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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 37 records · Page 2

A Conceptual Framework to Describe Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Interactions

Energy efficiency (EE) and demand response (DR) resources provide important utility systems and ratepayer benefits. At the same time, the rapid change in the amount and type of variable renewable energy, like solar and wind, is reshaping the role and economic value of EE and DR, and will likely affect the time-dependent valuation of EE and DR measures. Utilities are increasingly interested in integrating EE and DR measures as a strategic approach to improve their collective cost-effectiveness and performance. We develop a framework to identify the EE and DR attributes, system conditions, and technological factors that are likely to drive interactions between EE and DR. We apply the framework to example measures with different technology specifics in the context of different utility system conditions. We find that EE and DR interactions are likely driven by changes in discretionary load, the addition of controls or other capabilities to shift loads, and the coincidence of savings with system peak or load building periods. Our analysis suggests increasing complexity in evaluating EE and DR interactions when moving from standalone equipment to integrated systems. The framework can be applied to research on integrated building systems by grouping measures into portfolios with different likely implications for EE and DR interactions.

Satchwell, Andrew J. (ORCID:0000000244053599)↗

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↗

Atomic ionization: sd energy imbalance and Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction energy penalty in 3d atoms

To accurately describe the energetics of transition metal systems, density functional approximations (DFAs) must provide a balanced description of s- and d- electrons. One measure of this is the sd transfer error, which has previously been defined as E ( 3 d n − 1 4 s 1 ) − E ( 3 d n − 2 4 s 2 ) . Theoretical concerns have been raised about this definition due to its evaluation of excited-state energies using ground-state DFAs. A more serious concern appears to be strong correlation in the 4s 2 configuration. Here, we define a ground-state measure of the sd energy imbalance, based on the errors of s- and d-electron second ionization energies of the 3d atoms, that effectively circumvents the aforementioned problems. We find an improved performance as we move from the local spin density approximation (LSDA) to the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to the regularized and restored Strongly Constrained and Appropriately Normed (r 2 SCAN) meta-GGA for first-row transition metal atoms. However, we find large (∼2 eV) ground-state sd energy imbalances when applying a Perdew–Zunger 1981 self-interaction correction. This is attributed to an “energy penalty” associated with the noded 3d orbitals. A local scaling of the self-interaction correction to LSDA results in a balance of s- and d-errors.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Energy-Screened Many-Body Expansion for Protein–Ligand Interactions: Examining Convergence for Metalloenzymes Through Seven–Body Interactions

Fragment-based quantum chemistry is a powerful strategy for calculating protein−ligand interaction energies using quantum chemistry methods. Rigorous convergence often requires hundreds of atoms in the protein binding-site model, especially if that model is constructed using distance-based criteria to select amino acid residues, while three- and four-body calculations exhibit instability related to combinatorial proliferation in the number of subsystem calculations. Here, we report an energy-based screening protocol for the many-body expansion applied to protein−ligand interactions, implemented in the open-source FRAGME∩T code. Using a combination of aggressive screening based on semiempirical quantum chemistry, with an improved graph-theoretical algorithm to eliminate unimportant subsystems, we are able to perform n-body calculations up to n = 7 using density functional theory in triple-ζ basis sets. Distance cutoffs further reduce the cost without compromising accuracy. Rapid and stable convergence of the many-body expansion is obtained by n = 4, for a pair of metalloenzymes in which a divalent ion coordinates directly to the ligand. As compared to previous results that relied solely on distance cutoffs, oscillations in the n-body corrections are reduced or eliminated, although residual errors remain in one case. This work demonstrates that benchmark-quality protein−ligand interaction energies can be systematically converged using a method with excellent parallel efficiency and scalability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Colloidal Stability of PFSA-Ionomer Dispersions. Part I. Single-Ion Electrostatic Interaction Potential Energies

