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At least 253 records · Page 14

An overview of HR-EBSD techniques for mapping local stress and dislocations in crystalline materials at sub-micron resolution

High resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) is a technique used to map elastic strain, crystallographic orientation and dislocation density in a scanning electron microscope. Here, this review covers the background and mathematics of this technique, contextualizing it within the broader landscape of EBSD techniques and other materials characterization methods. Several case studies are presented showing the application of HR-EBSD to the study of plasticity in metals, failure analysis in microelectronics and defect quantification in thin films. This is intended to be a comprehensive resource for researchers developing this technique as well as an introduction to those wishing to apply it.

Ruggles, Timothy J. [Sandia National Laboratories ↗

A framework for integrated dispatching and charging management of an autonomous electric vehicle ride-hailing fleet

The convergence of electrification and automated driving will introduce opportunities to improve the operation and energy-efficiency of transportation systems. This paper discusses the challenges of dispatching autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) in a ride-hailing fleet and their interactions with charging infrastructure. An integrated decision-making framework for dispatching and charging has been proposed using system optimization approaches. An agent-based platform has been developed for simulating and testing the proposed methods. A case study using New York City taxi data has been performed with different fleet sizes, dispatching strategies, and charging networks. Advantages of optimization-based approaches for AEV fleet management have been studied and demonstrated, for example, for a fleet of 1,750 AEVs to meet 100,000 daily requests, optimization-based centralized fleet management would result in 14% more ride requests satisfied and 43% fewer zero-occupancy miles traveled than if AEVs make independent decisions based on heuristic strategy. Benefits on reducing fleet size and charging downtime from optimization approaches are also comprehensively illustrated.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Structure-Properties Correlation in Si Nanoparticles by Total Scattering and Computer Simulations

High-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction coupled to atomic pair distribution function analysis and computer simulations is used to determine the atomic-scale structure of silicon (Si) nanoparticles obtained by two different synthetic routes. Results show that Si nanoparticles may have significant structural differences depending on the synthesis route and surface chemistry. In this case, one method produced Si nanoparticles that are highly crystalline but surface oxidized, whereas a different method yields organic ligand-passivated nanoparticles without surface oxide but that are structurally distorted at the atomic scale. Particular structural features of the oxide-free Si nanoparticles such as average first coordination numbers, length of structural coherence, and degree of local distortions are compared to their optical properties such as photoluminescence emission energy, quantum yield, and Raman spectra. A clear structure–properties correlation is observed indicating that the former may need to be taken into account when considering the latter.

Petkov, Valeri↗

Validation of standardized data formats and tools for ground-level particle-based gamma-ray observatories

Context. Ground-based γ-ray astronomy is still a rather young field of research, with strong historical connections to particle physics. This is why most observations are conducted by experiments with proprietary data and analysis software, as is usual in the particle physics field. However, in recent years, this paradigm has been slowly shifting toward the development and use of open-source data formats and tools, driven by upcoming observatories such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In this context, a community-driven, shared data format (the gamma-astro-data-format, or GADF) and analysis tools such as Gammapy and ctools have been developed. So far, these efforts have been led by the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope community, leaving out other types of ground-based γ-ray instruments. Aims. We aim to show that the data from ground particle arrays, such as the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, are also compatible with the GADF and can thus be fully analyzed using the related tools, in this case, Gammapy. Methods. We reproduced several published HAWC results using Gammapy and data products compliant with GADF standard. We also illustrate the capabilities of the shared format and tools by producing a joint fit of the Crab spectrum including data from six different γ-ray experiments. Results. We find excellent agreement with the reference results, a powerful confirmation of both the published results and the tools involved. Conclusions. The data from particle detector arrays such as the HAWC observatory can be adapted to the GADF and thus analyzed with Gammapy. A common data format and shared analysis tools allow multi-instrument joint analysis and effective data sharing. To emphasize this, a sample of Crab nebula event lists is made public with this paper. Because of the complementary nature of pointing and wide-field instruments, this synergy will be distinctly beneficial for the joint scientific exploitation of future observatories such as the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory and CTA.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Opportunities for detailed fission studies using light charged particle reactions

