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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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841 records · Page 39
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Massive red spiral galaxies in SDSS-IV MaNGA survey

ABSTRACT Massive red spiral galaxies (MRSGs) are supposed to be the possible progenitors of lenticular galaxies (S0s). We select a large sample of MRSGs ($M_*\gt 10^{10.5}\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$) from Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) DR17 using the g − r colour versus stellar mass diagram, along with control samples of blue spirals and S0s. Our main results are as follows: (1) After comparing the Sérsic index, concentration parameter, asymmetry parameter distribution, size–mass relation, and Σ1 (stellar mass surface density within the central 1 kpc)−mass relation, we find MRSGs are similar to S0s and have more compact and symmetric structures than blue spirals. MRSGs also resemble S0s in Dn4000, metallicity, Mgb/$\rm \left\langle Fe \right\rangle$, and V/σ radial profile. (2) By using MaNGA 2D spectra data, we separate the spatial regions into inner (R < 0.8Re) and outer (0.8 < R < 1.5Re) regions, and detect residual star formation in the outer regions of MRSGs. (3) When we select a sub-sample of MRSGs with NUV − r > 5, we find that they are completely star formation quenched in both inner and outer regions. Compared to optically selected MRSGs, NUV − r selected MRSGs appear to be more concentrated and have more massive dark matter haloes. The similarities between S0s and MRSGs suggest the possible evolutionary trend between MRSGs and S0s.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Long-range magnetic order and relaxor ferroelectricity in a hexagonal high-entropy ferrite

Multiferroics that combine ferroelectricity and magnetic order are attractive for electronic and spintronic technologies, yet chemical disorder that promotes relaxor ferroelectricity usually suppresses long-range magnetic order. Here, we report entropy-stabilized relaxor multiferroicity in epitaxial hexagonal (Tb0.2Dy0.2Ho0.2Lu0.2Yb0.2)FeO3 thin films. Structural, magnetic, dielectric, and synchrotron spectroscopic measurements show the coexistence of relaxor ferroelectricity and long-range ferromagnetic order. We find that improper ferroelectricity remains robust against A-site configurational disorder, while the Fe sublattice preserves magnetic exchange. This separation of the microscopic origins of the polar and magnetic responses enables chemically disordered multiferroicity. Our results establish entropy engineering in hexagonal ferrites as a route toward multifunctional oxide thin films and provide a general design strategy for high-entropy multiferroics.

Miertschin, Duncan [Baylor University]↗
DOE OSTI2023

Overcoming the Entropy Penalty of Direct Air Capture for Efficient Gigatonne Removal of Carbon Dioxide

Atmospheric carbon poses an existential threat to civilization via global climate change. Hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide must be removed from earth’s atmosphere in the next three decades, necessitating a low-cost, energy-efficient process to extract low concentrations of carbon dioxide for conversion to a stable material permanently stored for thousands of years. In this work, the challenge of removing gigatonnes of CO 2 is described via the scale of effort and the thermodynamics of collecting and reducing this diffuse chemical, the accumulation of which imparts a substantial entropy penalty on any atmospheric carbon capture process. The methods of CO 2 reduction combined with upstream direct air capture (DAC) including absorption, membrane separation, and adsorption are compared with biomass torrefaction and permanent burial (BTB). A Monte Carlo model assesses the mass, energy, and economics of the full process of biomass torrefaction from biomass collection and transport to stable carbon burial to determine that 95% of scenarios could remove carbon for less than $200 per CO 2 -tonne-equivalent. Torrefied carbon is further discussed for its long-term stability and availability at the scale required to substantially mitigate the threat of climate change.

