Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Field study”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,603 records · Page 89

Can dark matter be a scalar field?

In this paper we study a real scalar field as a possible candidate to explain the dark matter in the universe. In the context of a free scalar field with quadratic potential, we have used Union 2.1 SN Ia observational data jointly with a Planck prior over the dark matter density parameter to set a lower limit on the dark matter mass as m ≥0.12 H {sub 0}{sup -1} eV ( c = h-bar =1). For the recent value of the Hubble constant indicated by the Hubble Space Telescope, namely H {sub 0}=73±1.8 km s{sup -1}Mpc{sup -1}, this leads to m ≥1.56×10{sup -33} eV at 99.7% c.l. Such value is much smaller than m ∼ 10{sup -22} eV previously estimated for some models. Nevertheless, it is still in agreement with them once we have not found evidences for a upper limit on the scalar field dark matter mass from SN Ia analysis. In practice, it confirms free real scalar field as a viable candidate for dark matter in agreement with previous studies in the context of density perturbations, which include scalar field self interaction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Magnetic Damping of g-Jitter Induced Double-Diffusive Convection

This paper describes a numerical study of the g-jitter driven double diffusive convective flows, thermal and concentration distributions in binary alloy melt systems subject to an external magnetic field. The study is based on the finite element solution of transient magnetohydrodynamic equations governing the momentum, thermal and solutal transport in the melt pool. Numerical simulations are conducted using the synthesized single- and multi- frequency g-jitter as well as the real g-jitter data taken during space flights with or without an applied magnetic field. It is found that for the conditions studied, the main melt flow follows approximately a lineal- superposition of velocity components induced by individual g-jitter components, regardless of whether a magnetic field exists or not. The flow field is characterized by a recirculating double diffusive convection loop oscillating in time with a defined frequency equal to that of the driving g-jitter force. An applied magnetic field has little effect on the oscillating recirculating pattern, except around the moment in time when the flow reverses its direction. The field has no effect on the oscillation period, but it changes the phase angle. It is very effective in suppressing the flow intensity and produces a notable reduction of the solutal striation and time fluctuations in the melt. For a given magnetic field strength, the magnetic damping effect is more pronounced on the velocity associated with the largest g-jitter component present and/or the g-jitter spiking peaks. A stronger magnetic field is more effective in suppressing the melt convection and also is more helpful in bringing the convection in phase with the g-jitter driving force. The applied field is particularly useful in suppressing the effect of real g-jitter spikes on both flow and solutal distributions. With appropriately selected magnetic fields, the convective flows caused by g-jitter can be reduced sufficiently and diffusion dominant. solutal transport in the melt is possible.

Shu, Y.↗

Study on 3D Internal Magnetic Field Distribution and Dynamic Mechanics of a Giant Magnetostrictive Actuator

The three-dimensional (3D) coupled magneto-elastic dynamic model of a giant magnetostrictive actuator (GMA) was built based on Maxwell’s equations, elasticity, and vibration theories. The general analytical expressions for the 3D internal magnetic field distribution of GMA were derived, and the corresponding analytical solutions were obtained. This analytical model is able to predict the internal magnetic field distribution and the output displacement of GMA system with different physical parameters under external excitations. The dynamic behaviors, such as the amplitude vs. frequency responses and the time domain waveforms of the GMA, were also studied. Analytical solutions showed that the internal magnetic field has a prominent end effect along the axial direction of a giant magnetostrictive material (GMM) rod, whereas a minimal skin effect along its radial direction, which are matched very well with the FEM results. The amplitude-frequency relationship exhibited prominent resonance and anti-resonance characteristic, which is a typical hysteresis feature of the GMA system. In order to testify the validity of the model prediction, a GMA testing system was also established. Excellent agreement was found between the experiment measurements and model predictions in the range of our research (frequency is lower than 300 Hz). The analytical results of the present study have potential applications in the fields of active vibration control and other precision machining of the GMA system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Emergent phenomena at oxide interfaces studied with standing-wave photoelectron spectroscopy

Emergent phenomena at complex-oxide interfaces have become a vibrant field of study in the past two decades due to the rich physics and a wide range of possibilities for creating new states of matter and novel functionalities for potential devices. The electronic-structural characterization of such phenomena presents a unique challenge due to the lack of direct yet nondestructive techniques for probing buried layers and interfaces with the required Ångstrom-level resolution, as well as element and orbital specificity. In this Review, we survey several recent studies wherein soft x-ray standing-wave photoelectron spectroscopy—a relatively newly developed technique—is used to investigate buried oxide interfaces exhibiting emergent phenomena such as metal-insulator transition, interfacial ferromagnetism, and two-dimensional electron gas. The advantages, challenges, and future applications of this methodology are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microwave-induced selective decomposition of cellulose: Computational and experimental mechanistic study

