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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 73 records · Page 4

Projective Integral Updates for High-Dimensional Variational Inference

Variational inference is an approximation framework for Bayesian inference that seeks to improve quantified uncertainty in predictions by optimizing a simplified distribution over parameters to stand in for the full posterior. Capturing model variations that remain consistent with training data enables more robust predictions by reducing parameter sensitivity. This work introduces a fixed-point optimization for variational inference that is applicable when every feasible log density can be expressed as a linear combination of functions from a given basis. In such cases, the optimizer becomes a fixed-point of projective integral updates. When the basis spans univariate quadratics in each parameter, the feasible distributions are Gaussian mean-fields and the projective integral updates yield quasi-Newton variational Bayes (QNVB). Other bases and updates are also possible. Since these updates require high-dimensional integration, this work begins by proposing an efficient quasirandom sequence of quadratures for mean-field distributions. Each iterate of the sequence contains two evaluation points that combine to correctly integrate all univariate quadratic functions and, if the mean-field factors are symmetric, all univariate cubics. More importantly, averaging results over short subsequences achieves periodic exactness on a much larger space of multivariate polynomials of quadratic total degree. The corresponding variational updates require four loss evaluations with standard (not second-order) backpropagation to eliminate error terms from over half of all multivariate quadratic basis functions. Furthermore, this integration technique is motivated by first proposing stochastic blocked mean-field quadratures, which may be useful in other contexts. A PyTorch implementation of QNVB allows for better control over model uncertainty during training than competing methods. Experiments demonstrate superior generalizability for multiple learning problems and architectures.

Gaussian mean-field↗

Non-Gaussian transverse momentum fluctuations from impact parameter fluctuations

The transverse momentum per particle, [p t ], fluctuates event by event in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions, for a given multiplicity. These fluctuations are small and approximately Gaussian, but a nonzero skewness has been predicted on the basis of hydrodynamic calculations, and seen experimentally. We argue that the mechanism driving the skewness is that, if the system thermalizes, the mean transverse momentum increases with impact parameter for a fixed collision multiplicity. We postulate that fluctuations are Gaussian at fixed impact parameter, and that non-Gaussianities solely result from impact parameter fluctuations. Using recent data on the variance of [p t ] fluctuations, we make quantitative predictions for their skewness and kurtosis as a function of the collision multiplicity. Here, we predict, in particular, a spectacular increase of the skewness below the knee of the multiplicity distribution, followed by a fast decrease.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Leading-color two-loop amplitudes for four partons and a $\textit{W}$ boson in QCD

We present the leading-color two-loop QCD corrections for the scattering of four partons and a W boson, including its leptonic decay. The amplitudes are assembled from the planar two-loop helicity amplitudes for four partons and a vector boson decaying to a lepton pair, which are also used to determine the planar two-loop amplitudes for four partons and a $Z/γ^\ast$ boson with a leptonic decay. The analytic expressions are obtained by setting up a dedicated Ansatz and constraining the free parameters from numerical samples obtained within the framework of numerical unitarity. The large linear systems that must be solved to determine the analytic expressions are constructed to be in Vandermonde form. Such systems can be very efficiently solved, bypassing the bottleneck of Gaussian elimination. Our results are expressed in a basis of one-mass pentagon functions, which opens the possibility of their efficient numerical evaluation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multifidelity validation of digital surrogates using variable-density turbulent mixing models

In this study, ensembles of experimental data are presented and utilized to compare and validate two models used in the simulation of variable-density (Atwood = 0.22), compressible turbulent mixing. Though models of this kind (Reynolds averaged NavierStokes and large-eddy simulations) have been validated extensively with more canonical flows in previous studies, here the present approach offers novelty in the complexity of the geometry, the ensemble-based validation, and the uniformity of the computational framework on which the models are tested. Moreover, all experimental and computational tasks were completed by the authors which has led to a tightly coupled experimental configuration with its “digital twin.” The experimental divergent-shock-tube facility and its data acquisition methods are described and replicated in simulation space. A 2D Euler model which neglects the turbulent mixing at the interface is optimized to experimental data using a Gaussian process. This model then serves as the basis for both the 2D RANS and 3D LES studies that make comparisons to the mixing-layer data from the experiment. A relatively simple RANS model is shown to produce good agreement with experimental data only at late flow development times. The LES ensembles generally show good agreement with experimental data but display sensitivity to the characterization of initial conditions. Resolution-dependent behavior is also observed for certain higher-order statistics of interest. Overall, the LES model successfully captures the effects of divergent geometry, compressibility, and combined nonlinear instabilities inherent to the problem. The successful prediction of mixing width and its growth rate highlight the existence of three distinct regimes in the development of the instability, each with similarities to previously studied instabilities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Weighted greedy-optimal design of computer experiments for kernel-based and Gaussian process model emulation and calibration

