in a Penning trap. Linearized fluid equations of motion are developed, assuming the plasma is cold but collisionless, which allow derivation of the cold plasma dielectric tensor and the electrostatic wave equation. Upper hybrid and magnetized plasma waves in an infinite uniform plasma are described. The effect of the plasma surface in a bounded plasma system is considered, and the properties of surface plasma waves are characterized. The normal modes of a cylindrical plasma column are discussed, and finally, modes of spheroidal plasmas, and finite temperature effects on the modes, are briefly described.

EDITORIAL: Award for Patrick Gill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauptmann, Peter

2007-12-01

On behalf of the journal I would like to congratulate Professor Patrick Gill, a long-serving member of the Editorial Board for Measurement Science and Technology, who has been awarded the prestigious Institute of Physics Young medal and prize for world-leading contributions to optical frequency metrology. He is recognized as the UK leader in the quest for very accurate optical clocks. Professor Gill's work is concerned with the development of cold trapped ion systems as optical frequency standards with potential for future redefinition of the SI second, and the frequency metrology needed to relate optical and microwave standards to high accuracy. Interested readers may wish to read a short review of the wider state-of-the-art development of single cold trapped ion frequency standards, coupled with a more detailed account of results achieved at the National Physical Laboratory, written by Professor Gill and co-workers from NPL: ''Trapped ion optical frequency standards'' by P Gill, G P Barwood, H A Klein, G Huang, S A Webster, P J Blythe, K Hosaka, S N Lea and H S Margolis 2003 Meas. Sci. Technol. 14 (8) 1174-86 He was one of the very early developers of the frequency comb idea, and in 2004 he led an experiment where the femtosecond laser frequency comb measured the prototype optical clock frequency, based on a strontium-ion optical transition, with accuracy close to the capability of the best caesium microwave clocks. Once again I congratulate Professor Gill and wish him every success for his future work.

EXTERNAL PHOTOEVAPORATION OF THE SOLAR NEBULA: JUPITER's NOBLE GAS ENRICHMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monga, Nikhil; Desch, Steven

We present a model explaining the elemental enrichments in Jupiter's atmosphere, particularly the noble gases Ar, Kr, and Xe. While He, Ne, and O are depleted, seven other elements show similar enrichments (∼3 times solar, relative to H). Being volatile, Ar is difficult to fractionate from H{sub 2}. We argue that external photoevaporation by far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from nearby massive stars removed H{sub 2}, He, and Ne from the solar nebula, but Ar and other species were retained because photoevaporation occurred at large heliocentric distances where temperatures were cold enough (≲ 30 K) to trap them in amorphous water ice. Asmore » the solar nebula lost H, it became relatively and uniformly enriched in other species. Our model improves on the similar model of Guillot and Hueso. We recognize that cold temperatures alone do not trap volatiles; continuous water vapor production is also necessary. We demonstrate that FUV fluxes that photoevaporated the disk generated sufficient water vapor in regions ≲ 30 K to trap gas-phase species in amorphous water ice in solar proportions. We find more efficient chemical fractionation in the outer disk: whereas the model of Guillot and Hueso predicts a factor of three enrichment when only <2% of the disk mass remains, we find the same enrichments when 30% of the disk mass remains. Finally, we predict the presence of ∼0.1 M {sub ⊕} of water vapor in the outer solar nebula and protoplanetary disks in H II regions.« less

Improved understanding of the hot cathode current modes and mode transitions [Mechanism of the hot cathode current mode transitions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campanell, Michael D.; Umansky, M. V.

Hot cathodes are crucial components in a variety of plasma sources and applications, but they induce mode transitions and oscillations that are not fully understood. It is often assumed that negatively biased hot cathodes have a space-charge limited (SCL) sheath whenever the current is limited. Here, we show on theoretical grounds that a SCL sheath cannot persist. First, charge-exchange ions born within the virtual cathode (VC) region get trapped and build up. After the ion density reaches the electron density at a point in the VC, a new neutral region is formed and begins growing in space. In planar geometry,more » this 'new plasma' containing cold trapped ions and cold thermoelectrons grows towards the anode and fills the gap, leaving behind an inverse cathode sheath. This explains how transitions from temperature-limited mode to anode glow mode occur in thermionic discharge experiments with magnetic fields. If the hot cathode is a small filament in an unmagnetized plasma, the trapped ion region is predicted to grow radially in both directions, get expelled if it reaches the cathode, and reform periodically. Filament-induced current oscillations consistent with this prediction have been reported in experiments. Here, we set up planar geometry simulations of thermionic discharges and demonstrate several mode transition phenomena for the first time. Lastly, our continuum kinetic code lacks the noise of particle simulations, enabling a closer study of the temporal dynamics.« less

Improved understanding of the hot cathode current modes and mode transitions [Mechanism of the hot cathode current mode transitions

DOE PAGES

Campanell, Michael D.; Umansky, M. V.

2017-11-22

Hot cathodes are crucial components in a variety of plasma sources and applications, but they induce mode transitions and oscillations that are not fully understood. It is often assumed that negatively biased hot cathodes have a space-charge limited (SCL) sheath whenever the current is limited. Here, we show on theoretical grounds that a SCL sheath cannot persist. First, charge-exchange ions born within the virtual cathode (VC) region get trapped and build up. After the ion density reaches the electron density at a point in the VC, a new neutral region is formed and begins growing in space. In planar geometry,more » this 'new plasma' containing cold trapped ions and cold thermoelectrons grows towards the anode and fills the gap, leaving behind an inverse cathode sheath. This explains how transitions from temperature-limited mode to anode glow mode occur in thermionic discharge experiments with magnetic fields. If the hot cathode is a small filament in an unmagnetized plasma, the trapped ion region is predicted to grow radially in both directions, get expelled if it reaches the cathode, and reform periodically. Filament-induced current oscillations consistent with this prediction have been reported in experiments. Here, we set up planar geometry simulations of thermionic discharges and demonstrate several mode transition phenomena for the first time. Lastly, our continuum kinetic code lacks the noise of particle simulations, enabling a closer study of the temporal dynamics.« less

Dual levitated coils for antihydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wofford, J. D.; Ordonez, C. A.

2013-04-01

Two coaxial superconducting magnetic coils that carry currents in the same direction and that are simultaneously levitated may serve for antihydrogen plasma confinement. The configuration may be suitable for use by a collaboration at the CERN Antiproton Decelerator facility to test fundamental symmetries between the properties of hydrogen and antihydrogen. Nested Penning traps are currently used to confine recombining antihydrogen plasma. Symmetry studies require the production of sufficiently cold antihydrogen. However, plasma drifts within nested Penning traps can increase the kinetic energy of antiprotons that form antihydrogen atoms. Dual levitated coils may serve to confine relatively large, cold, dense non-drifting recombining antihydrogen plasmas. A minimum-B magnetic field that is produced by the coils could provide for atom trapping. A toroidal plasma is confined between the coils. High density plasmas may be possible, by allowing plasma pressure to balance mechanical pressure to keep the coils apart. Progress is reported on theoretical and experimental efforts. The theoretical effort includes the development of a classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulation of confinement. The experimental effort includes levitation of a NdFeB permanent ring magnet, which produces a magnetic field that is qualitatively similar to the field that would be produced by the two coaxial superconducting magnetic coils. Liquid-nitrogen-cooled Bi-2223 high-temperature-superconducting components, with a critical temperature of 108 K, were used to levitate the ring magnet. An issue concerning keeping the plane of the levitated ring horizontal is discussed.

Hybrid Systems: Cold Atoms Coupled to Micro Mechanical Oscillators =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montoya Monge, Cris A.

Micro mechanical oscillators can serve as probes in precision measurements, as transducers to mediate photon-phonon interactions, and when functionalized with magnetic material, as tools to manipulate spins in quantum systems. This dissertation includes two projects where the interactions between cold atoms and mechanical oscillators are studied. In one of the experiments, we have manipulated the Zeeman state of magnetically trapped Rubidium atoms with a magnetic micro cantilever. The results show a spatially localized effect produced by the cantilever that agrees with Landau-Zener theory. In the future, such a scalable system with highly localized interactions and the potential for single-spin sensitivity could be useful for applications in quantum information science or quantum simulation. In a second experiment, work is in progress to couple a sample of optically trapped Rubidium atoms to a levitated nanosphere via an optical lattice. This coupling enables the cooling of the center-of-mass motion of the nanosphere by laser cooling the atoms. In this system, the atoms are trapped in the optical lattice while the sphere is levitated in a separate vacuum chamber by a single-beam optical tweezer. Theoretical analysis of such a system has determined that cooling the center-of-mass motion of the sphere to its quantum ground state is possible, even when starting at room temperature, due to the excellent environmental decoupling achievable in this setup. Nanospheres cooled to the quantum regime can provide new tests of quantum behavior at mesoscopic scales and have novel applications in precision sensing.

Interaction of Highly Underexpanded Jets with Simulated Lunar Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stitt, Leonard E.

