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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 1,729 records · Page 96
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Self-consistent simulation of the initiation of the flashover discharge on vacuum insulator surface

A 2D particle-in-cell code, including the space charge effects of insulator surface charge, is established to simulate the initiation of insulator surface flashover. The simulation is started with a field electron emission, which provides the seed electrons of the surface flashover discharge. Then the secondary electron emission is caused by the seed electrons on the insulator surface, gets into an avalanche, and saturates rapidly in a region between the cathode and anode. And the saturation region spreads to the anode at a speed of {approx}10{sup 7} m/s, which is coincident with the experiment measurement.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Climate change penalty and benefit on surface ozone: a global perspective based on CMIP6 earth system models

Abstract This work presents an analysis of the effect of climate change on surface ozone discussing the related penalties and benefits around the globe from the global modelling perspective based on simulations with five CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6) Earth System Models. As part of AerChemMIP (Aerosol Chemistry Model Intercomparison Project) all models conducted simulation experiments considering future climate (ssp370SST) and present-day climate (ssp370pdSST) under the same future emissions trajectory (SSP3-7.0). A multi-model global average climate change benefit on surface ozone of −0.96 ± 0.07 ppbv °C −1 is calculated which is mainly linked to the dominating role of enhanced ozone destruction with higher water vapour abundances under a warmer climate. Over regions remote from pollution sources, there is a robust decline in mean surface ozone concentration on an annual basis as well as for boreal winter and summer varying spatially from −0.2 to −2 ppbv °C −1 , with strongest decline over tropical oceanic regions. The implication is that over regions remote from pollution sources (except over the Arctic) there is a consistent climate change benefit for baseline ozone due to global warming. However, ozone increases over regions close to anthropogenic pollution sources or close to enhanced natural biogenic volatile organic compounds emission sources with a rate ranging regionally from 0.2 to 2 ppbv C −1 , implying a regional surface ozone penalty due to global warming. Overall, the future climate change enhances the efficiency of precursor emissions to generate surface ozone in polluted regions and thus the magnitude of this effect depends on the regional emission changes considered in this study within the SSP3_7.0 scenario. The comparison of the climate change impact effect on surface ozone versus the combined effect of climate and emission changes indicates the dominant role of precursor emission changes in projecting surface ozone concentrations under future climate change scenarios.

Zanis, Prodromos↗
DOE OSTI2018

Climate impact of a regional nuclear weapons exchange: An improved assessment based on detailed source calculations

In this paper, we present a multi-scale study examining the impact of a regional exchange of nuclear weapons on global climate. Our models investigate multiple phases of the effects of nuclear weapons usage, including growth and rise of the nuclear fireball, ignition and spread of the induced firestorm, and comprehensive Earth system modeling of the oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere. This study follows from the scenario originally envisioned by Robock et al. (2007a), based on the analysis of Toon et al. (2007), which assumes a regional exchange between India and Pakistan of fifty 15-kiloton weapons detonated by each side. We expand this scenario by modeling the processes that lead to production of black carbon, in order to refine the black carbon forcing estimates of these previous studies. When the Earth system model is initiated with 5 × 10 9 kg of black carbon in the upper troposphere (approximately 9 to 13 km), the impact on climate variables such as global temperature and precipitation in our simulations is similar to that predicted by previously published work. However, while our thorough simulations of the firestorm produce about 3.7 × 10 9 kg of black carbon, we find that the vast majority of the black carbon never reaches an altitude above weather systems (approximately 12 km). Therefore, our Earth system model simulations conducted with model-informed atmospheric distributions of black carbon produce significantly lower global climatic impacts than assessed in prior studies, as the carbon at lower altitudes is more quickly removed from the atmosphere. In addition, our model ensembles indicate that statistically significant effects on global surface temperatures are limited to the first 5 years and are much smaller in magnitude than those shown in earlier works. None of the simulations produced a nuclear winter effect. We find that the effects on global surface temperatures are not uniform and are concentrated primarily around the highest arctic latitudes, dramatically reducing the global impact on human health and agriculture compared with that reported by earlier studies. Lastly, our analysis demonstrates that the probability of significant global cooling from a limited exchange scenario as envisioned in the previous studies is highly unlikely, a conclusion supported by examination of natural analogs, such as large forest fires and volcanic eruptions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Combinatorial Block Copolymer Ordering on Tunable Rough Substrates

