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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

The repulsive Casimir-type forces in binary mixture of weakly interacting Bose–Einstein condensates gases

Highlights: • The equations of the state of a binary mixture weakly interacting Bose gases are established based on the Lagrangian of the system. • The formulae of the Casimir-type energy and the resulting Casimir-type force are produced from the quantum part of the grand canonical energy. • The results for the Casimir-type effect in the one-field case can be re-obtained by using the results of the two-field case. Within the framework of the quantum field theory (QFT) in the one-loop approximation, we investigate the Casimir-type effect in a mixture of two-component weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) gases confined between two parallel plates at zero temperature. The Casimir-type forces in the miscible state of BECs for different boundary conditions (BCs) are discovered and compared to each other. The repulsive nature of the Casimir-type force in BECs is defined for the first time. Our calculations are finished in both grand canonical ensemble (GCE) and canonical ensemble (CE).

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Conceptual design of a 15-TW pulsed-power accelerator for high-energy-density—physics experiments

We have developed a conceptual design of a 15-TW pulsed-power accelerator based on the linear-transformer-driver (LTD) architecture described by Stygar [W. A. Stygar et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 18, 110401 (2015)]. The driver will allow multiple, high-energy-density experiments per day in a university environment and, at the same time, will enable both fundamental and integrated experiments that are scalable to larger facilities. In this design, many individual energy storage units (bricks), each composed of two capacitors and one switch, directly drive the target load without additional pulse compression. Ten LTD modules in parallel drive the load. Each module consists of 16 LTD cavities connected in series, where each cavity is powered by 22 bricks connected in parallel. This design stores up to 2.75 MJ and delivers up to 15 TW in 100 ns to the constant-impedance, water-insulated radial transmission lines. The transmission lines in turn deliver a peak current as high as 12.5 MA to the physics load. To maximize its experimental value and flexibility, the accelerator is coupled to a modern, multibeam laser facility (four beams with up to 5 kJ in 10 ns and one beam with up to 2.6 kJ in 100 ps or less) that can provide auxiliary heating of the physics load. The lasers also enable advanced diagnostic techniques such as X-ray Thomson scattering and multiframe and three-dimensional radiography. The coupled accelerator-laser facility will be the first of its kind and be capable of conducting unprecedented high-energy-density–physics experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dissociative photoionization of NO across a shape resonance in the XUV range using circularly polarized synchrotron radiation

We report benchmark results for dissociative photoionization (DPI) spectroscopy and dynamics of the NO molecule in the region of the σ* shape resonance in the ionization leading to the NO + (c 3 Π) ionic state. The experimental study combines well characterized extreme ultraviolet (XUV) circularly polarized synchrotron radiation, delivered at the DESIRS beamline (SOLEIL), with ion-electron coincidence 3D momentum spectroscopy. The measured (N + , e) kinetic energy correlation diagrams reported at four discrete photon energies in the extended 23-33 eV energy range allow for resolving the different active DPI reactions and underline the importance of spectrally resolved studies using synchrotron radiation in the context of time-resolved studies where photoionization is induced by broadband XUV attosecond pulses. In the dominant DPI reaction which leads to the NO + (c 3 Π) ionic state, photoionization dynamics across the σ* shape resonance are probed by molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions where the parallel and perpendicular transitions are highlighted, as well as the circular dichroism CDAD(θ e ) in the molecular frame. The latter also constitute benchmark references for molecular polarimetry. The measured dynamical parameters are well described by multichannel Schwinger configuration interaction calculations. Finally, similar results are obtained for the DPI spectroscopy of highly excited NO + electronic states populated in the explored XUV photon energy range.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Whistler waves generated by nongyrotropic and gyrotropic electron beams during asymmetric guide field reconnection

Using a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of asymmetric reconnection with a guide field whose strength is 0.3 times the reconnecting magnetic field, we study electron distribution functions and wave intensities in the diffusion region, focusing on the electron diffusion region (EDR). Wave activities with frequencies below the electron cyclotron frequency are observed, and these are whistler waves propagating almost anti-parallel to the magnetic field. The waves are concentrated near the magnetospheric separatrix away from the X line, but the wave activity also spreads through the EDR near the X line. The reconnection outflows are asymmetric in the outflow direction in the magnetospheric side, and the wave intensity is stronger in the side of the faster electron outflow. We study the whistler waves using the fast Fourier transform, analyses of electron velocity distribution functions, and the dispersion solver calculation. Along the magnetospheric separatrix in the stronger outflow side, highly anisotropic electron beams exist with super-Alfvénic drift speeds. The dispersion analysis shows that there are two modes: a temperature anisotropy mode and a beam mode. Outside the EDR, the whistler wave intensity is highest near the separatrix, but the wave intensity decreases if we move away from the separatrix toward the magnetic neutral line because of the increase in the electron population near zero parallel velocity. In the EDR, in the velocity plane perpendicular to the magnetic field, ring/crescent electron distribution functions are observed. Near the X-line, the wave power is enhanced where nongyrotropic electrons contribute to increase the perpendicular temperature anisotropy.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Edge-localized-mode simulation in CFETR steady-state scenario

