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At least 955 records · Page 53

Modeling for the phased injector upgrade for 12 GeV CEBAF

The upcoming Jefferson Lab K-Long experiment at Hall D will require unique beam conditions with a much lower bunch repetition rate and atypically high bunch charge. To optimize the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) injector for this experiment, we performed Multi-Objective Genetic Optimization (MGO) using General Particle Tracer (GPT) to determine the magnetic elements and RF settings necessary for the K-long bunch charge (0.64 pC) at 200 kV. We also investigated the transmission and beam characteristics of low to high charge per bunch electron beams through the injector for simultaneous operations of all four CEBAF Halls and characterized the transmission as a function of the photocathode laser spot size and pulse length. Our findings provide valuable insights into optimizing the CEBAF injector for the Jefferson Lab K-Long experiment, as well as for other experiments with similar beam conditions

Kazimi, R.↗

Results on radiation tolerance of diamond detectors

In sight of the luminosity increase of the High Luminosity-LHC (HL-LHC), most experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are planning upgrades for their innermost layers in the next 5–10 years. These upgrades will require more radiation tolerant technologies than exist today. Usage of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond as detector material is one of the potentially interesting technologies for the upgrade. CVD diamond has been used extensively in the beam condition monitors of BaBar, Belle, CDF and all LHC experiments. Measurements of the radiation tolerance of the highest quality polycrystalline CVD material for a range of proton energies, pions and neutrons obtained with this material are presented. In addition, new results on the evolution of various semiconductor parameters as a function of the dose rate are described.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Electrochemical flow cell enabling operando probing of electrocatalyst surfaces by X-ray spectroscopy and diffraction

The rational improvement of current and developing electrochemical technologies requires atomistic understanding of electrode–electrolyte interfaces. However, examining these interfaces under operando conditions, where performance is typically evaluated and benchmarked, remains challenging, as it necessitates incorporating an operando probe during full electrochemical operation. In this study, we describe a custom electrochemical flow cell that enables near-surface-sensitive operando investigation of planar thin-film catalysts at significant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) rates (in excess of -100 mA cm-2) using grazing incidence X-ray methods. Grazing-incidence X-ray spectroscopy and diffraction were implemented on the same sample under identical HER conditions, demonstrating how the combined measurements track changing redox chemistry and structure of Cu thin-film catalyst surfaces as a function of electrochemical conditions. The coupling of these methods with improved mass transport and hydrodynamic control establishes a new paradigm for operando measurement design, enabling unique insights into the key fundamental processes occurring at the catalyst–electrolyte interface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Sheath constraints on turbulent magnetised plasmas

Abstract A solid target in contact with a plasma charges (negatively) to reflect the more mobile species (electrons) and thus keep the bulk plasma quasineutral. To shield the bulk plasma from the charged target, there is an oppositely (positively) charged sheath with a sharp electrostatic potential variation on the Debye length scale λ D . In magnetised plasmas where the magnetic field is inclined at an oblique angle α with the target, some of the sheath potential variation occurs also on the ion sound gyroradius length scale ρ S cos ⁡ α , caused by finite ion gyro-orbit distortion and losses. We consider a collisionless and steady-state magnetised plasma sheath whose thickness l ms ∼ max ( λ D , ρ S cos ⁡ α ) is smaller than the characteristic length scale L of spatial fluctuations in the bulk plasma, such that the limit l ms / L → 0 is appropriate. Spatial structures are assumed to be magnetic field-aligned. In the case of small magnetic field angle α ∼ δ ≡ ρ S / L ≪ 1 , electric fields tangential to the target transport ions towards the target via E × B drifts at a rate comparable to the one from parallel streaming. A generalised form of the kinetic Bohm–Chodura criterion at the sheath entrance is derived by requiring that the sheath electric field have a monotonic spatial decay far from the target. The criterion depends on tangential gradients of potential and ion distribution function, with additional nontrivial conditions.

