Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “15-N”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

A Tale of Two Catchments: Causality Analysis and Isotope Systematics Reveal Mountainous Watershed Traits That Regulate the Retention and Release of Nitrogen

Abstract Mountainous watersheds are characterized by variability in functional traits, including vegetation, topography, geology, and geomorphology, which determine nitrogen (N) retention, and release. Coal Creek and East River are two contrasting catchments within the Upper Colorado River Basin that differ markedly in total nitrate (NO 3 − ) export. The East River has a diverse vegetation cover, and sinuous floodplains, and is underlain by N‐rich marine shale. At 0.21 ± 0.14 kg ha −1 yr −1 , the East River exports ∼3.5 times more NO 3 − relative to the conifer‐dominated Coal Creek (0.06 ± 0.02 kg ha −1 yr −1 ). While this can partly be explained by the larger size of the East River, the distinct watershed traits of these two catchments imply different mechanisms controlling the aggregate N‐export signal. A causality analysis shows physical and biogenic processes were critical in determining NO 3 − export from the East River catchment. Stable isotope ratios of NO 3 − (δ 15 N NO3 and δ 18 O NO3 ) show the East River catchment is a strong hotspot for biogeochemical processing of NO 3 − at the hillslope soil‐saprolite. By contrast, the conifer‐dominated Coal Creek retained nearly all atmospherically deposited NO 3 − , and its export was controlled by catchment hydrological traits (i.e., snowmelt periods and water table depth). The conservative N‐cycle within Coal Creek is likely due to the abundance of conifer trees, and smaller riparian regions, retaining more NO 3 − overall and reduced processing prior to export. This study highlights the value of integrating isotope systematics to link watershed functional traits to mechanisms of watershed element retention and release.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tuning the reactivity of carbon surfaces with oxygen-containing functional groups

Oxygen-containing carbons are promising supports and metal-free catalysts for many reactions. However, distinguishing the role of various oxygen functional groups and quantifying and tuning each functionality is still difficult. Here we investigate the role of Brønsted acidic oxygen-containing functional groups by synthesizing a diverse library of materials. By combining acid-catalyzed elimination probe chemistry, comprehensive surface characterizations, 15N isotopically labeled acetonitrile adsorption coupled with magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, machine learning, and density-functional theory calculations, we demonstrate that phenolic is the main acid site in gas-phase chemistries and unexpectedly carboxylic groups are much less acidic than phenolic groups in the graphitized mesoporous carbon due to electron density delocalization induced by the aromatic rings of graphitic carbon. The methodology can identify acidic sites in oxygenated carbon materials in solid acid catalyst-driven chemistry.

Zhou, Jiahua↗
DOE OSTI2023

Calcium promotes persistent soil organic matter by altering microbial transformation of plant litter

Abstract Calcium (Ca) can contribute to soil organic carbon (SOC) persistence by mediating physico-chemical interactions between organic compounds and minerals. Yet, Ca is also crucial for microbial adhesion, potentially affecting colonization of plant and mineral surfaces. The importance of Ca as a mediator of microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions and resulting SOC transformation has been largely overlooked. We incubated 44 Ca labeled soils with 13 C 15 N labeled leaf litter to study how Ca affects microbial transformation of litter and formation of mineral associated organic matter. Here we show that Ca additions promote hyphae-forming bacteria, which often specialize in colonizing surfaces, and increase incorporation of litter into microbial biomass and carbon use efficiency by approximately 45% each. Ca additions reduce cumulative CO 2 production by 4%, while promoting associations between minerals and microbial byproducts of plant litter. These findings expand the role of Ca in SOC persistence from solely a driver of physico-chemical reactions to a mediator of coupled abiotic-biotic cycling of SOC.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing boron vacancy defects in hBN via single spin relaxometry

Spin defects in solids offer promising platforms for quantum sensing and memory due to their long coherence times and optical addressability. Here, we integrate a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond with scanning probe microscopy to detect, read out, and spatially map spin-based quantum sensors at the nanoscale. Using the boron vacancy ($V$$^{–}_{B}$) center in hexagonal boron nitride—an emerging two-dimensional spin system—as a model, we detect its electron spin resonance indirectly via changes in the spin relaxation time (T 1 ) of a nearby NV center, eliminating the need for optical excitation or fluorescence detection of the $V$$^{–}_{B}$. Cross-relaxation between NV and $V$$^{–}_{B}$ ensembles significantly reduces NV T1, enabling quantitative nanoscale mapping of defect densities beyond the optical diffraction limit and clear resolution of hyperfine splitting in isotopically enriched h 10 B 15 N. Our method demonstrates interactions between spin sensors in 3D and 2D materials, establishing NV centers as versatile probes for characterizing otherwise inaccessible spin defects.