1961-01-01

Pressure distributions and erosion patterns on simulated lunar surfaces (hard and soft) and interference effects between the surface and two representative lunar vehicles (cylindrical and spherical) were obtained with cold-air jets at various descent heights and nozzle total-pressure ratios up to 288,000. Surface pressure distributions were dependent on both nozzle area ratio and, nozzle contour. Peak pressures obtained with a sonic nozzle agreed closely with those predicted theoretically for a near-sonic jet expanding into a vacuum. Short bell-shaped nozzles gave annular pressure distributions; the low center pressure resulted from the coalescence of shocks that originated within the nozzle. The high surface pressures were contained within a circle whose diameter was about 16 throat diameters, regardless of nozzle area ratio or contour. The peak pressure increased rapidly as the vehicle approached the surface; for example, at a descent height of 40 throat diameters the peak pressure was 0.4 percent of the chamber pressure, but increased to 6 percent at 13 throat diameters. The exhaust jet eroded a circular concave hole in white sand at descent heights from about 200 to 600 throat diameters. The hole diameter was about 225 throat diameters, while the depth was approximately 60 throat diameters. The sand particles, which formed a conical sheet at a semivertex angle of 50 deg, appeared to follow a ballistic trajectory and at no time struck the vehicle. An increase in pressure was measured on the base of the cylindrical lunar vehicle when it approached to within 14 throat diameters of the hard, flat surface. No interference effects were noted between the spherical model and the surface to descent heights as low as 8 throat diameters.

Global Regolith Thermophysical Properties of the Moon From the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayne, Paul O.; Bandfield, Joshua L.; Siegler, Matthew A.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; Ghent, Rebecca R.; Williams, Jean-Pierre; Greenhagen, Benjamin T.; Aharonson, Oded; Elder, Catherine M.; Lucey, Paul G.; Paige, David A.

2017-12-01

We used infrared data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment to globally map thermophysical properties of the Moon's regolith fines layer. Thermal conductivity varies from 7.4 × 10-4 W m-1 K-1 at the surface to 3.4 × 10-3 W m-1 K-1 at depths of 1 m, given density values of 1,100 kg m-3 at the surface to 1,800 kg m-3 at 1 m depth. On average, the scale height of these profiles is 7 cm, corresponding to a thermal inertia of 55 ± 2 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2 at 273 K, relevant to the diurnally active near-surface layer, 4-7 cm. The temperature dependence of thermal conductivity and heat capacity leads to an 2 times diurnal variation in thermal inertia at the equator. On global scales, the regolith fines are remarkably uniform, implying rapid homogenization by impact gardening of this layer on timescales <1 Gyr. Regional- and local-scale variations show prominent impact features <1 Gyr old, including higher thermal inertia (> 100 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2) in the interiors and ejecta of Copernican-aged impact craters and lower thermal inertia (< 50 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2) within the lunar cold spots identified by Bandfield et al. (2014). Observed trends in ejecta thermal inertia provide a potential tool for age dating craters of previously unknown age, complementary to the approach suggested by Ghent et al. (2014). Several anomalous regions are identified in the global 128 pixels per degree maps presented here, including a high-thermal inertia deposit near the antipode of Tycho crater.

Laboratory Simulation of Electrical Discharge in Surface Lunar Regolith

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shusterman, M.; Izenberg, N.; Wing, B. R.; Liang, S.

2016-12-01

Physical, chemical, and optical characteristics of space-weathered surface materials on airless bodies are produced primarily from bombardment by solar energetic particles and micrometeoroid impacts. On bodies such as the Moon and Mercury, soils in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) are very cold, have low electrical conductivities, and are subjected to a high flux of incoming energetic particles accelerated by solar events. Theoretical models predict that up to 25% of gardened soils in the lunar polar regions are altered by dielectric breakdown; a potentially significant weathering process that is currently unconfirmed. Although electrical properties of lunar soils have been studied in relation to flight electronics and spacecraft safety, no studies have characterized potential alterations to soils resulting from electrical discharge. To replicate the surface charge field in PSRs, lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A was placed between two parallel plane electrodes under both low and high vacuum environments, 10e-3 torr and 2.5e-6 torr, respectively. Voltage was increased until discharge occurred within the sample. Grains were analyzed using an SVC fiber-fed point spectrometer, Olympus BX51 upright metallurgical microscope, and a Hitachi TM3000 scanning electron microscope with Bruker Quantax-70 X-ray spectrometer. Discharges occurring in samples under low vacuum resulted in surficial melting, silicate vapor deposition, coalescence of metallic iron, and micro-scale changes to surface topography. Samples treated under a high vacuum environment showed similar types of effects, but fewer in number compared to low vacuum samples. The variation in alteration abundances between the two environments implies that discharges may be occurring across surface contaminants, even at high vacuum conditions, inhibiting dielectric breakdown in our laboratory simulations.

Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Space exploration is a risky enterprise. Rockets launch astronauts at enormous speeds into a harsh, unforgiving environment. Spacecraft must withstand the bitter cold of space and the blistering heat of reentry. Their skin must be strong enough to keep the inside comfortably pressurized and tough enough to resist damage from micrometeoroids. Spacecraft meant for lunar or planetary landings must survive the jar of landing, tolerate dust, and be able to take off again. For astronauts, however, there is one danger in space that does not end when they step out of their spacecraft. The radiation that permeates space -- unattenuated by Earth s atmosphere and magnetosphere -- may damage or kill cells within astronauts bodies, resulting in cancer or other health consequences years after a mission ends. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently embarked on Project Constellation to implement the Vision for Space Exploration -- a program announced by President George W. Bush in 2004 with the goal of returning humans to the Moon and eventually transporting them to Mars. To adequately prepare for the safety of these future space explorers, NASA s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate requested that the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Research Council establish a committee to evaluate the radiation shielding requirements for lunar missions and to recommend a strategic plan for developing the radiation mitigation capabilities needed to enable the planned lunar mission architecture

Nature of the fossil evidence - Moon and meteorites. [solar activity effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, R. M.

1980-01-01

The nature of the fossil evidence to be found in extraterrestrial materials concerning the history of solar activity is reviewed. The various types of lunar rocks and meteorites containing evidence of exposure to solar radiations are distinguished, including igneous rocks, breccias, glassy agglutinates, single mineral crystals, carbonaceous meteorites, and the Antarctic meteorites, some of which fell to earth as much as a million years ago. The characteristic effects of energetic particles from space in materials are then examined, including ion implantation and surface radiation damage to a depth of several hundred A by the solar wind, radioactivity, electron trapping and track production induced by solar flares to depths from millimeters to centimeters, and spallation due to galactic cosmic rays at depths from centimeters to meters. Complications in the interpretation of radiation exposure histories represented by dynamic surface processes, the nonsolar origin of some trapped elements, and difficulties in determining the duration and epoch of surface exposure of individual crystals are also noted.

Method and apparatus for removing iodine from a nuclear reactor coolant

DOEpatents

Cooper, Martin H.

1980-01-01

A method and apparatus for removing iodine-131 and iodine-125 from a liquid sodium reactor coolant. Non-radioactive iodine is dissolved in hot liquid sodium to increase the total iodine concentration. Subsequent precipitation of the iodine in a cold trap removes both the radioactive iodine isotopes as well as the non-radioactive iodine.

Emission characteristics of elm bark beetle aggregation attractants from controlled-release dispensers

Treesearch

Roy A. Cuthbert; John W. Peacock; Susan L. Wright

1983-01-01

Release rates of the aggregation attractants of the smaller European elm bark beetle, Scolytus multistriatus (Marsham), from laboratory-aged and field-aged Conrel and Hercon dispensers were monitored for 85 days by GLC analysis of cold-trapped volatiles. Both dispensers had relatively low and constant rates of decay for all three attractant...

FLUID PURIFIER AND SEALING VALVE

DOEpatents

Swanton, W.F.

1962-04-24

An improved cold trap designed to condense vapors and collect foreign particles in a flowing fluid is described. In the arrangement, a valve is provided to prevent flow reversal in case of pump failure and to act as a sealing valve. Provision is made for reducing the temperature of the fluid being processed, including a pre-cooling stage. (AEC)

Identification of lunar rock types and search for polar ice by gamma ray spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, A. E.; Drake, D. M.

1990-01-01

This paper examines the possibility of mapping the surface composition of the moon from an orbiting spin-stabilized spacecraft, using gamma ray spectroscopy and a cooled germanium solid-state device as a detector. A design for accommodating the germanium detector gamma ray spectrometer was devised, and the detection sensitivity was applied to typical lunar-rock compositions. For sets comprising nine highland and 16 mare types, the most useful elements were found to be Mg, Al, K, Ti, Fe, U, and Th. An analysis of the expected instrument response to the gamma ray and neutron fluxes of water ice indicated that a neutron mode added to the spectrometer will be more sensitive than the gamma ray mode to the possible presence of polar ice. It was calculated that, with a pair of selected neutron absorbers and a model which provides that 2.5 percent of the area above 75-deg latitude is occupied by trapping sites, the instrument will provide a 1-yr mission detection limit of 0.056 percent H2O by weight for each polar region.

Photoemission spectrum and effect of inhomogeneous pairing fluctuations in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of an ultracold Fermi gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsuchiya, Shunji; Ohashi, Yoji; CREST

2010-09-15

We investigate the photoemission-type spectrum in a cold Fermi gas which was recently measured by the JILA group [Stewart et al., Nature (London) 454, 744 (2008)]. This quantity gives us very useful information about single-particle properties in the BCS-BEC crossover. In this paper, including pairing fluctuations within a T-matrix theory, as well as effects of a harmonic trap within the local density approximation, we show that spatially inhomogeneous pairing fluctuations due to the trap potential are an important key to understanding the observed spectrum. In the crossover region, while strong pairing fluctuations lead to the so-called pseudogap phenomenon in themore » trap center, such strong-coupling effects are found to be weak around the edge of the gas. Our results including this effect are shown to agree well with the recent photoemission data of the JILA group.« less

Quantum simulation of ultrafast dynamics using trapped ultracold atoms.

