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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 19 records

On the robustness of Herlihy's hierarchy

A wait-free hierarchy maps object types to levels in Z(+) U (infinity) and has the following property: if a type T is at level N, and T' is an arbitrary type, then there is a wait-free implementation of an object of type T', for N processes, using only registers and objects of type T. The infinite hierarchy defined by Herlihy is an example of a wait-free hierarchy. A wait-free hierarchy is robust if it has the following property: if T is at level N, and S is a finite set of types belonging to levels N - 1 or lower, then there is no wait-free implementation of an object of type T, for N processes, using any number and any combination of objects belonging to the types in S. Robustness implies that there are no clever ways of combining weak shared objects to obtain stronger ones. Contrary to what many researchers believe, we prove that Herlihy's hierarchy is not robust. We then define some natural variants of Herlihy's hierarchy, which are also infinite wait-free hierarchies. With the exception of one, which is still open, these are not robust either. We conclude with the open question of whether non-trivial robust wait-free hierarchies exist.

Jayanti, Prasad↗

Exploitation of a Validation Hierarchy for Modeling and Simulation

Across engineering there is an evolving need to increase reliance on physics-based simulation to develop, design and optimize engineering systems. This increased reliance on modeling and simulation has highlighted a growing need to transform the confidence that modeling and simulation analysts have in their results into credibility for systems engineers to design and field systems more quickly and with less physical testing. For isolated components of a complex system, where a single discipline may drive product design, this is less of a concern as the relationship is often straightforward and easy to explain. However, when these isolated components are integrated, and are expected to operate in a multi-disciplinary context in which safety critical systems are involved, new concepts and model assurance standards are required. In this paper we address this challenge by showing how a model validation hierarchy can be exploited to identify those model validation experiments that will contribute most to increasing confidence and credibility of modeling and simulation predictions. The approach that is adopted contains four main steps. The first step is the construction of a model validation hierarchy that links subsystems, assemblies, and components to a hierarchy of physical experiments that can be used support model validation. This hierarchy connects the concerns of systems engineers to those of the modeling and simulation analyst in a clear and logical way. The structure and content of this hierarchy is then used in a second step to establish which physical phenomena have the greatest impact on overall system performance metrics. A gap analysis technique, based upon modeling and simulation concerns, is then used to prioritize the important physical phenomenon. Unfortunately, a common outcome of such gap analyses is the identification of many important gaps and so, in the final step of our process, we advocate the use of a global sensitivity analysis as a means to complete the prioritization.

Verification and Validation↗

Exploitation of a Validation Hierarchy for Modeling and Simulation

Across engineering there is an evolving need to increase reliance on physics-based simulation to develop, design and optimize engineering systems. This increased reliance on modeling and simulation has highlighted a growing need to transform the confidence that modeling and simulation analysts have in their results into credibility for systems engineers to design and field systems more quickly and with less physical testing. For isolated components of a complex system, where a single discipline may drive product design, this is less of a concern as the relationship is often straightforward and easy to explain. However, when these isolated components are integrated, and are expected to operate in a multi-disciplinary context in which safety critical systems are involved, new concepts and model assurance standards are required. In this paper we address this challenge by showing how a model validation hierarchy can be exploited to identify those model validation experiments that will contribute most to increasing confidence and credibility of modeling and simulation predictions. The approach that is adopted contains four main steps. The first step is the construction of a model validation hierarchy that links subsystems, assemblies, and components to a hierarchy of physical experiments that can be used support model validation. This hierarchy connects the concerns of systems engineers to those of the modeling and simulation analyst in a clear and logical way. The structure and content of this hierarchy is then used in a second step to establish which physical phenomena have the greatest impact on overall system performance metrics. A gap analysis technique, based upon modeling and simulation concerns, is then used to prioritize the important physical phenomenon. Unfortunately, a common outcome of such gap analyses is the identification of many important gaps and so, in the final step of our process, we advocate the use of a global sensitivity analysis as a means to complete the prioritization.

