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DOE OSTI2025

Aspects of gravitational portals and freeze-in during reheating

We conduct a systematic investigation of freeze-in during reheating while taking care to include both direct and indirect production of dark matter (DM) via gravitational portals and inflaton decay. Direct production of DM can occur via gravitational scattering of the inflaton, while indirect production occurs through scattering in the Standard Model radiation bath. We consider two main contributions to the radiation bath during reheating. The first, which may dominate at the onset of the reheating process, is produced via gravitational scattering of the inflaton. The second (and more standard contribution) comes from inflaton decay. We consider a broad class of DM production rates parametrized as R χ ∝ T n + 6 / Λ n + 2 , and inflaton potentials with a power-law form V ( ϕ ) ∝ ϕ k about the minimum. We find the relic density produced by freeze-in for each contribution to the Standard Model bath for arbitrary k and n , and compare these with the DM density produced gravitationally by inflaton scattering. We find that freeze-in production from the gravitationally produced radiation bath can exceed that of the conventional decay bath and account for the observed relic density provided that m χ > T RH , with additional k - and n -dependent constraints. For each freeze-in interaction considered, we also find m χ - and T RH -dependent limits on the beyond the Standard Model scale, Λ , for which gravitational production will exceed ordinary freeze-in production. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Henrich, Stephen E. (ORCID:0000000323669519)↗

DOE OSTI2025

Flavour-dependent chemical freeze-out of light nuclei in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We study the production of light nuclei in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7–200 GeV and Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 and 5.02 TeV within a flavour-dependent chemical freeze-out scenario, assuming different flavoured hadrons undergo separate chemical freeze-out. Using the Thermal-FIST package, thermal parameters extracted from fits to various sets of hadron yields, including and excluding light nuclei, are used to calculate the ratios of the yields of light nuclei, namely, d/p, $\overline{d}$/$\overline{p}$, t/p, t/d, 4 He/ 3 He, and 3 H Λ / 3 He. A comparison with experimental data from the STAR and ALICE collaborations shows that a sequential freeze-out scenario provides a better description of light nuclei yield ratios than the traditional single freeze-out approach. These results suggest the flavour-dependent chemical freeze-out for final state light nuclei production persists in heavy-ion collisions at both RHIC and LHC energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Aging of Limestones and Silane–Siloxane-Based Protective Hydrophobics: The Impact of Heating–Cooling and Freeze–Thaw Cycles

Stones are traditionally used in construction and architectural applications as building elements due to their aesthetic and technical/structural performance. Like other environmental factors (rain, humidity, moisture, salt presence, biological activity, etc.), heating–cooling and freeze–thaw cycles significantly threaten the longevity of stone materials. Hence, considering the socio-economic and cultural value of stones, preventive actions such as hydrophobic coatings are applied to prevent or mitigate damage. The scope of this study is the performance assessment of limestones with different characteristics and the efficiency of various commercial silane/siloxane-based hydrophobic coatings when exposed to thermal variation and freeze–thaw. For that purpose, the standards EN 14066:2013 (determination of resistance to aging by thermal shock) and EN 12371:2010 (determination of frost resistance) were followed. Open porosity and static contact angles were estimated to assess the stone durability and water protection capabilities of the hydrophobics. Additionally, sound speed propagation velocity, quality of building material index, elastic modulus and flexural strength were measured to evaluate the variation of mechanical properties. Static contact angle revealed that the coatings maintained an efficient level of hydrophobicity even after thermal-shock and freeze–thaw weathering tests. The study also revealed a critical interaction between freeze–thaw cycles, hydrophobic coatings and structural integrity of the stones, mostly on more porous ones. When they are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, untreated porous limestones keep structural cohesion, allowing for the natural absorption and release of water during freezing and thawing. On the contrary, when limestones are treated, the hydrophobic coatings can moderately obstruct the water release due to the partial saturation of the porous framework by the products. It also probably resulted from the different mechanical behavior between the inner matrix and layer of stone coated, resulting in a premature breakout and mechanical damage of the stone.

