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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

ON THE LOCAL DARK MATTER DENSITY

An analysis of the kinematics of 412 stars at 1-4 kpc from the Galactic midplane by Moni Bidin et al. has claimed to derive a local density of dark matter that is an order of magnitude below standard expectations. We show that this result is incorrect and that it arises from the assumption that the mean azimuthal velocity of the stellar tracers is independent of Galactocentric radius at all heights. We substitute the assumption, supported by data, that the circular speed is independent of radius in the midplane. We demonstrate that the assumption of constant mean azimuthal velocity is implausible by showing that it requires the circular velocity to drop more steeply than allowed by any plausible mass model, with or without dark matter, at large heights above the midplane. Using the approximation that the circular-velocity curve is flat in the midplane, we find that the data imply a local dark matter density of 0.008 {+-} 0.003 M{sub Sun} pc{sup -3} = 0.3 {+-} 0.1 GeV cm{sup -3}, fully consistent with standard estimates of this quantity. This is the most robust direct measurement of the local dark matter density to date.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

THE ANTICORRELATED NATURE OF THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ECLIPSE TIMING VARIATIONS FOR THE KEPLER CONTACT BINARIES

We report a study of the eclipse timing variations in contact binary systems, using long-cadence lightcurves from the Kepler archive. As a first step, observed minus calculated (O - C) curves were produced for both the primary and secondary eclipses of some 2000 Kepler binaries. We find {approx}390 short-period binaries with O - C curves that exhibit (1) random walk-like variations or quasi-periodicities, with typical amplitudes of {+-}200-300 s, and (2) anticorrelations between the primary and secondary eclipse timing variations. We present a detailed analysis and results for 32 of these binaries with orbital periods in the range of 0.35 {+-} 0.05 days. The anticorrelations observed in their O - C curves cannot be explained by a model involving mass transfer, which, among other things, requires implausibly high rates of {approx}0.01 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. We show that the anticorrelated behavior, the amplitude of the O - C delays, and the overall random walk-like behavior can be explained by the presence of a starspot that is continuously visible around the orbit and slowly changes its longitude on timescales of weeks to months. The quasi-periods of {approx}50-200 days observed in the O - C curves suggest values for k, the coefficient of the latitude dependence of the stellar differential rotation, of {approx}0.003-0.013.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The role of magnetic fields in starburst galaxies as revealed by OH megamasers

We present estimates of magnetic field strengths in the interstellar media of starburst galaxies derived from measurements of Zeeman splitting associated with OH megamasers. The results for eight galaxies with Zeeman detections suggest that the magnetic energy density in the interstellar medium of starburst galaxies is comparable to their hydrostatic gas pressure, as in the Milky Way. We discuss the significant uncertainties in this conclusion, and possible measurements that could reduce these uncertainties. We also compare the Zeeman splitting derived magnetic field estimates to magnetic field strengths estimated using synchrotron fluxes and assuming that the magnetic field and cosmic rays have comparable energy densities, known as the 'minimum energy' argument. We find that the minimum energy argument systematically underestimates magnetic fields in starburst galaxies, and that the conditions that would be required to produce agreement between the minimum energy estimate and the Zeeman derived estimate of interstellar medium magnetic fields are implausible. The conclusion that magnetic fields in starburst galaxies exceed the minimum energy magnetic fields is consistent with starburst galaxies adhering to the linearity of the far-infrared-radio correlation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Deciphering the atmospheric composition of WASP-12b: A comprehensive analysis of its dayside emission

