Selected reliability studies for the NERVA program

An investigation was made into certain methods of reliability analysis that are particularly suitable for complex mechanisms or systems in which there are many interactions. The methods developed were intended to assist in the design of such mechanisms, especially for analysis of failure sensitivity to parameter variations and for estimating reliability where extensive and meaningful life testing is not feasible. The system is modeled by a network of interconnected nodes. Each node is a state or mode of operation, or is an input or output node, and the branches are interactions. The network, with its probabilistic and time-dependent paths is also analyzed for reliability and failure modes by a Monte Carlo, computerized simulation of system performance

A Micro Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorter for Astrobiology Applications

A micro-scale Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorter (microFACS) for astrobiology applications is under development. This device is designed to have a footprint of 7 cm x 7 cm x 4 cm and allow live-dead counts and sorting of cells that have fluorescent characteristics from staining. The FACS system takes advantage of microfluidics to create a cell sorter that can fit in the palm of the hand. A micron-scale channel allows cells to pass by a blue diode which causes emission of marker-expressed cells which are detected by a filtered photodetector. A small microcontroller then counts cells and operates high speed valves to select which chamber the cell is collected in (a collection chamber or a waste chamber). Cells with the expressed characteristic will be collected in the collection chamber. This system has been built and is currently being tested. We are also designing a system with integrated MEMS-based pumps and valves for a small and compact unit to fly on small satellite-based biology experiments

Microfluidics microFACS for Life Detection

A prototype micro-scale Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorter (microFACS) for life detection has been built and is undergoing testing. A functional miniature microfluidics instrument with the ability to remotely distinguish live or dead bacterial cells from abiotic particulates in ice or permafrost of icy bodies of the solar system would be of fundamental value to NASA. The use of molecular probes to obtain the bio-signature of living or dead cells could answer the most fundamental question of Astrobiology: Does life exist beyond Earth? The live-dead fluorescent stains to be used in the microFACS instrument function only with biological cell walls. The detection of the cell membranes of living or dead bacteria (unlike PAH's and many other Biomarkers) would provide convincing evidence of present or past life. This miniature device rapidly examine large numbers of particulates from a polar ice or permafrost sample and distinguish living from dead bacteria cells and biological cells from mineral grains and abiotic particulates and sort the cells and particulates based on a staining system. Any sample found to exhibit fluorescence consistent with living cells could then be used in conjunction with a chiral labeled release experiment or video microscopy system to seek addition evidence for cellular metabolism or motility. Results of preliminary testing and calibration of the microFACS prototype instrument system with pure cultures and enrichment assemblages of microbial extremophiles will be reported

Chemical vapor deposition coating of fibers using microwave application

Chemical vapor deposition coating is carried out in a cylindrical cavity. The fibers are heated by a microwave source that is uses a TM0N0 mode, where O is an integer, and produces a field that depends substantially only on radius. The fibers are observed to determine their heating, and their position can be adjusted. Once the fibers are uniformly heated, a CVD reagent is added to process the fibers

X ray imaging microscope for cancer research

The NASA technology employed during the Stanford MSFC LLNL Rocket X Ray Spectroheliograph flight established that doubly reflecting, normal incidence multilayer optics can be designed, fabricated, and used for high resolution x ray imaging of the Sun. Technology developed as part of the MSFC X Ray Microscope program, showed that high quality, high resolution multilayer x ray imaging microscopes are feasible. Using technology developed at Stanford University and at the DOE Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Troy W. Barbee, Jr. has fabricated multilayer coatings with near theoretical reflectivities and perfect bandpass matching for a new rocket borne solar observatory, the Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array (MSSTA). Advanced Flow Polishing has provided multilayer mirror substrates with sub-angstrom (rms) smoothnesss for the astronomical x ray telescopes and x ray microscopes. The combination of these important technological advancements has paved the way for the development of a Water Window Imaging X Ray Microscope for cancer research

