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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Bonding similarities and differences between Y–Sb–Te and Sc–Sb–Te phase-change memory materials

The scandium (Sc) – alloyed Sb 2 Te 3 phase-change alloy has recently been found to enable ultrafast crystal nucleation due to the formation of Sc-stabilized octahedral motifs in the amorphous phase, rendering cache-type phase-change memory feasible. When yttrium (Y) is added, however, non-octahedral bonding patterns form in the amorphous Sb 2 Te 3 -based network even though Y has a valence electron configuration similar to that of Sc and also forms perfect octahedral bonding environments with tellurium in the YTe crystal. Here we elucidate the origin of this difference between Sc and Y, by carrying out thorough ab initio simulations and orbital-based bonding analyses on amorphous Y–Sb–Te and Sc–Sb–Te compounds. We also demonstrate how the smooth overlap of atomic positions (SOAP) similarity kernel can be used to quantify the structural similarity of local motifs in the amorphous phase with respect to various crystalline yttrium and scandium tellurides, both in the nearest-neighbor shell and beyond. We discover that the bonding contrast of Y- and Sc-centered structural motifs in amorphous Sb 2 Te 3 stems from their parent crystals at high Te concentrations. The larger atomic radius of Y and the weaker charge transfer when bonded with Te is found to allow more Te neighbors and cause a more open bonding environment, leading to higher coordination numbers and non-octahedral environments. We discuss the implications of the different local environments for practical applications in memory devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Self-similar Reynolds-averaged mechanical–scalar turbulence models for Rayleigh–Taylor, Richtmyer–Meshkov, and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability-induced mixing in the small Atwood number limit

Analytical self-similar solutions to two-, three-, and four-equation Reynolds-averaged mechanical–scalar turbulence models describing incompressible turbulent Rayleigh–Taylor, Richtmyer–Meshkov, and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability-induced mixing in planar geometry are derived in the small Atwood number (Boussinesq) limit. The models are based on the turbulent kinetic energy K and its dissipation rate ε, together with the scalar (heavy-fluid mass fraction) variance S and its dissipation rate Χ modeled either differentially or algebraically. The models allow for a simultaneous description of mechanical and scalar mixing, i.e., mixing layer growth and molecular mixing, respectively. Mixing layer growth parameters and other physical observables relevant to each instability are obtained explicitly as functions of the model coefficients. The turbulent fields are also expressed in terms of the model coefficients, with their temporal power-law scalings obtained by requiring that the self-similar equations are explicitly time-independent. The model calibration methodology is described and discussed. Expressions for a subset of the various physical observables are used to calibrate each of the two-, three-, and four-equation models, such that the self-similar solutions are consistent with experimental and numerical simulation data corresponding to these values of the observables and to specific canonical Rayleigh–Taylor, Richtmyer–Meshkov, and Kelvin–Helmholtz turbulent flows. A calibrated four-equation model is then used to reconstruct the mean and turbulent fields, and late-time turbulent equation budgets for each instability-induced flow across the mixing layer. The reference solutions derived here can provide systematic calibrations and better understanding of mechanical–scalar turbulence models and their predictions for instability-induced turbulent mixing in the very large Reynolds number limit.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exploring the parameter space of MagLIF implosions using similarity scaling. I. Theoretical framework

Magneto-inertial fusion concepts, such as the magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) platform, constitute an alternative path for achieving ignition and significant fusion yields in the laboratory. The space of experimental input parameters defining a MagLIF load is highly multi-dimensional, and the implosion itself is a complex event involving many physical processes. In the first paper of this series, we develop a simplified analytical model that identifies the main physical processes at play during a MagLIF implosion. Using non-dimensional analysis, we determine the most important dimensionless parameters characterizing MagLIF implosions and provide estimates of such parameters using typical fielded or experimentally observed quantities for MagLIF. Here, we then show that MagLIF loads can be “incompletely” similarity scaled, meaning that the experimental input parameters of MagLIF can be varied such that many (but not all) of the dimensionless quantities are conserved. Based on similarity-scaling arguments, we can explore the parameter space of MagLIF loads and estimate the performance of the scaled loads. Then, in the follow-up papers of this series, we test the similarity-scaling theory for MagLIF loads against simulations for two different scaling “vectors,” which include current scaling and rise-time scaling.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Similarity-based scaling networks for capacitive radio frequency discharge plasmas