WASP-12b was the first planet reported to have a carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) greater than one in its dayside atmosphere. However, recent work to further characterize its atmosphere and confirm its composition has led to incompatible measurements and divergent conclusions. Additionally, the recent discovery of stellar binary companions ∼1'' from WASP-12 further complicates the analyses and subsequent interpretations. We present a uniform analysis of all available Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescope secondary-eclipse data, including previously unpublished Spitzer measurements at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. The primary controversy in the literature has centered on the value and interpretation of the eclipse depth at 4.5 μm. Our new measurements and analyses confirm the shallow eclipse depth in this channel, as first reported by Campo and collaborators and used by Madhusudhan and collaborators to infer a carbon-rich composition. To explain WASP-12b's observed dayside emission spectrum, we implemented several recent retrieval approaches. We find that when we exclude absorption due to C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and HCN, which are not universally considered in the literature, our models require implausibly large atmospheric CO{sub 2} abundances, regardless of the C/O. By including C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and HCN in our models, we find that a physically plausible carbon-rich solution achieves the best fit to the available photometric and spectroscopic data. In comparison, the best-fit oxygen-rich models have abundances that are inconsistent with the chemical equilibrium expectations for hydrogen-dominated atmospheres and are 670 times less probable. Our best-fit solution is also 7.3 × 10{sup 6} times more probable than an isothermal blackbody model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

COSMIC RAY TRANSPORT WITH MAGNETIC FOCUSING AND THE “TELEGRAPH” MODEL

Cosmic rays (CR), constrained by scattering on magnetic irregularities, are believed to propagate diffusively. However, a well-known defect of diffusive approximation, whereby some of the particles propagate unrealistically fast, has directed interest toward an alternative CR transport model based on the “telegraph” equation. Though, its derivations often lack rigor and transparency leading to inconsistent results. We apply the classic Chapman–Enskog method to the CR transport problem. We show that no “telegraph” (second order time derivative) term emerges in any order of a proper asymptotic expansion with systematically eliminated short timescales. Nevertheless, this term may formally be converted from the fourth order hyper-diffusive term of the expansion. However, both the telegraph and hyperdiffusive terms may only be important for a short relaxation period associated with either strong pitch-angle anisotropy or spatial inhomogeneity of the initial CR distribution. Beyond this period the system evolves diffusively in both cases. The term conversion, that makes the telegraph and Chapman–Enskog approaches reasonably equivalent, is possible only after this relaxation period. During this period, the telegraph solution is argued to be unphysical. Unlike the hyperdiffusion correction, it is not uniformly valid and introduces implausible singular components to the solution. These dominate the solution during the relaxation period. Because they are shown not to be inherent in the underlying scattering problem, we argue that the telegraph term is involuntarily acquired in an asymptotic reduction of the problem.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Is the 130 GeV line real? A search for systematics in the Fermi-LAT data

Our recent claims of a Galactic center feature in Fermi-LAT data at approximately 130 GeV have motivated a large number of papers proposing explanations ranging from dark matter annihilation to monoenergetic pulsar winds. Because of the importance of such interpretations for physics and astrophysics, a discovery will require not only additional data, but a thorough investigation of possible LAT systematics. While we do not have access to the details of each event reconstruction, we do have information about each event from the public event lists and spacecraft parameter files. These data allow us to search for suspicious trends that could indicate a spurious signal. We consider several hypotheses that might make an instrumental artifact more apparent at the Galactic center, and find them implausible. We also search for an instrumental signature in the Earth limb photons, which provide a smooth reference spectrum for null tests. We find no significant 130 GeV feature in the Earth limb sample. However, we do find a marginally significant 130 GeV feature in Earth limb photons with a limited range of detector incidence angles. This raises concerns about the 130 GeV Galactic center feature, even though we can think of no plausible model of instrumental behavior that connects the two. A modest amount of additional limb data would tell us if the limb feature is a statistical fluke. If the limb feature persists, it would raise doubts about the Pass 7 processing of E > 100 GeV events. At present we find no instrumental systematics that could plausibly explain the excess Galactic center emission at 130 GeV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Revisiting XENON100's constraints (and signals?) for low-mass dark matter