PubMed

Senaratne, Ruwan; Rajagopal, Shankari V; Shimasaki, Toshihiko; Dotti, Peter E; Fujiwara, Kurt M; Singh, Kevin; Geiger, Zachary A; Weld, David M

2018-05-25

Ultrafast electronic dynamics are typically studied using pulsed lasers. Here we demonstrate a complementary experimental approach: quantum simulation of ultrafast dynamics using trapped ultracold atoms. Counter-intuitively, this technique emulates some of the fastest processes in atomic physics with some of the slowest, leading to a temporal magnification factor of up to 12 orders of magnitude. In these experiments, time-varying forces on neutral atoms in the ground state of a tunable optical trap emulate the electric fields of a pulsed laser acting on bound charged particles. We demonstrate the correspondence with ultrafast science by a sequence of experiments: nonlinear spectroscopy of a many-body bound state, control of the excitation spectrum by potential shaping, observation of sub-cycle unbinding dynamics during strong few-cycle pulses, and direct measurement of carrier-envelope phase dependence of the response to an ultrafast-equivalent pulse. These results establish cold-atom quantum simulation as a complementary tool for studying ultrafast dynamics.

Vacuum-insulated catalytic converter

DOEpatents

Benson, David K.

2001-01-01

A catalytic converter has an inner canister that contains catalyst-coated substrates and an outer canister that encloses an annular, variable vacuum insulation chamber surrounding the inner canister. An annular tank containing phase-change material for heat storage and release is positioned in the variable vacuum insulation chamber a distance spaced part from the inner canister. A reversible hydrogen getter in the variable vacuum insulation chamber, preferably on a surface of the heat storage tank, releases hydrogen into the variable vacuum insulation chamber to conduct heat when the phase-change material is hot and absorbs the hydrogen to limit heat transfer to radiation when the phase-change material is cool. A porous zeolite trap in the inner canister absorbs and retains hydrocarbons from the exhaust gases when the catalyst-coated substrates and zeolite trap are cold and releases the hydrocarbons for reaction on the catalyst-coated substrate when the zeolite trap and catalyst-coated substrate get hot.

Interaction-induced decay of a heteronuclear two-atom system

PubMed Central

Xu, Peng; Yang, Jiaheng; Liu, Min; He, Xiaodong; Zeng, Yong; Wang, Kunpeng; Wang, Jin; Papoular, D. J.; Shlyapnikov, G. V.; Zhan, Mingsheng

2015-01-01

Two-atom systems in small traps are of fundamental interest for understanding the role of interactions in degenerate cold gases and for the creation of quantum gates in quantum information processing with single-atom traps. One of the key quantities is the inelastic relaxation (decay) time when one of the atoms or both are in a higher hyperfine state. Here we measure this quantity in a heteronuclear system of 87Rb and 85Rb in a micro optical trap and demonstrate experimentally and theoretically the presence of both fast and slow relaxation processes, depending on the choice of the initial hyperfine states. This experimental method allows us to single out a particular relaxation process thus provides an extremely clean platform for collisional physics studies. Our results have also implications for engineering of quantum states via controlled collisions and creation of two-qubit quantum gates. PMID:26199051

Microwave-mediated magneto-optical trap for polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dizhou, Xie; Wenhao, Bu; Bo, Yan

2016-05-01

Realizing a molecular magneto-optical trap has been a dream for cold molecular physicists for a long time. However, due to the complex energy levels and the small effective Lande g-factor of the excited states, the traditional magneto-optical trap (MOT) scheme does not work very well for polar molecules. One way to overcome this problem is the switching MOT, which requires very fast switching of both the magnetic field and the laser polarizations. Switching laser polarizations is relatively easy, but fast switching of the magnetic field is experimentally challenging. Here we propose an alternative approach, the microwave-mediated MOT, which requires a slight change of the current experimental setup to solve the problem. We calculate the MOT force and compare it with the traditional MOT and the switching MOT scheme. The results show that we can operate a good MOT with this simple setup. Project supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China.

Viscosity and Structure of a Late Lunar Magma Ocean Liquid: Implications for the Purity of Ferroan Anorthosites and the Dynamics of a Crystallizing Magma Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dygert, N. J.; Lin, J. F.; Marshall, E. W., IV; Kono, Y.; Gardner, J. E.

2016-12-01

The current paradigm argues the Moon formed after a giant impact that produced a deep lunar magma ocean (LMO). After a period of turbulent convection, the LMO experienced fractional crystallization, causing the initially peridotitic liquid to evolve to a plagioclase-saturated ferrobasalt. The lunar crust, much of which comprises 93-98% pure anorthosite [1,2], formed by flotation of positively buoyant plagioclase on the residual liquid. A flotation crust would contain some trapped melt; compaction of the melt out of the crust before solidification may be necessary to generate a very pure anorthitic crust. The efficiency of this process depends on the previously unmeasured viscosity of the residual liquid [3]. To characterize the viscosity and thermal equation of state of a late LMO liquid, we conducted experiments at the Advanced Photon Source, Beamline 16-BM-B, Argonne National Laboratory on a nominally anhydrous Ti-rich ferrobasalt [4]. X-ray radiography and diffuse scattering experiments were conducted in a Paris-Edinburgh apparatus in graphite-lined BN capsules, allowing in-situ observation of viscosity and derivation of thermal EoS at P-T conditions relevant to the Moon (1300-1600°C, 0.1-4.4GPa). We calculated viscosities of 0.23-1.45 Pa·s for the melt; based on 11 observations, we find that viscosity is pressure insensitive under the conditions explored. Viscosity can be modeled by an Arrhenius relation with an activation enthalpy of 66 kJ/mol. Composition-dependent predictive models [5] overestimate our observations by roughly a factor of 2. Preliminary analysis suggests no pressure-dependent structural transition over the conditions explored. Late LMO liquids brought to the lunar core-mantle boundary by cumulate mantle overturn may be positively buoyant, implying the seismically attenuating layer around the lunar core contains a denser, higher-Ti melt. Our results suggest that efficient phase segregation in the lunar magma ocean and compaction in the anorthositic flotation crust can produce a high-purity crust under physically reasonable conditions. [1] Warren (1990), AmMin 75, 46-58. [2] Ohtake et al. (2009), Nature 461, 236-240. [3] Piskorz, & Stevenson (2014), Icarus 239, 238-243. [4] Longhi (2003), JGR 108, doi:10.1029/2002JE001941. [5] Giordano et al. (2008), EPSL 271, 123-134.

Accurate assessment and identification of naturally occurring cellular cobalamins.

PubMed

Hannibal, Luciana; Axhemi, Armend; Glushchenko, Alla V; Moreira, Edward S; Brasch, Nicola E; Jacobsen, Donald W

2008-01-01

Accurate assessment of cobalamin profiles in human serum, cells, and tissues may have clinical diagnostic value. However, non-alkyl forms of cobalamin undergo beta-axial ligand exchange reactions during extraction, which leads to inaccurate profiles having little or no diagnostic value. Experiments were designed to: 1) assess beta-axial ligand exchange chemistry during the extraction and isolation of cobalamins from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells, human foreskin fibroblasts, and human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and 2) to establish extraction conditions that would provide a more accurate assessment of endogenous forms containing both exchangeable and non-exchangeable beta-axial ligands. The cobalamin profile of cells grown in the presence of [ 57Co]-cyanocobalamin as a source of vitamin B12 shows that the following derivatives are present: [ 57Co]-aquacobalamin, [ 57Co]-glutathionylcobalamin, [ 57Co]-sulfitocobalamin, [ 57Co]-cyanocobalamin, [ 57Co]-adenosylcobalamin, [ 57Co]-methylcobalamin, as well as other yet unidentified corrinoids. When the extraction is performed in the presence of excess cold aquacobalaminacting as a scavenger cobalamin (i.e. "cold trapping"), the recovery of both [ 57Co]-glutathionylcobalamin and [ 57Co]-sulfitocobalamin decreases to low but consistent levels. In contrasts, the [ 57Co]-nitrocobalamin observed in the extracts prepared without excess aquacobalamin is undetected in extracts prepared with cold trapping. This demonstrates that beta-ligand exchange occur with non-covalently bound beta-ligands. The exception to this observation is cyanocobalamin with a non-exchangeable CN- group. It is now possible to obtain accurate profiles of cellular cobalamin.

Full-chain health impact assessment of traffic-related air pollution and childhood asthma.

PubMed

Khreis, Haneen; de Hoogh, Kees; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2018-05-01

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) may be an important exposure contributing to its development. In the UK, Bradford is a deprived city suffering from childhood asthma rates higher than national and regional averages and TRAP is of particular concern to the local communities. We estimated the burden of childhood asthma attributable to air pollution and specifically TRAP in Bradford. Air pollution exposures were estimated using a newly developed full-chain exposure assessment model and an existing land-use regression model (LUR). We estimated childhood population exposure to NO x and, by conversion, NO 2 at the smallest census area level using a newly developed full-chain model knitting together distinct traffic (SATURN), vehicle emission (COPERT) and atmospheric dispersion (ADMS-Urban) models. We compared these estimates with measurements and estimates from ESCAPE's LUR model. Using the UK incidence rate for childhood asthma, meta-analytical exposure-response functions, and estimates from the two exposure models, we estimated annual number of asthma cases attributable to NO 2 and NO x in Bradford, and annual number of asthma cases specifically attributable to traffic. The annual average census tract levels of NO 2 and NO x estimated using the full-chain model were 15.41 and 25.68 μg/m 3 , respectively. On average, 2.75 μg/m 3 NO 2 and 4.59 μg/m 3 NO x were specifically contributed by traffic, without minor roads and cold starts. The annual average census tract levels of NO 2 and NO x estimated using the LUR model were 21.93 and 35.60 μg/m 3 , respectively. The results indicated that up to 687 (or 38% of all) annual childhood asthma cases in Bradford may be attributable to air pollution. Up to 109 cases (6%) and 219 cases (12%) may be specifically attributable to TRAP, with and without minor roads and cold starts, respectively. This is the first study undertaking full-chain health impact assessment of TRAP and childhood asthma in a disadvantaged population with public concern about TRAP. It further adds to scarce literature exploring the impact of different exposure assessments. In conservative estimates, air pollution and TRAP are estimated to cause a large, but largely preventable, childhood asthma burden. Future progress with childhood asthma requires a move beyond the prevalent disease control-based approach toward asthma prevention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-term seaward fish migration in the Messolonghi Etoliko lagoons (Western Greek coast) in relation to climatic variables and the lunar cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katselis, George; Koukou, Katerina; Dimitriou, Evagelos; Koutsikopoulos, Constantin

