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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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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Nonequilibrium solvent effects in Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics for ground and excited electronic states

The effects of solvent on molecular processes such as excited state relaxation and photochemical reaction often occurs in a nonequilibrium regime. Dynamic processes such as these can be simulated using excited state molecular dynamics. In this work, we describe methods of simulating nonequilibrium solvent effects in excited state molecular dynamics using linear-response time-dependent density functional theory and apparent surface charge methods. These developments include a propagation method for solvent degrees of freedom and analytical energy gradients for the calculation of forces. Molecular dynamics of acetaldehyde in water or acetonitrile are demonstrated where the solute-solvent system is out of equilibrium due to photoexcitation and emission.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Grazing-incidence x-ray fluorescence analysis for non-destructive determination of In and Ga depth profiles in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} absorber films

Development of highly efficient thin film solar cells involves band gap engineering by tuning their elemental composition with depth. Here we show that grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF) analysis using monochromatic synchrotron radiation and well-characterized instrumentation is suitable for a non-destructive and reference-free analysis of compositional depth profiles in thin films. Variation of the incidence angle provides quantitative access to the in-depth distribution of the elements, which are retrieved from measured fluorescence intensities by modeling parameterized gradients and fitting calculated to measured fluorescence intensities. Our results show that double Ga gradients in Cu(In{sub 1−x},Ga{sub x})Se{sub 2} can be resolved by GIXRF.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fast model-based scenario optimization in NSTX-U enabled by analytic gradient computation

Model-based optimization offers a systematic approach to advanced scenario planning. In this case, the feedforward-control inputs (actuator trajectories) that are needed to attain and sustain a desired scenario are obtained by solving a nonlinear constrained optimization problem. This class of problems generally minimize a cost function that measures the difference between desired and actual plasma states. Several numerical optimization algorithms, such as sequential quadratic programming, require repeated calculation of the cost function gradients with respect to the input trajectories. Calculating these gradients numerically can be computationally intensive, increasing the time needed to solve the feedforward-control optimization problem. Here, this work introduces a method to analytically calculate these cost function gradients from the current profile evolution model. This can significantly reduce the computational time and allow for fast feedforward-control optimization, which would eventually enable optimal scenario planning between discharges. The performance of the feedforward optimizer with analytical gradients is compared to a traditional optimization algorithm based on numerical gradients for different NSTX-U scenarios. The plasma dynamics in the optimization algorithm are simulated using the Control Oriented Transport SIMulator (COTSIM). Results of the work show that analytical gradients consistently reduce the computation time while achieving trajectories that are comparable to those obtained by traditional optimization algorithms based on numerical gradients.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A benchmark of Gutzwiller conjugate gradient minimization method in ground state energy calculations of dimers

Herein we present numerical results of ground-state energies of 9 molecules in the well-established G2 molecule set given by the Gutzwiller conjugate gradient minimization (GCGM) method. The method, beyond the commonly used Gutzwiller approximation, was recently developed based on Gutzwiller variational wave functions. We find that compared to benchmark data given by full configuration interaction, GCGM total energies are reasonably well reproduced with the minimum basis set. To include the dynamical correlation beyond the minimal basis calculations, we adopt the local density approximation for the dynamical correlation energy $E_c$. By comparing the results with benchmark data given by experiments and large-basis configuration interaction, the GCGM total energies with $E_c$ are in general better reproduced, but discrepancies are still observed for some dimers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of structural stability and elastic properties of Zrh and Zrh{sub 2}: A first principles study

The electronic, structural and mechanical properties of ZrH and ZrH{sub 2} are investigated by means of first principles calculation based on density functional theory as implemented in VASP code with generalized gradient approximation. The calculated ground state properties are in good agreement with previous experimental and other theoretical results. Among the six crystallographic structures considered for ZrH, ZB phase is found to be the most stable phase, whereas ZrH{sub 2} is energetically stable in tetragonal structure at ambient condition. A structural phase transition from ZB→NaCl at a pressure 10 GPa is predicted for ZrH.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

The symmetric quasi-classical model using on-the-fly time-dependent density functional theory within the Tamm–Dancoff approximation

The primary computational challenge when simulating nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics is the unfavourable compute costs of electronic structure calculations with molecular size. Simple electronic structure theories, like time-dependent density functional theory within the Tamm–Dancoff approximation (TDDFT/TDA), alleviate this cost for moderately sized molecular systems simulated on realistic time scales. Although TDDFT/TDA does have some limitations in accuracy, an appealing feature is that, in addition to including electron correlation through the use of a density functional, the cost of calculating analytic nuclear gradients and nonadiabatic coupling vectors is often computationally feasible even for moderately sized basis sets. Here in this work, some of the benefits and limitations of TDDFT/TDA are discussed and analysed with regard to its applicability as a ‘back-end’ electronic structure method for the symmetric quasi-classical Meyer–Miller model (SQC/MM). In order to investigate the benefits and limitations of TDDFT/TDA, SQC/MM is employed to predict and analyse a prototypical example of excited-state hydrogen transfer in gas-phase malonaldehyde. Then, the ring-opening dynamics of selenophene are simulated, which highlight some of the deficiencies of TDDFT/TDA. Additionally, some new algorithms are proposed that speed up the calculation of analytic nuclear gradients and nonadiabatic coupling vectors for a set of excited electronic states.

