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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

State-to-State Molecular Reactions in the Ultracold Regime (Final Scientific Report)

We have achieved the proposed goal to experimentally probe the AB + CD and AB + C types of reactions with state-to-state resolution, which we also compared to advanced theoretical calculations to help elucidate the role of quantum mechanics in the processes of bond breakage and formation. Our approach uses reactants that are prepared at ultracold temperatures (< 1µK) such that the quantum effects of translational motion are an important factor. Specific example reactions, including the potassium-rubidium metathesis reaction KRb + KRb → K 2 + Rb 2 as well as the atom exchange reaction Rb + KRb → Rb2 + K, are chosen because the technology of quantum internal and motional state control of these types of molecules is particularly advanced. The results for the entire funding period are fruitful. For the majority of this grant, we have constructed a one-of-the-kind quantum degenerate gas apparatus that integrates ion detection and velocity map imaging capabilities, allowing us to explore the KRb + KRb → K 2 + Rb 2 bimolecular reaction in detail. Specifically, we first verified such a reaction indeed proceed at ultracold temperatures by direct detection of reaction products. We then mapped out the complete product state distribution, which was compared to a state-counting model based on statistical theory. Our results show an overall agreement with the statistical state counting model, but also reveal several deviating state-pairs. An exact quantum calculation for molecule-molecule collisions, that is needed to understand these deviations, is however beyond the current state-of-the-art. Beside scrutinizing the reaction products, we also directly observe the reaction intermediate complex, which was quite a surprise to us. The intermediate complexes are long-lived and can interact with the inferred light that we use to trap the ultracold gas. After molecule-molecule collisions, we then explored the more theoretically tractable Rb + KRb reaction, which is endothermic. Surprisingly, we observed an exceedingly long-lived KRb$^*_2$ collisional complexes, with our experimentally measured complex lifetime deviating from conventional theoretical calculations by five orders of magnitude. This discrepancy has motivated many explorations of possible underlying causes, though no model yet captures this phenomenon completely. In the final year and the work that continues today, we extend upon these atom-molecule collision experiments to explore the origin of the long-lived KRb$^*_2$ complex lifetime and develop means to control the outcome of the reaction complex. The 5-year funded work advanced our understanding of chemical reactions at the lowest possible temperatures and at the same time opened up many new questions that are beyond our initial imaginations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Review of In Situ Sensing for Directed Energy Deposition for Industrial Part Quality Assessment

As the use additive manufacturing (AM) processes continues to grow in critical industries, improved quality assurance methods are becoming increasingly sought after for qualification and certification of AM components. Traditional nondestructive evaluation of printed components is often unable to supply the required confidence in print quality to justify qualification and certification, but the layer-by-layer nature of AM provides unprecedented opportunities for in situ quality inspection. This document summarizes recent developments in process monitoring research specifically related to Directed Energy Deposition (DED). Particular attention is given to three aspects of the highlighted manuscripts: (1) the type of sensors used, (2) features extracted from each sensor modality, and (3) analysis of extracted features for AM quality assessment. Based on the review of the state-of-the-art, several observations have been made. First, none of the reviewed works have applied their trained models to real part geometries, with many of the works relying on single track experiments, thin-walled structures, and cubes. Similarly, there have not been any works demonstrating model generalizability, i.e., a model trained on data from one build allows for fruitful analysis of data from another build. Many works used machine learning techniques to distinguish different process regimes (i.e., normal, keyholing, lack-of-fusion), but very few papers have investigated stochastic variation in an already “optimized” process. Sensor fusion approaches are also limited in the DED sensing literature, but the few works that have employed such techniques have demonstrated the benefits. Finally, registration of in situ data to the build coordinate system is of paramount importance to producing industrially relevant in situ monitoring systems. Data registration allows direct correlations between process anomalies detected in the process monitoring data to localized departures in part quality, but such techniques are generally lacking in the current literature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Indirect reactions and connection with R-matrix theory

It is often the case that nuclear reactions that are important for societal applications or basic science are difficult to measure directly in existing facilities for accelerated beams. The difficulty might be associated with an exceedingly small cross section, as the ones obtained at beam energies well below the Coulomb barrier, or with the impossibility of devising a short-lived target, as is the case for neutron-induced reactions on unstable isotopes. The fruitful line of experimental research addressing this issue with alternative (indirect) reactions has been developed in parallel to the theory needed to make the connection between the observed data and the desired cross sections of the (direct) reaction under study. Within this context, we present here an explicit connection between the indirect cross section and the R-matrix parameters which describe the energy-dependent cross section of the desired direct reaction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Addressing the data and real-time challenges in large scale particle physics experiments through AI and in situ computing technologies

