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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 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Submillimeter/THz rotational spectroscopy of SH{sup +} (X{sup 3}Σ{sup −}): The complete N = 1←0 transition

The N = 1 ← 0 transition of SH{sup +} (X{sup 3}Σ{sup −}) in its complete fine structure multiplet (J = 0 ← 1, 2 ← 1, and 1 ← 1) has been measured using submillimeter/THz direct absorption spectroscopy in the frequency range near 346–683 GHz. This work is the first direct laboratory measurement of the J = 0 ← 1 and 1 ← 1 spin components. This molecular ion was created in the gas phase from a mixture of H{sub 2}S and argon in an AC discharge. Hyperfine components, arising from the nuclear spin of H (I = 1/2), were resolved in every fine structure multiplet. The data have been analyzed using a Hund’s case b{sub βJ} Hamiltonian, resulting in further improvement in the accuracy of the rotational, spin–rotation, spin–spin, and magnetic hyperfine constants for SH{sup +}. From these new data, frequency predictions have been made for the N = 2 → 1 and 3 → 2 transitions, with an estimated uncertainty of less than 1 MHz. These data also confirm the recent detection of the two hyperfine components of the N = 1 → 0, J = 0 → 1 transition of SH{sup +} in the Orion Bar, as well as the J = 1 → 1 component of this molecular ion near 683 GHz toward Sgr B2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Transit and radial velocity survey efficiency comparison for a habitable zone Earth

Transit and radial velocity searches are two techniques for identifying nearby extrasolar planets to Earth that transit bright stars. Identifying a robust sample of these exoplanets around bright stars for detailed atmospheric characterization is a major observational undertaking. In this study we describe a framework that answers the question of whether a transit or radial velocity survey is more efficient at finding transiting exoplanets given the same amount of observing time. Within the framework we show that a transit survey's window function can be approximated using the hypergeometric probability distribution. We estimate the observing time required for a transit survey to find a transiting Earth-sized exoplanet in the habitable zone (HZ) with an emphasis on late-type stars. We also estimate the radial velocity precision necessary to detect the equivalent HZ Earth-mass exoplanet that also transits when using an equal amount of observing time as the transit survey. We find that a radial velocity survey with σ{sub rv} ∼ 0.6 m s{sup –1} precision has comparable efficiency in terms of observing time to a transit survey with the requisite photometric precision σ{sub phot} ∼ 300 ppm to find a transiting Earth-sized exoplanet in the HZ of late M dwarfs. For super-Earths, a σ{sub rv} ∼ 2.0 m s{sup –1} precision radial velocity survey has comparable efficiency to a transit survey with σ{sub phot} ∼ 2300 ppm.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1991

Observations of cumulene carbenes, H2CCCC and H2CCC, in TMC-1

Attention is given to the carbon chain molecule H2CCCC, detected in the dark cloud TMC-1 for the first time in the course of a molecular line survey using the Nobeyama 45-m telescope. From nine transitions observed in the frequency region of 17-45 GHz, the total column density of H2CCCC in TMC-1 is derived to be 7.5(+/-2.0) x 10 exp 12/sq cm, which is about half of the value reported in IRC + 10216. Five transitions of a related carbon chain molecule, H2CCC, were also detected in TMC-1. The column density of H2CCC obtained in TMC-1, 2.8(+/-0.9) x 10 exp 12/sq cm, is a factor of three smaller than that of H2CCCC. The ortho-to-para abundance ratios of H2CCCC and H2CCC were found to be 4.2 +/-1.5 and 5.9 +/-2.0, respectively. The chemical reactions of these carbon-chain molecules in dark clouds are discussed.

