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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

How threshold effects in spectroscopic factors influence heavy-ion knockout reactions

A two-decade-old puzzle in heavy-ion one-nucleon knockout reactions is the strong correlation between the reduction factor R S = σ exp /σ t h and the Fermi surface asymmetry ΔS. Theoretical cross sections typically rely on spectroscopic factors (SFs) from shell model (SM) calculations, which neglect continuum coupling effects. Here, we employ the Gamow shell model (GSM), which explicitly incorporates continuum coupling, to compute SFs for p-shell nuclei and predict corresponding theoretical cross sections. Systematic calculations demonstrate that using GSM-derived SFs substantially reduces discrepancies between theoretical and experimental results. This improvement is particularly significant for deeply bound nucleon knockout in nuclei near the dripline, where traditional SM-based calculations fall short. As a result, using GSM SFs, the ratio R s exhibits no pronounced dependence on ΔS. Furthermore, both the ratio of GSM SFs to SM SFs and their corresponding reaction cross sections ratios exhibit a strong ΔS dependence. We have also compared GSM SFs and cross sections with those from the no-core shell model calculations, giving a similar pronounced sensitivity to ΔS. Detailed analysis attributes these correlations to threshold effects for SFs in weakly bound systems. Overall, incorporating continuum coupling via GSM enhances the reliability of SF predictions for exotic, weakly bound nuclei and provides key insights toward resolving the enduring puzzle in heavy-ion knockout reactions from a nuclear structure perspective.

Gamow shell model↗

Verification and Validation Tests of the Gamma Library of the ARC Software Package (Rev.1)

As part of the verification and validation (V&V) efforts of the Argonne Reactor Code (ARC) software system to support the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) project of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), work has been performed to verify and validate the gamma (or photon) library of the multigroup cross section generation code MC 2 -3 of the ARC system, which is the essential part of the coupled neutron and gamma heating calculations to determine the heat generation rate or power distribution in the core. This V&V study was carried out in three steps: 1) review of the procedures and utility programs for generating the MC 2 -3 gamma library, 2) verification tests of cross sections and KERMA factors by comparing the total heat generation rate of coupled neutron and gamma calculation with that obtained with reaction Q values under the assumption of local gamma energy deposition and by comparing the prompt heat generation rate with that calculated with the MCNP6.2 code, and 3) validation tests of cross sections and KERMA factors by analyzing the ZPPR-15D gamma dose data measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Vibrationally resolved cross sections for proton collisions with hydrogen molecules

The semi-classical molecular convergent close-coupling approach has been applied to proton collisions with molecular hydrogen in the ground electronic and vibrational state. Cross sections for electron loss and electron capture agree well with the experimental data in the intermediate energy range where coupling between electronic reaction channels is strong and previously available calculations produce inconsistent results. Results for elastic scattering and total excitation are compared with effective one-electron coupled-channel calculations, showing that accurate target structure makes an important difference to these cross sections at intermediate energies. The excitation cross sections are calculated using both the fixed-nuclei and adiabatic-nuclei approximations for transitions from the $X^1Σ^+_{\textrm{g}}$ state to the $B^1Σ^+_{\textrm{u}}$, $B'$$^1Σ^+_{\textrm{u}}$, $B''$$^1Σ^+_{\textrm{u}}$, $EF$$^1Σ^+_{\textrm{g}}$, $GK$$^1Σ^+_{\textrm{g}}$, $H$$^1Σ^+_{\textrm{g}}$, $C$$^1Π_{\textrm{u}}$, $D$$^1Π_{\textrm{u}}$, $D'$$^1Π_{\textrm{u}}$, $I$$^1Π_{\textrm{u}}$, and $J$$^1Δ_{\textrm{g}}$ states for proton energies from to keV. We find significant differences between the present ab initio calculations and the equivelocity scaled electron-scattering data that is currently used for collisional-radiative modelling. Furthermore, the adiabatic-nuclei calculations enable us to resolve the final vibrational level after excitation, producing a complete set of cross sections for excitation of ground-state molecular hydrogen for all electronic states up to $n = 3$, where $n$ is the united-atoms-limit principle quantum number.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Effects of visual reference on adaptation to motion sickness and subjective responses evoked by graded cross-coupled angular accelerations

