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ASCR Workshop on In Situ Data Management

In January 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science program in Advanced Scientific Computing Research, convened a workshop to identify priority research directions for in situ data management (ISDM). The workshop defined ISDM as the practices, capabilities, and procedures to control the organization of data and enable the coordination and communication among heterogeneous tasks, executing simultaneously in a high-performance computing system, cooperating toward a common objective. The workshop revealed two primary, interdependent motivations for processing and managing data in situ. The first motivation is that the in situ methodology enables scientific discovery from a broad range of data sources over a wide scale of computing platforms: leadership-class systems, clusters, clouds, workstations, and embedded devices at the edge. The successful development of ISDM capabilities will benefit real-time decision-making, design optimization, and data-driven scientific discovery. The second motivation is the need to decrease data volumes. ISDM can make critical contributions to managing large data volumes from computations and experiments to minimize data movement, save storage space, and boost resource efficiency, often while simultaneously increasing scientific precision.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Early Results from GLASS-JWST. II. NIRCam Extragalactic Imaging and Photometric Catalog

We present the reduced images and multiwavelength catalog of the first JWST NIRCam extragalactic observations from the GLASS Early Release Science Program, obtained as coordinated parallels of the NIRISS observations of the Abell 2744 cluster. Images in seven bands (F090W, F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, and F444W) have been reduced using an augmented version of the official JWST pipeline; we discuss the procedures adopted to remove or mitigate defects in the raw images. We obtain a multiband catalog by means of forced aperture photometry on point-spread function (PSF)-matched images at the position of F444W-detected sources. The catalog is intended to enable early scientific investigations, and it is optimized for faint galaxies; it contains 6368 sources, with limiting magnitude 29.7 at 5 σ in F444W. We release both images and catalog in order to allow the community to become familiar with the JWST NIRCam data and evaluate their merit and limitations given the current level of knowledge of the instrument.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Ultrathin Amorphous Titania on Nanowires: Optimization of Conformal Growth and Elucidation of Atomic-Scale Motifs

Due to its chemical stability, titania (TiO 2 ) thin films increasingly have significant impact when applied as passivation layers. However, optimization of growth conditions, key to achieving essential film quality and effectiveness, is challenging in the few-nanometers thickness regime. Furthermore, the atomic-scale structure of the nominally amorphous titania coating layers, particularly when applied to nanostructured supports, is difficult to probe. In this Letter, the quality of titania layers grown on ZnO nanowires is optimized using specific strategies for processing of the nanowire cores prior to titania coating. The best approach, low-pressure O 2 plasma treatment, results in significantly more-uniform titania films and a conformal coating. Characterization using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) reveals the titania layer to be highly amorphous, with features in the Ti spectra significantly different from those observed for bulk TiO 2 polymorphs. Analysis based on first-principles calculations suggests that the titania shell contains a substantial fraction of under-coordinated Ti 4+ ions. The best match to the experimental XANES spectrum is achieved with a “glassy” TiO 2 model that contains ~50% of under-coordinated Ti 4+ ions, in contrast to bulk crystalline TiO 2 that only contains 6-coordinated Ti 4+ ions in octahedral sites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Active learning emulators for nuclear two-body scattering in momentum space

In this work we extend the active learning emulators for two-body scattering in coordinate space with error estimation, recently developed by Maldonado et al. [Phys. Rev. C 112, 024002], to coupled-channel scattering in momentum space. Our full-order model (FOM) solver is based on the Lippmann-Schwinger integral equation for the scattering t-matrix as opposed to the radial Schrödinger equation. We use (Petrov-)Galerkin projections and high-fidelity calculations at a few snapshots across the parameter space of the interaction to construct efficient reduced-order models (ROMs), trained by a greedy algorithm for locally optimal snapshot selection. Both the FOM solver and the corresponding ROMs are implemented efficiently in Python using Google's JAX library. We present results for emulating scattering phase shifts in coupled and uncoupled channels and cross sections, and assess the accuracy of the developed ROMs and their computational speedup factors. We also develop emulator error estimation for both the t-matrix and the total cross section. The software framework for reproducing and extending our results is publicly available. Together with our recent advances in developing active-learning emulators for three-body scattering, these emulator frameworks set the stage for full Bayesian calibrations of chiral nuclear interactions and optical models against scattering data with quantified emulator errors.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Solid-State Synthesis of Highly Dispersed Nitrogen-Coordinated Single Iron Atom Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Fe–N–C with atomically dispersed Fe single atoms is the most promising candidate to replace platinum for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. However, the conventional synthesis procedures require quantities solvents and metal precursors, sluggish adsorption process, and tedious washing, resulting in limited metal doping and uneconomical for large-scale production. Here, for the first time, Fe 2 O 3 is adopted as the Fe precursor to derive abundant single Fe atoms dispersed on carbon surfaces. The Fe–N–C catalyst synthesized by this simple method shows an excellent ORR activity with half-wave potentials of 0.82 and 0.90 V in acidic and alkaline solutions, respectively. A single fuel cell with an optimized Fe–N–C cathode shows a high peak power density of 0.84 W cm –2 . The solid-state transformation synthesis method developed in this study may shed light on mass production of single-atom-based catalysts.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Ig-VAE: Generative modeling of protein structure by direct 3D coordinate generation