molecular dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2018

Fabrication and Thermoelectric Characterization of Transition Metal Silicide-Based Composite Thermocouples

Metal silicide-based thermocouples were fabricated by screen printing thick films of the powder compositions onto alumina tapes followed by lamination and sintering processes. The legs of the embedded thermocouples were composed of composite compositions consisting of MoSi2, WSi2, ZrSi2, or TaSi2 with an additional 10 vol % Al2O3 to form a silicide–oxide composite. The structural and high-temperature thermoelectric properties of the composite thermocouples were examined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and a typical hot–cold junction measurement technique. MoSi2-Al2O3 and WSi2-Al2O3 composites exhibited higher intrinsic Seebeck coefficients (22.2–30.0 µV/K) at high-temperature gradients, which were calculated from the thermoelectric data of composite//Pt thermocouples. The composite thermocouples generated a thermoelectric voltage up to 16.0 mV at high-temperature gradients. The MoSi2-Al2O3//TaSi2-Al2O3 thermocouple displayed a better performance at high temperatures. The Seebeck coefficients of composite thermocouples were found to range between 20.9 and 73.0 µV/K at a temperature gradient of 1000 °C. There was a significant difference between the calculated and measured Seebeck coefficients of these thermocouples, which indicated the significant influence of secondary silicide phases (e.g., Mo5Si3, Ta5Si3) and possible local compositional changes on the overall thermoelectric response. The thermoelectric performance, high sensitivity, and cost efficiency of metal silicide–alumina ceramic composite thermocouples showed promise for high-temperature and harsh-environment sensing applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of Fe Doping and Point Defects (V{sub O} and V{sub Sn}) on the Magnetic Properties of SnO{sub 2}

We investigated the effects of Fe doping and point defects (oxygen and tin vacancies, V{sub O} and V{sub Sn}, respectively) on the ferromagnetism of SnO{sub 2} through first-principles calculations by using generalized gradient approximation + U under density functional theory. Calculation results show that Fe-doped SnO{sub 2} with V{sub O} or V{sub Sn} exhibit long-range ordered ferromagnetism and Curie temperature above room temperature. The system has different magnetic properties with different doping modes, which are beneficial to the magnetic adjustment of dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS). The double-exchange effects among the electrons of O–2p and Fe–3d states are the origin of ferromagnetism in Sn{sub 15}FeO{sub 31}. Similarly, ferromagnetism in Sn{sub 14}FeO{sub 32} is derived from the double-exchange effects among the electrons of O–2p and Fe–3d states. These effects are produced by hole carriers after complexes form by Fe doping and V{sub O} or V{sub Sn}. Simultaneously, Sn{sub 14}FeO{sub 32} shows a half-metallic behavior, thus resulting in 100% conduction hole polarizability, which is highly beneficial to DMSs as a hole-injection source. Moreover, results also show that the decreased distance between Fe and vacancies (V{sub O} or V{sub Sn}) lowers formation energy and thus increases the system stability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Analytical gradients of the state-average complete active space self-consistent field method with density fitting

An efficient implementation of the state-averaged complete active space self-consistent field (SA-CASSCF) gradients employing density fitting (DF) is presented. The DF allows a reduction both in scaling and prefactors of the different steps involved. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated on a set of molecules ranging up to an iron-Heme b complex which with its 79 atoms and 811 basis functions is to our knowledge the largest SA-CASSCF gradient computed. For smaller systems where the conventional code could still be used as a reference, both the linear response calculation and the gradient formation showed a clear timing reduction and the overall cost of a geometry optimization is typically reduced by more than one order of magnitude while the accuracy loss is negligible.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Efficient ptychographic phase retrieval via a matrix-free Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

