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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

Elasto-viscoplastic fast Fourier transform modeling framework for assessing microstructural effects on stress intensity factors characterizing fracture toughness

A large-strain elasto-viscoplastic fast Fourier transform (LS-EVPFFT) model with non-periodic (NP) velocity-based boundary conditions is adapted to simulate the sensitivity of stress intensity factors on microstructure for 304L stainless steel. The material was characterized via electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) serial-sectioning to obtain a measured 3-D microstructural cell to perform simulations. The NP-LS-EVPFFT model, including the simulation setup and boundary conditions, was verified using a crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) model. To this end, the generation of meshes of notched specimens was developed, which involved creating Python scripts for mesh “cutting” in Abaqus, and Sculpt scripts in Cubit for meshing of the measured microstructural cell processed with DREAM.3D. The complexity of the mesh preparation highlighted the advantages of the FFT-based model, which circumvents the mesh generation process. Given the efficiency of the FFT-based model, statistical distribution of stress intensity factors in function of crystal orientation at the crack tip, grain structure, and crystallographic texture surrounding the crack tip were predicted. Further, the distributions reveal about 10% variation of stress intensity factors with microstructure with the most significant sensitivity found to be the crystal orientation at the crack tip. The methodology developed in this work is discussed as a practical simulation tool for predicting the sensitivity of stress intensity factors on microstructural variability in metallic materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ligand Desorption and Fragmentation in Oleate-Capped CdSe Nanocrystals under High-Intensity Photoexcitation

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) offer prospective use as active optical elements in photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, lasers, and photocatalysts due to their tunable optical absorption and emission properties, high stability, and scalable solution processing, as well as compatibility with additive manufacturing routes. Over the course of experiments, during device fabrication, or while in use commercially, these materials are often subjected to intense or prolonged electronic excitation and high carrier densities. The influence of such conditions on ligand integrity and binding remains underexplored. Here, in this study, we expose CdSe NCs to laser excitation and monitor changes in oleate that is covalently attached to the NC surface using nuclear magnetic resonance as a function of time and laser intensity. Higher photon doses cause increased rates of ligand loss from the particles, with upward of 50% total ligand desorption measured for the longest, most intense excitation. Surprisingly, for a range of excitation intensities, fragmentation of the oleate is detected and occurs concomitantly with formation of aldehydes, terminal alkenes, H 2 , and water. After illumination, NC size, shape, and bandgap remain constant although low-energy absorption features (Urbach tails) develop in some samples, indicating formation of substantial trap states. The observed reaction chemistry, which here occurs with low photon to chemical conversion efficiency, suggests that ligand reactivity may require examination for improved NC dispersion stability but can also be manipulated to yield desired photocatalytically accessed chemical species.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fracture Intensity Impacts on Reaction Front Propagation and Mineral Weathering in Three‐Dimensional Fractured Media

Abstract Studying reaction front propagation in heterogeneous natural settings is challenging, but numerical simulations can provide insight into the varying spatial and temporal scales of reaction front propagation. Here, the impact of increasing fracture intensity on mineral dissolution rates, and the extent of reaction front propagation is investigated using reactive transport simulations in upscaled discrete fracture network domains with varied fracture intensity. Domain‐averaged dissolution rates vary less than 0.5 log units regardless of the fracture intensity, but the spatial distribution of reactions is controlled by the location and number of dead‐end fractures and the number of connected flowpaths through the domain. Higher fracture intensities lead to more weathering in the domain because of more available mineral for water‐rock interactions. We find that reaction fronts propagate through the primary flowpaths in the first 10,000 years of the simulation for a 10‐m length domain, then propagate into secondary flowpaths and dead‐end fractures between 10,000 and 100,000 years, and finally into the matrix over timescales of hundreds of thousands of years. The domain‐averaged reaction rates decrease through time corresponding to a transition from dissolution in advection‐dominated, fast‐flowing pathways, to dissolution in transport‐limited zones of disconnected fractures and matrix. Matrix dissolution, or dissolution under transport‐limited conditions, is the dominant process at late times in these simulations. The results of these simulations recreate the observed paradox found in nature where highly fractured hillslopes tend to be more weathered but have slower weathering rates, while hillslopes with fewer fractures, are less weathered but have higher dissolution rates.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

An Open‐Source, Physics‐Based, Tropical Cyclone Downscaling Model With Intensity‐Dependent Steering

