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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Lithography-free approach to highly efficient, scalable SERS substrates based on disordered clusters of disc on pillar structures

We present a lithography-free technological strategy that enables fabrication of large area substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with excellent performance in the red to NIR spectral range. Our approach takes advantage of metal dewetting as a facile means to create stochastic arrays of circular patterns suitable for subsequent fabrication of plasmonic disc-on-pillar (DOP) structures using a combination of anisotropic reactive ion etching (RIE) and thin film deposition. Consistent with our previous studies of individual DOP structures, pillar height which, in turn, is defined by the RIE processing time, has a dramatic effect on the SERS performance of stochastic arrays of DOP structures. Our computational analysis of model DOP systems confirms the strong effect of the pillar height and also explains the broadband sensitivity of the implemented SERS substrates. Our Raman mapping data combined with SEM structural analysis of the substrates exposed to benzenethiol solutions indicates that clustering of shorter DOP structures and bundling of taller ones is a likely mechanism contributing to higher SERS activity. Nonetheless, bundled DOP structures appeared to be consistently less SERS-active than vertically aligned clusters of DOPs with optimized parameters. The latter are characterized by average SERS enhancement factors above 10^7.

field enhancement↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantitative microstructural investigation of 3D-printed and cast cement pastes using micro-computed tomography and image analysis

Highlights: • Processing alters the microstructure in 3D-printed lamellar cubic element. • A unique patterned and connected pore microstructure network exists. • Micro-channels are connected through micro-pores present at interfaces regions. • Three distinct pore volume domains exists in hardened microstructure. • Volume and frequency of pore, hydrated, and unhydrated clusters are dissimilar. Microstructural phases and mechanical properties of lamellar 3D-printed and cast hardened cement paste (hcp) elements were investigated using a lab-based X-ray microscope at two levels of magnification (0.4× and 4×). K-means clustering was used for quantitative image analysis. The entire volume of intact 3-days-old 3D-printed and cast hcp elements was characterized at 0.4× magnification. Three microstructural features (macro-pores, micro-channels, and interfacial micro-pores) were found to reside in three distinct pore size domains. The largest pores of the 3D-printed element were larger than the largest pores of the reference cast hcp element. Moreover, the smallest pore sizes of the 3D-printed element were found to be smaller than those present in the cast counterparts. Micro-channels were found to be connected to one another through the micro-pores present at interfacial regions, indicating the presence of a uniquely patterned and interconnected pore network. The role of locally weak and porous interfaces on mechanical response and fracture properties is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

SociAL Sensor Analytics: Measuring Phenomenology at Scale

The objective of this paper is to present a system for interrogating immense social media streams through analytical methodologies that characterize topics and events critical to tactical and strategic planning. First, we propose a conceptual framework for interpreting social media as a sensor network. Time-series models and topic clustering algorithms are used to implement this concept into a functioning analytical system. Next, we address two scientific challenges: 1) to understand, quantify, and baseline phenomenology of social media at scale, and 2) to develop analytical methodologies to detect and investigate events of interest. This paper then documents computational methods and reports experimental findings that address these challenges. Ultimately, the ability to process billions of social media posts per week over a period of years enables the identification of patterns and predictors of tactical and strategic concerns at an unprecedented rate through SociAL Sensor Analytics (SALSA).

analytics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Research Introduction [Slides]

In the topic of Reverse Time Imaging, we proposed a new IC to reduce computation cost but reserve image resolution for distributed sensor networks. For Induced Seismicity in Oklahoma, we analyzed fault stress state analysis at state scale, and we applied machine learning techniques to polarity picking and seismicity rate forecasting. The results provide better understanding of fault properties, stress field, and the relationships among fault, stress state, injections, and potential seismic hazards. Lastly, for Microseismic Monitoring, we detected and located 770 low-frequency events (5-50 Hz): (1) Shallow events are highly clustered, consistent with the pathway from injection well 13-10A to monitoring well; moment tensor inversion shows dominant tensile cracking; (2) Deep events are scattered and show migration pattern to the basement; moment tensors show that most events are shear cracks.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1986