Since its discovery in 1939, the nuclear fission process has provided much insight into the behavior of nuclei under many different conditions. As part of the nuclear chain reaction, the fission process has had a profound impact on modern society and it has consequently attracted much attention to the field of nuclear physics. In this talk, I will argue that the time is ripe for a resumption of studies of the fission process induced by light charged particle reactions. Although fission can be induced in heavy nuclei by several means, in some cases these methods suffer from the complication that fission can occur at several points during the decay chain thus mixing up contributions from different excitation energies. Using instead light charged particle reactions to excite the nuclei in question, the precise excitation energy from which fission takes place, can be determined. In fact, a number of such studies were carried out previously, and a first set of results on fission barrier heights, mass, energy and angular distributions were obtained. Applying detection techniques developed over the last decades will allow researchers to obtain detailed, high-quality data from which to probe and refine our present understanding of the process. Based on these observations, I suggest that substantial advances in the study of this process can be achieved by using simple light charged particle reactions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Study of stopping power for a proton moving in a plasma with arbitrary degeneracy

Excitation of bulk solid electrons with arbitrary degeneracy, by external charged particles, is investigated by a two-dimensional nonlinear quantum hydrodynamic (QHD) model. The nonlinear stopping power and wake potential are calculated by solving the nonlinear QHD equations with the flux corrected transport numerical method. Two cases of fully degenerated and partially degenerated electrons are compared and discussed in the same self-consistent QHD model. Our results are consistent with the well known dielectric calculation of the stopping power at higher velocity, but include the nonlinear terms of the interactions and give larger stopping power at smaller velocity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Critical point analysis of phase envelope diagram

Phase diagram or phase envelope is a relation between temperature and pressure that shows the condition of equilibria between the different phases of chemical compounds, mixture of compounds, and solutions. Phase diagram is an important issue in chemical thermodynamics and hydrocarbon reservoir. It is very useful for process simulation, hydrocarbon reactor design, and petroleum engineering studies. It is constructed from the bubble line, dew line, and critical point. Bubble line and dew line are composed of bubble points and dew points, respectively. Bubble point is the first point at which the gas is formed when a liquid is heated. Meanwhile, dew point is the first point where the liquid is formed when the gas is cooled. Critical point is the point where all of the properties of gases and liquids are equal, such as temperature, pressure, amount of substance, and others. Critical point is very useful in fuel processing and dissolution of certain chemicals. Here in this paper, we will show the critical point analytically. Then, it will be compared with numerical calculations of Peng-Robinson equation by using Newton-Raphson method. As case studies, several hydrocarbon mixtures are simulated using by Matlab.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Adaptive center determination for effective suppression of ring artifacts in tomography images

Ring artifacts on tomogram slices hinder image interpretation. They are caused by minor variation in the response from individual elements in a two dimensional (2D) X-ray detector. Polar space decreases the suppression complexity by transforming the rings on the tomogram slice to linear stripes. However, it requires that the center of rings lie at the origin of polar transformation. If this is not the case, all methods employing polar space become ineffective. We developed a method based on Gaussian localization of the ring center in Hough parameter space to assign the origin for the polar transformation. Thus, obtained linear stripes can be effectively suppressed by already existing methods. This effectively suppresses ring artifacts in the data from a variety of experimental setups, sample types and also handles tomograms that are previously cropped. This approach functions automatically, avoids the need for assumptions and preserves fine details, all critical for synchrotron based nanometer resolution tomography.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Application of x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) to local-order analysis in Fe-Cr maghemite-like materials

