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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 595 records · Page 33

Inverse design of photonic surfaces via multi fidelity ensemble framework and femtosecond laser processing

We demonstrate a multi-fidelity (MF) machine learning ensemble framework for the inverse design of photonic surfaces, trained on a dataset of 11,759 samples that we fabricate using high throughput femtosecond laser processing. The MF ensemble combines an initial low fidelity model for generating design solutions, with a high fidelity model that refines these solutions through local optimization. The combined MF ensemble can generate multiple disparate sets of laser-processing parameters that can each produce the same target input spectral emissivity with high accuracy (root mean squared errors < 2%). SHapley Additive exPlanations analysis shows transparent model interpretability of the complex relationship between laser parameters and spectral emissivity. Finally, the MF ensemble is experimentally validated by fabricating and evaluating photonic surface designs that it generates for improved efficiency energy harvesting devices. Our approach provides a powerful tool for advancing the inverse design of photonic surfaces in energy harvesting applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Machine learned potential for high-throughput phonon calculations of metal—organic frameworks

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly porous and versatile materials studied extensively for applications such as carbon capture and water harvesting. However, computing phonon-mediated properties in MOFs, like thermal expansion and mechanical stability, remains challenging due to the large number of atoms per unit cell, making traditional Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods impractical for high-throughput screening. Recent advances in machine learning potentials have led to foundation atomistic models, such as MACE-MP-0, that accurately predict equilibrium structures but struggle with phonon properties of MOFs. In this work, we developed a workflow for computing phonons in MOFs within the quasi-harmonic approximation with a fine-tuned MACE model, MACE-MP-MOF0. The model was trained on a curated dataset of 127 representative and diverse MOFs. The fine-tuned MACE-MP-MOF0 improves the accuracy of phonon density of states and corrects the imaginary phonon modes of MACE-MP-0, enabling high-throughput phonon calculations with state-of-the-art precision. The model successfully predicts thermal expansion and bulk moduli in agreement with DFT and experimental data for several well-known MOFs. These results highlight the potential of MACE-MP-MOF0 in guiding MOF design for applications in energy storage and thermoelectrics.

Elena, Alin Marin↗

High-throughput computational framework for high-order anharmonic thermal transport in cubic and tetragonal crystals

Accurate first-principles prediction of lattice thermal conductivity (κL) remains challenging in identifying materials with extreme thermal behavior. While the harmonic approximation with three-phonon scattering (HA + 3ph) is now routine, reliable κL prediction often requires higher-order anharmonic effects, including self-consistent phonon renormalization, three- and four-phonon scattering, and off-diagonal heat flux (SCPH + 3, 4ph + OD). We present a state-of-the-art high-throughput workflow that unifies these effects and apply it to 773 cubic and tetragonal crystals spanning diverse chemistries and structures. From 562 dynamically stable compounds, we assess the hierarchical impacts of higher-order anharmonicity. For around 60% of materials, HA + 3ph predictions closely match those from SCPH + 3, 4ph + OD. SCPH generally increases κ L , by over 8 times in extreme cases, whereas four-phonon scattering universally suppresses κ L , sometimes to 15% of the HA + 3ph value. Off-diagonal contributions are negligible in high-κ L systems but can rival diagonal terms in highly anharmonic low-κ L compounds. We highlight four case studies, Rb 2 TlAlH 6 , Cu 3 VSe 4 , CuBr, and KTlCl 4 , that exhibit distinct extreme behaviors. This work delivers not only a robust workflow for high-fidelity κL dataset but also a quantitative framework to determine when higher-order effects are essential. The hierarchy of κ L results, from the HA + 3ph to SCPH + 3, 4ph + OD level, offers a scalable, interpretable route to discovering next-generation extreme thermal materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Virtual sensing-enabled digital twin framework for real-time monitoring of nuclear systems leveraging deep neural operators

Abstract Real-time monitoring is a foundation of nuclear digital twin technology, crucial for detecting material degradation and maintaining nuclear system integrity. Traditional physical sensor systems face limitations, particularly in measuring critical parameters in hard-to-reach or harsh environments, often resulting in incomplete data coverage. Machine learning-driven virtual sensors offer a transformative solution by complementing physical sensors in monitoring critical degradation indicators. This paper introduces the use of Deep Operator Networks (DeepONet) to predict key thermal-hydraulic parameters in the hot leg of pressurized water reactor. DeepONet acts as a virtual sensor, mapping operational inputs to spatially distributed system behaviors without requiring frequent retraining. Our results show that DeepONet achieves low mean squared and Relative L2 error, making predictions 1400 times faster than traditional CFD simulations . These characteristics enable DeepONet to function as a real-time virtual sensor, synchronizing with the physical system to track degradation conditions and provide insights within the digital twin framework for nuclear systems.

