NASA Technical Memorandum 110445

Director's Discretionary Fund

Report for Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California

March 1997

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, California 94035-1000

CONTENTS

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................

Section 1: Final Reports

Waterproofing the Space Shuttle Tiles ............................................................................................................

Charles W. Bauschlicher, Jr., and D. Chong

Thermal Protection Systems for Reusable Launch Vehicles ........................................................................

Jeffrey V. Bowles and Henry G. Adelman

Computer Modeling of the Thermal Conductivity of Cometary Ice ..........................................................

Theodore E. Bunch, Michael A. Wilson, and Andrew Pohorille

Ultrasensitive Detection of Atmospheric Free Radical Molecules: A Full-Sensitivity

Demonstration Prototype ..................................................................................................................................

Charles Chackerian, Jr., Christopher R. Mahon, and James R. Podolske

Effects of Ozone Depletion/Ultraviolet Radiation on Plants ......................................................................

Hector L. D'Antoni, Joseph W. Skiles, Jerri Mazzurco , Daniel Levy, Heather Brady,

and Monica Holder

Return to the Red Planet: Remote Sensing Analog Studies as Preparation for Mars

Exploration Exobiology .....................................................................................................................................

Jack D. Farmer and James Brass

Development of Noninvasive, Tissue-Oxygen Sensor for Optimizing Ergonomic Design

of Workstations in Space and on Earth ...........................................................................................................

Alan R. Hargens, Gita Murthy, Norman Y. Kahan, and David M. Rempel

A Novel Telemetric Biosensor to Monitor Blood pH Online .......................................................................

John W. Hines, Chris Somps, Edward Pickering, Marc Madou, and Sara B. Arnaud

Global Climate Change: The Role of Electron-CO2 Collisions in the Cooling

of the Thermosphere ..........................................................................................................................................

Winifred M. Huo and C. Dateo

Understanding Ion Mobility in Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium-Polymer Batteries .............................

Richard L. ]affe, Grant D. Smith, Harry Partridge, Brian Annis, David Londono,

Oleg Borodin, and Matt Pekny

Nonlinear Interactions between Background Disturbances and Disturbances Generated

by Laminar Flow Control (LFC) Devices ........................................................................................................

Lyndell S. King and Jonathan H. Watmuff

Page

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25

27

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Ground-Based Photometric Detection of Terrestrial-Sized Extrasolar Planets .........................................

David Koch, Laurance Doyle, Jon M. Jenkins, Hans-Jeorg Deeg, Eduardo Martin,

Jean Schneider, Michel Chevreton, Efthimious Paleologou, Jannis Papamastorakis,

Woo-Baik Lee, Ho-Ill Kim, Edward T. Dunham, Dominique Toublanc, J. Ellen Blue,

Zoran Ninkov, Valerij P. Kozhevnikov, and Polina E. Zakharova

Development of an Innovative Neural-Based Telescope Balancing System

for the SOFIA/Kuiper Airborne Observatory ...............................................................................................

Robert W. Mah, Michael C. Guerrero, Alessandro L. Galvagni, Ramin A. Eshaghi,

and Jose L. Winters

A Microwave-Pumped Far Infrared Photoconductor ..................................................................................

Robert E. McMurray, Jr., and Jam Farhoomand

A Search Technique for Discovering Earth-Crossing Comets from Meteor Stream Outbursts

and Determining their Orbits in Space ............................................................................................................

David Morrison and Peter Jenniskens

Using Ecosystem Science and Technology to Balance the Conservation of Water Supply

and Native Hawaiian Forests ...........................................................................................................................

Robyn Lee Myers, John Eberhardt, Coleen Cory, and Shannon McElvaney

A New Method for Measuring Cloud Liquid Water Using Near Infrared Remote Sensing ..................

Peter Pilewskie

Section 2: Ongoing Reports

Development of Fiber-Optic Sensors for Studies of Transition from Laminar

to Turbulent Flow ...............................................................................................................................................

Y. C. Cho, N. N. Mansour, and R. D. Mehta

Size-Density Studies of Chondrules, and Aerodynamic Sorting in the Solar Nebula .............................

Jeff Cuzzi, Julie Paque, and Monica Rivera

Laser-Spectroscopic Instrument for Turbulence Measurements ................................................................

Douglas G. Fletcher

Computational Modeling of Ultrafast Optical Pulse Propagation in Semiconductor Lasers

and Amplifiers ....................................................................................................................................................

Peter M. Goorjian, Govind P. Agrawal, and Rolf Binder

Remote Sensing of Aircraft Contrails Using a Field Portable Imaging Interferometer ...........................

Philip D. Hammer, William H. Smith, Stephen Dunagan, and Anthony Strawa

Validation of Engine-Change Procedures through Team Task Analysis ..................................................

Barbara G. Kanki , Vicki Dulchinos, Tim Repp, and Diane Walter

Development of a Silicon-Micromachined Gas Chromatography System for Determination

of Planetary Surface Composition ...................................................................................................................

Daniel Kojiro, Thomas Shen, James Suminto, and Frank Yang

Planetary Wind Sensor ......................................................................................................................................

Paul Kolodziej, David W. Bogdanoff, and Gregory Wilson

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36

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42

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48

49

50

52

54

56

57

iv
Planar Doppler Velocimetry .............................................................................................................................

Robert L. McKenzie

Quantitative Characterization of Porous Thermal Protection System Microstructures

Using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy ..................................................................................................

Frank Milos, Jochen Marschall, and Joanne Frerich

A Limited Pressure Cycle Engine for High Specific Output ........................................................................

Mark D. Moore and Andrew S. Hahn

Ultra-Light Entry Systems ................................................................................................................................

Marcus S. Murbach, Demetrius Kourtides, and Y. K. Chen

Analysis of Molecular $2 Spectra Observed during Impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9

with Jupiter ..........................................................................................................................................................

Harry Partridge, Atul D. Pradhan, David Schwenke, and Ken Dyall

Does Ultraviolet Radiation Affect Carbon Isotope Fractionation? .............................................................

Lynn Rothschild, David Peterson, and David DesMarais

Computation of the Low-Temperature Rate Constants for the Reaction

HO2+03_OH+02+02 ..............................................................................................................................

David W. Schwenke and Stephen P. Walch

Adaptation of Bone to Mechanical Stimulation: Development and Characterization

of a Unique Osteoblast Loading System .........................................................................................................

Nancy Searby, Emily Morey-Holton, Ruth Globus, Ekhson Holmuhamedov,

Conrad Macy, Jonno Lull, and Harry Yee

A New Method to Test Rotor Hover Performance ........................................................................................

Mark J. Silva and Frank Caradonna

Use of Evolving Microbial Systems as a Domain for Development of Autonomous

Artificial Intelligence Software .........................................................................................................................

David Thompson, R. Levinson, P. Robinson, R. Mancinelli, D. Smernoff, and M. White

Chaos in Interstellar Chemistry ........................................................................................................................

A. G. G. M. Tielens, S. B. Charnley, and B. King

Modeling High Energy Aerocapture Trajectories for Outer Planet Orbiter Missions .............................

Paul Wercinski, Periklis Papadopolous, Ethiraj Venkatapathy, and Lily Yang

Fastenerless Structural Connections for Tiltrotor Aircraft ...........................................................................

John Zuk and Clem Hiel

Appendix A-l: Final Reports ..................................................................................................................................

Appendix A-2: Ongoing Reports ............................................................................................................................

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V

INTRODUCTION

The Director's Discretionary Fund (DDF) at Ames Research Center was established to fund innovative, high-risk

projects in basic research that are essential to our future programs but otherwise would be difficult to initiate.

Summaries of individual projects within this program are compiled and issued by Ames each year as a NASA

Technical Memorandum.

These summaries cover 17 final and 21 ongoing projects in Fiscal Year 1996.

The contents are listed alphabetically according to the last name of the primary investigator in two sections (final

and ongoing reports). Following the narrative reports, two appendixes (for final and ongoing reports) contain

brief descriptions with the financial distribution and status of each of the projects.

Any questions can be addressed to an investigator directly.

vii

SECTION 1

FINAL REPORTS

Waterproofing the Space Shuttle Tiles

Investigator(s)

Charles W. Bauschlicher, Jr., Ames Research

Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Other personnel involved

D. Chong, Ames Research Center/Stanford

University Summer Faculty Fellows Program

Objectives of the study

To investigate possible surface coatings to make silica

waterproof at high temperatures, eliminating the need

to rewaterproof the Space Shuttle tiles after each flight.

Progress and results

Results in the first year of this research indicated that a

monolayer coating of scandium or zirconium fluoride

might permanently waterproof silica. The metal-F

bond is very strong because of F lone-pair donation

into the empty metal d orbitals. Thus the coating

might not be displaced by OH, the typical wetting

mechanism. The monolayer coating is also less ionic

than bulk metal fluorides, so dissociation of water on

the coating is unfavorable. In the second year titanium

fluoride was tested, yielding results very similar to

those of scandium and zirconium fluoride. These

results suggest that any of the early metal fluorides

could be tested as a possible coating.

Since confirmation of the early metal fluoride

coating is best done by experiment, during the remainder of the second year other aspects of the problem

were studied. First, the method used to study the silica

surface (denoted B3LYP) was retested. Although the

early calibration studies of the B3LYP method showed

no problems, some published reports suggested that

the accuracy of this approach is variable. The new

calibrations included vibrational frequencies of silicon

containing compounds and bond energies of transition

metal compounds. The new calibration calculations

were in very good agreement with experiment and

higher levels of theory. Although no experimental data

are available for comparison, accurate calculations for

the water/silica interaction were performed, and

results confirmed the accuracy of the B3LYP approach.

Thus there appears to be no reason to question the

B3LYP results for the silica system.

The second extension of this work was the study

of defect sites. Experimental studies of the surface

vibrations were interpreted in terms of two defect

sites. The calculations yield frequencies and isotopic

shifts in good agreement with the Si3 ring defect

model, but not with the Si4 ring model.

Keywords

Silica, Chemisorption
Thermal Protection Systems for Reusable Launch Vehicles

Investigator(s)

Jeffrey V. Bowles, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Henry G. Adelman, Thermosciences Institute,

Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

New, reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) such as the

X-33, which can achieve quicker turnaround and

lower cost than the Space Shuttle, are required to

render access to space cheaper and more readily

available. Current designs are focused on all rocketpowered, vertical-takeoff and horizontaManding

vehicles. The vertical-takeoff designs will minimize

heating loads on ascent except at the base of the

vehicle, where reverse flow and radiation by the

exhaust gases require thermal shielding. However,

there will be considerable heating on the nose, wing

leading edges, fins, flaps, and the forebody on re-entry

at high speeds. These thermal loads will require

durable, lightweight, reusable thermal protection

systems (TPSs).

In order to study the properties (weight, thickness,

catalytic effects) of these TPS designs, a vehicle synthesis code is required. HAVOC (Hypersonic Aircraft

Vehicle Optimization Code) is an engineering code

that was developed at the Ames Research Center.

Although HAVOC was initially used to design airbreathing single stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicles such as

the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), this code has

since been modified to study all-rocket RLVs. Performance parameters that can be predicted by HAVOC

include the vehicle weight, size, payload, aerodynamic

characteristics, and structural design. The TPS requirements are determined by the heating loads on re-entry.

An automated vehicle closure algorithm iterates the

trajectory analysis to close the design on both vehicle

weight and volume.

Until now, no engineering heating analysis code

has included variable catalytic effects because of the

complexity of the surface catalytic processes, which

would be too computationally intensive to include in

engineering codes. Many methods of adding the

effects of variable catalytic heating enhancement to

HAVOC have been examined. Originally, HAVOC

used the common assumption that the chemical

species, in particular atomic oxygen and nitrogen, are

in equilibrium throughout the boundary layer. This

assumption is critical since there can be considerable

dissociation of the air behind the bow shock of a

re-entry vehicle at certain speeds and altitudes. The

oxygen and nitrogen atoms are transported from the

nose region of the vehicle to the boundary layer edge

and then to the vehicle surface, where they can recombine on the wall and release their heat of dissociation.

The degree of recombination depends on the wall

material (catalycity) and wall temperature. Recombination is a complicated process involving atom

adsorption, surface diffusion, and molecular desorption. Modeling this process in detail would be difficult,

and the exact surface chemistry mechanisms are not

well known. Engineering codes like HAVOC must use

simpler, more practical methods since they perform

many simultaneous functions such as vehicle synthesis

and trajectory optimization.

Progress and results

One method of including variable catalytic effects is to

correct the heating rates calculated from chemical

equilibrium, or fully catalytic, assumptions. Engineering codes like HAVOC assume that all species will

attain chemical equilibrium at the surface, where

temperatures are sufficiently low to ensure virtually

complete atom recombination and the release of the

entire heat of dissociation. In reality, the degree of

recombination and the corresponding heat release

should be calculated according to the catalytic efficiency of the surface. For example, ceramic materials

are much less catalytic than metalhc surfaces, no

surface has 100-percent catalytic efficiency, and highly

catalytic processes usually become diffusion-limited.

The degree of catalyticity is defined by the atom

recombination coefficient, which is the fraction of

atoms that are available to recombine on the surface

that actually recombine. Recombination coefficients

are usually written in the form of an Arrhenius

expression, which includes the rehance of the surface

reaction rates on the wall temperatures and materials.

The recombination efficiencies typically range from

0.01 to 0.03 for ceramic and carbon-carbon materials

with glass coatings. Metallic materials such as inconel

are much more catalytic, with coefficients ranging

from 0.3 to 0.6.

Since not all the atoms recombine on the wall,

corrections to the equilibrium, or fully recombined,

heating calculations are necessary. A method that

corrects the heating calculations as they are performed

and gives the proper limiting heating values has been

developed. HAVOC calculates heat transfer by using

the difference between the recovery enthalpy and the

4
wallenthalpyatanypoint.Therecoveryenthalpyis

calculatedbyaddingtherecoveredkineticenergyof

theflowtotheedgeenthalpy,wheretheedgeis

assumedtobeinchemicalequilibrium.At certain

speedsandaltitudes,thereiscompletedissociationof

oxygenandsomedissociationofnitrogenattheequilibriumboundarylayeredge.In theequilibrium

heatingcalculationsoriginallyperformedbyHAVOC,

theheatofdissociationof theseatomswasfully

recoveredandcontributedtotheoverallheatingrate.

Thissituationwasequivalenttoaperfectlycatalytic

surface,soadjustmentshadtobemadetotheheating

ratecalculationsforpartiallycatalyticsurfaces.

Thismodificationwasaccomplishedbyknowing

thefractionof dissociativenergyattheboundary

layeredge,whichwasnotrecovered. Thisunrecoveredenergywassubtractedfromtheoriginalrecovery

enthalpyandthemodifiedrecoveryenthalpywasthen

usedtocalculateheattransfer.Notethatif theatom

recombinationcoefficientsrepresentedthefully

catalyticcase,nocorrectionwasmadetotherecovery

enthalpy.Conversely,if theyrepresentedthenoncatalyticcase,themaximumcorrectionwasapplied.

Thedegreeof dissociationwascalculatedatthe

boundarylayeredgebyassumingchemicalequilibriumusingedgeconditionsthatweredeterminedby a

shock-expansionmethodfromthestagnationpoint.

Somekineticevidence,however,indicatesthatthereis

notenoughtimefortheatomsto reachequilibrium

valuesastheytravelfromthenoseregion.Thisresult

indicatesthattheatomsmaybefrozenatthehigher

stagnationpointvalues.Computational fluid

dynamics(CFD)resultsarebeingcheckedtoseeif

freezingispredictedfor anyre-entrycases.

Thepartiallycatalyticcorrectionmethodwas

testedfor ceratinbodyshapes,TPSmaterials,and

re-entryprofiles.Onetestcasewasaconicalbody

wheretheManglertransformationwasaddedinorder

tomodifytheflat-plateheatingexpressionsforconical

shapes.TheconewastravelingatMach14.3at

100,000ftwith zeroangleof attack.Here,theresults

fromBLIMPK,areactingboundarylayercode,were

comparedto thosefromHAVOC.Initially,the

boundarylayeredgeconditionsweredifferent,with

HAVOCshowinghigheredgevelocitiesandlower

edgetemperaturesthanBLIMPK,resultingindifferent

atomconcentrationsattheedge.In ordertoupgrade

theHAVOCsolutionmethods,theisentropicexpansionpreviouslydescribedwasadded,resultingin

similarboundarylayeredgeconditionsforHAVOC

andBLIMPK.Fullycatalyticandslightlycatalytic

heatingratesalsoshowedgoodagreement.

Thesevariablecatalyticmethodsarecurrently

beingevaluatedbycomparingHAVOCresultsto

CFD calculations. One question that remains to be

answered is whether there are convective or diffusion

limits on the transport of atoms to the surfaces. This

scenario would have the greatest impact on the fully

catalytic assumptions, where transport effects are

ignored. Also, a study is needed of the kinetic

reactions that occur as the air passes through the

shock wave and travels to the boundary layer edge

and to the wall. For example, there is a possibility of

atoms freezing behind the bow shock, in which case

higher than equilibrium atom levels would occur at

the boundary layer edges downstream and higher

heating rates would result.

Keywords

Reusable launch vehicle, Thermal protection systems,

HAVOC
Computer Modeling of the Thermal Conductivity of

Cometary Ice

Investigator(s)

Theodore E. Bunch, Michael A. Wilson, and

Andrew Pohorille, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To estimate the thermal conductivity of cometary ices

from computer simulations of model amorphous ices;

work was divided into four specific tasks:

1. To generate samples of amorphous water ices at

different microporosities.

2. To compare the resulting molecular structure of

the ices with experimental results for those

densities for which data are available.

3. To calculate the thermal conductivities of liquid

water and bulk amorphous ice and compare these

results with experimentally determined thermal

conductivities.

4. To investigate how the thermal conductivity of

amorphous ice depends upon the microscopic

porosity of the samples.

Progress and results

Computer simulations of bulk amorphous ices at the

densities of the two major polymorphs, 0.94 g/cc for

low-density amorphous (LDA) ice and 1.17 g/cc for

the high-density amorphous (HDA) ice have been

performed. The structure of the ices, as determined

from the pair-correlation functions, was found to be

in good agreement with the correlation functions

obtained from neutron scattering experiments. Thus

the water models that were used in the computer

simulations provide a good description of the bulk

amorphous ice phases.

Configurations from the bulk simulations were

used to generate amorphous substrates. The substrates

were equilibrated at 77 and 10 K for the LDA ice and

HDA ice, respectively. After equilibration, water

molecules were deposited onto the substrated phase

from the vapor phase. The temperatures of the vapor

phase molecules were 300 K, to simulate laboratory

conditions, and 77 K and 10 K, to simulate astrophysical conditions.

Results show that the microporosity of the sample

depends upon the temperature of the deposited molecules. The colder the molecules, the more microporous

the resulting ice. By depositing water molecules at

very low temperatures (10 K) and subsequently

heating the resulting microporous ice structure, any

desired microporosity can be obtained.

The thermal conductivity, 1c,can be calculated

from the long-time limit of the heat flux correlation

function:

1 lim Ei(t)E;(O)(xi(t ) - x/(0)) 2

2kBVT 2 t-_oo ¢lt\ _ J /

\i,j=l /

where k B is the Boltzmarm constant, T and V are the

temperature and volume of the system, respectively,

and El(t) and xi(t) are the energies and positions of

molecule i at time t. The double sum is over all N

molecules in the system, and <...> denotes a statistical

average.

The thermal conductivity of liquid water was

determined from the computer simulations at temperatures of 290, 300, and 310 K. These results, as well

as experimentally determined values, are shown in

table 1. Agreement between the computed and experimental values is good. The difference of a factor of 2 is

small compared to the differences between thermal

conductivities measured for different laboratory

models of amorphous ice. Thus, the computer simulations provide a sufficiently accurate description of

the thermal transport properties of water that meaningful conclusions can be drawn from subsequent

calculations of the thermal conductivity of the amorphous ice as a function of the degree of its

microporosity.

Also shown in table I are the computed thermal

conductivities of the high- and low-density polymorphs of amorphous ice, HDA and LDA, respectively. They are of the same order of magnitude as the

results for liquid water. This result is reasonable

because the structure of amorphous ice is quite similar

to liquid water. The thermal conductivity of crystalline

ice Ih at 100 K is 5.95 W-m-I-K -1, over an order of

magnitude larger than the thermal conductivity of

amorphous ice at similar temperatures.

To create samples of microporous amorphous ice,

high-temperature simulations at 300 K with fixed bulk

densities of 0.9, 0.8, and 0.7 g/cc were performed.

Configurations from these calculations were quenched

to 77 K to provide a set of initial conditions for

calculations of the thermal conductivity. To investigate

how different microporous structures might affect the
Table1.Thermalconductivitiesofwaterand

amorphousices

MD exptl

T (K) K (W-m-I-K -1)

Water 290 0.19 + 0.02 0.5917 a

300 0.23 + 0.02 0.6096 a

310 0.26 + 0.01 0.6252 a

LDA 93 0.15 0.00004b

(80-100 K) b

HDA 93 0.35

Microporous c

0.9 g/cc 86 0.12 + 0.02

0.8 g/cc 85 0.10 _+0.02

0.7 g/cc 86 0.10, 0.23 d (87 K),

0.14 e (92 K)

aRamires, et al., J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data (1995) 24,

1377-1381.

bKouchi, et al., Astrophysical J. 388, L73-L76.

CMicropores created by annealing at fixed density

from liquid.

dMicropores created by random deletion of water

molecules followed by quenching.

eMicropores created by deletion around a fixed

center followed by quenching.

thermal conductivity, two methods for generating

such structures were devised. In the first method,

water molecules were randomly deleted from a set of

LDA ice configurations until the density was 0.7 g/cc.

The second procedure was to delete water molecules

around a fixed center until a density of 0.7 g/cc was

reached. This scenario allows investigations of the

possible extremes of the microporous structures:

Random deletion of water molecules results in a fairly

uniform distribution of small cavities in the structure,

whereas deleting water molecules around a fixed

center yields much larger cavities.

The computed thermal conductivities of the microporous ices are shown in table 1. The main result is

that the thermal conductivity of the microporous ices

appear to be of the same order of magnitude as the

bulk amorphous ices. The thermal conductivity does

not decrease dramatically as the density of the

amorphous ice is reduced from 0.94 g/cc to 0.7 g/cc.

Since the thermal conductivities for ice samples

containing large cavities and uniformly distributed

small cavities differ by only a factor of 2, it can be

concluded that this quantity is not very sensitive to the

distribution of the micropores. Therefore, the microporosity of the ice does not explain the extremely low

value of thermal conductivity that has been reported

for vapor deposited amorphous ice.

Significance of the results

Since all hypotheses about the role of comets in the

origin of life and chemical evolution of the solar

system make explicit or implicit assumptions about

the thermal conductivity of the cometary ice, the

results of these calculations will provide crucial

information for the critical evaluation of these

hypotheses. Recent experiments on laboratory analogs

of cometary ice have yielded values of the thermal

conductivity that are several orders of magnitude

lower than the thermal conductivity of bulk amorphous ices. This finding has the implication that the

interiors of comets are not heated at the perihelion of

their orbits.

Whereas the laboratory analogs of cometary ice

are prepared by slowly depositing water vapor onto a

cold substrate, the bulk amorphous ices are prepared

by applying extreme pressure to crystalline ice

samples until the underlying lattice is disrupted. It

was originally thought that the low measured value of

the thermal conductivity might be due to the microscopic porosity of the ice sample. Present results

indicate that the thermal conductivities of microporous amorphous ice samples are similar to those of

bulk amorphous ice. Consequently, it is likely that the

thermal conductivity of astrophysical ice is of the same

order of magnitude as normal ice. It is possible that the

extremely low thermal conductivity measured in the

vapor deposition experiments is due to larger scale

defects, such as cracks.

Publications resulting from study

Wilson, M. A.; and Pohorille, A.: The Thermal

Conductivity of Cometary Ice. In preparation,

1996.

References

1. Ramires, M. L. V.; de Castro, C. A. Nieto;

Nagasaka, Y.; Nagashima, Q.; Assael, M. J.;

and Wakeham, W.A.: Standard Reference

Data for the Thermal Conductivity of Water.

J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, vol. 24, no. 3, 1995,

pp. 1377-1381.
. Kouchi, A.; Greenberg, J. M.; Yamamoto, T.; and

Mukai,T.: Extremely Low Thermal Conductivity of Amorphous Ice: Relevance to Comet

Evolution. Astrophys. J., vol. 388, Apr. 1, 1992,

pp. L73-L76.

Keywords

Thermal conductivity, Microporosity, Amorphous ice,

Cometary ice
Ultrasensitive Detection of Atmospheric Free Radical

Molecules: A Full-Sensitivity Demonstration Prototype

Investigator(s)

Charles Chackerian, Jr., Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Christopher R. Mahon, Space Physics Research

Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

James R. Podolske, Ames Research Center

Other personnel involved

Thomas Blake, Battelle/Pacific Northwest

Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352

Objectives of the study

For the purpose of realizing a full-sensitivity demonstration prototype magnetic-rotation detector of free

radical molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, to design

and construct a multiple reflection optical cell contained in a solenoid magnetic field axially and radially

uniform to +__5percent.

A total optical path of 25 meters and small cell

volume will give (1) parts per trillion detection sensitivity to free radical molecules in the Earth's atmosphere; and (2) spatial resolution of about 200 meters

in the sky when the magnetic-rotation spectrometer is

based on the DC-8 or ER-2 aircraft. This new technique

offers advantages over currently used approaches in

terms of much smaller weight and more easily

interpretable results.

Progress and results

A multiple reflection optical cell contained in a

solenoid magnetic field axially and radially uniform

to +5 percent has been constructed. The total optical

path in the cell is about 25 meters. The optical ray

trace of the cell is shown in figure 1. Except for the thin

gold coating on the two end mirrors of the magnetic

rotation cell, all the cell materials are nonmagnetic.

The cell fits into a solenoid that is wound in such a

manner as to produce a magnetic field uniform to

within +5 percent. The solenoid is pictured in figure 2

and measurements of the interior-axial magnetic field

produced by the solenoid are shown in figure 3. The

solenoid circuit can be operated at I kHz.

Significance of the results

With a 12-cm-long magnetic-rotation cell, parts per

trillion sensitivity should be obtained for free radical

. molecular species.

Publications resulting from study

Blake, Thomas A.; Chackerian, Charles, Jr.; and

Podolske, James R.: Prognosis for a Mid-Infrared

Magnetic Rotation Spectrometer for the in situ

Detection of Atmospheric Free Radicals. J. Applied

Optics, vol. 35, no. 6, Feb. 20, 1996, pp. 973-985.

Keywords

Ultrasensitive detection, Free radicals, Magnetic

rotation spectroscopy
Figure 1. Light path in the Herriott cell with 58 passes and a mirror separation of 426 mm. The Herriott ceil was designed

with the aid of commercial optical design sqftware and optimized for 58 passes. Mirror radius of curvature is 400 mm, and

mirror diameter is 80 mm.

10
11
Solenoid Axial Magnetic Field (Theory and Measurements)

1.2

1.1

1.0

U_

O

c

C_ o6

O

0.5

"(3

(I)

N 0.4

0

F 0.3

0

Z o.2

0.1

0.0

I I I I I I I I I I I

" /\ ; /

I

Evenly Wound Solenoid

\ •

\

1 1 L

_.5 _.4 _.3 _.2 @.I 0.0 0. I 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

|

Normalized Axial Position

Figure 3. Solenoid axial magnetic field (theory and measurements).

