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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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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Decreased growth of wild soil microbes after 15 years of transplant‐induced warming in a montane meadow

Abstract The carbon stored in soil exceeds that of plant biomass and atmospheric carbon and its stability can impact global climate. Growth of decomposer microorganisms mediates both the accrual and loss of soil carbon. Growth is sensitive to temperature and given the vast biological diversity of soil microorganisms, the response of decomposer growth rates to warming may be strongly idiosyncratic, varying among taxa, making ecosystem predictions difficult. Here, we show that 15 years of warming by transplanting plant–soil mesocosms down in elevation, strongly reduced the growth rates of soil microorganisms, measured in the field using undisturbed soil. The magnitude of the response to warming varied among microbial taxa. However, the direction of the response—reduced growth—was universal and warming explained twofold more variation than did the sum of taxonomic identity and its interaction with warming. For this ecosystem, most of the growth responses to warming could be explained without taxon‐specific information, suggesting that in some cases microbial responses measured in aggregate may be adequate for climate modeling. Long‐term experimental warming also reduced soil carbon content, likely a consequence of a warming‐induced increase in decomposition, as warming‐induced changes in plant productivity were negligible. The loss of soil carbon and decreased microbial biomass with warming may explain the reduced growth of the microbial community, more than the direct effects of temperature on growth. These findings show that direct and indirect effects of long‐term warming can reduce growth rates of soil microbes, which may have important feedbacks to global warming.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Algorithm to extract direction in 2D discrete distributions and a continuous Frobenius norm

In this study, we present a novel algorithm for determining directionality in 2D distributions of discrete data. We compare a reference dataset with a known direction to a measured dataset with an unknown direction by the Frobenius norm of the difference (FND) to find the unknown direction. To generalize this concept, we develop a continuous Frobenius norm of the difference (CFND) as a continuous analog of the FND and derive its analytical expression. By relating fitted and normalized 2D Gaussian distributions, we show that the CFND approximates the FND, and we validate this relationship with computer simulations. We find that a first-order approximation of the CFND between two similar Gaussian distributions takes the form of an absolute sine function, offering a simple analytical form with potential for specialized applications in segmented inverse beta decay (IBD) neutrino detectors, astronomy, machine learning, and more. Although this method may easily extend to 3D scalar fields, our focus here is on 2D real-valued fields as it directly applies to directionality. Our methodology consists of modeling a 2D Gaussian distribution, binning the data into a histogram, and encoding it as a square matrix. Rotating this matrix around its geometric center and comparing it to a measured dataset using the FND gives us rotational data that we fit with an absolute sine function. The location of the minimum of this fit is the angle closest to the true angle of the direction in the measured dataset. We present the derivation and discuss initial applications of the CFND in our novel algorithm, demonstrating its success in approximating directionality in 2D distributions.

Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability (physics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Algorithm to extract direction in 2D discrete distributions and a continuous Frobenius norm

In this study, we present a novel algorithm for determining directionality in 2D distributions of discrete data. We compare a reference dataset with a known direction to a measured dataset with an unknown direction by the Frobenius norm of the difference (FND) to find the unknown direction. To generalize this concept, we develop a continuous Frobenius norm of the difference (CFND) as a continuous analog of the FND and derive its analytical expression. By relating fitted and normalized 2D Gaussian distributions, we show that the CFND approximates the FND, and we validate this relationship with computer simulations. We find that a first-order approximation of the CFND between two similar Gaussian distributions takes the form of an absolute sine function, offering a simple analytical form with potential applications in specialized areas such as segmented inverse beta decay neutrino detectors, astronomy, machine learning, and more. Our methodology consists of modeling a 2D Gaussian distribution, binning the data into a histogram, and encoding it as a square matrix. Rotating this matrix around its geometric center and comparing it to a measured dataset using the FND gives us rotational data that we fit with an absolute sine function. The location of the minimum of this fit is the angle closest to the true angle of the direction in the measured dataset. We present the derivation and discuss initial applications of the CFND in our novel algorithm, demonstrating its success in approximating directionality in 2D distributions.

Physics↗
NASA NTRS1972

The influence of magnetic total intensity and inclination on directions preferred by migrating European robins (Erithacus rubecula)

The directional orientation of migratory European robins in relation to magnetic cues is analyzed. Major efforts were made to determine what information the birds derive from the fields. It was determined that magnetic fields provide: (1) field intensity which determines whether the magnetic field can be used for orientation, (2) a means by which axial direction may be perceived, and (3) a means by which the bird can find the north direction. The north direction is sensed from the angle between gravity and the magnetic field.