kinetic Bohm–Chodura condition↗

Neutrinos from type Ia supernovae: The deflagration-to-detonation transition scenario

It has long been recognized that the neutrinos detected from the next core-collapse supernova in the Galaxy have the potential to reveal important information about the dynamics of the explosion and the nucleosynthesis conditions as well as allowing us to probe the properties of the neutrino itself. The neutrinos emitted from thermonuclear—type Ia—supernovae also possess the same potential, although these supernovae are dimmer neutrino sources. For the first time, we calculate the time, energy, line of sight, and neutrino-flavor-dependent features of the neutrino signal expected from a three-dimensional delayed-detonation explosion simulation, where a deflagration-to-detonation transition triggers the complete disruption of a near-Chandrasekhar mass carbon-oxygen white dwarf. We also calculate the neutrino flavor evolution along eight lines of sight through the simulation as a function of time and energy using an exact three-flavor transformation code. We identify a characteristic spectral peak at ˜10 MeV as a signature of electron captures on copper. This peak is a potentially distinguishing feature of explosion models since it reflects the nucleosynthesis conditions early in the explosion. We simulate the event rates in the Super-K, Hyper-K, JUNO, and DUNE neutrino detectors with the SNOwGLoBES event rate calculation software and also compute the IceCube signal. Hyper-K will be able to detect neutrinos from our model out to a distance of ˜10 kpc. Here, at 1 kpc, JUNO, Super-K, and DUNE would register a few events while IceCube and Hyper-K would register several tens of events.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A refined genome-scale reconstruction of Chlamydomonas metabolism provides a platform for systems-level analyses

Microalgae have reemerged as organisms of prime biotechnological interest due to their ability to synthesize a suite of valuable chemicals. To harness the capabilities of these organisms, we need a comprehensive systems-level understanding of their metabolism, which can be fundamentally achieved through large-scale mechanistic models of metabolism. In this study, we present a revised and significantly improved genome-scale metabolic model for the widely-studied microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . The model, i Cre1355, represents a major advance over previous models, both in content and predictive power. i Cre1355 encompasses a broad range of metabolic functions encoded across the nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes accounting for 1355 genes (1460 transcripts), 2394 and 1133 metabolites. We found improved performance over the previous metabolic model based on comparisons of predictive accuracy across 306 phenotypes (from 81 mutants), lipid yield analysis and growth rates derived from chemostat-grown cells (under three conditions). Measurement of macronutrient uptake revealed carbon and phosphate to be good predictors of growth rate, while nitrogen consumption appeared to be in excess. We analyzed high-resolution time series transcriptomics data using i Cre1355 to uncover dynamic pathway-level changes that occur in response to nitrogen starvation and changes in light intensity. This approach enabled accurate prediction of growth rates, the cessation of growth and accumulation of triacylglycerols during nitrogen starvation, and the temporal response of different growth-associated pathways to increased light intensity. Thus, i Cre1355 represents an experimentally validated genome-scale reconstruction of C. reinhardtii metabolism that should serve as a useful resource for studying the metabolic processes of this and related microalgae.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Atomic layer deposition of cerium oxide for potential use in diesel soot combustion

The particulate soot emission from diesel motors has a severe impact on the environment and people's health. The use of catalytic convertors is one of the ways to minimize the emission and decrease the hazard level. In this paper, the activity of cerium oxide for catalytic combustion of diesel soot was studied. Thin films of cerium dioxide were synthesized by atomic layer deposition using tetrakis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)cerium [Ce(thd){sub 4}] and ozone as precursors. The characteristics of the films were studied as a function of deposition conditions within the reaction temperature range of 180–350 °C. Thickness, crystallinity, elemental composition, and morphology of the CeO{sub 2} films deposited on Si (100) were characterized by ellipsometry, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The growth rate of CeO{sub 2} was observed to be 0.30 Å/cycle at temperatures up to 250 °C with a slight increase to 0.37 Å/cycle at 300 °C. The effect of CeO{sub 2} films grown on stainless steel foil supports on soot combustion was measured with annealing tests. Based on the analysis of these, in catalytic applications, CeO{sub 2} has been shown to be effective in lowering the soot combustion temperature from 600 °C for the uncoated substrates to 370 °C for the CeO{sub 2} coated ones. It was found that the higher deposition temperatures had a positive effect on the catalyst performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multi Resolution In-Situ Testing and Multiscale Simulation for Creep Fatigue Damage Analysis of Alloy 617