12
Effects of Ozone Depletion/Ultraviolet Radiation on Plants

Investigator(s)

Hector L. D'Antoni, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Joseph W. Skiles, Johnson Controls World

Services, Ames Research Center

Other personnel involved

Jerri Mazzurco, Daniel Levy, Heather Brady,

and Monica Holder, Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

To identify indicators of ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation

stress on plants so that this parameter can eventually

be monitored by satellite remote sensing. It was

assumed that current levels of UV-B radiation due to

ozone depletion were high enough to perform the

proposed experiments. The following hypotheses were

tested: (1) production of screening pigments is stimulated by current levels of UV-B radiation; (2) node

elongation is affected by UV-B radiation; (3) phenological stages (i.e., flowering) are controlled by UV-B

radiation; and (4) plants grown under UV-B exclusion

have higher chlorophyll concentration.

Progress and results

Stratospheric ozone is damaged by chlorine fractions

of freon and other man-made gases as well as by

some natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions,

which inject other ozone depleting molecules into the

atmosphere. The current process of stratospheric

ozone depletion has resulted in an estimated

15- to 20-percent increase of solar UV-B (280--320 nln)

radiation reaching the Earth's surface. UV-B is known

to affect molecules and biological systems. Plant

physiological experiments have shown that exposure

to enhanced UV-B radiation results in higher concentrations of epidermal pigments and breakage of

chlorophyll and growth hormones. Insufficient

knowledge of the effects of current levels of solar

UV-B radiation on ecosystems impairs the use of

NASA's technology [land satellite (LANDSAT) and

the Earth Observing System (EOS) programs] to

establish monitoring routines to identify areas of risk

and develop protective and remedial actions.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa I.) was selected for these

experiments because it is an important crop that

provides forage for many domestic animals, and

because it is representative of plants that exhibit the

C3 or "cool season" photosynthetic pathway. A

synchronous culture of alfalfa plants from the same

genetic stock was grown and brought to maturity in an

open growth chamber with no exposure to UV-B

radiation. Mature plants were transplanted to the field

UV- shed and put under observation for eight weeks.

The UV shed consists of a wooden frame enclosed

with chicken wire to protect plants from herbivores,

and two chambers. One chamber is fitted with cellulose acetate (15-percent UV reduction); the second

chamber is covered with polyester (UV-B exclusion).

Plants are enclosed by these screening sheets, but the

lower part of the shed is open, allowing air circulation

and minimizing the microclimatic effects. Soil, water,

and other factors are identical in both chambers.

Along with the experiments, spectroradiometric

readings were taken; they showed measurable

amounts of UV-B at ground level, ranging from 206 to

320 nm with maxima of 0.021 watt per square centimeter at 320 nm. Vacuolar pigments were present in

plants grown under both conditions, but concentration

was higher in plants exposed to UV-B. Internodal

distances of plants under UV-B exclusion were

significantly larger during the weeks of July 11, 18,

and 25. In the week of August 1, internodal distances

were similar in both treatments, and at the end of the

experiment, plants under 15-percent UV reduction

had longer internodes. By July 25, plants under UV-B

exclusion were approximately 20 percent bigger, had

longer stems and larger leaves, and the chlorophyll

content of the leaves was higher than in plants

under 15-percent UV reduction. By August 1, plants

under UV-B exclusion were blooming and became

senescent rapidly. By contrast, plants under 15-percent

UV reduction had fewer flowers and remained alive

and productive until August 15. Chlorophyll concentration was higher under UV-B exclusion in the weeks

of July 11 and 18. Then, concentrations under both

treatments were similar, and at the end of the experiment, plants with 15-percent UV reduction had higher

concentrations of chlorophyll and were beginning to

enter the flowering stage.

Shielding plants differentially produced the

results detailed in the previous paragraph. These

results make a strong case for using solar radiation

alone to evaluate the effects of increased UV-B flux

due to stratospheric ozone depletion. Flavonoid

pigments were found in higher concentrations in

plants exposed to solar UV-B (hypothesis 1). However,

plants that were never exposed to UV-B also had

significant amounts of flavonids, suggesting that

13
alfalfaplantshavethisbuilt-inprotectivemechanism.

ByAugust1,growth(nodeelongation,hypothesis2)

wasalteredinplantsexposedtoUV-B.Thenplants

overcamethestressanddevelopedwell,whileplants

withnoUV-Bgrewlessandenteredthefollowing

phenological phaseearlier.Growthdependson

indoleaceticacid(IAA),whichabsorbsin theUV-B

rangeandisrapidlydestroyedbylight.HighconcentrationsofIAA underUV-Bexclusionarepossibly

generatingasynergisticeffectwithotherhormonal

systems,causingthoseplantstoflowersooner.Plants

underUV-Bexclusioninitiatedthefloweringstage

(hypothesis3)earlier,probablybecauseofhigher

concentrationsofgibberellicacid.Thefirstthirdofthis

experimentshowedhigherchlorophyllconcentrations

underUV-Bexclusionthanunder15-percent UV

reduction(hypothesis4),suggestingthatthephotosyntheticapparatusismorevulnerabletoUV-B

damagebeforetheplantsfullyacclimateto field

conditions. Synchronous changes that occurred

about August i suggest that repair mechanisms for

W-B-target systems exist and that "normal" amounts

(i.e., 15 percent lower than current values) of UV-B

radiation may control hormonal balances and the

resulting synergistic effects of growth, photosynthesis,

flowering, seed production, and death. The proposed

hypotheses were validated for alfalfa, but new questions arose, suggesting that more research is needed

before a strategy can be devised to use NASA's technology for monitoring, early detection, and policy

making applications regarding solar UV-B stress on

natural and crop communities.

Significance of the results

The hypotheses were validated for alfalfa and the

results demonstrated that more research is needed

before a strategy can be devised to use NASA's

technology (LANDSAT and forthcoming EOS) for

monitoring, early detection, and policy-making applications regarding solar UV-B stress on plants and the

economic consequences. This project demonstrated

that plants under UV-B stress produce signals that can

be extrapolated to plant communities. However, the

strongest signal (chlorophyll concentration) needs to

be decoded in physiological terms (i.e., ability to

capture carbon in the gas exchange process and

excitation condition of the chlorophyll molecule

under increased UV-B flux). Further work is needed

to discriminate between signals produced by UV stress

and those produced by seasonal and climatological

variables. Future work will allow investigators to use

NASA's suite of remote sensing instruments to

determine UV stress on a large scale.

Publications resulting from study

Materials are being prepared for publication,

Keywords

Alfalfa, Plant stress physiology, UV-B radiation

14
Return to the Red Planet: Remote Sensing Analog Studies as

Preparation for Mars Exploration Exobiology

Investigator(s)

Jack D. Farmer and James Brass,

Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To define basic spectral and spatial resolution

requirements necessary for identifying discrete

aqueous mineral deposits from Mars orbit. Aqueous

deposits of various types are given high priority as

targets for Mars exopaleontology, that is, in exploring

for evidence of an ancient Martian biosphere. To

effectively target sites on Mars for future landed

missions and sample return, identification of such

deposits from orbit must be made with confidence.

This study utilized high spectral and spatial resolution

infrared (IR) spectral data to establish realistic thresholds for spatial and spectral resolution. This information is being used to define nominal instrumentation requirements for future missions for Mars

exopaleontology.

Progress and results

The perspective gained from this study helped us to

convince the Mars '01 Science Definition Team and the

Mars community at large of the need for a mission to

obtain high spatial resolution (<100 m/pixel) IR imaging of key exobiology sites during the 2001 mission

opportunity to support site selection for the 2003

mission and a sample return in 2005.

Significance of the results

As has been mentioned, the high spatial resolution IR

spectrometer has now been included in the announcement of opportunity (AO) for 2001. Results also influenced the path of technology development taken by

the digital array scanning interferometer (DASI), an

IR mapping version of which will be proposed by an

Ames team for the 2001 orbital mission. The data

acquired are being analyzed.

Keywords

Mars, Martian Life, Mono Basin

15
Development of Noninvasive, Tissue-Oxygen Sensor for

Optimizing Ergonomic Design of Workstations in Space

and on Earth

Investigator(s)

Alan R. Hargens, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Gita Murthy, University of California, Berkeley,

Ames Research Center

Norman J. Kahan, Sports and Occupation Medical

Associates, Cupertino, CA 95014

David M. Rempel, University of California,

San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143

Objectives of the study

Repetitive motion disorders of the hand and forearm

are caused by repeated exertion of a specific muscle,

tendon, or joint. Such repeated activities, over time,

may increase local tissue fluid pressure, decrease local

blood flow and tissue oxygenation, and cause pain and

functional deficits of the involved limb (refs. 1 and 2).

Examples of repetitive motion disorder are carpal

tunnel syndrome (CTS) and epicondylitis. In Santa

Clara County, California, alone, over 7000 cases of CTS

were reported in 1988 (ref. 3). At present there is no

noninvasive method to monitor local tissue stress and its

impact on tissue oxygenation. Such techniques will

help improve designs of keyboards, gloveboxes, and

other workstations to prevent carpal tunnel and other

work-related syndromes.

A current procedure for studying CTS and

monitoring local tissue stress is to measure tissue fluid

pressure by catheter insertion (refs. 4-6). Because of

the invasive nature of this technique, application of

this procedure to evaluate risk factors for jobs and

tasks is difficult. If tissue oxygenation can be accurately measured noninvasively, it may be a valuable

tool for identifying tasks/tools with high risk for

repetitive motion disorders. Dual-wave near-infrared

(NIR) spectrophotometry (NIRS) is a noninvasive

technique that exploits the disparity between absorption spectra of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin to measure

changes in tissue oxygenation (fig. 1). A disadvantage

of the NIRS technique is that currently available

probes are designed for penetration to tissue depths

of 2-3 cm only and consequently are inappropriate for

monitoring small, more superficial muscles such as the

extensor muscles of the forearm. Therefore, the objectives of this investigation are to modify the currently

existing probe such that superficial muscles can be

studied, and to determine whether NIRS can be used

to quantify oxygenation at low levels of muscle

loading. Low levels of prolonged static contraction of

the upper extremity [less than 20 percent maximum

voluntary contraction (MVC)] are common in many

occupational settings (ref. 7).

Progress and results

The NIRS probe consists of two light sources and a

detector. The light sources (tungsten filament lamps)

emit light into tissue. Light is scattered randomly

within the tissue; some of it is absorbed by the tissue

and some reflects back to the photodetectors located

on the probe. The probe, which illuminates the sample

tissue, is designed to penetrate to depths of 2-3 cm.

However, the extensor muscle belly of the forearm lies

only 1-2 cm beneath the skin. One way to reduce the

photon penetration depth is to decrease the light

source to detector distance. The probe was redesigned

so that the distance between the light source and the

detector was adjusted to allow light penetration

through a tissue depth of 1-2 cm below the skin.

Using the modified adjustable probe, tissue

oxygenation was measured in nine subjects in the

extensor forearm muscle during one minute of

relaxation. Subjects were seated with right arms

abducted to 45 °, elbows flexed to 85 °, right forearms

pronated 45 °, and wrists and forearms supported on

an arm rest throughout the protocol (fig. 2). Four

different loads were then applied just proximal to the

dorsal hand such that subjects isometrically contracted

the extensor muscle at 5, 10, 15, and 50 percent of

maximum voluntary contraction for one minute each.

A three-minute recovery period followed each

contraction level. At the end of the protocol, with the

NIRS probe still in place, the minimum value of TO2

was averaged over three seconds at the point of

exhaustion and this result was considered physiological functional zero. Hence the minimum TO2 value

obtained during this tourniquet application to the arm

was set to be 0-percent TO2. Consequently, for each

level of contraction and for each subject, TO2 was

normalized to baseline (100-percent TO2) and ischemia

(0-percent TO2). The mean TO2 decreased from resting

baseline (100-percent TO2) to 89 + 4 percent (SE),

16
81+ 8, 78 + 8, and 47 + 8 percent at 5-, 10-, 15-, and

50-percent MVC, respectively (fig. 3). TO2 levels at

10-, 15-, and 50-percent MVC were significantly lower

(p < 0.05) than baseline value. Results of this study

indicate that TO2 significantly decreases during brief,

low levels of static muscle contraction and that the

modified probe is a valuable noninvasive tool for

detecting deoxygenation at low levels of forearm

muscle contraction.

Significance of the results

The adjustable probe enables the study of superficial

muscles such as the forearm extensors. Work-related

upper extremity injuries/disorders account for

24 percent of the total lost time injuries in 1994 (Bureau

of Labor Statistics, 1996). Musculoskeletal disorders of

the upper extremity pose a major problem in many

occupations involving repetitive hand motions (ref. 7).

Moreover, in most of these occupations, low levels of

repetitive and sustained muscle loading are a major

risk factor in causing muscle fatigue and pain. Typists

and computer operators, for example, exert about

10 percent MVC (ref. 8). However, when such a small

magnitude of force is exerted for a prolonged period of

time, muscle edema and deoxygenation may occur.

Astronauts will work for prolonged periods of

time in gloveboxes during tours of duty aboard Space

Station, as well as on interplanetary missions. Because

of physiological changes in the upper extremity

experienced in microgravity, including a lowering of

blood pressure and local swelling, astronauts also

performing low levels of repetitive and sustained

activity may be at increased risk for developing

muscle fatigue and pain during prolonged spaceflight.

In addition, problems with hands have begun to be

identified in extravehicular activity (EVA)-related

tasks. Evidence indicates that some astronauts have

difficulty donning their EVA gloves because of hand

swelling while working in their space suits (Bruce

Webbon, personal communication). Swelling and

possible decreased oxygen transport to muscles are

important factors that predispose crew members in

space to hand fatigue, pain, and dysfunction.

The long-term goal of this research is to improve

work environments through the development and

verification of this noninvasive device for understanding the role of oxygen in work-related repetitive

motion disorders and for improving workstation

designs on Earth and in space.

Publications resulting from study

Murthy, G.; and Hargens, A. R.: Near Infrared

Spectroscopy: A Noninvasive Technique for

Diagnosing Exertional Compartment

Syndrome. Operative Techniques in Sports

Medicine, vol. 3, no. 4, 1995, pp. 256-258.

Murthy, G.; Kahan, N. J.; Hargens, A. R.; and

Rempel, D. M.: Forearm Muscle Oxygenation

Decreases with Low Levels of Voluntary

Contraction. Submitted to J. Orthopaedic

Research, 1996.

Hargens, A. R.; BaUard, R. E.; Wilson, M.; Torikoshi, S.;

Murthy, G.; Breit, G. A.; Watenpaugh, D. E.;

Kawai, Y.; and Yost, W. T.: Noninvasive

Intracranial Pressure and Tissue Oxygen

Measurements for Space and Earth. Presented

at Life Sciences and Space Medicine Conference, Houston, Tex., April 3-5, 1995,

pp. 130-131.

References

1. Hargens, A. R.: Tissue Nutrition and Viability.

Springer-Verlag, New York, 1986.

2. Rempel, D. M.; Harrison, R. J.; and Barnhardt, S.:

Work-Related Cumulative Trauma Disorders

of the Upper Extremity. J. Am. Medical Assoc.,

vol. 267, 1992, pp. 838-842.

3. Occupational Disease Surveillance: Carpal Tunnel

Syndrome. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly

Report, vol. 38, no. 28, July 21, 1989,

pp. 485-489.

4. Gelberman, R. H.; Hergenroeder, P. T.; Hargens,

A. R.; Lundborg, G. N.; and Akeson, W. H.:

The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Study of

Carpal Canal Pressures. J. Bone and Joint

Surgery, vol. 63, 1981, pp. 380-383.

5. Hargens, A. R.: Measurement of Tissue Fluid

Pressure as Related to Nerve Compression

Syndromes. In Nerve Compression Syndromes, R. M. Szabo, ed., SLACK, Thorofare,

N.J., 1989, pp. 41--65.

6. Hargens, A. R.; Akeson, W. H.; Mubarak, S. J.;

Owen, C. A.; Gershuni, D. H.; Garfin, S. R.;

Lieber, R. L.; Danzig, L. A.; Botte, M. J.; and

Gelberman, R. H.: Tissue Fluid Pressures:

From Basic Research Tools to Clinical Applications. J. Orthopaedic Res., vol. 7, 1989,

pp. 902-909.

7. Armstrong, T. J.; Radwin, R. G.; Hansen, D. J.; and

Kennedy, K. W.: Repetitive Trauma Disorders:

Job Evaluation and Design. Hum. Factors,

vol. 28, 1986, pp. 325-336.

17
8. Armstrong, T, J.; Foulke, J. A.; Martin, B. J.;

Gerson, J.; and Rempel, D. M.: Investigation

of Applied Forces in Alphanumeric Keyboard

Work. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J., vol. 55, no. 1,

1994, pp. 30-35.

Keywords

Muscle oxygenation, Near-infrared

spectrophotometry, Repetitive motion

disorders, Work station design

760 nm INTENSITY SIGNAL

850 nm INTENSITY SIGNAL

Light Source

760 & 850 nm

Detectors

Oxygenation Signal

Differential

Amplifier

Figure I. A schematic of the NIR spectrophotometer. Infrared (IR) ener_! emitted by the light source is scattered randomly

within the tissue and sensed by two photodetectors that filter 760- and 850-nm wavelengths. The optical density qf blood

hemoglobin at these wavelengths is dependent on the oxygenation state. The depth of light penetration is a function qf

separation between the light source and the detectors.

18
Figure 2. The NIR spectroscopy probe over the forearm muscle, which detects muscle oxyhemoglobin and oxymyoglobin. The

inset illustrates the underside of the probe, which consists of a light transmitter on each end along with 760- and 850-nm

wavelength detectors in the middle of the probe.

19
100 .

g 8o

_" 60

WW

w m 40 i=m

N

m

m

E

O

Z

2O

O0 1'0 2'0 3'0 4'0 5O

% Maximum Voluntary Contraction

6O

Figure 3. Normalized muscle oxygenation during 5-, 10-, 15-, and 50-percent maximum voluntary contraction.

* denotes significantly lower (p < 0.05) value than baseline.

20
A Novel Telemetric Biosensor to Monitor Blood pH Online

Investigator(s)

John W. Hines and Chris Somps, Ames Research

Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Edward Pickering, De Anza Student Intern,

Ames Research Center

Marc Madou, Microfabricafion Applications,

Palo Alto, CA 94306

Sara B. Arnaud, Ames Research Center

Other personnel involved

David Gibbs and Michael Harrison, University of

California, San Francisco, Fetal Treatment Center,

San Francisco, CA 94143

Objectives of the study

Presently, there are no known wireless telemetric

devices that allow chronic, in vivo measurements of

chemical parameters such as pH. NASA needs such

devices to better understand physiological changes

induced by the space environment. The medical

community needs this capability as a monitoring and

diagnostic tool with ambulatory and fetal patients. The

objectives of this study were threefold: 1) to design,

fabricate, and test a miniaturized pH sensor for

chronic, online monitoring of blood and tissue pH

levels; 2) to modify an existing, totally implantable

biotelemeter to acquire, process, and transmit the pH

signals; and 3) to perform in vivo testing of the pH

sensor and biotelemeter.

Progress and results

pH Sensor

The pH sensor consists of two single lumen catheters

(physically combined or separated); one lumen each

for the reference and indicator (ion selective) electrodes. (See fig. 1.) The indicator electrode incorporates

a solvent, polymeric H+-sensitive neutral carrier

membrane cast around the tip of a microbore polyvinyl chloride (PVC) catheter. The membrane composition includes a high molecular weight poly (vinyl

chloride) used as a support matrix, bis (2-ethyl hexyl)

adipate used as a plasticizer, potassium tetrakis

(4-chlorophenyl) borate used as a lipophylic salt, and

tri-n-dodecylamine used as the H + ionophore. The

reference electrode includes a biocompatible hydrogel

frit and produces a stable reference potential when

making a pH measurement.

The test microbore pH sensors exhibit response

characteristics similar to larger, commercially available

pH electrodes. Baseline drift is small, on the order of

1-2 mV (0.01-0.03 pH units) per 24 hours [fig. 2(a)],

and decreases with electrode age. Sensor sensitivity is

linear between pH 4 and 9 and slopes fall between

55 and 59 mV/pH units at room temperatures.

(Theoretical = 59.16 mV/pH @ 25°C.) [See fig. 2(b).]

Sensitivities are very stable, drifting only I to 2 percent

over a 7-day period. Response times are rapid, with

approximately 95 percent of the response achieved

within less than 3 seconds [fig. 2(c)].

Extensive testing following implantation in rats

has revealed that the test pH sensors retain much of

their capability for accurate electrochemical analysis

after as long as 21 days of subcutaneous implantation.

Electrochemical performance characteristics including

drift, sensitivity, selectivity, and response time were

not significantly compromised by implantation and

were not different from bench top controls. (See fig. 3.)

A rat acidosis model has been developed to

evaluate the in vivo performance of implanted sensors.

Rats with an indwelling jugular vein catheter are purchased. Respiratory acidosis is induced by exposing

the rat to a 7-percent CO2 atmosphere for up to

10 minutes. To evaluate the performance of implanted

sensors, blood samples are taken during exposure.

Blood is measured with a benchtop analyzer and

compared to the readings of the implanted sensor.

Preliminary tests indicate that the test pH sensors

accurately measure changes in pH in rat subcutaneous

tissue. (see fig. 4.)

Biotelemetry

A totally irnplantable, digitally encoded biotelemeter

for measurement of pH, temperature, and heart rate

has been designed, prototyped, and successfully bench

tested in conjunction with the test microbore pH

electrode. The circuit employs a low-power analog-todigital (A/D) converter, a digital-encoding integrated

circuit (IC) (Manchester) and transmits a pulsemodulated 455-kHz carrier. It dissipates less than

120 _tA. The device has been successfully miniaturized

in thick film hybrid form and will be packaged with a

3/4-ampere-hour battery inside a biocompatible

ceramic enclosure (fig. 5). A portable receiver acquires

and demodulates the radio frequency (RF) carrier,

demultiplexes and decodes the 4 data channels, and

presents the output to liquid crystal displays (LCDs)

21
l_.efe r ence Jn dicat or

PV C

body

wire

Figure 1. Physically separated pH indicator and reference

electrodes based on a single lumen PVC-based microbore

catheter.

_aw

0 I0 2D 30 40 _.0 60

Time (hrs)

_oo B

I00

o

-2O0

-3OO

pH

6o .._...._...L...i..._..._L....i...i....i...a.,,i....i.

:. _...L...L.._...._....L_.:....:..r......:...:.

,o.....!----i----_,---!----i--------_-----!,-!---------_----:----_-

20'

o,..--.:-..-L..-i,.---_.-------_-.-.i--.---.-_----!--.-!----!----ii=

_,o..-..i...-i---i_-!---_-- -!----!--_-

: : : . . . . . : : : : :.

-30 , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time (sec)

Figure 2. (a) Example of indicator and reference electrode

stability over 60 hours in a standard buffer solution;

(b) response sensitivity (slope in mV/pH) for a representative pH electrode; and (c) sensor response in pH 6.4

and 7.4 buffer solutions.

11 A Io" Indicator

D rift _"

E3 :t _-5"

" , , , , • , ' -10

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

B

Reference

Drift

70'

65.

>

E so'

v ,

._55'

50.

O3 4

C -6"

Sensitivity o

3E

¢:Tr8"

°

_1

gzh

O3

D

Selec_vity

4 8 12 16 20 24

15 5(7

E

Response E 40"

1 0 _me o

0 _ "_

Irnplantation Time

(days)

F

Internal

Re sistance

0 o , , ' -- '

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Implantation Time

(days)

Figure 3. Post-implant time histories of mean (a) indicator

drift; (b) reference drift; and (c) sensitivity; (d) selectivity;

(e) response time; and 09 internal resistance of indicator

electrode.

BIood A¢Idosis

i

-5

744

742

736

7.34

7.32

7.3

728

7._ C

5 10 15

Time(rain)

Figure 4. Changes in pH for a single rat exposed to a

7-percent C02 atmosphere for 10 minutes. Measures were

taken every 10 seconds from sensors I and 2, which were

implanted subcutaneously 3 hours earlier (baselines have

been adjusted to correct for drift). Blood pH measures were

obtained from blood samples acquired from the jugular vein

catheter.

22
TRANSMITTER

___--

MUX

Data Out

l I I I I

12 B_t Prelmbte Space 7 _ BI_ 80sta EUb

RECEIVER

Ad,_r_s

-___

-_×__

Figure 5. Block diagram of the digitally encoded biotelemet_ system and picture of the implantable biotelemeter.

23
on the front of the receiver chassis. A prototype

receiver has been successfully tested with implants

in sheep.

Significance of the results

Biotelemetry system components including a miniaturized, neutral carrier-based pH probe, a totally

implantable, digital biotelemeter, and a portable,

easy-to-use receiver have been successfully designed,

fabricated, and tested. Remaining integration and

testing of these components will be completed in the

near future. Initial application of this technology

will be to improve human fetal monitoring at the

University of California, San Francisco's Fetal

Treatment Center. Ultimately, the technology will be

used with animal models on the Space Shuttle and

Space Station to further understand physiological

adaptation to the space environment.

Publications resulting from study

Hines, J. W.; Somps, C. J.; Ricks, B.; and Kim, L.:

Advanced Biotelemetry Systems for Space

Life Sciences: pH Telemetry. In proceedings

of the 13th International Symposium on

Biotelemetry, Williamsburg, Va., Mar. 26-31,

1995, pp. 131-137.

Somps, C. J. ; Picketing, J. L.; Madou, M. J.; Hines,

J. W.; Gibbs, D. L.; and Harrison, M. R.:

Electrochemical Performance of an Ion

Selective, Polymeric Membrane following

Chronic Implantation in Rat Subcutaneous

Tissue. Invited submission to Sensors &

Actuators, series B, 1996.

Hines, J. W.; Somps, C. J.; Madou, M. J.; Singh, A.; and

Jeutter, D.: Telemetric Sensors for the Space

Life Sciences. In proceedings of the 18th

Annual International Conference of the IEEE

Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Oct. 31-Nov. 3,

1996.

Keywords

pH sensor, Biotelemetry, Ion selective electrode, Rat

24
Global Climate Change: The Role of Electron-CO2 Collisions

in the Cooling of the Thermosphere

Investigator(s)

Winifred M. Huo, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Other personnel involved

C. Dateo, Thermosciences Institute,

Ames Research Center

Progress and results

Carbon dioxide belongs to the group of infrared

absorbing molecules in the atmosphere known as

greenhouse gases. It absorbs radiation at a 15-micron

wavelength, in the (7- to 15-micron) range known as

the atmospheric window. It is so named because

radiation absorption in that range of wavelengths is

rather weak. Changes in this window due to either

man-made or natural causes will have detrimental

effects on our climate. Increased concentrations of

greenhouse gases caused by human activities such

as burning fossil fuels tend to close the atmospheric

window. One such example is CO2, whose concentration has been steadily increasing.

To understand the effect of increased CO2

concentration on the climate, it is necessary to

understand the microscopic mechanism of heat

absorption and heat loss by CO2. It is known that the

heat exchange mechanism of CO2 is different in the

troposphere and thermosphere. In the troposphere,

CO2 in its ground vibrational level is excited to the

first excited level of the v2 bending mode, (010), by

infrared absorption. It is subsequently quenched by

collisions with other atoms or molecules, and the

radiation energy absorbed by CO2 is converted to

kinetic energy, resulting in tropospheric warming. In

the stratosphere and above, particle densities become

significantly lower, and therefore, collisional quenching is much less frequent. In that region of space, the

fine-structure changing colhsion of oxygen atoms with

CO2 is effective in exciting CO2 to the (010) mode.

Because of the lower density in the upper atmosphere

and the fact that it is optically thin, radiation instead of

collisional quenching is the major dissipation mechanism. The result is thermospheric cooling. (See ref. 1.)

