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At least 811 records · Page 45

From Runway to Orbit: Reflections of a NASA Engineer

In his remarkable memoir Runway to Orbit, Dr. Kenneth W. Iliff - the recently retired Chief Scientist of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center- tells a highly personal, yet a highly persuasive account of the last forty years of American aeronautical research. His interpretation of events commands respect, because over these years he has played pivotal roles in many of the most important American aeronautics and spaceflight endeavors. Moreover, his narrative covers much of the second half of the first 100 years of flight, a centennial anniversary being celebrated this year. aerospace knowledge. He arrived at the then NASA Flight Research Center in 1962 as a young aeronautical engineer and quickly became involved in two of the seminal projects of modern flight, the X-15 and the lifting bodies. In the process, he pioneered (with Lawrence Taylor) the application of digital computing to the reduction of flight data, arriving at a method known as parameter estimation, now applied the world over. Parameter estimation not only enabled researchers to acquire stability and control derivatives from limited flight data, but in time allowed them to obtain a wide range of aerodynamic effects. Although subsequently involved in dozens of important projects, Dr. Iliff devoted much of his time and energy to hypersonic flight, embodied in the Shuttle orbiter (or as he refers to it, the world s fastest airplane). To him, each Shuttle flight, instrumented to obtain a variety of data, represents a research treasure trove, one that he has mined for years. This book, then, represents the story of Dr. Ken Iliff s passion for flight, his work, and his long and astoundingly productive career. It can be read with profit not just by scientists and engineers, but equally by policy makers, historians, and journalists wishing to better comprehend advancements in flight during the second half of the twentieth century. Dr. Iliff's story is one of immense contributions to the nation s repository of

Iliff, Kenneth W.↗

Galaxy Cluster Shapes and Systematic Errors in H_0 as Determined by the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

Imaging of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect in galaxy clusters combined with cluster plasma x-ray diagnostics promises to measure the cosmic distance scale to high accuracy. However, projecting the inverse-Compton scattering and x-ray emission along the cluster line-of-sight will introduce systematic error's in the Hubble constant, H_0, because the true shape of the cluster is not known. In this paper we present a study of the systematic errors in the value of H_0, as determined by the x-ray and SZ properties of theoretical samples of triaxial isothermal "beta-model" clusters, caused by projection effects and observer orientation relative to the model clusters' principal axes. We calculate three estimates for H_0 for each cluster, based on their large and small apparent angular core radii, and their arithmetic mean. We average the estimates for H_0 for a sample of 25 clusters and find that the estimates have limited systematic error: the 99.7% confidence intervals for the mean estimated H_0 analyzing the clusters using either their large or mean angular core r;dius are within 14% of the "true" (assumed) value of H_0 (and enclose it), for a triaxial beta model cluster sample possessing a distribution of apparent x-ray cluster ellipticities consistent with that of observed x-ray clusters.

Sulkanen, Martin E.↗

Duke FACE -- Forest-Atmosphere Carbon Transfer and Storage (FACTS I)

