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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 361 records · Page 20

Inclusive jet and hadron suppression in a multistage approach

We present a new study of jet interactions in the quark-gluon plasma created in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, using a multistage event generator within the jetscape framework. We focus on medium-induced modifications in the rate of inclusive jets and high transverse momentum (high-p T ) hadrons. Scattering-induced jet energy loss is calculated in two stages: a high virtuality stage based on the matter model, in which scattering of highly virtual partons modifies the vacuum radiation pattern, and a second stage at lower jet virtuality based on the LBT model, in which leading partons gain and lose virtuality by scattering and radiation. Coherence effects that reduce the medium-induced emission rate in the matter phase are also included. The TRENTO model is used for initial conditions, and the (2 + 1)dimensional VISHNU model is used for viscous hydrodynamic evolution. Jet interactions with the medium are modeled via 2-to-2 scattering with Debye screened potentials, in which the recoiling partons are tracked, hadronized, and included in the jet clustering. Holes left in the medium are also tracked and subtracted to conserve transverse momentum. Calculations of the nuclear modification factor (R AA ) for inclusive jets and high-p T hadrons are compared to experimental measurements at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Within this framework, we find that with one extra parameter which codifies the transition between stages of jet modification—along with the typical parameters such as the coupling in the medium, the start and stop criteria, etc.—we can describe these data at all energies for central and semicentral collisions without a rescaling of the jet transport coefficient q.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Robustness of inertial fusion energy relevant implosions to low-mode asymmetries

Inertial confinement fusion implosions for power production need to be robust. Degradation sources need to be understood and considered for an economic power plant. In this work, the impact of low-mode asymmetries on yield is studied using 2D radiation hydrodynamics simulations for inertial fusion energy relevant implosions. First, a high-gain indirectly driven capsule design is developed. This design is subsequently degraded with low-mode drive asymmetries. The results show that yield is constant with increasing amounts of asymmetry until a cliff is reached where the yield quickly drops below ignition. Robustness arises because the degraded hotspot still has enough time to get to ignition before capsule decompression. This robustness occurs even though the asymmetry couples less energy to the hotspot and causes decompression to occur sooner. The robustness is linked to the generalized Lawson parameter, χ⁠. The value of χ steadily decreases with increasing asymmetry. Once χ is close to one, the hotspot is no longer able to ignite before the capsule decompresses. A simple piston model is used to predict where the robustness cliff is for any design. The trade-off between yield and robustness is also demonstrated.

Physics - Plasma physics↗

Oscillatory and Collective Dynamics of Gold‐Nanoparticle‐Laden Droplets Driven by Photothermal‐Induced Thermocapillarity

Droplets have long intrigued researchers due to their ability to exhibit complex and fascinating behavior when subjected to external stimuli. Here, a coupled oscillatory behavior of gold-nanoparticle-surfactant-laden aqueous droplets is investigated at an oil-oil interface stimulated by light. This study shows that the interaction between light and the droplets gives rise to a range of oscillatory modes, including bouncing and clustering, where droplets exhibit collective movement. From experiment and numerical simulations, this study elucidates the underlying mechanism: upon laser irradiation, gold nanoparticles convert light into heat, generating asymmetric thermal gradients that drive upward thermocapillary flows and a hydrodynamic force from photothermal convection. These forces compete with gravity and buoyancy to induce droplet bouncing, while the resulting asymmetric flow fields bias neighboring droplets toward the illuminated droplet, leading to clustering. These findings not only expand the library of dynamic droplet behavior but also offer insights into the potential applications of light-driven systems in materials science, soft robotics, and microfluidics.

