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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

Probing shock dynamics inside micro-wire targets after high-intensity laser irradiation using small angle x-ray scattering of a free-electron laser

In this paper, we present an experiment that explores the plasma dynamics of a 7μm diameter carbon wire after being irradiated with a near-relativistic-intensity short pulse laser. Using an x-ray free electron laser pulse to measure the small angle x-ray scattering signal, we observe that the scattering surface is bent and prone to instability over tens of picoseconds. The dynamics of this process are consistent with the presence of a sharp, propagating shock front inside the wire, moving at a speed close to the hole boring velocity or that expected from a thermal shock at a few tens of Mbar.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Hemispherical power asymmetry in intensity and polarization for Planck PR4 data

Abstract One of the foundations of the Standard Model of Cosmology is statistical isotropy, which can be tested, among other probes, through the study of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). However, a hemispherical power asymmetry on large scales has been reported for WMAP and Planck data by different works.The statistical significance is above 3σfor temperature, suggesting a directional dependence of the local power spectrum, and thus a feature beyond the ΛCDM model. With the third release of the Planck data (PR3), a new analysis was performed including the E-mode polarization maps, finding an asymmetry at a modest level of significance. In this work, we perform an asymmetry analysis in intensity and polarization maps for the latest Planck processing pipeline (PR4). We obtain similar results to those obtained with PR3, with a slightly lower significance (2.8% for the Sevem method)for the amplitude of the E-mode local variance dipole as well as a significant variability with the considered mask.In addition, a hint of a possible T-E alignment between the asymmetry axes is found at the level of ∼ 5%. For the analysis, we have implemented an alternative inpainting approach in order to get an accurate reconstruction of the E-modes. More sensitive all-sky CMB polarization data, such as those expected from the future LiteBIRD experiment, are needed to reach a more robust conclusion on the possible existence of deviations from statistical isotropy in the form of a hemispherical power asymmetry.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Financial-technical co-design for capital-intensive, resource-responsive energy systems

Because of their capital-intensive operation, wind energy systems that are competitive in terms of the cost of the energy that they produce lead to risk-reward trade-offs that make their business cases less favorable than those of conventional energy generation technologies. However, wind energy systems tend to be designed to maximize energy production or minimize cost of energy rather than to maximize their business cases. In this work, we attempt to exploit designs specifically tailored to business cases. We develop a novel framework for analyzing energy systems that ties their design variables to monthly operating incomes using simple models and historical hourly market and resource data. Using this approach, we demonstrate that for a wind site with abundant wind resource in the California Independent System Operator market, we can control the trade-off between mean and 5th percentile monthly returns by choosing the specific power of the turbine at a fixed modeled initial capital cost. Our framework gives a measure of the risk-reward spectrum of energy generation assets that could be built at a given site with respect to the sub-annual resource/market variation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Dynamics near equilibrium for intense beams in a nonlinear integrable focusing channel

Accelerator storage ring designs based on nonlinear integrable Hamiltonian systems provide a novel test-bed for studying the interplay between nonlinear dynamics and space charge at high intensity. In this work, the structure of beam Vlasov equilibria is explored for a constant focusing channel based on the nonlinear focusing potential of the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator. Finally, the dynamics of the single-particle orbits is explored in the combined space charge and external focusing fields as a function of beam current, and the self-consistent relaxation of a mismatched beam to equilibrium is characterized.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Target development using the method of High-Intensity Vibrational Powder Plating (HIVIPP) at the Center for Accelerator Target Science (CATS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