Verification and Validation↗

Measuring, Enabling and Comparing Modularity, Regularity and Hierarchy in Evolutionary Design

For computer-automated design systems to scale to complex designs they must be able to produce designs that exhibit the characteristics of modularity, regularity and hierarchy - characteristics that are found both in man-made and natural designs. Here we claim that these characteristics are enabled by implementing the attributes of combination, control-flow and abstraction in the representation. To support this claim we use an evolutionary algorithm to evolve solutions to different sizes of a table design problem using five different representations, each with different combinations of modularity, regularity and hierarchy enabled and show that the best performance happens when all three of these attributes are enabled. We also define metrics for modularity, regularity and hierarchy in design encodings and demonstrate that high fitness values are achieved with high values of modularity, regularity and hierarchy and that there is a positive correlation between increases in fitness and increases in modularity. regularity and hierarchy.

Hornby, Gregory S.↗

A hierarchy of global ocean models coupled to CESM1

We develop a hierarchy of simplified ocean models for coupled ocean, atmosphere, and sea ice climate simulations using the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1). The hierarchy has four members: a slab ocean model, a mixed-layer model (MLM) with entrainment and detrainment, an Ekman MLM, and an ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Flux corrections of heat and salt are applied to the simplified models ensuring that all hierarchy members have the same climatology. We diagnose the needed flux corrections from auxiliary simulations in which we restore the temperature and salinity to the daily climatology obtained from a target CESM1 simulation. The resulting three-dimensional corrections contain the interannual variability fluxes that maintain the correct vertical gradients of temperature and salinity in the tropics. We find that the inclusion of mixed-layer entrainment and Ekman flow produces sea surface temperature and surface air temperature fields whose means and variances are progressively more similar to those produced by the target CESM1 simulation. We illustrate the application of the hierarchy to the problem of understanding the response of the climate system to the loss of Arctic sea ice. We find that the shifts in the positions of the mid-latitude westerly jet and of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in response to sea-ice loss depend critically on upper ocean processes. Specifically, heat uptake associated with the mixed-layer entrainment influences the shift in the westerly jet and ITCZ. Moreover, the shift of ITCZ is sensitive to the form of Ekman flow parameterization.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Hierarchy of Global Ocean Models Coupled to CESM1

Abstract We develop a hierarchy of simplified ocean models for coupled ocean, atmosphere, and sea ice climate simulations using the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1). The hierarchy has four members: a slab ocean model, a mixed‐layer model (MLM) with entrainment and detrainment, an Ekman MLM, and an ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Flux corrections of heat and salt are applied to the simplified models ensuring that all hierarchy members have the same climatology. We diagnose the needed flux corrections from auxiliary simulations in which we restore the temperature and salinity to the daily climatology obtained from a target CESM1 simulation. The resulting three‐dimensional corrections contain the interannual variability fluxes that maintain the correct vertical gradients of temperature and salinity in the tropics. We find that the inclusion of mixed‐layer entrainment and Ekman flow produces sea surface temperature and surface air temperature fields whose means and variances are progressively more similar to those produced by the target CESM1 simulation. We illustrate the application of the hierarchy to the problem of understanding the response of the climate system to the loss of Arctic sea ice. We find that the shifts in the positions of the mid‐latitude westerly jet and of the Inter‐tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in response to sea‐ice loss depend critically on upper ocean processes. Specifically, heat uptake associated with the mixed‐layer entrainment influences the shift in the westerly jet and ITCZ. Moreover, the shift of ITCZ is sensitive to the form of Ekman flow parameterization.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Plasma Modeling Hierarchy and Verification Approach

This report reviews a hierarchy of formal mathematical models for describing plasma phenomena. Starting with the Boltzmann equation, a sequence of approximations and modeling assumptions can be made that progressively reduce to the equations for magnetohydrodynamics. Understanding the assumptions behind each of these models and their mathematical form is essential to appropriate use of each level of the hierarchy. A sequence of moment models of the Boltzmann equation are presented, then focused into a generalized three-fluid model for neutral species, electrons, and ions. This model is then further reduced to a two-fluid model, for which Braginskii described a useful closure. Further reduction of the two-fluid model yields a Generalized Ohm's Law model, which provides a connection to magnetohydrodynamic approaches. A verification approach based on linear plasma waves is presented alongside the model hierarchy, which is intended as an initial and necessary but not sufficient step for verification of plasma models within this hierarchy.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Hierarchial implicit dynamic least-square solution algorithm

