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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

Data for Monitoring Fracture Saturation with Internal Transportable Seismic Sources and Twin Neural Networks

Seismic coda-wave analysis is a well-developed method for detecting subtle physical changes in complex media by measuring arrival times in the late-arriving energy from multiply-scattered or reflected waves. However, a challenge arises when multiply-scattered waves are not sufficiently separated in time from the direct arrivals to provide a clear coda wave train. Additional complications for monitoring changes in fracture systems arise when the signals originate from unsynchronized internal sources, such as natural induced seismicity, from acoustic emission, or from transportable intra-fracture sources (chattering dust), that generate uncontrolled signals that vary in arrival time, amplitude and frequency content. Here, we use a twin neural network (also known as a Siamese neural network) for dimensionality reduction to analyze signals from chattering dust to classify the fluid saturation state of a synthetic fracture system. The twin neural network with shared weights generates a low-dimensional representation of the data input by minimizing contrastive loss, serving as the input to a multiclass classifier that accurately classifies whether multiple fractures in a fracture system are fully saturated or partially saturated, or whether a change in saturation has occurred in different fractures in the system. These results show that information buried in unresolved codas from uncontrolled sources can be extracted using machine learning to monitor the evolution of fracture systems caused by physical and chemical processes even when the scattered and direct wave fields overlap.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Bernstein modes in a non-neutral plasma column

Our report presents theory and numerical calculations of electrostatic Bernstein modes in an inhomogeneous cylindrical plasma column. These modes rely on finite Larmor radius effects to propagate radially across the column until they are reflected when their frequency matches the upper hybrid frequency. This reflection sets up an internal normal mode on the column and also mode-couples to the electrostatic surface cyclotron wave (which allows the normal mode to be excited and observed using external electrodes). Numerical results predicting the mode spectra, using a novel linear Vlasov code on a cylindrical grid, are presented and compared to an analytical Wentzel Kramers Brillouin (WKB) theory. A prior version of the theory [D. H. E. Dubin, Phys. Plasmas 20(4), 042120 (2013)] expanded the plasma response in powers of 1/B, approximating the local upper hybrid frequency, and consequently, its frequency predictions are spuriously shifted with respect to the numerical results presented here. A new version of the WKB theory avoids this approximation using the exact cold fluid plasma response and does a better job of reproducing the numerical frequency spectrum. The effect of multiple ion species on the mode spectrum is also reported on, to make contact with experiments that observe cyclotron modes in a multi-species pure ion plasma [M. Affolter et al., Phys. Plasmas 22(5), 055701 (2015)].

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Progress In Developing Laser Based Post Irradiation Examination Infrastructure

To be able to understand the performance of reactor fuels and materials, irradiated materials must be characterized effectively and efficiently in a high rad environment. The characterization work must be performed remotely and in an environment hostile to instrumentation. Laser based characterization techniques provide the ability to be remote and robust in a hot-cell environment. Laser based instrumentation also can provide high spatial resolution suitable for scanning and imaging large areas. The INL is currently developing three laser based Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) stations for the Hot Fuel Examination Facility at the INL. These laser based systems will characterize irradiated materials and fuels. The characterization systems are the following: Laser Shock Laser based ultrasonic C-scan system Gas Assay, Sample, and Recharge system (GASR, up-grade to an existing system). The laser shock technique will characterize material properties and failure loads/mechanisms in various materials such as LWR fuel, plate fuel, and next generation fuel forms, for PIE in high radiation areas. The laser shock-technique induces large amplitude shock waves to mechanically characterize interfaces such as the fuel-clad bond. The shock wave travels as a compression wave through the material to the free (unconfined) back surface and reflects back through the material under test as a rarefaction (tensile) wave. This rarefaction wave is the physical mechanism that produces internal de-lamination failure. As part of the laser shock system, a laser-based ultrasonic C-scan system will be used to detect and characterize debonding caused by the laser shock technique. The laser ultrasonic system will be fully capable of performing classical non-destructive evaluation testing and imaging functions such as microstructure characterization, flaw detection and dimensional metrology in complex components. The purpose of the GASR is to measure the pressure/volume of the plenum of an irradiated fuel element and obtain fission gas samples for analysis. The study of pressure and volume in the plenum of an irradiated fuel element and the analysis of fission gases released from the fuel is important to understanding the performance of reactor fuels and materials. This system may also be used to measure the pressure/volume of other components (such as control blades) and obtain gas samples from these components for analysis. The main function of the laser in this application is to puncture the fuel element to allow the fission gas to escape and if necessary to weld the spot close. The GASR station will have the inherent capability to perform cutting welding and joining functions within a hot-cell.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Trinal Nature of the Excitation of Bulk Plasmons by a Fast Charged Particle at Grazing Incidence on the Interface between Vacuum and a Metal with Strong Spatial Dispersion