We demonstrate similarity-based scaling networks for capacitive radio frequency (RF) plasmas, which extensively correlate discharge characteristics under varied conditions, incorporating the transition from original to similarity states. Based on fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, similar RF discharges in argon are demonstrated with three external control parameters (gas pressure, gap distance, and driving frequency) simultaneously tuned. A complete set of scaling pathways regarding fundamental discharge parameters is obtained, from which each plasma state finds its neighboring node with only one control parameter tuned. The results from this study provide a promising strategy for plasma multi-parameter mapping, enabling effective cross-comparisons, prediction, and manipulation of RF discharge plasmas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Similarity for downscaled kinetic simulations of electrostatic plasmas: Reconciling the large system size with small Debye length

A simple similarity has been proposed for kinetic (e.g., particle-in-cell) simulations of plasma transport that can effectively address the long-standing challenge of reconciling the tiny Debye length with the vast system size. This applies to both transport in unmagnetized plasma and parallel transport in magnetized plasmas, where the characteristics length scales are given by the Debye length, collisional mean free paths, and the system or gradient lengths. The controlled scaled variables are the configuration space, x/L, and an artificial Coulomb Logarithm, L ln Λ, for collisions, while the scaled time, t/L, and electric field, LE, are automatic outcomes. The similarity properties are examined, demonstrating that the macroscopic transport physics is preserved through a similarity transformation while keeping the microscopic physics at its original scale of Debye length. To showcase the utility of this approach, two examples of 1D plasma transport problems were simulated using the VPIC code: the plasma thermal quench in tokamaks [Li et al., Nuclear Fusion 63, 066030 (2023)] and the plasma sheath in the high-recycling regime [Li et al., Physics of Plasmas 30, 063505 (2023)].

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reducing the L-H transition power threshold in ITER-similar-shape DIII-D hydrogen plasmas

Recent dedicated DIII-D experiments in low-torque, ITER-similar-shape (ISS) hydrogen plasmas (at a plasma current I p ~ 1.5 MA and ITER-similar edge safety factor q 95 ~ 3.6) show that the L-H transition power threshold P LH can be reduced substantially (~30%) with L-mode helium admixtures n He /n e $\leqslant$ 25%. In the ensuing H-mode, helium ion fractions n He /n H remain below 25%. H-mode normalized pressure and confinement quality are only slightly affected by helium seeding, and Z eff $\leqslant$ 2.15 (including helium and carbon content). The plasmas investigated here are electron-heat dominated, with temperatures T e (0)/T i (0) $\geqslant$ 1 and edge heat flux ratio Q e /Q i (ρ = 0.95) ~ 1.2–1.5. Without mitigation, P LH is higher by a factor of 2–3 in comparison to similar ISS deuterium plasmas. ISS hydrogen plasmas with lower plasma current I p ~ 1 MA (increased edge safety factor q 95 ~ 5.1) exhibit a substantially lower power threshold. This plasma current dependence, also observed previously on ASDEX-U and in JET, is not accounted for by the commonly used 2008 ITPA multi-machine threshold scaling, but could potentially allow H-mode access at marginal heating power during the initial plasma current ramp-up. Attempts to reduce P LH with low-field- and high-field-side hydrogen pellet injection, using 1.7 mm diameter pellets, have not demonstrated a robust threshold reduction, in contrast to successful earlier experiments with larger 2.7 mm pellets. Finally, techniques for reducing P LH are very important for ITER, in particular for accessing H-mode in hydrogen plasmas during the Pre-Fusion Power Operation-1 (PFPO-1) campaign with marginal auxiliary heating power (20–30 MW of ECH).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

