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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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Hadronic light-by-light contribution to the muon anomaly from lattice QCD with infinite volume QED at physical pion mass

The hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment, (g–2)⁢/2, is computed in the infinite volume QED framework with lattice QCD. We report $a^{HLbL}_μ$ = 12.47⁢(1.15)⁢(0.95) ×10 –10 where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The result is mainly based on the 2+1 flavor Möbius domain wall fermion ensemble with inverse lattice spacing a –1 = 1.73 GeV, lattice size L = 5.5 fm, and m π = 139 MeV, generated by the RBC-UKQCD collaborations. The leading systematic error of this result comes from the lattice discretization. This result is consistent with previous determinations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Simulations of a PSD Plastic Neutron Collar for Assaying Fresh Fuel

The potential performance of a notional active coincidence collar for assaying uranium fuel based on segmented detectors constructed from the new PSD plastic fast organic scintillator with pulse shape discrimination capability was investigated in simulation. Like the International Atomic Energy Agency's present Uranium Neutron Collar for LEU (UNCL), the PSD plastic collar would also function by stimulating fission in the 235 U content of the fuel with a moderated 241 Am/Li neutron source and detecting instances of induced fission via neutron coincidence counting. In contrast to the moderated detectors of the UNCL, the fast time scale of detection in the scintillator eliminates statistical errors due to accidental coincidences that limit the performance of the UNCL. However, the potential to detect a single neutron multiple times historically has been one of the properties of organic scintillator detectors that has prevented their adoption for international safeguards applications. Consequently, as part of the analysis of simulated data, a method was developed by which true neutron-neutron coincidences can be distinguished from inter-detector scatter that takes advantage of the position and timing resolution of segmented detectors. Then, the performance of the notional simulated coincidence collar was evaluated for assaying a variety of fresh fuels, including some containing burnable poisons and partial defects. In these simulations, particular attention was paid to the analysis of fast mode measurements. In fast mode, a Cd liner is placed inside the collar to shield the fuel from the interrogating source and detector moderators, thereby eliminating the thermal neutron flux that is most sensitive to the presence of burnable poisons that are ubiquitous in modern nuclear fuels. The simulations indicate that the predicted precision of fast mode measurements is similar to what can be achieved by the present UNCL in thermal mode. For example, the statistical accuracy of a ten-minute measurement of fission coincidences collected in fast mode will be approximately 1% for most fuels of interest, yielding a ~1.4% error after subtraction of a five minute measurement of the spontaneous fissions from 238 U in the fuel, a ~2% error in analyzed linear density after accounting for the slope of the calibration curve, and a ~2.9% total error after addition of an assumed systematic error of 2%.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measurement Error Variance Estimation in Gamma-Spectroscopy Data using FRAM

The FRAM gamma-ray isotopic analysis code has recently been applied to four Pu data sets and four U data sets, each with relatively well-characterized standard items, in order to estimate the variances of random errors and of item-specific systematic errors. Assay results are available for Pu238, Pu239, Pu240, Pu241, Pu242 (operator entered, not independently measured), Am241, Specific Power, and Pu240eff. For the four U data sets, results are available for the measurands U234, U235, U236 (operator entered, not independently measured), and U238. For example, in Pu data set 1, there are 33 standard reference Pu items, which have well-known nominal/true values (except for a few items). FRAM was used to make approximately 15 repeat measurements for each of the 33 items, so empirical standard deviations can be calculated. In addition, FRAM internally estimates its random error variance using propagation of variance. This paper applies analysis of variance (ANOVA) to separately estimate the repeatability standard deviation and the standard deviation of the item-specific biases δ s in each of the 8 data sets.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1988

An improved error assessment for the GEM-T1 gravitational model

Several tests were designed to determine the correct error variances for the Goddard Earth Model (GEM)-T1 gravitational solution which was derived exclusively from satellite tracking data. The basic method employs both wholly independent and dependent subset data solutions and produces a full field coefficient estimate of the model uncertainties. The GEM-T1 errors were further analyzed using a method based upon eigenvalue-eigenvector analysis which calibrates the entire covariance matrix. Dependent satellite and independent altimetric and surface gravity data sets, as well as independent satellite deep resonance information, confirm essentially the same error assessment. These calibrations (utilizing each of the major data subsets within the solution) yield very stable calibration factors which vary by approximately 10 percent over the range of tests employed. Measurements of gravity anomalies obtained from altimetry were also used directly as observations to show that GEM-T1 is calibrated. The mathematical representation of the covariance error in the presence of unmodeled systematic error effects in the data is analyzed and an optimum weighting technique is developed for these conditions. This technique yields an internal self-calibration of the error model, a process which GEM-T1 is shown to approximate.