Quantum metrology↗
DOE OSTI2022

Galápagos tortoise stable isotope ecology and the 1850s Floreana Island Chelonoidis niger niger extinction

A consequence of over 400 years of human exploitation of Galápagos tortoises (Chelonoidis niger ssp.) is the extinction of several subspecies and the decimation of others. As humans captured, killed, and/or removed tortoises for food, oil, museums, and zoos, they also colonized the archipelago resulting in the introduction of invasive plants, animals, and manipulated landscapes for farming, ranching, and infrastructure. Given current conservation and revitalization efforts for tortoises and their habitats, here we investigate nineteenth and twentieth century Galápagos tortoise dietary ecology using museum and archaeological specimens coupled with analysis of carbon (δ 13 C collagen and δ 13 Capatite), nitrogen (δ 15 N), hydrogen (δD) and oxygen (δ 18 O apatite ) stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating. We identify that Galápagos tortoise diets vary between and within islands over time, and that long-term anthropogenic impacts influenced change in tortoise stable isotope ecology by using 57 individual tortoises from 10 different subspecies collected between 1833 and 1967—a 134-year period. On lower elevation islands, which are often hotter and drier, tortoises tend to consume more C 4 vegetation (cacti and grasses). Our research suggests human exploitation of tortoises and anthropogenic impacts on vegetation contributed to the extinction of the Floreana Island tortoise (C. n. niger) in the 1850s.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantum mechanics based non-bonded force field functions for use in molecular dynamics simulations of materials and systems: The nitrogen and oxygen columns

Accurate Force Fields (FFs) are essential for Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of the dynamics of realistic materials in terms of atomic-level interactions. The FF parameters of short-range valence interactions can be derived through Quantum Mechanical (QM) calculations on model systems practical for QM (<300 atoms). Similarly, the dynamic electrostatic interactions can be described with methods such as QEq or PQEq that allow charges and polarization to adjust dynamically. However, accurately extracting long-range van der Waals (vdW) interactions from QM calculations poses challenges due to the absence of a definitive method to distinguish between the different energetic components of electrostatics, polarization, vdW, hydrogen bonding, and valence interactions. To do this we use the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof flavor of Density Functional Theory, including empirical D3 vdW corrections, to predict the Equation of State for each element (keeping any covalent bonds fixed), from which we obtain the two-body vdW nonbond potential. Here, we extend these calculations to include non-bonded parameters for the N and O columns of the periodic table so that we now describe columns 15 (N), 16 (O), 17 (F), and 18 (Ne) of the periodic table. For these 20 elements, we find that the two-body vdW potentials can all be mapped to a single universal two-body curve, with just three scaling parameters: Re, De, and L. We refer to this as the Universal NonBond (UNB) potential. We expect this to be useful for new MD simulations and a helpful starting point to obtain UNB parameters for the remainder of the periodic table.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Use of High-Density UN Fuel in Heat-Pipe Microreactors

Heat-pipe microreactors (HPMRs) are very small-scale nuclear reactors that employ heat pipes (HPs) for heat removal. HPMRs can be easily integrated with other forms of renewable energies, can be used for emergency responses to disaster relief zones, can be deployed in remote locations not connected to the grid, and can be removed from sites and replaced by new ones. HPMRs can also be used for space missions as HPs do not rely on gravity for heat transfer. Conventional fuel materials, such as uranium oxide (UO 2 ) and uranium oxycarbide (UCO), are currently considered in most existing HPMR designs, but ceramic uranium nitride (UN) fuel that has high uranium density, high thermal conductivity, and high melting point may become a better fuel candidate. Through neutronics calculations, this paper assesses the impact of using UN fuel in HPMRs with two different neutron spectra (fast and thermal) and two different fuel forms [traditional solid fuel pellets and TRi-structural-ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel compacts]. It was concluded that retrofitting HPMRs with UN fuel has the potential to reduce the initial 235 U enrichment requirement by ~3 wt% (to keep the same cycle length) or increase the cycle length (by keeping the same initial 235 U enrichment), which enables more compact and transportable HPMR core designs. However, using UN fuel decreases the control element worth [by up to 20% for the Special Purpose Reactor (SPR) and 5% for HP-MR] and is up to 80% more costly. Increasing 15 N enrichment can further decrease the initial 235 U enrichment requirement and increase the control element worth but is more costly. In conclusion, compared to fast-spectrum HPMRs fueled with solid pellet fuels, retrofitting UN fuel is more suitable for thermal-spectrum HPMRs fueled with TRISO fuel compacts, where the neutron spectrum hardening caused by using UN is less significant.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamic nitrogen fixation in an aerobic endophyte of Populus

