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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Coordination of Anle138b to Silver Results in Selective Reduction of a C-terminal truncated Alpha-synuclein Protein and Increased Aggregate Size

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent age-related neurodegenerative syndrome, partially thought to be caused by a decrease in alpha-synuclein proteostasis. Anle138b = 5-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-3-(3-bromophenyl)-1H-pyrazole (HL), is undergoing clinical trials as a promising mitigator of alpha-synuclein aggregation. Because complexation to metals is known to modulate the activity of several drugs, we have prepared and characterized: H2L(ClO4), [CuI(µ-L)]3, and [AgI(µ-L)]3. To better understand the bioviability of these compounds, we monitored their effects in a cell culture model of alpha-synuclein protein aggregation using human alpha-synuclein pre-formed fibrils (PFFs). Using two different anti-alpha-synuclein antibodies, our data suggests that [AgI(µ-L)]3 decreases a C-terminal truncated protein that is approximately 12.4 kDa, as well as increases the size and alters the shape of PFF-induced aggregates. This indicates that [AgI(µ-L)]3 impacts aggregation in a manner different from HL and may serve as a novel tool for studying C-terminal truncation related aggregation chemistry.

Rue, Kelly L.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Alpha particle loss measurements and analysis in JET DT plasmas

Abstract Burning reactor plasmas will be self-heated by fusion born alpha particles from deuterium-tritium reactions. Consequently, a thorough understanding of the confinement and transport of DT-born alpha particles is necessary to maintain the plasma self-heating. Measurements of fast ion losses provide a direct means to monitor alpha particle confinement. JET’s 2021–2022 second experimental DT-campaign offers burning plasma scenarios with advanced fast ion loss diagnostics for the first time in nearly 25 years. Coherent and non-coherent alpha losses were observed due to a variety of low frequency MHD activity. This manuscript will present the loss mechanisms, spatial and pitch dependencies, scalings with plasma parameters, correlations with wall impurities, and magnitude of DT-alpha born losses.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Identifying Controlling Variables for Mercury Vapors in Alpha-4 at Y-12: Two Year Data Collection Update

Multiple sensor packages were deployed at Alpha-4 by SRNL, in collaboration with United Cleanup Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR), to monitor mercury vapor concentrations and meteorological parameters. These sensors collected data, inside and outside of the legacy-use facility, for approximately two years. Though data gaps still exist, particularly in colder months, several controlling variables were identified that govern mercury vapor concentrations within Alpha-4. Temperature, barometric pressure gradients, humidity, and wind speed have been identified as controlling variables. A strong positive correlation was seen between mercury vapor concentrations and temperature which generally followed diurnal fluctuations. Temperatures below approximately 10 degrees Celsius did not show any spikes above the PEL, indicating more work can be performed at any time during the winter months – more data should be collected to confirm consistency in this finding. Additionally, spikes in mercury vapor concentrations above that of the permissible exposure limit (PEL; 100 µg/m 3 ) occurred primarily in late afternoon or evening/overnight hours (between 3 PM and 6 AM), which suggests D&D operations might be best scheduled during morning or daytime hours prior to the late afternoon. However, a limited number of spikes did occur outside of the identified window, although this may be attributed to disturbances in air flow and mercury vapor release from work activities performed inside of the Alpha-4 building. The analysis conducted allows for a strong predictive capability for estimating mercury vapor concentrations based upon accurate meteorological parameters. Still, additional data collection, particularly in the winter months, could help to strengthen the predictive power and validate the identified data trends. Further, increased temporal resolution could also help to better characterize the incipient stages of the increases and decreases in the mercury vapor concentration. Continued monitoring support by SRNL at Y-12 is underway at Alpha-4 to further close remaining data gaps and support deactivation and decommissioning work. Within a collaborative effort with UCOR, the SRNL team is collecting mercury vapor data to study the efficacy of a novel mercury suppressant, FerroBlack® which was recently deployed at Alpha-4. In addition, modifications to the current monitoring setup to increase measurement resolution is also being investigated.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Prediction of Alpha-Particle-Immune Gate-All-Around Field-Effect Transistors (GAA-FET) Based SRAM Design