Thus increased CO2 concentration has opposite effects

in the troposphere and thermosphere.

It is known that in the past decade the mesosphere

has already cooled down by 3 to 4 K and the mesopause has cooled by 6.5 K. The cooling exceeds the

prediction of references 2 and 3, indicating that an

additional cooling mechanism is possible. Furthermore, there is a discrepancy of a factor of six in the

vibrational excitation rate of CO 2 by O atoms between

the rocket measurements of reference 4 and the

laboratory measurements of reference 5. The latter

discrepancy points to the possibility that mechanisms

other than collision with O atoms may be responsible

for generating excited CO2 in the thermosphere. The

higher density of CO2 will in turn explain the larger

cooling observed.

The present study concentrates on the mechanism

of creating vibrationally excited CO 2 by electron

impact in the thermosphere. The method of references 6 and 7 was used for the scattering calculation.

In order to describe the proper energy dependence of

the incoming and scattered electron near threshold,

the energy modified adiabatic (EMA) approximation

(ref. 8) has been incorporated. Both the target wavefunction and the scattering wavefunction employ

the correlation-consistent triple zeta basis of references 9 and 10, supplemented by two diffuse s and

p functions. Electron-target polarization effect is

described by the polarized orbital approach (ref. 11).

EMA T-matrices were calculated at bond angles of

165, 150, and 140 degrees while maintaining the

equilibrium bond lengths. (Note that transition to the

bending mode is forbidden at 180 degrees.) Harmonic

oscillator functions are used for vibration.

Figure I presents the calculated vibrational

excitation cross section of the (010) bending mode of

CO2. The cross section at threshold arises rapidly, but

not as sharp as predicted by the Born approximation,

which is a first-order approximation and significantly

less accurate than the present approach. The present

study also found that the excitation cross section near

threshold is dominated by the p wave to s wave

excitation.

Future plans include validating the threshold

result by carrying out a corresponding calculation

using the finite-element Z-matrix method. The cross

sections will then be used to derive the excitation rate

constant for thermospheric modeling.

25
Publications resulting from study

Huo, Winifred M." Global Climate Change- The Role of

Electron-CO2 Colhsions in the Cooling of the

Thermosphere. Paper presented at the 49th

Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference,

Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill.,

Oct. 20-24, 1996.

Huo, Winifred M.: Low-Energy Electron Impact

Excitation of the (010) Bending Mode of CO2.

Abstract in Bull. of the Am. Phys. Soc., vol. 41,

no. 6, 1996, p. 1313.

References

1. Kirby, K. P.: Atmospheric Physics, Collision

Physics, and Global Change. In The Physics of

Electronic and Atomic Collisions, T. Andersen,

B. Fastrup, F. Folkmann, H. Knudsen, and

N. Andersen, eds., AIP, New York, 1993.

2. Roble, R. G.; and Dickinson, R. E.: Geophys. Res.

Letters, vol. 16, 1989, p. 1441.

3. Rishbeth, H.; and Roble, R. G.: Planet. Space

Science, vol. 40, 1992, p. 1011.

10

4. Sharma, R. D.; and Wintersteiner, P. P.: Geophys.

Res. Letters, vol. 17, 1990, p. 2201.

5. Pollock, D. W.; Scott, G. B. I.; and Phillips, L. R.:

Geophys. Res. Letters, vol. 20, 1993, p. 727.

6. Takatsuka, K.; and McKoy, V.: Phys. Rev. A,

vol. 24, 1981, p. 1267.

7. Takatsuka, K.; and McKoy, V.: Phys. Rev. A,

vol. 30, 1984, p. 2473.

8. Nesbet, R. K.: Phys. Rev. A, vol. 10, 1979, p. 551.

9. Dunning, T. H.: J. Chem. Phys., vol. 90, 1989,

p. 1007.

10. Kendall, R. A.; Dunning, T. H.; and Harrison, R. J.:

J. Chem. Phys., vol. 96, 1992, p. 6796.

11. Lengsfield, B.H., III; Rescigno, T. N.; and

McCurdy, C. W.: Phys. Rev. A, vol. 44, 1991,

p. 4296.

Keywords

Thermospheric cooling, Carbon dioxide, Electron

impact

O

c0

d

O

o_

0_

O

8

6

4

2

0

0

, I , I , I , I ,

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

Electron Energy, eV

Figure 1. e-C02 (010) excitation cross section.

26
Understanding Ion Mobility in Polymer Electrolytes for

Lithium-Polymer Batteries

Investigator(s)

Richard L. Jaffe, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Grant D. Smith, University of MissouriColumbia, Columbia, MO 65211

Other personnel involved

Harry Partridge, Ames Research Center

Brian Annis and David Londono, Oak Ridge

National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6197

Oleg Borodin and Matt Pekny, University of

Missouri-Columbia

Objectives of the study

To develop a molecular-level understanding of the

lithium ion transport process in poly(ethylene oxide)

gels used as the electrolyte in lithium-polymer

batteries. Such an understanding is critical to the

design of optimal lithium-polymer batteries for

aerospace, automobile, and electronics applications.

Ab initio quantum chemistry calculations were used to

determine the nature of the Li+-polymer interaction

and molecular dynamics simulations performed on

ion-polymer systems to probe the ion transport

mechanism. The simulations can be carried out to

determine the rate of ion transport as a function of

temperature, ion concentration, polymer cross-link

density, and identity of the anion.

Progress and results

The first year of this project was spent determining an

accurate force field for use in the molecular dynamics

simulations of the ion-polymer systems. A previously

determined force field for the polymer, poly(ethylene

oxide) or PEO, was used to perform ab initio quantum

chemistry calculations to determine the geometries

and energetics of complexes involving Li + and

model ether molecules such as dimethyl ether and

dimethoxyethane (DME).These calculations were

carried out using standard computational chemistry

methods. However, one novel feature was the use of a

specially derived basis set for Li +, which produced

results that are significantly more accurate than ones

obtained previously. The interaction of the cation with

up to four ether molecules was studied to determine

the effects of multiple solvation. The interaction of

C1- and I- anions with Li + and with the model ethers

was also studied. During the second year of the project

those results were extended to a more complex anion

(PF6-).

The quantum chemistry results were fit to atomion and ion-ion pairwise functions to represent the

ion-ether interactions in a form suited for use in

molecular dynamics simulations. When combined

with previous work for PEO, this represents the socalled force field. In order to match the quan_m

chemistry results, terms in the force field were

included to represent polarization effects in addition

to the standard coulomb, dispersion, and steric

repulsion terms.

Using this force field, molecular dynamics

simulations were performed for a very dilute lithium

salt-polymer system, consisting of 32 H-(CH2-OCH2)12-H polymer chains and 10 Li + and 10 C1-

ions at a temperature of 450 K. The results of these

simulations indicate that, on average, each Li + is

solvated by a total of 8 oxygen atoms from 2 different

polymer chains. The presence of the Li + slows the selfdiffusion rate of the PEO. The Li + and polymer have

identical diffusion coefficients. On the other hand, the

C1- anion moves much more rapidly through the

polymer because it does not interact as strongly with

other species.

A concentrated lithium iodide-polymer system

(one Li + for every five PEO oxygen atoms) was

considered for a temperature of 360 K. Through

collaboration with scientists at the Oak Ridge National

Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, neutron scattering

experiments were carried out on the same saltpolymer system at the same concentration and temperature. After calibration of the polarization terms in the

force field, quantitative agreement was found between

the experimental and theoretical pair distribution

functions. Therefore, the simulations are accurately

modeling concentrated solutions of LiI in PEO.

Analysis of these simulation results is continuing; at

this concentration, the Li + was found to be solvated

by 4 oxygen atoms. When the analysis is completed,

information about ion transport in concentrated

lithium salt-polymer solutions will be obtained.

Significance of the results

The quantitative agreement between simulation

results and experimental scattering data demonstrate

the accuracy of the present approach. Simulations,

based on the force field used in present testing, can be

27
used with confidence to predict the properties of

lithium-polymer electrolytes. A Space Act Agreement

is being negotiated with a major battery manufacturing company for follow-up work. If this project is

continued it will be used to predict how changes in the

electrolyte composition might improve battery

performance.

Publications resulting from study

Smith, G. D.; Jaffe, R. L.; and Partridge, H.: A

Quantum Chemical Study of the Interactions

of Li +, CI-, and I- Ions with Model Ethers.

J. Phys. Chem., in press.

Smith, G. D.; Borodin, O.; Pekny, M.; Annis, B.;

Londono, D.; and Jaffe, R. L.: Polymer Force

Fields from ab initio Studies of Small Model

Molecules: Can We Achieve Chemical

Accuracy? Submitted to Spectrochemica Acta.

Keywords

Polymer electrolytes, Ion diffusion, Molecular

dynamics

28
Nonlinear Interactions between Background Disturbances

and Disturbances Generated by Laminar Flow Control (LFC)

Devices

Investigator(s)

Lyndell S. King, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Jonathan H. Watmuff, MCAT Institute, Ames

Research Center

Objectives of the study

Considerable fuel savings could be realized by maintaining laminar flow over a wing surface. However,

detrimental nonlinear interactions can occur between

background disturbances and disturbances introduced

by laminar flow control (LFC) devices such as suction

holes. Almost nothing is known about these interactions. At an even more fundamental level, advanced

codes, e.g., parabolized stability equation (PSE)

methods, are being used to predict transition on fullscale aircraft. The most likely disturbances in the

boundary layer will be three-dimensional (3-D).

Although the behavior of two-dimensional (2-D)

disturbances is well understood, there has not been

satisfactory experimental validation of these codes for

the simplest possible form of 3-D disturbance in the simplest

possible flow, i.e., the harmonic point source in a 2-D

Blasius boundary layer.

The primary objective of the project is to gain a

fundamental understanding of the nonlinear interactions between background disturbances in laminar

boundary layers, e.g., longitudinal vortices (Klebanoff

modes) and disturbances introduced by LFC devices

such as suction holes, e.g., ToUmien-Schlichting (TS)

waves. In particular, the objective is to identify the

conditions under which the interactions are favorable

(e.g., suppression of TS wave growth) or detrimental

(e.g., secondary instabilities associated with the

vortices).

Progress and results

Previous measurements had indicated the presence of

weak streamwise vortices in the boundary layer. The

vortices originate at the leading edge and appear to be

caused by almost immeasurably small nonuniformities

in the free stream. At the outset, the plan was to first

improve the flow quality of the free stream. Following

the general approach used in transition experiments,

the disturbances of interest could then be introduced

in a controlled manner. The flow quality improvements were much more difficult than anticipated;

more than half the project time (and funding) was

required to establish a very-high-quality base flow, i.e.,

as free as possible of background disturbances.

Klebanoff modes are thought to originate from

disturbances generated by the wind tunnel screens.

Inspection of the old wind tunnel screens revealed that

the tension was quite low and nonuniform. Six new,

high-quality screens were attached to solid aluminum

screen frames as a replacement set. A special effort

was made to achieve a high and uniform tension of

the screen cloth. Hot-wire measurements were made

for both sets of screens in a spanwise plane (x = I m,

Rex = 1.25 x 106). Flow quality is commonly quantified

by the root mean square (rms) unsteadiness and the

uniformity of the free stream. These measurements

indicated almost no change after replacing the old

screens [rms free-stream velocity fluctuation

(Urms)/mean free-stream velocity (U_) = 0.08%].

However, the maximum amplitude of the Klebanoff

modes within the layer was found to be reduced by a

factor of three. Despite the overall improvement in

flow quality, centerline mean velocity and broadband

unsteadiness profiles indicated that intermittent

bursting occurred at x =1.2 m (Rex = 1.50 x 106). This

observation is very interesting since intermittent

bursting with the old screens was found to occur at

x = 1.8 m (Rex = 2.25 x 106), i.e., the Reynolds number

for the onset of transition with the new screens was

reduced by 50 percent.

Wool tuft visualization studies within the original

wind tunnel fan revealed that flow separation occurs

within the casing. Further, viewing the wool tufts with

a stroboscopic light source revealed that the separation

is highly unsteady and it appeared to be correlated

with the angular position of the blades with respect to

the outlet. Hot-wire spectral measurements in the test

section indicate that up to 50 percent of the total freestream unsteadiness occurs within a narrow band

surrounding the blade-passing frequency. This frequency coincides with the most unstable TS modes.

The seemingly anomalous behavior (i.e., improved

flow quality but earlier transition) can be explained by

noting that larger amplitude Klebanoff modes were

present in the layer with the old screens. The reduced

magnitude of the Klebanoff modes with the new

screens allowed the blade-passing-induced TS

29
componentstogrow to a large enough amplitude to

cause bursting.

Considerable time was spent altering the

pressure/flow-rate requirements of the original fan

in an attempt to reduce the size and frequency of the

blade-induced disturbances. However, none of these

tests was successful and it was concluded that the

existing centrifugal fan must be replaced with a highflow quality axial fan before the measurements could

proceed.

A new axial flow fan that required substantial

tunnel modifications was identified and purchased.

The combination of the new fan and the six new

screens restored the Reynolds number for the onset

of bursting to the previously observed value and led

to a factor of 10 reduction in the amplitude of the

background rms disturbance levels. However, substantial spanwise variations still existed within the

layer. Accordingly, 6 more screens were manufactured

and added to the tunnel configuration. Furthermore,

the quality of all 12 screens was determined by laser

scanning. This technique involved mounting the

screen on linear bearings such that the screen cloth

passed between a laser and a photo detector. The laser

beam diameter (approximately 0.1 inch) corresponds

to about 4 mesh widths, i.e., the laser light passed

through approximately 16 mesh openings. The variations in the photo correspond to variations in the

mesh size, which introduce the small nonuniformities

in the free stream. The order of screens in the tunnel

was based on these mesh uniformity measurements,

i.e., from worst to best in the flow direction. Although

this led to further improvements, concentrated regions

of elevated background rms levels remained. Finally, it

was discovered by experiment that the appearance of

these regions was sensitive to pressure gradients in the

vicinity of the leading edge. The remaining concentrated regions were removed by imposing a small

favorable pressure gradient in the vicinity of the

leading edge by means of a contoured ceiling. The

net result was a reduction in the rms background

unsteadiness within the layer by a factor of 50.

A pair of streamwise vortices were introduced

into the boundary layer in a controlled manner by

stretching a 0.001-inch-diameter wire across the flow

in the direction normal to the leading edge 6750 diameters upstream. The laminar wake behind the fine wire

leads to the formation of a pair of streamwise vortices

within the layer. The strength of the vortices can be

controlled by varying the wire diameter and its distance from the leading edge. The spanwise position of

the vortices is adjusted simply by moving the wire to a

different spanwise position. The vortices represent the

controlled background disturbance.

A disturbance representative of LFC devices is

the harmonic point source (HPS). The HPS was introduced via a small speaker attached to a tube to a

pressure tap on the centerline of the test plate. One of

the characteristics of HPS-generated TS waves is that

the maximum rms amplitude downstream of the

source occurs away from the centerline. As the waves

fan out in the spanwise direction, they interact with

the streamwise vortices generated by the wire. The

HPS TS waves have been measured with and without

the presence of the wire-induced vortices.

Results to date have indicated that the interactions

are more complicated than anticipated. Examples have

been discovered where the presence of the vortices

both increase and decrease the amplitude of the TS

waves. This work is continuing under conventional

funding.

Significance of the results

The results demonstrate the importance of accounting

for nonlinear interactions for the accurate prediction of

transition. Nonlinear interactions will occur in practical flows of interest (e.g., airplane wings) but conventional computational tools cannot account for them.

The measurements will be put in the form of a database for validation of advanced computational codes.

The unanticipated difficulties with obtaining

sufficiently high flow quality are relevant to largeproduction wind tunnels. An extremely high flow

quality will be required for testing models containing

LFC devices. Furthermore, the techniques that are

generally accepted to quantify flow quality were

inadequate for flow improvements.

Publications resulting from study

Watmuff, J. H.: Interactions between Klebanoff Modes

and TS Waves. Paper presented at DFD

meeting, Amer. Phys. Soc., Syracuse, N.Y.,

Nov. 24-26, 1996.

Watmuff, J. H.: Interactions between Klebanoff Modes

and TS Waves in a Blasius Boundary Layer.

ALAA Paper 97-0558, presented at 35th AIAA

Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit,

January 6-9, Reno, Nev., 1997a.

Watmuff, J. H.: Detrimental Effects of Almost

Immeasurably Small Free-Stream Nonuniformities Generated by Wind Tunnel

Screens. AIAA Paper 97-0228, presented at

35th ALGA Aerospace Sciences Meeting

and Exhibit, January 6-9, Reno, Nev., 1997b.

Keywords

Flow quality, Klebanoff modes, ToUmien-schlichting

waves

30
Ground-Based Photometric Detection of Terrestrial-Sized

Extrasolar Planets

Investigator(s)

David Koch, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Laurance Doyle, SETI Institute, 2035 Landings

Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043

Other personnel involved

Jon M. Jenkins, SETI Institute

Hans-Jeorg Deeg and Eduardo Martin, Instituto

de Astrofisica de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenefife,

Canary Islands, Spain

Jean Schneider and Michel Chevreton,

CNRS-Observatoire de Paris, France

Efthimious Paleologou and Jannis

Papamastorakis, Skinakas Observatory,

University of Crete, Greece

Woo-Baik Lee and Ho-Ill Kim, Korea Astronomy

Observatory, South Korea

Edward T. Dunham, Lowell Observatory,

Flagstaff, Ariz.

Dominique Toublanc, Observatorie de Bordeaux,

Groupe Atmospheres Planetaire, Floirac, France

J. Ellen Blue, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif.

Zoran Ninkov, Center for Imaging Science,

Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester,

New York

Valerij P. Kozhevnikov and Polina E. Zakharova,

Kourovka Astronomical Observatory, Russia

Objectives of the study

The detection of extrasolar planets remains a difficult

task; the results of reference 1 in the detection of

Jovian-mass planets required a ten-year program

using three-meter-class telescopes. (Reference I reports

measurements of periodic velocity shifts in the spectral

lines of solar-type stars, which are indicative of a

perturbing mass.) This method is the only one that

has unambiguously yielded extrasolar planets around

solar-type stars. (Planetary masses have been detected

around two pulsars; see refs. 2 and 3.) Of interest, of

course, in light of NASA's stated goal of detecting

habitable extrasolar planets, are planets smaller than

Neptune (i.e., terrestrial-sized), a feat considered

impossible from the ground because of atmospheric

scintillation effects. However, as pointed out in reference 4 and demonstrated in reference 5, the detection

of nearby Earth-sized extrasolar planets from the

ground around very small eclipsing binary stars is

possible using one-meter-class telescopes with

moderately good photometric precision.

The photometric method relies on the transit of

an extrasolar planet across the line-of-sight of a star;

periodic brightness changes, which must be separated

from star spots, intrinsic stellar variability, and so on,

are measured. However, the probability of a transit

across the line-of-sight is only about one percent

(ref. 6), for random orientations of the planetary

orbital plane to the observer, so that one is faced with

either somehow preselecting edge-on systems (the

method used in this project) or one must look at about

100,000 stellar systems so that statistically at least some

will be edge-on (the approach planned for ref. 7).

Progress and results

SmaLl eclipsing binary systems were selected for this

project for four major reasons (starting with the

smallest known eclipsing binary, CM Draconis):

1) The orbital plane of eclipsing binary systems is

already edge-on, and a protoplanetary disk forming around it should cause material to precess into

this plane (material at different distances around

the binary stars will precess at different rates

because of the binary mass distribution, thereby

collisionally dampening into the binary orbital

plane; ref. 4). Thus, accreting planets should form

in a plane parallel with the binary system orbital

plane and thereby parallel to the same line-of-sight

for eclipsing systems.

2) Small systems are chosen because the smaller the

system, the larger will be the differential brightness variation because of the transit of a planet.

CM Draconis, for example, has a total stellar disk

area (of both components) only about 12 percent

that of the sun, allowing almost an order-ofmagnitude smaller planets to be detected for a

given photometric precision.

3) Assuming that the thermal regime of the solar

system correlates with the condensation locale of

the planets, the low intrinsic luminosity of these

small systems should cause planetary bodies to

form significantly closer to the stars than in our

solar system. For example, a planet with an insolation (stellar flux) equivalent to that received by

Earth around CM Draconis would have a period

31
of about 19 days. Hence, detection of inner planets

should take on the order of weeks rather than

years.

4) The phase position of the binary stars (zero phase

is at primary stellar eclipse) makes the transit of

any planets quasiperiodic, that is, even a planet in

a circular orbit will transit the stars in a different

way each orbit since the binary components will

also be orbiting around each other. This quasiperiodic signature is actually helpful. Crosscorrelating the observed brightness variations

with a model of all possible transit configurations

(a matched-filter approach) will provide a transit

signature well below the noise to be detected

(ref. 5).

The main thrust of this work (and the most

observing) is dedicated to the detection of terrestrialsized planetary systems. To date, the stellar system

CM Draconis has been observed for almost 1000 hours

for evidence of terrestrial-sized planetary transits. At

the current stage of data analysis, 19 candidate transit

events have been found, with some periods fitting

5 transits in succession. The transit detection algorithm

(TDA, a crosscorrelatmg matched filter) will soon be

run on the whole data set. Any planets with periods of

60 days or less will thereby either be ruled out around

this system or any that are 1.8 Earth radii or larger will

be detected (this planetary size minimum is about

0.6 percent the size of Jupiter.) Thus, a beginning will

have been made at finding habitable-sized planets.

As a byproduct of this effort, a method has been

found to detect nontransiting giant planets around

small-mass eclipsing binaries using the binary system

as a clock (ref. 8). As the two stars orbit each other,

the mutual eclipse minima can be measured precisely

using Global Positioning System (GPS) timing signals.

If there is a giant planet in orbit around the binary,

the stellar system will be displaced periodically by the

motion of that giant planet about the barycenter. This

offset will cause a delay of several seconds in the

smallest mass eclipsing binaries for a Jupiter-mass

planet at a Jovian distance from the stars. By precisely

timing the eclipses, any periodic offset can be measured or giant planets can be ruled out if no timing

offset is detected. We should be able to constrain the

existence of giant planets around eleven stellar

systems by the end of this year's observing season.

Significance of the results

Although there are indications for the existence of a

planet in CM Draconis, the data are still tentative

and will require further analysis. A positive result

will underscore the importance of photometric

observations for the detection of planetary systems

and the feasibility of detecting Earth-sized planets

from space where the photometric precision is not

limited by the atmosphere. This seed funding has been

invaluable in allowing development of these techniques and making progress with observation of these

systems. Given recent discoveries, it is clear that

progress in the search for extrasolar planets requires

much more observation than theory.

Publications resulting from study

Doyle, L. R.; Dunham, E. T.; Deeg, H-J.; Blue, J. E.; and

Jenkins, J. M.: Ground-Based Detectability of

Terrestrial and Jovian Extrasolar Planets:

Observations of CM Draconis at Lick

Observatory. J.G.R.-Planets, vol. 101, no. E6,

pp. 14823-14829.

Doyle, L. R.; Jenkins, J. M.; Deeg, H-J.; Martin, E.;

Schneider, J.; Chevreton, M.; Paleologou, E.;

Papamastorakis, J.; Lee, W-B.; Kim, H-I.;

Dunham, E.; Blue, E.; and Toublanc, D.:

Observations to Detect Planets Around

Eclipsing Binary Systems. Bull. Am. Astron.

Soc., vol. 27, 1995, p. 1382.

Doyle, L. R.; Jenkins, J. M.; Deeg, H-J.; Martin, E.;

Schneider, J.; Chevreton, M.; Paleologou, E.;

Kylafis, N.; Lee, W-B.; Dunham, E.; Koch, D.;

Blue, E.; Toublanc, D.; Ninkov, Z.; and

Sterken, C.: Ground-Based Observations to

Detect Terrestrial and Jovian Planets around

CM Draconis. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., vol. 27,

1995, p. 105.

References

1. Marcy, G. W.; and Butler, R. P.: Planets Orbiting

Solar-Type Stars. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., vol.

28, 1996, p. 1056.

2. Woiszczan, A.: Confirmation of Earth-Mars

Planets Orbiting the Millisecond Pulsar PSR

B1257+12. Science, vol. 264, 1994, pp. 538-542.

3. Arzoumian, Z.; Joshi, K.; Rasio, F.; and Thorsett, S.:

Orbital Parameters of the PSR B1620-26 Triple

System. Pulsars: Problems and Progress,

M. Bailes, S. Johnston, and M. A. Walker, eds.,

IAU Colloquium 160, Astronomical Soc. of the

Pacific, Conf. Series, 1996, pp. 525-530.

4. Schneider, J.; and Doyle, L. R.: Ground-Based

Detection of Terrestrial Extrasolar Planets by

Photometry: The Case for CM Draconis. Earth,

Moon, and Planets, vol. 71, 1995, pp. 153-173.

32
5. Jenkins,J.M.;Doyle,L. R.; and Cullers, D. K.:

A Matched-Filter Method for Ground-Based

Sub-Noise Detection of Extrasolar Planets

in Eclipsing Binaries: Application to CM

Draconis, Icarus, vol. 119, no. 2, 1996,

pp. 244-260.

6. Koch, David; and Borucki, William: Circumstellar

Habitable Zones. L. R. Doyle, ed., Travis

House, 1996, p. 229.

7. Koch, D.; Borucki, W.; Cullers, K.; Dunham, E.;

Webster, L.; Miers, T.; and Reitsema, H.:

System Design of a Mission to Detect EarthSized Planets in the Inner Orbits of Solar-Like

Stars. JGR-Planets, vol. 101, no. E4, 1996,

pp. 9297-9302.

. Doyle, L. R.; Deeg, H-J.; Jenkins, J. M.; Martin, E.;

Schneider, J.; Chevreton, M.; Lee, W-B.;

Kirn, H-I.; Ninkov, Z.; Blue, J. E.; Stone, R.;

Toublanc, D.; Paleologou, E.; Papamastorakis,

J.; Kozhevnikov, V. P.; Zakhavova, P. E.; and

Collins, J.: Detection of Habitable-Sized

Planets: A Progress Report. Bull. Am. Astron.

Soc., vol. 28, 1996, p. 110.

Keywords

Planet detection, Eclipsing binaries, Extra-solar planets

33
Development of an Innovative Neural-Based Telescope

Balancing System for the SOFIA/Kuiper Airborne

Observatory

Investigator(s)

Robert W. Mah, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Michael C. Guerrero, Alessandro L. Galvagni,

and Ramin A. Eshaghi, Caelum, Inc.,

Ames Research Center

Jose L. Winters, NASA Ames Internship and

Training Program with the Foothill-DeAnza

Community College District

Objectives of the study

To develop an innovative, noncontacting method for

neural-based telescope balancing. Such a system will

improve the efficiency of the balancing task; achieve

precise balance; eliminate dependence on expert skills;

and improve onboard compensation of mass changes,

cabling loading, and aerodynamic loads.

To demonstrate the feasibility of such a system,

a 1/2-scale hardware model of the Kuiper Airborne

Observatory (KAO) telescope will be used, and then

the actual KAO telescope itself will be used.

Progress and results

During the previous fiscal year, the instrumentation

concept was finalized, the key equipment (including

noncontacting infrared sensors, data acquisition

boards, portable computer, and graphics software)

was procured; the feasibility of using the noncontacting sensor onboard the KAO telescope to accurately

measure imbalance motions was determined; a simple

hardware testbed was built for initial neural net training and experimentation (fig. 1); a three-dimensional

(3-D) stereographics dynamics model of the KAO

telescope was developed for further experimentation

(fig. 2); a 1/2-scale hardware prototype of the KAO

telescope was built; and various neural-based

balancing methodologies were investigated.