While deep learning models have seen increasing applications in protein science, few have been implemented for protein backbone generation—an important task in structure-based problems such as active site and interface design. We present a new approach to building class-specific backbones, using a variational auto-encoder to directly generate the 3D coordinates of immunoglobulins. Our model is torsion- and distance-aware, learns a high-resolution embedding of the dataset, and generates novel, high-quality structures compatible with existing design tools. We show that the Ig-VAE can be used with Rosetta to create a computational model of a SARS-CoV2-RBD binder via latent space sampling. We further demonstrate that the model’s generative prior is a powerful tool for guiding computational protein design, motivating a new paradigm under which backbone design is solved as constrained optimization problem in the latent space of a generative model.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A sustainable cobalt separation with validation by techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment

Sustainable, cost-effective cobalt/nickel separations chemistry contributes to the realization of economically competitive lithium-ion battery recycling, as well as primary mining of cobalt and nickel. Such improvements can address supply chain challenges for cobalt, a critical element. Herein, we disclose a simple method for separating Co/Ni by second coordination-sphere molecular recognition. Selective cobalt precipitation is achieved using carbonate ions in an ammonia solution due to the outer-sphere, hydrogen bonding interactions between [Co(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+ and CO 3 2− , evaluated with density functional theory calculations. We demonstrate this method on mixtures of Co/Ni chlorides comprising a 10-fold excess of Ni and provide comparisons with ore-processing systems. High purities (99.4(3)% Co; 98.2(4)% Ni) and recoveries (77(8)% Co; ∼100% Ni) were observed for both Co- and Ni-enriched products using optimized conditions. In conclusion, this method is potentially economically competitive based on initial techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) that also illustrate advantages in terms of sustainability.

cobalt↗

Electrolyte-Induced Restructuring of Acid-Stable Oxygen Evolution Catalysts

Crystalline metal oxide catalysts operating under oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions invariably restructure, resulting in active sites with hydroxo/oxo species in an amorphous environment. An increase in the population of terminal hydroxo/oxo species (i.e., edge sites) facilitates proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) kinetics for oxygen generation and thus improves catalyst competency. While amorphous films benefit from a greater density of active sites, they suffer from diminished charge transport as compared to that of extended crystalline lattices. Managing this amorphous–crystalline dichotomy is essential when designing OER catalysts, which we highlight with the examination of electrodeposited PbO x materials, which historically are very poor OER catalysts. Along these lines, the presence of phosphate during PbO x electrodeposition truncates the growth of an extended lattice owing to its strong bonding to oxide surfaces to afford an amorphous catalyst film (A-PbO x ) with significant charge-transfer resistance (138 ± 42 Ω) and poor OER kinetics (420 ± 105 mV dec –1 Tafel slope). Conversely, electrodeposition of Pb 2+ in the presence of less coordinating electrolytes such as nitrate affords crystalline β-PbO2 with improved charge-transfer resistance (42.6 ± 1.1 Ω), though still poor OER kinetics (134 ± 36 mV dec –1 Tafel slope). By operating amorphous A-PbOx in less coordinating electrolytes, however, a new partially crystalline material can be generated (μc-PbO x ) with further reduced charge-transfer resistance (33.0 ± 1.4 Ω) and improved OER kinetics (70 ± 15 mV dec –1 Tafel slope). The enhanced OER activity of μc-PbO x is the result of coupling the high edge-site population of an amorphous PbOx phase with crystalline-like charge transport properties. Finally, the ability to use an electrolyte to induce OER activity in an inactive amorphous form of PbO x highlights the benefits of optimizing the amorphous–crystalline phase compositions in the design of active OER catalysts.

