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At least 901 records · Page 50

On the convergence of statistics in simulations of stationary incompressible turbulent flows

When reporting statistics from simulations of statistically stationary chaotic phenomenon, it is important to verify that the simulations are time-converged. This condition is connected with the statistical error or number of digits with which statistics can be reliably reported. In this work we consider numerical experiments of low Reynolds number incompressible homogeneous and isotropic turbulence as a model problem to investigate statistical convergence over finite simulation times. Specifically, we investigate the time integration requirements that allow meaningful reporting of the statistical error associated with finiteness of the temporal domain. We address two key questions: (1) How long should a simulation be performed in terms of large eddy time, and (2) How should the simulation time be divided among temporal windows over which a quantity of interest is estimated so that its statistical error could be reliably reported? We find that reliable reporting of statistical errors requires simulations on the order of 10 4 large eddy times, which is orders of magnitude longer than typically performed. Additionally, data post-processing should employ windows of at least ten times the large eddy time scale, with the most robust computation of statistical error of the mean requiring window sizes of an additional factor of ten. For practical simulations, we demonstrate that it is possible to estimate the statistical error within a factor of two under a less stringent condition in which a minimum of four windows with size at least ten large eddy times are used. In conclusion, our observations for homogeneous isotropic turbulence are also shown to hold in turbulent channel flow.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Typological representation of the offshore oceanographic environment along the Alaskan North Slope

Erosion and flooding impacts to Arctic coastal environments are intensifying with nearshore oceanographic conditions acting as a key environmental driver. Robust and comprehensive assessment of the nearshore oceanographic conditions require knowledge of the following boundary conditions: incident wave energy, water level, incident wind energy, ocean temperature and salinity, bathymetry, and shoreline orientation. The number of offshore oceanographic boundary conditions can be large, requiring a significant computational investment to reproduce nearshore conditions. This present study develops location-independent typologies to reduce the number of boundary conditions needed to assess nearshore oceanographic environments in both a Historical (2007–2019) and Future (2020–2040) timespan along the Alaskan North Slope. We used WAVEWATCH III® and Delft3D Flexible Mesh model output from six oceanographic sites located along a constant ~50 m bathymetric line spanning the Chukchi to Beaufort Seas. K-means clustering was applied to the energy-weighted joint-probability distribution of significant wave height (H s ) and peak period (T p ). Distributions of wave and wind direction, wind speed, and water level associated with location-independent centroids were assigned single values to describe a reduced order, typological rendition of offshore oceanographic conditions. Reanalysis data (e.g., ASRv2, ERA5, and GOFS) grounded the historical simulations while projected conditions were obtained from downscaled GFDL-CM3 forced under RCP8.5 conditions. Location-dependence for each site is established through the occurrence joint-probability distribution in the form of unique scaling factors representing the fraction of time that the typology would occupy over a representative year. As anticipated, these typologies show increasingly energetic ocean conditions in the future. They also enable computationally efficient simulation of the nearshore oceanographic environment along the North Slope of Alaska for better characterization of coastal processes (e.g., erosion, flooding, or sediment transport).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Accelerating high-order mesh optimization using finite element partial assembly on GPUs

In this paper we present a new GPU-oriented mesh optimization method based on high order finite elements. Our approach relies on node movement with fixed topology, through the Target-Matrix Optimization Paradigm (TMOP) and uses a global nonlinear solve over the whole computational mesh, i.e., all mesh nodes are moved together. A key property of the method is that the mesh optimization process is recast in terms of finite element operations, which allows us to utilize recent advances in the field of GPU-accelerated high order finite element algorithms. For example, we reduce data motion by using tensor factorization and matrix-free methods, which have superior performance characteristics compared to traditional full finite element matrix assembly and offer advantages for GPU based HPC hardware. Furthermore, we describe the major mathematical components of the method along with their efficient GPU-oriented implementation. In addition, we propose an easily reproducible mesh optimization test that can serve as a performance benchmark for the mesh optimization community.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Measurement of free chlorine levels in water using potentiometric responses of biofilms and applications for monitoring and managing the quality of potable water

