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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

Implications of the correlation between bulge-to-total baryonic mass ratio and the number of satellites for SAGA galaxies

We searched for correlations between the number of satellites and fundamental galactic properties for the Milky Way-like host galaxies in order to better understand their diverse satellite populations. We specifically aim to understand why galaxies that are very similar in stellar mass content, star formation rate, and local environment have very different numbers of satellites. Deep and extensive spectroscopic observations are needed to characterize the complete satellite luminosity function beyond the Local Group. One such endeavor is an ongoing Satellites of Galactic Analogs (SAGA) spectroscopic survey that has completed spectroscopic observations of 36 Milky Way-like galaxies within their virial radii down to the luminosity of Leo I dwarf galaxy. We correlated the number of satellites of SAGA galaxies with several fundamental properties of their hosts – including total specific angular momentum, which is considered to be well preserved throughout galaxy lifetime – in an attempt to identify the main driver of their diverse satellite populations. We aim to reveal some intrinsic galactic property decisive in making more or less satellites irrespective of baryonic mass or the environment in which galaxies reside. We modeled Spitzer Heritage Archive images of SAGA host galaxies at 3.6 and 4.5 microns with GALFIT code to obtain their stellar masses. We also searched the Extragalactic Database for information on their gas content and rotation velocities. Empirical correlations, like the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation and the stellar mass–size relation were used to exclude outliers. All the available galactic properties from the literature along with measured stellar masses were correlated with the number of satellites and no significant correlation was found. However, when we considered the “expected” number of satellites based on the correlation between the baryonic bulge-to-total ratio and the number of satellites confirmed for several nearby galaxies then strong correlations emerge between this number and (1) the mass of the bulge, and (2) the total specific angular momentum. The first correlation is positive, implying that galaxies with more massive bulges have more satellites, as already confirmed. Furthermore, the second correlation with the angular momentum is negative, meaning that, the smaller the angular momentum, the greater the number of expected satellites. This would imply that either satellites cannot form if galaxy angular momentum is too high, or that satellites form inside-out, so that angular momentum is being transferred to the outer parts of the galaxies. However, deeper spectroscopic observations are needed to confirm these findings, because they rely on the expected rather than detected number of satellites. There was a luminosity limit to the SAGA survey equivalent to the luminosity of Leo I dwarf satellite of the Milky Way galaxy (the SAGA limit). In particular, correlations found in this work are very susceptible to the total number of satellites of the NGC 4158 galaxy. This galaxy is predicted to have many more satellites than detected up to the SAGA limit.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

From the inner to outer Milky Way: a photometric sample of 2.6 million red clump stars

ABSTRACT Large pristine samples of red clump stars are highly sought after given that they are standard candles and give precise distances even at large distances. However, it is difficult to cleanly select red clumps stars because they can have the same Teff and log g as red giant branch stars. Recently, it was shown that the asteroseismic parameters, $\rm {\Delta }$P and $\rm {\Delta \nu }$, which are used to accurately select red clump stars, can be derived from spectra using the change in the surface carbon to nitrogen ratio ([C/N]) caused by mixing during the red giant branch. This change in [C/N] can also impact the spectral energy distribution. In this study, we predict the $\rm {\Delta }$P, $\rm {\Delta \nu }$, Teff, and log g using 2MASS, AllWISE, Gaia, and Pan-STARRS data in order to select a clean sample of red clump stars. We achieve a contamination rate of ∼20 per cent, equivalent to what is achieved when selecting from Teff and log g derived from low-resolution spectra. Finally, we present two red clump samples. One sample has a contamination rate of ∼20 per cent and ∼405 000 red clump stars. The other has a contamination of ∼33 per cent and ∼2.6 million red clump stars that includes ∼75 000 stars at distances >10 kpc. For |b| > 30 deg, we find ∼15 000 stars with contamination rate of ∼9 per cent. The scientific potential of this catalogue for studying the structure and formation history of the Galaxy is vast, given that it includes millions of precise distances to stars in the inner bulge and distant halo where astrometric distances are imprecise.

