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At least 1,639 records · Page 91

Cluster analysis of multiple planetary flow regimes

A modified cluster analysis method was developed to identify spatial patterns of planetary flow regimes, and to study transitions between them. This method was applied first to a simple deterministic model and second to Northern Hemisphere (NH) 500 mb data. The dynamical model is governed by the fully-nonlinear, equivalent-barotropic vorticity equation on the sphere. Clusters of point in the model's phase space are associated with either a few persistent or with many transient events. Two stationary clusters have patterns similar to unstable stationary model solutions, zonal, or blocked. Transient clusters of wave trains serve as way stations between the stationary ones. For the NH data, cluster analysis was performed in the subspace of the first seven empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). Stationary clusters are found in the low-frequency band of more than 10 days, and transient clusters in the bandpass frequency window between 2.5 and 6 days. In the low-frequency band three pairs of clusters determine, respectively, EOFs 1, 2, and 3. They exhibit well-known regional features, such as blocking, the Pacific/North American (PNA) pattern and wave trains. Both model and low-pass data show strong bimodality. Clusters in the bandpass window show wave-train patterns in the two jet exit regions. They are related, as in the model, to transitions between stationary clusters.

Mo, Kingtse↗

Truncated ARQ Statistical Link Analysis for Dynamic Links

The future deep space links are migrating towards higher frequency bands such as Ka band and optical. These links are susceptible to non Gaussian and non linear effects such as atmospheric turbulence, scintillation, antenna mis-pointing, jitter, etc. These dynamic links thus will experience various degrees of fading loss, and some of these link disruptions cannot be effectively mitigated by forward error correction coding and/or interleaving. One effective way to ensure reliable communication is by using Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocol, where the receiver acknowledges to the transmitter whether or not a data unit is successfully received. If a data unit is not successfully received (such as after a pre-set time-out), the transmitter would then re-transmit the lost data unit to the receiver. In a previous paper, we derived a statistical link analysis method of finding the optimal operating Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and estimating the latency of an ARQ scheme. In a more recent paper, we demonstrated the above method using the SNR distribution constructed from the Ka-band (32 GHz) flight data. To simplify the discussion, we considered the academic approach that the ARQ scheme allows for an infinite number of retransmissions. In this paper, we consider the more practical case of a truncated ARQ scheme, where there is a limit on the number of retransmissions. We derive the error probability, the optimal SNR setting, and the latency statistics of the correctly received frames of the truncated ARQ schemes. We first discuss the truncated ARQ link analysis principles using the Gaussian assumption for SNR distribution with a large variance. Next, we demonstrate the statistical truncated ARQ link analysis using the SNR distribution constructed from the Ka-band flight data. The results in this paper can be applied in the design of reliable communication systems such as the Consultative Committee for Space Data System (CCSDS) File Transfer Protocol (CFTP) and the Delay Tolerant Network (DTN).

Morabito, David↗

A Comparison of Vibration and Oil Debris Gear Damage Detection Methods Applied to Pitting Damage

Helicopter Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) must provide reliable, real-time performance monitoring of helicopter operating parameters to prevent damage of flight critical components. Helicopter transmission diagnostics are an important part of a helicopter HUMS. In order to improve the reliability of transmission diagnostics, many researchers propose combining two technologies, vibration and oil monitoring, using data fusion and intelligent systems. Some benefits of combining multiple sensors to make decisions include improved detection capabilities and increased probability the event is detected. However, if the sensors are inaccurate, or the features extracted from the sensors are poor predictors of transmission health, integration of these sensors will decrease the accuracy of damage prediction. For this reason, one must verify the individual integrity of vibration and oil analysis methods prior to integrating the two technologies. This research focuses on comparing the capability of two vibration algorithms, FM4 and NA4, and a commercially available on-line oil debris monitor to detect pitting damage on spur gears in the NASA Glenn Research Center Spur Gear Fatigue Test Rig. Results from this research indicate that the rate of change of debris mass measured by the oil debris monitor is comparable to the vibration algorithms in detecting gear pitting damage.