MS1Connect: a mass spectrometry run similarity measure

Abstract Motivation Interpretation of newly acquired mass spectrometry data can be improved by identifying, from an online repository, previous mass spectrometry runs that resemble the new data. However, this retrieval task requires computing the similarity between an arbitrary pair of mass spectrometry runs. This is particularly challenging for runs acquired using different experimental protocols. Results We propose a method, MS1Connect, that calculates the similarity between a pair of runs by examining only the intact peptide (MS1) scans, and we show evidence that the MS1Connect score is accurate. Specifically, we show that MS1Connect outperforms several baseline methods on the task of predicting the species from which a given proteomics sample originated. In addition, we show that MS1Connect scores are highly correlated with similarities computed from fragment (MS2) scans, even though these data are not used by MS1Connect. Availability and implementation The MS1Connect software is available at https://github.com/bmx8177/MS1Connect. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Duckweed hosts a taxonomically similar bacterial assemblage as the terrestrial leaf microbiome

Culture-independent characterization of microbial communities associated with popular plant model systems have increased our understanding of the plant microbiome. However, the integration of other model systems, such as duckweed, could facilitate our understanding of plant microbiota assembly and evolution. Duckweeds are floating aquatic plants with many characteristics, including small size and reduced plant architecture, that suggest their use as a facile model system for plant microbiome studies. Here, we investigated the structure and assembly of the duckweed bacterial microbiome. First, a culture-independent survey of the duckweed bacterial microbiome from different locations in New Jersey revealed similar phylogenetic profiles. These studies showed that Proteobacteria is a dominant phylum in the duckweed bacterial microbiome. To observe the assembly dynamics of the duckweed bacterial community, we inoculated quasi-gnotobiotic duckweed with wastewater effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Our results revealed that duckweed strongly shapes its bacterial microbiome and forms distinct associations with bacterial community members from the initial inoculum. Additionally, these inoculation studies showed the bacterial communities of different duckweed species were similar in taxa composition and abundance. Analysis across the different duckweed bacterial communities collected in this study identified a set of “core” bacterial taxa consistently present on duckweed irrespective of the locale and context. Furthermore, comparison of the duckweed bacterial community to that of rice and Arabidopsis revealed a conserved taxonomic structure between the duckweed microbiome and the terrestrial leaf microbiome. Our results suggest that duckweeds utilize similar bacterial community assembly principles as those found in terrestrial plants and indicate a highly conserved structuring effect of leaf tissue on the plant microbiome.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Analytically Derived Piezoelectric Ejecta Data Transformations, with Implications for Claims of Experimentally Observed Self-Similarity

Building upon a previously documented analytic formalism, we derive a set of data transformations that relate piezoelectrically inferred time-dependent ejecta masses, dynamical ejecta cloud densities, and "radiographic" ejecta cloud density distributions. These transformation rules are derived rigorously, with careful attention to the assumption of instant ejecta production which is inherent in the piezoelectric mass inference procedure. Some of these relationships have not appeared previously in the literature, including solutions for the unique ejecta velocity distribution and radiographic ejecta cloud density distribution consistent with the instant-production assumption for a given piezoelectrically inferred mass dataset. In deriving the latter, we prove that—again subject to the ubiquitous instant-creation assumption—measurements at a single sensor are sufficient to determine properties of the ejecta cloud everywhere at all times. Other data transformation relationships have appeared in the literature without a rigorous derivation, or have been stated in forms that obscure the key mathematical relationships. We apply these results to arguments for self-similar ejecta cloud evolution, thereby deriving mathematical expressions by which claims of self-similarity may be examined. We prove that one analysis used in the literature to claim experimental evidence of a short ejecta production timescale—and consequently of self-similar cloud evolution—in fact places no constraint the ejecta production interval and therefore does not support the associated conclusion. We also provide a potentially useful uniqueness proof.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Abbreviated Report for 25-FS-011: Switch and Stitch Similar Subgraph Synthesizer

