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At least 1,423 records · Page 79

Review: Pre-Darcy flows in low-permeability porous media

The widely used Darcy’s law specifies a linear relation between the Darcy velocity of fluid flow and the pressure gradient that drives the flow. However, studies have shown that Darcy velocity can exhibit a nonlinear dependence on the pressure gradient in low-permeability porous media such as clay and shale when the pressure gradient is adequately low. This phenomenon is referred to as low-velocity non-Darcian flow or pre-Darcy flow. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the theories, experimental data, and modeling methods for pre-Darcy flow in low-permeability porous media. The review begins by outlining the fundamental mechanisms underlying pre-Darcy flow that regulate the unique characteristics such as nonlinear dependence of the Darcy velocity on the pressure gradient and its relevance to fluid–rock interactions. The review then proceeds to present a thorough compilation of experimental investigations performed in various low-permeability geomaterials including tight sandstones, shales, and clays. Next, empirical and theoretical models and simulation methods that have been developed to fit and interpret experimental data are reviewed. Finally, the review underscores the challenges encountered in conducting and interpreting pre-Darcy flow experiments and suggests future research directions. By analyzing previous experimental investigations, this review aims to offer a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to enhance their understanding of fluid dynamics in low-permeability geomaterials. This provides insights into the application of pre-Darcy flow in numerous natural and engineered processes such as shale oil and gas recovery, contaminant transport in low-permeability aquifers, and geological disposal of nuclear waste.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Decadal carbon decomposition dynamics in three peatlands in Northern Minnesota

The uppermost portion of the peat profile, an area of active diagenetic processes, is exceedingly important for understanding peatland dynamics and the diagenesis and geochemistry of atmospherically-deposited materials. In this study, we investigated high resolution carbon (C) accrual and peat decomposition rates at two Sphagnum-rich ombrotrophic bogs and one fen in northern Minnesota, USA by analyzing 1 cm increments from 30 cm thick intact frozen blocks of peat soil. We conducted radiocarbon analysis of Sphagnum cellulose to determine peat age and net C accumulation at each depth interval. Calibrated peat ages were determined using CALIBomb and a compilation of calibration datasets for the pre-bomb period. We fit data with a negative exponential accumulation model and used model-derived parameters to estimate net primary productivity (NPP) and a peat decomposition rate constant k. FTIR spectroscopy and C:N were used to derive humification indices and to chemically characterize the peat. NPP ranged from 180 to 266 g C m -2 year -1 , k ranged from 0.015 to 0.019 year -1 . Net C accumulation rates ranged from 112 to 174 g C m -2 year -1 at 25 years and 70 to 113 g C m -2 year-1 at 50 years. Mass loss was up to 55% during the first 50 years of peat accumulation. Decomposition is greater at depth in the bogs—where 25 cm of peat correspond to 55 years of peat accumulation—than in the fen, where peat age is approximately 25 years at 25 cm depth. Lastly, information on fine-scale variations in peat mass decomposition and loss across ombrotrophic bogs and a fen help interpret other diagenetic processes in peatlands.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

How much carbon can be added to soil by sorption?

Abstract Quantifying the upper limit of stable soil carbon storage is essential for guiding policies to increase soil carbon storage. One pool of carbon considered particularly stable across climate zones and soil types is formed when dissolved organic carbon sorbs to minerals. We quantified, for the first time, the potential of mineral soils to sorb additional dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for six soil orders. We compiled 402 laboratory sorption experiments to estimate the additional DOC sorption potential, that is the potential of excess DOC sorption in addition to the existing background level already sorbed in each soil sample. We estimated this potential using gridded climate and soil geochemical variables within a machine learning model. We find that mid- and low-latitude soils and subsoils have a greater capacity to store DOC by sorption compared to high-latitude soils and topsoils. The global additional DOC sorption potential for six soil orders is estimated to be 107 $$\pm$$ ± 13 Pg C to 1 m depth. If this potential was realized, it would represent a 7% increase in the existing total carbon stock.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Molten Halide Salt Surface Tension: Methods and Correlations