Although observations made with the CoGeNT and CDMS experiments have been interpreted as possible signals of low-mass ( ∼ 7–10 GeV) dark matter particles, constraints from the XENON100 collaboration appear to be incompatible with this hypothesis, at least at face value. In this paper, we revisit XENON100's constraint on dark matter in this mass range, and consider how various uncertainties and assumptions made might alter this conclusion. We also note that while XENON100's two nuclear recoil candidates each exhibit very low ratios of ionization-to-scintillation signals, making them difficult to attribute to known electronic or neutron backgrounds, they are consistent with originating from dark matter particles in the mass range favored by CoGeNT and CDMS. We argue that with lower, but not implausible, values for the relative scintillation efficiency of liquid xenon (L{sub eff}), and the suppression of the scintillation signal in liquid xenon at XENON100's electric field (S{sub nr}), these two events could consistently arise from dark matter particles with a mass and cross section in the range favored by CoGeNT and CDMS. If this interpretation is correct, we predict that the LUX experiment, with a significantly higher light yield than XENON100, should observe dark matter induced events at an observable rate of ∼ 3–24 per month.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Upper bounds for 21st-century surface air temperatures in the Western United States

The last decade has seen a large number of severe heatwaves that were unprecedented in the observational record, highlighting challenges associated with observationally-based statistical quantification of the likelihood and magnitude of future extreme temperatures. An alternative to such probabilistic assessments is identification of upper bounds that quantify the hottest surface air temperatures that can possibly be achieved by the end of the 21st century. Theory, simulations, and observational analyses support the existence of a finite upper bound for surface air temperature; however, estimates for future upper-bound values that are realistic and usable for planning remain unavailable. Here, we combine atmospheric theory with large ensembles of dynamically downscaled projections to estimate historical and end-of-century upper bounds for surface air temperatures. A number of physical mechanisms can influence upper bounds, and at the end of the 21st century, estimates based on mechanisms that yield more moderate upper-bounds produce values around 60∘C for much of the Western United States and in excess of 80∘C for the hottest parts of the domain. Even cooler high-altitude locations have end-of-century upper bounds over 50∘C. Although these upper-bound estimates might seem implausibly large, increases in the upper bounds over the 21st century are similar to increases in dynamically downscaled peak surface temperatures after adjusting those downscaled temperatures to eliminate the possibly biased model trends in surface specific humidity. While upper bound estimates are high relative to historical observations, they nonetheless suggest that heatwave intensity risk is bounded, with uncertainty dominated by projections of surface and upper-level humidity.

Risser, Mark D↗

THE MASS DISTRIBUTION OF SUBGIANT PLANET HOSTS

High mass stars are hostile to Doppler measurements due to rotation and activity on the main-sequence, so RV searches for planets around massive stars have relied on evolved stars. A large number of planets have been found around evolved stars with M > 1.5 M{sub Sun }. To test the robustness of mass determinations, Lloyd compared mass distributions of planet hosting subgiants with distributions from integrating isochrones and concluded that it is unlikely the subgiant planet hosts are this massive, but rather that the mass inferences are systematically in error. The conclusions of Lloyd have been called in to question by Johnson et al., who show TRILEGAL-based mass distributions that disagree with the mass distributions in Lloyd, which they attribute to Malmquist bias. Johnson et al. argue that the very small spectroscopic observational uncertainties favor high masses, and there are a large number of high mass sub giants in RV surveys. However, in this Letter, it is shown that Malmquist bias does not impact the mass distributions, but the mass distribution is sensitive to Galaxy model. The relationship needed to reconcile the subgiant planet host masses with any model of the Galactic stellar population is implausible, and the conclusion of Lloyd that spectroscopic mass determinations of subgiants are likely to have been overestimated is robust.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Inference of gravitational field superposition from quantum measurements

