Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “State Variable”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 937 records · Page 52

On mathematical and physical approaches to constructing a quantum cluster state in continuous variables, or is it possible to construct a cluster from different modes?

We consider the problems of constructing a cluster state from a set of orthogonal modes. It is shown that the commonly used unitary transformation is not reduced in this case to a set of standard operations of linear optics performed over fields in a squeezed state, but should be supplemented by a more complicated operation of a noise-free transformation of the quantum signal profile. At the same time, if it is possible to form a cluster whose node amplitudes have different time profiles, this property does not interfere with the performance of calculations on the cluster. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Assessing the Influence of Background State and Climate Variability on Tropical Cyclones Using Initialized Ensembles and Mesh Refinement in E3SM

The scientific goal of this project is to assess the influence of the background state and horizontal resolution of climate models on the simulation of extreme events like intense precipitation, tropical cyclones, atmospheric rivers, and heatwaves. The main results are: - Initialized ensembles of 4-week forecasts using a climate model (E3SM) show that dynamic (flow) and thermodynamic (moisture) biases asymptote to their climatological values at different rates—dynamic bias grows rapidly and approaches its climatological value within about 2 weeks whereas the thermodynamic bias takes about 4 weeks. - Moisture bias has a bigger impact on extreme events like tropical cyclones and intense precipitation than flow bias, and this impact is non-monotonic over bias evolution time. - Climate models are capable of simulating the flow features associated with unprecedented extreme events like the Western North America heatwave of June 2021, but moisture biases can weaken the surface manifestation of extreme heatwaves. Reducing model bias may be more important than increasing model resolution in improving the fidelity of heatwave simulations in climate models. - Climate models are capable of simulating weather patterns associated with “power droughts”, i.e., periods with low solar and wind power generation, provided model biases in the simulation of the background state can be corrected. - Regional mesh refinement can improve the simulation of extreme weather events but model biases may still persist.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The Causal Connection Between Disc and Power-Law Variability in Hard State Black Hole X-Ray Binaries

We use the XMM-Newton EPIC-pn instrument in timing mode to extend spectral time-lag studies of hard state black hole X-ray binaries into the soft X-ray band. \Ve show that variations of the disc blackbody emission substantially lead variations in the power-law emission, by tenths of a second on variability time-scales of seconds or longer. The large lags cannot be explained by Compton scattering but are consistent with time-delays due to viscous propagation of mass accretion fluctuations in the disc. However, on time-scales less than a second the disc lags the power-law variations by a few ms, consistent with the disc variations being dominated by X-ray heating by the power-law, with the short lag corresponding to the light-travel time between the power-law emitting region and the disc. Our results indicate that instabilities in the accretion disc are responsible for continuum variability on time-scales of seconds or longer and probably also on shorter time-scales.

Uttley, P.↗

Solid-state non-volatile electronically programmable reversible variable resistance device

A solid-state variable resistance device (10) whose resistance can be repeatedly altered by a control signal over a wide range, and which will remain stable after the signal is removed, is formed on an insulated layer (14), supported on a substrate (12) and comprises a set of electrodes (16a, 16b) connected by a layer (18) of material, which changes from an insulator to a conductor upon the injection of ions, covered by a layer (22) of material with insulating properties which permit the passage of ions, overlaid by an ion donor material (20). The ion donor material is overlaid by an insulating layer (24) upon which is deposited a control gate (26) located above the contacts. In a preferred embodiment, the variable resistance material comprises WO.sub.3, the ion donor layer comprises Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, and the layers sandwiching the ion donor layer comprise silicon monoxide. When a voltage is applied to the gate, the resistance between the electrode contacts changes, decreasing with positive voltage and increasing with negative voltage.

Ramesham, Rajeshuni↗

Variable charge transfer state energies at nanostructured pentacene/C 60 interfaces

While it has recently been recognized that organic donor-acceptor charge transfer (CT) state energies can vary substantially under different interfacial morphologies, this behavior is under-appreciated in the context of organic singlet fission solar cells where a specific alignment between the triplet state of the fission material and the CT state of the donor-acceptor interface is necessary to the function of the device. Here, in this work, we demonstrate that the CT state energy of a prototypical pentacene-C 60 singlet fission system is around 1 eV in most systems, but can vary over 300 meV depending on the composition and morphology of the interface. Moreover, we show that the inclusion of a poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) underlayer, which commonly serves as a triplet blocker and hole collector in pentacene/C 60 solar cells, helps promote active layer morphologies with stabilized, low energy CT states. Lastly, these trends in the interfacial energetics are correlated with structural characterization of the films by atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Non-parametric projections of the net-income distribution for all U.S. states for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

