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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

INFORM: An interactive data collection and display program with debugging capability

A computer program was developed to aid ASSEMBLY language programmers of mini and micro computers in solving the man machine communications problems that exist when scaled integers are involved. In addition to producing displays of quasi-steady state values, INFORM provides an interactive mode for debugging programs, making program patches, and modifying the displays. Auxiliary routines SAMPLE and DATAO add dynamic data acquisition and high speed dynamic display capability to the program. Programming information and flow charts to aid in implementing INFORM on various machines together with descriptions of all supportive software are provided. Program modifications to satisfy the individual user's needs are considered.

Cwynar, D. S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Saturating the one-axis twisting quantum Cramér-Rao bound with a total spin readout

We show that the lowest quantum Cramér-Rao bound achievable in interferometry with a one-axis twisted spin coherent state is saturated by the asymptotic method of moments error of a protocol that uses one call to the one-axis twisting, one call to time-reversed one-axis twisting, and a final total spin measurement (i.e., a twist-untwist protocol). The result is derived by first showing that the metrological phase diagram for one-axis twisting is asymptotically characterized by a single quantum Fisher information value N(N + 1)/2 for all times, then constructing a twist-untwist protocol having a method of moments error that saturates this value. The case of finite-range one-axis twisting is similarly analyzed, and a simple functional form for the metrological phase diagram is found in both the short-range and long-range interaction regimes. Numerical evidence suggests that the finite-range analogues of twist-untwist protocols can exhibit a method of moments error that asymptotically saturates the lowest quantum Cramér-Rao bound achievable in interferometry with finite-range one-axis twisted spin coherent states for all interaction times.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

An approach to urban waterway assessment using holistic values and reciprocity

Current aquatic ecosystem assessment methods and tools often focus on physical, chemical, and biological indicators of ecosystem health. This approach to ecosystem assessment is not always straightforward to execute in urban environments and ignores potential connectivity between social and environmental outcomes. During a workshop at the Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology in Brisbane, Australia in 2023 (SUSE6), we developed an approach to urban aquatic ecosystem assessment that incorporates a holistic perspective. Specifically, our approach considers both environmental (biological, chemical, and physical integrity) and social (community connection, human safety, resource use) values of urban waterways. This approach is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives, such as the concept of reciprocity, whereby consideration of both the environment and society leads to a healthy ecosystem. Here, to highlight how this holistic assessment approach could be used, we present real-world examples that included assessing both environmental and societal values informed by reciprocity or balanced perspectives. This approach can be broadly applied and adapted to specific aquatic ecosystem conditions and projects, providing an inclusive, community-centered approach for assessing the health of waterways in urban environments.

Indigenous knowledge↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tag you're it: Application of stable isotope labeling and LC-MS to identify the precursors of specialized metabolites in plants

Untargeted liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) can contribute a comprehensive and unbiased picture of the metabolic space of plants. These data can be used to quantify natural metabolite variation for genome wide association studies, to compare global metabolic responses from environmental or genetic perturbations, and to identify previously undescribed metabolites in Nature. A major limitation with untargeted metabolomics is the classification and identification of the thousands of metabolite features that can be detected in a single analytical run. Isotopic labeling improves the informational value of these datasets by categorizing metabolites as being derived from specific upstream precursors and/or to known metabolic pathways. When a 13 C-labeled precursor is fed to either a plant or tissue, the downstream metabolites produced from it have a higher m/z value than the molecules in the pre-existing pool, generating an m/z peak pair that can be specifically identified within the MS data. In this paper, we outline methods and principles to consider when supplementing untargeted MS data with isotopic labeling, including how to choose the appropriate isotopic label, grow and feed plant tissues to maximize label uptake and incorporation into derivatives, optimize LC-MS methods, and interpret the resulting labeling data. Although the focus here is on annotation of amino acid-derived metabolites using LC-MS, we anticipate that the methods are generally adaptable to other precursors, plant species, and chromatographic approaches.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

SDSS IV MaNGA: visual morphological and statistical characterization of the DR15 sample