The Duke FACE experiment increases atmospheric [CO 2 ] to a height of 25 m in four 30-m diameter plots, each containing ~100 canopy trees and many sub-canopy individuals. The experiment was initiated in 1994 with CO 2 fumigation of the prototype plot, and reached full CO 2 -fumigation capacity in 1996 when three additional FACE plots came on line. All elevated plots enriched the atmospheric CO 2 concentration by 200 ppmv relative to paired, ambient-CO 2 plots. Formalizing the analysis of CO 2 x N interactions, in March of 2005 each of the six FACE plots established in 1996 was trenched in half, and one half plot fertilized with nitrogen (N) at a rate of 11 g m -2 yr -1 , following the approach established in 1998 in the prototype and its reference plot. The δ 13 C of the fumigated plots’ atmosphere was -42.6‰, and while the 15 N of the fertilizer did not affect the δ 15 N of tissues directly it greatly reduced the effect of a 15 N tracer study on tissue δ 15 N. The CO 2 enrichment was completed in early November, 2010. Prior to termination of fumigation, 1-8 branches from 4-5 Pinus taeda individuals in each half plot were harvested, as well as most Juniperus occidentalis and broadleaved individuals <2 cm in diameter (1.4 m aboveground), including vine and herbaceous individuals. Following the termination, all individuals <8 cm in diameter, followed by all remaining individuals were harvested in half of each plot (a quarter in each CO 2 X N treatment). In all, 189 m 3 of dry material and 826 m 3 of wet material, or a total of 1014 m 3 of material is stored in various suited settings. The project quantified the effect of CO 2 X N on carbon uptake, allocation to various pools, accumulation of carbon in these pools, the release of carbon to the atmosphere, and factors controlling these processes. The project also assessed the effect of CO 2 X N on the components of the water budget, and related processes, as well as on the amount and diversity of understory vegetation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Relations among stellar X-ray emission observed from Einstein, stellar rotation and bolometric luminosity

The correlation between observed stellar X-ray luminosities, bolometric luminosities, and projected rotational velocities for stars of various spectral types and luminosity classes are determined. Early type stars (O3 to A5) have X-ray luminosities independent of rotational velocities, and correlating with bolometric luminosities. Late type stars of spectral type G to M have luminosities well correlated to equatorial rotational velocities, and are independent of luminosity class. The dependence of late type stars is found to be equivalent to a relation between the X-ray surface flux and the stellar angular velocity. F stars are intermediate with X-ray luminosities higher than would be predicted on the basis of the early type star relation, although lower than expected from the late type velocity dependence. The location of RS CVn stars as a class is also discussed, and it is found that the heating of late type stellar coronas does not result from direct conversion of ratational energy.

Pallavicini, R.↗

Forming an Edge Dislocation Image at Anomalous X-ray Transmission

The features of forming section and projection topography images of an edge dislocation normal to the crystal surface are considered for the case of X-ray anomalous transmission. Experimental images are analyzed using numerical simulation of the diffraction experiment. A new mechanism for image formation of defects arranged near the output crystal surface has been proposed. Differences between topography images of dislocations and rosettes of local misorientations of reflecting planes have been established.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Characterizing the X-Ray Spectrum of the Galactic Halo

The goal of this project is to determine the spectrum of the Galactic halo's soft X-ray emission. These photons are emitted by hot, diffuse gas hundreds to thousands of parsecs from the Galactic plane. Thus, the emission is weak, can be confused with locally produced photons, and must be distinguished from noise. My co-I has made significant progress on determining the background. I have been working on a complementary aspect of the project: computer simulations of the hot gas in the local and distant regions.

Source record↗

Chandra Observations and Models of the Mixed Morphology Supernova Remnant W44: Global Trends

We report on the Chandra observations of the archetypical mixed morphology (or thermal composite) supernova remnant, W44. As with other mixed morphology remnants, W44's projected center is bright in thermal X-rays. It has an obvious radio shell, but no discernable X-ray shell. In addition, X-ray bright knots dot W44's image. The spectral analysis of the Chandra data show that the remnant s hot, bright projected center is metal-rich and that the bright knots are regions of comparatively elevated elemental abundances. Neon is among the affected elements, suggesting that ejecta contributes to the abundance trends. Furthermore, some of the emitting iron atoms appear to be underionized with respect to the other ions, providing the first potential X-ray evidence for dust destruction in a supernova remnant. We use the Chandra data to test the following explanations for W44's X-ray bright center: 1.) entropy mixing due to bulk mixing or thermal conduction, 2.) evaporation of swept up clouds, and 3.) a metallicity gradient, possibly due to dust destruction and ejecta enrichment. In these tests, we assume that the remnant has evolved beyond the adiabatic evolutionary stage, which explains the X-ray dimness of the shell. The entropy mixed model spectrum was tested against the Chandra spectrum for the remnant's projected center and found to be a good match. The evaporating clouds model was constrained by the finding that the ionization parameters of the bright knots are similar to those of the surrounding regions. While both the entropy mixed and the evaporating clouds models are known to predict centrally bright X-ray morphologies, their predictions fall short of the observed brightness gradient. The resulting brightness gap can be largely filled in by emission from the extra metals in and near the remnant's projected center. The preponderance of evidence (including that drawn from other studies) suggests that W44's remarkable morphology can be attributed to dust destruction and ejecta enrichment within an entropy mixed, adiabatic phase supernova remnant. The Chandra data prompts a new question - by what astrophysical mechanisms are the metals distributed so inhomogeneously in the supernova remnant.

