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DOE OSTI2025

Large moiré superstructure of stacked incommensurate charge density waves

This article reports how two different charge density waves with slightly different wavevectors can exist in the same crystal and create moiré superstructure. Advances in heterostructure fabrication have opened new frontiers in moiré physics. Here we extend moiré engineering from artificially assembled thin flakes with mismatched lattice parameters to materials that host incommensurate orders, presenting a long-period moiré superlattice in a layered charge-density-wave compound, EuTe 4 . Using high-momentum-resolution X-ray diffraction, we found two coexisting incommensurate charge density waves with slightly mismatched in-plane wavevectors. The interaction between these two charge density waves leads to joint commensuration with the lattice and a moiré superstructure with a period of ~13.6 nm, offering key insights into the unique properties of EuTe4, such as the temperature-invariant incommensurate wavevectors and unconventional in-gap states. Owing to interlayer phase shifts, the moiré superstructure exhibits a clear thermal hysteresis, accounting for the large hysteresis in electrical resistivity and numerous metastable states. Our findings open new directions for moiré engineering based on incommensurate lattices and highlight the important role of interlayer ordering in stacked structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2026

Molecular Inventory and Comparative Organic Profiling of A Homogenized Aggregate Sample From Asteroid (101955) Bennu

Evaluating the distribution and diversity of solvent-soluble organic molecules in extraterrestrial materials provide information about the physicochemical environments where prebiotic chemistry occurred and is essential for assessing the inventory of prebiotic compounds available to the early Earth. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive molecular characterization of solvent-soluble organic compounds in a homogenized aggregate sample (ID: OREX-800107-128) of unsorted regolith from asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Using two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-HRMS), we identified 87 organic compounds across several molecular classes, including alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-bearing species. Comparison with the organic inventory of CI (Orgueil), C2-ungrouped (Tagish Lake and Tarda), and CM2 (Murchison) carbonaceous chondrites revealed that Bennu sample OREX-800107-128 is most similar to Tagish Lake and Tarda yet compositionally distinct from all of these meteorites. This Bennu sample exhibits a relatively high abundance of low-molecular-weight aromatics (e.g., toluene), pyridine derivatives, and sulfur species such as dimethyl sulfite, consistent with episodic low-temperature aqueous alteration. The presence of these organic compounds suggests that this material experienced chemically diverse processes in the parent body conducive to complex organic synthesis, including aldol condensation reactions responsible for N- and O-bearing compounds. We also compared the molecular distributions of this Bennu sample and previously analyzed samples from (162173) Ryugu to assess potential common origins between these two carbonaceous asteroids. Bennu shows more chemically diverse and nitrogen-rich organic materials than Ryugu. While both asteroids share broadly similar primitive compositions, the observed chemical differences indicate distinct evolutionary histories within a likely common formation environment though whether Bennu and Ryugu derive from a single compositionally heterogeneous parent body or from multiple closely related progenitors remains unresolved. Further detailed comparative analyses of material from Bennu, Ryugu, and specific carbonaceous meteorites (e.g., Tagish Lake and Tarda) will provide new insights into how the N-rich molecular profile observed in Bennu samples was formed and evolved in the outer Solar System.

sample return↗

DOE OSTI2026

Improving creep resistance of Al-0.27Zr-0.08Sn (wt%) via cold swaging while maintaining high electrical conductivity

This study investigates the effect of mechanical cold work (0, 50, and 90% cross-sectional area reduction via swaging) on the creep properties of cast aluminum alloys with high electrical conductivity including high-purity Al (HP-Al), Al-0.15Zr (Al-Zr), and Al-0.27Zr-0.08Sn (Al-Zr-Sn, wt%). The Al-Zr alloy is strengthened by Zr in solid solution while the Al-Zr-Sn alloy is additionally strengthened by Al3Zr nanoprecipitates (8 nm diameter). After 90% cold swaging, the alloys exhibit grains elongated along the swaging direction with their widths ranging between 8 and 152 μm perpendicular to the swaging direction. Creep testing at 200 °C shows that the minimum creep rate of all 90% swaged alloys shows high sensitivity to stress, which can be modeled via a threshold stress σth. Increasing swaging magnitude from 0 to 50 to 90% in Al-Zr-Sn improves the creep resistance without reducing electrical conductivity. The formation of subgrains, increased dislocation density, and columnar grain structure in swaged alloys all enhance creep resistance. HP-Al swaged to 90% exhibits much lower creep resistance (σth = 18 MPa) due to subgrain coarsening and the absence of precipitates compared to Al-Zr (σth = 40 MPa) and Al-Zr-Sn (σth = 40 MPa), which maintain stable subgrain structures and benefit from solid solution strengthening and Al3Zr nanoprecipitates, respectively. Although Al3Zr precipitates are known to stabilize the deformed microstructure by pinning grain-boundaries, this work demonstrates that Zr in solid solution alone can effectively stabilize the deformed microstructure resulting in enhanced creep resistance. This effect of Zr solute on stabilizing grain boundaries for creep performance was not previously well-defined in the literature. Despite similar creep performances of Al-Zr and Al-Zr-Sn, the latter shows 70% higher room-temperature microhardness and slightly improved electrical conductivity (56%IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) vs. 57%IACS, respectively). This work provides new insights into creep mechanisms of cold-worked Al–Zr alloys that will guide the design of heat-resistant Al conductors for high-demand applications.

