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At least 649 records · Page 36

Science Enabling ASICs and FEEs for the JUICE and JEO Missions

A family of science enabling radiation hard Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Front End Electronics (FEEs) and Event Processing Systems, with flight heritage on many NASA missions, is presented. These technologies play an important role in the miniaturization of instruments -and spacecraft systems- at the same time increasing performance and reducing power. The technologies target time of flight, position sensing, and energy measurements as well as standard housekeeping and telemetry functions for particle and fields instruments, but find applications in other instrument categories too. More specifically the technologies include: the TOF chip, 1D and 2D Delay Lines with MCP detectors, for high precision fast and low power time of flight and position sensing; the Energy chip for multichannel SSD readout with time over threshold and standard voltage read out for TDC and ADC digitization; Fast multi channel read out chip with commandable thresholds; the TRIO chip for multiplexed ADC and housekeeping etc. It should be mentioned that the ASICs include basic trigger capabilities to enable random event processing in a heavy background of penetrators and UV foreground. Typical instruments include time of flight versus energy and look angle particle analyzers such as: plasma composition, energetic particle, neutral atom imaging as well as fast plasma and deltaE/E ion/electron telescopes. Flight missions include: Cassini/LEMMS, IMAGE/HENA, MESSENGER/EPPS/MLA/X-ray/MLA, STEREO, PLUTO-NH/PEPSSI/LORI, IBEX-Lo, JUNO/JEDI, RBSP/RBSPICE, MMS/HPCA/EPD, SO/SIS. Given the proven capability on heavy radiation missions such as JUNO, MMS and RBSB, as well diverse long duration missions such as MESSENGER, PLUTO and Cassini, it is expected that these technologies will play an important role in the particle and fields (at least) instruments on the upcoming JUICE and JEO missions.

Paschalidis, Nicholas↗

Challenges Regarding IP Core Functional Reliability

For many years, intellectual property (IP) cores have been incorporated into field programmable gate array (FPGA) and application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design flows. However, the usage of large complex IP cores were limited within products that required a high level of reliability. This is no longer the case. IP core insertion has become mainstream including their use in highly reliable products. Due to limited visibility and control, challenges exist when using IP cores and subsequently compromise product reliability. We discuss challenges and suggest potential solutions to critical application IP insertion.

IP cores↗

Fabrication of Position Controlled Si/SiGe Quantum Dots for Integrated Optical Sources and Beyond

Recent work done at the University of Florida (UF) revealed a tremendously enhanced germanium diffusion process along silicon/silicon dioxide interfaces during oxidizing anneals, allowing for the controlled formation of Si quantum wires. This project seeks to further explore this unusual germanium behavior during oxidation for the purpose of forming unique and useful nano and quantum structures. Specifically, we propose here to demonstrate for the first time that this phenomenon can be extended to realize OD Si nanostructures through the oxidation of axially heterostructured vertical Si/SiGe pillars. Such structures could be of great interest for applications in integrated optoelectronics, beyond Moore's Law computing, and quantum computing.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Approximate analysis for repeated eigenvalue problems with applications to controls-structure integrated design

A method for eigenvalue and eigenvector approximate analysis for the case of repeated eigenvalues with distinct first derivatives is presented. The approximate analysis method developed involves a reparameterization of the multivariable structural eigenvalue problem in terms of a single positive-valued parameter. The resulting equations yield first-order approximations to changes in the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors associated with the repeated eigenvalue problem. This work also presents a numerical technique that facilitates the definition of an eigenvector derivative for the case of repeated eigenvalues with repeated eigenvalue derivatives (of all orders). Examples are given which demonstrate the application of such equations for sensitivity and approximate analysis. Emphasis is placed on the application of sensitivity analysis to large-scale structural and controls-structures optimization problems.

