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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 253 records · Page 14

Automated Construction of a Photocatalysis Dataset for Water-Splitting Applications

We present an automatically generated dataset of 15,755 records that were extracted from 47,357 papers. These records contain water-splitting activity in the presence of certain photocatalysts, along with additional information about the chemical reaction conditions under which this activity was recorded. These conditions include any co-catalysts and additives that were present during water splitting, the length of time for which the photocatalytic experiment was conducted, and the type of light source used, including its wavelength. Despite the text extraction of such a wide range of chemical reaction attributes, the dataset afforded good precision (71.2%) and recall (36.3%). These figures-of-merit were calculated based on a random sample of open-access papers from the corpus. Mining such a complex set of attributes required the development of novel techniques in knowledge extraction and interdependency resolution, leveraging inter- and intra-sentence relations, which are also described in this paper. We present a new version (version 2.2) of the chemistry-aware text-mining toolkit ChemDataExtractor, in which these new techniques are included.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Projected U.S. drought extremes through the twenty-first century with vapor pressure deficit

Global warming is expected to enhance drought extremes in the United States throughout the twenty-first century. Projecting these changes can be complex in regions with large variability in atmospheric and soil moisture on small spatial scales. Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is a valuable measure of evaporative demand as moisture moves from the surface into the atmosphere and a dynamic measure of drought. Here, VPD is used to identify short-term drought with the Standardized VPD Drought Index (SVDI); and used to characterize future extreme droughts using grid dependent stationary and non-stationary generalized extreme value (GEV) models, and a random sampling technique is developed to quantify multimodel uncertainties. The GEV analysis was performed with projections using the Weather Research and Forecasting model, downscaled from three Global Climate Models based on the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 for present, mid-century and late-century. Results show the VPD based index (SVDI) accurately identifies the timing and magnitude short-term droughts, and extreme VPD is increasing across the United States and by the end of the twenty-first century. The number of days VPD is above 9 kPa increases by 10 days along California’s coastline, 30–40 days in the northwest and Midwest, and 100 days in California’s Central Valley.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Coupling flux balance analysis with reactive transport modeling through machine learning for rapid and stable simulation of microbial metabolic switching

Integrating genome-scale metabolic networks with reactive transport models (RTMs) provides a detailed description of the dynamic changes in microbial growth and metabolism. Despite promising demonstrations in the past, computational inefficiency has been pointed out as a critical issue to overcome because it requires repeated application of linear programming (LP) to obtain flux balance analysis (FBA) solutions in every time step and spatial grid. To address this challenge, we propose a new simulation method where we train and validate artificial neural networks (ANNs) using randomly sampled FBA solutions and incorporate the resulting surrogate FBA model (represented as algebraic equations) into RTMs as source/sink terms. We demonstrate the efficiency of our method via a case study of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. During aerobic growth on lactate, S. oneidensis produces metabolic byproducts (such as pyruvate and acetate), which are subsequently consumed as alternative carbon sources when the preferred nutrients are depleted. To effectively simulate these complex dynamics, we used a cybernetic approach that models metabolic switches as the outcome of dynamic competition among multiple growth options. In both zero-dimensional batch and one-dimensional column configurations, the ANN-based surrogate models achieved substantial reduction of computational time by several orders of magnitude compared to the original LP-based FBA models. Moreover, the ANN models produced robust solutions without any special measures to prevent numerical instability. These developments significantly promote our ability to utilize genome-scale networks in complex, multi-physics, and multi-dimensional ecosystem modeling.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Classical and quantum simulations of 1+1-dimensional ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ gauge theory at finite temperature and density

Simulating strongly coupled gauge theories at finite temperature and density is a longstanding challenge in nuclear and high-energy physics with fundamental implications for condensed matter physics. Here, we simulate such systems using minimally entangled typical thermal state (METTS) approaches, which combine classical random sampling with imaginary-time evolution, implementable on either classical or quantum computers, to estimate thermal averages of observables. We study 1+1-dimensional ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ gauge theory coupled to spinless fermionic matter, which maps onto a local quantum spin chain. We benchmark both a classical matrix-product-state implementation of METTS and a recently proposed adaptive variational approach for near-term quantum devices, focusing on the equation of state and measures of fermion confinement. Of particular importance is the choice of basis for METTS sampling, which impacts both the sampling overhead and quantum circuit complexity. Our work sets the stage for future studies of strongly coupled gauge theories using classical and quantum hardware.

