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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 OSTI2025

Ultra-high Bandwidth, Ultra-high Dynamic Range X-Ray Shock Characterization via Photonic Integrated Circuit

Nuclear weapon component assessment tests at the Z Machine rely on accurate X-ray yield measurements for model validation, design and analysis of component survivability, and source optimization. Yield measurement devices currently used do not provide the requisite certainty to enable accurate and efficient data analysis of test results, which leads to an increase in Z-shots required for evaluation, longer device development times, and higher operation costs. Additionally, current X-ray flux detectors lack high temporal resolution at the tails. Similarly, shock measurement techniques used for component assessment often lack the ability to spatially resolve wave behavior thereby limiting the ability to measure shock propagation dynamics needed to design the next generation of ND components. Here we present the development of a photonic micro-calorimeter and shock sensor consisting of meter-long waveguide spirals that are optomechanically coupled to X-ray absorbing layers to characterize yield and shock propagation at nanosecond timescales.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Annual Report on NCSP Technical Support task in BNL during FY25

This work reports on the investigations done during FY 25 in collaboration with one 2025 Summer undergraduate intern through the DOE SULI program. These efforts were partially funded by the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program through the Technical Support Succession Plan task. This project, developed by Matthew Molnar, aimed to apply the BNL’s machine-learning code to correct spin mis-assignments in neutron resonances, the Bayesian Resonance Reclassifier (BRR), to the odd-even nucleus 143 Nd. For this, the handling of spingroup classification had to be further investigated and improved.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluating a Transition-Jump System for the Fermilab Main Injector Using Xsuite

We describe an Xsuite simulation framework for the Fermilab Main Injector (MI) along with an evaluation of transition-crossing behaviors in the accelerator. In particular, we studied the introduction of quadrupole magnets into the lattice as part of a transition-jump system that will be implemented through the $2^{nd}$ Proton Improvement Plan (PIP-II). Simulated beam losses spurred by transition-induced instabilities were assessed under several systematic effects, including MI quad errors, magnet-to-magnet variability in the jump magnets, power-supply errors, and timing jitter.

Schreckenberger, Adam Paul [Fermilab] (ORCID:00000↗
DOE OSTI2024

Finding ways to reduce nuclear waste: searching for the unknown one step at a time

In my home country, Venezuela, research has been stagnant. Due to the political turmoil and the crisis, many educated people have left the country in search for a better life. This has caused a deficit in any technological and scientific advances, making Venezuela one of the first South American countries to have its rate of publications decline by 29% in 2013. Currently, Venezuela lacks the infrastructure and the means to keep up with the research progress as compared to other countries in South America, such as Brazil. Since coming to the United States (US), and currently working for a national laboratory, the active research environment endorses a wide range of careers and engineering programs that allow researchers to thrive at any given field. Researchers have access to funds and tools to succeed in developing materials for the future. There are 17 national laboratories in the US, and all of these have a different research focus/objective. As examples, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory focus is on national homeland security, weapon science, radiation effects, among others. Argonne National Laboratory focuses on nuclear energy, energy storage, high performance computing, etc. At Idaho National Laboratory (INL) the research focuses on innovating nuclear energy and clean energy resources, critical infrastructure materials, along with fuel cycle solutions to manage, dispose and find ways to recycle current and future radiological waste. Compared to other national laboratories, INL focuses slightly more on applied processes and how nuclear energy can be innovated to next reactor design and technologies. The research being conducted at INL made me apply for a Seaborg distinguished postdoctoral position. For the position itself, the researcher must submit a proposal related to actinide chemistry on a research field area. In this position, 50% of my time will be focused on my own proposal. The proposal that I am working on is focused on the innovation of nuclear energy and fuel cycle recycling, which is why I was mainly interested on working at this national laboratory. To give a bit more context of what my proposal is about, a little bit of background is necessary: After the nuclear fuel (UO2) is used in a reactor, the fuel matrix is then characterized by various fission products (FP). Among these FP (including rare earth elements, alkali/alkaline earths, and actinides), many can potentially be recovered through nuclear reprocessing technologies. In pyroprocessing, the used nuclear fuel undergoes electrochemical dissolution into a molten chloride salt mixture in an electrorefiner. Initially, uranium is reduced onto an inert cathode by applied potentials. However, numerous remaining FPs accumulate in the melt and pose challenges for recovery by an inert electrode, particularly the rare earth elements (e.g., Nd, Gd, Pr, Sm) due to their multivalent oxidation states and tendencies toward side reactions, leading to their dissolution in the electrolyte. These recovery challenges result in inefficiencies and necessitate the continual discarding of the molten chloride salt, thereby generating additional waste. Furthermore, the presence of rare earth elements and other fission products in the molten salt electrolyte alters its physical and chemical properties, affecting both uranium recovery efficiency and the longevity of the molten chloride salt. To improve the recovery efficiency of the FP, specifically rare earth elements, I am investigating the fundamental interactions between rare earth elements in the molten chloride salt and their metallic form. The kinetic pathways and the chemical reactions of these elements will give insights on how the recovery efficiency can be improved. The interactions and speciation of these elements are being studied by spectro-electrochemistry at high temperature environments in quartz and other ceramic materials (e.g., alumina crucibles). Some of the challenges I am facing specifically relates the reactivity of some of these elements with different glass and crucible materials. Although my research focuses on fundamental science, it will benefit the applied process by generating new scientific knowledge and closing the gap for an efficient recycling of the waste: one step at a time.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Understanding spectral dependance of laser-induced damage precursors in dielectric materials (Full report_23-ERD-006)