During FY96, the 1/2-scale KAO telescope prototype testbed was completed, neural-based experiments

were conducted using this testbed, enhancements to

the testbed were implemented, and complementary

neural-based approaches for telescope balancing were

developed.

The general methodology developed is as follows:

An innovative, noninvasive infrared detector is used

to measure the trajectories generated by known

weights at known locations. The data collected are

used to train neural networks to learn the inverse

transfer function. Once trained, the neural networks

are used to determine the counterweight balance

parameters from new trajectory data caused by an

imbalance.

Experimental results indicate that the proposed

use of an innovative, noninvasive infrared detector to

measure motion trajectories caused by imbalances is

feasible; that the motion trajectories are uniquely

caused by mass imbalances; that nonlinear effects can

be mainly attributed to loading from wire harnesses

and to air-bearing drag; and that an accurate inverse

transfer function can be learned and then utilized to

determine counterweight parameters using neural

net algorithms. In addition, a cost-effective alternative

to the expensive spherical air bearing has been developed that can be used for offline, preflight balancing of

the telescope.

Significance of the results

The current method for balancing the Kuiper telescope

is based on a difficult, time-consuming trial-and-error

procedure that can take up to four hours. An automated approach is needed to

1) improve efficiency of time to balance;

2) improve accuracy of imbalance compensation;

3) eliminate dependence on expert skills; and

4) improve onboard balancing of mass changes (due

to cryogenic boil-off) and aerodynamic loading

effects.

A method has been developed for balancing the

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

(SOFIA)/KAO telescopes accurately and efficiently.

The hardware requirement on the telescope is simply

a small, 1/4-inch-diameter reflector. The neuralbased procedural method for balancing will reduce

operating cost, allow technicians at any level to perform the task, and reduce the time to achieve precise

balance. As mentioned previously, an inexpensive

alternative to spherical air bearing that can provide a

high-fidelity, ground-based simulation of an expensive

air bearing for the balancing task is now available.

Finally, the innovative contacting method developed

34
here has great potential for enabling adaptive online

balancing for compensating for mass changes, cable

loading/stiffness changes, and aerodynamic loads.

Keywords

Neural networks, Telescope balancing, SOFIA

telescope

Figur e 1. SOFIA/KA O telescope hardware testbed.

Figure 2. KAO/SOFIA telescope; 3-D stereographic dynamics model testbed.

35
A Microwave-Pumped Far Infrared Photoconductor

Investigator(s)

Robert E. McMurray, Jr., Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Jam Farhoomand, Orion TechnoScience,

Palo Alto, CA 94036

Obj ectives of the study

The far infrared (IR) response of a high purity n-GaAs

photoconductor is characterized by excited state

transitions of the residual shallow level impurities

superimposed on a relatively broadband continuum.

The response covers the range of 35-100 cm -1 with a

dominant peak, belonging to the ls--2p transition, at

about 35.4 cm -1 (279 gm). The exact excited state

response is sample dependent since the concentration

of the different impurity species depends on the

preparation and growth methods and conditions.

The liquid-phase epitaxy has proved to be the most

successful growth method in terms of producing the

highest purity material.

The underlying theory of operation of this detector

is almost perfectly explained in terms of a simple

hydrogenic model (fig. 1). The detection mechanism

for this detector is photothermal ionization, a two-step

process where the ground-state electrons absorb farinfrared radiation to reach the excited state levels and

then they are thermally ionized to the conduction

band. Although thermal ionization is the most convenient way to complete the transition to the conduction

band, it is conceivable that alternative methods, such

as photoionization by microwave photons, can be

employed to induce such a transition. The groundstate thermal ionization energy for all donor impurities is approximately the same and is about 5.5 meV.

As the purity of the material decreases, the thermal

ionization energy decreases as well. For this reason, far

infrared photoconductivity is observable only in highpurity material or at very low temperatures.

Dark current was measured as a function of

temperature. Under the dark condition, the blackbody

was turned off and the detector was looking at the

ambient temperature. It is interesting to note that the

dark current drops more rapidly at higher temperatures. This fact is illustrated in figure 2, where the dark

current at 300 mV bias is plotted as a function of

temperature. The excessive dark current at the higher

temperatures generates excess noise, which dramatically lowers the detectivity of the photoconductor.

Thus operation at a temperature of T = 2 K or less is

desirable for noise purposes.

The spectral response of the detector was measured as

a function of temperature and bias using the Bomem

Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) (fig. 3). For these

measurements a cold black polyethylene and a cold

scatter filter (diamond powder on quartz) were used to

reject the high-frequency radiation. The raw spectra

were corrected for the FTS source and optics by

dividing them by the background spectrum. The

background was taken under identical conditions

using a bolometer. Since the bolometer is a thermal

detector, its spectrum was divided by the frequency.

Considering that photothermal ionization is the

primary detection mechanism, one would expect the

strength of the exited state response relative to the

continuum response to diminish with decreasing

temperature but to remain constant with changing

bias. Of course the overall response would change

with both temperature and bias because of the change

in mobility. The results agreed with the expectations

and, therefore, confirmed the photothermal ionization

process. Response at the desired peak decreases

exponentially with temperature according to a

Boltzmann factor, and is down by two orders of

magnitude at a temperature of T = 2 K (fig. 4). This

result makes the detector's responsivity very low at

cold operating temperatures.

The objectives of the study were to ascertain the

feasibility of microwave-pumping, the second step of

the ionization process in a cold T = 2 K detector. This

feasibility would eliminate the need for the T = 4.2 K

high temperatures required for thermal ionization, and

would eliminate the associated high dark currents.

Such an improvement would allow operation of the

detector at full peak responsivity, as at T = 4.2 K, but

with the much lowered thermal leakage current

present at T = 2 K. This improvement can be viewed

either as a reduced noise for a full spectral range

detector that is run colder or as increased spectral

range for a cold detector when pumped by

microwaves.

Progress and results

Realization of the goals of this study required

development of expertise in the area of microwave

technology. The most difficult aspect was in coupling

the microwave power appropriately into the GaAs

detector itself, while maintaining DC bias and IR

illumination (fig. 5). Additionally, procurement of

specially produced and optimized microwave sources,

couplers, tuning cavities, and antennas were required,

36
delaying progress. First-ever measurements of microwave postpumping of states excited by far (35.4 cm -1)

IR radiation were made. The success of this method

can lead in the future to higher energy photon pumping (by miUimeter waves) of shorter wavelength

detectors such as Ge and Si.

The main effects to be observed from successful

microwave pumping are an increase in photocurrent

and a change in the relative spectral response shape at

a given bias and at low temperature (T < 3 K). These

changes should be dependent on the power (and

possibly frequency, which has not yet been explored)

of the microwave energy impinging on the detector.

The following data in support of these effects have

been observed: the photocurrent increases with the

microwave source on, and decreases to normal with it

off, in a repeatable manner; and the effect of the tuning

slug on the microwave cavity, which couples the

energy to a fixed-position antenna rod, is to cause the

photocurrent to vary up and down sinusoidally with

position when the microwaves are on. Both of these

effects are good evidence of the proper and expected

interaction between the microwave source and the

excited state response of the IR photoconductor.

The definitive proof of the proper interaction with the

excited state response would be to observe the spectral

line shape change, from that of a T = 2 K shape to one

similar to that seen at T = 4.2 K (fig. 2) when pumping

a T = 2 K detector with microwave energy. This

observation requires use of an FTS system such as that

used to

acquire the data of figures 2 and 3. Unfortunately,

the present Ames system is under repair and is not

presently available to take these data. When the

spectrometer is working, however, verification that

the effects discussed are definitively due to microwave

post-pumping of the detected electrons out of the

excited state into the conduction band will be made.

This last piece of proof will allow us to publish results.

Significance of the results

Postpumping of IR photoconductors could allow the

entire array of existing extrinsically doped devices to

cover a broader spectral range with little or no noise

increase and low pumping power requirements,

eliminating the need to find new detector materials or

device structures in some cases, and eliminating such

hard-to-implement technologies as stress rigs for

detector arrays.

Publications resulting from study

Farhoomand, J.; McMurray, R. E., Jr.; Hailer, E.;

Bauser, E.; and Silier, I.: Characterization

of High Purity GaAs Far-Infrared Photoconductors. International J. Infrared and

Millimeter Waves, vol. 16, no. 6, 1995,

pp. 1051-1064.

Keywords

Photoconductors, Detectors, Infrared

_i _ _ Microwave- transitions pump

c5

I_ Infrared

transitions I

4p

_ 3p

r 2p

¢ (

¢ ¢)

¢ ¢)

¢ ¢)

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Conduction

band

Figure 1. Energy-level diagram of shallow donors in GaAs (not to scale).

37
¢.j

E

(

£3

T (K)

5.00 4.00 3.33 2.86 2.50 2.22 2.00

1 0 "1°

g

1 0 "11

1 0 "12 ...................................... • .....................................................................................

1 0 13 ............................................................. ,o ............................................................

E

1 0 "14 [

0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45

1Fr (l/K)

Figure 2. DC dark current at 300 mV vs. temperature.

0.5

¢-

v

¢-

cry

35 I I I

! Detector

3 ,. ......... i......................................... -- 2.5 t...temperature.

o ............ i --2 o I in Kelvin

25 ...........

: i

20 ...................... i..........................................................................................................

i :

1 5 ........... ! ...............................................................................................................

J

1 0 .......... l .-i ...... !.....................................................................................................

s i..... __ i i ....

.... : __ J

30 40 50 60 70 80

Wavenumber (cm-_)

Figure 3. GaAs spectral response vs. temperature normalized to the continuum response at 80 cm -I.

38
i'-

m

m

0'3

r"

0

03

l'r

0.1

0.01

T (K)

5.00 4.00 3.33 2,86 2.50 2,22 2.00 1.82 1.67

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ZZZZ_ 41...__ + i., - i . +. _ZZ_!Z_EZ_ZZZ_IIZ_ ......... L.-

.............. II .............................................. ! .............................................. i ...............

............... ; ............... + ............................... : ............................................... ; ...............

............... -i... =........................................... i ...............................................................

............... !....... W....._ ................ _............... ! ...............................................................

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............................... + ............................... i ............................... _ ............... , ...............

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....................... ................ i.e-....._ .................. _................ :-............... i ..............

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: ............... -:-............... _......... _...+ - ............... _-'+-_'--''rm'--"-'.__ ...... i ...............

+..i ................ i................ _............... : ............... : ....................... _ ...... :_ ....... ,D..

............................................... _ .............. ql+.............................................. : ...............

................................................. :..................... + ..........:.................................................

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................................................ ! ............... '.......... 6"-_ .............

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............... _................ :................ P ............... _............... ";................ i................ ' ...............

.............................................. _ ............................................... .p....... • ......................

................................................ i................................................ i................................

............................... _-............. -............... _............................. _............... .+-o.............

............................... +............. !............... +............................. +............... _............ _+..

0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6

1/'1- (l/K)

Figure 4. GaAs response at 35.4 cm-1 and at 80 cm -1 vs. temperature, both normalized to the response at 4.2 K.

Room

Temp

acket

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Figure 5. Optical diagram of the microwave-pumped GaAs photoconductor.

39
A Search Technique for Discovering Earth-Crossing Comets

from Meteor Stream Outbursts and Determining their Orbits

in Space

Investigator(s)

David Morrison and Peter Jenniskens,

Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Other personnel involved

Amateur astronomers have participated at various

stages in this project. A multistation photographic

network was employed in the California Bay Area

during the 1994 Leonids, the 1994 Ursids, the 1995

Perseids, the 1995 Aurigids, the 1995 Leonids, and the

1996 Perseids. Members of the Fremont Peak Observatory Association and the San Jose Astronomical

Association (Mike Koop, R. Morales, C. Angelo,

T. Rice, and others) participated. In Hawaii during the

1995 Lyrids, members of the Meteor Group Hawaii

(Mike Morrow and others) participated. Members

of the Meteor Section of the South African A.S.S.A.

(T. Cooper and others) participated in South Africa

during the 1995 kappa-Pavonids. In Brazil during the

1996 kappa-Pavonids, a group of people associated

with the Planetarium of Porto Alegre (G. Klar Renner

and others) participated, while in Spain during the

1995 alpha-Monocerotids, members of the Dutch

Meteor Society (H. Betlem, M. de Lignie, and

M. Langbroek and others) and SOMYCE, the Spanish

Meteor Society (L. Bellot and others) participated.

At the alpha-Monocerotids occasion a two-station

network of image-intensified video cameras was

employed.

H. Betlem and H. Mostert developed the photographic systems, while M. de Lignie and K. Jobse

developed the image-intensified video camera

systems. I. Yrj61/i designed the current radio meteor

scatter system.

Objectives of the study

To develop techniques and gain information that

would allow us to find Earth-threatening long- and

intermediate-period comets through their meteoric

signatures. Before this study, only anecdotal accounts

of meteor outbursts existed, brief enhancements of

meteor rates, which are a signature of comets in an

orbit that closely approaches the Earth's orbit. No such

event had been observed with modem meteor observing techniques. Results of this study demonstrate that

it is possible to measure orbital elements of outburst

meteoroids and, from that information, to determine

the orbit of the parent comet.

Progress and results

The level of normal annual activity of 49 meteor

streams from which meteor outbursts stand out was

determined. An inventory of historic accounts of

meteor outbursts revealed that there are two types of

meteor outbursts: near-comet type, which are associated with the return of the comet to perihelion, and

far-comet type, which are not. Photographic and

image-intensified video techniques were developed

into mobile systems suited for application to this study

and the possibilities of radio forward meteor scatter

for detecting yet-unknown streams were explored. The

first orbital elements of a near-comet type event, which

originate from a known intermediate-period comet

(P/Swift-Tuttle), were secured.

Results indicating that the occurrence of far-comet

outbursts correlates with the Sun's reflex motion

(ref. 1) allowed prediction of such an event for

November 22, 1995, between 0 and 6h Universal Time

(UT). (See ref. 2.) This outburst of alpha-Monocerotids

did indeed occur, peaking at five meteors per minute

at 01:29 UT that night. Three photographic and seven

video orbits of these meteoroids were secured. From

that, the approximate orbit of the parent comet was

derived, and from the dispersion in orbital elements

and the intensity and duration of the outburst, the size

of the object was estimated. Observations established

that this event was caused by an Earth-threatening

long-period comet (ref. 3).

Results were presented at the international

symposium Physics, Chemistry and Dynamics of

Interplanetary Dust, IAU Coll. 150 in Gainesville, Fla.

(Aug 1995) and at the symposium Asteroids Comets

Meteors 1996, in Versailles, France (July 1996).

Popular presentations were given at Fremont Peak

Observatory, Calif. (Nov. 1994, Feb. 1996), in

Johannesburg, South Africa (July 1995), at the

Planetarium of Porto Alegre, Brazil (July 1996),

and for the Dutch Meteor Society in Rotterdam,

The Netherlands (June 1996).

Significance of the results

Demonstration that it is possible to observe meteor

outbursts and measure orbital elements of the

4O
meteoroids enables mounting other such observing

campaigns for streams that are known to have

occasional far-comet type outbursts, and thus

determining the orbits of other Earth-threatening

comets.

Results established that yet-unknown streams can

be detected by radio forward meteor scatter and visual

observing techniques. Once observed, it is possible

to predict future returns and mount an observing

campaign to measure the orbital elements. Once the

approximate orbit has been determined and the size of

the parent object has been estimated, it is possible to

search for near-Earth objects in that part of the orbit

that would bring the object on a direct collision course

with Earth. That capability can significantly increase

the warning time necessary for avoiding potential

danger.

The necessary information to secure funding for a

continuation of this project aimed at finding all Earththreatening, long-period comets that can be discovered

in this way has been obtained. A proposal has been

submitted to NASA's Planetary Astronomy Program.

Publications resulting from study

Jenniskens, P.: Good Prospects for a-Monocerotid

Outburst in 1995. WGN, J. IMO, vol. 23, 1995,

pp. 84-86.

Jenniskens, P.: High Leonid Activity on November 17-

18 and 18-19, 1994. WGN, J. IMO, vol. 22,

1994, pp. 194--198.

Jenniskens, P.: Meteor Stream Activity. I. The Annual

Streams. Astron. and Astrophys., vol. 287,

1994, pp. 990--1013.

Jenniskens, P.: Meteor Stream Activity. II. Meteor

Outbursts. Astron. and Astrophys., vol. 295,

1995, pp. 206-235.

Jenniskens, P.: Meteor Stream Activity. III. Measurement of the First in a New Series of Leonid

Outbursts. Meteoritics and Planetary Sci.,

vol. 31, 1996, pp. 177-184.

Jenniskens, P.: The First in a New Series of Leonid

Outbursts. In Physics, Chemistry and Dynamics of Interplanetary Dust, IAU Coll., vol. 150,

B. A. Gustafson, et al., eds., 1996 (in press).

Jenniskens, P.; and van Leeuwen, G. Docters:

The Alpha-Monocerotid Meteor Outburst:

the Cross Section of a Comet Dust Trail.

Submitted to Planetary Space Science, 1996.

Yrj61h, I.; and Jenniskens, P.: Meteor Stream Activity.

V. A Survey of Annual Meteor Activity by

Means of Forward Meteor Scatter. Submitted

to Astron. and Astrophys., 1996.

References

1. Jenniskens, P.: Meteor Stream Activity. IV. Meteor

Outbursts and the Reflex Motion of the Sun.

Astron. and Astrophys., 1996 (in press).

2. Jenniskens, P.: A Second Leonid Outburst in 1995.

WGN, J. IMO, vol. 23, 1996, pp. 198-200.

3. Jenniskens, P.; Betlem, H.; de Lignie, M.; and

Langbroek, M.: The Detection of a Dust

Trail in the Orbit of an Earth-Threatening

Long Period Comet. Astrophysical J., 1996

(Feb. 1997 issue---in press).

41
Using Ecosystem Science and Technology to Balance the

Conservation of Water Supply and Native Hawaiian Forests

Investigator(s)

Robyn Lee Myers, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Other personnel involved

John Eberhardt, Advanced Mapping

Technologies, 147 Normandy Court,

San Carlos, CA 94070-1542

Coleen Cory, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii,

116 Smith Street, Suite 201,

Honolulu, HI 96816

Shannon McElvaney, Hawaii Natural Heritage

Program, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii,

1116 Smith St., Suite 201, Honolulu, HI 96817

Objectives of the study

Maui's native rainforests are among the most

imperiled in the world, containing one-third of

Hawaii's rare and endangered species. Research has

shown that native species are highly susceptible to

displacement by the invasion of normative species.

Alien species have been shown to affect ecosystem

function, community structure, and population

dynamics (ref. 1). The mission of the East Maui

Watershed Partnership (EMWP) is to protect the

East Maui watershed from degradation by pooling

expertise and other resources to plan, fund, and

implement an active watershed management program.

With the cooperation of the State of Hawaii and

the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, a multiscale study

of the spread of alien plant species into the native

rainforests of windward East Maui is being conducted.

The East Maui watershed is managed by seven land

owners, who formed the EMWP. The research focuses

on two priorities from the EMWP management plan,

which was based on recommendations made by the

U.S. Forest Service: 1) Determine the specific steps

needed to develop an adequate inventory of vegetation and species in the watershed in order to provide a

starting point for ongoing and long-term monitoring;

2) Provide a strategy to prevent new weeds from

entering the watershed area and target those species

that pose the greatest threat to native species. The

EMWP understands that at the heart of the watershed

are the native rainforest ecosystems, which support a

host of native and endemic species and form the basis

of the present and future water supply for the island

of Maui.

The research focused on the following questions:

1) Is the presence and extent of alien species related to

land use (including natural or human disturbances

and preservation)? 2) Can canopy cover interpreted

from historic aerial photos be used to identify species

change (alien species spread) in native forest? and

3) At what spatial scale is the change in canopy species

composition most obvious?

Previous research has suggested that the presence

and extent of alien species are related to disturbance,

whether the result of human land use or natural

events. The first goal was to identify areas where

aliens are posing the most immediate threat of spread

into native areas, and the possible relationship to

management policy and other landscape variables. A

gap analysis of the macroscale data was analyzed in

the geographic information system (GIS) software

ARC/INFO, comparing agency land-use policies with

the presence of native and alien vegetation cover to

identify gaps in protection of native forest. The second

goal was to show how the vegetation canopy structure

has changed over time, in particular, the change in the

percent of alien and native species. The third goal

was to identify what landscape features and species

assemblage information can be detected at each scale.

The abilities and limitations of the three scales of

observation to detect landscape features and

vegetation patterns were compared and analyzed.

Progress and results

A landscape ecology approach was employed using

historical literature and current technology to evaluate

vegetation changes over time in the East Maui watershed ecosystem. The work had three components: a

gap analysis, which looked for "gaps" in the protection of native plant and animal species based on the

type of conservation management; a complete

historical review of land use and vegetation change

back to the arrival of the Polynesians, including a

.40-year time sequence of historical aerial photos;

and a comparative multiscale analysis of four scales

of vegetation data: satellite remote sensing, aircraft

remote sensing, aerial photography, and ground

transects and permanent plots to determine the

most cost-effective and efficient tool for long-term

monitoring of the watershed.

42
Preliminaryresultsof thiswork suggestthata

multiscaleapproach,usingground-basedtransect

monitoring,aerialphotography,andremotesensing

combinedinanARC/INFOGISisaviablewayto

studyland-useandland-coverchange.Mostof

thenativeplantandanimalspeciesoccurinareas

managedformultipleuseandare,therefore,atrisk

withoutafocusedmonitoringandmanagement plan.

The historical review of land-use change indicated

that most of the changes to rainforest habitat, and the

consequent loss of species, occurred first with the

arrival of the Polynesians about 400 A.D. and

continued with the arrival of the Europeans after 1778

and on through today since the advent of sugarcane

production at the turn of the century. In East Maui,

it was not until the mid 1800s when sugarcane was

developed as an industry, that roads into East Maui

were built and irrigation ditches were built to bring

water from the watershed to agricultural lands. Alien

plant and animal species introduced at each of these

three times have replaced the native vegetation in the

lower elevations, and are encroaching on it mauka

(inland, toward the mountains).

Preliminary results of the multiscale analysis

indicate that, for detailed habitat inventory, the

ground-based transect method provides the greatest

detail, although at great expense, and for a very

limited area. Aerial photo reconnaissance provides

both the history and more canopy detail, but depends

highly on the knowledge of an interpreter to locate

specific species of special concern. It, too, is labor

intensive and expensive to include the data in a GIS

for display and analysis.

Aerial photos from the 1995 NASA C-130 for the

Koolau Gap-Keanae Valley area were digitized,

orthorectified, and mosaicked into a single photo-map.

This photo mosaic map was then included in the East

Maui GIS database.

Significance of the results

The data collected in this research are being intgrated

with the ground data collected in Hawaii by The

Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. Linked together by

the Global Positioning System (GPS) location in the

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.'s

(ESRI's) ARC/INFO GIS, a resource manager or

researcher can point the cursor to any point along

Transect 4 and bring up information about that particular spot on the ground on soils, birds, endangered

plants, endangered animals, vegetation cover, weed

species present, and signs of feral ungulates. These

data can also be overlaid on a shaded relief map,

elevation contours, the 1995 aerial photo mosaic, the

1995 thematic mapper simulator (TMS) data image, the

SPOT remote sensing satellite image, or the transverse

magnetic (TM) image. In the area of highest vegetation

transition (from about 1500 to 3500 feet), comparisons

can be made with the historic aerial photography

dating back to 1951. This capability allows for more

detailed analysis of the data and interactions among

living and nonliving systems. These data will be

analyzed and reviewed for many years to come. The

final report (in press October 1996) provides recommendations for future ground and aerial monitoring

efforts in the East Maui watershed.

Publications resulting from study

Numerous publications have resulted from this

research; they are available on the World Wide Web

at http://ice.ucdavis.edu/Nrobyn/curvitae.html.

References

1. Vitousek, P. M.: The Effects of Alien Plants on

Native Ecosystems. In Alien Plant Invasions in

Native Ecosystems of Hawaii: Management

and Research, C. P. Stone, C. W. Smith, and

J. T. Tunison, eds., U. Hawaii Press, Honolulu,

Hawaii, 1993.

Keywords

Watershed, Geographic information system, GIS,

Landscape ecology, Remote sensing, Ecosystem,

Management, Hawaii, Aerial photography, Maui

43
A New Method for Measuring Cloud Liquid Water Using

Near Infrared Remote Sensing

Investigator(s)

Peter Pilewskie, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To develop cloud remote sensing methods for

inferring the liquid water content (LWC) of clouds,

which includes the subsequent development of

experimental [a solar spectral flux radiometer (SSFR)]

and theoretical tools necessary for cloud property

retrievals. Because the LWC in clouds is so crucial in

the regulation of the Earth's hydrological cycle and

therefore has direct climate implications, and because

cloud water content has been so poorly sampled

because of its dependence on temperature, this effort

to use a near infrared (NIR) remote sensing technique

was initiated. Measurements of NIR scattered by

clouds have been used in past studies to infer cloud

properties such as particle size, cloud thickness, and

thermodynamic phase of cloud water, with varying

degrees of success. The objectives of this study are to

use a similar approach in determining cloud water

content by measuring the NIR solar spectrum transmitted through clouds and deriving the relationship

between the spectral information and cloud water

content.

Progress and results

Analysis of Arizona Program data continued. A new

method of analyzing surface-base cloud transmission

spectra, developed during the first year of this project,

was useful in deriving both cloud liquid water and

water vapor. Presently, the retrieval method derives

the relative proportions of those quantifies. New

analysis, based on photon path length distribution

calculations, will be necessary to obtain liquid water

and water vapor in absolute units. Nevertheless, the

work completed during the two years of this project

went far in developing this new remote sensing technique. Furthermore, the instrument developed for this

study, and the data acquired during two major field

campaigns, was applied to other current problems in

solar radiative transfer, namely, the amount of radiation absorbed in clouds and the amount of radiation

absorbed in the cloud-free atmosphere.

During April 1996, an SSFR prototype was developed for participation in another field experiment, the

NASA Subsonic Contrail and Cloud Effect Special

Study (SUCCESS), in Lamont, Oklahoma. This prototype is being modified for airborne deployment for the

Mission to Planet Earth First International Satellite

Cloud Climatology Program (ISCCP) Regional

Experiment (FIRE) Phase Ill Program. An ER-2 test

flight is scheduled for winter 1997. Further plans for

the SSFR include deployment on a NASA remotely

piloted aircraft (RPA). The research initiated during

this project will be continued in FIRE llI investigations,

and will be useful in developing new methods for

cloud and aerosol remote sensing.

Publications resulting from study

Reinking, R.; Uttal, T.; Kropfli, R.; Eloranta, E. W.;

Piironen, P.; Piironen, A.; Bruintjes, R.; and

Pilewskie, P.: Hydrometeor Distinction with

Radar, Lidar, Passive Spectro-Radiometer and

Aircraft Measurements in a Winter Storm.

Paper presented at the International Union of

Geodesy and Geophysics, XXI General

Assembly, Boulder, Colo., July 2-14, 1995.

Pilewskie, P., and Twomey, S.: Cloud Properties

Derived from Surface-Based Near-Infrared

Spectral Transmission. IRS '96: Current

Problems in Atmospheric Radiation, A.

Deepak Publishing, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1996.

Pilewskie, P.; Goetz, A. F. H.; Bergstrom, tL; and Beal,

D.: Surface Measurements of Solar Spectral

Radiative Flux in the Cloud-Free Atmosphere.

Extended Abstracts, Ninth Conference on

Atmospheric Radiation, Long Beach, Calif.,

1997.