Biological nitrogen fixation by microbial diazotrophs can contribute significantly to nitrogen availability in non-nodulating plant species. In this study of molecular mechanisms and gene expression relating to biological nitrogen fixation, the aerobic nitrogen-fixing endophyte Burkholderia vietnamiensis, strain WPB, isolated from Populus trichocarpa served as a model for endophyte–poplar interactions. Nitrogen-fixing activity was observed to be dynamic on nitrogen-free medium with a subset of colonies growing to form robust, raised globular like structures. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) confirmed that N-fixation was uneven within the population. A fluorescent transcriptional reporter (GFP) revealed that the nitrogenase subunit nifH is not uniformly expressed across genetically identical colonies of WPB and that only ~11% of the population was actively expressing the nifH gene. Higher nifH gene expression was observed in clustered cells through monitoring individual bacterial cells using single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization. Through 15 N 2 enrichment, we identified key nitrogenous metabolites and proteins synthesized by WPB and employed targeted metabolomics in active and inactive populations. We cocultivated WPB Pnif-GFP with poplar within a RhizoChip, a synthetic soil habitat, which enabled direct imaging of microbial nifH expression within root epidermal cells. We observed that nifH expression is localized to the root elongation zone where the strain forms a unique physical interaction with the root cells. This work employed comprehensive experimentation to identify novel mechanisms regulating both biological nitrogen fixation and beneficial plant–endophyte interactions.

15 N-tracking metabolomics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ramsey envelope modulation in NV diamond magnetometry

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) spin ensembles in diamond provide an advanced magnetic sensing platform, with applications in both the physical and life sciences. The development of isotopically engineered 15 NV diamond offers advantages over naturally occurring 14 NV for magnetometry, due to its simpler hyperfine structure. However, for sensing modalities requiring a bias magnetic field not aligned with the sensing NV axis, the absence of a quadrupole moment in the 15 N nuclear spin leads to pronounced envelope modulation effects in time-dependent measurements of 15 NV spin evolution. While such behavior in spin echo experiments are well studied, analogous effects in Ramsey measurements and the implications for magnetometry remain underexplored. Here, we derive the modulated 15 NV Ramsey response to a misaligned bias field, using a simple vector description of the effective magnetic field on the nuclear spin. The predicted modulation properties are then compared to experimental results, revealing significant magnetic sensitivity loss if unaddressed. We demonstrate that double-quantum coherences of the NV S=1 electronic spin states dramatically suppress these envelope modulations, while additionally proving resilient to other parasitic effects such as strain heterogeneity and temperature shifts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Soil microenvironmental variation drives below‐ground trait variation and interacts with macroclimate to structure above‐ground trait variation of arctic shrubs

Abstract Intraspecific trait variation can influence plant performance in different environments and may thereby determine the ability of individual plants to respond to climate change. However, our understanding of its patterns and environmental drivers across different spatial scales is incomplete, especially in understudied regions like the Arctic. To fill this knowledge gap, we examined above‐ground and below‐ground traits from three shrub taxa expanding across the tundra biome and evaluated their relationships with multiple microenvironmental and macroclimatic factors. The traits reflected plant size and structure (plant height, leaf area and root to shoot ratio), leaf economics (specific leaf area, nitrogen content), and root economics and collaboration with mycorrhizal fungi (specific root length, root tissue density, nitrogen content, and ectomycorrhizal colonisation intensity). We also measured leaf and root δ 15 N and leaf δ 13 C to characterise nitrogen source and acquisition pathways and plant water stress. Traits were measured in replicated plots ( N = 135) varying in soil microclimate, thaw depth and organic layer thickness established across five sites spanning a macroclimate gradient in northern Alaska. This hierarchical design allowed us to disentangle the independent and combined effects of fine‐scale and broad‐scale factors on intraspecific trait variation. We found substantial intraspecific variation at fine spatial scales for most traits and less variation along the macroclimate gradient and between shrub taxa. Consistent with these patterns, microenvironmental factors, mainly soil moisture and thaw depth, interacted with macroclimate, mainly climatic water deficit, to structure size‐structural and leaf trait variation. In contrast, most root traits responded additively to thaw depth and macroclimate. Synthesis . Our results demonstrate that above‐ground and below‐ground tundra shrub traits respond differently to microenvironmental and macroclimatic variation. These differing responses contribute to substantial trait variation at fine spatial scales and may decouple above‐ground and below‐ground trait responses to climate change.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evidence of both molecular cloud and fluid chemistry in Ryugu regolith

