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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Neutron Grating Interferometry at the High Flux Isotope Reactor

Neutron imaging is a non-destructive probe that can spatially resolve bulk materials’ internal features/structures. Neutron imaging spatial resolution is driven by detector technology, i.e., pixel size, and is currently on the order of 10–20 µm. This limitation can be alleviated by the use of neutron grating interferometry – an advanced neutron imaging technique – that enables simultaneous access to three contrast mechanisms: attenuation, differential phase, and small-angle neutron scattering. Recently, a Talbot-Lau neutron grating interferometry has been implemented at the Multimodal Advanced Radiography Station at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. In this work, the design, setup and performance of the grating apparatus are presented.

Zhang, Yuxuan [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000200831408)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ground calibration plan for the Athena/X-IFU microcalorimeter spectrometer

The X-ray Integral Field Unit is the X-ray imaging spectrometer on board one of ESA’s next large missions, Athena. Athena is set to investigate the theme of the Hot and Energetic Universe, with a launch planned in the late-2030s. Based on a high-sensitivity transition edge sensor (TES) detector array operated at very low temperature (50 mK), X-IFU will provide spatially resolved high-resolution spectroscopy of the X-ray sky in the 0.2 to 12 keV energy band, with an energy resolution goal of 4 eV up to 7 keV [3 eV design goal]. This work presents the current calibration plan of the X-IFU. It provides the requirements applicable to the X-IFU calibration, describes the overall calibration strategy, and details the procedure and sources needed for the ground calibration of each parameter or characteristics of the X-IFU.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pandora-based muon neutrino disappearance search in the SBN program with 1muonNp quasi-elastic like channel

The Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab aims to perform a definitive search for light sterile neutrinos using multiple liquid argon time projection chamber detectors. We present the status of an analysis of muon neutrino charged-current interactions in two SBN detectors (SBND and ICARUS), selecting fully contained events with one muon and at least one proton in the final state, inspired by the recent ICARUS standalone results. This topology-driven selection reduces dependence on neutrino interaction cross-section modeling while preserving high statistics and good neutrino energy resolution, enabled by robust reconstruction and particle identification. Fully contained events enable precise kinematic reconstruction and support relative measurements between detectors, directly addressing the core goals of the SBN program. A detailed evaluation of systematic uncertainties is currently underway, with the objective of reducing the dominant systematics to the percent level. The current status of this analysis, with a particular focus on the event selection performance, will be presented in this poster.

Artero Pons, Maria [Padua U.; INFN, Padua]↗
DOE OSTI2023

Self-powered perovskite photon-counting detectors

Metal-halide perovskites (MHPs) have been successfully exploited for converting photons to charges or vice versa in applications of solar cells, light-emitting diodes and solar fuels for which all these applications involve strong light. Here we show that self-powered polycrystalline perovskite photodetectors can rival the commercial silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for photon counting. The photon-counting capability of perovskite photon-counting detectors (PCDs) is mainly determined by shallow traps, despite that deep traps also limit charge-collection efficiency. Two shallow traps with energy depth of 5.8 ± 0.8 millielectronvolts (meV) and 57.2 ± 0.1 meV are identified in polycrystalline methylammonium lead triiodide, which mainly stay at grain boundaries and the surface, respectively. We show that these shallow traps can be reduced by grain-size enhancement and surface passivation using diphenyl sulfide, respectively. It greatly suppresses dark count rate (DCR) from >20,000 counts per second per square millimetre (cps mm –2 ) to 2 cps mm –2 at room temperature, enabling much better response to weak light than SiPMs. The perovskite PCDs can collect γ-ray spectra with better energy resolution than SiPMs and maintain performance at high temperatures up to 85 °C. The zero-bias operation of perovskite detectors enables no drift of noise and detection property. Finally, this study opens a new application of photon counting for perovskites that uses their unique defect properties.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Recoil imaging for dark matter, neutrinos, and physics beyond the Standard Model

Recoil imaging entails the detection of spatially resolved ionization tracks generated by particle interactions. This is a highly sought-after capability in many classes of detector, with broad applications across particle and astroparticle physics. However, at low energies, where ionization signatures are small in size, recoil imaging only seems to be a practical goal for micro-pattern gas detectors. This white paper outlines the physics case for recoil imaging, and puts forward a decadal plan to advance towards the directional detection of low-energy recoils with sensitivity and resolution close to fundamental performance limits. The science case covered includes: the discovery of dark matter into the neutrino fog, directional detection of sub-MeV solar neutrinos, the precision study of coherent-elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering, the detection of solar axions, the measurement of the Migdal effect, X-ray polarimetry, and several other applied physics goals. We also outline the R&D programs necessary to test concepts that are crucial to advance detector performance towards their fundamental limit: single primary electron sensitivity with full 3D spatial resolution at the $\sim$100 micron-scale. These advancements include: the use of negative ion drift, electron counting with high-definition electronic readout, time projection chambers with optical readout, and the possibility for nuclear recoil tracking in high-density gases such as argon. We also discuss the readout and electronics systems needed to scale-up such detectors to the ton-scale and beyond.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Detailed Characterization of CZT Detector Response for Improved Coded-Aperture Imaging Performance