Shelton, R. L.↗

Engineering at SLAC: Designing and Constructing Experimental Devices for the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (Final Paper)

Thanks to the versatility of the beam lines at SSRL, research there is varied and benefits multiple fields. Each experiment requires a particular set of experiment equipment, which in turns requires its own particular assembly. As such, new engineering challenges arise from each new experiment. My role as an engineering intern has been to help solve these challenges, by designing and assembling experimental devices. My first project was to design a heated sample holder, which will be used to investigate the effect of temperature on a sample's x-ray diffraction pattern. My second project was to help set up an imaging test, which involved designing a cooled grating holder and assembling multiple positioning stages. My third project was designing a 3D-printed pencil holder for the SSRL workstations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Development of High Energy Resolution Fluorescence Detection Methods for Advanced Microscale X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Analysis of Critical Elements (Final Report)

This project is developing High-Energy Resolution Fluorescence Detection (HERFD) X-ray Absorption Fine-Structure Spectroscopy (XAFS) at the hard X-ray microprobe beamline at GSECARS beamline 13-ID-E, at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. This enhancement will improve sensitivity and spectral interpretation limitations of conventional XAFS which uses energy dispersive solid-state detectors (SSD) to measure the total fluorescence yield (TFY-XAFS). By using high-quality Si and Ge crystal analyzers to select X-ray fluorescence (XRF) from specific emission lines, background signals from other elements or X-ray scattering that can paralyze SSDs can be nearly eliminated, improving the sensitivity to the oxidation and chemical state of dilute species even though the solid angle of the analyzers is relatively small. Furthermore, by using analyzers of low-strain Si or Ge, the energy selection can be smaller than the natural widths of the core electron level. We are particularly interested in applying these enhanced sensitivities to Lanthanide series of rare-earth elements, which are typically at concentrations at or below 10 ppm, and where spectral overlaps with the 3rd row transition metals degrade sensitivity.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Computer simulation of the CSPAD, ePix10k, and RayonixMX170HS X-ray detectors

The invention of free-electron lasers (FELs) has opened a door to an entirely new level of scientific research. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is an X-ray FEL that houses several instruments, each with its own unique X-ray applications. This light source is revolutionary in that while its properties allow for a whole new range of scientific opportunities, it also poses numerous challenges. For example, the intensity of a focused X-ray beam is enough to damage a sample in one mere pulse; however, the pulse speed and extreme brightness of the source together are enough to obtain enough information about that sample, so that no further measurements are necessary. An important device in the radiation detection process, particularly for X-ray imaging, is the detector. The power of the LCLS X-rays has instigated a need for better performing detectors. The research conducted for this project consisted of the study of X-ray detectors to imitate their behaviors in a computer program. The analysis of the Rayonix MX170-HS, CSPAD, and ePix10k in particular helped to understand their properties. This program simulated the interaction of X-ray photons with these detectors to discern the patterns of their responses. A scientist’s selection process of a detector for a specific experiment is simplified from the characterization of the detectors in the program.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

AOI2 - Initial Engineering, Testing, and Design of a Commercial-Scale Postcombustion CO 2 Capture System on an Existing Coal-Fired Generating Unit (Project Carbon)