Here, this paper reviews various methods for studying surface tension and their applicability to fluoride and chloride molten salt systems, including a comparison of benefits and drawbacks. Such a comparison aids in experiment design based on desired factors such as scale, accuracy, and repeatability. A detailed review is presented for existing literature data regarding the surface tension of molten fluoride and chloride salts. These reference data were compiled and analyzed to determine cross-validated correlation equations for several alkali and alkaline earth fluoride and chloride salts as functions of temperature. These correlations are necessary for reliable multiphysics modeling approaches as well as accurate design and analysis of multiphase molten salt phenomena such as gas sparging and bubble formation/transport. This analysis supports the development of the thermophysical arm of the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database (MSTDB-TP) managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Chloride↗

Energy Levels, Radiative Rates, and Lifetimes for Transitions in Fe XIV

Energy levels, transition rates, and lifetimes are reported for the low-lying 129 levels of Fe XIV, belonging to the n = 3 states (1s{sup 2}2s{sup 2}2p{sup 6})3s{sup 2}3p, 3s3p{sup 2}, 3s{sup 2}3d, 3p{sup 3}, 3s3p3d, 3p{sup 2}3d, 3s3d{sup 2}, and 3p3d{sup 2}. High-accuracy calculations have been performed as benchmarks in the request for accurate treatments of relativity, electron correlation and quantum electrodynamic (QED) effects in multi-valence-electron systems. The calculated energy levels are in excellent agreement with the experimental results and the experimentally compiled energy values, of the National Institute for Standards and Technology wherever available. The calculated values including core–valence correlation are found to be in good agreement with other theoretical and experimental values.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A review of slip transfer: applications of mesoscale techniques

In this review article, we present and discuss recent mesoscale modeling studies of slip transmission of dislocations through biphase interfaces. Specific focus is given to fcc/fcc material systems. We first briefly review experimental, atomistic, and continuum-scale work that has helped to shape our understanding of these systems. Then several mesoscale methods are discussed, including Peierls–Nabarro models, discrete dislocation dynamics models, and phase field-based techniques. Recent extensions to the mesoscale mechanics technique called phase field dislocation dynamics are reviewed in detail. Results are compiled and discussed in terms of the proposed guidelines that relate composite properties to the critical stress required for a slip transmission event.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Efficient Trainability of Linear Optical Modules in Quantum Optical Neural Networks

The existence of “barren plateau landscapes” for generic discrete-variable quantum neural networks, which obstructs efficient gradient-based optimization of cost functions defined by global measurements, would be surprising in the case of generic linear optical modules in quantum optical neural networks due to the tunability of the intensity of continuous variable states and the relevant unitary group having exponentially smaller dimension. We demonstrate that coherent light in m modes can be generically compiled efficiently if the total intensity scales sublinearly with m, and extend this result to cost functions based on homodyne, heterodyne, or photon detection measurement statistics, and to noisy cost functions in the presence of attenuation. Here, we further demonstrate efficient trainability of m mode linear optical quantum circuits for variational mean field energy estimation of positive quadratic Hamiltonians for input states that do not have energy exponentially vanishing with m.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Electronic Properties and Fermi Surface for New Layered High-Temperature Superconductors CaAFe{sub 4}As{sub 4} (A = K, Rb, and Cs): FLAPW-GGA Calculations

Recently, new FeAs-based high-temperature superconductors CaAFe{sub 4}As{sub 4} (A = K, Rb, and Cs) with a layered tetragonal crystal structure were synthesized (T{sub C} ∼ 30 K). In this letter, we report for the first time the band structures, Fermi surface topology, total and partial densities of electronic states, and interatomic interactions for CaAFe{sub 4}As{sub 4} as estimated by means of the first-principle FLAPW-GGA calculations. The obtained data for CaAFe{sub 4}As{sub 4} phases are analyzed in comparison with each other and with other related FeAs systems. The interatomic bonding picture can be represented as a highly anisotropic mixture of metallic, covalent, and ionic contributions, which are realized inside Fe{sub 4}As{sub 4}-layered blocks and between these blocks and Ca, A atomic sheets. The Fermi surfaces of these systems have a multisheet character and are compiled of a large number of cylinders at the edges and in the central part of the Brillouin zone. It is established that the high-temperature superconductivity in CaAFe{sub 4}As{sub 4} compounds as in other related systems correlates well with such structure parameters as bond angles and anion height.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Recommended nuclear data for medical radioisotope production: diagnostic positron emitters

