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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Electrical Detection of Single-Domain Néel Vector Reorientation across the Spin–Flop Transition in Cr 2 O 3 Crystals

Electrical transport measurements in heterostructures of antiferromagnetic Cr 2 O 3 bulk crystals and a thin Pt layer exhibit sharp responses as the Néel vector of Cr 2 O 3 undergoes the spin−flop transition. This abrupt change can arise from several distinct mechanisms including magnetostriction, proximity-induced anomalous Hall, spin Hall anomalous Hall, and spin Hall planar Hall effects. While large Pt devices sensing multiple up/ down domains can produce indistinguishable Hall signal jumps due to different initial Néel vector orientations, smaller Pt devices that sense single domains isolate the proximity-induced Hall signals. This allows direct electrical detection of Néel vector reorientation across the spin−flop transition in single-domain regions. Furthermore, the single-domain state can be prepared by magnetic field cooling or magnetoelectric cooling. We demonstrate a method to control and characterize the three-dimensional orientation of single-domain Néel vectors by exploiting Hall measurements and cooling techniques, crucial for future antiferromagnetic spintronic applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1974

Dynamics and column densities of small particles ejected from spacecraft

Trajectories and relative motions of small particles ejected from a spacecraft were analyzed, and modifications to the clearing times and column densities because of orbital dynamics were assessed. It was found that despite the fact that such particles are confined by orbital dynamics to move along similar trajectories with the spacecraft rather than to continue their free expansion, the effect is negligible for viewing angles away from the orbital path. Small particles are rapidly swept away by drag and will not contribute significantly to the column density when viewing along the velocity vector in 420-km earth orbit. However, substantial increases in column density can results when viewing in a direction opposite to the velocity vector because of drag effects. In the absence of drag, significant column densities can build up both in front of and behind the spacecraft in earth orbit for particles released at a few meters per second. This effect is much less pronounced in lunar orbit because the same release velocity produces a larger orbital perturbation for the particle.

Naumann, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Streaking images that appear only in the plane of diffraction in undoped GaAs single crystals: Diffraction imaging (topography) by monochromatic synchrotron radiation

Streaking images restricted to the direction of the diffraction (scattering) vector have been observed on transmission through undoped GaAs. These disruption images (caused by the reduction of diffraction in the direction of observation) appear both in the forward and in Bragg diffracted directions in monochromatic synchrontron radiation diffraction imaging. This previously unobserved phenomenon can be explained in terms of planar defects (interfaces) or platelets which affects the absorption coefficient in anomalous transmission. Such regions of the crystal look perfect despite the presence of imperfections when the scattering vector is not perpendicular to the normal of the platelets. The observed crystallographic orientation of these interfaces strongly indicates that they are antiphase boundaries.

Kuriyama, Masao↗
NASA NTRS1990

Low-g payload placement constraints for space station

Payloads onboard the Space Station will be subjected to a steady state acceleration level dominated by gravity gradient and aerodynamic drag forces. The g-level due to gravity gradient forces depends on the payload location relative to the center of mass, whereas the g-level due to aerodynamic drag may be assumed nearly constant throughout the Space Station. The vector of acceleration due to aerodynamic drag can always be broken down into three orthogonal components, in the direction opposite to the velocity vector, along the local vertical, and perpendicular to the orbit plane. It will be shown that the gravity gradient term has two components, which are orthogonal to one another. One component is along the local vertical and the other is perpendicular to the orbit plane. Thus, the combination of all components form an orthogonal triad of vectors. Addressed here are the payload location constraints to satisfy the requirements of 1 micro-g. The permissible locations are within an open-ended tube having an elliptical cross section, which is aligned with the velocity vector and centered on the system center of mass.