Coello ramirez, Ismael [Northwestern University,]↗

DOE OSTI2026

Insights into mixing of non-isothermal multi-polymer melts for complex plastics recycling

Catalytic recycling or upcycling of plastics is often limited not by catalyst performance, but by transport, arising from highly viscous, non-Newtonian polymer melts. In this work, we develop a reactor-scale framework that integrates rheological measurements, constitutive modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and experiments to quantify mixing, heat transfer, and dispersion in surrogate hydrocarbon melts representing mixed plastics systems. Temperature- and shear rate-dependent viscosity of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is measured to create two surrogate polymers (PLD and PHD) that capture the dominant shear-thinning flow behavior while neglecting strong elastic effects, enabling tractable simulation of non-isothermal, polymer-melt mixing using a Carreau-Arrhenius generalized Newtonian framework. Three-dimensional CFD simulations are employed to evaluate impeller performance in PLD using mixing time, cavern volume, thermal uniformity, and interfacial area for regimes in which viscoelastic effects are not dominant. We show that magnetic stir bars commonly used in lab-scale studies produce large thermal gradients (~60 °C) and poor mixing, even under idealized power delivery and polymer flow conditions. In contrast, close-clearance anchor impellers achieve near-isothermal operation, reduce mixing times by up to 5×, and provide >90% active circulation volume. We further demonstrate that, at low pseudo-Deborah number (De*), motor power requirements can be predicted directly from shear rate-dependent rheology using the Carreau-Arrhenius framework, enabling rational selection of operating conditions. Extension to surrogate immiscible multi-polymer systems based on PLD and PHD shows that interfacial area is highly sensitive to operating conditions and impeller design, with coaxial anchor-turbine configurations enhancing dispersion by up to 4 × .

Close-clearance impellers↗

DOE OSTI2026

Universal Relationship between Limiting Current and Electrochemical Transport Properties in Malonate-Based Polymer Electrolytes

There is considerable interest in developing high-performance electrolytes for rechargeable lithium batteries. For practical applications, the electrolyte must support large dc currents. However, the parameters most often reported in the literature, conductivity, κ, and current fraction, ρ + , reflect ion transport in the limit of infinitesimal currents. In this limit, the efficacy of an electrolyte is given by the product κρ + . The limiting current density, i lim , is the maximum current density that can be applied across an electrolyte; the cell voltage diverges if the applied current density exceeds ilim. This parameter reflects ion transport in the limit of large dc currents and is therefore of practical interest. It would therefore be convenient if i lim could be predicted from measurements of κρ + . In order to explore this possibility, we studied six malonate-based polymers and PEO at a fixed salt concentration (r = 0.08) and temperature (90°C) using symmetric cells with planar electrodes. Unfortunately, there is no correlation between ilim and κρ + . When the applied current density, i, is less than ilim, the cell voltage approaches a stable plateau, ϕ plateau . Here, we found a linear dependence between i and thickness-normalized plateau potential, ϕ plateau L –1 , irrespective of the magnitude of the applied current. In all seven polymer electrolytes, we found a linear correlation between ilim and the slopes of these lines, σ. In other words, measurements of σ can be used to predict the limiting current.

