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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 55 records · Page 3

Understanding Proton Movement in [Fe-Fe] Hydrogenases

Nature uses specialized metalloenzymes to carry out small molecule activation reactions, including CO 2 fixation, O 2 activation, and proton reduction, with unparalleled efficiency, rates, and selectivity. The latter reactions are performed by hydrogenases, protein metallo-complexes that interconverts H 2 to protons and electrons (H 2 oxidation) and the reverse reaction (H 2 production) with incredibly low energy input and amazingly fast kinetics. Reproducing both the activity and efficiency of metalloenzymes in sustainable anthropogenic systems remains one of the “holy grails” of inorganic chemistry. However, identifying the precise molecular components responsible for these desirable properties has been challenging in the natural metalloenzymes, hindering efforts to develop analogous processes in synthetic compounds. Considering the inherent complexity of a metalloenzyme and the many interactions, both strong and weak, that contribute to the function of an enzyme, we have elected to model natural metalloenzymes on a biochemical platform. Towards this end, we have a developed structural, functional, and mechanistic mimic of the [Ni-Fe] hydrogenases within a robust protein scaffold, rubredoxin, to understand the influence of the secondary coordination environment on the metal center. This involved preparing a series of three rubredoxin constructs containing a single point mutation at Val positions and making the NMR chemical shift assignments for the paramagnetic (nickel-substituted) and non-paramagnetic (zinc-substituted) form. These physical studies were complemented with in silico molecular dynamic studies on proteins with [Fe-S] clusters to engineer new proton channels to test in vitro . To assist our search for new natural metalloprotein scaffolds within the vast number of sequenced genomes, we created a neural network-based program to identify proteins with specific metal-binding sites. These computational and physical studies with metalloenzymes provide direct insight into the fundamental chemical principles driving the natural systems and offer design principles for developing catalysts that utilize analogous principles.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Snowmass White Paper: Prospects of CP-violation measurements with the Higgs boson at future experiments

The search for CP violation in interactions of the Higgs boson with either fermions or bosons provides attractive reference measurements in the Particle Physics Community Planning Exercise (a.k.a. "Snowmass"). Benchmark measurements of CP violation provide a limited and well-defined set of parameters that could be tested at the proton, electron-positron, photon, and muon colliders, and compared to those achieved through study of virtual effects in electric dipole moment measurements. We review the current status of these CP-sensitive studies and provide projections to future measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Test of lepton flavor universality in B ± → K ± μ + μ – and B ± → K ± e + e – decays in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A test of lepton flavor universality in B ± → K ± μ + μ – and B ± → K ± e + e – decays, as well as a measurement of differential and integrated branching fractions of a nonresonant B ± → K ± μ + μ – decay are presented. The analysis is made possible by a dedicated data set of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded in 2018, by the CMS experiment at the LHC, using a special high-rate data stream designed for collecting about 10 billion unbiased b hadron decays. The ratio of the branching fractions B(B ± → K ± μ + μ – ) to B(B ± → K ± e + e – ) is determined from the measured double ratio R(K) of these decays to the respective branching fractions of the B ± → J/ψK ± with J/ψ → μ + μ – and e + e – decays, which allow for significant cancellation of systematic uncertainties. The ratio R(K) is measured in the range 1.1 < q 2 < 6.0 GeV 2 , where q is the invariant mass of the lepton pair, and is found to be R(K) = 0.78$^{+0.47}_{-0.23}$, in agreement with the standard model expectation R(K) ≈ 1. This measurement is limited by the statistical precision of the electron channel. The integrated branching fraction in the same q 2 range, B(B ± → K ± μ + μ – ) = (12.42 ± 0.68) x 10 -8 , is consistent with the present world-average value and has a comparable precision.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Enhanced spatial resolution of Eljen-204 plastic scintillators for use in rep-rated proton diagnostics

A pixelated scintillator has been designed, fabricated, and tested using a laser-accelerated proton source for use in proton diagnostics at rep-rated laser facilities. The work presented here demonstrates the enhanced spatial resolution of thin, organic scintillators through a novel pixelation technique. Furthermore, experimental measurements using laser-generated protons incident onto 130 μm-thick scintillators indicate a >20% reduction in the scintillator point spread function (PSF) for the detectors tested. The best performing pixelated detector reduced the ~200 μm PSF of the stock material to ~150 μm. The fabrication technique may be tailored to reduce the pixel size and achieve higher spatial resolutions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Microstructural changes of proton irradiated Hastelloy-N and in situ micropillar compression testing of one single grain at different local damage levels

