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DOE OSTI2024

Assessing equation of state-independent relations for neutron stars with nonparametric models

Relations between neutron star properties that do not depend on the nuclear equation of state offer insights on neutron star physics and have practical applications in data analysis. Such relations are obtained by fitting to a range of phenomenological or nuclear physics equation of state models, each of which may have varying degrees of accuracy. In this study we revisit commonly used relations and reassess them with a very flexible set of phenomenological nonparametric equation of state models that are based on Gaussian processes. Our models correspond to two sets: equations of state which mimic hadronic models, and equations of state with rapidly changing behavior that resemble phase transitions. Here we quantify the accuracy of relations under both sets and discuss their applicability with respect to expected upcoming statistical uncertainties of astrophysical observations. We further propose a goodness-of-fit metric which provides an estimate for the systematic error introduced by using the relation to model a certain equation-of-state set. Overall, the nonparametric distribution is more poorly fit with existing relations, with the I–Love–Q relations retaining the highest degree of universality. Fits degrade for relations involving the tidal deformability, such as the binary-Love and compactness-Love relations, and when introducing phase transition phenomenology. For most relations, systematic errors are comparable to current statistical uncertainties under the nonparametric equation of state distributions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Increasing access to microfluidics for studying fungi and other branched biological structures

Background: Microfluidic systems are well-suited for studying mixed biological communities for improving industrial processes of fermentation, biofuel production, and pharmaceutical production. The results of which have the potential to resolve the underlying mechanisms of growth and transport in these complex branched living systems. Microfluidics provide controlled environments and improved optical access for real-time and high-resolution imaging studies that allow high-content and quantitative analyses. Studying growing branched structures and the dynamics of cellular interactions with both biotic and abiotic cues provides context for molecule production and genetic manipulations. To make progress in this arena, technical and logistical barriers must be overcome to more effectively deploy microfluidics in biological disciplines. A principle technical barrier is the process of assembling, sterilizing, and hydrating the microfluidic system; the lack of the necessary equipment for the preparatory process is a contributing factor to this barrier. To improve access to microfluidic systems, we present the development, characterization, and implementation of a microfluidics assembly and packaging process that builds on self-priming point-of-care principles to achieve “ready-to-use microfluidics.”Results: We present results from domestic and international collaborations using novel microfluidic architectures prepared with a unique packaging protocol. We implement this approach by focusing primarily on filamentous fungi; we also demonstrate the utility of this approach for collaborations on plants and neurons. In this work we (1) determine the shelf-life of ready-to-use microfluidics, (2) demonstrate biofilm-like colonization on fungi, (3) describe bacterial motility on fungal hyphae (fungal highway), (4) report material-dependent bacterial-fungal colonization, (5) demonstrate germination of vacuum-sealed Arabidopsis seeds in microfluidics stored for up to 2 weeks, and (6) observe bidirectional cytoplasmic streaming in fungi.Conclusions: This pre-packaging approach provides a simple, one step process to initiate microfluidics in any setting for fungal studies, bacteria-fungal interactions, and other biological inquiries. This process improves access to microfluidics for controlling biological microenvironments, and further enabling visual and quantitative analysis of fungal cultures.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Final Report for the Project Characterization and Valorization of Aqueous Phases Derived from Liquefaction and Upgrading of Bio-Oils

