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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1992

H-N2 interaction energies, transport cross sections, and collision integrals

The energies for the interaction of a hydrogen atom with a nitrogen molecule have been calculated for large separation distances using a complete-active-space self-consistent-field/externally contracted configuration interaction method. H-N2 transport cross sections and collision integrals have been calculated using sudden approximations and a semiclassical description of the scattering. The values of these quantities are found to be close to the corresponding values determined from the average (isotropic) potential energy. The collision integrals are applied to determine diffusion and viscosity coefficients; the theoretical diffusion agrees well with the measured data available from experiments at low temperatures.

Stallcop, James R.↗

DOE OSTI2014

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of a quintuple layer of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}

The electronic structure of a quintuple layer (QL) of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} is calculated using the first-principles pseudopotential method. It is found that the band gap of an isolated QL is considerably larger than that of bulk Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}. The electronic transport of the QL is, then, evaluated using the semiclassical Boltzmann theory within the relaxation time approximation. By fitting the energy surface from first-principles calculations, a suitable Morse potential is constructed and used to predicate the lattice thermal conductivity via equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. By optimizing the carrier concentration of the system, the ZT of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} QL can be enhanced to a relatively high value. Moreover, the ZT value exhibits strong temperature dependence and can reach as high as 2.0 at 800 K. This value can be further increased to 2.2 by the substitution of Bi atoms with Sb atoms, giving nominal formula of (Bi{sub 0.25}Sb{sub 0.75}){sub 2}Te{sub 3}. The significantly enhanced ZT value makes QL a very appealing candidate for thermoelectric applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2024

Stress inside the pion in holographic light-front QCD

In this work, we propose a method to compute the gravitational form factor D ( Q 2 ) in holographic QCD by exploiting the remarkable correspondence between semiclassical light-front QCD and semiclassical field theories in wrapped spacetime in five dimensions. The use of light-front holography bridges physics at large Q 2 as attained in light-front QCD and physics at small Q 2 where the coupling to scalar and tensor fields, e.g. glueballs, are dominant. As an application, we compute the D -term for the pion and compare the results with recent lattice simulations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

NASA NTRS2001

Virtual Antiparticle Pairs, the Unit of Charge Epsilon and the QCD Coupling Alpha(sub s)

New semi-classical models of virtual antiparticle pairs are used to compute the pair lifetimes, and good agreement with the Heisenberg lifetimes from quantum field theory (QFT) is found. When the results of the new models and QFT are combined, formulae for e and alpha(sub s)(q) are derived in terms of only h and c. The modeling method applies to both the electromagnetic and color forces. Evaluation of the action integral of potential field fluctuation for each interaction potential yields approx. = h/2 for both electromagnetic and color fluctuations, in agreement with QFT. Thus each model is a quantized semiclassical representation for such virtual antiparticle pairs, to good approximation. This work reduces the number of arbitrary parameters of the Standard Model by two from 18 to 16. These are remarkable, unexpected results from a basically classical method.

Batchelor, David↗

DOE OSTI2020

Effect of the orientation of Rydberg atoms on their collisional ionization cross section

Collisional ionization between two Rydberg atoms in relative motion is examined. A classical trajectory Monte Carlo method is used to determine the cross sections associated with Penning ionization. The dependence of the ionization cross section on the magnitude and the direction of orbital angular momentum of the electrons and the direction of the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector of the electrons is studied. For a given magnitude of angular momentum, there can exist a difference of a factor of up to ~2.5 in the ionization cross section between the orientations with the highest and the lowest ionization cross section. As a result, the case of exchange ionization is examined and its dependence on the magnitude of angular momentum is studied.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sunny.jl

Sunny is a Julia package designed to serve the needs of the quantum magnetism community. It supports the specification of a very broad class of spin models and a diverse suite of numerical solvers. These include powerful methods for simulating spin dynamics both in and out of equilibrium. Uniquely, it features a broad generalization of classical and semiclassical approaches to SU(N) coherent states, which is useful for studying systems exhibiting strong spin-orbit coupling or local entanglement effects. Sunny also offers a well-developed framework for calculating the dynamical spin structure factor, enabling direct comparison with scattering experiments. Ease of use is a priority, with tools for symmetry-guided modeling and interactive visualization.