Chen, I-Chi [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United St↗

A proposed method for addressing large unphysical uncertainties in mubar

Mubar uncertainties in Section MF 34 MT 2 of ENDF/B-VIII.0 data are sometimes too large. Physical limitations of the bounds of mubar limit the maximum uncertainty to be < 1.0 and usually $\ll$ 1.0. Two ad hoc methods are proposed to artificially constrain the randomly sampled values of mubar to allowable values. The application of NJOY’s mubar covariance matrix to the “sandwich rule” is also discussed and a consistent way to apply sensitivity coefficients is described. Mubar uncertainties for the Jezebel k eff were found to be 156 pcm – a value comparable to other evaluated cross section uncertainties.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Survival of the most transferable at the top of Jacob’s ladder: Defining and testing the ω B97M(2) double hybrid density functional

A meta-generalized gradient approximation, range-separated double hybrid (DH) density functional with VV10 non-local correlation is presented. The final 14-parameter functional form is determined by screening trillions of candidate fits through a combination of best subset selection, forward stepwise selection, and random sample consensus (RANSAC) outlier detection. The MGCDB84 database of 4986 data points is employed in this work, containing a training set of 870 data points, a validation set of 2964 data points, and a test set of 1152 data points. Following an xDH approach, orbitals from the ωB97M-V density functional are used to compute the second-order perturbation theory correction. The resu|ting functional, ωB97M(2) is benchmarked against a variety of leading double hybrid density functionals, including B2PLYP-D3(BJ), B2GPPLYP-D3(BJ), ωB97X-2(TQZ), XYG3, PTPSS-D3(0), XYGJ-OS, DSD-PBEP86-D3(BJ), and DSD-PBEPBE-D3(BJ). Encouragingly, the overall performance of ωB97M(2) on nearly 5000 datq points clearly surpasses that of all of the tested density funstionals. As a Rung 5 density functional, ωB97M(2) completes our family of combinatorially optimized functionals, complementing B97M-V on Rung 3, and ωB97X-V and ωB97M-V on Rung 4. The results suggest that ωB97M(2) has the potential to serve as a powerful predictive tool for accurate and efficient electronic structure calculations of main-group chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Reconstruction and analysis of exploding wire particle trajectories via automatic calibration of stereo images

Quantitative understanding of the physics of dust or granular matter transport significantly impacts several aspects of burning plasma science and technology. Here, this work takes machine vision techniques popular in robotics and self-driving cars and applies them to identification and analysis of microparticles generated from exploding wires. Using only the image frames and knowledge of the intrinsic properties of the cameras, a Python code was written to identify the particles, automatically calibrate the relative image positions, and extract trajectory data. After identifying approximately 50 particles based on the timing of secondary particle explosions, the eight point and random sample consensus algorithms were used to determine the geometric correlation between the cameras. Over 100 particle matches were found between the two camera views. These correlated trajectories were used in subsequent 3D track reconstruction and analysis of the physics behind the particle motion. The 3D reconstruction resulted in accurate positioning of the particles with respect to the experimental setup. The particle motion was consistent with the effects of a 1 g gravitational field modified by drag forces. Lastly, the methods and analyses presented here can be used in many facets of high temperature plasma diagnostics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Monte Carlo Perturbation Analysis of Fuel Temperature Variations in the MCNP Model of the Annular Core Research Reactor

The Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) model is used by ACRR reactor operators and experiment designers at Sandia National Laboratories for a variety of computational calculations ranging from reactor kinetics parameter estimates and safety analyses to experimental planning. To understand the dominant source of uncertainty within the MCNP model, perturbations in temperature were applied to individual ACRR MCNP fuel rods. Fuel rod temperatures were randomly sampled from a uniform distribution from operational temperatures to quantify temperature-related uncertainty effects. Stochastic mixing was used to blend the cross sections of the desired temperatures using the MCNP continuous and Thermal Neutron Scattering Treatment [S(α,β)] libraries in ENDF/B-VII.1. Furthermore, this uncertainty analysis produced a 640 row × 640 column correlation and covariance matrix of the neutron energy spectra. Positive covariance was produced around the 1-MeV region and the 0.2-eV region. Correlation was found in the thermal and fast energy regions, but no correlation was observed in the slowing-down energy region because interactions in this region are not dominated by fuel.