This article is concerned with the approximation of high-dimensional functions by kernel-based methods. Motivated by uncertainty quantification, which often necessitates the construction of approximations that are accurate with respect to a probability density function of random variables, we aim at minimizing the approximation error with respect to a weighted $L^p$-norm. We present a greedy procedure for designing computer experiments based upon a weighted modification of the pivoted Cholesky factorization. The method successively generates nested samples with the goal of minimizing error in regions of high probability. Numerical experiments validate that this new importance sampling strategy is superior to other sampling approaches, especially when used with non-product probability density functions. We also show how to use the proposed algorithm to efficiently generate surrogates for inferring unknown model parameters from data.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Datasets for Custom-trained Machine-learning Interatomic Potentials: Nitric Acid Aqueous Solution

This dataset was generated using an iterative active learning strategy with the ArcaNN software package (https://github.com/arcann-chem/arcann_training) to train machine-learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) for aqueous nitric acid. Each active-learning cycle consisted of three stages: (1) training, (2) exploration, and (3) labeling. The initial training set comprised approximately 800 randomly selected configurations from a previous study by Lewis et al. (https://doi.org/10.1021/jp205510q), which investigated nitric acid solutions at 2, 3, 4, and 5 mol/L. For all configurations, single-point calculations of atomic forces and total energies were performed at the quantum density functional theory BLYP-D2 and PBE-D3 levels of theory using the CP2K Quickstep module. Valence electrons were treated explicitly, while core electrons on all atoms were represented by norm-conserving Goedecker–Teter–Hutter (GTH) pseudopotentials. Long-range dispersion interactions were accounted for using Grimme dispersion corrections. Wave functions were expanded in a mixed Gaussian-and-plane-wave scheme using TZV2P-MOLOPT basis sets for all elements and an 800 Ry auxiliary plane-wave cutoff for the electron density. Self-consistent field convergence was accelerated using orbital transformation and Direct Inversion in the Iterative Subspace, with a convergence threshold of 10^{-6}. All single-point calculations were carried out in periodic orthorhombic cells whose dimensions match those of the molecular configurations sampled from earlier trajectories. The CELL_REF keyword in CP2K was used to define a fixed reference cell, ensuring consistency in the reference data used for MLIP training, particularly when cell fluctuations are present in NpT simulations. The resulting high-fidelity energies and forces constitute the ground-truth labels used to train the MLIPs contained in this dataset.

Dinpajooh, Mohammadhasan [Pacific Northwest Nation↗

Custom-trained Machine-learning Interatomic Potentials: ZnCl2 Aqueous Solution

This dataset was generated using an iterative active-learning strategy implemented in the ArcaNN software package (https://github.com/arcann-chem/arcann_training) to train machine-learning interatomic potentials for aqueous ZnCl2 solutions. Each active-learning cycle consisted of three stages: training, exploration, and labeling. The initial training set combined configurations generated in this work from enhanced-sampling ab initio molecular dynamics simulations with configurations from a previously reported neural-network-potential study of aqueous ZnCl2. The enhanced-sampling ab initio molecular dynamics simulations involved Zn–Cl separation and the chloride coordination number around Zn²? as collective variables. These configurations served as the seed dataset. Subsequent active-learning cycles expanded the training set by identifying and labeling configurations that were poorly represented by the current models, thereby improving coverage of ion-association states and changes in local coordination and charge-state environments relevant to the solution free-energy landscape. For all selected configurations, single-point calculations of the total energies and atomic forces were performed within density functional theory using the CP2K Quickstep module. Reference calculations employed the revPBE-D3 and r2SCAN exchange-correlation functionals. Motivated by recent work on aqueous Zn²?, the main revPBE calculations omitted D3 dispersion contributions involving Zn²?, while retaining the D3 correction for water and chloride. For comparison, fully dispersion-corrected revPBE-D3 reference calculations were also performed, with D3 applied to all species, including Zn²?. Valence electrons were treated explicitly, while core electrons were represented using norm-conserving Goedecker–Teter–Hutter pseudopotentials. The wave functions were expanded using the mixed Gaussian-and-plane-wave scheme with TZV2P-MOLOPT basis sets for all elements and a 600 Ry auxiliary plane-wave cutoff for the electron density. Self-consistent-field convergence was accelerated using the orbital-transformation and Direct Inversion in the Iterative Subspace algorithms, with a convergence threshold of 10?6. All single-point calculations were performed in periodic orthorhombic cells. The CELL_REF keyword in CP2K was used to define a fixed reference cell with a box length of 25 Å. This treatment ensured a consistent reference for configurations extracted from NpT trajectories with fluctuating cell dimensions. The resulting DFT energies and atomic forces constitute the ground-truth labels used to train the MLIPs. The resulting MLIP was trained for aqueous ZnCl2 solutions spanning concentrations from 0 to 30 molal and a broad pH range, from strongly acidic to strongly basic conditions. Representative examples of configurations included in the MLIP training dataset are provided below. These include 1) Representative configurations from the dataset labeled at the revPBE-D3 level, with D3 dispersion interactions involving Zn2+ excluded (revPBE-wo-D3). 2) Representative configurations from the dataset labeled at the fully dispersion-corrected revPBE-D3 level, with D3 interactions applied to all species, including Zn2+ (revPBE-D3). 3) Representative configurations from the dataset labeled at the r2SCAN level of theory (r2SCAN).