Dempsey, Paula J.↗

Final Technical Report Wireless Microsensors System for Monitoring Deep Subsurface Operations

This final technical report describes the main findings of the project Wireless Microsensors System for Monitoring Deep Subsurface Operations (FE0031850). The project was part of the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory FOA 1998 program to develop new sensor systems for direct observation of parameters associated with CO2 injection and to provide data collection without being disruptive to operations. The overall DOE program was aimed at developing and validating innovative transformational sensor systems, amenable for integration with autonomous intelligent monitoring systems, that are capable of being deployed within the casing annulus and do not have casing perforation or wires/cables in the annulus for installation, power supply, or data transmission needs. Project accomplishments included 1) design and fabrication of a wireless downhole sensor system to monitor parameters for CO2 storage, 2) field testing of the sensor system in two legacy oil & gas wells, and 3) development of an analysis approach that validates the measurements and demonstrates the application of the technology to depict CO2 movement in the subsurface. The project leveraged new sensor technologies along with specialized wellbore telemetry, deployment, and analysis methods designed to address the challenges and risks related to CO2 storage in the subsurface. Results from field testing were a mixture of successes and challenges. The temperature sensor rings, installation procedures in legacy oil & gas wells, wireless powering demonstration, automated data collection, and material compatibility were successful. The wireless data transfer through cement to the wellhead via the sensor relays was not functional beyond the first relay. Consequently, work in the last year of the project included some additional testing of data transmission through different materials along with modeling and analysis of field data for CO2 monitoring applications. This work suggested there are options like polymer cements and open hole annuli that may allow point-to-point transmission along the borehole. The techno-economic analysis suggests that the sensor system is ~40% less expensive than fiber optic distributed temperature system. Modeling of CO2 storage applications suggests temperature can provide an indicator of CO2 saturation but would be best combined with pressure sensors.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Probabilistic design applications for the Space Transportation Main Engines

All of the current rocket engine designs are based on deterministic design analysis methods. The most recently designed engine, Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), was designed and developed using these techniques in the 1970's and 80's. The Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) design objective is to use a robust design methodology and to pro-actively assess and improve the design during the design process. The design approach is a combination of the traditional deterministic methodologies and recently developed probabilistic methodologies. The designer must use a more rigorous structural criteria, conduct pro-active reliability assessments (reliability allocations, failure modes and effects analysis, reliability growth studies, and design reliability assessment), use a damage tolerant design philosophy and perform probabilistic analyses. Rigorous application of this structured methodology will develop a better engine product.

Ohara, Kevin↗

Shell structure of {sup 107,109}Ag nuclei and spin–parities nuclei in which the 1{sub g9/2} orbit is being filled

Occupation numbers and energies of proton and neutron orbits in the isotopes {sup 107}Ag and {sup 109}Ag were obtained on the basis of data on nucleon-stripping and nucleon-pickup reactions. A special data-analysis method reducing systematic and statistical uncertainties was applied in relevant calculations. It is shown that, in this region, the spin–parity of nuclei is determined by shells, pairing, and polarization. The schemes of proton and neutron (sub)orbits were constructed. These schemes explain the ground-state spin–parities of N, Z = 39–49 nuclei.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Digital pulse analysis for fast neutron recoil spectroscopy with a 4 He scintillation detector

Helium-4-based fast neutron scintillation detectors are an attractive alternative to pulse-shape discrimination-capable organic scintillators for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy, as the response of the detectors to gamma rays is intrinsically limited to low energy deposition. Consequently, the neutron recoil distribution can be measured with these detectors without the need for pulse shape analysis. In this work, the response of an Arktis S670 4 He scintillation detector to D-D, D-T, and 252 Cf neutrons was measured. The detector has a unique construction and readout mechanism, with multiple output channels observing the same scintillation event, and an analysis method was developed to aggregate the outputs from all channels into a single list. The D-D and D-T neutron responses were used to perform a two-point energy calibration, which yielded a near-zero intercept, suggesting that the 4 He scintillation medium behaves linearly to a higher energy than previously reported, and that a two-point calibration is sufficient for nuclear recoil energies below 9 MeV. As a result, the detector was measured to have 16.7-ns FWHM time resolution when using the developed custom analysis, a reduction of 4.9 ns when compared to the conventional pulse analysis.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Disentangling multiple scattering with deep learning: application to strain mapping from electron diffraction patterns

Abstract A fast, robust pipeline for strain mapping of crystalline materials is important for many technological applications. Scanning electron nanodiffraction allows us to calculate strain maps with high accuracy and spatial resolutions, but this technique is limited when the electron beam undergoes multiple scattering. Deep-learning methods have the potential to invert these complex signals, but require a large number of training examples. We implement a Fourier space, complex-valued deep-neural network, FCU-Net, to invert highly nonlinear electron diffraction patterns into the corresponding quantitative structure factor images. FCU-Net was trained using over 200,000 unique simulated dynamical diffraction patterns from different combinations of crystal structures, orientations, thicknesses, and microscope parameters, which are augmented with experimental artifacts. We evaluated FCU-Net against simulated and experimental datasets, where it substantially outperforms conventional analysis methods. Our code, models, and training library are open-source and may be adapted to different diffraction measurement problems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Physical Interpretation of Early Battery Life Prediction Models