Marangoni effect↗

An interface-aware sub-scale dynamics multi-material cell model for solids with void closure and opening at all speeds

Here, we present a multi-material cell model (closure model) for demanding arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) simulations of fluids and solids. It is based on the interface-aware sub-scale dynamics (IASSD) approach which utilizes the exact material interface geometry within the computational cell to calculate internal material interactions. Our formulation of the closure model also aims to improve the accuracy in low-speed impact events. Voids are used to represent ambient vacuum and internal free boundaries of the distinct materials. Void regions can close and open at contact surfaces, allowing a transition from contact physics to free motion in vacuum. The coupling of void closure and opening with a new formulation of the IASSD model for solids is tested on several one- and two-dimensional numerical examples, ranging from gas expansion in vacuum to planar and round object impacts at various speeds.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Spin-Coherent Transport under Strong Spin-Orbit Interaction (Final Technical Report)

The major goals of the project consisted of acquiring insight in spin-dependent quantum coherent electronic transport phenomena arising from spin-orbit interaction, via experiments on semiconductor heterostructures and thin film semimetals patterned into mesoscopic and nanoscale geometries. The solid-state physics findings contain insight potentially useful for the creation of new quantum states of matter, for spin operations in quantum information processing, for future spin electronics, and for other future functionalities of power-saving electronic devices. The subject was of fundamental interest, but was also of long-term applied interest for quantum devices, spintronics devices, and general electronic devices. The experiments were conducted by low-temperature electronic magnetotransport in nanoscale structures of length scales similar to the quantum phase- and spin-coherence lengths and the carrier mean-free paths in the materials. Emphasis was placed on quantum coherence and spin coherence, to understand coherent spin-dependent electronic processes, on transport of electrons with very long mean-free path (ballistic transport), on the transfer of electron spin to nuclear spin (dynamic nuclear spin polarization in bismuth), and on the study of materials with quantum states emerging from spin-orbit interaction and electron-electron interaction (bismuth iridates). In two-dimensional electron systems in quantum wells of the narrow-bandgap semiconductors InAs and InGaAs the objectives included the characterization of quantum states arising from the Aharonov-Casher quantum-mechanical phase as an electromagnetic dual of the Aharonov-Bohm phase. Objectives also included quantum electronic transport at the mesoscopic scale on the semimetal bismuth in thin film form, and particularly on its strongly spin-orbit coupled surface states. An almost-strain-free method was developed to grow high-quality bismuth thin films. Devices fabricated on these films were then used to study a novel nuclear spin torque, whereby the bismuth carrier spin was transferred to the bismuth nuclei by the agency of both spin-orbit interaction and hyperfine interaction. Aspects of ballistic transport were studied in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures of very high mobility, and a hitherto unsuspected similarity was discovered between ballistic transport and hydrodynamic transport, of potential use in future power-saving electronic devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

On the transferability of residence time distributions in two 10-km long river sections with similar hydromorphic units

Quantifying hydrologic exchange fluxes (HEFs) at the stream-groundwater interface and their residence time distributions (RTDs) in the subsurface are important for managing the water quality and ecosystem health in dynamic river corridors. However, direct simulating high-spatial resolution HEFs and RTDs can be time-consuming, especially for watershed-scale modeling. Efficient surrogate models linking RTDs to hydromorphic units (HUs) can be alternatives for simulating RTDs in large-scale models. A common concern of these surrogate models, though, is the transferability of the relationship between the RTDs and HUs from one river corridor to another. To address this issue, this work evaluates the HEFs and resulting RTD-HU relationships for two 10-km long river corridors along the Columbia River leveraging a one-way coupled three-dimensional transient surface-subsurface water transport modeling framework we previously developed. Applying such a framework at the two river corridors with similar HUs allows for quantitative comparisons of HEFs and RTDs using both statistical tests and machine learning classification models. Finally, our comparison shows that the similarity and transferability of the RTD-HU relationship is very low for the two investigated river sections, which suggests that devising a general algorithm to estimate RTDs based solely on surface water hydrodynamics and short-distance river channel topography data, as well as HU classification, might be nearly impossible.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent dispersion of evaporative aerosol clouds produced by an intense expiratory event