Dahlbom, David↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sunny.jl: A Julia Package for Spin Dynamics

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA NTRS1979

Theory of molecular rate processes in the presence of intense laser radiation

The present paper deals with the influence of intense laser radiation on gas-phase molecular rate processes. Representations of the radiation field, the particle system, and the interaction involving these two entities are discussed from a general rather than abstract point of view. The theoretical methods applied are outlined, and the formalism employed is illustrated by application to a variety of specific processes. Quantum mechanical and semiclassical treatments of representative atom-atom and atom-diatom collision processes in the presence of a field are examined, and examples of bound-continuum processes and heterogeneous catalysis are discussed within the framework of both quantum-mechanical and semiclassical theories.

George, T. F.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Kuang's Semi-Classical Formalism for Electron Capture Cross-Sections in Ion-Ion Collisions at Approximately to MeV/amu: Application to ENA Modeling

Recent discovery by STEREO A/B of energetic neutral hydrogen is spurring an interest and need for reliable estimates of electron capture cross sections at few MeVs per nucleon as well as for multi-electron ions. Required accuracy in such estimates necessitates detailed and involved quantum-mechanical calculations or expensive numerical simulations. For ENA modeling and similar purposes, a semi-classical approach offers a middle-ground approach. Kuang's semiclassical formalism to calculate electron-capture cross sections for single and multi-electron ions is an elegant and efficient method, but has so far been applied to limited and specific laboratory measurements and at somewhat lower energies. Our goals are to test and extend Kuang s method to all ion-atom and ion-ion collisions relevant to ENA modeling, including multi-electron ions and for K-shell to K-shell transitions.

Barghouty, A. F.↗

DOE OSTI2019

Quantification of uncertainties in thermoelectric properties of materials from a first-principles prediction method: An approach based on Gaussian process regression

We present the electron-phonon averaged via Gaussian process regression (EPA-GPR) method, in which the electron-phonon coupling matrix is represented as a function of two energies and is in turn modeled as a Gaussian process. The EPA-GPR method can be used as an efficient method to estimate thermoelectric properties of materials for fast-screening applications, comparable to the original electron-phonon averaged (EPA) method and the electron-phonon averaged via moving-least-squares (EPA-MLS) method. The EPA-GPR method does not require specification of any open parameter, unlike the other EPA-related methods, since all the hyperparameters in the model can be unambiguously estimated within the type II maximum likelihood (ML-II) approximation. Thus, the EPA-GPR method is a parameter-free estimation method. Additionally, the concept of Gaussian processes in the EPA-GPR method allows us to quantify the uncertainty in estimated properties of thermoelectric materials. One can randomly realize the electron-phonon coupling coefficients from the identified Gaussian process, and those realized samples can be further analyzed in the solution process of the semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation for charge carriers. The results of the semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation provide the statistical properties of the thermoelectric properties of interest. The means, standard deviations, histograms, and confidence intervals of the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductivity, and the power factor can be constructed and analyzed. Furthermore the proposed EPA-GPR method is applied to a p-type half-Heusler compound, i.e., HfCoSb, as a case example, the results of which clearly present the advantages of the method.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2023

Semiclassical theory and the Koopman-van Hove equation *

Abstract The phase space Koopman-van Hove (KvH) equation can be derived from the asymptotic semiclassical analysis of partial differential equations. Semiclassical theory yields the Hamilton–Jacobi equation for the complex phase factor and the transport equation for the amplitude. These two equations can be combined to form a nonlinear semiclassical version of the KvH equation in configuration space. There is a natural injection of configuration space solutions into phase space and a natural projection of phase space solutions onto configuration space. Hence, every solution of the configuration space KvH equation satisfies both the semiclassical phase space KvH equation and the Hamilton–Jacobi constraint. For configuration space solutions, this constraint resolves the paradox that there are two different conserved densities in phase space. For integrable systems, the KvH spectrum is the Cartesian product of a classical and a semiclassical spectrum. If the classical spectrum is eliminated, then, with the correct choice of Jeffreys–Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (JWKB) matching conditions, the semiclassical spectrum satisfies the Einstein–Brillouin–Keller quantization conditions which include the correction due to the Maslov index. However, semiclassical analysis uses different choices for boundary conditions, continuity requirements, and the domain of definition. For example, use of the complex JWKB method allows for the treatment of tunneling through the complexification of phase space. Finally, although KvH wavefunctions include the possibility of interference effects, interference is not observable when all observables are approximated as local operators on phase space. Observing interference effects requires consideration of nonlocal operations, e.g. through higher orders in the asymptotic theory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS1991