Carpenter, Anita S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Coronal magnetic field diagnostics via the Hanle effect of Lyman series lines

The magnetic field plays a major role in the physics of the solar corona. However, there are no direct measurements of this physical parameter. We describe a method that can provide the most direct determination of the vector magnetic field in the extended corona (i.e., at heliocentric heights between 1.2 R(solar radius) and 2.0 R(solar radius)). The method is based on polarimetric observations of UV lines of the Lyman series, that is, Lyman alpha (Ly-alpha), lambda 1216 A, Lyman beta (Ly-beta), lambda 1025 A, and Lyman gamma (Ly-gamma), lambda 972 A. These lines have a collisional and a resonantly scattered component. Linear polarization is induced in the resonant component by the anisotropy in the chromospheric radiation field that illuminates the corona. Magnetic fields can be suitably determined through the effects that they induce on this resonance polarization (Hanle effect). The Hanle effect of the Ly-alpha is sensitive to field strengths in the 10 - 100 gauss range. The resonance polarization of Ly-beta and Ly-gamma is sensitive, through the Hanle effect, to fields with strengths between 3 - 30 gauss, and 0.3 - 6 gauss, respectively. We describe a new method for separating the resonant from the collisional component of the Ly-beta and Ly-gamma; the method is based on the approximation, valid within 10%, that the collisional component of the Ly-alpha is negligible, in typical coronal conditions. From the intensity and the polarization of the resonant components of these Lyman lines, the strength and direction of coronal fields can be determined. We model the sensitivity of Hanle-effect diagnostics for different coronal structures (e.g., coronal holes and loops).

Fineschi, S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pseudorapidity dependence of anisotropic flow and its decorrelations using long-range multiparticle correlations in Pb–Pb and Xe–Xe collisions

The pseudorapidity dependence of elliptic (v 2 ), triangular (v 3 ), and quadrangular (v 4 ) flow coefficients of charged particles measured in Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV and in Xe–Xe collisions at $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV with ALICE at the LHC are presented. The measurements are performed in the pseudorapidity range − 3.5 < η < 5 for various centrality intervals using two- and multi-particle cumulants with the subevent method. The flow probability density function (p.d.f.) is studied with the ratio of flow coefficient v 2 calculated with four- and two-particle cumulant, and suggests that the variance of flow p.d.f. is independent of pseudorapidity. The decorrelation of the flow vector in the longitudinal direction is probed using two-particle correlations. The results measured with respect to different reference regions in pseudorapidity exhibit differences, argued to be a result of saturating decorrelation effect above a certain pseudorapidity separation, in contrast to previous publications which assign this observation to non-flow effects. The results are compared to 3 + 1 dimensional hydrodynamic and the AMPT transport model calculations. Neither of the models is able to simultaneously describe the pseudorapidity dependence of measurements of anisotropic flow and its fluctuations. The results presented in this work highlight shortcomings in our current understanding of initial conditions and subsequent system expansion in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, they provide input for its improvement.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sedimentation and shear-induced dynamics of spheroids in fluids with spatial viscosity variations

A generalized reciprocal theorem is used to relate the force and torque induced on a particle in an inertia-less fluid with small variation in viscosity to integrals involving Stokes flow fields and the spatial dependence of viscosity. These resistivity expressions are analytically evaluated using spheroidal harmonics and then used to obtain the mobility of the spheroid during sedimentation, and in linear flows, of a fluid with linear viscosity stratification. The coupling between the rotational and translational motion induced by stratification rotates the spheroid’s centerline, creating a variety of rotational and translational dynamics dependent upon the particle’s aspect ratio, κ, and the component of the stratification unit vector in the gravity direction, d g . Spheroids with 0.55 ⪅ κ ⪅ 2.0 exhibit the largest variety of settling behaviors. Interestingly, this range covers most microplastics and typical microorganisms. One of the modes include a stable orientation dependent only on κ and d g , but independent of initial orientation, thus allowing for the potential control of settling angles and sedimentation rates. In a simple shear flow, cross-streamline migration occurs due to the stratification-induced force generated on the particle. Similarly, a particle no longer stays at the stagnation point of a uniaxial extensional flow. While fully analytical results are obtained for spheroids, numerical simulations provide a source of validation. These simulations also provide additional insights into the stratification-induced force- and torque-producing mechanisms through the stratification-induced stress, which is not accessed in the reciprocal theorem-based analytical calculations.