Abstract Income distributions are a growing area of interest in the examination of equity impacts brought on by climate change and its responses. Such impacts are especially important at subnational levels, but projections of income distributions at these levels are scarce. Here, we project U.S. state-level income distributions for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). We apply a non-parametric approach, specifically a recently developed principal components algorithm to generate net income distributions for deciles across 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. We produce these projections to 2100 for three SSP scenarios in combination with varying projections of GDP per capita to represent a wide range of possible futures and uncertainties. In the generation of these scenarios, we also generated tax adjusted historical deciles by U.S. states, which we used for validating model performance. Our method thus produces income distributions by decile for each state, reflecting the variability in state income, population, and tax regimes. Our net income projections by decile can be used in both emissions- and impact-related research to understand distributional effects at various income levels and identify economically vulnerable populations.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Direct state tomography using continuous variable measuring device

Compared with the conventional quantum state tomography (QST), the efficiency of the direct state tomography (DST) using weak value is very low. However, DST is easily manipulated in experiments. We modify the direct state tomography by using coupling-deformed observables. The modified direct state measurement is valid for arbitrarily large measurement strength. The optimal measurement strengths are obtained to attain the highest efficiency. The efficiency of DST is significantly improved in the modified strategy, and the reconstructed state has no inherent bias. The state reconstruction strategy investigated in this paper might be useful in actual experiments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The Changing Character of Twenty-First-Century Precipitation over the Western United States in the Variable-Resolution CESM

Abstract The changing characters of precipitation frequency and intensity have been comprehensively investigated from the recent historical period to the end of the twenty-first century over the western United States. Variable-resolution Community Earth System Model (VR-CESM) ensemble simulations are applied with a fine grid resolution of ~0.25° over the study area. Simulations are forced with prescribed sea surface temperatures, sea ice extent, and greenhouse gas concentrations from the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. VR-CESM is shown to be effective at accurately capturing the spatial patterns of the historical precipitation climatology. The results of VR-CESM output provide significantly regional details with crucial enhancement of precipitation representations over complex terrain. In the Intermountain West and U.S. Southwest, a statistically significant increase in mean precipitation and rainy days through midcentury is observed, although this trend is tempered by the end of the century in response to a decrease in relative humidity. Over the Pacific Northwest, extreme precipitation events are observed to increase significantly as a result of increased cool season integrated vapor transport associated with a moistening of the cool seasons and drying through the warm seasons. In particular, extreme precipitation in this region appears to increase more rapidly than would be predicted by the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship. No clear climate signal emerges in mean precipitation or extreme events in the majority of California, where the precipitation climatology is attributed to large interannual variabilities that are tied closely to ENSO patterns.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Regional Climate and Variability of the Summertime Continental United States in Reanalyses

Understanding climate variability at regional scales is an important for research and societal needs. Atmospheric retrospective-analyses (or reanalyses) integrate multitudes of observing systems with numerical models to produce continuous data that include variables not easily observed, if at all. The breadth of variables as well as observational influence included in reanalyses make them ideal for investigating climate variability. In this paper, we assess NASA s Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Application (MERRA) regional variability in North America, specifically the United States, in conjunction with current satellite data reanalyses. Emphasis is placed on summertime precipitation because 1) it is a difficult parameter to capture in the most difficult season, 2) significant observational resources exist to benchmark comparisons, and 3) accurate assessment of precipitation variability is crucial to a multitude of sectors and applications. Likewise, we have also begun to evaluate surface air temperature. While precipitation biases are identified, year to year variability of the precipitation variations, in many cases, are quite reasonable. However, some spurious long term trends and sudden shifts in the time series are also identified. In surface air temperature, analysis of station observations provides ERA Interim a clear overall advantage. However, in a number of regions, all the reanalyses are quite comparable in variability and trend. In other regions, significant precipitation biases may occur, which has implications for the ancillary process data in a reanalysis, such as surface fluxes. We also characterize the reanalyses ability to capture variability related to ENSO. In general, the summertime variations of precipitation in the reanalyses are more highly correlated (positively) to ENSO (using ENSO34) than are the observations. The Northwestern US shows the largest positive correlations to ENSO34, and reanalyses agree with that, and correlate highly with the gauge observations there. Additional evaluation of the data assimilation using the MERRA Gridded Innovations and Observations (GIO) data, which consists of the assimilated observations as well as forecast an analysis error fields. This work represents an initial evaluation of using the MERRA reanalysis to study regional climate variations of the United States, and identifying its applied limitations

Bosilovich, M G.↗

Investigation of smooth specimen scc test procedures; variations in environment, specimen size, stressing frame, and stress state

The variables studied in the stress-corrosion cracking performance of high strength aluminum alloys were: (1) corrosiveness of the environment, (2) specimen size and stiffness of the stressing system, (3) interpretation of transgranular cracking, and (4) interaction of the state of stress and specimen orientation in a product with an anisotropic grain structure. It was shown that the probability of failure and time to fracture for a specimen loaded in direct tension are influenced by corrosion pattern, the stressing assembly stiffness, and the notch tensile strength of the alloy. Results demonstrate that the combination of a normal tension stress and a shear stress acting on the plane of maximum susceptibility in a product with a highly directional grain cause the greatest tendency for stress-corrosion cracking.