Kawaguchi, Kentarou↗
DOE OSTI2016

Velocity-resolved hot water emission detected toward HL Tau with the submillimeter array

Using the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Mauna Kea, the H{sub 2}{sup 16}O 10{sub 2,9}–9{sub 3,6} transition (E{sub up} = 1863 K) at 321.2 GHz has been detected toward the embedded low-mass protostar HL Tau. The line centroid is blueshifted by 20 km s{sup −1} with respect to the source velocity, and it has a FWHM of 25 km s{sup −1}. The emission is tentatively resolved and extends ∼3″–4″ over the sky (∼2 beams), or ∼500 au at the distance of Taurus. The velocity offset, and to a lesser degree the spatial extent of the emission, show that the line originates in the protostellar jet or wind. This result suggests that at least some water emission observed with Herschel and Spitzer toward embedded sources, and perhaps also disk sources, contains a wind or jet component, which is crucial for interpreting these data. These pathfinder observations done with the SMA open a new window into studying the origin of water emission with e.g., ALMA, thus providing new insights into where water is in protostellar systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A semi-supervised machine learning detector for physics events in tokamak discharges

Databases of physics events have been used in various fusion research applications, including the development of scaling laws and disruption avoidance algorithms, yet they can be time-consuming and tedious to construct. This paper presents a novel application of the label spreading semi-supervised learning algorithm to accelerate this process by detecting distinct events in a large dataset of discharges, given few manually labeled examples. A high detection accuracy (>85%) for H-L back transitions and initially rotating locked modes is demonstrated on a dataset of hundreds of discharges from DIII-D with manually identified events for which only 3 discharges are initially labeled by the user. Lower yet reasonable performance (~75%) is also demonstrated for the core radiative collapse, an event with a much lower prevalence in the dataset. Additionally, analysis of the performance sensitivity indicates that the same set of algorithmic parameters is optimal for each event. This suggests that the method can be applied to detect a variety of other events not included in this paper, given that the event is well described by a set of 0D signals robustly available on many discharges. Procedures for analysis of new events are demonstrated, showing automatic event detection with increasing fidelity as the user strategically adds manually labeled examples. Detections on Alcator C-Mod and EAST are also shown, demonstrating the potential for this to be used on a multi-tokamak dataset.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A semi-supervised machine learning detector for physics events in tokamak discharges

Databases of physics events have been used in various fusion research applications, including the development of scaling laws and disruption avoidance algorithms, yet they can be time-consuming and tedious to construct. This paper presents a novel application of the label spreading semi-supervised learning algorithm to accelerate this process by detecting distinct events in a large dataset of discharges, given few manually labeled examples. A high detection accuracy (> 85%) for H-L back transitions and initially rotating locked modes is demonstrated on a dataset of hundreds of discharges from DIII-D with manually identified events for which only 3 discharges are initially labeled by the user. Lower yet reasonable performance (~75%) is also demonstrated for the core radiative collapse, an event with a much lower prevalence in the dataset. Additionally, analysis of the performance sensitivity indicates that the same set of algorithmic parameters is optimal for each event. Furthermore, this suggests that the method can be applied to detect a variety of other events not included in this paper, given that the event is well described by a set of 0D signals robustly available on many discharges. Procedures for analysis of new events are demonstrated, showing automatic event detection with increasing fidelity as the user strategically adds manually labeled examples. Detections on Alcator C-Mod and EAST are also shown, demonstrating the potential for this to be used on a multi-tokamak dataset.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Gravitational radiation from first-order phase transitions

It is believed that first-order phase transitions at or around the GUT scale will produce high-frequency gravitational radiation. This radiation is a consequence of the collisions and coalescence of multiple bubbles during the transition. We employ high-resolution lattice simulations to numerically evolve a system of bubbles using only scalar fields, track the anisotropic stress during the process and evolve the metric perturbations associated with gravitational radiation. Although the radiation produced during the bubble collisions has previously been estimated, we find that the coalescence phase enhances this radiation even in the absence of a coupled fluid or turbulence. We comment on how these simulations scale and propose that the same enhancement should be found at the Electroweak scale; this modification should make direct detection of a first-order electroweak phase transition easier.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

DETECTION OF HF TOWARD PKS 1830–211, SEARCH FOR INTERSTELLAR H{sub 2}F{sup +}, AND LABORATORY STUDY OF H{sub 2}F{sup +} AND H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION

We report extragalactic observations of two fluorine-bearing species, hydrogen fluoride (HF) and fluoronium (H{sub 2}F{sup +}), in the z = 0.89 absorber in front of the lensed blazar PKS 1830−211 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. HF was detected toward both southwest and northeast images of the blazar, with column densities >3.4 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −2} and 0.18 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −2}, respectively. H{sub 2}F{sup +} was not detected, down to an upper limit (3σ) of 8.8 × 10{sup 11} cm{sup −2} and an abundance ratio of [H{sub 2}F{sup +}]/[HF] ⩽ 1/386. We also searched for H{sub 2}F{sup +} toward the Galactic sources NGC 6334 I and W51C, and toward Galactic center clouds with the Herschel HIFI spectrometer.{sup 6} The upper limit on the column density was derived to be 2.5 × 10{sup 11} cm{sup −2} in NGC 6334 I, which is 1/68 of that for H{sub 2}Cl{sup +}. In constrast, the ortho transition of H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} is detected toward PKS 1830–211. To understand the small abundance of interstellar H{sub 2}F{sup +}, we carried out laboratory experiments to determine the rate constants for the ion–electron recombination reaction by infrared time-resolved spectroscopy. The constants determined are k {sub e}(209 K) = (1.1±0.3)×10{sup −7} cm{sup 3} s{sup −1} and (0.46±0.05)×10{sup −7} cm{sup 3} s{sup −1} for H{sub 2}F{sup +} and H{sub 2}Cl{sup +}, respectively. The difference in the dissociative recombination rates between H{sub 2}F{sup +} and H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} by a factor ∼2 and the cosmic abundance ratio [F]/[Cl] ≈ 1/6 are not enough to explain the much smaller abundance of H{sub 2}F{sup +}. The difference in the formation mechanism of H{sub 2}F{sup +} and H{sub 2}Cl{sup +} in interstellar space would be a major factor in the small abundance of H{sub 2}F{sup +}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

DETECTION OF 36 GHz CLASS I METHANOL MASER EMISSION TOWARD NGC 253

We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to search for emission from the 4{sub –1} → 3{sub 0} E transition of methanol (36.2 GHz) toward the center of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253. Two regions of emission were detected, offset from the nucleus along the same position angle as the inner spiral arms. The emission is largely unresolved on a scale of 5'', has a FWHM line width of <30 km s{sup –1}, and an isotropic luminosity orders of a magnitude larger than that observed in any Galactic star formation region. These characteristics suggest that the 36.2 GHz methanol emission is most likely a maser, although observations with higher angular and spectral resolution are required to confirm this. If it is a maser, this represents the first detection of a class I methanol maser outside the Milky Way. The 36.2 GHz methanol emission in NGC 253 has more than an order of magnitude higher isotropic luminosity than the widespread emission recently detected toward the center of the Milky Way. If emission from this transition scales with the nuclear star formation rate, then it may be detectable in the central regions of many starburst galaxies. Detection of methanol emission in ultra-luminous infrared galaxies would open up a new tool for testing for variations in fundamental constants (particularly the proton-to-electron mass ratio) on cosmological scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Beam Spin Asymmetry Measurements for Two Pion Photoproduction at CLAS

The overarching goal of this analysis, and many like it, is to develop our understanding of the strong force interactions within the nucleon by examining the nature of their excitation spectra. As the resonances of these spectra have very short lifetimes (tau = 1x10 -23 s) and often have very similar masses, it is often impossible to directly observe resonances in the excitation spectra of nucleons. Polarization observables allow us to study the resonances by looking at how they affect the spin state of final state particles. The beam asymmetry is a polarization observable that allows us to detect the sensitivity of these resonances, and other transition mechanisms, to the electric vector orientation of incident photons. Presented in this thesis are first measurements of the beam asymmetries in the resonant region for the reaction channel pgamma p --> p π + π - focusing on the intermediate mesonic states rho^0 and f^0, and the final state pions. The analysis used data from the g8b experiment undertaken at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab), the first experiment at JLab to use a linearly polarized photon beam. Using the coherent Bremsstrahlung facility and the CLAS detector of Hall B at JLab allowed for many multi-channel reactions to be detected and the first measurements of many polarization observables including those presented here. A brief overview of the theoretical framework used to undertake this analysis is given, followed by a description of the experimental details of the facilities used, then a description of the calibration of the Bremsstrahlung tagging facility which the author undertook, and finally the analysis is presented and the resulting measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low-temperature ordering caused by exchange interaction in the Si:P impurity system near the insulator - Metal phase transition