Dinpajooh, Mohammadhasan [Pacific Northwest Nation↗

Testing Surrogate-Based Optimization with the Fortified Branin-Hoo Extended to Four Dimensions

Some popular functions used to test global optimization algorithms have multiple local optima, all with the same value, making them all global optima. It is easy to make them more challenging by fortifying them via adding a localized bump at the location of one of the optima. In previous work the authors illustrated this for the Branin-Hoo function and the popular differential evolution algorithm, showing that the fortified Branin-Hoo required an order of magnitude more function evaluations. This paper examines the effect of fortifying the Branin-Hoo function on surrogate- based optimization, which usually proceeds by adaptive sampling. Two algorithms are considered. The EGO algorithm, which is based on a Gaussian process (GP) and an algorithm based on radial basis functions (RBF). EGO is found to be more frugal in terms of the number of required function evaluations required to identify the correct basin, but it is expensive to run on a desktop, limiting the number of times the runs could be repeated to establish sound statistics on the number of required function evaluations. The RBF algorithm was cheaper to run, providing more sound statistics on performance. A four-dimensional version of the Branin-Hoo function was introduced in order to assess the effect of dimensionality. Furthermore, it was found that the difference between the ordinary function and the fortified one was much more pronounced for the four-dimensional function compared to the two dimensional one.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Cholesky-based experimental design for Gaussian process and kernel-based emulation and calibration.

Gaussian processes and other kernel-based methods are used extensively to construct approximations of multivariate data sets. The accuracy of these approximations is dependent on the data used. This paper presents a computationally efficient algorithm to greedily select training samples that minimize the weighted L p error of kernel-based approximations for a given number of data. The method successively generates nested samples, with the goal of minimizing the error in high probability regions of densities specified by users. The algorithm presented is extremely simple and can be implemented using existing pivoted Cholesky factorization methods. Training samples are generated in batches which allows training data to be evaluated (labeled) in parallel. For smooth kernels, the algorithm performs comparably with the greedy integrated variance design but has significantly lower complexity. Numerical experiments demonstrate the efficacy of the approach for bounded, unbounded, multi-modal and non-tensor product densities. We also show how to use the proposed algorithm to efficiently generate surrogates for inferring unknown model parameters from data using Bayesian inference.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Data-driven projection pursuit adaptation of polynomial chaos expansions for dependent high-dimensional parameters

Uncertainty quantification (UQ) and inference involving a large number of parameters are valuable tools for problems associated with heterogeneous and non-stationary behaviors. The difficulty with these problems is exacerbated when these parameters are statistically dependent requiring statistical characterization over joint measures. Probabilistic modeling methodologies stand as effective tools in the realms of UQ and inference. Among these, polynomial chaos expansions (PCE), when adapted to low-dimensional quantities of interest (QoI), provide effective yet accurate approximations for these QoI in terms of an adapted orthogonal basis. These adaptation techniques have been cast as projection pursuits in Gaussian Hilbert space in what has been referred to as a projection pursuit adaptation (PPA) by Xiaoshu Zeng and Roger Ghanem (2023). The PPA method efficiently identifies an optimal low-dimensional space for representing the QoI and simultaneously evaluates an optimal PCE within that space. The quality of this approximation clearly depends on the size of the training dataset, which is typically a function of the adapted reduced dimension. Here, the complexity of the problem is thus mediated by the complexity of the low-dimensional quantity of interest and not the complexity of the high-dimensional parameter space.

