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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

The ReSWARM microgravity flight experiments: Planning, control, and model estimation for on‐orbit close proximity operations

Abstract On‐orbit close proximity operations involve robotic spacecraft maneuvering and making decisions for a growing number of mission scenarios demanding autonomy, including on‐orbit assembly, repair, and astronaut assistance. Of these scenarios, on‐orbit assembly is an enabling technology that will allow large space structures to be built in situ, using smaller building block modules. However, like many of these scenarios, robotic on‐orbit assembly involves several technical hurdles, such as changing system models. For instance, grappled modules moved by a free‐flying “assembler” robot can cause significant changes in the combined system inertia, which have cascading impacts on motion planning and control portions of the autonomy stack. Further, on‐orbit assembly and other scenarios require collision‐avoiding motion planning, particularly when operating in a “construction site” scenario of multiple assembler robots and structures. Multiple key technologies that address these complicating factors for autonomous microgravity close proximity operations are detailed in this work, in particular: (1) application of global long‐horizon planning, accomplished using offline and online sampling‐based planner options that consider the system dynamics; (2) adaptation of the recently proposed RATTLE information‐aware planning framework for on‐orbit reconfiguration model learning; and (3) connection with robust control tools to provide low‐level control robustness using current system knowledge. These approaches were demonstrated for an autonomous on‐orbit assembly use case by the RElative Satellite sWarming and Robotic Maneuvering (ReSWARM) experiments using NASA's Astrobee robots on the International Space Station. Results of the ReSWARM experiments are provided along with significant operational and implementation detail discussing the practicalities of hardware implementation and unique aspects of working with the Astrobee free‐flyer robots in microgravity. ReSWARM provides a base set of planning and control tools for robotic close proximity operations, demonstrates them in microgravity, and outlines some of the important hardware aspects that future autonomous free‐flyers will need to consider.

Robotics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Introductory guide to the application of XPS to epitaxial films and heterostructures

XPS is an important characterization method for epitaxial films and heterostructures. Although standard approaches to XPS data collection and analysis provide useful information such as average composition and the presence of contaminants, more in-depth analysis provides information about film structure, surface termination, built-in electric potentials and band offsets. The high degree of structural order in these materials enables such information to be extracted from spectral data but also adds complications to the analysis. This guide highlights three topics of importance in this field: i) the impacts of crystallinity on XPS signals and quantification, ii) the unexpected spectral line shapes that can occur in unusual or novel materials, and, iii) the ability of XPS to yield information about built-in potentials and band offsets. Concepts are demonstrated using complex oxide heterostructures. Although the topics are highly relevant to epitaxial films and heterostructures, they also apply to signal crystals of complex materials

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Building metallic glass structures on crystalline metal substrates by laser-foil-printing additive manufacturing

In laser-foil-printing additive manufacturing, 3D metallic glass structures can be built by laser welding of amorphous foils, layer by layer, upon a crystalline metal substrate. Here, in this paper, weldability studies for laser welding of Zr 52.5 Ti 5 Al 10 Ni 14.6 Cu 17.9 amorphous foils onto a Ti-6Al-4V (Ti 6-4) or Zr 702 substrate are conducted. After laser welding, the weldments are analyzed using X-ray diffractometer, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy and micro-hardness tester. The results show that Zr 702 is a suitable substrate for Zr-based metallic glass structure since crack-free weld joints can be obtained owing to the formation of ductile α-Zr, while Ti 6-4 is not an appropriate substrate since it has high cracking susceptibility due to the formation of a large amount of hard and brittle intermetallics near the foil-substrate interface. It was found that the mixing between melted substrate and foil is not uniform but exhibits a distinct “swirl” pattern. The swirl structure is more pronounced in Ti 6-4 than in Zr 702 substrate which may contribute to its high cracking susceptibility. The aforementioned mixing leads to partial crystallization of the first amorphous layer; however, fully amorphous is achieved in the additional welding layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout movement in a dam tailrace