Here, in situ micropillar compression was used to study the deformation of proton-irradiated Hastelloy-N at different damage levels. Multiple pillars were prepared from a single domain along the cross-section of 2.5 MeV proton-irradiated Hastelloy-N. Depending on the location of micropillars, the critical resolved shear stress was obtained as a function of local damage levels. Such an approach eliminates the variation of yield stress due to the difference in the Schmid factor. Microstructural characterization showed that irradiation hardening is contributed by complicated defect structures, including (a) dislocation loops with many in corduroy-like alignments, (2) dislocations pile up, and (3) Cottrell atmosphere. Silicon atoms are found to segregate at dislocation lines and loops and form complicated Cottrell cloud patterns. The critical resolved shear stress, $t_{crss}$, and hardening exponents were both extracted as a function of displacements per atom values up to 2.3. There was a 60% increase in $t_{crss}$ at the highest damage level.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

First evaluation of the tracking performance of the ARCADIA Fully Depleted MAPS with 120 GeV proton beam

This work presents test beam characterization of the ARCADIA Main Demonstrator 3, a 200 $μ$m thick Fully Depleted MAPS developed using a custom LFoundry 110 nm CIS process on a high-resistivity substrate. Measurements using a 120 GeV proton beam demonstrate a detection efficiency exceeding 99% and a spatial resolution down to 3.8 $μ$m. The study evaluates cluster size, spatial resolution, and efficiency as a function of the threshold, front-end currents, and backside bias voltage.

Rignanese, M. [Padua U.; INFN, Padua]↗

Progress in development of pulsed resonant charging power supply for the Spallation Neutron Source extraction kicker PFN system

A conceptual design of the pulsed resonant charging power supply (RCPS) for the beam extraction system of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was previously reported at the 2019 IEEE Pulsed Power & Plasma Science Conference (PPPS 2019) [1]. Development and testing of the prototype supply continued through the year to finalize the design ahead of the Proton Power Upgrade (PPU). Testing revealed reliability issues with the original resonant charging scheme related to the step-up transformer core. Additional components were incorporated into the system, and some of the original prototype components were replaced to improve performance and reliability of the power supply. This paper describes the changes in the resonant charging scheme, presents the results of testing of the improved prototype at full power level, and shows the final design of the RCPS.

Peplov, Vladimir↗

Multi-Probe 22A: Post shot Data and Analysis

The Multi-Probe 22A experiments took place on the Omega EP laser in March 2022. The goal was to discover issues with simultaneous x-ray and proton radiography of static and dynamic test objects. The x-ray and proton probes were generated by short-pulse laser-matter interactions. Significant crosstalk between the proton beam and x-ray detector was observed. Several static radiographs were made, including a set of proton images made with different laser energies. No dynamic objects were radiographed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Feasibility of crystal-assisted collimation in the CERN accelerator complex

Bent silicon crystals mounted on high-accuracy angular actuators were installed in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) and extensively tested to assess the feasibility of crystal-assisted collimation in circular hadron colliders. The adopted layout was exploited and regularly upgraded for about a decade by the UA9 Collaboration. The investigations provided the compelling evidence of a strong reduction of beam losses induced by nuclear inelastic interactions in the aligned crystals in comparison with amorphous orientation. A conceptually similar device, installed in the betatron cleaning insertion of CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), was operated through the complete acceleration and storage cycle and demonstrated a large reduction of the background leaking from the collimation region and radiated into the cold sections of the accelerator and the experimental detectors. The implemented layout and the relevant results of the beam tests performed in the SPS and in the LHC with stored proton and ion beams are extensively discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Performance of Pixel and Strip AC-LGAD Sensors with Different Design Parameter on a 120 GeV Proton Beam

