NC Space Grant | Research Infrastructure Program

The NC Space Grant New Investigations Program is designed to provide seed funding to faculty who are striving to conduct research that is directly aligned with NASA’s priorities. This program is primarily focused upon funding investigators who have yet to become established researchers or are attempting to branch out in new directions. By doing so, NC Space Grant contribute to building the intellectual capital and knowledge base of the state of North Carolina.


	Polarimetric imaging of the [Fe XIII] 1074.7 nm Coronal Emission Line During Total Solar Eclipses PI: Dr. Adrian Daw - Appalachian State University The solar corona is the hottest, most extended, and most volatile part of the solar atmosphere. Despite centuries of observations, the dramatic effects of solar activity on the Earth (such as aurora and geomagnetic storms), and eminent threats to spacecraft outside the Earth’s protective magnetic field, the solar corona remains poorly understood. One point that is clear is that solar activity is intrinsically connected to the coronal magnetic fields, which remain difficult to measure. By taking pictures of polarized infrared emission by highly-ionized iron atoms during the upcoming total solar eclipse of 2008, the coronal magnetic field direction will be measured.

	Aeroelastic Studies on Folding Wing Structures PI: Dr. Earl Dowell - Duke University Recent advances in aerospace morphing technologies during the last decade may yield significant changes for future aircraft design. These technologies enable new ways of changing an aircraft’s geometry while in flight. Substantial geometric changes may permit efficient performance during disparate mission roles, or allow new multi-role missions not possible with a fixed-geometry aircraft. The objective of this proposal is to develop a new theoretical/computational method of high physical fidelity with sufficient computational solution speed for use in morphing aircraft design and also to create an experimental wind tunnel model for verification of the computational method. The outcome will be to produce a new validated and verified computational model that can provide a state of the art assessment of the aeroelastic stability and response to a gust during flight of a folding wing configuration. Parameter studies will include an assessment of inboard and outboard wing folding angles, hinge line flexibility, and sweep angle of the outboard wing. These new methods can also be adapted to other novel configurations as future needs are identified and the appropriate work undertaken.

	An Approach for the Direct Simulation of Subgrid Scale Physics in Fire Simulations PI: Dr. Tarek Echekki - North Carolina State University The objective of the effort is to extend a large-eddy simulation (LES) approach, which was recently developed by the PI, to the simulation of fires. The approach is based on the direct simulation of unresolved physics in LES. Fires represent a critical factor in the planning of NASA space missions. Key to the mitigation of the effects of fires is the ability to predict them. The model will be implemented and validated in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) code.

	Age Dating the Earliest Stars PI: Dr. Jim Rose - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A primary goal of the NASA Origins program is to observe the early stages of galaxy formation. To fulfill this goal, which will ultimately be carried out by the James Webb Space Telescope, requires tools for determining the ages of the stars in galaxies from the integrated spectrum of the galaxy at infrared wavelengths. A promising new approach is to isolate the contribution from rapidly evolving stars in advanced stages of stellar evolution. To calibrate this method, we will use access to the SOAR telescope in Chile to obtain infrared spectra of young star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds, which represent prototypes of young stellar populations for which we have accurate knowledge of their ages.

	Long Term Studies of Chromospheric Activity in Young Solar Analogues and Exo-planet Host Stars PI: Dr. Jon Saken - Appalachian State University In this investigation I will be studying spectral lines produced in the chromospheres of young stellar analogues (stars that may serve as examples of what the Sun was like in the era when planets were forming and life was developing on Earth) and exoplanet host stars, in order to better understand the properties and behaviors of these stars. Some of these studies include the detection and monitoring of starspots, measurements of rotation rates, characterization of chromospheric activity and its variability, determination of stellar ages and the interactions of "hot-Jupiters" with their host stars. These studies will help in better understanding the Sun and its effects on Earth and the solar system, as well as the prospects for discovering other Earth-like planets.

	Relating Vegetation Phenology to Climate Variability in the Carolinas PI: Dr. Jennifer Swenson - Duke University By looking at satellite images and climate measured across the Carolinas, I hope to identify what factors influence forest leaf-out in spring. Recently, satellites have been introduced that capture daily images (MODIS) from which the amount of leaves can be estimated. Documenting the change in the amount of leaves over time during spring, combined with climate factors such as temperature will help us better understand what influences the timing of spring leaf-out. This information is important to help us better understand how climate change may influence leaf-out of different forest types, and subsequently the length of the growing season.

	Elucidating the Catalytic Reaction Mechanisms for Hydrogen Generation from Biofuels using Peridoc Denisty Functional Theory PI: Dr. Sally Wasileski - University of North Carolina at Asheville Hydrogen fuel cells are commonly used for electricity generation in space missions. The work in this proposal will utilize computational chemistry methods to establish the reaction mechanisms and characterize the activity of various catalysts involved in the conversion of energy-dense biofuels (such as alcohols and polyols) to hydrogen for use in hydrogen fuel cells. This work will aid catalyst design by providing a crucial understanding of the role of the electronic and surface structure of the catalyst to the hydrogen generation mechanism. Catalysts to be initially investigated are those showing promise from experimental investigations (rhodium, nickel and cobalt).

	Effect of Gravitational Change on Virulence-Associated Determinants of Haemophilus Influenzae PI: Dr. Catherine White - North Carolina A&T State University A key strategic goal in NASA’s vision for space exploration is for humans to safely explore beyond Earth’s orbit. Therefore, an extensive understanding of the impacts of long-term spaceflight on disease-causing microorganisms that inhabit the human body is vital. The focus of this work is to determine the effect of simulated micro- and hyper-gravity on growth rate, lipooligosaccharide production, and biofilm formation of the human pathogen, non-typable Haemophilus influenzae strain 86-028NP.

	Power Efficient Implementation of a Hardware-Accelerated Real-time 3D Reconstruction System PI: Dr. Andrew Willis - University of North Carolina at Charlotte This project sponsors development of a power efficient 3D scanning instrument as a spacecraft payload. The system uses a pair of digital cameras with motorized zoom lenses to generate real-time 3D surface measurements of observed surfaces using stereoscopic reconstruction. A hybrid software-hardware design is adopted which combines the flexibility of a Digital Signal Processor with the speed and power efficiency of Field Programmable Gate Arrays. Specific research contributions include a power-sensitive instrument design, integration of camera zoom-lenses to maintain accuracy when measuring surfaces at a distance and FPGA-based hardware acceleration of this computationally intensive problem.

	New Investigations Program Request for Proposals The New Investigations Program is designed to strengthen the state’s aero/space-related research infrastructure by providing startup funding to university personnel who are conducting research that is directly aligned with NASA’s priorities and who have either yet to become established researchers. Proposals Due: Feb-March 2008

Programs Archive