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At least 91 records · Page 5

Effect of controlled magnetic island bifurcation on electron diffusion

Magnetic islands strongly influence cross-field electron transport in magnetized plasmas. In particular, bifurcations of the island topology modify the number and location of O-points, X-points, and separatrix boundaries, thereby altering diffusion pathways. In recent DIII-D experiments, external magnetic perturbations were used to rotate and periodically bifurcate the island on the q = 2 surface, causing a switchback between a q = 2/1-dominated structure and a narrower q = 4/2-dominated structure. To investigate how this topological change affects electron transport, we employ the field line tracing code TRIP3D with an implemented collisional operator. Thermal, tracer electrons launched from O-points, X-points, and outside separatrix boundaries reveal distinct diffusion regimes, including classical, subdiffusive, and superdiffusive behavior, depending on both the dominant island mode and launch location. These results suggest that island bifurcation can alter electron diffusion across rational surfaces, with direct implications for particle confinement. While the present work emphasizes diffusion as a general framework, the findings provide insight into the conditions under which electron trapping into an island or stochastization of the island's separatrix can enable additional mechanisms, such as the generation of energetic electrons.

DIII-D↗

The Role of Surface Hydroxyls in the Mobility of Carboxylates on Surfaces: Dynamics of Acetate on Anatase TiO 2 (101)

The dynamics of reactive intermediates are important in catalysis for understanding transient species, which can drive reactivity and the transport of species to reaction centers. In particular, the interplay between surface-bound carboxylic acids and carboxylates is important for numerous chemical transformations, including CO 2 hydrogenation and ketonization. Here, we investigate the dynamics of acetic acid on anatase TiO 2 (101) using scanning tunneling microscopy experiments and density functional theory calculations. We demonstrate the concomitant diffusion of bidentate acetate and a bridging hydroxyl and provide evidence for the transient formation of molecular monodentate acetic acid. The diffusion rate is strongly dependent on the position of hydroxyl and adjacent acetate(s). A facile three-step diffusion process is proposed consisting of acetate and hydroxyl recombination, acetic acid rotation, and acetic acid dissociation. Here this study clearly demonstrates that the dynamics of bidentate acetate could be important in forming monodentate species, which are proposed to drive selective ketonization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structure and dynamics of ethane confined in silica nanopores in the presence of CO 2

Fundamental understanding of the subcritical/supercritical behavior of key hydrocarbon species inside nano-porous matrices at elevated pressure and temperature is less developed compared to bulk fluids, but this knowledge is of great importance for chemical and energy engineering industries. This study explores in detail the structure and dynamics of ethane (C 2 H 6 ) fluid confined in silica nanopores, with a focus on the effects of pressure and different ratios of C 2 H 6 and CO 2 at non-ambient temperature. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments were carried out for the pure C 2 H 6 , C 2 H 6 :CO 2 = 3:1, and 1:3 mixed fluids confined in 4-nm cylindrical silica pores at three different pressures (30 bars, 65 bars, and 100 bars) at 323 K. Two Lorentzian functions were required to fit the spectra, corresponding to fast and slow translational motions. No localized motions (rotations and vibrations) were detected. Higher pressures resulted in hindrances of the diffusivity of C 2 H 6 molecules in all systems investigated. Pore size was found to be an important factor, i.e., the dynamics of confined C 2 H 6 is more restricted in smaller pores compared to the larger pores used in previous studies. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to complement the QENS experiment at 65 bars, providing supportive structure information and comparable dynamic information. The simulations indicate that CO 2 molecules are more strongly attracted to the pore surface compared to C 2 H 6 . The C 2 H 6 molecules interacting with or near the pore surface form a dense first layer (L1) close to the pore surface and a second less dense layer (L2) extending into the pore center. Both the experiments and simulations revealed the role that CO 2 molecules play in enhancing C 2 H 6 diffusion (“molecular lubrication”) at high CO 2 :C 2 H 6 ratios. The energy scales of the two dynamic components, fast and slow, quantified by both techniques, are in very good agreement. Herein, the simulations identified the fast component as the main contributor to the dynamics. Molecule motions in the L2 region are mostly responsible for the dynamics (fast and slow) that can be detected by the instrument.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The distribution of dust in edge-on galaxies: I. The global structure