We report residual free chlorine is not monitored continuously at scale in drinking water distribution systems because existing real-time sensor technologies require frequent maintenance, cleaning, and calibration, which makes these products too costly to be used throughout a distribution system. As a result, current measurement approaches require manual sampling, which is not feasible for the consistent monitoring of free chlorine because chlorine concentrations vary significantly throughout pipeline distribution and over time and space. This research presents an alternative and cost-effective method of predicting free chlorine levels in drinking water using graphite electrodes coated with naturally grown microbial biofilms. This Microbial Potentiometric Sensor (MPS) array was installed in a Continuously Mixed Batch Reactor (CMBR), and drinking water containing variable free chlorine concentrations. The chlorine concentrations were introduced in a controlled manner, and the MPS signals were monitored over time. MPS signals were measured from the change in Open Circuit Potential (OCP) across the MPS array in real-time. An empirically derived relationship between the normalized change in OCP and free chlorine was established by fitting individual and average MPS data to a decaying exponential growth function in order to predict free chlorine levels. The results show that free chlorine can be predicted with reasonable accuracy, with model validation showing an average absolute error of ±0.09 ppm below 1.1 ppm and ±0.30 ppm between 1.1 and 2.7 ppm. However, the accuracy of predictions was reduced at higher free chlorine levels. The researchers conclude that MPS systems may benefit drinking water distribution systems by measuring free chlorine. These advantages of the MPS are especially pronounced in the developing world because this system is inexpensive and does not require routine maintenance or cleaning. The system relies on a naturally forming and regenerating biofilm and an inexpensive potentiometric meter to produce stable measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Comparison between mirror Langmuir probe and gas-puff imaging measurements of intermittent fluctuations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer

Statistical properties of the scrape-off layer plasma fluctuations are studied in ohmically heated plasmas in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. For the first time, plasma fluctuations as well as parameters that describe the fluctuations are compared across measurements from a mirror Langmuir probe (MLP) and from gas-puff imaging (GPI) that sample the same plasma discharge. This comparison is complemented by an analysis of line emission time-series data, synthesized from the MLP electron density and temperature measurements. The fluctuations observed by the MLP and GPI typically display relative fluctuation amplitudes of order unity together with positively skewed and flattened probability density functions. Such data time series are well described by an established stochastic framework that models the data as a superposition of uncorrelated, two-sided exponential pulses. The most important parameter of the process is the intermittency parameter, $γ=τ_d/τ_w$, where τd denotes the duration time of a single pulse and $τ_w$ gives the average waiting time between consecutive pulses. In this study we show, using a new deconvolution method, that these parameters can be consistently estimated from different statistics of the data. We also show that the statistical properties of the data sampled by the MLP and GPI diagnostic are very similar. Finally, a synthetic GPI signal using only plasma parameters sampled by the MLP shows qualitatively different fluctuation statistics from the measured GPI signal.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ultrafast Triplet Pair Separation and Triplet Trapping following Singlet Fission in Amorphous Pentacene Films

In this work, ultrafast infrared and electronic spectroscopy are used to examine the dynamics of triplet pair separation following singlet fission in amorphous and crystalline films of the model singlet fission chromophore, 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-Pn). Direct probing of correlated triplet pair intermediates through their unique vibrational frequencies, infrared electronic transitions, and indirectly through their visible triplet absorptions reveals that triplet pair separation occurs on similar picosecond timescales in both amorphous and crystalline films despite their markedly different average intermolecular coupling strengths. Although triplet pair separation occurs on similar timescales in both environments, measurements of diffusion-controlled triplet-triplet annihilation reveal that the diffusivity of triplet excited states is an order of magnitude lower in amorphous films. The data reveal the presence of sparse triplet traps in the amorphous environment that inhibit the transport of triplet excitons in comparison to crystalline films. These observations inform recent efforts to develop disordered and polymeric singlet fission sensitizers that contain amorphous regions. In particular, the data suggest that it may be possible to nanostructure amorphous or polymeric singlet fission sensitizers to allow ultrafast triplet pair separation and harvesting in photovoltaic and light emitting applications despite their low triplet exciton diffusivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries: In-Depth Computational Approach Revealing Multiple Sulfur’s Reduction Pathways and Hidden Li + Storage Mechanisms for Extra Discharge Capacity