Jana, Rounak [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborator↗

DOE OSTI2026

Toward Trustworthy Autonomous Science: A Two-Year Community Roadmap

One year ago, the AISLE roadmap argued that autonomous laboratories operated as isolated islands and proposed a grassroots network organized around five critical dimensions. The field has since moved faster than that roadmap anticipated: multi-agent systems have produced experimentally validated hypotheses, self-driving laboratories have grown more interoperable and orchestrated, reasoning-trained and domain foundation models have raised the capability ceiling, and the Genesis Mission has placed autonomous experimentation at the center of U.S. federal science strategy, with industry emerging as a primary actor. Progress has met a sobering counter-current, including a corrected flagship discovery result, benchmarks showing that agents which rival experts on closed-ended questions still complete only a fraction of open-ended research, and fabricated citations surfacing at leading venues. We read this as the defining tension of the field: producing a candidate discovery is no longer the hard part, but verifying it is, and this asymmetry now limits autonomous science more than raw model capability. Accordingly, we update the roadmap around seven dimensions, revisiting the original five and elevating two former cross-cutting concerns, trust, verification, and reproducibility, and safety, security, and governance, to first-class status. We assess the original milestones (M1 through M14) as achieved, partially achieved, reframed, or open, add four new milestones (M15 through M18) for the elevated dimensions, and scope the path forward to a two-year horizon, with the first year concentrating on interfaces, protocol adoption, and the scaffolding of verification, and the second targeting federation, zero-trust coordination, and governance. Throughout, we position the grassroots network as the interoperability fabric that lets national programs, international initiatives, and commercial platforms connect rather than re-silo.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2026

The Development of Kinetic and Radiation Hydrodynamics Modeling of Thermonuclear Burn Propagation in Isochoric p - 11 B Through the Support of the INFUSE Program

The report summarizes DOE INFUSE-supported work between HB11 Energy and the University of Rochester’s TriForce Institute to improve computational modeling of advanced fusion fuels, especially proton–boron-11 (p- 11 B). The project extended the TriForce particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision code to include physics needed for dense, high-temperature p- 11 B burn studies, including p- 11 B fusion reactions, three-alpha-particle reaction products, relativistic Coulomb collisions, large-angle nuclear scattering, bremsstrahlung radiation, inverse bremsstrahlung absorption, and photon transport. The upgraded models were verified against focused physics tests and against known deuterium–tritium burn behavior. The study then used one-dimensional spherical simulations to estimate the conditions required for thermonuclear burn propagation in isochoric p- 11 B fuel. The calculations found that burn propagation is possible in the model, but only under very extreme hot-spot conditions, such as about 7000 g/cm 3 at 500 keV or 9000 g/cm 3 at 300 keV for a 20-micron hot spot. These conditions are much more demanding than current demonstrated inertial confinement fusion hot spots. The report concludes that the INFUSE collaboration successfully advanced kinetic and radiation modeling capabilities for p- 11 B fusion and provided useful estimates of ignition requirements. However, the simulated fuel gains remain below what would be needed for practical inertial fusion energy, and further work is needed to reconcile differences among kinetic, radiation-hydrodynamic, and analytic models and to identify more achievable target designs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Direct Observation of Elusive (DTBM‐SEGPHOS)CuH Monomer Enables Mechanistic Insights Into Hydrocupration, Aggregation, and Dynamics of Alkene Functionalization Catalysis

The bulky diphosphine DTBM-SEGPHOS is widely employed in CuH-catalyzed transformations as it provides remarkably active catalyst systems. The transient (DTBM-SEGPHOS)CuH monomer (LCuH) is the often-invoked active species. However, its instability has prevented spectroscopic characterization and mechanistic elucidation, hindering mechanistic understanding. We report low-temperature NMR spectroscopic characterization of LCuH, enabling quantitative kinetic analysis of the stoichiometric hydrocupration and catalytic hydroboration of cyclopentene, as well as the structural identification of two CuH clusters. LCuH inserts cyclopentene at −43°C, reaffirming its high reactivity toward olefins. LCuH deactivates to form L 2 Cu 3 H 3 and L 2 Cu 4 H 4 clusters, in which LCuH dimerization initiates aggregation. Kinetic analysis of reactions of unactivated alkenes indicates that competing on-cycle alkene hydrocupration and LCuH dimerization impact performance, as catalyst deactivation and turnover occur on comparable timescales. Structure–activity analysis using atomistic simulations shows that the steric profile of DTBM-SEGPHOS increases the CuH dimerization barrier by ∼7.7 kcal mol−1 compared to that of SEGPHOS, rationalizing the unique ability of DTBM-SEGPHOS to stabilize a reactive monomer for hydrocupration of broader alkene substrates. These findings illustrate the fundamental design principle that steric control of aggregation governs CuH catalyst performance, explaining both the exceptional activity of (DTBM-SEGPHOS)CuH and the limitations imposed by competing deactivation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2026