Government institutions utilize software from a wide array of development sources, including those written by large software companies, government contractors, and open-source repositories. Avoiding installation of malicious software components is an important national security endeavor. Automated analysis of previously unseen software is an active research area, and there is much research in the design of systems that compare new software artifacts to a large set of previously seen software records organized by various behaviors they contain. One attractive approach is to turn each compiled software binary into a graph representation and apply a graph similarity model that scores pairs of binaries by their relative similarity. When a pair is deemed similar, it is useful to know why, in the sense of providing explanations to security analysts regarding which portions of the software they should look into further.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2021

TOI-811b and TOI-852b: New Transiting Brown Dwarfs with Similar Masses and Very Different Radii and Ages from the TESS Mission

We report the discovery of two transiting brown dwarfs (BDs), TOI-811b and TOI-852b, from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission. These two transiting BDs have similar masses but very different radii and ages. Their host stars have similar masses, effective temperatures, and metallicities. The younger and larger transiting BD is TOI-811b at a mass of M {sub b} = 59.9 ± 13.0M {sub J} and radius of R {sub b} = 1.26 ± 0.06R {sub J}, and it orbits its host star in a period of P = 25.16551 ± 0.00004 days. We derive the host star’s age of 93{sub −29}{sup +61} Myr from an application of gyrochronology. The youth of this system, rather than external heating from its host star, is why this BD’s radius is relatively large. This constraint on the youth of TOI-811b allows us to test substellar mass–radius evolutionary models at young ages where the radius of BDs changes rapidly. TOI-852b has a similar mass at M {sub b} = 53.7 ± 1.4M {sub J} but is much older (4 or 8 Gyr, based on bimodal isochrone results of the host star) and is also smaller with a radius of R {sub b} = 0.83 ± 0.04R {sub J}. TOI-852b’s orbital period is P = 4.94561 ± 0.00008 days. TOI-852b joins the likes of other old transiting BDs that trace out the oldest substellar mass–radius evolutionary models where contraction of the BD’s radius slows and approaches a constant value. Both host stars have a mass of M {sub ⋆} = 1.32M {sub ⊙} ± 0.05 and differ in their radii, T {sub eff}, and [Fe/H], with TOI-811 having R {sub ⋆} = 1.27 ± 0.09R {sub ⊙}, T {sub eff} = 6107 ± 77 K, and [Fe/H] = + 0.40 ± 0.09 and TOI-852 having R {sub ⋆} = 1.71 ± 0.04R {sub ⊙}, T {sub eff} = 5768 ± 84 K, and [Fe/H] = + 0.33 ± 0.09. We take this opportunity to examine how TOI-811b and TOI-852b serve as test points for young and old substellar isochrones, respectively.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Anomaly Detection and Approximate Similarity Searches of Transients in Real-time Data Streams

Abstract We present Lightcurve Anomaly Identification and Similarity Search ( LAISS ), an automated pipeline to detect anomalous astrophysical transients in real-time data streams. We deploy our anomaly detection model on the nightly Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) Alert Stream via the ANTARES broker, identifying a manageable ∼1–5 candidates per night for expert vetting and coordinating follow-up observations. Our method leverages statistical light-curve and contextual host galaxy features within a random forest classifier, tagging transients of rare classes ( spectroscopic anomalies), of uncommon host galaxy environments ( contextual anomalies), and of peculiar or interaction-powered phenomena ( behavioral anomalies). Moreover, we demonstrate the power of a low-latency (∼ms) approximate similarity search method to find transient analogs with similar light-curve evolution and host galaxy environments. We use analogs for data-driven discovery, characterization, (re)classification, and imputation in retrospective and real-time searches. To date, we have identified ∼50 previously known and previously missed rare transients from real-time and retrospective searches, including but not limited to superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), tidal disruption events, SNe IIn, SNe IIb, SNe I-CSM, SNe Ia-91bg-like, SNe Ib, SNe Ic, SNe Ic-BL, and M31 novae. Lastly, we report the discovery of 325 total transients, all observed between 2018 and 2021 and absent from public catalogs (∼1% of all ZTF Astronomical Transient reports to the Transient Name Server through 2021). These methods enable a systematic approach to finding the “needle in the haystack” in large-volume data streams. Because of its integration with the ANTARES broker, LAISS is built to detect exciting transients in Rubin data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1971

Similarity and generalized finite-difference solutions of parabolic partial differential equations.