Morphology control of block copolymer (BCP) thin films through substrate interaction via controlled roughness parameters is of significant interest for numerous high-tech applications ranging from solar cells to high-density storage media. While effects of substrate surface energy (SE) and roughness (R) on BCP morphology have been individually investigated, their synergistic effects have not been explored in any systematic manner. Interestingly, orientation response of BCP to changes in SE can be similar to what can be accomplished with variations in R. Here we present a novel approach for orienting lamellar BCP films of poly(styrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-PMMA) on spin-coated xerogel (a dried gel of silica nanoparticle network) substrate with simultaneously tunable surface energy, {gamma}{sub s} {approx} 29-53 mJ/m{sup 2}, by UVO exposure and roughness, R{sub rms} {approx} 0.5-30 nm, by sol-gel processing steps of regulating the catalyst concentration and sol aging time. As in previous BCP orientation studies on 20 nm diameter monodisperse silica nanoparticle coated surface, we find a similar but broadened oscillatory BCP orientation behavior with film thickness due to the random rather than periodic rough surfaces. We also find that higher random roughness amplitude is not the necessary criteria for obtaining a vertical orientation of BCP lamellae. Rather, a high surface fractal dimension (D{sub f} > 2.4) of the rough substrate in conjunction with an optimal substrate surface energy {gamma}{sub s} {approx} 29 mJ/m{sup 2} results in 100% vertically oriented lamellar microdomains. The AFM measured film surface microstructure correlates well with the internal 3D BCP film structure probed by grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and rotational small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). In contrast to tunable self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-coated substrates, the xerogel films are very durable and retain their chemical properties over period of several months. These results also highlight importantly that BCP orientation control for nanotechnology is possible not only on specially prepared patterned substrates but also on industrially viable sol-gel substrates.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Boosting electrosynthesis of ammonia on surface-engineered MXene Ti 3 C 2

Seeking a breakthrough in the development of efficient nitrogen fixation catalysts has become the frontier of energy and chemical conversion schemes. In this work, we report that the MXene Ti 3 C 2 can serve as a promising catalyst for the electrochemical N 2 reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions. The electrocatalytic performance of Ti 3 C 2 can be further optimized through surface engineering. Specifically, Ti 3 C 2 with the increased surface hydroxyl moieties demonstrates enhanced production of NH 3 with a yield rate of 1.71 μg h -1 cm -2 , a Faradaic efficiency of 7.01% at -0.2 V vs. RHE at 20 °C and an even higher yield rate of 12.46 μg h -1 cm -2 together with a Faradaic efficiency of 9.03% at -0.2 V vs. RHE at 60 °C. The detailed electrochemical analysis suggests that the surface hydroxyl modification can effectively facilitate the electron transfer, surface adsorption and activation of dinitrogen. Our work sheds light on the development of efficient NRR catalysts based on earth-abundant elements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Vacuum electron heating by surface plasma wave

Vacuum heating of electrons by a large amplitude surface plasma wave (SPW) over a metal surface due to the Brunel effect is studied. The surface plasma wave has large normal component of electric vector. The normal field pulls the electrons away from the plasma during the half cycle. Each electron sees, besides the E{sub perpendicular} of the surface plasma wave, a static space charge field. As the electron returns back to the interface, it possesses kinetic energy that is deposited into the plasma, leading to plasma heating.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Laser nanostructuring of materials surfaces

This paper reviews results of experimental and theoretical studies of surface micro- and nanostructuring of metals and other materials irradiated directly by short and ultrashort laser pulses. Special attention is paid to direct laser action involving melting of the material (with or without ablation), followed by ultrarapid surface solidification, which is an effective approach to producing surface nanostructures. Theoretical analysis of recrystallisation kinetics after irradiation by ultrashort laser pulses makes it possible to determine the volume fraction of crystallised phase and the average size of forming crystalline structures as functions of laser treatment regime and thermodynamic properties of the material. The present results can be used to optimise pulsed laser treatment regime in order to ensure control nanostructuring of metal surfaces. (photonics and nanotechnology)