Like no other sulfur host material, polyacrylonitrile-derived sulfurized carbon (SPAN) promises improved electrochemical performance for lithium–sulfur batteries, based on its compatibility with carbonate solvents and ability to prevent self-discharge and shuttle effect. However, a complete understanding of the SPAN’s lithiation mechanism is still missing because its structural features vary widely with synthesis conditions, and its electrochemical performance deviates from elemental sulfur. This study continues our research on the elucidation of the SPAN’s structural characteristics and lithiation mechanisms via computational approaches. Here, our models reproduce most experimental data regarding carbon’s graphitization level and conjugated ordering, sulfur–carbon covalent bonding, sulfur loading, and elemental composition. Our simulations emulate the discharge voltage observed in experiments for the first discharge, which reveals that sulfur follows multiple reduction pathways based on its interaction with the carbon backbone. Sulfur reduction takes place above 1.0 V vs Li/Li + mostly in the SPAN-like material, with no long-chain lithium polysulfide formation. Below 1.0 V vs Li/Li + , the backbone’s electrochemical activity occurs via multiple C–Li and N–Li interactions, mostly with edge carbon atoms and pyridinic nitrogen. Moreover, we identify Li + binding sites throughout the graphitized backbone that might lead to prohibited energy costs for Li + deintercalation, which may explain the irreversible capacity loss between the first and second discharges. This work improves understanding of lithiation mechanisms in sulfurized carbon, which is useful for rationally designing SPAN synthesis pathways tailored to increase sulfur loading and enhanced electrochemical performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Processing Effects on the Self-Assembly of Brush Block Polymer Photonic Crystals

Here,the self-assembly of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-b-poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PDMS-b-PTMC) bottlebrush block polymers was investigated under different processing conditions. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and UV/Visible spectroscopy provided insight into the self-assembly and structure in response to heating and applied pressure. In the absence of applied pressure (i.e., before annealing), the PDMS-b-PTMC bottlebrush block polymers are white solids and adopt small, randomly oriented lamellar grains. Heating the materials to 140 °C in the absence of applied pressure appears to “lock in” the isotropic, short-range-ordered state, preventing the formation of the long-range-ordered lamellar structure responsible for photonic properties. Applying modest anisotropic pressure (3 psi) between parallel plates at ambient temperature orients the short-range lamellar grains; however, applied pressure alone does not produce long-range order. Only when the bottlebrush block polymers were heated (>100 °C) under modest pressure (3 psi) were long-range-ordered photonic crystals formed. Analysis of the SAXS data motivated analogies to liquid crystals and revealed the potential self-assembly pathway. These results provide insight into the structure and self-assembly of bottlebrush block polymers with low glass transition temperature side chains in response to different processing conditions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Simulated sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy database of lithium thiophosphate solid electrolytes

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a premier technique for materials characterization, providing key information about the local chemical environment of the absorber atom. In this work, we develop a database of sulfur K-edge XAS spectra of crystalline and amorphous lithium thiophosphate materials based on the atomic structures reported in Chem. Mater., 34, 6702 (2022). The XAS database is based on simulations using the excited electron and core-hole pseudopotential approach implemented in the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package. Our database contains 2681 S K-edge XAS spectra for 66 crystalline and glassy structure models, making it the largest collection of first-principles computational XAS spectra for glass/ceramic lithium thiophosphates to date. This database can be used to correlate S spectral features with distinct S species based on their local coordination and short-range ordering in sulfide-based solid electrolytes. The data is openly distributed via the Materials Cloud, allowing researchers to access it for free and use it for further analysis, such as spectral fingerprinting, matching with experiments, and developing machine learning models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synthesis, modular composition, and electrochemical properties of lamellar iron sulfides

Transition metal chalcogenides with layered structures are promising materials for energy storage, catalysis, and electronics, among other areas. We have identified a new layered phase of iron sulfide containing interlayer solvated cations. We present an optimized synthesis for the Li + -containing material from an Fe(III) xanthate complex. Structure and composition data indicate the material consists of poorly-ordered iron sulfide layers separated by solvated cations. The lamellar spacing in these materials can be tuned by changing the identity of the cation. Furthermore, the lamellar spacing can also be reversibly tuned by the degree of solvation of the material. The material is electrically conductive and can serve as a pseudocapacitor with comparable performance to commercial materials such as MnO 2 . Finally, these materials also show promise as lithium or sodium ion battery cathodes with good capacity and reversibility.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Classification of gaseous UF 6 assay by femtosecond LIBS in the 424.4 nm spectral region using numerical HOGSVD-DTW features

This technical note presents experimental results using numerical features of fs-LIBS data to classify the assay value of a gaseous UF 6 material. Here, the data-driven feature vectors are computed by Higher Order Generalized Singular Value Decomposition (HOGSVD) and Dynamic Time Warp (DTW). The method achieves 96.97% accuracy in spectral classification testing with fs-LIBS samples obtained from a UF 6 material with five known assay values ranging from 0.287% to 61.740%, with 100% accuracy for the four largest assay values ranging from 4.615% to 61.740%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Probing the influence of ion-pairing on ligand-field excited-state dynamics

