Engineering topics

Markland, Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Markland, Thomas.

4 records

DOE OSTI2021

Development of Approaches to Model Excited State Charge and Energy Transfer in Solution

The development of next generation energy conversion and catalytic systems requires fundamental understanding of the interplay between photo-excitation and the resulting proton and electron transfer processes that occur in solution. To address these challenges requires accurate and efficient methods to compute ground and excited states, as well as the ability to treat the dynamics of energy transfer in the presence of solvent fluctuations. Our team is developing accurate and efficient theoretical models for solution phase reactions. These developments provide an improved understanding of photo-initiated excitations, electron transfer, and proton coupled electron transfer processes. Our research team brings together expertise in electron and nuclear dynamics (classical and quantum), electronic structure, and analysis of solvation networks. We are developing and validating techniques for modeling condensed phase charge and energy transfer and to simulate the methods to monitor them using optical and vibrational spectroscopy.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Basic Energy Sciences Exascale Requirements Review. An Office of Science review sponsored jointly by Advanced Scientific Computing Research and Basic Energy Sciences, November 3-5, 2015, Rockville, Maryland

Computers have revolutionized every aspect of our lives. Yet in science, the most tantalizing applications of computing lie just beyond our reach. The current quest to build an exascale computer with one thousand times the capability of today’s fastest machines (and more than a million times that of a laptop) will take researchers over the next horizon. The field of materials, chemical reactions, and compounds is inherently complex. Imagine millions of new materials with new functionalities waiting to be discovered — while researchers also seek to extend those materials that are known to a dizzying number of new forms. We could translate massive amounts of data from high precision experiments into new understanding through data mining and analysis. We could have at our disposal the ability to predict the properties of these materials, to follow their transformations during reactions on an atom-by-atom basis, and to discover completely new chemical pathways or physical states of matter. Extending these predictions from the nanoscale to the mesoscale, from the ultrafast world of reactions to long-time simulations to predict the lifetime performance of materials, and to the discovery of new materials and processes will have a profound impact on energy technology. In addition, discovery of new materials is vital to move computing beyond Moore’s law. To realize this vision, more than hardware is needed. New algorithms to take advantage of the increase in computing power, new programming paradigms, and new ways of mining massive data sets are needed as well. This report summarizes the opportunities and the requisite computing ecosystem needed to realize the potential before us. In addition to pursuing new and more complete physical models and theoretical frameworks, this review found that the following broadly grouped areas relevant to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) would directly affect the Basic Energy Sciences (BES) mission need. Simulation, visualization, and data analysis are crucial for advances in energy science and technology. Revolutionary mathematical, software, and algorithm developments are required in all areas of BES science to take advantage of exascale computing architectures and to meet data analysis, management, and workflow needs. In partnership with ASCR, BES has an emerging and pressing need to develop new and disruptive capabilities in data science. More capable and larger high-performance computing (HPC) and data ecosystems are required to support priority research in BES. Continued success in BES research requires developing the next-generation workforce through education and training and by providing sustained career opportunities.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2012

Isotope effects in water as investigated by neutron diffraction and path integral molecular dynamics

The structure of heavy and light water at 300 K was investigated by using a joint approach in which the method of neutron di raction with oxygen isotope substitution was combined with path integral molecular dynamics simulations. The di raction results, which give intra-molecular O-D and O-H bond distances of 0.985(5) and 0.990(5) A, were found to be in best agreement with those obtained by using the exible anharmonic TTM3-F water model. Both techniques show a di erence of '0.5% between the O-D and O-H intra-molecular bond lengths and the results support a competing quantum e ects model for water in which its structural and dynamical properties are governed by an o set between intra-molecular and inter-molecular quantum contributions. Further consideration of the O-O correlations is needed in order to improve agreement with experiment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2011

Oxygen as a site specific structural probe in neutron diffraction

Oxygen is a ubiquitous element, playing an essential role in most scientific and technological disciplines, and is often incorporated within a structurally disordered material where examples include molten silicates in planetary science, glasses used for lasers and optical communication, and water in biological processes. Establishing the structure of a liquid or glassy oxide and thereby its relation to the functional properties of a material is not, however, a trivial task owing to the complexity associated with atomic disorder. Here we approach this challenge by measuring the bound coherent neutron scattering lengths of the oxygen isotopes with the sensitive technique of neutron interferometry. We find that there is a small but finite contrast of 0.204(6) fm between the scattering lengths of the isotope 18O and oxygen of natural isotopic abundance natO, contrary to tables of recommended values. This has enabled us to investigate the structure of both light and heavy water by exploiting, for the first time, the method of oxygen isotope substitution in neutron diffraction, thus circumventing many of the significant problems associated with more traditional methods in which hydrogen is substituted by deuterium. We find a difference of ~0.5% between the O-H and O-D intra-molecular bond distances which is much smaller than recent estimates based on diffraction data and is found to be in excellent agreement with path integral molecular dynamics simulations made with a flexible polarisable water model. Our results demonstrate the potential for using oxygen isotope substitution as a powerful and effective site specific probe in a plethora of materials, of pertinence as instrumentation at next generation neutron sources comes online

08 HYDROGEN↗