Populations of Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus and Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi in the Pend Oreille Basin have declined, partly due to fragmentation caused by hydropower dams. This study aimed to analyze the movements and behavior of these species downstream of Albeni Falls Dam over two years to inform fishway design. Radiotracking investigations were conducted to monitor 10 adult Bull Trout and 17 adult Westslope Cutthroat Trout from September 2008 to July 2010. Macro and micro detection zones were delineated to study fine- and large-scale movements in the tailrace. Macro zones included the spillway and powerhouse tailrace areas. Micro zones were nested within macro zones to identify regions close to the dam where fishway structures could be built. Both Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout exhibited high mobility in the dam tailrace, transitioning between macro detection zones. Seasonal variations influenced their distribution patterns. During the spring freshet migration season, both species were primarily detected at the left powerhouse micro zone. In sedentary periods (fall/winter and summer), fish actively swam throughout the tailrace, displaying search behavior. These behavior observations suggest that potential fishway entrances located near dam concrete would be effective: the area near the left powerhouse was identified as the optimal construction location. This study highlights the feasibility of designing fish passage structures to mitigate population fragmentation and support species recovery.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparative genomic analysis of thermophilic fungi reveals convergent evolutionary adaptations and gene losses

Thermophily is a trait scattered across the fungal tree of life, with its highest prevalence within three fungal families (Chaetomiaceae, Thermoascaceae, and Trichocomaceae), as well as some members of the phylum Mucoromycota. We examined 37 thermophilic and thermotolerant species and 42 mesophilic species for this study and identified thermophily as the ancestral state of all three prominent families of thermophilic fungi. Thermophilic fungal genomes were found to encode various thermostable enzymes, including carbohydrate-active enzymes such as endoxylanases, which are useful for many industrial applications. At the same time, the overall gene counts, especially in gene families responsible for microbial defense such as secondary metabolism, are reduced in thermophiles compared to mesophiles. We also found a reduction in the core genome size of thermophiles in both the Chaetomiaceae family and the Eurotiomycetes class. The Gene Ontology terms lost in thermophilic fungi include primary metabolism, transporters, UV response, and O-methyltransferases. Comparative genomics analysis also revealed higher GC content in the third base of codons (GC3) and a lower effective number of codons in fungal thermophiles than in both thermotolerant and mesophilic fungi. Furthermore, using the Support Vector Machine classifier, we identified several Pfam domains capable of discriminating between genomes of thermophiles and mesophiles with 94% accuracy. Using AlphaFold2 to predict protein structures of endoxylanases (GH10), we built a similarity network based on the structures. We found that the number of disulfide bonds appears important for protein structure, and the network clusters based on protein structures correlate with the optimal activity temperature. Thus, comparative genomics offers new insights into the biology, adaptation, and evolutionary history of thermophilic fungi while providing a parts list for bioengineering applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Design of Atomically Precise Nanoscale Negative Differential Resistance Devices

Downscaling device dimensions to the nanometer range raises significant challenges to traditional device design, due to potential current leakage across nanoscale dimensions and the need to maintain reproducibility while dealing with atomic–scale components. Here, negative differential resistance (NDR) devices based on atomically precise graphene nanoribbons are investigated. The computational evaluation of the traditional double–barrier resonant–tunneling diode NDR structure uncovers important issues at the atomic scale, concerning the need to minimize the tunneling current between the leads while achieving high peak current. A new device structure consisting of multiple short segments that enables high current by the alignment of electronic levels across the segments while enlarging the tunneling distance between the leads is proposed. The proposed structure can be built with atomic precision using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip during an intermediate stage in the synthesis of an armchair nanoribbon. An experimental evaluation of the band alignment at the interfaces and an STM image of the fabricated active part of the device are also presented. In conclusion, this combined theoretical–experimental approach opens a new avenue for the design of nanoscale devices with atomic precision.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

The next generation of axion helioscopes: The international axion observatory (IAXO)