Alpha particles are known to be a major source of particles creating soft errors in semiconductor devices, such as content flipping in Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM). Recent advancements in transistor nodes have led to the introduction of Gate-All-Around Field Effect Transistors (GAA-FETs), which have better gate control, thus better electrostatics. Moreover, the introduction of bottom dielectric isolation (BDI) eliminates substrate leakage and thus is expected to enhance its radiation hardness. It is thus important to explore if one can design an SRAM that is completely radiation-hard to alpha particles. In this paper, using 3D Technology Computer-Aided-Design (TCAD) simulations, we show that it is possible to design an SRAM using GAA-FET technology so that it is immune to single alpha particle radiation error. In other words, with the design, there will be no single-event upset (SEU) due to alpha particles. We first use ab initio calculations in PHITS to show that there is a maximum linear energy transfer (LET), LET max , for the alpha particle in Si and Si x Ge 1-x . Based on that, by de signing a sub-7nm GAA-FET-based SRAM with BDI, we show that the SRAM does not flip even if the particle strike is in the worst-case scenario for LET > LET max .

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1973

Solar flare alpha particles

Interplanetary disturbances frequently change the instantaneous values of the low energy solar flare alpha-to-proton flux ratios. The fluxes of alpha particles were integrated over the duration of seven large solar events occurring between May 28, 1967, and November 6, 1969, in order to investigate the total alpha particles fluxes observed at 1 AU resulting from the flares. The spectra of the event integrated alphas are always softer than the spectra of the event integrated protons. As a consequence, the event-integrated alpha-to-proton ratios decrease slightly with increasing energy per nucleon. The He-4/H-1 ratios averaged over the seven events are found to vary as 0.026 (E/nucl) sup -0.2 in the range 1 to 10 MeV/nucleon. The value of the ratio at 1 MeV/nucleon is less than the helium-to-hydrogen abundance determined from spectroscopic studies of prominences and the chromosphere, and is less than the average solar wind helium-to-hydrogen abundance.

Lanzerotti, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

X-alpha calculation of transition energies in multiply ionized atoms

It is shown that the accuracy of calculations can be improved if appropriate (different) values of alpha are used for each configuration. Alternatively, the Slater Transition state can be used, wherein a total energy difference is related to a difference in single electron eigenvalues. By a series expansion, the value of alpha for an excited configuration can be related to its value for the ground state configuration. The terms Delta alpha (delta Epsilon/delta alpha) exhibit a similar dependence on atomic number as the ground state values of alpha. Results of sample calculations are reported and compared with experiment.

Ringers, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

K alpha line emission during solar X-ray bursts

The expected flux of K alpha line emission from sulfur, argon, calcium, and iron is calculated during both thermal and nonthermal solar X-ray events. Such emission is shown to be weak during the course of most of the nonthermal hard X-ray bursts that Kane and Anderson (1970) have observed. If Compton backscattering is significant at high energies, the flux is reduced still further for disk flares, but it is noted that the strong, near-limb burst of June 26 would have produced about 100 photons /sq cm/sec of sulfur and iron K alpha emission. The impulsive hard X-ray bursts may in general be too short-lived for much K alpha emission. It may be noted that sulfur K alpha emission in particular depends sensitively on the lower-energy limit of the nonthermal electron spectrum, assuming such a sharply defined boundary exists. During soft X-ray bursts, when temperatures of a few 10 to the 7th power K are obtained, K alpha emission from certain iron ions, specifically Fe XVIII-XXIII, may be important.

Phillips, K. J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Ultraviolet photometry from the orbiting astronomical observatory. XVI - The stellar Lyman-alpha absorption line

The stellar Lyman-alpha line at 1216 A was observed in 29 lightly reddened stars of spectral type B2.5 to B9 by a far-UV spectrophotometer on OAO-2. The equivalent widths obtained range from 15 A at type B2.5 to 65 A at type B8; in the late-B stars, the L-alpha line removes 2 to 3% of the total stellar flux. In this sampling, the strength of the L-alpha line correlates well with measures of the Balmer discontinuity and Balmer line strengths; luminosity classification does not seem to affect the line strength. The observed line widths also agree with the predictions of Mihala's grid of non-LTE model atmospheres. In some cases, the L-alpha line influences the interstellar column densities reported in the interstellar OAO-2 L-alpha survey. Hence, these data toward lightly reddened B2 and B1.5 stars should be regarded as upper limits only.