The excitation and propagation of bulk and surface (surface waves of transition radiation of plasmons at frequencies above the plasma frequency) plasma waves by incident electrons moving both in vacuum toward the surface of a metal and inside the metal whose boundary elastically and spectacularly reflects internal nonequilibrium electrons have been analyzed. In contrast to work [B. N. Libenson, J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 113, 553 (2011)], attention in this work is focused on the influence of surface effects on bulk-plasmon excitation by incident electrons. The probabilities and spectra of single characteristic energy loss of an intermediate- energy electron (50–500 eV) moving at an angle to the surface of the medium in three regions: in vacuum, in the medium, and again in vacuum after the electron leaves the medium are calculated. The kinetic approximation is used for the dielectric function, where the entire range of the plasmon spectrum is taken into account correctly for the problem under consideration. In the indicated energy range of incident electrons, surface effects, on the one hand, significantly reduces the probability of excitation of bulk plasma waves in the medium with strong spatial dispersion, in particular, as compared to the results obtained in [B.N. Libenson, J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 113, 553 (2011)], where surface effects were disregarded and the probability of bulkplasmon excitation by a 200-eV electron incident and emitted perpendicularly to the boundary is about one third of that in the unbounded medium. On the other hand, at grazing incidence from vacuum, the probability of transition radiation of bulk plasmons increases significantly and can lead to a change in the character of the angular dependence of the intensity of bulk plasma energy loss. Thus, the main result of this work is that a decrease in the glancing angle of the fast electron with respect to the vacuum–metal interface is accompanied both by an increase in the contribution from the transition mechanism to the probability of bulk-plasmon excitation in the vacuum region and by a decrease in the contribution from Cherenkov and bremsstrahlung mechanisms of excitation in the medium. The probability of bulk-plasmon excitation in the vacuum region exceeds the probability of excitation at the further motion of the electron in metallic aluminum at angles of incidence larger than 65°, 70°, and 75° at the energies E = 200, 350, and 500 eV, respectively.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Compression of Acoustic Beams at Conversion Reflection in Hexagonal Crystals

It is shown how the entire energy of an acoustic beam incident on a boundary of a hexagonal crystal can be directed into a narrow reflected beam propagating at a small angle to the surface. This process is accompanied by mode conversion: the incident and reflected beams belong to different acoustic branches. The conversion near the total internal reflection is implemented by matching the orientations of the sagittal plane and surface and thereby eliminating the loss for parasitic wave reflection. The found conversion conditions and resonant reflection parameters are expressed in terms of the moduli of elasticity of crystal.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Reflection imaging of the Moon's interior using deep-moonquake seismic interferometry