We report the EPED1 model and self-consistent core-pedestal coupling in integrated modeling are used to design the pedestal structure of the China Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) steady-state scenario. The key parameters, such as β p and q 95 , are based on the grassy edge-localized-mode (ELM) experimental database. In this work, we use the BOUT++ six-field two-fluid code to simulate the onset of the ELM in the CFETR steady-state scenario. The ELM size is around 0.2% in nonlinear simulations, which is in the experimental range of the grassy ELM discharges, 0.1%–1% observed in multiple tokamak devices. Linear and nonlinear simulations show that the dominant high-n ballooning modes peak around n = 40. Compared to type-I ELM crashing dynamics, grassy ELM crashing has a smaller initial crash and is then followed by three phases of turbulence spreading, which are dominated by multi-modes, a high-n mode of n = 45 and low-n mode of n = 5, respectively. In contras to type-I ELM, the perturbation of the high-n mode has a narrow width around ψ = 0.95, and magnetic island formation and reconnection occur only beyond ψ = 0.95, leading to a small initial crash. Mode–mode interaction in the multi-mode coexistence stage stops the growth of individual modes and reduces the transport of particles and heat, and these are the two reasons why the ELM size is small. In–out asymmetry of transient heat flux with a ratio of E out /E in = 3.5 is found during grassy ELM crash. The rise and delay times of the heat flux match the calculation from the free-streaming model. To evaluate the erosion of the divertor target, the energy fluence at the outer divertor target is calculated, which is 0.029 MJ m -2 , 5.5 times smaller than the tungsten melting limit 0.16 MJ m -2 . The calculated energy fluency still follows the experimental scaling law from type-I ELM experiments. The fluctuation eddies in the toroidal direction show a filament structure at the outer mid-plane. Parallel heat flux patterns with a toroidal mode number n = 10 are found at the outer divertor with an amplitude of 680 MW m -2 .

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

TU-EF-304-03: 4D Monte Carlo Robustness Test for Proton Therapy

Purpose: Breathing motion and approximate dose calculation engines may increase proton range uncertainties. We address these two issues using a comprehensive 4D robustness evaluation tool based on an efficient Monte Carlo (MC) engine, which can simulate breathing with no significant increase in computation time. Methods: To assess the robustness of the treatment plan, multiple scenarios of uncertainties are simulated, taking into account the systematic and random setup errors, range uncertainties, and organ motion. Our fast MC dose engine, called MCsquare, implements optimized models on a massively-parallel computation architecture and allows us to accurately simulate a scenario in less than one minute. The deviations of the uncertainty scenarios are then reported on a DVH-band and compared to the nominal plan.The robustness evaluation tool is illustrated in a lung case by comparing three 60Gy treatment plans. First, a plan is optimized on a PTV obtained by extending the CTV with an 8mm margin, in order to take into account systematic geometrical uncertainties, like in our current practice in radiotherapy. No specific strategy is employed to correct for tumor and organ motions. The second plan involves a PTV generated from the ITV, which encompasses the tumor volume in all breathing phases. The last plan results from robust optimization performed on the ITV, with robustness parameters of 3% for tissue density and 8 mm for positioning errors. Results: The robustness test revealed that the first two plans could not properly cover the target in the presence of uncertainties. CTV-coverage (D95) in the three plans ranged respectively between 39.4–55.5Gy, 50.2–57.5Gy, and 55.1–58.6Gy. Conclusion: A realistic robustness verification tool based on a fast MC dose engine has been developed. This test is essential to assess the quality of proton therapy plan and very useful to study various planning strategies for mobile tumors. This work is partly funded by IBA (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Systems Level Regulation of Rhythmic Growth Rate and Biomass Accumulation in Grasses