Gamma-ray imaging is a powerful method for locating and quantifying sources of radiation. The coded-aperture technique demonstrates superior angular resolution in comparison to other methods (e.g., Compton reconstruction). In this method, a mask constructed of highly attenuating material encodes the scene as a shadow pattern on a position-sensitive detector; this pattern can then be used to recreate the origin(s) of incident radiation. This is typically done through convolution of the mask and shadow patterns. Iterative methods which attempt to reconstruct the observed shadow pattern using a weighted combination of simulated patterns may also be employed. In either case, errors in event position reconstruction due to detector imperfections alter the shadow pattern and will therefore degrade system performance and may introduce imaging artifacts. These effects can be mitigated with a detailed understanding of such errors – allowing for the generation of representative simulations that include the errors and/or correction of raw imager data to remove the errors. We present a calibration process for a commercially available cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) gamma imager which provides a comprehensive characterization of the spatial and energy dependence of event reconstruction. By illuminating a mask featuring a regular grid of pinholes with a calibration source, the localized response of the detector can be measured with fine granularity. These local responses are combined to generate a full detector response map which can be used to distort simulations in a manner that is representative of the observed detector data. Details of the calibration procedure and an assessment of the impact of its end products on the performance of iterative imaging methods will be presented.

Ziock, Klaus-Peter↗
DOE OSTI2024

Performances of a new generation tracking detector: the MEG II cylindrical drift chamber

Abstract The cylindrical drift chamber is the most innovative part of the MEG II detector, the upgraded version of the MEG experiment. The MEG II chamber differs from the MEG one because it is a single volume cylindrical structure, instead of a segmented one, chosen to improve its resolutions and efficiency in detecting low energy positrons from muon decays at rest. In this paper, we show the characteristics and performances of this fundamental part of the MEG II apparatus and we discuss the impact of its higher resolution and efficiency on the sensitivity of the MEG II experiment. Because of its innovative structure and high quality resolution and efficiency the MEG II cylindrical drift chamber will be a cornerstone in the development of an ideal tracking detector for future positron-electron collider machines.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Count Rate Optimizations for TES Detectors at a Femtosecond X-ray Laser

Transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters have found success as X-ray detectors at synchrotron light-sources, due to a unique combination of high collecting area and good energy resolution. However, the upcoming generation of free-electron lasers (FELs), such as the Linac Coherent Light Source II, is designed to deliver more than 10 10 photons in a 100 fs pulse at a 100 kHz rate, potentially leading to severe pulse-pileup issues. Here we will demonstrate that, for most relevant science cases, it is possible to mitigate pulse pile-up using simple X-ray filters in a way that takes advantage of the substantial increase in X-ray flux at modern FELs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Single-pulse (100 ps) extended x-ray absorption fine structure capability at the Dynamic Compression Sector

Determining real-time changes in the local atomistic order is important for a mechanistic understanding of shock wave induced structural and chemical changes. However, the single event and short duration (nanosecond times) nature of shock experiments pose challenges in obtaining Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) measurements - typically used for monitoring local order changes. Here, we report on a new single pulse (~100 ps duration) transmission geometry EXAFS capability for use in laser shock-compression experiments at the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS), Advanced Photon Source. We used a flat plate of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) as the spectrometer element to energy disperse x-rays transmitted through the sample. It provided high efficiency with approximately 15% of the x-rays incident on the HOPG reaching an x-ray area detector with high quantum efficiency. This combination resulted in good signal-to-noise ratio (~10 3 ), energy resolution of ~10 eV at 10 keV, EXAFS spectra covering 100s of eV, and good pulse to pulse reproducibility of our single pulse measurements. Ambient EXAFS spectra for Cu and Au are compared to reference spectra, validating our measurement system. Comparison of single pulse EXAFS results for ambient and laser shocked Ge(100) shows large changes to the local structure of the short lived state of shocked Ge. The current DCS EXAFS capability can be used to perform single pulse measurements in laser shocked materials from approximately 9-13 keV. These EXAFS developments will be available to all users of the DCS.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