The performance of high-energy laser systems is constrained by laser-induced damage in dielectric coatings, particularly those containing hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ). While thresholds at fundamental Nd harmonics are well studied, the spectral dependence of damage initiation—especially under dual-wavelength irradiation—remains poorly characterized. This project provides the first systematic investigation of wavelength-dependent laser damage in hafnia coatings, focusing on nanoscale precursors such as craze lines, nanobubbles, stoichiometric variations, nodules, and controlled crystallization. Coatings were fabricated via ion beam sputtering and electron-beam deposition and characterized using spectrophotometry, ellipsometry, AFM, GI-XRD, RBS, PCI absorption, and fs/ns laser damage testing. Results show that craze lines, benign under infrared light, strongly initiate damage under UV due to wavelength-selective field intensification. Substituting xenon for argon suppresses nanobubbles and improves UV thresholds by up to 32%. Oxygen modulation reveals that fully oxidized films maximize UV resistance, though at the cost of porosity and stress in multilayers. HfO 2 –SiO 2 composites resist crystallization and defects while achieving ppm-level absorption and elevated thresholds, whereas full crystallization of HfO 2 enhances LIDT by reducing defects and improving thermal transport. Collectively, these findings link photon energy, defect states, and bandgap collapse, providing a predictive framework for wavelength-dependent laser damage. The outcomes directly inform the design of durable, multi-wavelength coatings for facilities such as NIF, MEC, HAPLS, and DPAL, advancing the readiness of next-generation optics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Northern Region Coal Prospects

This presentation was delivered to the audience attending the U.S. DOE/USEA Northern Regional Coal Workshop in Bismarck, ND on March 11, 2026. The presentation highlights the opportunity for coal plants in the region to provide power to military installations and data centers. There is also an analysis on how coal-fired power stations maintain regional supply during extreme cold weather events. Finally, a summary slide is presented that highlights a recent business case analysis on diverting captured carbon dioxide for use in enhanced oil recovery in the Bakken.