Objectives: Several breakthroughs have been recently made in our understanding of plant growth and biomass accumulation. It was found that plant growth is rhythmically controlled throughout the day by the circadian clock through a complex interplay of light and phytohormone signaling pathways. While plants such as the C4 energy crop sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and possibly the C3 grass Brachypodium distachyon also exhibit daily rhythms in growth rate, the molecular details of its regulation remain to be explored. A better understanding of diurnally regulated growth behavior in grasses may lead to species-specific mechanisms highly relevant to future strategies to optimize energy crop biomass yield. Here we propose to devise a systems approach to identify, in parallel, regulatory hubs associated with rhythmic growth in C3 and C4 plants. We propose to use rhythmicity in daily growth patterns to drive the discovery of regulatory network modules controlling biomass accumulation. Description: The project is divided in three main parts: 1) Performing time-lapse imaging and growth measurement in B. distachyon and S. bicolor to determine growth rate dynamic during the day/night cycle. Identifying growth-associated genes whose expression patterns follow the observed growth dynamics using deep sequencing technology, 2) identifying regulators of these genes by screening for DNA-binding proteins interacting with the growth-associated gene promoters identified in Aim 1. Screens will be performed using a validated yeast-one hybrid strategy paired with a specifically designed B. distachyon and S. bicolor transcription factor libraries (1000 clones each), and 3) Selecting 50 potential growth regulators from the screen for downstream characterization. The selection will be made by using a sytems biology approach by calculating the connectivity between growth rate, rhythmic gene expression profiles and TF expression profile and determine which TF is likely part of a hub and a potential regulator of plant growth. We will confirme the 50 DNA-protein interactions using transient transcriptional assays in B. distachyon and S. bicolor, and perform further testing in vivo by measuring growth parameters in transgenic loss- or gain-of-function lines for the selected transcription factors (25 B. distachyon and 3 S. bicolor lines). In 2016 the Principal Investigator relocated the laboratory to The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) where the project has continued with an end date of 08/31/17. Accomplishments: We successfully collected large datasets of gene expression form the model grass Brachypodium. We used and developed bioinformatics analysis tools to investigate the structure, dynamics and robustness of circadian regulated gene expression in Brachypodium. Relevant Discoveries: We were able to determine that the endogenous circadian clock appears to play a much more subdued role in growth regulation in Brachypodium, that has been demonstrated in either Arabidopsis, or crop plants like Rice, Corn and Soybean. This led to our conclusion that Brachypodium unfortunately is unlikely to serve as an informative model for understanding how growth regulation in plants is under the control of circadian network circuitry. However, we were able to leverage our datasets in Brachypodium to inform us and reinforce a large collaborative study on gene networks governing cell wall deposition in Arabidopsis. This led to a major and highly cited publication relevant to improving biomass production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Status Report on Design of In-situ Thermomechanical Testing at LANSCE

Nuclear fuel encounters severe thermomechanical environments in which its mechanical response is determined by its microstructure, temperature and stress level histories. Simulating the response of such microstructures is crucial for predicting both performance and transient fuel mechanical responses and experimental verification of such predictions is therefore of great interest. While most of the deformation in a nuclear fuel rod occurs in the cladding, deformation of the fuel itself is still of interest with deformation mechanisms at operating temperature and above including creep, swelling, cracking as well as pellet-clad interaction. Characterization of these properties and understanding of the underlying deformation phenomena at operating or excursion temperatures is therefore of great importance for development and ultimately licensing of improved and novel nuclear fuel forms. Diffraction techniques offer unique insight on the atomistic (e.g. crystal structure) and microstructure (e.g. phase transformations, texture, defects) length scales and have a long history of providing unique data to inform relevant deformation models that enable the required predictive capabilities. For example, dislocations lead to diffraction peak broadening that can be characterized to estimate the dislocation density and study the role of dislocations on the deformation while measuring lattice strains allows to studie load sharing in two phase materials. In this report the requirements for a sample environment for high temperature deformation of nuclear fuels are defined. The HIPPO neutron time-of-flight diffractometer at LANSCE will host this sample environment and is also described. This instrument covers diffraction angles from 140° to 40° and is also equipped with an event-mode neutron imaging detector system, enabling energy-resolved neutron imaging in parallel with the diffraction that could measure sample temperature from Doppler broadening of neutron absorption resonances or measure pore densities from changes in the attenuation. Designs of devices to characterize thermomechanical properties of nuclear fuel without diffraction are also considered to guide the design. While this report is focused on applications for nuclear fuels, the device can also characterize cladding, moderator or structural materials and therefore contribute to other fields of research and development for advanced reactors. The temperatures planned to be reached are above 2000℃, thus enabling characterization of LWR reactor fuels under accident scenarios but also reaching temperatures of fuels developed for nuclear thermal propulsion and providing opportunities to characterize those. In conjunction with the energy-resolved neutron imaging detector, this setup would allow to measure neutron cross-sections at high temperatures, filling a gap towards development of reactors operating at high temperatures.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Towards Scalable Deep Learning via I/O Analysis and Optimization