Behavior of the paramagnetic susceptibility in Si:P at low temperatures was investigated by Electron Spin Resonance in order to detect the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic ordering in the vicinity of the insulator-metal phase transition. A procedure was developed to operate sufficiently smooth changes of the spin density, by proton irradiated.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spectroscopic Evolution of Disintegrating Planetesimals: Minute to Month Variability in the Circumstellar Gas Associated with WD 1145+017

With the recent discovery of transiting planetary material around WD 1145+017, a critical target has been identified that links the evolution of planetary systems with debris disks and their accretion onto the star. We present a series of observations, five epochs over a year, taken with Keck and the VLT, which for the first time show variability of circumstellar absorption in the gas disk surrounding WD 1145+017 on timescales of minutes to months. Circumstellar absorption is measured in more than 250 lines of 14 ions among 10 different elements associated with planetary composition, e.g., O, Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni. Broad circumstellar gas absorption with a velocity spread of 225 km s{sup −1} is detected, but over the course of a year blueshifted absorption disappears, while redshifted absorption systematically increases. A correlation of equivalent width and oscillator strength indicates that the gas is not highly optically thick (median τ ≈ 2). We discuss simple models of an eccentric disk coupled with magnetospheric accretion to explain the basic observed characteristics of these high-resolution and high signal-to-noise observations. Variability is detected on timescales of minutes in the two most recent observations, showing a loss of redshifted absorption for tens of minutes, coincident with major transit events and consistent with gas hidden behind opaque transiting material. This system currently presents a unique opportunity to learn how the gas causing the spectroscopic, circumstellar absorption is associated with the ongoing accretion evidenced by photospheric contamination, as well as the transiting planetary material detected in photometric observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A density-wave-like transition in the polycrystalline V 3 Sb 2 sample with bilayer kagome lattice

Recently, transition-metal-based kagome metals have aroused much research interest as a novel platform to explore exotic topological quantum phenomena. Here we report on the synthesis, structure, and physical properties of a bilayer kagome lattice compound V 3 Sb 2 . The polycrystalline V 3 Sb 2 samples were synthesized by conventional solid-state-reaction method in a sealed quartz tube at temperatures below 850 °C. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility and resistivity revealed consistently a density-wave-like transition at T dw ≈ 160 K with a large thermal hysteresis, even though some sample-dependent behaviors were observed presumably due to the different preparation conditions. Upon cooling through T dw , no strong anomaly in lattice parameters and no indication of symmetry lowering were detected in powder x-ray diffraction measurements. This transition can be suppressed completely by applying hydrostatic pressures of about 1.8 GPa, around which no sign of superconductivity was observed down to 1.5 K. Specific-heat measurements revealed a relatively large Sommerfeld coefficient γ = 18.5 mJ∙mol –1 ∙K –2 , confirming the metallic ground state with moderate electronic correlations. Density functional theory calculations indicate that V 3 Sb 2 shows a non-trivial topological crystalline property. Furthermore, our study makes V 3 Sb 2 a new candidate of metallic kagome compound to study the interplay between density-wave-order, nontrivial band topology, and possible superconductivity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