Savage, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Ultraviolet observations of cool stars. IV - Intensities of Lyman-alpha and Mg II in epsilon Pegasi and epsilon Eridani, and line width-luminosity correlations

A spectrometer on the Copernicus satellite has been used to confirm the existence of a line width-luminosity relation for the Ly-alpha and Mg II 2800-A chromospheric emission lines in K-type stars by observation of a K2 dwarf (epsilon Eri) and a K2 supergiant (epsilon Peg). Combined with previously reported observations of lines in three K giants (alpha Boo, alpha Tau, and beta Gem), the data are consistent with an identical dependence of line width on absolute visual magnitude for the Ca II K, Ly-alpha, and Mg II 2795-A lines. Surface fluxes of Ly-alpha, Mg II 2800-A, and O V 1218-A (upper limit) for epsilon Eri, and of Mg II 2800-A for epsilon Peg are also compared with values reported previously for the three giant stars.

Mcclintock, W.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Lyman-alpha observations of Comet Kohoutek 1973 XII with Copernicus

Comet Kohoutek 1973 XII was observed with a telescope-spectrometer on the Copernicus satellite on six occasions over a 1-month period starting on January 29, 1974. Positive detection of the cometary Ly-alpha emission profile was obtained on January 29 and February 2. Earlier observations of the geocoronal Ly-alpha emission profile allowed an instrumental intensity calibration and confirmation of the computed instrumental profile for an extended source at the Ly-alpha wavelength. After allowing for broadening by the instrument, a hydrogen-outflow velocity of about 10.6 km/s is derived from the width of the Ly-alpha emission on January 29. The intensity calibration combined with an appropriate cometary model led to cometary water-production rates for January 29 and February 2. Only upper limits were obtained for Ly-alpha on and after February 14. Searches for OH and D led to negative results.

Drake, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Gas phase hydrogen permeation in alpha titanium and carbon steels

Commercially pure titanium and heats of Armco ingot iron and steels containing from 0.008-1.23 w/oC were annealed or normalized and machined into hollow cylinders. Coefficients of diffusion for alpha-Ti and alpha-Fe were determined by the lag-time technique. Steady state permeation experiments yield first power pressure dependence for alpha-Ti and Sievert's law square root dependence for Armco iron and carbon steels. As in the case of diffusion, permeation data confirm that alpha-titanium is subject to at least partial phase boundary reaction control while the steels are purely diffusion controlled. The permeation rate in steels also decreases as the carbon content increases. As a consequence of Sievert's law, the computed hydrogen solubility decreases as the carbon content increases. This decreases in explained in terms of hydrogen trapping at carbide interfaces. Oxidizing and nitriding the surfaces of alpha-titanium membranes result in a decrease in the permeation rate for such treatment on the gas inlet surfaces but resulted in a slight increase in the rate for such treatment on the gas outlet surfaces. This is explained in terms of a discontinuous TiH2 layer.

Johnson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Circumstellar absorption lines in the ultraviolet spectrum of Alpha Scorpii /M1.5 Iab + B2.5V/

The paper presents the first ultraviolet high resolution spectroscopic measurements, obtained with the BUSS payload, of circumstellar lines towards Alpha(2) Sco of Mg I, Cr II, Fe II, Ni II, and Zn II. These lines arise in gas flowing outward from Alpha(1) Sco (M1.5 Iab). Ionization calculations result in a position of the B star along the line of sight at a distance of 783 (plus or minus 261) AU closer to us than the M star and a mass loss rate M(alpha-1 Sco) = 7.1 (plus or minus 3.5) x 10 to the -6th solar masses/yr. The inner radius of the expanding circumstellar envelope appears to be about 8.5 R(alpha-1 Sco) and its total gas mass is about 0.01 M(alpha-1 Sco). Mass loss may be important for the evolution of this red supergiant.

Van Der Hucht, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The effect of thermal cycling to 1100 C on the alpha /Mo/ phase in directionally solidified gamma/gamma-prime-alpha alloys

Specimens of gamma/gamma-prime-alpha (Mo) eutectic alloy were thermally cycled or isothermally exposed at temperatures of 1075 to 1100 C. Transmission electron microscopy examination of cycled specimens indicated that even an exposure of 10 minutes effected noticeable changes in the shape of the alpha phase, and that the changes were cumulative as more cycles were added. The cross sections of fine, smooth fibers changed from rectangles to octagons, while lamellae and irregular shapes spheroidized. These effects are attributed to the differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the alpha phase and the gamma/gamma-prime matrix, and to the higher diffusion rates prevailing at elevated temperatures. Where the configuration of the alpha phase is a simple shape, such as a fiber, increasing the temperature eventually brings about a stress free interface between the alpha phase and the matrix by differential thermal expansion. Where the shape of the alpha phase is more complex, a stressed interface persists to higher temperatures where diffusion produces the more drastic morphological changes.