This paper develops an implicit type transient solution strategy which possesses hierarchial levels of application. In particular, due to the manner of formulation, stiffness updating, assembly inversion, solution constraint, as well as iteration are all performed at a localized level. The level of iterative calculations depends on the type of hierarchial partitioning employed, namely degree of freedom, nodal, elemental, material/nonlinear group, substructural, and so on. Since the iterative solution process and application of constraints are applied at a local level, the resulting so-called hierarchial implicit solution algorithm possesses very stable and efficient numerical properties and is highly storage efficient. To demonstrate the scheme, the results of several benchmark examples are presented. These enable comparisons with the Newton-Raphson solved implicit transient solution method. Overall the comparisons illustrate the superior stability and efficiency of the hierarchial scheme.

Padovan, J.↗

The Mitigation Hierarchy

The mitigation hierarchy is a widely used framework to inform conservation decisions. The hierarchy offers a structured set of steps for how projects can lessen negative impacts or lead to an increase in biodiversity. In its simplest form, the mitigation hierarchy includes three stages: (1) avoid creating impacts from the outset, (2) minimize the impacts that cannot be avoided, and (3) compensate for or offset the impacts that cannot be minimized. Proper application of the hierarchy should decrease impacts of the project over time, such that most of the impact is alleviated through avoidance, leaving a modest amount remaining to minimize, and only a residual to compensate. In practice, avoidance should be prioritized and can be a cost-effective means of mitigation. Whereas compensation should be considered the lowest priority and should only be applied in situations in which the previous mitigation steps were unable to fully alleviate undesirable impacts.

biodiversity↗

String Theory, the Dark Sector, and the Hierarchy Problem

We discuss dark energy, dark matter and the hierarchy problem in the context of a general non-commutative formulation of string theory. In this framework dark energy is generated by the dynamical geometry of the dual spacetime while dark matter, on the other hand, comes from the degrees of freedom dual to the visible matter. This formulation of string theory is sensitive both to the IR and UV scales and the Higgs scale is radiatively stable by being a geometric mean of radiatively stable UV and IR scales. We also comment on various phenomenological signatures of this novel approach to dark energy, dark matter and the hierarchy problem. We find that this new view on the hierarchy problem is realized in a toy model based on a non-holomorphic deformation of the stringy cosmic string. Finally, we discuss a proposal for a new non-perturbative formulation of string theory, which sheds light on M theory and F theory, as well as on supersymmetry and holography.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Clifford Hierarchy Stabilizer Codes: Transversal Non-Clifford Gates and Magic States

A fundamental problem in fault-tolerant quantum computation is the tradeoff between universality and dimensionality, exemplified by the the Bravyi-König bound for $n$-dimensional topological stabilizer codes. In this work, we extend topological Pauli stabilizer codes to a broad class of $n$-dimensional Clifford hierarchy stabilizer codes. These codes correspond to the $(n+1)$D Dijkgraaf-Witten gauge theories with non-Abelian topological order. We construct transversal non-Clifford gates through automorphism symmetries represented by cup products. In 2D, we obtain the first transversal non-Clifford logical gates including T and CS for Clifford stabilizer codes, using the automorphism of the twisted $\mathbb{Z}_2^3$ gauge theory (equivalent to $\mathbb{D}_4$ topological order). We also combine it with the just-in-time decoder to fault-tolerantly prepare the logical T magic state in $O(d)$ rounds via code switching. In 3D, we construct a transversal logical $\sqrt{\text{T}}$ gate in a non-Clifford stabilizer code at the third level of the Clifford hierarchy, located on a tetrahedron corresponding to a twisted $\mathbb{Z}_2^4$ gauge theory. Furthermore, our constructions surpass the Bravyi-König bound by achieving the logical gates in the $(n+1)$-th level of Clifford hierarchy in $n$ spatial dimension.