Bakken↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advancing Detector R&D for High-Pressure Gaseous Argon TPCs in Precision Neutrino Physics

High-pressure gaseous argon time projection chambers (HPgTPCs) represent an emerging detector paradigm for neutrino physics, combining increased target density with the intrinsic tracking and low thresholds of gaseous detectors. This approach enables detailed reconstruction of exclusive final states, improved particle identification, and sensitivity to low-energy and rare processes — capabilities that are increasingly central to precision oscillation measurements and searches for beyond-the-Standard-Model signatures. This abstract presents an overview of ongoing detector R&D toward high-pressure gaseous argon TPC operation, with emphasis on micro-pattern gas detector (MPGD) charge amplification in argon-based mixtures. We report experimental characterization of triple-GEM structures at pressures relevant for neutrino applications, including studies of multiplication factor scaling, stability, and operational voltage envelopes across gas admixtures. Measurements performed at the TOAD and GORG test stands at Fermilab help define viable amplification and electronics noise regimes in conditions where higher density imposes stricter constraints on signal formation. These results provide essential input to the optimization of high-pressure gaseous argon detectors for future neutrino experiments, including near-detector concepts such as ND-GAr in DUNE Phase II near detector upgrade. More broadly, this program shows how dedicated detector R&D can expand the precision frontier in neutrino physics by enabling complementary reconstruction capabilities beyond conventional detectors.

McConnell, Brenna [Indiana U.] (ORCID:000900041138↗
DOE OSTI2026

Developing New Beam Constraints to Improve Sterile Neutrino Searches at NOvA

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment utilizing two functionally identical liquid scintillator detectors located 14 mrad off-axis from the NuMI beam at Fermilab. The position of the Near Detector (ND), 1 km from the neutrino production target, means it sees a range of off-axis angles (12.6-17.2 mrad), resulting in a noticeable energy gradient across the detector face. In addition, the neutrino production points vary widely along the decay pipe, which leads to a distribution of true neutrino baselines (L), and limits the sensitivity of our current sterile neutrino searches. This work presents a new "baseline reconstruction" technique designed to exploit our off-axis position to triangulate the precise origin of neutrinos within the NuMI beamline. By projecting the total momentum vector of Charged Current (CC) and Neutral Current (NC) interactions back to the central beam axis, we estimate the individual baseline for each event. We describe the technique, evaluate its performance, and demonstrate how this can improve the sensitivity of future searches for sterile neutrinos through reduced flux systematic uncertainties and improved L/E resolution.

Burns, Jessica [Cincinnati U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Los Alamos Portable Pulser (LAPP) Marx Bank and Digitizer System Characterization

Over the duration of June 22 nd to July 15 th , I interned at Los Alamos National Laboratory within ISR-2 on the Los Alamos Portable Pulser (LAPP) Program. This program concerns a radar dish used for characterizing signal propagation through earth’s ionosphere. The bulk of my internship consisted of characterizing the delay of a Marx Bank Generator and writing hardware-interface C/C++ code for the pulse-recording Digitizer System.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

AL-CRADA-2025-01 Final Report: American-Made Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize Accelerate! Phase 2

This report summarizes the Phase 2 achievements of the Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize project led by Critical Materials Recycling (CMR) in partnership with Ames National Laboratory. The team demonstrated the technical feasibility and economic viability of recovering and reusing rare-earth Nd-Fe-B magnets from end-of-life (EOL) wind turbine generators. Through mechanical disassembly, demagnetization, and precision processing, magnets were harvested and characterized to assess structural, compositional, and magnetic properties. Results showed that recovered magnets performed on par with commercial-grade counterparts, enabling their integration into actuator and motor prototypes without redesign. System-level modeling and finite-element simulations validated operational performance, while Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis revealed up to 20% material cost savings and 2–3% reductions in overall motor system costs. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) further confirmed substantial environmental benefits, including a ~94% reduction in global warming potential relative to virgin magnet production. The project’s success was enabled by a tightly integrated partnership between industry and national lab experts, illustrating a viable path for domestic magnet-to-magnet recycling. These findings support a scalable, circular solution for rare-earth material recovery, reducing dependence on imported critical minerals and advancing sustainable clean energy technologies.

