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NASA NTRS1994

Performance and the NAS Parallel Benchmarks

This talk will describe the NAS (National Aerospace Standards) Parallel Benchmarks, which are now widely cited in the high performance computing field as a measure of sustained performance on realistic scientific applications. The latest performance results will be included. It will be shown that significant progress has been made by several systems during the past year or so, with sustained performance on a par with the best conventional systems, and with performance per dollar significantly exceeding the conventional systems. This talk will also describe many of the pitfalls of performance reporting, and will give advice on how to avoid such pitfalls. The overall state of the field of high performance computing will also be discussed.

Bailey, David H.↗

NASA NTRS2003

NASA's Bioreactor: Growing Cells in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

National Science Education Standards (NSES), Science for All Americans, the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are all making an effort to promote scientific literacy in America. Unfortunately, major evaluation programs such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) have provided information that suggested our students are not able to compete with peers from comparable countries. Although results indicated that American students are recalling memorized, factual knowledge well enough, the real problem is the ability to apply what they know. Concerned with these reports, the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) has developed a mission to support innovation and high quality in science teaching and learning for every student. NSTA recommends less emphasis on factual knowledge (memorization) and information and more understanding of the concepts. Science process skills are considered imperative to prepare America's students for the 21st century. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) supports this mission and adds that NASA strives to help prepare and encourage the next generation of researchers and explorers. One method that NASA supports educators and its mission is to publish educational briefs. NASA describes a brief as a publication that ranges from one-to-thirty pages. The focus is on mission discoveries and results. The brief provides curriculum to educators that supports their objectives and NASA's interest. Educational Briefs are specific to the grade level and course so that educators may have choices that fit their methods and students level. Sometimes, the brief includes lessons and activities teachers may use. For example, NASA's Microgravity Division has designed a student bioreactor. Consequently, an Educational Brief is being written that focuses on how to build a student bioreactor and experiments that can be conducted in it. These experiments mimic the experiments done by NASA and other researchers in the real world of work.

Richardson, Denise↗

NASA NTRS2010

Overview of the James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is ulxve uperk/rc (6.5 meter), cryogenic space telescope with a suite of near and mid-infrared instruments covering the wavelength range of 0.6 prnio 28 pn). JWS7 s primaryacicoce goal is k) detect and characterize the first galaxies. U will also study the uascrob|y of galaxies, uiur bzcrou1ion, and the formation of evolution of planetary systems. Recent progress in hardware development for the observatory will he presented, including a discussion of the status of JWST's optical system and Beryllium mirror fabrication, progress with sunshield prototypes, and the integration and test configuration. We also review the expected scientific performance of the observatory for observations of exosolar planets by means of transit imaging and spectroscopy. We will review the science goals, the capabilities of each science instrument, and the design and operation of the telescope.

Champin, Mark↗

DOE OSTI2026

The Road to Useful Quantum Computers

Building a useful quantum computer is a grand science and engineering challenge, currently pursued intensely by teams around the world. In the 1980s, Richard Feynman and Yuri Manin observed independently that computers based on quantum mechanics might enable better simulations of quantum phenomena. Their vision remained an intellectual curiosity until Peter Shor published his famous quantum algorithm for integer factoring, and shortly thereafter a proof that errors in quantum computations can be corrected. Since then, quantum computing R&D has progressed rapidly, from small-scale experiments in university physics laboratories to well-funded industrial efforts and prototypes. Hype notwithstanding, quantum computers have yet to solve scientifically or practically important problems -- a target often called quantum utility. In this article, we describe the capabilities of contemporary quantum computers, compare them to the requirements of quantum utility, and illustrate how to track progress from today to utility. We highlight key science and engineering challenges on the road to quantum utility, touching on relevant aspects of our own research.

Emerging Technologies (cs.ET)↗

NASA NTRS2017

[327] Biomedical Research Deferred in the Aftermath of the Apollo Fire: Impact to Progress in Human Spaceflight

Before Apollo fire, early Apollo missions were expected to continue pattern established in Gemini program of accommodating significant scientific and biological experimentation, including human biomedical studies, during flights. Apollo1 and Apollo2, both 2-week engineering test flights, were to carry almost as many biomedical studies as Gemini 7, a 2-week medical test mission.