Lerch, F. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A measurement of the value of the Hubble constant from the X-ray properties and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect of Abell 665

A comparison of the X-ray properties and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect for a cluster of galaxies can be used to measure the distance of the cluster and hence the Hubble constant. This method was applied to the rich cluster Abell 665. The relative normalization of X-ray and SZ-effect data leads to an estimated Hubble constant of H sub 0 = 40 + or - 9 km/s Mpc if only the random errors are included. When the possible systematic errors are added in quadrature, the range of possible values of the Hubble constants expands to (40 to 50) + or - 12 km/s Mpc.

Birkinshaw, M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Indirect planet detection with ground-based long-baseline interferometry

Narrow-angle astrometry with long-baseline infrared interferometers can provide extremely high accuracies as required for indirect planet detection. Narrow-angle astrometric interferometry exploits the properties of atmospheric turbulence over fields smaller than the interferometer baseline divided by the atmospheric scale height. For such fields, accuracy is linear with star separation, and nearly inversely proportional to baseline length. To exploit these properties, the interferometer observes a relatively bright (less than 13 mag(sub K)) target in the near infrared at 2.2 micrometers, and uses phase referencing to find a reference star within the 2.2-micrometers isoplanatic patch. With this technique faint references can be found for most targets. With baselines greater than 100 m, which also minimize photon-noise errors, and with careful control of systematic errors by using laser metrology, accuracies of tens of microarcseconds/square root of (hour) should be possible.

Colavita, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Comparison between global latent heat flux computed from multisensor (SSM/I and AVHRR) and from in situ data

Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) and satellite-derived parameters are input to a similarity theory-based model and treated in completely equivalent ways to compute global latent heat flux (LHF). In order to compute LHF exclusively from satellite measurements, an empirical relationship (Q-W relationship) is used to compute the air mixing ratio from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) precipitable water W and a new one is derived to compute the air temperature also from retrieved W(T-W relationship). First analyses indicate that in situ and satellite LHF computations compare within 40%, but systematic errors increase the differences up to 100% in some regions. By investigating more closely the origin of the discrepancies, the spatial sampling of ship reports has been found to be an important source of error in the observed differences. When the number of in situ data records increases (more than 20 per month), the agreement is about 50 W/sq m rms (40 W/sq m rms for multiyear averages). Limitations of both empirical relationships and W retrieval errors strongly affect the LHF computation. Systematic LHF overestimation occurs in strong subsidence regions and LHF underestimation occurs within surface convergence zones and over oceanic upwelling areas. The analysis of time series of the different parameters in these regions confirms that systematic LHF discrepancies are negatively correlated with the differences between COADS and satellite-derived values of the air mixing ratio and air temperature. To reduce the systematic differences in satellite-derived LHF, a preliminary ship-satellite blending procedure has been developed for the air mixing ratio and air temperature.

Jourdan, Didier↗
NASA NTRS1995

Partitioning of ocean and land uptake of CO2 as inferred by delta C-13 measurements from the NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory Global Air Sampling Network

Using delta C-13 measurements in atmospheric CO2 from a cooperative global air sampling network, we determined the partitioning of the net uptake of CO2 between ocean and land as a function of latitude and time. The majority of delta C-13 measurements were made at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) of the University of Colorado. We perform an inverse deconvolution of both CO2 and delta C-13 observations, using a two-dimensional model of atmospheric transport. Also, the discrimination against C-13 by plant photosynthesis, as a function of latitude and time, is calculated from global runs of the simple biosphere (SiB) model. Uncertainty due to the longitudinal structure of the data, which is not represented by the model, is studied through a bootstrap analysis by adding and omitting measurement sites. The resulting error estimates for our inferred sources and sinks are of the order of 1 GTC (1 GTC = 10(exp 15) gC). Such error bars do not reflect potential systematic errors arising from our estimates of the isotopic disequilibria between the atmosphere and the oceans and biosphere, which are estimated in a separate sensitivity analysis. With respect to global totals for 1992 we found that 3.2 GTC of carbon dissolved into the ocean and that 1.5 GTC were sequestered by land ecosystems. Northern hemisphere ocean gyres north of 15 deg N absorbed 2.7 GTC. The equatorial oceans between 10 deg S and 10 deg N were a net source to the atmosphere of 0.9 GTC. We obtained a sink of 1.6 GTC in southern ocean gyres south of 20 deg S, although the deconvolution is poorly constrained by sparse data coverage at high southern latitudes. The seasonal uptake of CO2 in the northern gyres appears to be correlated with a bloom of phytoplankton in surface waters. On land, northern temperate and boreal ecosystems between 35 deg N and 65 deg N were found to be a major sink of CO2 in 1992, as large as 3.5 GTC. Northern tropical ecosystems (equator-30 deg N) appear to be a net source to the source to the atmosphere of 2 GTC which could reflect biomass burning. A small sink, 0.3 GTC, was inferred for southern tropical ecosystems (30 deg S-equator).

