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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancements and Deployment of the TDAQ System for the Mu2e Experiment

The Real Time Processing Systems Division at Fermilab has deployed new features to the Off-The-Shelf Data Acquisition framework (otsdaq) for the Mu2e experiment. The Mu2e experiment will search for the coherent neutrino-less conversion of a muon into an electron in the field of an aluminum nucleus with a sensitivity improvement of 10,000 times over existing limits. Such a charged lepton flavor-violating reaction probes new physics at a scale unavailable at present or planned high-energy colliders. The Mu2e Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system uses otsdaq as its online Data Acquisition System (DAQ) framework. otsdaq integrates the artdaq and art frameworks for event transfer, filtering, and processing. otsdaq is a web-based DAQ software suite focusing on flexibility and scalability and provides a multi-user interface accessible through a web browser. artdaq handles the entire data stream, which is read over the peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus to a software filter algorithm that selects events combined with the data flux coming from a cosmic-ray veto (CRV) system. Detector front-ends are configured through the PCIe bus by customized otsdaq plugins. The otsdaq slow controls infrastructure has been further developed using the experimental physics and industrial control system (EPICS) open-source platform for monitoring, controlling, alarming, and archiving. The detector control system (DCS) for Mu2e has been integrated into otsdaq. The production TDAQ and DCS system has been deployed at the experimental hall and is being debugged and optimized for experiment operations. We report on the feature enhancements and deployment of otsdaq for Mu2e.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Flavor-violating ALPs, electron g − 2 , and the Electron-Ion Collider

We revisit the possibility that light axionlike particles (ALPs) with lepton-flavor-violating couplings could give significant contributions to the electron’s anomalous magnetic moment g e − 2 . Unlike flavor diagonal lepton-ALP couplings, which are exclusively axial, lepton-flavor-violating couplings can have arbitrary chirality. Focusing on the e − τ ALP coupling, we find that the size of the contribution to g e − 2 depends strongly on the chirality of the coupling. A significant part of the parameter space for which such a coupling can explain experimental anomalies in g e − 2 can be probed at the Electron-Ion Collider, which is uniquely sensitive to the chirality of the coupling using the polarization of the electron beam. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2000

Parameterized Cross Sections for Pion Production in Proton-Proton Collisions

An accurate knowledge of cross sections for pion production in proton-proton collisions finds wide application in particle physics, astrophysics, cosmic ray physics, and space radiation problems, especially in situations where an incident proton is transported through some medium and knowledge of the output particle spectrum is required when given the input spectrum. In these cases, accurate parameterizations of the cross sections are desired. In this paper much of the experimental data are reviewed and compared with a wide variety of different cross section parameterizations. Therefore, parameterizations of neutral and charged pion cross sections are provided that give a very accurate description of the experimental data. Lorentz invariant differential cross sections, spectral distributions, and total cross section parameterizations are presented.

Blattnig, Steve R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the weak mixing angle at 13 TeV with the CMS detector

This document summarizes work in experimental high-energy physics completed as part of the author’s doctoral studies. The central piece of this thesis is the precision measurement of the effective weak mixing angle at the CMS detector. The effective weak mixing angle is a key parameter in the standard model of particle physics and is sensitive to radiative corrections from beyond standard model physics. The measurement is made by using the forward backwards asymmetry of Drell-Yan dilepton pairs. The data is from proton proton collisions at √s =13 TeV collected in Run 2 of the LHC from 2016-2018. The measurement uses dimuon and dielectron pairs and includes a special class of forward electrons developed for this measurement that do not rely on the tracking subdetector. Using the CT18Z parton distribution function set the weak mixing angle was determined to be [equation did not render] The largest contribution to the uncertainty comes from the parton distribution functions.

Taus, Rhys [Rochester U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutron reconstruction via blips in liquid argon time projection chambers

Neutrons are important final-state particles in neutrino interactions, yet they are not considered or reconstructed in most current neutrino liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) physics analyses. In this paper, we present a simulation-based proof-of-concept study of neutron reconstruction in a generic LArTPC detector. Leveraging isolated, MeV-scale energy deposits, or blips, from neutron inelastic scattering, and using realistic blip response from published experimental results, we demonstrate the capability to identify neutrons and to reconstruct the direction and energy of the final-state neutron system in sub-GeV neutrino interactions. We then explore how neutron-related blip attributes can be used to improve physics studies of neutrino interactions, such as enhancing neutrino-antineutrino separation in atmospheric neutrinos and reverse-horn-current beam neutrinos. This study provides an initial quantification of LArTPC neutron reconstruction capabilities, which we expect to improve with future advancements in blip reconstruction, identification, and classification algorithms, as well as the modeling of neutrons.