The Characterization and Valorization of Aqueous Phases Derived from Liquefaction and Upgrading of Bio-Oils project developed processes to extract value from the organics within aqueous streams derived from biomass direct liquefaction processes. The focus of the project was twofold. First, we characterized a diverse set of aqueous streams from numerous processes and feedstocks. The characterization effort served to inform this project toward development around the most prevalent compounds to maximize versatility and impact. We analyzed diverse streams from hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic, algal, and waste feedstocks; catalytic fast-pyrolysis aqueous phases; fast-pyrolysis aqueous phases; and aqueous phases produced by hydroprocessing of fast-pyrolysis bio-oil. Second, thermochemical catalytic processes were developed to convert aqueous-phase organics into useful products. These processes focused mostly on organic acids and specifically acetic acid, which was found to be ubiquitous from the characterization effort. A La x Zr y O z catalyst was discovered and developed for the ketonization of acids to ketones in the condensed aqueous phase. A dual-bed steam reforming process was developed to convert acids and other organics to hydrogen for bio-oil hydroprocessing. The dual-bed reforming process consisted of a ketonization step followed by a steam reforming step with Co as the active metal. The dual-bed process significantly reduced the rate of coke deposition versus direct steam reforming of the organic acids and beneficially produced CH 4 below the equilibrium value. Finally, we demonstrated direct conversion of aqueous-phase organics to olefins over a Zn x Zr y O z catalyst. Each thermochemical catalytic process was demonstrated with process-derived aqueous mixtures. Model compounds were used to benchmark performance and optimize conditions, but emphasis was placed on utilizing “real” aqueous streams whenever possible. A liquid-liquid extraction process using methyl tert-butyl ether as the solvent was developed to segregate dissolved inorganic species and sugars from desirable light oxygenates such as acids and alcohols. Furthermore, a carbon treatment to remove color bodies was employed after it was found the presumably heavy organic chromophore species deactivated catalysts. These economic separation processes allowed for the successful demonstration of stable catalytic processing in the condensed-phase ketonization, dual-bed reforming, and direct olefin production processes for tens to hundreds of hours, which were limited only by the quantity of feed available. Techno-economic analysis of these processes demonstrated the impact possible when capturing “waste” organics as valuable products. The condensed-phase ketonization process for converting aqueous stream acids to ketones followed by reduction and dehydration to olefins sold as a co-product resulted in the reduction of the minimum fuel selling price by about 13% compared to the anaerobic-digestion, aqueous-phase treatment base case (3.74 to 4.29/GGE). The dual-bed reforming process was commensurate in price to the anaerobic digestion base case (4.24 versus 4.29/GGE). However, the need for external natural gas to produce hydrogen for bio-oil hydroprocessing was eliminated, thereby lowering the carbon impact of the process.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Analysis of the Needs for Long Term Memory and Knowledge Preservation Relating to Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities - 17213

Proposals for a set of provisions for long-term memory and knowledge to be defined for a radioactive waste disposal facility, near surface or deep underground, address two primary motives, related to two ethical principles. The first motive is to prevent future generations from interfering involuntarily with the repository. This requires maintaining awareness of the repository, and addresses the ethical principle of protection of man and environment. The second motive is to provide future generations all the available relevant information which might help them make informed decisions about intentional actions, and assess the consequences. This requires transmitting detailed knowledge of the repository, and addresses the ethical principle of preservation of freedom of action. The set of provisions to be implemented with respect to each of these motives may not be the same. In order to define and assess the set of provisions, it is also useful to identify the various components of the process of transmission of a given message, or set of messages, to future generations. Three sub-processes have been identified: (i) 'memorization', at the producer stage, where a full set of information to be transmitted is identified, organized and expressed; (ii) 'preservation', where the potential durability of records is extended, the preservation conditions are controlled and where the records may be restored, if their status is degraded; (iii) 'access', at the receiver stage, where the receiver has to be notified of the existence of the information, to find it and to interpret it properly. As a failure of transmission to future generations would result from the failure of any of the subprocesses, a minimal set of provisions may be defined from this decomposition. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence V - Raw Data

Sequence V: Tip Plate (F) This test sequence used an upwind, rigid turbine with a 0° cone angle. The wind speed ranged from 5 m/s to 25 m/s, and the yaw angle was held at 0°. The blade pitch angle was 3°. The rotor rotated at 72 RPM. Blade pressure measurements were collected. The five-hole probes were removed and the plugs were installed. Plastic tape 0.03-mm-thick was used to smooth the interface between the plugs and the blade. The teeter dampers were replaced with rigid links, and these two channels were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to –99999.99 Nm. The teeter link load cell was pre-tensioned to 40,000 N. During post-processing, the probe channels were set to read -99999.99. The standard tip blocks were replaced with a tip plate to simulate the effect of an undeployed tip-mounted aerodynamic brake as shown in Appendix A. Note that the blade radius was not changed during post-processing so the pressure tap locations are at the same radial location, but the reference to 30% represents 30% of 5.029 m, not 4.943 m. Throughout this report, references to the blade span are made for the 5.029- m radius, not the 4.943-m radius.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Informative Path Planning for Mapping Radiation