Ciais, Philippe↗
NASA NTRS2000

Evaluation of the Applicability of Solar and Lamp Radiometric Calibrations of a Precision Sun Photometer Operating Between 300 and 1025 nm

Over a period of 3 year a precision Sun photometer (SPM) operating between 300 and 1025 nm was calibrated four times at three different high-mountain sites in Switzerland, Germany, and the United States by means of the Langley-plot technique. We found that for atmospheric window wavelengths the total error (2 sigma-statistical plus systematic errors) of the calibration constants V(sub 0)(lambda), the SPM voltage in the absence of any attenuating atmosphere, can be kept below 1.60% in the UV-A and blue, 0.9% in the mid-visible, and 0.6% in the near-infra red spectral region. For SPM channels within strong water-vapor or ozone absorption bands a modified Langley-plot technique was used to determine V(sub 0)(lambda) with a lower accuracy. Within the same period of time, we calibrated the SPM five times using irradiance standard lamps in the optical labs of the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos and World Radiation Center, Switzerland, and of the Remote Sensing Group of the Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. The lab calibration method requires knowledge of the extraterrestrial spectral irradiance. When we refer the standard lamp results to the World Radiation Center extraterrestrial solar irradiance spectrum, they agree with the Langley results within 2% at 6 or 13 SPM wavelengths. The largest disagreement (4.4%) is found for the channel centered at 610 nm. The results of these intercomparisons change significantly when the lamp results are referred to two different extraterrestrial solar irradiance spectra that have become recently available.

Schmid, Beat↗
NASA NTRS2004

Absolute Timing of the Crab Pulsar with RXTE

We have monitored the phase of the main X-ray pulse of the Crab pulsar with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) for almost eight years, since the start of the mission in January 1996. The absolute time of RXTE's clock is sufficiently accurate to allow this phase to be compared directly with the radio profile. Our monitoring observations of the pulsar took place bi-weekly (during the periods when it was at least 30 degrees from the Sun) and we correlated the data with radio timing ephemerides derived from observations made at Jodrell Bank. We have determined the phase of the X-ray main pulse for each observation with a typical error in the individual data points of 50 microseconds. The total ensemble is consistent with a phase that is constant over the monitoring period, with the X-ray pulse leading the radio pulse by 0.01025 plus or minus 0.00120 period in phase, or 344 plus or minus 40 microseconds in time. The error estimate is dominated by a systematic error of 40 microseconds, most likely constant, arising from uncertainties in the instrumental calibration of the radio data. The statistical error is 0.00015 period, or 5 microseconds. The separation of the main pulse and interpulse appears to be unchanging at time scales of a year or less, with an average value of 0.4001 plus or minus 0.0002 period. There is no apparent variation in these values with energy over the 2-30 keV range. The lag between the radio and X-ray pulses ma be constant in phase (i.e., rotational in nature) or constant in time (i.e., due to a pathlength difference). We are not (yet) able to distinguish between these two interpretations.

