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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.

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1,650 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Early results in the search for extreme coronal line emitters with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

Here, we present the results of our search through the early data release (EDR) of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) for extreme coronal line emitters (ECLEs) – a rare classification of galaxies displaying strong, high-ionization iron coronal emission lines within their spectra. With the requirement of a strong X-ray continuum to generate the coronal emission, ECLEs have been linked to both active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and tidal disruption events (TDEs). We focus our search on identifying TDE-linked ECLEs. We identify three such objects within the EDR sample, highlighting DESI’s effectiveness for discovering new nuclear transients, and determine a galaxy-normalized TDE-linked ECLE rate of RG=5 −3+5×10−6 galaxy−1 yr−1 at a median redshift of z=0.2 – broadly consistent with previous work. Additionally, we identify more than 200 AGNs displaying coronal emission lines, which serve as the primary astrophysical contaminants in searches for TDE-related events. We also include an outline of the custom python code developed for this search.

Clark, Peter [Southampton U.; Portsmouth U., ICG] ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chiral edge state control of thermoelectric effects

Thermoelectric responses in two-dimensional electron gases subjected to magnetic fields have the potential to provide unique information about quasiparticle statistics. In this study, we show that chiral edge states play a key role in thermoelectric Hall bar measurements by completely controlling the direction of the internal thermal gradient. To this end, we perform measurements of the magnetothermoelectric responses of cadmium arsenide quantum wells. The magnetothermoelectric responses in the quantum Hall regime agree with theoretical predictions if one considers the role of chiral edge states, which flow in opposite directions on either side of the Hall bar and establish an internal temperature gradient that is perpendicular to the externally applied thermal gradient. We show that the results are self-consistent within this picture under different measurement conditions. We discuss potential applications of the findings, such as in nanoscale control of local temperature gradients and thermoelectric effects along with the characterization of other topological systems with chiral edges states.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Answering old questions with new techniques: Understanding performance-limiting factors in transition metal dichalcogenide photoelectrochemical solar cells

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, several research groups reported high-efficiency and stable photoelectrochemical solar cells based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDS; e.g., MoS 2 , WSe 2 , and MoSe 2 ) immersed in iodide/tri-iodide electrolytes. A consensus emerged that smooth crystals were necessary for high efficiency based on significant evidence that rough crystals with exposed edge sites produced lower photocurrents and fill factors. However, anecdotal observations in the literature hinted at significant performance variation among apparently smooth crystals with the possibility of highly active “hot” edge sites. Furthermore, this mini-review article is a case study on how spatially resolved photoelectrochemical techniques developed in the 2020s are answering old questions regarding the origin of performance variation in high efficiency n-type TMD|I – ,I 3 – |Pt photoelectrochemical solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2004

Energetics of Single Substitutional Impurities in NiTi

Shape-memory alloys are of considerable current interest, with applications ranging from stents to Mars rover components. In this work, we present results on the energetics of single substitutional impurities in B2 NiTi. Specifically, energies of Pd, Pt, Zr and Hf impurities at both Ni and Ti sites are computed. All energies are computed using the CASTEP ab initio code, and, for comparison, using the quantum approximate energy method of Bozzolo, Ferrante and Smith. Atomistic relaxation in the vicinity of the impurities is investigated via quantum approximate Monte Carlo simulation, and in cases where the relaxation is found to be important, the resulting relaxations are applied to the ab initio calculations. We compare our results with available experimental work.

Binary Alloys↗
NASA NTRS1967

Medical Aspects of Gemini Extravehicular Activities

The medical aspects of Gemini extravehicular activities are principally concerned with the physiological responses to high workloads, high thermal stresses, and low fatigue tolerance. Analysis of physiological instrumentation data. from extravehicular flights and training operations contributed significantly to the understanding of extra-vehicular workloads and the means of controlling these workloads.