This project involves making measurements of contaminated areas using portable radiation detectors and small robots. Tasks involve operating detectors and small robots, combining data acquisition for the two systems, and automating the systems. The end result is a radiation map of contamination areas. Localization of radioactive sources and mapping of contamination distribution is essential when responding to emergencies, or when dealing with cleanup efforts. Radiation maps are used for situational awareness and for establishing a safe perimeter. However, it may be hazardous or impossible for humans to safely enter the site and survey the area. Informative Path Planning (IPP) is used to design a path for a robotic sensor platform to gather the most information about the radiation distribution while operating under the set of constraints given by the dynamics of the robot and other requirements such as minimizing the overall mission time. The key challenge for IPP is the tight coupling in multiple layers of decisions: Selection of locations to visit; Allocation of sensors to those locations; Processing of information gathered. Given a robot equipped with a basic gamma detector and Lidar sensor, how can we efficiently explore an unknown environment in such a way that we can satisfy the robot's constraints while simultaneously maximizing the accuracy of the map and minimizing the total runtime? This work presents a systematic procedure for IPP and environmental mapping that: Selects the best locations at which to sample; Finds the best path for robots; Estimates the measurement value at unknown locations using a Gaussian Process regression framework. Given a set of points where radiation measurements were taken, we are utilizing a Gaussian Process Regression with a Matern kernel to reconstruct the shape of the underlying ground truth. Mapping is done via the Robot Operating System's OpenSlam Gmapping package, which creates a 2D occupancy grid map. Simulated trials were run with a radiation source placed at random locations, and allowing the robot to select and move towards 20 samples at separate locations, as well as sampling along the path while moving. The simulated sensor model assumed an efficiency of 0.3, collection time of 1 second. Various weighting schemes were tested and compared. Quantitative evaluations often favored exploitation-heavy weighting schemes where μ was emphasized, with the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) quickly tending towards 2, whereas qualitative comparisons would favor exploration-biased schemes with greater weight on σ. The difference comes from operators often favoring knowing the general location of a source, rather than the exact properties of a source. Weighting of the path-length π often reduced the quality of the regression as less exploration occurred, however this may be deemed a worthwhile trade-off under certain circumstances, such as with sensitive robots. Successfully developed a methodology for informative path-planning for a robot to efficiently gather information and create a map of radiation. In the future, we would like to focus on: Hardware trials with integration of the robot platform and the IPP software; More refined sensor and environmental modeling; Multiple robot platforms.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2022

Studies on the Fundamental Mechanisms of Niobium Electropolishing

To improve the superconducting performance of niobium SRF cavities, electropolishing (EP) with a sulfuric and hydroflouric acid mixture is used. The chemistry of this reaction is complex due to the interactions between diffusion mechanisms, surface oxide structure, and multiple chemical species. Past studies on the EP process have produced a certain set of optimum parameters that have been used successfully for a long time. However, two recent developments have called the efficacy of the existing EP process into question. Since the introduction of nitrogen doping the surface quality of some cavities has been very poor. Also, EP performed at colder than standard temperatures leads to an increase in the cavity performance. To understand these questions, we perform a multivariate study on the EP process using niobium test samples electropolished at different temperatures and potentials. We find that electropolishing at lower potentials leads to rough surface features such as pitting and grain etching. Some of the surface features show similarities to features seen in niobium cavities. The effect of electropolishing temperature is not clear based on the results of this study.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Linear Boltzmann transport for jet propagation in the quark-gluon plasma: Inelastic processes and jet modification

A linear Boltzmann transport (LBT) Monte Carlo model has been developed to describe jet propagation and interaction with the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. A complete set of elastic-scattering processes and medium-induced gluon emissions based on the higher-twist formalism are incorporated for both jet shower and medium recoil partons. It has been employed to describe experimental data on large transverse momentum hadron and jet spectra, correlation and jet substructures in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Here, we document in detail the structure of the model and validation of the Monte Carlo implementations of the physics processes in LBT, in particular, the inelastic process of medium-induced gluon radiation. We carry out a comprehensive examination of the jet-medium interaction as implemented in LBT through energy loss and momentum broadening of a single hard parton, the energy and transverse momentum transfer from leading partons to medium-induced gluons and jet-induced medium excitation, and medium modification of reconstructed jets in a static and uniform medium. With realistic and event-by-event hydrodynamic medium in heavy-ion collisions, we compute and compare with experimental data on the jet cone-size dependence of the single inclusive jet suppression at both the BNL Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the dijet asymmetry at the LHC and γ-jet correlation at RHIC. Effects of medium-induced gluon emissions and jet-induced medium excitation on jet observables are systematically examined. Rescatterings of the radiated gluons and recoil partons with the QGP are found essential to account for the enhancement of soft particle yield toward the edge of the jet cone.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

COMBIgor (A data assistant for combinatorial scientists in Igor Pro) [SWR-19-16]

Combinatorial materials science experiments involve synthesis and spatially-resolved characterization of thin film sample libraries. As a result, the modern combinatorial materials science laboratory produces large, diverse, and complex data sets, requiring automation of analysis and visualization techniques. COMBIgor is a software package aimed to assist a combinatorial material scientists with large volumes of experimental data. This package, written in Igor Pro, offers a systematic approach to the loading, processing, and visualizing combinatorial data sets. COMBIgor is designed to be expanded on a laboratory, group, or individual basis to adopt additional loading, processing and visualization capabilities. By utilizing COMBIgor software package the burden of data management in combinatorial materials science experiments can be significantly reduced.

