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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5

Enhancement of three-photon near-infrared quantum cutting in β-NaYF4:Er3+ nanoparticles by Ag nanocubes

Highlights: • Three-photon near-infrared quantum cutting is obtained in β-NaYF{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+} NPs. • Quantum cutting efficiency as high as 242.59% is calculated from decay curves. • Plasmon-enhanced three-photon quantum cutting is achieved by Ag nanocubes. • The maximum quantum cutting enhancement factor reaches 2.86. - Abstract: The near-infrared (NIR) quantum cutting (QC) nanoparticles (NPs) β-NaYF{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+} are prepared by coprecipitation method. Three-photon NIR QC luminescence at 1520 nm ({sup 4}I{sub 13/2} → {sup 4}I{sub 15/2}) is obtained under the excitation of 519 nm ({sup 4}I{sub 15/2} → {sup 2}H{sub 11/2}). The corresponding QC efficiency η{sub QC} calculated from the luminescence decay curves reaches as 242.59%. Furthermore, three-photon NIR QC luminescence is enhanced by the localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanocubes (NCs). The influence of Ag NCs concentration on three-photon QC luminescence is investigated, and the results show that the optimal concentration of Ag NCs is 0.10% with the enhancement factor reached a maximum as 2.86. Our study may have potential application as a QC layer to improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of germanium (Ge) solar cells.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Calculated Roughness Changes due to Clear-Cutting At Savannah River Site

At the Savannah River Site (SRS), multiple facilities are routinely producing and working with radiological constituents which require safety basis modeling by the National Nuclear Safety Administration. The models used to determine the safety basis employ roughness length as an input parameter which describes the roughness of the ground surface which influences momentum exchange near the surface and the subsequent generation of mechanical turbulence. Because roughness length is dependent on surface characteristics, including vegetation, any changes to the surface would have a subsequent impact on the roughness length and require a new safety basis analysis to be performed. An analysis of measurements prior to and after the dear-cuts and thinning was performed and roughness lengths were calculated for each of sixteen wind sectors. Not all sectors contained dear-cuts, so this provides comparison of natural variations in roughness. Based on the results of the estimated changes, consideration will be given to how these changes may affect atmospheric dispersion modeling. It was found that clear-cutting activities generally led to a reduction in roughness. Reductions in roughness length also occurred in some of the wind sectors containing only undisturbed forest, but those in sectors with dear-cuts were found to be slightly greater in magnitude than natural variation. Only in one instance was the change in roughness length found to exceed a decrease of 10%, indicating that there is no significant safety basis to the site as a whole based on previous clear-cutting activities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Benefits from developments in the field of Decommissioning for Fukushima Daiichi fuel debris retrieval: Remote-Controlled Laser Cutting Process - 17110

Among the numerous challenges towards the decommissioning of Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors, removing fuel debris is certainly one of the tougher ones, requiring several technical developments. One of them, related to laser cutting of fuel debris is being developed by a French consortium 'ONET Technologies, CEA and IRSN'. Remote controlled laser cutting was implemented for the first time in a real decommissioning workshop in 2015, in UP1 reprocessing plant. In addition to laser cutting development in air and underwater, key aspects of fuel debris cutting of representative of corium debris simulants was performed to test the quantities of aerosols, gas and dusts released during the debris laser cutting. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Aerosol Measurement from Plasma Arc Torch Cuts on Various Metal for D and D Workers' Internal Dose Calculation - 20253

When dismantling a nuclear power plant, structures must be cut to reduce size. The cutting of radioactive material produces radioactive aerosols, which pose a health risk including radiation risk to site workers and the general public. However, due to a lack of research on the physical and chemical characteristics of aerosols produced in these processes, the calculation of internal dose in the event of an expected or unexpected accident is inaccurate. For the measurement of aerosols generated from cutting for internal dose calculations, we measured the number concentration distribution and nuclide distribution of aerosols from plasma arc cutting in a laboratory experimental setup, considering isokinetic sampling and automatic cutting. The results may suggest internal dose assessment without characteristics of radioactive aerosol has uncertainty and the possibility of being undervalued. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Approximately 15% of Miscanthus yield is lost at current commercial cutting heights in Iowa

Various works have quantitatively characterized the effects of environmental and management factors on Miscanthus x giganteus Greef et Deu (mxg) yield and, therefore, anticipated land requirement per unit production. However, little work has addressed the effects of cutting height, which may significantly contribute to the difference between the standing aboveground biomass at harvest (i.e., biological yield) and harvested yield. This study quantitatively characterized the effect of cutting height using a replicated nitrogen trial of a 5-year-old mxg stand in southeast Iowa and related this information to observations of cutting height in nearby commercial fields. Nitrogen fertilizer did not significantly change the relationship of the stem segment mass to length, and overall, a 1-cm stem segment contributes 0.5% of the total stem biomass within the bottom 44 cm of the stem. This results in an average harvest loss of 15% of the aboveground standing biomass when cutting at 30 cm, typically seen in commercial mxg fields in eastern Iowa. Cutting height should be considered when accurately predicting commercial mxg harvest yields and changes in soil organic carbon in a commercial mxg agroecosystem.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Reflected entropy in random tensor networks. Part III. Triway cuts

