A fast and objective multidimensional kernel density estimation method: fastKDE
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97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
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Results for “Empirical characteristic function”
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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Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro‐biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models
Summary Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon‐rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics that represent important functional processes in tropical forests. We focus on: (1) fine‐root strategies for soil resource exploration, (2) coupling and trade‐offs in fine‐root water vs nutrient acquisition, and (3) aboveground–belowground linkages in plant resource acquisition and use. We suggest avenues for representing these extremely diverse plant communities in computationally manageable and ecologically meaningful groups in models for linked aboveground–belowground hydro‐nutrient functions. Tropical forests are undergoing warming, shifting rainfall regimes, and exacerbation of soil nutrient scarcity caused by elevated atmospheric CO 2 . The accurate model representation of tropical forest functions is crucial for understanding the interactions of this biome with the climate.
Plant Sciences↗
Global teleconnections influencing large-scale drought in the United States using SVDI
Understanding recent large-scale drought patterns and the mechanisms producing extreme drought events is vital for future drought forecasts and understanding future drought risks. Increasingly, vapor pressure deficit (VPD) has been used as an important measure of evaporative demand and proxy for drought detection. In this study, VPD is used to calculate the new Standardized VPD Drought Index (SVDI) with NASA North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) data. Previous studies have shown that SVDI accurately identifies the timing and magnitude short-term droughts in the United States (U.S). In the present study, SVDI is now used to identify large-scale drought patterns between 1980 and 2021 and drought variability driven by selected global teleconnections originating in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Spatial drought characteristics were extracted from SVDI using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. Then a k-means clustering algorithm was applied to both EOF principal components and primary teleconnections, including the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) to identify drought events driven by the Pacific Ocean. Results show that the SVDI is useful in evaluating large-scale drought variability in the U.S. related to global teleconnections, and that mechanisms influencing summer drought patterns in the Western and Southwestern U.S. are driven by a tropical-extratropical interactions originating in the equatorial Pacific Ocean related to ENSO dynamics with interdecadal variability modulated by PDO. The large-scale droughts in the Central and Southern U.S., like those in 2011 and 2012, on the other hand, are driven by the North Pacific Ocean warm pool during a strong negative PDO, which subsequently influenced variability in the Bermuda-Azores High in the Atlantic Ocean. In summer 2011, the Bermuda-Azores High weakened, reducing the onshore winds and moisture transport along the eastern Gulf of Mexico and contributing to ongoing drought in the region. The Northern Pacific and Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) have increased between 1980 and 2021. In conclusion, as SSTs continue to rise in the Northern Pacific Ocean, one consequence of the coupled North Pacific warm pool and atmospheric dynamics, is to increase summer drought variability over a large region in the southern and midwestern U.S. under global warming.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Elucidating the Effects of LiF on Lithium Metal Anodes
LiF is widely recognized as a crucial component of a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) for Li metal anodes. However, the roles of LiF in the SEI remain elusive. Herein, we examined the evolution of SEI influenced by LiF and identified distinct features that elucidate functional characteristics of LiF for Li metal anodes. Through comprehensive empirical and theoretical analyses, we found that LiF enriches Li2O within the SEI, forms LiF/Li2O interfaces, exhibits non-negligible solubility with spontaneous dissolution-reprecipitation behavior in the electrolyte, and works synergistically with Li2O. These findings shed light on the effects of LiF on Li metal anodes and the arrangement characteristic of LiF within the SEI. By integrating key discoveries regarding LiF, a projected working mechanism for LiF is illustrated. Overall, our study on LiF provides valuable insights that advance the understanding of the SEI and interphase nanostructures, contributing to the development of more reliable and practical Li metal batteries.