The maghemite-like oxide system γ-Fe{sub 2-x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 3} (x=0.75, 1 and 1.25) was studied by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and by synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (XRD). Measurements were performed at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource at room temperature, at beamlines 2-1, 2-3 and 4-3. High-resolution XRD patterns were processed by means of the Rietveld method. In cases of atoms being neighbors in the Periodic Table, the order/disorder degree of the considered solutions is indiscernible by “normal” (absence of “anomalous scattering”) diffraction experiments. Thus, maghemite-like materials were investigated by XAFS in both Fe and Cr K-edges to clarify, via short-range structure characterization, the local ordering of the investigated system. Athena and Artemis graphic user interfaces for IFEFFIT and FEFF8.4 codes were employed for XAFS spectra interpretation. Pre-edge decomposition and theoretical modeling of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) transitions were performed. By analysis of the Cr K-edge XANES, it has been confirmed that Cr is located in an octahedral environment. Fitting of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra was performed under the consideration that the central atom of Fe is allowed to occupy octa- and tetrahedral positions, while Cr occupies only octahedral ones. Coordination number of neighboring atoms, interatomic distances and their quadratic deviation average were determined for x=1, by fitting simultaneously the EXAFS spectra of both Fe and Cr K-edges. The results of fitting the experimental spectra with theoretical standards showed that the cation vacancies tend to follow a regular pattern within the structure of the iron-chromium maghemite (FeCrO{sub 3})

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Monotonic multi-state quantum f -divergences

We use the Tomita–Takesaki modular theory and the Kubo–Ando operator mean to write down a large class of multi-state quantum f-divergences and prove that they satisfy the data processing inequality. For two states, this class includes the (α, z)-Rényi divergences, the f-divergences of Petz, and the Rényi Belavkin-Staszewski relative entropy as special cases. The method used is the interpolation theory of non-commutative Lωp spaces, and the result applies to general von Neumann algebras, including the local algebra of quantum field theory. We conjecture that these multi-state Rényi divergences have operational interpretations in terms of the optimal error probabilities in asymmetric multi-state quantum state discrimination.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Pore-scale simulation of drying in porous media using a hybrid lattice Boltzmann: pore network model

In this work, a hybrid method coupling a pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) and a pore network model (PNM) to simulate drying in porous media is proposed. Based on the watershed method, the porous medium is firstly decomposed into pore regions. According to the liquid–vapor phase distribution at a given time, the pore regions are further divided into four pore types, namely two-phase pores where a liquid–vapor interface exists, buffer pores next to the two-phase pores, single-liquid and single-vapor phase pores. The pseudo-potential LBM is used in the two-phase and buffer pores to simulate liquid drying and track the movement of the interfaces, while the single-phase PNM simulations are conducted in the buffer and single-phase pores to simulate vapor or liquid flow. LBM and PNM are coupled in the buffer pores through exchange of boundary information. The hybrid method is applied to simulate liquid drying in a porous medium. The whole-domain LBM simulation is considered as the reference solution to validate the hybrid method. Liquid saturation variation during the drying process and detailed phase and pressure distributions obtained by the two methods match quite well, demonstrating the accuracy of the hybrid method. For the specific case studied, the hybrid method saves more than 60% computational time compared to the whole-domain LBM simulation. In addition, the speedup of the hybrid method becomes more significant for a larger computational domain. In summary, the hybrid method developed in this work combines the accuracy of LBM and the efficiency of PNM to simulate drying in porous media at pore scale and can lead to significant reduction of computation time, thus allowing the pore-scale consideration of drying in larger porous systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

CARBON-RICH MOLECULAR CHAINS IN PROTOPLANETARY AND PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES: QUANTUM MECHANISMS AND ELECTRON ATTACHMENT RATES FOR ANION FORMATION

The elementary mechanisms through which molecular polyynes could form stable negative ions after interacting with free electrons in planetary atmospheres (e.g., Titan's) are analyzed using quantum scattering calculations and quantum structure methods. The case of radical species and of nonpolar partners are analyzed via specific examples for both the C{sub n}H and HC{sub n}H series, with n values from 4 to 12. We show that attachment processes to polar radicals are dominating the anionic production and that the mediating role of dipolar scattering states is crucial to their formation. The corresponding attachment rates are presented as calculated upper limits to their likely values and are obtained down to the low temperatures of interest. The effects of the computed rates, when used in simple evolutionary models, are also investigated and presented in detail.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