The internal structure of the Moon has been investigated over many years using a variety of seismic methods, such as travel time analysis, receiver functions, and tomography. Here we propose to apply body-wave seismic interferometry to deep moonquakes in order to retrieve zero-offset reflection responses (and thus images) beneath the Apollo stations on the nearside of the Moon from virtual sources colocated with the stations. This method is called deep-moonquake seismic interferometry (DMSI). Our results show a laterally coherent acoustic boundary around 50 km depth beneath all four Apollo stations. We interpret this boundary as the lunar seismic Moho. This depth agrees with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) SELenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) result and previous travel time analysis at the Apollo 12/14 sites. The deeper part of the image we obtain from DMSI shows laterally incoherent structures. Finally, such lateral inhomogeneity we interpret as representing a zone characterized by strong scattering and constant apparent seismic velocity at our resolution scale (0.2–2.0 Hz).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Unified wavefront singularity characterization of three-dimensional elastodynamic time-domain half-space Green's function under impulsive boundary and internal loads

Founded on a novel analytical formulation that led to a rigorous yet compact path-integral representation of the time-domain elastodynamic half-space Green's function, a unified analysis of the possible occurrence of different singular wavefront behaviour in the response under arbitrary impulsive internal or surface point loads at arbitrary source-receiver locations is presented. With the decomposition of the general solution into distinct initiating and reflected wave group integrals that share a common factored format and simple contour definitions, the mathematical framework is shown to allow a straightforward identification of the specific conditions and the particular wave groups that are responsible for the singular wavefront phenomena without resorting to advanced analytic function theories or asymptotic methods. Analytic characterizations of the nature, strength and direction of all intrinsic singular wavefront behaviours of the three-dimensional Green's function in three canonical cases of source-receiver configurations are given in a dual integral-closed form format to facilitate their theoretical understanding as well as computational applications. Graphical illustrations of their variation with the source-receiver configuration and the medium's Poisson's ratio together with relevant comparison and clarifications of some classical treatments are included.

Green’s functions↗

Effect of photon counting shot noise on total internal reflection microscopy

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) measures changes in the distance between a colloidal particle and a transparent substrate by measuring the scattering intensity of the particle illuminated by an evanescent wave. From the distribution of the recorded separation distances, the height-dependent effective potential φ(z) between the colloidal particle and the substrate can be measured. In this work, we show that spatial resolution with which TIRM can measure φ(z) is limited by the photon counting statistics of the scattered laser light. Here, we develop a model to evaluate the effect of photon counting statistics on different potential profiles using Brownian dynamics simulations and experiments. Our results show that the effect of photon counting statistics depends on spatial gradients ∂φ/∂z of the potential, with the result that sharp features tend to be significantly blurred. We further establish the critical role of photon counting statistics and the intensity integration time τ in TIRM measurements, which is a trade-off between narrowing the width of the photon counting distribution and capturing the instantaneous position of the probe particle.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Universal spin-momentum locked optical forces

Evanescent electromagnetic waves possess spin-momentum locking, where the direction of propagation (momentum) is locked to the inherent polarization of the wave (transverse spin). We study the optical forces arising from this universal phenomenon and show that the fundamental origin of recently reported non-trivial optical chiral forces is spin-momentum locking. For evanescent waves, we show that the direction of energy flow, the direction of decay, and the direction of spin follow a right hand rule for three different cases of total internal reflection, surface plasmon polaritons, and HE{sub 11} mode of an optical fiber. Furthermore, we explain how the recently reported phenomena of lateral optical force on chiral and achiral particles are caused by the transverse spin of the evanescent field and the spin-momentum locking phenomenon. Finally, we propose an experiment to identify the unique lateral forces arising from the transverse spin in the optical fiber and point to fundamental differences of the spin density from the well-known orbital angular momentum of light. Our work presents a unified view on spin-momentum locking and how it affects optical forces on chiral and achiral particles.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Laser absorptivity measurement device

A laser absorptivity measurement device uses a linearly polarized incident beam, an optical configuration comprising an internal polarizing beamsplitter that transmits the linearly polarized incident beam and a quarter-wave plate that converts linearly polarized incident beam into a circularly polarized incident beam that is reflected off a processing substrate. The quarter-wave plate and polarizing beamsplitter can then direct the reflected light back into an integrating volume, where the power of the reflected light can be measured by a photodetector. The laser absorptivity measurement device is capable of making real-time absorption efficiency measurements of a variety of laser-based processes, including laser welding and brazing, additive manufacturing, and laser marking.