The continued long-term use of North Dakota lignite is likely dependent on creating a business case for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) that also addresses society’s desire to reduce carbon emissions. CCUS coupled with enhanced oil recovery appears to be the most feasible option for utilities to sustain and grow the lignite industry. Establishing a market where lignite-powered utilities provide carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to oil producers depends upon having a cost-effective method to capture CO 2 . The application of CO 2 capture technology to lignite-fired flue gas has challenges in addition to the cost of capture, including the effects of the buildup of heat-stable salts, aerosol formation, degradation of solvents or solid sorbents, or subsequent solvent loss. Lignite, especially North Dakota lignite, presents its own set of challenges that include the combination of high sodium, sulfur, and ash contents; NO x reduction; and footprint limitations. Project Carbon was designed to address these technical barriers and provide pre-FEED (preliminary front-end engineering and design) information necessary for additional commercial demonstrations to move forward. A long-term pilot-scale evaluation of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI’s) KS-1™ solvent at Minnkota Power Cooperative’s lignite-fired Milton R. Young Station Unit 2 (MRY2) was a major objective of the project. The purpose of the test was to demonstrate the technology’s compatibility with MRY2’s flue gas over an extended period of time. During the long-term test, aerosol sampling and measurement were performed, and a pilot-scale baghouse was tested to determine the effect of bag material and operation on aerosol concentrations in the flue gas. Project engineering and design work were performed to support the other major project objective: a pre-FEED study of CO 2 capture at MRY2. Finally, a techno-economic assessment (TEA) of the application of CO 2 capture to MRY2 was performed. This project was performed over a period of 28 months, with a total budget of $12,700,000. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory, through the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s (EERC’s) Cooperative Agreement, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, and industry partners ALLETE and Minnkota Power Cooperative, funded the project. The pilot-scale test system at MRY2 performed very well for the continuous test period of 83 days. The CO 2 capture plant achieved stable operation while utilizing MHI’s KS-1™ solvent and the MHI amine emission reduction unit. No major concerns were encountered when capturing CO 2 from lignite-fired flue gas. Challenges were encountered because the cooling water temperature was warmer than needed for the capture system to operate efficiently. This affected the ability of the solvent to capture CO 2 and promoted solvent loss through solvent entrainment caused by high CO 2 gas temperature within a cyclone separator. The KS-1™ solvent and the lignite-derived flue gas were analyzed during the long-term test. Analysis of the solvent indicates that, although some metals and heat-stable salts increased over the course of the long-term test, they were at levels that can be treated with filtration and reclaiming and do not pose a concern for effective solvent operation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was successfully used to determine the composition of the lignite-derived flue gas as well as concentrations of select components of the flue gas at various locations within the EERC’s CO 2 capture system. The formation of aerosols during the capture process is of interest, as are approaches for their reduction, especially in a baghouse. Testing of aerosol removal was performed using the EERC’s portable baghouse. It was found that both Ryton and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane bags were effective at reducing the level of aerosols during steady-state operation. During backpulse events, however, the amount of aerosols passing through the bags was an order of magnitude lower for the Ryton bags than the PTFE membrane bags. The testing showed that proper design of the baghouse air-to-cloth ratio as well as minimization of backpulsing can dramatically reduce the amount of aerosols that pass through the bags and remain in the flue gas stream exiting a baghouse system. A technology maturation plan (TMP) was performed to enable successful development of the Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery® (KM CDR®) Process for application to a combustion flue gas for which the process has not yet been demonstrated. In the TMP, new challenges to the MHI CO 2 capture technology during its application to MRY2 were identified. These challenges included capture from lignite-fired (as opposed to subbituminous coal-fired) flue gas, a larger scope than previous applications of the technology, and implementation in a colder climate that could affect process and equipment operability. Because MRY2 is located where stack icing in the winter could be problematic, a rime icing study was performed. Rime icing modeling indicated that, under both 100% and 50% operating loads, there is a potential for many icing events during any given part of the year in which below-freezing weather conditions exist. The models showed that a critical amount of rime ice could be formed at the stack top during two or more events per year. CO 2 capture plant stack height and location will need to be determined in order to minimize the formation of rime ice. It was found that the integration of the MHI CO 2 capture process into the normal operation of the MRY2 steam turbine is a viable alternative to a cogeneration facility to provide steam and power for the carbon capture facility. The research performed under this project showed that CO 2 capture at a lignite-fired power plant can successfully be performed. No known fatal flaws that would prevent the continued development of the MRY2 CO 2 capture facility were identified during the pre-FEED study. A TEA performed following DOE methodology shows that applying capture technology to MRY2 may not only meet but exceed the DOE-recognized state-of-the-art baseline.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

