Status Report

Code UG Weekly Notes 09-19-01

By SpaceRef Editor
September 19, 2001
Filed under , ,

Weekly Highlights for Week Ending 9/19/2001

** Indicates item is appropriate for the HQ senior staff
and may appear on the OBPR Web site:
http://SpaceResearch.nasa.gov

GENERAL

EDUCATION and OUTREACH

MICROGRAVITY SCIENCE AND "PICTURE YOURSELF IN SPACE" FEATURED
AT THE 2001 CLEVELAND NATIONAL AIR SHOW: Many Microgravity Science Program
lithographs, brochures and posters were given out at the 2001 Cleveland
National Air Show during the Labor Day weekend on 9/1-3/01, at the NASA
Glenn Research Center (GRC) aerospace exhibit tent. Microgravity Science
Division engineers and scientists staffed the "Picture Yourself in
Space" photo booth where visitors could get their picture taken as
if they were an astronaut. The ever-popular photo booth was complemented
by the International Space Station (ISS) model kiosk. This year’s air
show enjoyed large crowds (estimated at 110,000 -120,000). For more information,
see: http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/outreach/airshow01/airshow01.html
and http://www.clevelandairshow.com/

MECHANICS OF GRANULAR MATERIALS (MGM) NASA EDUCATION GUIDE: The Microgravity
Research Program Office (MRPO) Outreach & Education staff is collaborating
with the MGM flight experiment team to develop two NASA Education Guides
– one for middle school science students and one for the high school level.
Both Education Guides feature hands-on laboratory simulations of the MGM
experiment and will be incorporated into the STS-107 outreach materials.

KC-135 STUDENT EXPERIMENT TECHNICAL COORDINATION EFFORTS: At the request
of the Microgravity Research Program Office (MRPO) Outreach and Education
Lead, Microgravity Research Group personnel established the technical
interface between the Auburn University (AU) KC-135 Student Experiment
Team and combustion science experts at the Glenn Research Center (GRC).
The KC-135 student experiment will evaluate fire supression techniques
in a reduced gravity environment. Technical experts from GRC’s combustion
science discipline are being requested to review the adequacy of the AU
KC-135 combustion hardware design and to provide guidance on the fire
supression methodologies that are being proposed as part of the AU experiment
design.

MICROGRAVITY OUTREACH & EDUCATION MATERIALS PROVIDED TO SPACE NURSING
SOCIETY: The Secretary of the Space Nursing Society, Scott Rhoades, RN,
BSN, PHRN, requested and received outreach materials for use in multiple
Space Nursing Society workshops. Microgravity lithographs, brochures,
posters and newsletters, as well as targeted bioscience materials were
provided. NASA contact names for other biology- and health-related programs
were also provided.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH TEACHER SABBATICAL BEGIN: The
2001-2002 teacher sabbatical has begun her year working at the National
Center for Microgravity Research/Fluids and Combustion at Glenn Research
Center. Ann Schwartz teaches 8th grade science at Emerson Middle School
for the Lakewood City Schools. She will oversee the pilot testing and
completion of the middle school educator’s guide Amusement Park Physics
with a NASA Twist and How High Is It; work on K-6 and high school activities
for NASA’s Student Glovebox products; assist in the high school competition
DIME (Dropping In a Microgravity Environment); and present at teacher
conferences. Besides supporting the Education Outreach Program, Ann will
assist scientist John Kizito with his fluids research studying surface
tension, boiling/melting, and rat urine.

GRC TELESCIENCE CENTER FEATURED IN NEWSLINK: The NASA Glenn Research
Center (GRC) Telescience Support Center (TSC) was featured in NEWSLINK,
the newsletter for the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer.
The article, entitled, "Expanded Telescience Support Center Monitors
First Local Experiments", describes how science teams at GRC and
their university partners can now monitor and command their own International
Space Station experiments for the first time.

