Lunar rocks as meteoroid detectors

About 5000 microcraters on seven lunar rocks recovered during the Apollo 12 mission have been systematically studied using a stereomicroscope. Based on comparisons with laboratory cratering experiments, at least 95 percent of all millimeter sized craters observed were formed by impacts in which the impact velocity exceeded 10 km/s. The dynamics of particle motion near the moon and the distribution of microcraters on the rocks require an extralunar origin for these impacting particles. The microcrater population on at least one side of all rocks studied was in equilibrium for millimeter sized craters; i.e., statistically, craters a few millimeters in diameter and smaller were being removed by the superposition of new craters at the same rate new craters were being formed. The population of craters on such a surface is directly related to the total population of particles impacting that surface. Crater size distribution data together with an experimentally determined relationship between the crater size and the physical parameters of the impacting particle, yield the mass distribution of interplanetary dust at 1 AU

Validation Methods Research for Fault-Tolerant Avionics and Control Systems: Working Group Meeting, 2

The validation process comprises the activities required to insure the agreement of system realization with system specification. A preliminary validation methodology for fault tolerant systems documented. A general framework for a validation methodology is presented along with a set of specific tasks intended for the validation of two specimen system, SIFT and FTMP. Two major areas of research are identified. First, are those activities required to support the ongoing development of the validation process itself, and second, are those activities required to support the design, development, and understanding of fault tolerant systems

Correlating advanced microscopies reveals atomic-scale mechanisms limiting lithium-ion battery lifetime

The longevity of a lithium-ion battery is limited by cathode degradation. Combining atom probe tomography and scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals that the degradation results from atomic-scale irreversible structural changes once lithium leaves the cathode during charging, thereby inhibiting lithium intercalation back into the cathode as the battery discharges. This information unveils possible routes for improving the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries

Boundary-layer and stalling characteristics of two symmetrical NACA low-drag airfoil sections

Two symmetrical airfoils, an NACA 633-018 and an NACA 631-012, were investigated for the purpose of determining their stalling and boundary-layer characteristics with a view toward the eventual application of this information to the problem of boundary-layer control. Force measurements, pressure distributions, tuft studies, and boundary-layer-profile measurements were made at a value of 5,800,000 Reynolds number. It was found that the 18-percent-thick airfoil stalled progressively from the trailing edge because of separation of the turbulent boundary layer. In contrast, the12-percent-thick airfoil stalled abruptly from a separation of flow near the leading edge before the turbulent boundary layer became subject to separation. From this it was concluded that if high values of lift are to be obtained with thin, high-critical-speed sections by means of boundary-layer control, the work must be directed toward delaying the separation of flow near the leading edge. It was found that the presence of a nose flap on the 12-percent-thick section caused the airfoil to stall in a manner similar to that of the 18-percent-thick section

Influence of composition and precipitation evolution on damage at grain boundaries in a crept polycrystalline Ni-based superalloy

© 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. The microstructural and compositional evolution of intergranular carbides and borides prior to and after creep deformation at 850 °C in a polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy was studied. Primary MC carbides, enveloped within intergranular γ′ layers, decomposed resulting in the formation of layers of the undesirable η phase. These layers have a composition corresponding to Ni3Ta as measured by atom probe tomography and their structure is consistent with the D024 hexagonal structure as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Electron backscattered diffraction reveals that they assume various misorientations with regard to the adjacent grains. As a consequence, these layers act as brittle recrystallized zones and crack initiation sites. The composition of the MC carbides after creep was altered substantially, with the Ta content decreasing and the Hf and Zr contents increasing, suggesting a beneficial effect of Hf and Zr additions on the stability of MC carbides. By contrast, M5B3 borides were found to be microstructurally stable after creep and without substantial compositional changes. Borides at 850 °C were found to coarsen, resulting in some cases into γ′- depleted zones, where, however, no cracks were observed. The major consequences of secondary phases on the microstructural stability of superalloys during the design of new polycrystalline superalloys are discussed