Pilewskie, Peter: The Effects of Water Vapor and

Clouds on the Distribution of Solar Radiation

at the Ground. Seminar presented at the

Pennsylvania State University, Department

of Meteorology, Nov. 14, 1996.

Participation in Arizona Program, Cottonwood, Ariz.,

Jan.-Feb. 1997.

Participation in NASA Subsonic Contrail and Cloud

Effect Special Study (SUCCESS), Lamont,

Okla., Apr. 1996.

Key-words

Remote sensing, Clouds and climate

44
SECTION 2

ONGOING REPORTS

Development of Fiber-Optic Sensors for Studies of

Transition from Laminar to Turbulent Flow

Investigator(s)

Y. C. Cho, N. N. Mansour, and

R. D. Mehta, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To develop a novel transducer technique for real-time

measurements of pressure fluctuations in conjunction

with studies of the transition from laminar flow to

turbulence on an airfoil surface. One of the major

tasks in information science is collecting information

(sensing or measuring). Measurements in physical

sciences are accomplished through interaction of

sensors with the system involving the measurand. The

interaction should be large enough for a good signalto-noise ratio, and yet should not be so large as to

cause excessive disturbance to the system. Aerodynamic systems involving transitions are often

extremely sensitive to a transducer intrusion, which is

difficult to avoid with existing sensor techniques. The

proposed program exploits fiber-optic (FO) sensor

technology, which has been maturing in various

industrial applications as well as in research. This

technology offers numerous advantages for aerodynamic studies, including high sensitivity, a compact

sensor package, a wide dynamic range, a high frequency response, and geometric versatility. The high

sensitivity and the compact size can be utilized to

minimize flow/sensor interaction noise. The geometric

versatility provides great flexibility in configuring the

optical fiber as extended sensor elements or sensor

arrays. The optical fibers can be implanted on the

surface of a solid body, or they can be flush mounted

on a surface such as an airfoil with perforation for

laminar flow control. Such sensor implanting or

mounting is a desirable feature for minimizing

flow/sensor interaction noise. Some other advantages

of FO sensors include superb telemetry capability,

high temperature tolerance, and immunity to electromagnetic interferences. These features are also

important in aircraft design as well as in the windtunnel test environment.

Progress and results

Fiber Fabry-Perot sensors were designed and plush

mounted on a Plexiglas plate for inflow tests. The unit

was tested in an anechoic chamber.

Preliminary tests showed that the unit was

working but with a sensitivity lower than expected.

The sensitivity is good enough for measuring pressure

fluctuation equivalent to turbulence generated on the

airfoil surface under a flight test condition for which

the mean flow Mach number is approximately 0.5. The

initial flow test was planned in a draft wind tunnel

with a Mach number of 0.1. The magnitude of the

turbulence pressure is proportional to the square of

the Mach number, and thus the inflow test requires a

sensor sensitivity 25 times as high as the flight test

condition. The sensor heads are redesigned, and they

are currently being fabricated. Anechoic chamber tests

and inflow tests will be conducted to demonstrate the

proof of concept.

Keywords

Fiber-optic

47
Size-Density Studies of Chondrules, and Aerodynamic

Sorting in the Solar Nebula

Investigator(s)

Jeff Cuzzi, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Julie Paque, SETI Institute,

Ames Research Center

Other personnel involved

Monica Rivera, Summer High School

Apprenticeship Program

Objectives of the study

Chondrules are millimeter-diameter, solidified drops

of liquid silicate rock. The dominant constituent of

the very primitive "chondritic" meteorites, these

chondrules show clear evidence for aerodynamic

sorting. The properties of chondritic meteorites, or

chondrites, are unexplained and have puzzled

meteorificists for over a century. The objective of this

study is to examine the relationship between size,

density, texture, and rim characteristics of chondrules

in several different chondrite types (unequilibrated

ordinary, carbonaceous, and enstatite chondrites) and

determine what characteristics are a reflection of

conditions during formation and residence in the

nebula. This information will be used to test and

constrain plausible models for the origin and early

evolution of primitive meteorite parent bodies in terms

of specific nebular processes. Whether the distribution

of chondrules in various classes of chondrites can be

explained by aerodynamic sorting in the nebula will

be examined, as will the extent to which the inclusion

of the rim with the chondrule improves or degrades

the agreement with an aerodynamic sorting

hypothesis.

Progress and results

In order to examine the relationship between size,

density, texture, and composition of chondrules from

a meteorite, it is necessary to separate, or disaggregate,

the sample. Two carbonaceous chondrites have

been successfully disaggregated, and a selection of

chondrules have been obtained from one ordinary

chondrite. Results from the two carbonaceous

chondrites indicate that there is a relationship between

size and density, although there is significant scatter

for the smaller chondrules, probably caused by

measurement errors. A significant correlation was

found between the volume of the chondrule and the

volume of the accretionary rim on a subset of the

AUende chondrules. These results are being evaluated

in terms of aerodynamic sorting in the nebula.

Disaggregation of the two ordinary chondrites will

continue, and compositional analysis of the ALH84028

carbonaceous chondrite will be made.

Significance of the results

This project has produced the first measurements of

chondrule and rim volumes. The correlation between

core and rim volumes on individual chondrules

may allow us to place significant constraints on the

environment in which rim formation occurred. These

results suggest that this suite of chondrules shared the

same rimming environment. Accumulation of dust as

a rim on a chondrule could be proportional to the

exposure time and sweep up rate, or each chondrule

could accrete its own mass in material before being

stopped.

Keywords

Meteorites, Solar nebula, Aerodynamic sorting

48
Laser-Spectroscopic Instrument for Turbulence

Measurements

Investigator(s)

Douglas G. Fletcher, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To develop and demonstrate a laser-spectroscopic

instrument that can be used to obtain simultaneous

measurements of temperature, density, pressure, and

velocity in unseeded, turbulent, compressible air

flows.

Progress and results

A new velocity measurement technique using flowtagging of atomic oxygen is being developed for

incorporation into a demonstrated capability for

measuring thermodynamic properties using laserinduced fluorescence of 02. It is envisioned that the

interdependence of thermodynamic and velocity

fluctuations caused by turbulence could be directly

investigated through applications of this previously

unavailable instrumental capability. For example, this

nonintrusive instrument would allow a direct assessment of the assumption that all the aforementioned

fluctuating quantities are uncorrelated, and therefore

do not have to be included in numerical models.

Significant progress has been made in establishing

the viability of atomic oxygen as a useful flow-tag

species. Using existing laser instrumentation, populations of atomic oxygen were created in room air and

probed at successively greater time delays to evaluate

photochemical mechanisms that would deplete the

tag population and limit the applicability of the

approach. In addition, through collaboration with

other researchers, the feasibility of using ozone as a

flow-tag species for extremely long time delays was

investigated. A thorough understanding of the 193-nm

induced photochemistry has been developed.

During the past fiscal year, both lasers broke

down. The dye laser required replurnbing and needed

a new pump gear for the amplifier circulator. The

excimer laser lost the impeller coupler in the oscillator,

precipitating a complete rebuild of that chamber. Both

lasers are now working. A new, intensified camera

system has been ordered, and the investigation can

now proceed to the demonstration phase.

The next phase of this investigation will

demonstrate the velocity measurement approach in a

small-scale, free-jet air-flow facility. In addition, the

integration of the velocity measurement approach into

the existing thermodynamic property measurement

capability will continue.

Keywords

Lasers, Velocimetry, Fluorescence

49
Computational Modeling of Ultrafast Optical Pulse

Propagation in Semiconductor Lasers and Amplifiers

Investigator(s)

Peter M. Goorjian, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Govind P. Agrawal, The Institute of Optics,

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627

Other personnel involved

Rolf Binder, Optical Sciences Center,

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721

Objectives of the study

To understand the emerging technology of photonic

(or optoelectronic) integrated circuits (PICs or OEICs).

In PICs, optical and electronic components are grown

together on the same chip. To build such devices and

subsystems, one needs to model the entire chip. The

importance of PICs is in their use in building integrated optical transmitters, integrated optical

receivers, optical data storage systems, optical

interconnects, and optical computers.

This research will provide accurate computer

modeling of ultrafast optical wave propagation in

semiconductors. Such modeling is necessary for the

successful development of PICs. More specifically,

these computer codes will enable the modeling of

such devices, including their subsystems, such as

semiconductor lasers and semiconductor amplifiers

in which there is femtosecond pulse propagation.

Progress and results

The theory and governing equations have been

formulated for modeling the propagation of 50- to

100-femtosecond pulses in semiconductor materials.

A finite-difference algorithm has been developed that

solves the nonlinear Maxwell's equations and the

semiconductor Bloch's equations, without making

the standard slowly varying envelope (SVEA) and

rotating-wave (RWA) approximations. This more exact

formulation is applied to simulations of the propagation of ultrashort pulses for which the standard

approximations reach their limits. This development

was motivated by the generation of optical pulses as

short as 8 fs, which has become possible because of

recent progress in ultrafast technology. These combined equations model the optical pulse and the

interband and intraband dynamic processes in the

semiconductor.

Figure I shows gain curves that were obtained

under the free-carrier assumption. Figure 2 shows the

linear exciton absorption results obtained by including

the Coulomb interaction. The ls and 2s absorption

peaks for a 2-ps dipole decay time should be noted.

O

w

o3

O

.J

10,000

8000

6000

40OO

20O0

0

-2000

-4000

1.40

I N*e+18/cm**3

-'-- o.o

--o-- 0.1

•...A.-.. 1.0

-'_-- 2.5

--t-- 5.0

1.50 1.60 1.70 1.80 1.90

Energy (eV)

Figure 1. Gain curves.

_6

o

0 5

E

ga

.mi21

0

Linear Exciton Absorption Spectrum for Bulk GaAs

7

Dipole decay time (ps)

1

2

..... ±- I t

-3 -2 -1 0

Energy (E-Eg) / Eo, Eo = 4.2 meV

Figure 2. Linear exciton absorption spectrum.

Significance of the results

These calculations of absorption spectrum show that

this new, more exact algorithm has the capability of

modeling the quantum interactions of ultrafast optical

pulses with semiconductor materials.

5O
Publicationsresulting from study

Goorjian, P. M.; and Agrawal, G. P.: Computational

Modeling of Ultrashort Optical Pulse

Propagation in Nonlinear Optical Materials.

Paper NME31, presented at the Nonlinear

Optics Topical Meeting, Maui, Hawaii,

July 8-12, 1996.

Keywords

Computational nonlinear optics, Semiconductor

and other nonlinear optical materials, Ultrafast

(femtosecond) optical pulse propagation

51
Remote Sensing of Aircraft Contrails Using a Field Portable

Imaging Interferometer

Investigator(s)

Philip D. Hammer, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

William H. Smith, Washington University,

St. Louis MO 63130

Other personnel involved

Stephen Dunagan and Anthony Strawa,

Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

To measure visible and infrared radiative effects of

aircraft contrails to provide information about their

spatial distributions, their microphysical properties

(especially ice crystals), their time evolution, and their

surroundings by application of a novel remote sensing

technique, imaging interferometry. The instrument

concept to be utilized is called DASI (digital array

scanned interferometry). These measurements will

be made from the ground at appropriately selected

sites. Analytical techniques employing atmospheric

radiative transfer methods will be developed and

applied to analysis and interpretation of the spectral

images. The overall objective is to demonstrate the

feasibility of this measurement technique for remote

sensing of contrail properties, and more generally, of

aerosol plumes.

Progress and results

In early May 1996 measurements were made during

NASA's subsonic aircraft: contrail and cloud effects

special study (SUCCESS). Ground-based measurements were made of aircraft contrails and cirrus

clouds at the Department of Energy's Cloud and

Radiation Testbed (CART) site in Oklahoma. DASI

spectral images were acquired for both commercial

aircraft and SUCCESS mission aircraft atmospheric

radiative effects. These measurements were acquired

together with those of other participating sensors.

Simultaneously, airborne and satellite-based measurements were also acquired by collaborating

investigators.

The contrail measurement result shown in figure 1

was obtained using our near infrared (NIR) DASI

instrument. The DASI was pointed toward a fixed

coordinate of the sky while the SUCCESS aircraft

crossed the field of view. The resulting spectral image

contains contrail cross-profile information along the

spatial coordinate and contrail evolution information

along the time coordinate (0.2-sec intervals). Figure 1

shows time sequential profiles derived from this

spectral image.

Plans have been made to make additional groundbased measurements of aircraft contrails within the

next few months, when two improved DASI instruments will become available. The improved infrared

instrument will permit obtaining images with good

spatial resolution over the entire spectral range of

4000 to 11,000 cm -1 (0.91 to 2.0 microns). The current

IR DASI could not achieve the desired performance

over the entire spectral range because of chromatic

aberrations and other limitations of the optics. The

second DASI will cover the visible to NIR spectral

region.

Concurrently, advanced analysis algorithms

for the interpretation of the data acquired at the

Oklahoma site and at other ground-based locations

are being developed.

Significance of the results

The results from the May 1996 measurements have

met the following analysis goals: 1) determination of

spatial features, extent, and short-term time evolution

of the contrails; 2) assessment of spatial distributions--

mapping of variations in cirrus optical properties;

3) collection of information about the atmosphere in

the vicinity of contrails; 4) qualitative extinction and

scattering optical depth information. It should be

noted that, over the period between 0 and 2 seconds,

the contrail evolves from being a net absorbing to a net

scattering feature relative to the region surrounding

the contrail. (See fig. 1.) This evolution is a likely

indication of the ice nucleation process occurring to

form the contrail.

Keywords

Aircraft contrails, Remote sensing, Imaging

spectrometers

52
Time sequential profiles of cortra;I, 7800 - 8500 cm -1 spectral

4L ' ' ' ' [ .... I .... I .... I [ '

r"

:>.

_ 5 15 sec

e_

2 L ^__ 10 sec

2.0 sec

1.0 sec

[ntervQI

I

2

!

!

q

0.0 sec -1

0 _ L _ _ I , _ _ _ I h , _ _ I , _ h , I ; , B _ I _ , _ ;

0 50 100 150 200 250 ,300

Controit cross profile spatial coord[nete (North ->)

Figure 1. Time sequential profiles of an aircraft contrail derived from a DASI spectral image. A spectral range of 7800 to

8500 cm -I (1.17 to 1.28 microns) was selected for these plots. The horizontal coordinate is in arbitrary units, corresponding

to a full field of view of 7.3 deg or 1.28 km at an assumed range of lO kin. The vertical coordinate corresponds to relative solar

scattering intensity. ProXies are offset along the vertical coordinate by a quantity proportional to the sampling time to aid in

visualization.

53
Validation of Engine-Change Procedures through Team

Task Analysis

Investigator(s)

Barbara G. Kanki, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Vicki Dulchinos, San Jose State University

Foundation, Ames Research Center

Other personnel involved

Tim Repp and Diane Walter, Boeing Commercial

Airplane Group, Seattle, WA 98124

A procedure analysis system was developed and

applied to original and updated engine-change procedures, and preliminary summaries of data were

generated.

Currently, the procedure analysis system is being

validated with experts at Boeing and the system is

being refined on the basis of their feedback. In addition, the legal proprietary agreements are being

finalized so that the original Boeing videotapes can

be obtained and analyzed.

Objectives of the study

To enhance maintenance procedures through the

incorporation of team factors elements. Specifically,

team coordination principles may be directly operationalized into procedures through explicit directions,

notes, suggestions, and standards. The B737 CFM56-7

engine-change operations were used as a testbed for

developing the generic procedure analysis system.

Research steps include the following:

• Review accident and incident reports related to

human factors in maintenance operations

• Develop collaborative plan with Boeing

Commercial Airplane Company participants

• Conduct familiarization observations of enginechange activities

• Develop a model procedure evaluation system

• Apply the procedure analysis system to the

original and enhanced engine-change procedures

• Validate procedure differences through

observations, interviews, videotapes

• Write a guidelines document for incorporating

human factors into the procedure evaluation and

redesign process

Progress and results

Literature review of accident reports and analysis of

incident reports was completed for the purpose of

gathering information on team and organizational

features that have been linked to incidents and

accidents.

Collaborative planning with Boeing participants

resulted in the following plan: 1) identification of

relevant company participants; 2) obtaining existing

documentation on original B737 CFM56-7 enginechange procedures; and 3) obtaining data and documentation on recent B737 engine-change updates

(including timeline analyses, videotape records, and

existing performance data.

Significance of the results

In order to systematically compare the original and

updated engine-change procedures, two levels of

coding (structural and functional) have been developed and applied to every procedural item. Structural

changes characterize additions, removals, item restructuring (splitting and merging of items), and information changes on the basis of these codes. Functional

changes comprise a second-level coding, which

characterizes the purposes for making the change

(e.g., enhancing situation awareness, time or task

management across team members, safety information, referral to resources, clarifications through

resequencing, simplified grammar, information

refinements, etc.).

Eighty-eight percent of the procedures changed in

one way or another, 34 percent were new steps added,

and the remaining 54 percent were moved, restructured, or changed with respect to information. One of

the functions of adding new steps was to enhance

situation awareness. For instance, at the beginning of

each main section, a big-picture description of what

would follow was placed in a section called "General."

Such enhancements allow teams to better plan ahead

and distribute workload and resources efficiently.

The final guidelines will reformulate what is

learned from this specific engine-change procedure

analysis so that procedure specialists can use the

lessons learned to conduct their own procedures

assessment and redesign.

Future plans include gaining NASA R&T funding

in order to formally extend these findings and the

analysis system to airline applications. Airline procedures often require substantial refinement from those

provided by the manufacturer (e.g., Boeing) because of

differences in goals, policies, and operational practices.

Airlines are eager to solve human factors problems, so

the opportunity to tailor the procedure analysis system

54
and guidelines for airline use will guarantee their

participation in providing subject matter experts, field

experience, and their help in the validation phase.

Publications resulting from study

Veinott, E.; and Kanki, B. G.: Identifying Human

Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance

Operations. Poster presentation at Human

Factors and Ergonomics annual meeting and

poster session, San Diego, Calif., Oct. 1995.

Kanki, B. G.; and Walter, D.: Reduction of

Maintenance Error Potential through Focused

Interventions. Paper presented at FAA/AAM

Meeting on Human Factors in Aviation

Maintenance and Inspection, Mar. 1997, in

preparation.

Kanki, B. G.; Dulchinos, V.; and Repp, T.: Guidelines

for Integrating Human Factors into Procedure

Analysis and Design. NASA TM, in

preparation.

Keywords

Maintenance resource management, Human factors in

procedure design, Procedure evaluation and redesign

55
Development of a Silicon-Micromachined Gas

Chromatography System for Determination of

Planetary Surface Composition

Investigator(s)

Daniel Kojiro, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Thomas Shen, SETI Institute, Ames Research

Center

James Suminto and Frank Yang,

Micro-Tech Scientific, Inc., 140 S. Wolfe Rd.,

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Objectives of the study

To engineer and fabricate a highly efficient, lowpower, lightweight, micromachined gas chromatography (GC) system with a glow discharge detector

to be used in gas chromatographic analysis of lowmolecular-weight molecules such as oxygen, nitrogen,

argon, methane, ethane, carbon monoxide, carbon

dioxide, water, and others that may be present in

cometary and planetary bodies.

Progress and results

The development of gas chromatographic equipment

for planetary atmospheric probes and soil gas or

pyrolytic analysis was required for both the Viking

mission to Mars and the Pioneer Venus mission.

A GC instrument was used for the Pioneer Venus

mission. However, future missions such as the Mars

exploration missions and missions to probe outer

planet atmospheres or moons will require further

reduction in weight, volume, and power requirements.

A massive effort is presently under way to

revolutionize the technical approach to spacecraft

and robotic exploration. The Discovery Program is

the first incarnation of this new enterprise. Other

programs following it include New Millennium,

Micro-spacecraft, and Nanoinstruments. All these

enterprises have the common paradigm of better,

faster, and cheaper. Clearly, the current technology

for future space studies will not likely be viable.

A silicon-micromachined GC system containing

detector and column integrated into a small piece

of silicon has been studied by several researchers.

The problem is that no sensitive detector has been

designed and tested. The present study uses the

metastable ion detector MID detector principle,

replacing the radioactive material with the glow

discharge method, which has not been studied on

the silicon micromachined GC system. A very narrow

discharge distance can be produced and controlled,

a helium ionization detector can be produced, and a

highly sensitive analysis can be obtained (lower ppm

can be detected) though a silicon-micromachined

wafer. In addition, a column on the chip with a newly

developed, highly efficient silicon polymer material

(U.S. patented) will be modified and coated to separate

most chemical components. This small and highly

sensitive GC system will be able to meet future

missions requirements.

In this first year of the project, several micromachined chips with different electrode designs

were tested. Several chips have been evaluated and

discharge curves of these chips have been made.

Further evaluation for GC detector application is in

progress.

Keywords

Micromachinery, Chromatograph

56
Planetary Wind Sensor

Investigator(s)

Paul Kolodziej, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

David W. Bogdanoff, Eloret Institute,

Ames Research Center

Gregory Wilson, Arizona State University,

Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

A single device to sense wind speed and direction on

planet surfaces is needed for current and future planet

exploration endeavors. Future Mars explorations plan

to use hot-wire anemometers to meet this requirement

by placing a series of these devices in a circle to measure the wind direction. Clearly, problems arise with

this configuration because the multiple supports will

obstruct the very flow it is trying to measure. Moreover, many hot wires around the circle would have to

be used in order to measure all possible wind directions with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The

velocity range to be sensed is 1-30 m/sec with a

frequency response of I Hz. Devices other than hot

wire anemometers have been used for measuring this

range on Earth and may be appropriate for measurements on Mars. A study evaluating devices or techniques commonly used for measuring wind speed and

direction was completed in order to select the best

device for testing in the Mars wind tunnel at Ames.

Because measurements on Mars will be in carbon

dioxide at 0.01 atmospheres, some modification of

Earth-based devices may be required.

Progress and results

Seven techniques were evaluated in this study:

1. Robinson (cup-type) anemometer, turbine meter,

and wind vane

2. Ultrasonic wind sensor

3. Heat transfer techniques--hot wires, hot films, etc.

4. Pressure measurement techniques

5. Laser Doppler techniques

6. Oscillations in wakes behind a cylinder

7. Mechanical deflection techniques

The ultrasonic wind sensor was selected for testing

because it offers the best combination of performance

and robustness. This sensor consists of three ultrasonic

sources/receivers arranged in a horizontal equilateral

triangle. By measuring the effective acoustic wave

propagation speeds in three different directions, the

wind velocity vector and the sound speed can be

determined.

Significance of the results

A commercial device, the Handar model 425 ultrasonic

wind sensor, was purchased for low-pressure evaluation in the Mars wind tunnel at Ames in FY97. This

testing will hopefully identify the modifications

required to meet the accuracy requirements at Mars.

Keywords

Wind sensor, Planetary measurements, Mars

57
Planar Doppler Velocimetry

Investigator(s)

Robert L. McKenzie, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

Recently, several laboratories have shown that planar

Doppler velocimetry (PDV) offers an attractive means

for measuring three-dimensional (3-D) velocity vectors

everywhere in a light sheet placed in a flow. Unlike

other optical means of measuring flow velocities, PDV

is particularly attractive for use in large wind tunnels

where distances to the sample region may be several

meters, because it does not require the spatial resolution and tracking of individual scattering particles or

the alignment of crossed beams at large distances. To

date, demonstrations of PDV (also called Doppler

global velocimetry by some authors) have been made

either in low-speed flows without quantitative comparison with other measurements or in supersonic

flows where the Doppler shift is large and its measurement is relatively insensitive to instrumental errors.

Moreover, most reported applications have relied on

the use of continuous-wave lasers, which limit the

measurement to time-averaged velocity fields. The

objective of this study has been to quantitatively

define and demonstrate PDV capabilities for applications in large-scale wind tunnels that are intended

primarily for the production testing of subsonic

aircraft. For such applications, the adequate resolution

of low-speed flow fields requires accurate measurements of small Doppler shifts that are obtained at

distances of several meters from the sample region.

The use of pulsed lasers provides the unique capability

to obtain not only time-averaged fields, but also their

statistical fluctuation amplitudes and the spatial

excursions of unsteady flow regions such as wakes

and separations.

Progress and results

To accomphsh the objectives, the PDV measurement

process was first modeled and its performance evaluated computationally. The noise sources considered

included those related to the optical and electronic

properties of charged-coupled device (CCD) arrays

and to speckle effects associated with coherent

illumination from pulsed lasers. The signal noise

estimates were incorporated into the PDV signal

analysis process and combined with a spectroscopic

model of the iodine vapor cell used to discriminate

Doppler frequency shifts and with computed scattering signals using a Mie scattering theory for polydisperse smoke particles. The relevant parameters

incorporated a range of practical aerodynamic test

conditions and facility sizes. The results helped define

the optimum values of the instrument parameters,

showed that the expected signal levels from a practical

PDV system were sufficiently large to allow its useful

application in large facilities, and showed that the

expected velocity measurement uncertainties were

small compared to the mean velocities of interest for

most subsonic, large-scale wind tunnel testing.

PDV performance was then demonstrated using

several bench-top setups, including a rotating wheel

where the exact velocity field was always known

everywhere, a turbulent air jet with flow properties

that were cahbrated using pitot and hot-wire probes,

and stationary solid and aerosol targets where only the

PDV noise was observed. Images from these targets

were used to validate the model description of noise

magnitudes and to confirm the minimum velocities

that could be resolved. The bench-top experiments

also allowed the optical configuration and calibration

procedures of the instrument to be developed into a

robust and easily operated system that is applicable to

the environment of large-scale wind tunnels.

Significance of the results

The PDV measurement capabilities developed in

this study demonstrate that PDV offers significant

advantages compared to other means of measuring

velocity fields in large-scale, subsonic wind tunnels.

Measurements obtained from each laser pulse allow

the accurate resolution of complete velocity vector

fields with speeds as low as 3 m/s. From the pulse-topulse data, both mean velocities and their fluctuation

amplitudes can be determined in any aerosol-seeded

flow with adequate optical access, including complex,

3-D, turbulent flows. The method has no upper limit

above which velocity cannot be measured, other than

extreme hypersonic flow situations containing strong

shock waves in which the necessary scattering particles or aerosols in the flow do not follow the sudden

changes in flow speeds or directions. Moreover, the

measurement procedures are compatible with the

production testing environment of large-scale wind

tunnels, the experimental setup is relatively simple,

and the system can be operated by trained wind

tunnel technicians as a production instrument.

58
Publications resulting from study

McKenzie, R. L.: Measurement Capabilities of Planar

Doppler Velocimetry Using Pulsed Lasers.

Applied Optics, vol. 35, no. 6, Feb. 20, 1996,

pp. 948-964. (Also AIAA Paper 95-0297,

presented at the 33rd Aerospace Sciences

Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nev.,

Jan. 9-12, 1995.)

McKenzie, R. L.: Planar Doppler Velocimetry

Performance in Low-Speed Flows. AIAA

Paper 97-0498, presented at the 35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno,

Nev., Jan. 6-9, 1997.

McKenzie, R. L.: Planar Doppler Velocimetry for

Large-Scale Wind Tunnels. To be submitted

for presentation at the AGARD 81st Fluid

Dynamics Panel Symposium on Advanced

Aerodynamic Measurement Technology,

Seattle, Wash., Sept. 22-25, 1997.

Keywords

Velocity measurements, Wind tunnel instrumentation,

Laser Doppler velocimetry

59
Quantitative Characterization of Porous Thermal Protection

System Microstructures Using Laser Scanning Confocal

Microscopy

Investigator(s)

Frank Milos, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Jochen Marschall, Eloret Institute,

Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Joanne Frerich, Sandia National Laboratories,

Albuquerque, NM 87185-0781

Objectives of the study

To investigate the capability of laser scanning confocal

microscopy (LSCM) to provide quantitative information about the porous microstructure of various

thermal protection system (TPS) materials. The idea is

to use LSCM to obtain digitally stored representations

of the pore structure and to devise computational

algorithms to extract numerical values for such quantifies as porosity, surface area per volume, pore size and

orientation distributions, etc. This information will

then be incorporated into various modeling efforts,

such as, e.g., internal radiation transport and gas flow

in fibrous insulations.