Kobayashi, Ryohei [Institute for Advanced Study, P↗

Natural top-bottom mass hierarchy in composite Higgs models

We consider composite two-Higgs doublet models based on gauge-Yukawa theories with strongly interacting fermions generating the top-bottom mass hierarchy. The model features a single "universal" Higgs-Yukawa coupling, $g$, which is identified with the top quark $g\equiv g_t \sim \mathcal{O}(1)$. The top-bottom mass hierarchy arises by soft breaking of a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry by a condensate of strongly interacting fermions. A mass splitting between vector-like masses of the confined techni-fermions controls this top-bottom mass hierarchy. This mechanism can be present in a variety of models based on vacuum misalignment. For concreteness, we demonstrate it in a composite two-Higgs scheme.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Discovering Planetary Nebula Geometries: Explorations with a Hierarchy of Models

Astronomical objects known as planetary nebulae (PNe) consist of a shell of gas expelled by an aging medium-sized star as it makes its transition from a red giant to a white dwarf. In many cases this gas shell can be approximately described as a prolate ellipsoid. Knowledge of the physics of ionization processes in this gaseous shell enables us to construct a model in three dimensions (3D) called the Ionization-Bounded Prolate Ellipsoidal Shell model (IBPES model). Using this model we can generate synthetic nebular images, which can be used in conjunction with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of actual PNe to perform Bayesian model estimation. Since the IBPES model is characterized by thirteen parameters, model estimation requires the search of a 13-dimensional parameter space. The 'curse of dimensionality,' compounded by a computationally intense forward problem, makes forward searches extremely time-consuming and frequently causes them to become trapped in local solutions. We find that both the speed and of the search can be improved by judiciously reducing the dimensionality of the search space. Our basic approach employs a hierarchy of models of increasing complexity that converges to the IBPES model. Earlier studies establish that a hierarchical sequence converges more quickly, and to a better solution, than a search relying only on the most complex model. Here we report results for a hierarchy of five models. The first three models treat the nebula as a 2D image, while the last two models explore its characteristics as a 3D object and enable us to characterize the physics of the nebula. This five-model hierarchy is applied to HST images of ellipsoidal PNe to estimate their geometric properties and gas density profiles.

Huyser, Karen A.↗

Ru Single Atoms on One-Dimensional CF@g-C 3 N 4 Hierarchy as Highly Stable Catalysts for Aqueous Levulinic Acid Hydrogenation

Herein, we report a stable catalyst with Ru single atoms anchored on a one-dimensional carbon fiber@graphitic carbon nitride hierarchy, by assembling wet wipes composed of fiber-derived carbon fiber (CF), melamine-derived graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and RuCl3 before NaBH4 reduction. The atomically dispersed Ru species (3.0 wt%) are tightly attached via N-coordination provided by exterior g-C3N4 nanosheets, and further stabilized by the interior mesoporous CF. The obtained CF@g-C3N4–Ru SAs catalyst can be cycled six times without notable leaching of Ru or loss of GVL yield in the acidic media. This catalyst is more stable than Ru nanoparticles supported on CF@g-C3N4, as well as Ru single atoms anchored on CF and g-C3N4, and proves to be one of the most efficient metal catalysts for aqueous LA hydrogenation to γ-valerolactone (GVL). The isolated Ru atoms by strong N-coordination, and their enhanced electron/mass transfer afforded by the one-dimensional hierarchy, can be responsible for the excellent durability of CF@g-C3N4–Ru SAs under harsh reaction conditions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Coordination Stoichiometry Effects on the Binding Hierarchy of Histamine and Imidazole–M 2+ Complexes

Histidine–M 2+ coordination bonds are a recognized bond motif in biogenic materials with high hardness and extensibility, which has led to growing interest in their use in soft materials for mechanical function. However, the effect of different metal ions on the stability of the coordination complex remains poorly understood, complicating their implementation in metal-coordinated polymer materials. Herein, rheology experiments and density functional theory calculations are used to characterize the stability of coordination complexes and establish the binding hierarchy of histamine and imidazole with Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Zn 2+ . It is found that the binding hierarchy is driven by the specific affinity of the metal ions to different coordination states, which can be macroscopically tuned by changing the metal-to-ligand stoichiometry of the metal-coordinated network. These findings facilitate the rational selection of metal ions for optimizing the mechanical properties of metal-coordinated materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