This report outlines the research activities that were carried out for the integrated experimental and simulation investigation of creep-fatigue damage mechanism and life prediction of Nickel-based alloy, Inconel 617 at high temperatures (950° and 850°). First, a novel experimental design using a hybrid control technique is proposed. The newly developed experimental technique can generate different combinations of creep and fatigue damage by changing the experimental design parameters. Next, detailed imaging analysis and statistical data analysis are performed to quantify the failure mechanisms of the creep fatigue of alloy 617 at high temperatures. It is observed that the creep damage is directly associated with the internal voids at the grain boundaries and the fatigue damage is directly related to the surface cracking. It is also observed that the classical time fraction approach does not has a good correlation with the experimental observed damage features. An effective time fraction parameter is seen to have an excellent correlation with the material microstructural damage. Thus, a new empirical damage interaction diagram is proposed based on the experimental observations. Following this, a macro level viscoplastic model coupled with damage is developed to simulate the stress/strain response under creep fatigue loadings. A damage rate function based on the hysteresis energy and creep energy is proposed to capture the softening behavior of the material and a good correlation with life prediction and material hysteresis behavior is observed. The simulation work is extended to include the microstructural heterogeneity. A crystal plasticity finite element model considering isothermal and large deformation conditions at the microstructural scale has been developed for fatigue, creep-fatigue as well as creep deformation and rupture at high temperature. The model considers collective dislocation glide and climb of the grains and progressive damage accumulation of the grain boundaries. The glide model incorporates a slip resistance evolution model that characterizes the solute-drag creep effects and can capture well the stress-strain and stress time response of fatigue and creep-fatigue tests at various strain ranges and hold times. In order to accurately capture the creep strains that accumulate particularly at relatively low stress levels, a dislocation climb model has been incorporated into the crystal plasticity modeling framework. The dislocation climb model parameters are calibrated and verified through experimental creep tests performed at 950°. In addition, a cohesive zone model has been fully implemented in the context of the crystal plasticity finite element model to capture the intergranular creep damage. The parameters of the cohesive zone model have been calibrated using available experimental data. The numerical simulations illustrate the capability of the proposed model in capturing damage initiation and growth under creep loads as compared to the experimental observations. The microscale analysis sheds light on the crack initiation sites and propagation patterns within the microstructure. The model is also utilized to investigate the hybrid-controlled creep-fatigue tests and has been found to capture reasonably well the stress-strain response with different hold times and hold stress magnitudes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Two-stream Maxwellian kinetic theory of cloud droplet growth by condensation

A new growth rate formula (NGRF) is developed for the rate of growth of cloud droplets by condensation. The theory used is a modification of the Lees-Shankar theory in which the two-stream Maxwellian distribution function of Lees is used in Maxwell's method of moments to determine the transport of water vapor to and heat away from the droplet. Boundary conditions at the droplet are the usual conditions set in terms of accommodation coefficients, and the solution passes smoothly into diffusion flow in the far region. Comparisons are given between NGRF and the conventional formula showing close agreement (approximately 0.1%) for large radii with significant difference (approximately 5%) for small radii (not greater than 1 micron). Growth times for haze droplets in a Laktionov chamber are computed.