ACRR↗

Uncertainty Quantification of a Light Water Pulsed-Neutron Die-Away Experiment to Thermal Neutron Scattering Laws

Thermal neutron scattering laws are important nuclear data for many nuclear science and engineering applications. Validation helps to ensure that a thermal neutron scattering law has a high quality and often employs critical benchmarks as integral experiments. Recently, pulsed-neutron die-away benchmarks have been used as an experiment to validate thermal neutron scattering laws. Herein, we evidence how this alternative integral experiment has a high sensitivity to these nuclear data by performing an uncertainty quantification analysis. The analysis randomly sampled the nuclear model parameters associated with hydrogen bound in light water thermal neutron scattering law and sampled other nuclear data that influenced the experiment’s integral parameter (e.g., elastic scattering, absorption in hydrogen and oxygen) from their respective covariance matrices. The thermal neutron scattering law caused an uncertainty in the integral parameter that reached 2.67%, which exceeds by an order of magnitude the uncertainties induced in commonly used thermal solution critical benchmarks. The validation performed here, although limited due to a poor description of the historical experiment, indicated that the ENDF/B-VIII.0 thermal neutron scattering law well predicted the integral parameter. These results motivate further benchmark and validation efforts using pulsed-neutron die-away experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Uncertainty Analysis in 3D Equilibrium Reconstruction

Reconstruction is an inverse process where a parameter space is searched to locate a set of parameters with the highest probability of describing experimental observations. Due to systematic errors and uncertainty in experimental measurements, this optimal set of parameters will contain some associated uncertainty. This uncertainty in the optimal parameters leads to uncertainty in models derived using those parameters. V3FIT is a three-dimensional (3D) equilibrium reconstruction code that propagates uncertainty from the input signals, to the reconstructed parameters, and to the final model. Here in this paper, we describe the methods used to propagate uncertainty in V3FIT. Using the results of whole shot 3D equilibrium reconstruction of the Compact Toroidal Hybrid, this propagated uncertainty is validated against the random variation in the resulting parameters. Two different model parameterizations demonstrate how the uncertainty propagation can indicate the quality of a reconstruction. As a proxy for random sampling, the whole shot reconstruction results in a time interval that will be used to validate the propagated uncertainty from a single time slice.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Resource frugal optimizer for quantum machine learning

Quantum-enhanced data science, also known as quantum machine learning (QML), is of growing interest as an application of near-term quantum computers. Variational QML algorithms have the potential to solve practical problems on real hardware, particularly when involving quantum data. However, training these algorithms can be challenging and calls for tailored optimization procedures. Specifically, QML applications can require a large shot-count overhead due to the large datasets involved. In this work, we advocate for simultaneous random sampling over both the dataset as well as the measurement operators that define the loss function. We consider a highly general loss function that encompasses many QML applications, and we show how to construct an unbiased estimator of its gradient. This allows us to propose a shot-frugal gradient descent optimizer called Refoqus (REsource Frugal Optimizer for QUantum Stochastic gradient descent). Our numerics indicate that Refoqus can save several orders of magnitude in shot cost, even relative to optimizers that sample over measurement operators alone.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Finding simplicity: unsupervised discovery of features, patterns, and order parameters via shift-invariant variational autoencoders *

Abstract Recent advances in scanning tunneling and transmission electron microscopies (STM and STEM) have allowed routine generation of large volumes of imaging data containing information on the structure and functionality of materials. The experimental data sets contain signatures of long-range phenomena such as physical order parameter fields, polarization, and strain gradients in STEM, or standing electronic waves and carrier-mediated exchange interactions in STM, all superimposed onto scanning system distortions and gradual changes of contrast due to drift and/or mis-tilt effects. Correspondingly, while the human eye can readily identify certain patterns in the images such as lattice periodicities, repeating structural elements, or microstructures, their automatic extraction and classification are highly non-trivial and universal pathways to accomplish such analyses are absent. We pose that the most distinctive elements of the patterns observed in STM and (S)TEM images are similarity and (almost-) periodicity, behaviors stemming directly from the parsimony of elementary atomic structures, superimposed on the gradual changes reflective of order parameter distributions. However, the discovery of these elements via global Fourier methods is non-trivial due to variability and lack of ideal discrete translation symmetry. To address this problem, we explore the shift-invariant variational autoencoders (shift-VAEs) that allow disentangling characteristic repeating features in the images, their variations, and shifts that inevitably occur when randomly sampling the image space. Shift-VAEs balance the uncertainty in the position of the object of interest with the uncertainty in shape reconstruction. This approach is illustrated for model 1D data, and further extended to synthetic and experimental STM and STEM 2D data. We further introduce an approach for training shift-VAEs that allows finding the latent variables that comport to known physical behavior. In this specific case, the condition is that the latent variable maps should be smooth on the length scale of the atomic lattice (as expected for physical order parameters), but other conditions can be imposed. The opportunities and limitations of the shift VAE analysis for pattern discovery are elucidated.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Global Sensitivity Analysis of a Reactive Transport Model for Mineral Scale Formation During Hydraulic Fracturing