Deep learning systems have been growing in prominence as a way to automatically characterize objects, trends, and anomalies. Given the importance of deep learning systems, researchers have been investigating techniques to optimize such systems. An area of particular interest has been using large supercomputing systems to quickly generate effective deep learning networks: a phase often referred to as “training” of the deep learning neural network. As we scale existing deep learning frameworks—such as Caffe—on these large supercomputing systems, we notice that the parallelism can help improve the computation tremendously, leaving data I/O as the major bottleneck limiting the overall system scalability. In this paper, we first present a detailed analysis of the performance bottlenecks of Caffe on large supercomputing systems. Our analysis shows that the I/O subsystem of Caffe—LMDB—relies on memory-mapped I/O to access its database, which can be highly inefficient on large-scale systems because of its interaction with the process scheduling system and the network-based parallel filesystem. Based on this analysis, we then present LMDBIO, our optimized I/O plugin for Caffe that takes into account the data access pattern of Caffe in order to vastly improve I/O performance. Our experimental results show that LMDBIO can improve the overall execution time of Caffe by nearly 20-fold in some cases.

Pumma, Sarunya↗
DOE OSTI2016

Impact of High Performance Computing on the Detailed Simulation of Subsurface Flow and Contaminant Transport Using eSTOMP - 16341

The ability to model subsurface processes at the field-scale is essential to site closure and remedial action decisions. Field-scale models often require high-performance computing to meet the computational demands associated with complex systems, model calibration, and uncertainty quantification. eSTOMP, a parallel version of STOMP, is an analytical tool that meets the need for investigating coupled processes in the subsurface involving regional multi-fluid flow and biogeochemistry. The scalability of eSTOMP makes it ideal for simulating contaminant and geochemical reactive transport when long run times result from execution of a serial code. To demonstrate the impact of high-performance computation on subsurface analyses, the application of eSTOMP is presented for two sites. The first site involves uranium surface complexation within a highly dynamic, variably saturated flow field. The use of this model in conjunction with continued field monitoring is expected to provide a rigorous basis for developing operational strategies for field remediation and for defining defensible remediation endpoints. The second site involves the long-term dissolution of low-level radioactive glass emplaced within a near-surface repository. The waste form release rate is evaluated by modeling the basic physical and chemical processes that are known to control the waste form dissolution behavior, including pH and composition of the fluid contacting the glass. Simulations demonstrate that glass dissolution rates vary both in time and as a function of position within the disposal system, and that a 'leach rate' or radionuclide release rate parameter can only be estimated after identifying these impacts in a dynamic system. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

INL Senior Project

What did my team set out to accomplish:? Can I put a custom Machine Learning Model on FPGA?? Can I analyze network traffic in real time?? Can a QSFP port be used with an FPGA?? Does a visual representation of the latent space enhance our understanding of network traffic?? What is QSFP QSFP (Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable)? QSFP supports transfer speeds generally up to 100Gb/s? Runs 4 parallel lines running up to 28 Gb/s? Why the latent space is important to our project ?Latent space is the compressed mapping of data points in a non-linear fashion? Create an understanding of the relationship of data collected? Can represent that relationship of a single network packet in 3 points (X, Y, Z) Project Outline FPGA? Custom Xilinx Petalinux Image for the operating system? Python program to collect packets and run them through the DPU (Data Processing Unit)? The program then sends the information over a socket to a computer? Display Program? Python Program that collects the information sent from the FPGA and display it in a graph

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stacked Low-Inertia Converter or Solid-State Transformer: Modeling and Model Predictive Priority-Shifting Control for Voltage Balance