Lisci, Carla (ORCID:000000032179130X)↗

DOE OSTI2020

Water Freezes at Near-Zero Temperatures Using Carbon Nanotube-Based Electrodes under Static Electric Fields

Although static electric fields have been effective in controlling ice nucleation, the highest freezing temperature ( T f ) of water that can be achieved in an electric field ( E ) is still uncertain. In this study, we performed a systematic study of the effect of an electric field on water freezing by varying the thickness of a dielectric layer and the voltage across it in an electrowetting system. Results show that T f first increases sharply with E and then reaches saturation at –3.5 °C after a critical value E of 6 × 10 6 V/m. Using classical heterogeneous nucleation theory, it is revealed that this behavior is due to saturation in the contact angle of the ice embryo with the underlying substrate. Finally, we show that it is possible to overcome this freezing saturation by controlling the uniformity of the electric field using carbon nanotubes. We achieve a T f of –0.6 °C using carbon nanotube-based electrodes with an E of 3 × 10 7 V/m. This work sheds new light on the control of ice nucleation and has the potential to impact many applications ranging from food freezing to ice production.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Chemical freeze-out parameters of net-kaons in heavy-ion collisions

In this work, we study chemical freeze-out parameters for heavy-ion collisions by performing two different thermal analyses. We analyze results from thermal fits for particle yields, as well as, net-charge fluctuations in order to characterize the chemical freeze-out. The Hadron Resonance Gas (HRG) model is employed for both methods. By separating the light hadrons from the strange hadrons in thermal fits, we study the proposed flavor hierarchy. For the net-charge fluctuations, we calculate the mean-over-variance ratio of the net-kaon fluctuations in the HRG model at the five highest energies of the RHIC Beam Energy Scan (BES) for different particle data lists. We compare these results with recent experimental data from the STAR collaboration in order to extract sets of chemical freeze-out parameters for each list. We focused on particle lists which differ largely in the number of resonant states. By doing so, our analysis determines the effect of the amount of resonances included in the HRG model on the freeze-out conditions. Our findings have potential impact on various other models in the field of relativistic heavy ion collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Contact Freezing of Water Droplets by Crystalline Organic Acids

The ability of water to freeze into ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds affects physical properties, including particle size, precipitation rates, and radiative properties. The presence of an insoluble particle at the surface of water droplets can promote ice nucleation at temperatures higher than that of pure water, even in the absence of a collision. However, contact freezing remains an underexplored mode of ice nucleation. Here, we present a study of atmospherically relevant organic acids and their role as effective ice-nucleating particles (INP) in contact mode using a Raman-microscope-equipped environmental chamber. We determined contact freezing temperatures induced by solid crystals of docosanol, adipic acid, cis-pinonic acid, fumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, palmitic acid, phthalic acid, sebacic acid, stearic acid, terephthalic acid, and vanillic acid. All solids except fumaric acid promoted contact freezing of water droplets at significantly higher temperatures than pure water in the chamber (−15.0 to −18.5 °C vs −21.3 °C). Physical and chemical properties were identified which correlate with greater effectiveness of INPs in the contact mode, including crystal lattice mismatch with ice, carbon number, and insolubility in water. In conclusion, we suggest that the presence of these organic solids in atmospheric aerosols may promote atmospheric ice nucleation at warm temperatures.

Clouds↗

DOE OSTI2022

Thermal-model-based characterization of heavy-ion-collision systems at chemical freeze-out

We investigate the chemical freeze-out in heavy-ion collisions (HICs) and the impact of the hadronic spectrum on thermal model analyses [1, 2]. Detailed knowledge of the hadronic spectrum is still an open question, which has phenomenological consequences on the study of HICs. By varying the number of resonances included in Hadron Resonance Gas (HRG) Model calculations, we can shed light on which particles may be produced. Furthermore, we study the influence of the number of states on the so-called two flavor freezeout scenario, in which strange and light particles can freeze-out separately. We consider results for the chemical freeze-out parameters obtained from thermal model fits and from calculating net-particle fluctuations. We will show the effect of using one global temperature to fit all particles and alternatively, allowing particles with and without strange quarks to freeze-out separately.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Verification and Demonstration of One-Dimensional Freezing Model in SAM for Salt-Cooled Reactor Analysis Applications

This work presented the development and implementation of the one-dimensional freezing model in system analysis code, SAM, as well as code verification, and code demonstration during a postulated overcooling transient, for fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) system and safety analysis applications. The paper at first summarized the freezing model, finite element numerical method, and special numerical treatment for handling phase appearance/disappearance. Analytical solutions were derived for two cases (with and without solid walls) for code verifications purpose. As expected, numerical results predicted by the SAM code agreed very well with the analytical solution. A code demonstration was then performed on a postulated protected overcooling event transient of a generic reference PB-FHR design. The code was found to successfully predict salt freezing during such a postulated event. However, due to lack of salt freezing testing data, code validation has not been performed in this work, which will be pursued in later studies when such data becomes available.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Controllable Solar Flux Heating for Freeze Recovery in Molten Salt Parabolic Trough Collectors