2007-07-01

In the present study we analysed the daily seaward migratory behaviour of four dominant euryhaline fish species (Mugilidae: Liza saliens, Liza aurata, Mugil cephalus and Sparidae: Sparus aurata) in the Messolonghi Etoliko lagoon system (Western Greek coast) based on the daily landings' time series of barrier traps and assessed the relationship between their migratory behaviour and various climatic variables (air temperature and atmospheric pressure) and the lunar cycle. A 2-year time series of daily fish landings (1993 and 1994), a long time series of daily air temperature and daily temperature range (1991 1998) as well as a 4-year time series of the daily atmospheric pressure (1994 1997) and daily pressure range were used. Harmonic models (HM) consisting of annual and lunar cycle harmonic components explained most (R2 > 0.80) of the mean daily species landings and temperature variations, while a rather low part of the variation (0.18 < R2 < 0.27) was explained for pressure, daily pressure range and daily temperature range. In all the time series sets the amplitude of the annual component was highest. The model values of all species revealed two important migration periods (summer and winter) corresponding to the spawning and refuge migrations. The lunar cycle effect on species' daily migration rates and the short-term fluctuation of daily migration rates were rather low. However, the short-term fluctuation of some species' daily migration rates during winter was greater than during summer. In all species, the main migration was the spawning migration. The model lunar components of the species landings showed a monthly oscillation synchronous to the full moon (S. aurata and M. cephalus) or a semi-monthly oscillation synchronous to the new and full moon (L. aurata and L. saliens). Bispectral analysis of the model values and the model residuals' time series revealed that the species daily migration were correlated (coherencies > 0.6) to the daily fluctuations of the climatic variables at seasonal, mid and short-term scales.

Effects of surface and interface traps on exciton and multi-exciton dynamics in core/shell quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozio, Renato; Righetto, Marcello; Minotto, Alessandro

2017-08-01

Exciton interactions and dynamics are the most important factors determining the exceptional photophysical properties of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). In particular, best performances have been obtained for ingeniously engineered core/shell QDs. We have studied two factors entering in the exciton decay dynamics with adverse effects for the luminescence efficiency: exciton trapping at surface and interface traps, and non-radiative Auger recombination in QDs carrying either net charges or multiple excitons. In this work, we present a detailed study into the optical absorption, fluorescence dynamics and quantum yield, as well as ultrafast transient absorption properties of CdSe/CdS, CdSe/Cd0.5Zn0.5S, and CdSe/ZnS QDs as a function of shell thickness. It turns out that de-trapping processes play a pivotal role in determining steady state emission properties. By studying the excitation dependent photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) in different CdSe/CdxZn1-xS (x = 0, 0.5, 1) QDs, we demonstrate the different role played by hot and cold carrier trapping rates in determining fluorescence quantum yields. Finally, the use of global analysis allows us untangling the complex ultrafast transient absorption signals. Smoothing of interface potential, together with effective surface passivation, appear to be crucial factors in slowing down both Auger-based and exciton trapping recombination processes.

Carbonate in Comets: A Comparison of Comets 1P/Halley, 9P/Temple 1, and 81P/Wild 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn, G. J.; Leroux, H.; Tomeoka, K.; Tomioka, N.; Ohnishi, I.; Mikouchi, T.; Wirick, S.; Keller, L. P.; Jacobsen, C.; Sanford, S. A.

2008-01-01

Comets are generally believed to have formed in a cold region, trapping in the cometary ices the original low-temperature condensate grains of our Solar System. These grains would have been preserved in cold-storage, at a temperature below the freezing point of CO2, for the last 4.5+ billion years. Carbonates are common in hydrous meteorites and hydrous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), where they are believed to have formed by parent-body aqueous processing. Since simple models of cometary evolution involve no aqueous processing, carbonates were generally presumed not to occur in comets. However, Toppani et al. [1] have performed experiments that indicate carbonate can be formed by non-equilibrium condensation in circumstellar environments where water is present as a vapor, not as a liquid. This suggests carbonate might have condensed in cold regions of the Solar Nebula, and might be present in comets.

Spectroscopy, Manipulation and Trapping of Neutral Atoms, Molecules, and Other Particles Using Optical Nanofibers: A Review

PubMed Central

Morrissey, Michael J.; Deasy, Kieran; Frawley, Mary; Kumar, Ravi; Prel, Eugen; Russell, Laura; Truong, Viet Giang; Chormaic, Síle Nic

2013-01-01

The use of tapered optical fibers, i.e., optical nanofibers, for spectroscopy and the detection of small numbers of particles, such as neutral atoms or molecules, has been gaining interest in recent years. In this review, we briefly introduce the optical nanofiber, its fabrication, and optical mode propagation within. We discuss recent progress on the integration of optical nanofibers into laser-cooled atom and vapor systems, paying particular attention to spectroscopy, cold atom cloud characterization, and optical trapping schemes. Next, a natural extension of this work to molecules is introduced. Finally, we consider several alternatives to optical nanofibers that display some advantages for specific applications. PMID:23945738

Dynamics of entanglement entropy of interacting fermions in a 1D driven harmonic trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenney, Joshua R.; Porter, William J.; Drut, Joaquín E.

2018-03-01

Following up on a recent analysis of two cold atoms in a time-dependent harmonic trap in one dimension, we explore the entanglement entropy of two and three fermions in the same situation when driven through a parametric resonance. We find that the presence of such a resonance in the two-particle system leaves a clear imprint on the entanglement entropy. We show how the signal is modified by attractive and repulsive contact interactions, and how it remains present for the three-particle system. Additionaly, we extend the work of recent experiments to demonstrate how restricting observation to a limited subsystem gives rise to locally thermal behavior.

Measurement of vacuum pressure with a magneto-optical trap: A pressure-rise method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Rowan W. G.; Lee, Lucie A.; Findlay, Elizabeth A.

2015-09-15

The lifetime of an atom trap is often limited by the presence of residual background gases in the vacuum chamber. This leads to the lifetime being inversely proportional to the pressure. Here, we use this dependence to estimate the pressure and to obtain pressure rate-of-rise curves, which are commonly used in vacuum science to evaluate the performance of a system. We observe different rates of pressure increase in response to different levels of outgassing in our system. Therefore, we suggest that this is a sensitive method which will find useful applications in cold atom systems, in particular, where the inclusionmore » of a standard vacuum gauge is impractical.« less

‘Fuji’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh) volatile production during high pCO2 controlled atmosphere storage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

‘Fuji’apple [Malus sylvestris var. domestica (Borkh.) Mansf.] volatile compound dynamics were characterized during cold storage in air or at low pO2 controlled atmosphere (CA) with up to 5 kPa CO2. Volatile compounds in storage chambers were adsorbed onto solid sorbent traps and analyzed by GC-MS....

Disordered Quantum Gases and Spin-Dependent Lattices

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-07

regarding the role of disorder in many-particle quantum systems, such as superconductors and electronic solids. These issues are of great technological...REPORT Disordered Quantum Gases and Spin-Dependent Lattices 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: This grant supported the first realization of...the disordered Bose-Hubbard models using ultra-cold atoms trapped in a disordered optical lattice. Several critical questions regarding this crucial

Cold-blooded vertebrates at the proposed Reference Repository Location in southeastern Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fitzner, R.E.

1988-01-01

The information in this interim report will be used to design future environmental monitoring plans and assess impacts related to Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) activities. New reports will be issued as more data become available. Five study locations were established to study cold-blooded vertebrates in the vicinity of the proposed Reference Repository Location. Four study sites were in shrub-dominated stands of vegetation; the other site was devoid of shrubs because of a range fire in 1984. The side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), trapped in four of the five plots, was the only lizard species captured. It was not trapped inmore » the one plot dominated by spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa) shrubs. It is uncertain whether the side-blotched lizard is absent from this particular vegetation type, or if the population is too low to have been detected in the relatively short time span of the investigation. Two species of snakes were captured, gopher snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) and green racers (Coluber constrictor mormon). The number of snakes captured was too small to detect any distributional pattern in space or time. Studies are continuing. 4 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Hong-Ou-Mandel Interference Between Triggered And Heralded Single Photons From Separate Atomic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cere, Alessandro; Leong, Victor; Kaur Gulati, Gurpreet; Srivathsan, Bharath; Kosen, Sandoko; Kurtsiefer, Christian

2015-05-01

The realization of quantum networks and long distance quantum communication rely on the capability of generating entanglement between separated nodes. We demonstrate the compatibility of two different sources of single photons: a single atom and four-wave mixing in a cold cloud of atoms. The four-wave mixing process in a cloud of cold 87Rb generates photon pairs. The cascade level scheme used ensures the generation of heralded single photons with exponentially decaying temporal envelope. The temporal shape of the heralding photons matches the shape of photons emitted by spontaneous decay but for the shorter coherence time A single 87Rb atom is trapped in an far-off-resonance optical dipole trap and can be excited with high probability using a short (~3 ns) intense pulse of resonant light, emitting a single photon by spontaneous decay. A large numerical aperture lens collects ~4% of the total fluorescence. The heralded and the triggered photons are launched into a Houng-Ou-Mandel interferometer: a symmetrical beam-splitter with outputs connected to single photon detectors. Scanning the relative delay between the two sources we observe the HOM dip with a maximum visibility of 70 +/-4%.