G Fred Kelly↗
DOE OSTI2024

Block copolymer self-assembly derived mesoporous magnetic materials with three-dimensionally (3D) co-continuous gyroid nanostructure

Magnetic nanomaterials are gaining interest for their many applications in technological areas from information science and computing to next-generation quantum energy materials. While magnetic materials have historically been nanostructured through techniques such as lithography and molecular beam epitaxy, there has recently been growing interest in using soft matter self-assembly. In this work, a triblock terpolymer, poly(isoprene-block-styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (ISO), is used as a structure directing agent for aluminosilicate sol nanoparticles and magnetic material precursors to generate organic–inorganic bulk hybrid films with co-continuous morphology. After thermal processing into mesoporous materials, results from a combination of small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are consistent with the double gyroid morphology. Nitrogen sorption measurements reveal a type IV isotherm with H1 hysteresis, and yield a specific surface area of around 200 m 2 g −1 and an average pore size of 23 nm. The magnetization of the mesostructured material as a function of applied field shows magnetic hysteresis and coercivity at 300 K and 10 K. Comparison of magnetic measurements between the mesoporous gyroid and an unstructured bulk magnetic material, derived from the identical inorganic precursors, reveals the structured material exhibits a coercivity of 250 Oe, opposed to 148 Oe for the unstructured at 10 K, and presence of remnant magnetic moment not conventionally found in bulk hematite; both of these properties are attributed to the mesostructure. This scalable route to mesoporous magnetic materials with co-continuous morphologies from block copolymer self-assembly may provide a pathway to advanced magnetic nanomaterials with a range of potential applications.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Heterotrophic respiration by soil microbes in a changing climate

Soil microbes strongly influence the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool, which globally stores ~2,000 PgC. Specifically, the balance between microbial heterotrophic respiration (R H ), which degrades SOC, and plant–microbe interactions that stabilize SOC determines whether terrestrial ecosystems are a net source or sink of CO 2 to the atmosphere. Here, in this Review, we evaluate how climate change alters these competing processes. R H is approximately half of total soil respiration, at ~50 PgC yr −1 , with 70% occurring in topsoils. Warming accelerates microbial metabolism, with a 10 °C temperature increase estimated to raise R H by ~50%, an effect that is particularly strong in Arctic soils. Warming also reduces soil moisture, further modulating R H , which responds nonlinearly to soil moisture, being limited by saturation and desiccation and meeting a maximum at intermediate levels. Consequently, R H is highly sensitive to future precipitation changes and drought. However, soil management strategies could enhance SOC stocks and persistence under climate change. Bacterial and fungal inoculants can promote SOC production and stabilization, while deep-rooting plants increase SOC inputs to deeper layers that experience lower R H . Agricultural practices and biochar amendments can also enhance SOC and reduce R H . Expanding field trials across regions, climates and soil types would improve empirical understanding of these responses and support better representation of R H in predictive models, enabling more accurate assessments of climate impacts on SOC storage.

Jansson, Janet K. [Pacific Northwest National Labo↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bypass heat exchanger configuration to reroute core flow

A turbine engine assembly includes a heat exchanger that is in thermal communication with an exhaust gas flow. A bypass passage is provided that is configured to selectively route at least a portion of the exhaust gas flow around the heat exchanger in response to a predefined engine operating condition.

Terwilliger, Neil↗
NASA NTRS2026

Outgassing Characterization of Common Trash Items for Disposal By Nanoracks Airlock on the International Space Station

The arrival of the Nanoracks Airlock to the International Space Station (ISS) has provided the ISS program the capability to dispose of common trash items. The concept of operations involved the crew bagging up those items into a trash bag and then utilizing the robotic arm and the airlock to jettison the trash bag. Because of the unknown thermal vacuum stability of some of the items, a molecular contamination concern was raised by the ISS program as the trash is exposed to vacuum upon the evacuation of air from the airlock and the robotic arm moving the airlock to its jettison location. In order to characterize the representative outgassing rates for ISS trash, thermal vacuum testing was performed at White Sands Test Facility. Trash was sorted into a “lower” outgassing bag and a “mixed” bag. The “mixed” trash bag contained more items that were suspected to be not vacuum stable. Load cells were chosen as the primary means for measuring mass loss. A sharp decay in the outgassing rate was observed in the first 30 minutes followed by a slower decay. As expected, the “mixed” bag lost more mass. While Quartz Crystal Microbalances (QCMs) are often utilized to measure long term outgassing rates and the sticking coefficients of contaminants at different operating temperatures for vacuum stable materials, these measurements proved difficult due to the amount and the inclusion of materials with suspect thermal vacuum stability. Because of high rates of material outgassing, the facility was unable to maintain the CQCM temperature setpoint of 80 K QCMs.. The QCMs operating at the warmer temperatures also saturated on occasion due to high levels of condensed matter. Though testing was able to confirm high risk of outgassing contamination for the program, true sticking coefficients could not be determined, available measurements are provided herein.