Morquecho, Miguel Hernandez [Univ. of Minnesota, M↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving Fission Products at CARIBU: Near Field Detection (Q2/FY24 Quarterly Progress Report)

We continue to make progress in the analysis of 111 Ag decay data to determine gamma-ray intensities with the aim of improving these intensities to below 1% precision. The correctness of detection efficiencies is integral to obtaining accurate and precise results. While Geant4 provides us with efficiencies for detection of a coincidence event of a beta-particle with a 96, 245, or 342 gamma-ray, as outlined in Figure 1, it is important that we validate these results with the efficiencies obtained from the experimental decay data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1973

The theory of charged particle temperatures in the upper atmosphere.

The thermal structure of the earth's upper atmosphere is examined in detail, with emphasis on the physical processes that govern the behavior of charged-particle temperatures. The characteristic features of and competition between the heating, cooling, and thermal conduction processes that govern electron and ion temperatures in the mid-latitude and auroral ionospheric regions are theoretically analyzed, and appropriate comparisons are made with experimental data. The proposed elaborate theory is considered qualitatively successful in accounting for the thermal structure of the ionosphere, and points requiring quantitative verification are delineated.

Schunk, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Application of laser anemometry to turbomachinery flow field measurements

The application of laser anemometry to the measurement of turbomachinery flow fields is reviewed. Choices of optical configuration, seed particle generation, and seed injection techniques are discussed. The modification of experimental facilities to gain optical access is considered. The efficiency of data acquisition schemes is analyzed and issues related to data integrity and error estimation are addressed. Data reduction and analysis techniques for extracting and understanding the flow physics from laser anemometer measurements are presented.

Strazisar, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Comparisons of Mixed-Phase Icing Cloud Simulations with Experiments Conducted at the NASA Propulsion Systems Laboratory

This paper builds on previous work that compares numerical simulations of mixed-phase icing clouds with experimental data. The model couples the thermal interaction between ice particles and water droplets of the icing cloud with the flowing air of an icing wind tunnel for simulation of NASA Glenn Research Centers (GRC) Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL). Measurements were taken during the Fundamentals of Ice Crystal Icing Physics Tests at the PSL tunnel in March 2016. The tests simulated ice-crystal and mixed-phase icing that relate to ice accretions within turbofan engines.

Bartkus, Tadas↗
NASA NTRS2004

Wave-Particle Interactions As a Driving Mechanism for the Solar Wind

Our research has been focusing on a highly experimentally relevant issue: intermittency of the fluctuating fields in outflowing plasmas. We have contributed to both the theoretical and experimental research of the topic. In particular, we have developed a theoretical model and data analyzing programs to examine the issue of intermittency in space plasma outflows, including the solar wind. As fluctuating electric fields in the solar wind are likely to provide a heating and acceleration mechanism for the ions, our studies of the intermittency in turbulence in space plasma outflows help us toward achieving the goal of comparing major physical mechanisms that contribute to the driving of the fast solar wind. Our new theoretical model extends the utilities of our global hybrid model, which has allowed us to follow the kinetic evolution of the particle distributions along an inhomogeneous field line while the particles are subjected to various physical mechanisms. The physical effects that were considered in the global hybrid model included wave-particle interactions, an ambipolar electric field that was consistent with the particle distributions themselves, and Coulomb collisions. With an earlier version of the global hybrid model, we examined the overall impact on the solar wind flow due to the combination of these physical effects. In particular, we studied the combined effects of two major mechanisms that had been proposed as the drivers of the fast solar wind: (1) velocity filtration effect due to suprathermal electrons; (2) ion cyclotron resonance. Since the approval of this research grant, we have updated the model such that the effects due to these two driving mechanisms can be examined separately, thereby allowing us to compare their contributions to the acceleration of the solar wind. In the next section, we shall demonstrate that the velocity filtration effect is rather insignificant in comparison with that due to ion cyclotron resonance.