This paper presents control challenges of stacked low-inertia converter (SLIC) or cascaded reduced dc-link solid-state transformer (SST) and proposes a novel model predictive priority-shifting (MPPS) control with implicit modulator and a discrete-time large-signal model for voltage balancing and dc-link regulation. Low-inertia converters, featuring small electrolytic capacitor-less dc links, dramatically reduce cost, size, and weight compared to conventional solutions. However, without a large dc-link buffer, the input and output are tightly coupled, leading to significant control challenges. The control becomes even more challenging with these converters stacked input-series output-parallel (ISOP) for medium-voltage (MV) grid, which causes coupling between the modules besides the coupling within each module. This paper analyzes the multi-objective, multi-degree of freedom control problem, using the modular soft-switching solid-state transformer (M-S4T) as an example of the SLIC. First, distribution of control efforts under controller saturation is critical because multiple control objectives can be conflicting, especially when the module voltages are unbalanced and are being restored. The MPPS can shift the priorities to address this issue. Second, due to the low inertia and high dc-link ripple, classic space vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM), average model with small-ripple assumption, and control design based on small-signal model cannot accurately modulate, model, and control the nonlinear reduced dc link. Therefore, a discrete-time large-signal model of the M-S4T is established to derive the predictive control in the MPPS. The MPPS and the PI control are compared in MV simulations to show the issue of applying the PI to the SLIC and the effectiveness of the MPPS for voltage balancing and dc-link regulation in a deadbeat manner. Finally, the proposed control is tested on a 5 kV ISOP SiC SST prototype to verify priority shifting to address controller saturation issue and fast and robust voltage balancing.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thermal conductivity of III-V semiconductor superlattices

This paper presents a semiclassical model for the anisotropic thermal transport in III-V semiconductor superlattices (SLs). An effective interface rms roughness is the only adjustable parameter. Thermal transport inside a layer is described by the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation and is affected by the relevant scattering mechanisms (three-phonon, mass-difference, and dopant and electron scattering of phonons), as well as by diffuse scattering from the interfaces captured via an effective interface scattering rate. The in-plane thermal conductivity is obtained from the layer conductivities connected in parallel. The cross-plane thermal conductivity is calculated from the layer thermal conductivities in series with one another and with thermal boundary resistances (TBRs) associated with each interface; the TBRs dominate cross-plane transport. The TBR of each interface is calculated from the transmission coefficient obtained by interpolating between the acoustic mismatch model (AMM) and the diffuse mismatch model (DMM), where the weight of the AMM transmission coefficient is the same wavelength-dependent specularity parameter related to the effective interface rms roughness that is commonly used to describe diffuse interface scattering. The model is applied to multiple III-arsenide superlattices, and the results are in very good agreement with experimental findings. The method is both simple and accurate, easy to implement, and applicable to complicated SL systems, such as the active regions of quantum cascade lasers. It is also valid for other SL material systems with high-quality interfaces and predominantly incoherent phonon transport.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Probing surface recombination velocities in semiconductors using two-photon microscopy

The determination of minority-carrier lifetimes and surface recombination velocities is essential for the development of semiconductor technologies such as solar cells. The recent development of two-photon time-resolved microscopy allows for better measurements of bulk and subsurface interfaces properties. Here, we analyze the diffusion problem related to this optical technique. Our three-dimensional treatment enables us to separate lifetime (recombination) from transport effects (diffusion) in the photoluminescence intensity. It also allows us to consider surface recombination occurring at a variety of geometries: a single plane (representing an isolated exposed or buried interface), a two parallel planes (representing two inequivalent interfaces), and a spherical surface (representing the enclosing surface of a grain boundary). We provide fully analytical results and scalings directly amenable to data fitting and apply those to experimental data collected on heteroepitaxial CdTe/ZnTe/Si.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Raman Lidar MERGE Value-Added Product

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Raman lidars (RLs) are semi-autonomous, land-based, laser remote sensing systems that provide height- and time-resolved measurements of water vapor mixing ratio, temperature, aerosol backscatter, extinction, and linear depolarization ratio from about 200 m to greater than 10 km AGL. These systems transmit at a wavelength of 355 nm with 300 mJ, ~5 ns pulses, and a pulse repetition frequency of 30 Hz. The receiver incorporates nine detection channels, including two water vapor channels at 408 nm, two nitrogen channels at 387 nm, three elastic channels, and two rotational Raman channels for temperature profiling at 354 and 353 nm. Figure 1 illustrates the layout of the ARM RL receiver system. Backscattered light from the atmosphere enters the telescope and is directed into the receiver system (i.e., aft optics). This signal is then split between a narrow-field-of-view radiometer (NFOV) path (blue) and a wide-field-of-view zenith radiometer (WFOV) path (red). The WFOV (2 mrad) path contains three channels (water vapor, nitrogen, and unpolarized elastic), and the NFOV (0.3 mrad) path contains six channels (water vapor, nitrogen, parallel and perpendicular elastic, and two rotational Raman). All nine detection channels use Electron Tubes 9954B photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The signals from each of the nine PMTs are acquired using transient data recorders from Licel GbR (Berlin, Germany). The Licel data recorders provide simultaneous measurements of both analog photomultiplier current and photon counts at height resolution of 7.5 m and a time resolution of 10 s. The analog signal provides good linearity in the strong signal regime, but poor sensitivity at low signal levels. Conversely, the photo counting signal provides good sensitivity in the weak signal regime, but is strongly nonlinear at higher signal levels. The advantage in recording both signals is that they can be combined (or merged) into a single signal with improved dynamic range. The process of combining the analog and photon counting data has become known as “gluing” (Whiteman et al., 2006).