One of the primary goals of the Center for Accelerator Target Science (CATS) is to provide targets and foils in support of the ATLAS User Facility and the Low-Energy community at large. While a wide array of target production techniques are available at CATS, new methods that must be explored invariably arise. One such technique, the High-Intensity Vibrational Powder Plating (HIVIPP), was first reported in 1997 by Isao Sugai. It was developed to produce targets and stripper foils that were difficult to make by standard methods. At Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), we have successfully constructed and tested a simple system for this purpose. We have produced targets of carbon and titanium on various metal backings using the HIVIPP method. We are currently in the exciting phase of exploring the production of other elements, including isotopically enriched and radioactive material. This work is in progress and will be further detailed with specific examples.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Shifting agricultural practices to produce sustainable, low carbon intensity feedstocks for biofuel production

The carbon intensity (CI) of biofuel's well-to-pump life cycle is calculated by life cycle analysis (LCA) to account for the energy/material inputs of the feedstock production and fuel conversion stages and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during these stages. The LCA is used by the California Air Resources Board's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program to calculate CI and monetary credits are issued based on the difference between a given fuel's CI and a reference fuel's CI. Through the Tier 2 certification program under which individual fuel production facilities can submit their own CIs with their facility input data, the LCFS has driven innovative technologies to biofuel conversion facilities, resulting in substantial reductions in GHG emissions as compared to the baseline gasoline or diesel. A similar approach can be taken to allow feedstock petition in the LCFS so that lower-CI feedstock can be rewarded. Here we examined the potential for various agronomic practices to improve the GHG profiles of corn ethanol by performing feedstock-level CI analysis for the Midwestern United States. Our system boundary covers GHG emissions from the cradle-to-farm-gate activities (i.e. farm input manufacturing and feedstock production), along with the potential impacts of soil organic carbon change during feedstock production. We conducted scenario-based CI analysis of ethanol, coupled with regionalized inventory data, for various farming practices to manage corn fields, and identified key parameters affecting cradle-to-farm-gate GHG emissions. The results demonstrate large spatial variations in CI of ethanol due to farm input use and land management practices. In particular, adopting conservation tillage, reducing nitrogen fertilizer use, and implementing cover crops has the potential to reduce GHG emissions per unit corn produced when compared to a baseline scenario of corn–soybean rotation. This work shows a large potential emission offset opportunity by allowing feedstock producers a path to Tier 2 petitions that reward low-CI feedstocks and further reduce biofuels' CI. The prevalence of significant acreage that has not been optimized for CI suggests that policy changes that incentivize optimization of this parameter could provide significant additionality over current trends in farm efficiency and adoption of conservation practice.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Varied farm-level carbon intensities of corn feedstock help reduce corn ethanol greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract A reduction in the overall carbon intensity (CI) of a crop-based biofuel can be achieved by cutting down the CI of the biofuel’s feedstock, which in turn correlates significantly to agricultural management practices. Proposals are being made to incentivize low-carbon biofuel feedstocks under U.S. fuel regulatory programs to promote sustainable farming practices by individual farms. For such an incentive scheme to function properly, robust data collection and verification are needed at the farm level. This study presents our collaboration with U.S. private sector companies to collect and verify the corn production data necessary for feedstock-specific CI calculation at the farm level, through a carefully designed questionnaire, to demonstrate the practicality and feasibility of data collection at scale. We surveyed 71 farms that produced 0.2 million metric tons of corn grain in 2018 in a Midwestern U.S. state to obtain information on key parameters affecting corn ethanol feedstock CI, such as grain yields, fertilizer/chemical application rates, and agronomic practices. Feedstock-specific CI was calculated in the unit of grams (g) CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 e) of greenhouse gases per kilogram (kg) of corn produced. Results showed large CI variations—from 119 to 407 g CO 2 e kg −1 of corn—due to the farm-level inventory, while the production-weighted average CI for all surveyed farms was 210 g CO 2 e kg −1 , comparable to the national average CI of 204 g CO 2 e kg −1 . The nitrogen fertilizer type applied and rate were identified as key factors contributing most to CI variations at the farm level. The estimated N 2 O emissions from fertilizer and biomass nitrogen inputs to soil accounted for 51% of the overall farm-level CI and therefore need to be better monitored at farm level with high resolution. We concluded that this feedstock-specific, farm-level CI evaluation has the potential to be used to incentivize low-carbon feedstock for biofuel production.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Ultrafast bipolar conductivity driven by intense single-cycle terahertz pulses in a topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3