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Stratified flows↗
DOE OSTI2022

Light-Driven Ultrafast Polarization Manipulation in a Relaxor Ferroelectric

Relaxor ferroelectrics have been intensely studied for decades based on their unique electromechanical responses which arise from local structural heterogeneity involving polar nanoregions or domains. Here, we report first studies of the ultrafast dynamics and reconfigurability of the polarization in freestanding films of the prototypical relaxor 0.68PbMg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 -0.32PbTiO 3 (PMN-0.32PT) by probing its atomic-scale response via femtosecond-resolution, electron-scattering approaches. By combining these structural measurements with dynamic phase-field simulations, we show that femtosecond light pulses drive a change in both the magnitude and direction of the polarization vector within polar nanodomains on few-picosecond time scales. This study defines new opportunities for dynamic reconfigurable control of the polarization in nanoscale relaxor ferroelectrics.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pore‐Scale Modeling of Reactive Transport with Coupled Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation

Abstract We present a new pore‐scale model for multicomponent advective‐diffusive transport with coupled mineral dissolution and precipitation. Both dissolution and precipitation are captured simultaneously by introducing a phase transformation vector field representing the direction and magnitude of the overall phase change. An effective viscosity model is adopted in simulating fluid flow during mineral dissolution‐precipitation that can accurately capture the velocity field without introducing any empirical parameters. The proposed approach is validated against analytical solutions and interface tracking simulations in simplified structures. After validation, the proposed approach is employed in modeling realistic rocks where mineral dissolution and precipitation are dominant at different locations. We have identified three regimes for mineral dissolution‐precipitation coupling: (a) compact dissolution‐precipitation where dissolution is dominant near the inlet and precipitation is dominant near the outlet, (b) wormhole dissolution with clustered precipitation where dissolution generates wormholes in the main flow paths and precipitation clogs the secondary flow paths, and (c) dissolution dominant where all solid grains are gradually dissolved. In the three regimes, the proposed approach provides reliable porosity‐permeability relationships that cannot be described well by traditional macroscale models. We find that the permeability can increase while the overall porosity decreases when the main flow paths are expanded by dissolution and adjacent pore spaces are clogged by precipitation.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Propagation of EMIC Waves From Shabansky Orbits in the Dayside Magnetosphere

We explore the characteristics of EMIC waves generated in a non-dipole, compressed magnetic field at the minimum of the magnetic field. We conducted 2D full-wave simulations using the Petra-M code, focusing on a compressed magnetic field in the outer dayside magnetosphere for a range of L values (L = 8 - 10). By comparing the simulation results with MMS observations, we aim to understand how the observed wave characteristics are affected by a shifting source region across different L-shells. Our findings indicate that the direction of the Poynting vector systematically changes depending on the local source location of the wave, which is consistent with the observations. EMIC waves propagate along the magnetic field line and reach both the northern and southern hemispheres; however, there is a notable difference in the power of EMIC waves between the two hemispheres, indicating seasonal asymmetries in their occurrence.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Weak magnetohydrodynamic turbulence theory revisited

Two recent papers, P. H. Yoon and G. Choe, Phys. Plasmas 28, 082306 (2021) and Yoon et al., Phys. Plasmas 29, 112303 (2022), utilized in the derivation of the kinetic equation for the intensity of turbulent fluctuations the assumption that the wave spectra are isotropic, that is, the ensemble-averaged magnetic field tensorial fluctuation intensity is given by the isotropic diagonal form, ⟨δBiδBj⟩k=⟨δB2⟩kδij. However, it is more appropriate to describe the incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence involving shear Alfvénic waves by modeling the turbulence spectrum as being anisotropic. That is, the tensorial fluctuation intensity should be different in diagonal elements across and along the direction of the wave vector, ⟨δBiδBj⟩k=12 ⟨δB⊥2⟩k(δij−kikj/k2)+⟨δB∥2⟩k(kikj/k2). In the present paper, we thus reformulate the weak magnetohydrodynamic turbulence theory under the assumption of anisotropy and work out the form of nonlinear wave kinetic equation.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Flowing plasma rearrangement in the presence of static perturbing fields