Experiments are beginning to probe the interaction of quantum particles with gravitational fields beyond the uniform-field regime. In nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, the gravitational field in such experiments can be written as a superposition state. We empirically demonstrate that semiclassical theories of gravity can avoid gravitational superposition states only by decoupling the gravitational field energy from the quantum particle’s time evolution. Furthermore, such theories must specify a preferred quantum reference frame in which the equations of motion are valid. To the extent that these properties are theoretically implausible, recent experiments provide indirect evidence that gravity has quantum features. Proposed experiments with superposed gravitational sources would provide even stronger evidence that gravity is nonclassical.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Lattice dynamics and elasticity in thermoelectric Mg 2 Si 1 - x Sn x

Lattice dynamics and elastic constants in Mg 2 Si 1-x Sn x were investigated using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, Mossbauer spectroscopy, nuclear inelastic scattering, and inelastic x-ray scattering. Increasing the Sn content x results in smaller elastic constants, lower Sn specific Debye temperature, lower speed of sound, and a softening of acoustic Sn specific phonons. However, close to band convergence at about x = 0.6, the shear modulus is well below the expected value, which suggests a pronounced connection between band convergence and lattice dynamics in this system. Based on the determined speed of sound and average phonon group velocity, the importance of optical phonons for lattice thermal conductivity is discussed, as the significant reduction in both velocities would yield an implausibly low lattice thermal conductivity of only about 60% of the experimental value. Sn specific thermodynamic quantities calculated from the Sn specific density of phonon states substantiate the general softening of lattice vibrations upon substitution of Si by Sn. A major contribution to the vibrational entropy is thus due to Sn specific vibrational modes. The generalized density of phonon states in Mg 2 Si 1-x Sn x derived from inelastic x-ray scattering for one composition shows that vibrational modes related to lightweight Mg and Si set in above 12.5 meV, whereas Sn specific modes are concentrated around 11 meV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solid phase epitaxial regrowth of (001) anatase titanium dioxide

The growing interest in metal oxide based semiconductor technologies has driven the need to produce high quality epitaxial films of one metal oxide upon another. Largely unrecognized in synthetic efforts is that some metal oxides offer strongly polar surfaces and interfaces that require electrostatic stabilization to avoid a physically implausible divergence in the potential. The present work examines these issues for epitaxial growth of anatase TiO{sub 2} on strontium titanate (001). Solid phase epitaxial regrowth yields only the (001) facet, while direct crystalline growth by atomic layer deposition yields both the (112) and (001). The presence of amorphous TiO{sub 2} during regrowth may provide preferential stabilization for formation of the (001) facet.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Comparison of SUSY spectra generators for natural SUSY and string landscape predictions

Models of natural supersymmetry give rise to a weak scale m weak ~ m W,Z,h ~ 100 GeV without any (implausible) finetuning of independent contributions to the weak scale. These models, which exhibit radiatively driven naturalness (RNS), are expected to arise from statistical analysis of the string landscape wherein large soft terms are favored, but subject to a not-too-large value of the derived weak scale in each pocket universe of the greater multiverse. The string landscape picture then predicts, using the Isajet SUSY spectra generator Isasugra, a statistical peak at m h ~ 125 GeV with sparticles generally beyond current LHC search limits. In this paper, we investigate how well these conclusions hold up using other popular spectra generators: SOFTSUSY, SPHENO and SUSPECT (SSS). We built a computer code DEW4SLHA which operates on SUSY Les Houches Accord files to calculate the associated electroweak naturalness measure Δ EW . The SSS generators tend to yield a Higgs mass peak ~125–127 GeV with a superparticle mass spectra rather similar to that generated by Isasugra. In an Appendix, we include loop corrections to Δ EW in a more standard notation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A Method to Estimate the Chronic Health Impact of Air Pollutants in U.S. Residences

