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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Hot Electron Scaling and Energy Coupling In Nonlinear Laser Plasma Interactions

Energy conversion from high power lasers to energetic hot electrons is a fundamental phenomenon in laser-plasma interactions. At laser intensities above a few times 10 14 W/cm 2 , nonlinear laser-plasma interactions lead to the generation of hot electrons with a broad energy distribution at typical temperatures of 10’s – 100’s kilo-electron-volt (keV). The fraction of laser energy transferred to hot electrons, their energy distribution and energy coupling efficiency to the targets are strongly affected by the laser intensity, wavelength and the plasma condition. Most investigations to date that are related to the fusion of high-energy-density laboratory plasmas (HEDLP) are carried out with relatively moderate laser intensity and lower laser wavelength to minimize hot electron generation, as electron preheating can degrade the fuel assembly. An alternative fusion scheme known as shock ignition (SI) has been proposed, requiring a high intensity spike pulse at the end of a fuel assembly phase to generate a strong shock to ignite the fuel. An initial shock pressure of 0.3 Gbar is required for ignition-scale targets using the SI scheme, requiring a relatively high on-target laser intensity of 5-10X10 15 W/cm 2 for the spike pulse. At such intensities, copious hot electrons can be produced by laser-plasma-instabilities (LPI), e.g., Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) and Two-Plasmon Decay (TPD). While very energetic electrons (>200 keV) could preheat the fuel, electrons with moderate energies may actually be beneficial for the SI scheme. Electrons in the 50-100 keV range can be stopped in the compressed high-density outer ablator layer leading to an increase in the ignitor shock strength and therefore enhancing overall efficiency in the SI scheme. Considering this importance of total energy and temperature of hot electrons, it is necessary to understand the LPI in the SI high intensity regime. Characterizing the hot electron source and energy coupling is key to investigating the viability of the SI concept. The overall goal of the HEDLP award was to perform a detailed study of the scaling of hot electron generation and energy coupling on high power laser systems, with intensity, wavelength, and target ablator material relevant to the nonlinear laser-plasma interaction at SI relevant conditions. This was a collaborative project between the Center for Energy Research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and General Atomics. The experiment was performed at the Omega Laser Facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in the University of Rochester. Specific objectives of the work were to: understand the basic physics of laser-plasma interactions and instabilities at high laser intensities (up to 10 17 W/cm 2 ) and the effects of low-Z ablator materials and laser wavelengths (IR pulse at 1.054 µm versus UV pulse at 0.351 µm) and intensity scaling, fully characterize the resultant hot electron energy distribution, validate hot electron energy deposition via collisional and kinetic processes in the target and the induced shocks in support of electron-assisted SI concept.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1991

The albedo, effective temperature, and energy balance of Neptune, as determined from Voyager data

Data from the Voyager infrared spectrometer and radiometer (IRIS) investigation are used in determining the albedo, effective temperature, and energy balance of Neptune. From broadband radiometric observations made at phase angles of 14 deg and 134 deg, together with measurements at intermediate phase angles from the literature, an orbital mean value of 0.290 +/-0.067 is obtained for the bolometric Bond albedo. This yields an equilibrium temperature Teq = 46.6 +/-1.1 K. From thermal spectra obtained over latitudes from pole to pole an effective temperature Teff = 59.3 +/-0.8 K is derived. This represents a substantial improvement over previously determined values. The energy balance of Neptune is therefore E = 2.61 +/-0.28, which is in agreement with previous results. The reduced uncertainty in this value is due to the improved determination of the effective temperature.

Pearl, J. C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of quantum entanglement with top quarks at the ATLAS detector

Abstract Entanglement is a key feature of quantum mechanics 1–3 , with applications in fields such as metrology, cryptography, quantum information and quantum computation 4–8 . It has been observed in a wide variety of systems and length scales, ranging from the microscopic 9–13 to the macroscopic 14–16 . However, entanglement remains largely unexplored at the highest accessible energy scales. Here we report the highest-energy observation of entanglement, in top–antitop quark events produced at the Large Hadron Collider, using a proton–proton collision dataset with a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 140 inverse femtobarns (fb) −1 recorded with the ATLAS experiment. Spin entanglement is detected from the measurement of a single observableD, inferred from the angle between the charged leptons in their parent top- and antitop-quark rest frames. The observable is measured in a narrow interval around the top–antitop quark production threshold, at which the entanglement detection is expected to be significant. It is reported in a fiducial phase space defined with stable particles to minimize the uncertainties that stem from the limitations of the Monte Carlo event generators and the parton shower model in modelling top-quark pair production. The entanglement marker is measured to beD = −0.537 ± 0.002 (stat.) ± 0.019 (syst.) for$$340\,{\rm{GeV}} < {m}_{t\bar{t}} < 380\,{\rm{GeV}}$$ 340 GeV < m t t ¯ < 380 GeV . The observed result is more than five standard deviations from a scenario without entanglement and hence constitutes the first observation of entanglement in a pair of quarks and the highest-energy observation of entanglement so far.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Theoretical Correlation of Elemental Distribution of Nd and Pr in Ce-Fe-B Microstructure With Hard Magnetic Properties