The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) is a proposed 4 th -generation axion helioscope with the primary physics research goal to search for solar axions via their Primakoff conversion into photons of 1 – 10 keV energies in a strong magnetic field. IAXO will achieve a sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling g aγ down to a few ×10⁻¹² GeV⁻¹ for a wide range of axion masses up to ~ 0.25 eV. This is an improvement over the currently best (3 rd generation) axion helioscope, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST), of about 5 orders of magnitude in signal strength, corresponding to a factor ~ 20 in the axion photon coupling. IAXO’s sensitivity relies on the construction of a large superconducting 8-coil toroidal magnet of 20 m length optimized for axion research. Each of the eight 60 cm diameter magnet bores is equipped with x-ray optics focusing the signal photons into ~ 0.2 cm² spots that are imaged by very low background x-ray detectors. The magnet will be built into a structure with elevation and azimuth drives that will allow solar tracking for 12 hours each day. This contribution is a summary of our papers [1, 2, 3] and we refer to these for further details.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Experimental and Theoretical Study of Azimuth Angle and Polarization Dependences of Sum-Frequency-Generation Vibrational Spectral Features of Uniaxially Aligned Cellulose Crystals

Comprehensive interpretation of vibrational sum-frequency-generation (SFG) spectroscopic features of SFG-active nanodomains interspersed in amorphous bulk requires the knowledge of nonlinear susceptibility, χ ijk (2) , of the SFG-active phase as a function of its spatial arrangement in the bulk as well as the polarizations of the probe lights. Our work reports the full analysis of the azimuth angle and polarization dependence of SFG signals from a control sample consisting of uniaxially aligned cellulose Iβ crystals. The χ ijk (2) terms of cellulose were estimated from quantum mechanics calculations using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), and a simple structural model was built with truncated glucose dimers. The theoretical azimuth angle and polarization dependences of characteristic CH/CH 2 and OH stretch modes of cellulose were compared with the experimentally observed trends. These comparisons revealed that the relative polarity of crystallites within the SFG coherence length, the random quasi phase-matching of polycrystalline domains, and the preferential packing of crystallites in the bulk play important roles governing the spectral features. Compared to that of small molecules, the difference between chiral and achiral responses in SFG spectra is more difficult to confirm because of the inhomogeneous distribution of crystallites in the bulk sample.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning electrochemically driven surface transformation in atomically flat LaNiO 3 thin films for enhanced water electrolysis

Structure–activity relationships built on descriptors of bulk and bulk-terminated surfaces are the basis for the rational design of electrocatalysts. However, electrochemically driven surface transformations complicate the identification of such descriptors. In this work, we demonstrate how the as-prepared surface composition of (001)-terminated LaNiO 3 epitaxial thin films dictates the surface transformation and the electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction. Specifically, the Ni termination (in the as-prepared state) is considerably more active than the La termination, with overpotential differences of up to 150 mV. A combined electrochemical, spectroscopic and density-functional theory investigation suggests that this activity trend originates from a thermodynamically stable, disordered NiO 2 surface layer that forms during the operation of Ni-terminated surfaces, which is kinetically inaccessible when starting with a La termination. Our work thus demonstrates the tunability of surface transformation pathways by modifying a single atomic layer at the surface and that active surface phases only develop for select as-synthesized surface terminations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evidence for a single-layer van der Waals multiferroic

Here we searched for signatures of type-II multiferroic order in ultrathin van der Waals materials, to determine if such a state, comprising coexisting electrical polarization and spin order with strong magnetoelectric effects, could persist down to a single-atomic layer. We reported the first observation of such a state in triangular lattice material NiI 2 . This system has a layered structure and built-in magnetic frustration that promotes a complex magnetic ground state with proper-screw spin helices. The spin helix pattern breaks inversion symmetry and induces electrical polarization via magnetoelectric coupling. We use circular dichroic Raman measurements to directly probe the magneto-chiral ground state and its electromagnon modes originating from dynamic magnetoelectric coupling. Using birefringence and second-harmonic generation measurements, we detect a highly anisotropic electronic state simultaneously breaking three-fold rotational and inversion symmetry. The evolution of the optical signatures as a function of temperature and layer number surprisingly revealed a multiferroic state that persists down to the ultrathin limit of monolayer NiI 2 . These observations establish NiI 2 and transition metal dihalides as a new platform for studying emergent multiferroic phenomena, chiral magnetic textures and ferroelectricity in the 2D limit.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Robust fluorescent calcium coordination polymers as Cu 2+ sensors with high sensitivity and fast response

