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At least 793 records · Page 44

The Thermal Structure and Composition of Jupiter's Great Red Spot From JWST/MIRI

Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) was mapped by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/Mid-Infrared Instrument (4.9–27.9 μm) in July and August 2022. These observations took place alongside a suite of visual and infrared observations from; Hubble, JWST/NIRCam, Very Large Telescope/VISIR and amateur observers which provided both spatial and temporal context across the jovian disc. The stratospheric temperature structure retrieved using the NEMESIS software revealed a series of hot-spots above the GRS. These could be the consequence of GRS-induced wave activity. In the troposphere, the temperature structure was used to derive the thermal wind structure of the GRS vortex. These winds were only consistent with the independently determined wind field by JWST/NIRCam at 240 mbar if the altitude of the Hubble-derived winds were located around 1,200 mbar, considerably deeper than previously assumed. No enhancement in ammonia was found within the GRS but a link between elevated aerosol and phosphine abundances was observed within this region. North-south asymmetries were observed in the retrieved temperature, ammonia, phosphine and aerosol structure, consistent with the GRS tilting in the north-south direction. Finally, a small storm was captured north-west of the GRS that displayed a considerable excess in retrieved phosphine abundance, suggestive of vigorous convection. Despite this, no ammonia ice was detected in this region. The novelty of JWST required us to develop custom-made software to resolve challenges in calibration of the data. This involved the derivation of the “FLT-5” wavelength calibration solution that has subsequently been integrated into the standard calibration pipeline.

Jake Harkett↗

Observation of Kolmogorov turbulence due to multiscale vortices in dusty plasma experiments

We report the experimental observation of fully developed Kolmogorov turbulence originating from self-excited vortex flows in a three-dimensional (3D) dust cloud. The characteristic -5/3 scaling of 3D Kolmogorov turbulence is consistent in both the spatial and temporal energy spectra within a statistical variation of experimental data. Additionally, the 2/3 scaling in the second-order structure function further supports the presence of Kolmogorov turbulence. We also identified a slight deviation in the tails of the probability distribution functions for velocity gradients, a reflection of intermittency. The experiment showed the formation of a dust cloud in the diffused plasma region away from the electrodes. The dust rotation was observed in multiple experimental campaigns under different discharge conditions at different spatial locations and background plasma environments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Parallel Information Processing (Image Transmission Via Fiber Bundle and Multimode Fiber

Growing demand for visual, user-friendly representation of information inspires search for the new methods of image transmission. Currently used in-series (sequential) methods of information processing are inherently slow and are designed mainly for transmission of one or two dimensional arrays of data. Conventional transmission of data by fibers requires many fibers with array of laser diodes and photodetectors. In practice, fiber bundles are also used for transmission of images. Image is formed on the fiber-optic bundle entrance surface and each fiber transmits the incident image to the exit surface. Since the fibers do not preserve phase, only 2D intensity distribution can be transmitted in this way. Each single mode fiber transmit only one pixel of an image. Multimode fibers may be also used, so that each mode represent different pixel element. Direct transmission of image through multimode fiber is hindered by the mode scrambling and phase randomization. To overcome these obstacles wavelength and time-division multiplexing have been used, with each pixel transmitted on a separate wavelength or time interval. Phase-conjugate techniques also was tested in, but only in the unpractical scheme when reconstructed image return back to the fiber input end. Another method of three-dimensional imaging over single mode fibers was demonstrated in, using laser light of reduced spatial coherence. Coherence encoding, needed for a transmission of images by this methods, was realized with grating interferometer or with the help of an acousto-optic deflector. We suggest simple practical holographic method of image transmission over single multimode fiber or over fiber bundle with coherent light using filtering by holographic optical elements. Originally this method was successfully tested for the single multimode fiber. In this research we have modified holographic method for transmission of laser illuminated images over commercially available fiber bundle (fiber endoscope, or fiberscope).