Lucey, Madeline↗

Changes in the Regional Water Cycle and Their Impact on Societies

ABSTRACT Changes in “blue water”, which is the total supply of fresh water available for human extraction over land, are quite closely related to changes in runoff or equivalently precipitation minus evaporation, . This article examines how climate change‐driven recent past and future changes in the regional water cycle relate to blue water availability and changes in human blue water demand. Although at the largest scales theoretical and numerical model predictions are in broad agreement with observations, at continental scales and below models predict large ranges of possible future and runoff especially at the scale of individual river catchments and for shorter timescale subseasonal floods and droughts. Nevertheless, it is expected that the occurrence and severity of floods will increase and that of droughts may increase, possibly compounded by human‐driven non‐climatic changes such as changes in land use, dam water impoundment, irrigation and extraction of groundwater. Contemporary assessments predict that increases in 21st century human water extraction in many highly‐populated regions are unlikely to be sustainable given projections of future . To reduce uncertainty in future predictions, there is an urgent need to improve modeling of atmospheric, land surface and human processes and how these components are coupled. This should be supported by maintaining the observing network and expanding it to improve measurements of land surface, oceanic and atmospheric variables. This includes the development of satellite observations stable over multiple decades and suitable for building reanalysis datasets appropriate for model evaluation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

First-principles theory of the rate of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheric and solar plasmas

Abstract The rate of magnetic reconnection is of the utmost importance in a variety of processes because it controls, for example, the rate energy is released in solar flares, the speed of the Dungey convection cycle in Earth’s magnetosphere, and the energy release rate in harmful geomagnetic substorms. It is known from numerical simulations and satellite observations that the rate is approximately 0.1 in normalized units, but despite years of effort, a full theoretical prediction has not been obtained. Here, we present a first-principles theory for the reconnection rate in non-relativistic electron-ion collisionless plasmas, and show that the same prediction explains why Sweet-Parker reconnection is considerably slower. The key consideration of this analysis is the pressure at the reconnection site (i.e., the x-line). We show that the Hall electromagnetic fields in antiparallel reconnection cause an energy void, equivalently a pressure depletion, at the x-line, so the reconnection exhaust opens out, enabling the fast rate of 0.1. If the energy can reach the x-line to replenish the pressure, the exhaust does not open out. In addition to heliospheric applications, these results are expected to impact reconnection studies in planetary magnetospheres, magnetically confined fusion devices, and astrophysical plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Boundary condition effects on runaway electron mitigation coil modeling for the SPARC and DIII-D tokamaks

Abstract Extended-MHD modeling of planned Runaway Electron Mitigation Coils (REMC) for SPARC and DIII-D is performed with the NIMROD code. A coil has been designed for each machine, with the two differing in shape and location, but both having n = 1 symmetry (with n the toroidal mode number). Compared to previous modeling efforts, three improvements are made to the simulations boundary conditions. First a resistive wall model is used in place of an ideal wall. Second, the ThinCurr code is used to compute the time-dependent 3D fields used as magnetic boundary conditions for the simulations. Third, the simulation boundary is moved from the first-wall location to the Vacuum Vessel (VV), which extends the boundary past the location of the internal REMC. To remove the 3D coil from the simulation domain, an equivalent set of 3D fields is calculated at the VV boundary that produce approximately the same field distribution at the last closed flux surface assuming vacuum between the two. Each of these three boundary condition improvements leads to an improvement in the predicted performance of the REMC for both machines. The resistive wall alone primarily effects the resonance of the coil with the plasma after the TQ, affecting the q-profile evolution in the SPARC modeling, and allowing the applied spectrum to be modified in response to the plasma in the DIII-D modeling. The movement of the simulation boundary has the most significant effect on the RE confinement overall, including in the early stages, particularly for a DIII-D inner wall limited equilibrium, where the RE loss fraction increases from 90% to > 99%, with SPARC RE losses also occurring much earlier when the boundary is placed at the VV.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Finite-Difference Simulation for Infrasound Generated by Finite-Extent Ground Motions