Charged colloidal particles neutralized by a single counterion are increasingly important for many emerging technologies. Attention here is paid specifically to hydrogen fuel cells and water electrolyzers whose catalyst layers are manufactured from a perfluorinated sulfonic acid polymer (PFSA) suspended in aqueous/alcohol solutions. Partially dissolved PFSA aggregates, known collectively as ionomers, are stabilized by the electrostatic repulsion of overlapping diffuse double layers consisting of only protons dissociated from the suspended polymer. We denote such double layers containing no added electrolyte as "single ion". Size-distribution predictions build upon interparticle interaction potential energies from the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) formalism. However, when only a single counterion is present in solution, classical DLVO electrostatic potential energies no longer apply. Accordingly, here a new formulation is proposed to describe how single-counterion diffuse double layers interact in colloidal suspensions. Part II (Srivastav, H.; Weber, A. Z.; Radke, C. J. Langmuir 2024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03904) of this contribution uses the new single-ion interaction energies to predict aggregated size distributions and the resulting solution pH of PFSA in mixtures of n-propanol and water. A single-counterion diffuse layer cannot reach an electrically neutral concentration far from a charged particle. Consequently, nowhere in the dispersion is the solvent neutral, and the diffuse layer emanating from one particle always experiences the presence of other particles (or walls). Thus, in addition to an intervening interparticle repulsive force, a backside osmotic force is always present. With this new construction, we establish that single-ion repulsive pair interaction energies are much larger than those of classical DLVO electrostatic potentials. The proposed single-ion electrostatic pair potential governs dramatic new dispersion behavior, including dispersions that are stable at a low volume fraction but unstable at a high volume fraction and finite volume-fraction dispersions that are unstable with fine particles but stable with coarse particles. Finally, the proposed single-counterion electrostatic pair potential provides a general expression for predicting colloidal behavior for any charged particle dispersion in ionizing solvents with no added electrolyte.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The kinetic analog of the pressure–strain interaction

Energy transport in weakly collisional plasma systems is often studied with fluid models and diagnostics. However, the applicability of fluid models is limited when collisions are weak or absent, and using a fluid approach can obscure kinetic processes that provide key insights into the physics of energy transport. Kinetic diagnostics retain all of the information in 3D-3V phase space and thereby reach beyond the insights of fluid models to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for collisionless energy transport. In this work, we derive the Kinetic Pressure–Strain (KPS): a kinetic analog of the pressure–strain interaction, which is the channel between flow energy density and internal energy density in fluid models. Through two case studies of electron Landau damping, we demonstrate that the KPS diagnostic can elucidate kinetic mechanisms that are responsible for energy transport in this channel, just as the related field–particle correlation is known to identify kinetic mechanisms of transport between electromagnetic field energy density and kinetic energy density in particle flows. In addition, we show that resonant electrons play a major role in transferring energy between fluid flows and internal energy during the process of Landau damping.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Predicting Dexter Energy Transfer Interactions from Molecular Orbital Overlaps

Dexter energy transfer (DET), also known as spin forbidden energy transfer (e.g., 3 D 1 A → 1 D 3 A), is undergoing renewed interest because of its utility in energy science, photocatalysis, and biomedical imaging. The DET reactions enable exciton fission and fusion and have been recently used to facilitate nanoscale imaging of protein assemblies on cell surfaces. While DET and Förster energy transfer rates are often well described using Fermi’s golden rule, the donor–acceptor couplings for DET may be bridge-state-mediated and depend on the electronic structure of and interactions among the donor, bridge, and acceptor. We provide a simple approach to approximate DET couplings using a product of molecular orbital overlap factors. This approach may be used to guide the design of DET systems with targeted energy-transfer kinetics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Understanding of three different polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) based battery binders blends on graphene surfaces from first principles via DFT simulations

Binders play a crucial role in binding electrodes, current collectors, and conductive agents during battery manufacturing. The selection of the binders and their blends considerably affect various properties such as mechanical durability, adhesion performance, ionic/electronic conductivities, and solid electrolyte interface stability for lithium-ion batteries. In this work, polyvinylidene di-fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and lithiated polyacrylic acid (Li-PAA) were selected as the model binders, and their blends were studied on graphene surfaces. Further, among them, PVDF is hardly soluble in water unlike the other binders, so in practice, the blend of PVP:PVDF is not thought to be a proper combination. However, the PVP:PVDF binder has also been included because the purpose of this work is to calculate several electronic properties such as binding energies, intermolecular interaction energies, bond critical points, electron density, and the Laplacian of electron density at critical bonding regions of all these blends at the molecular level via density functional theory (DFT) simulations in order to evaluate and compare how is the interaction strength and bonding type of three different lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) binder blends on graphene surfaces. Most stable binder pairs and their binding mechanisms on graphene surfaces were studied. The delocalization of lithium in Li-PAA was studied with the presence of water.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