Progress and results

• The first ever experimental LSCM images of

fibrous TPS materials have been made on samples

of LI-2200, AETB-12, and AETB-20 insulations.

These results are promising, and they indicate that

the LSCM technique is probably suitable for the

envisioned goals of this project.

• Data processing and visualization tools have been

identified and brought online.

• Preliminary strategies for extracting desired

microstructural parameters from the LSCM data

have been identified, including the use of voxel

surface and volume counting, stereological relationships, and n-point correlation functions to

derive various pore structure parameters in different ways to check for consistency.

The work that is currently under way and will

continue throughout the next year includes:

• Optimization of the LSCM process to allow for

data gathering from larger sample volumes, by

adjusting fluorochrome concentrations;

• Obtaining more experimental data on a wider

range of porous TPS materials;

• Writing computer codes for extracting desired

quantities from LSCM data and coupling them to

existing microstructure analysis and visuahzation

software; and

• Inputting derived information into various

computational models of material properties and

behavior.

Keywords

Porous material, Laser scanning confocal microscopy,

TPS microstructures

60
A Limited Pressure Cycle Engine for High Specific Output

Investigator(s)

Mark D. Moore and Andrew S. Hahn,

Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

An engine cycle is proposed to meet the needs of

NASA's high-altitude aircraft program by providing a

significantly higher power output per pound of engine

weight without decreasing the engine life through

higher loads or piston speeds. The concept makes use

of high-pressure intake charging, three times higher

than a nominal turbo or supercharger to increase the

air charge density. A direct injection water flash

evaporator and direct fuel injection are then used to

cool the intake charge and eliminate the work due to

compression. A low compression ratio piston chamber

then performs the combustion and expansion phases,

without any increase in peak pressure but with a

reduction in peak temperature. Experimentation will

be performed to determine the pressures, temperatures, work ratios, specific fuel consumption, timing

adjustments, combustion knock and emissions, and

water injection rates that yield optimal power results.

Progress and results

Many engine companies have reviewed the proposed

research and provided feedback on key elements of

the research program. The Orbital Engine Company

has performed an indepth analysis of adapting one of

their engines to the requirements of this research

program and has expressed interest in conducting the

experimental work. The research program has been

adapted to the input of industry experts to maximize

the amount of research that can be performed for the

given funding and a purchase request has been

submitted for competition of the work.

Significance of the results

The success of this high-risk research is dependent on

locating an industry partner with expertise in spark

ignition, internal combustion engines, and direct fuel

injection. Since this research is experimental, the typical amount of funding required to investigate such a

system is several times the amount available. For this

reason, finding an industry partner who is also interested in expanding their knowledge in this specific

area will lead to significantly more research results for

the same amount of funding.

Keywords

High specific output engine, Water injection, Highly

charged turbo

61
Ultra-Light Entry Systems

Investigator(s)

Marcus S. Murbach and Demetrius Kourtides,

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,

CA 94035-1000

Other personnel involved

Y. K. Chen, Eloret Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087,

Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

To develop a very low ballistic coefficient, or "ultralight," atmospheric entry system applicable to certain

classes of planetary exploration missions, including

exploring different design and manufacturing strategies. In addition, to develop the sounding rocket as an

inexpensive means of further developing and validating numerous advanced and otherwise risky flight

concepts.

Progress and results

The overall effort included the development of various

theoretical models, as well as work in ground facilities

(arc jets), and finally culminating in sounding rocket

experiments.

In general, reducing the ballistic coefficient

(particularly below 10 kg/m 2) resulted in deceleration

at a much higher altitude, where the lower density

contributes to a significant reduction in the convective

heat transfer rate. This reduction allows for the use of

high-temperature ceramic materials (both rigid and

flexible) in place of the heavier ablative heat shields

commonly in use. Numerous probe design advantages

resulted.

The use of the sounding rocket is illustrated in

figure 1. A two-stage sounding rocket (Terrier/Black

Brant) is lifting a payload section that contains numerous probe experiments. The payload section contains

numerous decks, each of which has an "ejection

carriage" containing a generic probe experiment. A

timed signal initiates a guillotine bolt cutter, which

severs a retaining bolt. This event releases the springloaded ejection carriage from the sounding rocket.

The probe experiment is spring-loaded inside the

ejection carriage and is thus separated upon exit

(up to 12 experiments can be deployed at 5-second

intervals when the vehicle is close to apogee). After

deployment at an altitude of 300 miles, the probe

experiment stabilizes in a preferred orientation,

eventually reaching velocities to Mach 8. In the Mars

probe experiment (depicted), the heating rates are

relatively low, so the thermal energy absorbed during

reentry is quickly reradiated. The heat shield thus

need not be discarded, another design advantage. By

hinging the parachute on the periphery of the heat

shield, the heat shield structure can be used to attenuate the landing shock, allowing for a "mild" landing.

At the end of the flight, the individual probes are

located via a beacon and the data from the dataacquisition package are downloaded.

Several factors allow for the viability of the

experiment. First, the mechanical interfaces were kept

extremely simple and "generic" (i.e., able to accommodate a variety of individual entry experiments).

Second, the adaption of a small, multichannel data

acquisition package allowed for numerous experiments to be carried out at the same time. Thus, the

sounding rocket is able to take on features of a

"facility" (an aerial ballistic range that spans a wide

Mach number range in a single experiment). A first,

or piggyback flight, intended to prove the electronic

packages, is anticipated in April 1997. The dedicated

flight will occur in July 1997 at the White Sands Test

Facility in New Mexico.

Significance of the results

The results of the work will aid in the design and

development of future atmospheric entry probes and,

more generally, decelerator technology. Low ballistic

coefficient systems were shown to be attractive,

particularly for payloads in the several-kg class. (In

terms of a Mars mission, a greater number of small

probes could be used per flight opportunity). Both

rigid and flexible probe designs were manufactured,

with 18.0-inch probes being readied for the sounding

rocket flight. In addition, a low ballistic coefficient

penetrator concept, applicable to a Mars 1998 flight

opportunity, was explored and incorporated into the

test plan.

In terms of development methodology, the effort

is intended to demonstrate that simple and costeffective atmospheric experiments can be performed

with sounding rockets. This effort, in concert with

ground ballistic range and arc-jet tests, forms a

complementary flight development system intended

to rapidly advance the research/development cycle.

62
Publicationsresulting from study

Murbach, Marcus S.; Kourtides, Demetrius; and Chen,

Y. K.: Ultra-Light Entry Systems for Planetary

Missions. AIAA-96-0616, presented at 34th

Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit,

Reno, Nev., Jan. 8-11, 1996.

Murbach, Marcus S.; Kourtides, Demetrius; and Chen,

Y. K.: Ultra-Light and Ultra-Precise Mars

Missions. Submitted to AIAA 35th Aerospace

Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 1997.

Keywords

Ultra-light, Low ballistic coefficient, Entry probes,

Sounding rockets

Figure 1. Sounding rocket flight experiment (12 independent experiments per opportunity).

63
Analysis of Molecular $2 Spectra Observed during Impact of

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter

Investigator(s)

Harry Partridge, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Atul D. Pradhan, National Research Council,

Ames Research Center

David Schwenke, Ames Research Center

Ken Dyall, Eloret Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Objectives of the study

To determine accurate synthetic spectra of the X-B

transition in the $2 molecule in order to analyze

spectra taken of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact

with Jupiter.

Progress and results

Significant amounts of diatomic sulfur were detected

during recent observations of the impact of Comet

Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter. The X-B (250-320 run)

absorption band of $2 was observed by the faint object

spectrograph (FOS) instrument on the Hubble Space

Telescope. An analysis of this spectrum holds promise

of providing important information concerning physical conditions (such as the temperature, pressure,

density, and sulfur concentration) in the Jovian atmosphere during the comet impact. Such information

would provide important data in constraining

chemical models of the Jovian atmosphere.

Analysis of this spectral data is dependent on

detailed understanding of the X-B transition. Previous

experimental studies, limited to the low-lying vibrational levels of the B state (v' < 9) because of predissociation of the higher-lying levels, have provided

only line positions and Franck-Condon factors. At the

request of planetary researchers, electronic structure

theory was used to calculate the transition moment for

the X-B system and to compute radiative vibrationally

and rotationally averaged line intensities. Present

calculated theoretical line absorption strengths fit the

FOS spectra well for bands that are not predissociated.

However, significant enhancement of absorption is

observed for v" > 9 because of predissociation (nonradiative transitions due to crossings by repulsive

states dissociating to ground state sulfur atoms).

Predissociation will broaden the line profiles, leading

to enhanced absorption into vibrational levels v' > 9

because the absorption is optically thick. Thus, the

predissociation gives a measure of the column density.

The predissociation of the higher-lying vibrational

levels was studied, requiring determination of the

potential energy curves for the X, B, and the perturbing molecular states. In addition, the spin-orbit matrix

elements between the ro-vibrational levels of the B and

the interacting states were required. Determination of

the predissociation line widths using multichannel

quantum scattering methods is necessary.

The potential energy curves were determined for

all the states dissociating to the two lowest asymptotes. Of these states, only the 1FIu, 3Flu, (2)3_u + and

5FIu states are spin-orbit coupled with the B state.

High-quality ab initio potential energy curves are

being determined for all the states as well as the X and

B states. These calculations use an aug-cc-pVSZ basis

set employing the CASSCF/ICMRCI+Q method.

Calibration calculations are being performed, as the

final results are sensitive to the crossing points and the

slopes of the potential energy curves at the crossing

points. All the calculations were performed using

MOLPRO.

Spin-orbit interaction matrix elements were

computed with the program SIRIUS/ABACUS/

RESPONS at the valence CASSCF level. The basis set

employed was the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set of Dunning

et al. RESPONS gives matrix elements within a frozen

orbitals CI framework using a given reference. It

includes the spin-own-orbit and spin-other-orbit twoelectron terms from the Breit-Pauli Hamilton/an. The

spin-orbit matrix elements between the B state of $2

and the states that cross it are reported in the interval

3.0-10.0 Bohr. The accuracy of the spin-orbit matrix

elements has been assessed by a number of calculations: (1) atomic calculations compared with numerical

Dirac-Fock-Breit calculations at the valence CASSCF

level and RASSCF level with the 3d orbital in RAS3

with up to 2 electrons, showing that the basis set

calculations are small by 10-30 cm -1 out of 193; and

(2) molecular calculations using different reference

states to assess the orbital dependence of the matrix

elements. Refinement of the matrix elements by

increasing the size of the active space may be necessary for states for which a valence CASSCF calculation

does not provide an adequate zeroth order reference.

This refinement will be done when the high-quality

potential energy curves are completed.

The predissociation line width calculations will be

completed when the high-quality potential energy

curves are completed.

64
Publications resulting from study

Pradhan, Atul; and Partridge, Harry: Theoretical

Study of the B-X and B"-X Band Systems of

$2. Chem. Phys. Letters, vol. 255, 1996,

pp. 163-170.

Keywords

Ab initio, Predissociation, Lifetime

65
Does Ultraviolet Radiation Affect Carbon Isotope

Fractionation?

Investigator(s)

Lynn Rothschild, David Peterson, and

David DesMarais, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To determine if ultraviolet (UV) radiation affects

stable carbon isotope ratios. If so, is there an ecologic

(e.g., microbial mat vs. phytoplankton) or taxonomic

(e.g., prokaryote vs. eukaryote, alga vs. plant)

correlation with the effect?

Progress and results

These data will provide the basis to present the

phenomenon to the scientific community, estimate

how widespread the phenomenon is, and to suggest

ways to begin to elucidate the mechanisms underly

ing the effect. Ultimately this work could lead to a

re-interpretation of isotopic ratio studies, including

a re-interpretation of the fossil record.

The data so far on the isotopic effect of radiation

have been presented at the Inter-American Institute

for Global Change Research Workshop on UV in

the Marine Environment in Baja, Mexico. Other

researchers are being consulted about modifications

to the original experimental design.

The next step is to grow organisms outside in the

presence and absence of UV and to analyze biomass

for A_13Corg values to determine if there is a

difference between treatments.

Keywords

Ultraviolet radiation, Carbon isotope ratios, Global

change

66
Computation of the Low-Temperature Rate Constants for

the Reaction HO2 + 03 --4 OH + 02 + 02

Investigator(s)

David W. Schwenke, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Stephen P. Walch, Eloret Institute,

Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Objectives of the study

The HO/HO 2 catalytic cycle for ozone depletion

involves the reactions:

HO + 03 _ HO2 + 02

HO2+03_HO+02+02

The net reaction is 2 03 _ 3 02.

The rate constant for the HO2 + 03 reaction is

uncertain in the low-temperature region, and the

purpose of these studies is to compute the required

rate constant information.

Progress and results

The reaction of HO2 with 03 is believed to involve two

competing pathways. In the literature it is suggested

that one pathway involves H abstraction from HO2

by 03 to give 02 + HO3. From studies of the H + 03

surface it is known that HO3 is not stable with respect

to dissociation to HO + 02. Thus, the ultimate products would be HO + 02 + 02. The other pathway

involves addition of HO2 to 0 3 to give an HO5 complex. This complex can dissociate to HO3 + 02 or

HO + 04. Once again the HO 3 + 02 channel would

lead to HO + 02 + 02. Calculations on a C2 symmetry

04 structure indicate that this species is unstable with

respect to 02 + 02. Thus this pathway also leads to

HO + 02 + 02. Isotopic labeling experiments carried

out with 180 labeled HO2 indicate that, while the

abstraction channel is dominant at all temperatures,

the addition channel becomes more important at

lower temperatures. This result is consistent with the

expected inverse temperature dependence for complex

formation.

This study characterizes the reaction pathways for

the HO2 + 03 reaction. After these pathways have

been characterized, it is planned to combine limited

information about the HO5 system with potential

functions for the fragments ( HO2, 03, HO3, and 04)

to generate a potential energy surface for the combined system.

Significance of the results

Calculations so far have characterized the pathway for

HO + 03 and the pathway for H02 + 03, which goes

through the HO 5 complex. The HO 3 and 04 systems

have also been characterized in detail, since these are

key species in the potential energy surface for these

reactions. Recently progress has also been made on

the pathway for H abstraction from HO2 by 03. This

process involves a surface crossIng between two

doublet surfaces derived from the singlet and triplet

states of ozone, respectively.

Publications resulting from study

Walch, Stephen P.: On the HO/HO2 Catalytic Cycle

for Ozone Depletion; I. Computed Potential

Energy Surfaces for HO + 03 and HO2 + 03.

J. Chem. Phys., in preparation.

Walch, Stephen P.: On the HO/HO2 Catalytic Cycle

for Ozone Depletion; I. Computed Potential

Energy Surfaces for HO + 03 and HO2 + 03.

Paper presented at a symposium on atmospheric chemistry at the ACS meeting,

Chicago, Ill., Aug. 1995.

Keywords

Ozone depletion, Potential energy surfaces, Reaction

rates

67
Adaptation of Bone to Mechanical Stimulation: Development

and Characterization of a Unique Osteoblast Loading System

Investigator(s)

Nancy Searby and Emily Morey-Holton, Ames

Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Ruth Globus, University of California,

San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143

Ekhson Holmuhamedov, National Research

Council, Ames Research Center

Other personnel involved

Conrad Macy, Lockheed Martin Engineering

and Sciences Company, Ames Research Center

Jonno Lull and Harry Yee,

University of California, San Francisco

Objectives of the study

1) To develop a cell loading system for investigation

of the biochemical and structural response of ceils

to cyclic mechanical loading. The cell loading

system will (a) load each cell uniformly and

physiologically; (b) dynamically load ceils in cyclic

tension, compression, or torsion; and (c) permit

real-time microscopic observations of the ceils at

a single set-point in each loading cycle.

2) To perform scientific characterization tests demonstrating that the loading system will support the

intended science. Engineering tests will confirm

load uniformity and reproducibility. Biological

tests using rat osteoblasts, or bone forming cells,

will include measurements of intracellular calcium

and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase changes,

both characteristic responses to mechanical

stimulation. Immunofluorescence localization of

integrins, extracellular matrix components, and

focal contacts will demonstrate that the required

features of cellular attachment and structure can

be imaged during loading.

3) To develop a model based on structural analyses

to predict changes in the cell shape and number of

connections depending on the applied load. Threedimensional cell shapes will be measured using

nonpenetrating fluorescent dyes, and combined

with data from Objective 2 to support model

development.

Progress and results

Development of the cell loading system was initiated.

The requirements for the system were established,

and several design approaches were evaluated. An

approach was selected, and mockups of several design

iterations were developed. Tests of cell chamber biocompatibility were initiated. In parallel, several of the

techniques needed to perform the science testing were

defined. Integrins, extracellular matrix components,

and focal contact components were localized using

immunofluorescence techniques. Results indicate that

specific components of the putative mechanical signal

transduction apparatus were effectively localized.

Significance of the results

The results of the hardware and science technique

development to date indicate that the objectives can be

accomplished. The eventual science results will determine the role of the osteoblast's cytoskeleton and

attachments to the extracellular matrix in responding

to mechanical loads. Determination of the mechanisms

that osteoblasts use to respond to mechanical loading

will lead to a better understanding of the role osteoblasts play in situ in bone as they adapt bone structure

in response to daily mechanical loads generated by

physical activities, such as walking, or reduced activity

as seen in spaceflight.

Keywords

Mechanical load, Osteoblast, Strain, Stress

68
A New Method to Test Rotor Hover Performance

Investigator(s)

Mark J. Silva and Frank Caradonna,

Aeroflightdynamics Directorate, U.S. Army

Aviation and Troop Command, Ames Research

Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Objectives of the study

To develop a new concept for obtaining more accurate

model rotorcraft hover performance measurements.

The problem with current model rotor hover testing is

that it is typically performed in a special test cell in

order to avoid the wind effects that occur in outdoor

testing. Testing in enclosed chambers, however,

introduces problems associated with flow recirculation, and, in addition, a degree of unsteadiness that is

thought to result from the instability of the rotor wake

always occurs. These unsteadiness problems are

thought to diminish with rotors that are in a climb

state because of the increased rotor/wake distance.

The testing of rotors in a simulated climb could,

therefore, result in more reliable performance data.

However, there are no practical facilities for simulating climb. (Such testing requires a very large test

section and low free-stream velocities, and such

sections are rare and extremely difficult to schedule.)

A proposal, therefore, was made to install a special

mounting rig in the settling chamber of the soon-to-beclosed 7- by 10-Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel and then

to demonstrate the efficacy of the testing concept. This

settling chamber has a 30-foot cross section, which is

sufficiently large for typical model rotors. The maximum free-stream velocity of the test section is about

20 fps, which encompasses typical climb speeds.

Equally important is the apparent availability

of the facility. The resulting data could produce

recirculation-free hover performance data by

considering hover as a limiting case as the climb

rate approaches zero. In addition, the climb conditions

should be readily predicted by special computational

fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. The accuracy with

which these clean flow cases can be predicted would

establish a maximum possible accuracy for the

prediction of hover. In summary, the objective of this

project is to develop and demonstrate a new, simple,

low-cost and more accurate means to perform climb

testing.

Progress and results

The ability to perform climb testing in a tunnel settling

chamber requires two new capabilities: (1) an apparatus for mounting a rotor rig in the center of a large

settling chamber, and (2) a rotor stand capable of

operating in a horizontal orientation.

The first requirement was met by designing a

sturdy three-legged support that spans the tunnel

settling chamber (31 feet across) and places the rotor

axis in the center of the section (about 15 feet high).

The support was designed to be easily assembled

and removed. Hard spots for the attachment of this

support system were designed and added to the

tunnel structure. In order to facilitate assembly and

removal of the total assembly, an overhead crane

installation was also designed and fabricated. The

entire support assembly has been fabricated and

installed in the settling chamber.

The second requirement--a horizontally

operatable rotor stand--was designed by using

existing components and integrating them with a

newly designed structural element. An acceptable

rotor balance and a transmission capable of operating

in the horizontal mode were available, but neither

the transmission nor balance were designed to mate

together, nor did they have suitable horizontal

mounts. Therefore, a special junction piece that both

mates the transmission and balance together and

provides a suitable location for horizontal mounting

was designed and fabricated. In addition, a new motor

mount that permitted the placement of available

induction motors at a more convenient port on the

transmission was designed. The resulting assembly,

transmission, motors, balance, and junction/mount

constituted a fairly compact rotor drive system that

can be readily mounted on top of the tripod support

structure.

The flow about a climbing rotor was found to be

far steadier--in fact, this flow appears to be completely steady (quite a surprise). It is clear also that

this steadiness is not due to the greater separation of

the tip vortices, but rather to the complete absence of

recirculation. In this recirculation-free state, the measured rotor performance is a smooth, linear function

that is easily extrapolated to zero climb (i.e., hover).

It was found that, at low climb rates, recirculation sets

in again, resulting in a dramatic departure from the

extrapolated performance and providing a first measurement of the effect of recirculation on performance.

The magnitude of the measured recirculation effect is

such as to cause considerable doubts about standard

methods of hover testing.

69
Flowvisualizationof therotorwakewasalso

performedbymeansofsmokeandastrobedlight

sheet.Becauseoftheunusuallysteadyflow,it was

possibletoobservewaketipvortexbehaviorthathad

notbeenseenbefore--andthatcouldbeimportantfor

rotorwakemodeling.

Significance of the results

Climb testing promises to provide a way to obtain

rotor axial performance data of unusual quality. Such

testing may also be extended to permit superior hover

simulations. Data of such quality are necessary

because hover performance is a direct determinant

of the productivity and economics of helicopters.

However, there currently are no facilities for such

testing because of their cost. The present setup provides a first such facility, and does so economically

by using the settling chamber of the 7- by 10-Foot

Subsonic Wind Tunnel. In this project an easy-toinstall mount has been developed and shown to work

very well. Successful flow results demonstrate the

ability to obtain data that are unusually free of

contaminating recirculation effects. These data will

permit validation of new CFD hover/climb codes and

lead to new design methods and more efficient rotors.

Keywords

Hover performance, Vertical climb, Rotor test

70
Use of Evolving Microbial Systems as a Domain for

Development of Autonomous Artificial Intelligence

Software

Investigator(s)

David Thompson, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

R. Levinson and P. Robinson, Caelum-Recom

Technologies, Ames Research Center

R. Mancinelli, D. Smemoff, and M. White,

SETI Institute, Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

To achieve advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-

based software technology for control, diagnosis, and

repair of complex microbial experimental systems, and

to gain a better understanding of the role that nitrogen

fixing and denitrifying microbial systems play in

nutrient cycling, atmospheric evolution, and biogeochemical (BGC) cycles on Earth. The goal is advocation

of application of the autonomous control software

within NASA (e.g., advanced life support, office space

science, autonomous spacecraft).

Progress and results

The growth of Pseudomonasfluorescens, a denitrifyer,

was monitored and controlled in the bioreactor system

under varying oxygen levels from 0 to 100 percent.

Traditional control software was designed and implemented (i.e., LabView). AI software elements were

then fully integrated with the traditional control via a

severable communication link, which operates either

on the same platform or via a Web interface. Quantitative and qualitative thermal models were developed

and integrated into the AI software architecture.

Publications resulting from study

Smernoff, D. T.; and MancineUi, R. L.: Terrestrial and

Space-Based Applications of Autonomous

Instrumentation. Adv. Space Res., 1997

(in press).

MancineUi, R. L.; Smernoff, D. T.; and White, M. R.:

Controlling Denitrification in Closed Artificial

Ecosystems. Adv. Space Res., 1997 (in press).

Robinson, P.; Autonomous Design and Execution of

Process Controllers for Untended Scientific

Instruments. 1st International Conference on

Autonomous Agents, Marina del Rey, Calif.,

Feb. 5-8, 1997.

Keywords

Nutrient cycling, Evolution, Autonomous control

71
Chaos in Interstellar Chemistry

Investigator(s)

A. G. G. M. Tielens, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

S. B. Chamley, University of California,

Berkeley, CA 94720

B. King, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059

Objectives of the study

To develop a theoretical model for chaos in interstellar

chemistry. A fundamental understanding of this phenomenon does not yet exist. The proposed model will

aim to determine the factors controlling the onset of

chaotic behavior, in particular, to delineate the regions

of parameter space in which chaos can occur. One

application of the results will be to determine the influence of chaos on the formation of stars and planetary

systems through its influence on the degree of ionization and on the abundance of cooling species.

Progress and results

A numerical code that calculates the chemical abundances in interstellar clouds has been developed. The

initial version of this code contained approximately

4000 reactions between approximately 500 astronomically relevant species. A much smaller subset

(170 reactions between 40 species) was derived that

still retains the essential characteristics of the complete

chemical network and reproduces the calculations of

the full code well. Using this code, a systematic study

of the (external) parameter space [cosmic ray ionization, far ultraviolet (FUV) photodissociation and

photoionizafion, temperature, density, elemental

abundances] has begun.

Chaos in interstellar chemistry is closely tied to the

degree of ionization. The results show the presence of

two stable solutions above a density of 2 x 104 cm -3.

These solutions are characterized by a high degree of

ionization in a largely atomic gas and a low degree of

ionization in molecular gas, respectively. The location

and extent of this bifurcated region is controlled by the

abundance of electron donors in the gas; i.e., atomic

species such as S, Na, and Si. These species have low

lying ionization potentials and the excess charge tends

to collect on them. Results show that a low abundance

of atomic electron donors promotes the onset of chaos.

A second bifurcation region occurs at a much higher

density (1.5 x 107 cm-3). This bifurcation zone is

controlled by the oxygen abundance, mainly because

O dominates molecular destruction rates through

burning reaction.

Significance of the results

Ions are an important stabilizing agent for molecular

clouds. Although ions are a trace species in molecular

clouds, because of their coupling to the magnetic field

they can stabilize molecular clouds against self gravity

through magnetic pressure. The star formation rate is

then controlled by the slow leaking out of the charged

species and the magnetic fields through the process of

ambipolar diffusion. Present results indicate that, as

the cations diffuse out and the cloud is compressed by

gravity to densities in excess of 5 x 104 cm -3, the

degree of ionization will suddenly drop, the magnetic

field will diffuse out rapidly, and the cloud will

collapse to form a star.

Key'words

Chaos, Interstellar chemistry, Star formation

72
Modeling High Energy Aerocapture Trajectories for Outer

Planet Orbiter Missions

Investigator(s)

Paul Wercinski, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Other personnel involved

Periklis Papadopolous and Ethiraj Venkatapathy,

Thermosciences Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94303

Lily Yang, Sterling Software Systems,

Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

First, to characterize the static aerodynamic coefficients of the axisymmetric biconic shape in realistic

flow conditions representative of actual flight trajectory, including the lift and drag coefficients of the

entry vehicle at various angles of attack; second, to

calculate the heating distribution over the surface of

the entry vehicle at various trajectory points; and

finally, to determine thermal protection system (TPS)

requirements from the coupled heating distributions at

several trajectory points. With this analysis, an attempt

to incorporate approximate methods of estimating the

heating distribution (and subsequent thermal protection material requirements) with an actual trajectory

simulation will be assessed and performed if

appropriate.

Progress and results

A high-fidelity three-degree-of-freedom aerocapture

trajectory simulation code that included all necessary

input variables to adequately model atmospheric

flight in Neptune's atmosphere was developed. Such

variables as vehicle aerodynamics, planet rotation

effects, and atmosphere structure were included.