catalysts↗

Hydrogen bonds and dispersion forces serving as molecular locks for tailored Group 11 bis(amidine) complexes

A flexible polydentate bis(amidine) ligand LH 2 , LH 2 = {CH 2 NH( t Bu)C=N-2-(6-MePy)} 2 , operates as a molecular lock for various coinage metal fragments and forms the dinuclear complexes [LH 2 (MCl) 2 ], M = Cu (1), Au (2), the coordination polymer [{(LH 2 ) 2 (py) 2 (AgCl) 3 }(py) 3 ] n (3), and the dimesityl-digold complex [LH 2 (AuMes) 2 ] (4) by formal insertion of MR fragments (M = Cu, Ag, Au; R = Cl, Mes) into the N–H∙∙∙N hydrogen bonds of LH 2 in yields of 43–95%. Complexes 1, 2, and 4 adopt C 2 -symmetrical structures in the solid state featuring two interconnected 11-membered rings that are locked by two intramolecular N–H∙∙∙R–M hydrogen bonds. QTAIM analyses of the computational geometry-optimized structures 1a, 2a, and 4a reveal 13, 11, and 22 additional bond critical points, respectively, all of which are related to weak intramolecular attractive interactions, predominantly representing dispersion forces, contributing to the conformational stabilization of the C2-symmetrical stereoisomers in the solid state. Variable-temperature 1 H NMR spectroscopy in combination with DFT calculations indicate a dynamic conformational interconversion between two C 2 -symmetrical ground state structures in solution (ΔG ‡ c = 11.1–13.8 kcal mol –1 ), which is accompanied by the formation of an intermediate possessing C i symmetry that retains the hydrogen bonds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structures of RNA ligase RtcB in complexes with divalent cations and GTP

Pyrococcus horikoshii (Pho) RtcB exemplifies a family of binuclear transition metal- and GTP-dependent RNA ligases that join 3'-phosphate and 5'-OH ends via RtcB-(histidinyl-N)–GMP and RNA 3' pp 5' G intermediates. We find that guanylylation of PhoRtcB is optimal with manganese and less effective with cobalt and nickel. Zinc and copper are inactive and potently inhibit manganese-dependent guanylylation. We report crystal structures of PhoRtcB in complexes with GTP and permissive (Mn, Co, Ni) or inhibitory (Zn, Cu) metals. Zinc and copper occupy the M1 and M2 sites adjacent to the GTP phosphates, as do manganese, cobalt, and nickel. The identity/positions of enzymic ligands for M1 (His234, His329, Cys98) and M2 (Cys98, Asp95, His203) are the same for permissive and inhibitory metals. The differences pertain to: (i) the coordination geometries and phosphate contacts of the metals; and (ii) the orientation of the His404 nucleophile with respect to the GTP α-phosphate and pyrophosphate leaving group. M2 metal coordination geometry correlates with metal cofactor activity, whereby inhibitory Zn2 and Cu2 assume a tetrahedral configuration and contact only the GTP γ-phosphate, whereas Mn2, Co2, and Ni2 coordination complexes are pentahedral and contact the β- and γ-phosphates. The His404-Nε–Pα–O(α-β) angle is closer to apical in Mn (179°), Co (171°), and Ni (169°) structures than in Zn (160°) and Cu (155°) structures. The octahedral Mn1 geometry in our RtcB•GTP•Mn 2+ structure, in which Mn1 contacts α-, β-, and γ-phosphates, transitions to a tetrahedral configuration after formation of RtcB•(His404)–GMP•Mn 2+ and departure of pyrophosphate.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Modeling the Value of Integrated Canadian and U.S. Power Sector Expansion