The ultra high resolution XUV spectroheliograph: An attached payload for the Space Station Freedom

The principle goal of the ultra high resolution XUV spectroheliograph (UHRXS) is to improve the ability to identify and understand the fundamental physical processes that shape the structure and dynamics of the solar chromosphere and corona. The ability of the UHRXS imaging telescope and spectrographs to resolve fine scale structures over a broad wavelength (and hence temperature) range is critical to this mission. The scientific objectives and instrumental capabilities of the UHRXS investigation are reviewed before proceeding to a discussion of the expected performance of the UHRXS observatory

Lyapunov instability for a periodic Lorentz gas thermostated by deterministic scattering

In recent work a deterministic and time-reversible boundary thermostat called thermostating by deterministic scattering has been introduced for the periodic Lorentz gas [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 84}, 4268 (2000)]. Here we assess the nonlinear properties of this new dynamical system by numerically calculating its Lyapunov exponents. Based on a revised method for computing Lyapunov exponents, which employs periodic orthonormalization with a constraint, we present results for the Lyapunov exponents and related quantities in equilibrium and nonequilibrium. Finally, we check whether we obtain the same relations between quantities characterizing the microscopic chaotic dynamics and quantities characterizing macroscopic transport as obtained for conventional deterministic and time-reversible bulk thermostats.Comment: 18 pages (revtex), 7 figures (postscript

Macroscopic equations for the adiabatic piston

A simplified version of a classical problem in thermodynamics -- the adiabatic piston -- is discussed in the framework of kinetic theory. We consider the limit of gases whose relaxation time is extremely fast so that the gases contained on the left and right chambers of the piston are always in equilibrium (that is the molecules are uniformly distributed and their velocities obey the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution) after any collision with the piston. Then by using kinetic theory we derive the collision statistics from which we obtain a set of ordinary differential equations for the evolution of the macroscopic observables (namely the piston average velocity and position, the velocity variance and the temperatures of the two compartments). The dynamics of these equations is compared with simulations of an ideal gas and a microscopic model of gas settled to verify the assumptions used in the derivation. We show that the equations predict an evolution for the macroscopic variables which catches the basic features of the problem. The results here presented recover those derived, using a different approach, by Gruber, Pache and Lesne in J. Stat. Phys. 108, 669 (2002) and 112, 1177 (2003).Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures (revTeX4) The paper has been completely rewritten with new derivation and results, supplementary information can be found at http://denali.phys.uniroma1.it/~cencini/Papers/cppv07_supplements.pd

The Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array (MSSTA)

In 1987, our consortium pioneered the application of normal incidence multilayer X-ray optics to solar physics by obtaining the first high resolution narrow band, "thermally differentiated" images of the corona', using the emissions of the Fe IX/Fe X complex at ((lambda)lambda) approx. 171 A to 175 A, and He II Lyman (beta) at 256 A. Subsequently, we developed a rocket borne solar observatory, the Multi Spectral Solar Telescope Array (MSSTA) that pioneered multi-thermal imaging of the solar atmosphere, using high resolution narrow band X-ray, EUV and FUV optical systems. Analysis of MSSTA observations has resulted in four significant insights into the structure of the solar atmosphere: (1) the diameter of coronal loops is essentially constant along their length; (2) models of the thermal and density structure of polar plumes based on MSSTA observations have been shown to be consistent with the thesis that they are the source of high speed solar wind streams; (3) the magnetic structure of the footpoints of polar plumes is monopolar, and their thermal structure is consistent with the thesis that the chromosphere at their footpoints is heated by conduction from above; (4) coronal bright points are small loops, typically 3,500 - 20,000 km long (5 sec - 30 sec); their footpoints are located at the poles of bipolar magnetic structures that are are distinguished from other network elements by having a brighter Lyman a signature. Loop models derived for 26 bright points are consistent with the thesis that the chromosphere at their footpoints is heated by conduction from the corona