ABSTRACT In this first paper in a series we present a study of the global dust emission distribution in nearby edge-on spiral galaxies. Our sample consists of 16 angularly large and 13 less spatially resolved galaxies selected from the DustPedia sample. To explore the dust emission distribution, we exploit the Herschel photometry in the range 100–500 $\mu $m. We employ Sérsic and 3D disc models to fit the observed 2D profiles of the galaxies. Both approaches give similar results. Our analysis unequivocally states the case for the presence of extraplanar dust in between 6 and 10 large galaxies. The results reveal that both the disc scale length and height increase as a function of wavelength between 100 and 500 $\mu $m. The dust disc scale height positively correlates with the dust disc scale length, similar to what is observed for the stellar discs. We also find correlations between the scale lengths and scale heights in the near- and far-infrared which suggest that the stellar discs and their dust counterparts are tightly connected. Furthermore, the intrinsic flattening of the dust disc is inversely proportional to the maximum rotation velocity and the dust mass of the galaxy: more massive spiral galaxies host, on average, relatively thinner dust discs. Also, there is a tendency for the dust-to-stellar scale height ratio to decrease with the dust mass and rotation velocity. We conclude that low-mass spiral galaxies host a diffuse, puffed-up dust disc with a thickness similar to that of the stellar disc.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Diffusion of small anti-Schottky clusters in UO 2

The aggregation of irradiation-induced defect clusters in UO 2 leads to the formation of dislocation loops and cavities which contribute swelling and ultimately produce deleterious effects on the fuel. Despite their fundamental role in fuel evolution, the kinetics of these defect clusters are not currently well understood. In this work, we investigate the diffusive behavior of interstitial clusters via Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. In this work, our investigation considers a range of defect cluster sizes, each composed of N UO 2 units or anti-Schottky defects. We report a complex cluster size - mobility relation; increasing cluster size corresponds to an increase in mobility up until a critical size (N=4) where diffusivity reaches a maximum, after which the trend reverts and further increasing size corresponds to a decrease in mobility. The rapid migration observed correlates well with the very low barriers reported in a few historic experimental studies. Further analysis of the cluster shape and orientation reveals a strong structural preference for near-planar configurations oriented normal to the $\langle$100$\rangle$ direction. Rotational energy barriers are found to be similar in both magnitude and trend to the observed diffusion barriers. Lastly, connections are drawn to the behavior of large defect clusters including the formation of (1/3) $\langle$111$\rangle$ Frank dislocation loops.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Advanced Electrochemical Separations of Actinide/Fission Products via the Control of Nucleation and Growth of Electrodeposits. Final Report

This is the final report to the NEUP regarding the “Advanced Electrochemical Separations of Actinide/Fission products via the Control of Nucleation and Growth of Electrodeposits” project. This report describes the project activities conducted during the period October 01, 2016 through September 30, 2019. The report includes a brief statement of the project objectives and approach, followed by the details of the performed research activities and suggestion for the future work. It is well known that according to current knowledge the pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuels invariably leads to the dendritic form of electrodeposits, which from technological point of view is undesirable for many reasons. The aim of this research was to study and preclude the formation of electrodeposits with dendritic morphology (of essential importance to FC-1 Program). This project is characterized with four novel study categories: (1) exploring electrodeposit morphology control by controlling the electrochemical deposition reaction rate, (2) the use of rotating disk electrode technique to distinguish the electrodeposition control modes (reaction rate vs. diffusion), (3) morphology studies of lanthanides (La) and actinides (U) in characteristic stages of nucleation and growth, (4) exploring the need for separation of electrochemical cell in compartments for cathodic and anodic reactions. All these study categories were applied on two distinct electrolyte systems (a) high temperature ionic liquids, i.e. molten LiCl-KCl salts, and (b) room temperature ionic liquids (compounds exclusively made of organic cations, and organic/inorganic anions). Because the quality (dense and smooth) of electrodeposits is a direct function of the electrochemical reduction rate (slower the better), the major expectation was that addition of organic molecules would provide the desired slowing down of electroreduction effect, avoiding the undesired dependence on mass transfer. What was learned is summarized in seven key areas.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Insights into Rotational and Translational Dynamics in Mixtures of Ethylene Glycol and Choline Chloride Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Techniques