TOI–757 b: an eccentric transiting mini–Neptune on a 17.5–d orbit

ABSTRACT We report the spectroscopic confirmation and fundamental properties of TOI$-$757 b, a mini$-$Neptune on a 17.5$-$d orbit transiting a bright star ($V\, =\, 9.7$ mag) discovered by the TESS mission. We acquired high$-$precision radial velocity measurements with the HARPS, ESPRESSO, and PFS spectrographs to confirm the planet detection and determine its mass. We also acquired space$-$borne transit photometry with the CHEOPS space telescope to place stronger constraints on the planet radius, supported with ground$-$based LCOGT photometry. WASP and KELT photometry were used to help constrain the stellar rotation period. We also determined the fundamental parameters of the host star. We find that TOI$-$757 b has a radius of $R_{\mathrm{p}} = 2.5 \pm 0.1 R_{\oplus }$ and a mass of $M_{\mathrm{p}} = 10.5^{+2.2}_{-2.1} M_{\oplus }$, implying a bulk density of $\rho _{\text{p}} = 3.6 \pm 0.8$ g cm$^{-3}$. Our internal composition modelling was unable to constrain the composition of TOI$-$757 b, highlighting the importance of atmospheric observations for the system. We also find the planet to be highly eccentric with e = 0.39$^{+0.08}_{-0.07}$, making it one of the very few highly eccentric planets among precisely characterized mini$-$Neptunes. Based on comparisons to other similar eccentric systems, we find a likely scenario for TOI$-$757 b’s formation to be high eccentricity migration due to a distant outer companion. We additionally propose the possibility of a more intrinsic explanation for the high eccentricity due to star$-$star interactions during the earlier epoch of the Galactic disc formation, given the low metallicity and older age of TOI$-$757.

Alqasim, A. (ORCID:0000000151025505)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Signatures of deconfined quark phases in binary neutron star mergers

We investigate the quark deconfinement phase transition in the context of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. We employ a new finite-temperature composition-dependent equation of state (EOS) with a first order phase transition between hadrons and deconfined quarks to perform numerical relativity simulations of BNS mergers. Here, the softening of the EOS due to the phase transition causes the merger remnants to be more compact and to collapse to a black hole (BH) at earlier times. The phase transition is imprinted on the postmerger gravitational wave (GW) signal duration, amplitude, and peak frequency. However, this imprint is only detectable for binaries with sufficiently long-lived remnants. Moreover, the phase transition does not result in significant deviations from quasi-universal relations for the postmerger GW peak frequency. We also study the impact of the phase transition on dynamical ejecta, remnant accretion disk masses, r-process nucleosynthetic yields and associated electromagnetic (EM) counterparts. While there are differences in the EM counterparts and nucleosynthesis yields between the purely hadronic models and the models with phase transitions, these can be primarily ascribed to the difference in remnant collapse time between the two. An exception is the non-thermal afterglow caused by the interaction of the fastest component of the dynamical ejecta and the interstellar medium, which is systematically boosted in the binaries with phase transition as a consequence of the more violent merger they experience.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Constraining Mornings and Evenings on Distant Worlds: A new Semianalytical Approach and Prospects with Transmission Spectroscopy

The technique of transmission spectroscopy—the variation of a planetary radius with wavelength due to opacity sources in the planet’s terminator region—has been one of the most successful in the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres to date, providing key insights into the composition and structure of these distant worlds. A common assumption made when using this technique, however, is that the variations are the same in the entire terminator region. In reality, the morning and evening terminators might have distinct temperature, pressure, and thus compositional profiles due to the inherent 3D nature of the planet, which would, in turn, give rise to different spectra on each side of it. Constraining those might be fundamental for our understanding of not only the weather patterns in these distant worlds but also the planetary formation signatures that might only be possible to extract once these features are well understood. Motivated by this physical picture, in this work, we perform a detailed study of the observational prospects of detecting this effect. We present an open-source semianalytical framework with which this information can be extracted directly from transit light curves and perform a detailed study of the prospects of detecting the effect with current missions, such as TESS, and upcoming ones, such as JWST. Our results show that these missions show great promise for the detection of this effect. Transmission spectroscopy studies with JWST, in particular, could provide spectra of each of the limbs, allowing us to convey 3D information previously accessible only via phase curves.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1980

Observations of SO in dark and molecular clouds

The 1(0)-0(1) transition of SO at 30 GHz has been observed in several sources, including the first detection of sulfur monoxide in cold dark clouds without apparent internal energy sources. The SO transition appears to be an excellent tracer of structure in dark clouds, and the data support suggestions that self-absorption is important in determining emission profiles in such regions for large line-strength transitions. Column densities estimated from a comparison of the results for the two isotopic species indicate a high fractional abundance of SO in dark clouds.

Rydbeck, O. E. H.↗