Wiltschko, W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

A simple test of the induced nature of the Martian tail

The cross flow direction of the interplanetary magnetic field is strongly correlated with the cross flow direction several hours earlier and later. This correlation allows a simple test of the nature of the magnetic field in the Martian magnetotail. If the magnetotail is entirely induced, then the cross tail direction of the magnetic field should be along the direction of the cross flow component just upstream of the bow shock. We find that these directions of the tail field and the implementary magnetic field are so highly correlated that any intrinsic magnetic field of Mars must make at most a small contribution to the magnetotail. We estimate an upper limit to the magnetic moment of Mars to be about 4 x 10(exp 11) T(cu m).

Russell, C. T.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Results from a wake-steering experiment at a commercial wind plant: investigating the wind speed dependence of wake-steering performance

Wake steering is a wind farm control strategy in which upstream wind turbines are misaligned with the wind to redirect their wakes away from downstream turbines, thereby increasing the net wind plant power production and reducing fatigue loads generated by wake turbulence. In this paper, we present results from a wake-steering experiment at a commercial wind plant involving two wind turbines spaced 3.7 rotor diameters apart. During the 3-month experiment period, we estimate that wake steering reduced wake losses by 5.6% for the wind direction sector investigated. After applying a long-term correction based on the site wind rose, the reduction in wake losses increases to 9.3%. As a function of wind speed, we find large energy improvements near cut-in wind speed, where wake steering can prevent the downstream wind turbine from shutting down. Yet for wind speeds between 6–8 m/s, we observe little change in performance with wake steering. However, wake steering was found to improve energy production significantly for below-rated wind speeds from 8–12 m/s. By measuring the relationship between yaw misalignment and power production using a nacelle lidar, we attribute much of the improvement in wake-steering performance at higher wind speeds to a significant reduction in the power loss of the upstream turbine as wind speed increases. Additionally, we find higher wind direction variability at lower wind speeds, which contributes to poor performance in the 6–8 m/s wind speed bin because of slow yaw controller dynamics. Further, we compare the measured performance of wake steering to predictions using the FLORIS (FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady State) wind farm control tool coupled with a wind direction variability model. Although the achieved yaw offsets at the upstream wind turbine fall short of the intended yaw offsets, we find that they are predicted well by the wind direction variability model. When incorporating the expected yaw offsets, estimates of the energy improvement from wake steering using FLORIS closely match the experimental results.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Application-driven synthesis and characterization of hexagonal boron nitride deposited on metals and carbon nanotubes

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is unique among two-dimensional materials, with a large band gap (~6 eV) and high in-plane thermal conductivity (>400 W m -1 K -1 ), second only to diamond among electrical insulators. Many studies to date have relied on exfoliated h-BN, however, for large-scale applications the material must be synthesized by methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Here, we first investigate single-layer h-BN synthesized by CVD on single crystal platinum (Pt), comparing these films with h-BN deposited on more commonly used polycrystalline Pt and Cu. The h-BN film grown on single crystal Pt has the lowest surface roughness and best spatial homogeneity, and our electrochemical transfer process allows the Pt to be reused with no measurable degradation. Additionally, we also demonstrate direct capping of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with as-grown h-BN, but we find that the direct growth partly degrades the CNT electrical conductivity. On the other hand, we show that transferred monolayer h-BN can serve as an ultrathin barrier which protects MoS2 from damage at high temperatures and discuss other applications that take advantage of the conformal h-BN deposition.

2D materials↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Integrated Centroid Finding and Particle Overlap Decomposition Algorithm for Stereo Imaging Velocimetry

An integrated algorithm for decomposing overlapping particle images (multi-particle objects) along with determining each object s constituent particle centroid(s) has been developed using image analysis techniques. The centroid finding algorithm uses a modified eight-direction search method for finding the perimeter of any enclosed object. The centroid is calculated using the intensity-weighted center of mass of the object. The overlap decomposition algorithm further analyzes the object data and breaks it down into its constituent particle centroid(s). This is accomplished with an artificial neural network, feature based technique and provides an efficient way of decomposing overlapping particles. Combining the centroid finding and overlap decomposition routines into a single algorithm allows us to accurately predict the error associated with finding the centroid(s) of particles in our experiments. This algorithm has been tested using real, simulated, and synthetic data and the results are presented and discussed.

