Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “CONTROL, LONGITUDINAL”

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

Theoretical Study of High Harmonic Generation in Monolayer NbSe 2

High harmonic generation (HHG) is a powerful probe of electron dynamics on attosecond to femtosecond time scales and has been successfully used to detect electronic and structural changes in solid-state quantum materials, including transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Among TMDs, bulk NbSe 2 exhibits charge density wave (CDW) order below 33 K and becomes superconducting below 7.3 K. Monolayer NbSe 2 also has superconducting and CDW behavior and is therefore interesting as a material whose different structural and electronic properties could be probed via HHG. Here, we predict the HHG response of the pristine 2H and CDW phases of monolayer NbSe 2 using real-time time-dependent density functional theory under the application of a simulated laser pulse excitation. We find that due to the lack of inversion symmetry in both monolayer phases, it is possible to excite even harmonics and that the even harmonics appear as the transverse components of the current response under excitations polarized along the zigzag direction of the monolayer, while odd harmonics arise from the longitudinal current response in all excitation directions. This suggests that the even and odd harmonic responses can be controlled via the polarization of the probing field, opening an avenue for potentially useful applications in optoelectronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Spatial Trends and Drivers of Bedload and Suspended Sediment Fluxes in Global Rivers

Abstract Bedload is notoriously challenging to measure and model; its dynamics, therefore, remains largely unknown in most fluvial systems worldwide. We present results from a global scale bedload flux model as part of the WBMsed modeling framework that well predict the distribution of water discharge, suspended sediment and bedload. The sensitivity of bedload predictions to river slope, particle size, discharge, river width, and suspended sediment were analyzed, showing the model to be most responsive to spatial dynamics in river discharge and slope. The relationship between bedload and total sediment flux is analyzed globally, and for representative longitudinal river profiles (Amazon, Mississippi, and Lena Rivers). The results show that while the proportion of bedload decreases from headwaters to the coasts, there is considerable variability between basins and along river corridors. The topographic and hydrological longitudinal profiles of rivers are shown to be the key drivers of bedload trends, with fluctuations in slope controlling its more local dynamics. Estimates of water and sediment fluxes to global oceans from 2,067 largest river outlets (draining 67% of the global continental area) are provided. Estimated water discharge at 30,579 km 3 /y corresponds well to past estimates; however, sediment flux is higher. Total global particulate load of 17.8 Gt/y is delivered to global oceans, 14.8 Gt/y as washload, 1.1 Gt/y as bedload, and 2.6 Gt/y as suspended bed material. The largest 25 rivers are predicted to transport more than half of the total sediment flux to global oceans.

Cohen, Sagy↗

Correlation between microstructure and residual stress formation in friction stir welded armor steels characterized by neutron diffraction

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that minimizes the heat-affected zone (HAZ) compared with fusion-based arc welding, making it well suited for joining martensitic armor steels where hardness and ballistic resistance are critical. This study investigates residual stress formation in three defect-free FSW butt-joint configurations relevant to armored-vehicle fabrication: similar rolled homogeneous armor (RHA–RHA, Case 1), similar high-hardness armor (HHA–HHA, Case 2), and dissimilar HHA–RHA (Case 3) joints produced under temperature-controlled conditions (770 °C). Neutron diffraction was employed to quantify the magnitude and spatial distribution of residual stresses in the longitudinal, transverse, and normal directions and to correlate them with weld microstructure and hardness. Tensile residual stresses were concentrated in the softened HAZ, reaching approximately 300 MPa for Case 2 and 400 MPa for Case 1 (≈50–70 % of the base-metal yield strength; ∼581 MPa for RHA and ∼566 MPa for HHA), while compressive residual stresses dominated the stir zone. The spatial extent of tensile stresses scaled with the width of the softened HAZ, which was largest in the dissimilar HHA–RHA joint and smallest in the HHA–HHA joint. Full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) analysis revealed low microstrain in overtempered HAZ regions and high microstrain in the stir zone associated with severe plastic deformation and fresh martensite formation. This work demonstrates that residual stress evolution in FSW of martensitic armor steels is governed not primarily by peak temperature or thermal contraction, as inferred from fusion-welding analogies, but by the competition between transformation-induced volumetric expansion and tempering-induced stress relaxation. The relative dominance of these mechanisms is shown to depend on alloy hardenability and local thermal history, leading to more extensive HAZ softening and broader tensile stress regions in the lower-hardenability RHA steel. These findings establish a transferable mechanistic framework for optimizing solid-state joining strategies in high-strength steels and other transformation-hardening alloys beyond armor applications.