Abstract An open‐source, physics‐based tropical cyclone (TC) downscaling model is developed, in order to generate a large climatology of TCs. The model is composed of three primary components: (a) a random seeding process that determines genesis, (b) an intensity‐dependent beta‐advection model that determines the track, and (c) a non‐linear differential equation set that determines the intensification rate. The model is entirely forced by the large‐scale environment. Downscaling ERA5 reanalysis data shows that the model is generally able to reproduce observed TC climatology, such as the global seasonal cycle, genesis locations, track density, and lifetime maximum intensity distributions. Inter‐annual variability in TC count and power‐dissipation is also well captured, on both basin‐wide and global scales. Regional TC hazard estimated by this model is also analyzed using return period maps and curves. In particular, the model is able to reasonably capture the observed return period curves of landfall intensity in various sub‐basins around the globe. The incorporation of an intensity‐dependent steering flow is shown to lead to regionally dependent changes in power dissipation and return periods. Advantages and disadvantages of this model, compared to other downscaling models, are also discussed.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗

Modulation of intensity emerging from zero effort (MIEZE) with extended Fourier time at large scattering angle

Modulation of Intensity Emerging from Zero Effort (MIEZE) is a neutron resonant spin echo technique that allows one to measure time correlation scattering functions in materials by implementing radio-frequency (RF) intensity modulation at the sample and the detector. The technique avoids neutron spin manipulation between the sample and the detector and, thus, could find applications in cases where the sample depolarizes the neutron beam. However, the finite sample size creates a variance in the path length between the locations where scattering and detection happen, which limits the contrast in intensity modulation that one can detect, in particular, toward long correlation times or large scattering angles. We propose a modification to the MIEZE setup that will enable one to extend those detection limits to longer times and larger angles. Furthermore, we use Monte Carlo simulations of a neutron scattering beamline to show that by tilting the RF flippers in the primary spectrometer with respect to the beam direction, one can shape the wave front of the intensity modulation at the sample to compensate for the path variance from the sample and the detector. The simulation results indicate that this change enables one to operate a MIEZE instrument at much increased RF frequencies, thus improving the effective energy resolution of the technique. For the MIEZE instrument simulated, it shows that for an incident beam with the maximum divergence of 0.33°, the maximum Fourier time can be increased by a factor of 3.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Study of ablation and shock generation across three orders of magnitude of laser intensity with 100 ps laser pulses

The laser ablation and subsequent shock generation in solid targets plays an important role in a variety of research topics from equation of state models for materials to inertial confinement fusion. One of the long-standing issues is the knowledge of ablation depth in the picosecond time regime. Here, we report on a direct technique for determining the ablation depth in aluminum using x-ray diffraction data from Linac Coherent Light Source at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. This technique gives a direct measurement of the shock wave propagation in the bulk target, enabling an ability to discern early timescale physics from late timescale effects not available in postmortem analysis. We find that the ablation depths only vary by 0.2 μm across three orders of magnitude of laser intensity, while the pressure increased by a factor of 10 following a square root dependence on laser pulse energy. We further observe that the ablation depth in this intensity range (10 11 –10 13 W/cm 2 in intensity, corresponding to 0.8–80 J/cm 2 in fluence) cannot be modeled by a universal scaling law, given the complexity of the mechanisms governing laser ablation in this intensity regime.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Geometry dependence of the fluctuation intensity in gyrokinetic turbulence

The findings of an investigation into the properties of the three dimensional (3D) saturated fluctuation intensity of the electric potential in gyrokinetic turbulence simulations is presented. Scans in flux surface elongation and Shafranov shift are used to isolate the tokamak geometric dependencies. The potential intensity required in order to compute exact fluxes by a quasilinear method is determined using linear eigenmodes computed with the gyrokinetic code. A model of this non-linear intensity is constructed using the linear eigenmode properties and the geometry shape functions obtained from the 3D intensity spectrum. The model computes the poloidal wavenumber spectrum of the electron and ion energy fluxes with unprecedented accuracy. In conclusion, new insights are gained into the way zonal flow mixing saturates ion-scale turbulence by controlling the radial wavenumber width of the turbulence spectrum.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Multi-tracer intensity mapping: cross-correlations, line noise & decorrelation