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Performance analysis of photodetectors based on 2D materials and heterostructures

The unprecedented demand for sophisticated, self-powered, compact, ultrafast, cost-effective, and broadband light sensors for a myriad of applications has spurred a lot of research, precipitating in a slew of studies over the last decade. Apart from the photosensing ability of an active element in the light sensor, the device architecture is crucial in terms of photoinduced charge carrier generation and separation. Since the inception of graphene and the subsequent research growth in the atomically thin 2D materials, researchers have developed and adapted different families of 2D materials and device architectures, including single element 2D, 0D/2D, 2D/2D, 1D/2D stacked structures, and so on. Here this review discusses the recent reports on the light-sensing properties of various 2D materials, their heterostructures, and characteristics applicable to the ultraviolet-near infrared (UV-NIR), short-wave IR (SWIR), mid-wave IR (MWIR), long-wave IR (LWIR), and terahertz (THz) spectral ranges. It highlights the novelty of the burgeoning field, the heightened activity at the boundaries of engineering and materials science, particularly in the generation of charge carriers, their separation, and extraction, and the increased understanding of the underpinning science through modern experimental approaches. Devices based on the simultaneous effects of the pyro-phototronic effect (PPE) and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, the photothermoelectric effect (PTE)-assisted photodetectors (PDs), waveguide-integrated silicon-2D PDs, metal-2D-metal PDs, and organic material PDs are examined rigorously. Theoretical treatment utilizing various computational approaches to investigate 2D materials and heterostructures for photodetection applications is also briefly discussed. At the end, current challenges and solutions to enhance the figures of merit of photodetectors are proposed.

2D transition metal chalcogenides↗
DOE OSTI2015

Anomalous Crystal Symmetry Fractionalization on the Surface of Topological Crystalline Insulators

The surface of a three-dimensional topological electron system often hosts symmetry-protected gapless surface states. With the effect of electron interactions, these surface states can be gapped out without symmetry breaking by a surface topological order, in which the anyon excitations carry anomalous symmetry fractionalization that cannot be realized in a genuine two-dimensional system. We show here that for a mirror-symmetry-protected topological crystalline insulator with mirror Chern number $n=4$, its surface can be gapped out by an anomalous ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ topological order, where all anyons carry mirror-symmetry fractionalization ${M}^{2}={-}1$. The identification of such anomalous crystalline symmetry fractionalization implies that in a two-dimensional ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ spin liquid, the vison excitation cannot carry ${M}^{2}={-}1$ if the spinon carries ${M}^{2}={-}1$ or a half-integer spin.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spatiotemporal Modeling of Real World Backsheets Field Survey Data: Hierarchical (Multilevel) Generalized Additive Models: Preprint

Assessing photovoltaic module backsheet durability is critical to increasing module lifetime. Lab based accelerating testing has recently failed to predict large scale failures of widely adopted polymeric materials. Field surveyed data is critical to assess the performance of component lifetime. Using a documented field survey protocol, 13 field surveys where conducted. Each measurement is encoded with it's spatial location in respect to the other modules. By combining field survey data on degradation predictors with real time satellite weather data, data-driven predictive models of backsheet degradation were trained. LOESS models were constructed to investigate the spatial dependence of measurements. It was found that micro-climatic effects like treelines, ground surface changes, and elevation changes effected the magnitude and variance of the measurements. A GAM model was created to predict the value of degradation based on measured predictors. The model includes variables on the climate of the system and the location of each measurement in the PV mounting structure. The model performed well with an adj:R2 of 0:95 for yellowness index prediction. The model was cross-validated using k-folds.

backsheet↗
DOE OSTI2019

Surface Solar Irradiance in Continental Shallow Cumulus Fields: Observations and Large-Eddy Simulation