Understanding microwave-material interactions will help facilitate the utilization of microwave technology in gasification and renewable energy production. In this study, cellulose was used as a model compound to simulate the organic matter in biomass, and its catalytic decomposition under a microwave (MW) field was studied to identify structural changes from the reaction. The study was conducted using a MW source coupled to a fixed-bed gas-flow reactor, mass spectroscopic, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy post-reaction analysis. Zeolite 13X was chosen as a microwave absorber to study the catalytic enhancement of the decomposition of cellulose. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to gain insights into the molecular transformations occurring in the presence of a static electric field, which was used to simulate the electric field component of the microwave electromagnetic radiation. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that both the positive and negative portion of the electric field interact with the permanent dipoles of the cellulose effecting the decomposition through the glycosidic bond breaking mechanism. The theoretical result was verified using infrared spectroscopic analysis of the pure cellulose during microwave heating. The theoretical calculations suggest only the positive electric field component may be active for the cellulose decomposition in the presence of Zeolite 13X. Physically mixing Zeolite 13X with the cellulose led to a significant enhancement in the decomposition rate of the glycosidic bond. Zeolite 13X enhanced the glycosidic O-C decomposition at lower MW power (lower temperatures), whereas the O-H functional group required higher MW power (higher temperature) for its decomposition. The DFT study coupled with the reaction studies revealed that the electric field polarizability is dependent upon both the direction and the orientation of the cellulose. Gas products revealed that applying 250 W of MW power led to the production of CO, H 2 , along with some CO 2 , CH 4 , and benzene at 305 °C. Finally, reaction under 500, 750, and 1000 W of power at constant temperature (305 °C) revealed that higher power led to the complete decomposition of cellulose to mostly CO, H 2 , and CO 2 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dose enhancement in radiotherapy of small lung tumors using inline magnetic fields: A Monte Carlo based planning study

Purpose: To report on significant dose enhancement effects caused by magnetic fields aligned parallel to 6 MV photon beam radiotherapy of small lung tumors. Findings are applicable to future inline MRI-guided radiotherapy systems. Methods: A total of eight clinical lung tumor cases were recalculated using Monte Carlo methods, and external magnetic fields of 0.5, 1.0, and 3 T were included to observe the impact on dose to the planning target volume (PTV) and gross tumor volume (GTV). Three plans were 6 MV 3D-CRT plans while 6 were 6 MV IMRT. The GTV’s ranged from 0.8 to 16 cm{sup 3}, while the PTV’s ranged from 1 to 59 cm{sup 3}. In addition, the dose changes in a 30 cm diameter cylindrical water phantom were investigated for small beams. The central 20 cm of this phantom contained either water or lung density insert. Results: For single beams, an inline magnetic field of 1 T has a small impact in lung dose distributions by reducing the lateral scatter of secondary electrons, resulting in a small dose increase along the beam. Superposition of multiple small beams leads to significant dose enhancements. Clinically, this process occurs in the lung tissue typically surrounding the GTV, resulting in increases to the D{sub 98%} (PTV). Two isolated tumors with very small PTVs (3 and 6 cm{sup 3}) showed increases in D{sub 98%} of 23% and 22%. Larger PTVs of 13, 26, and 59 cm{sup 3} had increases of 9%, 6%, and 4%, describing a natural fall-off in enhancement with increasing PTV size. However, three PTVs bounded to the lung wall showed no significant increase, due to lack of dose enhancement in the denser PTV volume. In general, at 0.5 T, the GTV mean dose enhancement is around 60% lower than that at 1 T, while at 3 T, it is 5%–60% higher than 1 T. Conclusions: Monte Carlo methods have described significant and predictable dose enhancement effects in small lung tumor plans for 6 MV radiotherapy when an external inline magnetic field is included. Results of this study indicate that future clinical inline MRI-guided radiotherapy systems will be able to deliver a dosimetrically superior treatment to small (PTV < 15 cm{sup 3}), isolated lung tumors over non-MRI-Linac systems. This increased efficacy coincides with the reimbursement in the United States of lung CT screening and the likely rapid growth in the number of patients with small lung tumors to be treated with radiotherapy.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Building the Foundation for Assessing GOM Offshore CO 2 EOR and CO 2 Storage [Slides]

