|
Items in cart [4] |
Questions? Call 888-624-8373 |
| Copyright © 2009. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement |
Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 83
8
Research Priorities
INTRODUCTION
In previous chapters of the report the committee discusses the past impact of gravity-related re-
search in each of the disciplines that have been traditionally supported by the Physical Sciences Division
(PSD) and recommends future research important to each of those disciplines. It also reviews emerging
areas of research in fields such as nanomaterials, in which the PSD is now beginning to invest. In this
chapter the committee summarizes the findings of previous chapters to provide guidance to the PSD in
setting priorities across the microgravity disciplines, summarizes the recommendations for research in
emerging areas, and makes recommendations on overall program directions.
In order to assess and compare research across the microgravity disciplines, the committee critically
examined the potential impact of the given research on the scientific field of which it is part, on NASA's
technology needs, and on industry or other terrestrial applications. The committee's evaluation of the
research in each of these categories is expected to assist NASA program planners by providing insight
into the likely risks and potential rewards of the research that would be needed to create a vibrant
microgravity research program that impacts all of these areas.
Because most of the fields of research discussed in Chapter 7 have a brief history and are developing
very rapidly, it was not possible to evaluate them using the same criteria used for the research in
combustion science, fluid physics, fundamental physics, and materials science. (As indicated in Chapter
6, research in the biotechnology areas of tissue culturing and protein crystal growth was recently
reviewed by the NRC and was not included in this evaluation at the request of NASA.) While the
likelihood that PSD-funded research in emerging areas will result in significant impacts on NASA
capabilities cannot be evaluated at this time, the magnitude of the impact of successful research is
potentially very high. Accordingly, the committee prioritized the research topics in emerging areas only
relative to one another and suggests that the PSD utilize the list of high-priority areas given below to
help make allocations within the share of program funds set aside for these emerging areas.
83
OCR for page 84
84
ASSESSMENT OF DIRECTIONS IN MICROGRAVITY AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH AT NASA
RESEARCH PRIORITIES IN EMERGING AREAS
In the committee's phase I report (NRC, 2001), it was recommended that the PSD should focus its
research in emerging areas on topics that meet the following criteria:
1. Directly address scientific challenges at the interfaces between the physical sciences, engineer-
ing, and biology in support of NASA's mission, preferentially capitalizing on existing expertise or
infrastructure in the Physical Sciences Division, and
2. Support research either not typically funded by other agencies or to be conducted in close
partnership with other agencies.
While many areas in nanotechnology research are already highly supported by other agencies and
other divisions within NASA, the PSD does have an opportunity to focus work on a select number of
topics that can meet these criteria. Research in these emerging areas has the potential to provide
powerful new tools and approaches that will greatly benefit NASA's capabilities. In addition, the
considerable potential of the microgravity research disciplines to yield important and even paradigm-
shifting results (as discussed in the next section) argues for a balanced program of research in the PSD
that retains the unique potential for studying gravitational effects on phenomena in combustion, fluids,
materials, fundamental physics, and biotechnology topics such as tissue culturing. For these reasons,
the committee concluded that the fraction of the physical sciences program devoted to the recommended
research in emerging areas should remain relatively modest, perhaps 15 percent of the ground-based
program, until such time as a clear justification arises for increasing its size based on the criteria above
as well as the ability of research in emerging areas to compete with existing programs. This fraction,
which would bring the emerging research program into parity with the other major areas of research
funded by the PSD, will allow NASA to have an impact on a limited number of highly focused topics
within the broad purview of emerging areas while leveraging the research of other agencies. It also
permits the majority of the research in the microgravity areas to continue to produce the high-impact
results described in previous chapters. In addition, the amount of research currently funded in the
emerging areas should increase gradually toward this fraction, which will allow the quality of the
investigations chosen for funding to remain as high as possible. Because NASA is likely to have a need
for unique applications of nanotechnology, the PSD should develop a level of research expertise in these
fields that will allow it to effectively evaluate and apply new advances in its own programs. In order to
do so it will be particularly important to develop strong programs and connections with the leaders in
these fields. Whenever possible, the PSD should seek to apply the findings of other agencies to topics
that could directly benefit technologies of unique interest to NASA.
It should be noted that some of the research discussed in Chapter 7 does look at gravitational effects,
and these may be areas into which some research in microgravity combustion, fluid physics, fundamen-
tal physics, materials science, or biotechnology research could naturally evolve. Examples might be
certain types of nanomaterials research in the microgravity materials program or gravitational effects on
subcellular assemblies in the biotechnology program. The recommendation regarding the proportion of
emerging areas research in the PSD is not meant to restrict such eventual evolution of existing
microgravity areas. However, such research must be competitive with other areas of research in the
discipline and should be funded only if it is deemed to be a high priority on the basis of the rigorous
selection criteria outlined in the discipline chapters and in the next section.