Spectral characteristics and the extent of paleosols of the Palouse formation

Spectral relationships were investigated for several bare soil fields which were in summer fallow rotation on the date of the imagery. Printouts of each band were examined and compared to aerial photography. Bands with dissimilar reflectance patterns for known areas were then combined using ratio techniques which were proven useful in other studies (Williams, 1983). Selected ratios were Thematic Mapper (TM) 1/TM4, TM3/TM4, and TM5/TM4. Cluster analyses and Baysian and Fastclass classifier images were produced using the three ratio images. Plots of cluster analysis outputs revealed distinct groupings of reflectance data representing green crops, ripened crops, soil and green plants, and bare soil. Bare soil was represented by a line of clusters on plots of the ratios TM5/TM4 and TM3/TM4. The soil line was investigated further to determine factors involved in the distributin of clusters alone the line. The clusters representing the bare soil line were also studied by plotting the Tm5/TM4, TM1/TM4 dimension. A total of 76 soil samples were gathered and analyzed for organic carbon.

Frazier, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A microstrip array feed for land mobile satellite reflector antennas

A circularly polarized feed array for a spacecraft reflector antenna is described that was constructed by using linearly polarized microstrip elements. The array has seven subarrays which form a single cluster as part of a large overlapping cluster reflector feed array. Each of the seven subarrays consists of four linearly polarized microstrip elements. The array achieved a better than 0.8-dB axial ratio at the array pattern peak and better than 3 dB antenna gain to 20 degrees from the peak, across a 7.5 percent frequency bandwidth. A teardrop-shaped feed probe was used to achieve wideband input impedance matching for the relatively thick microstrip substrate. The low impedance and axial ratio bandwidths were achieved using a relatively thick honeycomb substrate with the impedance-matching feed probes.

Huang, John↗
NASA NTRS2006

Measurement of Model Noise in a Hard-Wall Wind Tunnel

Identification, analysis, and control of fluid-mechanically-generated sound from models of aircraft and automobiles in special low-noise, semi-anechoic wind tunnels are an important research endeavor. Such studies can also be done in aerodynamic wind tunnels that have hard walls if phased microphone arrays are used to focus on the noise-source regions and reject unwanted reflections or background noise. Although it may be difficult to simulate the total flyover or drive-by noise in a closed wind tunnel, individual noise sources can be isolated and analyzed. An acoustic and aerodynamic study was made of a 7-percent-scale aircraft model in a NASA Ames 7-by-10-ft (about 2-by-3-m) wind tunnel for the purpose of identifying and attenuating airframe noise sources. Simulated landing, takeoff, and approach configurations were evaluated at Mach 0.26. Using a phased microphone array mounted in the ceiling over the inverted model, various noise sources in the high-lift system, landing gear, fins, and miscellaneous other components were located and compared for sound level and frequency at one flyover location. Numerous noise-alleviation devices and modifications of the model were evaluated. Simultaneously with acoustic measurements, aerodynamic forces were recorded to document aircraft conditions and any performance changes caused by geometric modifications. Most modern microphone-array systems function in the frequency domain in the sense that spectra of the microphone outputs are computed, then operations are performed on the matrices of microphone-signal cross-spectra. The entire acoustic field at one station in such a system is acquired quickly and interrogated during postprocessing. Beam-forming algorithms are employed to scan a plane near the model surface and locate noise sources while rejecting most background noise and spurious reflections. In the case of the system used in this study, previous studies in the wind tunnel have identified noise sources up to 19 dB below the normal background noise of the wind tunnel. Theoretical predictions of array performance are used to minimize the width and the side lobes of the beam pattern of the microphone array for a given test arrangement. To capture flyover noise of the inverted model, a 104-element microphone array in a 622-mm-diameter cluster was installed in a 19-mm-thick poly(methyl methacrylate) plate in the ceiling of the test section of the wind tunnel above the aircraft model (see Figure 1). The microphones were of the condenser type, and their diaphragms were mounted flush in the array plate, which was recessed 12.7 mm into the ceiling and covered by a porous aromatic polyamide cloth (not shown in the figure) to minimize boundary-layer noise. This design caused the level of flow noise to be much less than that of flush-mount designs. The drawback of this design was that the cloth attenuated sound somewhat and created acoustic resonances that could grow to several dB at a frequency of 10 kHz.