The sulfur chemistry of (162173) Ryugu particles can be a powerful tracer of molecular cloud chemistry and small body processes, but it has not been well explored. We report identification of organosulfurs and a sulfate grain in two Ryugu particles, A0070 and A0093. The sulfate grain shows oxygen isotope ratios (δ 17 O = -11.0 ± 4.3 per mil, δ 18 O = -7.8 ± 2.3 per mil) that are akin to silicates in Ryugu but exhibit mass-independent sulfur isotopic fractionation (Δ 33 S = +5 ± 2 per mil). A methionine-like coating on the sulfate grain is isotopically anomalous (δ 15 N = +62 ± 2 per mil). Both the sulfate and organosulfurs can simultaneously form and survive during aqueous alteration within Ryugu’s parent body, under reduced conditions, low temperature, and a pH >7 in the presence of N-rich organic molecules. This work extends the heliocentric zone where anomalous sulfur, formed by selective photodissociation of H 2 S gas in the molecular cloud, is found.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparative genomics and stable isotope analysis reveal the saprotrophic-pathogenic lifestyle of a neotropical fungus

In terrestrial forested ecosystems, fungi may interact with trees in at least three distinct ways: (i) associated with roots as symbionts; (ii) as pathogens in roots, trunks, leaves, flowers, and fruits; or (iii) decomposing dead tree tissues on soil or even on dead tissues in living trees. Distinguishing the latter two nutrition modes is rather difficult in Hymenochaetaceae (Basidiomycota) species. Herein, we have used an integrative approach of comparative genomics, stable isotopes, host tree association, and bioclimatic data to investigate the lifestyle ecology of the scarcely known neotropical genus Phellinotus, focusing on the unique species Phellinotus piptadeniae. This species is strongly associated with living Piptadenia gonoacantha (Fabaceae) trees in the Atlantic Forest domain on a relatively high precipitation gradient. Phylogenomics resolved P. piptadeniae in a clade that also includes both plant pathogens and typical wood saprotrophs. Furthermore, both genome-predicted Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZy) and stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) revealed a rather flexible lifestyle for the species. Altogether, our findings suggest that P. piptadeniae has been undergoing a pathotrophic specialization in a particular tree species while maintaining all the metabolic repertoire of a wood saprothroph.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fish collected from the Rio Grande and reservoirs in northern New Mexico

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of industrial and commercial chemicals widely used throughout the world due to their beneficial chemical properties. Because of their widespread use, their chemical stability, and their ability to be transported over long distances through atmospheric deposition and movement through waterways, PFAS are found throughout most aquatic ecosystems; yet large sampling gaps exist among reservoir and river ecosystems in the desert southwest of the United States. In this study, we examine PFAS concentrations in the tissue of fish (catfish [channel and blue], common carp, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white crappie and white sucker) collected in northern New Mexico, including examining PFAS composition and concentration relative to trophic level distribution. We collected fish from two man-made reservoirs and from the Rio Grande. We then collected muscle and liver tissues from fish specimens, which were screened for 39 PFAS compounds. We detected PFAS compounds in most fish tissue sampled, including the biomagnification of PFAS compounds within liver samples, with PFOS concentrations ranged from 1.13 to 350.1 (64.4 average) times higher in the liver samples compared to muscle samples. Most PFAS concentrations within muscle samples were within the range of atmospheric transportation previously reported and average tissue concentrations of PFAS were calculated to be 2.02 ± 1.81 ng g -1 . Using stable isotopes as a predictor of trophic-foraging exposure and PFAS concentrations, we noted a correlation between enriched δ 15 N values, which had higher perfluorodecanoic acid concentrations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summary of light-element evaluation work: nuclear data uncertainty quantification