Lifka, B. W.↗

Relative contributions of mean-state shifts and ENSO-driven variability to precipitation changes in a warming climate

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an important driver of regional hydroclimate variability through far-reaching teleconnections. This study uses simulations performed with coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) to investigate how regional precipitation in the twenty-first century may be affected by changes in both ENSO-driven precipitation variability and slowly evolving mean rainfall. First, a dominant, time-invariant pattern of canonical ENSO variability (cENSO) is identified in observed SST data. Next, the fidelity with which 33 state-of-the-art CGCMs represent the spatial structure and temporal variability of this pattern (as well as its associated precipitation responses) is evaluated in simulations of twentieth-century climate change. Possible changes in both the temporal variability of this pattern and its associated precipitation teleconnections are investigated in twenty-first-century climate projections. Models with better representation of the observed structure of the cENSO pattern produce winter rainfall teleconnection patterns that are in better accord with twentieth-century observations and more stationary during the twenty-first century. Finally, the model-predicted twenty-first-century rainfall response to cENSO is decomposed into the sum of three terms: 1) the twenty-first-century change in the mean state of precipitation, 2) the historical precipitation response to the cENSO pattern, and 3) a future enhancement in the rainfall response to cENSO, which amplifies rainfall extremes. Lastly, by examining the three terms jointly, this conceptual framework allows the identification of regions likely to experience future rainfall anomalies that are without precedent in the current climate.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Comparison of Vertical Surface Deformation Estimates Derived From Space-Based Gravimetry, Ground-Based GPS, and Model-Based Hydrologic Loading Over Snow-Dominated Watersheds in the United States

Spatiotemporal variability in Earth's terrestrial water storage (TWS) causes changes in surface deformation. The potential for using ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) vertical displacement observations for estimating TWS is explored through a comparison of vertical displacements derived from space-based gravimetric retrievals, ground-based GPS, and model-based hydrologic estimates. The study presented here focuses on two snow-dominated basins in the Western United States for the years 2003–2016. Seasonal variations are observed in the vertical displacements derived from all three data sets, and the variation is coherent with the changes in hydrologic loading. Good consistency is observed between any two of the three data sets with gravimetric retrievals and hydrologic model estimates providing the highest level of agreement (i.e., all examined stations with correlation coefficient R > 0.70). Vertical displacements derived from gravimetric retrievals and ground-based GPS yielded R > 0.70 for more than 89% of the stations. In addition, it is found that both GPS-derived and space-based, gravimetry-derived vertical displacements clearly reflected the impact of climate variation (i.e., heavy precipitation during 2010–2011 winter followed by prolonged drought). Vertical displacements derived from the hydrologic model highlighted the relatively large precipitation convergence phase during late 2010 to early 2011 at some stations but not the prolonged drought that followed. The results indicate that ground-based GPS observations of vertical displacement have the capability to capture variations in TWS changes, which can be systematically merged in conjunction with Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) into a land surface model to improve TWS estimates in a follow-up study.

Gaohong Yin↗

Experimental Passive-State Preparation for Continuous-Variable Quantum Communications

In the Gaussian-modulated coherent state quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol, the sender first generates Gaussian-distributed random numbers and then encodes them on weak laser pulses actively by performing amplitude and phase modulations. Recently, an equivalent passive QKD scheme has been proposed by exploring the intrinsic field fluctuations of a thermal source [B. Qi, P. G. Evans, and W. P. Grice, Phys. Rev. A 97, 012317 (2018)]. This passive QKD scheme is especially appealing for chip-scale implementation since no active modulation is required. In this paper, we conduct an experimental study of the passively encoded QKD scheme using an off-the-shelf amplified spontaneous emission source operated in continuous-wave mode. Our results show that the excess noise introduced by the passive state preparation scheme can be effectively suppressed by applying optical attenuation and a secure key can be generated over metro-area distances.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Anomalous Low States and Long Term Variability in the Black Hole Binary LMC X-3

Rossi X-my Timing Explorer observations of the black hole binary LMC X-3 reveal an extended very low X-ray state lasting from 2003 December 13 until 2004 March 18, unprecedented both in terms of its low luminosity (>15 times fainter than ever before seen in this source) and long duration (approx 3 times longer than a typical low/hard state excursion). During this event little to no source variability is observed on timescales of approx hours-weeks, and the X-ray spectrum implies an upper limit of 1.2 x 10(exp 35) erg/s, Five years later another extended low state occurs, lasting from 2008 December 11 until 2009 June 17. This event lasts nearly twice as long as the first, and while significant variability is observed, the source remains reliably in the low/hard spectral state for the approx 188 day duration. These episodes share some characteristics with the "anomalous low states" in the neutron star binary Her X-I. The average period and amplitude of the Variability of LMC X-3 have different values between these episodes. We characterize the long-term variability of LMC X-3 before and after the two events using conventional and nonlinear time series analysis methods, and show that, as is the case in Her X-I, the characteristic amplitude of the variability is related to its characteristic timescale. Furthermore, the relation is in the same direction in both systems. This suggests that a similar mechanism gives rise to the long-term variability, which in the case of Her X-I is reliably modeled with a tilted, warped precessing accretion disk.

Smale, Alan P.↗