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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 1,243 records · Page 69

A new time-frequency method to reveal quantum dynamics of atomic hydrogen in intense laser pulses: Synchrosqueezing transform

This study introduces a new adaptive time-frequency (TF) analysis technique, the synchrosqueezing transform (SST), to explore the dynamics of a laser-driven hydrogen atom at an ab initio level, upon which we have demonstrated its versatility as a new viable venue for further exploring quantum dynamics. For a signal composed of oscillatory components which can be characterized by instantaneous frequency, the SST enables rendering the decomposed signal based on the phase information inherited in the linear TF representation with mathematical support. Compared with the classical type of TF methods, the SST clearly depicts several intrinsic quantum dynamical processes such as selection rules, AC Stark effects, and high harmonic generation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multireference linearized coupled cluster theory for strongly correlated systems using matrix product states

We propose a multireference linearized coupled cluster theory using matrix product states (MPSs-LCC) which provides remarkably accurate ground-state energies, at a computational cost that has the same scaling as multireference configuration interaction singles and doubles, for a wide variety of electronic Hamiltonians. These range from first-row dimers at equilibrium and stretched geometries to highly multireference systems such as the chromium dimer and lattice models such as periodic two-dimensional 1-band and 3-band Hubbard models. The MPS-LCC theory shows a speed up of several orders of magnitude over the usual Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) algorithm while delivering energies in excellent agreement with converged DMRG calculations. Also, in all the benchmark calculations presented here, MPS-LCC outperformed the commonly used multi-reference quantum chemistry methods in some cases giving energies in excess of an order of magnitude more accurate. As a size-extensive method that can treat large active spaces, MPS-LCC opens up the use of multireference quantum chemical techniques in strongly correlated ab initio Hamiltonians, including two- and three-dimensional solids.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Chemical information from XPS: Theory and experiment for Ni(OH) 2

For this work, the features and the electronic character of the states for the Ni 2p x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of Ni(OH) 2 were analyzed. This detailed analysis is based on ab initio molecular orbital wavefunctions for a cluster model of Ni(OH) 2 . The theory is validated by comparison with experiment. Then, advanced methods are used to explain and contrast the properties of different groups of ionic states. An important conclusion is that in most cases, the ionic states cannot be described with a single configuration or determinant. Despite this essential many-body character of the XPS, we demonstrate that it is possible to understand the origin of the main and satellite XPS features in terms of their orbital character.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Exploring the exact limits of the real-time equation-of-motion coupled cluster cumulant Green’s functions

In this paper, we analyze the properties of the recently proposed real-time equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (RT-EOM-CC) cumulant Green’s function approach [Rehr et al., J. Chem. Phys. 152, 174113 (2020)]. We specifically focus on identifying the limitations of the original time-dependent coupled cluster (TDCC) ansatz and propose an enhanced double TDCC ansatz, ensuring the exactness in the expansion limit. In addition, we introduce a practical cluster-analysis-based approach for characterizing the peaks in the computed spectral function from the RT-EOM-CC cumulant Green’s function approach, which is particularly useful for the assignments of satellite peaks when many-body effects dominate the spectra. Our preliminary numerical tests focus on reproducing, approximating, and characterizing the exact impurity Green’s function of the three-site and four-site single impurity Anderson models using the RT-EOM-CC cumulant Green’s function approach. The numerical tests allow us to have a direct comparison between the RT-EOM-CC cumulant Green’s function approach and other Green’s function approaches in the numerical exact limit.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Thermal expansion and phonon anharmonicity of cuprite studied by inelastic neutron scattering and ab initio calculations

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements were performed with a time-of-flight chopper spectrometer to observe phonons in all parts of the Brillouin zone of a single crystal of cuprite Cu 2 O. We reduced the experimental data to phonon dispersions in the high-symmetry directions, and changes between 10 and 300 K are reported. In this paper, we show ab initio quasiharmonic (QH) and anharmonic (AH) calculations of phonon dispersions. We performed all AH calculations with a temperature-dependent effective potential method. Both QH and AH calculations account for the small negative thermal expansion of cuprite at low temperatures. However, the measured temperature-dependent phonon behavior was predicted more accurately with the AH calculations than the QH ones. Nevertheless, at 300 K, the cubic AH used in this paper did not entirely account for the experimental phonon dispersions in cuprite.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Exciton-Phonon Interaction and Relaxation Times from First Principles