Rots, Arnold H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Calculating Conductance of Ion Channels

We have simulated two small ion channels in a water/membrane system, which consists of 71,000-72,000 atoms, and have estimated the conductance by way of counting ions crossing these channels in applied field. The calculated values of conductance have been compared with predictions of the electrodiffusion model. In a recently developed theoretical framework, all commonly used assumptions of the model can be tested. If they are satisfied, which is often the case, the approach provides a rigorous way to extrapolate conductance calculated at one voltage to other voltages. This, in turn, allows for efficient estimations of current-voltage dependence, examining rectifying behavior of channels and calculating the reversal potential. Furthermore, the consistency of the results can be precisely tested. Simulations at microsecond time scales are required to sufficiently reduce statistical errors and separate them from possible systematic errors. Only then the accuracy of the proposed approach can be properly tested. Linking simulations with electrophysiology provides a stringent, highly relevant test for the correctness of computer simulations of ion channels. Considering biological, medical and pharmaceutical importance of these proteins, results of the proposed study might motivate the development of improved hardware and software that would enable applying a similar strategy to more complex channels at longer times.

Ion↗
NASA NTRS1994

Astrometry with Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor number 3: Position-mode stability and precision

We report results from a test exploring the long- and short-term astrometric stability of Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) #3. A test field was observed 40 times over 522 days to determine the precision and accuracy of FGS astrometry and to measure the character and magnitude of possible secular scale changes. We examine the astrometric data and the associated guide-star data to determine random errors. These data are also explored to find sources of systematic error. After correcting for some systematic effects we obtain a precision of 0.002 arcsec (2 mas) per observation (RSS of x and y). This is relative astrometry within a central 2.5 arcmin FGS field of view for any orientation. We find that the scale varies over time and confirm the sense of the trend with independent data. From the 40 observation sets we produce a catalog of an astrometry test field containing eight stars whose relative positions are known to an average 0.7 and 0.9 mas in x and y. One reference star has a relative parallax of 3.1 plus or minus 0.5 mas. Finally, we report that eleven observation sets acquired over 387 days produce parallaxes and relative positions with 1-mas precision.

Benedict, G. F.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Light and Strange Vector Resonances from Lattice QCD at Physical Quark Masses

We present the first ab initio calculation at physical quark masses of scattering amplitudes describing the lightest pseudoscalar mesons interacting via the strong force in the vector channel. Using lattice quantum chromodynamics, we postdict the defining parameters for two short-lived resonances, the ρ(770) and K*(892) which manifest as complex energy poles in ππ and Kπ scattering amplitudes, respectively. The calculation proceeds by first computing the finite-volume energy spectrum of the two-hadron systems and then determining the amplitudes from the energies using the Lüscher formalism. The error budget includes a data-driven systematic error, obtained by scanning possible fit ranges and fit models to extract the spectrum from Euclidean correlators, as well as the scattering amplitudes from the latter. The final results, obtained by analytically continuing multiple parametrizations into the complex energy plane, are M ρ = 796(5)(50)MeV, Γ ρ = 192(10)(31) MeV, M K* = 893(2)(54) MeV, and Γ K = 51(2)(11) MeV, where the subscript indicates the resonance and M and Γ stand for the mass and width, respectively, and where the first bracket indicates the statistical and the second bracket the systematic uncertainty.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Benchmarking Quantum Chemistry Computations with Variational, Imaginary Time Evolution, and Krylov Space Solver Algorithms

Quantum chemistry is a key application area for noisy-intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) devices, and therefore serves as an important benchmark for current and future quantum computer performance. Previous benchmarks in this field have focused on variational methods for computing ground and excited states of various molecules, including a benchmarking suite focused on the performance of computing ground states for alkali-hydrides under an array of error mitigation methods. State-of-the-art methods to reach chemical accuracy in hybrid quantum-classical electronic structure calculations of alkali hydride molecules on NISQ devices from IBM are outlined here. Here it is demonstrated how to extend the reach of variational eigensolvers with symmetry preserving Ansätze. Next, it is outlined how to use quantum imaginary time evolution and Lanczos as a complementary method to variational techniques, highlighting the advantages of each approach. Finally, a new error mitigation method is demonstrated which uses systematic error cancellation via hidden inverse gate constructions, improving the performance of typical variational algorithms. These results show that electronic structure calculations have advanced rapidly, to routine chemical accuracy for simple molecules, from their inception on quantum computers a few short years ago, and they point to further rapid progress to larger molecules as the power of NISQ devices grows.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