Airborne particles are a major route for transmission of COVID-19 and many other infectious diseases. When a person talks, sings, coughs, or sneezes, nasal and throat secretions are spewed into the air. After a short initial fragmentation stage, the expelled material is mostly composed of spherical particles of different sizes. While the dynamics of the largest droplets are dominated by gravitational effects, the smaller aerosol particles, mostly transported by means of hydrodynamic drag, form clouds that can remain afloat for long times. In subsaturated air environments, the dependence of pathogen-laden particle dispersion on their size is complicated due to evaporation of the aqueous fraction. Particle dynamics can significantly change when ambient conditions favor rapid evaporation rates that result in a transition from buoyancyto-drag dominated dispersion regimes. To investigate the effect of particle size and evaporation on pathogen-laden cloud evolution, a direct numerical simulation of a mild cough was coupled with an evaporative Lagrangian particle advection model. The results suggest that while the dispersion of cough particles in the tails of the size distribution are unlikely to be disrupted by evaporative effects, preferential aerosol diameters (30-40 μm) may exhibit significant increases in the residence time and horizontal range under typical ambient conditions. Using estimations of the viral concentration in the spewed fluid and the number of ejected particles in a typical respiratory event, we obtained a map of viral load per volume of air at the end of the cough and the number of virus copies per inhalation in the emitter vicinity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Analysis of an Elasto-Hydrodynamic Seal by Using the Reynolds Equation

This paper reports numerical studies of an Elasto-Hydrodynamic (EHD) seal, which is being developed for supercritical CO2 (sCO2) turbomachinery applications. Current sCO2 turbomachinery suffers from high leakage rates, which is creating a major roadblock to the full realization of sCO2 power technology. The high leakage rates not only penalize the efficiencies but also create environmental concerns due to greenhouse effects caused by the increased CO2 discharge to the atmosphere. The proposed EHD seal needs to work at elevated pressures (10–35 MPa) and temperatures (350–700 °C) with low leakage and minimal wear. The unique mechanism of the EHD seal provides a self-regulated constriction effect to restrict the flow without substantial material contact, thereby minimizing leakage and wear. This work utilizes a physics-based modeling approach. The flow through the gradually narrowing seal clearance is modeled by the well-known Reynolds equation in EHD lubrication theory, while the deformation of the seal is modeled by using the governing equations of three-dimensional solid mechanics. As for the solution methodology, COMSOL’s Thin-Film Flow and Solid Mechanics modules were employed with their powerful capabilities. The numerical results were presented and discussed. It was observed that the Reynolds equation fully coupled with the surface deformation was able to successfully capture the constriction effect. The maximum and minimum leakages were calculated to be 2.25 g/s and 0.1 g/s at P = 5.5 MPa and P = 11 MPa for the design seal, respectively. It was interesting to observe that the seal leakage followed a quadratic trend with increasing pressure differential, which can become advantageous for high-pressure applications such as sCO2 power generation technology.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Tracking Local pH Dynamics during Water Electrolysis via In-Line Continuous Flow Raman Spectroscopy

The performance of electrochemical devices, which play a critical role in decarbonization efforts, is often governed by proton-coupled electron transfer reactions at the electrode–electrolyte interface. These reactions are highly sensitive to the complex and dynamic microenvironment present at the electrode surface. However, characterizing this environment─particularly monitoring interfacial pH and its evolution under reaction conditions─remains challenging, necessitating the development of advanced analytical tools. Here, in this study, we introduce in-line continuous flow Raman spectroscopy (CFRS) as a spectroelectrochemical platform for quantifying interfacial pH swings generated during water-splitting. By monitoring phosphate ion speciation and controlling the hydrodynamics with a flow cell, we measure pH swings as a function of current density, flow rate, and distance from the electrode. Comparison with theoretical models reveals the impact of bulk pH, boundary layer thickness, and bubble dynamics at high current densities. Collectively, these findings establish CFRS as a platform for quantitatively investigating pH dynamics, offering critical insights for advancing electrochemical energy conversion technologies.