Electron-phonon interactions are key to understanding the dynamics of electrons in materials and can be modeled accurately from first principles. However, when electrons and holes form Coulomb-bound states (excitons), quantifying their interactions and scattering processes with phonons remains an open challenge. Here we show a rigorous approach for computing exciton-phonon (ex-ph) interactions and the associated exciton dynamical processes from first principles. Starting from the ab initio Bethe-Salpeter equation, we derive expressions for the ex-ph matrix elements and relaxation times. Finally, we apply our method to bulk hexagonal boron nitride, for which we map the ex-ph relaxation times as a function of exciton momentum and energy, analyze the temperature and phonon-mode dependence of the ex-ph scattering processes, and accurately predict the phonon-assisted photoluminescence. The approach introduced in this work is general and provides a framework for investigating exciton dynamics in a wide range of materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Fragment-based determination of a proteinase K structure from MicroED data using ARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDER

Structure determination of novel biological macromolecules by X-ray crystallography can be facilitated by the use of small structural fragments, some of only a few residues in length, as effective search models for molecular replacement to overcome the phase problem. Independence from the need for a complete pre-existing model with sequence similarity to the crystallized molecule is the primary appeal of ARCIMBOLDO , a suite of programs which employs this ab initio algorithm for phase determination. Here, the use of ARCIMBOLDO is investigated to overcome the phase problem with the electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) method known as microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). The results support the use of the ARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDER pipeline to provide phasing solutions for a structure of proteinase K from 1.6 Å resolution data using model fragments derived from the structures of proteins sharing a sequence identity of as low as 20%. ARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDER identified the most accurate polyalanine fragments from a set of distantly related sequence homologues. Alternatively, such templates were extracted in spherical volumes and given internal degrees of freedom to refine towards the target structure. Both modes relied on the rotation function in Phaser to identify or refine fragment models and its translation function to place them. Model completion from the placed fragments proceeded through phase combination of partial solutions and/or density modification and main-chain autotracing using SHELXE . The combined set of fragments was sufficient to arrive at a solution that resembled that determined by conventional molecular replacement using the known target structure as a search model. This approach obviates the need for a single, complete and highly accurate search model when phasing MicroED data, and permits the evaluation of large fragment libraries for this purpose.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Nanostructure Determination by Co-Refining Models to Multiple Datasets

The results of the work are contained in the publications resulting from the grant (which are listed below). Here I summarize the main findings from the last period of the award, 2006-2007: • Published a paper in Science with Igor Levin outlining the “Nanostructure Problem”, our inability to solve structure at the nanoscale. • Published a paper in Nature demonstrating the first ever ab-initio structure determination of a nanoparticle from atomic pair distribution function (PDF) data. • Published one book and 3 overview articles on PDF methods and the nanostructure problem. • Completed a project that sought to find a structural response to the presence of the so-called “intermediate phase” in network glasses which appears close to the rigidity percolation threshold in these systems. The main result was that we did not see convincing evidence for this, which drew into doubt the idea that Ge x Se 1-x glasses were a model system exhibiting rigidity percolation.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

What is ab initio in nuclear theory?

Ab initio has been used as a label in nuclear theory for over two decades. Its meaning has evolved and broadened over the years. We present our interpretation, briefly review its historical use, and discuss its present-day relation to theoretical uncertainty quantification.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Tidal response of preliminary Jupiter model