This work examines molecular dynamics and interactions in ethylene glycol–choline chloride (EG–ChCl) mixtures across 0–33 mol % ChCl, spanning the true eutectic region near 17–20 mol % and the commonly used 1:2 formulation. We combine pulsed-field-gradient (PFG) diffusion, fast-field-cycling (FFC) relaxometry, temperature-dependent 13 C T 1 , and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) to disentangle local from macroscopic dynamics. PFG and FFC show that both translational and average rotational motions largely track the strong increase in viscosity with ChCl content, with ethylene glycol consistently diffusing faster than the choline cation and no global dynamical anomaly at the eutectic composition. More subtle, site-specific composition effects nevertheless emerge. The ratio of the diffusion coefficient of the hydroxyl group of choline to the diffusion coefficient of the methyl group of choline displays a shallow minimum in the 17–25 mol % region, indicating a modest change in how the hydroxyl-bearing end of choline samples the underlying translational motion relative to the methyl groups. 13 C T 1 analysis shows that rotational correlation times at 25 °C generally increase with ChCl, reflecting viscosity-coupled slowing, while the CH 2 –N α site exhibits a small but reproducible deviation from this monotonic trend near the eutectic. NOESY spectra at similar compositions reveal enhanced cross-relaxation between EG and choline protons, consistent with increased headgroup–solvent contact density rather than a wholesale structural rearrangement. Overall, our multitechnique study demonstrates that EG–ChCl dynamics are predominantly viscosity-dominated, with the eutectic region acting as a subtle dynamical crossover where specific choline segments become maximally coupled to the hydrogen-bond network. These insights refine the structure–dynamics picture of choline-chloride DESs and provide practical guidance for tuning composition in electrochemical, separation, and catalytic applications.

diffusion↗

Investigating Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectral Heterogeneity of Rhodamines Using High-Throughput Single-Molecule Spectroscopy

We experimentally investigated several intra-molecular coordinate and environmental changes as potential causes of single-molecule fluorescence spectral heterogeneities (smFSH). Here, we developed a high-throughput single-molecule spectroscopy technique to analyze more than 5,000 single-molecule emission spectra from each of nine commonly used fluorophores with different structural rigidities deposited on substrates with different polarities. We observed an unexpected high smFSH from structurally rigid Rhodamine B compared with a structurally flexible Cyanine dye - Alexa Fluor 647. Based on experimentally measured smFSH, we ruled out the system’s noise uncertainty, single-molecule spectral diffusion, and environmental polarity as the primary causes of the high smFSH. We found that the rotational flexibility of N, N-dialkylated groups contributed to the smFSH. With the high smFSH observed in structurally more rigid model fluorophores, we speculated that other intra-molecular coordinate and environmental changes might also contribute to the high smFSH in Rhodamines.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Machine learning-based ethylene and carbon monoxide estimation, real-time optimization, and multivariable feedback control of an experimental electrochemical reactor