Friction stir welding↗

Self-Assembly Driven Microlithography via Near-Infrared Light Activation

Current vat photopolymerization (VP) relies on UV or visible light to start the rapid crosslinking of liquid photocurable resins into 3D-printed structures. Here, we develop a self-assembly-driven photopatterning approach to photothermally generate polymeric solids by combining thermoplasmonic nanoparticles and thermoresponsive polymers, in which near-infrared (NIR) light activates thermoplasmonic heating of nanoparticles, triggering the irreversible self-assembly of thermoresponsive polymers into insoluble mesoglobules. A small amount of thermal initiator and crosslinker leads to irreversible self-assembly of polymer nanocomposites. NIR light offers deeper penetration and reduced scattering compared to UV, enabling more uniform curing of thicker or filled materials and expanded process control for composites or opaque systems. Thermoplasmonic heat generation is achieved using surface-modified gold nanorods (AuNRs) with a longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance peak in the NIR region. Key variables such as polymer composition, molecular weight, physical interactions at the nanoparticle–polymer interface, which can be tuned by surface functionalization, AuNR concentration, and pH can be used to tailor the assembly behavior of these systems, including photothermal effect, flocculation, and cloud point temperature, and the mechanical properties of the final structures. Collectively, these results highlight a platform for photothermally-driven microlithography of polymer solids with diverse, tunable macroscopic properties, enabled by low-energy NIR light-activated self-assembly.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Reducing Conservativeness of Polytopic Linear-Parameter-Varying Robust Vehicle Sideslip Angle Observer Through Minimum-Area Convex Quadrilateral Design

The polytopic linear-parameter-varying (LPV) method has become increasingly popular for designing intelligent control and estimation systems for ground vehicles, particularly for the vehicle sideslip angle observer. In vehicle lateral dynamics, the vehicle longitudinal velocity-induced nonlinearities are conventionally outer-approximated with polytopes such as rectangles or triangles to obtain a polytopic LPV system. Yet, such polytopic approximations tend to be conservative and may lead to inadequate observer performance. To address this issue, a minimum-area convex quadrilateral construction is proposed in this paper to reduce design conservatism. The suggested design is demonstrated through the synthesis of an LPV H ∞ robust vehicle sideslip angle observer. Furthermore, a dSPACE-ASM simulation study is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and the advantage of the proposed polytopic construction over a baseline approach.

Zhou, Xingyu↗

Longitudinal Changes in Immune Activation Serum Biomarkers Prior to Diagnosis and Risk of B-cell NHL Subtypes

To examine the contribution of B-cell activation molecules to B-cell follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a prospective study was conducted using pre-diagnosis serial serum samples from the US Department of Defense Serum Repository. Each case (n = 142 FL, n = 211 DLBCL) was matched to two controls on age, gender, race, military branch, and blood collection dates. Immune activation molecules (IL1β, IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL10, IL12, CXCL13, IL8, TNFα, IFNγ, GM-CSF, VEGF, sCD30, IgE) were quantified using ELISA or multiplex immunometric (Luminex) assay. Longitudinal data were analyzed using linear mixed modeling. As serial specimens were collected over several years before diagnosis, we evaluated the temporal dynamics of these markers. Increased serum levels of sCD30, CXCL13, and to a lesser extent IL10, were associated with both FL and DLBCL in cases compared with controls, with a median follow-up of 5.5 years from the earliest specimen collection to diagnosis date. Significant increasing sCD30 and CXCL13 trajectories for FL and DLBCL subtypes were noted starting at the earliest time points and with IL10 levels increasing significantly at time points closer to diagnosis. In conclusion, these results suggest that sCD30, CXCL13, and IL10 may contribute to the etiology of FL and DLBCL and are potential biomarkers for these non–Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. The increasing trajectories of the B-cell activation molecules, sCD30, CXCL13, and to a lesser extent IL10, may indicate early disease-induced effects or reflect the chronic stimulation of B-cells that promotes the development of FL and DLBCL subtypes.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Electron polarimetry at EIC