Robinson, N. F.↗

SSME thrust chamber simulation using Navier-Stokes equations

The capability of the PHOENICS fluid dynamics code in predicting two-dimensional, compressible, and reacting flow in the combustion chamber and nozzle of the space shuttle main engine (SSME) was evaluated. A non-orthogonal body fitted coordinate system was used to represent the nozzle geometry. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved for the entire nozzle with a turbulence model. The wall boundary conditions were calculated based on the wall functions which account for pressure gradients. Results of the demonstration test case reveal all expected features of the transonic nozzle flows. Of particular interest are the locations of normal and barrel shocks, and regions of highest temperature gradients. Calculated performance (global) parameters such as thrust chamber flow rate, thrust, and specific impulse are also in good agreement with available data.

Przekwas, A. J.↗

A regional perspective on the palynofloral response to K-T boundary event(s) with emphasis on variations imposed by the effects of sedimentary facies and latitude

Palynological studies deal with fossil reproductive bodies that were produced by fully functioning plants, whereas most faunal studies are based on death assemblages. Therefore, changes in pollen and spore assemblages cannot be used directly as evidence of catastrophic mass killings but only to indicate changes in ecological conditions. The impact of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event on terrestrial plant communities is illustrated by the degree, rate and selectivity of change. As in most classical palynological studies, the degree of change is expressed in terms of relative abundance and changes in species diversity. It is recognized that sampling interval and continuity of the rock record within individual sections can affect the percieved rate of change. Even taking these factors into account, a gradual change in relative abundance and multiple levels of apparent extinctions, associated with the interval bounding the K-T boundary, can be demonstrated. Climatic change, which locally exceeds the tolerance of individual species, and the possible loss of a group of pollinating agents are examined as possible explanations for the selectivity of apparent extinctions and/or locally truncated occurrences. The aspects of change are demonstrated with data from four different K-T boundary localities in Western Canada between paleolatitudes 60 and 75 deg north. Together, the four localities discussed allow changes imposed by latitude and differences in the depositional environment be isolated from the boundary event itself which is reflected by the truncated ranges of several species throughout the region of study. What must be recognized is that variations in the response of vegetation to the K-T boundary event(s) occurred throughout the Western Interior basin.

Sweet, A. R.↗

Alterations in glomerular and tubular dynamics at 1 and 14 days simulated microgravity and after acute return to orthostasis

Head-down tilt (HDT) is utilized to simulate microgravity and produces a cephalad fluid shift, which results in alterations in fluid and electrolyte balance. These changes in volume homeostasis are due, in part, to alterations in multiple volume control mechanisms in which renal function is a major participant. We have previously demonstrated that glomerular filtration rate increases early in HDT and eventually returns to values not different from non-tilt measurements. This early increase in glomerular filtration rate was also demonstrated during days 2 and 8 of the SLS-1 mission. However, urine flow and electrolyte excretion does not parallel the alternations in glomerular filtration rate and the site of this change in nephron fluid reabsorption pattern has not been previously examined. Through determination of the location of alterations in tubular fluid reabsorption within the nephron, a more detailed hypothesis can be forwarded as to which specific neuro-humoral agents participating in control or renal function in microgravity conditions. the importance of this type of examination is that measurements in circulating neuro-humoral agents and urinary excretion patterns alone are not accurate predictors of how renal functional response may alter to head-down tilt or other models of simulated weightlessness. To examine this issue, renal micropuncture techniques were utilized in Munich-Wistar rats submitted 24 hour and 14 day head-down tilt, measuring all the determinants of glomerular ultrafiltration and obtaining data regarding segmental tubular fluid reabsorption. Following these measurements, the rats were returned to an orthostatic position and after 60 minutes, the measurements were repeated.