Relatively resource-rich but property inferior-Ce-Fe-B magnet can be improved by partial replacement of Ce by Nd and/or Pr. In addition to the amount of Nd/Pr, their distribution profile in microstructure plays an important role. From our first principles density functional theory (DFT) calculation, the substitution energy of Ce by Pr/Nd is negative in Ce 2 Fe 14 B (2:14:1) while that for laves phase, CeFe 2 is positive, implying that Nd/Pr stabilize 2:14:1 and suppress the formation of the CeFe 2 phase. Further, micromagnetic simulation indicates that homogenized distribution of Nd/Pr improves squareness of demagnetization curve, while core (Ce-rich)-shell (Nd/Pr-rich) 2:14:1 grain structure enhances coercivity. Magnetic properties of Ce-Fe-B can be optimized by manipulating distribution profile of chemical element in microstructure based on their subtle difference in thermodynamic property, which is an effective pathway to design optimized chemical composition and processing route for high-performance magnet.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The LAKE model input dataset for three Arctic lakes

This dataset contains meteorological data collected for three Arctic lakes and compiled to satisfy input requirements of the LAKE 2.0 model. The dataset was generated to act as a benchmarking dataset for future model-data inter-comparisons. The LAKE 2.0 model simulates temperatures within the water later and the sedimentary layer of a lake. The LAKE2.0. is an open-source code and available to download via this weblike http://tesla.parallel.ru/Viktor/LAKE/-/wikis/LAKE-model (last visit July 14, 2021). The meteorological data are required to simulate the surface energy balance at the surface of a lake. This dataset includes a compilation of the meteorological data pulled from multiple data streams, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate data, Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) data, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) data. The data were compiled for three Arctic lakes: FoxDen (66.55877, -164.45670), Atqasuk (70.452497, -156.951984), and Toolik (68.63150, -149.60740). Each meteorological data is in comma-delimited format (file extension ‘.dat’) and includes eight columns: Temperature [K], Pressure [Pa], longwave downward radiation [W/m2], shortwave downward radiation [W/m2], “U” wind speed [m/s], ”V” wind speed [m/s], humidity [kg/kg], precipitation [m/s]. In addition to the meteorological data file, we included setup and driver files. The Toolik lake is the deepest out of three lakes and has inflowing and outflowing groundwater data. InflowOutflowREADME.txt has more information about inflow and outflow flies. The other two lakes are much shallower and modeled as a closed system (i.e. no water inflow or outflow).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Validation of the Scientific Program for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) was designed to conduct a survey covering 14,000 deg$^{2}$ over 5 yr to constrain the cosmic expansion history through precise measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). The scientific program for DESI was evaluated during a 5 month survey validation (SV) campaign before beginning full operations. This program produced deep spectra of tens of thousands of objects from each of the stellar Milky Way Survey (MWS), Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS), luminous red galaxy (LRG), emission line galaxy (ELG), and quasar target classes. These SV spectra were used to optimize redshift distributions, characterize exposure times, determine calibration procedures, and assess observational overheads for the 5 yr program. In this paper, we present the final target selection algorithms, redshift distributions, and projected cosmology constraints resulting from those studies. We also present a One-Percent Survey conducted at the conclusion of SV covering 140 deg$^{2}$ using the final target selection algorithms with exposures of a depth typical of the main survey. The SV indicates that DESI will be able to complete the full 14,000 deg$^{2}$ program with spectroscopically confirmed targets from the MWS, BGS, LRG, ELG, and quasar programs with total sample sizes of 7.2, 13.8, 7.46, 15.7, and 2.87 million, respectively. These samples will allow exploration of the Milky Way halo, clustering on all scales, and BAO measurements with a statistical precision of 0.28% over the redshift interval z < 1.1, 0.39% over the redshift interval 1.1 < z < 1.9, and 0.46% over the redshift interval 1.9 < z < 3.5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