Vibrational relaxation and dissociation in nitrogen

Calculations of the vibrational and dissociation transition probabilities are made for N2-N2 and N2-N collisions by means of a semiclassical N-state approximation. The flaws in previous techniques are reviewed, with special attention given to the prediction of overtones. The method presented ignores the effects of molecular rotation and employs a revised extended Rydberg intermolecular potential to describe diatom-diatom and diatom-atom collisions. The collision velocities investigated exhibit probabilities of less than unity by means of the N-state method. The continuum is quantized to treat dissociation, and the collision results demonstrate probability enhancements for V-V-T transitions in both bound-bound and bound-free transitions. The technique is of particular interest for the theoretical modeling of reentry flows such as those encountered in aerobraking maneuvers.

Varghese, Philip L.↗

DOE OSTI2013

Direct simulation of proton-coupled electron transfer across multiple regimes

The coupled transfer of electrons and protons is a central feature of biological and molecular catalysis, yet fundamental aspects of these reactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we extend the ring polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) method to enable direct simulation of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions across a wide range of physically relevant regimes. In a system-bath model for symmetric, co-linear PCET in the condensed phase, RPMD trajectories reveal distinct kinetic pathways associated with sequential and concerted PCET reaction mechanisms, and it is demonstrated that concerted PCET proceeds by a solvent-gating mechanism in which the reorganization energy is mitigated by charge cancellation among the transferring particles. We further employ RPMD to study the kinetics and mechanistic features of concerted PCET reactions across multiple coupling regimes, including the fully non-adiabatic (both electronically and vibrationally non-adiabatic), partially adiabatic (electronically adiabatic, but vibrationally non-adiabatic), and fully adiabatic (both electronically and vibrationally adiabatic) limits. Comparison of RPMD with the results of PCET rate theories demonstrates the applicability of the direct simulation method over a broad range of conditions; it is particularly notable that RPMD accurately predicts the crossover in the thermal reaction rates between different coupling regimes while avoiding a priori assumptions about the PCET reaction mechanism. Finally, by utilizing the connections between RPMD rate theory and semiclassical instanton theory, we show that analysis of ring-polymer configurations in the RPMD transition path ensemble enables the a posteriori determination of the coupling regime for the PCET reaction. This analysis reveals an intriguing and distinct 'transient-proton-bridge' mechanism for concerted PCET that emerges in the transition between the proton-mediated electron superexchange mechanism for fully non-adiabatic PCET and the hydrogen atom transfer mechanism for partially adiabatic PCET. Taken together, these results provide a unifying picture of the mechanisms and physical driving forces that govern PCET across a wide range of physical regimes, and they raise the possibility for PCET mechanisms that have not been previously reported.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

Cross-correlation spectra in interacting quantum dot systems

Two-color spin-noise spectroscopy of interacting electron spins in singly charged semiconductor quantum dots provides information on the interquantum dot interactions. We investigate the spin cross-correlation function in a quantum dot ensemble employing a modified semiclassical approach. Spin-correlation functions are calculated using a Hamilton quaternion approach that maintains local quantum mechanical properties of the spins. This method takes into account the effects of the nuclear-electric quadrupolar interactions, the randomness of the coupling constants, and the variation of the electron g factor on the spin-noise power spectra. We demonstrate that the quantum dot ensemble can be mapped on an effective two-quantum dot problem and discuss how the characteristic length scale of the interdot interaction modifies the low-frequency cross-correlation spectrum. Here, we argue that details on the interaction strength distribution can be extracted from the cross-correlation spectrum when applying a longitudinal or a transversal external magnetic field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2015