The Electron-Ion Collider will be the first collider to use both polarized electron beams and polarized protons and light ions . This will offer unique opportunities to study the structure of protons and nuclei and answer fundamental questions in QCD. The uncertainties on the polarization measurement translate directly into the uncertainties of final physics observables. Hence, a precise measurement of the hadron beam polarization and a good control of the uncertainties are critical for the success of the spin program at the EIC. The requirements for beam polarimetry are non-destructive with uncertainty less than 1%. At the Electron Storage Ring (ESR) and the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS), the electron beam polarization will be measured using wellestablished Compton polarimetry techniques. However, the EIC Compton polarimeter will face unique challenges, demanding further developments. A Mott polarimeter will also be employed at the source for initial polarization measurements. Both longitudinal and transverse polarization will be measured, with the capability to monitor polarization on a bunch-by-bunch basis. Achieving these precise measurements will be critical to controlling systematic uncertainties and ensuring the overall success of the EIC’s physics objectives.

Zhang, Zhengqiao (ORCID:0009000742521735)↗

Final Physics Design of Proton Improvement Plan-II at Fermilab

This paper presents the final physics design of the Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) at Fermilab, focusing on the linear accelerator (Linac) and its beam transfer line. We address the challenges in longitudinal and transverse lattice design, specifically targeting collective effects, parametric resonances, and space charge nonlinearities that impact beam stability and emittance control. The strategies implemented effectively mitigate space charge complexities, resulting in significant improvements in beam quality—evidenced by reduced emittance growth, lower beam halo, decreased loss, and better energy spread management. This comprehensive study is pivotal for the PIP-II project's success, providing valuable insights and approaches for future accelerator designs, especially in managing nonlinearities and enhancing beam dynamics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Sequence Length of HIV-1 Subtype B Increases over Time: Analysis of a Cohort of Patients with Hemophilia over 30 Years

We aimed to investigate whether the sequence length of HIV-1 increases over time. We performed a longitudinal analysis of full-length coding region sequences (FLs) during an HIV-1 outbreak among patients with hemophilia and local controls infected with the Korean subclade B of HIV-1 (KSB). Genes were amplified by overlapping RT-PCR or nested PCR and subjected to direct sequencing. Overall, 141 FLs were sequentially determined over 30 years in 62 KSB-infected patients. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that within KSB, two FLs from plasma donors O and P comprised two clusters, together with 8 and 12 patients with hemophilia, respectively. Signature pattern analysis of the KSB of HIV-1 revealed 91 signature nucleotide residues (1.1%). In total, 48 and 43 signature nucleotides originated from clusters O and P, respectively. Six positions contained 100% specific nucleotide(s) in clusters O and P. In-depth FL analysis for over 30 years indicated that the KSB FL significantly increased over time before combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and decreased with cART. This increase occurred due to the significant increase in env and nef genes, originating in the variable regions of both genes. The increase in sequence length of HIV-1 over time suggests an evolutionary direction.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Final Physics Design of Proton Improvement Plan-II At Fermilab

This paper presents the final physics design of the Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) at Fermilab, focusing on the linear accelerator (Linac) and its beam transfer line. We address the challenges in longitudinal and transverse lattice design, specifically targeting collective effects, parametric resonances, and space charge nonlinearities that impact beam stability and emittance control. The strategies implemented effectively mitigate space charge complexities, resulting in significant improvements in beam quality -- evidenced by reduced emittance growth, lower beam halo, decreased loss, and better energy spread management. This comprehensive study is pivotal for the PIP-II project's success, providing valuable insights and approaches for future accelerator designs, especially in managing nonlinearities and enhancing beam dynamics.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Computational model for predicting the performance of fluid-powered longiudinal piston modules and motors.