An IAEA coordinated research project that began in 2012 and ended in 2016 was primarily dedicated to the compilation, evaluation and recommendation of cross-section data for the production of medical radionuclides. One significant part of this work focused on diagnostic positron emitters. These particular studies consist of 69 reactions for direct and indirect or generator production of 44 Sc( 44 Ti), 52 mMn( 52 Fe), 52 gMn, 55 Co, 61 Cu, 62 Cu( 62 Zn), 66 Ga, 68 Ga( 68 Ge), 72 As( 72 Se), 73 Se, 76 Br, 82 Rb( 82 Sr), 82 mRb, 86 Y, 89 Zr, 90 Nb, 94 mTc, 110 mIn( 110 Sn), 118 Sb( 118 Te), 120 I, 122 I( 122 Xe), 128 Cs( 128 Ba), and 140 Pr( 140 Nd) medical radionuclides. The resulting reference cross-section data were obtained from Padé fits to selected and corrected experimental data, and integral thick target yields were subsequently deduced. Uncertainties in the fitted results were estimated via a Padé least-squares method with the addition of a 4% assessed systematic uncertainty. Experimental data were also compared with theoretical predictions available from the TENDL-2015 and TENDL-2017 libraries.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Results from the third Galaxy Serpent tabletop exercise demonstrating the utility of nuclear forensics libraries in support of an investigation

Galaxy Serpent is a virtual, web-based international ongoing series of tabletop exercises designed to mature the concept of National Nuclear Forensics Libraries (NNFL) and illustrate their utility in answering investigative questions or providing investigative leads as part of an investigation involving nuclear or other radioactive material (R/N) out of regulatory control (MORC). Two prior versions of the exercise have been conducted; the first utilizing surrogate data for spent nuclear fuel as the material of interest, and the second using synthetic sealed radioactive source data. Teams participating in the recently concluded third version of the exercise were provided with synthetic uranium ore concentrate (UOC) data mimicking actual data characteristics (e.g. trace element concentrations), which was used to compile a model NNFL. Teams decided how to organize and interpret the data they were provided, dealt with real world features such as missing data, and assessed discriminating attributes. Next, a hypothetical scenario involving three UOC samples found out of regulatory control was provided, and each team had to assess the self-consistency of the individual sources in the unknown data, and employ their model NNFL as a comparative assessment instrument to determine whether the three UOC materials in question were consistent with any of the types of materials in their library. In conclusion, the design of the exercise, methodologies utilized by participating teams, and aggregate results of the exercise will be presented, along with challenges encountered and benefits realized.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Are ‘Water Smart Landscapes’ Contagious? An Epidemic Approach on Networks to Study Peer Effects

Here, we test the existence of a neighborhood based peer effect around participation in an incentive based conservation program called ‘Water Smart Landscapes’ (WSL) in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. We use 15 years of geo-coded daily records of WSL program applications and approvals compiled by the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Clark County Tax Assessors rolls for home characteristics. We use this data to test whether a spatially mediated peer effect can be observed in WSL participation likelihood at the household level. We show that epidemic spreading models provide more flexibility in modeling assumptions, and also provide one mechanism for addressing problems associated with correlated unobservables than hazards models which can also be applied to address the same questions. We build networks of neighborhood based peers for 16 randomly selected neighborhoods in Las Vegas and test for the existence of a peer based influence on WSL participation by using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered epidemic spreading model (SEIR), in which a home can become infected via autoinfection or through contagion from its infected neighbors. We show that this type of epidemic model can be directly recast to an additive-multiplicative hazard model, but not to purely multiplicative one. Using both inference and prediction approaches we find evidence of peer effects in several Las Vegas neighborhoods.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