Kim, Mun Sek↗
Systematics and Consequences of Comet Nucleus Outgassing Torques
Anisotropic outgassing from comets exerts a torque sufficient to rapidly change the angular momentum of the nucleus, potentially leading to rotational instability. Here, we use empirical measures of spin changes in a sample of comets to characterize the torques, and to compare them with expectations from a simple model. Both the data and the model show that the characteristic spin-up timescale, τ {sub s}, is a strong function of nucleus radius, r {sub n}. Empirically, we find that the timescale for comets (most with perihelion 1–2 au and eccentricity ∼0.5) varies as τ{sub s}∼100r{sub n}{sup 2}, where r {sub n} is expressed in kilometers, and τ {sub s} is in years. The fraction of the nucleus surface that is active varies as f{sub A}∼0.1r{sub n}{sup −2}. We find that the median value of the dimensionless moment arm of the torque is k {sub T} = 0.007 (i.e., ∼0.7% of the escaping momentum torques the nucleus), with weak (<3σ) evidence for a size dependence k{sub T}∼10{sup −3}r{sub n}{sup 2}. Sub-kilometer nuclei have spin-up timescales comparable to their orbital periods, confirming that outgassing torques are quickly capable of driving small nuclei toward rotational disruption. Torque-induced rotational instability likely accounts for the paucity of sub-kilometer short-period cometary nuclei, and for the pre-perihelion destruction of sungrazing comets. Torques from sustained outgassing on small active asteroids can rival YORP torques, even for very small (≲1 g s{sup −1}) mass-loss rates. Finally, we highlight the important role played by observational biases in the measured distributions of τ {sub s}, f {sub A}, and k {sub T}.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Dynamic thermal behavior of polycrystalline LaB 6 hollow cathodes
Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) hollow cathodes have demonstrated a capability for long life operation, which is critical to many space exploration missions. Thermal characterization of LaB6 hollow cathodes has revealed lower than expected electron emitter temperatures when the cathode reaches a steady state. This phenomenon is observed at discharge currents ranging from 5 to 35 A and xenon mass flow rates of 5–25 SCCM in cathodes with three different orifice diameters. Thus, the currently accepted value of the work function for polycrystalline LaB 6 , 2.67 eV, does not describe well the emission characteristics of LaB6 hollow cathodes operating with internal gas discharges at a steady state. We use empirically measured temperatures combined with a model of the hollow cathode emitter and xenon discharge to estimate the value of the work function, yielding a value ranging from 2.1 to 2.44 eV. This lower work function value implies that LaB6 hollow cathodes are expected to have even longer lifetimes than previously anticipated, further establishing them as a more suited alternative to other conventional cathode technologies for the task of long duration travel. Direct measurements of the work function as a function of depth on a hollow cathode emitter using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ion beam milling indicate that the work function decreases with depth. We postulate several mechanisms that could explain the observed work function enhancement. Altogether, our results have important implications to the design, study approach, and operation of LaB 6 cathodes and potentially other cathodes with hollow configuration. Finally, our work opens the question of why the work function is reduced upon interaction with Xe plasma.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Characteristics of Plunger Pumps
The output pressure of a plunger pump is studied experimentally as a function of the productivity. The corresponding empirical formula is derived.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Incorporating long-range dependence and fractal features in turbulence spectra
We introduce an advanced turbulence spectrum model developed from mathematical foundations from a covariance function class and empirically validated using extensive field data. This model captures the complex dynamics of long-range dependence, and fractal characteristics prevalent in riverine and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows that are ignored by classical spectrum models, such as IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) von Kármán and Kaimal model. The model delineates scaling behaviors across distinct frequency bands and offers substantial flexibility through five well-defined parameters each characterizing a distinct physical aspect of the velocity time series. A detailed procedure for obtaining each parameter from time series data is outlined. The comprehensive validations with field data from tidal currents and ABL flows substantiate the model’s fidelity in accurately replicating observed phenomena. This validation establishes the reliability of the proposed model and, when incorporated into stochastic full-field simulators such as TurbSim, demonstrates its potential to advance the predictive modeling and analysis of turbulent flows in environmental science and engineering contexts.