Bauers, Sage↗

DOE OSTI2023

Deep learning symmetries and their Lie groups, algebras, and subalgebras from first principles

Abstract We design a deep-learning algorithm for the discovery and identification of the continuous group of symmetries present in a labeled dataset. We use fully connected neural networks to model the symmetry transformations and the corresponding generators. The constructed loss functions ensure that the applied transformations are symmetries and the corresponding set of generators forms a closed (sub)algebra. Our procedure is validated with several examples illustrating different types of conserved quantities preserved by symmetry. In the process of deriving the full set of symmetries, we analyze the complete subgroup structure of the rotation groups SO (2), SO (3), and SO (4), and of the Lorentz group S O ( 1 , 3 ) . Other examples include squeeze mapping, piecewise discontinuous labels, and SO (10), demonstrating that our method is completely general, with many possible applications in physics and data science. Our study also opens the door for using a machine learning approach in the mathematical study of Lie groups and their properties.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2023

System and method to facilitate a search for a hybrid-manufacturing process plan

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system and method for facilitating a search for a hybrid-manufacturing process plan for manufacturing an object. During operation, the system can obtain a set of partial order constraints constraining the order in which a set of at least two manufacturing actions, corresponding to addition or removal of predefined regions of space, appear in a process plan. The system can constrain, based on the set of partial order constraints, a search space. The search space can correspond to a tree in which the nodes represent the object's state and the edges represent available actions at each node. The system can then determine a set of optimized process plans represented by orderings of the actions, corresponding to paths on the search tree, that produce the desired final state in a cost-effective manner.

Crawford, Lara S.↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence 5 - Raw Data

Sequence 5: Sweep Wind Speed (F,P) This test sequence used an upwind, rigid turbine with a 0° cone angle. The wind speed was ramped from 5 m/s to 25 m/s by the wind tunnel operator. This was repeated with a decreasing ramp. The yaw angle was maintained at 0°. The blade tip pitch was 3° or 6°. The rotor rotated at 72 RPM. Blade pressure and probe measurements were collected for both pitch angles. The five-hole probes were removed and the plugs were installed for another 3° pitch case. Plastic tape 0.03 mm thick was used to smooth the interface between the plugs and the blade. The teeter dampers were replaced with rigid links, and these two channels were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to –99999.99 Nm. The teeter link load cell was pre-tensioned to 40,000 N. During post-processing, the probe channels were set to read -99999.99. The 6- minute campaigns were named using the sequence designation 5, followed by DN or UP, which indicates the wind speed ramp direction. The next four digits are 0000, and the sequence digit is at the end.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence 8 - Raw Data

Sequences 8 and 9: Downwind Sonics (F,P) and Downwind Sonics Parked (P) This test sequence used an upwind, rigid turbine with a 0° cone angle. The wind speed ranged from 5 m/s to 25 m/s. Yaw angles of 0° to 60° were achieved. The blade tip pitch was 3°. The rotor rotated at 72 RPM during Sequence 8, but it was parked during Sequence 9. Blade pressure measurements were collected. The five-hole probes were removed and the plugs were installed. Plastic tape 0.03-mm-thick was used to smooth the interface between the plugs and the blade. The teeter dampers were replaced with rigid links, and these two channels were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to –99999.99 Nm. The teeter link load cell was pre-tensioned to 40,000 N. During post-processing, the probe channels were set to read -99999.99. Sonic anemometers were mounted on a strut downwind of the turbine. The strut was mounted to the T-frame, which was rotated to align the anemometers aft of the 9% and 49% radius locations at hub height. Because of this configuration, the tunnel balance data are considered invalid. Sequence 9 was designed to compare the downwind sonic anemometer readings with the upwind sonic anemometers without interference from the turbine. The rotor was parked with the instrumented blade at 0° azimuth. All pressure measurements obtained in Sequence 9 are invalid because sufficient time for temperature stabilization did not occur, thus all associated data values were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to 0.0000 Pa. This test is further described in Appendix G.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence 9 - Raw Data