Line intensity mapping (LIM) is a rapidly emerging technique for constraining cosmology and galaxy formation using multi-frequency, low angular resolution maps. Many LIM applications crucially rely on cross-correlations of two line intensity maps, or of intensity maps with galaxy surveys or galaxy/CMB lensing. We present a consistent halo model to predict all these cross-correlations and enable joint analyses, in 3D redshift-space and for 2D projected maps. We extend the conditional luminosity function formalism to the multi-line case, to consistently account for correlated scatter between multiple galaxy line luminosities. This allows us to model the scale-dependent decorrelation between two line intensity maps, a key input for foreground rejection and for approaches that estimate auto-spectra from cross-spectra. This also enables LIM cross-correlations to reveal astrophysical properties of the interstellar medium inacessible with LIM auto-spectra. We expose the different sources of luminosity scatter or "line noise" in LIM, and clarify their effects on the 1-halo and galaxy shot noise terms. In particular, we show that the effective number density of halos can in some cases exceed that of galaxies, counterintuitively. Using observational and simulation input, we implement this halo model for the Hα, [Oiii], Lyman-α, CO and [Cii] lines. Here, we encourage observers and simulators to measure galaxy luminosity correlation coefficients for pairs of lines whenever possible. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/EmmanuelSchaan/HaloGen/tree/LIM. In a companion paper, we use this halo model formalism and code to highlight the degeneracies between cosmology and astrophysics in LIM, and to compare the LIM observables to galaxy detection for a number of surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Light-responsive expression atlas reveals the effects of light quality and intensity in Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, a plant with crassulacean acid metabolism

Abstract Background Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a specialized mode of photosynthesis, enables plant adaptation to water-limited environments and improves photosynthetic efficiency via an inorganic carbon-concentrating mechanism. Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi is an obligate CAM model featuring a relatively small genome and easy stable transformation. However, the molecular responses to light quality and intensity in CAM plants remain understudied. Results Here we present a genome-wide expression atlas of K. fedtschenkoi plants grown under 12 h/12 h photoperiod with different light quality (blue, red, far-red, white light) and intensity (0, 150, 440, and 1,000 μmol m–2 s–1) based on RNA sequencing performed for mature leaf samples collected at dawn (2 h before the light period) and dusk (2 h before the dark period). An eFP web browser was created for easy access of the gene expression data. Based on the expression atlas, we constructed a light-responsive co-expression network to reveal the potential regulatory relationships in K. fedtschenkoi. Measurements of leaf titratable acidity, soluble sugar, and starch turnover provided metabolic indicators of the magnitude of CAM under the different light treatments and were used to provide biological context for the expression dataset. Furthermore, CAM-related subnetworks were highlighted to showcase genes relevant to CAM pathway, circadian clock, and stomatal movement. In comparison with white light, monochrome blue/red/far-red light treatments repressed the expression of several CAM-related genes at dusk, along with a major reduction in acid accumulation. Increasing light intensity from an intermediate level (440 μmol m-2 s-1) of white light to a high light treatment (1,000 μmol m–2 s–1) increased expression of several genes involved in dark CO2 fixation and malate transport at dawn, along with an increase in organic acid accumulation. Conclusions This study provides a useful genomics resource for investigating the molecular mechanism underlying the light regulation of physiology and metabolism in CAM plants. Our results support the hypothesis that both light intensity and light quality can modulate the CAM pathway through regulation of CAM-related genes in K. fedtschenkoi.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Primary $\gamma$-ray intensities and $\gamma$-strength functions from discrete two-step $\gamma$-ray cascades in radiative proton-capture experiments

Background: Reaction rates of radiative capture reactions can play a crucial role in the nucleosynthesis of heavy nuclei in explosive stellar environments. These reaction rates depend strongly on $\gamma$-ray decay widths in the reaction products, which are, for nonresonant capture reactions at high excitation energies, derived from the $\gamma$-ray strength function and the nuclear level density. Recently, the ratio method was applied to primary $\gamma$ rays observed from ($\textit{d, p}$) reactions and nuclear resonance fluorescence measurements to extract the dipole strength in atomic nuclei and to test the generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis. Purpose: The purpose of this work is to apply the ratio method to primary $\gamma$-ray intensities of the 63,65 Cu($\textit{p},\gamma$) reactions to extract $\gamma$-ray strength information on the nuclei 64,66 Zn. Here, the impact of spin distribution, total $\gamma$-ray decay widths, level densities, and width fluctuations on the application of the ratio method will be discussed. Additionally, by comparing the relative $\gamma$-ray strength at different excitation energies, conclusions on the validity of the generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis can be made. Method: The radiative proton capture reaction measurements have been performed at the HORUS $\gamma$-ray spectrometer of the University of Cologne at one excitation energy for each reaction. Primary $\gamma$-ray intensities have been determined by normalizing secondary $\gamma$-ray transitions in two-step cascades using their absolute branching ratio. The ratio method was applied to the measured primary $\gamma$-ray intensities as well as to previous measurements by Erlandsson et al. at different excitation energies. Results: The relative strength function curve for 64 Zn from our measurement shows no significant deviation from the previous measurement at a different excitation energy. The same is true for 66 Zn where both measurements were at almost the same excitation energy. Absolute $\gamma$-strength function values have been obtained by normalizing the relative curves to quasiparticle random phase approximation calculations because of the absence of experimental data in the respective energy region. Conclusion: The generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis, i.e., the independence of the strength function on the excitation energy, seems to hold in the studied energy region and nuclei. The method to obtain primary $\gamma$-ray intensities from two-step cascade spectra was shown to be a valuable and sensitive tool although its uncertainties are connected to the knowledge of the low-energy level scheme of the investigated nucleus. The scaling in the ratio method should be taken with care, because the relative strength is not a simple sum of $f_{E1}$ and $f_{M1}$ but a somewhat complex linear combination dependent on the excitation energy of the nucleus.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Precise measurements of the γ -ray intensities following the β decay of Ce 144 and Nd 147