How does biochar influence soil N cycle? A meta-analysis

Modern agriculture is driving the release of excessive amounts of reactive nitrogen (N) from the soils to the environment, thereby threatening ecological balances and functions. The amendment of soils with biochar has been suggested as a promising solution to regulate the soil N cycle and reduce N effluxes. However, a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of biochar impacts on soil N cycle remains elusive. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the influence of biochar on different variables involved in soil N cycle using data compiled across 208 peer-reviewed studies. On average, biochar beneficially increases symbiotic biological N2 fixation (63%), improves plant N uptake (11%), reduces soil N2O emissions (32%), and decreases soil N leaching (26%), but it poses a risk of increased soil NH3 volatilization (19%). Biochar-induced increase in soil NH3 volatilization commonly occurs in studies with soils of low buffering capacity (soil pH = 5, organic carbon = 10 g/kg, or clay texture), the application of high alkaline biochar (straw- or manure-derived biochar), or biochar at high application rate (>40 t/ha). Besides, if the pyrolytic syngas is not purified, the biochar production process may be a potential source of N2O and NOx emissions which correspond to 2–4% and 3–24% of the feedstock-N, respectively. This study suggests that to make biochar beneficial for decreasing soil N effluxes, clean advanced pyrolysis technique and adapted use of biochar are of great importance.

biochar, nitrogen cycle, soil, nitrous oxide, ammo↗

Cyanobacterial ultrastructure in light of genomic sequence data

Cyanobacteria are physiologically and morphologically diverse photosynthetic microbes that play major roles in the carbon and nitrogen cycles of the biosphere. Recently, they have gained attention as potential platforms for the production of biofuels and other renewable chemicals. Many cyanobacteria were characterized morphologically prior to the advent of genome sequencing. Here we catalog cyanobacterial ultrastructure within the context of genomic sequence information, including high magnification transmission electron micrographs of sequenced representatives of each of the five morphological Subsections. We place the image data in the context of tabulated protein domains--which are the structural, functional and evolutionary units of proteins--from the 126 cyanobacterial genomes comprising the CyanoGEBA dataset. In particular, we identify the correspondence between ultrastructure and the occurrence of protein domains related to the formation of cyanobacterial inclusions. This compilation of images and genome-level domain occurrence will prove useful for a variety of analyses of cyanobacterial sequence data and provide a guidebook to morphological features.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Efficiently embedding QUBO problems on adiabatic quantum computers

Adiabatic quantum computers like the D-Wave 2000Q can approximately solve the QUBO problem, which is an NP-hard problem, and have been shown to outperform classical computers on several instances. Solving the QUBO problem literally means solving virtually any NP-hard problem like the traveling salesman problem, airline scheduling problem, protein folding problem, genotype imputation problem, thereby enabling significant scientific progress, and potentially saving millions/billions of dollars in logistics, airlines, healthcare and many other industries. Yet, before QUBO problems are solved on quantum computers, they must be embedded (or compiled) onto the hardware of quantum computers, which in itself is a very hard problem. Here, we propose an efficient embedding algorithm, that lets us embed QUBO problems fast, uses less qubits and gets the objective function value close to the global minimum value. We then compare the performance of our embedding algorithm to that of D-Wave’s embedding algorithm, which is the current state of the art, and show that our embedding algorithm convincingly outperforms D-Wave’s embedding algorithm. Our embedding approach works with perfect Chimera graphs, i.e., Chimera graphs with no missing qubits.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Rolex: Resilience-oriented language extensions for extreme-scale systems

Future exascale high-performance computing (HPC) systems will be constructed from VLSI devices that will be less reliable than those used today, and faults will become the norm, not the exception. This will pose significant problems for system designers and programmers, who for half-a-century have enjoyed an execution model that assumed correct behavior by the underlying computing system. The mean time to failure (MTTF) of the system scales inversely to the number of components in the system and therefore faults and resultant system level failures will increase, as systems scale in terms of the number of processor cores and memory modules used. However every error detected need not cause catastrophic failure. Many HPC applications are inherently fault resilient. Yet it is the application programmers who have this knowledge but lack mechanisms to convey it to the system. In this paper, we present new Resilience Oriented Language Extensions (Rolex) which facilitate the incorporation of fault resilience as an intrinsic property of the application code. We describe the syntax and semantics of the language extensions as well as the implementation of the supporting compiler infrastructure and runtime system. Furthermore, our experiments show that an approach that leverages the programmer's insight to reason about the context and significance of faults to the application outcome significantly improves the probability that an application runs to a successful conclusion.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The Surface-Topography Challenge: A Multi-Laboratory Benchmark Study to Advance the Characterization of Topography