We present the results of an extensive evaluation of strip and pixel AC-LGAD sensors tested with a 120 GeV proton beam, focusing on the influence of design parameters on the sensor temporal and spatial resolutions. Results show that reducing the thickness of pixel sensors significantly enhances their time resolution, with 20- μm-thick sensors achieving around 20 ps. Uniform performance is attainable with optimized sheet resistance, making these sensors ideal for future timing detectors. Conversely, 20-μm-thick strip sensors exhibit higher jitter than similar pixel sensors, negatively impacting time resolution, despite reduced Landau fluctuations with respect to the 50-μm-thick versions. Additionally, it is observed that a low resistivity in strip sensors limits signal size and time resolution, whereas higher resistivity improves performance. This study highlights the importance of tuning the n+ sheet resistance and suggests that further improvements should target specific applications like the Electron-Ion Collider or other future collider experiments. In addition, the detailed performance of four AC-LGADs sensor designs is reported as examples of possible candidates for specific detector applications. These advancements position AC-LGADs as promising candidates for future 4D tracking systems, pending the development of specialized readout electronics.

Lara, Carlos Pérez↗

Characterization of BNL and HPK AC-LGAD sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We present measurements of AC-LGADs performed at the Fermilab's test beam facility using 120 GeV protons. We studied the performance of various strip and pad AC-LGAD sensors that were produced by BNL and HPK. The measurements are performed with our upgraded test beam setup that utilizes a high precision telescope tracker, and a simultaneous readout of up to 7 channels per sensor, which allows detailed studies of signal sharing characteristics. These measurements allow us to assess the differences in designs between different manufacturers, and optimize them based on experimental performance. We then study several reconstruction algorithms to optimize position and time resolutions that utilize the signal sharing properties of each sensor. We present a world's first demonstration of silicon sensors in a test beam that simultaneously achieve better than 6-10 micron position and 30 ps time resolution. This represents a substantial improvement to the spatial resolution than would be obtained with binary readout of sensors with similar pitch.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Characterization of BNL and HPK AC-LGAD sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We present measurements of AC-LGADs performed at the Fermilab's test beam facility using 120 GeV protons. Here we studied the performance of various strip and pad AC-LGAD sensors that were produced by BNL and HPK. The measurements are performed with our upgraded test beam setup that utilizes a high precision telescope tracker, and a simultaneous readout of up to 7 channels per sensor, which allows detailed studies of signal sharing characteristics. These measurements allow us to assess the differences in designs between different manufacturers, and optimize them based on experimental performance. We then study several reconstruction algorithms to optimize position and time resolutions that utilize the signal sharing properties of each sensor. We present a world's first demonstration of silicon sensors in a test beam that simultaneously achieve better than 6–10 μm position and 30 ps time resolution. This represents a substantial improvement to the spatial resolution than would be obtained with binary readout of sensors with similar pitch.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Results for pixel and strip centimeter-scale AC-LGAD sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

Here, we present the results of an extensive evaluation of strip and pixel AC-LGAD sensors tested with a 120 GeV proton beam, focusing on the influence of design parameters on the sensor temporal and spatial resolutions. Results show that reducing the thickness of pixel sensors significantly enhances their time resolution, with 20-μm-thick sensors achieving around 20 ps. Uniform performance is attainable with optimized n + sheet resistance, making these sensors ideal for future timing detectors. Conversely, 20-μm-thick strip sensors exhibit higher jitter than similar pixel sensors, negatively impacting time resolution, despite reduced Landau fluctuations with respect to the 50-μm-thick versions. Additionally, it is observed that a low resistivity in strip sensors limits signal size and time resolution, whereas higher resistivity improves performance. This study highlights the importance of tuning the n+ sheet resistance and suggests that further improvements should target specific applications like the Electron–Ion Collider or other future collider experiments. In addition, the detailed performance of four AC-LGADs sensor designs is reported as examples of possible candidates for specific detector applications. These advancements position AC-LGADs as promising candidates for future 4D tracking systems, pending the development of specialized readout electronics.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A measurement of proton-carbon forward scattering in a proof-of-principle test of the EMPHATIC spectrometer

