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At least 973 records · Page 54

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2022

Towards scaling community detection on distributed-memory heterogeneous systems

Distributed multi-GPU systems pose significant challenges and opportunities for efficient execution of parallel applications. Graph algorithms are generally characterized by irregular memory accesses, low computation to communication ratios, and load balancing problems that are especially hard to address on multi-GPU systems. Graph community detection is an important problem in the emerging domain of graph analytics with numerous applications. In this paper, we present our ongoing work on distributed-memory multi-GPU implementation for graph community detection. Our work parallelizes the widely used (albeit serial) Louvain method on distributed multi-GPU platforms. Supported by an extensive set of experiments on a multi-GPU enabled supercomputer (OLCF Summit) and a single compute node (Nvidia DGX-2®), we demonstrate competitive performance to existing distributed-memory CPU-based implementation, and up to 6.5 better results than Nvidia RAPIDS® CUGRAPH. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first effort for community detection on distributed multi-GPU systems. Our approach and related findings can be extended to numerous other iterative graph algorithms on multi-GPU systems.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA NTRS1975

A characterization of transionospheric fading communication channel

Using a multiple-scatter propagation theory, the characteristics of the transionospheric satellite-earth communication links are related to the parameters of the ionosphere. General equations for the frequency correlation functions are derived. Some approximate solutions are obtained and numerical examples are given. Also discussed are the degree of coherence and potential applications of the procedure to characterize the intense fading channel.

Liu, C. H.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Binary pseudo-random array (BPRA) for inspection and calibration for cylindrical wavefront interferometry

High-accuracy metrology is vitally important in manufacturing ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed to manipulate X-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. However, surface topography measurements are instrument dependent, and without the knowledge of how the instrument performs under the practical usage conditions, the measured data contain some degree of uncertainty. Binary Pseudo Random Array (BPRA) “white noise” artifact are effective and useful for characterizing the Instrument Transfer Function (ITF) of surface topography metrology tools and wavefront measurement instrument. BPRA artifact contains features with all spatial frequencies in the instrument bandpass with equal weight. As a result, power spectral density of the patterns has a deterministic white-noise-like character that allows direct determination of the ITF with uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range. The application examples include electron microscopes, x-ray microscopes, interferometric microscopes, and large field-of-view Fizeau Interferometers. Furthermore, we will introduce the application of BPRA method to characterizing the ITF of Cylindrical Wavefront Interferometry (CWI), by developing the BPRA artifact which matches the radius of curvature of the cylindrical wavefront. The data acquisition and analysis procedures for different applications of the ITF calibration technique developed are also discussed.

Munechika, K↗

NASA NTRS1993

Controller modeling and evaluation for PCV electro-mechanical actuator

Hydraulic actuators are currently used to operate the propellant control valves (PCV) for the space shuttle main engine (SSME) and other rocket engines. These actuators are characterized by large power to weight ratios, large force capabilities, and rapid accelerations, which favor their use in control valve applications. However, hydraulic systems are also characterized by susceptibility to contamination, which leads to frequent maintenance requirements. The Control Mechanisms Branch (EP34) of the Component Development Division of the Propulsion Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been investigating the application of electromechanical actuators as replacements for the hydraulic units in PCV's over the last few years. This report deals with some testing and analysis of a PCV electromechanical actuator (EMA) designed and fabricated by HR Textron, Inc. This prototype actuator has undergone extensive testing by EP34 personnel since early 1993. At this time, the performance of the HR Textron PCV EMA does not meet requirements for position tracking.

Parker, Joey K.↗

DOE OSTI2019

Structural Characterization of a Synthetic Tandem-Domain Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Protein Capable of Forming Icosahedral Shell Assemblies

Bacterial microcompartments are subcellular compartments found in many prokaryotes; they consist of a protein shell that encapsulates enzymes that perform a variety of functions. The shell protects the cell from potentially toxic intermediates and co-localizes enzymes for higher efficiency. Accordingly, it is of considerable interest for biotechnological applications. We have previously structurally characterized an intact 40 nm shell comprised of three different types of proteins. One of those proteins, BMC-H, forms a cyclic hexamer; here we have engineered a synthetic protein that consists of a tandem duplication of BMC-H connected by a short linker. The synthetic protein forms cyclic trimers that self-assemble to form a smaller (25 nm) icosahedral shell with gaps at the pentamer positions. When co-expressed in vivo with the pentamer fused to an affinity tag we can purify complete icosahedral shells. This engineered shell protein constitutes a minimal shell system to study permeability; reducing symmetry from six- to three-fold will allow for finer control of the pore environment. In conclusion, we have determined a crystal structure of this shell to guide rational engineering of this microcompartment shell for biotechnological applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1985