Underground explosions can produce infrasound in the atmosphere, and the wavefield characteristics are often governed by the ground surface motions. Finite-difference methods are popular for infrasound simulation as their generality and robustness allow for complex atmospheric structures and surface topography. A simple point-source approximation is often used because infrasound wavelengths tend to be large relative to the source dimensions. However, this assumption may not be able to capture the complexity of explosion-induced ground motions if the surface area is not compact, and appropriate source models must be incorporated into the finite-difference simulations for accurate infrasound prediction. In this study, we develop a point source representation of the complex ground motions for infrasound sources. Instead of a single point source, we use a series of point sources distributed over the source area. These distributed point sources can be equivalent to air volume changes produced by the ground motions in the atmosphere. Further, we apply the distributed point-source method to a series of buried chemical explosions conducted during the Source Physics Experiment Phase I. Epicentral ground-motion measurements during the experiments provide a way to calculate accurate distributed point sources. We validate and evaluate the accuracy of distributed point source approach for infrasound simulations by direct comparison with acoustic observations in the field experiment.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Colossal switchable photocurrents in topological Janus transition metal dichalcogenides

Nonlinear optical properties, such as bulk photovoltaic effects, possess great potential in energy harvesting, photodetection, rectification, etc. To enable efficient light–current conversion, materials with strong photo-responsivity are highly desirable. In this work, we predict that monolayer Janus transition metal dichalcogenides (JTMDs) in the 1T' phase possess colossal nonlinear photoconductivity owing to their topological band mixing, strong inversion symmetry breaking, and small electronic bandgap. 1T'JTMDs have inverted bandgaps on the order of 10 meV and are exceptionally responsive to light in the terahertz (THz) range. By first-principles calculations, we reveal that 1T' JTMDs possess shift current (SC) conductivity as large as 2300 nm μA V -2 , equivalent to a photo-responsivity of 2800 mA/W. The circular current (CC) conductivity of 1T' JTMDs is as large as ~10 4 nm μA V -2 . These remarkable photo-responsivities indicate that the 1T' JTMDs can serve as efficient photodetectors in the THz range. We also find that external stimuli such as the in-plane strain and out-of-plane electric field can induce topological phase transitions in 1T' JTMDs and that the SC can abruptly flip their directions. The abrupt change of the nonlinear photocurrent can be used to characterize the topological transition and has potential applications in 2D optomechanics and nonlinear optoelectronics.

Chemistry↗

Reduced chemical kinetic model for CH 4 -air non-premixed flames including excited and charged species

Electric fields can impact small laminar flames by changing their shape and overall behavior by acting on charged species produced in combustion. However, no reduced chemical kinetic model has been developed considering both major species and minor species related to flame characterization and flame behavior in the presence of an electric field. Here, this study presents a reduced chemical kinetic model for methane-air combustion which includes minor excited species (CH*and OH*) and charged species (H 3 O + , HCO + , C 2 H 3 O + , CH 5 O + , O$_{2}^{–}$, OH – , e – , CO$_{3}^{–}$, CHO$_{2}^{–}$, O – , CHO$_{3}^{–}$). The results employing the reduced chemistry model have been validated for a two-dimensional flame geometry by comparison with (i) detailed chemistry simulation results for species location and peak values, and (ii) experimental CH* chemiluminescence location, considering the self-repulsion of charges yet without externally applied electric field to the flame. This reduced chemical kinetic model, with 45 species and 216 reactions, shows a computational demand one-third that of employing its equivalent detailed chemistry (83 species and 394 reactions). The reduction is modest but significant considering that high fidelity is needed to capture the behavior of the chemi-ion and chemiluminescent species. Future works will involve the use of this model for simulations predicting flame behavior with applied electric field (i.e., field strength ≠0 kV/cm).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