Injection of water-based hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) into tight shale gas/oil formations can increase formation permeability and enhance production rates, but this process frequently causes mineral scale formation that can occlude pore space and hinder flow. To identify the most important factors that control the formation of mineral scales, we applied a novel global sensitivity analysis method—distance-based generalized sensitivity analysis (DGSA)—to a reactive transport model (RTM) that was previously built and calibrated to simulate precipitation of barite [BaSO4] and iron (hydr)oxide [Fe(OH) 3 ] in shale matrices and on fracture surfaces. Reactive transport simulations were run with model parameters randomly sampled based on assigned uncertainties. Modeling results for barite and Fe(OH)3 formation were clustered using machine-learning algorithms. A list of ranked critical input parameters was obtained after statistical quantification of cumulative distribution functions of input parameters. We found that barite formation is most sensitive to the rate of sulfate ion generation, which is determined by the pyrite dissolution rate coefficient and oxidant availability. In addition, barite formation is sensitive to the initial amounts of barite in HFF and shale, followed by barite thermodynamics/kinetics. For Fe(OH) 3 formation, the ranked factors are Fe(OH)3 precipitation rate coefficients, initial HFF pH, initial Fe(OH) 3 amount in HFF, and oxidant availability. Overall, our results provide insights into managing mineral scale formation during hydraulic fracturing to enhance production. Meanwhile, this study serves as an example of global sensitivity analysis of RTMs using the efficient, straightforward, and open-source DGSA method.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Imaging the crust and uppermost mantle structure of Portugal (West Iberia) with seismic ambient noise

SUMMARY We present a new high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity (Vs) model of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath Portugal, inferred from ambient seismic noise tomography. We use broad-band seismic data from a dense temporary deployment covering the entire Portuguese mainland between 2010 and 2012 in the scope of the WILAS project. Vertical component data are processed using phase correlation and phase weighted stack to obtain empirical Green functions (EGFs) for 2016 station pairs. Further, we use a random sampling and subset stacking strategy to measure robust Rayleigh-wave group velocities in the period range 7–30 s and associated uncertainties. The tomographic inversion is performed in two steps: First, we determine group-velocity lateral variations for each period. Next, we invert them at each grid point using a new trans-dimensional inversion scheme to obtain the 3-D shear wave velocity model. The final 3-D model extends from the upper crust (5 km) down to the uppermost mantle (60 km) and has a lateral resolution of ∼50 km. In the upper and middle crusts, the Vs anomaly pattern matches the tectonic units of the Variscan Massif and Alpine basins. The transition between the Lusitanian Basin and the Ossa Morena Zone is marked by a contrast between moderate- and high-velocity anomalies, in addition to two arched earthquake lineations. Some faults, namely, the Manteigas–Vilariça–Bragança fault and the Porto–Tomar–Ferreira do Alentejo fault, have a clear signature from the upper crust down to the uppermost mantle (60 km). Our 3-D shear wave velocity model offers new insights into the continuation of the main tectonic units at depth and contributes to better understanding the seismicity of Portugal.

Silveira, Graça (ORCID:0000000221102554)↗

Emulation of seismic-phase traveltimes with machine learning

SUMMARY We present a machine learning (ML) method for emulating seismic-phase traveltimes that are computed using a global-scale 3-D earth model and physics-based ray tracing. Accurate traveltime predictions based on 3-D earth models are known to reduce the bias of event location estimates, increase our ability to assign phase labels to seismic detections and associate detections to events. However, practical use of 3-D models is challenged by slow computational speed and the unwieldiness of pre-computed lookup tables that are often large and have prescribed computational grids. In this work, we train a ML emulator using pre-computed traveltimes, resulting in a compact and computationally fast way to approximate traveltimes that are based on a 3-D earth model. Our model is trained using approximately 850 million P-wave traveltimes that are based on the global LLNL-G3D-JPS model, which was developed for more accurate event location. The training-set consists of traveltimes between 10 393 global seismic stations and randomly sampled event locations that provide a prescribed, distance-dependent geographic sample density for each station. Prediction accuracy is dependent on event-station distance and whether the station was included in the training set. For stations included in the training set the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of the difference between traveltimes computed using ray tracing through the 3-D model and the ML emulator for local, regional, and teleseismic distances are 0.090, 0.125 and 0.121 s, respectively. For tested station locations not included in the training set, MAD values for the three distance ranges increase to 0.173, 0.219 and 0.210 s, respectively. Empirical traveltime residuals for a global reference data are indistinguishable when ML emulation or the 3-D model is used to compute traveltimes. This result holds regardless of whether the recording station is used in ML training or not.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Is Terzan 5 the remnant of a building block of the Galactic bulge? Evidence from APOGEE