Alvin Y Huang↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advancing technologies for lignin-based jet fuel production in aqueous phase

Integrating lignin into a cellulosic ethanol plant for the co-production of lignin-based jet fuel (LJF) in aqueous phase offers a significant opportunity to boost operational efficiency, economic viability, carbon conversion, and the overall sustainability of biofuel and chemical production. LJF is lignin-structure-based jet fuel blendstocks primarily composed of alkyl-substituted mono-, bi-, and tri-cyclohexanes. It exhibits high energy density, potential for low emissions, and favourable blend characteristics that comply with drop-in specifications. An overview of lignin feedstock, catalytic processes, LJF chemical compositions, fuel properties tests, and techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) indicate that (1) the reactivity of lignin plays a crucial role in its structure transformation to LJF molecules; (2) catalytic processing of lignin to LJF can occur through a simultaneous depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation process, bypassing the intermediate step of producing and upgrading lignin-derived oil; (3) LJF's uniqueness molecules making it more promising for high energy content and low emission jet fuel properties for next generation sustainable aviation fuel (SAF); and (4) TEA and LCA demonstrate that LJF is not only potentially cost-effective but also offers favourable carbon footprint compared to other SAFs. In conclusion, this review highlights the most recent advancements in LJF technology, along with the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in fulfilling its potential.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Search for soft unclustered energy patterns produced in association with a W or Z boson in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson produced in association with a W or Z boson and decaying via a soft unclustered energy pattern (SUEP) is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 collected between 2016 and 2018 at the LHC. Final states with a leptonic W or Z boson decay associated with a high multiplicity of low-momentum charged particles are explored for the first time. The results show no significant excess over the standard model background expectation. Limits are set on the production cross section of a Higgs boson that decays to a SUEP, for a range of parameters of the SUEP model. Material is provided to facilitate further interpretation of the results.

CMS↗
DOE OSTI2026

U.S. ESCO Industry Report: Industry Size and Recent Market Trends, 2022- 2024

The latest edition of the U.S. Energy Service Company (ESCO) Industry Report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) finds that the U.S. ESCO industry continues to show strong growth. The report draws from ESCO industry reported revenue data for the 2022-2024 period, detailing the current size and characteristics of the U.S. ESCO industry. Following 20 years of ESCO industry reports, the 2024 report explores significant revenue trends across market segments, geographic regions, ESCO size, financing structures, and business activities. New analysis in this report outlines customer priorities and non-energy benefit drivers of Energy Savings Performance Contract projects, adjusted revenue analysis detailing the impacts of inflation on industry growth, and project challenges by market segment.

Chelminski, Kathryn↗
DOE OSTI2026

RADAI: A Large-Scale Realistic Dataset for Radiation Detection Algorithm Development

Open, realistic datasets are essential for developing and benchmarking radiation detection algorithms, yet they remain scarce. The Radiological Anomaly Detection and Identification (RADAI) project was develop to create datasets that meet the training and testing needs for sophisticated radiation detection algorithms. The RADAI dataset is a large-scale synthetic resource that integrates high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulations with realistic urban scenarios to capture both background variability and source signatures. RADAI models construction-material NORM, people and vehicles, urban clutter, and dynamic environmental effects such as cosmic-ray and rain-induced transients, and they provide list-mode detector data with motion and response modeling suitable for algorithm training and evaluation. The RADAI project resulted in three publicly-released complementary datasets together with an online scoring portal for standardized performance assessment and an open software toolkit that supports data access, augmentation, model development, and evaluation. These resources enable reproducible comparisons across methods and promote rigorous studies at the scale required by contemporary machine learning. By grounding algorithm development in realistic, well-documented conditions, RADAI supports progress toward more robust detection, identification, and localization in complex urban environments.