Tucker, Bryan J.↗

Estimates of Quantum Tunneling Effects for Hydrogen Diffusion in PuO 2

We detail the estimation of activation energies and quantum nuclear vibrational tunneling effects for hydrogen diffusion in PuO 2 based on Density Functional Theory calculations and a quantum double well approximation. We find that results are relatively insensitive to choice of exchange correlation functional. In addition, the representation of spin in the system and use of an extended Hubbard U correction has only a small effect on hydrogen point defect formation energies when the PuO 2 lattice is held fixed at the experimental density. We then compute approximate activation energies for transitions between hydrogen interstitial sites seeded by a semi-empirical quantum model and determine the quantum tunneling enhancement relative to classical kinetic rates. Our model indicates that diffusion rates in H/PuO 2 systems could be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude at ambient conditions and that these effects persist at high temperature. The method we propose here can be used as a fast screening tool for assessing possible quantum nuclear vibrational effects in any number of condensed phase materials and surfaces, where hydrogen hopping tends to follow well defined minimum energy pathways.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

THE AGORA HIGH-RESOLUTION GALAXY SIMULATIONS COMPARISON PROJECT. II. ISOLATED DISK TEST

Using an isolated Milky Way-mass galaxy simulation, we compare results from nine state-of-the-art gravito-hydrodynamics codes widely used in the numerical community. We utilize the infrastructure we have built for the AGORA High-resolution Galaxy Simulations Comparison Project. This includes the common disk initial conditions, common physics models (e.g., radiative cooling and UV background by the standardized package Grackle) and common analysis toolkit yt, all of which are publicly available. Subgrid physics models such as Jeans pressure floor, star formation, supernova feedback energy, and metal production are carefully constrained across code platforms. With numerical accuracy that resolves the disk scale height, we find that the codes overall agree well with one another in many dimensions including: gas and stellar surface densities, rotation curves, velocity dispersions, density and temperature distribution functions, disk vertical heights, stellar clumps, star formation rates, and Kennicutt–Schmidt relations. Quantities such as velocity dispersions are very robust (agreement within a few tens of percent at all radii) while measures like newly formed stellar clump mass functions show more significant variation (difference by up to a factor of ∼3). Systematic differences exist, for example, between mesh-based and particle-based codes in the low-density region, and between more diffusive and less diffusive schemes in the high-density tail of the density distribution. Yet intrinsic code differences are generally small compared to the variations in numerical implementations of the common subgrid physics such as supernova feedback. Our experiment reassures that, if adequately designed in accordance with our proposed common parameters, results of a modern high-resolution galaxy formation simulation are more sensitive to input physics than to intrinsic differences in numerical schemes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Re-evaluating cloud chamber constraints on depositional ice growth in cirrus clouds – Part 1: Model description and sensitivity tests

Abstract. Ice growth from vapor deposition is an important process for the evolution of cirrus clouds, but the physics of depositional ice growth at the low temperatures (<235 K) characteristic of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere is not well understood. Surface attachment kinetics, generally parameterized as a deposition coefficient αD, control ice crystal habit and also may limit growth rates in certain cases, but significant discrepancies between experimental measurements have not been satisfactorily explained. Experiments on single ice crystals have previously indicated the deposition coefficient is a function of temperature and supersaturation, consistent with growth mechanisms controlled by the crystal's surface characteristics. Here we use observations from cloud chamber experiments in the Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) aerosol and cloud chamber to evaluate surface kinetic models in realistic cirrus conditions. These experiments have rapidly changing temperature, pressure, and ice supersaturation such that depositional ice growth may evolve from diffusion limited to surface kinetics limited over the course of a single experiment. In Part 1, we describe the adaptation of a Lagrangian parcel model with the Diffusion Surface Kinetics Ice Crystal Evolution (DiSKICE) model (Zhang and Harrington, 2014) to the AIDA chamber experiments. We compare the observed ice water content and saturation ratios to that derived under varying assumptions for ice surface growth mechanisms for experiments simulating ice clouds between 180 and 235 K and pressures between 150 and 300 hPa. We found that both heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation experiments at higher temperatures (>205 K) could generally be modeled consistently with either a constant deposition coefficient or the DiSKICE model assuming growth on isometric crystals via abundant surface dislocations. Lower-temperature experiments showed more significant deviations from any depositional growth model, with different ice growth rates for heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation experiments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Interaction of central venous pressure, intramuscular pressure, and carotid baroreflex function