Evaluation of colorless polyimide film for thermal control coating applications

A series of essentially colorless aromatic polyimide films was synthesized and characterized with the objective of obtaining maximum optical transparency for applications in space. Optical transparency is a requirement for high performance polymeric films used in second surface mirror coatings on thermal control systems. The intensity in color of aromatic polyimide films was lowered by reducing the electronic interaction between chromophoric centers in the polymer molecular structure and by using highly purified monomers. The resulting lightly colored to colorless polyimide films were characterized by UV-visible and infrared spectroscopy before and after exposure to 300 equivalent solar hours UV irradiation and varying doses of 1 MeV electron irradiation. After irradiation, the films were found to be 2 to 2.5 times more transparent than commercial polyimide film of the same thickness.

St.clair, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Evaluation of colorless polyimide film for thermal control coating applications

St. Clair, A. K.↗

DOE OSTI2016

Synthesis and characterization of immobilized Ni-Co bimetallic using Tapanuli clay for catalyst application

Heterogeneous catalysts hold various advantages, namely, easy to separate from their products, reusable and regarded as environmental friendly materials. The synthesis of immobilized Ni monometallic, Co monometallic and Ni-Co bimetallic by Tapanuli clay were carried out using intercalation method. Firstly, the synthesis of Na-Bentonite was conducted to provide sufficient area to immobilize bimetal in the clay interlayer. Secondly, Ni, Co and Ni-Co were immobilized in the Tapanuli clay interlayer. Several techniques, such as X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infra Red and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis were applied to characterize and compare the properties of the synthesized materials. The results showed that the insertion of Ni, Co and Ni-Co in the clay interlayer occurred through a cation exchange reaction. The Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis for Ni-Co bimetallic showed that the immobilized Ni and Co in the clay is in the ratio of 1:1. Catalytic test with Gas Chromatography showed that Ni-Co bimetallic generates a higher yield percentage compared to Ni and Co monometallic.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Crystallography companion agent for high-throughput materials discovery

The discovery of new structural and functional materials is driven by phase identification, often using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Automation has accelerated the rate of XRD measurements, greatly outpacing XRD analysis techniques that remain manual, time-consuming, error-prone and impossible to scale. With the advent of autonomous robotic scientists or self-driving laboratories, contemporary techniques prohibit the integration of XRD. Here, we describe a computer program for the autonomous characterization of XRD data, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), for the discovery of new materials. Starting from structural databases, we train an ensemble model using a physically accurate synthetic dataset, which outputs probabilistic classifications—rather than absolutes—to overcome the overconfidence in traditional neural networks. This AI agent behaves as a companion to the researcher, improving accuracy and offering substantial time savings. It is demonstrated on a diverse set of organic and inorganic materials characterization challenges. This method is directly applicable to inverse design approaches and robotic discovery systems, and can be immediately considered for other forms of characterization such as spectroscopy and the pair distribution function.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

1/f noise measurements for faster evaluation of electromigration in advanced microelectronics interconnections

The use of 1/f noise measurements is explored for the purpose of finding faster techniques for electromigration (EM) characterization in advanced microelectronic interconnects, which also enable a better understanding of its underlying physical mechanisms. Three different applications of 1/f noise for EM characterization are explored. First, whether 1/f noise measurements during EM stress can serve as an early indicator of EM damage. Second, whether the current dependence of the noise power spectral density (PSD) can be used for a qualitative comparison of the defect concentration of different interconnects and consequently also their EM lifetime t50. Third, whether the activation energies obtained from the temperature dependence of the 1/f noise PSD correspond to the activation energies found by means of classic EM tests. In this paper, the 1/f noise technique has been used to assess and compare the EM properties of various advanced integration schemes and different materials, as they are being explored by the industry to enable advanced interconnect scaling. More concrete, different types of copper interconnects and one type of tungsten interconnect are compared. The 1/f noise measurements confirm the excellent electromigration properties of tungsten and demonstrate a dependence of the EM failure mechanism on copper grain size and distribution, where grain boundary diffusion is found to be a dominant failure mechanism.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2019