In molten-salt parabolic trough plants, the melting process is particularly important for freeze recovery of salt that is solidified in a collector loop, should such an event occur. Currently impedance heating is expected for freeze recovery of the collector loops, but this method can be expensive. Here, a lower-cost alternative is proposed to use controllable concentrated solar flux directly from the parabolic mirrors to thaw salt that is frozen in the collector. A computational fluid dynamics model was developed to explore the solidification and melting processes of molten salt in a parabolic trough receiver and to assess the viability of this concept. Results indicate that concentrated solar heating has the potential to melt frozen salt in 5.6 h, compared to that in 8.8 h for a 300 W m –1 impedance heating system. At the same time, controllable solar flux heating introduces nonuniform solar fluxes on the receiver surface, which can induce significant thermal stress on the receiver tube. A preliminary stress analysis indicates that the temperature difference across the receiver tube should be maintained below about 70 °C for heating up to 300 °C at internal pressures ≤10 bar. At these conditions, freeze recovery using solar flux heating will not significantly affect receiver lifetime. These results suggest that controllable solar flux heating could effectively supplement or replace impedance heating in the freeze recovery system. Incorporating this methodology in future parabolic trough concentrating solar power plants is an opportunity for capital and operational cost-savings.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Nitrate loading projection is sensitive to freeze-thaw cycle representation

Climate change can have substantial impacts on nitrogen runoff, which is a major cause of eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and hypoxia in freshwaters and coastal regions. We examined responses of nitrate loading to climate change in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) with an enhanced Soil and Water Assessment Tool with physically based Freeze-Thaw cycle representation (SWAT-FT), as compared with the original SWAT model that employs an empirical equation. Driven by future climate projections from five General Circulation Models (GCMs) from 1960 to 2099 under the Representative Concentrations Pathways (RCP) 8.5 scenario, we analyzed changes in riverine nitrate loadings, as well as terrestrial surface and subsurface contributions of the UMRB in the 21st century relative to the baseline period of 1960–1999. By the end of the 21st century, the original SWAT model predicted about a 50% increase in riverine nitrate loadings which is nearly twice as much as that estimated by SWAT-FT (ca. 25%). Such a large difference in projected nitrate changes can potentially mislead mitigation strategies that aim to reduce nitrogen runoff from the UMRB. Further analysis shows that the difference between the original SWAT model and SWAT-FT led to substantial discrepancies in the spatial distribution of surface and subsurface nitrate loadings in the UMRB. In general, SWAT-FT predicted more nitrate leaching for northwestern parts of the UMRB which are more sensitive to freeze-thaw cycle, mainly because SWAT-FT simulated less frequent frozen soils. This study highlights the importance of using physically based freeze-thaw cycle representation in water quality modeling. Design of future nitrogen runoff reduction strategies should include careful assessment of effects that land management has on the freeze-thaw cycles to provide reliable projection of water quality under climate change.

Wang, Qianfeng↗

DOE OSTI2022

Effects of Desiccation and Freezing on Microbial Ionizing Radiation Survivability: Considerations for Mars Sample Return

Increasingly, national space agencies are expanding their goals to include Mars exploration with sample return. To better protect Earth and its biosphere from potential extraterrestrial sources of contamination, as set forth in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, international efforts to develop planetary protection measures strive to understand the danger of cross-contamination processes in Mars sample return missions. We aim to better understand the impact of the martian surface on microbial dormancy and survivability. Radiation resistance of microbes is a key parameter in considering survivability of microbes over geologic times on the frigid, arid surface of Mars that is bombarded by solar and galactic cosmic radiation. We tested the influence of desiccation and freezing on the ionizing radiation survival of six model microorganisms: vegetative cells of two bacteria (Deinococcus radiodurans, Escherichia coli) and a strain of budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae); and vegetative cells and endospores of three Bacillus bacteria (B. subtilis, B. megaterium, B. thuringiensis). Desiccation and freezing greatly increased radiation survival of vegetative polyploid microorganisms when applied separately, and when combined, desiccation and freezing increased radiation survival even more so. Thus, the radiation survival threshold of polyploid D. radiodurans cells can be extended from the already high value of 25 kGy in liquid culture to an astonishing 140 kGy when the cells are both desiccated and frozen. However, such synergistic radioprotective effects of desiccation and freezing were not observed in monogenomic or digenomic Bacillus cells and endospores, which are generally sterilized by 12 kGy. This difference is associated with a critical requirement for survivability under radiation, that is, repair of genome damage caused by radiation. Deinococcus radiodurans and S. cerevisiae accumulate similarly high levels of the Mn antioxidants that are required for extreme radiation resistance, as do endospores, though they greatly exceed spores in radioresistance because they contain multiple identical genome copies, which in D. radiodurans are joined by persistent Holliday junctions. We estimate ionizing radiation survival limits of polyploid DNA-based life-forms to be hundreds of millions of years of background radiation while buried in the martian subsurface. Our findings imply that forward contamination of Mars will essentially be permanent, and backward contamination is a possibility if life ever existed on Mars.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Operando Freezing Cryogenic Electron Microscopy of Active Battery Materials