A three-dimensional (3D) and highly fluorescent calcium-based coordination polymer (Ca-CP) has been synthesized and structurally characterized. Furthermore, built on a strongly fluorescent (FL) chromophore ligand, [Ca(H 2 tcbpe)(H 2 O) 2 ] (1) (H 4 tcbpe = 4',4''',4''''',4'''''''-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrakis(([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-carboxylic acid))) is highly luminescent. Photoluminescence (PL) studies indicate that 1 undergoes a bathochromic shift in emission energy from blue to green color upon outgassing or under mechanic force. Notably, 1 exhibits selective FL sensing for Cu 2+ ions with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.064 ppm, far below the U.S. WHO and EPA standard for drinking water. Detailed investigation of the sensing mechanism reveals that uncoordinated COO– groups in 1 play a major role in recognizing Cu 2+ ions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Thickness and ordering temperature of surface NiO/Ni systems

We estimate the thickness and ordering temperature of an antiferromagnetic and passivation surface oxide through exchange bias coupling. The surface NiO, which is generated through the exposure of a Ni/Cu(001) surface to oxygen, is taken as a model system on which to perform the estimation. Since no exchange bias is found in the surface NiO/Ni/Cu(001), we have built a sandwich structure of NiO/n ML Ni/10 ML Co/Cu(001) to measure the n dependence of exchange bias. With n ⩽ 2, a large exchange bias field is found above 300 K, which could be due to the direct contact between the oxides and the Co layer. With 3 ⩽ n ⩽ 6, a smaller exchange bias field is found with a blocking temperature of 190 K. This implies that the thickness of NiO is, at most, 3 ML. Discovering the thickness and ordering temperature of the surface NiO provides us to explore the potential applications by using surface NiO.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

A Monte Carlo study of reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy spectrum of a carbon contaminated surface

It has been experimentally found that the carbon surface contamination influences strongly the spectrum signals in reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) especially at low primary electron energy. However, there is still little theoretical work dealing with the carbon contamination effect in REELS. Such a work is required to predict REELS spectrum for layered structural sample, providing an understanding of the experimental phenomena observed. In this study, we present a numerical calculation result on the spatially varying differential inelastic mean free path for a sample made of a carbon contamination layer of varied thickness on a SrTiO{sub 3} substrate. A Monte Carlo simulation model for electron interaction with a layered structural sample is built by combining this inelastic scattering cross-section with the Mott's cross-section for electron elastic scattering. The simulation results have clearly shown that the contribution of the electron energy loss from carbon surface contamination increases with decreasing primary energy due to increased individual scattering processes along trajectory parts carbon contamination layer. Comparison of the simulated spectra for different thicknesses of the carbon contamination layer and for different primary electron energies with experimental spectra clearly identifies that the carbon contamination in the measured sample was in the form of discontinuous islands other than the uniform film.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Glass transition and composite formation in InF{sub 3}-containing oxyfluoroniobate system

The glasses in the system MnNbOF{sub 5}-BaF{sub 2}-InF{sub 3} have been firstly synthesized and studied. The thermal parameters of these glasses are analyzed. It was stated that glass of the composition 40MnNbOF{sub 5}-40BaF{sub 2}-20InF{sub 3} is the most thermal stable in the system under study. By X-ray analysis the compositions of the crystalline phases obtained at the glass thermal treatment were determined: the main phases are Ba{sub 3}In{sub 2}F{sub 12} and BaNbOF{sub 5}. By Raman and IR spectra analysis it was stated that the networks of glasses in the system are built by the structural type of the glasses in NbO{sub 2}F-BaF{sub 2} system: (NbO{sub n}F{sub m}) polyhedra joined oxygen bridges. Indium trifluoride forms InF{sub 6} polyhedra, which are embeded between oxyfluoroniobate ions, forming a common networks or forms its own layers from InF{sub 6} polyhedra. IR-spectroscopy method showed that at devitrification of the sample 30MnNbOF{sub 5}-50BaF{sub 2}-20InF{sub 3} the band position and shape change in going from glass state to crystalline. The bands in the range 900–700 cm{sup −1} shift into the low-frequency range and transformed into narrow peaks characteristic for the crystalline state. It was determined that for this sample the IR-spectroscopy method fixes the presence of the crystalline phases at 340°C without time of exposure, despite the fact that X-ray analysis shows an amorphous state for this sample at the same temperature. It was suggested, that controlling the composition and conditions of annealing of the glasses it can be obtain the transparent glass-ceramics of definite composition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Analysis of RF losses and material characterization of samples removed from a Nb 3 Sn-coated superconducting RF cavity