Modern high energy physics experiments are faced not only with the challenge of having to deal with extremely high data rates but with the need to process data quickly to meet real time constraints. At Fermilab, we explore the use of novel computing technologies and techniques to address these challenges. I will discuss my R&D efforts in applying such computing solutions to enhance the multi-messenger astronomy capabilities and improve the overall physics performance of large-scale LArTPC based neutrino experiments. These efforts offer excellent opportunities for fruitful collaboration.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

SciDAC ISEP: Integrated Simulation of Energetic Particles in Burning Plasmas

The objective of the SciDAC Center for Integrated Simulation of Energetic Particles in Burning Plasmas (ISEP) is to improve physics understanding of energetic particle (EP) confinement and EP interactions with burning thermal plasmas through large-scale simulations. The ISEP center will develop a multiscale and multiphysics ISEP framework for a predictive capability of EP physics and deliver an EP module incorporating both first-principles simulations and high fidelity reduced transport models to the fusion whole device modeling (WDM) project. The ISEP framework will enable us to perform long time, global kinetic simulations of EP physics in burning plasmas, by utilizing the full power of the next generation supercomputers. Our research and development activities will build on fruitful collaborations with computer scientists and applied mathematicians to offer enabling technologies for performance scalability, portability, solvers, coupling for integration with the fusion WDM project, and long-term preservation of data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of shading following installation of agrivoltaic systems on eco-physiological and biochemical attributes of “Howes” cranberry in Massachusetts

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems, which integrate solar energy generation with crop production on the same piece of land, offer a sustainable solution for optimizing land-use efficiency. However, the impact of shading induced by solar panels on crop growth, physiology, and metabolic activities of cranberry is not known. Understanding these interactions is essential for assessing the feasibility of AV systems in cranberry production. In this study we evaluated eco-physiological and biochemical crop responses on a commercial ‘Howes’ cranberry bog grown under an agrivoltaics system using different row spacings in the year immediately following installation. Following installation of fixed tilt solar panels at a height of 3.0 m above the plant canopy, four shading treatments were evaluated: an uncovered control area and row spacings of 9.0 m, 7.0 m, and 5.0 m, corresponding to 30%, 35%, and 37% shading respectively. The shading effect was also evaluated at three different fruit developmental stages (green, blush, and full-red stage). Using microclimate sensors installed in the treatment areas, key eco-physiological and biochemical parameters, including leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and antioxidant content, electrolyte leakage, proline and trehalose accumulation, were assessed. While moderate shading (30% and 35%) alleviated environmental stress, as reflected by improved leaf water status and reduced electrolyte leakage, these same treatments suppressed key physiological and metabolic functions, including photosynthetic activity, carbon reserve accumulation, and the biosynthesis of stress-related osmolytes and antioxidant compounds. Under higher shading (37%), these reductions were even more pronounced, indicating a potential threshold beyond which the benefits of shading are outweighed by declines in assimilate production and secondary metabolism. These findings highlight a trade-off between the stress-mitigating benefits of shading and the alterations in key physiological and metabolic processes under agrivoltaic systems. Minimizing these trade-offs by optimizing row spacing in agrivoltaics systems is critical to maintain cranberry physiological status. Since commercial cranberry is grown as a continuous plant canopy (no interrow spaces for equipment travel), damage caused by the installation process likely impacted crop response evaluated in the first year; multi-year studies are needed to fully understand the dynamics of a dual-use system. Notably, this work provides the first direct measurements of proline, trehalose content, and electrolyte leakage in cranberry grown under AV conditions, offering new insight into their physiological adjustments to shading.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Connecting agriculture and renewable energy: insights into microclimatic changes, physiological, biochemical, and yield responses under agrivoltaics: a review