We present the measurement of ultrafast terahertz (THz) conductivity of a 50 nm thick topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 at low temperature 5 K by using a THz pump and THz probe spectroscopy scheme. Here, the THz conductivity driven by a single-cycle intense THz pump exhibits a bipolar lineshape and frequency-dependent relaxation dynamics due to the separated surface and bulk charge carriers with distinctly different scattering rates and relaxation times. We also demonstrate THz pump field-dependent excitation of the surface and bulk spectral weights, which suggests one of the optimal THz excitation conditions for generating the most charge carriers from the topology-protected surface state relative to the bulk. This also allows THz control of surface and bulk transport channels in a selective way.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

MIGHTEE: total intensity radio continuum imaging and the COSMOS/XMM-LSS Early Science fields

ABSTRACT MIGHTEE is a galaxy evolution survey using simultaneous radio continuum, spectropolarimetry, and spectral line observations from the South African MeerKAT telescope. When complete, the survey will image ∼20 deg2 over the COSMOS, E-CDFS, ELAIS-S1, and XMM-Newton Large Scale Structure field (XMM-LSS) extragalactic deep fields with a central frequency of 1284 MHz. These were selected based on the extensive multiwavelength data sets from numerous existing and forthcoming observational campaigns. Here, we describe and validate the data processing strategy for the total intensity continuum aspect of MIGHTEE, using a single deep pointing in COSMOS (1.6 deg2) and a three-pointing mosaic in XMM-LSS (3.5 deg2). The processing includes the correction of direction-dependent effects, and results in thermal noise levels below 2 $\mathrm{\mu }$Jy beam−1 in both fields, limited in the central regions by classical confusion at ∼8 arcsec angular resolution, and meeting the survey specifications. We also produce images at ∼5 arcsec resolution that are ∼3 times shallower. The resulting image products form the basis of the Early Science continuum data release for MIGHTEE. From these images we extract catalogues containing 9896 and 20 274 radio components in COSMOS and XMM-LSS, respectively. We also process a close-packed mosaic of 14 additional pointings in COSMOS and use these in conjunction with the Early Science pointing to investigate methods for primary beam correction of broad-band radio images, an analysis that is of relevance to all full-band MeerKAT continuum observations, and wide-field interferometric imaging in general. A public release of the MIGHTEE Early Science continuum data products accompanies this article.

Heywood, I. (ORCID:0000000168645057)↗

A forecast for large-scale structure constraints on Horndeski gravity with CO line intensity mapping

Here we consider the potential for line intensity mapping (LIM) of the rotational CO(1-0), CO(2-1), and CO(3-2) transitions to detect deviations from General Relativity from 0 < z < 3 within the framework of a very general class of modified gravity models, called Horndeski’s theories. Our forecast assumes a multitracer analysis separately obtaining information from the matter power spectrum and the first two multipoles of the redshift space distortion power spectrum. To achieve ±0.1 level constraints on the slope of the kinetic gravity braiding and Planck mass evolution parameters, a mm-wave LIM experiment would need to accumulate ≈10 8 –10 9 spectrometre-hours, feasible with instruments that could be deployed in the 2030s. Such a measurement would constrain the parameters of Horndeski’s theory at a level at worst competitive to and at best an order of magnitude tighter than existing constraints from the CMB and LSS. Our modelling code is publicly available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Follow-up observations for IceCube-170922A: Detection of rapid near-infrared variability and intensive monitoring of TXS 0506+056