This PowerPoint Presentation was used in a seminar given to headquarters personnel as well as other stakeholders. The seminar took place on August 7, 2020. The presentation introduces three offshore oil field case studies: Cognac, Petronius, and Horn Mountain. The NETL/ARI Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore large oil fields data base provides a strong foundation for the upcoming offshore GOM CO 2 storage and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) assessment. The three Case Studies show that significant volumes of CO 2 can be securely stored in the offshore GOM and that notable volumes of addition oil can be recovered from this area with CO 2 EOR. The Case Studies also show that the CO 2 Prophet Model can serve as an excellent assessment tool. The “next steps” include building the cost and economics models for offshore CO 2 transportation and particularly for conducting seafloor CO 2 EOR and CO 2 storage.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Giant increase in cross-magnetic-field transport rate as an electron-positron plasma cools

An electron-positron plasma in thermal equilibrium within a uniform magnetic field is studied here using a classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulation. The cross-magnetic-field single-particle diffusion coefficient is evaluated as a function of the magnetic field strength and plasma temperature. The transport rate is found to increase by many orders of magnitude as the plasma temperature is lowered, for a magnetic field strength of 1 T. The sharp dependence on temperature is due to electrons and positrons becoming temporarily correlated and drifting across the magnetic field before dissociating.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Field Quality of HD3—A Nb $_3$ Sn Dipole Magnet Based on Block Design

HD3 is the latest magnet of a series of block-type Nb 3 Sn dipole model magnets developed by the Superconducting Magnet Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The magnet is 1 m long with a clear aperture of 43 mm. As a model magnet designed with accelerator-quality features, each coil has flared ends to provide a clear bore for a beam tube. The magnet design was also optimized to minimize the geometric and saturation field errors. In 2013, HD3b reached a peak dipole field of 13.4 T at 4.4 K. As part of the magnet test, we measured field quality using rotating coils with lengths of 26 and 130 mm developed by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. We report and analyze the measured static and dynamic field errors. We discuss the insight provided by the field quality study of HD3, which can be useful for the development of high-field block-type dipole magnets for next-generation circular colliders.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hydrogen recombination in the early Universe in the presence of a magnetic field

Hydrogen recombination in the earlyUniverse in the presence of amagnetic field is studied. An equation for the recombination temperature in the presence of a magnetic field is obtained. The limiting cases of weak and strong magnetic fields are examined. A critical field above which the system being considered is in the atomic-hydrogen phase at any temperature is shown to exist. The relative shift of the recombination temperature in a magnetic field is estimated, and it is shown that this shift is small.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Proton energy relaxation in an electron gas in a uniform magnetic field

Energy relaxation of single protons in an ultracold electron gas in the presence and absence of a uniform magnetic field is studied by the method of molecular dynamics. For the case with a magnetic field, the situation is considered in which the electron Larmor radius is much smaller than the classical minimal approach distance. The calculations are performed for electron densities of 10{sup 8}–10{sup 9} cm{sup –3}, magnetic fields of В = 1–3 T, electron temperatures of 10–50 K, and proton energies of 100–300 000 K.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Coherent pulse interrogation system for fiber Bragg grating sensing of strain and pressure in dynamic extremes of materials

A 100 MHz fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation system is described and applied to strain and pressure sensing. The approach relies on coherent pulse illumination of the FBG sensor with a broadband short pulse from a femtosecond modelocked erbium fiber laser. After interrogation of the FBG sensor, a long multi-kilometer run of single mode fiber is used for chromatic dispersion to temporally stretch the spectral components of the reflected pulse from the FBG sensor. Dynamic strain or pressure induced spectral shifts in the FBG sensor are detected as a pulsed time domain waveform shift after encoding by the chromatic dispersive line. Signals are recorded using a single 35 GHz photodetector and a 50 G Samples per second, 25 GHz bandwidth, digitizing oscilloscope. Application of this approach to high-speed strain sensing in magnetic materials in pulsed magnetic fields to ~150 T is demonstrated. The FBG wavelength shifts are used to study magnetic field driven magnetostriction effects in LaCoO₃. A sub-microsecond temporal shift in the FBG sensor wavelength attached to the sample under first order phase change appears as a fractional length change (strain: ΔL/L<10⁻⁴) in the material. A second application used FBG sensing of pressure dynamics to nearly 2 GPa in the thermal ignition of the high explosive PBX-9501 is also demonstrated. Both applications demonstrate the use of this FBG interrogation system in dynamical extreme conditions that would otherwise not be possible using traditional FBG interrogation approaches that are deemed too slow to resolve such events.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Characterizing the Non-equilibrium Dynamics of Field-Driven Correlated Quantum Systems