IR dynamics from UV divergences: UV/IR mixing, NCFT, and the hierarchy problem

The persistence of the hierarchy problem points to a violation of effective field theory expectations. A compelling possibility is that this results from a physical breakdown of EFT, which may arise from correlations between ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) physics. To this end, we study noncommutative field theory (NCFT) as a toy model of UV/IR mixing which generates an emergent infrared scale from ultraviolet dynamics. We explore the range of such theories where ultraviolet divergences are transmogrified into infrared scales, focusing particularly on the properties of Yukawa theory, where we identify a new infrared pole accessible in the s-channel of the Lorentzian theory. We further investigate the interplay between UV-finiteness and UV/IR mixing by studying properties of the softly-broken noncommutative Wess-Zumino model as soft terms are varied relative to the cutoff. While the Lorentz violation inherent to noncommutative theories may limit their direct application to the hierarchy problem, these toy models provide general lessons to guide the realization of UV/IR mixing in more realistic theories.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Context-aware learning of hierarchies of low-fidelity models for multi-fidelity uncertainty quantification

Multi-fidelity Monte Carlo methods leverage low-fidelity and surrogate models for variance reduction to make tractable uncertainty quantification even when numerically simulating the physical systems of interest with high-fidelity models is computationally expensive. This work proposes a context-aware multi-fidelity Monte Carlo method that optimally balances the costs of training low-fidelity models with the costs of Monte Carlo sampling. It generalizes the previously developed context-aware bi-fidelity Monte Carlo method to hierarchies of multiple models and to more general types of low-fidelity models. When training low-fidelity models, the proposed approach takes into account the context in which the learned low-fidelity models will be used, namely for variance reduction in Monte Carlo estimation, which allows it to find optimal trade-offs between training and sampling to minimize upper bounds of the mean-squared errors of the estimators for given computational budgets. This is in stark contrast to traditional surrogate modeling and model reduction techniques that construct low-fidelity models with the primary goal of approximating well the high-fidelity model outputs and typically ignore the context in which the learned models will be used in upstream tasks. Further, the proposed context-aware multi-fidelity Monte Carlo method applies to hierarchies of a wide range of types of low-fidelity models such as sparse-grid and deep-network models. Numerical experiments with the gyrokinetic simulation code Gene show speedups of up to two orders of magnitude compared to standard estimators when quantifying uncertainties in small-scale fluctuations in confined plasma in fusion reactors. This corresponds to a runtime reduction from 72 days to four hours on one node of the Lonestar6 supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center.

42 ENGINEERING↗

An automated procedure built on MTEX for reconstructing deformation twin hierarchies from electron backscattered diffraction datasets of heavily twinned microstructures

Here we present a set of algorithms built on the MTEX and MATLAB graph toolboxes for automatic reconstruction of deformation twin hierarchies from Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) datasets with a focus on developing methods for heavily twinned microstructures (twin fractions >0.5). The algorithms address key issues arising at large strains, mainly: missing twin relationships, grouping of heavily deformed grain fragments into families of similar orientation originating from a single initial grain, identification of parent fragments for large twin volume fractions, and classification of families having twin relationships with multiple families. To facilitate the development of these algorithms, large-grained ultra-high purity α-Ti deformed in compression along two directions is investigated. Graphs are utilized to handle non-local geometric merging and to represent relationships throughout the reconstruction process. When determining if a grain fragment is from the undeformed microstructure, the combined metrics of the fragment's orientation volume fraction in the initial texture and the directed graph centrality measure of out-closeness (the number of nodes reached in a graph from a given node) are essential. To address automation in reconstructing the sequence of twinning and relating fragments originating from a single grain in the initial microstructure, the twin family tree is formulated as a minimum spanning tree emanating from the initial grain family. A scheme constructing the distances associated with twin relationship comprising the spanning tree is developed, and a novel quasi-directional Prim spanning tree algorithm is used to determine the twin family tree. The procedure is demonstrated to significantly improve the level of automation in reconstructing twin hierarchies in heavily twinned microstructure compared to other methodologies in literature. The procedure can readily be applied to analyses of twinning in metals, as well as provide an approach for routinely extracting twin statistics at larger deformation levels than previously possible. Significantly, the procedure is demonstrated to be capable of identifying third generation twinning in α-Ti microstructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