biomass↗
DOE OSTI2024

Theoretical design and performance of three-dimensional, pillared FeS 2 cathodes

Three-dimensional (3D) electrode design can provide improved capacities and rate capabilities over conventional two-dimensional electrodes by enhancing electrical and ionic transport. Here, expanding upon our previous modeling efforts for conversion chemistry lithium-ion batteries, we develop a pseudo-four-dimensional (P4D) approach that is subsequently used to investigate the design of a pillared FeS 2 electrode. The model considers transport in three dimensions with an additional “fourth” dimension corresponding to the solid-state lithium transport within the active material particles. Additionally, we allow for expansion of the active material during the conversion reaction to understand how internal stresses impact the electrochemical performance of the cell. By optimizing the model with respect to areal capacity, we are able to predict areal capacities up to 16.8 mAh/cm 2 for an areal current density of 1.78 mA/cm 2 and a 103% improvement for the three-dimensional electrodes over planar electrodes of equal volume. Despite the promising results, our simulations suggest that 3D design may be difficult for conversion cathode materials due to the large internal stresses that arise during conversion. Nevertheless, the model is robust and adaptable to other materials that may be more suitable for 3D electrodes due to a lesser change in volume during discharge.

Conversion cathode materials↗
DOE OSTI2024

Computational modeling of coupled mechanical damage and electrochemistry in ternary oxide composite electrodes

Performance degradation of ternary layered oxide cathodes largely originates from their loss of structural integrity in cyclic usage. Mechanical damage, such as intergranular fracture of the active particles, is not only a mechanical cleavage process but also interferes with electrochemical kinetics such as infiltration of liquid electrolyte, surface corrosion of the constituent primary particles, and may eventually isolate the primary grains from the electron conducting network. Here, in this work, we develop a computational framework that integrates electrochemistry of a LiNi x Mn y Co 1−x−y O 2 (NMC) composite cathode with mechanical damage of the active particles. To fully examine the intricate chemomechanical behavior of the electrode, we evaluate the effects of the anisotropic material properties, the influence of mechanical potential on Li transport, and the concurrent intergranular fracture and electrolyte penetration along the grain boundaries upon multiple cycles. Electrolyte infiltration benefits capacity retention but aggravates further mechanical damage by corrosion. Structural failure mostly occurs in the first charging due to the anisotropic mechanical strain between the primary grains, while the resulting damage remains stable in the later few cycles. The results are consistent with experimental observations and the integration of electrochemistry and mechanical failure enables a step further understanding of the complex mechanism of battery degradation.

Battery degradation↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improving Ionic Conformality Across Polymer Electrolyte|Electrode Interfaces

Maintaining uniform ionic transport at electrode|electrolyte interfaces, i.e., ionic conformality, remains challenging in polymer electrolyte (PE)-based solid-state batteries. Morphological conformality does not necessarily imply ionic conformality. In PEs, which typically consist of a mechanically supporting component and distinct ionically conductive components, the rearrangement or depletion of mobile ion-conductive domains at interfaces can disrupt ionic transport pathways. Such localized ionic depletion contributes to interfacial instability and capacity degradation in high-voltage lithium-metal batteries. Herein, an electrolyte design approach aimed at minimizing interfacial heterogeneities is demonstrated through compositional adjustments, characterized by spatially resolved structural and chemical X-ray techniques and NMR diffusometry to elucidate ion transport dynamics. This approach improves ionic conformality at electrode interfaces, enhancing cycling stability in Li||LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NMC811) coin and pouch cells cycled at high voltages. These results contribute to understanding interfacial behaviors in multiphase PEs and inform strategies for improving stability across solid-state battery interfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mitigating Sodium Ordering for Enhanced Solid Solution Behavior in Layered NaNiO 2 Cathodes

The O-type layered nickel oxides suffer from undesired cooperative Jahn–Teller distortion stemming from Ni 3+ ions and undergo multiple biphasic structural transformations during the insertion/extraction of large Na + ions, posing a significant challenge to stabilize the structural integrity. We present here a systematic investigation of the impact of substituting 5 % divalent (Mg 2+ ) or trivalent (Al 3+ or Co 3+ ) ions for Ni 3+ to alleviate Na + ion ordering and perturb the Jahn–Teller effect to enhance structural stability. Here, we gauge a fundamental understanding of the Mg−O and Na−O or Mg−O−Na bonding interactions, noting that the ionicity of the Mg−O bond deshields the electronic cloud of oxygen from Na + ions. Furthermore, calculations of the Van Vleck distortion modes reveal a relaxation of NiO 6 octahedra from Jahn–Teller distortion and a reduced electron density at the interlayer with Mg 2+ substitution. Long-range (operando X-ray diffraction) and short-range (magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) structural analyses provide insights into reduced ordering, allowing a stable continuous solid solution. Overall, Mg-substitution results in a high-capacity retention of ~96 % even after 100 cycles, showcasing the potential of this strategy for overcoming the structural instabilities and enhancing the performance of sodium-ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fine-Grained Power and Energy Attribution on AMD GPU/APU-Based Exascale Nodes