Wagner, William J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Spontaneous Chirality Flipping in an Orthogonal Spin-Charge Ordered Topological Magnet

The asymmetric distribution of chiral objects with opposite chirality is of great fundamental interest ranging from molecular biology to particle physics. In quantum materials, chiral states can build on inversion-symmetry-breaking lattice structures or emerge from spontaneous magnetic ordering induced by competing interactions. Although the handedness of a chiral state can be changed through external fields, a spontaneous chirality flipping has yet to be discovered. We present experimental evidence of chirality flipping via changing temperature in a topological magnet EuAl 4 , which features orthogonal spin density waves (SDW) and charge density waves (CDW). Using circular dichroism of Bragg peaks in the resonant magnetic x-ray scattering, we find that the chirality of the helical SDW flips through a first-order phase transition with modified SDW wavelength. Intriguingly, we observe that the CDW couples strongly with the SDW and displays a rare commensurate-to-incommensurate transition at the chirality flipping temperature. Combining with first-principles calculations and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, our results support a Fermi surface origin of the helical SDW with intertwined spin, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom in EuAl 4 . Our results reveal an unprecedented spontaneous chirality flipping and lay the groundwork for a new functional manipulation of chirality through momentum-dependent spin-charge-lattice interactions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

3-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experimental search for the chiral magnetic effect in relativistic heavy-ion collisions: A perspective

The chiral magnetic effect (CME) refers to generation of the electric current along a magnetic field in a chirally imbalanced system of quarks. The latter is predicted by quantum chromodynamics to arise from quark interaction with nontrivial topological fluctuations of the vacuum gluonic field. The CME has been actively searched for in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, where such gluonic field fluctuations and a strong magnetic field are believed to be present. The CME-sensitive observables are unfortunately subject to a possibly large non-CME background, and firm conclusions on a CME observation have not yet been reached. In this perspective, we review the experimental status and progress in the CME search, from the initial measurements more than a decade ago to the dedicated program of isobar collisions in 2018 and the release of the isobar blind analysis result in 2022 to intriguing hints of a possible CME signal in Au + Au collisions, and discuss future prospects of a potential CME discovery in the anticipated high-statistic Au + Au collision data at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider by 2025. We hope such a perspective will help sharpening our focus on the fundamental physics of the CME and steer its experimental search.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1988

Current understanding and issues on electron beam injection in space

The status of the physics understanding involved in electron beam injection in space is reviewed. The paper examines our understanding of beam plasma interactions and their associated wave and energized particle spectra of the processes involved in the beam plasma discharge, and of the vehicle charge neutralization. 'Strawman' models are presented for comparison with experimental observations.

Papadopoulos, K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Fine-tuning of process conditions to improve product uniformity of polystyrene particles used for wind tunnel velocimetry

Monodisperse polymer particles (having uniform diameter) were used for the last two decades in physical, biological, and chemical sciences. In NASA Langley Research Center monodisperse polystyrene particles are used in wind tunnel laser velocimeters. These polystyrene (PS) particles in latex form were formulated at the Engineering Laboratory of FENGD using emulsion-free emulsion polymerization. Monodisperse PS latices particles having different particle diameters were formulated and useful experimental data involving effects of process conditions on particle size were accumulated. However, similar process conditions and chemical recipes for polymerization of styrene monomer have often yielded monodisperse particles having varying diameters. The purpose was to improve the PS latex product uniformity by fine-tuning the process parameters based on the knowledge of suspension and emulsion polymerization.

Ray, Asit K.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Searches for Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNL) in CMS

The smallness of neutrino masses in conjunction with the observed flavor oscillations in the neutrino sector can be hinting to physics beyond the standard model. These observations can be naturally accommodated by the so-called "seesaw" mechanism, in which new Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNL) are postulated. Additionally, several HNL models provide a DM candidate or include a possible explanation for the observed baryon asymmetry. This talk presents an comprehensive overview of the CMS HNL program with a focus on the new experimental results as shown in a recently published review paper by CMS.The talk will highlight several novel and complementary approaches using both prompt and long-lived signatures using the full Run-II data-set collected at the LHC.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

The nucleardatapy toolkit for simple access to experimental nuclear data, astrophysical observations, and theoretical predictions

Systematic comparisons across theoretical predictions for the properties of dense matter, nuclear physics data, and astrophysical observations (also called meta-analyses) are performed. Existing predictions for symmetric nuclear and neutron matter properties are considered, and they are shown in this paper as an illustration of the present knowledge. Asymmetric matter is constructed assuming the isospin asymmetry quadratic approximation. It is employed to predict the pressure at twice saturation energy-density based only on nuclear-physics constraints, and we find it compatible with the one from the gravitational-wave community. To make our meta-analysis transparent, updated in the future, and to publicly share our results, the Python toolkit nucleardatapy is described and released here. Hence, this paper accompanies nucleardatapy, which simplifies access to nuclear-physics data, including theoretical calculations, experimental measurements, and astrophysical observations. This Python toolkit is designed to easily provide data for: (i) predictions for uniform matter (from microscopic or phenomenological approaches); (ii) correlation among nuclear properties induced by experimental and theoretical constraints; (iii) measurements for finite nuclei (nuclear chart, charge radii, neutron skins or nuclear incompressibilities, etc.) and hypernuclei (single particle energies); and (iv) astrophysical observations. This toolkit provides data in a unified format for easy comparison and provides new meta-analysis tools. It will be continuously developed, and we expect contributions from the community in our endeavor.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Practical Insights on Applying Simulation-Based Control Methods in Experimental Studies