Ghawaly, James M. [Division of Computer Science an↗
NASA NTRS1963

Electric Propulsion for Manned Missions

Electric propulsion is of interest for manned interplanetary missions, primarily because it offers the potential of delivering and returning relatively large payload fractions from the planets. This can be achieved because of the high specific impulse obtainable when the propellant is accelerated by electrical means rather than thermally, as in chemical and nuclear rockets.

Robert J Denington↗
DOE OSTI2025

The phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics in one dimension on a quantum computer

The quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase diagram, which reveals the state of strongly interacting matter at different temperatures and densities, is key to answering open questions in physics, ranging from the behaviour of particles in neutron stars to the conditions of the early universe. However, classical simulations of QCD face significant computational barriers, such as the sign problem at finite matter densities. Quantum computing offers a promising solution to overcome these challenges. Here, we take an important step toward exploring the QCD phase diagram with quantum devices by preparing thermal states in one-dimensional non-Abelian gauge theories. We experimentally simulate the thermal states of SU(2) and SU(3) gauge theories at finite densities on a trapped-ion quantum computer using a variational method. This is achieved by introducing two features: Firstly, we add motional ancillae to the existing qubit register to efficiently prepare thermal probability distributions. Secondly, we introduce charge-singlet measurements to enforce colour-neutrality constraints. This work pioneers the quantum simulation of QCD at finite density and temperature for two and three colours, laying the foundation to explore QCD phenomena on quantum platforms.

Quantum information↗
DOE OSTI2026

Development and Validation of Low-Cost, High-Reflectance Composite CSP Facets: SIPS Final Report

This work investigates the various challenges associated with developing heliostat structural composite facets using 1 mm glass mirrors. Such facets are desirable for Concentrating Solar Power because 1 mm glass mirrors provide an absolute increase in reflectivity of 2-3 % over the industry standard of 4 mm glass mirrors. Prototypes of paraboloid composite facets with 1 mm glass mirrors were constructed that have a root mean square slope error on the order of 2 mrad while achieving greater than 96% reflectivity. These facets were constructed using a low-quality aluminum mold and a bill of materials that show potential to achieve cost parity with existing 4 mm glass mirrors supported by structural steel. The facets produced were able to survive up to 50 mm hail ball impacts and were robust against accelerated environmental cycling designed to expose durability concerns. Further work is needed to develop a scalable and cost-effective manufacturing process with a similar bill of materials.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dark Energy Survey Year 6 results: Redshift calibration of the MagLim++ lens sample

In this work, we derive and calibrate the redshift distribution of the MagLim++ lens galaxy sample used in the Dark Energy Survey Year 6 (DES Y6) 3 x 2pt cosmology analysis. The 3 x 2pt analysis combines galaxy clustering from the lens galaxy sample and weak gravitational lensing. The redshift distributions are inferred using the SOMPZ method - a Self-Organizing Map framework that combines deep-field multi-band photometry, wide-field data, and a synthetic source injection ( B alrog) catalog. Key improvements over the DES Year 3 (Y3) calibration include a noise-weighted SOM metric, an expanded Balrog catalogue, and an improved scheme for propagating systematic uncertainties, which allows us to generate O(10 8 ) redshift realizations that collectively span the dominant sources of uncertainty. These realizations are then combined with independent clustering-redshift measurements via importance sampling. The resulting calibration achieves typical uncertainties on the mean redshift of 1-2%, corresponding to a 20-30% average reduction relative to DES Y3. We compress the n(z) uncertainties into a small number of orthogonal modes for use in cosmological inference. Marginalizing over these modes leads to only a minor degradation in cosmological constraints. Here, this analysis establishes the MagLim++ sample as a robust lens sample for precision cosmology with DES Y6 and provides a scalable framework for future surveys.

dark energy↗