Three groups of 10 subjects each were exposed to stepwise increments of cross coupled angular accelerations in three visual modes: internal visual reference (IVR), external visual reference (EVR), and vision absent (VA). The subjects in the IVR condition required significantly greater amounts of stimulus exposure to neutralize their illusory subjective reactions. They also suffered a greater loss of well-being and a more marked incidence of motion sickness than did subjects in the EVR and VA conditions. The same 30 subjects were reexposed to the same graded cross coupled stimulation 1 week later. This time, however, all the subjects were tested under only the IVR condition. All three groups showed some positive transfer of adaptation, but only the IVR-IVR combination required significantly fewer head motions to achieve the same level of adaptation on the second occasion. Taken overall, however, the most efficient and least disturbing route to adaptation at the completion of the second test was via the VA-IVR combination.

Reason, J. T.↗

Polarized Nuclei in a Simple Mirror Fusion Reactor

The possibility of enhancing the ratio of output to input power Q in a simple mirror machine by polarizing Deuterium-Tritium (D- T) nuclei is evaluated. Taking the Livermore mirror reference design mirror ratio of 6.54, the expected sin(sup 2) upsilon angular distribution of fusion decay products reduces immediate losses of alpha particles to the loss cone by 7.6% and alpha-ion scattering losses by approx. 50%. Based on these findings, alpha- particle confinement times for a polarized plasma should therefore be 1.11 times greater than for isotropic nuclei. Coupling this enhanced alpha-particle heating with the expected greater than 50% D- T reaction cross section, a corresponding power ratio for polarized nuclei, Q(sub polarized), is found to be 1.63 times greater than the classical unpolarized value Q(sub classical). The effects of this increase in Q are assessed for the simple mirror.

Noever, David A.↗

Rate Constant and RRKM Product Study for the Reaction Between CH3 and C2H3 at T = 298K

The total rate constant k1 has been determined at P = 1 Torr nominal pressure (He) and at T = 298 K for the vinyl-methyl cross-radical reaction CH3 + C2H3 yields products. The measurements were performed in a discharge flow system coupled with collision-free sampling to a mass spectrometer operated at low electron energies. Vinyl and methyl radicals were generated by the reactions of F with C2H4 and CH4, respectively. The kinetic studies were performed by monitoring the decay of C2H3 with methyl in excess, 6 < |CH3|(sub 0)/|C2H3|(sub 0) < 21. The overall rate coefficient was determined to be k1(298 K) = (1.02 +/- 0.53)x10(exp -10) cubic cm/molecule/s with the quoted uncertainty representing total errors. Numerical modeling was required to correct for secondary vinyl consumption by reactions such as C2H3 + H and C2H3 + C2H3. The present result for k1 at T = 298 K is compared to two previous studies at high pressure (100-300 Torr He) and to a very recent study at low pressure (0.9-3.7 Torr He). Comparison is also made with the rate constant for the similar reaction CH3 + C2H5 and with a value for k1 estimated by the geometric mean rule employing values for k(CH3 + CH3) and k(C2H3 + C2H3). Qualitative product studies at T = 298 K and 200 K indicated formation of C3H6, C2H2, and C2H5 as products of the combination-stabilization, disproportionation, and combination-decomposition channels, respectively, of the CH3 + C2H3 reaction. We also observed the secondary C4H8 product of the subsequent reaction of C3H5 with excess CH3; this observation provides convincing evidence for the combination-decomposition channel yielding C3H5 + H. RRKM calculations with helium as the deactivator support the present and very recent experimental observations that allylic C-H bond rupture is an important path in the combination reaction. The pressure and temperature dependencies of the branching fractions are also predicted.