Hossain, Raisa↗

Physics consistent machine learning framework for inverse modeling with applications to ICF capsule implosions

In high energy density physics (HEDP) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF), predictive modeling is complicated by uncertainty in parameters that characterize various aspects of the modeled system, such as those characterizing material properties, equation of state (EOS), opacities, and initial conditions. Typically, however, these parameters are not directly observable. What is observed instead is a time sequence of radiographic projections using X-rays. In this work, we define a set of sparse hydrodynamic features derived from the outgoing shock profile and outer material edge, which can be obtained from radiographic measurements, to directly infer such parameters. Our machine learning (ML)-based methodology involves a pipeline of two architectures, a radiograph-to-features network (R2FNet) and a features-to-parameters network (F2PNet), that are trained independently and later combined to approximate a posterior distribution for the parameters from radiographs. We show that the machine learning architectures are able to accurately infer initial conditions and EOS parameters, and that the estimated parameters can be used in a hydrodynamics code to obtain density fields, shocks, and material interfaces that satisfy thermodynamic and hydrodynamic consistency. Finally, we demonstrate that features resulting from an unknown EOS model can be successfully mapped onto parameters of a chosen analytical EOS model, implying that network predictions are learning physics, with a degree of invariance to the underlying choice of EOS model. To the best of our knowledge, our framework is the first demonstration of recovering both thermodynamic and hydrodynamic consistent density fields from noisy radiographs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A non-intrusive framework using acoustic signals and deep learning for boiling diagnostics in visual-limited environments

Accurate monitoring of boiling heat transfer is critical for safeguarding high-power systems operating in environments where conventional optical diagnostics are hindered by radiation fields or restricted visual accessibility. This study presents a non-intrusive framework that integrates hydroacoustic sensing with deep learning to infer near-wall boiling characteristics and enable predictive thermal assessment without visual access. In a prototypical subcooled flow-boiling facility representative of the Isotope Production Facility (IPF) at Los Alamos, hydrophones capture boiling-induced acoustic emissions that are transformed into background-removed Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) spectrograms. A convolutional neural network (CNN) then regresses heat flux, wall superheat, and key bubble parameters directly from these spectrograms. The CNN achieved predictive accuracy under nominal conditions and demonstrated robustness and generalization under acoustic noise for Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs) down to approximately 0 dB. When integrated into an ANSYS CFX wall-boiling model, the acoustically inferred parameters reproduced boiling curve and critical heat flux (CHF) values consistent with image-based benchmarks. Furthermore, the model retained reliable performance under moderate variations in bulk temperature, flow rate, and hydrophone placement, confirming its generalizability across practical boundary conditions. These results demonstrate the feasibility of hydroacoustic-based deep learning as a viable path toward real-time, radiation-tolerant boiling diagnostics and predictive thermal safety assessment in inaccessible systems such as the IPF.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A physically interpretable precursor framework for sub-seasonal prediction of Northern Hemisphere flash flourishing

Flash flourishing describes rapid vegetation increases that can quickly reshape land–atmosphere exchanges and impacts on ecosystem, yet its large-scale precursors, circulation context, and sub-seasonal predictability remain poorly understood. Here, we identified onset-stage circulation regimes across northern extratropical latitudes (NEL; >30°N) using 200 and 1000 hPa geopotential height, and examined their regional expressions over eastern Asia, western North America, and Europe. Flash flourishing onset in East Asian was associated with a baroclinic circulation regime and was preceded by a North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) precursor at a four-pentad lead. In contrast, onset in western North American and European preferentially occurred under barotropic regimes, preconditioned by Great Plains soil moisture at three-pentad lead and North Atlantic SST at a four-pentad lead, respectively. Ridge regression forecasts revealed regime-dependent sub-seasonal predictability, with mean out-of-sample R 2 exceeding 0.3 up to lead times of two pentads in East Asia, three pentads in western North America, and four pentads in Europe. Together, these findings established a mechanistic and regionally specific framework for anticipating rapid vegetation greening at sub-seasonal timescales.