Exploration of the photophysical and photochemical properties of transition metal complexes has driven ground-breaking advancements in solar energy conversion technologies, including photoredox catalysis. While significant research has been devoted to understanding excited state properties of second- and third-row transition metal complexes, earth-abundant first-row metal complexes have received comparatively little attention in this context until very recently. In particular, the role of ion-pairing – which has been identified as a potentially significant factor for Ir(III)-based photosensitizers – has not been examined with regard to its influence on the ligand-field excited states that dominate much of first-row photophysics. A key challenge in studying ion-pair interactions lies in quantifying the extent and nature of ion-pairing, particularly in non-aqueous media where the vast majority of photophysical studies are performed. Cobalt(III) polypyridyl complexes provide an attractive platform to address such questions due to their demonstrated potential for applications in photoredox catalysis involving ligand-field excited states. In the present study, we prepared a cobalt(III) polypyridyl complex, [Co(4,4′-OMebpy) 3 ](BAr F 4 ) 3 (where 4,4′-OMebpy is 4,4′-dimethoxy-2,2′-bipyridine and BAr F 4 is tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl)borate) to probe ion-pairing in non-aqueous solutions. Specifically, analysis of data acquired from both variable-temperature diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR and 1-D rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect (ROE) experiments allowed us to identify and differentiate between solvent-separated ion pairs in high-dielectric media and contact ion pairs in a low-dielectric solvent. Time-resolved absorption spectroscopy was then used to measure ground-state recovery dynamics under these varying conditions of ion-pairing, the results of which revealed an increase in excited-state lifetime for contact ion-pairs that we suggest arises from a reduction in outer-sphere reorganization energy relative to conditions which favored solvent-separated ion pairs. We believe this study demonstrates that one can leverage broadly available NMR-based methods to understand ion-pairing in non-aqueous solutions, which in turn can provide a microscopic picture of intermolecular interactions that can impact the photophysical properties of transition metal-based chromophores.

Ghosh, Atanu [Michigan State University, East Lans↗

A physics-constrained neural network for multiphase flows

The present study develops a physics-constrained neural network (PCNN) to predict sequential patterns and motions of multiphase flows (MPFs), which includes strong interactions among various fluid phases. To predict the order parameters, which locate individual phases in the future time, a neural network (NN) is applied to quickly infer the dynamics of the phases by encoding observations. The multiphase consistent and conservative boundedness mapping algorithm (MCBOM) is next implemented to correct the predicted order parameters. This enforces the predicted order parameters to strictly satisfy the mass conservation, the summation of the volume fractions of the phases to be unity, the consistency of reduction, and the boundedness of the order parameters. Then, the density of the fluid mixture is updated from the corrected order parameters. Finally, the velocity in the future time is predicted by another NN with the same network structure, but the conservation of momentum is included in the loss function to shrink the parameter space. The proposed PCNN for MPFs sequentially performs (NN)-(MCBOM)-(NN), which avoids nonphysical behaviors of the order parameters, accelerates the convergence, and requires fewer data to make predictions. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed PCNN is capable of predicting MPFs effectively.

Mechanics↗

A shared-mobility-based framework for evacuation planning and operations under forecast uncertainty

To meet evacuation needs from carless populations who need personalized assistance to evacuate safely, in this article we propose a ridesharing-based evacuation program that recruits volunteer drivers before a disaster strikes, and then matches volunteer drivers with evacuees once demand is realized. Here we optimize resource planning and evacuation operations under uncertain spatiotemporal demand, and construct a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer program to ensure high demand fulfillment rates. We consider three formulations to improve the number of evacuees served, by minimizing an expected penalty cost, imposing a probabilistic constraint, and enforcing a constraint on the conditional value at risk of the total number of unserved evacuees, respectively. We discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the different risk measures used in the three formulations, given certain carless population sizes and the variety of evacuation modes available. We also develop a heuristic approach to provide quick, dynamic and conservative solutions. We demonstrate the performance of our approaches using five different networks of varying sizes based on regions of Charleston County, South Carolina, an area that experienced a mandatory evacuation order during Hurricane Florence, and utilize real demographic data and hourly traffic count data to estimate the demand distribution.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Electronic signatures of successive itinerant, antiferromagnetic transitions in hexagonal La 2 Ni 7