Charged particles interacting with electromagnetic waves have a portion of their energy tied up in wave-driven oscillations. When these waves are localized to the exhaust of linear magnetic confinement systems, this ponderomotive effect can be utilized to enhance particle confinement. The same effect can be derived for particles moving via an E×B drift into a region of a static perturbation to the electromagnetic fields which has a large wave vector component in the direction of the motion. In this work, we use a simplified slab model to self-consistently solve for the electromagnetic fields within the fluid flowing plasma of a static flute-like (k∥=0) perturbation and evaluate the resulting ponderomotive potential. We find that two types of perturbations can exist within the flowing plasma, which are an O wave and an X wave in the frame moving with the fluid. In the case of tenuous plasma, these perturbations are magnetostatic or electrostatic multipole-analog perpendicular to the guiding magnetic field in the lab frame, respectfully. For denser plasmas, the O wave-like perturbation is screened at the electron skin depth scale, and the X wave-like perturbation is a combination of a similar perpendicular electric perturbation and parallel magnetic perturbation. The ponderomotive potential generated in the X wave-like case is gyrofrequency-dependent and can be used as either potential barriers or potential wells, depending on the direction of the flow velocity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Complex magnetic phases in the polar tetragonal intermetallic NdCoGe 3

Polar materials can host a variety of topologically significant magnetic phases, which often emerge from a modulated magnetic ground state. Relatively few noncentrosymmetric tetragonal materials have been shown to host topological spin textures and new candidate materials are necessary to expand the current theoretical models. This manuscript reports on the anisotropic magnetism in the polar, tetragonal material NdCoGe 3 via thermodynamic and neutron diffraction measurements. The previously reported H - T phase diagram is updated to include several additional phases, which exist for both H = 0 and with an applied field H ⊥ c . Neutron diffraction data reveal that the magnetic structures below T N 1 = 3.70 K and T N 2 = 3.50 K are incommensurate, with a ground-state magnetic order that is incommensurate in all directions with the propagation vector $\vec{k}$ = (0.494, 0.0044, 0.385) at 1.8 K. A unique magnetic structure solution is not achievable, but the possible single-$\vec{k}$ and $\vec{k}$ spin models are discussed. These results demonstrate that NdCoGe 3 hosts complicated magnetic order derived from modulated magnetic moments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tunable magnetic order in low-symmetry SeO 3 ligand linked TM 3 (SeO 3 ) 3 H 2 O ( TM =Mn , Co, and Ni) compounds

The ability to design crystal lattices with specific sublattice geometries has long been sought after especially in the context of harnessing magnetic frustration to elicit emergent physics. One approach which has seen some success recently is to design magnetic sublattices chemically through the use of nonmagnetic linker ligands as scaffolding for the magnetic ions. In this work we report the magnetic properties of one such family of materials, the transition metal (TM) selenite hydrates with chemical formula TM 3 (SeO 3 ) 3 H 2 O. These materials link highly distorted TMO 6 octahedra via nonmagnetic [SeO 3 ] 2+ linkers. Studying members with TM = Mn, Co, and Ni we use magnetic susceptibility and neutron powder diffraction to identify antiferromagnetic order in all three compounds with moderate frustration indexes. A comparison of the magnetic structures suggests that while the overall structure of the SeO 3 scaffolding remains unchanged the TM effects changes in the magnetic properties through tuning the internal bonding parameters and the single-ion physics. Changing from Mn to Co is found to be particularly consequential manifesting changes in both the ordered-moment direction and in the direction of the ordering vector. Field-dependent measurements of the susceptibility and heat capacity reveal metamagnetic transitions in both Mn 3 (SeO 3 ) 3 H 2 O and Co 3 (SeO 3 ) 3 H 2 O indicating nearby magnetic ground states accessible under relatively small applied fields. Density functional theory calculations broadly confirm these results, showing both a sensitivity of the magnetic structure to the TM and its local environment. Although no spin liquid behavior is achieved, these results suggest the fruitfulness of such synthesis philosophies and encourage future work to engender higher frustration in these materials via doping, field, pressure, or larger linker ligands.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Proof that Combining the Forced-collision and DXTRAN Monte Carlo Variance-reduction Techniques is Fair