Kukhtarev, Nicholai↗

Spatiotemporal interpolation of air pollutants in the Greater Cairo and the Delta, Egypt

Highlights: • Data from network of monitoring stations in Egypt are used for studying SO{sub 2}, NO{sub 2}, and PM{sub 10.} • Trans-Gaussian Spatiotemporal kriging is used as a spatiotemporal interpolation method. • The whole area under study is suffering from high values of PM{sub 10} throughout 2015. • For NO{sub 2} and SO{sub 2}, the highest value is noticed in February. • Concerns must be given to the monitoring network to improve the prediction precision. This paper analyses the spatiotemporal variability of air pollutants in Egypt using monthly averages from the air quality monitoring network from 2011 to 2015. Particulate Matters (PM{sub 10}) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO{sub 2}) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO{sub 2}), measured by the monitoring stations network are studied. A log transformation is applied for the three pollutants to achieve normality. The sum-metric function is utilized for modelling the spatiotemporal variogram as it gave the smallest Mean Squared Error (MSE) compared to other forms namely separable, metric, and product sum models. Therefore, employing the gstat package in R together with the trans-Gaussian spatiotemporal kriging, the maps are generated for the interpolated surfaces for the monthly averages of 2015 and the corresponding standard error values. These maps will help the decision maker to understand and visualize the spatial and temporal variability of the measured pollutants and hence undertake the necessary policies and decisions. The results show that the down town area has the highest pollutants levels. As concerns the temporal dimension, the highest values are depicted during the month of February as compared to the rest of the year. Furthermore, Egypt is suffering from a serious PM{sub 10} problem for the area and period under study that extremely exceed the WHO and Egyptian guidelines.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

ParFlow Sand Tank: A tool for groundwater exploration

The ParFlow Sand Tank model is an open source application designed to allow users to interactively simulate and visualize groundwater movement through the subsurface. The app is designed for both research and education; teaching hydrogeology concepts and making it easy explore and run sophisticated groundwater simulations. Our goal is to support increased accessibility and usability of research grade hydrology tools for research and teaching. The Sand Tank application simulates groundwater and surface water fluxes as well as contaminant transport in real time using the integrated physical hydrology model ParFlow (Kollet & Maxwell, 2006; Maxwell & Miller, 2005; Osei-Kuffuor et al., 2014) and the particle tracking code EcoSlim (Maxwell et al., 2019). ParFlow is a numerical hydrology model that simulates spatially distributed groundwater and surface water flow. It is a well established research tool with more than 90 publications documenting its development use to advance our understanding of groundwater dynamics and groundwater surface water interactions from the hillslope to the continental scale e.g. (Condon et al., 2020; Condon & Maxwell, 2019; Maxwell & Condon, 2016). It is designed for efficient parallel computation and has been run on many platforms spanning from laptops to supercomputers. However, one of the challenges of ParFlow is that it requires significant training and hydrologic expertise to develop simulations. The Sand Tank application makes this model accessible to anyone for education and exploration. Our application uses ParFlow for its simulation backend and ParaView for the data loading and processing. The communication infrastructure relies on the ParaViewWeb framework. We use model templates deployed in Docker images to setup the Sand Tank framework. Users can build the application locally or interact with it through our web deployment. When interacting with a template users can interactively change model parameters like subsurface processes or pump/inject water into the subsurface and watch the system respond to their changes in real time as the simulation runs. Additionally, our template setup will allow more advanced users to build custom templates of increasing complexity for both research and educational purposes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Dataset for "A Microfluidic Spore Chamber for Long-Term Imaging of Single-Spore Hyphal Development"

Understanding the life cycle of fungal spores is essential for elucidating their roles in pathogenesis, dispersal, and survival. However, studying spore development under controlled, spatially defined conditions remains challenging. Here, we present the Spore Chamber, a custom-built microfluidic platform engineered for parallel trapping and long-term imaging of individual spores under defined media conditions, enabling real-time visualization of hyphal development. Using Aspergillus fumigatus as a model organism, we demonstrate that sparse trapping of individual spores within size-matched trap geometries enables long-term time-lapse imaging of key developmental stages, including germination, polarized hyphal elongation, branching, and conidiophore formation. To assess the device’s capacity to resolve morphogenetic responses to exogenous signals, we introduced lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) and short-chain chitooligosaccharides (COs). Rhizobium-derived, non-sulfated LCO (nsLCO) mixtures induced enhanced secondary branching (hyperbranching), a response not previously reported in A. fumigatus under these signal conditions, to our knowledge, whereas sulfated LCOs and CO4 did not significantly alter branching patterns. In addition, long-term confinement and imaging revealed rare developmental morphologies previously described primarily in mutant strains, including split conidiophore formation, elongated phialides, microcyclic conidiation, and chlamydospore development. Together, these results establish the Spore Chamber as a targeted microfluidic platform for single-spore phenotyping and long-term developmental analysis, with applications in fungal biology, chemical signaling studies, and host–microbe interaction research. Videos of the observed phenomena are included in this data set.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Visualization of Flowfield Modification by RCS Jets on a Capsule Entry Vehicle