Kenny, Sean P.↗

A simplified application of the method of operators to the calculation of disturbed motions of an airplane

A simplified treatment of the application of Heaviside's operational methods to problems of airplane dynamics is given. Certain graphical methods and logarithmic formulas that lessen the amount of computation involved are explained. The problem representing a gust disturbance or control manipulation is taken up and it is pointed out that in certain cases arbitrary control manipulations may be dealt with as though they imposed specific constraints on the airplane, thus avoiding the necessity of any integration. The application of the calculations described in the text is illustrated by several examples chosen to show the use of the methods and the practicability of the graphical and logarithmic computations described.

Jones, Robert T↗

Active phase correction of high resolution silicon photonic arrayed waveguide gratings

Arrayed waveguide gratings provide flexible spectral filtering functionality for integrated photonic applications. Achieving narrow channel spacing requires long optical path lengths which can greatly increase the footprint of devices. High index contrast waveguides, such as those fabricated in silicon-on-insulator wafers, allow tight waveguide bends which can be used to create much more compact designs. Both the long optical path lengths and the high index contrast contribute to significant optical phase error as light propagates through the device. Thus, silicon photonic arrayed waveguide gratings require active or passive phase correction following fabrication. We present the design and fabrication of compact silicon photonic arrayed waveguide gratings with channel spacings of 50, 10 and 1 GHz. The largest device, with 11 channels of 1 GHz spacing, has a footprint of only 1.1 cm 2 . Using integrated thermo-optic phase shifters, the phase error is actively corrected. We present two methods of phase error correction and demonstrate state-of-the-art cross-talk performance for high index contrast arrayed waveguide gratings. As a demonstration of possible applications, we perform RF channelization with 1 GHz resolution. In addition, we generate unique spectral filters by applying non-zero phase offsets calculated by the Gerchberg Saxton algorithm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Poster - 01: LabPET II Pixelated APD-Based PET Scanner for High-Resolution Preclinical Imaging

Purpose: LabPET II is a new generation APD-based PET scanner designed to achieve sub-mm spatial resolution using truly pixelated detectors and highly integrated parallel front-end processing electronics. Methods: The basic element uses a 4×8 array of 1.12×1.12 mm{sup 2} Lu{sub 1.9}Y{sub 0.1}SiO{sub 5}:Ce (LYSO) scintillator pixels with one-to-one coupling to a 4×8 pixelated monolithic APD array mounted on a ceramic carrier. Four detector arrays are mounted on a daughter board carrying two flip-chip, 64-channel, mixed-signal, application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) on the backside interfacing to two detector arrays each. Fully parallel signal processing was implemented in silico by encoding time and energy information using a dual-threshold Time-over-Threshold (ToT) scheme. The self-contained 128-channel detector module was designed as a generic component for ultra-high resolution PET imaging of small to medium-size animals. Results: Energy and timing performance were optimized by carefully setting ToT thresholds to minimize the noise/slope ratio. ToT spectra clearly show resolved 511 keV photopeak and Compton edge with ToT resolution well below 10%. After correction for nonlinear ToT response, energy resolution is typically 24±2% FWHM. Coincidence time resolution between opposing 128-channel modules is below 4 ns FWHM. Initial imaging results demonstrate that 0.8 mm hot spots of a Derenzo phantom can be resolved. Conclusion: A new generation PET scanner featuring truly pixelated detectors was developed and shown to achieve a spatial resolution approaching the physical limit of PET. Future plans are to integrate a small-bore dedicated mouse version of the scanner within a PET/CT platform.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A fully integrated 3D CFD model of the flow and heat transfer in a packed bed reactor - 18578