Nonequilibrium dynamics of two-level systems directly after cryogenic alternating bias

Two-level systems (TLSs) are a dominant decoherence mechanism in superconducting qubits, microwave kinetic inductance detectors, and quantum dots. TLSs are tunneling states commonly found in amorphous materials and interfaces, which interact electromechanically, leading to energy loss. Fluctuations in the frequency of the TLSs are a significant problem for qubit operation and force recalibration every few hours. In this study, we probe the effect of alternating bias at cryogenic temperatures on TLSs in a purpose-built LC oscillator. When an in situ alternating bias is applied, the steady-state spectra of the TLSs disappear. Spectroscopy reveals transient behavior, in which the TLS frequency fluctuates on the order of minutes. Thermal cycling above 10 K reverses these effects, restoring the TLS spectrum to its original state. Importantly, the intrinsic loss tangent of the LC oscillator remains unchanged before and after the application of the alternating bias. We propose that the disappearance of the steady-state spectrum is caused by nonequilibrium energy buildup from strain in the oxide film introduced by the pulsed voltage-bias sequence. Understanding this nonequilibrium energy could shed light on TLS fluctuations and reduce the calibration requirements for qubits.

general physics↗

NASA NTRS2024

AC and DC Fault Management for Megawatt Electrified Aircraft Electrical Powertrains - Task 2: Power Quality Filtering Using Nanocrystalline Soft Magnetic Inductor

The NASA RTAPS program on AC and DC Fault Management for Megawatt Electrified Power Train is a multi-year joint project with Pratt & Whitney (P&W), Collins Aerospace (CA), and RTX Technology Research Center (RTRC). This research program focuses on the high-voltage distribution issues that present a significant technological obstacle in the adoption of Electrified Aviation Propulsion (EAP) systems. One challenge to the adoption of high-voltage distribution systems with power electronic converters is the need for filter elements to limit the generation and propagation of noise, protect the cable systems from premature aging and prevent against excessive heating within subcomponents due to high-frequency induced currents. While increased distribution voltages aide in reducing the cable mass for a fixed power system, the associated mass with the filtering elements for power electronic converter can grow with increasing distribution voltages – thereby mitigating any benefit associated with increasing the distribution system voltage. To enable high-voltage distribution systems with high system specific power densities, new magnetic materials must be developed. Therefore, the second task of the NASA RTAPS program is associated with the design and application of advanced soft magnetic components for Megawatt class electric propulsion systems, specifically the motor drive system. This report covers the collaborative work between NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), RTRC, P&W and CA in the development of three types of magnetic components over the span of the three-year program. These critical magnetic components are the DC side EMI filter, which limits the propagation of harmful electromagnetic noise to the rise of the distribution system, and the AC side damping with the dv/dt filter, which limits the fast rise time of the power electronic converter output voltage to limit the degradation on the cable/motor insulation systems. Each of these components are investigated from component level design and are optimized at the system level with a combined modelling and testing effort. In the final experimental evaluation of the NASA developed soft magnetic material with a dv/dt filter, a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) magnetic core and the GRC magnetic core are optimized and loaded at 320Arms to evaluate their difference in performance. After a run time of 30 minutes in a MW-class motor driver at RTRC, the NASA GRC cores were found to not only offer a lower temperature rise of nearly 25°𝐶, but also a reduction in measured core loss of 25% (12.75W to 9.5W).

Elecrified Aircraft Propulsion↗

DOE OSTI2026

Visualizing Crystallization Dynamics and Transformation Pathways of Disordered Rocksalt Oxides During Thermally Activated Sol–Gel Synthesis