Agrivoltaics, the synergistic integration of agriculture and solar energy production on the same piece of land, has emerged as a compelling dual-use solution that maximizes land productivity while simultaneously addressing the need for sustainable agricultural practices and renewable energy generation. Despite the growing global interest in this dual-use system, the microclimatic shifts created beneath solar panels and their consequences for crop performance remain insufficiently synthesized. This review highlights the intricate interactions between agrivoltaics systems and plant microclimates, discussing their impacts on various physiological processes, metabolic pathways, and overall yield responses in different crop species. Evidence indicates that moderated light intensity and altered microclimates can enhance water-use efficiency, stabilize photosynthetic function, and trigger beneficial metabolic adjustments; however, responses remain highly species-specific and strongly dependent on regional climate conditions and panel configuration. Yield outcomes vary widely among vegetables, cereals, pulses, and fruit crops, highlighting the necessity for tailored agronomic strategies and crop selection within agrivoltaic designs. A critical knowledge gap identified in this review concerns the limited understanding of molecular and omics-level responses underlying plant adaptation to agrivoltaic environments. We further provide a detailed and interdisciplinary overview of adaptive agronomic strategies, and optimal crop selection, tailored to agrivoltaic systems. Despite the benefits of land use efficiency and simultaneous food and energy production, challenges remain concerning initial investment, technological adaptation, social and legal barriers, and shade-induced yield penalties. Further research in this area will be critical to enhancing the agricultural, environmental, and economic sustainability of agrivoltaics while simultaneously augmenting their practical utility and appeal to farmers in the future.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

The BIRDIES Experiment: Measuring Beryllium Isotopes to Resolve Dynamics in the Stratosphere

Cosmogenic beryllium-10 and beryllium-7, and the ratio of the two (10Be/7Be), are powerful atmospheric tracers of stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) processes; however, measurements are sparse for altitudes well above the tropopause. We present a novel high-altitude balloon campaign aimed to measure these isotopes in the mid-stratosphere called Beryllium Isotopes for Resolving Dynamics in the Stratosphere (BIRDIES). BIRDIES targeted gravity waves produced by tropopause-overshooting convection to study their propagation and impact on STE dynamics, including the production of turbulence in the stratosphere. Two custom-designed payloads called FiSH and GASP were flown at altitudes approaching 30 km to measure in situ turbulence and beryllium isotopes (on aerosols), respectively. These were flown on nine high-altitude balloon flights over Kansas, USA, in summer 2022. The atmospheric samples were augmented with a ground-based rainfall collection targeting isotopic signatures of deep convection overshooting. Our GASP samples yielded mostly negligible amounts of both 10Be and 7Be collected in the mid-stratosphere but led to design improvements to increase aerosol capture in low-pressure environments. Observations from FiSH and the precipitation collection were more fruitful. FiSH showed the presence of turbulent velocity, temperature, and acoustic fluctuations in the stratosphere, including length scales in the infra-sonic range and inertial subrange that indicated times of elevated turbulence. The precipitation collection, and subsequent statistical analysis, showed that large spatial datasets of 10Be/7Be can be measured in individual rainfall events with minimum terrestrial contamination. While the spatial patterns in rainfall suggested some evidence for overshooting convection, inter-event temporal variability was clearly observed and predicted with good agreement using the 3D chemical transport model GEOS-CHEM.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Woody Plant Transformation: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Woody plants, comprising forest and fruit tree species, provide essential ecological and economic benefits to society. Their genetic improvement is challenging due to long generation intervals and high heterozygosity. Genetic transformation, which combines targeted DNA delivery with plant regeneration from transformed cells, offers a powerful alternative to accelerating their domestication and improvement. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Rhizobium rhizogenes, and particle bombardment have been widely used for DNA delivery into a wide variety of explants, including leaves, stems, hypocotyls, roots, and embryos, with regeneration occurring via direct organogenesis, callus-mediated organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, or hairy root formation. Despite successes, conventional approaches are hampered by low efficiency, genotype dependency, and a reliance on challenging tissue culture. This review provides a critical analysis of the current landscape in woody plant transformation, moving beyond a simple summary of techniques to evaluate the co-evolution of established platforms with disruptive technologies. Key advances among these include the use of developmental regulators to engineer regeneration, the rise in in planta systems to bypass tissue culture, and the imperative for DNA-free genome editing to meet regulatory and public expectations. By examining species-specific breakthroughs in key genera, including Populus, Malus, Citrus, and Pinus, this review highlights a paradigm shift from empirical optimization towards rational, predictable engineering of woody plants for a sustainable future.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum Software Engineering (Dagstuhl Seminar 24512)