EXPANSE: A time-of-flight EXPanded Angle Neutron Spin Echo spectrometer at the Second Target Station of the Spallation Neutron Source

EXPANSE, an EXPanded Angle Neutron Spin Echo instrument, has been proposed and selected as one of the first suite of instruments to be built at the Second Target Station of the Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This instrument is designed to address scientific problems that involve high-energy resolution (neV– μeV) of dynamic processes in a wide range of materials. The wide-angle detector banks of EXPANSE provide coverage of nearly two orders of magnitude in scattering wavenumbers, and the wide wavelength band affords approximately four orders of magnitude in Fourier times. This instrument will offer unique capabilities that are not available in the currently existing neutron scattering instruments in the United States. Specifically, EXPANSE will enable direct measurements of slow dynamics in the time domain over wide Q-ranges simultaneously and will also enable time-resolved spectroscopic studies. The instrument is expected to contribute to a diverse range of science areas, including soft matter, polymers, biological materials, liquids and glasses, energy materials, unconventional magnets, and quantum materials.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Charge trapping correction and energy performance of the Majorana Demonstrator

P-type point contact (PPC) high-purity germanium detectors are an important technology in astroparticle and nuclear physics due to their superb energy resolution, low noise, and pulse shape discrimination capabilities. Analysis of data from the Majorana Demonstrator, a neutrinoless double-β decay experiment deploying PPC detectors enriched in 76 Ge, has led to several novel improvements in the analysis of PPC signals. Here, in this work we discuss charge trapping in PPC detectors and its effect on energy resolution. Small dislocations or impurities in the crystal lattice result in trapping of charge carriers from an ionization event of interest, attenuating the signal, and degrading the measured energy. We present a modified digital pole-zero correction to the signal energy estimation that counters the effects of charge trapping and improves the energy resolution of the Majorana Demonstrator by approximately 30 % to around 2.4 keV full width at half-maximum at 2039 keV, the 76 Ge Q value. An alternative approach achieving similar resolution enhancement is also presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Algorithm-Driven Advances for Scientific CT Instruments: From model-based to deep learning-based approaches

Multiscale 3D characterization is widely used by materials scientists to further their understanding of the relationships between microscopic structure and macroscopic function. Scientific computed tomography (SCT) instruments are one of the most popular choices for 3D nondestructive characterization of materials at length scales ranging from the angstrom scale to the micron scale. These instruments typically have a source of radiation (such as electrons, X-rays, or neutrons) that interacts with the sample to be studied and a detector assembly to capture the result of this interaction (see Figure 1 ). A collection of such high-resolution measurements is made by reorienting the sample, which is mounted on a specially designed stage/holder after which reconstruction algorithms are used to produce the final 3D volume of interest. The specific choice of which instrument to use depends on the desired resolution and properties of the materials being imaged. Additionally, the end goal of SCT scans includes determining the morphology, chemical composition, or dynamic behavior of materials when subjected to external stimuli. In summary, SCT instruments are powerful tools that enable 3D characterization across multiple length scales and play a critical role in furthering the understanding of the structure–function relationships of different materials.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutron Positioning and Geometric Distortion Correction on the SNS SiPM Anger Camera

Neutron Anger cameras are scintillator-based thermal neutron detectors that utilize pixelated photosensors to read out visible light signals and position neutrons accurately They are versatile detectors that can cover large areas for diffraction instruments and offer high efficiency and sub-millimeter spatial resolution. Photomultiplier Tube (PMT) based cameras are installed on three instruments at Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The next generation camera uses Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) instead of PMTs, which allows for a more compact design and higher spatial resolution. In this report, the Gaussian least-squares position fitting method is described in detail, as well as the method used to correct for geometric distortions across the face of the camera. Results from neutron camera tests before and after the distortion correction are shown and the spatial resolution is quantified.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

High-bandwidth frequency domain multiplexed readout of transition-edge sensors for neutrinoless double beta decay searches