The phase retrieval problem, where one aims to recover a complex-valued image from far-field intensity measurements, is a classic problem encountered in a range of imaging applications. Modern phase retrieval approaches usually rely on gradient descent methods in a nonlinear minimization framework. Calculating closed-form gradients for use in these methods is tedious work, and formulating second order derivatives is even more laborious. Additionally, second order techniques often require the storage and inversion of large matrices of partial derivatives, with memory requirements that can be prohibitive for data-rich imaging modalities. We use a reverse-mode automatic differentiation (AD) framework to implement an efficient matrix-free version of the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm, a longstanding method that finds popular use in nonlinear least-square minimization problems but which has seen little use in phase retrieval. Furthermore, we extend the basic LM algorithm so that it can be applied for more general constrained optimization problems (including phase retrieval problems) beyond just the least-square applications. Since we use AD, we only need to specify the physics-based forward model for a specific imaging application; the first and second-order derivative terms are calculated automatically through matrix-vector products, without explicitly forming the large Jacobian or Gauss-Newton matrices typically required for the LM method. We demonstrate that this algorithm can be used to solve both the unconstrained ptychographic object retrieval problem and the constrained “blind” ptychographic object and probe retrieval problems, under the popular Gaussian noise model as well as the Poisson noise model. We compare this algorithm to state-of-the-art first order ptychographic reconstruction methods to demonstrate empirically that this method outperforms best-in-class first-order methods: it provides excellent convergence guarantees with (in many cases) a superlinear rate of convergence, all with a computational cost comparable to, or lower than, the tested first-order algorithms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Size and structure effects of Pt{sub N} (N = 12 − 13) clusters for the oxygen reduction reaction: First-principles calculations

Size and structure effects on the oxygen reduction reaction on Pt{sub N} clusters with N = 12–13 atoms have been investigated using periodic density functional theory calculations with the generalized gradient approximation. To describe the catalytic activity, we calculated the O and OH adsorption energies on the cluster surface. The oxygen binding on the 3-fold hollow sites on stable Pt{sub 12−13} cluster models resulted more favorable for the reaction with O, compared with the Pt{sub 13}(I{sub h}) and Pt{sub 55}(I{sub h}) icosahedral particles, in which O binds strongly. However, the rate-limiting step resulted in the removal of the OH species due to strong adsorptions on the vertex sites, reducing the utility of the catalyst surface. On the other hand, the active sites of Pt{sub 12−13} clusters have been localized on the edge sites. In particular, the OH adsorption on a bilayer Pt{sub 12} cluster is the closest to the optimal target; with 0.0-0.2 eV weaker than the Pt(111) surface. However, more progress is necessary to activate the vertex sites of the clusters. The d-band center of Pt{sub N} clusters shows that the structural dependence plays a decisive factor in the cluster reactivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Molecular quantum mechanical gradients within the polarizable embedding approach—Application to the internal vibrational Stark shift of acetophenone

We present an implementation of analytical quantum mechanical molecular gradients within the polarizable embedding (PE) model to allow for efficient geometry optimizations and vibrational analysis of molecules embedded in large, geometrically frozen environments. We consider a variational ansatz for the quantum region, covering (multiconfigurational) self-consistent-field and Kohn–Sham density functional theory. As the first application of the implementation, we consider the internal vibrational Stark effect of the C=O group of acetophenone in different solvents and derive its vibrational linear Stark tuning rate using harmonic frequencies calculated from analytical gradients and computed local electric fields. Comparisons to PE calculations employing an enlarged quantum region as well as to a non-polarizable embedding scheme show that the inclusion of mutual polarization between acetophenone and water is essential in order to capture the structural modifications and the associated frequency shifts observed in water. For more apolar solvents, a proper description of dispersion and exchange–repulsion becomes increasingly important, and the quality of the optimized structures relies to a larger extent on the quality of the Lennard-Jones parameters.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Turbulence model reduction by deep learning

A defining problem of turbulence theory is to produce a predictive model for turbulent fluxes. These have profound implications for virtually all aspects of the turbulence dynamics. In magnetic confinement devices, drift-wave turbulence produces anomalous fluxes via cross-correlations between fluctuations. In this work, we introduce an alternative, data-driven method for parametrizing these fluxes. The method uses deep supervised learning to infer a reduced mean-field model from a set of numerical simulations. We apply the method to a simple drift-wave turbulence system and find a significant new effect which couples the particle flux to the local gradient of vorticity. Notably, here, this effect is much stronger than the oft-invoked shear suppression effect. We also recover the result via a simple calculation. The vorticity gradient effect tends to modulate the density profile. In addition, our method recovers a model for spontaneous zonal flow generation by negative viscosity, stabilized by nonlinear and hyperviscous terms. We highlight the important role of symmetry to implementation of the new method.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Velocity gradients as a tracer for magnetic fields