Three-dimensional characterization of hardened paste of hydrated tricalcium silicate by serial block-face scanning electron microscopy

With the application of a three-dimensional (3D) characterization technique, serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM), the 3D microstructure of a hydrated cement monomineral, tricalcium silicate (C 3 S), was measured with nanoscale resolution. The 3D morphologies of anhydrous particles, hydrated products, and capillary pores were visualized. Closed and open pores were discovered inside an anhydrous particle. The size and distribution of both the anhydrous C 3 S particles and their capillary pores were analyzed quantitatively and the porosity was determined to be 9%. The distribution of pores was found to be in a good agreement with the inner and outer product model of Hu et. al., with an inner shell distance of 860 nm. Here, considering the spatial resolution of the instrument and the volume of sample measured, most pores in this experiment could be characterized as capillary pores.

3D microstructure↗

NASA NTRS2008

The Role of Trust and Interaction in Global Positioning System Related Accidents

The Global Positioning System (GPS) uses a network of satellites to calculate the position of a receiver over time. This technology has revolutionized a wide range of safety-critical industries and leisure applications. These systems provide diverse benefits; supplementing the users existing navigation skills and reducing the uncertainty that often characterizes many route planning tasks. GPS applications can also help to reduce workload by automating tasks that would otherwise require finite cognitive and perceptual resources. However, the operation of these systems has been identified as a contributory factor in a range of recent accidents. Users often come to rely on GPS applications and, therefore, fail to notice when they develop faults or when errors occur in the other systems that use the data from these systems. Further accidents can stem from the over confidence that arises when users assume automated warnings will be issued when they stray from an intended route. Unless greater attention is paid to the role of trust and interaction in GPS applications then there is a danger that we will see an increasing number of these failures as positioning technologies become integral in the functioning of increasing numbers of applications.

Johnson, Chris W.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Simulating the X-Ray Image Contrast to Set-Up Techniques with Desired Flaw Detectability

The paper provides simulation data of previous work by the author in developing a model for estimating detectability of crack-like flaws in radiography. The methodology is being developed to help in implementation of NASA Special x-ray radiography qualification, but is generically applicable to radiography. The paper describes a method for characterizing X-ray detector resolution for crack detection. Applicability of ASTM E 2737 resolution requirements to the model are also discussed. The paper describes a model for simulating the detector resolution. A computer calculator application, discussed here, also performs predicted contrast and signal-to-noise ratio calculations. Results of various simulation runs in calculating x-ray flaw size parameter and image contrast for varying input parameters such as crack depth, crack width, part thickness, x-ray angle, part-to-detector distance, part-to-source distance, source sizes, and detector sensitivity and resolution are given as 3D surfaces. These results demonstrate effect of the input parameters on the flaw size parameter and the simulated image contrast of the crack. These simulations demonstrate utility of the flaw size parameter model in setting up x-ray techniques that provide desired flaw detectability in radiography. The method is applicable to film radiography, computed radiography, and digital radiography.

Koshti, Ajay M.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Proceedings of the 2006 Civil Commercial Imagery Evaluation Workshop

The Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) team is a collaborative interagency working group formed to leverage different government agencies' capabilities for the characterization of commercial remote sensing products. The team is composed of staff from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Each JACIE agency has a vested interest in the purchase and use of commercial imagery to support government research and operational applications. The intent of the 2006 workshop is to exchange information regarding the characterization and application of commercial imagery used by the government. The main focus of previous workshops has been on high-resolution satellite imagery from systems; such as, IKONOS (Space Imaging, Inc.), QuickBird (DigitalGlobe, Inc.), and OrbView-3 (ORBIMAGE). This workshop is being expanded to cover all civil medium- and high-resolution commercial imagery used by the government.