Modern exascale GPU- and APU-based systems provide multiple power and energy sensors, but differences in scope, update rate, timing, and filtering complicate the attribution of short-lived accelerator activity. This paper presents a methodology to characterize and correct these effects on Cray EX systems with AMD Instinct MI250X GPUs (Frontier) and MI300A APUs (Portage). Using controlled square-wave workloads, we quantify update intervals, delay, aliasing, and variability across up to 512 GPUs and 480 APUs with on-chip (rocm-smi/amd-smi) and off-chip Cray Power Management sensors. We reconstruct power from cumulative energy counters to achieve faster response times, validate it against on-chip, off-chip, and node-level sensors, and integrate the resulting streams into a Score-P/PAPI-based tool for time-aligned, phase-level attribution. Applied to rocHPL, rocHPL-MxP, and HPG-MxP, the method separates energy savings due to reduced runtime from changes in power. Mixed precision reduces node energy on Frontier by 79% for rocHPL-MxP and 31% for HPG-MxP, with similar trends on Portage. These results provide portable guidance for sensor validation and power-aware optimization on current and future exascale systems.

Mcdaniel, Adam [ORNL] (ORCID:000000016926028X)↗
NASA NTRS1978

Atmospheric Explorer

Atmospheric Explorer (AE) is a 1971 power system design, using the heritage of the ITOS system. The system design and its operation are discussed. Problems of charging and discharging the batteries and the effects of temperature on these operations are discussed. A block diagram of the power supply electronics and some graphs related to voltage and temperature for the AE battery design are presented.

A F Obenschain↗
NASA NTRS2026

The Trajectory of Recent Solid State Fusion Results

Both NASA and Google have explored and funded Low Energy Nuclear Reaction (LENR) aka Solid-State Fusion or Lattice Confinement Fusion (LCF) research. NASA has funded efforts since 1989, and Google Research began in 2014. Google, and researchers initially-funded by Google, published significant scientific papers in Nature, Nature Communications and the Journal of Applied Physics. NASA began a significant set of LENR-triggering programs in 2012 resulting in papers in Physical Review C, the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry and the Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science. Both NASA and Google engaged researchers across fields of nuclear physics, chemistry, electrochemistry, material science and more. NASA built upon early novel gas pumping experiments then followed the patented work of the US Navy SPAWAR (US8,419,919, “System and Method to Generate Particles”) and experiments with the Naval Surface Warfare Centers. Google supported researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the University of British Columbia (UBC), MIT and others. This resulted in patent applications and two granted patents (US10264661B2, “Target structure for enhanced electron screening” and US10566094B2 “Enhanced electron screening through plasmon oscillations”). These separate efforts, unknown to the researchers at the time, provided the impetus for the DoE ARPA-E LENR program followed by the DARPA DSO “Mechanisms for Amplification of Fusion Reaction Rates in Solids” (MARRS) program. This document briefly describes the overlapping NASA and Google Research efforts in plasma loading and electron screening emphasizing the results of the latest paper in Nature Communications. The papers and patents cited are listed.

electron screening↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploiting ν-dependence of projected energy correlators in HICs

We extend the recently derived factorization formula for energy-energy correlators to study the analytic structure of general ν-point projected energy correlators in heavy ion collisions. The ν-point projected energy correlators (or, ν-correlators) are an analytically continued family of the integer N-point projected energy correlators, which probe correlations between N final-state particles. By tracking the largest separation (χ) between the N particles, in vacuum, their structure is closely related to the DGLAP splitting functions and exhibits a classical scaling behavior ∼ 1/χ which is modified by resummation through the anomalous dimensions. We show that, in a thermal medium, the ν-correlators display non-trivial angular scaling already at the leading order in perturbation theory. We find that for non-integer values, particularly ν < 1, medium-induced jet function is enhanced compared to ν > 1. This is particularly manifested in the ratios of ν-correlators with respect to the two-point energy correlator, which encodes intrinsic angular information for ν < 1 when compared to large ν values. Moreover, for small-ν values, the ν-correlators appear to saturate at ν = 0.01 . We further confirm our leading-order numerical computations against simulated events from JEWEL for the parton-level production cross-section. Finally, we qualitatively discuss the effect of BFKL resummation for various values of ν.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Strong gradient neoclassical transport in the plateau regime