Abstract Understanding structural and chemical evolution of battery materials during operation is critical to achieving safe, efficient, and long-lasting energy storage. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a valuable tool in battery characterization, leveraging low temperatures to improve stability of sensitive materials under electron beam irradiation. However, typical cryo-EM sample preparations leave extended time between the electrochemical point of interest and ex situ freezing of samples, during which active structures may relax, degrade, or otherwise evolve. Here, we detail a method for operando freezing cryo-EM to preserve and characterize native electrode and interfacial structures that arise during battery cycling, based on an operando plunge freezer and cold sample removal process. We validate the method on multiple electrode materials and quantify and discuss the freezing rate achieved. Operando freezing cryo-EM can be used to directly visualize transient features that arise at active electrochemical interfaces, to enable deeper understanding of structural evolution and interfacial chemistry in batteries and other electrochemical systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Systematics of the chemical freeze-out line in the high baryon density regime explored at SIS100

The systematic uncertainties of chemical freeze-out fits at SIS100 energies (Au+Au reactions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 – 5 GeV) are studied using UrQMD simulations. Although hadron production in UrQMD does not occur on a sharp chemical freeze-out hyper-surface, the extracted fit quality is shown to be very good. The extracted chemical parameters depend on the selected hadron species as well as the underlying equation of state (EoS) of the matter. Including light nuclei and anti-protons in the fit increases the expected freeze-out temperature, while a stiffer EoS increases the obtained chemical potential. Similarly, the baryon densities extracted by the thermal fits depend on the choice of hadrons as well as the underlying equation of state. These results are important for the upcoming CBM@FAIR physics program and highlight that a degree of caution is advised when one relates the chemical freeze-out curve to features on the QCD phase diagram like the critical endpoint or a possible phase transition.

Hofmann, Emma Lilith [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Sch↗

DOE OSTI2026

Prognostic simulations of mixed-phase clouds with model AC-1D v1.0: the impact of aerosol types and freezing parameterizations on ice crystal budgets

Mixed-phase clouds at high latitudes contribute to the uncertainty in predicting cloud feedbacks and climate sensitivity, mainly due to the complexity of microphysical processes that influence the partitioning between the supercooled liquid and ice phases, and hence, cloud radiative effects on regional scales. Particularly in Arctic mixed-phase clouds, the activation of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) from various aerosol populations remains a leading source of uncertainty. We developed an aerosol-cloud one-dimensional (AC-1D) model, which provides a novel framework to prognostically treat INP and ice crystal budgets while explicitly accounting for polydisperse and multicomponent aerosol that activate INPs following different freezing parameterizations. The AC-1D model is informed by large-eddy simulations to probe the impact of INP representation on predicted ice crystal number concentrations (N i ) and ice crystal budgets in mixed-phase Arctic stratus. We apply three immersion freezing (IMF) parameterizations, two time-independent (singular) and one time-dependent (classical nucleation theory), to predict the evolution of the INP reservoir and resulting ice crystal budget from polydisperse mineral dust, organic (humic-like substances), and sea spray aerosol particle size distributions. Our analysis focuses on how variations in aerosol number concentration and cloud system parameters such as cloud cooling rate, cloud-top entrainment rate, and ice crystal fall speed influence the INP reservoir and ice crystal budgets. Furthermore, this study investigates the competitive ice nucleation dynamics in mixed aerosol environments and provides a process-level quantification of the INP budget terms, which directly controls ice crystal budgets. For all studied case scenarios, the aerosol types and associated particle size distributions significantly impact INP and N i , and the choice between a time-dependent and a singular freezing description yields orders-of-magnitude differences in the predicted INP and N i over the 10 h simulation time, reflecting typical cloud lifetimes. Our results show that the influence of cloud cooling, INP entrainment, and sedimentation varies significantly depending on the chosen freezing parameterization. These findings underscore the critical need for robust IMF parameterizations and precise cloud system observations to enhance the accuracy of models in predicting mixed-phase cloud structure and evolution.