The next generation of long-baseline neutrino experiments will be capable of precision measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters, precision neutrino-nucleus scattering, and unprecedented sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model. Reduced uncertainties in neutrino fluxes are necessary to achieve high precision and sensitivity in these future precise neutrino measurements. New measurements of hadron-nucleus interaction cross sections are needed to reduce uncertainties of neutrino fluxes. We report measurements of the differential cross-section as a function of scattering angle for proton-carbon interactions with a single charged particle in the final state at beam momenta of 20, 30, and 120 GeV/c. These measurements are the result of a beam test for EMPHATIC, a hadron-scattering and hadron-production experiment. The total, elastic and inelastic cross-sections are also extracted from the data and compared to previous measurements. These results can be used in current and future long-baseline neutrino experiments, and demonstrate the feasibility of future measurements by an upgraded EMPHATIC spectrometer.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Effects of radiation damage and precipitate distribution on micro-pillar compression testing of irradiated CuCrZr

The results of small-scale mechanical tests are convoluted by the so-called size effect, whereby materials appear stronger when the scale of the test is reduced to the order of microns or less. The dimensional range over which this occurs has been shown to be linked to a change in sample microstructure, such as the addition of defects induced by irradiation. To investigate this response, a CuCrZr alloy was subjected to proton irradiation and mechanically tested using micro compression of pillars with a range in size. It was found that irradiation defects dominate over the extrinsic size effect and the sensitivity to differences in precipitate microstructure was also somewhat reduced, suggesting that size-independent results could be obtained from much smaller test volumes in irradiated material compared to their non-irradiated counterparts. Lastly, comparison was made between the increase in yield strength predicted by models and the experimentally measured values to establish the key parameters driving the strengthening behaviour.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mass of 101 Sn and Bayesian extrapolations to the proton drip line

The favorable energy configurations of nuclei at magic numbers of 𝑁 neutrons and 𝑍 protons are fundamental for understanding the evolution of nuclear structure. The 𝑍 = 50 (tin) isotopic chain is a frontier for such studies, with particular interest at and around the doubly magic 100 Sn isotope, for which the mass is a topic of debate. Precise mass values for neutron-deficient isotopes provide necessary anchor points for mass models to test extrapolations near the proton drip line, where experimental studies remain out of reach. In this work, we report a Penning trap mass measurement of 101 Sn . The determined mass excess of −59889.89⁢(96) keV for 101 Sn represents a factor-of-300 improvement over the current precision and indicates that 101 Sn is less bound than previously thought. Mass predictions from a recently developed Bayesian model combination framework employing statistical machine learning and nuclear masses computed within seven global models based on nuclear density functional theory agree within 1⁢𝜎 with experimental masses from the 48 ≤ 𝑍 ≤ 52 isotopic chains. The framework's resilience to new mass data gave confidence in the extrapolation of tin masses down to 𝑁 = 46. Our calculations suggest that 96 Sn is a two-proton drip line nucleus and predict a mass excess of −58090⁢(800) keV for 100 Sn , showing a preference within 1⁢𝜎 for the mass of 100 Sn derived from the 𝛽-delayed 𝑄 value measured at GSI.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Proton-Radiation Tolerant All-Perovskite Multijunction Solar Cells

Radiation-resistant but cost-efficient, flexible, and ultralight solar sheets with high specific power (W g -1 ) are the "holy grail" of the new space revolution, powering private space exploration, low-cost missions, and future habitats on Moon and Mars. Herein, this study investigates an all-perovskite tandem photovoltaic (PV) technology that uses an ultrathin active layer (1.56 micrometers) but offers high power conversion efficiency, and discusses its potential for high-specific-power applications. This study demonstrates that all-perovskite tandems possess a high tolerance to the harsh radiation environment in space. The tests under 68 MeV proton irradiation show negligible degradation (<6%) at a dose of 10 13 p + cm -2 where even commercially available radiation-hardened space PV degrade >22%. Using high spatial resolution photoluminescence (PL) microscopy, it is revealed that defect clusters in GaAs are responsible for the degradation of current space-PV. By contrast, negligible reduction in PL of the individual perovskite subcells even after the highest dose studied is observed. Studying the intensity-dependent PL of bare low-gap and high-gap perovskite absorbers, it is shown that the V OC , fill factor, and efficiency potentials remain identically high after irradiation. Radiation damage of all-perovskite tandems thus has a fundamentally different origin to traditional space PV.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