Antihydrogen Trapped in the ALPHA Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowe, Paul David

2011-02-25

In 2010 the ALPHA collaboration succeeded in trapping antihydrogen atoms for the first time.[i] Stored antihydrogen promises to be a unique tool for making high precision measurements of the structure of this first anti-atom. Achieving this milestone presented several substantial experimental challenges and this talk will describe how they were overcome. The unique design features of the ALPHA apparatus will be explained. These allow a high intensity positron source and an antiproton imaging detector similar to the one used in the ATHENA[iii] experiment to be combined with an innovative magnet design of the anti-atom trap. This seeks to minimise themore » perturbations to trapped charged particles which may cause particle loss and heating[iv]. The diagnostic techniques used to measure the diameter, number, density, and temperatures of both plasmas will be presented as will the methods developed to actively compress and cool of both plasma species to sizes and temperatures [v],[vi], [vii] where trapping attempts with a reasonable chance of success can be tried. The results of the successful trapping experiments will be outlined as well as some subsequent experiments to improve the trapping rate and storage time. [i] 'Trapped antihydrogen' G.B. Andresen et al., Nature 468, 673 (2010) [ii]'A Magnetic Trap for Antihydrogen Confinement' W. Bertsche et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A566, 746 (2006) [iii] Production and detection of cold antihydrogen atoms M.Amoretti et al., Nature 419, 456 (2002). [iv]' Antihydrogen formation dynamics in a multipolar neutral anti-atom trap' G.B. Andresen et al., Phys. Lett. B 685, 141 (2010) [v]' Evaporative Cooling of Antiprotons to Cryogenic Temperatures', G.B. Andresen et al. Phys. Rev. Lett 105, 013003 (2010) [vi]'Compression of Antiproton Clouds for Antihydrogen Trapping' G. B. Andresen et al. Phys. Rev. Lett 100, 203401 (2008) [vii] 'Autoresonant Excitation of Antiproton Plasmas' G.B. Andresen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 025002 (2011)« less

Antihydrogen Trapped in the ALPHA Experiment

ScienceCinema

Bowe, Paul David

2017-12-18

In 2010 the ALPHA collaboration succeeded in trapping antihydrogen atoms for the first time.[i] Stored antihydrogen promises to be a unique tool for making high precision measurements of the structure of this first anti-atom. Achieving this milestone presented several substantial experimental challenges and this talk will describe how they were overcome. The unique design features of the ALPHA apparatus will be explained. These allow a high intensity positron source and an antiproton imaging detector similar to the one used in the ATHENA[iii] experiment to be combined with an innovative magnet design of the anti-atom trap. This seeks to minimise the perturbations to trapped charged particles which may cause particle loss and heating[iv]. The diagnostic techniques used to measure the diameter, number, density, and temperatures of both plasmas will be presented as will the methods developed to actively compress and cool of both plasma species to sizes and temperatures [v],[vi], [vii] where trapping attempts with a reasonable chance of success can be tried. The results of the successful trapping experiments will be outlined as well as some subsequent experiments to improve the trapping rate and storage time. [i] 'Trapped antihydrogen' G.B. Andresen et al., Nature 468, 673 (2010) [ii]'A Magnetic Trap for Antihydrogen Confinement' W. Bertsche et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A566, 746 (2006) [iii] Production and detection of cold antihydrogen atoms M.Amoretti et al., Nature 419, 456 (2002). [iv]' Antihydrogen formation dynamics in a multipolar neutral anti-atom trap' G.B. Andresen et al., Phys. Lett. B 685, 141 (2010) [v]' Evaporative Cooling of Antiprotons to Cryogenic Temperatures', G.B. Andresen et al. Phys. Rev. Lett 105, 013003 (2010) [vi]'Compression of Antiproton Clouds for Antihydrogen Trapping' G. B. Andresen et al. Phys. Rev. Lett 100, 203401 (2008) [vii] 'Autoresonant Excitation of Antiproton Plasmas' G.B. Andresen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 025002 (2011)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Natesan, K.; Momozaki, Y.; Li, M.

This report gives a description of the activities in design, fabrication, construction, and assembling of a pumped sodium loop for the sodium compatibility studies on advanced structural materials. The work is the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) portion of the effort on the work project entitled, 'Sodium Compatibility of Advanced Fast Reactor Materials,' and is a part of Advanced Materials Development within the Reactor Campaign. The objective of this project is to develop information on sodium corrosion compatibility of advanced materials being considered for sodium reactor applications. This report gives the status of the sodium pumped loop at Argonne National Laboratory,more » the specimen details, and the technical approach to evaluate the sodium compatibility of advanced structural alloys. This report is a deliverable from ANL in FY2010 (M2GAN10SF050302) under the work package G-AN10SF0503 'Sodium Compatibility of Advanced Fast Reactor Materials.' Two reports were issued in 2009 (Natesan and Meimei Li 2009, Natesan et al. 2009) which examined the thermodynamic and kinetic factors involved in the purity of liquid sodium coolant for sodium reactor applications as well as the design specifications for the ANL pumped loop for testing advanced structural materials. Available information was presented on solubility of several metallic and nonmetallic elements along with a discussion of the possible mechanisms for the accumulation of impurities in sodium. That report concluded that the solubility of many metals in sodium is low (<1 part per million) in the temperature range of interest in sodium reactors and such trace amounts would not impact the mechanical integrity of structural materials and components. The earlier report also analyzed the solubility and transport mechanisms of nonmetallic elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen in laboratory sodium loops and in reactor systems such as Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, Fast Flux Test Facility, and Clinch River Breeder Reactor. Among the nonmetallic elements discussed, oxygen is deemed controllable and its concentration in sodium can be maintained in sodium for long reactor life by using cold-trap method. It was concluded that among the cold-trap and getter-trap methods, the use of cold trap is sufficient to achieve oxygen concentration of the order of 1 part per million. Under these oxygen conditions in sodium, the corrosion performance of structural materials such as austenitic stainless steels and ferritic steels will be acceptable at a maximum core outlet sodium temperature of {approx}550 C. In the current sodium compatibility studies, the oxygen concentration in sodium will be controlled and maintained at {approx}1 ppm by controlling the cold trap temperature. The oxygen concentration in sodium in the forced convection sodium loop will be controlled and monitored by maintaining the cold trap temperature in the range of 120-150 C, which would result in oxygen concentration in the range of 1-2 ppm. Uniaxial tensile specimens are being exposed to flowing sodium and will be retrieved and analyzed for corrosion and post-exposure tensile properties. Advanced materials for sodium exposure include austenitic alloy HT-UPS and ferritic-martensitic steels modified 9Cr-1Mo and NF616. Among the nonmetallic elements in sodium, carbon was assessed to have the most influence on structural materials since carbon, as an impurity, is not amenable to control and maintenance by any of the simple purification methods. The dynamic equilibrium value for carbon in sodium systems is dependent on several factors, details of which were discussed in the earlier report. The current sodium compatibility studies will examine the role of carbon concentration in sodium on the carburization-decarburization of advanced structural materials at temperatures up to 650 C. Carbon will be added to the sodium by exposure of carbon-filled iron tubes, which over time will enable carbon to diffuse through iron and dissolve into sodium. The method enables addition of dissolved carbon (without carbon particulates) in sodium that is of interest for materials compatibility evaluation. The removal of carbon from the sodium will be accomplished by exposing carbon-gettering alloys such as refractory metals that have a high partitioning coefficient for carbon and also precipitate carbides, thereby decreasing the carbon concentration in sodium.« less

Plenoptic Imaging of a Three Dimensional Cold Atom Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lott, Gordon

2017-04-01

A plenoptic imaging system is capable of sampling the rays of light in a volume, both spatially and angularly, providing information about the three dimensional (3D) volume being imaged. The extraction of the 3D structure of a cold atom cloud is demonstrated, using a single plenoptic camera and a single image. The reconstruction is tested against a reference image and the results discussed along with the capabilities and limitations of the imaging system. This capability is useful when the 3D distribution of the atoms is desired, such as determining the shape of an atom trap, particularly when there is limited optical access. Gratefully acknowledge support from AFRL.

Higher order microfibre modes for dielectric particle trapping and propulsion

PubMed Central

Maimaiti, Aili; Truong, Viet Giang; Sergides, Marios; Gusachenko, Ivan; Nic Chormaic, Síle

2015-01-01

Optical manipulation in the vicinity of optical micro- and nanofibres has shown potential across several fields in recent years, including microparticle control, and cold atom probing and trapping. To date, most work has focussed on the propagation of the fundamental mode through the fibre. However, along the maximum mode intensity axis, higher order modes have a longer evanescent field extension and larger field amplitude at the fibre waist compared to the fundamental mode, opening up new possibilities for optical manipulation and particle trapping. We demonstrate a microfibre/optical tweezers compact system for trapping and propelling dielectric particles based on the excitation of the first group of higher order modes at the fibre waist. Speed enhancement of polystyrene particle propulsion was observed for the higher order modes compared to the fundamental mode for particles ranging from 1 μm to 5 μm in diameter. The optical propelling velocity of a single, 3 μm polystyrene particle was found to be 8 times faster under the higher order mode than the fundamental mode field for a waist power of 25 mW. Experimental data are supported by theoretical calculations. This work can be extended to trapping and manipulation of laser-cooled atoms with potential for quantum networks. PMID:25766925

A Parametric Sizing Model for Molten Regolith Electrolysis Reactors to Produce Oxygen from Lunar Regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schreiner, Samuel S.; Dominguez, Jesus A.; Sibille, Laurent; Hoffman, Jeffrey A.