Arctic clouds↗

DOE OSTI2022

The importance of freeze–thaw cycles for lateral tracer transport in ice-wedge polygons

Abstract. A significant portion of the Arctic coastal plain is classified as polygonal tundra and plays a vital role in soil carbon cycling. Recent research suggests that lateral transport of dissolved carbon could exceed vertical carbon releases to the atmosphere. However, the details of lateral subsurface flow in polygonal tundra have not been well studied. We incorporated a subsurface transport process into an existing state-of-the-art hydrothermal model. The model captures the physical effects of freeze–thaw cycles on lateral flow in polygonal tundra. The new modeling capability enables non-reactive tracer movement within subsurface. We utilized this new capability to investigate the impact of freeze–thaw cycles on lateral flow in the polygonal tundra. Our study indicates the important role of freeze–thaw cycles and the freeze-up effect in lateral tracer transport, suggesting that dissolved species could be transported from the middle of the polygon to the sides within a couple of thaw seasons. Introducing lateral carbon transport into the climate models could substantially reduce the uncertainty associated with the impact of thawing permafrost.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Electrical and Seismic Response of Saline Permafrost Soil during Freeze - Thaw Transition: Supporting Data

These data were collected during a repeat freeze-thaw cycle on a saline permafrost portion of a core to understand mechanical and geophysical property changes over time. The core used for the experiment was collected from the NGEE-Arctic Site 0 transect site located in the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) in Barrow, Alaska. This region features polygonal ground, and the core was collected in the center of a flat centered polygon. The saline permafrost portion of the core was at the bottom 260-280 cm below ground surface. Data files (*.csv) include: Electrical signal change during freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle at 1 Hz; Spectral data - Complex resistivity data during Freeze-thaw of the saline permafrost core; Seismic data; and CT cross sections (*.jpg) of the core sample from approximately the same location: (A, D) before the test (thawed), (B, E) after the test (frozen), and (C, F) after deep freeze (frozen).The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Coupling of Adhesion and Anti-Freezing Properties in Hydrogel Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Aqueous-Based Hybrid Capacitors

Solid-state zinc-ion capacitors are emerging as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage owing to improved safety, mechanical and thermal stability and easy-to-direct stacking. Hydrogel electrolytes are appealing solid-state electrolytes because of eco-friendliness, high conductivity and intrinsic flexibility. However, the electrolyte/electrode interfacial contact and anti-freezing properties of current hydrogel electrolytes are still challenging for practical applications of zinc-ion capacitors. Here, we report a class of hydrogel electrolytes that couple high interfacial adhesion and anti-freezing performance. The synergy of tough hydrogel matrix and chemical anchorage enables a well-adhered interface between hydrogel electrolyte and electrode. Meanwhile, the cooperative solvation of ZnCl 2 and LiCl hybrid salts renders the hydrogel electrolyte high ionic conductivity and mechanical elasticity simultaneously at low temperatures. More significantly, the Zn||carbon nanotubes hybrid capacitor based on this hydrogel electrolyte exhibits low-temperature capacitive performance, delivering high-energy density of 39 Wh kg –1 at –60 °C with capacity retention of 98.7% over 10,000 cycles. With the benefits of the well-adhered electrolyte/electrode interface and the anti-freezing hydrogel electrolyte, the Zn/Li hybrid capacitor is able to accommodate dynamic deformations and function well under 1000 tension cycles even at –60 °C. This work provides a powerful strategy for enabling stable operation of low-temperature zinc-ion capacitors.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2022

System size and flavour dependence of chemical freeze-out temperatures in ALICE data from pp, pPb and PbPb collisions at LHC energies

We present the system size and flavour dependence of the chemical freeze-out temperature (T ch ) at vanishing baryo-chemical potential calculated via thermal fits to experimental yields for several multiplicity classes in pp, pPb and PbPb collisions measured by ALICE. Using the Thermal-FIST Hadron Resonance Gas model package, we compare the quality of fits across various treatments of strangeness conservation under different freeze-out conditions as a function of the charged particle multiplicity density $\langle$dN ch /d η $\rangle$. Additionally, we examine how the anti-hadron to pion yield ratios of light and strange baryons, as well as the φ meson, evolve within a flavour-dependent model. Through a unique twotemperature chemical freeze-out approach, we show that flavour dependence of T ch in a Strangeness Canonical Ensemble leads to a natural explanation of strangeness enhancement from small to large systems at LHC energies without requiring any non-equilibrium particle production at small $\langle$dN ch /d η $\rangle$.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