For general random tensor network states at large bond dimension, we prove that the integer Rényi reflected entropies (away from phase transitions) are determined by minimal triway cuts through the network. This generalizes the minimal cut description of bipartite entanglement for these states. A natural extrapolation away from integer Rényi parameters, suggested by the triway cut problem, implies the holographic conjecture S R = 2EW, where S R is the reflected entropy and EW is the entanglement wedge cross-section. Minimal triway cuts can be formulated as integer programs which cannot be relaxed to find a dual maximal flow/bit-thread description. This sheds light on the gap between the existence of tripartite entanglement in holographic states and the bipartite entanglement structure motivated by bit-threads. In particular, we prove that the Markov gap that measures tripartite entanglement is lower bounded by the integrality gap of the integer program that computes the triway cut.

AdS-CFT correspondence↗

Equilibrium properties of blackbody radiation with an ultraviolet energy cut-off

We study various equilibrium thermodynamic properties of blackbody radiation (i.e. a photon gas) with an ultraviolet energy cut-off. We find that the energy density, specific heat etc. follow usual acoustic phonon dynamics as have been well studied by Debye. Other thermodynamic quantities like pressure, entropy etc. have also been calculated. The usual Stefan–Boltzmann law gets modified. We observe that the values of the thermodynamic quantities with the energy cut-off is lower than the corresponding values in the theory without any such scale. The phase-space measure is also expected to get modified for an exotic spacetime appearing at Planck scale, which in turn leads to the modification of Planck energy density distribution and the Wien’s displacement law. We found that the non-perturbative nature of the thermodynamic quantities in the SR limit (for both unmodified and modified cases), due to nonanalyticity of the leading term, is a general feature of the theory accompanied with an ultraviolet energy cut-off. We have also discussed the possible modification in the case of Big Bang and the Stellar objects and have suggested a table top experiment for verification in effective low energy case. - Highlights: • We study the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of a photon gas with an ultraviolet energy cut-off. The values of the thermodynamic quantities are lower than the corresponding values in the theory without any such scale. • The usual Stefan–Boltzmann law gets modified. Also, there is a one to one correspondence with photons in Doubly Special Relativity and the acoustic phonons. • The phase space measure modification at Planck scale has been explored. This leads to modification of Planck energy density distribution and the Wien’s displacement law. • We found that non-perturbative nature of the thermodynamic quantities in the SR limit is a general feature of the theory accompanied with an ultraviolet energy cut-off. • At very high energies, the Hubble’s parameter gets a modification in the radiation dominated epoch of big bang, while at low energies, a table top experiment for verification of our theory has been suggested.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Resistive magneto-hydrodynamical cut-off of Alfvén wave in fully ionized plasmas

The term cut-off in the theory of the Alfvén wave is used to describe several different phenomena. In this work, the cut-off due to magnetohydrodynamic resistive damping in fully ionized plasmas is revisited. This cut-off requires short enough wavelengths, it is routinely discussed in numerous works, and graphs depicting it are available even in textbooks. We show that this cut-off is hardly ever possible in real plasmas. This is due to the fact that some essential criteria and conditions become strongly violated in order to achieve the cut-off.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Diagnostics principle of microwave cut-off probe for measuring absolute electron density

A generalized diagnostics principle of microwave cut-off probe is presented with a full analytical solution. In previous studies on the microwave cut-off measurement of weakly ionized plasmas, the cut-off frequency ω{sub c} of a given electron density is assumed to be equal to the plasma frequency ω{sub p} and is predicted using electromagnetic simulation or electric circuit model analysis. However, for specific plasma conditions such as highly collisional plasma and a very narrow probe tip gap, it has been found that ω{sub c} and ω{sub p} are not equal. To resolve this problem, a generalized diagnostics principle is proposed by analytically solving the microwave cut-off condition Re[ε{sub r,eff}(ω = ω{sub c})] = 0. In addition, characteristics of the microwave cut-off condition are theoretically tested for correct measurement of the absolute electron density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