Subsequently, a comparison of biconic aerodynamics,

which compared Newtonian predicted lift and drag

coefficients with full three-dimensional (3-D)

Navier-Stokes solutions using the General Aerodynamic Simulation Program (GASP) 3.0, was

performed. The solutions used H2-He finite-rate

chemistry, and vibrational equilibrium and modeled

an axisymmetric biconic shape at various Reynolds

numbers and angles of attack. With improved aerodynamics, trajectory simulations were improved.

Heating distributions were estimated for the biconic

shape over a wide variety of entry conditions. With the

capability to evaluate the impact of entry parameters

such as entry velocity, lift/drag ratio, etc., on overall

aerothermal heating, it is possible to make design

choices that were previously not possible.

Significance of the results

The analysis to date has performed calculations never

before undertaken such as modeling aerocapture

trajectories and simulated biconic flow fields. The

capability to estimate heating distributions has

enabled evaluating various aerocapture design issues.

Keywords

Aerocapture, Neptune orbiter, Flow-field calculations

73
Fastenerless Structural Connections for Tiltrotor Aircraft

Investigator(s)

John Zuk, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Clem Hiel, SVERDRUP, Ames Research Center

Objectives of the study

To conduct innovative research leading to the

development of a new class of fastenerless

connections, called "snap joints," for assembly of

composite structures, with special emphasis on

tiltrotor aircraft.

Progress and results

Ideas for snap joints have been formulated. In

addition, conceptual designs using computer-aided

design (CAD) were developed, and candidate test

specimens have been fabricated and developed.

A full-scale generic snap joint illustrating ease of

assembly and positive interlocking features has been

fabricated.

Significance of the results

The concept will be expanded to three universal snap

joint configurations. Plans include a patent application

and an industrial parl_ership.

Keywords

Composites, Snap joints

74
APPENDIX A-1

FINAL REPORTS

Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Waterproofing the Space Shuttle Tiles

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Charles W. Bauschlicher, Jr., Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $401000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To investigate possible surface coatings to make silica waterproof at high temperatures, eliminating the need to

rewaterproof the Space Shuttle tiles after each flight.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

It is expected that one or two journal publications will arise from this work.

Planned future work

None.

Prepared by Charles Bausch]icher Org. Code ST M/S 230-3 Phone (415) 604-6231

77
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Thermal Protection Systems for Reusable Launch Vehicles

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Jeffrey V. Bowles, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Henry G. Adelman, Thermosciences Institute, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY95 Expected completion date FY96

Total prior to FY96 $40r000 Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000 (Estimated) Requested for FY97, if any

In-house

Contracts (identify) $40,000 (Thermosciences Institute)

Grants (identify)

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To upgrade the Ames Research Center's vehicle synthesis code Hypersonic Aircraft Vehicle Optimization Code

(HAVOC), which is being used to evaluate reusable launch vehicles (RLVs). Previously, HAVOC assumed that all vehicle

surfaces were fully catalytic. However, no material is fully catalytic, and Space Shuttle tile ceramic materials are only

slightly catalytic. By modifying HAVOC to simulate partially catalytic surface hearing, the thermal protection system

(TPS) can be designed with more precision. Other improvements to HAVOC include the addition of a Mangler transformarion for nonplanar surfaces and an isentropic expansion from the bow shock to more accurately predict the conditions

at the boundary layer edges.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

The upgraded HAVOC code is being applied to re-entry vehicles to determine the effects of variable catalytic heating

and isentropic expansion of the flow from the nose region. The results are being compared to reacting boundary layer

solutions.

Planned future work

Improvements to HAVOC are being continued and the results will be compared to computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

predictions of re-entry vehicle flow fields and heating rates.

Prepared by Jeffrey V. Bowles Org. Code APS M/S 237-11 Phone (415) 604-6651

78
N/ A

Ames Research Center

Fiscal Year 1996

Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Computer Modeling of the Thermal Conductivity of Cometary Ice

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Theodore E. Bunch, Michael A. Wilson, and Andrew Pohorille, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40r000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000 (Estimated)

In-house

Contracts (identify) $40,000 (NCC2-5147

Grants (identify)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $401000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To use molecular dynamics computer simulations to generate samples of amorphous ice of differing microporosities, to

compare the structures of these ice samples with experimentally determined structures, and to calculate the thermal

conductivity of the amorphous ices as a function of their microporosity.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Wilson, M. A.; and Pohorille, A.: Modeling the Thermal Conductivity of Astrophysical Ice. Poster presented at the

International Society for the Study of the Origins of Life (ISSOL) meelGng, Orlean, France, July 21-26,1996.

Planned future work

We have generated a variety of microporous, amorphous ice structures and computed the thermal conductivity of these

structures. There is no anomalous low thermal conductivity, even for low-density (0.7 g/cc) samples. It is likely that the

unusually low value of the thermal conductivity obtained experimentally is due to mesoscopic defects, such as cracks,

in the ice samples. We will attempt to model these larger scale defects and determine the thermal conductivity of amorphous ice when they are present.

Prepared by Michael A. Wilson Org. Code SSX M/S 239-4 Phone (415) 604-5496

79
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Ultrasensitive Detection of Atmospheric Free Radical Molecules: A Full-Sensitivity Demonstration

Prototype

Charles Chackerian, Jr., Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Christopher R. Mahon, Space Physics Research Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087;

James R. Podolske, Ames Research Center;

Thomas Blake, Battelle/Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40r000

Total expended in FY96: (Estimated)

In-house $10,000

Contracts (identify) $30,000 (NCC2-807)

Grants (identify)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetic rotation spectroscopy at the parts per trillion level for free radical molecular

species.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Blake, Thomas A.; Chackerian, Charles, Jr.; and Podolske, James R.: Prognosis for a Mid-Infrared Magnetic Rotation

Spectrometer for the in situ Detection of Atmospheric Free Radicals. J. Applied Optics, vol. 35, no. 6, Feb. 20, 1996,

pp. 973-985.

Planned future work

Final tests will be performed on NO and NO 2 molecules for parts per trillion sensitivity. Adoption of the instrument for

use in DC-8 aircraft will be proposed.

Prepared by C. Chackeriarb Jr. Org. Code SGP M/S 245-4 Phone (415) 604-6300

8O
_l_t_._A Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Effects of Ozone Depletion/Ultraviolet Radiation on Plants

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Hector L. D'Antoni, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Joseph W. Skiles, Johnson Controls World Services, Ames Research Center;

Jerri Mazzurco, Daniel Levy, Heather Brady, and Monica Holder, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY94

Total prior to FY96 $40r000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97. if any

Status o! study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To identify indicators of UV-B stress in plants that can be remotely sensed by satellite- and aircraft-borne instruments.

It was assumed that current levels of UV-B radiation due to ozone depletion were high enough to perform the proposed

experiments. Alfalfa was selected for the experiments because it is an important crop that provides forage for many

domestic animals, and because it is representative of plants that exhibit the C3 or "cool season" photosynthetic pathway.

The following hypotheses were tested: (1) production of screening pigments in alfalfa plants is stimulated by UV-B

radiation; (2) elongation of alfalfa plants is affected by UV-B radiation, (3) phenological stages (i.e., flowering) are controlled by UV-B radiation; and (4) alfalfa plants grown under UV-B exclusion have higher chlorophyll concentration.

These hypotheses were validated, but new questions arose, suggesting that more research is needed before a strategy

can be devised to use NASA's technology for monitoring, early detection, and policy making applications regarding

solar UV-B stress on natural and crop communities.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Four Argentine scientists were trained in this project's methodology, and they agreed to collect information in the

Southern Hemisphere in locations close to the limits of the springtime "ozone hole." This project's methodology is also

part of our collaboration with scientists of the University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez Campus) in a five-year study funded

by NASA.

Planned future work

This project demonstrated that plants under UV-B stress produce signals that can be extrapolated to plant communities.

However, the strongest signal (chlorophyll concentration) needs to be decoded in physiological terms (i.e., ability to

capture carbon in the gas exchange process and excitation condition of the chlorophyll molecule under increased UV-B

flux). Further work is needed to discriminate between signals produced by UV stress and those produced by seasonal and

climatological variables. The future work will allow investigators to use NASA's suite of remote sensing instruments to

determine UV stress on a large scale.

Prepared by H.L. D'Antoni Org. Code SGE M/S 239-20 Phone (415) 604-5149

81
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Return to the Red Planet: Remote Sensing Analog Studies as Preparation for Mars Exploration

Exobiology

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Jack D. Farmer and James Brass, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

Year Initiated FY95 Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $20,000

(Estimated) Requested for F'Y97, if any

$20,000 (Johnson Control World Services)

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To define basic spectral and spatial resolution requirements necessary for identifying discrete aqueous mineral deposits

from Mars orbit. Aqueous deposits of various types are given high priority as targets for Mars exopaleontology, that is,

in exploring for evidence of an ancient Martian biosphere. To effectively target sites on Mars for future landed missions

and sample return, identification of such deposits from orbit must be made with confidence. This study utilized high

spectral and spatial resolution infrared (IR) spectral data to establish realistic thresholds for spatial and spectral resolution. This information is being used to define nominal instrumentation requirements for future missions for Mars

exopaleontology.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

The perspective gained from this study helped us to convince the Mars '01 Science Definition Team and the Mars

community at large of the need for a mission to obtain high spatial resolution (<100 m/pixel) IR imaging of key exobiology sites during the 2001 mission opportunity to support site selection for the 2003 mission and a sample return in 2005.

As a result, the high spatial resolution IR spectrometer has now been included in the announcement of opportunity (AO)

for 2001. Results also influenced the path of technology development taken by the digital array scanning interferometer

(DASI), an IR mapping version of which will be proposed by an Ames team for the 2001 orbital mission. The data

acquired are being analyzed.

Planned future work

Funding through the planetary geology and geophysics program will be pursued to continue the study and expand

analog sites to include hydrothermal settings.

Prepared by Jack D. Farmer Org. Code SSX M/S 239-4 Phone (415) 604-5748

82
I_t_SA Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Development of Noninvasive, Tissue-Oxygen Sensor for Optimizing Ergonomic Design of

Workstations in Space and on Earth

Alan R. Hargens, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Gita Murthy, University of California, Berkeley, Ames Research Center;

Norman J. Kahan, Sports and Occupation Medical Associates, Cupertino, CA 95014;

David M. Rempel, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To modify the currently existing near-infrared spectrophotometry (NIRS) probe such that superficial muscles can be

studied, and to determine whether NIRS can be used to quantify oxygenation at low levels of muscle loading. Low levels

of prolonged static contraction of the upper extremity []ess than 20 percent maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)] are

common in many occupational settings. NIRS may improve our understanding of the role of oxygenation in work-related

repetitive motion disorders so that workstation designs on Earth and in space can be improved.

F'Y96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Murthy, G.; and Hargens, A. R.: Near Infrared Spectroscopy: A Noninvasive Technique for Diagnosing Exertional

Compartment Syndrome. Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine, vo]. 3, no. 4, 1995, pp. 256-258.

Murthy, G.; Kahan, N. J.; Hargens, A. R.; and Rempel, D. M.: Forearm Muscle Oxygenation Decreases with Low Levels

of Voluntary Contraction. Submitted to J. Orthopaedic Research, 1996.

Planned future work

3-o use N[RS to measure muscle oxygenation as an objective method to evaluate and optimize glovebox design, which

wig enable astronauts to work for extended periods of time without muscle fatigue.

Prepared by Alan R. Har_;ens Org. Code SLR M/S 239-11 Phone (415) 604-5746

83
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation A Novel Telemet_c Biosensor to Monitor Blood pH Ordme

John W. Hines and Chris Somps, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Edward Picketing, De Anza Student Intern, Ames Research Center; Marc Madou, MicroInvestigator(s) (show affiliation) fabrication Applications, Palo Alto, CA 94306; Sara B.._naud, Ames Research Center;

David Gibbs and Michael Han'ison, University of California, San Francisco, Fetal

Treatment Center, San Frandsco, CA 94143

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?) 199802001

to Program (name?) Advanced Technology

Development-Biosensor

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To design, fabricate, and test a miniat-ur_ed pH sensor for chronic, online monitoring of blood and tissue pH levels; to

modify an existing, totally implantable biotelemeter to acquire, process, and transmit the pH signals; and to perform

in vivo testing of the pH sensor and biotelemeter.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

The work described herein has been presented at numerous scientific meetings, kuc]udi_g the 13th International

Symposium of Biotelemetry in Williamsburg, Va., the 6th International Meeting of Chemical Sensors in Gaithersburg,

Md., and the 18th International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in Amsterdam,

The Netherlands.

Planned future work

During the next fiscal year, this project will be transitioned to the Advanced Technology Development--Biosensors

program. Integration and testing of component parts will continue. The system will then be tested in animal models as

part of the NASA/UCSF collaboration for improved fetal monitoring.

Prepared by Chris Somps Org. Code JES M/S 213-2 Phone (415) 604-1914

84
IIJ/I /II, Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Global Climate Change: The Role of Electron-CO2 Collisions in the Cooling of the Thermosphere

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Win/fred M. Hug, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

C. Dateo, Thermosciences Institute, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY95 Expected completion date

Total prior to FY96 $40r000 Authorized in FY96

Total expended in FY96: (Estimated) Requested for FY97, if any

In-house

Contracts (identify) $40,000 (Thermosciences Institute)

Grants (identify)

FY96

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

Determine accurate electron-impact excitation and deexcitation cross sections for the vibrational bending mode of CO 2

and use these data to evaluate the role of electron-impact excitation in the cooling of the thermosphere. The vibrational

excitation and deexdtation rate constants wilt then be determined from these data for modeling purposes.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

The electron-impact excitation cross sections of CO 2 have been determined from threshold to I eV electron energy

using the Schwinger Multichannel formulation. The results were presented at the 49th Annual Gaseous Electronics

Conference, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill., Oct. 20-24, 1996.

Planned future work

The threshold result will be validated by carrying out a corresponding calculation using the finite-element Z-matrix

method. The cross sections will then be used to derive the excitation rate constants for thermospheric modeling.

Prepared by Win/fred M. Huo Org. Code STC M/S 2230-3 Phone (415) 604-6161

85
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames ResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Understanding Ion Mobility in Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium-Polymer Batteries

Investigator(s) (show affiliation)

Richard L. Jaffe, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000; Grant D. Smith,

University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211; Harry Partridge, Ames Research

Center; Brian Annis and David Londono, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge,

TN 37831-6197; Oleg Borodin and Matt Pekny, University of Missouri-Columbia

Funding Year Initiated FY94

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FYg6 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any

$40,000 Umversity of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO (NCC2-903)

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify) possible outside funding

Purpose of investigation

To develop a molecular-level understanding of the lithium ion transport process in polymer electrolytes. Ab initio

quantum chemistry calculations were used to determine the nature of the lithium salt-polymer interaction and molecular dynamics simulations to probe the electrolyte structure and ion transport mechanism. This information is to be used

to create new salt-polymer electrolytes with improved performance for secondary lithium-polymer batteries.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

During the first year the emphasis was on deriving a force field to represent the ion-polymer interactions and running

tests for very dilute ion concentrations. During FY96 the emphasis was on calibrating and testing this force field for high

ion concentrations. A Space Act Agreement is being negotiated with a major battery manufacturer as a follow-up to the

DDF project.

Smith, G. D.; Jaffe, R. L.; and Partridge, H.: A Quantum Chemical Study of the Interactions of Li ÷, CI-, and I- Ions with

Model Ethers. J. Phys. Chem., in press.

Smith, G. D.; Borodin, O.; Pekny, M.; Annis, B.; Londono, D.; and Jaffe, R. L.: Polymer Force Fields from ab initio Studies

of Small Model Molecules: Can We Achieve Chemical Accuracy? Submitted to Spectrochernica Acta.

Planned future work

A follow-up project under a Space Act Agreement is possible.

Prepared by Richard Jaffe Org. Code STC M/S 230-3 Phone (415) 604-6458

86
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Nonlinear Interactions between Background Disturbances and Disturbances Generated by Laminar

Flow Control (LFC) Devices

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Lyndell S. King, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Jonathan H. Watmuff, MCAT Institute, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY'96

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested tor FY97, it any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To gain a fundamental understanding of the nonlinear interactions between background disturbances in laminar boundary

layers, e.g., longitudinal vortices (Klebanoff modes) and disturbances introduced by laminar flow control (LFC) devices,

e.g., Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves. To explore the conditions under which the interactions are favorable (e.g., suppression of TS wave growth) or detrimental (e.g., secondary instabilities associated with the vortices).

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

A technique has been developed for introducing weak streamwise vortices in a controlled manner. The presence of the

vortices appears to inhibit the growth of TS waves. However, the vortices are subject to secondary instabilities, which need

to be explored.

Watmuff, J. H.: Interactions between Klebanoff Modes and TS Waves. Paper presented at DFD meeting, Amer. Phys. Soc.,

Syracuse, N.Y., Nov. 24-26, 1996.

Watmuff, J. H.: Interactions between Klebanoff Modes and TS Waves in a Blasius Boundary Layer. AIAA Paper 97-0558,

presented at 35th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 6--9, Reno, Nev., 1997a.

Watmuff, J. H.: Detrimental Effects of Almost Immeasurably Small Free-Stream Nonuniformities Generated by Wind

Tunnel Screens. AIAA Paper 97-0228, presented at 35th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 6-9,

Reno, Nev., 1997b.

Planned tuture work

A technique has been developed for introducing weak streamwise vortices in a controlled manner by stretching a

O.001-inch-diameter wire, normal to both the flow direction and the leading edge, about 6000 wire diameters upstream.

The vortices originate in the vicinity of the stagnation line and appear to be very sensitive to the adverse pressure gradient

following the pressure undershoot. Planned future work includes a study on the effects of the pressure gradient on the

development of the vortices. Further work is also required to more conclusively determine the stabilizing characteristics

on TS waves.

Prepared by Jonathan H. Watmuff Org. Code ADF M/S 260-1 Phone (415) 604-4150

87
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Ground-Based Photometric Detection of Terrestrial-Sized Extrasolar Planets

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) David Koch, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Laurance Doyle, SETI Institute, 2035 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043

Funding Year Initiated

Total prior to FY96 $44r000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $3,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

FY95

(Estimated

$41,000 SETI Institute

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $44,000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To perform ground-based photometric observing in collaboration with sites world-wide to detect planets in orbit around

the eclipsing binary star CM Draconis. Eclipsing binary orbits are already known to be close to the line-of-sight to the

orbiting system, so any planetary transits will have a high probability of detection.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Doyle, L. R., et al.: Detection of Habitable-Sized Planets: A Progress Report. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., vo]. 28, 1996, p. 1110.

Doyle, L. R., et al.: Observations to Detect Planets Around Eclipsing Binary Systems, Bu].l. Am. Astron. Soc., vo]. 27, 1995,

p. 1382.

Planned future work

Data analysis will continue. A proposal to detect Earth-sized planets has been submitted in response to the Discovery

Announcement of Opportunity, released in FY96.

Prepared by David Koch Org. Code SSA M/S 245-6 Phone (415) 604-6548

88
_I_I_.,SA Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Development of an Innovative Neural-Based Telescope Balancing System for the SOFIA/Kuiper

Airborne Observatory

Robert W. Mah, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Michael C. Guerrero, Alessandro L. Galvagni, and Ramin A. Eshaghi, Caelum, Inc.,

Ames Research Center; Jose L. Winters, NASA Ames Internship and Training Program

with the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40_000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To develop an innovative, noncontacting method for neural-based telescope balancing. Such a system will improve the

efficiency of the balancing task; achieve precise balance; eliminate dependence on expert skills; and improve onboard

compensation of mass changes, cabling loading, and aerodynamic loads.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

During the previous fiscal year, the instrumentation concept was finalized, the key equipment (including noncontacting

infrared sensors, data acquisition boards, portable computer, and graphics software) was procured; the feasibility of using

the noncontact_g sensor onboard the KAO telescope to accurately measure imbalance motions was determined; a simple

hardware testbed was built for initial neural net training and experimentation; a 3-D stereographics dynamics model of

the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) telescope was developed for further experimentation; a 1/2-scale hardware

prototype of the KAO telescope was built; and various neural-based balancing methodologies were investigated.

During FY96, the 1/2-scale KAO telescope prototype testbed was completed, neural-based experiments were conducted using this testbed, enhancements to the testbed were implemented, and complementary neural-based approaches

for telescope balancing were developed.

Presentation of the results of this DDF to the SOFIA Project Office ted to additional funding for further development

work. The results from this additional work was presented to the SOFIA Telescope Developers in Germany in January

1997.

Planned future work

The prototype neural-based telescope balancing system will be used to demonstrate the enabling capabilities of neural

net technology. Future work may include development of a system for flight onboard SOFIA.

Prepared by Robert W. Mah Org. Code IC M/S 269-1 Phone (415) 604-6044

89
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation A Microwave-Pumped Far Infrared Photoconductor

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Robert E. McMurray, Jr., Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Jam Farhoomand, Orion TechnoScience, Palo Alto, CA 94036

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40_000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To ascertain the feasibility of microwave-pumping the second step of the ionization process in a cold T = 2 K detector.

This feasibility would eliminate the need for the T = 4.2 K high temperatures required for thermal ionization, and would

eliminate the associated l_gh dark currents. Such an improvement would allow operation of the detector at full peak

responsivity, as at T = 4.2 K, but with much lower thermal leakage current present at T = 2 K.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Farhoomand, J.; McMurray, R. E., Jr.; Hailer, E.; Bauser, E.; and Silier, I.: Characterization of High Purity GaAs FarInfrared Photoconductors. International J. Infrared and Millimeter Waves, vol. 16, no. 6, 1995, pp. 1051-1064.

Planned future work

This project will be continued without additional DDF funding in order to finalize the spectral response and publish the

results. The concept can then be applied to existing detectors for space applications, and can be extended to other types

of detector materials such as Ge and Si.

Prepared by Robert E. McMurray Org. Code SFT M/S 244-10 Phone (415) 604-3179

90
III_A Fiscal Year 1996

Ames ResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation A Search Technique for Discovering Earth-Crossing Comets from Meteor Stream Outbursts and

Determining their Orbits in Space

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) David Morrison and Peter Jenniskens, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,

CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40t000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To develop techniques and explore the possibility of measuring orbital elements of meteoroids in meteor outbursts in

order to search for Earth-threatening comets through their meteor signatures and determine their orbits in space.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

In FY96, we discovered a tool of predicting far-comet type outbursts and predicted such an outburst to occur on

November 22, 1995. This event did happen and we succeeded in measuring the orbits of ten outburst meteoroids.

1. Jenniskens, P.: Good Prospects for a-Monocerotid Outburst in 1995. WGN, J. IMO, vol. 23, 1995, pp. 84--86.

2. Jenniskens, P.: High Leonid Activity on November 17-18 and 18-19, 1994. WGN, J. IMO, vol. 22, 1994, pp. 194-198.

3. Jenniskens, P.: Meteor Stream Activity. I. The Annual Streams. Astron. and Astrophys., vol. 287, 1994, pp. 990-1013.

Planned future work

A proposal has been submitted to the Planetary Astronomy Program to solicit funds for future research.

Prepared by P. Jenniskens Org. Code SSX M/S 239-4 Phone (415) 604-3086

91
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation Using Ecosystem Science and Technology to Balance the Conservation of Water Supply and Native

Hawaiian Forests

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Robyn Lee Myers, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated

Total prior to FY96 $6000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $6000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

FY95

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY96

Authorized in FY96 $6000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify) U.C. Davis dissertation

Purpose of investigation

To use current, multiscale technology to evaluate vegetation changes in the watershed ecosystem, specifically to

detect patterns of alien species invasion into native Hawaiian rainforests, and the concurrent loss of biodiversity.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Numerous publications have resulted from this research; they are available on the World Wide Web at

http: //ice.ucdavis.edu/-robyn/curvitae.html.

Planned future work

Prepared by Robyn Myers Org. Code SGE M/S 242-4 Phone (415) 604-5899

92
N_I_LSA Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report Final Report

Title of Investigation A New Method for Measuring Cloud Liquid Water Using Near Infrared Remote Sensing

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Peter Pilewskie, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40_000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000 (Estimated)

In-house $15,000

Contracts (identify) $25,000 (Prof. S. Twomey)

Grants (identify)

Expected completion date

Authorized in FY96

Requested for FY97, if any

FY96

Status of study [] Completed in FY96 [] Continued in FY97

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining? [] with FY97 funds?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.) 622-43-01-10

to Program (name?) First ISCCP Re_;ional Experiment, to Other (identify)

Phase III (FIRE III)

Purpose of investigation

To develop cloud remote sensing methods for inferring the liquid water content (LWC) of clouds, which includes the subsequent

development of experirnenta] [a solar spectra] flux radiometer (SSFR)] and theoretical tools necessary for cloud property retrievals.

Because the LWC in clouds is so crucial in the regulation of the Earth's hydrological cycle and therefore has direct climate implications, and because cloud water content has been so poorly sampled because of its dependence on temperature, this effort to use a near

infrared (NIR) remote sensing technique was initiated. Measurements of NIR scattered by clouds have been used in past studies to

infer cloud properties such as partScle size, cloud thickness, and thermodynamic phase of cloud water, with varying degrees of

success. The objectives of this study are to use a similar approach in determining cloud water content by measuring the NIR solar

spectrum transmitted through clouds and deriving the relationship between the spectra] information and cloud water content.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Reinking, R.; Uttal, T.; Kropfli, R.; Eloranta, E. W.; Piironen, P.; Piironen, A.; Bruintjes, R.; and Pilewskie, P.: Hydrometeor Distinction

with Radar, Lidar, Passive Spectro-Radiometer and Aircraft Measurements in a Winter Storm. Paper presented at the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, XXI General Assembly, Boulder, Colo., July 2-14, 1995.

Pi]ewskie, P.; and Twomey, S.: Cloud Properties Derived from Surface-Based Near-Infrared Spectral Transmission. IRS '96: Current

Problems in Atmospheric Radiation, A. Deepak Publishing, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1996.

Pilewskie, P.; Goetz, A. F. H.; Bergstrom, R.; and Beal, D.: Surface Measurements of Solar Spectral Radiative Flux in the Cloud-Free

Atmosphere. Extended Abstracts, Ninth Conference on Atmospheric Radiation, Long Beach, Calif., 1997.

Pilewskie, Peter: The Effects of Water Vapor and Clouds on the Distribution of Solar Radiation at the Ground. Seminar presented at

the Pennsylvania State University, Department of Meteorology, Nov. 14,1996.

Participation in Arizona Program, Cottonwood, Ariz., Jan.-Feb. 1997.

Participation in NASA Subsonic Contrail and Cloud Effect Special Study (SUCCESS), Lamont, Okla., Apr. 1996.

Planned future work

The research will be continued in the Mission to Planet Earth First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Program (ISCCP)

Regional Experiment (FIRE) Phase III Program. Plans are currently under way to develop an airborne version of the SSFR that was

built during this project. An ER-2 test flight is anticipated in winter 1997, with FIRE flight missions expected in FY98. Further plans

are under way to fly an SSFR on a NASA remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). Arizona Program and SUCCESS field experiment data are

currently being analyzed. In addition, consideration is being given to apply both the instrumentation and analysis methods to the

problem of aircraft icing.