Electrochemical reduction of CO 2 gas is a novel CO 2 utilization technique that has the potential to mitigate the global climate crisis caused by anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, and enable the large-scale storage of energy generated from renewable sources in the form of carbon-based chemicals and fuels. However, due to the complexity of the electrochemical reactions, the explicit first-principles models for CO2 reduction are not available yet, and there has been a limited effort to develop process modeling, optimization and control of CO 2 electrochemical reactors. To this end, a rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) reactor has been constructed at UCLA to understand the mass transfer and reaction kinetics effects separately on the productivity. In the RCE reactor, the applied potential strongly influences the reaction energetics and the electrode rotation speed affects the hydrodynamic boundary layer and modifies the film mass transfer coefficient, which involves convective and diffusive transport. Further, the present work aims to develop a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) control scheme for the RCE reactor that integrates techniques from artificial and recurrent neural network modeling, nonlinear optimization, and process controller design. Specifically, production rates of two products from the experimental reactor, ethylene and carbon monoxide, are controlled by manipulating two inputs, applied potential and catalyst rotation speed. Process dynamics and controllability are analyzed, a feedback control strategy is designed and the controllers are tuned accordingly. The experimental electrochemical cell is employed to gather data for process modeling and implement the multivariable control system. Finally, the experimental results are presented which demonstrate excellent closed-loop performance by the control system and regulation of the outputs at three different set-points including an economically-optimal set-point.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Shortwave Array Spectroradiometer-Hemispheric (SAS-He): design and evaluation

A novel ground-based radiometer, referred to as the Shortwave Array Spectroradiometer-Hemispheric (SAS-He), is introduced. This radiometer uses the shadow-band technique to report total irradiance and its direct and diffuse components frequently (every 30 s) with continuous spectral coverage (350–1700 nm) and moderate spectral (~2.5 nm ultraviolet–visible and ~6 nm shortwave-infrared) resolution. The SAS-He's performance is evaluated using integrated datasets collected over coastal regions during three field campaigns supported by the US Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, namely the (1) Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP; Cape Cod, Massachusetts), (2) Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER; in and around Houston, Texas), and (3) Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE; La Jolla, California). We compare (i) aerosol optical depth (AOD) and total optical depth (TOD) derived from the direct irradiance, as well as (ii) the diffuse irradiance and direct-to-diffuse ratio (DDR) calculated from two components of the total irradiance. As part of the evaluation, both AOD and TOD derived from the SAS-He direct irradiance are compared to those provided by a collocated Cimel sunphotometer (CSPHOT) at five (380, 440, 500, 675, 870 nm) and two (1020, 1640 nm) wavelengths, respectively. Additionally, the SAS-He diffuse irradiance and DDR are contrasted with their counterparts offered by a collocated multifilter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR) at six (415, 500, 615, 675, 870, 1625 nm) wavelengths. Overall, reasonable agreement is demonstrated between the compared products despite the challenging observational conditions associated with varying aerosol loadings and diverse types of aerosols and clouds. For example, the AOD- and TOD-related values of root mean square error remain within 0.021 at 380, 440, 500, 675, 870, 1020, and 1640 nm wavelengths during the three field campaigns.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Aggregation of solutes in bosonic versus fermionic quantum fluids

Quantum fluid droplets made of helium-3 ( 3 He) or helium-4 ( 4 He) isotopes have long been considered as ideal cryogenic nanolabs, enabling unique ultracold chemistry and spectroscopy applications. The droplets were believed to provide a homogeneous environment in which dopant atoms and molecules could move and react almost as in free space but at temperatures close to absolute zero. Here, we report ultrafast x-ray diffraction experiments on xenon-doped 3 He and 4 He nanodroplets, demonstrating that the unavoidable rotational excitation of isolated droplets leads to highly anisotropic and inhomogeneous interactions between the host matrix and enclosed dopants. Superfluid 4 He droplets are laced with quantum vortices that trap the embedded particles, leading to the formation of filament-shaped clusters. In comparison, dopants in 3 He droplets gather in diffuse, ring-shaped structures along the equator. The shapes of droplets carrying filaments or rings are direct evidence that rotational excitation is the root cause for the inhomogeneous dopant distributions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Optimal Linear Water Density for Proton Transport in Tunnel Oxides