Early battery life prediction models are most useful for R&D if they help us understand the early changes in battery electrochemical response that correspond with long-term degradation and failure. Linear regression models such as Fused lasso and Partial Least Squares can fit coefficients directly to high-dimensional electrochemical data like capacity-voltage and ΔV–state-of-charge, i.e., Q(V) and ΔV(SOC) curves, learning coefficients that can be physically interpreted. We leverage the ISU-ILCC battery aging data set to learn high-dimensional coefficients for early battery life prediction from traditional slow-rate capacity check data, demonstrating learning on Q(V), d Q· d V −1 , and ΔV(SOC) curves. A thorough study on the dependence of coefficient values on train/test size and data preprocessing methods is made, demonstrating the reliability of high-dimensional regression approaches unless very small amounts of data are used for model training. For this data set, coefficients from Q(V) and d Q· d V −1 models highlight changes in electrode stoichiometry due to lithium loss, while ΔV(SOC) coefficients highlight changes in positive electrode diffusivity due to particle cracking as well as electrode stoichiometry shifts. By directly interpreting the coefficients of a regression model, we make physical insights into battery degradation mechanisms without requiring the assumptions of traditional battery data analysis methods.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Extension of the Advanced Test Reactor Operating Envelope Via Enhanced Reactor Physics Validation Techniques

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is currently in the process of qualifying a low-enriched-uranium fuel element design for the new Ki-Jang Research Reactor (KJRR). As part of this effort, a prototype KJRR fuel element was irradiated in this paper for several operating cycles in the northeast flux trap of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. The KJRR fuel element contained a very large quantity of fissile material (618 g 235 U) in comparison with historical ATR experiment standards (<1 g 235 U), and its presence in the ATR flux trap was expected to create a neutronic configuration that would be well outside of the approved validation envelope for the reactor physics analysis methods used to support ATR operations. Accordingly, it was necessary to conduct an extensive set of new low-power physics measurements in the ATR Critical Facility (ATRC), a companion facility to the ATR, located in an immediately adjacent building and sharing the same fuel storage canal. The new measurements included fission power distributions, reactivity, and measurements related to the calibration of the in-core online instrumentation. The effort was focused on the objective of expanding the validation envelope for the computational reactor physics tools used to support ATR operations and safety analysis to include the planned KJRR irradiation in the ATR and similar experiments that are anticipated in the future. The computational and experimental results have demonstrated that the neutronic behavior of the KJRR fuel element in the ATRC is well understood in terms of its general effects on ATRC core reactivity and fission power distributions and its effects on the calibration of the ATR Lobe Power Calculation and Indication System, as well as in terms of its own internal fission rate distribution and total fission power per unit ATRC core power. Finally, taken as a whole, these results have significantly extended the ATR physics validation envelope, thereby enabling an entire new class of irradiation experiments.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Validation of High-Fidelity Reactor Physics Models for Support of the KJRR Experimental Campaign in the Advanced Test Reactor

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is currently in the process of qualifying a Low-Enriched Uranium fuel element design for the new Ki-Jang Research Reactor (KJRR). As part of this effort, a prototype KJRR fuel element was irradiated for several operating cycles in the Northeast Flux Trap of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory. The KJRR fuel element contained a very large quantity of fissile material (618g 235U) in comparison with historical ATR experiment standards (<1g 235U), and its presence in the ATR flux trap was expected to create a neutronic configuration that would be well outside of the approved validation envelope for the reactor physics analysis methods used to support ATR operations. Accordingly it was necessary, prior to high-power irradiation of the KJRR fuel element in the ATR, to conduct an extensive set of new low-power physics measurements with the KJRR fuel element installed in the ATR Critical Facility (ATRC), a companion facility to the ATR that is located in an immediately adjacent building, sharing the same fuel handling and storage canal. The new measurements had the objective of expanding the validation envelope for the computational reactor physics tools used to support ATR operations and safety analysis to include the planned KJRR irradiation in the ATR and similar experiments that are anticipated in the future. The computational and experimental results demonstrated that the neutronic behavior of the KJRR fuel element in the ATRC is well-understood, both in terms of its general effects on core excess reactivity and fission power distributions, its effects on the calibration of the core lobe power measurement system, as well as in terms of its own internal fission rate distribution and total fission power per unit ATRC core power. Taken as a whole, these results have significantly extended the ATR physics validation envelope, thereby enabling an entire new class of irradiation experiments.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