The next-generation of cryogenic neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments require increasingly fast readout in order to improve background discrimination. These experiments, operated as cryogenic calorimeters at ∼ 10 mK, are usually read out by high-impedance neutron transmutation doped (NTD) thermistors, which provide good energy resolution, but are limited by ∼ 1 ms response times. Superconducting detectors, such as transition-edge sensors (TESs) with a time resolution of ∼ 100 μs, offer superior timing performance over NTD semiconductor bolometers. To make this technology viable for an application to a thousand or more channels, multiplexed readout is necessary in order to minimize the thermal load and radioactive contamination induced by the readout. Frequency-domain multiplexing readout (fMUX) for TESs, previously developed at Berkeley Lab and McGill University, is currently in use for mm-wave telescopes with detector sampling rates in the order of 100 Hz. We demonstrate a new readout system, based on the McGill/Berkeley digital fMux readout, to satisfy the higher bandwidth and noise requirements of the next generation of TES-instrumented cryogenic calorimeters. Each multiplexing readout module comprises 10 superconducting resonators in the 1–5 MHz range and a DC superconducting quantum interference device (DC-SQUID), interfaced to high-speed field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based electronics for digital signal processing and low-latency SQUID feedback. The new readout samples detectors at 156 kHz, three orders of magnitude faster than its cosmology-oriented predecessor, and demonstrates a stable feedback bandwidth of 3 kHz in a real TES-based system.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Laser-driven high-resolution MeV x-ray tomography

The need for high-resolution MeV x-ray tomography to observe the three-dimensional structure of dense, large-sized objects is rapidly increasing for the non-destructive evaluation of critical additively manufactured parts, national security, and other applications. We report a demonstration of high-resolution MeV computed tomography of a dense, large object with a laser-driven x-ray source. A record detector-limited MeV radiograph resolution of < 200 µm as determined with the Bennett approximation of the point spread function was achieved by irradiating millimeter-thick tungsten targets with 300 TW femtosecond laser pulses at a 0.5 Hz repetition rate. A tungsten alloy step wedge spectrometer indicates that the peak of the x-ray emission is between 1 and 2 MeV, with an endpoint energy of 19 MeV. To illustrate the radiographic imaging capability of the system, a tomographic reconstruction of a nickel superalloy turbine blade ( maximum $ρr$ = 139 g/cm 2 ) with sub-millimeter resolution was performed using 2160 individual radiographs. The small x-ray source size opens the prospect of extremely high-resolution tomographs of large, dense objects. This laser-driven approach has major advantages for non-destructive evaluation.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

The CLAS12 forward electromagnetic calorimeter

The CLAS12 Forward Detector includes six independent lead-scintillator electromagnetic sampling calorimeters to provide the primary electron trigger and extend the CLAS12 detection capability to photons and neutrons. Each calorimeter package consists of two modules, the legacy Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EC) previously used in the CLAS detector, and a new pre-shower calorimeter (PCAL) located in front of the EC to extend the total detector radiation length, in order to fully absorb the electromagnetic showers induced by electrons with energies up to 12 GeV. Both calorimeters use a novel triangular hodoscope geometry with stereo readout. The PCAL uses an upgraded design to provide the high spatial resolution necessary for reconstructing π 0 and η decays, and neutrons with high efficiency. Here, this paper treats the design, construction, and calibration of the PCAL and the preliminary combined performance of both detectors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of low gain avalanche detectors exposed to proton fluences beyond 10 15 n eq cm -2

Abstract Low gain avalanche detectors (LGADs) deliver excellent timing resolution, which can mitigate mis-assignment of vertices associated with pileup at the High Luminosity LHC and other future hadron colliders. The most highly irradiated LGADs will be subject to 2.5 × 10 15 n eq cm -2 of hadronic fluence during HL-LHC operation; their performance must tolerate this. Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. and Fondazione Bruno Kessler LGADs have been irradiated with 400 and 500 MeV protons respectively in several steps up to 1.5 × 10 15 n eq cm -2 . Measurements of the acceptor removal constants of the gain layers, evolution of the timing resolution and charge collection with damage, and inter-channel isolation characteristics, for a variety of design options, are presented here.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Real-time streaming tomographic reconstruction with on-demand data capturing and 3D zooming to regions of interest

Complex dynamic tomographic experiments at brilliant X-ray light sources require real-time feedback on the sample changes with respect to environmental conditions, selecting representative regions of interest for high-resolution scanning, and on-demand data saving mechanisms for storing only relevant projections acquired by fast area detectors and reducing data volumes. Here the implementation details of a 3D real-time imaging monitoring instrument, with zooming to a volume of interest with easy-to-use visualization via ImageJ , a tool familiar to most beamline users, is presented. The instrument relies on optimized data flow between the detector and processing machines and is implemented on commodity computers. The instrument has been developed at beamline 2-BM of the Advanced Photon Source, where the automatic lens changing mechanism for zooming is implemented with an Optique Peter microscope. Performance tests demonstrate the ability to process more than 3 GB of projection data per second and generate real-time 3D zooming with different magnification. These new capabilities are essential for new APS Upgrade instruments such as the projection microscope under development at beamline 32-ID. The efficacy of the proposed instrument was demonstrated during an in situ tomographic experiment on ice and gas hydrate formation in porous samples.

3D zooming↗