Proton intercalation and transport is key to pseudocapacitive energy storage of oxide electrodes in acidic electrolytes. Although proton transport in water confined in layered or 2D materials is attracting great interest, much less is known about how the proton is transported in the 1D channels of tunnel oxides such as hexagonal WO 3 (h-WO 3 ). Here, we use first-principles molecular dynamics to reveal an optimal linear density of four water molecules per nanometer that yields the highest proton diffusivity. The volcano shape of proton diffusivity versus linear water density is a result of balancing the linear hydrogen-bond chain and the rotation of the water molecules to enable the Grotthuss mechanism. Furthermore, this insight provides a unifying view of proton transport along a single file of water molecules confined in hydrophilic 1D channels.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dynamical Signatures of Thermotoga maritima Maltose-Binding Proteins Affected by Ligand Binding

Functional segregation among protein isoforms depends on the interplay of their overall structures and the molecular dynamics of these structures. Thermotoga maritima maltose-binding protein (tmMBP) isoforms show size-dependent differential binding of maltose and malto-oligomers while maintaining remarkable fold conservation. This differential behavior needs detailed characterization in native-like aqueous conditions to understand the effects of protein dynamics on ligand binding and recognition. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used in conjunction with previously published computational molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to understand the dynamic behavior of tmMBPs experimentally. SANS provided information on the overall structure of the molecules, while NSE was used to determine the dynamics in the nanosecond time scale. Both tmMBP2 and tmMBP3 have a bidomain architecture linked with a flexible hinge, with the binding pocket sitting in the cleft between the two domains. tmMBP2 and tmMBP3 showed different solution dynamics, with the translational and rotational components dominating the dynamics of both systems, resulting in a clear differentiation of their diffusion pattern. A faster dynamics component was also observed and was attributed to segmental dynamics. Differences observed between the ligand-free (apo) and ligand-bound (holo) states of the two proteins are attributed to conformational entropy. Our results highlight the intricacies of how structure and dynamics can together shape binding to a repertoire of substrates in structurally similar proteins.

Diffusion↗

Cdk5 mediates rotational force-induced brain injury

Abstract Millions of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur annually. TBIs commonly result from falls, traffic accidents, and sports-related injuries, all of which involve rotational acceleration/deceleration of the brain. During these injuries, the brain endures a multitude of primary insults including compression of brain tissue, damaged vasculature, and diffuse axonal injury. All of these deleterious effects can contribute to secondary brain ischemia, cellular death, and neuroinflammation that progress for weeks, months, and lifetime after injury. While the linear effects of head trauma have been extensively modeled, less is known about how rotational injuries mediate neuronal damage following injury. Here, we developed a new model of repetitive rotational head trauma in rodents and demonstrated acute and prolonged pathological, behavioral, and electrophysiological effects of rotational TBI (rTBI). We identify aberrant Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) activity as a principal mediator of rTBI. We utilized Cdk5-enriched phosphoproteomics to uncover potential downstream mediators of rTBI and show pharmacological inhibition of Cdk5 reduces the cognitive and pathological consequences of injury. These studies contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the mechanisms of rTBI and how they may be effectively treated.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Wet compaction to a blue nugget: a critical phase in galaxy evolution