ABSTRACT We present a detailed visual morphological classification for the 4614 MaNGA galaxies in SDSS Data Release 15, using image mosaics generated from a combination of r band (SDSS and deeper DESI Legacy Surveys) images and their digital post-processing. We distinguish 13 Hubble types and identify the presence of bars and bright tidal debris. After correcting the MaNGA sample for volume completeness, we calculate the morphological fractions, the bi-variate distribution of type and stellar mass M* – where we recognize a morphological transition ‘valley’ around S0a-Sa types – and the variations of the g − i colour and luminosity-weighted age over this distribution. We identified bars in 46.8 per cent of galaxies, present in all Hubble types later than S0. This fraction amounts to a factor ∼2 larger when compared with other works for samples in common. We detected 14 per cent of galaxies with tidal features, with the fraction changing with M* and morphology. For 355 galaxies, the classification was uncertain; they are visually faint, mostly of low/intermediate masses, low concentrations, and discy in nature. Our morphological classification agrees well with other works for samples in common, though some particular differences emerge, showing that our image procedures allow us to identify a wealth of added value information as compared to SDSS-based previous estimates. Based on our classification, we also propose an alternative criteria for the E–S0 separation, in the structural semimajor to semiminor axis versus bulge to total light ratio (b/a − B/T) and concentration versus semimajor to semiminor axis (C − b/a) space.

Vázquez-Mata, J. A. (ORCID:0000000186941204)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Machine Learning to Select Experiments Driven by Fundamental Science and Applications for Targeted Nuclear Data Improvement

This work describes a blueprint for a process that accelerates progress in science by quantitatively answering the following question: What is the optimal combination of fundamental-science and application-driven experiments to maximally reduce pertinent data uncertainties? Answering this question entails solving a high-dimensional and complex optimization problem that is best solved with advanced statistic techniques often classified as machine learning. We apply this process within the framework of nuclear data with the aim to select an experiment combination that will reduce uncertainties in 239 Pu nuclear data for neutron energies between 1 and 600 keV. In this field, fundamental-physics driven data, called differential, look at one nuclear physics observable at a time. They are contrasted to application-driven, integral, data where one or few resulting values inform a broad set of nuclear data across several nuclides and energies. The candidates for integral experiments are criticality measurements that were refined by a genetic algorithm to be maximally sensitive to 239 Pu fission cross sections in the desired energy range. Twenty-three candidate differential experiments were investigated and span multiple nuclear physics observables (e.g., total, capture cross sections) for isotopes appearing in the integral experiments. The optimal combination among these candidate experiments was investigated via generalized least squares fitting, augmented with Gaussian processes to ameliorate statistical irregularities in data, and the D-optimality criterion. The latter evaluates for each pair of candidates the joint reduction in uncertainties of all 12200 nuclear data appearing in the integral experiments compared to the knowledge we have from 168 past experiments, theory, and nuclear data. We chose as differential measurements those that investigate 63 Cu and 239 Pu total cross sections, based on D-optimality rank and feasibility constraints. Two integral (criticality) experiments were selected: An experiment with Al 2 ⁢O 3 and graphite interleaved with Pu and a thick Cu reflector explores 1–30 keV, while we target the 30–600 keV range with an experiment that swaps boron in place of graphite with a different geometry.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

New NBL Pu Isotopic Standards C137A and C136A as Working Reference Materials for Radiochronometry in Nuclear Forensics

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the NBL Program Office (NBL PO) are collaborating on production of purified sub-units of the former NBS 936, 937 and 938 plutonium isotopic reference materials, which will be certified for plutonium isotopic composition and sold as certified reference materials (CRMs) C136A, C137A, and C138A, respectively. These reference materials are used throughout the United States and international community as standards for isotopic measurement method calibration and quality control and were first produced over 50 years ago. To reduce quantities of in-grown daughter products and potentially enable their use as Pu radiochronometry reference materials, the materials undergo a two-stage anion exchange purification to significantly reduce the quantities of U, Am, and Np in the source material. The purified Pu is aliquoted into ~1 mg units in the nitrate form, which will facilitate easier shipping and use compared to the 0.25 g parent units. The production process has been completed for the high- and medium- burnup isotopic standards C137A and C136A and will soon be performed for the weapons-grade Pu standard C138A. This report describes the measurement of trace actinide progeny of the Pu isotopes ( 234 U, 235 U, 236U, 241 Am and 237 Np) in purified C137A and 136A isotopic standards to provide informational values and assess the possibility of their use as working reference materials for radiochronometry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Production of NBL PO plutonium isotopic standards CRM 136A, CRM 137A, and CRM 138A

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) produced approximately 1 mg units of purified Pu from the parent New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) certified reference materials (CRM) 137, 136 and 138 isotopic standards for the NBL Program Office (NBL PO) as detailed in the revised project plan. As stated in the plan, three representative units of each material were dispensed at the same time to be characterized at LLNL and provide informational values for the quantity of Pu and progeny nuclides in each unit. NBL PO intends to collect and evaluate isotopic measurement data from multiple laboratories and certify these materials as new isotopic standards C137A, C136A, and C138A, respectively. Soon after production eleven units of each analytical standard were shipped to other analytical laboratories for the certification effort, and 121, 119, and 119 units of C137A, C136A and C138A, respectively were shipped to Mickey Finch at Y12 NBL distribution center in November 2024 (30-gallon drum, TID 003777 PRL 7000005043). Residual purified Pu from the effort is being stored indefinitely in B332 at LLNL. Detailed methods can be found in the production plan, and this report describes and documents aspects of the production effort that are not in or were modified from the original production plan.