Abstract We present our follow-up observations to search for an electromagnetic counterpart of the IceCube high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A. Monitoring observations of a likely counterpart, TXS 0506+056, are also described. First, we quickly took optical and near-infrared images of seven flat-spectrum radio sources within the IceCube error region right after the neutrino detection and found a rapid flux decline of TXS 0506+056 in Kanata/HONIR J-band data. Motivated by this discovery, intensive follow-up observations of TXS 0506+056 were continuously performed, including our monitoring imaging observations, spectroscopic observations, and polarimetric observations in optical and near-infrared wavelengths. TXS 0506+056 showed a large-amplitude (∼1.0 mag) variability in a time scale of several days or longer, although no significant variability was detected in a time scale of a day or shorter. TXS 0506+056 also showed a bluer-when-brighter trend in optical and near-infrared wavelengths. Structure functions of the variabilities were examined and indicate that TXS 0506+056 is not a special blazar in terms of optical variability. Polarization measurement results of TXS 0506+056 are also discussed.

(galaxies:) BL Lacertae objects: general↗

Assessment of diagenesis in archaeological human second metacarpal bones using the intensity of the small angle X-ray scattering D -period peak

Bone consists mainly of carbonated apatite (cAp) nanoplatelets embedded in a matrix of collagen fibrils. Earlier, high-energy small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies of archaeological adult human second metacarpal bones (mc2) found collagen D-period peaks with high-intensity I D in specimens in which microcomputed tomography (microCT) showed little diagenesis and I D ~ 0 for specimens where microCT revealed severe diagenesis (Park et al. 2022 Int. J. Osteoarchaeol. 32, 170–181 (doi:10.1002/oa.3053); Stock et al. 2022 Int. J. Osteoarchaeol. 32, 120–131 (doi:10.1002/oa.3049)). Here, the present paper uses SAXS at beamline 1-ID, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory and other techniques to study a set of 10 mc2 from an early Medieval cemetery at Greding, Germany. We hypothesized that non-invasive measurement of I D would provide an accurate and rapid (approx. 6 min/specimen) assessment of diagenesis in archaeological mc2. Results of Raman spectroscopy, laboratory microCT and backscattered electron, reflected light and polarized transmitted light microscopies confirmed the SAXS determinations, but lattice parameter values from X-ray diffraction were uncorrelated with I D value. Age-at-death estimates placed the 10 mc2 in three age categories (young adult, middle adult, old adult): lattice parameters from X-ray diffraction were uncorrelated with age at death. Cross-sectional bone area fraction from microCT dropped noticeably for the older age cohort.

Raman spectroscopy↗

Demonstration of a Novel Phase-Space Painting Method in a Coupled Lattice to Mitigate Space Charge in High-Intensity Hadron Beams

Multiturn charge-exchange injection is the primary method of creating high-intensity hadron beams in circular accelerators, and phase space painting during injection enables tailoring of the accumulated phase space distribution. A technique we call eigenpainting allows injection of particles into a single mode of a coupled ring, providing full four-dimensional control of the phase space distribution. Under ideal conditions, uniform eigenpainting generates a linear-force equilibrium distribution in the transverse plane, with zero volume in four-dimensional transverse phase space, even including space charge. Here, we have implemented eigenpainting for the first time in the spallation neutron source accumulator ring. Injecting 8.8 μ⁢C of an 800 MeV beam, we obtain a final ratio of intrinsic transverse emittances of ≈2.4. We analyze the effect of space charge on the final distribution through comparison of the reconstructed phase space to particle-in-cell simulations.