Techniques are presented for obtaining generalized finite-difference solutions to partial differential equations of the parabolic type. It is shown that the advantages of similarity in the solution of similar problems are generally not lost if the solution to the original partial differential equations is effected in the physical plane by finite-difference methods. The analysis results in a considerable saving in computational effort in the solution of both similar and nonsimilar problems. Several examples, including both the heat-conduction equation and the boundary-layer equations, are given. The analysis also provides a practical means of estimating the accuracy of finite-difference solutions to parabolic equations.

Clausing, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Similarity constraints in testing of cooled engine parts

A study is made of the effect of testing cooled parts of current and advanced gas turbine engines at the reduced temperature and pressure conditions which maintain similarity with the engine environment. Some of the problems facing the experimentalist in evaluating heat transfer and aerodynamic performance when hardware is tested at conditions other than the actual engine environment are considered. Low temperature and pressure test environments can simulate the performance of actual size prototype engine hardware within the tolerance of experimental accuracy if appropriate similarity conditions are satisfied. Failure to adhere to these similarity constraints because of test facility limitations or other reasons, can result in a number of serious errors in projecting the performance of test hardware to engine conditions.

Colladay, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Application of differential similarity to finding nondimensional groups important in tests of cooled engine components

The method of differential similarity is applied to the partial differential equations and boundary conditions which govern the temperature, velocity, and pressure fields in the flowing gases and the solid stationary components in air-cooled engines. This procedure yields the nondimensional groups which must have the same value in both the test rig and the engine to produce similarity between the test results and the engine performance. These results guide the experimentalist in the design and selection of test equipment that properly scales quantities to actual engine conditions. They also provide a firm fundamental foundation for substantiation of previous similarity analyses which employed heuristic, physical reasoning arguments to arrive at the nondimensional groups.

Sucec, J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Convection of viscous fluids: Energetics, self-similarity, experiments, geophysical applications and analogies

The main results were the formulas for the mean convection velocities, of a viscous fluid and for the mean temperature difference in the bulk of the convecting fluid. These were obtained: by scaling analysis of the Boussinesq equations, by analysis of the energetics of the process, and by using similarity and dimensional arguments. The last approach defines the criteria of similarity and allows the proposition of some self-similarity hypotheses. By several simple new ways, an expression for the efficiency coefficient gamma of the thermal convection was also obtained. An analogy is pointed out between non-turbulent convection of a viscous fluid and the structure of turbulence for scales less than Kolmogorov's internal viscous microscale of turbulence.

Golitsyn, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Concerning isothermal self-similar blast waves. I - One-dimensional flow and its stability. II - Two-dimensional flow and its stability

One-dimensional self-similar isothermal flow behind a blast wave propagating in a medium whose density varies with distance is investigated for the cases of one-dimensional and two-dimensional flow. The isothermal flow model is adopted as an alternative to adiabatic models of self-similar flow, which neglect heat flux. The topology of the one-dimensional flow solutions, the singularities, and the influence of boundary conditions are discussed; the instability of the isothermal blast waves against nonself-similar perturbations is also considered. The number of critical points in the two-dimensional solutions is found to vary from the number in the one-dimensional problem.

Lerche, I.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A similarity rule for compressibility and sidewall-boundary-layer effects in two-dimensional wind tunnels

The effect of the sidewall boundary layer on flow in two-dimensional wind tunnels is determined. The small-disturbance and isentropic approximations are made, and the sidewall-boundary-layer dynamics are modeled with the von Karman momentum-integral equation. The effects of the edge-velocity-gradient term in the sidewall momentum integral, which is usually dominant near the model, and the compressibility term are shown to be similar. It is shown that the effect of sidewall suction around the model is not similar to two-dimensional flow. Comparisons with experiment are made to verify the similarity rule.

Barnwell, R. W.↗