Cheng, Shyuan [Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champai↗
On the role of soil water retention characteristic on aerobic microbial respiration
Soil water status is one of the most important environmental factors that control microbial activity and rate of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. Its effect can be partitioned into effect of water energy status (water potential) on cellular activity, effect of water volume on cellular motility, and aqueous diffusion of substrate and nutrients, as well as the effect of air content and gas-diffusion pathways on concentration of dissolved oxygen. Nonetheless,moisture functions widely used in SOM decomposition models are often based on empirical functions rather than robust physical foundations that account for these disparate impacts of soil water. The contributions of soil water content and water potential varyfrom soil to soil according to the soil water characteristic (SWC), which in turn is strongly dependent on soil texture and structure. The overall goal of this study is to introduce a physically based modeling framework of aerobic microbial respiration that incorporates the role of SWC under arbitrary soil moisture status. The model was tested by contrasting it with published data sets of SOM decomposition under laboratory conditions.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
A Mixed-Method Design Approach for Empirically Based Selection of Unbiased Data Annotators
Implicit bias embedded in the annotated data is by far the greatest impediment in the effectual use of supervised machine learning models in tasks involving race, ethics, and geopolitical polarization. For societal good and demonstrable positive impact on wider society, it is paramount to carefully select data annotators and rigorously validate the annotation process. Current approaches to selecting annotators are not sufficiently grounded in scientific principles and are limited at the policy-guidance level, thereby rendering them unusable for machine learning practitioners. This work proposes a new approach based on the mixed-methods design that is functional, adaptable, and simpler to implement in selecting unbiased annotators for any machine learning problem. By demonstrating it on a real-world geopolitical problem, we also identified and ranked key inane profile characteristics towards an empirically-based selection of unbiased data annotators.
Thakur, Gautam Malviya↗
Empirical Refinement of the GADRAS Detector Response Function
The Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) was augmented to enable empirical refinement of the Detector Response Function (DRF) for gamma-ray detectors. This capability is included in GADRAS starting with Version 18.8.2, which was released in February 2019 Empirical refinement enables improved computational accuracy for gamma-ray spectra when detectors exhibit characteristics that are essentially unique to a particular sensor. This report discusses how to perform the empirical refinement, and examples are presented for the following scenarios where empirical refinement is appropriate: Large plastic scintillators, which are generally composed of polyvinyl toluene (PVT), often exhibit low-energy peaks that are not associated with incident gamma rays. Regardless of whether they are artifacts produced by poor light collection or pulse processing methods, accurate spectral synthesis requires replication of these features; Some detectors, particularly those using Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM), exhibit energy shifts of Compton edges and escape peaks relative to the same scintillator material attached to a photomultiplier tube. Empirical refinement compensates for these effects, which derive from nonlinearities in the detector response; The change in the DRF as a function of displacement of the source relative to the detector axis cannot always be replicated adequately using only the few shielding parameters that are used by the response function. Empirical refinement enables improved accuracy for computation of spectra during linear transits or when the detector is close to a large radiation source. This is a particularly important consideration for collimated detectors; and, Gamma-ray imagers exhibit complex relationships between spectral response and spatial locations. Empirical refinement enables substantial improvement of the DRF accuracy for imagers.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Variation of elastic mechanical properties with texture, porosity, and defect characteristics in laser powder bed fusion 316L stainless steel