Background: Indoor air pollutants (IAPs) cause multiple health impacts. Prioritizing mitigation options that differentially affect individual pollutants and comparing IAPs with other environmental health hazards require a common metric of harm. Objectives: Our objective was to demonstrate a methodology to quantify and compare health impacts from IAPs. The methodology is needed to assess population health impacts of large-scale initiatives—including energy efficiency upgrades and ventilation standards—that affect indoor air quality (IAQ). Methods: Available disease incidence and disease impact models for specific pollutant–disease combinations were synthesized with data on measured concentrations to estimate the chronic heath impact, in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost, due to inhalation of a subset of IAPs in U.S. residences. Model results were compared with independent estimates of DALYs lost due to disease. Results: Particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), acrolein, and formaldehyde accounted for the vast majority of DALY losses caused by IAPs considered in this analysis, with impacts on par or greater than estimates for secondhand tobacco smoke and radon. Confidence intervals of DALYs lost derived from epidemiology-based response functions are tighter than those derived from toxicology-based, interspecies extrapolations. Statistics on disease incidence in the United States indicate that the upper-bound confidence interval for aggregate IAP harm is implausibly high. Conclusions: The approach demonstrated in this study may be used to assess regional and national initiatives that affect IAQ at the population level. Cumulative health impacts from inhalation in U.S. residences of the IAPs assessed in this study are estimated at 400–1,100 DALYs lost annually per 100,000 persons.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Quality-Controlled Meteorological Data from the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC) Network, Phoenix, Arizona (1987-2024)

This dataset contains 15- or 30-minute interval meteorological data from the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC), Arizona, USA, covering eight key variables across multiple sensor stations between 1987 and 2024. Each variable is stored as a separate CSV file, containing time-series data that have undergone rigorous quality control (QC) procedures and, where appropriate, short-gap interpolation for consistency. The quality control (QC) pipeline consisted of four sequential tests: (1) a range test to ensure all values fall within physically realistic limits, (2) a step test to identify abrupt and implausible changes between consecutive records, (3) a proximity test that validates flagged values from step test using data from nearby stations and exceedance probability thresholds, and (4) a persistence test to detect and remove periods of unrealistically constant readings. These thresholds were calibrated to Arizona’s environmental conditions and sensor specifications. After QC, short gaps (≤2 hours) were linearly interpolated to ensure consistent temporal resolution, except for wind variables. Due to a major upgrade in FCDMC’s data transmission system, only ALERT-2 protocol data (2016–2024) for wind variables are included; earlier ALERT-1 data were excluded because of irregular sampling and high missing rates. This dataset supports regional climate and infrastructure resilience studies by providing standardized, high-resolution meteorological data for the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Model Exploration of an Information-Based Healthcare Intervention Using Parallelization and Active Learning

This paper describes the application of a large-scale active learning method to characterize the parameter space of a computational agent-based model developed to investigate the impact of CommunityRx, a clinical information-based health intervention that provides patients with personalized information about local community resources to meet basic and self-care needs. Additionally, the diffusion of information about community resources and their use is modeled via networked interactions and their subsequent effect on agents' use of community resources across an urban population. A random forest model is iteratively fitted to model evaluations to characterize the model parameter space with respect to observed empirical data. We demonstrate the feasibility of using high-performance computing and active learning model exploration techniques to characterize large parameter spaces; by partitioning the parameter space into potentially viable and non-viable regions, we rule out regions of space where simulation output is implausible to observed empirical data. We argue that such methods are necessary to enable model exploration in complex computational models that incorporate increasingly available micro-level behavior data. We provide public access to the model and high-performance computing experimentation code.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Reactor Pressure Vessel Task of Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Level 2 Milestone (M2LW-12OR0402015). Results of Examinations of Surveillance Specimens from Commercial Reactors

The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) in a light-water reactor (LWR) represents the first line of defense against a release of radiation in case of an accident. Thus, regulations that govern the operation of commercial nuclear power plants require conservative margins of fracture toughness, both during normal operation and under accident scenarios. In the unirradiated condition, the RPV has sufficient fracture toughness such that failure is implausible under any postulated condition, including pressurized thermal shock (PTS) in pressurized water reactors (PWR). In the irradiated condition, however, the fracture toughness of the RPV may be severely degraded, with the degree of toughness loss dependent on the radiation sensitivity of the materials. As stated in previous progress reports, the available embrittlement predictive models, e.g. [1], and our present understanding of radiation damage are not fully quantitative, and do not treat all potentially significant variables and issues, particularly considering extension of operation to 80y.