THE ORIGIN OF DOUBLE-PEAKED NARROW LINES IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. I. VERY LARGE ARRAY DETECTIONS OF DUAL AGNs AND AGN OUTFLOWS

We have examined a subset of 18 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) drawn from a sample of 81 galaxies that possess double-peaked narrow optical emission line spectra in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, have 2 optical AGN emission components separated by >0.″2, and are detected in the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-centimeters survey. Without follow-up observations, the sources of the double-peaked narrow emission lines are uncertain, and may be produced by kiloparsec-scale separation dual active supermassive black holes, AGN outflows, or disk rotation. In this work, we propose a new methodology to characterize double-peaked narrow emission line galaxies based on optical long-slit spectroscopy and high-resolution multi-band Very Large Array observations. The nature of the radio emission in the sample galaxies is varied. Of the 18 galaxies, we detect 2 compact flat-spectrum radio cores with projected spatial separations on the sky between 0.6 and 1.6 kpc in 3 galaxies: J1023+3243, J1158+3231, and J1623+0808. The two radio sources are spatially coincident with the two optical components of ionized gas with AGN-like line ratios, which confirms the presence of dual AGNs in these three galaxies. Dual AGNs account for only ∼15% (3/18) of the double-peaked AGNs in our sample. Gas kinematics produce ∼75% (13/18) of the double-peaked narrow emission lines, distributed in the following way: seven AGN wind-driven outflows, five radio-jet driven outflows, and one rotating narrow-line region. The remaining 10% (2/18) are ambiguous cases. Our method demonstrates the power of spatially resolved spectroscopy and high-resolution radio observations for the identification of AGN outflows and AGN pairs with angular separations as small as 0.″18.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The lifetime risk and impact of vitiligo across sociodemographic groups: a UK population-based cohort study

Abstract Background Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disorder characterized by depigmented patches of skin, which can have significant psychological impacts. Objectives To estimate the lifetime incidence of vitiligo, overall, by ethnicity and across other sociodemographic subgroups, and to investigate the impacts of vitiligo on mental health, work and healthcare utilization. Methods Incident cases of vitiligo were identified in the Optimum Patient Care Database of primary care records in the UK between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2020. The lifetime incidence of vitiligo was estimated at age 80 years using modified time-to-event models with age as the timescale, overall and stratified by ethnicity, sex and deprivation. Depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, healthcare utilization and work-related outcomes were assessed in the 2 years after vitiligo diagnosis and compared with matched controls without vitiligo. The study protocol for this retrospective observational study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06097494). Results In total, 9460 adults and children were newly diagnosed with vitiligo during the study period. The overall cumulative lifetime incidence was 0.92% at 80 years of age [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90–0.94]. Cumulative incidence was similar in female (0.94%, 95% CI 0.92–0.97) and male patients (0.89%, 95% CI 0.86–0.92). There were substantial differences in lifetime incidence across ethnic groups, listed by Office for National Statistics criteria [Asian 3.58% (95% CI 3.38–3.78); Black 2.18% (95% CI 1.85–2.50); Mixed/multiple 2.03% (95% CI 1.58–2.47); Other 1.05% (95% CI 0.94–1.17); and White 0.73% (95% CI 0.71–0.76)]. Compared with matched controls, people with vitiligo had an increased risk of depression [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.08, 95% CI 1.01–1.15]; anxiety (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.30); depression or anxiety (aOR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03–1.17); and sleep disturbance [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.31]. People with vitiligo also had a greater number of primary care encounters (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.29, 95% CI 1.26–1.32) and a greater risk of time off work (aHR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.24). There was little evidence of disparities in vitiligo-related impacts across ethnic subgroups. Conclusions Clinicians should be aware of the markedly increased incidence of vitiligo in people belonging to Asian, Black, Mixed/multiple and Other groups. The negative impact of vitiligo on mental health, work and healthcare utilization highlights the importance of monitoring people with vitiligo to identify those who need additional support.