McDowell, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2012

Large-scale Observations of a Subauroral Polarization Stream by Midlatitude SuperDARN Radars: Instantaneous Longitudinal Velocity Variations

We present simultaneous measurements of flow velocities inside a subauroral polarization stream (SAPS) made by six midlatitude high-frequency SuperDARN radars. The instantaneous observations cover three hours of universal time and six hours of magnetic local time (MLT). From velocity variations across the field-of-view of the radars we infer the local 2D flow direction at three different longitudes. We find that the local flow direction inside the SAPS channel is remarkably constant over the course of the event. The flow speed, however, shows significant temporal and spatial variations. After correcting for the radar look direction we are able to accurately determine the dependence of the SAPS velocity on magnetic local time. We find that the SAPS velocity variation with magnetic local time is best described by an exponential function. The average velocity at 00 MLT was 1.2 km/s and it decreased with a spatial e-folding scale of two hours of MLT toward the dawn sector. We speculate that the longitudinal distribution of pressure gradients in the ring current is responsible for this dependence and find these observations in good agreement with results from ring current models. Using TEC measurements we find that the high westward velocities of the SAPS are - as expected - located in a region of low TEC values, indicating low ionospheric conductivities.

Clausen, L. B. N.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Testing thermal-relic dark matter with a dark-photon mediator

In light of recent DAMIC-M results, we present the status of thermal-relic dark matter χ coupled to a kinetically mixed dark photon A ′ . In the predictive “direct annihilation” regime, m A ′ > m χ , the relic abundance depends on the kinetic mixing parameter, and there is a minimum value compatible with thermal freeze-out. Using only electron- and nuclear-recoil direct-detection results, we find that, for complex scalar dark matter, the direct annihilation regime is now excluded for nearly all values of m χ ; the only exception is the resonant annihilation regime where m A ′ ≈ 2 m χ . Direct annihilation relic targets for other representative models, including Majorana and pseudo-Dirac candidates, remain viable across a wide range of model parameters but will be tested with a combination of dedicated accelerator searches in the near future. In the opposite “secluded annihilation” regime, where m χ > m A ′ , this scenario is excluded by cosmic microwave background measurements for all m χ ≲ 30 GeV . Similar conclusions in both the direct and secluded regimes hold for all anomaly-free vector mediators that couple to the first generation of electrically charged Standard Model particles.

Krnjaic, Gordan [Fermilab; Chicago U., KICP] (ORCI↗
NASA NTRS1983

Space Derived Air Monitor

COPAMS, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Air Monitoring System, derives from technology involved in building unmanned spacecraft. The Nimbus spacecraft carried experimental sensors to measure temperature, pressure, ozone, and water vapor, and instruments for studying solar radiation and telemetry. The process which relayed these findings to Earth formed the basis for COPAMS. The COPAMS system consists of data acquisition units which measure and record pollution level, and sense wind speed and direction, etc. The findings are relayed to a central station where the information is computerized. The system is automatic and supplemented by PAQSS, PA Air Quality Surveillance System.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2015

Exploring Dust Impacts on Tropical Systems from the NASA HS-3 Field Campaign

One of the overall scientific goals of the NASA Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS-3) field campaign is to better understand the role of the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) in tropical storm development. During the 2012 HS-3 deployment, the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) observed dust within SAL air in close proximity to a developing Nadine (September 11, 2012). Throughout the mission, the NASA GEOS-5 modeling system supported HS-3 by providing 0.25 degrees resolution 5-day global forecasts of aerosols, which were used to support mission planning. The aerosol module was radiatively interactive within the GEOS-5 model, but aerosols were not directly coupled to cloud and precipitation processes. In this study we revisit the aerosol forecasts with an updated version of the GEOS-5 model. For the duration of Hurricane Nadine, we run multiday climate simulations leading up to each respective Global Hawk flight with and without aerosol direct interaction. For each set of simulations, we compare simulated dust mass fluxes to identify differences in SAL entrainment related to the interaction between dust aerosols and the atmosphere. We find that the direct effects of dust induce a low level anticyclonic circulation that temporarily shields Nadine from the intrusion of dry air, leading to a more intense storm.

hurricanes↗
DOE OSTI2026

Which way does the dendrite grow? Competition among epitaxy, preferred growth direction, and thermal gradients in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

The as-processed microstructure of metal alloy parts manufactured through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is heavily derived from the cellular dendritic solidification. The growth direction of dendrites within the melt pool is determined through competition among epitaxial growth, preferred growth directions, and maximum thermal gradients. However, the dominant factor and the specific role of each in developing melt pool microstructures remain unknown. Here, in this study, we performed single laser track scans on an SS316L single crystal substrate and combined experimental characterization of microstructure and crystal orientations with Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations of thermal gradients to evaluate the role of each factor in determining dendritic growth direction and evolution. Our results reveal that epitaxial growth dominates microstructure development by preferentially growing along a single 〈100〉 variant of the single crystal substrate adjacent to the melt pool boundary. Under LPBF’s highly curved and rapidly evolving thermal field, this preferential dendrite variant selection and its continued growth from the melt pool boundary to the centerline are governed by the local temperature gradient magnitude at the solid-liquid interface, rather than by the instantaneous maximum temperature gradient direction alone. Using these findings, we successfully predict changes in the dendrite growth direction with changing laser scan direction on a single crystal substrate, and show that the geometric melt pool centerline can deviate from the microstructural centerline because asymmetric local temperature gradient magnitudes transiently limit growth, resulting in different dendrite travel distances on each side of the melt pool.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Relationship of Ion Beams and Fast Flows in the Plasma Sheet Boundary Layer