Strong gradient regions in tokamaks such as the pedestal or internal transport barriers are regions of reduced turbulence where neoclassical transport can play a dominant role. In pedestals, gradient lengths comparable to the ion poloidal gyroradius have been measured. Standard neoclassical theory can miss important strong gradient effects in these regions because it assumes that the gradient length scales of density, temperature and potential are larger than the ion poloidal gyroradius. We extend plateau regime neoclassical theory into regions of gradients of the order of the ion poloidal gyroradius to capture strong gradient effects on transport processes in the pedestal and internal transport barriers. The fundamental idea behind our new framework is to keep a scale separation between the orbit widths and the gradient length scales by performing a large aspect ratio expansion. In the plateau regime, strong gradients cause poloidal variation that is in–out as well as up–down asymmetric. We study two different test cases assuming either radial force balance or the absence of turbulence and show that strong gradient effects can enhance or reduce standard neoclassical theory predictions in the plateau regime in strong gradient regions.

fusion plasma↗
DOE OSTI2024

Technoeconomic and Emissions Analysis of the Hybrid Redox Process for the Production of Acetic Acid with CO 2 Utilization

The production of oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as acetic acid, using captured CO 2 is a promising pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the chemical industry. The use of a chemical looping‐based hybrid redox process (HRP) is proposed to convert CO 2 and natural gas into separate CO and syngas streams that can be used to produce various commodity oxygenates, while allowing the beneficial utilization of captured CO 2 . Here, a detailed technoeconomic analysis of HRP applied to the production of acetic acid is presented. Emissions and energy analyses show the ability of HRP to lower the CO 2 emissions for acetic acid synthesis by 74% compared to a conventional steam and autothermal reforming route. HRP also offers a potential 34% reduction in capital costs. Compared to a dry reforming based acetic acid production route, HRP has the potential for significantly lower costs. If integrated with a low carbon energy source, HRP has the potential to achieve a negative emission of greenhouse gas (‐0.50 kg CO 2 per kg acetic acid).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Commercial and Industrial Energy Procurement in Nigeria: A Consumer's Guidebook

Across Africa, countries have incorporated a variety of new energy sources into their energy mix to account for increasing demand. In Nigeria, electricity consumption per capita has grown nearly 50% in the past 20 years. To address rising demand for energy in Nigeria, the country has passed several recent policies and regulations aimed at increasing energy generation across the country, improving the country's transmission infrastructure, and ensuring that electricity reliably reaches end users, including commercial and industrial (C&I) customers. This guidebook is designed for C&I customers in Nigeria to use in the consideration of procuring such onsite, captive energy systems to supplement their energy needs. Each section of this guidebook touches on a step of the procurement process and details the relevant stakeholders, processes, and data needed to make decisions during that step.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Rinse-Free, Sodium-Efficient Synthesis of O3-Type Layered Oxide Materials Enabled by Acetate Precursors

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion systems for global electrification, with O3-type layered oxide cathodes offering high specific capacity and feasibility of scalable synthesis. Industrial co-precipitation synthesis of these cathodes typically uses transition metal sulfates, requiring extensive water rinsing to remove Na 2 SO 4 impurities, a process that consumes significant water and risks residual inactive phases if incomplete. Here, this work introduces a rinse-free, resource-efficient approach using metal acetate precursors. Residual sodium acetate in non-rinsed precursors decomposes during sintering to generate Na 2 CO 3 in situ, partially substituting an external sodium resource (e.g., NaOH and Na 2 CO 3 ) and reducing its consumption by ∼18–20%. Phase-pure O3-Na 1.0 Ni 1/3 Fe 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NFM111) cathodes synthesized via this method exhibit microstructure and electrochemical performance comparable to rinsed sulfate-derived counterparts, with initial capacities of 141 mAh g −1 at C/20 (7.5 mA g −1 ). By eliminating rinsing and minimizing sodium reagent use, this acetate-based route enhances sustainability and scalability of layered oxide production for SIBs.