2015-01-01

We present a parametric sizing model for a Molten Electrolysis Reactor that produces oxygen and molten metals from lunar regolith. The model has a foundation of regolith material properties validated using data from Apollo samples and simulants. A multiphysics simulation of an MRE reactor is developed and leveraged to generate a vast database of reactor performance and design trends. A novel design methodology is created which utilizes this database to parametrically design an MRE reactor that 1) can sustain the required mass of molten regolith, current, and operating temperature to meet the desired oxygen production level, 2) can operate for long durations via joule heated, cold wall operation in which molten regolith does not touch the reactor side walls, 3) can support a range of electrode separations to enable operational flexibility. Mass, power, and performance estimates for an MRE reactor are presented for a range of oxygen production levels. The effects of several design variables are explored, including operating temperature, regolith type/composition, batch time, and the degree of operational flexibility.

Enhancement of the electrical characteristics of metal-free phthalocyanine films using cold isostatic pressing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsushima, Toshinori, E-mail: tmatusim@opera.kyushu-u.ac.jp, E-mail: adachi@cstf.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Adachi, Chihaya, E-mail: tmatusim@opera.kyushu-u.ac.jp, E-mail: adachi@cstf.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Japan Science and Technology Agency

2014-12-15

Spatial gaps between grains and other grains, substrates, or electrodes in organic electronic devices are one of the causes of the reduction in the electrical characteristics. In this study, we demonstrate that cold isostatic pressing (CIP) is an effective method to crush the gaps and enhance the electrical characteristics. CIP of metal-free phthalocyanine (H{sub 2}PC) films induced a decrease in the film thickness by 34%–40% because of the gap crush. The connection of smaller grains into a larger grain and planarization of the film surface were also observed in the CIP film. The crystal axes of the H{sub 2}PC crystallitesmore » were rearranged from the a-axis to the c-axis of the α-phase crystal structure in a direction perpendicular to the substrate by CIP, indicating favorable hole injection and transport in this direction because of a better overlap of π orbitals. Thermally stimulated current measurements showed that deep hole traps disappeared and the total hole-trap density decreased after CIP. These CIP-induced changes of the film thicknesses, crystal axes and the hole traps lead to a marked increase in the hole mobility of the H{sub 2}PC films from 2.0 × 10{sup −7} to 4.0 × 10{sup −4} cm{sup 2}/V s by 2000 times in the perpendicular direction. We believe that these findings are important for unveiling the underlying carrier injection and transport mechanisms of organic films and for enhancing the performance of future organic electronic devices.« less

Planetary Geophysics and Tectonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parmentier, E. M.

1997-01-01

Research supported by grant NAGW-1928 has addressed a variety of problems related to planetary evolution. One important focus has been on questions related to the role of chemical buoyancy in planetary evolution with application to both Venus and the Moon. We have developed a model for the evolution of the Moon (Hess and Parmentier, 1995) in which dense, highly radioactive, late stage magma ocean cumulates sink forming a core. This core heats the overlying, chemically layered mantle giving rise to a heated, chemically well-mixed layer that thickens with time. This Mixed layer eventually becomes hot enough and thick enough that its top begins to melt at a pressure low enough that melt is buoyant, thus creating mare basalts from a high pressure source of the correct composition and at an appropriate time in lunar evolution. In work completed during the last year, numerical experiments on convection in a chemically stably stratified fluid layer heated from below have been completed. These results show us how to calculate the evolution of a mixed layer in the Moon, depending on the heat production in the ilmenite- cumulate core and the chemical stratification of the overlying mantle. Chemical stratification of the mantle after its initial differentiation is would trap heat in the deep interior and prevent the rapid rise of plumes with accompanying volcanism. This trapping of heat in the interior can explain the thickness of the lunar lithosphere as a function of time as well as the magmatic evolution. We show that heat transported to the base of the lithosphere at a rate determined by current estimates of radioactivity in the Moon would not satisfy constraints on elastic lithosphere thickness from tectonic feature associated with basin loading. Trapping heat at depth by a chemically stratified mantle may also explain the absence of global compressional features on the surface that previous models predict for an initially hot lunar interior. For Venus, we developed a model in which the chemical buoyancy of crust and a depleted mantle layer stabilizes the lithosphere for long periods of time and provides a mechanism of episodic planetary evolution (Parmentier and Hess, 1992). Continued thickening of a residual depleted mantle layer eventually suppresses pressure release melting and the creation of depleted mantle. Continued cooling then allows the lithosphere to become heavier than the underlying hotter, undepleted mantle. This repeated instability can occur on time scales appropriate for episodic global resurfacing on Venus. We have also examined the role of the gabbro-eclogite phase transformation on crust and lithosphere stability and as a mechanism of crustal recycling in the absence of plate tectonics. Our work thus far concentrates on the scale of instability that would occur due to cooling or crustal thickening associated with horizontal shortening. Whether repeated overturn can explain the evolution of Venus depends in part on whether sufficient heat transfer can occur between overturns and on constraints provided by understanding observed surface features and evolution.

Direct evidence of three-body interactions in a cold {sup 85}Rb Rydberg gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han Jianing

2010-11-15

Cold Rydberg atoms trapped in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are not isolated and they interact through dipole-dipole and multipole-multipole interactions. First-order dipole-dipole interactions and van der Waals interactions between two atoms have been intensively studied. However, the facts that the first-order dipole-dipole interactions and van der Waals interactions show the same size of broadening [A. Reinhard, K. C. Younge, T. C. Liebisch, B. Knuffman, P. R. Berman, and G. Raithel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 233201 (2008)] and there are transitions between two dimer states [S. M. Farooqi, D. Tong, S. Krishnan, J. Stanojevic, Y. P. Zhang, J. R. Ensher, A.more » S. Estrin, C. Boisseau, R. Cote, E. E. Eyler, and P. L. Gould, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 183002 (2003); K. R. Overstreet, Arne Schwettmann, Jonathan Tallant, and James P. Shaffer, Phys. Rev. A 76, 011403(R) (2007)] cannot be explained by the two-atom picture. The purpose of this article is to show the few-body nature of a dense cold Rydberg gas by studying the molecular-state microwave spectra. Specifically, three-body energy levels have been calculated. Moreover, the transition from three-body energy levels to two-body coupled molecular energy levels and to isolated atomic energy levels as a function of the internuclear spacing is studied. Finally, single-body, two-body, and three-body interaction regions are estimated according to the experimental data. The results reported here provides useful information for plasma formation, further cooling, and superfluid formation.« less

Meteorological Modeling of Wintertime Cold Air Pool Stagnation Episodes in the Uintah and Salt Lake Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosman, E.; Horel, J.; Blaylock, B. K.; Foster, C.

2014-12-01

High wintertime ozone concentrations in rural areas associated with oil and gas development and high particulate concentrations in urban areas have become topics of increasing concern in the Western United States, as both primary and secondary pollutants become trapped within stable wintertime boundary layers. While persistent cold air pools that enable such poor wintertime air quality are typically associated with high pressure aloft and light winds, the complex physical processes that contribute to the formation, maintenance, and decay of persistent wintertime temperature inversions are only partially understood. In addition, obtaining sufficiently accurate numerical weather forecasts and meteorological simulations of cold air pools for input into chemical models remains a challenge. This study examines the meteorological processes associated with several wintertime pollution episodes in Utah's Uintah and Salt Lake Basins using numerical Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations and observations collected from the Persistent Cold Air Pool and Uintah Basin Ozone Studies. The temperature, vertical structure, and winds within these cold air pools was found to vary as a function of snow cover, snow albedo, land use, cloud cover, large-scale synoptic flow, and episode duration. We evaluate the sensitivity of key atmospheric features such as stability, planetary boundary layer depth, local wind flow patterns and transport mechanisms to variations in surface forcing, clouds, and synoptic flow. Finally, noted deficiencies in the meteorological models of cold air pools and modifications to the model snow and microphysics treatment that have resulted in improved cold pool simulations will be presented.

Analysis of a Precambrian Resonance-Stabilized Day Length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartlett, B. C.; Stevenson, D. J.