Nitric oxide planar laser-induced fluorescence (NO PLIF) has been used to visualize the flow on the aft-body of an entry capsule having an activated RCS jet in NASA Langley Research Center's 31-Inch Mach 10 wind tunnel facility. A capsule shape representative of the Apollo command module was tested. These tests were performed to demonstrate the ability of the PLIF method to visualize RCS jet flow while providing some preliminary input to NASA's Orion Vehicle design team. Two different RCS nozzle designs - conical and contoured - were tested. The conical and contoured nozzles had area ratios of 13.4 and 22.5 respectively. The conical nozzle had a half-angle of 10 . Low- and high-Reynolds number cases were investigated by changing the tunnel stagnation pressure from 350 psi to 1300 psi, resulting in freestream Reynolds numbers of 0.56 and 1.8 million per foot respectively. For both of these cases, three different jet plenum pressures were tested (nominally 56, 250 and 500 psi). A single angle-of-attack was investigated (24 degrees). NO PLIF uses an ultraviolet laser sheet to interrogate a slice in the flow containing seeded NO; this UV light excites fluorescence from the NO molecules which is detected by a high-speed digital camera. The system has spatial resolution of about 200 microns (2 pixel blurring) and has flow-stopping time resolution (approximately 1 microsecond). NO was seeded into the flow two different ways. First, the RCS jet fluid was seeded with approximately 1-5% NO, with the balance N2. This allowed observation of the shape, structure and trajectory of the RCS jets. Visualizations of both laminar and turbulent flow jet features were obtained. Visualizations were obtained with the tunnel operating at Mach 10 and also with the test section held at a constant pressure similar to the aftbody static pressure (0.04 psi) obtained during tunnel runs. These two conditions are called "tunnel on" and "tunnel off" respectively. Second, the forebody flow was seeded with a very low flowrate (<100 standard cubic centimeters per minute) of pure NO. This trace gas was entrained into and allowed visualization of the shear layer forming between the expansion fan on the shoulder of the model and the recirculating separated flow in the wake of the model. This shear layer was observed to be laminar in the absence of the RCS jet operation and turbulent above a certain RCS jet flowrate. Furthermore, the operation of the RCS jet is seen to push the shear layer out away from the model, with a higher jet pressures resulting in larger deflections. Figures show some data from this test, partially processed. In the final paper, these images will be processed and rendered on a three dimensional visualization of the test hardware for clearer visualization and interpretation of the flowfields.

Danehy, P. M.↗

Data, model inputs, and analysis scripts associated with a manuscript on stream intermittency controls across spatial scales in Pacific Northwest watersheds