Lograsso, Thomas [Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA↗
DOE OSTI2026

Investigating Interference Term in DUNE & SBND Neutrino Interactions with ACHILLES

Understanding neutrino oscillations can help us answer some of the universe’s most fundamental questions like: Why is there more matter than antimatter? Neutrino-nucleus cross-sections (probability of neutrino interactions with nuclei) are a leading uncertainty in the measurements of neutrino oscillations. To meaningfully determine scattering parameters, measurements must be supported by robust theoretical modeling, which can be provided via event generators. In this poster, we use ACHILLES to investigate the interference term of neutrino interactions with both DUNE-ND and SBND flux configurations [1] [2]. The interference term is the quantum amplitude interference resulting from 1p1h or 2p2h neutrino-nucleon interactions, and isn't modeled in current industry standard event generators.

Serumaga, Peera [UC, San Diego (main); Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Iterative Machine Learning Framework for Event Classification and Monte Carlo Tuning in SpinQuest

The E1039/SpinQuest experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory uses a 120~GeV proton beam from the Main Injector incident on transversely polarized proton and deuteron targets, using $NH_3$ and $ND_3$, respectively. In addition to measuring the Sivers asymmetry in Drell--Yan $pp$ and $pd$ scattering from sea quarks, SpinQuest will study transverse-spin effects, particularly the transverse single-spin asymmetry (TSSA) in $J/\psi$ production. The angular distributions from the $J/\psi$ decay could play an important role in understanding the gluon contribution to the proton spin structure. However, before extracting these angular distributions, it is necessary to isolate signal events originating from the target from events produced by other sources and from the combinatorial background. To effectively and accurately classify the target events, it is important to ensure that the simulated events are properly tuned to the experimental physics channels. We have introduced an iterative technique to match simulated and experimental events and to classify the physics channels using deep neural networks and a generative model based on normalizing flows.

Hossain, Forhad [Virginia U. (main)] (ORCID:000000↗
DOE OSTI2025

Beam Commissioning Result of Polarized Target at SpinQuest

SpinQuest is a fixed-target experiment at Fermilab to measure the Drell-Yan process using transversely polarized NH$_3$ and ND$_3$ targets and unpolarized 120-GeV proton beam. In the Drell-Yan process, a quark in one scattering hadron and an anti-quark in the other hadron annihilate into a virtual photon and then decay into a muon (lepton) pair. The angular distribution of final-state muon pairs with respect to the target polarization is sensitive to the Sivers function of light antiquarks in the nucleon, which is one of the eight Transverse Momentum Dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions. The intensity of the proton beam is as high as $10^{12}$ protons/second, in order to accumulate the required statistics of Drell-Yan events. The polarized target system at SpinQuest has been carefully designed to accommodate such a high beam intensity. It is equipped with an evaporation refrigerator with a cooling power of around 5 W at 1 K. The target temperature is maintained at 1 K even under heat load caused by the proton beam and the DNP microwave. The target system and the spectrometer were commissioned with the proton beam from May through July 2024. The experimental setup of SpinQuest and the performance of the target system during the beam commissioning is reported.

Nakano, Kenichi [Virginia U.]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hypersonic Wake Velocity Measurements Using Acetone Molecular Tagging Velocimetry

A non-intrusive laser diagnostic known as molecular tagging velocimetry was used to find quantitative off-body velocity measurements in the wake of a sphere in the Mach 7 Ludwieg Tube Wind Tunnel located at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Acetone gas seeded in the flow was excited using the 4th harmonic of a pulse-burst Nd:YAG laser. The experimental results were used to validate and compare to simulations using a continuous Galerkin flow solver. Both the experimental and simulated results agreed on negative velocities in the viscous shear layer. Near the centerline of the sphere, average velocities of -200 m/s were observed due to reverse flow in the recirculation region. Outside of the shear layer, velocities of 800 m/s were observed in both the experimental and simulated results. The overall average uncertainty for the strut-mounted and free-flight case was estimated to be ±27 m/s. The flow features of the wake were visualized using schlieren imaging, and the experimental results agreed well with the simulated results.