RSPECT: A PROSPECT-based model incorporating the real structure of rice leaves

Radiative transfer models (RTMs) describe how light is absorbed, scattered, and transmitted within leaves by simulating mechanistic light propagation processes. The PROSPECT model is based on measurable parameters (the leaf biochemical content) and a non-measurable parameter (the leaf anatomical structure represented by the leaf structure parameter (N)). The effect of N on the optical properties of leaves has been investigated through a number of local and global sensitivity analyses. Other studies have directly evaluated the effect of the leaf anatomical structure on spectral reflectance, particularly in the near infrared region. However, the relationship between N and the anatomical structure is unclear. Here, in this study, we leveraged eLeaf, a ray tracing-based 3D rice leaf simulator, to establish relationships between leaf anatomical features and spectral properties, enabling us to replace N in the PROSPECT-4 model with measurable leaf anatomical parameters and develop the RSPECT model. The leaf thickness at minor vein, leaf thickness at bulliform cells, mesophyll thickness at minor vein, and distance between two minor veins could be used to predict N effectively. The RSPECT model achieved spectral simulation accuracy comparable to PROSPECT-4 and was more suitable for parameter inversion of the physical and chemical properties of rice leaves, with relative root mean square errors of 7.4% for chlorophyll content, 5.6% for equivalent water thickness, and 7.5% for dry matter content. In conclusion, RSPECT improves radiative transfer modeling by integrating measurable anatomical features and provides a framework for extending this approach to other vegetation types.

hyperspectral↗

Identification of Acoustic Wave Signatures in the Ionosphere From Conventional Surface Explosions Using MF/HF Doppler Sounding

Here, we present an experiment to detect one ton TNT-equivalent chemical explosions using pulsed Doppler radar observations of isodensity layers in the ionospheric E region during two campaigns. The first campaign, conducted on 15 October 2019, produced potential detections of all three shots. The detections closely resemble the temporal and spectral properties predicted using the InfraGA ray tracing and weakly nonlinear waveform propagation model. Here the model predicts that within 6.5–7.25 min of each shot a waveform peaking between 0.9 and 0.4 Hz will impact the ionosphere at 100 km. As the waves pass through this region, they will imprint their signal on an isodensity layer, which is detectable using a Doppler radar operating at the plasma frequency of the isodensity. Within the time windows of each of the three shots in the first campaign, we detect enhanced wave activity peaking near 0.5 Hz. These waves were imprinted on the Doppler signal probing an isodensity layer at 2.785 MHz near 100 km altitude. Despite these detections, the method appears to be unreliable as none of the six shots from the second campaign, conducted on 10 July 2020 were detected. The observations from this campaign were characterized by an increased acoustic noise environment in the microbarom band and persistent scintillation on the radar returns. These effects obscured any detectable signal from these shots and the baseline noise was well above the detection levels of the first campaign.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Treating random sequential addition via the replica method

While many physical processes are non-equilibrium in nature, the theory and modeling of such phenomena lag behind theoretical treatments of equilibrium systems. The diversity of powerful theoretical tools available to describe equilibrium systems has inspired strategies that map non-equilibrium systems onto equivalent equilibrium analogs so that interrogation with standard statistical mechanical approaches is possible. In this work, we revisit the mapping from the non-equilibrium random sequential addition process onto an equilibrium multi-component mixture via the replica method, allowing for theoretical predictions of non-equilibrium structural quantities. We validate the above approach by comparing the theoretical predictions to numerical simulations of random sequential addition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Bond Wire Damage Detection and SOH Estimation of a Dual Pack IGBT Power Module using Active Power Cycling and Reflectometry