Sol–gel synthesis is a wet-chemical processing route for fabricating functional materials with control over composition and microstructure at relatively low temperatures compared to conventional solid-state synthesis. While sol–gel process initiates with intermixed molecular precursors, the early-stage nucleation pathways are insufficiently understood. Here, in this study, the chemical and structural transformation of ion disordered rocksalt (DRX) Li 1.2 Mn 0.4 Ti 0.4 O 2 (LMTO), a promising cathode material for lithium batteries, is studied by multiscale characterizations. In situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using a liquid cell visualizes and identifies crystallization pathways at the nanoscale. While some regions follow a classical multi-step transition through thermodynamically stable intermediates, others exhibit a kinetic shortcut via a localized amorphous matrix to directly form the DRX structure. Macroscale Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy corroborates the findings and reveals that transition metal ions are more strongly incorporated into the acetate-coordinated network than lithium. Although in situ heating TEM captures diverse local transformation pathways, in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction indicates that the macroscopic transformation proceeds predominantly through spinel LMTO and lithium titanates toward DRX-LMTO. The findings uncover the spatiotemporal chemical and structural transformations in sol–gel derived DRX-LMTO materials, and call for fine-tuning of such sol–gel chemistries to manipulate the crystallization pathways and achieve target material homogeneity more efficiently.

cathode material↗

DOE OSTI2025

Generalized geometric speed limits for quantum observables

Leveraging quantum information geometry, we derive generalized quantum speed limits on the rate of change of the expectation values of observables. These bounds subsume and, for Hilbert space dimension ≥3, tighten existing bounds—in some cases by an arbitrarily large multiplicative constant. Our theoretical results are supported by illustrative examples and an experimental demonstration using a superconducting qutrit. We also derive two upper bounds on the generalized quantum Fisher information in terms of the condition number of the density matrix. One of these bounds applies only to coherent dynamics and depends also on the variance of the Hamiltonian. The other bound depends also on the so-called Wigner-Yanase skew information. These bounds generalize well-known bounds on the symmetric logarithmic derivative quantum Fisher information and are tighter than the existing bounds for sufficiently mixed states (e.g., for sufficiently high temperature thermal states).

open quantum systems & decoherence↗

DOE OSTI1988

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 29, No. 1, January-March 1988]

Nuclear Safety is a review journal that covers significant developments in the field of nuclear safety. Its scope includes the analysis and control of hazards associated with nuclear energy, operations involving fissionable materials, and the products of nuclear fission and their effects on the environment. Primary emphasis is on safety in reactor design, construction, and operation; however, the safety aspects of the entire fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing, nuclear waste disposal, handling of radioisotopes, and environmental effects of these operations, are also treated. Table of Contents for this issue follows. THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT: 1 Core History and Nuclide Inventory of the Chernobyl Core at the Time of Accident by Gerald Kirchner and Cornelius C. Noack; GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 6 Nonprescriptive Nuclear Safety Regulation: The Example of Loss of Offsite Power by M. W. Golay, V. P. Manno, and C. Vlahoplus, Jr., 20 Nuclear Power Safety Goals in Light of the Chernobyl Accident by C. Whipple and C. Starr; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 29 Containment Loads from Severe Accidents—U.S. Program by W. Kerr and M. K. Dey; PLANT SAFETY FEATURES: 36 Safety Characteristics of Modern High-Temperature Reactors: Focus on German Designs by W. Kröger, H. Nickel, and R. Schulten; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: 49 Radiation Hormesis and Nuclear Safety by C. C. Congdon; OPERATING EXPERIENCES: 58 Evaluation of Nonradiological Water Chemistry at Power Reactors by Harvey Zibulsky, James J. Kottan, Walter J. Pasciak, Mary Ann Castrogivanni, and Sujit Banerjee, 64 Reactor Shutdown Experience Compiled by J. W. Cletcher, 67 Operating U.S. Power Reactors Compiled by E. G. Silver; RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 85 General Administrative Activities Compiled by E. G. Silver, 94 Reports, Standards, and Safety Guides by D. S. Queener, 100 Status of Power-Reactor Projects Undergoing Licensing Review Compiled by E. G. Silver, 103 Proposed Rule Changes as of Sept. 30, 1987; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 5 Northwestern University Short Course on Radiation Safety, 28 International Approach to Nuclear Safety (After Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl), 57 RPI Short Course on Modern Developments in Boiling Heat Transfer and Two-Phase Flow, 107 20th DOE/NRC Nuclear Air Cleaning Conference, 110 Third International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Power Plant Thermal Hydraulics and Operations, 108 The Authors, 111 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 28.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Thermal Disorder‐Induced Strain and Carrier Localization Activate Reverse Halide Segregation