The United States and Canada power systems are not isolated. Cross-border transmission and coordination of system operation create an interconnected power system, which results in combined imports and exports of electricity of greater than 70 TWh per year [1]. Currently, over 5 GW of new international transmission lines are in various stages of permitting and development. These lines may enable greater integration and coordination of the U.S. and Canada systems, which can in turn reduce challenges associated with integration of high penetrations of variable renewables. Furthermore, low-cost Canadian resources, such as wind and hydro, could contribute to compliance with the EPA's recently released Clean Power Plan. Improving integration and coordination internationally will reduce the costs of accessing these resources. This analysis work build on previous work by Ibanez and Zinaman [2]. In this work we seek to better understand the value of additional interconnection between the U.S. and Canadian power systems. Specifically, we quantify the value of additional interconnection and coordination within the Canadian-US integrated power system under scenarios in which large reductions (>80%) in power sector CO2 emissions are achieved. We explore how the ability to add additional cross-border transmission impacts capacity investment, the generation mix, system costs, and the ability of the system to integrate variable renewable energy into the power system. This analysis uses the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) capacity expansion model [3], [4] to quantify the value of the integrated power system expansion of the United States and Canada. ReEDS is an optimization model that assesses the deployment and operation (including transmission) of the electricity sector of the contiguous United States and Canadian provinces from 2016 through 2050. It has the ability to model the integration of renewable energy technologies into the grid. ReEDS captures renewable energy resources through the use of 356 individual resource regions and 134 balancing areas across the U.S. and is able to handle renewable energy issues such as variability in wind and solar output, transmission costs and constraints, and ancillary services requirements.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Completing the Connected Home with Smart Window Shades

Heat transfer through windows accounts for a significant percentage of a building’s energy use and adds substantially to the peak cooling load of a home. Window attachment manufacturers currently offer motorized shading devices for certain product lines, but this automation is typically marketed as a convenience and security feature for the homeowner and often does not include energy optimized control algorithms or dynamic and responsive features. This paper describes the experimental results of testing the energy performance of high-efficiency, dynamically operated, cellular shades in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Lab Homes. The results of both heating and cooling season experiments will be presented, where testing is designed to assess the whole home energy savings resulting from both the thermal insulating properties as well as the automated and dynamic control strategies of shading devices. Control schemes tested include common “connected home” strategies where controls are integrated and coordinated between the window shading device, building thermostats, and external sensors. The presentation will also include results from testing designed to examine the benefits (in terms of comfort, energy savings, and responsiveness) of coordinating the operation of cellular shades with HVAC as a demand-response measure. These experiments demonstrate that highly insulating, dynamic window coverings that are reliably controlled can dramatically reduce the heating and cooling energy associated with windows and should be considered an important component of any “smart” home design.

energy savings, cellular shades, honeycomb shades,↗

Resilient Distribution System Restoration with Equitable Load Shedding

A methodology is proposed for the improvement of electric distribution system resilience to high-impact, low-probability catastrophic events. An approach for dynamic network reconfiguration and coordination of distributed energy resources is introduced to assist in restoration efforts. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear program that minimizes generation costs, the cost of lost load, and costs associated with equitable load shedding, while respecting operational limits of generation, loads, and the network. Constraints are imposed on binary switching variables to ensure equitable load shedding in emergency situations. Numerical validation of the proposed approach is conducted on an example distribution feeder, and case studies are performed to analyze the impact of various parameters in the optimization problem formulation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Securely Aggregated Coded Matrix Inversion

Coded computing is a method for mitigating straggling workers in a centralized computing network, by using erasure-coding techniques. Federated learning is a decentralized model for training data distributed across client devices. In this work we propose approximating the inverse of an aggregated data matrix, where the data is generated by clients; similar to the federated learning paradigm, while also being resilient to stragglers. To do so, we propose a coded computing method based on gradient coding. We modify this method so that the coordinator does not access the local data at any point; while the clients access the aggregated matrix in order to complete their tasks. Here, the network we consider is not centrally administrated, and the communications which take place are secure against potential eavesdroppers.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Innovating the next generation of commercial smart building software

Nearly 30% of commercial building energy use is wasted due to equipment faults and HVAC controls problems. The result is increased emissions, compromised comfort and productivity, and less reliable coordination of building power needs with a clean grid. The energy impact alone represents $17 billion in potential savings. Today’s smart building software provides a robust solution to address these operational deficiencies. Energy management and information systems (EMIS) are saving up to 9% on average, with two-year paybacks. They are being incorporated into energy management processes, commissioning services, and utility programs. As effective as they are, two barriers prevent even deeper benefits; limited personnel to fix problems once they are identified, and the expense and time to manually implement changes in control systems. In partnership with the research community, the EMIS industry is developing new capabilities to overcome these barriers. Moving beyond siloed products for either fault detection and diagnostics, or optimal control, these new capabilities empower users to not only automatically identify faults, but also to push corrective action, and control improvements to their buildings. In this paper, several areas for enhancements are documented: ‘one-time’ correction of faults such as setpoints, schedules, and economizer lockouts; short-term active testing for automated proportional integral derivative (PID) loop tuning and functional testing; and continuous supervisory control for demand flexibility and year-round efficiency. Results are presented from a pair of partner implementations out of a dozen providers integrating these enhancements into their products, including field tests from across the country, and insights into operator acceptance and integration into operations and maintenance practices.