RandONets: Shallow networks with random projections for learning linear and nonlinear operators

Deep neural networks have been extensively used for the solution of both the forward and the inverse problem for dynamical systems. However, their implementation necessitates optimizing a high-dimensional space of parameters and hyperparameters. This fact, along with the requirement of substantial computational resources, pose a barrier to achieving high numerical accuracy, but also interpretability. Here, to address the above challenges, we present Random Projection-based Operator Networks (RandONets): shallow networks with random projections and tailor-made numerical analysis methods that learn accurately and fast linear and nonlinear operators. Building on previous works, we prove that RandOnets are universal approximators of linear and nonlinear operators. Due to their simplicity, RandONets provide a one-step transformation of the input space, facilitating interpretability. For the evaluation of their performance, we focus on operators of PDEs. We show, that RandONets outperform by several orders of magnitude, both in terms of numerical approximation accuracy and computational cost, the “vanilla” DeepONets. Hence, we believe that our method will trigger further developments in the field of scientific machine learning, for the development of new ‘’light”schemes that will provide high accuracy while reducing dramatically the computational cost. A MATLAB toolbox for RandONets, including demos, is available on GitHub at https://github.com/GianlucaFabiani/RandONets.

Interpretable machine learning↗

A method for mapping submicron-scale crystallographic order/disorder applied to human tooth enamel

Tooth enamel, the outermost layer of human teeth, is a complex, hierarchically structured biocomposite. The details of this structure are important in multiple human health contexts, from understanding the progression of dental caries (tooth decay) to understanding the process of amelogenesis and related developmental defects. Enamel is composed primarily of long, nanoscale crystallites of hydroxyapatite that are bundled by the thousands to form micron-scale rods. Studies with transmission electron microscopy show the relationships between small groups of crystallites and X-ray diffraction characterize averages over many rods, but the direct measurement of variations in local crystallographic structure across and between enamel rods has been missing. Here, we describe a synchrotron X-ray-based experimental approach and a novel analysis method developed to address this gap in knowledge. A ~500-nm-wide beam of monochromatic X-rays in conjunction with a sample section only 1 μm in thickness enables 2D diffraction patterns to be collected from small well-separated volumes within the enamel microstructure but still probes enough crystallites (~300 per pattern) to extract population-level statistics on crystallographic features like lattice parameter, crystallite size, and orientation distributions. Furthermore, the development of a quantitative metric to characterize relative order and disorder based on the azimuthal autocorrelation of diffracted intensity enables these crystallographic measurements to be correlated with their location within the enamel microstructure (e.g., between rod and interrod regions). These methods represent a step forward in the characterization of human enamel and will elucidate the variation of the crystallographic structure across and between enamel rods for the first time.

crystallographic order/disorder↗

Integrated dynamic analysis simulation of space stations with controllable solar array

A methodology is formulated and presented for the integrated structural dynamic analysis of space stations with controllable solar arrays and non-controllable appendages. The structural system flexibility characteristics are considered in the dynamic analysis by a synthesis technique whereby free-free space station modal coordinates and cantilever appendage coordinates are inertially coupled. A digital simulation of this analysis method is described and verified by comparison of interaction load solutions with other methods of solution. Motion equations are simulated for both the zero gravity and artificial gravity (spinning) orbital conditions. Closed loop controlling dynamics for both orientation control of the arrays and attitude control of the space station are provided in the simulation by various generic types of controlling systems. The capability of the simulation as a design tool is demonstrated by utilizing typical space station and solar array structural representations and a specific structural perturbing force. Response and interaction load solutions are presented for this structural configuration and indicate the importance of using an integrated type analysis for the predictions of structural interactions.