SHUTTLE FLIGHT PROGRAM

FAWG REVIEWING DELAY OPTIONS TO STS-107: The Flight Assignment Working
Group (FAWG) reviews possible delay of STS-107: Numerous STS-107 launch
delay options were discussed by the FAWG members during its bimonthly
meeting held on 9/13/01. The mission will be delayed from its current
launch date of 5/02. However, it has not been determined how lengthy the
delay will be. Several manifest options were presented to the group which
indicate that the mission could be delayed until 10/02. This delay creates
additional funding concerns for the Office of Biological and Physical
Research (OBPR), since the launch delay is presently not funded.

COLLISIONS INTO DUST EXPERIMENT-2 (COLLIDE-2) PRESHIP REVIEW COMPLETED:
The COLLIDE-2 is a Hitchhiker payload planned for launch 11/29/01 on STS-108.
The Principal Investigator is Prof. Joshua Colwell of the University of
Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). The hardware
was designed and built by a team primarily composed of students from LASP
with oversight from Glenn Research Center. COLLIDE-2 performs low-velocity
impact experiments into simulated planetary regoliths (dust) in a microgravity
environment. These impacts simulate the conditions in planetary rings
and the early stages of protoplanetary disks to help scientists understand
the conditions that lead to planet formation. For more information, see:
http://lasp.colorado.edu/collide/

ISS FLIGHT PROGRAM

MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH PROGRAM OFICE (MRPO) PAYLOAD OPERATIONS STATUS
ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) 7A.1 STAGE: Week 3 (9/3/01) of Stage
7A.1 of ISS Increment 3 has gone well with minor interruptions due to
the software update to EXPRESS Rack 1 with the hope that it will resolve
the current rack communication problems. The Physics of Colloids in Space
experiment has begun detailed science investigations on thebinary colloid
samples. Preliminary study has generated very exciting data for planning
future work. The Cellular Science Experiment has also completed all its
science operations successfully and have the samples preserved. This experiment
represents the first cell culture work on the ISS, which involves several
medically important cell lines. Remaining MRPO sponsored payloads are
continuing to work nominally, with minor communication problems associated
with the EXPRESS Racks.

PHYSICS OF COLLOIDS IN SPACE (PCS): EXPPCS began detailed investigations
of the crystallization of the AB6 and AB13 binary colloid samples with
a 24 hour run this week. These investigations will make heavy use of the
optical fiber-based light scattering and Bragg scattering components to
study the evolution of the Bragg peaks in the scattered light distributions.
A 48 hour run now underway initiated continues this effort. To date, experiments
performed by EXPPCS have proceeded well, with the instrumentation exceeding
the PI team’s expectations. The PI states, "the initial investigation
generated exciting data, particularly from the Colloid Polymer Critical
Point sample, and served to map the course of the detailed investigations,
which are now underway.

SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

CROSS DISCIPLINE:

PRESENTATION AT 2001 SMALL TALK CONFERENCE: On 8/30/2001, Dr. Mark van
der Woerd, Universities Space Research Association (USRA/MSFC), gave a
presentation, entitled "Lab-on-a-Chip Based Protein Crystallization,"
at the Small Talk Conference in San Diego, CA, 8/27-30/2001. In this presentation,
the results from a protein crystal growth feasibility study in a microfluidics
(LabChip) environment were discussed. This meeting focuses on laboratory
automation techniques. The combination of protein crystallization and
the Lab-on-a-Chip concept is new and attracted significant interest from
conference participants.

BIOMOLECULAR PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY:

BIOTECHNOLOGY:

ALLIANCE FOR MICROGRAVITY MATERIALS SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS (AMMSA)
SEMINARS: The AMMSA hosted four seminars during the weeks of August 27-September
7. On Monday, 8/27/2001, Dimiter Petsev, of the University of Alabama
in Huntsville, made a presentation, entitled "Interactions, Aggregation,
and Phase Transformations in Protein Solutions." On Wednesday, 8/29/2001,
C.P. Lee and A.A. Chernov, of Universities Space Research Association,
presented "Solutal Convection Around Growing Protein Crystals and
Diffusional Purification in Space." On Friday, 8/31/2001, Daniel
Adamek, of Tallahassee, FL, presented "Characterization of the Hydrophobic
Cavity of Interleukin 1-beta." On Friday, 9/7/2001, Alexandre P.
Kuzin, of Southern Research Institute, presented "X-Ray Study of
D-Alanyl-D-Alanine Carboxypeptidase/Transpeptidase, B-lactamases and Vancomycin-resistant
Ligase: Molecular Base for Rational Drug Design."