Marquez, Raul A. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (Unit↗

Self-oscillating synchronematic colloids

Self-oscillators that sustain periodic dynamics under constant input are ubiquitous in natural and engineered systems, where their interactions enable spatiotemporal coordination among many individual units. New forms of organization can emerge when these self-oscillating units are free to move and rotate, coupling their spatial arrangement and alignment with their oscillation frequencies and phases. Here, we report experiments and simulations on populations of Quincke colloids that behave as self-oscillating units with position, orientation, frequency, and phase. Depending on the initial distribution, these active oscillators spontaneously organize into distinct collective states characterized by temporal synchronization and directional alignment, which we term synchronematic order. In fluid-like clusters, this order is short-ranged and decays over a length scale set by the competition between hydrodynamic interactions and athermal noise. In crystalline clusters, these interactions drive flobal synchronization and circular alignment-synchronematic crystals-whose collective frequency increases with cluster size due to non-reciprocal interactions. Our results establish self-oscillating colloids as a model system for active oscillatory matter and reveal fundamental principles by which synchronization, alignment, and structure co-emerge, offering new pathways for designing adaptive, frequency-tunable materials.

colloids↗

The effect of laser entrance hole foil thickness on MagLIF-relevant laser preheat

The magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) scheme relies on coupling laser energy into an underdense fuel raising the fuel adiabat at the start of the implosion. To deposit energy into the fuel, the laser must first penetrate a laser entrance hole (LEH) foil which can be a significant energy sink and introduce mix. In this paper, we report on experiments investigating laser energy coupling into MagLIF-relevant gas cell targets with LEH foil thicknesses varying from 0.5 μm to 3 μm. Two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric simulations match the experimental results well for 0.5 μm and 1 μm thick LEH foils but exhibit whole-beam self-focusing and excessive penetration of the laser into the gas for 2 μm and 3 μm thick LEH foils. Additionally, better agreement for the 2 μm-thick foil is found when using a different thermal conductivity model in 2D simulations, while only 3D Cartesian simulations come close to matching the 3 μm-thick foil experiments. The study suggests that simulations may over-predict the tendency for the laser to self-focus during MagLIF preheat when thicker LEH foils are used. This effect is pronounced with 2D simulations where the azimuthally symmetric density channel effectively self-focuses the rays that are forced to traverse the center of the plasma. The extra degree of freedom in 3D simulations significantly reduces this effect. The experiments and simulations also suggest that, in this study, the amount of energy coupled into the gas is highly correlated with the laser propagation length regardless of the LEH foil thickness.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

The density distribution and physical origins of intermittency in supersonic, highly magnetized turbulence with diverse modes of driving

The probability density function (PDF) of the logarithmic density contrast, s = ln (ρ/ρ 0 ), with gas density ρ and mean density ρ 0 , for hydrodynamical supersonic turbulence is well known to have significant non-Gaussian (intermittent) features that monotonically increase with the turbulent Mach number, M. By studying the mass- and volume-weighted s-PDF for an ensemble of 36 sub-to-trans-Alfvenic mean-field, supersonic, isothermal turbulence simulations with different modes of driving, relevant to molecular gas in the cool interstellar medium, we show that a more intricate picture emerges for the non-Gaussian nature of s. Using four independent measures of the non-Gaussian components, we find hydrodynamical-like structure in the highly magnetized plasma for M≲4. However, for M≳4, the non-Gaussian signatures disappear, leaving approximately Gaussian s-statistics – exactly the opposite of hydrodynamical turbulence in the high-M limit. We also find that the non-Gaussian components of the PDF increase monotonically with more compressive driving modes. To understand the M≲4 non-Gaussian features, we use one-dimensional pencil beams to explore the dynamics along and across the large-scale magnetic field, B 0 . Here we discuss kinetic, density, and magnetic field fluctuations from the pencil beams, and identify physical sources of non-Gaussian components to the PDF as single, strong shocks coupled to fast magnetosonic compressions that form along B 0 . We discuss the Gaussianization of the M≳4 s-fields through the lens of two phenomenologies: the self-similarity of the s-field and homogenization of the dynamical time-scales between the over- and underdense regions in the compressible gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Laser pulse-length dependent ablation and shock generation in silicon at 5 × 10 14 W/ cm 2 intensities