For many fission products, the γ rays emitted following β decay provide an easily detectable signature that can be used to identify their quantities and distributions in a sample. As a result, γ-ray spectroscopy is often exploited to study fission-product yields, provided sufficiently accurate information on the γ-ray intensities is available. Further, in many cases, the uncertainties in the existing nuclear data are large enough that they compromise the precision achievable for modern experiments and applications. In this paper, we present high-precision results for the absolute γ-ray emission intensities for the most intense transitions in the β decays of 144 Ce and 147 Nd. We measured these intensities to ≲1% accuracy by producing radiopure samples with fission-product beams at CARIBU and detecting the emitted radiation with a 4⁢πβ counter and a meticulously efficiency-calibrated high purity germanium detector at Texas A&M University.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Development and Evaluation of Ensemble Learning-based Environmental Methane Detection and Intensity Prediction Models

The environmental impacts of global warming driven by methane (CH 4 ) emissions have catalyzed significant research initiatives in developing novel technologies that enable proactive and rapid detection of CH 4 . Several data-driven machine learning (ML) models were tested to determine how well they identified fugitive CH 4 and its related intensity in the affected areas. Various meteorological characteristics, including wind speed, temperature, pressure, relative humidity, water vapor, and heat flux, were included in the simulation. We used the ensemble learning method to determine the best-performing weighted ensemble ML models built upon several weaker lower-layer ML models to (i) detect the presence of CH 4 as a classification problem and (ii) predict the intensity of CH 4 as a regression problem. The classification model performance for CH 4 detection was evaluated using accuracy, F1 score, Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient (MCC), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ROC), with the top-performing model being 97.2%, 0.972, 0.945 and 0.995, respectively. The R 2 score was used to evaluate the regression model performance for CH 4 intensity prediction, with the R 2 score of the best-performing model being 0.858. The ML models developed in this study for fugitive CH 4 detection and intensity prediction can be used with fixed environmental sensors deployed on the ground or with sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for mobile detection.

Majumder, Reek↗

Energy Intensity Baselining & Tracking Summary Guide: Better Buildings, Better Plants

The Department of Energy (DOE) Better Plants (BP) program is a voluntary energy efficiency leadership initiative for U.S. manufacturers that encourages companies to reduce their energy intensity, typically by 25% within a ten-year period. BP partners are required to report their progress to the DOE annually by establishing an energy intensity baseline and tracking their energy consumption. BP partners receive access to a Technical Account Manager (TAM), DOE resources including software tools and trainings, and recognition when they achieve their goal. This summary guide provides the basics of baselining and tracking your energy intensity. For a more information and special considerations, please see the Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance 2020.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Studies of Beam Intensity Effects in Fermilab Booster Synchrotron. Part II: Beam Emittance Evolution

Detrimental beam dynamics effects limit performance of high intensity rapid cycling synchrotrons (RCS) such as the 8 GeV Fermilab Booster. Here we report the results of comprehensive studies of various beam intensity dependent effects in the Booster. In the previous publication we presented the dependencies of the Booster beam intensity losses on the total number of protons per pulse and on key operational parameters such as the machine tunes and chromaticities. Here we discuss two methods of the Booster beam emittance measurements (the multi-wires proportional chambers and the ionization profile monitors), analyze the intensity dependent emittance growth effects and discuss the ultimate performance of the machine now and after foreseen and proposed upgrades.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Studies of Beam Intensity Effects in Fermilab Booster Synchrotron. Part I: Introduction, Tune and Chromaticity Scans of Beam Losses