Data-driven↗

Method-independent cusps for atomic orbitals in quantum Monte Carlo

Here, we present an approach for augmenting Gaussian atomic orbitals with correct nuclear cusps. Like the atomic orbital basis set itself and unlike previous cusp corrections, this approach is independent of the many-body method used to prepare wave functions for quantum Monte Carlo. Once the basis set and molecular geometry are specified, the cusp-corrected atomic orbitals are uniquely specified, regardless of which density functionals, quantum chemistry methods, or subsequent variational Monte Carlo optimizations are employed. We analyze the statistical improvement offered by these cusps in a number of molecules and find them to offer similar advantages as molecular-orbital-based approaches while remaining independent of the choice of many-body method.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Toward Accelerated Nuclear-physics Parameter Estimation from Binary Neutron Star Mergers: Emulators for the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff Equations

Abstract Gravitational-wave observations of binary neutron-star (BNS) mergers have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the nuclear equation of state (EOS) and the fundamental interactions that determine its properties. However, Bayesian parameter estimation frameworks do not typically sample over microscopic nuclear-physics parameters that determine the EOS. One of the major hurdles in doing so is the computational cost involved in solving the neutron-star structure equations, known as the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff (TOV) equations. In this paper, we explore approaches to emulating solutions for the TOV equations: multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), Gaussian processes, and a data-driven variant of the reduced basis method (RBM). We implement these emulators for three different parameterizations of the nuclear EOS, each with a different degree of complexity represented by the number of model parameters. We find that our MLP-based emulators are generally more accurate than the other two algorithms, whereas the RBM results in the largest speedup with respect to the full high-fidelity TOV solver. We employ these emulators for a simple parameter inference using a potentially loud BNS observation and show that the posteriors predicted by our emulators are in excellent agreement with those obtained from the full TOV solver.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

HYSPLIT/MACCS Atmospheric Dispersion Model Technical Documentation and Benchmark Analysis

The nuclear accident consequence analysis code MACCS has traditionally modeled dispersion during downwind transport using a Gaussian plume segment model. MACCS is designed to estimate consequence measures such as air concentrations and ground depositions, radiological doses, and health and economic impacts on a statistical basis over the course of a year to produce annualaveraged output measures. The objective of this work is to supplement the Gaussian atmospheric transport and diffusion (ATD) model currently in MACCS with a new option using the HYSPLIT model. HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling has been implemented, with HYSPLIT as an alternative ATD option. The subsequent calculations in MACCS use the HYSPLIT-generated air concentration, and ground deposition values to calculate the same range of output quantities (dose, health effects, risks, etc.) that can be generated when using the MACCS Gaussian ATD model. Based on the results from the verification test cases, the implementation of the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling is confirmed. This report contains technical details of the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling and presents a benchmark analysis using the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling system. The benchmark analysis, which involves running specific scenarios and sensitivity studies designed to examine how the results generated by the traditional MACCS Gaussian plume segment model compare to the new, higher fidelity HYSPLIT/MACCS modeling option, demonstrates the modeling results that can be obtained by using this new option. The comparisons provided herein can also help decision-makers evaluate the potential benefit of using results based on higher fidelity modeling with the additional computational burden needed to perform the calculations. Three sensitivity studies to investigate the potential impact of alternative modeling options, regarding 1) input meteorological data set, 2) method to estimate stability class, and 3) plume dispersion model for larger distances, on consequence results were also performed. The results of these analyses are provided and discussed in this report.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Galaxy bispectrum in the spherical Fourier-Bessel basis