The effect of laser pulse duration on energy coupling into a planar silicon target is investigated in experiments at the OMEGA-EP facility by varying the laser pulse length τ —spanning 3 orders of magnitude from 100 ps to 10 ns—while maintaining a constant peak laser intensity, I 0 = 5 × 10 14 W/ cm 2 . In theoretical models, the ablation pressure primarily scales for a given material with laser intensity and wavelength, which are all fixed variables here, allowing us to explore the specific role of laser pulse duration. Two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics simulations benchmarked with optical probing of the expanding plasma show that the pulse duration is critical for the ablation pressure to reach a steady state. Moreover, the pulse duration impacts shock decay and multiple wave effects, which strongly dictate the evolving shock profile that propagates within the laser-shocked target as ultimately measured by rear-surface diagnostics. The shock velocities inferred from the theoretical model, after considering shock decay, impedance matching, and shock Hugoniot, are found to be in good agreement with velocimetry measurements. However, discrepancies are observed with simulations for the shorter (0.1 ns) and longer (10 ns) pulse durations, which are respectively attributed to unaccounted contributions of kinetic absorption mechanisms and instabilities in simulations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Bailly-Grandvaux, M. (ORCID:0000000175294013)↗

High-volume and -adiabat capsule (“HVAC”) ignition: Lowered fuel compression requirements using advanced Hohlraums

Lower-than-expected deuterium–tritium fuel areal densities have been experimentally inferred across a variety of high-convergence, nominally low-adiabat implosion campaigns at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using cylinder-shaped Hohlraums [Hurricane et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 052704 (2019)]. A leading candidate explanation is the presence of atomic mix between the fuel and ablator from hydrodynamic instability growth [Clark et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 050601 (2019)], leading to reduced fuel compressibility and an effectively higher (in-flight) fuel adiabat α. Tolerating a high-α implosion can be obtained with significantly higher capsule absorbed energy Ecap according to the one-dimensional (1-D) ignition-threshold-factor analytic scaling [S. Atzeni and J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, Nucl. Fusion 41, 465 (2001)], ITF∼Ecap·α−1.8. Recent experiments with large Al shells in rugby-shaped Hohlraums have established high laser-capsule coupling efficiencies of ≽ 30% [Ping et al., Nat. Phys. 15, 138 (2019)], enabling a path to Ecap≽ 0.5 MJ at the NIF and increased performance margin M ≡ ITF − 1. The ability to operate at high adiabat with large capsules using nonstandard Hohlraums leads to the predicted onset of a volume-ignition mode, defined as when both the entire fuel is the “hot spot” and inertial confinement is principally provided by the ablator compared with the compressed fuel. Such an ignition mode, normally reserved for high-Z targets, e.g., double shells [Amendt et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 056312 (2007)], is predicted to lead to lower fuel convergence and less exposure to mix due to the intended high adiabat—but at the expense of ∼3–4 × reduced (1-D) yield compared with conventional central hot-spot ignition designs.

Amendt, Peter (ORCID:0000000174021777)↗

Modeling thermal radiation waves in silica plasmas for the Mooncat NIF experiment

The Mooncat experiment on the National Ignition Facility uses a laser-driven hohlraum to create a thermal radiation wave in a titanium-doped silica plasma. The titanium dopant enables absorption spectroscopy measurements to infer the temperature of the wave as it propagates. This measurement can be used to constrain multi-physics simulation codes to better understand when simulations do not match an experiment. In this paper, we present radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of the thermal radiation wave in the first full-platform shots of the Mooncat experiment. We examine the important parameters of the simulation, focusing on the radiation temperature source, the material model of the silica plasma as it pertains to radiation transport, and lateral leakage through a beryllium tube enclosing the silica. We compare different simulation modeling strategies to an analytic model of diffusive radiation transport and find that the simulation agrees with the analytic model when it is sufficiently simplified. These simulations show how radiation energy couples to matter to develop a shock wave in a radiative heat wave, an important topic in astrophysics and nuclear fusion plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