Nanstad, Randy K.↗

Peak Dose Assessment for Proposed DOE-PPPO Authorized Limits

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prime contractor, was contracted by the DOE Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (DOE-PPPO) to conduct a peak dose assessment in support of the Authorized Limits Request for Solid Waste Disposal at Landfill C-746-U at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (DOE-PPPO 2011a). The peak doses were calculated based on the DOE-PPPO Proposed Single Radionuclides Soil Guidelines and the DOE-PPPO Proposed Authorized Limits (AL) Volumetric Concentrations available in DOE-PPPO 2011a. This work is provided as an appendix to the Dose Modeling Evaluations and Technical Support Document for the Authorized Limits Request for the C-746-U Landfill at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky (ORISE 2012). The receptors evaluated in ORISE 2012 were selected by the DOE-PPPO for the additional peak dose evaluations. These receptors included a Landfill Worker, Trespasser, Resident Farmer (onsite), Resident Gardener, Recreational User, Outdoor Worker and an Offsite Resident Farmer. The RESRAD (Version 6.5) and RESRAD-OFFSITE (Version 2.5) computer codes were used for the peak dose assessments. Deterministic peak dose assessments were performed for all the receptors and a probabilistic dose assessment was performed only for the Offsite Resident Farmer at the request of the DOE-PPPO. In a deterministic analysis, a single input value results in a single output value. In other words, a deterministic analysis uses single parameter values for every variable in the code. By contrast, a probabilistic approach assigns parameter ranges to certain variables, and the code randomly selects the values for each variable from the parameter range each time it calculates the dose (NRC 2006). The receptor scenarios, computer codes and parameter input files were previously used in ORISE 2012. A few modifications were made to the parameter input files as appropriate for this effort. Some of these changes included increasing the time horizon beyond 1,050 years (yr), and using the radionuclide concentrations provided by the DOE-PPPO as inputs into the codes. The deterministic peak doses were evaluated within time horizons of 70 yr (for the Landfill Worker and Trespasser), 1,050 yr, 10,000 yr and 100,000 yr (for the Resident Farmer [onsite], Resident Gardener, Recreational User, Outdoor Worker and Offsite Resident Farmer) at the request of the DOE-PPPO. The time horizons of 10,000 yr and 100,000 yr were used at the request of the DOE-PPPO for informational purposes only. The probabilistic peak of the mean dose assessment was performed for the Offsite Resident Farmer using Technetium-99 (Tc-99) and a time horizon of 1,050 yr. The results of the deterministic analyses indicate that among all receptors and time horizons evaluated, the highest projected dose, 2,700 mrem/yr, occurred for the Resident Farmer (onsite) at 12,773 yr. The exposure pathways contributing to the peak dose are ingestion of plants, external gamma, and ingestion of milk, meat and soil. However, this receptor is considered an implausible receptor. The only receptors considered plausible are the Landfill Worker, Recreational User, Outdoor Worker and the Offsite Resident Farmer. The maximum projected dose among the plausible receptors is 220 mrem/yr for the Outdoor Worker and it occurs at 19,045 yr. The exposure pathways contributing to the dose for this receptor are external gamma and soil ingestion. The results of the probabilistic peak of the mean dose analysis for the Offsite Resident Farmer indicate that the average (arithmetic mean) of the peak of the mean doses for this receptor is 0.98 mrem/yr and it occurs at 1,050 yr. This dose corresponds to Tc-99 within the time horizon of 1,050 yr.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