The reversal of halide ions is studied under various conditions. However, the underlying mechanism of heat-induced reversal remains unclear. This work finds that dynamic disorder-induced localization of self-trapped polarons and thermal disorder-induced strain (TDIS) can be co-acting drivers of reverse segregation. Localization of polarons results in an order of magnitude decrease in excess carrier density (polaron population), causing a reduced impact of the light-induced strain (LIS – responsible for segregation) on the perovskite framework. Meanwhile, exposing the lattice to TDIS exceeding the LIS can eliminate the photoexcitation-induced strain gradient, as thermal fluctuations of the lattice can mask the LIS strain. Under continuous 0.1 W cm -2 illumination (upon segregation), the strain disorder is estimated to be 0.14%, while at 80 °C under dark conditions, the strain is 0.23%. However, in situ heating of the segregated film to 80 °C under continuous illumination (upon reversal) increases the total strain disorder to 0.25%, where TDIS is likely to have a dominant contribution. Therefore, the contribution of entropy to the system's free energy is likely to dominate, respectively. Various temperature-dependent in situ measurements and simulations further support the results. These findings highlight the importance of strain homogenization for designing stable perovskites under real-world operating conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Gear Test Assembly - Experimental Testing and Analysis of Gears and Bearings - FY2026

The Gear Test Assembly (GTA) is an experimental test apparatus built and installed in the Mechanisms and Engineering Test Loop (METL) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). While designed to accommodate a variety of components intended for use in advanced compact in-vessel transfer machine, the focus of GTA been the testing of large radial spur gears. The performance of the components used in GTA motivates the choices made in the design, components, and material choices for the forthcoming METL test articles; the Gripper Test Assembly (GrTA), and the Bearing Test Assembly (BTA). To date, GTA has completed nine experimental testing campaigns and achieved over 21 million revolutions under prototypic sodium fast reactor loads and operating conditions. This report provides an overview and results for the two most recent experiments Campaign #8 and Campaign #9. `Campaign #8 was the first campaign to make use of a set of nickel alloy radial spur gears, made from Hastelloy C-22HS, and combined with heat-treated tapered roller bearings. The bearings and torque profile used allowed Campaign #8 to be directly compared with Campaign #1 where Inconel 718 gears were used instead. Campaign #8 attained 1,058,880 shaft revolutions within 23% of the 1,314,855 revolutions achieved in Campaign #1. These results demonstrate that the heat-treated tapered roller bearings show consistent increased lifetimes, approximately three times longer than for non heat-treated taper rollers, and that the particular material of the gear does not play a substantial role in performance. Similar to Campaign #7 where bearing failure resulted in fragmentation and transport of bearing material into the gear teeth led to tooth damage in the Inconel gears, a similar process led to the damage of the Hastelloy gears. Subsequent NDE analysis showed that the damage was only limited to the tooth surface and does not extend into the gear interiors. Based on the NDE reports, the Hastelloy gears can be reconditioned and put back into service for future campaigns as was done for the Inconel gears. Reconditioned Inconel 718 gears damaged in Campaign #7 were returned to service in Campaign #9 and paired with non heat-treated tapered roller bearings. In Campaign #9 a novel set of operating conditions were implemented whereby the gears and bearings were cycled between hot, submerged refueling conditions where fuel handling operations occurred and cold, dry, and inert conditions where the sodium was drained and the vessel was allowed to cool simulating long, ex-vessel storage of the fuel handling machine. A total of eight of these operating cycles were achieved before a bearing failure occurred after the accumulation of 475,692 shaft revolutions were achieved. During Campaign #9, one of the drive motors was damaged and over the course of a 240 day standby period, the entire GTA drive system was upgraded from a 480VAC system to a 240VAC system that provided the opportunity to consolidate wall-space in the METL facility and provide more space for additional test articles being installed in the coming year. The over 475,000 shaft revolutions achieved in Campaign #9 eclipses the previous record for lifetime of non heat-treated tapered roller bearings held by Campaign #3 of 392,000 shaft revolutions. Further analysis and future campaigns hope to shed light on the cause of this approximately 17% increase in lifetime.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2026