A Matlab-based computational model line code has been developed for predicting the performance of fluid-powered longitudinal piston modules and motors. A system of equations has been developed based upon applying the conservation of mass to a control volume defined by a reciprocating piston. The method results in a differential equation that predicts the pressure gradient in the control volume as a function of rotor rotation angle. The model uses an integration scheme to predict the pressure state in the control volume. The orifice equation is used to predict the flowrate in and out of the control volume. From the resulting solution the torque and speed characteristics of the motor configuration can be predicted, optimized, or tailored for a specific requirement.SAND2019-13983 M Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Taylor, Michael↗

Detection of significant antiviral drug effects on COVID-19 with reasonable sample sizes in randomized controlled trials: A modeling study

Development of an effective antiviral drug for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health priority. Although several candidate drugs have been identified through in vitro and in vivo models, consistent and compelling evidence from clinical studies is limited. The lack of evidence from clinical trials may stem in part from the imperfect design of the trials. We investigated how clinical trials for antivirals need to be designed, especially focusing on the sample size in randomized controlled trials. A modeling study was conducted to help understand the reasons behind inconsistent clinical trial findings and to design better clinical trials. We first analyzed longitudinal viral load data for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) without antiviral treatment by use of a within-host virus dynamics model. The fitted viral load was categorized into 3 different groups by a clustering approach. Comparison of the estimated parameters showed that the 3 distinct groups were characterized by different virus decay rates (p-value < 0.001). The mean decay rates were 1.17 d -1 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.27 d -1 ), 0.777 d -1 (0.716 to 0.838 d -1 ), and 0.450 d -1 (0.378 to 0.522 d -1 ) for the 3 groups, respectively. Such heterogeneity in virus dynamics could be a confounding variable if it is associated with treatment allocation in compassionate use programs (i.e., observational studies). Subsequently, we mimicked randomized controlled trials of antivirals by simulation. An antiviral effect causing a 95% to 99% reduction in viral replication was added to the model. To be realistic, we assumed that randomization and treatment are initiated with some time lag after symptom onset. Using the duration of virus shedding as an outcome, the sample size to detect a statistically significant mean difference between the treatment and placebo groups (1:1 allocation) was 13,603 and 11,670 (when the antiviral effect was 95% and 99%, respectively) per group if all patients are enrolled regardless of timing of randomization. The sample size was reduced to 584 and 458 (when the antiviral effect was 95% and 99%, respectively) if only patients who are treated within 1 day of symptom onset are enrolled. We confirmed the sample size was similarly reduced when using cumulative viral load in log scale as an outcome. We used a conventional virus dynamics model, which may not fully reflect the detailed mechanisms of viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. The model needs to be calibrated in terms of both parameter settings and model structure, which would yield more reliable sample size calculation. In this study, we found that estimated association in observational studies can be biased due to large heterogeneity in viral dynamics among infected individuals, and statistically significant effect in randomized controlled trials may be difficult to be detected due to small sample size. The sample size can be dramatically reduced by recruiting patients immediately after developing symptoms. We believe this is the first study investigated the study design of clinical trials for antiviral treatment using the viral dynamics model.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Dynamically Collected Local Density using Low-Cost Lidar and its Application to Traffic Models

This article demonstrates the use of traffic density observations collected dynamically in the vicinity of probe vehicles. Fixed position sensors cannot capture the longitudinal evolution of local traffic density in the corridor. In this research, dynamic traffic density observations were collected in a naturalistic driving setting that was free of any controlled experiment biases. Speed from global positioning system and space headway from a light detection and ranging module was collected on one arterial and one freeway segment, 2 and 4mi long, respectively. The combined data frequency was approximately 3Hz. Space headway was used to estimate the local density and consequently to identify the density of a specific location in a corridor. Besides, driver behavior was characterized using the relationship between instantaneous speed and local density under different regimes of the Wiedemann car-following model. Macroscopic traffic stream models were used to investigate the relationship between dynamically collected instantaneous speed and local density. Using the longitudinal evolution of density, precise local density across the corridor can be obtained along with the leader and follower trajectories. A method to identify driver behavior across density ranges was developed for different facility types using a microscopic relationship between instantaneous speed and local density. Overall driving behavior on the freeway segment can be represented by translating the instantaneous speed and local density relationship to macroscopic stream models.