High-temperature quantum coherence of spinons in a rare-earth spin chain

Conventional wisdom dictates that quantum effects become unimportant at high temperatures. In magnets, when the thermal energy exceeds interactions between atomic magnetic moments, the moments are usually uncorrelated, and classical paramagnetic behavior is observed. This thermal decoherence of quantum spin behaviors is a major hindrance to quantum information applications of spin systems. Remarkably, our neutron scattering experiments on Yb chains in an insulating perovskite crystal defy these conventional expectations. We find a sharply defined spectrum of spinons, fractional quantum excitations of spin-1/2 chains, to persist to temperatures much higher than the scale of the interactions between Yb magnetic moments. The observed sharpness of the spinon continuum’s dispersive upper boundary indicates a spinon mean free path exceeding ≈ 35 inter-atomic spacings at temperatures more than an order of magnitude above the interaction energy scale. We thus discover an important and highly unique quantum behavior, which expands the realm of quantumness to high temperatures where entropy-governed classical behaviors were previously believed to dominate. Our results have profound implications for spin systems in quantum information applications operating at finite temperatures and motivate new developments in quantum metrology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Massively Parallel Implementation of the CCSD(T) Method Using the Resolution-of-the-Identity Approximation and a Hybrid Distributed/Shared Memory Parallelization Model

In this work, a parallel algorithm is described for the coupled-cluster singles and doubles method augmented with a perturbative correction for triple excitations [CCSD(T)] using the resolution-of-the-identity (RI) approximation for two-electron repulsion integrals (ERIs). The algorithm bypasses the storage of four-center ERIs by adopting an integral-direct strategy. The CCSD amplitude equations are given in a compact quasi-linear form by factorizing them in terms of amplitude-dressed three-center intermediates. A hybrid MPI/OpenMP parallelization scheme is employed, which uses the OpenMP-based shared memory model for intranode parallelization and the MPI-based distributed memory model for internode parallelization. Parallel efficiency has been optimized for all terms in the CCSD amplitude equations. Two different algorithms have been implemented for the rate-limiting terms in the CCSD amplitude equations that entail and -scaling computational costs, where N O and N V denote the number of correlated occupied and virtual orbitals, respectively. One of the algorithms assembles the four-center ERIs requiring N V 4 and N O 2 N V 2 -scaling memory costs in a distributed manner on a number of MPI ranks, while the other algorithm completely bypasses the assembling of quartic memory-scaling ERIs and thus largely reduces the memory demand. It is demonstrated that the former memory-expensive algorithm is faster on a few hundred cores, while the latter memory-economic algorithm shows a better strong scaling in the limit of a few thousand cores. The program is shown to exhibit a near-linear scaling, in particular for the compute-intensive triples correction step, on up to 8000 cores. The performance of the program is demonstrated via calculations involving molecules with 24–51 atoms and up to 1624 atomic basis functions. As the first application, the complete basis set (CBS) limit for the interaction energy of the π-stacked uracil dimer from the S66 data set has been investigated. This work reports the first calculation of the interaction energy at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVQZ level without local orbital approximation. The CBS limit for the CCSD correlation contribution to the interaction energy was found to be -8.01 kcal/mol, which agrees very well with the value -7.99 kcal/mol reported by Schmitz, Hättig, and Tew [ Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2014 , 16 , 22167-22178]. The CBS limit for the total interaction energy was estimated to be -9.64 kcal/mol.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

AP-Net: An atomic-pairwise neural network for smooth and transferable interaction potentials