Charles, John B.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Learning by Viewing - Nobel Labs 360

First of all, my thanks to the Nobel Lindau Foundation for their inspiration and leadership in sharing the excitement of scientific discovery with the public and with future scientists! I have had the pleasure of participating twice in the Lindau meetings, and recently worked with the Nobel Labs 360 project to show how we are building the world's greatest telescope yet, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). For the future, I see the greatest challenges for all the sciences in continued public outreach and inspiration. Outreach, so the public knows why we are doing what we are doing, and what difference it makes for them today and in the long-term future. Who knows what our destiny may be? It could be glorious, or not, depending on how we all behave. Inspiration, so that the most creative and inquisitive minds can pursue the scientific and engineering discoveries that are at the heart of so much of human prosperity, health, and progress. And, of course, national and local security depend on those discoveries too; scientists have been working with "the government" throughout recorded history. For the Lindau Nobel experiment, we have a truly abundant supply of knowledge and excitement, through the interactions of young scientists with the Nobelists, and through the lectures and the video recordings we can now share with the whole world across the Internet. But the challenge is always to draw attention! With 7 billion inhabitants on Earth, trying to earn a living and have some fun, there are plenty of competing opportunities and demands on us all. So what will draw attention to our efforts at Lindau? These days, word of mouth has become word of (computer) mouse, and ideas propagate as viruses ( or memes) across the Internet according to the interests of the participants. So our challenge is to find and match those interests, so that the efforts of our scientists, photographers, moviemakers, and writers are rewarded by our public. The world changes every day, so there is no one way to go, and everything is an experiment - sounds scientific, yes? I think our partnership with Volker Steger in the Nobel Labs 360 is one of the most interesting I have seen. Computer viewers can see our scientific habitats and begin to experience being there in person, panning a viewpoint up, down, and all around us, and seeing or hearing explanations of what we are doing.

Mather, John C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System and Deep-Space Opportunities for SmallSats

Designed to provide the significant capability required for human deep-space exploration, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) also provides a unique opportunity for lower-cost deepspace science in the form of small-satellite secondary payloads. This opportunity will be leveraged beginning with the rocket's first flight; a launch of the SLS's Block 1 configuration, capable of delivering >26 metric tons (t) to Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI), which will see the Orion crew vehicle travel around the Moon and return to Earth. On that flight, SLS will also deploy 13 6U CubeSat-class payloads to multiple destinations including deep space. These secondary payloads will include not only NASA research, but also spacecraft from international partners, industry and academia. The payloads represent a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, studies of the Moon, Earth, Sun, and asteroids, along with technology demonstrations that could pave the way for even more ambitious smallsat missions in the future. As the SLS Program is making significant progress toward that first launch, preparations are already under way for future missions, which will see the booster evolve to its more-capable Block 1 B configuration, able to deliver 40 metric tons to TLI. That configuration will have the capability to carry large payloads co-manifested with the Orion spacecraft, or to utilize an 8.4- meter (m) fairing to carry payloads several times larger than are currently possible. SLS will evolve to its full Block 2 configuration, with a TLI capability of >45 metric tons. Both the Block lB and Block 2 versions of SLS will be able to carry larger secondary payloads than the Block 1 configuration, creating even more opportunities for affordable scientific exploration of deep space. This lecture will provide a status of the SLS development and outline the progress being made toward flying smallsats on the first flight of SLS, and discuss future opportunities for smallsats on subsequent flights.

Bookout, Paul S.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Horizons: nuclear astrophysics in the 2020s and beyond

Nuclear astrophysics is a field at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics, which seeks to understand the nuclear engines of astronomical objects and the origin of the chemical elements. This white paper summarizes progress and status of the field, the new open questions that have emerged, and the tremendous scientific opportunities that have opened up with major advances in capabilities across an ever growing number of disciplines and subfields that need to be integrated. We take a holistic view of the field discussing the unique challenges and opportunities in nuclear astrophysics in regards to science, diversity, education, and the interdisciplinarity and breadth of the field. Clearly nuclear astrophysics is a dynamic field with a bright future that is entering a new era of discovery opportunities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Recent progress towards incorporating radiochemical analysis in LANL ASC codes

This document summarizes the recent progress towards incorporating charged-particle radiochemical (RadChem) analysis in different LANL codes within the Advanced Scientific Computing (ASC) Program. The first section is focused on xRAGE and the implementation of the necessary physics packages to build an in-line RadChem capability. The second section provides a summary of the current RadChem postprocessing capabilities.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