This study examines shallow cumulus cloud fields and their surface shortwave radiative effects using large-eddy simulation (LES) along with observations across multiple days at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains atmospheric observatory. Pronounced differences are found between probability density functions (PDFs) of downwelling surface solar irradiance derived from observations and LES one-dimensional (1D) online radiation calculations. The shape of the observed PDF is bimodal, which is only reproduced by offline three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer calculations, demonstrating PDF bimodality as a 3D radiative signature of continental shallow cumuli. Local differences between 3D and 1D radiative transfer calculations of downwelling surface solar irradiance are, on average, larger than 150 W m -2 on one afternoon. The differences are substantially reduced when spatially averaged over the LES domain and temporally averaged over the diurnal cycle, but systematic 3D biases ranging from 2 to 8 W m -2 persist across different days. Covariations between the domain-averaged surface irradiance, framed as a surface cloud radiative effect, and the simulated cloud fraction are found to follow a consistent diurnal relationship, often exhibiting hysteresis. In contrast, observations show highly variable behavior. By subsampling the LES domain, it is shown that this is due to the limited sampling density of inherently 3D observations. These findings help to define observational requirements for detecting such relationships, provide valuable insight for evaluating weather and climate models against surface observations as they push to ever higher resolutions, and have important implications for future assessments of solar renewable energy potential.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Distinct roles of land cover in regulating spatial variabilities of temperature responses to radiative effects of aerosols and clouds

Surface temperature responses to radiative perturbations due to aerosols and clouds are complicated by the land surface properties. To disentangle these complexities, this study, from a terrestrial surface energy budget perspective, isolates the underlying biophysical processes from the instantaneous radiative effects of aerosols and clouds on surface temperature using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Earth System Model version 1.2.1. It is found that in comparison with the global heterogeneous distributions of instantaneous radiative perturbations at the surface induced by aerosols and clouds, the spatial variations of the corresponding surface temperature responses to aerosol direct radiative effects (DRE) during the daytime and cloud radiative effects (CRE) during the nighttime are amplified. It is because of the consistent global distribution of the local surface climate sensitivity (a function of land cover properties such as surface roughness and Bowen ratio) with those of daytime DRE and nighttime CRE. By applying identical anthropogenic aerosol and precursor emissions over eight major past, present and projected future anthropogenic aerosol emitting regions (i.e. Brazil, China, East Africa, India, Indonesia, South Africa, United States and Western Europe), surface temperature responses to aerosol radiative cooling in the daytime and cloud radiative warming in the nighttime over these regions positively regulated by local surface climate sensitivities are prominent.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Atomic and Molecular Physics Effects on Ion Flow into Hot Surfaces

Research during this project at the University of Wisconsin Fusion Technology Institute (UW FTI) on ion and neutral flow through an arbitrary, monotonic potential difference created by nearly transparent electrodes accomplished the following: (1) developed and implemented an integral equation approach for atomic physics effects in helium plasmas; (2) extended the analysis to coupled integral equations that treat atomic and molecular deuterium ions and neutrals; (3) implemented the key deuterium and helium atomic and molecular cross sections; (4) added negative ion production and related cross sections; and (5) benchmarked the code against experimental results. The analysis and codes treat the species D 0 , D 2 0 , D + , D 2 + , D 3 + , D - and, separately at present, He 0 and He + . Extensions enhanced the analysis and related computer codes to include He ++ ions plus planar and cylindrical geometries.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of Zr Ion Implantation on Surface Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Pure Magnesium

Zirconium (Zr) was implanted into pure Mg by metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) at the dose of 2 × 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2} at room temperature. The surface characteristics of Zr-implanted Mg were analyzed by the Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter software (SRIM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the surface nanohardness and tribological behavior were measured through nanoindentation and a friction-abrasion testing machine, and the corrosion resistance of Zr-implanted Mg was evaluated by electrochemical measurement and immersion test in simulated body fluid (SBF). The results demonstrated that a gradient modified layer composed of MgO, Mg(OH){sub 2}, ZrO{sub 2} and Zr was formed on the near surface of pure Mg and the nanohardness of pure Mg was improved by 48%. Furthermore, the Zr-implanted Mg exhibited a more positive corrosion potential of − 1.43 V (versus SCE) and a lower corrosion current density of 19.9 μA/cm{sup 2}, and localized corrosion was effectively retarded during 24 h immersion in SBF, suggesting that the corrosion resistance of pure Mg was remarkably improved after Zr ion implantation. The mechanisms of surface strengthening and improved corrosion resistance were also discussed in this paper.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Surface enhanced Raman scattering of aged graphene: Effects of annealing in vacuum