NOTE: The manuscript associated with this data package is currently in review. The data may be revised based on reviewer feedback. Upon manuscript acceptance, this data package will be updated with the final dataset and additional metadata. This data package is associated with the manuscript "Hydroclimatic Memory and Watershed Template Shape Stream Intermittency: Multi-scale Attribution Using Process-based Simulation and Explainable ML" by Niroula et al. (2026), submitted to Water Resources Research (WRR). The study investigates the dominant controls on stream intermittency across local, reach, and watershed scales using a coupled process-based simulation and explainable machine-learning framework. Long-term daily simulations from the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) were used to generate wetness states and ponded-depth responses over river-corridor cells. These ATS outputs were then aggregated across scales and used to train XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting) models. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) was applied to quantify the relative importance of hydroclimatic forcings, watershed template attributes, and antecedent-memory effects in shaping intermittency behavior. The analysis is carried out for three contrasting Pacific Northwest watersheds: Oak Creek (OCW), American River Watershed (ARW), and H.J. Andrews (HJA). Across these testbeds, the package contains ATS-ready watershed inputs, ATS run configuration and selected output files, model-evaluation data products, intermittency-analysis datasets, machine-learning target-feature tables, SHAP outputs, and notebooks used to organize, analyze, and visualize results. At a high level, the package documents a workflow in which ATS provides the physically based simulation backbone and explainable machine learning is used as a post-processing attribution tool. The contents are intended to support interpretation of the manuscript figures and results, provide context for how intermittency metrics were generated at multiple scales, and preserve the key artifacts needed to understand and reuse the analysis workflow. The package contains a high-level directory summary file (`summary.txt`) and four main content folders (1) `evaluation_plots` contains evaluation figures and supporting evaluation datasets; (2) `intermittency_plots` contains intermittency-focused analysis notebook and prepared datasets; (3) `ml-training-and-shap_values_plots` contains ML training inputs, SHAP outputs, and figure-generation notebooks; and (4) `watershed_mesh_and_ats_input` contains ATS model setup materials, forcing inputs, geometry, and selected run files. More specifically, the `evaluation_plots` folder contains the notebook used for ATS evaluation plotting and site-specific evaluation datasets. These include evapotranspiration and water-balance products for three watersheds, as well as an Oak Creek field-measurement discharge file. The `intermittency_plots` folder contains the notebook used for intermittency analysis and the prepared datasets used to analyze intermittent and non-intermittent wetness behavior across the study watersheds. The `ml-training-and-shap_values_plots` folder contains notebooks and outputs for the machine-learning and explainability workflow. This includes the main XGBoost and SHAP notebook(s), a beeswarm plotting notebook, target-feature tables for machine-learning training, SHAP summary tables, and per-sample SHAP value archives. The `watershed_mesh_and_ats_input` folder contains ATS-related watershed inputs and supporting materials. This includes mesh and shape products, ATS-readable LAI and meteorological forcing inputs, selected ATS spinup and transient-run files, and a watershed workflow example notebook. Subdirectories are organized by watershed where applicable.All files are .cpg (codepage files), .csv (comma-separated values), .dbf (database files), .exo (Exodus mesh format), .h5 (HDF5 format), .ipynb (Jupyter notebooks), .pkl (Python pickle), .prj (projection files), .sh (shell scripts), .shp (shapefile geometry), .shx (shapefile index), .txt (text files), or .xml (markup data).

Advanced Terrestrial Simulator↗

Visualization of structural evolution and phase distribution of a lithium vanadium oxide (Li 1.1 V 3 O 8 ) electrode via an operando and in situ energy dispersive X-ray diffraction technique

We present Li 1+n V 3 O 8 (n = 0–0.2) has been extensively investigated as a cathode material for Li ion batteries because of its superior electrochemical properties including high specific energy and good rate capability. In this paper, a synchrotron based energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) technique was employed to profile the phase transitions and the spatial phase distribution of a Li 1.1 V 3 O 8 electrode during electrochemical (de)lithiation in situ and operando. As annealing temperature during the preparation of the Li 1.1 V 3 O 8 material has a strong influence on the morphology and crystallinity, and consequently influences the electrochemical outcomes of the material, Li 1.1 V 3 O 8 materials prepared at two different temperatures, 500 and 300°C (LVO500 and LVO300), were employed in this study. The EDXRD spectra of LVO500 and LVO300 cells pre-discharged at C/18, C/40 and C/150 were recorded in situ, and phase localization and relative intensity of the peaks were compared. For cells discharged at the C/18 rate, although α and β phases were distributed uniformly within the LVO500 electrode, they were localized on two sides of the LVO300 electrode. Discharging rates of C/40 and C/150 led to homogeneous β phase formation in both LVO500 and LVO300 electrodes. Furthermore, the phase distribution as a function of position and (de)lithiation extent was mapped operando as the LVO500 cell was (de)lithiated. In conclusion, the operando data indicate that (1) the lithiation reaction initiated from the side of the electrode facing the Li anode and proceeded towards the side facing the steel can, (2) during discharge the phase transformation from a Li-poor to a Li-rich α phase and the formation of a β phase can proceed simultaneously in the electrode after the first formation of a β phase, and (3) the structural evolution occurring during charging is not the reverse of that during discharge and takes place homogenously throughout the electrode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Initial Assessment of Cover Degradation Features at the Mexican Hat, Utah, UMTRCA Disposal Site - 19556