ABSTRACT We utilize high-resolution cosmological simulations to reveal that high-redshift galaxies tend to undergo a robust ‘wet compaction’ event when near a ‘golden’ stellar mass of $\sim \!\!10^{10}\, \rm M_\odot$ . This is a gaseous shrinkage to a compact star-forming phase, a ‘blue nugget’ (BN), followed by central quenching of star formation to a compact passive stellar bulge, a ‘red nugget’ (RN), and a buildup of an extended gaseous disc and ring. Such nuggets are observed at cosmic noon and seed today’s early-type galaxies. The compaction is triggered by a drastic loss of angular momentum due to, e.g. wet mergers, counter-rotating cold streams, or violent disc instability. The BN phase marks drastic transitions in the galaxy structural, compositional, and kinematic properties. The transitions are from star forming to quenched inside-out, from diffuse to compact with an extended disc or ring and a stellar envelope, from dark matter to baryon central dominance, from prolate to oblate stellar shape, from pressure to rotation support, from low to high metallicity, and from supernova to AGN feedback. The central black hole growth, first suppressed by supernova feedback when below the golden mass, is boosted by the compaction, and the black hole keeps growing once the halo is massive enough to lock in the supernova ejecta.

Lapiner, Sharon (ORCID:0009000409733232)↗

Impact of Nickel Ions on the Oxygen Reduction Reaction Kinetics of Pt and on Oxygen Diffusion through Ionomer Thin Films

The effects of dissolved nickel on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics and oxygen transport properties of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) thin films were investigated using rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements of ORR on a PFSA-coated platinum electrode. The electrochemical characterization in 0.1 M perchloric acid (HClO 4 ) with and without added Ni 2+ quantitatively measured the impact of ionic interactions between the Ni 2+ cations and sulfonate (SO 3 - ) anions on oxygen transport through the PFSA thin film. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves in deaerated electrolyte showed that Ni 2+ cations diffusing through the PFSA thin film interact with the Pt surface altering the hydrogen underpotential deposition and stripping processes and decreasing ORR kinetics. The RDE limiting current results point to reduced permeability of oxygen through PFSA-Ni 2+ compared to PFSA-H + . Furthermore, the results indicate that transition metals leached from Pt alloy catalyst may be detrimental not only to the intrinsic ORR kinetics of the PEFC cathode catalyst through loss of the ORR-enhancing transition metal, but may also inhibit the diffusion of oxygen to the catalytic sites and poison the ORR.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Energy-conserving contact dynamics of nonspherical rigid-body particles

Understanding the contact dynamics of nonspherical particles is crucial for accurately modeling colloidal and granular systems where shape anisotropy dictates structural organization and transport properties. We here introduce an energy-conserving contact dynamics framework for arbitrary convex rigid-body particles by implementing vertex–boundary interactions in 2D and vertex–surface and edge–edge detection in 3D. The established formulation enables continuous force evaluation and prevents particle overlap while conserving total energy during translational and rotational motion. We demonstrate the framework’s stability and its utility to capture packing behavior, anisotropic diffusion, and equations of state of polygonal and polyhedral particles as examples. The framework establishes a robust and extensible foundation for investigating nonequilibrium dynamics of complex nonspherical particulate systems, enabling enhanced understanding of phenomena across spatiotemporal scales in self- and directed-assembly, granular flows, and hydrodynamics, potentially coupled with interactions that represent underlying physical mechanisms.

Discrete element method↗

NXREFINE

NXRefine implements a complete workflow for both data acquisition and reduction of single crystal diffuse x-ray scattering collected as a series of area detector frames during continuous sample rotation. The data are stored in HDF5 files, which conform to the NeXus data format standard. These files contain a comprehensive set of metadata, including the incident wavelength, powder calibration scans used to define detector distances, beam centers, and yaw, pitch, and roll corrections. Automated peak searches of the three-dimensional data arrays define a set of Bragg peaks that are used to define an orientation matrix, defined according to Busing and Levy, which is then used to transform the data from angular coordinates to reciprocal space coordinates using the CCTW program. Multiple rotations at different detector translations and offset rotation axes are combined to ensure that there are no gaps in the reconstructed data, and allow the construction of masks to eliminate detector artifacts due to Compton scattering within the sensor layers. Finally, the data can be transformed into 3D-ΔPDF maps using the punch-and-fill method after symmetrization.

OSBORN, RAYMOND↗