Detrimental beam dynamics effects limit performance of high intensity rapid cycling synchrotrons (RCS) such as the 8 GeV Fermilab Booster. Here we report the results of comprehensive studies of various beam intensity dependent effects in the Booster. Part I covers the dependencies of the Booster beam intensity losses on the total number of protons per pulse and on key operational parameters such as the machine tunes and chromaticities. In Part II we cross-check two methods of the beam emittance measurements (the multi-wires proportional chambers and the ionization profile monitors), analyze the intensity dependent emittance growth effects and discuss the ultimate performance of the machine now and after foreseen and proposed upgrades.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Low Carbon Intensity Formic Acid Chemical Synthesis from Direct Air Captured CO 2 Utilizing Chemical Plant Waste Heat - Final Technical Report

The primary objective of Low Carbon Intensity Formic Acid Chemical Synthesis from Direct Air Captured CO 2 Utilizing Chemical Plant Waste Heat (ChemFADAC) is to execute and complete a FEED study for an integrated direct air capture (DAC) and carbon conversion system (together, the DACUS system) co-located at a Nutrien nitric acid production facility in Kennewick, WA capable of capturing and converting a minimum of 5,000 MT/year net atmospheric CO 2 to low carbon intensity formic acid (FA) using industrial waste heat and renewable electricity. The goal will be achieved through the completion of four objectives using a collaborative approach with community stakeholders. Objective 1. Conduct a FEED study and Class 3 project cost estimate for the proposed DACUS system that maximizes use of thermal energy from the Nutrien KFO host site to produce low carbon intensity FA from atmospheric CO 2 . Objective 2. Perform a cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis of the DACUS system to determine the environmental sustainability and carbon intensity (CI) of the proposed project and product from the results of the FEED study. Objective 3. Perform a business case analysis from results of the LCA, FEED study and cost estimate to justify investment to build the DACUS project at the Nutrien KFO site. Objective 4. Quantify how deployment of the proposed technology will promote and prepare a ready workforce for clean energy and manufacturing jobs and coordinate with community stakeholders to perform an environmental justice and a preliminary economic revitalization and job creation outcomes analysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Classification of Intensity Distributions of Transmission Eigenchannels of Disordered Nanophotonic Structures Using Machine Learning

Light-matter interaction optimization in complex nanophotonic structures is a critical step towards the tailored performance of photonic devices. The increasing complexity of such systems requires new optimization strategies beyond intuitive methods. For example, in disordered photonic structures, the spatial distribution of energy densities has large random fluctuations due to the interference of multiply scattered electromagnetic waves, even though the statistically averaged spatial profiles of the transmission eigenchannels are universal. Classification of these eigenchannels for a single configuration based on visualization of intensity distributions is difficult. However, successful classification could provide vital information about disordered nanophotonic structures. Emerging methods in machine learning have enabled new investigations into optimized photonic structures. In this work, we combine intensity distributions of the transmission eigenchannels and the transmitted speckle-like intensity patterns to classify the eigenchannels of a single configuration of disordered photonic structures using machine learning techniques. Specifically, we leverage supervised learning methods, such as decision trees and fully connected neural networks, to achieve classification of these transmission eigenchannels based on their intensity distributions with an accuracy greater than 99%, even with a dataset including photonic devices of various disorder strengths. Simultaneous classification of the transmission eigenchannels and the relative disorder strength of the nanophotonic structure is also possible. Our results open new directions for machine learning assisted speckle-based metrology and demonstrate a novel approach to classifying nanophotonic structures based on their electromagnetic field distributions. These insights can be of paramount importance for optimizing light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

SPT-SLIM: A Line Intensity Mapping Pathfinder for the South Pole Telescope

The South Pole Telescope Summertime Line Intensity Mapper (SPT-SLIM) is a pathfinder experiment that will demonstrate the use of on-chip filter-bank spectrometers for mm-wave line intensity mapping. The SPT-SLIM focal plane consists of 18 dual-polarization filter-bank spectrometers covering 120–180 GHz with resolving power of 300, coupled to aluminum kinetic inductance detectors. A compact cryostat holds the detectors at 100 mK. SPT-SLIM will be deployed to the 10-m South Pole Telescope for observations during the 2023–2024 austral summer without removing the primary receiver. We discuss the overall instrument design, expected detector performance, and sensitivity to the carbon monoxide line signal at $0.5< z < 2$. The technology and observational techniques demonstrated by SPT-SLIM will enable next-generation line intensity mapping experiments that constrain cosmology beyond the redshift reach of galaxy surveys.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