acetate vs. sulfate↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interface Evolutionand Long-Term Performance of NegativeCarbon Fiber Structural Electrodes

Abstract Laminated structural batteries present a transformative solution to reducing weight constraints in electric vehicles. These structural batteries are based on a multifunctional material that incorporates an energy storage function within a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. Despite the potential of this technology, the intricate morphology of fiber–matrix or electrode–electrolyte interfaces and the impact of long-term cycling at low current rates (C-rates) on these interfaces remain insufficiently understood. This study addresses these critical knowledge gaps by examining the influence of matrix composition on the long-term electrochemical performance of structural battery electrodes and exploring advanced techniques to investigate carbon fiber–matrix interfaces. Localized imaging and X-ray scattering techniques were used to characterize morphological changes at the electrode–electrolyte interfaces by analyzing negative structural electrodes. The findings revealed that the matrix composition influences long-term electrochemical behavior and fiber–matrix interface formation. While the intrinsic properties of carbon fibers largely remain unaffected by long-term cycling, cycling promotes debonding at fiber–matrix interfaces. Nonetheless, residual regions of adhesion persist, underscoring the potential for preserving multifunctionality even under prolonged cycling conditions. These insights advance the understanding of interface dynamics, which is critical for optimizing structural battery technologies.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

First-principles DFT modeling of nitrobenzene adsorption on the Ag(111) surface at varying monolayer coverages

Here, the adsorption behavior of nitrobenzene on the Ag(111) surface as a function of coverage is investigated using density functional theory. Adsorption energies and optimized geometries are analyzed together with isolated intermolecular interaction calculations and electronic structure analysis, including Bader charge partitioning and projected density of states, to disentangle the roles of adsorbate–surface bonding and through-space adsorbate–adsorbate interactions. At low and intermediate coverages (θ = 1/9 and θ = 2/9), bidentate adsorption at top sites is favored due to strong adsorbate–surface interactions, with additional stabilization at θ = 2/9 arising from favorable intermolecular separations. At higher coverage (θ = 1/3), bidentate adsorption is destabilized by strong intermolecular repulsion, and monodentate adsorption becomes energetically preferred as rotational freedom allows more favorable intermolecular spacing. Charge density differences, Bader charge, and density of states analyses show that charge transfer from the Ag surface is localized primarily on the nitro group and increases with coverage and adsorption denticity, although this increase does not directly correlate with adsorption strength at high coverage due to competing intermolecular interactions. These results demonstrate that surface coverage can induce a transition in preferred adsorption denticity driven by intermolecular interactions, highlighting the importance of adsorbate packing in organic molecule adsorption at metal interfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Osmotic and phoretic competition explains chemotaxic assembly and sorting

Microscale objects responding to chemical gradients by migrating toward or away from a preferred species is a simple yet constitutive mechanism by which transport occurs in biological organisms. Synthetic chemotaxis provides key physical descriptions of simplified systems that can be used in biological models, or in the creation of advanced responsive material systems. In this article, we provide a quantitative framework for understanding synthetic chemotaxis of microparticles which involves a competition between phoresis and osmosis. We present separate quantitative measurements of phoresis and osmosis acting on individual taxing particles, finding that phoresis follows the long-predicted v ∼ 1 / r 2 scaling while the osmotic contribution depends on the geometry and details of the system, and must be solved on a case-by-case basis. Through this, we are able to develop a more accurate picture of particle transport at the single particle level. Equipped with this approach, we go on to describe how high concentrations of particles in a symmetric chemical gradient grow close-packed hives that reach a steady-state size tunable through light intensity or particle size. Last, we demonstrate that mixed particles experiencing the same chemical gradient will selectively migrate toward or away depending on the nature of the particle surface, thereby locally sorting out a particular species. We anticipate these results will be important in describing both biological and synthetic chemotaxis in phoretic systems and should bring a wealth of studies that take advantage of competing osmotic flows to illicit unexpected dynamic active behavior.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