Harf, F. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Latitudinal anisotropy of the solar far ultraviolet flux - Effect on the Lyman alpha sky background

An estimate is given for the anisotropy of the solar full disk flux in the far ultraviolet, as it would be observed for lines of sight within and above the ecliptic plane through the predominant influence of plages at low heliocentric latitudes. The flux anisotropy for Lyman alpha, at a level of solar activity with a sunspot number of roughly 160, is approximately 0.88 for the integrated flux over the Lyman alpha profile and 0.83 for the flux at line center. The effect of this Lyman alpha flux anisotropy on the Lyman alpha sky background intensity, resonantly backscattered from the local interstellar medium that is streaming through the solar system, is examined. It is concluded that the solar Lyman alpha anisotropy should be included in models of the interplanetary background during periods of moderate to high solar activity.

Cook, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The Lyman-alpha/H-alpha ratio in solar flares and quasars

Constant temperature and density solar flare models are constructed with temperature and hydrogen density values that reflect reasonable nonlinear averages of those parameters in the depth dependent solar flare chromosphere models of Lites and Cook (1979). Acceptable values of the intensity ratios L-alpha/H-alpha and H-beta/H-alpha correspond to temperatures from about 9000 to 13,000 K, and hydrogen densities from 10 to the 11th to 10 to the 15th cu cm. The H-alpha and Ly-alpha source functions are thermalized at depths consistent with those inferred from independent studies, although the observed Ly-alpha/H-alpha ratio does not necessarily imply an electron temperature appropriate to the Planck function ratio. It is also shown that the value of Ly-alpha/H-alpha depends on the temperature, hydrogen density, and the optical depth of the emitting chromospheric layer.

Canfield, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Einstein detection of X-rays from the Alpha Centauri system

Detection of quiescent X-ray emission from the stellar components of the Alpha Cen system: Alpha Cen A (G2 V) and Alpha Cen B (K1 V) is reported. Contrary to previous theoretical expectations, both stars are found to be X-ray emitters and at about the same level: L sub x = 1.2 x 10 to the 27th and 2.8 x 10 to the 27th ergs/s for A and B, respectively; the sum of these values is in agreement with the emission level previously reported for Alpha Cen by Nugent and Garmire (1978). Comparison with previous chromospheric and transition region measurements suggests that Alpha Cen A and B may have changed in relative strength in recent years. The coronal temperature of the combined Cen AB source, which is dominated (approximately 2/3 of the total) by the K star is (2.1 + or - 0.4) x 10 to the 6th K, similar to that of the average solar corona; it is noted that this value is not consistent with the estimate of 5 x 10 to the 5th K quoted by Nugent and Garmire.

Golub, L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Skylab observations of H I Lyman-alpha

The H I Lyman-alpha profiles obtained with the Skylab SO82-B spectrograph at spectral and spatial resolutions of 60 mA and 2 arcsec x 60 arcsec are presented. Profile variations are illustrated from center to limb, at different heights above the limb, and over a cell and network boundary. The Lyman-alpha core exhibits weak or no limb darkening, whereas the line wings show weak limb darkening. Above the limb, the Lyman-alpha core integrated intensity and line width remain in essence constant up to plus 12 arcsec and may result from resonance scattering of chromospheric radiation by coronal neutral hydrogen or from spicules. On the disk, intensities in the line core are seen as correlating well with the H-alpha network; however, the Lyman-alpha wing intensities are found to correlate better with the transition region lines. The average of profiles acquired over the cell and network region is found to be similar to profiles obtained in the cell.

Roussel-Dupre, D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A surge observed in H alpha and C IV

Results are presented of simultaneous measurements of H-alpha (MSDP at Meudon) and C IV (UVSP onboard SMM) of Active Region 2701 made on October 2, 1980. Isodensity and velocity maps were obtained for both lines and these maps were superimposed. Results show a good correlation between the H-alpha and C IV velocities with a surge being observed for 10 minutes. The base of the surge was determined to be located in a bright point in C IV and H-alpha, while the escaping matter followed the same channel ('absorbing' in H-alpha, 'emitting' in C IV). It was found that the velocity along the surge was about 80 km/s in H-alpha and 100 km/s in C IV. In addition, a loop appeared in C IV during the surge. It is concluded that the vertical pressure gradient was capable of driving the surge.

Schmieder, B.↗