First experimental determination of the ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)³⁹Ar reaction cross section and ³⁹Ar production in Earth’s atmosphere

The cosmogenic ³⁹Ar(t1∕2 = 268 years) isotope of argon is used for geophysical dating and tracing of underground and ocean water, as well as ice owing to its appropriate half-life and chemical inertness as a noble gas; ³⁹Ar serves also in nuclear weapon test monitoring. We measured for the first time the total cross section of the main ³⁹Ar cosmogenic production reaction in the atmosphere, namely ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)39 Ar, using 14.8 ± 0.3 MeV neutrons. The neutrons, produced by a deuterium-tritium generator, impinged on a stainless steel sphere filled with Ar gas highly enriched in the ⁴⁰Ar isotope and were monitored by a stack of fast-neutron activation foils. The reaction yield was measured by atom counting of long-lived ³⁹Ar with noble gas accelerator mass spectrometry and, independently, by decay counting relative to atmospheric argon (³⁹Ar/Ar= 8.12 × 10−16 ). A total ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)39 Ar cross section of 610 ± 100 mb was determined at 14.8 ± 0.3 MeV incident neutron energy. This result serves as a benchmark for recent theoretical calculations and evaluations, found to reproduce well the experimental total cross section. We use these energy-dependent theoretical cross sections together with experimental spectra of cosmogenic neutrons at different altitudes to calculate the global average rate of neutron-induced ³⁹Ar atmospheric production, resulting in 770 ± 240 39 Ar atoms/cm²/day. The secular equilibrium between the ³⁹Ar calculated production rate and radioactive decay rate leads to a partial isotopic abundance ³⁹Ar/Ar = (5.9 ± 1.8) × 10−16 , showing that ≈73% of atmospheric ³⁹Ar is produced by cosmogenic neutrons, the remaining part believed to be induced by muons and high-energy 𝛾 rays. The ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)³⁹Ar cross section at 14 MeV is also a key parameter for quantifying the anthropogenic contribution to atmospheric 39 Ar produced during the thermonuclear tests of the 1960s. We estimate that anthropogenic ³⁹Ar accounts for roughly 20% of the present atmospheric inventory.

39 Ar atmospheric production↗
DOE OSTI2026

First neutrino + antineutrino disappearance results from NOvA

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment measuring νμ \nu_{\mu} disappearance and νe \nu_e appearance within the NuMI beam from Fermilab. The experiment uses a Near and a Far Detector placed 810 km away from each other and at 14 milliradians off the beam-axis resulting in an observed energy spectrum that peaks at 2 GeV, close to the oscillation maximum. A combined νμ \nu_{\mu} + ν¯μ \bar\nu_{\mu} disappearance result will be presented including NOvA's first collected anti-neutrino data for a total exposure of 16×1020 16\times10^{20} protons-on-target which, in addition to an upgraded analysis, will enable the experiment to set new limits to the allowed regions for Δm232 \Delta m^2_{32} and sin2θ23 ^2\theta_{23} and make a measurement of Δm232 \Delta m^2_{32} among the world's best.

Mendez, Diana Patricia [Sussex U.]↗
NASA NTRS1988

Energy Efficient Engine: High-pressure compressor test hardware detailed design report

The objective of the NASA Energy Efficient Engine program is to identify and verify the technology required to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption and operating cost for future commercial gas turbine engines. The design and analysis is documented of the high pressure compressor which was tested as part of the Pratt and Whitney effort under the Energy Efficient Engine program. This compressor was designed to produce a 14:1 pressure ratio in ten stages with an adiabatic efficiency of 88.2 percent in the flight propulsion system. The corresponding expected efficiency for the compressor component test rig is 86.5 percent. Other performance goals are a surge margin of 20 percent, a corrected flow rate of 35.2 kg/sec (77.5 lb/sec), and a life of 20,000 missions and 30,000 hours. Low loss, highly loaded airfoils are used to increase efficiency while reducing the parts count. Active clearance control and case trenches in abradable strips over the blade tips are included in the compressor component design to further increase the efficiency potential. The test rig incorporates variable geometry stator vanes in all stages to permit maximum flexibility in developing stage-to-stage matching. This provision precluded active clearance control on the rear case of the test rig. Both the component and rig designs meet or exceed design requirements with the exception of life goals, which will be achievable with planned advances in materials technology.