2014-12-01

Calculations indicate the average rate of decrease of Earth's angular momentum must have been less than its present value in the past; otherwise, the Earth should have a longer day length. Existing stromatolite data suggests the Earth's rotational frequency would have been near that of the atmospheric resonance frequency toward the end of the Precambrian era, approximately 600Ma. The semidiurnal atmospheric tidal torque would have reached a maximum near this day length of 21hr. At this point, the atmospheric torque would have been comparable in magnitude but opposite in direction to the lunar torque, creating a stabilizing effect which could preserve a constant day length while trapped in this resonant state, as suggested by Zahnle and Walker (1987). We examine the hypothesis that this resonant stability was encountered and sustained for a large amount of time during the Precambrian era and was broken by a large and relatively fast increase in global temperature, possibly in the deglaciation period following a snowball event. Computational simulations of this problem were performed, indicating that a persistent increase in temperature larger than around 10K over a period of time less than 107 years will break resonance (though these values vary with Q), but that the resonant stability is not easily broken by random high-amplitude high-frequency atmospheric temperature fluctuation or other forms of thermal noise. Further work also indicates it is possible to escape resonance simply by increasing the lunar tidal torque on the much longer timescale of plate tectonics, particularly for low atmospheric Q-factors, or that resonance could have never formed in the first place, had the lunar torque been very high or Q been very low when the Earth's rotational frequency was near the atmospheric resonance frequency. However, the need to explain the present day length given the current lunar torque favors the interpretation we offer, in which Earth's length of day was stabilized for hundreds of millions of years, escaping this stability in the aftermath of a sudden global temperature change.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: Destruction of Presolar Silicates by Aqueous Alteration Observed in Murchison CM2 Chondrite. Generation of Chondrule Forming Shock Waves in Solar Nebula by X-Ray Flares. TEM and NanoSIMS Study of Hydrated/Anhydrous Phase Mixed IDPs: Cometary or Asteroidal Origin? Inflight Calibration of Asteroid Multiband Imaging Camera Onboard Hayabusa: Preliminary Results. Corundum and Corundum-Hibonite Grains Discovered by Cathodoluminescence in the Matrix of Acfer 094 Meteorite. Spatial Extent of a Deep Moonquake Nest A Preliminary Report of Reexamination. Modal Abundances of Carbon in Ureilites: Implications for the Petrogenesis of Ureilites. Trapped Noble Gas Components and Exposure History of the Enstatite Chondrite ALH84206. Deep-seated Crustal Material in Dhofar Lunar Meteorites: Evidence from Pyroxene Chemistry. Numerical Investigations of Kuiper Belt Binaries. Dust Devils on Mars: Effects of Surface Roughness on Particle Threshold. Hecates Tholus, Mars: Nighttime Aeolian Activity Suggested by Thermal Images and Mesoscale Atmospheric Model Simulations. Are the Apollo 14 High-Al Basalts Really Impact Melts? Garnet in the Lunar Mantle: Further Evidence from Volcanic Glass Beads. The Earth/Mars Dichotomy in Mg/Si and Al/Si Ratios: Is It Real? Dissecting the Polar Asymmetry in the Non-Condensable Gas Enhancement on Mars: A Numerical Modeling Study. Cassini VIMS Preliminary Exploration of Titan s Surface Hemispheric Albedo Dichotomy. An Improved Instrument for Investigating Planetary Regolith Microstructure. Isotopic Composition of Oxygen in Lunar Zircons Preliminary Design of Visualization Tool for Hayabusa Operation. Size and Shape Distributions of Chondrules and Metal Grains Revealed by X-Ray Computed Tomography Data. Properties of Permanently Shadowed Regolith. Landslides in Interior Layered Deposits, Valles Marineris, Mars: Effects of Water and Ground Shaking on Slope Stability. Mars: Recent and Episodic Volcanic, Hydrothermal, and Glacial Activity Revealed by Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). The Cratering Record of the Saturnian Satellites Phoebe, Tethys, Dione and Iapetus in Comparison: First Results from Analysis of the Cassini ISS Imaging Data. Joint Crossover Solutions of Altimetry and Image Data on 433 Eros. The Martian Soil as a Geochemical Sink for.

The Distribution of Ice in Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions: Science Enabling Exploration (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, D.; Elphic, R. C.; Bussey, B.; Hibbitts, C.; Lawrence, D. J.

2013-12-01

Recent prospecting indicates that water ice occurs in enhanced abundances in some lunar PSRs. That water constitutes a resource that enables lunar exploration if it can be harvested for fuel and life support. Future lunar exploration missions will need detailed information about the distribution of volatiles in lunar permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). In addition, the volatiles also offer key insights into the recent and distant past, as they have trapped volatiles delivered to the moon over ~2 Gyr. This comprises an unparalleled reservoir of past inner solar system volatiles, and future scientific missions are needed to make the measurements that will reveal the composition of those volatiles. These scientific missions will necessarily have to acquire and analyze samples of volatiles from the PSRs. For both exploration and scientific purposes, the precise location of volatiles will need to be known. However, data indicate that ice is distributed heterogeneously on the Moon. It is unlikely that the distribution will be known a priori with enough spatial resolution to guarantee access to volatiles using a single point sample. Some mechanism for laterally or vertically distributed access will increase the likelihood of acquiring a rich sample of volatiles. Trade studies will need to be conducted to anticipate the necessary range and duration of missions to lunar PSRs that will be needed to accomplish the mission objectives. We examine the spatial distribution of volatiles in lunar PSRs reported from data analyses and couple those with models of smaller scale processes. FUV and laser data from PSRs that indicate the average surface distribution is consistent with low abundances on the extreme surface in most PSRs. Neutron and radar data that probe the distribution at depth show heterogeneity at broad spatial resolution. We consider those data in conjunction with the model to understand the full, 3-D nature of the heterogeneity. A Monte Carlo technique simulates the stochastic process of impact gardening on a putative ice deposit. The model uses the crater production function as a basis for generating a random selection of impact craters over time. Impacts are implemented by modifying the topography, volatile content, and depth distribution in the simulation volume on a case by case basis. This technique will never be able to reproduce the exact impact history of a particular area. But by conducting multiple runs with the same initial conditions and a different seed to the random number generator, we are able to calculate the probability of situations occurring. Further, by repeating the simulations with varied initial conditions, we calculate the dependence of the expectation values on the inputs. We present findings regarding the heterogeneity of volatiles in PSRs as a function of age, initial ice thickness, and contributions from steady sources.

System of extraction of volatiles from soil using microwave processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ethridge, Edwin C. (Inventor); Kaukler, William F. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A device for the extraction and collection of volatiles from soil or planetary regolith. The device utilizes core drilled holes to gain access to underlying volatiles below the surface. Microwave energy beamed into the holes penetrates through the soil or regolith to heat it, and thereby produces vapor by sublimation. The device confines and transports volatiles to a cold trap for collection.

Nonlinear Dust Acoustic Waves in a Magnetized Dusty Plasma with Trapped and Superthermal Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadi, Abrishami S.; Nouri, Kadijani M.

2014-06-01

In this work, the effects of superthermal and trapped electrons on the oblique propagation of nonlinear dust-acoustic waves in a magnetized dusty (complex) plasma are investigated. The dynamic of electrons is simulated by the generalized Lorentzian (κ) distribution function (DF). The dust grains are cold and their dynamics are simulated by hydrodynamic equations. Using the standard reductive perturbation technique (RPT) a nonlinear modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation is derived. Two types of solitary waves; fast and slow dust acoustic solitons, exist in this plasma. Calculations reveal that compressive solitary structures are likely to propagate in this plasma where dust grains are negatively (or positively) charged. The properties of dust acoustic solitons (DASs) are also investigated numerically.

Ramsey scheme for coherent population resonance detection in the optically dense medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barantsev, Konstantin; Litvinov, Andrey; Popov, Evgeniy

2018-04-01

This work is devoted to a theoretical investigation of the Ramsey method of detection of the coherent population trapping resonance in cold atomic clouds taking into account collective effects caused by finite optical depth of the considered clouds. The interaction of atoms with pulsed laser radiation is described in the formalism of density matrix by means of Maxwell-Bloch set of equations. The Ramsey signal of coherent population trapping resonance was calculated for the radiation passed through the medium and analyzed for different length of the atomic cloud. Also the population of excited level was calculated in dependence on the two-photon detuning and coordinate along the main optical axis. The light shift of sidebands and appearance of additional harmonics were discovered.

Identification of the fragment of the 1-methylpyrene cation by mid-IR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jusko, Pavol; Simon, Aude; Wenzel, Gabi; Brünken, Sandra; Schlemmer, Stephan; Joblin, Christine

2018-04-01

The fragment of the 1-methylpyrene cation, 17C 11H+, is expected to exist in two isomeric forms, 1-pyrenemethylium PyrCH2+ and the tropylium containing species PyrC7+. We measured the infrared (IR) action spectrum of cold 17C 11H+ tagged with Ne using a cryogenic ion trap instrument coupled to the FELIX laser. Comparison of the experimental data with density functional theory calculations allows us to identify the PyrCH2+ isomer in our experiments. The IR Multi-Photon Dissociation spectrum was also recorded following the C2H2 loss channel. Its analysis suggests combined effects of anharmonicity and isomerisation while heating the trapped ions, as shown by molecular dynamics simulations.

Helium self-trapping and diffusion behaviors in deformed 316L stainless steel exposed to high flux and low energy helium plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Yihao; Jin, Shuoxue; Zhu, Te; Cheng, Long; Cao, Xingzhong; You, Li; Lu, Guanghong; Guo, Liping; Wang, Baoyi

2018-04-01

A large number of dislocation networks were introduced in to 316L stainless steel by cold rolling. Subsequently, low energy (40 eV) helium ions were implanted by exposing the steel to helium plasma. Thermal desorption and positron annihilation spectroscopy were used to study the behavior of helium in the presence of dislocations, with emphasis on helium self-trapping and migration behaviors. Helium desorption behaviour from different helium trapping states was measured by the thermal desorption spectroscopy. Most of the helium desorbed from the He m V n clusters, and the corresponding desorption peak is located at ~650 K. The desorption peak from helium-dislocation clusters (He m D) is at approximately 805 K. The effect of annealing on the defect evolution was investigated by positron annihilation spectroscopy. For the specimen exposed to helium plasma without displacement damage, the increment of S parameter meant the existence of helium self-trapping behavior (He m V n ). Helium atoms could diffuse two to three orders of magnitude deeper than the implantation depth calculated by SRIM. The diffusing helium atoms were gradually trapped by dislocation lines and formed He m D. Elevated temperatures enhance the self-trapping behavior and cause helium atoms to dissociate/desorb from the He m V n clusters, increasing the S parameters at 473-673 K. The gradual recovery of vacancies in the He m V n clusters decreased the S parameter above 673 K.