Within the proportion of the program devoted to the emerging areas, the committee has recom-
mended several of the topics discussed in Chapter 7 that appear to be particularly promising based on
OCR for page 85
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
85
their potential to help address NASA technology needs and the ability of the PSD to make a unique
contribution of knowledge or expertise. All of the areas recommended below satisfy the criteria
identified in the phase I report for choosing research in the emerging areas. The development of
methods for the long-term stabilization of proteins in vitro and research on cellular responses to gravity-
mediated tissue stresses are of higher priority than the other areas, because they are not typically
supported by other agencies. The research on exploiting nanotechnology for power generation and
energy conversion is also ranked "most important" because of the great importance of power generation
and energy conversion in NASA's spaceflight program, and the major impact these technologies may
have on this program. The remaining areas (ranked "important") are heavily supported by agencies such
as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Energy, the National Science
Foundation, and the Department of Defense as well as by other divisions within NASA. Thus for the
PSD to pursue research in these areas it must partner with these agencies or with other divisions within
NASA. (The PSD has successfully partnered with other agencies in the past, such as the National
Cancer Institute.)
These recommendations are summarized below, and the reader is referred to the relevant sections of
Chapter 7 for a more detailed discussion of their significance to NASA. Note that the topics are not
rank-ordered within the priority categories.
Most Important
· Develop methods for long-term stabilization of proteins in vitro (pp. 72-74~.
· Work on understanding cellular responses to gravity-mediated tissue stresses (pp. 76-77~.
· Exploit nanotechnology for power generation and energy conversion (pp. 67-68 and pp. 69-70~.
Important
· Develop enabling technologies to produce nanoengineered hybrid materials with multiple func-
tions (pp. 66-67~.
· Develop integrated nanodevices (pp. 71-72~.
· Study the stabilization of cellular function in vitro (pp. 74-76~.
MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH PRIORITIES
In assessing the promise of a microgravity research area, it was first necessary to look at the impact
of the research on the field of which it is a part and the quality of the investigators in the program, since
the impact of the past research provides insight into the ability of the program to select important
research topics to fund and the quality of investigators in the program strongly affects the likelihood that
future research will yield important results. As is shown in Chapters 2 through 5, NASA-supported
investigations in combustion, fluid physics, materials science, and fundamental physics have had a
major impact on these fields thus the PSD has been successful in funding high-impact research.
Moreover, as NASA has successfully attracted a cadre of distinguished investigators as well as promis-
ing young investigators in these areas, there is a very good probability that high-quality research will
emerge from these communities in the future.
Chapters 2 through 5 contain suggestions for future research directions in the microgravity disci-
plines, and only the areas considered to be of high priority within those disciplines are recommended in
the chapters. It should be kept in mind that there are many additional areas of promising research in
OCR for page 86
86
ASSESSMENT OF DIRECTIONS IN MICROGRAVITY AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH AT NASA
Most
Important
IL
o
~ O
z ~
Important
2b12~ ~ 13
1 \ ~ /
2a
3c
18 ( 14C ~
1 ~ 15 10
3a
Low PROBABILITY OF
ACHIEVING IMPACT
High
FIGURE 8.1 Assessment of research topics in terms of their likely impact on scientific knowledge and under-
standing.
Most
Important
IL
o
t ~
z —
Important
, ~ ~ 2b
1 ~
3a 4b
1 18 )
Jet '
Low PROBABILITY OF
ACHIEVING IMPACT
High
FIGURE 8.2 Assessment of research topics in terms of their likely impact on terrestrial applications such as
industry's technology needs.
OCR for page 87
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Critical
Most
Important
IL
o
~ O
_ ~
F ~
Z ~
Important
~ 4b $~
0-
~ 2b
I ~ 3a
Low PROBABILITY OF High
ACHIEVING IMPACT
)
FIGURE 8.3 Assessment of research topics in terms of their likely impact on NASA's technology needs.
87
Figures 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3:
Only subjects already considered by the committee to be of high priority in at least one discipline are included in this analysis, and therefore
the magnitude scale ranges only from important to very important (or critical). A subject may not have a high impact in every category and
therefore may not appear in every figure. Numbers inside the same circle should be considered to occupy approximately the same position in
the figure. The numbers in the figures represent the research topics as follows:
1. Multiphase flow and heat transfer;
2. Complex fluids: (a) self-assembly and crystallization, (b) complex fluid theologies;
3. Interfacial processes: (a) wetting and spreading, (b) capillary-driven flows and equilibria, (c) coalescence and aggregation
(liquid phase);
4. Biofluid dynamics: (a) cellular biotechnology, (b) physiological flows;
5. Turbulent combustion;
6. Chemical kinetics;
7. Soot and radiation;
8. Smoldering combustion;
9.