Thorn, R. Peyton, Jr.↗

Updates and Validation for the n+ 63,65 Cu Cross Sections [Abstract]

The neutron induced total, elastic, and capture cross sections of 63,65 Cu isotopes were selected for evaluation in the resolved and unresolved resonance energy ranges by the National Criticality Safety Program to resolve discrepancies related to benchmark performance. This is especially evident for the series of ZEUS benchmarks in which copper is used as a reflector. Because copper is also used as structural material in both fission and fusion reactors, the need to address benchmark discrepancies linked to nuclear data deficiencies is a task of primary importance. The aim of this work is to describe the steps of evaluation work towards a consistent improvement of the benchmark performance. The R-matrix analysis with the SAMMY code focused on the 63 Cu(n,γ) reaction channel between 100-300 keV coupled to unresolved resonance region parameters up to 650 keV to fit average cross section data from a recent experiment. Due to the high sensitivity of many benchmarks to elastic scattering angular distribution data, especially for the 65 Cu isotope, the impact of these data was tested by generating Legendre coefficients from both resonance parameters and the Hauser-Feshbach model. Guided by the findings of Shaw et al., the performance of the current evaluation for 65 Cu was compared to that of ENDF/B-VII.1 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 by testing the reactivity coefficients corresponding to the validation suite of experimental criticality benchmarks for thermal, intermediate, and fast systems taken from the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments Project Handbook. The benchmark performance is especially sensitive to 63 Cu(n,γ) and 65 Cu elastic scattering for neutron energies in the 100–500 keV region, whereas 100 keV is the upper limit of the resolved resonance region in the ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluations for 63,65 Cu. The results highlight the need to handle the transition from the resolved resonance region to the high energy region carefully.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Reduction of spectroscopic overlap across the Z = 8 shell in neutron-rich nuclei

The recent discovery and spectroscopic measurements of 27 O and 28 O suggests the disappearance of the N = 20 shell structure in these neutron-rich oxygen isotopes. We measured one- and two-proton removal cross sections from 27 F and 29 N, respectively, extracting spectroscopic factors and comparing them to shell model overlap functions coupled with eikonal reaction model calculations. The invariant mass technique was used to reconstruct the two-body ( 24 O + n) and three-body ( 24 O + 2n) decay energies from knockout reactions of 27 F (106.2 MeV/u) and 29 Ne (112.8 MeV/u) beams impinging on a 9 Be target. The one-proton removal from 27 F strongly populated the ground state of 26 O and the extracted cross section of $3.4^{+0.3}_{-1.5}$ mb agrees with eikonal model calculations that are normalized by the shell model spectroscopic factors and account for the systematic reduction factor observed for single nucleon removal reactions within the models used. For the two-proton removal reaction from 29 Ne an upper limit of 0.08 mb was extracted for populating states in 27 O decaying though the ground state of 26 O. The measured upper limit for the population of the ground state of 26 O in the two-proton removal reaction from 29 Ne indicates a significant difference in the underlying nuclear structure of 27 F and 29 Ne.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

BETO 2021 Peer Review - Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development (CEHD) WBS 2.4.1.101

The Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development (CEHD) project aims to reduce the cost and commercialization scale-up risks of biorefinery sugar-lignin production through development of a deployable continuous enzymatic hydrolysis (CEH) process. Through the use of external cross flow membrane filtration loops coupled to enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) reactors, pretreated biomass solids and enzymes are retained for reaction while solubilized product sugars are removed in situ, with high extents of conversion achieved through a series of reactor-membrane unit stages. The CEHD project is focused on advancing CEH as a transformational, process-intensified, lower-cost method for producing soluble clarified biomass sugars and insoluble lignin-rich streams than traditional batch enzymatic hydrolysis (BEH). The project's primary objective is to reduce the cost of CEH to be compellingly lower than conventional BEH, 10% lower in year 1 and 20% lower in year 3 (end of project). A related objective is to expand CEH's operating envelope to increase process efficiency. Through more thorough de-risking and demonstration of CEH, in conjunction with building a suite of modeling and optimization tools that allow for more facile rigorous in silico evaluation of novel CEH designs and modalities, this project intends to elevate industry interest in adopting CEH as an improvement over conventional batch processing. This project was merit reviewed in FY20. It's now in its first year of a new 3-year plan spanning FY21-FY23.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Theoretical studies of molecular collisions