This report provides mathematical proof that the MCNP DXTRAN (also known in other codes as forced-flight) and forced-collision variance-reduction techniques do not bias the expected value of Monte Carlo simulation estimates when combined. Proof is also provided that the techniques are unbiased when used independently. To prove that the techniques are unbiased, this report derives the first History Score Moment Equation (HSME) for non-multiplying media employing only forced collisions, only DXTRAN, and then both the variance-reduction techniques combined, as defined next. The HSMEs are found by forming the History Score Probability Density Functions (HSPDFs) and then taking the first score moment. Following its derivation, each HSME with a variance-reduction technique employed is reduced to the HSME for an analog simulation. Because the HSME represents the expected contribution to estimators in the simulation, reducing the HSME with variance reduction to the analog HSME shows that the simulation is unbiased despite the variance-reduction technique considered in the HSME. Analysis regarding higher-score moments of each technique is the subject of prior work and is not addressed herein. Throughout this work, the phase space p is defined to be the particle position x, direction-of-flight unit vector $\hat{Ω}$, energy E, and statistical weight w, $$p ≡ (x; \hat{Ω}; E; w).$$ A reduced phase-space excluding the statistical weight of the particle, $$r ≡ (x; \hat{Ω}; E),$$ is also used.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Event Horizon Telescope Image of the Quasar NRAO 530

We report on the observations of the quasar NRAO 530 with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) on 2017 April 5–7, when NRAO 530 was used as a calibrator for the EHT observations of Sagittarius A*. At z = 0.902, this is the most distant object imaged by the EHT so far. We reconstruct the first images of the source at 230 GHz, at an unprecedented angular resolution of ~20 μas, both in total intensity and in linear polarization (LP). We do not detect source variability, allowing us to represent the whole data set with static images. The images reveal a bright feature located on the southern end of the jet, which we associate with the core. The feature is linearly polarized, with a fractional polarization of ~5%–8%, and it has a substructure consisting of two components. Their observed brightness temperature suggests that the energy density of the jet is dominated by the magnetic field. The jet extends over 60 μas along a position angle ~ –28°. It includes two features with orthogonal directions of polarization (electric vector position angle), parallel and perpendicular to the jet axis, consistent with a helical structure of the magnetic field in the jet. The outermost feature has a particularly high degree of LP, suggestive of a nearly uniform magnetic field. Future EHT observations will probe the variability of the jet structure on microarcsecond scales, while simultaneous multiwavelength monitoring will provide insight into the high-energy emission origin.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1971

High frequency electromagnetic response of the moon

It is shown that the contribution of higher harmonics to the lunar transfer functions for the tangential components of the surface magnetic field is significant at frequencies greater than 0.01 Hz. The inclusion of the higher harmonics shows that there are two distinct transfer functions corresponding to the components of the tangential surface magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to the direction of the wave vector of the external disturbance forcing the lunar induction. The dependences of these transfer functions on frequency and location are determined. The effects of the higher harmonics can: (1) account for a hitherto unexplained feature in the Apollo 12-Explorer 35 transfer functions, namely the rolloff at high frequencies; and (2) offer a possible explanation for the frequency dependence of the difference between the transfer functions for the two orthogonal components of the surface magnetic field. The harmonic response of a simple current layer model of the moon is derived.

Schubert, G.↗