In this paper, we report a simple method to recover the surface enhanced Raman scattering activity of aged graphene. The Raman signals of Rhodamine molecules absorbed on aged graphene are dramatically increased after vacuum annealing and comparable to those on fresh graphene. Atomic force microscopy measurements indicate that residues on aged graphene surface can efficiently be removed by vacuum annealing, which makes target molecule closely contact with graphene. We also find that the hole doping in graphene will facilitate charge transfer between graphene and molecule. These results confirm the strong Raman enhancement of target molecule absorbed on graphene is due to the charge transfer mechanism.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of Different Forms of Application of a Laser Surface Treatment on Fatigue Crack Growth of an AA6013-T4 Aluminum Alloy

This work analyzes the effect of surface-localized laser heating treatment on the fatigue crack growth (FCG) rate on region II of the sigmoidal da/dN × ΔK curve of an aerospace-grade AA6013-T4 aluminum alloy sheet with 1.3 mm thickness. The influence on microstructure changes is also evaluated. Aiming to improve the FCG resistance without changing the mechanical behavior of the alloy, a Yb:fiber laser beam is defocused to generate a laser spot diameter of 2 mm, using 200 W power and a laser speed of 2 mm/s. Two laser lines are applied over fatigue C(T) specimens in two different forms: on only one and on both lateral specimen surfaces. Guinier–Preston zones, dispersoids and coarse constituent particles are found on the base material. On the heat-treated material, the same precipitates and also β′ and Q′ precipitates are found. These microstructural variations due to the laser thermal cycle, together with the presence of induced compressive residual stresses, improved the fatigue behavior of the material. The FCG retardation is optimized when two laser lines were applied on both lateral surfaces of the specimen.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development of a cell culture surface conversion technique using alginate thin film for evaluating effect upon cellular differentiation

Here, we sought to develop a cell culture surface conversion technique that would not damage living cells. An alginate thin film, formed on a glass plate by spin coating of sodium alginate solution and dipping into calcium chloride solution, was used to inhibit adhesion of cells. The film could be removed by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) at any time during cell culture, permitting observation of cellular responses to conversion of the culture surface in real time. Additionally, we demonstrated the validity of the alginate thin film coating method and the performance of the film. The thickness of the alginate thin film was controlled by varying the rotation speed during spin coating. Moreover, the alginate thin film completely inhibited the adhesion of cultured cells to the culture surface, irrespective of the thickness of the film. When the alginate thin film was removed from the culture surface by EDTA, the cultured cells adhered to the culture surface, and their morphology changed. Finally, we achieved effective differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotube cells by cell culture on the convertible culture surface, demonstrating the utility of our novel technique.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Large-Scale Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies on Deformation of Ni Nanowires: Surface Profile, Defects and Stacking Fault Width Analysis

We report large-scale molecular dynamics simulation deformation studies of Ni nanowire (NW) of size 100 Å (x) × 1000 Å (y) × 100 Å (z) comprising of 925,965 atoms. Surface and internal defects are introduced to study their effect on the surface profile, strength, fracture behavior and deformation mechanisms. Tensile tests have been carried out at a temperature of 10 K and at a strain rate of 10{sup 8} s{sup −1}. Periodic boundary condition is applied along the loading direction (y). Peak strength of 23 GPa is observed in the perfect NW, and the strength decreases with defects. The surface profiles of the deformed NWs show intrusion and extrusion regions corresponding to slip steps with wider valleys in the defect NWs. Several intrinsic and extrinsic parallel stacking faults (SFs) are generated after yielding by slip occurring on {111} planes. The calculated SF widths are in the range of 0.85-2.57 nm in the perfect NW. The dislocations are mainly Shockley partial dislocations of type 1/6 〈112〉, and Schmid’s factor (m) obtained is 0.471. Twinning dislocation of types 1/9 〈221〉 and 1/18 〈172〉 is also observed in the SFs. The density of Shockley partial dislocations is observed to be the maximum in all the NWs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