The physical phenomena associated with the modes of heat transfer within a packed pebble bed can be modelled by explicitly solving the associated partial differential equations using a finite volume method approach. Convection from the spheres to coolant, conduction inside and between spheres as well as radiation between various components of a packed bed reactor are the main modes of heat transfer, with several lesser, albeit contributing, phenomena also present. Advances both in software and computing power allow for a larger portion of a packed bed to be modeled with greater accuracy by integrating all applicable physics models in one simulation. A representative unstructured packed bed of uniform spheres was generated with a discrete element method (DEM) and the flow domain modelled using the CFD software package Star-CCM+, taking into account all primary modes of heat transfer as well as a user-specified approach to take secondary effects into account. Effects in the bulk, near-wall and wall-contact regions were investigated. By using such a fully integrated explicit model, a deeper understanding can be can be gained into the role of the underlying phenomena and their respective contributions to the overall heat transfer process. Fuel spheres were modeled explicitly with the conduction between spheres, bed and reflectors being prescribed by contact heat transfer theory as a function of temperature and compressive forces within the bed. The effective thermal conductivity (k{sub eff}), flow pressure drop, as well as temperature distributions in the spheres and coolant were calculated and compared with experimental results from published literature. Good agreement was found with experimental results and the significant contribution of radiation as well as inter-pebble conduction to the effective thermal conductivity could be observed from the results. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Towards Automated Generation of Chiplet-Based Systems

The Software Defined Architectures (SODA) Synthesizer is an open-source compiler-based tool able to automatically generate domain-specialized systems targeting Application- Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) starting from high-level programming. SODA is composed of a high-level frontend, SODA-OPT, which leverages the multilevel intermediate representation (MLIR) framework to interface with productive programming tools (e.g., machine learning frameworks), identify kernels suitable for acceleration, and perform high-level optimizations, and of a state-of-the-art high-level synthesis backend, Bambu from the PandA framework, to generate custom accelerators. One specific application of the SODA Synthesizer is the generation of accelerators to enable ultra-low latency inference and control on autonomous systems for scientific discovery (e.g., electron microscopes, sensors in particle accelerators, etc.). This talk will discuss ongoing work on the SODA synthesizer to enable no-human-in-the-loop generation and design space exploration of the chiplets for highly specialized artificial intelligence accelerators. Connecting these highly specialized chiplets to general-purpose cores or programmable accelerators will allow to quickly deploy autonomous systems for scientific discovery.

Limaye, Ankur M.↗

White Paper: Scalable Digital Twin Capabilities for Aging and Surveillance of Engineered Systems

This white paper presents a multi-year initiative to develop practical, secure, and scalable digital twin capabilities for engineered systems in aging and surveillance contexts—an approach pioneered at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) that maps directly onto the needs and ambitions of the Navy for ship- and fleet-level digital twins. LLNL’s work in building part- and process-level digital twins for advanced manufacturing, with a vision to scale up to entire factory floors and, ultimately, enterprise-wide digital twins, offers an adaptable pathway for the Navy as it seeks to modernize lifecycle management, readiness, and predictive maintenance across ships and fleets. For our application, we integrate physics-based modeling with automated data ingestion, processing, and AI-driven calibration, creating hybrid models that are both interpretable and data responsive. We modernized legacy workflows, established centralized data infrastructure, automated experimental pipelines, and demonstrated end-to-end coupling of accelerated aging data with finite element simulations via optimization and surrogate modeling. The result is a generalizable framework that supports part-level digital twins today and lays the groundwork for future system-level twins suitable for Navy applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A modified moment-fitted integration scheme for X-FEM applications with history-dependent material data

Here, we present a strategy for the numerical integration of partial elements with the eXtended finite element method (X-FEM). The new strategy is specifically designed for problems with propagating cracks through a bulk material that exhibits inelasticity. Following a standard approach with the X-FEM, as the crack propagates into new regions of the domain, elements are split into several copies that contain pieces of the domain on either side of the crack. We examine quadrature rules that have sufficient accuracy to calculate stiffness matrices regardless of the orientation of the crack with respect to the element. This permits the number of integration points within elements to remain constant as a crack propagates, and for state data to be easily transferred between successive discretizations. In order to maintain weights that are strictly positive, we propose an approach that blends moment-fitted weights with volume-fraction based weights. To demonstrate the efficacy of this simple approach, we present results from numerical tests and examples with both elastic and plastic material response.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Quartz/fused silica chip carriers