Stanley, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1993

Metals combustion in normal gravity and microgravity

The study of the combustion characteristics of metallic materials has been an ongoing area of research at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF). This research has been in support of both government and industrial operations and deals not only with the combustion of specific metallic materials but also with the relative flammabilities of these materials under similar conditions. Since many of the metallic materials that are characterized at WSTF for aerospace applications are to be used in microgravity environments, it was apparent that the testing of these materials needed to proceed in a microgravity environment. It was believed that burning metallic materials in a microgravity environment would allow the evaluation of the validity of applying normal gravity combustion tests to characterize metallic materials to be used in microgravity environments. It was also anticipated that microgravity testing would provide insight into the general combustion process of metallic materials. The availability of the NASA Lewis Research Center's (LeRC) 2.2-second drop tower provided the necessary facility to accomplish the microgravity portion of the testing while the normal gravity testing was conducted at NASA WSTF. The tests, both at LeRC and WSTF, were conducted in the same instrumented system and utilized the standard metal flammability test of upward propagation burning of cylindrical rod samples.

Steinberg, Theodore A.↗

DOE OSTI2024

NETL Non-Destructive Core Characterization

This product describes the Characterization efforts since 2017; the current methods used, publication, deep dives into method applications, and future direction of the Core Characterization work.

Paronish, Thomas J.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Application of a Novel DCPD Adjustment Method for the J-R Curve Characterization: A study based on ORNL and ASTM Interlaboratory Results

Material fracture toughness in the fully ductile region can be described by a J-integral vs. crack growth resistance curve (J-R curve). As a conventional J-R curve measurement method, the elastic unloading compliance (EUC) method becomes impractical for elevated temperature testing due to relaxation of the material and friction induced back-up shape of the J-R curve. One alternative solution of J-R curve testing applies the Direct Current Potential Drop (DCPD) technique for measuring crack extension. However, besides crack growth, potential drop can also be influenced by plastic deformation, crack tip blunting, etc., and uncertainties exist in the current DCPD methodology especially in differentiating potential drop due to stable crack growth and due to material deformation. Thus, using DCPD for J-R curve determination remains a challenging task. In this study, a new adjustment procedure for applying DCPD to derive the J-R curve has been developed for conventional fracture toughness specimens, including compact tension, three-point bend, and disk-shaped compact specimens. Data analysis has been performed on Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) interlaboratory results covering different specimen thicknesses, test temperatures, and materials, to evaluate the applicability of the new DCPD adjustment procedure for J-R curve characterization. After applying the newly-developed procedure, direct comparison between the DCPD method and the normalization method on the same specimens indicated close agreement for the overall J-R curves, as well as the provisional values of fracture toughness near the onset of ductile crack extension, Jq, and of tearing modulus.

DCPD↗

DOE OSTI2016

Isotope ratio characteristics and sensitivity for uranium determinations using a liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge ion source coupled to an Orbitrap mass analyzer

Abstract The continued development of the liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) microplasma as an ion source for diverse, elemental/isotopic analysis applications continues. To this end, characterization of the capabilities in performing precise and accurate isotope ratio (IR) determinations is essential. Based on past experience with the Thermo Exactive Orbitrap mass analyzer, the LS-APGD was interfaced with this instrument for these tests. While the Orbitrap platform has demonstrated excellent mass resolution and accuracy in “organic” mass spectrometry (MS) applications, work using an Orbitrap for IR analysis is very sparse. These efforts build off previous work in this coupling, where the importance of a few of the LS-APGD discharge parameters and Orbitrap data acquisition methods on IR precision and accuracy were probed. Presented here are the results of a study that evaluated the analytical precision for natural uranium sample (assumed 235U/238U = 0.0072) determinations. The instrumental parameters evaluated include the number of microscans and scans making up a data acquisition set, uranium concentration/signal level, sample make-up, and Fourier transform digitization window. Ultimately, a precision of 0.41% relative standard deviation (RSD) can be achieved for a single determination, with a reproducibility of 1.63 %RSD over 10 separate analytical measurements. A preliminary study of matrix effects on IR measurements of U is presented, highlighting the importance of pre-mass selection before injection into the Orbitrap. The analytical system sensitivity is suggested with the ability to produce a calibration function having an R2 value of >0.99 over a range of 4 orders of magnitude of concentration (~1 – 1000 ng mL-1). These efforts demonstrate the very promising pairing of the LS-APGD ionization source and the Orbitrap, pointing as well to definitive paths forward to better utilize both components in high quality isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