Surface performance is critically influenced by topography in virtually all real-world applications. The current standard practice is to describe topography using one of a few industry-standard parameters. The most commonly reported number is Ra, the average absolute deviation of the height from the mean line (at some, not necessarily known or specified, lateral length scale). However, other parameters, particularly those that are scale-dependent, influence surface and interfacial properties; for example the local surface slope is critical for visual appearance, friction, and wear. The present Surface-Topography Challenge was launched to raise awareness for the need of a multi-scale description, but also to assess the reliability of different metrology techniques. In the resulting international collaborative effort, 153 scientists and engineers from 64 research groups and companies across 20 countries characterized statistically equivalent samples from two different surfaces: a “rough” and a “smooth” surface. The results of the 2088 measurements constitute the most comprehensive surface description ever compiled. We find wide disagreement across measurements and techniques when the lateral scale of the measurement is ignored. Consensus is established through scale-dependent parameters while removing data that violates an established resolution criterion and deviates from the majority measurements at each length scale. Our findings suggest best practices for characterizing and specifying topography. The public release of the accumulated data and presented analyses enables global reuse for further scientific investigation and benchmarking.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Challenge clusters facing LCA in environmental decision-making—what we can learn from biofuels

Purpose: Bioenergy is increasingly used to help meet greenhouse gas (GHG) and renewable energy targets. However, bioenergy’s sustainability has been questioned, resulting in increasing use of life cycle assessment (LCA). Bioenergy systems are global and complex, and market forces can result in significant changes, relevant to LCA and policy. The goal of this paper is to illustrate the complexities associated with LCA, with particular focus on bioenergy and associated policy development, so that its use can more effectively inform policymakers. Methods: The review is based on the results from a series of workshops focused on bioenergy life cycle assessment. Expert submissions were compiled and categorized within the first two workshops. Over 100 issues emerged. Accounting for redundancies and close similarities in the list, this reduced to around 60 challenges, many of which are deeply interrelated. Some of these issues were then explored further at a policy-facing workshop in London, UK. The authors applied a rigorous approach to categorize the challenges identified to be at the intersection of biofuels/bioenergy LCA and policy. Results and discussion: The credibility of LCA is core to its use in policy. Even LCAs that comply with ISO standards and policy and regulatory instruments leave a great deal of scope for interpretation and flexibility. Within the bioenergy sector, this has led to frustration and at times a lack of obvious direction. This paper identifies the main challenge clusters: overarching issues, application and practice and value and ethical judgments. Many of these are reflective of the transition from application of LCA to assess individual products or systems to the wider approach that is becoming more common. Uncertainty in impact assessment strongly influences planning and compliance due to challenges in assigning accountability, and communicating the inherent complexity and uncertainty within bioenergy is becoming of greater importance. Conclusions: The emergence of LCA in bioenergy governance is particularly significant because other sectors are likely to transition to similar governance models. LCA is being stretched to accommodate complex and broad policy-relevant questions, seeking to incorporate externalities that have major implications for long-term sustainability. As policy increasingly relies on LCA, the strains placed on the methodology are becoming both clearer and impedimentary. The implications for energy policy, and in particular bioenergy, are large.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

A New Approach to Multivariate Network Traffic Analysis

© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC & Science Press, China. Network traffic analysis is one of the core functions in network monitoring for effective network operations and management. While online traffic analysis has been widely studied, it is still intensively challenging due to several reasons. One of the primary challenges is the heavy volume of traffic to analyze within a finite amount of time due to the increasing network bandwidth. Another important challenge for effective traffic analysis is to support multivariate functions of traffic variables to help administrators identify unexpected network events intuitively. To this end, we propose a new approach with the multivariate analysis that offers a high-level summary of the online network traffic. With this approach, the current state of the network will display patterns compiled from a set of traffic variables, and the detection problems in network monitoring (e.g., change detection and anomaly detection) can be reduced to a pattern identification and classification problem. In this paper, we introduce our preliminary work with clustered patterns for online, multivariate network traffic analysis with the challenges and limitations we observed. We then present a grid-based model that is designed to overcome the limitations of the clustered pattern-based technique. We will discuss the potential of the new model with respect to the technical challenges including streaming-based computation and robustness to outliers.

Kim, Jinoh↗