10.
Development of computer simulations of fire dynamics on spacecraft;
Oxygen systems fire safety;
11. Ignition, flame spread, and screening techniques for engineering materials;
12. Antimatter search/measurements;
13. Elemental composition survey;
14. Complete the current set of fundamental physics ISS experiments: (a) low-temperature experiments, (b) relativity and precision clock
experiments, (c) other NASA clock application experiments;
15. Nucleation process within, and the properties of, undercoated liquids;
16. Dynamics of microstructural development during solidification;
17. Morphological evolution of multiphase systems;
18. Computational materials science;
19. Collection of thermophysical data of liquid state in microgravity.
OCR for page 88
88
ASSESSMENT OF DIRECTIONS IN MICROGRAVITY AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH AT NASA
each of those disciplines that were not given the highest priority at this time and thus were not explicitly
recommended. Some of these areas might rise to a higher priority in the future. In addition, the
committee expects that in future years the communities will generate new research topics whose prom-
ise will equal that of the topics recommended here. In this chapter, however, the committee limits its
assessment to those areas described in the earlier chapters as currently being of high priority. Those
recommended areas are as follows:
· Multiphase flow and heat transfer
· Complex fluids
Self-assembly and crystallization
Complex fluid theologies
· Interfacial processes
Wetting and spreading
Capillary-driven flows and equilibria
Coalescence and aggregation (liquid phase)
· Biofluid dynamics
Cellular biotechnology
Physiological flows
· Turbulent combustion
· Chemical kinetics
· Soot and radiation
· Smoldering combustion
· Development of computer simulations of fire dynamics on spacecraft
· Oxygen systems fire safety
· Ignition, flame spread, and screening techniques for engineering materials
Antimatter search/measurements
Elemental composition survey
Complete the current set of ISS experiments in fundamental physics
Low-temperature experiments
Relativity and precision clock experiments
Other NASA clock application experiments
Nucleation process within, and the properties of, undercooled liquids
· Dynamics of microstructural development during solidification
· Morphological evolution of multiphase systems
· Computational materials science
Collection of thermophysical data of liquid state in microgravity.
To evaluate these recommended research areas across disciplines, the committee separately judged
the likelihood that the research would have a significant impact in each of three categories: (1) the
scientific field of which it is part, (2) industry or other terrestrial applications, and (3 ~ NASA technology
needs. Within each of these categories the committee specifically looked at both the magnitude of the
potential impact that the research could have on its category, and the likelihood that the research would
be successful in achieving that impact. The impact and likelihood of success were assessed indepen-
dently of each other since it was possible for areas with a potential for high impact to have a low
probability of success and vice versa. The results of the committee' s assessment are shown in Figures
8. 1, 8.2, and 8.3 (see pp. 86-87 ), which plot the magnitude of the impact that research on the topic could
OCR for page 89
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
89
have in a given category, against the probability that the impact will be achieved. Note that the
justification for the magnitude of the expected impact is given in the discipline chapters and is not
discussed further here. It should be kept in mind that the setting of actual research priorities must
depend on NASA programmatic goals, and those goals determine both the desired end result, such as
scientific discovery, and the level of acceptable risk. The purpose of these plots is to provide NASA
with the tools to rationally select the best research, regardless of which combination of scientific
discovery (Figure 8.1), Earth applications (Figure 8.2), or NASA technology needs (Figure 8.3) NASA
chooses to emphasize or what trade-offs between research risk and reward it is willing to accept.
PEER REVIEW
The committee has commented numerous times in past studies on the role that rigorous peer review
has had in greatly improving the quality of the research funded by the Physical Sciences Division, and
it strongly recommended the continued use of peer review in future funding selections (NRC, 1994,
1997, 2000~. As the program moves into new areas of research it is worth emphasizing again that any
research proposal submitted to the program no matter how relevant to an area considered highly
desirable for inclusion in the program should only be funded if it has undergone a rigorous peer review
and has received both high marks for scientific merit and a high ranking compared to competing
proposals.
REFERENCES
National Research Council (NRC). 1994. "On Life and Microgravity Sciences and the Space Station Program," letter from
SSB Chair Louis J. Lanzerotti, Committee on Space Biology and Medicine Chair Fred W. Turek, and Committee on
Microgravity Research Chair William A. Sirignano to NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin (February 25~. Space
Studies Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.