Soderman, Paul T.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Solar Wind as a Laboratory for the Study of Magnetofluid Turbulence

The solar wind is the Sun's exosphere. As the solar atmosphere expands into interplanetary space, it is accelerated and heated. Data from spacecraft located throughout the heliosphere have revealed that this exosphere has velocities of several hundred kilometers/sec, densities at Earth orbit of about 5 particles/cm(exp 3), and an entrained magnetic field that at Earth orbit that is about 5 X 10(exp 5) Gauss. A fascinating feature of this magnetized plasma, which is a gas containing both charged particles and magnetic field, is that the magnetic field fluctuates in a way that is highly reminiscent of "Alfven waves", first defined by Hannes Alfven in 1942. Such waves have the defining property that the fluctuating magnetic fields are aligned with fluctuations in the velocity of the plasma and that, when properly normalized, the fluctuations have equal magnitudes. The observed alignment is not perfect and the resulting mismatch leads to a variety of complex interactions. In many respects, the flow patterns appear to be an example of fully developed magnetofluid turbulence. Recently, the dissipation range of this turbulence has been revealed by Search Coil magnetometer data from the four Cluster spacecraft. This tutorial will describe some of the properties of the large-scale and small-scale turbulence.

Goldstein, Melvyn L.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Aerosol Optical Thickness: Organic Composition, Associated Particle Water, and Aloft Extinction

Over the contiguous United States, the strongest remotely sensed aerosol optical thickness (AOT) is observed in the east, where aerosol liquid water (ALW) and extinction per unit PM 2.5 dry mass are highest. Positive associations between ALW due to sulfate and nitrate with remotely sensed AOT offer a contributing explanation for geospatial patterns in AOT seasonality. We seek here to further resolve patterns in ALW-AOT relationships by investigating organic mass (OM) fractionation, converted from organic carbon (OC) measurements using regionally specific OM:OC ratios, and the associated impacts on ALW. ALW is integrated from the surface through the boundary layer and estimated from measured particle chemical composition using ISORROPIAv2.1 and κ-Kohler theory at eight Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) sites in areas of contrasting AOT seasonality. Two groups of four sites each, clustered by chemical climatology, are compared to AOT derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and vertically resolved extinction retrieved from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) from 2007 to 2016. Estimated ALW within the planetary boundary layer differs between the regions. Spatial patterns and vertical profiles are qualitatively similar to CALIPSO patterns. However, inclusion of volatility-based organic speciation from routine surface networks and the associated ALW do not improve correlation with satellite-derived AOT. CALIPSO-measured extinction is enhanced above the PBL and may partly explain discrepancies. This work is suggestive that the effects of intrinsic physicochemical properties are remotely sensed, but approaches to link AOT to current surface measurements are limited in detail and their ability to assess aloft phenomena.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

A multi-phase-field model of topological pattern formation during electrochemical dealloying of binary alloys

Porous metal structures produced by electrochemical dealloying have been extensively studied for use in various applications that require high surface areas. A new comprehensive multi-phase-field (MPF) model is proposed to study topological porous patterns formed by spontaneously etching a bulk binary alloy that involves electrochemical reactions, bulk and surface diffusion, ion transport, applied electrode potential, and charge conservation. The governing equations for the alloy-porous cluster-electrolyte system account for a generalized Butler-Volmer electrochemical reaction and are in accordance with the classical nucleation theory. Based on a quantitative examination of the effects of electrode potential and precursor composition, the simulation results reproduce typical phenomena including passive surface dealloying, active porosity evolution, critical potential, and characteristic length scale in two-dimension (2-D) and three-dimension (3-D). To consider more complicated dealloying systems, the evolutions of a bimodal porous metal structure, nanocomposite, and nested porous network with a structured hierarchy are investigated. Finally, the proposed model can be a useful tool for understanding and predicting the morphology evolution of diverse porous structures during electrochemical dealloying.

Hierarchical porous structure↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Seismic Signatures of Recently Formed Impact Craters on Mars

We investigated the seismic signatures of recent impact crater clusters on Mars that would be recorded by the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight)seismometers. We used a database of 77 measured and dated impact sites, with craters with diameters between 2.1 and 33.8 m, along with inferred impact angle, bolide trajectory, and varying target material properties to empirically scale for the momentum, expected seismic source function, and radiation pattern of impacts. The impact source is simulated in a local 3‐Dfinite difference wave propagation code and coupled to teleseismic distances by scaling the spectra of 1‐D global synthetic seismograms. We use the InSight seismometer noise floors to estimate detectability of impact(s) across azimuth and distance. Our experiments reveal that impact clusters have a higher peak corner frequency resulting from energy contributed by smaller craters to the power spectrum. We also find that the time separation between individual impacts in a cluster is small (<10–15 ms) and requires a seismometer closely situated to the source (<10 km) and a high sampling rate (>100 Hz) to resolve individual impacts within the cluster. Two of the clusters in our database(>20‐m effective diameter) would have been detectable by InSight, with the assumptions that the Martian background noise and seismic attenuation are both low. Joint detection of surface changes from newly formed crater(s) in images and by InSight will provide precise source locations that are crucial for constraining the internal structure of Mars