and nuclear chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2025

Employing Eye Trackers to Reduce Nuisance Alarms

When process operators anticipate an alarm prior to its annunciation, that alarm loses information value and becomes a nuisance. This study investigated using eye trackers to measure and adjust the salience of alarms with three methods of gaze-based acknowledgement (GBA) of alarms that estimate operator anticipation. When these methods detected possible alarm anticipation, the alarm’s audio and visual salience was reduced. A total of 24 engineering students (male = 14, female = 10) aged between 18 and 45 were recruited to predict alarms and control a process parameter in three scenario types (parameter near threshold, trending, or fluctuating). The study evaluated whether behaviors of the monitored parameter affected how frequently the three GBA methods were utilized and whether reducing alarm salience improved control task performance. The results did not show significant task improvement with any GBA methods (F(3,69) = 1.357, p = 0.263, partial η 2 = 0.056). However, the scenario type affected which GBA method was more utilized (X 2 (2, N = 432) = 30.147, p < 0.001). Alarm prediction hits with gaze-based acknowledgements coincided more frequently than alarm prediction hits without gaze-based acknowledgements (X 2 (1, N = 432) = 23.802, p < 0.001, OR = 3.877, 95% CI 2.25–6.68, p < 0.05). Participant ratings indicated an overall preference for the three GBA methods over a standard alarm design (F(3,63) = 3.745, p = 0.015, partial η 2 = 0.151). This study provides empirical evidence for the potential of eye tracking in alarm management but highlights the need for additional research to increase validity for inferring alarm anticipation.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Effect of set size, age, and mode of stimulus presentation on information-processing speed.

First, second, and third grade pupils served as subjects in an experiment designed to show the effect of age, mode of stimulus presentation, and information value on recognition time. Stimuli were presented in picture and printed word form and in groups of 2, 4, and 8. The results of the study indicate that first graders are slower than second and third graders who are nearly equal. There is a gross shift in reaction time as a function of mode of stimulus presentation with increase in age. The first graders take much longer to identify words than pictures, while the reverse is true of the older groups. With regard to set size, a slope appears in the pictures condition in the older groups, while for first graders, a large slope occurs in the words condition and only a much smaller one for pictures.

Norton, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Use of remote sensing techniques for inventorying and planning utilization of land resources in South Dakota

The basic procedures for interpreting remote sensing imagery to rapidly develop general soils and land use inventories were developed and utilized in Pennington County, South Dakota. These procedures and remote sensing data products were illustrated and explained to many user groups, some of whom are interested in obtaining similar data. The general soils data were integrated with land soils data supplied by the county director of equalization to prepare a land value map. A computer print-out of this map indicating a land value for each quarter section is being used in tax reappraisal of Pennington County. The land use data provided the land use planners with the present use of land in Pennington County. Additional uses of remote sensing applications are also discussed including tornado damage assessment, hail damage evaluation, and presentation of soil and land value information on base maps assembled from ERTS-1 imagery.

Myers, V. I.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Spectral transformation in the SOFI complex for processing photographic images on the ES computer, part 1

A description is given of three programs catalogued in the form of object modules in the library of a system for processing photographic images computer. PFT is the subprogram of the multi-dimensional BPF of real-valued information, in the operative computer memory. INRECO is a subprogram-interface between the real and complex formats for representing two-dimensional spectra and images. FFT2 is a subprogram for calculating the correlation functions of the image using the previous subprograms.

Debabov, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Assessing information transfer in full mission flight simulations

Considerable attention must be given to the important topic of aircrew situation awareness in any discussion of aviation safety and flight deck design. Reliable means of assessing this important aspect of crew behavior without simultaneously interfering with the behavior are difficult to develop. Unobtrusive measurement of crew situation awareness is particularly important in the conduct of full mission simulations where considerable effort and cost is expended to achieve a high degree of operational fidelity. An unobtrusive method of assessing situational awareness is described here which employs a topical analysis of intra-crew communications. The communications were taken from videotapes of crew behavior prior to, during, and following an encounter with a microburst/windshear event. The simulation scenario re-created an actual encounter with an event during an approach into Denver Stapleton Airport. The analyses were conducted on twelve experienced airline crews with the objective of determining the effect on situation awareness of uplinking ground-based information of the crew during the approach. The topical analysis of crew communication was conducted on all references to weather or weather-related topics. The general weather topic was further divided into weather subtopical references such as surface winds, windshear, precipitation, etc., thereby allowing for an assessment of the relative frequency of subtopic reference during the scenario. Reliable differences were found between the relative frequency of subtopic references when comparing the communications of crews receiving a cockpit display of ground-based information to the communications of a control group. The findings support the utility of this method of assessing situation awareness and information value in full mission simulations. A limiting factor in the use of this measure is that crews vary in the amount of intra-crew communications that may take place due to individual differences and other factors associated with crew coordination. This factor must be taken into consideration when employing this measure. Viewgraphs are given.