Intermolecular interactions are critical to many chemical phenomena, but their accurate computation using ab initio methods is often limited by computational cost. The recent emergence of machine learning (ML) potentials may be a promising alternative. Useful ML models should not only estimate accurate interaction energies but also predict smooth and asymptotically correct potential energy surfaces. However, existing ML models are not guaranteed to obey these constraints. Indeed, systemic deficiencies are apparent in the predictions of our previous hydrogen-bond model as well as the popular ANI-1X model, which we attribute to the use of an atomic energy partition. As a solution, we propose an alternative atomic-pairwise framework specifically for intermolecular ML potentials, and we introduce AP-Net—a neural network model for interaction energies. The AP-Net model is developed using this physically motivated atomic-pairwise paradigm and also exploits the interpretability of symmetry adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). We show that in contrast to other models, AP-Net produces smooth, physically meaningful intermolecular potentials exhibiting correct asymptotic behavior. Initially trained on only a limited number of mostly hydrogen-bonded dimers, AP-Net makes accurate predictions across the chemically diverse S66x8 dataset, demonstrating significant transferability. On a test set including experimental hydrogen-bonded dimers, AP-Net predicts total interaction energies with a mean absolute error of 0.37 kcal mol−1, reducing errors by a factor of 2–5 across SAPT components from previous neural network potentials. The pairwise interaction energies of the model are physically interpretable, and an investigation of predicted electrostatic energies suggests that the model “learns” the physics of hydrogen-bonded interactions.

Glick, Zachary L. (ORCID:0000000309002849)↗

Theoretical tools for neutrino scattering: interplay between lattice QCD, EFTs, nuclear physics, phenomenology, and neutrino event generators

Maximizing the discovery potential of increasingly precise neutrino experiments will require an improved theoretical understanding of neutrino-nucleus cross sections over a wide range of energies. Low-energy interactions are needed to reconstruct the energies of astrophysical neutrinos from supernovae bursts and search for new physics using increasingly precise measurement of coherent elastic neutrino scattering. Higher-energy interactions involve a variety of reaction mechanisms including quasi-elastic scattering, resonance production, and deep inelastic scattering that must all be included to reliably predict cross sections for energies relevant to DUNE and other accelerator neutrino experiments. Refined nuclear interaction models in these energy regimes will also be valuable for other applications, such as measurements of reactor, solar, and atmospheric neutrinos. This manuscript discusses the theoretical status, challenges, required resources, and path forward for achieving precise predictions of neutrino-nucleus scattering and emphasizes the need for a coordinated theoretical effort involved lattice QCD, nuclear effective theories, phenomenological models of the transition region, and event generators.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

High-Energy to Ultrahigh-Energy Neutrino Interactions

The cross sections for neutrino interactions with nucleons have been measured directly in accelerator experiments and through the zenith-angle and energy dependence of neutrino events at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Fluxes of high-energy neutrinos are produced at the Large Hadron Collider and by cosmic rays in the atmosphere. High-energy neutrinos also come from astrophysical and cosmic sources. The theory of neutrino interactions is reviewed. Current cross-section measurements and prospects for the future are discussed. The focus here is on neutrino interactions for energies larger than 1 TeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Cyber Physical Grid-Interactive Distributed Energy Resources Control for VPP Dispatch and Regulation

This paper presents a cyber-physical algorithm for grid-interactive Distributed Energy Resource (DER) control to enable two features of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) dispatch and grid voltage regulation, considering the communication and security impacts. We first formulate the DER dispatch problem as a real-time, iterative, and grid-interactive DER control problem. Thereafter, we consider a probabilistic traffic model to characterize packet delays and loss in a communication network, and study how the delays enter the process of information exchange among the grid measurement units, local DER controllers and the grid control center that coordinately execute this dispatch algorithm. Finally, a strategy combining delay threshold and modified message update rules is proposed to immune the asynchrony resulting from the communications network traffic and it avoids possible numerical instabilities and sensitivities of the tracking and regulation capabilities of this DER control algorithm. By implementing the proposed cyber-physical algorithm on the modified IEEE 37-node system, our preliminary results exhibit that the uncertainties of the underlying communications infrastructure must be considered for the VPP tracking and regulation capabilities of any DER in a generic Cyber-Physical System (CPS), because the delayed voltage measurements in the uplink/bi-link cases result in the off-track in VPP dispatch and jittery in voltage regulation.