N. C. Schmerra↗
DOE OSTI2013

Updating the US Hydrologic Classification: An Approach to Clustering and Stratifying Ecohydrologic Data

Hydrologic classifications unveil the structure of relationships among groups of streams with differing stream flow and provide a foundation for drawing inferences about the principles that govern those relationships. Hydrologic classes provide a template to describe ecological patterns, generalize hydrologic responses to disturbance, and stratify research and management needs applicable to ecohydrology. We developed two updated hydrologic classifications for the continental US using two streamflow datasets of varying reference standards. Using only reference-quality gages, we classified 1715 stream gages into 12 classes across the US. By including more streamflow gages (n=2618) in a separate classification, we increased the dimensionality (i.e. classes) and hydrologic distinctiveness within regions at the expense of decreasing the natural flow standards (i.e. reference quality). Greater numbers of classes and higher regional affiliation within our hydrologic classifications compared to that of the previous US hydrologic classification (Poff, 1996) suggested that the level of hydrologic variation and resolution was not completely represented in smaller sample sizes. Part of the utility of classification systems rests in their ability classify new objects and stratify analyses. We constructed separate random forests to predict hydrologic class membership based on hydrologic indices or landscape variables. In addition, we provide an approach to assessing potential outliers due to hydrologic alteration based on class assignment. Departures from class membership due to disturbance take into account multiple hydrologic indices simultaneously; thus, classes can be used to determine if disturbed streams are functioning within the realm of natural hydrology.

dams↗
DOE OSTI2015

A dynamically driven, universal thermal profile of galaxy groups and clusters

Large scale structures such as groups and clusters of galaxies show a universal, nearly linear entropy radial profile K(r). Using deprojected 16 clusters and 12 groups from the literature, we find that K∝r{sup 0.96±0.01}, consistent with the mean power-law index (0.9–1.1) of previous studies. A similarly good fit is given by a τ∝r{sup 0.72±0.01} ratio between cooling and free-fall times. Both profiles slightly flatten at small radii, as τ becomes of order unity. The entropy profile is usually attributed to self-similar shock accretion (shown to be inconsistent with the data), to non-standard heat conduction, or to turbulent heating. We argue that a dynamical mechanism is needed to sustain such a universal profile, oblivious to the temperature peak at the edge of the core and to the virial shock at the outskirts, and robust to the presence of ongoing cooling, merger, and active galactic nucleus activity. In particular, we show that such a profile can be naturally obtained in a spiral flow, which is likely to underlie most galaxy aggregates according to the ubiquitous spiral patterns and cold fronts observed. Generalizing a two-phase spiral flow model out to the virial radius surprisingly reproduces the thermal profile. A generalized Schwarzschild criterion indicates that observed spiral patterns must involve a convective layer, which may regulate the thermal profile.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Metabolic and spatio-taxonomic response of uncultivated seafloor bacteria following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The release of 700 million liters of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over a few months in 2010 produced dramatic changes in the microbial ecology of the water and sediment. Here in this work, we reconstructed the genomes of 57 widespread uncultivated bacteria from post-spill deep-sea sediments, and recovered their gene expression pattern across the seafloor. These genomes comprised a common collection of bacteria that were enriched in heavily affected sediments around the wellhead. Although rare in distal sediments, some members were still detectable at sites up to 60 km away. Many of these genomes exhibited phylogenetic clustering indicative of common trait selection by the environment, and within half we identified 264 genes associated with hydrocarbon degradation. Alkane degradation ability was near ubiquitous among candidate hydrocarbon degraders, whereas just three harbored elaborate gene inventories for the degradation of alkanes and aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Differential gene expression profiles revealed a spill-promoted microbial sulfur cycle alongside gene upregulation associated with PAH degradation. Gene expression associated with alkane degradation was widespread, although active alkane degrader identities changed along the pollution gradient. Finally, analyses suggest that a broad metabolic capacity to respond to oil inputs exists across a large array of usually rare indigenous deep-sea bacteria.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Source Analysis of Ozone Pollution in Liaoyuan City’s Atmosphere Based on Machine Learning Models and HYSPLIT Clustering Method