High thermal and electrical stress, over a period of time tends to cause deterioration of the health of power electronic switches. A huge fraction of research efforts involves the study of power electronic device reliability and development of novel techniques with higher accuracy in health estimation of such devices. Until today, no other existing techniques can determine the number of lifted bond wires and their locations in a live IGBT module. Through this paper, a new method for online condition monitoring of IGBTs and IGBT modules using SSTDR has been proposed. Unlike traditional methods, this research work concentrates at the gate terminals of the device instead of looking at the collector side. In addition, the RL-equivalent circuit to represent a bond wire has been developed for the DUT and simulated in CST Studio Suite to measure the reflection amplitudes. Both the experimental and simulation results have been compared. These results prove that a single measurement is sufficient to predict the failure of the device instead of looking at the traditional precursor parameter. With only two sets of measurements, it is possible to locate the aged device inside a module and detect the number of bond wire lift offs associated to that device.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Fuel Stratification Influence on NO x Emission in a Premixed Axial Reacting Jet-in-Crossflow at High Pressure

Three reacting jet-in-crossflow (JiC) methane/air flames were numerically investigated in a lean axially staged combustor at a pressure of five atmospheres. A detailed chemistry Star-CCM+ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used with 53 species considered and the result of turbulence-governed finite-rate modeling was validated with in-house experimental data. An optically accessible test section features three side windows, allowing local flow and flame analysis with particle image velocimetry (PIV) and CH* chemiluminescence as well as pressure, temperature, and species exit measurements. The research objective was to predict and verify NO x formation of the premixed 12.7 mm axial jet. Three headend temperature levels were investigated along with three premixed jets at lean (φ Jet = 0.75), near-stoichiometric (φ Jet = 1.07), and rich (φ Jet = 1.78) axial fuel line equivalence ratio. Based on the matching exit emission concentration, global emission benefits were investigated by adjustment of the fuel stratification. The perfectly premixed methane/air flames of this study were shown to ignite at the lee-side of the jet. For the elevated headend temperature level T = 1800 K, the flame extended beyond the windward jet trajectory and caused high axial NO production. For industry application, a firing temperature of 1920 K was achieved with a NO x optimized fuel split of 25%, combining a lean headend (φ Headend = 0.61) with a rich (φ Jet = 1.78) jet equivalence ratio. As a result, this operating point allowed minimization of the combustor residence time at temperatures above 1700 K as well as combustion in a compact flame at the jet lee-side along the counter rotating vortex pair.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Data-Driven Optimization of the Processing Window for 316H Components Fabricated Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Program is focused on accelerating the development and deployment of advanced materials and components fabricated via additive manufacturing with a specific focus on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). As an initial case study, the program has selected 316H stainless steel (SS) as an initial material around which to develop a code case development strategy. This strategy involves two parallel approaches: (1) an equivalency approach whereby round-robin testing across multiple collaborating laboratories demonstrates repeatability in processing and direct comparisons with conventional wrought 316H material and (2) a revolutionary approach to code qualification combining in situ data collection and high-fidelity modeling to capture, predict, and bound the performance of LPBF 316HSS components. As part of this campaign, this work package has initiated an extensive process optimization campaign across three laboratories, each printing variations of LPBF 316HSS using three different LPBF units (Concept Laser, EOS, and Renishaw). In FY23, ORNL has focused on unique experimental designs spanning wide ranges in energy inputs and turning knobs such as scan speed, laser power, hatch spacing, layer thickness, spot size, scan rotation, and more. On the Concept Laser M2, 72 different combinations of processing variables were investigated with duplicate samples and different powder compositions. In total, 252 samples were printed with combined in situ sensing data. A parallel design of experiments was conducted on the Renishaw AM400 with an additional 390 printed specimens for analysis. All 642 miniature specimens, each with unique features included in each print to capture geometry-related heterogeneity, were subjected to high-throughput x-ray computed tomography (XCT) analysis to enable the downselection of specific processing parameters of interest. Then, using electrical