CERF: IM3 Projected Western US Power Plant Locations

Overview The Capacity Expansion Regional Feasibility (CERF) model is an open-source geospatial python package that provides new power plant locations at a 1km resolution. The model ingests U.S. state or regional-scale electricity system capacity expansion plans, such as those produced by the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM-USA), and identifies feasible, site-specific locations for individual new power plants (renewable and non-renewable). CERF combines high-resolution geospatial suitability analyses with an economic algorithm that selects individual plant siting locations based on grid interconnection costs and the locational marginal value of new generation. The model incorporates a wide range of dynamic constraints and opportunities, such as protected lands, population density, existing infrastructure, and water availability. This dataset provides CERF power plant siting results for IM3 Phase 2 simulations across eight different scenarios for the Western US through 2055. The scenarios include combinations of two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP3 and SSP5) with four high-resolution climate projections specific to the United States (see, https://tgw-data.msdlive.org/). These climate projections include "hotter" and "cooler" variants for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The resulting eight simulations are: rcp45cooler_ssp3 rcp45cooler_ssp5 rcp45hotter_ssp3 rcp45hotter_ssp5 rcp85cooler_ssp3 rcp85cooler_ssp5 rcp85hotter_ssp3 rcp85hotter_ssp5 CERF siting results in this dataset correspond to capacity expansion plans in the GCAM-USA IM3 Phase 2 simulation data and are available for each of the above scenarios. Data Details Temporal Range: 2015-2055 in 5-year timesteps. Note that 2015 is the experiment base year and 2020 and beyond represent model simulation years. Spatial Range: Plant locations are provided for the eleven states in the Western US including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Spatial Resolution: 1 km-squared, provided in x and y coordinates Geospatial Projection: Albers Equal Area Conic (ESRI:102003) File Type: csv The dataset contains subdirectories for each of the eight scenarios described in the overview. Each scenario folder contains two subfolders with the following information: 1. Power Plant Data This directory contains a single .csv file of power plant locations for both pre-existing (non-CERF sited plants in operation in 2015) and new (CERF-sited) power plants across the temporal range along with additional CERF model output parameters for CERF-sited plants. Plant with a siting year earlier than 2020 correspond to facilities that are operational leading into the first timestep CERF simulation. For a more detailed description of CERF model output parameters, see the CERF model documentation. Note that the cerf_plant_id parameter is unique within each scenario file but not across scenario files. Parameter Descriptions scenario - Name of scenario cerf_plant_id - Unique siting identifier cerf_sited - If True, indicates that plant was sited by CERF model. If False, indicates pre-existing facility region_name - Name of region (state) tech_id - Technology ID tech_name - Full generation technology name inclusive of cooling type (if applicable) and additional characteristics tech_simple - Simplified generation technology type unit_size_mw - Power plant unit size (MW) xcoord - X coordinate in the default CRS (meters) ycoord - Y coordinate in the default CRS (meters) index - Index position in the flattend 2D array buffer_in_km - Exclusion buffer around site (km) sited_year - Year of siting retirement_year - Year of retirement lmp_zone - Locational marginal price (LMP) zone ID locational_marginal_price_usd_per_mwh - Locational marginal price ($/MWh) generation_mwh_per_year - Generation output (MWh/yr) operating_cost_usd_per_year - Cost of plant operations ($/yr) net_operational_value - Net operational value based on LMP and and operating costs ($/yr) interconnection_cost - Cost of interconnection for transmission & gas pipeline (if applicable) net_locational_cost -- Difference of interconnection cost and operating value ($/yr) capacity_factor_fraction - Capacity factor (fraction) carbon_capture_rate_fraction - Carbon capture rate (fraction) fuel_co2_content_tons_per_btu - Fuel CO2 content (tons/Btu) fuel_price_usd_per_mmbtu - Fuel price ($/MMBtu) fuel_price_esc_rate_fraction - Fuel price escalation rate (fraction) heat_rate_btu_per_kWh - Heat rate (Btu/kWh) lifetime_yrs - Technology lifetime for annuity (years) operational_life_yrs - Operational lifetime for retirement (years) variable_om_usd_per_mwh - Variable operation and maintenance costs of yearly capacity use ($/MWh) variable_om_esc_rate_fraction - Variable operation and maintenance costs escalation rate (fraction) carbon_tax_usd_per_ton - Carbon tax ($/ton) carbon_tax_esc_rate_fraction - Carbon tax escalation rate (fraction) 2. Storage Data This directory contains information on new and pre-existing energy storage facilities operational in each timestep along with various storage operational parameters. The 2015 timestep provides pre-existing energy storage data and corresponds with facilities that are operational leading into the first model simulation timestep. Note that coordinates in the storage files correspond to the interconnection point on the grid (substation location), not individual energy storage locations. Energy storage is added in a cumulative process at each given interconnection point. That is, each individual file provides the total operational storage capacity interconnected to the specified substation for the given timestep, inclusive of previously installed storage at that location and new storage installed in that timestep at that location. Parameters scenario - Name of scenario timestep - Simulation timestep name - Unique storage identifier s_typ - Type of energy storage technology (battery or pumped storage hydro) s_node - Node ID of interconnecting substation xcoord - X coordinate in the default CRS (meters) ycoord - Y coordinate in the default CRS (meters) charge_rate - Maximum charge rate (power capacity) of storage system (MW) discharge_rate - Maximum discharge rate (power capacity) of storage system (MW) duration - Duration of storage system (hours) max_SoC - Allowed maximum state of charge (energy capacity) of storage system (MWh) min_SoC -Allowed minimum state of charge (energy capacity) of storage system (MWh) charge_eff - Efficiency of charge (fraction between 0 and 1) discharge_eff - Efficiency of discharge (fraction between 0 and 1) Acknowledgment IM3 is a multi-institutional effort led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science as part of research in MultiSector Dynamics, Earth and Environmental Systems Modeling Program.