The bispectrum, the three-point correlation in Fourier space, is a crucial statistic for studying many effects targeted by the next-generation galaxy surveys, such as primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) and general relativistic (GR) effects on large scales. In this work we develop a formalism for the bispectrum in the spherical Fourier-Bessel (SFB) basis—a natural basis for computing correlation functions on the curved sky, as it diagonalizes the Laplacian operator in spherical coordinates. Working in the SFB basis allows for line-of-sight effects such as redshift space distortions and GR to be accounted for exactly, i.e., without having to resort to perturbative expansions to go beyond the plane-parallel approximation. Only analytic results for the SFB bispectrum exist in the literature given the intensive computations needed. We numerically calculate the SFB bispectrum for the first time, enabled by a few techniques: We implement a template decomposition of the redshift-space kernel Z 2 into Legendre polynomials, and separately treat the PNG and velocity-divergence terms. We derive an identity to integrate a product of three spherical harmonics connected by a Dirac delta function as a simple sum and use it to investigate the limit of a homogeneous and isotropic Universe. Furthermore, we present a formalism for convolving the signal with separable window functions and use a toy spherically symmetric window to demonstrate the computation and give insights into the properties of the observed bispectrum signal. While our implementation remains computationally challenging, it is a step toward a feasible full extraction of information on large scales via a SFB bispectrum analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Estimating basis functions in massive fields under the spatial mixed effects model

Abstract Spatial prediction is commonly achieved under the assumption of a Gaussian random field by obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of parameters, and then using the kriging equations to arrive at predicted values. For massive datasets, fixed rank kriging using the expectation–maximization algorithm for estimation has been proposed as an alternative to the usual but computationally prohibitive kriging method. The method reduces computation cost of estimation by redefining the spatial process as a linear combination of basis functions and spatial random effects. A disadvantage of this method is that it imposes constraints on the relationship between the observed locations and the knots. We develop an alternative method that utilizes the spatial mixed effects model, but allows for additional flexibility by estimating the range of the spatial dependence between the observations and the knots via an alternating expectation conditional maximization algorithm. Experiments show that our methodology improves estimation without sacrificing prediction accuracy while also minimizing the additional computational burden of extra parameter estimation. The methodology is applied to a temperature dataset archived by the United States National Climate Data Center, with improved results over previous methodology.

Pazdernik, Karl↗

Design and fabrication of TiO 2 -based dye sensitized solar cells using plant-derived organic dyes

The utilization of solar energy, an abundant and renewable resource, shows great promise. Various technologies have been employed to capture this vast energy potential. In this study, the effectiveness of natural dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was explored through experimental and computational methods. Organic dyes derived from specific plant species were examined, with a solvent mixture of ethanol, methanol, and tetrahydrofuran used for extraction. A UV–vis spectrophotometer was utilized to measure the sensitizers’ optical characteristics. The study employed density functional theory (DFT), implemented in Gaussian 09 W software, to perform computational calculations. The B3LYP method and a basis set of 6-31G++(d,p) were chosen for optimizing the geometries and energetics of dye molecules. The DFT results indicated that the dye molecules had a bandgap in the range of 2.16–2.38 eV. The photochemical performance of all four fabricated DSSC-based devices was evaluated to be between 0.33% and 1.04%, and the Euryops pectinatus sensitizer demonstrated the highest efficiency of 1.04% among the studied sensitizers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Non-Gaussian photonic state engineering with the quantum frequency processor

Non-Gaussian quantum states of light are critical resources for optical quantum information processing, but methods to generate them efficiently remain challenging to implement. Here we introduce a generic approach for non-Gaussian state production from input states populating discrete frequency bins. Based on controllable unitary operations with a quantum frequency processor, followed by photon-number-resolved detection of ancilla modes, our method combines recent developments in both frequency-based quantum information and non-Gaussian state preparation. Leveraging and refining the K-function representation of quantum states in the coherent basis, we develop a theoretical model amenable to numerical optimization and, as specific examples, design quantum frequency processor circuits for the production of Schrödinger cat states, exploring the performance tradeoffs for several combinations of ancilla modes and circuit depth. Our scheme provides a valuable framework for producing complex quantum states in frequency bins, paving the way for single-spatial-mode, fiber-optic-compatible non-Gaussian resources.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Analytic Gaussian covariance matrices for galaxy N-point correlation functions

Here, we derive analytic covariance matrices for the N-point correlation functions (NPCFs) of galaxies in the Gaussian limit. Our results are given for arbitrary N and projected onto the isotropic basis functions given by spherical harmonics and Wigner 3j symbols. A numerical implementation of the 4PCF covariance is compared to the sample covariance obtained from a set of lognormal simulations, Quijote dark matter halo catalogues, and MultiDark-Patchy galaxy mocks, with the latter including realistic survey geometry. The analytic formalism gives reasonable predictions for the covariances estimated from mock simulations with a periodic-box geometry. Furthermore, fitting for an effective volume and number density by maximizing a likelihood based on Kullback-Leibler divergence is shown to partially compensate for the effects of a nonuniform window function. Our result is recently shown to facilitate NPCF analysis on a realistic survey data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