The primary objective of this research and development effort was to develop monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) packaging which will operate efficiently at millimeter-wave frequencies. The packages incorporated fused silica as the substrate material which was selected due to its favorable electrical properties and potential performance improvement over more conventional materials for Ka-band operation. The first step towards meeting this objective is to develop a package that meets standard mechanical and thermal requirements using fused silica and to be compatible with semiconductor devices operating up to at least 44 GHz. The second step is to modify the package design and add multilayer and multicavity capacity to allow for application specific integrated circuits (ASIC's) to control multiple phase shifters. The final step is to adapt the package design to a phased array module with integral radiating elements. The first task was a continuation of the SBIR Phase 1 work. Phase 1 identified fused silica as a viable substrate material by demonstrating various plating, machining, and adhesion properties. In Phase 2 Task 1, a package was designed and fabricated to validate these findings. Task 2 was to take the next step in packaging and fabricate a multilayer, multichip module (MCM). This package is the predecessor to the phased array module and demonstrates the ability to via fill, circuit print, laminate, and to form vertical interconnects. The final task was to build a phased array module. The radiating elements were to be incorporated into the package instead of connecting to it with wire or ribbon bonds.

Source record↗

Mission Applicability and Benefits of Thin-Film Integrated Power Generation and Energy Storage

This paper discusses the space mission applicability and benefits of a thin-film integrated power generation and energy storage device, i.e., an "Integrated Power Source" or IPS. The characteristics of an IPS that combines thin-film photovoltaic power generation with thin-film energy storage are described. Mission concepts for a thin-film IPS as a spacecraft main electrical power system, as a decentralized or distributed power source and as an uninterruptible power supply are discussed. For two specific missions, preliminary sizing of an IPS as a main power system is performed and benefits are assessed. IPS developmental challenges that need to be overcome in order to realize the benefits of an IPS are examined. Based on this preliminary assessment, it is concluded that the most likely and beneficial application of an IPS will be as the main power system on a very small "nanosatellite," or in specialized applications serving as a decentralized or distributed power source or uninterruptible power supply.

Hoffman, David J.↗

Mission Applicability and Benefits of Thin-Film Integrated Power Generation and Energy Storage

This paper discusses the space mission applicability and benefits of a thin-film integrated power generation and energy storage device, i.e., an "Integrated Power Source" or IPS. The characteristics of an IPS that combines thin-film photo-voltaic power generation with thin-film energy storage are described. Mission concepts for a thin-film IPS as a spacecraft main electrical power system, as a decentralized or distributed power source and as an uninterruptible power supply are discussed. For two specific missions, preliminary sizing of an IPS as a main power system is performed and benefits are assessed. IPS developmental challenges that need to be overcome in order to realize the benefits of an IPS are examined. Based on this preliminary assessment, it is concluded that the most likely and beneficial application of an IPS will be as the main power system on a very small "nanosatellite," or in specialized applications serving as a decentralized or distributed power source or uninterruptible power supply.

Hoffman, David↗

Time evolution of ML-MCTDH wavefunctions. II. Application of the projector splitting integrator

The multi-layer multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree (ML-MCTDH) approach can suffer from numerical instabilities whenever the wavefunction is weakly entangled. These instabilities arise from singularities in the equations of motion (EOMs) and necessitate the use of regularization of the EOMs. The Projector Splitting Integrator (PSI) has previously been presented as an approach for evolving ML-MCTDH wavefunctions that is free of singularities. Here, we will discuss the implementation of the multi-layer PSI with a particular focus on how the steps required relate to those required to implement standard ML-MCTDH. We demonstrate the efficiency and stability of the PSI for large ML-MCTDH wavefunctions containing up to hundreds of thousands of nodes by considering a series of spin-boson models with up to 106 bath modes and find that for these problems, the PSI requires roughly 3–4 orders of magnitude fewer Hamiltonian evaluations and 2–3 orders of magnitude fewer Hamiltonian applications than standard ML-MCTDH and 2–3/1–2 orders of magnitude fewer evaluations/applications than approaches that use improved regularization schemes. Finally, we consider a series of significantly more challenging multi-spin-boson models that require much larger numbers of single-particle functions with wavefunctions containing up to ~1.3×10 9 parameters to obtain accurate dynamics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Plasmonic engineering of metal-oxide nanowire heterojunctions in integrated nanowire rectification units