Firstly, this study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the ozone (O 3 ) pollution in Liaoyuan City using monitoring data from 2015 to 2024. Then, three machine learning models (ML)—random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN)—are employed to quantify the influence of meteorological and non-meteorological factors on O 3 concentrations. Finally, the HYSPLIT clustering method and CMAQ model are utilized to analyze inter-regional transport characteristics, identifying the causes of O 3 pollution. The results indicate that O 3 pollution in Liaoyuan exhibits a distinct seasonal pattern, with the highest concentrations found in spring and summer, peaking in the afternoon. Among the three ML models, the random forest model demonstrates the best predictive performance (R 2 = 0.9043). Feature importance identifies NO 2 as the primary driving factor, followed by meteorological conditions in the second quarter and land surface characteristics. Furthermore, regional transport significantly contributes to O 3 pollution, with approximately 80% of air mass trajectories in heavily polluted episodes originating from adjacent industrial areas and the sea. The combined effects of transboundary precursors and O 3 transport with local emissions and meteorological conditions further increase the O 3 pollution level. This study highlights the need to strengthen coordinated NO X and VOCs emission reductions and enhance regional joint prevention and control strategies in China.

HYSPLIT clustering↗
DOE OSTI2011

EVIDENCE AGAINST DARK MATTER HALOS SURROUNDING THE GLOBULAR CLUSTERS MGC1 AND NGC 2419

The conjecture that the ancient globular clusters (GCs) formed at the center of their own dark matter (DM) halos was first proposed by Peebles in 1984 and has recently been revived to explain the puzzling abundance patterns observed within many GCs. In this paper, we demonstrate that the outer stellar density profile of isolated GCs is very sensitive to the presence of an extended dark halo. The GCs NGC 2419, located at 90 kpc from the center of our Galaxy, and MGC1, located at {approx}200 kpc from the center of M31, are ideal laboratories for testing the scenario that GCs formed at the centers of massive dark halos. Comparing analytic models to observations of these GCs, we conclude that these GCs cannot be embedded within dark halos with a virial mass greater than 10{sup 6} M{sub sun}, or, equivalently, the DM halo-mass-to-stellar mass ratio must be M{sub DM}/M{sub *} < 1. If these GCs have indeed orbited within weak tidal fields throughout their lifetimes, then these limits imply that these GCs did not form within their own dark halos. Recent observations of an extended stellar halo in the GC NGC 1851 are also interpreted in the context of our analytic models. Implications of these results for the formation of GCs are briefly discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ORIGIN OF THE DIFFUSE, FAR ULTRAVIOLET EMISSION IN THE INTERARM REGIONS OF M101

We present images from the Solar Blind Channel on the Hubble Space Telescope that resolve hundreds of far-ultraviolet (FUV) emitting stars in two ∼1 kpc{sup 2} interarm regions of the grand-design spiral M101. The luminosity functions of these stars are compared with predicted distributions from simple star formation histories, and are best reproduced when the star formation rate has recently declined (past 10–50 Myr). This pattern is consistent with stars forming within spiral arms and then streaming into the interarm regions. We measure the diffuse FUV surface brightness after subtracting all of the detected stars, clusters, and background galaxies. A residual flux is found for both regions, which can be explained by a mix of stars below our detection limit and scattered FUV light. The amount of scattered light required is much larger for the region immediately adjacent to a spiral arm, a bright source of FUV photons.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Predictive Control of Residential Gas Storage Water Heaters [SWR-13-36]

Predictive Control of Residential Gas Storage Water Heaters provides an energy-efficient control method for residential gas storage water heaters. Predictive Control of Residential Gas Storage Water Heaters discovers users' hot water consumption patterns from historical data and automatically modulates the thermostat setpoints to conserve energy while maintaining thermal comfort. The starting time of hot water draw events is recorded and used for clustering analysis. Time intervals are generated from the clusters in which hot water draw events are more likely to occur. The setpoint is set at normal level to maintain thermal comfort, and decreased to a lower level outside these time intervals to reduce tank loss and thereby improving energy efficiency of the water heater.

Christensen, Dane↗