The Mexican Hat, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Title I Disposal Site is located on the Navajo Reservation in southeast Utah. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed the site to the US Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) for custody and long-term care. LM manages long-term surveillance and maintenance activities at the site with the principal goal of protecting human health and the environment. The disposal cell was designed to encapsulate low-level radioactive mill tailings and other residual radioactive materials (RRM) in a way that minimizes the need for active maintenance and limits radon gas emanation and precipitation infiltration. The disposal cell has a multicomponent cover, consisting of a 60 cm thick (24 inch), low-permeability, bentonite-amended radon barrier, overlain by a 15 cm thick (6 inch) sandy gravel bedding/filter layer and a 30 cm thick (12 inch) riprap erosion-protection layer. Under UMTRCA, designs intended to control and contain RRM shall be effective for up to 1000 years, to the extent reasonably achievable and, in any case, for at least 200 years. In 2016, multiple subtle depressions were identified on the rock cover along the toe and lower portions of the northeast side slope of the disposal cell. Due to concerns regarding potential impacts to disposal cell performance and erosion resistance, evaluations of the depressions and cell cover design and construction were initiated. The evaluations included reviews of the disposal cell as-built drawings and supporting design calculations for the rock cover components. Also, in 2017, a weather monitoring station was installed at the site to collect continuous site-specific meteorological data, and repeatable ground-based light imaging, detection, and ranging (lidar) topographical and aerial photogrammetry surveys were implemented to monitor for potential changes in the surface depression features. The evaluations also included visual inspections of the depressions, and in 2018, small-area manual excavations of the rock cover components (test pits) were performed to observe the conditions of the cover components, scan for radioactivity, and observe evidence of erosion on the surface of the radon barrier material. Voids and incisions were discovered within the radon barrier on the north and northeast side slopes of the disposal cell. Visual observations at test pits indicate that the bedding/filter material is highly segregated and may not be in conformance with the disposal cell engineering and construction design specifications. Post-construction development of a weak to strongly cemented material has also been observed immediately below the base of the bedding layer in test pits with observed radon barrier degradation. A series of radiological surveys have been performed at the site, and radiological readings have not exceeded natural background conditions in the vicinity of the site. Thus, the site remains protective of human health and the environment. Implementation of continuous radiological monitoring at the site will be initiated in fall 2018 through the deployment of radon cups and thermoluminescent dosimeters to obtain data that provides supporting evidence that the disposal cell remains protective of human health and the environment. Evaluations to determine the cause(s) of the depression features and associated radon barrier erosion are ongoing. Possible mechanisms of cover degradation identified thus far include segregated bedding material that would allow for higher precipitation runoff velocities, resulting in erosion of the radon barrier; post-construction cementation of radon barrier or aeolian material that could negatively affect the performance of the radon barrier; cation exchange leading to the development of cementation; and aeolian deposition affecting precipitation runoff. Moreover, geotechnical sampling and testing is planned to verify spatial cover conditions relative to design specifications. The resulting information will be used to identify possible causes for the surface depressions and associated radon barrier degradation, gain insight on potential long-term performance implications along the side slopes of the disposal cell, and identify potential corrective actions. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Vestibular adaptation to space in monkeys

Otolith-induced eye movements of rhesus monkeys were studied before and after the 1989 COSMOS 2044 and the 1992 to 1993 COSMOS 2229 flights. Two animals flew in each mission for approximately 2 weeks. After flight, spatial orientation of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex was altered. In one animal the time constant of postrotatory nystagmus, which had been shortened by head tilts with regard to gravity before flight, was unaffected by the same head tilts after flight. In another animal, eye velocity, which tended to align with a gravitational axis before flight, moved toward a body axis after flight. This shift of orientation disappeared by 7 days after landing. After flight, the magnitude of compensatory ocular counter-rolling was reduced by about 70% in both dynamic and static tilts. Modulation in vergence in response to naso-occipital linear acceleration during off-vertical axis rotation was reduced by more than 50%. These changes persisted for 11 days after recovery. An up and down asymmetry of vertical nystagmus was diminished for 7 days. Gains of the semicircular canal-induced horizontal and vertical angular vestibulo-ocular reflexes were unaffected in both flights, but the gain of the roll angular vestibulo-ocular reflex was decreased. These data indicate that there are short- and long-term changes in otolith-induced eye movements after adaptation to microgravity. These experiments also demonstrate the unique value of the monkey as a model for studying effects of vestibular adaptation in space. Eye movements can be measured in three dimensions in response to controlled vestibular and visual stimulation, and the results are directly applicable to human beings. Studies in monkeys to determine how otolith afferent input and central processing is altered by adaptation to microgravity should be an essential component of future space-related research.