Kong, Xiangxu [Nanjing Univ. of Information Scienc↗

SwinCell: a 3D transformer and flow-based framework for improved cell segmentation

Segmentation of three-dimensional (3D) cellular images is fundamental for studying and understanding cell structure and function. However, 3D cellular segmentation is challenging, particularly for dense cells and tissues. This challenge arises mainly from the complex contextual information within 3D images, anisotropic properties, and the sensitivity to internal cellular structures, which often lead to incorrect segmentation. In this work, we introduce SwinCell, a 3D transformer-based framework that leverages Swin-transformer to predict flow and differentiate individual cell instances. We demonstrate SwinCell’s utility in the segmentation of nuclei, colon tissue cells, and densely cultured cells. SwinCell strikes a balance between maintaining detailed local feature recognition and understanding broader contextual information. Through extensive testing with both public and in-house 3D cell imaging datasets, SwinCell shows utility in segmenting dense cells, making it a valuable tool for 3D segmentation in cellular analysis that could expedite research in cell biology and tissue engineering.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A framework to evaluate machine learning crystal stability predictions

The rapid adoption of machine learning in various scientific domains calls for the development of best practices and community agreed-upon benchmarking tasks and metrics. We present Matbench Discovery as an example evaluation framework for machine learning energy models, here applied as pre-filters to first-principles computed data in a high-throughput search for stable inorganic crystals. We address the disconnect between (1) thermodynamic stability and formation energy and (2) retrospective and prospective benchmarking for materials discovery. Alongside this paper, we publish a Python package to aid with future model submissions and a growing online leaderboard with adaptive user-defined weighting of various performance metrics allowing researchers to prioritize the metrics they value most. To answer the question of which machine learning methodology performs best at materials discovery, our initial release includes random forests, graph neural networks, one-shot predictors, iterative Bayesian optimizers and universal interatomic potentials. We highlight a misalignment between commonly used regression metrics and more task-relevant classification metrics for materials discovery. Accurate regressors are susceptible to unexpectedly high false-positive rates if those accurate predictions lie close to the decision boundary at 0 eV per atom above the convex hull. The benchmark results demonstrate that universal interatomic potentials have advanced sufficiently to effectively and cheaply pre-screen thermodynamic stable hypothetical materials in future expansions of high-throughput materials databases.

Riebesell, Janosh↗

Spin-on deposition of amorphous zeolitic imidazolate framework films for lithography applications

Amorphous zeolitic imidazolate framework (aZIF) films have been recently introduced as resists for electron beam and extreme ultraviolet lithography. aZIFs are also being considered for separation applications, including thin film membranes. However, the reported methods for aZIF deposition are currently based on highly empirical trial-and-error approaches that hinder control of film composition, thickness and uniformity as well as scale-up and transferability to different coating geometries. This work presents a method for depositing aZIF films with controllable thickness using dilute precursors mixed immediately before encountering the substrate. Importantly, the method is amenable to quantitative analysis by computational fluid dynamics to extract intrinsic deposition rates and limiting reactant transport diffusivities, enabling predictive physics-based modeling of the deposition process. This allows the deposition method to be adapted for spin coating on silicon wafers to prepare high-quality aZIF films with consistently controlled thickness. Using this approach, high-resolution resist performance and wafer-scale use for beyond extreme-ultraviolet lithography of aZIF films is demonstrated.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Elucidating metal–organic framework structures using synchrotron serial crystallography

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials that display a wide variety of physical and chemical properties. Their single crystal structure determination is often challenging because in most cases micro- or nano-sized crystals spontaneously form upon MOF synthesis, which cannot be recrystallized. The production of larger single crystals for structure determination involves optimizing, and thus modifying, the conditions of synthesis, in which success cannot be guaranteed. Failure to produce crystals suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction leaves the 3D structure of the MOF compound unknown, and scientists must resort to more challenging structure solution methods based on X-ray powder or electron diffraction data. These laborious tasks can be avoided by using serial crystallography techniques which merge data collected on many micro-crystals. Here, we report the application of three synchrotron serial crystallography methods. We call these “mesh”, “grid” and “mesh&collect” scans. “Still” images (no rotation) are collected in the mesh scan approach, whereas small rotational wedges are collected in the grid scan method. The third protocol, mesh&collect, combines the acquisition of still images and rotational wedges. Using these means, we determine the ab initio structure of benchmark MOFs, MIL-100(Fe) and ZIF-8, that differ largely in unit cell size. These methods are expected to be widely applicable and facilitate structure determination of many MOF microcrystalline systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