The Dagstuhl Seminar 24512 on "Quantum Software Engineering" was held from December 15 to 20, 2024. It brought together 26 participants from industry and academia from 13 different countries, including senior and junior researchers as well as practitioners in the field of Quantum Software Engineering. The aim of the seminar was to advance software engineering methods and tools for the engineering of hybrid quantum systems by promoting personal interaction and open discussion among researchers who are already working in this emerging area of knowledge. The first day of the seminar was devoted to the topic "When software engineering meets quantum mechanics", while the second day focused on "Quantum software engineering and its challenges." During both days, 16 invited presentations were given. The rest of the seminar was organized into three working groups to address the topics "Quantum Software Design, Modelling and Architecturing", "Adaptive Hybrid Quantum Systems", and "Quantum Software Quality Assurance". The seminar was a very fruitful experience for all participants both in terms of scientific outcomes and in terms of the personal relationships that were generated to jointly address future experiences.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Signatures of transposon-mediated genome inflation, host specialization, and photoentrainment in Entomophthora muscae and allied entomophthoralean fungi

Despite over a century of observations, the obligate insect parasites within the order Entomophthorales remain poorly characterized at the genetic level. In this manuscript, we present a genome for a laboratory-tractable Entomophthora muscae isolate that infects fruit flies. Our E. muscae assembly is 1.03 Gb, consists of 7810 contigs and contains 81.3% complete fungal BUSCOs. Using a comparative approach with recent datasets from entomophthoralean fungi, we show that giant genomes are the norm within Entomophthoraceae owing to extensive, but not recent, Ty3 retrotransposon activity. In addition, we find that E. muscae and its closest allies possess genes that are likely homologs to the blue-light sensor white-collar 1, a Neurospora crassa gene that has a well-established role in maintaining circadian rhythms. We uncover evidence that E. muscae diverged from other entomophthoralean fungi by expansion of existing families, rather than loss of particular domains, and possesses a potentially unique suite of secreted catabolic enzymes, consistent with E. muscae’s species-specific, biotrophic lifestyle. Finally, we offer a head-to-head comparison of morphological and molecular data for species within the E. muscae species complex that support the need for taxonomic revision within this group. Altogether, we provide a genetic and molecular foundation that we hope will provide a platform for the continued study of the unique biology of entomophthoralean fungi.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Land cover and space use influence coyote carnivory: evidence from stable-isotope analysis

For many species, the relationship between space use and diet composition is complex, with individuals adopting varying space use strategies such as territoriality to facilitate resource acquisition. Coyotes ( Canis latrans ) exhibit two disparate types of space use; defending mutually exclusive territories (residents) or moving nomadically across landscapes (transients). Resident coyotes have increased access to familiar food resources, thus improved foraging opportunities to compensate for the energetic costs of defending territories. Conversely, transients do not defend territories and are able to redirect energetic costs of territorial defense towards extensive movements in search of mates and breeding opportunities. These differences in space use attributed to different behavioral strategies likely influence foraging and ultimately diet composition, but these relationships have not been well studied. We investigated diet composition of resident and transient coyotes in the southeastern United States by pairing individual space use patterns with analysis of stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope values to assess diet. During 2016–2017, we monitored 41 coyotes (26 residents, 15 transients) with GPS radio-collars along the Savannah River area in the southeastern United States. We observed a canopy effect on δ 13 C values and little anthropogenic food in coyote diets, suggesting 13 C enrichment is likely more influenced by reduced canopy cover than consumption of human foods. We also observed other land cover effects, such as agricultural cover and road density, on δ 15 N values as well as reduced space used by coyotes, suggesting that cover types and localized, resident-like space use can influence the degree of carnivory in coyotes. Finally, diets and niche space did not differ between resident and transient coyotes despite differences observed in the proportional contribution of potential food sources to their diets. Although our stable isotope mixing models detected differences between the diets of resident and transient coyotes, both relied mostly on mammalian prey (52.8%, SD = 15.9 for residents, 42.0%, SD = 15.6 for transients). Resident coyotes consumed more game birds (21.3%, SD = 11.6 vs 13.7%, SD = 8.8) and less fruit (10.5%, SD = 6.9 vs 21.3%, SD = 10.7) and insects (7.2%, SD = 4.7 vs 14.3%, SD = 8.5) than did transients. Our findings indicate that coyote populations fall on a feeding continuum of omnivory to carnivory in which variability in feeding strategies is influenced by land cover characteristics and space use behaviors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1961