Shoemake, Lawton↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale ACI Satellite Database

The SATELLITE_EAGLES_PNNL NetCDF dataset contains a suite of satellite- and reanalysis-derived atmospheric and surface parameters on a regular latitude–longitude grid. The dataset includes core geophysical fields such as land fraction, aerosol optical depth at multiple wavelengths (465, 550, 667, and 865 nm), sea surface temperature, estimated inversion strength, and various thermodynamic and dynamic quantities (e.g., relative humidity, vertical velocity, boundary-layer height, and surface fluxes) from both MERRA and ERA reanalysis products, provided as daily-mean and instantaneous values. A major component of the dataset consists of MODIS-retrieved cloud microphysical properties, including cloud droplet number concentration, cloud effective radius, optical thickness, and liquid water path, provided for three compositing regimes (“All,” “Q06,” and “G18”). Corresponding cloud-top parameters—temperature, height, and pressure—along with total and domain-mean cloud fraction fields are also included. The file further integrates additional satellite data from AMSR-E (for cloud water, rain water, and surface precipitation retrievals) and CERES (for top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes, cloud fractions, and albedo). This dataset is designed to evaluate aerosol–cloud interactions in warm clouds, emphasizing the use of MODIS for deriving cloud droplet number concentration and liquid water path statistics. The complementary satellite and reanalysis fields are co-located and time-matched to the same instantaneous MODIS observations, enabling consistent comparisons between cloud properties, aerosol loading, and large-scale meteorological conditions. The dataset is recently featured in Christensen et al. (2025), Machine Learning Reveals Strong Grid-Scale Dependence in the Satellite Nd–LWP Relationship, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3850, 2025.

Christensen, Matthew [Pacific Northwest National L↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale ACI Satellite Database

The SATELLITE_EAGLES_PNNL NetCDF dataset contains a suite of satellite- and reanalysis-derived atmospheric and surface parameters on a regular latitude–longitude grid. The dataset includes core geophysical fields such as land fraction, aerosol optical depth at multiple wavelengths (465, 550, 667, and 865 nm), sea surface temperature, estimated inversion strength, and various thermodynamic and dynamic quantities (e.g., relative humidity, vertical velocity, boundary-layer height, and surface fluxes) from both MERRA and ERA reanalysis products, provided as daily-mean and instantaneous values. A major component of the dataset consists of MODIS-retrieved cloud microphysical properties, including cloud droplet number concentration, cloud effective radius, optical thickness, and liquid water path, provided for three compositing regimes (“All,” “Q06,” and “G18”). Corresponding cloud-top parameters—temperature, height, and pressure—along with total and domain-mean cloud fraction fields are also included. The file further integrates additional satellite data from AMSR-E (for cloud water, rain water, and surface precipitation retrievals) and CERES (for top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes, cloud fractions, and albedo). This dataset is designed to evaluate aerosol–cloud interactions in warm clouds, emphasizing the use of MODIS for deriving cloud droplet number concentration and liquid water path statistics. The complementary satellite and reanalysis fields are co-located and time-matched to the same instantaneous MODIS observations, enabling consistent comparisons between cloud properties, aerosol loading, and large-scale meteorological conditions. The dataset is recently featured in Christensen et al. (2025), Machine Learning Reveals Strong Grid-Scale Dependence in the Satellite Nd–LWP Relationship, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3850, 2025.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sub-Nanosecond, Room-Temperature, Mid-IR Fe:ZnSe Gain-Switched Laser: Experimental Characterization and Modeling

We present the modeling and experimental characterization of a room-temperature, sub-nanosecond, gain-switched (GS) Fe:ZnSe laser operating at 4.4–4.8 μm. As pump sources, we used a 2.79 µm Q-switched Cr:Er:YSGG laser with a pulse duration of 52 ns and the 2.98 μm idler of a Nd:YAG pumped KTA-OPO system with a pulse duration of 9 ns. The shortest pulse durations were measured to be 1.4 ns and 0.7 ns under excitation by the Cr:Er:YSGG laser and KTA-OPO system, respectively. The developed Fe:ZnSe laser model showed good agreement with the experimental results. Optimization of the laser parameters based on model simulations suggests that an Fe:ZnSe microchip laser configuration could be achieved with a pulse duration of ~250 ps and an efficiency of ~20%.

Ghimire, Saugat↗