In anticipation of improved observational data for Jupiter’s gravitational field, from the Juno spacecraft, we predict the static tidal response for a variety of Jupiter interior models based on ab initio computer simulations of hydrogen–helium mixtures. We calculate hydrostatic-equilibrium gravity terms, using the non-perturbative concentric Maclaurin Spheroid method that eliminates lengthy expansions used in the theory of figures. Our method captures terms arising from the coupled tidal and rotational perturbations, which we find to be important for a rapidly rotating planet like Jupiter. Our predicted static tidal Love number, k{sub 2}=0.5900, is ∼10% larger than previous estimates. The value is, as expected, highly correlated with the zonal harmonic coefficient J {sub 2}, and is thus nearly constant when plausible changes are made to the interior structure while holding J {sub 2} fixed at the observed value. We note that the predicted static k {sub 2} might change, due to Jupiter’s dynamical response to the Galilean moons, and find reasons to argue that the change may be detectable—although we do not present here a theory of dynamical tides for highly oblate Jovian planets. An accurate model of Jupiter’s tidal response will be essential for interpreting Juno observations and identifying tidal signals from effects of other interior dynamics of Jupiter’s gravitational field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Ab Initio Modeling of Molecular Radiation

Radiative emission from excited states of atoms and molecules can comprise a significant fraction of the total heat flux experienced by spacecraft during atmospheric entry at hypersonic speeds. For spacecraft with ablating heat shields, some of this radiative flux can be absorbed by molecular constituents in the boundary layer that are formed by the ablation process. Ab initio quantum mechanical calculations are carried out to predict the strengths of these emission and absorption processes. This talk will describe the methods used in these calculations using, as examples, the 4th positive emission bands of CO and the 1g+ 1u+ absorption in C3. The results of these calculations are being used as input to NASA radiation modeling codes like NeqAir, HARA and HyperRad.

spectroscopy↗

Vibrational Frequencies and Spectroscopic Constants for 1(sup 3)A' HNC and 1(sup 3)A' HOC+ from High-Accuracy Quartic Force Fields

The spectroscopic constants and vibrational frequencies for the 1(sup 3)A' states of HNC, DNC, HOC+, and DOC+ are computed and discussed in this work. The reliable CcCR quartic force field based on high-level coupled cluster ab initio quantum chemical computations is exclusively utilized to provide the anharmonic potential. Then, second order vibrational perturbation theory and vibrational configuration interaction methods are employed to treat the nuclear Schroedinger equation. Second-order perturbation theory is also employed to provide spectroscopic data for all molecules examined. The relationship between these molecules and the corresponding 1(sup 3)A' HCN and HCO+ isomers is further developed here. These data are applicable to laboratory studies involving formation of HNC and HOC+ as well as astronomical observations of chemically active astrophysical environments.

Astrochemistry↗

Scalable bottom-up synthesis of Co-Ni–doped graphene

Introducing heteroatoms into graphene is a powerful strategy to modulate its catalytic, electronic, and magnetic properties. At variance with the cases of nitrogen (N)– and boron (B)–doped graphene, a scalable method for incorporating transition metal atoms in the carbon (C) mesh is currently lacking, limiting the applicative interest of model system studies. This work presents a during-growth synthesis enabling the incorporation of cobalt (Co) alongside nickel (Ni) atoms in graphene on a Ni(111) substrate. Single atoms are covalently stabilized within graphene double vacancies, with a Co load ranging from 0.07 to 0.22% relative to C atoms, controllable by synthesis parameters. Structural characterization involves variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and ab initio calculations. The Co- and Ni-codoped layer is transferred onto a transmission electron microscopy grid, confirming stability through scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. This method holds promise for applications in spintronics, gas sensing, electrochemistry and catalysis, and potential extension to graphene incorporation of similar metals.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Potential energy curves for the ground and low-lying excited states of CuAg

The ground and low-lying excited states of heteronuclear diatomic CuAg are examined by multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) method. Relativistic effects were treated and probed in two steps. Scalar terms were considered using the spin-free DKH Hamiltonian as a priori and spin-orbit coupling was calculated perturbatively via the spin-orbit terms of the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian based on MRCI wavefunctions. Potential energy curves of the spin-free states and their corresponding Ω components correlating with the separated atom limits {sup 2}S(Cu) + {sup 2}S(Ag) and {sup 2}D(Cu) + {sup 2}S(Ag) are obtained. The results are in fine agreement with the experimental measurements and tentative conclusions for the ion-pair B0{sup +} state are confirmed by our theoretical calculations. Illustrative results are presented to reveal the relative importance and magnitude of the scalar and spin-orbit effects on the spectroscopic properties of this molecule. Time dependent density functional theory calculations, using the LDA, BLYP, B3LYP, and SAOP functionals have been carried out for CuAg and the accuracy of TD-DFT has been compared with ab initio results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modeling Liquid Water by Climbing up Jacob’s Ladder in Density Functional Theory Facilitated by Using Deep Neural Network Potentials