CERF↗

ATM-X Digital Information Platform

High level introduction of Digital Information Platform (DIP) objectives as a sub-project under Airspace Traffic Management - Exploration (ATM-X). Important information is emerging in digital form and additional effort is required to utilize this information. DIP will provide the capability to integrate key flight information from multiple sources. DIP is currently in planning phase will take a community-involved, collaborative approach to define and develop the framework. DIP is seeking community and stakeholder input to operational needs, metrics of interest and demonstration contribution

Digital Information Platform↗

GEMS X-ray Polarimeter Performance Simulations

The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small explorer (GEMS) is an X-ray polarization telescope selected as a NASA small explorer satellite mission. The X-ray Polarimeter on GEMS uses a Time Projection Chamber gas proportional counter to measure the polarization of astrophysical X-rays in the 2-10 keV band by sensing the direction of the track of the primary photoelectron excited by the incident X-ray. We have simulated the expected sensitivity of the polarimeter to polarized X-rays. We use the simulation package Penelope to model the physics of the interaction of the initial photoelectron with the detector gas and to determine the distribution of charge deposited in the detector volume. We then model the charge diffusion in the detector,and produce simulated track images. Within the track reconstruction algorithm we apply cuts on the track shape and focus on the initial photoelectron direction in order to maximize the overall sensitivity of the instrument, using this technique we have predicted instrument modulation factors nu(sub 100) for 100% polarized X-rays ranging from 10% to over 60% across the 2-10 keV X-ray band. We also discuss the simulation program used to develop and model some of the algorithms used for triggering, and energy measurement of events in the polarimeter.