Advanced nuclear reactors are crucial to the future of energy both in the United States and around the globe. In contrast to the current operating fleet, they are characterized as being deployable in remote locations and able to operate in semi-autonomous or autonomous fashion. This leap forward necessitates a new reactor control paradigm. Because advanced nuclear reactors are still under development in the United States, the creation of new control methods to achieve autonomous operations has been based on systems modeling and simulation. However, an important factor in successfully deploying these new control methods is the ability to seamlessly transition from simulation environments to real-world settings. Control methods tested in both simulation and experimental settings need to be investigated in the context of advanced reactor applications. This work developed a series of simple controllers for Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) microreactor operating in load-following scenarios. These controllers were tested in both simulation and experimental settings, and a comparative performance analysis was performed. The simulation tests leveraged the Control and Optimization Modular Modeling Application for Nuclear Deployment (COMMAND) software developed in a previous stage of the current effort, along with the MARVEL Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5-3D) and Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) models. The experimental tests leveraged the COMMAND software, MARVEL models, and the U.S. Department of Energy Microreactor Program’s Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS). MACS was developed to serve as a control method testbed. It was customized to mirror the MARVEL microreactor, and COMMAND enabled MACS to emulate the physics of MARVEL. The load-following controller was developed using the simulation platform, with efforts to emulate real systems by introducing actuator saturation and noise. These factors were incrementally accounted for in the controller design. After finalizing the controller design, it was implemented with the experimental setup. The experimental conditions tested included an initial test under conditions similar to the final simulation test, and two additional scenarios. The first scenario introduced additional actuator saturation to account for equipment aging over time, which was unknown to the controller. The second scenario introduced sensor delay, a phenomenon anticipated with the use of remote operations or wireless communication in advanced reactors. These tests revealed several notable differences. While the controller performed well in simulation, it exhibited several limitations when transitioning to hardware. The main challenges involved maintaining the steady-state target power, as evidenced by larger error values between the true reactor power and setpoint power, as well as persistent oscillations in controlled reactor power. These issues could lead to unacceptable transient conditions in real reactor testing. Introducing actuator aging and stochastic delays in the experimental setup significantly impacted controller performance, resulting in increased overshoot and undershoot, and exacerbated error and oscillations previously mentioned. These findings underscore the importance of experimental testbeds for testing and validating control methods, as controllers developed using only theory and/or simulation may perform unexpectedly when applied to actual hardware. This research emphasizes the need for an experimental testbed for achieving such validation.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗
NASA NTRS2000

Laboratory Studies of Optical Characteristics and Condensation Processes of Cosmic Dust Particles

Information about the optical characteristics and physical processes involving cosmic dust particles is vital for interpretation of astronomical observations and an understanding of the formation and processing of dust in the evolutionary cycle of matter in the interstellar medium. Cosmic dust particles are formed in a variety of astrophysical environments such as in cool stellar outflows and circumstellar envelopes. Definitive knowledge of the nature, composition, and physical processes of cosmic dust grains, however, can only be inferred from astronomical observations through laboratory experiments on the analogs of hypothesized dust particles and with modeling calculations. Laboratory investigations of the nature, composition, and optical characteristics of cosmic dust particles are being, carried out at many institutions with a variety of experimental techniques. Despite a wealth of available data, however, many basic issues remain unresolved. An experimental facility based on suspension of dust particles in electrodynamic balance in a pressure/temperature controlled environment in a cavity has been operational at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and is currently being employed for studies of dust particle charging mechanisms using electron beams and with UV radiation. In this paper, we discuss two general classes of experiments under planning stages that may be simultaneously carried out on this facility for cosmic dust investigations (i) Infrared optical characteristics (extinction coefficients and scattering phase functions) of the analogs of hypothesized of cosmic dust particles, such as natural and synthetic amorphous silicates with varying compositions, amorphous carbon grains, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and icy core-mantle particles etc. The initial spectral range under consideration is 1-25 micrometers, to be extended to the far infrared region in the future (ii) Condensation of volatile gases on nucleus dust particles to be investigated for planetary and astrophysical environments.

Spann, J. F., Jr.↗