Howe, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

GB 790305 as a very strongly magnetized neutron star

The March 5 1979 event was the strongest gamma-ray burst ever observed. Its location in the sky is known with an accuracy of about 10 arcsec, and it coincides with the N49 supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The main burst was followed by a soft tail with the periodic 8 s modulation, and 16 soft gamma events over the following few years. If the source is a magnetic neutron star with the 8 s rotation period and the age of about 10 exp 4 years as indicated by N49 then the field strength of about 5 x 10 exp 14 gauss is implied. The corresponding critical luminosity is about 10 exp 4 L(Edd), as the electron scattering opacity is suppressed by the strong magnetic field. This luminosity is consistent with the observed peak flux of the soft tail and the soft repeaters. The soft spectrum may be approximated with the photospheric emission at kT(eff) = 17 keV. The corresponding photospheric radius is about 14 km, compatible with a neutron star hypothesis. The total magnetic energy of the star is about 4 x 10 exp 46 erg, more than enough to power the March 5 event and all its repeaters.

Paczynski, Bohdan↗
NASA NTRS2005

Elemental Spectra from the First ATIC Flight

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) instrument is a balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the composition and energy spectra of Z = l to 26 cosmic rays over the energy range from approx. 10(exp 11) to approx. 10(exp 14) eV. The instrument consists of a silicon matrix charge detector, plastic scintillator strip hodoscopes interleaved with graphite interaction targets, and a fully active Bismuth Germanate (BGO) calorimeter. ATIC had two successful Long Duration Balloon flights launched from McMurdo Station, Antarctica in 2000 and 2002. In this paper, spectra of various elements measured during the first 16 day flight are presented.

Ahn, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Quantum Yield of Gold-Cathode Photomultipliers

Two gold-cathode EMI 6255G tubes have been investigated for their quantum yield between 3100 and 1900 A. The tubes had cathodes of different appearances. One of these, numbered 3012, had a slight bluish tinge and was very transparent to visible light; the other, numbered 3021, had a definite gold coloration. The relative quantum yield of each tube was determined with the aid of a Cary model 14 recording spectrophotometer used as a monochromator. The monochromator relative-energy output was determined from the current output of a sodium-salicylate-coated RCA 1P21 photomultiplier. Each gold-cathode tube was then operated at 3000 v, and the central 1.8 cm cube of the cathode was exposed to the monochromator output.

Childs, Charles B.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Liana optical traits increase tropical forest albedo and reduce ecosystem productivity

Lianas are a key growth form in tropical forests. Their lack of self-supporting tissues and their vertical position on top of the canopy make them strong competitors of resources. A few pioneer studies have shown that liana optical traits differ on average from those of colocated trees. Those trait discrepancies were hypothesized to be responsible for the competitive advantage of lianas over trees. Yet, in the absence of reliable modelling tools, it is impossible to unravel their impact on the forest energy balance, light competition, and on the liana success in Neotropical forests. To bridge this gap, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature to gather all published liana leaf optical spectra, as well as all canopy spectra measured over different levels of liana infestation. We then used a Bayesian data assimilation framework applied to two radiative transfer models (RTMs) covering the leaf and canopy scales to derive tropical tree and liana trait distributions, which finally informed a full dynamic vegetation model. According to the RTMs inversion, lianas grew thinner, more horizontal leaves with lower pigment concentrations. Those traits made the lianas very efficient at light interception and significantly modified the forest energy balance and its carbon cycle. While forest albedo increased by 14% in the shortwave, light availability was reduced in the understorey (−30% of the PAR radiation) and soil temperature decreased by 0.5°C. Those liana-specific traits were also responsible for a significant reduction of tree (−19%) and ecosystem (−7%) gross primary productivity (GPP) while lianas benefited from them (their GPP increased by +27%). This study provides a novel mechanistic explanation to the increase in liana abundance, new evidence of the impact of lianas on forest functioning, and paves the way for the evaluation of the large-scale impacts of lianas on forest biogeochemical cycles.