Staged Z-pinch experiment at the double-EAGLE pulsed power facility

The staged Z-pinch is a potential high-energy gain fusion concept where a high atomic number liner implodes on a deuterium target using a pulsed multi-MA current source. Over the past several years this concept has been studied on 0.5–1.0 MA facilities using Ar and Kr gas puffs injected at R = 1.2 cm. Neutron yield up to (2.5 ± 0.34) x 10 10 was measured, Ruskov et al (2023 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 51 3310–6). Here, in this study, we present experimental results from the 4 MA, 110 ns current rise time Double-EAGLE facility at L3Harris (currently, Fisica Inc.) where a larger radius nozzle created gas density profiles peaked at R = 2.5 cm. Modeling with the MACH2 and FLASH codes indicates that the larger radius allows stronger acceleration of the liner plasma and generation of shock waves that preheat a target plasma layer next to the liner to temperatures $T_i >$1 keV. The resulting counter thermal pressure on the liner plasma limits the growth of the Magneto-Rayleigh–Taylor (MRT) instability at the liner-vacuum boundary and the implosion proceeds in a relatively stable manner. Near bang time the enormous target plasma thermal pressure smoothens the MRT perturbations developed during the earlier implosion stages. Time integrated x-ray pinhole images with cutoff energy of 100 eV confirm that a long (∼3 cm), stable and uniform high energy density plasma column is formed in the final implosion stage. Consistent neutron yield in the 10 10 –10 11 range was measured for both Ar and Kr liners imploding on a deuterium target.

Physics - Plasma physics↗

DOE OSTI2026

Hazard and risk analysis framework for nuclear power plant–based integrated energy systems

Employing integrated energy systems (IESs) with nuclear power plants (NPPs) can improve NPP utilization by leveraging dedicated thermal and electric power delivery, but it may also increase operational safety risks. This paper presents a framework to identify and quantify hazards and risks for such IESs. The framework combines accidentology to review past industrial accidents with failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) to identify potential future incidents. Hydrogen explosion and toxic chemical release hazards are of particular concern. Explosion consequences are quantified using the Bauwens-Dorofeev (Bauwens) and trinitrotoluene equivalent mass (TNT-EM) methods, while chemical release consequences are computed using the Gaussian atmospheric dispersion method. Operational disturbances from direct electrical and thermal integration that may affect NPP safety are modeled using probabilistic risk analysis (PRA). Hazards and risks are then evaluated for regulatory compliance. The framework is applied to IESs comprising pressurized or boiling water reactors supplying three levels of thermal and electrical power to industrial customers. Case studies include high-temperature steam electrolysis hydrogen plants of varying capacities and a synthetic fuel production plant. Sensitivity analysis examines piping component failures in the PRA model as a precursor to cost estimation for thermal extraction line design. Additionally, Fussel-Vessely (FV) and risk increase importance (RII) measures identify risk-informed design improvements for the thermal extraction system. FMEA highlights hazards such as loss of offsite power, prompt loss of electrical load, loss of thermal output, and immediate steam diversion, in addition to hydrogen explosions and toxic chemical releases. Both Bauwens and TNT-EM methods suggest maintaining several hundred meters of separation between the NPP and hydrogen facility to mitigate explosion risks. PRA results show a maximum initiating event frequency increase of 1.15% and an overall risk increase of 0.28%. Importance measure analysis identifies upstream pipe leak isolation components as critical. Evaluating the results against safety regulations, it is concluded that hazards and risks can be managed to comply with regulations through risk-informed thermal and electrical connection designs, component selection, maintenance programs, and safe separation distances between NPPs and integrated industrial facilities.

08 - HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2026

Resonant scattering at the center of the galaxy cluster PKS 0745-191 with XRISM

We report evidence of the resonant scattering effect at the center of the galaxy cluster PKS 0745-191 with XRISM. We analyzed XRISM/Resolve commissioning-phase observations of the distant cluster PKS 0745-191 ($z = 0.103$) with a $54$ ks exposure. The gain drift was corrected using the onboard modulated X-ray source (MXS), and spectra were extracted from all the pixels that were well illuminated by MXS, the core region (four central pixels, $\sim$100 kpc), and the surrounding region. A single-temperature collisional ionization equilibrium (CIE) model fits the full field-of-view spectrum with $kT \approx 6$ keV and a turbulent velocity of ${\approx}120$ km s$^{-1}$. From the core ($r < 50$ kpc) spectrum, we detected a ${\approx}22\%$ suppression of the Fe xxv He$\alpha$ resonance (w) line relative to the CIE prediction. We performed a Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the resonant scattering (RS) effect using radial profiles from Chandra data. The RS-inferred turbulence agrees with that by Resolve line-broadening, demonstrating that RS provides an independent and consistent constraint on ICM turbulence. These results highlight XRISM/Resolve’s potential for turbulence studies in galaxy clusters.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