Systems Engineering of a Nuclear-Electric Spacecraft

Studies have shown that nuclear-electric propulsion systems will provide superior payload capability and unique advantages over chemical systems for high-energy deep-space missions. Conceptual design studies of unmanned spacecraft employing nuclear-electric propulsion systems have been undertaken to determine some of the major integration problems. Early recognition of these problems will help to stimulate the development effort that will be required to bring these systems into fruitful utilization. Typical designs under consideration for interplanetary missions for the next decade employ a nuclear reactor providing thermal energy to a turbogeneration system which, in turn, supplies electrical power to an ion engine for primary propulsion and additional utility power for guidance and control, powered-flight radio transmission, instrumentation, et cetera. The major systems and components which form a complete spacecraft are listed in this Report, and a review of the significant physical and operational characteristics of these various systems and components which affect spacecraft integration is made. Conceptual.configurations and detailed weight studies for a 60-kilowatts-electric Venus-capture spacecraft and a 1-megawattelectric Jupiter-capture spacecraft are shown to illustrate typical physical arrangements based on the various hardware constraints. From these configurations, the major development goals are ascertained and summarized.

SPACECRAFT↗
NASA NTRS1962

Collected Papers on Instability of Shell Structures - 1962

Shell structures are important components of airplanes, missiles, and space vehicles, but present capabilities for predicting the local and general instability of many such structures are inadequate. A large effort continues to be devoted to the stability analysis of shell structures, and considerable progress has been made. Results are slowly disseminated, however, and many engaged in research are not fully cognizant of the problems and practices of the vehicle designers who utilize research results. Therefore, an NASA SYMPOSIUM ON INSTABILITY OF SKELL STRUCTURES was organized by the Langley Research Center with sessions held there on October 24 and 25, 1962. Participants were limited to persons contributing papers and to certain officials of the U.S. Government. This symposium was planned to provide those persons concerned with shell instability at research laboratories, at educational institutions, and in the aerospace industry with a comprehensive view of the present state of the art, including the voids in present knowledge, important current problems, and the most fruitful directions for future theoretical and experimental research on the instability of all types of shell structures. Individuals actively engaged in research on shell stability or design were invited to contribute written papers for inclusion in a compilation to be distributed to the participants prior to the symposium. A few papers were selected by a steering committee for oral presentation at the symposium. Provision was made, also, for a discussion of all papers.

MISSILE↗
NASA NTRS1962

STABILITY PROBLEMS IN MISSILE STRUCTURES

A number of specific buckling problems relating to missile propellant tanks and transition sections are enumerated. In some cases approximate techniques used by missile designers to determine stability are mentioned. The inadequacies of these approximate methods and the unavailability of appropriate usable information is stressed. Furthermore, the mathematical complexities of nonlinear buckling problems are considered. Some possibly fruitful areas of mathematics to simplify these complexities are discussed with the hope that research in these areas will provide a batter means through which the analyst may supply the designer with more realistic and accurate theoretical data.

MISSILE↗
NASA NTRS1968

Analytical and experimental studies of the steady state combustion mechanism of solid propellants

Our present state of understanding of the steady-state combustion mechanisms of solid propellants is reviewed. Attention is focused principally on heterogeneous propellants. Both experimental and theoretical work is discussed. The recent advances considered include studies of linear pyrolysis of propellant constituents, deflagration of exothermic oxidizers, combustion of oxidizer spheres in gaseous fuels, porous-bed combustion, reactions between gaseous fuel and gaseous oxidizer components, metal combustion, propellant strand burning, rocket motor combustion and microcinematographic experimentation. A theoretical analysis of a model of homogeneous propellant combustion is outlined in detail, with special emphasis placed on surface gasification laws and on flammability limits in nonadiabatic systems. Low pressure, moderate pressure, plateau and high pressure domains of combustion are identified for ammonium perchlorate composite propellants. It is concluded that a better foundation for investigating composite propellant combustion properties is available for ammonium perchlorate than for any other oxidizer. Avenues for potentially fruitful future research are recommended.

M Barrère↗
NASA NTRS1968

Advances in solid-fuel propulsion systems for tactical rockets

The objective of this paper is to present a brief survey of three areas in which advances of solid propulsion have enabled improved design of tactical rockets. The three areas are microwave attenuation, acceleration-combustion interactions, and performance optimization. In each of the three areas, improved understanding has significantly contributed to rocket technology. The problems remaining are far from solved, however, and the three subjects are fruitful areas for fundamental investigations.

Charles B Henderson↗