Strong Alfvénic turbulence develops eddy-like motions perpendicular to the local direction of magnetic fields. This local alignment induces velocity gradients perpendicular to the local direction of the magnetic field. We use this fact to propose a new technique of studying the direction of magnetic fields from observations, which we call the velocity gradient technique. We test our idea by employing the synthetic observations obtained via 3D magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) numerical simulations for different sonic and Alfvén Mach numbers. We calculate the velocity gradient, Ω, using the velocity centroids. We find that Ω traces the projected magnetic field best for the synthetic maps obtained with sub-Alfvénic simulations and provides good point-wise correspondence between the magnetic field direction and the direction of Ω. The reported alignment is much better than the alignment between the density gradients and the magnetic field, and we demonstrate that it can be used to find the magnetic field strength with an analog of the Chandrasekhar–Fermi method. This new technique does not require dust polarimetry, and our study opens up a new way of studying magnetic fields using spectroscopic data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

1.5D quasilinear model and its application on beams interacting with Alfven eigenmodes in DIII-D

We propose a model, denoted here by 1.5D, to study energetic particle (EP) interaction with toroidal Alfvenic eigenmodes (TAE) in the case where the local EP drive for TAE exceeds the stability limit. Based on quasilinear theory, the proposed 1.5D model assumes that the particles diffuse in phase space, flattening the pressure profile until its gradient reaches a critical value where the modes stabilize. Using local theories and NOVA-K simulations of TAE damping and growth rates, the 1.5D model calculates the critical gradient and reconstructs the relaxed EP pressure profile. Local theory is improved from previous study by including more sophisticated damping and drive mechanisms such as the numerical computation of the effect of the EP finite orbit width on the growth rate. The 1.5D model is applied on the well-diagnosed DIII-D discharges no. 142111 [M. A. Van Zeeland et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 135001 (2011)] and no. 127112 [W. W. Heidbrink et al., Nucl. Fusion. 48, 084001 (2008)]. We achieved a very satisfactory agreement with the experimental results on the EP pressure profiles redistribution and measured losses. This agreement of the 1.5D model with experimental results allows the use of this code as a guide for ITER plasma operation where it is desired to have no more than 5% loss of fusion alpha particles as limited by the design.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

How Well Can the M06 Suite of Functionals Describe the Electron Densities of Ne, Ne 6+ , and Ne 8+ ?

The development of better approximations to the exact exchange-correlation functional is essential to the accuracy of density functionals. A recent study indicated that functionals with few parameters offer more accurate electron densities than recently developed many-parameter functionals for light closed-shell atomic systems. In this study, we calculated electron densities, their gradients, and Laplacians of Ne, Ne 6+ , and Ne 8+ using 19 electronic structure methods, and we compared them to the CCSD reference results. Two basis sets, namely, aug-cc-pωCV5Z and aug-cc-pV5Z, are utilized in the calculations. We found that the choice of basis set has a significant impact on the errors and rankings of some of the selected methods. The errors of electron densities, their gradients, and Laplacians calculated with the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set are substantially reduced, especially for Minnesota density functionals, as compared to the results using the aug-cc-pωCV5Z basis set (a larger basis set utilized in earlier work (Medvedev et al. Science2017, 355, 49–52)). The rankings of the M06 suite of functionals among the 19 methods are greatly improved with the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set. Furthermore, the performances of the HSE06, BMK, MN12-L, and MN12-SX functionals are also improved with the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set. The M06 suite of functionals is capable of providing accurate electron densities, gradients, and Laplacians using the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set, and thus it is suitable for a wide range of applications in chemistry and physics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Lattice parameters and electronic structure of BeMgZnO quaternary solid solutions: Experiment and theory

Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x−y}O semiconductor solid solutions are attractive for UV optoelectronics and electronic devices owing to their wide bandgap and capability of lattice-matching to ZnO. In this work, a combined experimental and theoretical study of lattice parameters, bandgaps, and underlying electronic properties, such as changes in band edge wavefunctions in Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x−y}O thin films, is carried out. Theoretical ab initio calculations predicting structural and electronic properties for the whole compositional range of materials are compared with experimental measurements from samples grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on (0001) sapphire substrates. The measured a and c lattice parameters for the quaternary alloys Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x} with x = 0−0.19 and y = 0–0.52 are within 1%–2% of those calculated using generalized gradient approximation to the density functional theory. Additionally, composition independent ternary BeZnO and MgZnO bowing parameters were determined for a and c lattice parameters and the bandgap. The electronic properties were calculated using exchange tuned Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional. The measured optical bandgaps of the quaternary alloys are in good agreement with those predicted by the theory. Strong localization of band edge wavefunctions near oxygen atoms for BeMgZnO alloy in comparison to the bulk ZnO is consistent with large Be-related bandgap bowing of BeZnO and BeMgZnO (6.94 eV). The results in aggregate show that precise control over lattice parameters by tuning the quaternary composition would allow strain control in Be{sub x}Mg{sub y}Zn{sub 1−x−y}O/ZnO heterostructures with possibility to achieve both compressive and tensile strain, where the latter supports formation of two-dimensional electron gas at the interface.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