Heinrichs, J. A.↗

Mitigating Algorithmic Bias in Cancer Site Classification Models

Purpose Integrating artificial intelligence in cancer diagnostics has improved tumor classification beyond rule-based systems. Despite these advancements, these models may still encode demographic biases. We conducted a large-scale, applied bias-probing study of a deep learning–based cancer site classifier to quantify race information encoded in document embeddings. We then evaluated how performance changes when race-correlated embedding dimensions are removed in a post-training sensitivity analysis. Methods The cancer site classifier was trained using 3.5 million electronic cancer pathology reports from six of the National Cancer Institute's SEER registries. We trained a hierarchical self-attention network to generate 400-dimensional document embeddings. These embeddings were used to train two downstream, gradient-boosted decision tree classifiers: one to classify the cancer sites and another to predict racial categories. We identified overlapping features by intersecting the top 50 feature-importance rankings from the site and race models and computed their cumulative feature importance in each model. As a post hoc sensitivity analysis, we progressively pruned these overlapping dimensions, retrained the site model, and compared overall macro-F1 and accuracy, race-stratified macro-F1, and group fairness metrics on the basis of demographic parity and equalized odds before and after pruning. Results The analysis revealed minimal feature overlap between the cancer site and race prediction models, and the cumulative importance scores indicated a negligible influence of racial information on clinical predictions. Post-training pruning of overlapping features did not compromise the models' diagnostic accuracy, with a 0.07% loss in accuracy. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that HiSAN-generated embeddings from SEER data can be used effectively in cancer site classification without significant demographic bias influencing the outcomes. Post-training pruning therefore functions as a practical audit and sensitivity check.

Shivanna, Abhishek [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000665228593)↗

An investigation of error characteristics and coding performance

The first year's effort on NASA Grant NAG5-2006 was an investigation to characterize typical errors resulting from the EOS dorn link. The analysis methods developed for this effort were used on test data from a March 1992 White Sands Terminal Test. The effectiveness of a concatenated coding scheme of a Reed Solomon outer code and a convolutional inner code versus a Reed Solomon only code scheme has been investigated as well as the effectiveness of a Periodic Convolutional Interleaver in dispersing errors of certain types. The work effort consisted of development of software that allows simulation studies with the appropriate coding schemes plus either simulated data with errors or actual data with errors. The software program is entitled Communication Link Error Analysis (CLEAN) and models downlink errors, forward error correcting schemes, and interleavers.

Ebel, William J.↗

General approaches for shear-correcting coordinate transformations in Bragg coherent diffraction imaging. Part I

This two-part article series provides a generalized description of the scattering geometry of Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) experiments, the shear distortion effects inherent in the 3D image obtained from presently used methods and strategies to mitigate this distortion. Part I starts from fundamental considerations to present the general real-space coordinate transformation required to correct this shear, in a compact operator formulation that easily lends itself to implementation with available software packages. Such a transformation, applied as a final post-processing step following phase retrieval, is crucial for arriving at an undistorted, correctly oriented and physically meaningful image of the 3D crystalline scatterer. As the relevance of BCDI grows in the field of materials characterization, the available sparse literature that addresses the geometric theory of BCDI and the subsequent analysis methods are generalized here. This geometrical aspect, specific to coherent Bragg diffraction and absent in 2D transmission CDI experiments, gains particular importance when it comes to spatially resolved characterization of 3D crystalline materials in a reliable nondestructive manner. This series of articles describes this theory, from the diffraction in Bragg geometry to the corrections needed to obtain a properly rendered digital image of the 3D scatterer. Part I of this series provides the experimental BCDI community with the general form of the 3D real-space distortions in the phase-retrieved object, along with the necessary post-retrieval correction method. Part II builds upon the geometric theory developed in Part I with the formalism to correct the shear distortions directly on an orthogonal grid within the phase-retrieval algorithm itself, allowing more physically realistic constraints to be applied. Taken together, Parts I and II provide the X-ray science community with a set of generalized BCDI shear-correction techniques crucial to the final rendering of a 3D crystalline scatterer and for the development of new BCDI methods and experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Structural characterization of an intrinsically disordered protein complex using integrated small-angle neutron scattering and computing

Characterizing structural ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins is essential for studying structure–function relationships. Due to the different neutron scattering lengths of hydrogen and deuterium, selective labeling and contrast matching in small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) becomes an effective tool to study dynamic structures of disordered systems. However, experimental timescales typically capture measurements averaged over multiple conformations, leaving complex SANS data for disentanglement. We hereby demonstrate an integrated method to elucidate the structural ensemble of a complex formed by two IDRs. We use data from both full contrast and contrast matching with residue-specific deuterium labeling SANS experiments, microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with four molecular mechanics force fields, and an autoencoder-based deep learning (DL) algorithm. From our combined approach, we show that selective deuteration provides additional information that helps characterize structural ensembles. We find that among the four force fields, a99SB-disp and CHARMM36m show the strongest agreement with SANS and NMR experiments. In addition, our DL algorithm not only complements conventional structural analysis methods but also successfully differentiates NMR and MD structures which are indistinguishable on the free energy surface. Finally, we present an ensemble that describes experimental SANS and NMR data better than MD ensembles generated by one single force field and reveal three clusters of distinct conformations. Our results demonstrate a new integrated approach for characterizing structural ensembles of IDPs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