Cosmos 2229 Project↗

Estimating contact rates at a mass gathering by using video analysis: a proof-of-concept project

Current approaches for estimating social mixing patterns and infectious disease transmission at mass gatherings have been limited by various constraints, including low participation rates for volunteer-based research projects and challenges in quantifying spatially and temporally accurate person-to-person interactions. We developed a proof-of-concept project to assess the use of automated video analysis for estimating contact rates of attendees of the GameFest 2013 event at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. Video tracking and analysis algorithms were used to estimate the number and duration of contacts for 5 attendees during a 3-minute clip from the RPI video. Attendees were considered to have a contact event if the distance between them and another person was ≤1 meter. Contact duration was estimated in seconds. We also simulated 50 attendees assuming random mixing using a geospatially accurate representation of the same GameFest location. The 5 attendees had an overall median of 2 contact events during the 3-minute video clip (range: 0 6). Contact events varied from less than 5 seconds to the full duration of the 3- minute clip. The random mixing simulation was visualized and presented as a contrasting example. We were able to estimate the number and duration of contacts for five GameFest attendees from a 3-minute video clip that can be compared to a random mixing simulation model at the same location. In conclusion, the next phase will involve scaling the system for simultaneous analysis of mixing patterns from hours-long videos and comparing our results with other approaches for collecting contact data from mass gathering attendees.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

COVID-19 Data Curation Effort: An Initial Analysis of the Data

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, major case reporting outlets quickly coalesced around two or three primary vendors. Johns Hopkins University and The New York Times were among the more prominent, and all were of great value to the nation, particularly during the uncertain early stages of the pandemic. They primarily focused on three major attributes: number of new cases, deaths, and recovery. Recognizing that many states were reporting very detailed data sets (e.g., hospital beds) at a county level or finer, the ORNL Pandemic Modeling team embarked on a major data curation effort from March to June 2020 for the purpose of capturing this wealth of detailed data. The challenge of curating this data was daunting. The number of attributes reported by the states grew on almost on a weekly basis. States were routinely shifting their web tool strategies away from easily parsable HTML-based formatting to new Tableau and ArcGIS content. This growth in the sheer number of attributes, combined with the unpredictable shifts in data format, meant an aggressive and agile combination of automated scripting and manual scraping was required to capture new daily streams. Further, the team had to scale up staff and widen its approach for capture and storage. As a result, the team collected more than 11 million data points. Following the close of this data collection effort on June 30 th , 2020, the team embarked on a major effort to appraise what had been collected, including an inventory list, spatial completeness, temporal completeness, scale and geographic characteristics, and a determination. A report on this matter was submitted on September 15 th , 2020, titled “DOE COVID-19 Data Curation Effort: Overview of Data Collection Coverage”. Over 2000 unique attributes had been netted over a wide range of spatial scales, including state, county, zip codes, health regions, and census blocks. Over 11 million individual data points were collected across these attributes, and spatial coverage (in total) included all 50 states and multiple territories. What became apparent in the process is that in the absence of any data standards, many states reported a wide variety of unique attributes that were not always compatible with attributes reported in other states. As time continued, states began adding new attributes and offering finer grain detail in some older attributes. This meant that not all data streams existed for the entire time period; in fact, the number tended to increase dramatically towards the end. Often, states would begin an attribute series and then stop altogether. These highly variable and uncertain conditions illuminated the need for harmonization approaches that would reconcile and conflate changing attribute names and detail over time. For example, grouping racial data reported as either Black or African American, depending on the state, into a single harmonized attribute. These choices would make a within-state analysis possible during the time period and lead to potential between-state analytics later on. This was almost entirely a manual decision process, requiring some subjective decision-making at times, to prevent a fragmented, short-lived collection of time series fragments that would offer few insights into trends, patterns, and correlates. This report imports harmonized data for state and county into the World Spatio-Temporal Analytics and Mapping Project (WSTAMP). WSTAMP is a major space-time analysis and visualization tool developed at ORNL for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency specifically for this kind of exploratory analysis. WSTAMP offers a rich analytical and graphical environment consisting of a wide range of analytics. These include time series plots, statistical summaries, data mining techniques, trend and pattern detection, and hypothesis generation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Auroral Microphysics Rocket (AMICIST) and Reflight of the Phaze Sounding Rocket