ITERATIVE BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLIZATION (IBC): On 9/5/2001, Mike Harrington,
of the Center for Biophysical Science and Engineering at the University
of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), visited the IBC group to learn about the
IBC project and discuss UAB’s Cryopreservation Prime Item (CPPI) that
has been designed to harvest and cryopreserve macromolecular crystals.
The dialogue was to exchange information concerning interfaces for IBC
and CPPI.

ITERATIVE BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLIZATION TEAM MEMBERS VISIT CALIPER TECHNOLOGIES:
Several team members from the Iterative Biological Crystallization team
traveled to Caliper Technologies in California 8/13-17/2001 for Application
Developer Program training. This is a crucial step in the initiation of
Phase II activities between NASA and Caliper aimed at developing a new
chip for use in macromolecular crystallization.

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER RESEARCHER INVITED TO SPEAK AT INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIUM IN JAPAN: The Japan Atomic Energy Research Agency and the National
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences has invited Dr. Edward Snell, Universities
Space Research Association (USRA/MSFC), to present a talk about his research
at the 3rd International Symposium on Organized Research Combination System
(ORCS), "Development of New Structural Biology Including Hydrogen
and Hydration." The meeting will be held in Tsukuba, Japan, 12/10-12/2001.

PROPOSAL ACCEPTED AT STANFORD SYNCHROTRON RADIATION LABORATORY: Drs.
Edward Snell, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Mark van
der Woerd (USRA), Craig Kundrot (MSFC), Russell Judge, University of Alabama
in Huntsville (UAH), and Aniruddha Achari (Rathyeon) submitted a collaborative
proposal, entitled "High Resolution Structural Studies on Macromolecular
Crystals," for beamtime at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory.
The proposal was given the highest ranking, and a program of beamtime
was allocated for the next two years with an extension available for two
additional years. Samples to be studied include proteins, RNA, and DNA
supporting three NASA-funded investigations: "Cool crystals – a physical
and biochemical study of macromolecular crystal cryopreservation (Principal
Investigator: Dr. Snell), "Macromolecule nucleation and growth rate
dispersion studies: A predictive technique for crystal quality improvement
in microgravity" (Principal Investigator: Dr. Judge), and "Optimizing
the use of microgravity to improve diffraction quality of problematic
biomacromolecular crystals" (Principal Investigator: Dr. Kundrot).

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM BRIEFING AT CENTER FOR BIOPHYSICAL SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING: Dr. Craig Kundrot and Steve Lide, both from Marshall Space
Flight Center, visited the Center for Biophysical Science and Engineering
(CBSE) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on 8/30/2001. They briefed
the CBSE director and staff on the Biotechnology Program. Topics covered
included the flight manifest, the Associate Investigator Program, the
Macromolecular Crystal Growth Center at the Hauptman-Woodward Medical
Research Institute, and the plans for the Iterative Biological Crystallization
and Crystal Preservation Prime Item projects.

COMBUSTION SCIENCE:

QUANTITATIVE DETECTION OF COMBUSTION SPECIES USING ULTRA-VIOLET DIODE
LASERS: The objective of this Phase II SBIR, led by J. Pilgrim of Southwest
Sciences, is the development of a robust, wavelength-agile, tunable, sensitive
system for quantitative gas sensing based on diode laser technology, and
to use this system with blue or ultraviolet diode lasers for the detection
of radical species in microgravity combustion experiments. The Phase I
effort examined the performance of the blue diode lasers which have come
on the market in the past few years. The performance of these lasers by
themselves was inadequate for quantitative spectroscopy, and as a result,
the Contractor developed an electronically-tunable external cavity which
allows any diode laser to be used as a continuously tunable, wide-range,
and stable source at relatively low cost. The Phase II effort will further
develop the external cavity technology. Recently, the properties of the
external cavity were examined using a simpler spectroscopic system, the
near-infrared spectrum of HCN near 1550 nm. The tuning rate was determined
as a function of injection current and temperature. With single-pass measurement
of HCN, minimum detectable absorbance was estimated at approximately 10-4
, which will be adequate to determine radical concentrations in flames.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-PREMIXED TURBULENT FLAMES IN MICROGRAVITY: The
objective of this ground-based project, led by Dr. U. Hegde of the NCMResearch,
is to gather experimental data in hydrocarbon turbulent gas-jet diffusion
flames in microgravity to validate or refine predictive capabilities.
The research will improve fundamental understanding of turbulence characteristics
in gas-jet diffusion. Studies of momentum-dominated flames in normal gravity
require large jet velocities, which lead to difficulties in resolving
the flame, thereby precluding an in-depth understanding of the flame characteristics.
In a microgravity environment, the jet velocity can be reduced while still
maintaining both turbulent and momentum-dominated conditions and the flame
behavior can be resolved. Recently, turbulent propane flames, in collaboration
with Prof. Chen from UC Berkeley and Dr. Echekki of Sandia Labs, have
been studied to determine the nature of the flame instability for triple
flames and jet flames in normal gravity. While it is not conclusively
demonstrated that the jet flame exhibits triple flame structure near its
base, there is considerable correspondence between its behavior and the
triple flame behavior. These include, for example, a strong inflection
point due to temperature gradients in the normal gravity case but very
weak or non-existent inflection point for the microgravity case, and larger
lift off heights for the normal gravity flames. The fluctuations of velocity
and local temperature were studied in conjunction with the flame speed
relative to the incoming flow to the triple flame structure. Since during
an instability, there is a mean motion of the flame to the downstream,
the background state is not a clean steady state as is assumed in classic
instability studies. Hence, there is some ambiguity in classifying the
instability. However, it is found that if one moves with the flame, the
variation of the oscillatory amplitudes with time is weak during the initial
motion and the growth is primarily with downstream distance. This is the
signature of a convective instability.

FLUID PHYSICS:

DROPLET GROWTH BY COALESCENCE IN BINARY FLUID MIXTURES: Fluid Physics
PI Prof. R. Davis (University of Colorado) and his team investigated the
evolution of the drop-size distribution in immiscible fluid mixtures following
well-specified shear histories by in situ microscopy, allowing determination
of the shear-induced coalescence efficiency. At small capillary number,
coalescence efficiency is constant, whereas at larger values of capillary
number, coalescence efficiency decreases, in agreement with theory accounting
for slight deformation of the drops in close approach. Coalescence causes
the drop-size distribution to broaden in general, but greater deformation
of the larger drops at high shear rates causes the drop-size distribution
to remain narrow. The properties of immiscible fluids (e.g., the texture
of foods and the mechanical properties of polymer blends) depend strongly
on the size of the dispersed phase. Usually the desired size is much smaller
than the equilibrium size, so that small drops grow with time, primarily
by coalescence, which requires the movement of drops toward one another.
This was reported in the following paper:

Brian E. Burkhart, Prasad V. Gopalkrishnan, Steven D. Hudson, Alex M.
Jamieson, Michael A. Rother and Robert H. Davis "Droplet Growth by
Coalescence in Binary Fluid Mixtures," Physical Review Letters, Volume
87, Number 9 27 August 2001.

FEEDBACK CONTROL OF WEAKLY NONLINEAR RAYLEIGHBÉNARDMARANGONI CONVECTION:
Fluid Physics PI Prof. Kelly (UCLA) and his Co-I study the effect of proportional
feedback control on the onset and development of finite-wavelength Rayleigh-Bénard-Marangoni
(RBM) convection using weakly nonlinear theory as applied to Nield’s model,
which includes both thermocapillarity and buoyancy but ignores deformation
of the free surface. A two-layer model configuration is used, which has
a purely conducting gas layer on top of the liquid. In the feedback control
analysis, a control action in the form of temperature or heat flux is
considered. Both measurement and control action are assumed to be continuous
in space and time. Besides demonstrating that stabilization of the basic
state can be achieved on a linear basis, the results also indicate that
a wide range of weakly nonlinear flow properties can also be altered by
the linear and nonlinear control processes used here. These include changing
the nature of hexagonal convection and the amount of subcritical hysteresis
associated with subcritical bifurcation. These results were reported in
the following paper:

A. C. OR and R. E. KELLY, "Feedback control of weakly nonlinear
Rayleigh Bénard Marangoni Convection," Journal of Fluid Mechanics
(2001), 440:27-47

TEMPERATURE FIELDS IN A LIQUID DUE TO THE THERMOCAPILLARY MOTION OF BUBBLES
AND DROPS: Experiments were performed on the motion of isolated air bubbles
and drops of Fluorinert FC-75 moving in a Dow-Corning silicone oil under
the action of an applied temperature gradient in a reduced gravity environment
aboard the Space Shuttle in orbit. The disturbance of the imposed temperature
field due to the motion of the objects was studied optically using a shearing
interferometer with a Wollaston prism and the results of a typical bubble
run were compared with theoretical predictions. Also, the liquid velocity
field surrounding the bubbles and drops has been qualitatively investigated
in a few runs by the observation of tracer particles dispersed in the
continuous phase fluid. The observed isotherm structure is in qualitative
agreement with that predicted from numerical solution. This was reported
in the following paper:
G. Wozniak, R. Balasubramaniam, P. H. Hadland, andR. S. Subramanian, "Temperature
fields in a liquid due to the thermocapillary motion of bubbles and drops,"
Experiments in Fluids, Volume 31 Issue 1 (2001) pp 84-89.

FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS:

MATERIALS SCIENCE:

POSTER PRESENTATIONS AT MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS 2001 MEETING: Chris
Cochrane, Universities Space Research Association (USRA/MSFC), made two
poster presentations at the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2001meeting in
Long Beach, CA, 8/5-9/2001. The posters were entitled, "Characterization
of Carbon Nanotubes Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition" (by J. Cochrane,
S. Zhu, C.-H. Su, and S. Lehoczky) and "Characterization of Semiconductors
grown in a Rotating Magnetic Field" (by J. Cochrane and P. Carpenter).

UPCOMING EVENTS

Microgravity Research Team/Program Manager’s Review Telecon
September 20, 2001 – 9:00am – 1:00pm (central time)

Microgravity Outreach at NEW for Science Centers and Museums
The Microgravity Research Program Office (MRPO) Outreach & Education
staff has been asked by the NASA Education Office to make two presentations
for NEW (NASA Educational Workshops) for Science Centers and Museums to
be held September 16-22 at Marshall Space Flight Center. Both presentations
will be September 20 in Marshall’s Discovery Lab.

Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) Fall Workshop
Representatives from the Microgravity Research Program Office (MRPO) Outreach
& Education team are planning to attend and present at the OBPR Outreach
Fall Workshop at JSC September 24-26, 2001 (RESCHEDULED).

National Center for Microgravity Research in Fluids and Combustion
(NCMRFC) Upcoming workshops for September

The NCMRFC Education Outreach Program staff will present the How High
Is It workshop to math educators in Columbus, OH for the Regional National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference.

Girl Scout Aerospace Badge Project
National Center for Microgravity Researvh in Fluids and Combustion (NCMRFC)
and Glenn Research Center volunteers are coordinating efforts to host
an Aerospace Badge day in October for 40-60 Mayfield Heights Girl Scouts.
The junior girl scouts will spend the day at NASA Glenn Research Center
to meet partial requirements for their Aerospace Badge. The event is tentatively
scheduled for October 20. The scouts will tour the Zero Gravity Facility,
participate in bottle rocket launches, have lunch with NASA women scientists,
engineers, and pilots, and complete a scavenger hunt in the Visitor Center.
Troop leaders will receive NASA materials and training so they are prepared
to finish the badge requirements back in their troop. This event is a
pilot test for an Aerospace Badge event in January that will be open to
a larger number of junior girl scouts of the Greater Lake Eerie Council.

Additional meetings and symposia can be found at: http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/ugml/ugmltext.htm

SpaceRef staff editor.