ABSTRACT It has been proposed that the globular cluster-like system Terzan 5 is the surviving remnant of a primordial building block of the Milky Way bulge, mainly due to the age/metallicity spread and the distribution of its stars in the α–Fe plane. We employ Sloan Digital Sky Survey data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment to test this hypothesis. Adopting a random sampling technique, we contrast the abundances of 10 elements in Terzan 5 stars with those of their bulge field counterparts with comparable atmospheric parameters, finding that they differ at statistically significant levels. Abundances between the two groups differ by more than 1σ in Ca, Mn, C, O, and Al, and more than 2σ in Si and Mg. Terzan 5 stars have lower [α/Fe] and higher [Mn/Fe] than their bulge counterparts. Given those differences, we conclude that Terzan 5 is not the remnant of a major building block of the bulge. We also estimate the stellar mass of the Terzan 5 progenitor based on predictions by the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments suite of cosmological numerical simulations, concluding that it may have been as low as ∼3 × 108 M⊙ so that it was likely unable to significantly influence the mean chemistry of the bulge/inner disc, which is significantly more massive (∼1010 M⊙). We briefly discuss existing scenarios for the nature of Terzan 5 and propose an observational test that may help elucidate its origin.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Adaptive Potential of the Middle Domain of Yeast Hsp90

Abstract The distribution of fitness effects (DFEs) of new mutations across different environments quantifies the potential for adaptation in a given environment and its cost in others. So far, results regarding the cost of adaptation across environments have been mixed, and most studies have sampled random mutations across different genes. Here, we quantify systematically how costs of adaptation vary along a large stretch of protein sequence by studying the distribution of fitness effects of the same ≈2,300 amino-acid changing mutations obtained from deep mutational scanning of 119 amino acids in the middle domain of the heat shock protein Hsp90 in five environments. This region is known to be important for client binding, stabilization of the Hsp90 dimer, stabilization of the N-terminal-Middle and Middle-C-terminal interdomains, and regulation of ATPase–chaperone activity. Interestingly, we find that fitness correlates well across diverse stressful environments, with the exception of one environment, diamide. Consistent with this result, we find little cost of adaptation; on average only one in seven beneficial mutations is deleterious in another environment. We identify a hotspot of beneficial mutations in a region of the protein that is located within an allosteric center. The identified protein regions that are enriched in beneficial, deleterious, and costly mutations coincide with residues that are involved in the stabilization of Hsp90 interdomains and stabilization of client-binding interfaces, or residues that are involved in ATPase–chaperone activity of Hsp90. Thus, our study yields information regarding the role and adaptive potential of a protein sequence that complements and extends known structural information.

Cote-Hammarlof, Pamela A.↗

Prediction of novel high-pressure H 2 O -NaCl and carbon oxide compounds with a symmetry-driven structure search algorithm

Crystal structure prediction with theoretical methods is particularly challenging when unit cells with many atoms need to be considered. Here we employ a symmetry-driven structure search (SYDSS) method and combine it with density functional theory (DFT) to predict novel crystal structures at high pressure. We sample randomly from all 1,506 Wyckoff positions of the 230 space groups to generate a set of initial structures. During the subsequent structural relaxation with DFT, existing symmetries are preserved, but the symmetries and the space group may change as atoms move to more symmetric positions. By construction, our algorithm generates symmetric structures with high probability without excluding any configurations. This improves the search efficiency, especially for large cells with 20 atoms or more. We apply our SYDSS algorithm to identify stoichiometric (H 2 O) n -(NaCl) m and C n O m compounds at high pressure. We predict a novel H 2 O-NaCl structure with Pnma symmetry to form at 3.4 Mbar, which is within the range of diamond anvil experiments. In addition, we predict a novel C 2 O structure at 19.8 Mbar and C4O structure at 44.0 Mbar with Pbca and C2/m symmetry respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