discharge machining (EDM), miniature tensile specimens were extracted for mechanical testing and microscopy investigations. From the analysis performed in FY23, it was found that powder composition drastically affects the resulting microstructure and mechanical performance of 316SS. Specifically, changing from 316L to 316HSS powder results in a wide range of grain sizes with varying degrees of preferred grain orientation, which increases as a function of energy density. It was also found that due to stored heat in thin fin–type features, large microstructural differences can be seen within one part printed with one set of processing parameters. These variations in microstructure features, including grain size, the nanoscale dislocation structure, and grain texture, will all affect the irradiation performance and high-temperature mechanical performance of LPBF 316HSS parts. Two sets of concept laser processing parameters, spanning both refined and columnar grain structures, were scaled to print larger 316H builds for campaign testing (high-temperature creep and irradiation). In addition, at least two optimized processing parameter sets were identified for the Renishaw AM400 for round-robin testing in FY24 with Argonne National Laboratory. Future work includes printing samples using identical parameters identified by partner institutions, providing material for corrosion and high-temperature mechanical testing, and continuing evaluations of heterogeneity in larger printed parts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Data-Driven Optimization of the Processing Window for 316H Components Fabricated Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Program is focused on accelerating the development and deployment of advanced materials and components fabricated via additive manufacturing with a specific focus on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). As an initial case study, the program has selected 316H stainless steel (SS) as an initial material around which to develop a code case development strategy. This strategy involves two parallel approaches: (1) an equivalency approach whereby round-robin testing across multiple collaborating laboratories demonstrates repeatability in processing and direct comparisons with conventional wrought 316H material and (2) a revolutionary approach to code qualification combining in situ data collection and high-fidelity modeling to capture, predict, and bound the performance of LPBF 316HSS components. As part of this campaign, this work package has initiated an extensive process optimization campaign across three laboratories, each printing variations of LPBF 316HSS using three different LPBF units (Concept Laser, EOS, and Renishaw). In FY23, ORNL has focused on unique experimental designs spanning wide ranges in energy inputs and turning knobs such as scan speed, laser power, hatch spacing, layer thickness, spot size, scan rotation, and more. On the Concept Laser M2, 72 different combinations of processing variables were investigated with duplicate samples and different powder compositions. In total, 252 samples were printed with combined in situ sensing data. A parallel design of experiments was conducted on the Renishaw AM400 with an additional 390 printed specimens for analysis. All 642 miniature specimens, each with unique features included in each print to capture geometry-related heterogeneity, were subjected to high-throughput x-ray computed tomography (XCT) analysis to enable the downselection of specific processing parameters of interest. Then, using electrical discharge machining (EDM), miniature tensile specimens were extracted for mechanical testing and microscopy investigations. From the analysis performed in FY23, it was found that powder composition drastically affects the resulting microstructure and mechanical performance of 316SS. Specifically, changing from 316L to 316HSS powder results in a wide range of grain sizes with varying degrees of preferred grain orientation, which increases as a function of energy density. It was also found that due to stored heat in thin fin–type features, large microstructural differences can be seen within one part printed with one set of processing parameters. These variations in microstructure features, including grain size, the nanoscale dislocation structure, and grain texture, will all affect the irradiation performance and high-temperature mechanical performance of LPBF 316HSS parts. Two sets of concept laser processing parameters, spanning both refined and columnar grain structures, were scaled to print larger 316H builds for campaign testing (high-temperature creep and irradiation). In addition, at least two optimized processing parameter sets were identified for the Renishaw AM400 for round-robin testing in FY24 with Argonne National Laboratory. Future work includes printing samples using identical parameters identified by partner institutions, providing material for corrosion and high-temperature mechanical testing, and continuing evaluations of heterogeneity in larger printed parts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Northern Hemisphere Snow Drought in Earth System Model Simulations and ERA5‐Land Data in 1980–2014