Casillas, Armando↗

From Electronic Structure to Ion Transport: Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal the Role of Anions in Lithium Battery Electrolytes

Electrolyte anions are pivotal for lithium battery performance, yet their fundamental electronic structural properties are not well understood. In this work, we employ a combination of negative-ion photoelectron spectroscopy (NIPES), ab initio calculations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the electronic structures of three representative electrolyte anions. This multiscale approach enables us to elucidate how their intrinsic electronic properties govern anion–solvent interactions in gas-phase clusters, as well as lithium-ion (Li + ) solvation structures and ion transport behavior in the condensed phase. NIPES reveals that difluoro(oxalato)borate (DFOB – ), bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI – ), and bis(oxalato)borate (BOB – ) all exhibit high electron binding energies, with vertical/adiabatic detachment energies increasing from DFOB – (6.09/5.70 eV) to FSI – (6.80/6.10 eV) to BOB – (6.82/6.40 eV), correlating with enhanced oxidation stability. Ab initio calculations reveal that DFOB – /FSI – –solvent complexes bind Li + ∼ 10 kcal/mol stronger than BOB – series, aligning with the strength of a Li + –anion model. DFOB – exhibits pronounced charge localization on both oxygen and fluorine atoms, enabling their involvement in Li + coordination. In contrast, fluorine atoms in FSI – are largely electron-depleted and remain excluded from direct Li + binding. MD simulations further demonstrate that LiDFOB and LiFSI systems exhibit Li + diffusion coefficients three and five times higher than those of LiBOB across four common solvents. Notably, LiFSI salt in acetonitrile (AN) exhibits the fastest Li + diffusion among 12 electrolyte systems, highlighting the synergistic effect of FSI – and AN in promoting ion mobility. In conclusion, these findings provide a molecular-level understanding of the critical roles of anion and its microsolvation in optimizing Li + diffusion dynamics, once again emphasizing the positioning of FSI – and DFOB – as prime candidates for next-generation electrolytes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Description of the code ANVIL (ANisotropic Vhf Impulse Location)

In this paper, we have developed a general, three-dimensional method to locate sources of earth-directed radiation which takes into account the flight paths of reflected signals. While time-of-arrival algorithms exist for locating radio sources using line-of-sight propagation paths, radio sources originating above the surface of the earth will not necessarily emit strong power along direct paths to satellites. A combination of direct and ground-reflected pulses or only ground-reflected signals from such sources could be received by satellite-borne sensors. The work presented here applies to satellite detection of sub-ionospheric radio sources in a vacuum environment with ideal reflection off the earth's surface. Because satellites are not static receivers, their configuration with respect to a radio source is not always optimal. Therefore, a statistical study is performed using 1000 randomized configurations of 24 satellites in middle earth orbit. For each configuration, the radio source latitude and longitude is fixed, and its altitude is varied from 1 to 97 km. An analytic direct-path algorithm using the five satellites nearest the radio source provides an initial guess for the radio source latitude and longitude. We find that, using this approximation, the mean error in the calculated nadir location has a maximum value of 134 m for the 97-km source altitude. The coordinates of the initial guess are used to define the origin of a grid within which an all-points search refinement is performed. Finally, using this procedure, the overall maximum mean error in radio source position is found to be on the order of the computational grid size.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Layered Coordination Architecture for Resilient Restoration of Power Distribution Systems

The current practices for restoring critical services in the distribution system during a disaster, align with the traditional centralized ideology of distribution systems operations. A central processor evaluates the distribution system after a disruption and attains a restoration plan. However, the centralized operational paradigm is susceptible to single-point failures, requires full situational awareness of the distribution system, and poses scalability challenges for large multifeeder distribution systems. This motivates a distributed decision-making paradigm where multiple agents solve smaller subproblems and jointly coordinate their individual decisions to achieve the global/network-level objective. Toward this goal, we propose a layered architecture for distributed algorithms for resilience and a two-stage distributed algorithm for distribution system restoration. The proposed distributed decision-making framework enables the bottom-up restoration of the distribution system using all available resources, including distributed generation, while only requiring local awareness and limited communications with neighboring connected regions. The proposed framework is robust to single-point failures, enables autonomy using distributed algorithms, and had reduced computational cost compared to centralized optimization solutions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