NASA NTRS2008

Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute

Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe--its origins, evolution, distribution, and future. It brings together the physical and biological sciences to address some of the most fundamental questions of the natural world: How do living systems emerge? How do habitable worlds form and how do they evolve? Does life exist on worlds other than Earth? As an endeavor of tremendous breadth and depth, astrobiology requires interdisciplinary investigation in order to be fully appreciated and examined. As part of a concerted effort to undertake such a challenge, the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) was established in 1998 as an innovative way to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions. Now that the NAI has been in existence for almost a decade, the time is ripe to assess its achievements. At the request of NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), the Committee on the Review of the NASA Astrobiology Institute undertook the assignment to determine the progress made by the NAI in developing the field of astrobiology. It must be emphasized that the purpose of this study was not to undertake a review of the scientific accomplishments of NASA's Astrobiology program, in general, or of the NAI, in particular. Rather, the objective of the study is to evaluate the success of the NAI in achieving its stated goals of: 1. Conducting, supporting, and catalyzing collaborative interdisciplinary research; 2. Training the next generation of astrobiology researchers; 3. Providing scientific and technical leadership on astrobiology investigations for current and future space missions; 4. Exploring new approaches, using modern information technology, to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research among widely distributed investigators; and 5. Supporting outreach by providing scientific content for use in K-12 education programs, teaching undergraduate classes, and communicating directly with the public. The committee s assessment of the NAI's progress in these five areas is presented in Chapters 2 to 6, respectively.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1974

The initiatives of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in the transfer of a new excavation technology

A system for making vertical or horizontal holes in rock or soil by progressive local melting is described. In one operation the three major tasks of excavation are performed with the Subterrene concept: (1) rock fracturing; (2) debris removal; and (3) wall stabilization. Potential applications of the Subterrene system are indicated, with emphasis on extraction of geothermal energy and development of superconduction transmission lines for electrical power. A program in technology dissemination implemented by the staff members is described. It is indicated that a large scale commercial utilization of the technology is required to complete the transfer of technology.

Hanold, R. J.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Resilient GaN-based Power Module with Improved Diagnostic for Future Accelerator

Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT) play a pivotal role in advancing scientific research and national security initiatives. As a premier facility for neutron science, LANSCE and DARHT provide invaluable insights into fundamental research, materials science, nuclear physics, high-energy physics, material science, and medical imaging. Existing (DC) power supply and pulse modulation technologies used in LANSCE and DARHT face limitations in terms of reliability, maintainability, and diagnostics which hinder the progress of these cutting-edge facilities. By proposing improvements to LANL accelerator facilities’ performance and addressing component failure, we aim to enhance scientific outcomes and minimize disruptions, allowing for more efficient and productive research activities while ensuring the continuity of valuable contributions to the user community. This proposal aims to revolutionize (DC) power supply and pulse power systems for future particle accelerators via the development of a resilient GaN-based power module with improved diagnostic and redundant submodules.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS2018

WCRP Task Team for the Intercomparison of ReAnalyses (TIRA): Motivation and Progress

Reanalyses have proven to be an important resource for weather and climate related research, as well as societal applications at large. New atmospheric reanalyses in various forms are produced every few years. In addition, land and ocean communities are producing disciplinary uncoupled reanalyses, and regional reanalyses are emerging in addition to global reanalyses. Systems of data information are being developed to facilitate the intercomparison of reanalyses among themselves and with observations and climate change experiments (e.g. CREATE-IP and WRIT). Current research and development in reanalysis is directed at (1) extending the length of reanalyzed period and (2) use of coupled Earth system models for climate reanalysis. While the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) involvement in the reanalyses communities through its Data Advisory Council (WDAC) has been substantial, for example in organizing international conferences on reanalyses. However, these efforts have previously not included an analysis of the differences among reanalyses and their inherent uncertainties which are important questions for both users and developers of reanalyses. Therefore, the WCRP Task Team for the Intercomparison of ReAnalyses (TIRA) task team has been formed as collaborative effort to address reanalyses role in WCRP. This constitutes a logical progression that fills the needs of the community and contributes to the WCRP mission. The primary charge to TIRA is to develop a reanalysis intercomparison project plan that will attain the following objectives.1)To foster understanding and estimation of uncertainties in reanalysis data by intercomparison and other means)To communicate new developments and best practices among the reanalyses producing centers3)To enhance the understanding of data and assimilation issues and their impact on uncertainties, leading to improved reanalyses for climate assessment4)To communicate the strengths and weaknesses of reanalyses, their fitness for purpose, and best practices in the use of reanalysis datasets by the scientific communityThis contribution outlines the need for a task team on reanalyses, their intercomparison, the objectives of the team and progress thus far. Results for some pilot intercomparisons will also be discussed.