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

A high performance cost-effective digital complex correlator for an X-band polarimetry survey

The detailed knowledge of the Milky Way radio emission is important to characterize galactic foregrounds masking extragalactic and cosmological signals. The update of the global sky models describing radio emissions over a very large spectral band requires high sensitivity experiments capable of observing large sky areas with long integration times. Here, we present the design of a new 10 GHz (X-band) polarimeter digital backend to map the polarization components of the galactic synchrotron radiation field of the Northern Hemisphere sky. The design follows the digital processing trends in radio astronomy and implements a large bandwidth (1 GHz) digital complex cross-correlator to extract the Stokes parameters of the incoming synchrotron radiation field. The hardware constraints cover the implemented VLSI hardware description language code and the preliminary results. The implementation is based on the simultaneous digitized acquisition of the Cartesian components of the two linear receiver polarization channels. The design strategy involves a double data rate acquisition of the ADC interleaved parallel bus, and field programmable gate array device programming at the register transfer mode. The digital core of the back-end is capable of processing 32 Gbps and is built around an Altera field programmable gate array clocked at 250 MHz, 1 GSps analog to digital converters and a clock generator. The control of the field programmable gate array internal signal delays and a convenient use of its phase locked loops provide the timing requirements to achieve the target bandwidths and sensitivity. This solution is convenient for radio astronomy experiments requiring large bandwidth, high functionality, high volume availability and low cost. Of particular interest, this correlator was developed for the Galactic Emission Mapping project and is suitable for large sky area polarization continuum surveys. The solutions may also be adapted to be used at signal processing subsystem levels for large projects like the square kilometer array testbeds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Large Deviations Analysis of Certain Qualitative Properties of Parallel Tempering and Infinite Swapping Algorithms

Parallel tempering, or replica exchange, is a popular method for simulating complex systems. The idea is to run parallel simulations at different temperatures, and at a given swap rate exchange configurations between the parallel simulations. From the perspective of large deviations it is optimal to let the swap rate tend to infinity and it is possible to construct a corresponding simulation scheme, known as infinite swapping. In this paper we propose a novel use of large deviations for empirical measures for a more detailed analysis of the infinite swapping limit in the setting of continuous time jump Markov processes. Using the large deviations rate function and associated stochastic control problems we consider a diagnostic based on temperature assignments, which can be easily computed during a simulation. Here we show that the convergence of this diagnostic to its a priori known limit is a necessary condition for the convergence of infinite swapping. Finally, the rate function is also used to investigate the impact of asymmetries in the underlying potential landscape, and where in the state space poor sampling is most likely to occur.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Plasma Anisotropies and Currents in the Near-Earth Plasma Sheet and Inner Magnetosphere

The region occupying radial distances of ~3–9 Earth radii (R E ) in the nightside includes the near-Earth plasma sheet with stretched magnetic field lines and the inner magnetosphere with strong dipolar magnetic field. In this region, the plasma flow energy, which was injected into the inner magnetosphere from the magnetotail, is converted to particle heating and electromagnetic wave generation. These important processes are controlled by plasma anisotropies, which are the focus here. Using measurements of Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms and Van Allen Probes in this transition region we obtain radial profiles of ion and electron temperatures and anisotropies for various geomagnetic activity levels. Ion and electron anisotropies vary with the geomagnetic activity in opposite directions. Parallel anisotropic ions are observed together with transversely anisotropic electrons, whereas the change of ion anisotropy from parallel to transverse (with increasing K p ) is accompanied by the electron anisotropy changing from transverse to parallel. Finally, based on plasma anisotropy observations, we estimate that the anisotropy-related currents (curvature currents) are about 10–20% of the diamagnetic currents.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