Baumgartner, Wayne H.↗

w22_laser_radiography - Laser-Based MeV Radiography

This project seeks to develop novel x-ray sources based on high-power short-pulse lasers with unique advantages, including small spot size, flexible configuration, and tailorable spectra. Kinetic plasma simulations using the VPIC particle in cell code will be performed to support the R&D goals of this project. If successful, this effort will allow LANL to deploy flexible, compact x-ray sources for static tomographic radiography and dynamic multi-axis radiography at our firing sites and facilities such as pRad and U1a. The higher resolution, shorter pulse duration, and tunability of our proposed sources will enable new applications in the weapons program and broader scientific community. This effort advances the LANL FY22 Strategic Investment Plan priority of “[r]adiographic tools for dynamic and static imaging with improved spatial and temporal resolution, sensitivity, and dose.”

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Platform-Independent X-ray Diffraction Diagnostic for Phase Transition Kinetics in Traditional and Synthetic Microstructure Materials (LDRD Project 213088 Final Report)

Pulsed-power generators using the magnetic loading technique are able to produce well-controlled continuous ramp compression of condensed matter for high-pressure equation-of-state studies. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data from dynamically compressed samples provide direct measurements of the elastic compression of the crystal lattice, onset of plastic flow, strength-strain rate dependence, structural phase transitions, and density of crystal defects such as dislocations. Here, we present a cost effective, compact X-ray source for XRD measurements on pulsed-power-driven ramp-loaded samples. This combination of magnetically-driven ramp compression of materials with single, short-pulse XRD diagnostic will be a powerful capability for the dynamic materials community. The success in fielding this new XRD diagnostic dramatically improves our predictive capability and understanding of rate-dependent behavior at or near phase transition. As Sandia plans the next-generation pulse-power driver platform, a key element needed to deliver new state-of-the-art experiments will be having the necessary diagnostic tools to probe new regimes and phenomena. These diagnostics need to be as versatile, compact, and portable as they are powerful. The development of a platform-independent XRD diagnostic gives Sandia researchers a new window to study the microstructure and phase dynamics of materials under load. This project has paved the way for phase transition research in a variety of materials with mission interest.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Photonic laser-driven accelerator for GALAXIE

We report on the design and development of an all-dielectric laser-driven accelerator to be used in the GALAXIE (GV-per-meter Acce Lerator And X-ray-source Integrated Experiment) project's compact free-electron laser. The approach of our working design is to construct eigenmodes, borrowing from the field of photonics, which yield the appropriate, highly demanding dynamics in a high-field, short wavelength accelerator. Topics discussed include transverse focusing, power coupling, bunching, and fabrication.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

3D Integration of Sensors and Electronics

A three dimensional integrated circuit is composed of multiple tiers of integrated electronics and sensors integrated vertically by wafer bonding, thinning and insertion of through-silicon-vias. The technologies associated with three dimensional integrated circuits can provide new capabilities for high energy physics and x-ray imaging experiments. These include finer pixel pitch, lower interconnect capacitance, the ability to separate analog and digital functions, and better power distribution and connectivity. In this paper we review the status of 3DIC demonstration projects at Fermilab, discuss several possible applications, and summarize the current availability of commercial processes. Results of a three-tier demonstration project that includes designs for x-ray imaging, CMS track triggering, and ILC vertex are described. We discuss the status of several ongoing 3D projects and prospects for future evolution of the technology.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