Prepared by P. Pilewskie Org. Cede SGP M/S 245-4 Phone (415) 604-0746

93

APPENDIX A-2

ONGOING REPORTS

_LItILSA Fiscal Year 1996

Ames ResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Development of Fiber-Optic Sensors for Studies of Transition from Laminar to Turbulent Flow

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Y.C. Cho, N. N. Mansour, and R. D. Mehta, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,

CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40t000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000 (Estimated)

In-house $22,000

Contracts (identify) $8000 (Mike Layton)

Grants (identify) $10,000 (Rutgers University)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

It transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose ot investigation

To develop a novel transducer technique for real-time measurements of pressure fluctuations in conjunction with studies

of the transition from laminar flow to turbulence on an airfoil surface. The proposed program will exploit fiber-optic

sensor technology, which has been maturing in various industrial applications as wet as in research.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

None. This investigation just started recently.

Planned future work

Fiber Fabry-Perot sensors have been designed and fabricated, and preliminary tests of the sensor performance have been

conducted. The sensitivity is adequate for a flight test condition (M = 0.5). However, we decided that the design needs to

be modified for increased sensitivity to measure turbulence generated in a lab wind-tunnel test condition (M = 0.1). The

proof of concept tests will be conducted with the newly designed sensors in a draft wind tunnel.

Prepared by Y.C. Cho Org. Code IC M/S 269-3 Phone (415) 604-4139

97
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Size-Density Studies of Chondrules, and Aerodynamic Sorting in the Solar Nebula

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Jeff Cuzzi, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Julie Paque, SETI Institute, Ames Research Center;

Monica Rivera, Summer High School Apprenticeship Program

Funding Year Initiated

Total prior to FY96 $28,000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

FY95

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $32,000

Requested for FY97, if any

$32,000 (to be added to NASA cooperative agreement NCC 2-887)

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To determine if there is a relationship between the size, density, texture, and composition of chrondrules in a variety of

chondrites. The results from these experiments will be used to refine models that constrain conditions in the solar nebula.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

The experimental method for disaggregation of chondrules was refined during FY96. An abstract including the

results of the experiments will be submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference for presentation in

March 1997.

Planned future work

Two additional Antarctic chondrites were obtained in September 1996. Both are ordinary chondrites and will be used for

comparison with the two carbonaceous chondrite data sets previously obtained. One of the samples consists of more than

100 chondrules picked from the fines in the sample collection at the NASA Johnson Space Center. This data set is ready

for size, density, and compositional measurement.

Prepared by Jeff Cuzzi/Julie Paque Org. Code SST M/S 245-3 Phone (415) 604-6343/0489

98
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Laser-Spectroscopic Instrument for Turbulence Measurements

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Douglas G. Fletcher, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY98

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To develop a laser-spectroscopic instrument that can be used to obtain simultaneous measurements of density,

temperature, pressure, and velocity in unseeded, turbulent, compressible air flows.

F-Y96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

None.

Planned future work

The current camera will be upgraded to an intensified charged coupled device (CCD) system to complete the velocity

measurement capability development. Subsequently, the velocity and thermodynamic property measurement capability

would be demonstrated in the shear layer flow of a smaU-scale, free-jet air flow.

Prepared by Dou_;las G. Fletcher Org. Code STA M/S 230-2 Phone (415) 604-1647

99
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Computational Modeling of Ultra.fast Optical Pulse Propagation in Semiconductor Lasers and

Amplifiers

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Peter M. Goorjian, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Govind P. Agrawal, The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627;

Rolf Binder, Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house $3397

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify) $36,603 (NCC2-5149)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FI"97

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, ifany

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

Develop computer codes to mode] optical pulse propagation in semiconductor material on the level of quantum optoelectronics. The algorithm solves the combined non].inear Maxwell's equations of electromagnetics and the semiconductor

Bloch equations for the propagation of short optical pulses on the order of 50-100 femtoseconds.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Goorjian, Peter M.: Photonic Switching Devices Using Light Bullets. Patent granted Sept. 12, 1996.

Goorjian, Peter M.: Meeting paper presented at Semiconductor Device Modeling Workshop, Ames Research Center,

Mar. 28, 1996.

Goorjian, Peter M.; and Agrawal, Andrew Hulse: Computational Modeling of Ultrashort Optical Pulse Propagation in

Nonlinear Optical Materials. Paper NME31, presented at the Nonlinear Optics Topical Meeting, Maui, Hawaii,

July 8-12, 1996.

Goorjian, Peter M.: Invited lecture presented at University of Minnesota Supercomputer Institute and Institute of Math,

Apr. 17-18, 1996.

Planned future work

To complete modeling of semiconductor material to include many-body effects due to Coulomb interaction and to include

more accurate modeling of intraband scattering processes for ultrashort optical pulse propagation. Also, to apply the code

to the simulation of novel ultrafast optoelectronlc devices.

Prepared by Peter M. Goo_ian Org. Code ADC M/S T27B-1 Phone (415) 604-5547

100
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Remote Sensing of Aircraft Contrails Using a Field Portable Imaging Interferometer

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Philip D. Hammer, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

William H. Smith, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63130;

Stephen Dunagan and Anthony Strawa, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $35,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

$5000 (Washington University Consortium)

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To measure visible and infrared radiative effects of aircraft contrails to provide information about their spatial distributions, their microphysical properties (especially ice crystals), their time evolution, and their surroundings. This objective

is being accomplished by applying a novel remote sensing technique, imaging interferometry, which provides twodimensional spectral images of contrails and other atmospheric features of interest.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

During early May, measurements were made during NASA's subsonic aircraft: contrail and cloud effects special

study (SUCCESS). Ground-based measurements were made of aircraft contrails and cirrus clouds at the Department of

Energy's Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site in Oklahoma. DASI spectral images of contrails were acquired during

SUCCESS mission aircraft overflights. Results from these measurements were presented at the Director's Discretionary

Fund Poster session on October 22, 1996.

Planned future work

Plans have been developed to make additional ground-based measurements of aircraft contrails within the next few

months when two improved DASI instruments will become available. The improved infrared instrument will permit

obtaining images with good spatial resolution over the entire spectral range of 4000 to 11,000 cm -1 (0.91 to 2.0 microns).

The second DASI will cover the visible to near infrared spectral region. Concurrently, advanced analysis algorithms

for the interpretation of the data acquired at the Oklahoma site as well as at other ground-based locations are being

developed.

Prepared by Philip Hammer Org. Code SGE M/S 242-4 Phone (415) 604-3383

101
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Validation of Engine-Change Procedures through Team Task Analysis

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Barbara G. Kanki, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Vicki Dulchinos, San Jose State University Foundation, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40r000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FYg7, if any None

Status of study [] Completed in FY96 [] Continued in FY97

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining? [] with FY97 funds?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?) unknown at this time

to Program (name?) NASA R&T to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To enhance aircraft maintenance procedures through the incorporation of team factors. Using the B737 CFM56-7 enginechange operations as a testbed, the research goal is to develop a generic procedure analysis system for assessing and

redesigning maintenance procedures.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Veinott, E.; and Kanki, B. G.: Identifying Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance Operations. Poster presentation

at Human Factors and Ergonomics annual meeting and poster session, San Diego, Calif., Oct. 1995.

Kanki, B. G.; and Walter, D.: Reduction of Maintenance Error Potential through Focused Interventions. Paper presented

at FAA/AAM Meeting on Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance and Inspection, Mar. 1997, in preparation.

Kanki, B. G.; Duld'dnos, V.; and Repp, T.: Guidelines for Integrating Human Factors into Procedure Analysis and Design.

NASA TM, in preparation.

Planned future work

To complete the DDF:

* Validate procedure differences through observations, interviews, and videotapes

• Write a guidelines document for incorporating human factors into the procedure evaluation and redesign process

Beyond the scope of the DDF:

• Extend guidelines for airline application

• Tailor guidelines for airline goals, policies, and procedures

• Validate through observations and interviews with airline subject matter experts

Prepared by B.G. Kanki Org. Code AFO M/S 26..2-4 Phone (415) 604-5785

102
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Development of a Silicon-Micromachined Gas Chromatography System for Determination of

Planetary Surface Composition

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Daniel Kojiro, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Thomas Shen, SETI Institute, Ames Research Center; James Suminto and

Frank Yang, Micro-Tech Scientific, Inc., 140 S. Wolfe Rd., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Funding Year Initiated FY96 Expected completion date FY97

Total prior to FY96 $40r000 Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Total expended in FY96: (Estimated) Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

In-house $2250 $2000

Contracts (identify) $13,450 Micro-Tech Scientific, Inc. $20,000

Grants (identify) $24,300 NCC 2-650 $18,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 lunds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To engineer and fabricate a highly efficient, low-power, lightweight, micromachIned GC system with a glow discharge "

detector to be used in gas chromatographic analysis of low-molecular-weight molecules such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon,

methane, ethane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, and others that may be present in cometary and planetary

bodies.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

In the first year of the project, several micrornachined chips with different electrode designs were prepared and tested.

The prelimInary devices produced discharge at 300 volts. The discharge also creates photons that can be identified by a

charged coupled device (CCD) detector. This idea has been submitted for Planetary Instrument Definition Development

Program (PIDDP) funding.

Planned future work

The chip will be redesigned to obtain more stable discharge current usIng metal oxide to replace gold as a discharge

electrode for longer discharge life.

Thomas Shen /

Prepared by Daniel Koiiro Org. Code SSX M/S 239-12 Phone (415) 604-5769

103
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Planetary Wind Sensor

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Paul Kolodziej, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

David W. Bogdanoff, Eloret Institute, Ames Research Center;

Gregory Wilson, Arizona State University, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated F_96

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96: (Estimated)

In-house $25,000

Contracts (identify) $15,000 (Eloret Inst-i_tute)

Grants (identih/)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

A single device to sense wind speed and direction on planet surfaces is needed for current and future planet exploration

endeavors. After surveying seven techniques for robusl_ess and performance, an ultrasonic wind sensor that measures

the effective acoustic wave propagation speeds in three different directions to determine the wind velocity vector and the

sound speed was selected for evaluation in the Mars wind tunnel at Ames.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Planned future work

A commercial device, the Handar model 425 ultrasonic wind sensor, was purchased for low-pressure evaluation in the

Mars wind tunnel at Ames in FY97. This testing will hopefully identify the modifications required to meet the accuracy

requirements at Mars. Handar has expressed an interest in modifying model 425 after this testing is complete.

Prepared by Paul Kolodziej Org. Code STM M/S 234-1 Phone (415) 604-0356

104
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Planar Doppler Velocimetry

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Robert L. McKenzie, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY94

Total pdor to FY96 $40r000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authodzed in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

Development of a planar Doppler velocimetry instrument system using a pulsed laser to provide instantaneous

measurements of three-dimensional velocity fields in production-size wind tunnels.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

McKenzie, R. L.: Measurement Capabilities of Planar Doppler Velocimetry Using Pulsed Lasers. Applied Optics, vol. 35,

no. 6, Feb. 20, 1996, pp. 948-964. (Also AIAA Paper 95-0297, presented at the 33rd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and

Exhibit, Reno, Nev., Jan. 9-12, 1995.)

McKenzie, R. L.: Planar Doppler Velocimetry Performance in Low-Speed Flows. AIAA Paper 97-0498, presented at the

35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nev., Jan. 6-9, 1997.

Planned future work

Development will continue to demonstrate single-pulse velocity measurements in a complex, 3-D flow in the Ames

30- by 40-Inch Wind Tunnel in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory and, eventually, in the Ames 12-Foot Pressure Wind

Tunnel.

Prepared by Robert McKenzie Org. Code ADF M/S 260-1 Phone (415) 604-6158

105
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Quantitative Characterization of Porous Thermal Protection System Microstructures Using Laser

Scanning Confocal Microscopy

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Frank Milos, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Jochen Marschall, Eloret Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087;

Joanne Frerich, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185-0781

Funding

Total priorto F-Y96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

Year Initiated FY96 Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

$40,000 (Estimated) Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

$20,000

$20,000 [Sandia National Laboratories, Purchase Order No. A49107D(SLS)]

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] withfunds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To investigate the capability of laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) to provide quantitative information about the

porous microstructure of various thermal protection system (TPS) materials. The idea is to use LSCM to obtain digitally

stored representations of the pore structure and to devise computational algorithms to extract numerical values for such

quantities as porosity, surface area per volume, pore size and orientation distributions, etc. This information will then be

incorporated into various modeling efforts, such as, e.g., internal radiation transport and gas flow in fibrous insulations.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications,papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

This work is still in progress, but future publication and presentation of the results of this investigation are anticipated.

Planned future work

Plans include optimizing the LSCM process, obtaining more data on more TPS material, writing computer codes for

extracting desired quantifies from LSCM data, and inputting derived information into various computational models

of material properties and behavior.

Prepared by Jochen Marschall Org. Code STM M/S 234-1 Phone (415) 604-0829

106
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation A Limited Pressure Cycle Engine for High Specific Output

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Mark D. Moore and Andrew S. Hahn, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY96

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:$34,000

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $34,000

Requested for FY97, if any $20,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.) 537-10-01

to Program (name?) ERAST

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To experiment on an engine cycle designed to meet the needs of NASA's high-altitude aircraft program by providing a

significantly higher power output per pound of engine weight without decreasing the engine life through higher loads

or piston speeds. Tests will include measurements to determine the pressures, temperatures, work ratios, specific fuel

consumption, timing adjustments, combustion knock and emissions, and water injection rates that yield optimal power

results.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

None yet.

Planned future work

During the next fiscal year, a contract to perform the experimentation will be awarded. A test engine will be constructed

and then run with multiple sensors for determination of key data. The hardware will be inspected for damage and wear,

and a report will be written explaining the test results.

Prepared by Mark Moore Org. Code APS M/S 237-11 Phone (415) 604-0968

107
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames ResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Ultra-Light Entry Systems

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Marcus S. Murbach and Demet-nus Kou_rtides, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,

CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated P/95

Total prior to FY96 $40,000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $,10,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To develop a very low ballistic coefficient, or "ultra-light," atmospheric entry system applicable to certain classes of

planetary exploration missions. Reducing the ballistic coefficient (particularly below 10 kg/m 2) resulted in deceleration

at a much higher altitude, where the lower density contributes to a significant reduction in the convective heat transfer

rate. This reduction allows for the use of high-temperature ceramic materials (both rigid and flexible) in place of the

heavier ablative heat shields in common use. Numerous probe design advantages resulted.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Murbach, Marcus S.; Kourtides, Demetrius; and Chert, Y. K.: Ultra-Light Entry Systems for Planetary Missions.

AIAA-96-0616, presented at 34th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nev., Jan. 8-11, 1996.

Murbach, Marcus S.; Kourtides, Demetrius; and Chen, Y. K.: Ultra-Light and Ultra-Precise Mars Missions. Submitted

to AIAA 35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 1997.

Planned future work

During the next fiscal year, arc-jet testing of one of the prototypes will be completed. In addition, two sounding rocket

flights launched from the White Sands Test Facility will be used to hLrther mature and validate the general concept. The

first flight will verify the data-acquisition system and electrical/mechanical interfaces (a "piggyback"); the second will be

used to fly numerous probes through a trajectory with Mach numbers as high as 8 (a "dedicated" launch). In addition,

further work regarding the penetrator will be performed.

Prepared by Marcus S. Murbach Org. Code SFS M/S 244-14 Phone (415) 604-3155

108
I_lffl_A Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Analysis of Molecular $2 Spectra Observed during Impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter

Investigator(s) (show affiliation)

Harry Partridge, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Atul D. Prad_han, National Research Council, Ames Research Center;

David Schwenke, Ames Research Center;

Ken Dyall, Eloret Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Funding Year Initiated FY96

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

$40,000

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To determine accurate synthetic spectra of the X-B transition in the S-zmolecule in order to analyze spectra taken of the

Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact with Jupiter.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Pradhan, Atul; and Partridge, Harry: Theoretical Study of the B-X and B"-X Band Systems of S2. Chem. Phys. Letters,

vo]. 255, 1996, pp. 163-170.

Planned future work

To finish work on spectroscopy and publish second paper.

Prepared by Harry Partridge Org. Code STC M/S 230-3 Phone (415) 604-5236

109
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Does Ultraviolet Radiation Affect Carbon Isotope Fractionation?

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Lynn Rothschild, David Peterson, and David DesMarais, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY96

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in F"Y96::$t0,000

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date

Authorized in FY96 $_000

Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To determine if ultraviolet (UV) radiation affects stable carbon isotope ratios. If so, is there an ecologic (e.g., microbial

mat vs. phytoplankton) or taxonomic (e.g., prokaryote vs. eukaryote, alga vs. plant) correlation with the effect?

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

None so far.

Planned future work

To grow organisms outside in the presence and absence of UV and to analyze biomass for A_13Corg values to determine

if there is a difference between treatments.

Prepared by Lynn Rothschild Org. Code SGE M/S 239-12 Phone (415) 604-6525

11o
_J_A Fiscal Year 1996

Ames ResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Computation of the Low-Temperature Rate Constants for the Reaction HO2 + 0 3 _ OH + 02 + 02

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) David W. Schwenke, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Stephen P. Walch, Eloret Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40_000 (FY95 funds)

Total expended in FY96:$40,000 (Estimated)

In-house

Contracts (identity) $40,000 (NAS2-14031)

Grants (identify)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

The HO/HO2 catalytic cycle for ozone depletion involves the reacUons:

HO + 0 3 --4 HO 2 + 0 2

HO2 + 03 _ HO + 02 + 02

The net reaction is 2 03 --_ 3 02.

The rate constant for the HO 3 + 02 reaction is uncertain in the low-temperature region, and the purpose of these

studies is to compute the required rate constant information.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Watch, Stephen P.: On the HO/HO 2 Catalytic Cycle for Ozone Depletion; I. Computed Potential Energy Surfaces for

HO + 03 and HO2 + 03. J. Chem. Phys., in preparation.

Planned future work

Work will continue on the abstraction pathway. After this work is completed, a coordinated effort will be carried

out to develop a potential energy surface for use in the quantum scattering calculations, which will determine the

low-temperature rate constant.

Prepared by S.P. Walch Org. Code STC M/S 230-3 Phone (415) 604-6189

111
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Adaptation of Bone to Mechanical Stimulation: Development and Characterization of a Unique

Osteoblast Loading System

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Nancy Searby and Emily Morey-Holton, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

Ruth Giobus, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143;

Ekhson Holmuhamedov, National Research Council, Ames Research Center

Funding

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

Year Initiated FY96 Expected completion date FY98

Authorized in FY96 $401000

$40,000 (Estimated) Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

$8500: Engineering support and hardware

$31,500 NCC 2-589 Gravity and Skeletal Growth: Technician support and lab supplies

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To determine the role of the osteoblast's cytoskeleton and attachments to the ex_acellular matrix in responding to

mechanical loads. To accomplish this, a system will be developed to apply mechanical loads to osteob]asts. Determination of the mechanisms that osteoblasts, or bone forming cells, use to respond to mechanical loading will lead to a better

understanding of the role osteoblasts play in situ in bone as they adapt bone structure in response to daily mechanical

loads generated by physical activities such as walking, or reduced activity as seen in spaceflight.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

Planned future work

The cell loading system development will be completed in 1997, and science testing will be initiated to determine the

osteoblast response to mechanical loading. As the responses of the osteoblast cytoskeleton and its extracellular matrix

attachments are characterized, a model based on structural analysis of the cell and the surrounding structure will be

developed.

Prepared by Nancy Searby Org. Code SLR MIS 236-5 Phone (415) 604-6794

112
Fiscal Year 1996

Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation A New Method to Test Rotor Hover Performance

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Mark J. Silva and Frank Caradonna, Aeroflightdynamics Directorate, U.S. Army Aviation

and Troop Command, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40_000

Total expended in FY96:$40,000

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date F_97

Authorized inFY96 $4G000

Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To develop a new concept for rotor hover performance testing that eliminates flow unsteadiness and permits the

acquisition of highly reliable data that will permit accurate evaluation of rotor designs and the validation of new

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

A paper will be presented at the American Helicopter Society Aeromechanics Specialists Mee_ng in 1997.

Planned future work

To scale the method to permit the testing of larger rotors and provide the means to do such testing.

Prepared by Frank Caradonna Org. Code YF M/S 215-1 Phone (415)604-5902

113
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Use of Evolving Microbial Systems as a Domain for Development of Autonomous Artificial

Intelligence Software

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) David Thompson, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000;

R. Levinson and P. Robinson, Caelum-Recom Technologies, Ames Research Center;

R. Mancinelli, D. Smemoff, and M. White, SETI Institute, Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY95

Total prior to FY96 $40r000

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY98

Authorized in FY96 $40r000

Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To achieve advances in artificial Intelligence (AI)-based software technology for control, diagnosis, and repair of complex

microbial experimental systems, and to gain a better understanding of the role that nitrogen fixing and denitz_ying

microbial systems play in nutrient cycling, atmospheric evolution, and biogeochemical (BGC) cycles on Earth. The goal

is advocation of application of the autonomous control software within NASA (e.g., advanced life support, office space

science, autonomous spacecraft).

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications,papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

The growth of Pseudomonasfluorescens, a denitrifyer, was monitored and controlled in the bioreactor system under

varying oxygen levels from 0 to 100 percent. Traditional control software was designed and implemented (i.e., LabView).

AI software elements were then fully integrated with the traditional control via a severable communication link, which

operates either on the same platform or via a Web Interface. Quantitative and qualitative thermal models were developed

and integrated into the AI software architecture.

Smernoff, D. T.; and Mancinelli, R. L.: Terrestrial and Space-Based Applications of Autonomous Instrumentation.

Adv. Space Res., 1997 (in press).

Mancinelli, R. L.; Smernoff, D. T.; and White, M. R.: Controlling Denitrification in Closed Artificial Ecosystems.

Adv. Space Res., 1997 (in press).

Robinson, P.; Autonomous Design and Execution of Process Controllers for Untended Scientific Instruments.

1st International Conference on Autonomous Agents, Marina del Rey, Calif., Feb. 5--8, 1997.

Planned future work

• Integrate models of microbial growth and competition into existing software.

° Test the validity of a model of the evolution of the N-cycle (Mancinelli and McKay, Orig. of Life, Evol. Bios.,

vol. 18, 1988, p. 311).

• Refine development of the AI architecture based on results of the microbe tests to achieve increasing levels of

autonomy.

David Thompson/ 269-2/

Prepared by Rocco Mancinelli Org. Code IC/SSX M/S 239-12 Phone (415) 604-4759/6165

114
r_A Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Chaos in Interstellar Chemistry

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) A.G.G.M. l'ielens, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Funding Year Initiated FY96

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house $5000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify) $25,000 (NCC2-5,_)

(Estimated)

Expected completion date FY97

Authorized in FY96 $30_000

Requested for FY97, if any $30,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To develop a theoretical model for interstellar chemistry, with the aim of determining the factors that control the onset

of chaotic behavior. The results will be used to determine the influence of chaos on the formation of stars and planetary

systems through its influence on the degree of ionization and on the abundance of cooling species.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

A numerical code that calculates the chemical abundances in interstellar clouds has been developed. Initially, this code

contained approximately 4000 reactions between approximately 500 astronomically relevant species, but a trimmeddown version of 170 reactions between 40 species still retains the essential characteristics of the complete chemical

network and reproduces the calculations of the full code well. Using this code, a systematic study of the (external)

parameter space (cosmic ray ionization, FUV photodissociafion and photoionization, temperature, density, elemental

abundances) has begun.

Planned future work

Systematic study of the parameter space will continue. An analytical analysis of the chemical network will be performed.

To that end, the number of species will be reduced even further, using lumping techniques. In this way, the number of

equations involved will be limited to perhaps five. Thus the important control parameters for the onset of chaos can be

identified analytically. The results of this analytical approach will then be validated against the full code.

Prepared by A.G.G.M. Tielens Org. Code SST M/S 245-3 Phone (415) 604-6230

115
Fiscal Year 1996

AmesResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Modeling High Energy Aerocapture Trajectories for Outer Planet Orbiter Missions

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) Paul Wercinski, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000; Perildis

Papadopolous and Ethiraj Venkatapathy, Thermosciences Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94303;

Lily Yang, Sterling Software Systems, Ames Research Center

Funding

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96:

In-house

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

Year Initiated FY96 Expected completion date FY98

Authorized in FY96 $40_000

$40,000 (Estimated) Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

$40,000 (Thermosciences Institute, Sterling Software)

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

First, to characterize the static aerodynamic coefficients of the axisy'mmetric biconic shape in realistic flow conditions

representative of actual flight trajectory, including the lift and drag coefficients of the entry vehicle at various angles of

attack; second, to calculate the heating distribution over the surface of the entry vehicle at various trajectory points; and

finally, to determine thermal protection system (TPS) requirements from the coupled heating distributions at several

trajectory points. With this analysis, an attempt to incorporate approximate methods of estimating the heating distribution (and subsequent thermal protection material requirements) with an actual trajectory simulation will be assessed

and performed if appropriate.

FY96 applications of results, patents, reports/publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

None at this time.

Planned future work

Work will focus on further refining heating estimates with TPS sizing estimates.

Prepared by Paul Wercinski Org. Code STA M/S 229-3 Phone (415) 604-3157

116
_I_.._A Fiscal Year 1996

Ames ResearchCenter Director's Discretionary Fund Report

Title of Investigation Fastenerless Structural Connections for Tiltrotor Aircraft

Investigator(s) (show affiliation) John Zuk, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000; Clem Hiel, SVERDRUP,

Ames Research Center

Funding Year Initiated FY96

Total prior to FY96

Total expended in FY96: (Estimated)

In-house $40,000

Contracts (identify)

Grants (identify)

Expected completion date i_-_'97

Authorized in FY96 $40,000

Requested for FY97, if any $40,000

Status of study [] Completed in FY96

If continued in FY97 [] with funds remaining?

If transitioned to other funding, to RTOP (number?.)

to Program (name?)

[] Continued in FY97

[] with FY97 funds?

to Other (identify)

Purpose of investigation

To conduct innovative research leading to the development of a new class of fastenerless connections, called "snap

joints," for assembly of composite structures, with special emphasis on tilt-rotor aircraft.

F-Y96 applications of results, patents, reports'publications, papers at meetings, any awards received, etc.

(1) Formulated snap joint ideas, developed conceptual designs utilizing computer-aided design (CAD), fabricated and

evaluated candidate test specimens.

(2) Fabricated a full-scale generic snap joint illustrating ease of assembly and positive interlocking features.

Planned future work

(1) Expand concept to three universal snap joint configurations.

(2) Conduct finite element analyses.

(3) Fabricate, conduct test measurements, and perform concept application demonstrations.

(4) File patent application.

(5) Establish an industrial partnership.

Prepared by John Zuk Org. Code APT M/S 237-11 Phone (415) 604-6568

117
Form Approved

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE oMSNo,o7o4-o188

Pubtic reporting burden for tl'lis collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,

gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this

collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for information Operations ancl Reports, 1215 Jefferson

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1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

March 1997 Technical Memorandum, Fiscal Year 1996

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Director's Discretionary Fund Report for Fiscal Year 1996

!6. AUTHOR(S)

Ames-Moffett Investigators

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC 20546-0001

5. FUNDING NUMBERS

274-53-71

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

REPORT NUMBER

A-975819

10. SPONSORING/MONITORING

AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

NASA TM-110445

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

Point of Contact: John T. Howe, Ames Research Center, MS 200-16, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

(415) 604-5500

12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Unclassified-Unlimited

Subject Category - 99

12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

This technical memorandum contains brief technical papers describing research and technology

development programs sponsored by the Ames Research Center Director's Discretionary Fund during

fiscal year 1996 (October 1995 through September 1996). An appendix provides administrative information for each of the sponsored research programs.

14. SUBJECT TERMS

Director's Discretionary Fund, Space science, Life science, Aeronautics,

Space and terrestrial applications

17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF REPORT OF THIS PAGE

Unclassified Unclassified

NSN 7540-01-280-5500

19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF ABSTRACT

15. NUMBER OF PAGES

121

16. PRICE CODE

A06

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)

Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18