National Research Council, Space Studies Board. 1997. An Initial Review of Microgravity Research in Support of Human
Exploration and Development of Space. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
National Research Council, Space Studies Board. 2000. Microgravity Research in Support of Technologies for the Human
Exploration and Development of Space and Planetary Bodies. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
OCR for page 90
~ ~ ~ 'it ~ ~ P it' ~ ~ ~ at' ~ ~ ~ ~ V ~ 3' It ~ ~ ~ a, ~ ~ b ¢4/ ~
~ (i ~ ~ ~1' ~ 1; ~ ~ ~ ~1~~ By ~ ~ ~ ~ *<
Liao S.C., Y.J. Chen, B.H. Kear ,W. E. Mayo,. l 998."High Pressure/Low Temperature Sintering
of Nanocrystaline A ~ 2O3" Nanostructure Materials ~ 0, ~ 063- ~ 079.
Ciao S.C., W.E. Mayo,K.D. Pae. 1997. "Theory of High Pressure/L,ow Temperature Sintering of
Bulk Nanocrystalline TiO2," Acta Materials 45~10), 4027-4040, 1997.
Lieber C.C., Y. Huang, X.F. Duan, Q.QQ Wei. 2001."Directed assembly of one
dimensional nanostructures into functional networks." Science. Jan 26;291~5504~:630-3
MacKenna D., S.R. Summerour, F.~. VilIarreal.2000. "Role of Mechanical Factors in
moclulating cardiac f~brolast function and extracelluair atrix synthesis." Cardiovascular
Research. 46~2) 257-263. May.
Maniotis, Ad. et al. ~ 997. Demonstration of mechanical connections between integrins,
cytoskeletal filaments, and nucleoplasm that stabilize nuclear structure. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences.. 94, 849-854
Manna it, Scher E.C., Ativisatos A.P.. 2000. "Synthesis of soluble and processable rod-, arrow-,
teardrop-, and tetrapocI-shapec! CctSe nanocrystals." Journal of the American Chemical
Society, 122 (5 T): 12700-12706 Dec.27
McGrath K. M., D. M. Dabbs, N.Yao, I.A. Aksay, S.M.Gruner, 1997. "Formation of a Silicate ~3
Phase with Continuously Adjustable Pore Sizes", Science, v277, p552..
McGuire, J.E., M. Wahigren, T. Arnebrant, 1995. "Structural stability effects on the adsorption
and doclecy~trimethy} ammonium bromide-mectiatec! Mutability of bacteriophage T4
lysozyme at silica surfaces."Journal of Colloict Interface Science., 170: ~ 82-92.
Michalet X., F. Pinaud, T.D. Lacoste, M,Dahan, M.P. Bruchez, A.P. Alivisatos, S. Weiss 2001.
"Properties of fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals and their application to biological
labeling." Single Molecules, 2 (44: 261-276 .
Mirkin, C.A., R.~. Letsinger,. R.C. Mucic, J.~.Storhoff ,1996. "A DNA-based method! for
rationally assembling nanoparticles into macroscopic materials", Nature, v3 82, p607.
Mourgeon E, N. Isowa, S. Keshavjee, X. Zhang, A.S. Slutsky, M. Liu..2000. "Mechanical
Stretch stimulates macrophage inflammatory protein- 2 secretion from fetal rat lung
cells." American Journal of Physiology Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. 279
.
(43: L699-~706 October.
Mrksich M., G.M. Whitesides, 1996.Using self-assembled monolayers to unclerstand the
interactions of man-mace surfaces with proteins and cells", Annual Review Biophysical
Biomolecular Structure, ~ 996;25 :55-78~.
Nam J.M., S.~. Park, C.A. Mirkin., 2002. "Bio-barcodes based on oligonucleotide-modifiec!
nanoparticles". Journal of American Chemical Society. Apr 17;~24~l5~:3820-1.
National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2000. Nanoscience ant! Nanotechnology: Shaping
Biomedical Research: June 2000 Symposium Report. National Institutes of Health
Bioengineering Consortium, Bethesda, Md.
National Science ant! Technology Council (NSTC). 2000. "National Nanotechnology Initiative:
Leading to the Next In(lustrial Revolution, Supplement to the Presi(lent's FY 2001
Buclget, Committee on Technology". Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Washington, D.C.
Niemz, Angelika, David A. Tirrell. 2001. "Self-Association and Membrane-Bincling Behavior of
Melittins Containing Trifluoroleucine"Journal of American Chemisry Society, A.M.
Lenhoff, 1998. "Microstructured Porous Silica Obtained via Colloidal Crystal
Templates", Chemical Materials 10 3597.
7-20
Representative terms from entire chapter:
fundamental physics