We report new findings on the behavior of plasmas in the vicinity of the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL). A large geometrical factor detector on WIND (3D plasma experiment) has discovered a unidirectional ion beam streaming in the tailward direction missed by previous observations. This tailward beam is as intense as the earthward streaming beam and it is found just inside the outer edge of the PSBL where earthward streaming beams are observed. The region where this tailward beam is observed includes an isotropic plasma component which is absent in the outer edge where earthward streaming beams are found. When these different distributions are convolved to calculate the velocity moments, fast flows (greater than 400 km/s) result in the earthward direction and much slower flows (less than 200 km/s) in the tailward direction. These new findings are substantially different from previous observations. Thus, the interpretation of fast flows and earthward and counterstreaming ion beams in terms of a neutral line model must be reexamined.

Parks, G. K.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Source Search Concepts [Slides]

Summary: Detection of gamma rays is affected by shielding type and thickness, distance, source intensity, and detector. The ISL will not work well for extended sources, or complex shielding situations. The ‘3D-T’ search process involves finding a hotspot in one direction, then, working in 90-degree angles (“tees”), finding the hotspots in the other two directions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dy adsorption on and intercalation under graphene on 6 H -SiC(0001) surface from first-principles calculations

Previous experimental observations motivate clarification of configuration stabilities and kinetic processes for intercalation of guest atoms into a layered van der Waals material such as a graphene-SiC system. From our first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we analyze Dy adsorption and intercalation for graphene on a 6H-SiC(0001) surface, where the system includes two single-atom-thick graphene layers: the top-layer graphene (TLG) and the underling buffer-layer graphene (BLG) above the terminal Si layer. Our chemical potential analysis shows that intercalation of a single Dy atom into the gallery between TLG and BLG is more favorable than adsorption on TLG but that intercalation into the gallery underneath BLG is highly unfavorable. We obtain diffusion barriers of ~0.45 and 0.54 eV for a Dy atom diffusing on and under TLG, respectively. We find that the direct penetration of a Dy atom from the graphene top into the gallery under TLG is almost inhibited below a temperature of ~1400 K due to a large global barrier of at least ~3.5 eV. Instead, we find that a single Dy atom on TLG can easily intercalate by crossing a TLG step (e.g., a zigzag step presaturated by a Dy chain or a reconstructed zigzag step zz57). Additionally, we also perform DFT calculations for different Dy coverages to demonstrate how the favorability of Dy intercalation, as well as the corresponding interlayer spacings, depend on the coverage. Consequently, we can provide general insight and guidance for extensively studied systems involving intercalation of foreign atoms into graphene on a SiC substrate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1989

The use of curvilinear fiber format in composite structure design

This paper investigates the gains in structural efficiency that can be achieved by aligning the fibers in some or all of the layers in a laminate with the principal stress directions in those layers. The name curvilinear fiber format is given to this idea. The problem studied is a plate with a central circular hole subjected to a uniaxial tensile load. An iteration scheme is used to find the fiber directions at each point in the laminate. Two failure criteria are used to evaluate the tensile load capacity of the plates with a curvilinear format, and for comparison, counterpart plates with a conventional straightline fiber format. The curvilinear designs for improved tensile capacity are then checked for buckling resistance. It is concluded that gains in efficiency can be realized with the curvilinear format.

Hyer, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Innovative design of composite structures: The use of curvilinear fiber format in composite structure design

The gains in structural efficiency are investigated that can be achieved by aligning the fibers in some or all of the layers in a laminate with the principal stress directions in those layers. The name curvilinear fiber format is given to this idea. The problem studied is a plate with a central circular hole subjected to a uniaxial tensile load. An iteration scheme is used to find the fiber directions at each point in the laminate. Two failure criteria are used to evaluate the tensile load capacity of the plates with a curvilinear format, and for comparison, counterpart plates with a conventional straightline fiber format. The curvilinear designs for improved tensile capacity are then checked for buckling resistance. It is concluded that gains in efficiency can be realized with the curvilinear format.

Hyer, M. W.↗