Nb 3 Sn (T c ≈18 K and H sh ≈400 mT) is a prospective material to replace Nb (T c ≈9 K and H sh ≈200 mT) in SRF accelerator cavities for significant cost reduction and performance enhancement. Because of its material properties, Nb3Sn is best employed as a thin film (coating) inside an already built RF cavity structure. A particular test cavity noted as C3C4 was a 1.5 GHz single-cell Nb cavity, coated with Nb3Sn using Sn vapor diffusion process at Jefferson Lab. Cold measurements of the coated cavity indicated the superconducting transition temperature of about 18 K. Subsequent RF measurements indicated field-dependent surface resistance both at 4.3 K and 2.0 K. After initial cold measurements, the cavity RF loss distribution was studied with a thermometry mapping system. Loss regions were identified with thermometry and were cut out for material analysis. The presence of significantly thin patchy regions and other carbon-rich defects is associated with strong local field-dependent surface resistance. This paper summarizes RF and thermometry results correlated with material science findings.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Conformational ensembles reveal the origins of serine protease catalysis

Enzymes exist in ensembles of states that encode the energetics underlying their catalysis. Conformational ensembles built from 1231 structures of 17 serine proteases revealed atomic-level changes across their reaction states. By comparing the enzymatic and solution reaction, we identified molecular features that provide catalysis and quantified their energetic contributions to catalysis. Serine proteases precisely position their reactants in destabilized conformers, creating a downhill energetic gradient that selectively favors the motions required for reaction while limiting off-pathway conformational states. The same catalytic features have repeatedly evolved in proteases and additional enzymes across multiple distinct structural folds. In conclusion, our ensemble-function analyses revealed previously unknown catalytic features, provided quantitative models based on simple physical and chemical principles, and identified motifs recurrent in nature that may inspire enzyme design.

Du, Siyuan [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)] (O↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development and Commercialization of an IDAES-Based Power Plant Performance Monitoring and Optimization System

DOE and NETL have created an advanced, open-source computational platform through the Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES). The IDAES platform is a very extensive modeling environment that can be used for a broad range of power plant and process applications. MapEx Software is developing and commercializing a software application that makes it easier to set-up and run IDAES-based analyses. The MapEx-developed software application will replace the need for custom Python language coding with a user-friendly graphical user interface where the user can construct a flowsheet diagram of the IDAES model by inserting icons representing the plant equipment onto the screen. This application will make the implementation of modeling and optimization of existing fossil-fired power plants more straight-forward and less time-consuming. The effort focuses on performance monitoring and optimization of plant operations for the existing coal-fired power plant fleet but is built on a structure that allows expansion into the broad range of applications where IDAES methods may be applied.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Understanding Plant Signaling Via Innovations in Probe Delivery and Imaging

The goal of this project was to develop tools for studying plant processes in living tissues. We wanted a method for introducing probes for studying plant processes such that plants could remain intact and imaged iteratively. Towards this end, we successfully optimized carbon nanofibers that we showed could deliver non-permeable signaling probes/biomolecules to plant cells. These were created on a rigid backing and also successfully transferred to a flexible backing to use with curved plant structures. We also built fiber optic microscopes that permit iterative non-destructive fluorescence or light micrographs and created protocols and devices to stabilize plant organs during imaging. These tools were developed in conjunction with research aimed understanding receptor-mediated peptide trafficking and responses relevant to plant cell growth and defense tradeoff. During this project, we designed and built two fiberoptic fluorescence microscopes; (b) designed, fabricated and validated different nanospike designs for delivering probes to plants, including the feasibility of delivering DNA constructs for expression studies; (c) developed fluorescent peptide probes (active and inactive versions of a secreted receptor ligand called phytosulfokine or PSK) and performed mobility tests after application to plants using microscopy; (d) used appropriate genetic plant backgrounds to facilitate PSK trafficking and response mechanisms; (e) determined the transcriptional changes due to PSK-induced signaling related to growth/defense tradeoff; (f) performed experiments showing the growth/defense tradeoff involves repression of specific defense components in response to PSK. This project also involved the training of two PhD students and five Masters students.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