Recent experimental advances in ultrafast phenomena have triggered renewed interest in the dynamics of correlated quantum systems away from equilibrium. We review non-equilibrium dynamical mean-field theory studies of both the transient and the steady states of a DC field-driven correlated quantum system. In particular, we focus on the non-equilibrium behavior and how it relates to the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. The fluctuation-dissipation theorem emerges as an indicator for how the system thermalizes and for how it reaches a steady state. When the system thermalizes in an infinite temperature steady state it can pass through a succession of quasi-thermal states that approximately obey the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. We also discuss the Wigner distribution and what its evolution tells us about the non-equilibrium many-body problem.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Molecular collisions in a laser field - Effect of the laser linewidth

The effect of the laser linewidth on molecular collision processes taking place in a laser field is studied, using an approximation scheme that replaces the actual frequency distribution of the field by a finite number of frequencies and weights. The choice of the frequencies and weights is conveniently accomplished by the method of Gaussian quadrature. Close-coupling calculations are performed on model systems, and the results indicate that the neglect of the laser linewidth may be justified in most collision processes in a laser field.

Lee, H. W.↗

The Challenge of Moving Science into Practice: Lessons Learned and New Approaches - 16443

Remediation of residual subsurface soil and groundwater contamination remains a significant problem facing the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM). EM has completed cleanup activities at many of their sites, however, many of the remaining sites are technically complex, either due to the nature of the contaminants or to the nature of the subsurface environment. Often these complex sites require supporting scientific studies to resolve key technical uncertainties. A key challenge is the difficulty in efficiently moving advancements from basic and applied science research studies to field applications to address key technical needs. The successful transfer of technologies from the laboratory to the field generally benefits from an overt structure that combines the results of scientific studies with professional judgement to translate them into actionable practice. The process requires a 'connecting of the dots', e.g., bringing the best science and technical judgement to real and measurable improvements to baseline remedial activities. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

An Integrated Assessment of a G3 GMD Event on Large-Scale Power Grids: From Magnetometer Data to Geomagnetically Induced Current Analysis

Solar activities can cause geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) that give rise to geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) which may compromise the reliability of the power system. In order to build more reliable models representing GMD interactions with the power grid, the power system’s detailed electrical model must be considered along with fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic and induced surface electric fields. Here, this study investigates the impact of incorporating spatially varying magnetic fields into surface electric field models on GMD risk metrics. A spatially independent magnetic field model and a spatially varying model are compared through simulations. To perform this analysis, the earth’s magnetic field disturbances are transformed into surface electric fields using respective one-dimensional earth conductivity models. Then, the modeling impact of these electric fields is studied using a 2,000-bus grid for Texas and a 25,000-bus grid for the northeast and mid- Atlantic regions of the United States. Simulation results reveal that the inclusion of spatially varying magnetic fields results in considerable differences in GMD risk metrics, highlighting the importance of accounting for spatial variability when assessing GMD risks in the power system.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Type I planet migration in a magnetized disk. I. Effect of large-scale vertical and azimuthal field components

We study the effects of a large-scale, ordered magnetic field in protoplanetary disks on Type I planet migration using a combination of numerical simulations in 2D and 3D and a linear perturbation analysis. Steady-state models of such disks require the inclusion of magnetic diffusivity. To make progress using ideal MHD, we focus on simplified field configurations, involving purely vertical (B{sub z}) and azimuthal (B{sub φ}) field components and a combination of the two. For each of the models we calculate the locations of the relevant resonances and of the turning points, which delineate the propagation regions of the MHD waves that transport angular momentum from the planet to the disk. We use both numerical and semianalytic methods to evaluate the cumulative back torque acting on the planet, and explore the effect of spatial gradients in the disk’s physical variables on the results. We conclude that, under realistic (3D) circumstances, a large-scale magnetic field can slow down the inward migration that characterizes the underlying unmagnetized disk—by up to a factor of ∼2 when the magnetic pressure approaches the thermal pressure—but it cannot reverse it. A previous inference that a pure-B{sub ϕ} field whose amplitude decreases fast enough with radius leads to outward migration applies only in 2D. In fact, we find that, in 3D, a pure-B{sub ϕ} disk undergoes a rapid transition to turbulence on account of a magnetorotational instability that is triggered by the planet-induced appearance of a weak B{sub z} component.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