We show that irradiation with femtosecond laser pulses can produce robust nanowire heterojunctions in coupled non-wetting metal-oxide Ag-TiO{sub 2} structures. Simulations indicate that joining arises from the effect of strong plasmonic localization in the region of the junction. Strong electric field effects occur in both Ag and TiO{sub 2} resulting in the modification of both surfaces and an increase in wettability of TiO{sub 2}, facilitating the interconnection of Ag and TiO{sub 2} nanowires. Irradiation leads to the creation of a thin layer of highly defected TiO{sub 2} in the contact region between the Ag and TiO{sub 2} nanowires. The presence of this layer allows the formation of a heterojunction and offers the possibility of engineering the electronic characteristics of interfacial structures. Rectifying junctions with single and bipolar properties have been generated in Ag-TiO{sub 2} nanowire circuits incorporating asymmetrical and symmetrical interfacial structures, respectively. This fabrication technique should be applicable for the interconnection of other heterogeneous metal-oxide nanowire components and demonstrates that femtosecond laser irradiation enables interfacial engineering for electronic applications of integrated nanowire structures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Mechanical Toughening of Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks Enabled by Graphene-Based Sandwich-Structured Nanocomposites

Low resistance to fracture in two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) limits their practical applications, especially in mechanically demanding fields, such as flexible electronics and sensing devices. We address this critical limitation by fabricating a sandwich-structured nanocomposite consisting of graphene layers sandwiched between 2D COF layers (2D COFs/graphene/2D COFs) via chemical vapor deposition. Here, our sandwich-structured nanocomposites exhibit a remarkable improvement in modulus E, fracture toughness K IC , and critical energy release rate G C compared to pure 2D COFs. This enhancement is likely due to the graphene layers as the backbone of the sandwich structure effectively carrying and redistributing mechanical stress within the nanocomposite. Our findings demonstrate that a sandwich structure can improve the mechanical robustness of a 2D COF so that it can preserve the functionality and mechanical integrity for applications in stretchable electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Self-consistent modeling of tokamak edge plasma transport with lithium sources

Magnetic confinement fusion devices require effective heat and particle exhaust solutions on the divertor plates to operate sustainably, especially under reactor-relevant conditions. Liquid lithium divertors have been proposed to address two major challenges: control of excessive heat flux to plasma-facing components through vapor shielding and minimization of core plasma contamination from impurities. The National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) will explore lithium as a divertor material due to its potential to meet both objectives. We present a self-consistent coupling framework between the plasma boundary transport code UEDGE and the lithium wall transport code Wall–Li to evaluate the feasibility and operational limits of lithium-based divertors. The model aims to optimize lithium sourcing levels to prevent core plasma contamination via fuel dilution while ensuring divertor protection through vapor shielding. This integrated framework, applicable to any tokamak with lithium sources, dynamically adjusts lithium sourcing based on local plasma conditions and surface temperature. The coupled model is tested using NSTX-like geometry and plasma conditions to assess its performance and reliability. Wall–Li calculates lithium fluxes from plasma-facing components, incorporating physical sputtering, thermally enhanced sputtering, and evaporation driven by surface temperature and ion flux. These fluxes are reintroduced into UEDGE as neutral lithium atoms, enabling simulation of their transport and distribution within the plasma. UEDGE computes plasma and neutral transport, surface heat flux, and iteratively feeds this information back to Wall–Li. A small time step is employed to ensure numerical stability and convergence, enabling accurate simulations over typical tokamak discharge durations. This integrated modeling approach provides a robust tool for identifying operational regimes that balance effective lithium sourcing with minimal core plasma contamination, offering critical insights for optimizing lithium-based divertor systems in current and future fusion devices.

Magnetic confinement fusion↗