We use high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the electronic and magnetic properties of La 2 Ni 7 , an itinerant magnetic system with a series of three magnetic transition temperatures upon cooling, which end in a small moment antiferromagnetic (smAFM) ground state. Our APRES data reveal several electron and hole pockets that have hexagonal symmetry near the Γ point. We observe significant reconstruction of the band structure upon successive magnetic transitions at T 1 ~ 61 K, T 2 ~ 57 K and T 3 ~ 42 K. Several features observed in ARPES data were reasonably well reproduced by DFT calculations, while others were not. In particular, the flat band near E f predicted by DFT in AFM state, was seemingly absent in ARPES data. Our results detail the effects of magnetic ordering on the electronic structure in a Ni-based small moment antiferromagnet and highlight challenges of current computational methods.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Learning how structures form in drift-wave turbulence

Drift-wave turbulence produces anomalous transport via cross-correlations between fluctuations. This transport has profound implications for confinement, structure formation, and virtually all aspects of the non-linear turbulent dynamics. Herein, we use a data-driven method based on deep learning in order to study turbulent transport in the 2D Hasegawa–Wakatani system and infer a reduced mean-field model from numerical solution. In addition to the usual turbulent diffusion, we find an effect which couples the particle flux to the local gradient of vorticity, which tends to modulate the density profile. The direct coupling to the shear is relatively weak. In addition, the deep learning method finds a model for spontaneous zonal flow generation by negative viscosity, stabilized by non-linear and hyperviscous terms. We compare these results to analytic calculations using quasilinear theory and wave kinetics, finding qualitative agreement, though the calculations miss certain higher-order effects. A simplified, 1-D model for the evolution of the profile, flow, and intensity based on the deep learning results is solved numerically and compared to previous models for staircasing based on bistability. We see that the physics uncovered by the deep learning method provided simple explanations for the formation of zonal structures in the density, flow, and turbulence fields. We highlight the important role of symmetry in the deep learning method and speculate on the portability of the method to other applications.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Redshift space power spectrum beyond Einstein-de Sitter kernels

Abstract We develop a framework to compute the redshift space power spectrum (PS), with kernels beyond Einstein-de Sitter (EdS), that can be applied to a wide variety of generalized cosmologies. We build upon a formalism that was recently employed for standard cosmology in Chen, Vlah & White (2020), and utilize an expansion of the density-weighted velocity moment generating function that explicitly separates the magnitude of the k-modes and their angle to the line-of-sight direction dependencies. We compute the PS for matter and biased tracers to 1-loop Perturbation Theory (PT) and show that the expansion has a correct infrared and ultraviolet behavior, free of unwanted divergences. We also add Effective Field Theory (EFT) counterterms, necessary to account for small-scale contributions to PT, and employ an IR-resummation prescription to properly model the smearing of the BAO due to large scale bulk flows within Standard-PT. To demonstrate the applicability of our formalism, we apply it on the ΛCDM and the Hu-Sawicki f(R) models, and compare our numerical results against the elephant suite of N-body simulations, finding very good agreement up to k = 0.27 Mpc -1 h at z = 0.5 for the first three non-vanishing Legendre multipoles of the PS. To our knowledge, the model presented in this work is the most accurate theoretical EFT-PT for modified gravity to date, being the only one that accounts for beyond linear local biasing in redshift-space. Hence, we argue our RSD modeling is a promising tool to construct theoretical templates in order to test deviations from ΛCDM using real data obtained from the next stage of cosmological surveys such as DESI and LSST.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Time-dependent experimental identification of inter-ELM microtearing modes in the tokamak edge on DIII-D

In a series of discharges on the DIII-D tokamak, fast vertical plasma jogs are used to induce current perturbations in the steep gradient region of the H-mode edge. These current perturbations directly influence the edge q profile, decoupling the resonant location and instability drive of pedestal-localized microtearing modes (MTMs.) By exploiting this effect, we develop and apply a new experimental technique to track the dynamical frequency evolution of MTMs in the pedestal region, providing a compelling validation of the MTM model. The frequency of potential MTMs is calculated as the Doppler-shifted electron diamagnetic frequency at rational q=m/n surfaces, showing remarkable agreement with chirped frequency behavior of n=3, 4 and 5 modes detected with fast magnetics. Data is collected throughout multiple ELM cycles in order to build robust statistics describing the time-dependent frequency evolution of MTMs, which can be explained by examining the recovery of pedestal gradients after an ELM event. MTMs have a dominant transport contribution in the electron thermal channel, so the presented results indicate that reduced models of pedestal transport must be electromagnetic in nature and constructed with accurate calculations of MTM stability; inclusion of this physics is essential for accurate predictions of the electron temperature pedestal profile. Supporting measurements of mode saturation, propagation direction and transport fingerprints are made to support the dynamic frequency determination, unambiguously and experimentally identifying MTMs in the pedestal region of DIII-D.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