SPECTROSCOPIC METALLICITY DETERMINATIONS FOR W UMa-TYPE BINARY STARS

This study is the first attempt to determine the metallicities of W UMa-type binary stars using spectroscopy. We analyzed about 4500 spectra collected at the David Dunlap Observatory. To circumvent problems caused by the extreme spectral line broadening and blending and by the relatively low quality of the data, all spectra were subject to the same broadening function (BF) processing to determine the combined line strength in the spectral window centered on the Mg I triplet between 5080 A and 5285 A. All individual integrated BFs were subsequently orbital-phase averaged to derive a single line-strength indicator for each star. The star sample was limited to 90 W UMa-type (EW) binaries with the strict phase-constancy of colors and without spectral contamination by spectroscopic companions. The best defined results were obtained for an F-type sub-sample (0.32 < (B - V){sub 0} < 0.62) of 52 binaries for which integrated BF strengths could be interpolated in the model atmosphere predictions. The logarithmic relative metallicities, [M/H], for the F-type sub-sample indicate metal abundances roughly similar to the solar metallicity, but with a large scatter which is partly due to combined random and systematic errors. Because of the occurrence of a systematic color trend resulting from inherent limitations in our approach, we were forced to set the absolute scale of metallicities to correspond to that derived from the m{sub 1} index of the Stroemgren uvby photometry for 24 binaries of the F-type sub-sample. The trend-adjusted metallicities [M/H]{sub 1} are distributed within -0.65 < [M/H]{sub 1} < +0.50, with the spread reflecting genuine metallicity differences between stars. One half of the F-sub-sample binaries have [M/H]{sub 1} within -0.37 < [M/H]{sub 1} < +0.10, a median of -0.04 and a mean of -0.10, with a tail toward low metallicities, and a possible bias against very high metallicities. A parallel study of kinematic data, utilizing the most reliable and recently obtained proper motion and radial velocity data for 78 binaries of the full sample, shows that the F-type sub-sample binaries (44 stars with both velocities and metallicity determinations) have similar kinematic properties to solar-neighborhood, thin-disk dwarfs with space velocity component dispersions: {sigma}U = 33 km s{sup -1}, {sigma}V = 23 km s{sup -1} and {sigma}W = 14 km s{sup -1}. FU Dra with a large spatial velocity, V{sub tot} = 197 km s{sup -1} and [M/H]{sub 1} = -0.6 {+-} 0.2, appears to be the only thick-disk object in the F-type sub-sample. The kinematic data indicate that the F-type EW binaries are typical, thin-disk population stars with ages about 3-5.5 Gyr. The F-type binaries that appear to be older than the rest tend to have systematically smaller mass ratios than most of the EW binaries of the same period.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-140: Dynamic Wave Arc Trajectory Verification Using KV X-Ray Fluoroscopy

Purpose: Purpose: This study investigates the geometric accuracy of simultaneous Gantry/Ring rotation during Dynamic Wave Arc (DWA) delivery. Methods: The Vero SBRT system consists of a 6MV LINAC mounted on an O-ring gantry that can rotate around the vertical axis (±60°), similar to couch rotation on C-arm gantries. To provide CBCT and fluoroscopy imaging functionalities, two orthogonal kV imaging units are attached to the O-ring at −45°/+45° from the beam axis.Dynamic Wave Arc maximizes Vero's motion capabilities by employing synchronized gantry and ring motion on a complex non-coplanar trajectory in combination with aperture based optimized MLC segments.Four wave arc trajectories (T1-4) were delivered using a cubic phantom with a configuration of five lead beads. O-ring gantry position information was retrieved through continuous dual-source kV X-ray image acquisition during DWA. An in-house algorithm read in the image set, extracted the projected marker positions and determined the angulation through reconstruction of the beam source position. The geometric error was quantified as the distance between the independently detected positions from kV-images and reference trajectory derived from the treatment plan in the Ring-Gantry space. Results: The average displacement between the 3D gantry/ring positions reconstructed from the fluoroscopy images and the reference trajectory was 0.346 mm (SD 0,171) for T1. A mean offset of 0.348 mm (SD 0,182) and 0.357 mm (SD 0.194) was observed for trajectory T2(2segmens) and T3(4segments), respectively. The saw shape T4 presented a mean geometric error of 0.363 (SD 0.156). The overall systematic error of 0.350 was caused by the difference between planned reference trajectory created by linear interpolation between CP, and the machine delivery following a spline curve. Conclusion: An independent geometric QA approach has been developed for DWA delivery verification, successfully applied on diverse trajectories and disclosed that the Vero system is capable of accurately follow complex trajectories.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