Evans, Nicholas J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory ↗

On-shot, high-intensity laser aberration measurements via ponderomotive electron ejection

We present a technique to assess the spatial aberration content of a focused multi-terawatt laser when fired at full power. This method leverages the direct detection of electrons ponderomotively accelerated from the focal volume formed in a low-pressure gaseous back-fill. Furthermore, our results show that the spatial distribution of emitted electrons exhibits distinct features correlated to the laser aberration type and magnitude. This work represents progress toward the complete and accurate in-situ spatiotemporal characterization of focused high-intensity lasers.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

β-decay feeding intensity distributions of 71,73 Ni

This paper presents the β-decay feeding intensity distribution and Gamow-Teller transition strength distribution of 71,73 Ni. These quantities were measured using the technique of total absorption spectroscopy at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory with the Summing NaI(Tl) detector. These measurements provide sensitive constraints to theoretical models used to predict β-decay properties far from stability for astrophysical applications. Specifically, for the astrophysical r process, the majority of the involved nuclei are not accessible by current facilities, and the nuclear input is mainly provided by theory. Furthermore, the present work reports on two neutron-rich nickel isotopes in the region where the weak r process is expected to be relevant in stellar nucleosynthesis. The experimental results are compared to two theoretical models, namely the shell model and the quasiparticle random-phase approximation, to help further refine theoretical calculations and aid in future r-process studies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Constraining cosmology with the CMB × line intensity mapping-nulling convergence

Lensing reconstruction maps from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) provide direct observations of the matter distribution of the universe without the use of a biased tracer. Such maps, however, constitute projected observables along the line of sight that are dominated by their low-redshift contributions. To cleanly access high-redshift information, Maniyar et al., [Phys. Rev. D 105, 083509 (2022)] showed that a linear combination of lensing maps from both CMB and line intensity mapping (LIM) observations can exactly null the low-redshift contribution to CMB lensing convergence. In this paper we explore the scientific returns of this nulling technique. Here, we show that LIM-nulling estimators can place constraints on standard Λ⁢CDM plus neutrino mass parameters that are competitive with traditional CMB lensing. Additionally, we demonstrate that as a clean probe of the high-redshift universe, LIM nulling can be used for model-independent tests of cosmology beyond Λ⁢CDM and as a probe of the high-redshift matter power spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Pump depletion and hot-electron generation in long-density-scale-length plasma with shock-ignition high-intensity laser

Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations for laser plasma interaction with laser intensity of 10 16 W/cm 2 , plasma density range of 0.01–0.28$n_c$, and scale length of 230–330 $\textit{μ}$m showed significant pump depletion of the laser energy due to stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the low-density region ($n_e$ = 0.01–0.2$n_c$). The simulations identified hot electrons generated by SRS in the low-density region with moderate energy and by two-plasmon-decay near $n_e$ = 0.25$n_c$ with higher energy. The overall hot electron temperature (46 keV) and conversion efficiency (3%) were consistent with the experiment's measurements. Further, the simulations also showed artificially reducing SBS would lead to stronger SRS and a softer hot-electron spectrum.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Grid resolution requirement for resolving rare and high intensity wall-shear stress events in direct numerical simulations

Turbulent signals are intermittent with large instantaneous fluctuations. Such large fluctuations lead to small Kolmogorov scales that are hard to resolve in numerical simulations [P. K. Yeung, K. R. Sreenivasan, and S. B. Pope, Effects of finite spatial and temporal resolution in direct numerical simulations of incompressible isotropic turbulence, Phys. Rev. Fluids 3, 064603 (2018)]. Here, the present paper follows the above basic logic, but instead of dissipation events in isotropic turbulence, we study wall-shear stress events in plane channel flow. Wall-shear stress fluctuations are increasingly more intermittent as the Reynolds number increases. Hence, one has to employ higher grid resolutions as the Reynolds number increases in order to resolve a given percentage of wall-shear stress events. The objective of this paper is to quantify effects of the grid resolutions on the rare and high intensity wall-shear stress events. We find that the standard grid resolution resolves about 99% of the wall-shear stress events at Re τ = 180. A slightly higher grid resolution has to be employed in order to resolve 99% of the wall-shear stress events at higher Reynolds numbers, and if the standard grid resolution is used for, e.g., a Re τ = 10000 channel flow, one resolves about 90%–95% wall-shear stress events.

42 ENGINEERING↗