Elastic mechanical properties of 316 L stainless steel samples fabricated using laser powder bed fusion were studied non-destructively through resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Samples in five different conditions were obtained by varying the laser power from 103 W (the highest density condition) to 68 W (the lowest density condition) at constant laser speed, producing samples with a volume energy density in the 24.5–16.5 J/mm 3 range and volumetric porosity in the 0.1–10% range. The observed elastic mechanical properties are discussed taking into consideration the bulk texture developed and quantitative pore characteristics studied using high-energy high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and X-ray computed micro-tomography, respectively. Furthermore, empirical exponential relationships are provided to express the functional dependence of Young's and shear moduli with porosity.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Non-Thermal Solar Wind Electron Velocity Distribution Function
The quiet-time solar wind electrons feature non-thermal characteristics when viewed from the perspective of their velocity distribution functions. They typically have an appearance of being composed of a denser thermal “core” population plus a tenuous energetic “halo” population. At first, such a feature was empirically fitted with the kappa velocity space distribution function, but ever since the ground-breaking work by Tsallis, the space physics community has embraced the potential implication of the kappa distribution as reflecting the non-extensive nature of the space plasma. From the viewpoint of microscopic plasma theory, the formation of the non-thermal electron velocity distribution function can be interpreted in terms of the plasma being in a state of turbulent quasi-equilibrium. Such a finding brings forth the possible existence of a profound inter-relationship between the non-extensive statistical state and the turbulent quasi-equilibrium state. The present paper further develops the idea of solar wind electrons being in the turbulent equilibrium, but, unlike the previous model, which involves the electrostatic turbulence near the plasma oscillation frequency (i.e., Langmuir turbulence), the present paper considers the impact of transverse electromagnetic turbulence, particularly, the turbulence in the whistler-mode frequency range. It is found that the coupling of spontaneously emitted thermal fluctuations and the background turbulence leads to the formation of a non-thermal electron velocity distribution function of the type observed in the solar wind during quiet times. This demonstrates that the whistler-range turbulence represents an alternative mechanism for producing the kappa-like non-thermal distribution, especially close to the Sun and in the near-Earth space environment.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Gaming the beamlines—employing reinforcement learning to maximize scientific outcomes at large-scale user facilities
Abstract Beamline experiments at central facilities are increasingly demanding of remote, high-throughput, and adaptive operation conditions. To accommodate such needs, new approaches must be developed that enable on-the-fly decision making for data intensive challenges. Reinforcement learning (RL) is a domain of AI that holds the potential to enable autonomous operations in a feedback loop between beamline experiments and trained agents. Here, we outline the advanced data acquisition and control software of the Bluesky suite, and demonstrate its functionality with a canonical RL problem: cartpole. We then extend these methods to efficient use of beamline resources by using RL to develop an optimal measurement strategy for samples with different scattering characteristics. The RL agents converge on the empirically optimal policy when under-constrained with time. When resource limited, the agents outperform a naive or sequential measurement strategy, often by a factor of 100%. We interface these methods directly with the data storage and provenance technologies at the National Synchrotron Light Source II, thus demonstrating the potential for RL to increase the scientific output of beamlines, and layout the framework for how to achieve this impact.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Probing the Damage Zone at Parkfield
Rocks are heterogeneous materials that exhibit nonlinear elastic (anelastic) behavior at scales ranging from the laboratory to Earth. In the laboratory, typical, complex relationships exist between stress and strain that include hysteresis, finite relaxation times, strain rate, and history dependence. These behaviors are linked to important characteristics such as stress, porosity, permeability, material integrity, and material failure. In this work, we adopted a “pump-probe” type experiment common in laboratory studies, using solid earth tides as the low-frequency pump and empirical Green's function as the high-frequency probe. By probing the velocity at different points in the pump cycle, we constrained important information about the strain-modulus relationship. Near the San Andreas Fault, we observed strongly nonlinear elastic behavior that characterizes the damage zone. We also constrained important aspects of hysteretic behavior that are related to damage properties and possibly pore pressure. Away from the fault, the nonlinear behavior is diminished.