Hale & Paris (T-2) have evaluated the 15 N system to provide nuclear cross section and covariance information for nuclear data uncertainty quantification. This memo gives a brief discussion of the R-matrix method used to generate this nuclear scattering and reaction data in the ENDF-6 format.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Testing mechanisms of how mycorrhizal associations affect forest soil carbon and nitrogen cycling (Final Technical Report)

Trees are in a symbiotic partnership with mycorrhizal fungi in which they provide the fungi with carbon from photosynthesis and the fungi provide the trees with nutrients and water. In temperate forests, the vast majority of trees form symbioses with one of two types of mycorrhizal fungi—arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi or ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi. These fungi differ in their morphology, hyphal length, and nutrient acquisition strategies. Many studies have found systematic differences in soil organic matter and nitrogen availability between forest stands dominated by AM-associating trees versus EcM-associating trees. For instance, there is a larger proportion of organic matter that is mineral-associated, more available nitrogen, and lower soil carbon to nitrogen ratios in AM forest stands relative to EcM forests stands. However, the mechanisms driving these patterns are not known, which complicates our ability to model soil organic matter dynamics in forested ecosystems. The main objective of this research was to understand the degree to which the observed differences in soil C and N dynamics between AM and EcM dominated forests are driven by tree traits like litter decomposability and root exudation versus mycorrhizal fungal nutrient acquisition strategies. We investigated these mechanisms using observations and targeted experiments and incorporated this knowledge into a process-based soil organic matter model. The observational studies compared the importance of leaf litter decomposability versus fungal identity on soil organic matter processes. We found that often fungal identity and traits were more important drivers of soil organic matter patterns than leaf litter decomposability. We ran two novel experiments: 1) a growth chamber experiment across four EcM and four AM tree species using a 13 C-labeled atmosphere to trace seedling-derived C into hyphae, the rhizosphere, and soil; and 2) an in situ decomposition experiment of six different 13 C and 15 N labeled litters that ranged in decomposability incubated across a gradient of EcM dominance at three sites that capture important variation in climate, soils, and forest species composition. In the first experiment, we found no significant differences of seedling mycorrhizal association on soil carbon sequestration over a growing season, but we did find that mycorrhizal association affected rhizodeposition with EcM-associating seedlings depositing more carbon in response to increased nitrogen availability. The decomposition experiment is still ongoing, but thus far, we have found slower litter decomposition in only one of three EcM-dominated forests which suggests that differences between AM- and EcM-dominated forests depend on the environmental context and identity of the EcM fungi. Lastly, we explicitly incorporated mycorrhizal processes into the Carbon, Organisms, Rhizosphere, and Protection in the Soil Environment (CORPSE) model creating Myco-CORPSE. By including the different nutrient acquisition strategies of AM and EcM fungi, we explored the conditions under which EcM fungi can slow decomposition rates and lead to greater soil organic carbon accumulation compared to AM fungi. We found that the effect of EcM fungi was highly context dependent and that EcM fungi decreased decomposition in colder forests with recalcitrant litter inputs and when they produced oxidases and necromass-degrading enzymes. Our research highlights the importance of fungal nutrient acquisition in driving soil organic matter patterns and the need to move beyond the AM-EcM dichotomy to consider the identity and traits of the specific fungi participating in the symbiosis. Overall, this research has resulted in six, peer-reviewed published papers in journals such as Global Change Biology, Ecology (2), Soil Biology and Biochemistry, and Ecosystems (2). There are at least two more papers in progress on this research including one that was recently submitted to Global Change Biology.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Leaf-level physiological strategies related to productivity and plasticity of Populus in the Southeastern United States