The following subject areas are covered: (1) total integral reactive cross sections and vibrationally resolved reaction probabilities for F + H2 = HF + H; (2) a theoretical study of inelastic O + N2 collisions; (3) body frame close coupling wave packet approach to gas phase atom-rigit rotor inelastic collisions; (4) wave packet study of gas phase atom-rigit motor scattering; (5) the application of optical potentials for reactive scattering; (6) time dependent, three dimensional body frame quantal wave packet treatment of the H + H2 exchange reaction; (7) a time dependent wave packet approach to atom-diatom reactive collision probabilities; (8) time dependent wave packet for the complete determination of s-matrix elements for reactive molecular collisions in three dimensions; (9) a comparison of three time dependent wave packet methods for calculating electron-atom elastic scattering cross sections; and (10) a numerically exact full wave packet approach to molecule-surface scattering.

Kouri, Donald J.↗

Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development for Improved Saccharification Performance

The Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis Development (CEHD) project aims to reduce the cost and commercialization risks of Gen2 biorefinery sugar/lignin/ethanol production through development of a deployable continuous enzymatic hydrolysis process. Recent changes in the technical landscape of commercial enzymatic hydrolysis of Gen2 pretreated biomass dictate that the existing hybrid SSF approach be reconsidered. Most importantly, the current practice of "finishing hydrolysis" in SSF must be abandoned due to the fact that new cellulase/hemicellulose formulations from Novozymes, now the sole supplier of commercial Gen2 enzymes in North America, are now not rated for SSF (see NZ CTec3HS product bulletin). We have recently developed bench scale CEH tools to optimize saccharification of DMR pretreated biomass where, unlike SSF with yeast or Zymomonas, the pH, temperature, oxygen tension, LPMO mediator concentration, and/or removal of end-product inhibitors can be precisely controlled. In scale up, the goal is to use existing commercial cross flow ceramic membrane filtration external loops coupled to enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) reactors. Pretreated biomass solids and enzymes are retained for reaction while solubilized product sugars are removed in situ, with high extents of conversion and longer enzyme lifetimes achieved through a series of reactor-membrane unit stages. The CEHD project is focused on advancing CEH as a transformational, process-intensified, lower-cost method for producing soluble clarified biomass sugars and insoluble lignin-rich streams.

BIOMASS FUELS,INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND AN↗

Measurements of effective actinides neutron capture cross sections in a cadmium-filtered epithermal neutron spectrum

In this work, a total of 20 actinide samples were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL): 233 U (1), 235 U (1), 236 U (1), 238 U (1), 237 Np (2), 239 Pu (1), 240 Pu (1), 242 Pu (2), 244 Pu (2), 241 Am (2), 243 Am (2), 244 Cm (2), and 248 Cm (2). The samples were loaded in a basket containing a 1.1-mm thick cadmium filter. The presence of the filter drastically changes the neutron spectrum in the samples and accentuates the reaction rates in the resonance region. Isotopic ratios were determined using Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) that allowed inferring effective capture cross sections. Detailed best-estimate MCNP models of the experiment using ENDF/B-VII.0 nuclear data were developed to calculate the effective neutron cross sections and, subsequently, compare them with the cross sections inferred from experimental results.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Binding the Power of Cycloaddition and Cross-Coupling in a Single Mechanism: An Unexpected Bending Journey to Radical Chemistry of Butadiynyl with Conjugated Dienes

What if an experiment could combine the power of cycloaddition and cross-coupling with the in situ formation of an aromatic molecule in a single collision? Crossed molecular beam experiments augmented with electronic structure and statistical calculations provided compelling evidence on a novel radical route involving 1,3-butadiynyl (HCCCC; X 2 Σ + ) radicals synthesizing (substituted) arylacetylenes in the gas phase upon reactions with 1,3-butadiene (CH 2 CHCHCH 2 ; X 1 Ag) and 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (isoprene; CH 2 C(CH 3 )CHCH 2 ; X 1 A'). Furthermore, this elegant mechanism de facto merges two previously disconnected concepts of cross-coupling and cycloaddition–aromatization in a single collision event via the formation of two new C(sp 2 )–C(sp 2 ) bonds and bending the 180° moiety of the linear 1,3-butadiynyl radical out of the ordinary by 60° to 120°. In addition to its importance to fundamental organic chemistry, this unconventional mechanism links two previously separated routes of gas-phase molecular mass growth processes of polyacetylenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively, in low-temperature environments such as in cold molecular clouds like the Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC-1) and in hydrocarbon-rich atmospheres of planets and their moons such as Titan, what revises the established understanding of low-temperature molecular mass growth processes in the Universe.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Addressing genome scale design tradeoffs in Pseudomonas putida for bioconversion of an aromatic carbon source

Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMM) are commonly used to identify gene deletion sets that result in growth coupling and pairing product formation with substrate utilization and can improve strain performance beyond levels typically accessible using traditional strain engineering approaches. However, sustainable feedstocks pose a challenge due to incomplete high-resolution metabolic data for non-canonical carbon sources required to curate GSMM and identify implementable designs. Here we address a four-gene deletion design in the Pseudomonas putida KT2440 strain for the lignin-derived non-sugar carbon source, p-coumarate (p-CA), that proved challenging to implement. We examine the performance of the fully implemented design for p-coumarate to glutamine, a useful biomanufacturing intermediate. In this study glutamine is then converted to indigoidine, an alternative sustainable pigment and a model heterologous product that is commonly used to colorimetrically quantify glutamine concentration. Through proteomics, promoter-variation, and growth characterization of a fully implemented gene deletion design, we provide evidence that aromatic catabolism in the completed design is rate-limited by fumarase hydratase (FUM) enzyme activity in the citrate cycle and requires careful optimization of another fumarate hydratase protein (PP_0897) expression to achieve growth and production. A double sensitivity analysis also confirmed a strict requirement for fumarate hydratase activity in the strain where all genes in the growth coupling design have been implemented. Metabolic cross-feeding experiments were used to examine the impact of complete removal of the fumarase hydratase reaction and revealed an unanticipated nutrient requirement, suggesting additional functions for this enzyme. While a complete implementation of the design was achieved, this study highlights the challenge of completely inactivating metabolic reactions encoded by under-characterized proteins, especially in the context of multi-gene edits.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

coh3

CoH3 (CoH ver.3) is an optical model, exciton pre-equilibrium, and Hauser-Feshbach statistical model code, which calculates nuclear reaction cross sections for medium to heavy targets in the keV to MeV energy region. This program is written in standard C++, divided into approximately 200 source and header files. CoH solves the Schroedinger equation for optical potentials defined in the code, and calculates differential elastic scattering, reaction, and total cross sections, for neutron, proton, deuteron, triton, 3He, and alpha-particle. Deformed optical potentials are solved with the coupled-channels method, in which the ground state rotational band members, or vibrational phonon states are coupled. The optical model gives particle transmission coefficients that are fed into the statistical model calculations. CoH includes the pre-equilibrium model (exciton model), the direct/semidirect capture model, and the multi-stage Hauser-Feshbach statistical decay with width fluctuation correction based on the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble. For weakly coupled levels, the DWBA (distorted wave Born approximation) method is used to calculate the direct inelastic scattering process to the excited states.

Kawano, Toshihiko↗

fpikachu96/KRED-data

Exploiting nature’s catalysts for non-natural transformations that are inaccessible to chemocatalysis is highly desirable but challenging. On the one hand, the widespread nicotinamide-dependent oxidoreductases have not been utilized for single-electron-transfer-induced bimolecular cross-couplings; on the other, the addition of catalytic asymmetric radical conjugate to terminal alkenes remains a challenge owing to strong racemic background reaction and unselective termination of prochiral radical species. Here we report a chemomimetic biocatalysitic approach for construction of alpha-carbonyl stereocentres via an unnatural intermolecular conjugate addition of N-(acyloxy)phthalimides-derived radicals with acceptor-substituted terminal alkenes, by combination of visible-light excitation and nicotinamide-dependent ketoreductases (KREDs). Based on protein crystal structure, we engineered KREDs via a semi-rational mutagenesis strategy to improve reaction outcomes with a small and high-quality variants library. Mechanistic investigations combining wet experiments, crystallographic studies and computational simulations demonstrate that the repurposed biocatalyst can suppress racemic background reaction and unselected side reactions, yielding enantioselectivity that is challenging to achieve by chemocatalysis.

Huang, Xiaoqiang↗