Bosilovich, Michael↗

NASA NTRS1992

Scientific computing in the 1990ies: An astronomical perspective

The compute performance, storage capability, degree of networking, and usability of modern computer hardware have enormously progressed in the past decade. These hardware advances are not paralleled by an equivalent increase in software productivity. Among astronomers the need is gradually perceived to discuss questions such as whether we are prepared to meet the pending challenge of vector and massively parallel computers. Therefore, a moderated, time-limited and access-restricted, wide-area network discussion forum is proposed for having a first, broad-minded go at the question of whether our current software efforts are heading in the right direction. The main topics, goals, means, and form of the proposed discussion process are presented.

Adorf, Hans-Martin↗

NASA NTRS2001

Optimizing Orbit-Instrument Configuration for Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) Satellite Fleet

Following the scientific success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spearheaded by a group of NASA and NASDA scientists, their external scientific collaborators, and additional investigators within the European Union's TRMM Research Program (EUROTRMM), there has been substantial progress towards the development of a new internationally organized, global scale, and satellite-based precipitation measuring mission. The highlights of this newly developing mission are a greatly expanded scope of measuring capability and a more diversified set of science objectives. The mission is called the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM). Notionally, GPM will be a constellation-type mission involving a fleet of nine satellites. In this fleet, one member is referred to as the "core" spacecraft flown in an approximately 70 degree inclined non-sun-synchronous orbit, somewhat similar to TRMM in that it carries both a multi-channel polarized passive microwave radiometer (PMW) and a radar system, but in this case it will be a dual frequency Ku-Ka band radar system enabling explicit measurements of microphysical DSD properties. The remainder of fleet members are eight orbit-synchronized, sun-synchronous "constellation" spacecraft each carrying some type of multi-channel PMW radiometer, enabling no worse than 3-hour diurnal sampling over the entire globe. In this configuration the "core" spacecraft serves as a high quality reference platform for training and calibrating the PMW rain retrieval algorithms used with the "constellation" radiometers. Within NASA, GPM has advanced to the pre-formulation phase which has enabled the initiation of a set of science and technology studies which will help lead to the final mission design some time in the 2003 period. This presentation first provides an overview of the notional GPM program and mission design, including its organizational and programmatic concepts, scientific agenda, expected instrument package, and basic flight architecture. Following this introduction, we focus specifically on the last topic, that being an analysis which leads to an optimal flight architecture dictated in part by science requirements but constrained by allowable orbital mechanics, instrument scan patterns, and antenna aperture properties. Because the optimal architecture involves an interplay between orbit mechanics and instrument specifications, it is important to recognize that in attempting to serve various scientific themes, the final optimal architecture will represent a compromise concerning dynamic range, spatial resolution, sampling interval, pointing, beam coincidence, and measurement uncertainty. Moreover, cost becomes a major factor in seeking the optimal architecture through the pathways of antenna and instrument scan designs, as well as propulsion requirements associated with the orbit heights of various "constellation" members. Although the results presented at the IGARSS-2001 meeting will likely not be the fully refined flight architecture specifications, they are expected to be nearly complete.

Smith, Eric A.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Peter Waterman and his scientific legacy

Peter C. Waterman, a giant figure in the theory of electromagnetic, acoustic, and elastic wave scattering, passed away on 3 June, 2012. In view of his fundamental contributions, which to a large degree have guided the progress of these disciplines over the past five decades and affected profoundly the multifaceted research published in the Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer (JQSRT), we felt that it would be appropriate to solicit papers for a special issue of JQSRT commemorating Peter Waterman's scientific legacy. This initiative was endorsed by the JQSRT management and has resulted in a representative collection of high-quality papers which have undergone the same peer scrutiny as any paper submitted to JQSRT.

Wave scattering↗

DOE OSTI2020

Novel color center platforms enabling fundamental scientific discovery

Abstract Color centers are versatile systems that generate quantum light, sense magnetic fields and produce spin‐photon entanglement. We review how these properties have pushed the limits of fundamental knowledge in a variety of scientific disciplines, from rejecting local‐realistic theories to sensing superconducting phase transitions. In the light of recent progress in material processing and device fabrication, we identify new opportunities for interdisciplinary fundamental discoveries in physics and geochemistry. image

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2021

Fundamental Mechanisms Controlling Dislocation-Obstacle Interactions in Metals and Alloys

This project combined modeling and experimentation across micro-meso-macro length scales to investigate the role of long-range internal stresses associated with obstacles and dislocation populations, in the deformation response of cubic metals. In addition to unique insights into the physical behavior of metals, advances were also made in modeling techniques and tools at the meso and atomistic level, and new characterization methods were developed and disseminated to the scientific community. Twenty eight journal papers, two dissertations and three theses have served as vehicles to share the gained scientific knowledge, and two opensource software packages have been developed, maintained and distributed. Additional publications are in progress.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