Introduction: Populus and its hybrids are attractive bioenergy crops and the southeastern United States has broad ability to supply bioenergy markets with woody biomass. Breeding and hybridization have led to superior eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall) and hybrid poplars adapted to a wide variety of site types not suited for agricultural production. In order to maximize productivity and minimize inputs, genotypes need to efficiently use available site resources and tolerate environmental stresses. In addition, we need to determine plasticity of traits and their coordination across sites to select traits that will broadly characterize genotypes. Therefore, our study objectives were to determine (1) which leaf traits were correlated with growth, (2) if traits and genotypes exhibited significant plasticity across sites, and (3) how traits were coordinated within and across sites and Populus taxa. Methods: We measured trees at two sites in northeastern Mississippi, United States: one upland and one alluvial terrace site. Genotypes included eastern cottonwoods as well as F 1 crosses of eastern cottonwood and P. maximowiczii (Henry), P. nigra (L.) and P. trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray). Results: We found that sites differed in which leaf traits were correlated with productivity; with water use efficiency specifically being positively correlated with growth at an alluvial terrace site, but negatively correlated with growth at an upland site. Tree height growth, leaf isotope composition (δ 13 C and δ 15 N), as well as leaf mass per area (LMA) exhibited the least plasticity across sites, while physiological gas exchange parameters and leaf nitrogen concentration exhibited the highest plasticity. Broadly across taxa, leaf carbon isotope ratios were correlated with intrinsic water use efficiency, and stomatal conductance was positively correlated with photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency across sites, while leaf nitrogen isotope ratios exhibited contrasting relationships with leaf nitrogen concentration. Discussion: Overall, these results allow us to refine selections of productive genotypes based on site conditions and site-specific relationships with physiological parameters to better match Populus taxa with sites and landowner objectives.

bioenergy feedstocks↗
DOE OSTI2022

Vadose Zone Transport of Tritium and Nitrate under Ponded Water Conditions

Vadose zone transport of tritium and nitrate can be important considerations at radioactive waste sites, landfills, or areas with industrial impacts. These contaminants are of particular concern because they typically have a relatively higher mobility in the subsurface compared to other compounds. Here, we describe a semiarid site with tritium and nitrate contamination involving a manmade ponded water source above a thick unsaturated zone at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. This study demonstrates the value of vadose zone flow and transport modeling for the development of field investigation plans (i.e., identifying optimal borehole locations and depths for contaminant characterization), and how a combination of modeling with isotope and geochemical measurements can provide insight into how tritium and nitrate transport in the vadose zone in semiarid environments. Modeling results suggest that at this location, tritium transport is well predicted by classical multiphase theory. Our work expands the demonstrated usefulness of a standard tritium conceptual model to sites with ponded surface conditions and agrees with previous results where a standard model was able to explain the evolution of a tritium plume at an arid waste disposal site. In addition, depth-based analyses of δ 18 O and δ 2 H of pore waters helped confirm the extent of pond infiltration into the vadose zone, and the δ 15 N of nitrate showed that the contaminant release history of the site was different than originally assumed.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Thermonuclear Reaction Rate Uncertainties on the Identification of Presolar Grains from Classical Novae

Approximately 30%–40% of classical novae generate dust between 20 and 100 days following the eruption. However, there has yet to be a definitive identification of presolar stardust grains originating from classical novae. While multiple studies have suggested a nova origin for specific grains, aligning simultaneously all measured isotopic ratios of a specific grain with those predicted from simulations remains challenging. Using Monte Carlo simulations, this work investigates how uncertainties in thermonuclear reaction rates influence the isotopic ratios predicted in simulations of classical novae, specifically impacting the identification of presolar grains. In particular, we address two questions: (i) What is the impact of uncertainties in reaction rates on the range of isotopic ratios predicted by classical nova simulations? (ii) Which reaction rate uncertainties most significantly influence the predicted abundance ratios in presolar grains? Our results show that current reaction rate uncertainties affect the isotopic ratios of 12 C/ 13 C, 14 N/ 15 N, 16 O/ 17 O, 16 O/ 18 O, 24 Mg/ 25 Mg, 24 Mg/ 26 Mg, 26 Al/ 27 Al, and 28 Si/ 29 Si by less than 20% in either carbon–oxygen or oxygen–neon (ONe) novae, especially when considering the mixing of matter throughout the entire envelope. However, the isotopic ratios of 28 Si/ 30 Si, 32 S/ 33 S, and 32 S/ 34 S in ONe novae are exceptions: their variability greatly exceeds a factor of 2 due to the uncertainties in the reaction rates of 30 P(p,γ) 31 S, 33 S(p,γ) 34 Cl, and 34 S(p,γ) 35 Cl, respectively. These results highlight the significant influence of specific reaction rates on the predicted abundance ratios and underscore the necessity for accurate nuclear measurements to reduce these uncertainties.

Classical novae↗