Félicien Meunier↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of light-induced potentials in the strong-field dissociation of O 2 +

In this work, we investigate theoretically the imprints of light-induced potentials (LIPs) on the dissociation dynamics of O 2 + molecular ions, as observable in angle-resolved fragment kinetic-energy-release (KER) spectra. Following the vibrational and rotational dynamics of the initial pump-laser-excited cationic nuclear wave packet, while accounting for the dipole coupling between the O 2 + ( a 4 Π u ) and O 2 + ( f 4 Π g ) electronic states in 800-nm 40-fs probe-laser pulses with peak intensities between 10 13 and 10 14 W / cm 2 , we calculate angle-resolved KER spectra which reveal characteristic energy- and angle-dependent fringe structures. These fringes shift downward in energy as the molecular alignment angle θ relative to the probe-pulse polarization direction increases from 0 to π / 2 . The angle-dependent shifts in the KER fringes increase for larger probe-pulse peak intensities and follow the angle and light-wave-intensity dependence of the vibrational spectrum in the associated Floquet bond-hardening well, which is a manifestation of transient O 2 + nuclear-probability trapping in the LIP during dissociation. By examining the rovibrational dynamics of the dissociating molecular cation near the light-induced conical intersection (LICI) in the cationic LIP surface at θ = π / 2 , we identify related angle-dependent structures in the KER spectra, suggesting a means for assessing the significance of LICIs in molecular dissociation pathways.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fermi Constraints on the Ejecta Speed and Prompt Emission Region of the Distant GRB 220101A

At redshift z = 4.618, GRB 220101A is the most distant gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected by Fermi/LAT to date. It is also a very energetic event, with an equivalent isotropic energy of 3.6 × 10 54 erg. We jointly analyzed the Fermi/GBM and LAT observations of GRB 220101A with two independent approaches and found a significant spectral break at sub-100 MeV energies during the prompt emission. The fast variability of the emission suggests that this spectral attenuation is caused by internal opacity to pair creation. Regardless of the nature of the emission processes assumed in the spectral analysis, we infer a moderate value for the jet Lorentz factor, Γ ~ 110, and find that all of the high-energy emission was produced above and near the photosphere, at a distance of ~10 14 cm from the central engine. We compare these results with the four other LAT-detected GRBs with similar properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Heat Production During Countermeasure Exercises Planned for the International Space Station

This investigation's purpose was to determine the amount of heat produced when performing aerobic and resistance exercises planned as part of the exercise countermeasures prescription for the ISS. These data will be used to determine thermal control requirements of the Node 1 and other modules where exercise hardware might reside. To determine heat production during resistive exercise, 6 subjects using the iRED performed 5 resistance exercises which form the core exercises of the current ISS resistive exercise countermeasures. Each exerciser performed a warm-up set at 50% effort, then 3 sets of increasing resistance. We measured oxygen consumption and work during each exercise. Heat loss was calculated as the difference between the gross energy expenditure (minus resting metabolism) and the work performed. To determine heat production during aerobic exercise, 14 subjects performed an interval, cycle exercise protocol and 7 subjects performed a continuous, treadmill protocol. Each 30-min. exercise is similar to exercises planned for ISS. Oxygen consumption monitored continuously during the exercises was used to calculate the gross energy expenditure. For cycle exercise, work performed was calculated based on the ergometer's resistance setting and pedaling frequency. For treadmill, total work was estimated by assuming 25% work efficiency and subtracting the calculated heat production and resting metabolic rate from the gross energy expenditure. This heat production needs to be considered when determining the location of exercise hardware on ISS and designing environmental control systems. These values reflect only the human subject s produced heat; heat produced by the exercise hardware also will contribute to the heat load.

Rapley, Michael G.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comment on "Table-Top Laser-Based Source of Femtosecond, Collimated, Ultrarelativistic Positron Beams"

Sarri et al. have reported the generation of low divergence (~3 mrad), high-density (10 14 cm –3 ) positron beams using millimeter-scale converter targets and a 50 pC, 200 MeV laser-wakefield accelerated (LWFA) electron source. It was argued that the positron divergence was dominated by the pair-production birth cone angle $θ_{e+} ≈ 1/γ_{e–}$. The small, energy-independent divergence value was used to infer a positron beam density of 2 × 10 14 cm –3 from a 4.2 mm Ta converter target where the divergence and yield measurements agreed with their Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. We have repeated these simulations using experimental conditions and disagree with the reported density, divergence, and yield values by up to factors > 50. In our work, we find that a divergence on the order of milliradian is not physical and can only be achieved if inelastic particle scattering is omitted in the calculations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