High-redshift millennium and astrid galaxies in effective field theory at the field level

Effective field theory (EFT) modeling is expected to be a useful tool in the era of future higher-redshift galaxy surveys such as DESI-II and Spec-S5 due to its robust description of various large-scale structure tracers. However, large values of EFT bias parameters of higher-redshift galaxies could jeopardize the convergence of the perturbative expansion. Here, in this paper we measure the bias parameters and other EFT coefficients from samples of two types of star-forming galaxies in the state-of-the-art MilleniumTNG and astrid hydrodynamical simulations. Our measurements are based on the field-level EFT forward model that allows for precision EFT parameter measurements by virtue of cosmic variance cancellation. Specifically, we consider approximately representative samples of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) and Lyman-𝛼 emitters (LAEs) that are consistent with the observed (angular) clustering and number density of these galaxies at 𝑧 = 3. Reproducing the linear biases and number densities observed from existing LAE and LBG data, we find quadratic bias parameters that are roughly consistent with those predicted from the halo model coupled with a simple halo occupation distribution model. We also find nonperturbative velocity contributions (fingers of God) of a similar size for LBGs to the familiar case of luminous red galaxies. However, these contributions are quite small for LAEs despite their large satellite fraction values of up to ∼ 30%. Our results indicate that the effective momentum reach 𝑘 max at 𝑧 = 3 for LAEs (LBGs) will be in the range 0.3−0.6⁢ℎ Mpc −1 (0.2−0.8⁢ℎ Mpc −1 ), suggesting that EFT will perform well for high-redshift galaxy clustering. This work provides the first step toward obtaining realistic simulation-based priors on EFT parameters for LAEs and LBGs.

Sullivan, James M. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technol↗

Coupled Aero-Hydro-Mechanical Hybrid Simulation Testing of Offshore Wind Turbines Subjected to Operational and Extreme Loading Conditions

Understanding the response of the Offshore Wind Turbine (OWT) subjected to realistic applied loads requires modeling the whole structure including its soil-foundation system. This requires unique and innovative testing facilities. OWT systems experience cyclic and dynamic loading due to wind, wave, current, rotor vibrations (i.e., 1P load) and vibrations caused by the blade shadowing effects (2P/3P loads). These loads are complicated in nature and have varying amplitudes, frequencies, and directions. Investigating the response of the entire OWT system including the soil-foundation system under these complex loading conditions, requires: (1) full understanding of the loading characteristics including: the power take-off mechanical load (1P and 3P), and areo- and hydrodynamic loads that the OWT system is subjected to; (2) testing facility with unique multidirectional loading capabilities that allows for simultaneous application of realistic wind, wave and machine loads, axial gravity loads, and induced overturning moments; and (3) unique and cost-effective testing techniques that allow for accurate analysis of the overall response of the OWT system under realistic conditions such as: Real-Time Hybrid Simulation (RTHS).

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Improved modeling of the solid-to-plasma transition of polystyrene ablator for laser direct-drive inertial confinement fusion hydrocodes

We report that the target performance of laser direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) can be limited by the development of hydrodynamic instabilities resulting from the nonhomegeneous laser absorption at the target surface, i.e., the laser imprint on the ablator. To understand and describe the formation of these instabilities, the early ablator evolution during the laser irradiation should be considered. In this work, an improved modeling of the solid-to-plasma transition of a polystyrene ablator for laser direct-drive ICF is proposed. This model is devoted to be implemented in hydrocodes dedicated to ICF which generally assume an initial plasma state. The present approach consists of the two-temperature model coupled to the electron, ion and neutral dynamics including the chemical fragmentation of polystyrene. The solid-to-plasma transition is shown to significantly influence the temporal evolution of both free electron density and temperatures, which can lead to different shock formation and propagation compared with an initial plasma state. The influence of the solid-to-plasma transition on the shock dynamics is evidenced by considering the scaling law of the pressure with respect to the laser intensity. The ablator transition is shown to modify the scaling law exponent compared with an initial plasma state.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