Seven healthy volunteer men participated in an experiment involving lower body positive pressure (LBPP) of 30 Torr and acute volume expansions of 5-6% (VE-I) and 9-10% (VE-II) of their total blood volume (TBV) to differentiate the effect of increased intramuscular pressure and central venous pressure (CVP) on the maximal gain (Gmax) of the carotid baroreflex. During each experimental condition, the heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP; intraradial artery or Finapres), and CVP (at the 3rd-4th intercostal space) were monitored continuously. Gmax was derived from the logistic modeling of the HR and MAP responses to ramped changes in carotid sinus transmural pressure using a protocol of pulsatile changes in neck chamber pressure from +40 to -65 Torr. The increase in CVP during +30-Torr LBPP was 1.5 mmHg (P < 0.05) and was similar to that observed during VE-I (1.7 mmHg, P > 0.05). The Gmax of the carotid baroreflex of HR and MAP was significantly decreased during LBPP by -0.145 +/- 0.039 beats x min(-1) x mmHg(-1) (38%) and -0.071 +/- 0.013 mmHg/mmHg (25%), respectively; however, VE-I did not affect Gmax. During VE-II, CVP was significantly greater than that elicited by LBPP, and the Gmax of the carotid baroreflex of the HR and MAP responses was significantly reduced. We conclude that carotid baroreflex responsiveness was selectively inhibited by increasing intramuscular pressure, possibly resulting in an activation of the intramuscular mechanoreceptors during LBPP. Furthermore, it would appear that the inhibition of the carotid baroreflex, via cardiopulmonary baroreceptor loading (increased CVP), occurred when a threshold pressure (CVP) was achieved.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Multiscale simulation of xenon diffusion and grain boundary segregation in UO₂

In light water reactor fuel, gaseous fission products segregate to grain boundaries, resulting in the nucleation and growth of large intergranular fission gas bubbles. The segregation rate is controlled by diffusion of fission gas atoms through the grains and interaction with the boundaries. Based on the mechanisms established from earlier density functional theory (DFT) and empirical potential calculations, diffusion models for xenon (Xe), uranium (U) vacancies and U interstitials in UO₂ have been derived for both intrinsic (no irradiation) and irradiation conditions. Segregation of Xe to grain boundaries is described by combining the bulk diffusion model with a model for the interaction between Xe atoms and three different grain boundaries in UO₂ (Σ5 tilt, Σ5 twist and a high angle random boundary), as derived from atomistic calculations. The present model does not attempt to capture nucleation or growth of fission gas bubbles at the grain boundaries. The point defect and Xe diffusion and segregation models are implemented in the MARMOT phase field code, which is used to calculate effective Xe and U diffusivities as well as to simulate Xe redistribution for a few simple microstructures.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Using X-ray free-electron lasers for spectroscopy of molecular catalysts and metalloenzymes

The metal centers in metalloenzymes and molecular catalysts are responsible for the rearrangement of atoms and electrons during complex chemical reactions, and they enable selective pathways of charge and spin transfer, bond breaking/making and the formation of new molecules. Mapping the electronic structural changes at the metal sites during the reactions gives a unique mechanistic insight that has been difficult to obtain to date. The development of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) enables powerful new probes of electronic structure dynamics to advance our understanding of metalloenzymes. The ultrashort, intense and tunable XFEL pulses enable X-ray spectroscopic studies of metalloenzymes, molecular catalysts and chemical reactions, under functional conditions and in real time. In this Technical Review, we describe the current state of the art of X-ray spectroscopy studies at XFELs and highlight some new techniques currently under development. With more XFEL facilities starting operation and more in the planning or construction phase, new capabilities are expected, including high repetition rate, better XFEL pulse control and advanced instrumentation. For the first time, it will be possible to make real-time molecular movies of metalloenzymes and catalysts in solution, while chemical reactions are taking place.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