58 GEOSCIENCES↗
Empirical Relations between Size Parameters of Ice Hydrometeor Populations and Radar Reflectivity
Empirical power-law relations between the equivalent radar reflectivity factor Z e and the slope parameter of the gamma function Λ (i.e., Λ = cZ $^{d}_{e}$ used to describe ice hydrometeor size distributions) are derived. The Λ parameter can also be considered as a size parameter since it is proportional to the inverse of the hydrometeor characteristic size, which is an important geophysical parameter describing the entire distribution. Two datasets from two-dimensional microphysical probes, collected during aircraft flights in subtropical and midlatitude regions, were used to obtain Λ by fitting measured size distributions. Reflectivity for different radar frequencies was calculated from microphysical probe data by using nonspherical-particle models. The derived relations have exponent d values that are approximately from -0.35 to -0.40, and the prefactors c are approximately between 30 and 55 (Λ: cm -1 ; Z e : mm 6 m -3 ). There is a tendency for d and c to decrease when radar frequency increases from K u band (~14 GHz) to W band (~94 GHz). Correlation coefficients between Z e and Λ can be very high (~0.8), especially for lower frequencies. Such correlations are similar to those for empirical relations between reflectivity and ice water content (IWC), which are used in many modeling and remote sensing applications. Close correspondences of reflectivity to both Λ and IWC are due to a relatively high correlation between these two microphysical parameters. Finally, expected uncertainties in estimating Λ from reflectivity could be as high as a factor of 2, although estimates at lower radar frequencies are more robust. Stratifying retrievals by temperature could result in relatively modest improvement of Λ estimates.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Best Practices for Measuring the Modulation Transfer Function of Video Endoscopes
Endoscopes are crucial for assisting in surgery and disease diagnosis, including the early detection of cancer. The effective use of endoscopes relies on their optical performance, which can be characterized with a series of metrics such as resolution, vital for revealing anatomical details. The modulation transfer function (MTF) is a key metric for evaluating endoscope resolution. However, the 2020 version of the ISO 8600-5 standard, while introducing an endoscope MTF measurement method, lacks empirical validation and excludes opto-electronic video endoscopes, the largest family of endoscopes. Measuring the MTF of video endoscopes requires tailored standards that address their unique characteristics. This paper aims to expand the scope of ISO 8600-5:2020 to include video endoscopes, by optimizing the MTF test method and addressing parameters affecting measurement accuracy. We studied the effects of intensity and uniformity of image luminance, chart modulation compensation, linearity of image digital values, auto gain control, image enhancement, image compression and the region of interest dimensions on images of slanted-edge test charts, and thus the MTF based on these images. By analyzing these effects, we provided recommendations for setting and controlling these factors to obtain accurate MTF curves. Our goal is to enhance the standard’s relevance and effectiveness for measuring the MTF of a broader range of endoscopic devices, with potential applications in the MTF measurement of other digital imaging devices.
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
Kinetic corrections from analytic non-Maxwellian distribution functions in magnetized plasmas
In magnetized plasma physics, almost all developed analytic theories assume a Maxwellian distribution function (MDF) and in some cases small deviations are described using the perturbation theory. The deviations with respect to the Maxwellian equilibrium, called kinetic effects, are required to be taken into account especially for fusion reactor plasmas. Generally, because the perturbation theory is not consistent with observed steady-state non-Maxwellians, these kinetic effects are numerically evaluated by very central processing unit (CPU)-expensive codes, avoiding the analytic complexity of velocity phase space integrals. We develop here a new method based on analytic non-Maxwellian distribution functions constructed from non-orthogonal basis sets in order to (i) use as few parameters as possible, (ii) increase the efficiency to model numerical and experimental non-Maxwellians, (iii) help to understand unsolved problems such as diagnostics discrepancies from the physical interpretation of the parameters, and (iv) obtain analytic corrections due to kinetic effects given by a small number of terms and removing the numerical error of the evaluation of velocity phase space integrals. This work does not attempt to derive new physical effects even if it could be possible to discover one from the better understandings of some unsolved problems, but here we focus on the analytic prediction of kinetic corrections from analytic non-Maxwellians. As applications, examples of analytic kinetic corrections are shown for the secondary electron emission, the Langmuir probe characteristic curve, and the entropy. This is done by using three analytic representations of the distribution function: the Kappa distribution function, the bi-modal or a new interpreted non-Maxwellian distribution function (INMDF). The existence of INMDFs is proved by new understandings of the experimental discrepancy of the measured electron temperature between two diagnostics in JET. As main results, it is shown that (i) the empirical formula for the secondary electron emission is not consistent with a MDF due to the presence of super-thermal particles, (ii) the super-thermal particles can replace a diffusion parameter in the Langmuir probe current formula, and (iii) the entropy can explicitly decrease in presence of sources only for the introduced INMDF without violating the second law of thermodynamics. Moreover, the first order entropy of an infinite number of super-thermal tails stays the same as the entropy of a MDF. The latter demystifies the Maxwell's demon by statistically describing non-isolated systems.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