Abstract Low snow levels over the past few decades and predictions of a low‐to‐no snow future have spurred research into snow droughts, which pose a threat to water security and management. Systematic data‐model comparisons of snow drought have been lacking, hindering our understanding of the drivers of snow drought in the past. To address this gap, we analyzed snow drought events using standardized snow water equivalent index derived from monthly results of four numerical experiments using the E3SM Land Model (ELM) and ERA5‐Land data during the period of 1980–2014. Additionally, we compared snow drought duration calculated from models with those from the ERA5‐Land data during selected El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years. The numerical experiments were conducted with ELM driven by two prescribed atmospheric forcings, and with the coupled land‐atmosphere configuration of E3SM with and without plant hydraulics scheme feedback. Analysis reveals that 20%–30% of snow droughts occur due to factors other than above‐normal temperature and low snowfall, such as low soil moisture, warm soil temperature, and low relative humidity, etc., especially in high latitudes (50° North). Furthermore, our study highlights the exacerbating effect of ENSO events on snow drought conditions in various regions, despite some discrepancies between model and ERA5‐Land results. We also identified limitations of the coupled land‐atmosphere models in our current configuration in capturing the spatial patterns of snow droughts. This study underscores the challenge of predicting and mitigating snow drought and the need for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to snow drought.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The Near-infrared Spectrum of the Nuclear Star Cluster: Looking below the Tip of the Iceberg, and Comparisons with Extragalactic Nuclei

Long-slit near-infrared (NIR) spectra of the Galactic nuclear star cluster (NSC) are discussed. The spectra sample the major axis of the NSC out to its half-light radius. The absorption spectrum of the central regions of the NSC is averaged over angular scales of tens of arc seconds in order to sample globular cluster-like total luminosities, and the results are compared with model spectra. The equivalent widths of Na i2.21 μm and Ca 2.26 μm outside of the center of the NSC, where light from nuclear bulge stars contributes a large fraction to the total flux, are consistent with solar chemical mixtures. In contrast, the equivalent widths of Na i2.21 μm and Ca i2.26 μm near the center of the NSC are larger than expected from models with solar chemical mixtures, even after light from the brightest evolved stars is removed. The depths of spectroscopic features changing along the major axis of the NSC are consistent with imaging studies that have found evidence of population gradients in the NSC. That Na i2.21 μm and Ca i2.26 μm are deeper than predicted for solar chemical mixtures over a range of evolutionary states is consistent with previous studies that find that the majority of stars near the center of the NSC formed from material that had nonsolar chemical mixtures. The depths of the Na i2.21 μm and Ca i2.26 μm features in the central regions of the NSC are comparable to those in the nuclear spectrum of the early-type Virgo disk galaxy NGC 4491, and are deeper than in the central spectra of NGC 253 and 7793. A spectrum of nebular emission and the youngest stars near the galactic center is also extracted. The equivalent widths of emission features in the extracted NIR spectrum are similar to those in the nuclear spectrum of NGC 253, and it is argued that this agreement is best achieved if the current episode of star formation near the center of the NSC has been in progress for at least a few megayears.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Cast and Wrought CF8C-Plus Relevant to ASME Code Case Qualification

The mechanical behavior of a cast form of an advanced austenitic stainless steel, CF8C-Plus, is compared with that of its wrought equivalent in terms of both tensile and creep-rupture properties and estimated allowable stress values for pressurized service at temperatures up to about 850°C. A traditional Larson-Miller parametric model is used to analyze the creep-rupture data and to predict long-term lifetimes for comparison of the two alloy types. The cast CF8C-Plus exhibited lower yield and tensile strengths, but higher creep strength compared to its wrought counterpart. Two welding methods, shielded-metal-arc welding (SMAW) and gas-metal-arc welding, met the weld qualification acceptance criteria in ASME BPVC Section IX for the cast CF8C-Plus. However, for the wrought CF8C-Plus, while SMAW and gas-tungsten-arc welding passed the tensile acceptance criteria, they failed the side bend tests due to lack of fusion or weld metal discontinuities.

Chen, Xiang↗