Semiclassical Green’s functions and an instanton formulation of electron-transfer rates in the nonadiabatic limit

We present semiclassical approximations to Green’s functions of multidimensional systems, extending Gutzwiller’s work to the classically forbidden region. Based on steepest-descent integrals over these functions, we derive an instanton method for computing the rate of nonadiabatic reactions, such as electron transfer, in the weak-coupling limit, where Fermi’s golden-rule can be employed. This generalizes Marcus theory to systems for which the environment free-energy curves are not harmonic and where nuclear tunnelling plays a role. The derivation avoids using the Im F method or short-time approximations to real-time correlation functions. A clear physical interpretation of the nuclear tunnelling processes involved in an electron-transfer reaction is thus provided. In Paper II [J. O. Richardson, J. Chem. Phys. 143, 134116 (2015)], we discuss numerical evaluation of the formulae.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2012

Production of a pair by a polarized photon in a uniform constant electromagnetic field

The total probability of production of an electron-positron pair by a polarized photon in a constant uniform electromagnetic field of an arbitrary configuration is determined using the imaginary part of the diagonalized polarization operator. Approximate expressions are derived for this probability in four ranges of photon energy. In the high-energy range, the corrections to the standard semiclassical approximation are calculated. In the range of intermediate energies, in which this approximation is inapplicable, the probability of the process is calculated using the steepest descent method. It is shown that in the range of photon energies higher than the pair production threshold in a magnetic field, a weak electric field removes root divergences in the probability of production of the particles at the Landau levels. For relatively low photon energies, a low-energy approximation is developed. At such energies, the effect of the electric field on the process is decisive, while the effect of the magnetic field is associated with its interaction with the magnetic moment of the particles being produced. Such an interaction is manifested, in particular, in the difference in the probabilities of production of a pair by an external field for scalar and spinor particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Peripheral elastic and inelastic scattering of {sup 17,18}O on light targets at 12 MeV/nucleon

The elastic and inelastic scattering of {sup 17,18}O with light targets has been undertaken at 12 MeV/nucleon in order to determine the optical potentials needed for the transfer reaction {sup 13}C({sup 17}O,{sup 18}O){sup 12}C. Optical potentials in both incoming and outgoing channels have been determined in a single experiment. This transfer reaction was used to infer the direct capture rate to the {sup 17}F(p,γ){sup 18}Ne which is essential to estimate the production of {sup 18}F at stellar energies in ONe novae. We demonstrate the stability of the ANC method and OMP results using good quality elastic and inelastic scattering data with stable beams. The peripherality of our reaction is inferred from a semiclassical decomposition of the total scattering amplitude into barrier and internal barrier components. Comparison between elastic scattering of {sup 17}O, {sup 18}O and {sup 16}O projectiles is made.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Reexamining classical and quantum models for the D-Wave One processor: The role of excited states and ground state degeneracy

We revisit the evidence for quantum annealing in the D-Wave One device (DW1) based on the study of random Ising instances. Using the probability distributions of finding the ground states of such instances, previous work found agreement with both simulated quantum annealing (SQA) and a classical rotor model. Thus the DW1 ground state success probabilities are consistent with both models, and a different measure is needed to distinguish the data and the models. Here in this paper we consider measures that account for ground state degeneracy and the distributions of excited states, and present evidence that for these new measures neither SQA nor the classical rotor model correlate perfectly with the DW1 experiments. We thus provide evidence that SQA and the classical rotor model, both of which are classically efficient algorithms, do not satisfactorily explain all the DW1 data. A complete model for the DW1 remains an open problem. Using the same criteria we find that, on the other hand, SQA and the classical rotor model correlate closely with each other. To explain this we show that the rotor model can be derived as the semiclassical limit of the spin-coherent states path integral. We also find differences in which set of ground states is found by each method, though this feature is sensitive to calibration errors of the DW1 device and to simulation parameters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