Tung, Daniel↗

Apparent bandgap shift in the internal quantum efficiency for solar cells with back reflectors

Here, we demonstrate that in solar cells with highly reflective back mirrors, the measured internal quantum efficiency exhibits a shift in bandgap relative to the measured external quantum efficiency. The shift arises from the fact that the measured reflectance at the front surface includes a superposition of waves reflecting from the front and back surfaces. We quantify the magnitude of the apparent shift and discuss the errors that can result in determination of quantities such as the photocurrent. Because of this apparent shift, it is important that the bandgap be determined from the external quantum efficiency.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

The ultrafast Kerr effect in anisotropic and dispersive media

The ultrafast optical Kerr effect (OKE) is widely used to investigate the structural dynamics and interactions of liquids, solutions, and solids by observing their intrinsic nonlinear temporal responses through nearly collinear four-wave mixing. Non-degenerate mixing schemes allow for background free detection and can provide information on the interplay between a material’s internal degrees of freedom. Here, we show a source of temporal dynamics in the OKE signal that is not reflective of the internal degrees of freedom but arises from a group index and momentum mismatch. It is observed in two-color experiments on condensed media with sizable spectral dispersion, a common property near an optical resonance. In particular, birefringence in crystalline solids is able to entirely change the character of the OKE signal via the off-diagonal tensor elements of the nonlinear susceptibility. We develop a detailed description of the phase-mismatched ultrafast OKE and show how to extract quantitative information on the spectrally resolved birefringence and group index from time-resolved experiments in one and two dimensions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Topological size effect in tin-dioxide cluster films produced by reactive sputtering

The optical properties of tin-dioxide nanofilms produced by reactive sputtering are studied by the internal reflection technique and modulation polarimetry. The angular and spectral characteristics of the reflection coefficients R{sub s}{sup 2} and R{sub p}{sup 2}are studied for linear-polarized radiations, for which the wave electric field is, correspondingly, orthogonal and parallel to the plane of incidence. The characteristics of the physical difference between the reflection coefficients, {rho} = R{sub s}{sup 2}-R{sub p}{sup 2}, are studied as well. From the experimental results, it follows that (i) the doping-induced finite conductivity of the film brings about the appearance of surface plasmon resonance; (ii) the shape of the spectral and angular characteristics of the parameter {rho} is indicative of the cluster structure of the film, which is in agreement with the phase topology data obtained by atomic force microscopy; and (iii) the nonspherical shape of the clusters is responsible for the splitting of resonances and for the dependence of their parameters on the angle of incidence, which defines the topological size effect.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The Hugoniot and chemistry of ablator plastic below 100 GPa

The equation of state of glow discharge polymer (GDP) was measured to high precision using the two-stage light gas gun at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory at pressures up to 70 GPa. Both absolute measurements and impedance matching techniques were used to determine the principal and secondary Hugoniots. GDP likely reacts at about 30 GPa, demonstrated by specific emission at 450 nm coupled with changes to the Hugoniot and reshock points. As a result of these reactions, the shock pressure in GDP evolves in time, leading to a possible decrease in pressure as compression increases, or negative compressibility, and causing complex pressure profiles within the plastic. Velocity wave profile variation was observed as a function of position on each shot, suggesting some internal variation of GDP may be present, which would be consistent with previous observations. The complex temporal and possibly structural evolution of GDP under shock compression suggests that calculations of compression and pressure based upon bulk or mean measurements may lead to artificially low pressures and high compressions. Evidence for this includes a large shift in calculating reshock pressures based on the reflected Hugoniot. These changes also suggest other degradation mechanisms for inertial confinement fusion implosions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Multi-energy ion irradiation effects and distinctive features of color center generation in yttria-stabilized zirconia driven by structural discrepancy