This grant was originally awarded for the flight of the AMICIST sounding rocket. However, upon launch failure of the PHAZE rocket, additional resources were placed in this grant to cover the launch of the PHAZE II rocket. AMICIST was successfully launched from the Poker Flat Range on February 24, 1995, and the PHAZE II was successfully launched also from the Poker Flat Range on February 10, 1997. The major objective of the AMICIST flight was to investigate the bursts of transverse ion acceleration occurring during aurora, commonly known as Lower Hybrid Solitary Structures, with the flight of two scientific payloads to unravel space from time effects. The data clearly showed that the structures of ion acceleration were a spatial phenomena having a scale size transverse to the local magnetic field of about 100 m. On the other hand, structures in the auroral electrons were generally observed on this flight to be temporal features that occurred at the same time at the two payloads separated by a few kilometers. The primary objective of the PHAZE rocket flight was to further study the temporal features of auroral electron precipitation having many electron detectors, some fixed in energy, that could study the distribution function of the auroral electrons on time scales of a fraction of a millisecond. A important paper on this topic has just been submitted for publication which uses the PHAZE data to show that the potential structure (electric field parallel to the magnetic field) that accelerates the auroral electrons within one Earth radius of the ground, is not static, but rather fluctuates with frequencies close to the local proton and hydrogen gyrofrequencies. The fluctuation appears to be an actual turning on and off of the electric field at these frequencies. When the potential is turned off, ambient electrons can enter the region and be accelerated along B when the potential is on creating field- aligned bursts which manifest themselves as flickering aurora seen from the ground. The on/off model can explain many of the dynamic features of the aurora which have been unexplained since man first looked up at the visual display. Much needs to be done yet to understand how ions couple into this process.

Arnoldy Roger L.↗

Validation Experiments for Turbulent Separation over an Axisymmetric Body of Revolution

Historically, the flow physics involved with most turbulent separated flows have presented fundamental challenges to validating numerical approaches. As recognized by the CFD Vision 2030 study commissioned by NASA, validation of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models and other scale-resolving methods for turbulent separated flow requires data from advanced, high-fidelity experiments designed specifically for CFD implementation. In accordance with this effort, a new test platform, referred to as the NASA Axisymmetric Afterbody, was designed to obtain detailed measurements of the flow field undergoing a smooth, adverse pressure gradient induced separation for a fixed Reynolds number, Re = 180,000. The parametric body offers a range of flow states progressing from fully attached, to incipient separation, and finally to small-scale separated flow based on variable afterbody geometries. In an initial effort to evaluate RANS turbulence model capabilities, the present configurations of the axisymmetric model host a mild adverse pressure gradient over the contoured boattail section, inducing incipient turbulent separation, as well as a slightly larger adverse pressure gradient, inducing a small-scale region of turbulent separation. Experiments include steady pressure measurements and 2-D PIV to provide the preliminary dataset for simulation studies, which examine the effect of variable grid domains and RANS turbulence models. This is done in an effort to understand and evaluate the critical variability between solutions for the present model configurations. Results indicate potential discrepancies may be due to the effect of the square tunnel test section walls, relatively large blockage ratio, and slight variability in reference parameters. Ongoing work will focus on higher fidelity experimental campaigns to obtain surface flow visualizations and Stereo-Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) to deliver higher spatial resolution of the three-dimensional flow field to aid turbulence modelers.

Validation↗

From 2D to 4D: a containerized workflow and browser to explore dynamic chromatin architecture