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence M - Raw Data

Sequence M: Transition Fixed (P) Test sequence M used an upwind, rigid turbine with a 0° cone angle. The wind speed ranged from 5 m/s to 15 m/s. Yaw angles ranged from 0° to 90°. The blade tip pitch was 3°. The rotor rotated at 72 RPM. Blade pressure measurements were collected. The five-hole probes were removed and the plugs were installed. Plastic tape 0.03-mm-thick was used to smooth the interface between the plugs and the blade. The teeter dampers were replaced with rigid links, and these two channels were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to –99999.99 Nm. The teeter link load cell was pre-tensioned to 40,000 N. During post-processing, the probe channels were set to read –99999.99. Zigzag tape was installed near the leading edge of the instrumented blade on both the upper and lower surfaces as described in Appendix K. In addition to the standard 30-second campaigns, yaw sweeps were done at 7 m/s and 10 m/s. These 90-second campaigns were collected while the yaw drive rotated the turbine 90° at a rate of 1°/s. The file names for these campaigns use the letter designation, followed by two digits for wind speed, followed by YSU, followed by 00.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence R - Raw Data

Sequence R: Step AOA, No Probes (P) This sequence was designed to quantify the effect of the five-hole probes on the 3-D blade static angle-of-attack response in the presence of rotational influences by repeating Sequence K without five-hole probes. This test sequence used an upwind, rigid turbine with a 0° cone angle. The wind speeds ranged from 6 m/s to 20 m/s, and data were collected at yaw angles of 0° and 30°. The rotor rotated at 72 RPM. Blade pressure measurements were collected. The five-hole probes were removed and the plugs were installed. Plastic tape 0.03-mm-thick was used to smooth the interface between the plugs and the blade. The teeter dampers were replaced with rigid links, and these two channels were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to –99999.99 Nm. The teeter link load cell was pre-tensioned to 40,000 N. During post-processing, the probe channels were set to read –99999.99. The blade pitch angle ramped continuously at 0.18°/s over a wide range of increasing and decreasing pitch angles. A step sequence was also performed. The blade pitch was stepped 5°; the flow was allowed to stabilize; and the pitch angle was held for 5 seconds. Then the pitch angle step was repeated. Again, a wide range of pitch angles was obtained, both increasing and decreasing. The file lengths for this sequence varied from 96 seconds to 6 minutes, depending on the pitch angle range. Some short points were collected at 0° yaw and 3° pitch to ascertain the functionality of the instrumentation and repeatability over time. The file name convention used the initial letter R, followed by two digits specifying wind speed, followed by two digits for yaw angle, followed by RU, RD, or ST, followed by the repetition digit. The angle of attack motion was differentiated by RU (ramp up), RD (ramp down), and ST (step down, then step up). This sequence is related to Sequences K and L.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence S - Raw Data

Sequences S, T, and U: Upwind, No Probes (F); Upwind 2° Pitch (F); Upwind 4° Pitch (F) This test sequence used an upwind, rigid turbine with a 0° cone angle. The wind speed ranged from 5 m/s to 25 m/s. Yaw angles of 0° to 180° were achieved for Sequence S, but the yaw angle remained at 0° for Sequences T and U. The blade tip pitch was 3° for Sequence S, 2° for Sequence T, and 4° for Sequence U. These three sequences were interleaved during testing because the pitch angle change was easily made by the turbine operator. The rotor rotated at 72 RPM. Blade pressure measurements were collected. The five-hole probes were removed and the plugs were installed. Plastic tape 0.03-mm-thick was used to smooth the interface between the plugs and the blade. The teeter dampers were replaced with rigid links, and these two channels were flagged as not applicable by setting the measured values in the data file to -99999.99 Nm. The teeter link load cell was pre-tensioned to 40,000 N. During post-processing, the probe channels were set to read -99999.99. In addition to the standard 30-second campaigns, yaw sweeps were done at 7 m/s and 10 m/s for the Sequence S configuration. These 6-minute campaigns were collected while the yaw drive rotated the turbine 360° at a rate of 1°/s. The file names for these campaigns use the letter designation, followed by two digits for wind speed, followed by YSU, followed by 00.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

UAE6 - Wind Tunnel Tests Data - UAE6 - Sequence T - Raw Data

17 WIND ENERGY↗