cyber-physical algorithm↗

Final state radiation from high and ultrahigh energy neutrino interactions

Charged leptons produced by high-energy and ultrahigh-energy neutrinos have a substantial probability of emitting prompt internal bremsstrahlung ν ℓ + N → ℓ + X + γ . This can have important consequences for neutrino detection. We discuss observable consequences at high- and ultrahigh-energy neutrino telescopes and the Large Hadron Collider’s (LHC’s) Forward Physics Facility. Logarithmic enhancements can be substantial (e.g., ∼ 20 % ) when either the charged lepton’s energy or the rest of the cascade is measured. We comment on final state radiation’s impacts on measuring the inelasticity distribution, ν / ν ¯ flux ratio, throughgoing muons, and double-bang signatures for high-energy neutrino observation. Furthermore, for ultrahigh-energy neutrino observation, we find that final state radiation increases the overall detectable energy by as much as 20%, affects flavor measurements, and decreases the energy of both Earth-emergent tau leptons and regenerated tau neutrinos. Many of these have significant impacts on measuring neutrino fluxes and spectra. Finally, for the LHC’s Forward Physics Facility, we find that final state radiation will impact future extractions of strange quark parton distribution functions. Final state radiation should be included in future analyses at neutrino telescopes and the Forward Physics Facility. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Non-dilute helium-related defect interactions in the near-surface region of plasma-exposed tungsten

We report a systematic energetic analysis of helium-related defect interactions that mediate helium (He) segregation on surfaces of plasma-exposed tungsten at different levels of He ion implantation. We focus on high He fluences that increase the He content in the plasma-exposed material well beyond the dilute limit of He concentration and employ atomic configurations generated by large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of He-implanted tungsten. We perform systematic molecular statics computations of cluster– defect interaction energetics in the highly defect-rich near-surface region of plasma-exposed tungsten for small mobile helium clusters as a function of the cluster distance from the surface. In this region, mobile clusters are also subjected to the stress fields generated by defects such as helium bubbles and other clusters, which govern cluster–defect interactions in addition to the cluster–surface interaction. Based on systematic investigation of individual cluster–defect interactions, we develop a mathematical framework to describe the interaction energy landscapes consisting of elastic interaction potential perturbations to finite-width square-well potentials, where the potential well accounts for cluster trapping by the defect at close range and subsequent coalescence and the perturbation potential is parameterized according to elastic inclusion theory. Superposition of all the relevant interaction potentials provides a comprehensive description of the interaction energy landscape that would be experienced by a small mobile cluster along its migration path toward the plasma-exposed surface at high He fluence. Such descriptions are particularly important for developing atomistically-informed, hierarchical multi-scale models of helium cluster dynamics in plasma-facing materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dissociation of gas-phase anisole induced by low-energy electron interactions: understanding patterns of aromatic bond cleavage

Abstract In view of elucidating the fragmentation patterns of aromatic systems induced by low-energy electron interactions, dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to gas-phase anisole was performed. Anionic fragments resulting from this DEA process were detected by a quadrupole mass spectrometer, and ion yields of those fragments as a function of incident electron energy were rendered. Our study showed the formation of CH 3 − , HCC − , and OCH 3 − fragments, suggesting that various dissociation channels proceed out of DEA to anisole. We employed density functional theory to compute thermodynamic threshold energies for each potential dissociation channel. Those theoretical calculations supported the prediction that the CH 3 − and OCH 3 − fragments form via mechanisms of single-bond cleavage; the HCC − fragments may form through two-, three-, or four-body dissociation channels that entail hydrogen transfers and the cleavage of multiple aromatic bonds. The experimental resonance energies that form the CH 3 − , HCC − , and OCH 3 − fragments were 6.0 eV, 5.8 and 9.7 eV, and 9.8 eV, respectively. Given the classification of anisole as a monosubstituted aromatic species, our results explain generalizable patterns of electron-mediated dissociation in aromatic systems.

Finley, Jacob (ORCID:0009000606963352)↗