Regarding a requirement for inert matrix fuel (IMF) to burn minor actinides and plutonium and high-level waste immobilization, Yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO 2 -6.5 wt% Y 2 O 3 ) (YSZ) crystals with cubic phase are selected to comprehensively evaluate the irradiation resistance by irradiation-induced structural discrepancies across multiple energy conditions. Electronic excitation and nuclear collisions reveal distinct color centers, influenced by varying component ratios that reflect their formation mechanisms. Key factors driving ultra-fast structural transitions include collision cascades, pressure waves, and energy dissipation from electronic excitation. In this work, we find that in the electronic energy loss (E ele )-dominant region, internal latent tracks with unique surface nanostructures emerge, distinct from the defect clusters seen in the nuclear energy loss (E nuc )-dominant region, while the threshold for latent track formation and melting are identified. In conclusion, structural discrepancies driven by different energy-loss mechanisms promote the generation of singly ionized and nearest-neighbor doubly ionized oxygen vacancies, which respectively dominate the formation of F⁺ and T-centers, resulting in bandgap narrowing (4.80 eV → 4.73 eV), and furthermore triggering visible light emission (2.17 eV → 2.20 eV) in irradiated YSZ crystals, thus, enabling the design of novel irradiation-tailored material functionalities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A careful examination of closure models in Euler–Lagrange Simulations of compressible multiphase flow in a planar shock particle curtain problem

In this work we present a comprehensive investigation of state-of-the-art closure models employed to represent interphase momentum, thermal, and work exchange between the gas and particulate phases for Euler–Lagrange (EL) simulations in shock-driven flows. A complete list of closures for the force, torque, heat transfer, and work exchange models is provided. In particular, the present work includes a stochastic closure for the particle-to-particle variation in the quasi-steady force and a deterministic closure for particle-to-particle variation in the added mass force in an EL framework. These variations arise due to the presence of neighboring particles and particle–particle interactions. To investigate the importance of each closure term, we carry out fully three-dimensional simulations for a planar shock propagating over a random bed of inert particles. The primary goal is to evaluate the role of each closure term on the gas dynamic features (such as transmitted and reflected shock locations) and particle curtain features (such as upstream and downstream curtain locations). To this end, thirteen cases are considered, with each case progressively including a closure model with the goal to identify and quantify its contribution to the simulated dynamics. We show that the volume fraction dependence of the mean force models plays an important role in generating wave-like instabilities that lead to concentration bands. In addition, fluctuations in quasi-steady and added mass forces primarily decrease the internal instabilities that tend to enhance local volume fraction variations. Particle rotation is primarily due to inter-particle collisions, is generally weak, and does not play an important role in the translational dynamics for the present configuration. Inter-phase heat transfer has a strong effect on gas phase temperature, slows down the transmitted and reflected shocks, and decreases the width of the curtain. Furthermore, the absence of a work-coupling model fails to conserve the total energy, greatly under-predicts the gas temperature which in turn affects the particle dynamics.

Compressible flow↗

Super-Planckian far-zone thermal emission from asymmetric hyperbolic metamaterials

We demonstrate the production of strong directive thermal emissions in the far-field zone of asymmetric hyperbolic metamaterials (AHMs), exceeding that predicted by Planck's limit. Asymmetry is inherent to the uniaxial medium, where the optical axis is tilted with respect to medium interfaces. The use of AHMs is shown to enhance the free-space coupling efficiency of thermally radiated waves, resulting in Super-Planckian far-field thermal emission in certain directions. This effect is impossible in usual hyperbolic materials because emission of high density of states (DOS) photons into vacuum with smaller DOS is preserved by the total internal reflection. Different plasmonic metamaterials are proposed for realizing AHM media; the thermal emission from a AHM, based on a grapheme multilayer structure, is presented, as an example.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