Engineering↗

Ultrafast light-induced shear strain probed by time-resolved x-ray diffraction: Multiferroic BiFeO 3 as a case study

Enabling the light control of complex systems on ultrashort timescales gives rise to rich physics with promising applications. Although crucial, the quantitative determination of both the longitudinal and the shear photoinduced strains still remains challenging. Here, by scrutinizing asymmetric Bragg peaks pairs (±h01) in BiFeO 3 using picosecond time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiments, we simultaneously determine the longitudinal and shear strains. Importantly, we reveal a difference in the dynamical response of the longitudinal strain with respect to the shear one due to an interplay of quasilongitudinal and quasitransverse acoustic modes, well reproduced by our model. Lastly, we show that the relative amplitude of those strains can be explained only if both thermal and nonthermal processes contribute to the acoustic phonon photogeneration process.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Control over emergence and alignment of transient blisters in thermo-responsive gels using hierarchically patterned substrates

Surfaces with tunable microscale textures are vital in a large variety of technological applications, including heat transfer, antifouling and adhesion. To facilitate such broad-scale use, there is a need to create surfaces that undergo reconfigurable changes in topology and thus, enable switchable functionality. To date, there is a relative dearth of methods for engineering surfaces that can be actuated to change topography over a range of length scales, and hence, form tunable hierarchically structured layers. Combining modeling and experiments, we design a geometrically patterned, thermo-responsive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) gel film that undergoes controllable hierarchical changes in topology with changes in temperature. At the bottom, the film is covalently bound to a solid, curved substrate; at the top, the film encompasses longitudinal rectangular ridges that are oriented perpendicular to the underlying cylindrical curves. At temperatures below lower critical solution temperature (LCST), the swollen gel exhibits 3D variations in polymer density and thickness defined by the gel's top and bottom topography. As the temperature rises above LCST, the interplay between the upper ridges and lower curves in the gel drives non-uniform, directional solvent transport, the nucleation and propagation of a phase-separated higher-density skin layer, and the resulting pressure buildup within the film. These different, interacting kinetic processes lead to an instability, which produces transient microscopic blisters in the film. Through simulations, we show how tuning the width of the ridges modifies the propagation of a skin layer and creates localized pressure build-up points, which enables control over the emergence, distribution, and alignment of the microscopic blisters. Futhermore, we provide a simple argument to predict the size of such microscopic features. Experiments confirm our predictions and further highlight how our computational model enables the rational design of topographical transitions in these tunable films. The development of actuatable, hierarchically structured films provides new routes for achieving switchable functionality in actuators, drug release systems and adhesives.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Giant Modulation of Magnetoresistance in a Van Der Waals Magnet by In‐Plane Current Injection

Efficient magnetization control is a central issue in magnetism and spintronics. Particularly, there are increasing demands for manipulation of magnetic states in van der Waals (vdW) magnets with unconventional functionalities. However, the electrically induced phase transition between ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic states without external magnetic field is yet to be demonstrated. Here, the current-induced magnetic phase transition in a vdW ferromagnet Fe 5 GeTe 2 is reported. Based on magneto-transport measurements and theoretical analysis, it is demonstrated that transition in the interlayer magnetic coupling occurs through vertical voltage drop between layers induced by current which is attributed to high anisotropy of the resistivity caused by the vdW gaps. Such magnetic phase transition results in giant modulation of the longitudinal magnetoresistance from 5% to 170%. The electrical tunability of the magnetic phase in Fe 5 GeTe 2 with current-in-plane geometry opens a path for electric control of magnetic properties, expanding the ability to use vdW magnets for spintronic applications.

2D magnet↗

Laser and optical transport line for laser-based ion beam diagnostics and control in the SNS linear accelerator

We report our recent upgrade of the laser and optical transport line for the laser-based ion beam diagnostics (laser wire) system at the linear accelerator (linac) of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). A new light source based on diodepumped solid-state laser amplifiers has been developed to provide near diffraction-limited laser beam with a variety of pulse structures. The free-space optical transport line has been modified to include image relay optics with remote control, which greatly improved the laser beam quality and position stability at individual measurement stations. The upgraded system enables novel beam diagnostics/control capabilities including longitudinal profile measurement and high-energy proton beam extraction from the SNS linac.

Liu, Yun↗

Fast Faraday cup for measuring the longitudinal distribution of particle charge density in non-relativistic beams

A Fast Faraday cup includes a group of electrodes including a ground electrode having a through hole and a collector electrode configured with a blind hole that functions a collector hole. The electrodes are configured to allow a beam (e.g., a non-relativistic beam) to fall onto the ground electrode so that the through hole cuts a beamlet that flies into the collector hole and facilitates measurement of the longitudinal distribution of particle charge density in the beam. The diameters, depths, spacing and alignment of the collector hole and the through hole are controllable to enable the Fast Faraday day cup to operate with a fast response time (e.g., fine time resolution) and capture secondary particles.

Sun, Ding↗