Background Characterizing the physical organization of the genome is essential for understanding long-range gene regulation, chromatin compartmentalization, and epigenetic accessibility. Hi-C experiments generate two-dimensional (2D) genome-wide contact maps of chromatin interactions by capturing the spatial proximity between genomic loci, which reveal interaction frequencies but lack the spatial resolution needed to interpret the three-dimensional (3D) genome structure(s). Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic regulation is closely linked to 3D genome architecture, and that structural changes over time (4D) drive key biological processes in development, disease, and environmental response. Thus, integrating 3D structure with functional data is critical for a more complete understanding of genome regulation. Previous work, most notably the 4DHiC chromosome modeling framework, has shown that physical multi-dimensional modeling approaches rooted in polymer physics and molecular dynamics can resolve these structures at biologically meaningful resolutions by integrating temporal Hi-C data with physical constraints to uncover dynamic chromosome reorganization. Thus, molecular dynamics simulations, constrained by Hi-C contact matrices, can resolve fine-scale structural changes and reveal functionally significant transitions in chromatin conformation. Results Herein, we present the 4D Genome Browser Workflow (4DGBWorkflow) and the 4D Genome Browser (4DGB). The algorithm is based on the 4DHiC method, and the containerized tool is an end-to-end workflow that can transform, filter, and view 4D epigenomics and chromatin datasets, allowing non-specialists to apply three-dimensional modeling principles to diverse datasets and experimental conditions. The software executes on a laptop running macOS, Linux or Windows. From input Hi-C files (.hic), the 4DGBWorkflow produces 3D reconstructions of chromosomes, integrates the reconstruction with track data (e.g., epigenetic marks, transcriptome profiles), and provides comparative visualization of the results in a single workflow. Conclusions The 4DGBWorkflow and 4D Genome Browser are open-source tools for comparative analysis and visualization of 4D chromosome datasets, including chromatin architecture and epigenomic signals. Automatic integration of Hi-C data with molecular dynamics democratizes the construction of time resolved 3D genome structures, simplifying complex simulations and data integration schemes.

3D Genome Browser↗

Supporting Global Air Quality Management Needs With A Flexible Data Fusion Tool for Estimation and Forecasting in Google Earth Engine

High spatial and temporal resolution air quality estimation and forecasting can be enhanced by combining global data sources, like chemical transport models and satellite remote sensing, with local information from regulatory and low-cost air quality monitors. Successful integration of data from these diverse sources is complicated by many factors, however, including differences in spatial and temporal resolution, data availability and latency issues, varying data quality, and large computational and data storage requirements. This presentation will provide an overview of a NASA-funded effort to develop the foundation for future operationalization of air quality forecasting for world-wide end-users and integration into their air quality management decision processes, which will be achieved in future phases of this multi-year project. We will summarize our progress in developing a data fusion system using the Google Earth Engine platform which can integrate model, satellite, and surface-level monitoring datasets to enhance estimation and forecasting of air-quality-relevant pollutants at sub-daily and sub-city scales. The tool is being developed in close cooperation with several city- and regional-level air quality managers in the USA and around the world. Our end-goal is to provide these air quality managers with the information they need to assess and anticipate the impacts of poor air quality, track changes in air quality due to ongoing mitigation efforts and land use changes, and identify ways to improve their air quality monitoring strategies. This presentation will focus on recent advances achieved through the project, including integration of multiple air quality datasets in a prototype data fusion system in Google Earth Engine, the quantification of uncertainties associated with our data fusion approach, and the development of user interfaces and visualization tools to convey air quality information in a way which best meets end-user needs.

Carl Malings↗

Supporting Global Air Quality Management Needs With A Flexible Data Fusion Tool for Estimation and Forecasting in Google Earth Engine

High spatial and temporal resolution air quality estimation and forecasting can be enhanced by combining global data sources, like chemical transport models and satellite remote sensing, with local information from regulatory and low-cost air quality monitors. Successful integration of data from these diverse sources is complicated by many factors, however, including differences in spatial and temporal resolution, data availability and latency issues, varying data quality, and large computational and data storage requirements. This presentation will provide an overview of a NASA-funded effort to develop the foundation for future operationalization of air quality forecasting for world-wide end-users and integration into their air quality management decision processes, which will be achieved in future phases of this multi-year project. We will summarize our progress in developing a data fusion system using the Google Earth Engine platform which can integrate model, satellite, and surface-level monitoring datasets to enhance estimation and forecasting of air-quality-relevant pollutants at sub-daily and sub-city scales. The tool is being developed in close cooperation with several city- and regional-level air quality managers in the USA and around the world. Our end-goal is to provide these air quality managers with the information they need to assess and anticipate the impacts of poor air quality, track changes in air quality due to ongoing mitigation efforts and land use changes, and identify ways to improve their air quality monitoring strategies. This presentation will focus on recent advances achieved through the project, including integration of multiple air quality datasets in a prototype data fusion system in Google Earth Engine, the quantification of uncertainties associated with our data fusion approach, and the development of user interfaces and visualization tools to convey air quality information in a way which best meets end-user needs.

Carl Malings↗