Lee, Alfred T.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The effects of tensile preloads on the impact response of carbon/epoxy laminates

The effects of tensile preloads on the tension-after-impact (TAI) strength of composite laminates of IM7/8551-7 were examined. A failure threshold curve was first determined so the most informative values for preload/impact energy combinations could be determined. The impact tests were instrumented so maximum load of impact, as well as several other parameters could be measured. The elastic response data indicate that as the tensile preload is increased, the maximum load of impact also increases. The damage data show that at low impact energies, the damage/failure is an 'all-or-nothing' event but at higher impact energies, a region of preload values exists where the coupons could sustain damage, yet not fail catastrophically.

Nettles, Alan↗
NASA NTRS2003

NAS Parallel Benchmarks, Multi-Zone Versions

We describe an extension of the NAS Parallel Benchmarks (NPB) suite that involves solving the application benchmarks LU, BT and SP on collections of loosely coupled discretization meshes. The solutions on the meshes are updated independently, but after each time step they exchange boundary value information. This strategy, which is common among structured-mesh production flow solver codes in use at NASA Ames and elsewhere, provides relatively easily exploitable coarse-grain parallelism between meshes. Since the individual application benchmarks also allow fine-grain parallelism themselves, this NPB extension, named NPB Multi-Zone (NPB-MZ), is a good candidate for testing hybrid and multi-level parallelization tools and strategies.

vanderWijngaart, Rob F.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Performance Characteristics of the Multi-Zone NAS Parallel Benchmarks

We describe a new suite of computational benchmarks that models applications featuring multiple levels of parallelism. Such parallelism is often available in realistic flow computations on systems of grids, but had not previously been captured in bench-marks. The new suite, named NPB Multi-Zone, is extended from the NAS Parallel Benchmarks suite, and involves solving the application benchmarks LU, BT and SP on collections of loosely coupled discretization meshes. The solutions on the meshes are updated independently, but after each time step they exchange boundary value information. This strategy provides relatively easily exploitable coarse-grain parallelism between meshes. Three reference implementations are available: one serial, one hybrid using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) and OpenMP, and another hybrid using a shared memory multi-level programming model (SMP+OpenMP). We examine the effectiveness of hybrid parallelization paradigms in these implementations on three different parallel computers. We also use an empirical formula to investigate the performance characteristics of the multi-zone benchmarks.

Jin, Haoqiang↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Hyperspectral Sounder Products: SiFSAP and ClimFiSP

Infrared hyperspectral sounders have demonstrated to provide very high value information for a range of weather and climate applications. Traditional retrieval algorithms of hyperspectral sounders use the ‘cloud clearing’ methodology in the retrieval process due to the lack of means to account for cloud scattering effect. The corresponding Level-2 data products are therefore limited by two major factors: the degradation of spatial resolution as compared with the native resolution of the instruments and the lack of ‘radiance closure’ that is critically needed for climate trend studies. The single field-of-view (FOV) sounder atmospheric products (SiFSAP) algorithm has been developed to supplement existing operational products. The SiFSAP algorithm uses the principal component based radiative transfer model (PCRTM) that is ultra-fast and has been extensively validated for the cloud scattering simulation capability. The cloud properties are physically retrieved along with profiles of temperature, moisture, and trace gases of interest, surface properties simultaneously by fitting single FOV spectral measurements. Therefore, SiFSAP ensure the radiometric consistency between the retrieved geophysical properties and the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) spectral measurements. This presentation provides a general introduction of SiFSAP and details about the physical retrieval algorithm. Also introduced here is a derivative data product of SiFSAP, the climate fingerprinting Sounder Products (ClimFiSP). ClimFiSP include the space-time averaged properties of key climate variables that are derived from the space-time averaged radiances via the spectral fingerprinting scheme. The spectral fingerprinting method allows a low latency data update on ClimFiSP following any potential calibration update on satellite measurements. ClimFiSP also include the rigorously defined uncertainty characterization for trends or anomalies of climate variables, being critical for the construction of long-term climate data record. Both SiFSAP and ClimFiSP will be available to users through NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Wan Wu↗