Localization of intense electromagnetic waves in plasmas.

PubMed

Shukla, Padma Kant; Eliasson, Bengt

2008-05-28

We present theoretical and numerical studies of the interaction between relativistically intense laser light and a two-temperature plasma consisting of one relativistically hot and one cold component of electrons. Such plasmas are frequently encountered in intense laser-plasma experiments where collisionless heating via Raman instabilities leads to a high-energetic tail in the electron distribution function. The electromagnetic waves (EMWs) are governed by the Maxwell equations, and the plasma is governed by the relativistic Vlasov and hydrodynamic equations. Owing to the interaction between the laser light and the plasma, we can have trapping of electrons in the intense wakefield of the laser pulse and the formation of relativistic electron holes (REHs) in which laser light is trapped. Such electron holes are characterized by a non-Maxwellian distribution of electrons where we have trapped and free electron populations. We present a model for the interaction between laser light and REHs, and computer simulations that show the stability and dynamics of the coupled electron hole and EMW envelopes.

Progress toward studies of bubble-geometry Bose-Einstein condensates in microgravity with a ground-based prototype of NASA CAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundblad, Nathan; Jarvis, Thomas; Paseltiner, Daniel; Lannert, Courtney

2016-05-01

We have proposed using NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL, launching to the International Space Station in 2017) to generate bubble-geometry Bose-Einstein condensates through radiofrequency dressing of an atom-chip magnetic trap. This geometry has not been truly realized terrestrially due to the perturbing influence of gravity, making it an ideal candidate for microgravity investigation aboard CAL. We report progress in the construction of a functional prototype of the orbital BEC apparatus: a compact atom-chip machine loaded by a 2D+MOT source, conventional 3D MOT, quadrupole trap, and transfer coil. We also present preliminary modeling of the dressed trap uniformity, which will crucially inform the geometric closure of the BEC shell surface as atom number, bubble radius, and bubble aspect ratio are varied. Finally, we discuss plans for experimental sequences to be run aboard CAL guided by intuition from ground-based prototype operation. JPL 1502172.

Effect of Coulomb interaction on time of flight of cold antiprotons launched from an ion trap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Camp, J. B.; Witteborn, F. C.

1993-01-01

Time-of-flight spectra for Maxwell-Boltzman (MB) distributions of antiprotons initially held in an ion trap and detected after being launched through a 50-cm-long shielding drift tube have been calculated. The distributions used are of temperature 0.4-40 K, cubic length 0.003-3.0 cm, and number 10-100 particles. The mutual Coulomb repulsion of the particles causes a reduction in the number of late arrival particles expected from the MB velocity distribution. The Coulomb energy is not equally divided among the particles during the expansion. The energy is transferred preferentially to the outer particles so that the reduction in the number of slow particles is not necessarily large. The reduction factor is found to be greater than unity when the potential energy of the trapped ions is greater than about 5 percent of the ions' kinetic energy and is about 2 for the launch parameters of the Los Alamos antiproton gravity experiment.

Calorimetric Low-Temperature Detectors for X-Ray Spectroscopy on Trapped Highly-Charged Heavy Ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kilbourne, Caroline; Kraft-Bermuth, S.; Andrianov, V.; Bleile, A.; Echler, A.; Egelhof, P.; Ilieva, S.; Kilbourne, C.; McCammon, D.

2012-01-01

The application of Calorimetric Low-Temperature Detectors (CLTDs) has been proposed at the Heavy-Ion TRAP facility HITRAP which is currently being installed at the Helmholtz Research Center for Heavy Ion Research GSI. This cold ion trap setup will allow the investigation of X-rays from ions practically at rest, for which the excellent energy resolution of CLTDs can be used to its full advantage. However, the relatively low intensities at HITRAP demand larger solid angles and an optimized cryogenic setup. The influence of external magnetic fields has to be taken into account. CLTDs will also be a substantial part of the instrumental equipment at the future Facility for Antiproton and Heavy Ion Research (FAIR), for which a wide variety of high-precision X-ray spectroscopy experiments has been proposed. This contribution will give an overview on the chances and challenges for the application of CLTDs at HITRAP as well as perspectives for future experiments at the FAIR facility.

Effects of magnetization on fusion product trapping and secondary neutron spectraa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, P. F.; Schmit, P. F.; Hansen, S. B.; Gomez, M. R.; Hahn, K. D.; Sinars, D. B.; Peterson, K. J.; Slutz, S. A.; Sefkow, A. B.; Awe, T. J.; Harding, E.; Jennings, C. A.; Desjarlais, M. P.; Chandler, G. A.; Cooper, G. W.; Cuneo, M. E.; Geissel, M.; Harvey-Thompson, A. J.; Porter, J. L.; Rochau, G. A.; Rovang, D. C.; Ruiz, C. L.; Savage, M. E.; Smith, I. C.; Stygar, W. A.; Herrmann, M. C.

2015-05-01

By magnetizing the fusion fuel in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) systems, the required stagnation pressure and density can be relaxed dramatically. This happens because the magnetic field insulates the hot fuel from the cold pusher and traps the charged fusion burn products. This trapping allows the burn products to deposit their energy in the fuel, facilitating plasma self-heating. Here, we report on a comprehensive theory of this trapping in a cylindrical DD plasma magnetized with a purely axial magnetic field. Using this theory, we are able to show that the secondary fusion reactions can be used to infer the magnetic field-radius product, BR, during fusion burn. This parameter, not ρR, is the primary confinement parameter in magnetized ICF. Using this method, we analyze data from recent Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments conducted on the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories. We show that in these experiments BR ≈ 0.34(+0.14/-0.06) MG . cm, a ˜ 14× increase in BR from the initial value, and confirming that the DD-fusion tritons are magnetized at stagnation. This is the first experimental verification of charged burn product magnetization facilitated by compression of an initial seed magnetic flux.

Short Range Photoassociation of Rb2 by a high power fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passagem, Henry; Rodriguez, Ricardo; Ventura, Paulo; Bouloufa, Nadia; Dulieu, Olivier; Marcassa, Luis

2016-05-01

Photoassociation has been studied using cold trapped atomic samples for the last 20 years. Due to poor Franck-Condon overlap, a free-to-bound transition followed by spontaneous decay results in a small production of electronic ground state molecules. If the photoassociation is done at short range, deeply bound ground state molecules can be formed. Optical pumping schemes can be used to populate a single state. In our experiment, we have performed trap loss spectroscopy on trapped 85 Rb atoms in a MOT using a high power fiber laser. Our single mode fiber laser (linewidth < 1 MHz) produces about 50 W, which can be tuned in the 1060-1070 nm range. Two vibrational bound states of the 0u+ potential were observed (ν = 137 and 138). The frequency positions as well as the rotational constants of these states are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We have also measured the lifetime of a crossed optical dipole trap using such fiber laser. The lifetime on resonance is shorter than off resonance as expected. A simple theoretical model indicates that the molecules decay to deeply bound vibrational levels in the ground state. This work was supported by Fapesp and INCT-IQ.

Perturbative transport modeling and comparison to cold-pulse and heat-pulse propagation experiments in Alcator C-Mod and DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Fernandez, P.; White, A. E.; Cao, N. M.; Creely, A. J.; Greenwald, M. J.; Howard, N. T.; Hubbard, A. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Irby, J. H.; Petty, C. C.; Rice, J. E.; Alcator C-Mod Team

2016-10-01

Possible ``non-local'' transport phenomena are often observed in tokamak plasmas. Different models have been proposed to explain fast responses during perturbative transport experiments, including non-diffusive effects. Specific tools to characterize the dynamic behavior and power balance analysis using TRANSP and the quasi-linear trapped gyro-landau fluid code TGLF have been developed to analyze Alcator C-Mod experiments. Recent results from cold pulse experiments show that fast core temperature increases following edge cold-pulse injections (peak within 10ms , while τE 25ms) are not correlated with the direction of intrinsic rotation, and instead the amplitude of the core response depends on density, plasma current and RF input power. The propagation of the cold pulse can be compared with propagation of heat pulses from sawteeth, and both may be used to probe changes in temperature profile stiffness. A Laser Blow Off (LBO) system is being developed for DIII-D that will allow further validation and cross-machine comparison of cold pulse experiments. LBO at DIII-D will also allow for direct comparisons with ECH perturbative heat pulse experiments. Work supported by US DOE under Grants DE-FC02-99ER54512 (C-Mod) and DE-FC02-04ER54698 (DIII-D) and La Caixa Fellowship.

Simulation of Helium-3 Extraction from Lunar Ilmenite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhlman, K. R.; Kulcinski, G. L.; Schmitt, H. H.

2004-01-01

Knowledge of the trapping mechanisms and diffusion characteristics of solar-wind implanted isotopes in the minerals of the lunar regolith will enable the optimization of the processes to extract solar wind gases from regolith particles. Extraction parameters include the temperature and duration of extraction, particle size, and gas yield. Diffusion data will increase the efficiency and profitability of future mining ventures. This data will also assist in optimizing the evaluations of various potential mining sites based on remote sensing data. For instance, if magnesian ilmenite (Mg,Fel.,Ti03) is found to retain He better than stoichiometric ilmenite (FeTi03), remote sensing data for Mg could be considered in addition to Ti and maturity data. The context of the currently discussed work is the mining of helium-3 for potential use as a fuel for fusion energy generation. However, the potential resources deposited by the solar wind include hydrogen (and derived water), helium-4, nitrogen and carbon. Implantation experiments such as those performed for helium isotopes in ilmenite are important for the optimized extraction of these additional resources. These experiments can easily be reproduced for most elements or isotopes of interest.