THE INTEGRAL HIGH-ENERGY CUT-OFF DISTRIBUTION OF TYPE 1 ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

In this Letter we present the primary continuum parameters, the photon index Γ, and the high-energy cut-off E {sub c} of 41 type-1 Seyfert galaxies extracted from the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) complete sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We performed broadband (0.3-100 keV) spectral analysis by simultaneously fitting the soft and hard X-ray spectra obtained by XMM and INTEGRAL/IBIS-Swift/BAT, respectively, in order to investigate the general properties of these parameters, in particular their distribution and mean values. We find a mean photon index of 1.73 with a standard deviation of 0.17 and a mean high-energy cut-off of 128 keV with a standard deviation of 46 keV for the whole sample. This is the first time that the cut-off energy is constrained in such a large number of AGNs. We have 26 measurements of the cut-off, which corresponds to 63% of the entire sample, distributed between 50 and 200 keV. There are a further 11 lower limits mostly below 300 keV. Using the main parameters of the primary continuum, we have been able to obtain the actual physical parameters of the Comptonizing region, i.e., the plasma temperature kT {sub e} from 20 to 100 keV and the optical depth τ < 4. Finally, with the high signal-to-noise ratio spectra starting to come from NuSTAR it will soon be possible to better constrain the cut-off values in many AGNs, allowing the determination of more physical models and thus better understand the continuum emission and geometry of the region surrounding black holes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Mass-dependent cuts in longitudinal phase space

Here, longitudinal phase space analyses as introduced by van Hove provided a simplified method of separating different reaction production mechanisms. Cuts in the longitudinal phase space can help to select specific reaction kinematics but also induce nonflat acceptance effects in angular distributions. We show that in photoproduction reactions dominated by t -channel exchanges, selection of meson or baryon production over a large mass range can be optimized through calculating mass-dependent cut limits compared to cuts on a van Hove plot sector alone. A cut is presented that improves this selection of one type of hadron production by rejecting another. In addition we demonstrate that using cuts in longitudinal phase space preserves sufficient information to reliably extract observables from the angular distribution of the final state particles.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Data for Approximately 15% of Miscanthus Yield is Lost at Current Commercial Cutting Heights in Iowa

Various works have quantitatively characterized the effects of environmental and management factors on Miscanthus x giganteus Greef et Deu ( mxg ) yield and, therefore, anticipated land requirement per unit production. However, little work has addressed the effects of cutting height, which may significantly contribute to the difference between the standing aboveground biomass at harvest (i.e., biological yield) and harvested yield. This study quantitatively characterized the effect of cutting height using a replicated nitrogen trial of a 5-year-old mxg stand in southeast Iowa and related this information to observations of cutting height in nearby commercial fields. Nitrogen fertilizer did not significantly change the relationship of the stem segment mass to length, and overall, a 1-cm stem segment contributes 0.5% of the total stem biomass within the bottom 44 cm of the stem. This results in an average harvest loss of 15% of the aboveground standing biomass when cutting at 30 cm, typically seen in commercial mxg fields in eastern Iowa. Cutting height should be considered when accurately predicting commercial mxg harvest yields and changes in soil organic carbon in a commercial mxg agroecosystem.

Biomass Analytics↗

In Search of Optimum Fresh-Cut Raw Material: Using Computer Vision Systems as a Sensory Screening Tool for Browning-Resistant Romaine Lettuce Accessions

The popularity of ready-to-eat (RTE) salads has prompted novel technology to prolong the shelf life of their ingredients. Fresh-cut romaine lettuce is widely used in RTE salads; however, its tendency to quickly discolor continues to be a challenge for the industry. Selecting the ideal lettuce accessions for use in RTE salads is essential to ensure maximum shelf life, and it is critical to have a practical way to assess and compare the quality of multiple lettuce accessions that are being considered for use in fresh-cut applications. Thus, in this work we aimed to determine whether a computer vision system (CVS) composed of image acquisition, processing, and analysis could be effective to detect visual quality differences among 16 accessions of fresh-cut romaine lettuce during postharvest storage. The CVS involved a post-capturing color correction, effective image segmentation, and calculation of a browning index, which was tested as a predictor of quality and shelf life of fresh-cut romaine lettuce. The results demonstrated that machine vision software can be implemented to replace or supplement the scoring of a trained panel and instrumental quality measurements. Overall visual quality, a key sensory parameter that determines food preferences and consumer behavior, was highly correlated with the browning index, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of −0.85. Other important sensory decision parameters were also strongly or moderately correlated with the browning index, with Pearson correlation coefficients of −0.84 for freshness, 0.79 for off odor, and 0.57 for browning. The ranking of the accessions according to quality acceptability from the sensory evaluation produced a similar pattern to those obtained with the CVS. This study revealed that multiple lettuce accessions can be effectively benchmarked for their performance as fresh-cut sources via a CVS-based method. Future opportunities and challenges in using machine vision image processing to predict consumer preferences for RTE salad greens is also discussed.