Eleftheriadou, Viktoria↗

Multiscale Monte Carlo equilibration: Two-color QCD with two fermion flavors

In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of a recently proposed multiscale thermalization algorithm to two-color quantum chromodynamics (QCD) with two mass-degenerate fermion flavors. The algorithm involves refining an ensemble of gauge configurations that had been generated using a renormalization group (RG) matched coarse action, thereby producing a fine ensemble that is close to the thermalized distribution of a target fine action; the refined ensemble is subsequently rethermalized using conventional algorithms. Although the generalization of this algorithm from pure Yang-Mills theory to QCD with dynamical fermions is straightforward, we find that in the latter case, the method is susceptible to numerical instabilities during the initial stages of rethermalization when using the hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm. We find that these instabilities arise from large fermion forces in the evolution, which are attributed to an accumulation of spurious near-zero modes of the Dirac operator. We propose a simple strategy for curing this problem, and demonstrate that rapid thermalization--as probed by a variety of gluonic and fermionic operators--is possible with the use of this solution. Also, we study the sensitivity of rethermalization rates to the RG matching of the coarse and fine actions, and identify effective matching conditions based on a variety of measured scales.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Boundary dual of bulk local operators

We provide a procedure to determine if a given nonlocal operator in a large N holographic CFT is dual to a local bulk operator on the geometry associated with a particular code subspace of the CFT. This procedure does not presuppose knowledge of the bulk geometry. We are able to pick out local operators in a large region of the bulk, called the "localizable region,"' that can extend beyond event horizons in certain cases. The method relies heavily on the quantum-error correcting structure of AdS/CFT and, in particular, on entanglement wedge reconstruction. As a byproduct of this machinery, we are able to reconstruct the metric in the localizable region up to a conformal factor. This suggests a connection between our program and the recent light-cone cut approach to bulk reconstruction.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Economic Analysis and Optimal Sizing for behind-the-meter Battery Storage

This paper proposes methods to estimate the potential benefits and determine the optimal energy and power capacity for behind-the-meter BSS. In the proposed method, a linear programming is first formulated only using typical load profiles, energy/demand charge rates, and a set of battery parameters to determine the maximum saving in electric energy cost. The optimization formulation is then adapted to include battery cost as a function of its power and energy capacity in order to capture the trade-off between benefits and cost, and therefore to determine the most economic battery size. Using the proposed methods, economic analysis and optimal sizing have been performed for a few commercial buildings and utility rate structures that are representative of those found in the various regions of the Continental United States. The key factors that affect the economic benefits and optimal size have been identified. The proposed methods and case study results cannot only help commercial and industrial customers or battery vendors to evaluate and size the storage system for behind-the-meter application, but can also assist utilities and policy makers to design electricity rate or subsidies to promote the development of energy storage.

Wu, Di↗

Verifying the Computational Integrity of Power Grid Controls with Zero-Knowledge Proof

The control of future power grids is migrating from a centralized to a distributed/decentralized scheme to enable a massive penetration of distributed energy resources with rising dependence on communication infrastructure. A common assumption made for most existing distributed/decentralized controllers is that local controllers would faithfully follow the designated controller dynamics based on the data received from communication channels. However, with increased probability of cyberattacks on Operational Technology infrastructure, such an assumption could be risky because proper execution of the controller dynamics is then built on trust in secure communication and computation. In this work, we leverage a cryptography technology known as zero-knowledge scalable transparent arguments of knowledge (zk-STARK) to verify the computational integrity of power grid control algorithms, with projected linear dynamics-based control schemes as the initial proof-of-concept test case. The method presented here converts the cybersecurity challenge of data integrity for grid control into a subset of computational integrity.

computational integrity↗