Within the framework of Kohn–Sham density functional theory (DFT), the ability to provide good predictions of water properties by employing a strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) functional has been extensively demonstrated in recent years. Here, we further advance the modeling of water by building a more accurate model on the fourth rung of Jacob’s ladder with the hybrid functional, SCAN0. In particular, we carry out both classical and Feynman path-integral molecular dynamics calculations of water with the SCAN0 functional and the isobaric–isothermal ensemble. To generate the equilibrated structure of water, a deep neural network potential is trained from the atomic potential energy surface based on ab initio data obtained from SCAN0 DFT calculations. For the electronic properties of water, a separate deep neural network potential is trained by using the Deep Wannier method based on the maximally localized Wannier functions of the equilibrated trajectory at the SCAN0 level. The structural, dynamic, and electric properties of water were analyzed. The hydrogen-bond structures, density, infrared spectra, diffusion coefficients, and dielectric constants of water, in the electronic ground state, are computed by using a large simulation box and long simulation time. For the properties involving electronic excitations, we apply the GW approximation within many-body perturbation theory to calculate the quasiparticle density of states and bandgap of water. Compared to the SCAN functional, mixing exact exchange mitigates the self-interaction error in the meta-generalized-gradient approximation and further softens liquid water toward the experimental direction. For most of the water properties, the SCAN0 functional shows a systematic improvement over the SCAN functional. However, some important discrepancies remain. The H-bond network predicted by the SCAN0 functional is still slightly overstructured compared to the experimental results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Block-diagonalization as a tool for the robust diabatization of high-dimensional potential energy surfaces

Robust diabatization techniques are key for the development of high-dimensional coupled potential energy surfaces (PESs) to be used in multi-state quantum dynamics simulations. In the present study we demonstrate that, besides the actual diabatization technique, common problems with the underlying electronic structure calculations can be the reason why a diabatization fails. After giving a short review of the theoretical background of diabatization, we propose a method based on the block-diagonalization to analyse the electronic structure data. This analysis tool can be used in three different ways: First, it allows to detect issues with the ab initio reference data and is used to optimize the setup of the electronic structure calculations. Second, the data from the block-diagonalization are utilized for the development of optimal parametrized diabatic model matrices by identifying the most significant couplings. Third, the block-diagonalization data are used to fit the parameters of the diabatic model, which yields an optimal initial guess for the non-linear fitting required by standard or more advanced energy based diabatization methods. The new approach is demonstrated by the diabatization of 9 electronic states of the propargyl radical, yielding fully coupled full-dimensional (12D) PESs in closed form.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ab initio benchmarks of neutrinoless double- β decay in light nuclei with a chiral Hamiltonian

Here, we report ab initio benchmark calculations of nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) for neutrinoless double-β (0νββ) decays in light nuclei with mass numbers ranging from A = 6 to A = 22. We use the transition operator derived from light-Majorana neutrino exchange and evaluate the NME with three different methods: two variants of in-medium similarity renormalization group (IMSRG) and importance-truncated no-core shell model (IT-NCSM). The same two plus three nucleon interaction from chiral effective field theory is employed, and both isospin-conserving (ΔT = 0) and isospin-changing (ΔT = 2) transitions are studied. We compare our resulting ground-state energies and NMEs to those of recent ab initio no-core shell model and coupled-cluster calculations, also with the same inputs. We show that the NMEs of ΔT = 0 transitions are in good agreement among all calculations, at the level of 10%. For ΔT = 2, relative deviations are more significant in some nuclei. The comparison with the exact IT-NCSM result allows us to analyze these cases in detail, and indicates the next steps toward improving the IMSRG-based approaches. The present study clearly demonstrates the power of consistent cross checks that are made possible by ab initio methodology. This capability is crucial for providing meaningful many-body uncertainties in the NMEs for the 0νββ decays in heavier candidate nuclei, where quasiexact benchmarks are not available.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