Agriculture↗

Observing Formation of Flux Rope by Tether-cutting Reconnection in the Sun

Tether-cutting reconnection is considered as one mechanism for the formation of a flux rope. It has been proposed for more than 30 years; however, so far, direct observations of it are very rare. In this Letter, we present observations of the formation of a flux rope via tether-cutting reconnection in NOAA AR 11967 on 2014 February 2 by combining observations with the New Vacuum Solar Telescope and the Solar Dynamic Observatory . The tether-cutting reconnection occurs between two sets of highly sheared magnetic arcades. Comprehensive observational evidence of the reconnection is as follows: changes of the connections between the arcades, brightenings at the reconnection site, hot outflows, formation of a flux rope, slow-rise motion of the flux rope, and flux cancelation. The outflows are along three directions from the reconnection site to the footpoints with the velocities from 24 ± 1 km s{sup −1} to 69 ± 5 km s{sup −1}. Additionally, it is found that the newly formed flux rope connects far footpoints and has a left-handed twisted structure with many fine threads and a concave-up-shape structure in the middle. All the observations are in agreement with the tether-cutting model and provide evidence that tether-cutting reconnection leads to the formation of the flux rope associated with flux shear flow and cancelation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Optimum wall impedance for spinning modes: A correlation with mode cut-off ratio

A correlating equation relating the optimum acoustic impedance for the wall lining of a circular duct to the acoustic mode cut-off ratio, is presented. The optimum impedance was correlated with cut-off ratio because the cut-off ratio appears to be the fundamental parameter governing the propagation of sound in the duct. Modes with similar cut-off ratios respond in a similar way to the acoustic liner. The correlation is a semi-empirical expression developed from an empirical modification of an equation originally derived from sound propagation theory in a thin boundary layer. This correlating equation represents a part of a simplified liner design method, based upon modal cut-off ratio, for multimodal noise propagation.

Rice, E. J.↗

Optimum wall impedance for spinning modes - A correlation with mode cut-off ratio

A correlating equation relating the optimum acoustic impedance for the wall lining of a circular duct to the acoustic mode cut-off ratio is presented and compared to exact calculations. The optimum impedance was correlated with cut-off ratio because the cut-off ratio appears to be the fundamental parameter governing the propagation of sound in the duct. Modes with similar cut-off ratios respond in a similar way to the acoustic liner. The correlating equation is useful for the design of suppressors for aircraft engine inlets having a steady mean flow with a boundary layer and spinning mode noise source excitation. The correlation is a semi-empirical expression developed from an empirical modification of an equation originally derived from sound propagation theory in a thin boundary layer. Exact calculations of the optimum wall impedance were made over a wide range of frequency parameters, boundary layer thicknesses and flow Mach numbers to develop and verify the correlation. This correlating equation represents a part of a simplified liner design method, based upon modal cut-off ratio, for multimodal noise propagation.

Rice, E. J.↗

The effects of cutting or of stretching skeletal muscle in vitro on the rates of protein synthesis and degradation

Skeletal muscle preparations using cut muscle fibers have often been used in studies of protein metabolism. The present paper reports an investigation of the effect of muscle cutting or stretching in vitro on the rates of protein synthesis and/or degradation. Protein synthesis and content, and ATP and phosphocreatine levels were monitored in soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles from the rat with various extents of muscle fiber cuts and following stretching to about 120% the resting length. Rates of protein synthesis are found to be significantly lower and protein degradation higher in the cut muscles than in uncut controls, while ATP and phosphocreatine concentrations decreased. Stretched intact muscles, on the other hand, are observed to have higher concentrations of high-energy phosphates than unstretched muscles, while rates of protein degradation were not affected. Results thus demonstrate that the cutting of skeletal muscle fibers alters many aspects of muscle metabolism, and that moderate decreases in ATP concentration do not alter rates of protein concentration in intact muscles in vitro.

Seider, M. J.↗

Tubing and cable cutting tool

A hand held hydraulic cutting tool was developed which is particularly useful in deactivating ejection seats in military aircraft rescue operations. The tool consists primarily of a hydraulic system composed of a fluid reservoir, a pumping piston, and an actuator piston. Mechanical cutting jaws are attached to the actuator piston rod. The hydraulic system is controlled by a pump handle. As the pump handle is operated the actuator piston rod is forced outward and thus the cutting jaws are forced together. The frame of the device is a flexible metal tubing which permits easy positioning of the tool cutting jaws in remote and normally inaccessible locations. Bifurcated cutting edges ensure removal of a section of the tubing or cable to thereby reduce the possibility of accidental reactivation of the tubing or cable being severed.

Mcsmith, D. D.↗