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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Induced and non-induced poset saturation problems

A subfamily G ⊆ F ⊆ 2 [ n ] of sets is a non-induced (weak) copy of a poset P in F if there exists a bijection i : P → G such that p ≤ P q implies i ( p ) ⊆ i ( q ) . In the case where in addition p ≤ P q holds if and only if i ( p ) ⊆ i ( q ) , then is an induced (strong) copy of P in G . We consider the minimum number sat ( n , P ) [resp. sat ⁎ ( n , P ) ] of sets that a family F ⊆ 2 [ n ] can have without containing a non-induced [induced] copy of P and being maximal with respect to this property, i.e., the addition of any G ∈ 2 [ n ] ∖ F creates a non-induced [induced] copy of P.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2010

Does the Hall Effect Solve the Flux Pileup Saturation Problem?

It is well known that magnetic flux pileup can significantly speed up the rate of magnetic reconnection in high Lundquist number resistive MHD,allowing reconnection to proceed at a rate which is insensitive to the plasma resistivity over a wide range of Lundquist number. Hence, pileup is a possible solution to the Sweet-Parker time scale problem. Unfortunately, pileup tends to saturate above a critical value of the Lundquist number, S_c, where the value ofS_c depends on initial and boundary conditions, with Sweet-Parker scaling returning above S_c. It has been argued (see Dorelli and Bim [2003] and Dorelli [2003]) that the Hall effect can allow flux pileup to saturate (when the scale of the current sheet approaches ion inertial scale, di) before the reconnection rate begins to stall. However, the resulting saturated reconnection rate, while insensitive to the plasma resistivity, was found to depend strongly on the di. In this presentation, we revisit the problem of magnetic island coalescence (which is a well known example of flux pileup reconnection), addressing the dependence of the maximum coalescence rate on the ratio of di in the "large island" limit in which the following inequality is always satisfied: l_eta di lambda, where I_eta is the resistive diffusion length and lambda is the island wavelength.

Dorelli, John C.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Forest aboveground biomass estimation through integration of sentinel-2 and PALSAR-2 time series: assessing models trained on GEDI and field inventory benchmarks

Accurate and spatially explicit forest Aboveground Biomass (AGB) mapping through remote sensing is critical for quantifying terrestrial carbon stocks and informing effective forest management strategies. However, AGB estimation in dense forests with complex terrain remains challenging due to satellite sensor signal saturation problem (saturation issue occurs in high biomass forests), structural complexity, and limited ground truth for calibration. This study presents a novel framework that integrates multi-temporal Sentinel-2 optical imagery, ALOS PALSAR-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, and topographic variables with explainable Machine Learning to map AGB across mountainous forests within subtropical and temperate oceanic climate zones of Mexico. We evaluate the effects of temporal granularity and sensor synergy by comparing multiple temporal inputs and sensor configurations (Sentinel-2, PALSAR-2, and their fusion), and assess model performance using two reference datasets: NASA GEDI LiDAR-derived biomass and Mexico’s National Forest and Soil Inventory (INFyS). Our results showed that models trained on INFyS consistently outperformed those trained on GEDI, highlighting limitations in GEDI’s reliability in biomass estimates within this study region. Furthermore, the integration of Sentinel-2 and PALSAR-2 provided improved predictions compared to single-sensor models, particularly when combined with temporally explicit yearly statistics. The best-performing model, which was trained on INFyS data, and considered both Sentinel-2 and PALSAR-2 yearly statistics, as well as topographic variables, achieved an R2 of 0.64, RMSE of 51.10 Mg/ha, and relative RMSE (rRMSE) of 58.69%. Explainable ML analysis identified Sentinel-2 spectral indices and topographic features as key predictors, while PALSAR-2 metrics provided complementary information, partially mitigating saturation effects in high-biomass areas. Specifically, integrating both sensors substantially improved AGB estimation in high biomass forest (≥200 Mg/ha), yielding 98% gains over optical-only model, with resulting estimates exceeding GEDI L4B by 29% and ESA-CCI-BIOMASS by 174%. Terrain-stratified analysis indicated close agreement with GEDI in low-slope areas, with increasing divergence as slope steepness increased, while estimates remained consistently higher than ESA-CCI-BIOMASS across all slope classes. The proposed approach advances multi-sensor fusion and temporal feature engineering for AGB mapping using open-access satellite datasets, providing a scalable and reproducible framework for annual biomass monitoring in topographically complex mountainous forests. The resulting 25 m resolution biomass product has the potential to provide spatially detailed information for forest monitoring and may support applications in carbon accounting and forest management.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1984

Intensified silicon photodiode array detector linearity Application to coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy

The linearity of an intensified silicon photodiode array multichannel detector is studied with coherent anti-Stokes Raman and other similar signals. Studies with diffuse and focused (spherically and cylindrically) signals resolved apparent saturation problems which limit the dynamic range of the detector. In addition, it has been shown that there is no short-range wavelength (473-532-nm) dependence on this saturation. Theoretical explanations for these phenomena are also included.

Antcliff, R. R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

An adaptive and stability-promoting layerwise training approach for sparse deep neural network architecture

This work presents a two-stage adaptive framework for progressively developing deep neural network (DNN) architectures that generalize well for a given training data set. In the first stage, a layerwise training approach is adopted where a new layer is added each time and trained independently by freezing parameters in the previous layers. We impose desirable structures on the DNN by employing manifold regularization, sparsity regularization, and physics-informed terms. We introduce a ε – δ – stability-promoting concept as a desirable property for a learning algorithm and show that employing manifold regularization yields a ε – δ stability-promoting algorithm. Further, we also derive the necessary conditions for the trainability of a newly added layer and investigate the training saturation problem. In the second stage of the algorithm (post-processing), a sequence of shallow networks is employed to extract information from the residual produced in the first stage, thereby improving the prediction accuracy. Numerical investigations on prototype regression and classification problems demonstrate that the proposed approach can outperform fully connected DNNs of the same size. Moreover, by equipping the physics-informed neural network (PINN) with the proposed adaptive architecture strategy to solve partial differential equations, we numerically show that adaptive PINNs not only are superior to standard PINNs but also produce interpretable hidden layers with provable stability. As a result, we also apply our architecture design strategy to solve inverse problems governed by elliptic partial differential equations.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1992

Active flutter suppression using dipole filters

By using traditional control concepts of gain root locus, the active suppression of a flutter mode of a flexible wing is examined. It is shown that the attraction of the unstable mode towards a critical system zero determines the degree to which the flutter mode can be stabilized. For control situations where the critical zero is adversely placed in the complex plane, a novel compensation scheme called a 'Dipole' filter is proposed. This filter ensures that the flutter mode is stabilized with acceptable control energy. The control strategy is illustrated by designing flutter suppression laws for an active flexible wing (AFW) wind-tunnel model, where minimal control effort solutions are mandated by control rate saturation problems caused by wind-tunnel turbulence.

Srinathkumar, S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Langmuir probe theory and the problem of anisotropic collection

A more general understanding of Langmuir probe theory by going beyond particular coordinate systems as far as possible was studied. To delineate the role of initial velocities in the problem and to characterize the interaction between the velocity flow field and the electrostatic potential field both of which enter into the determination of particle trajectories are desired. The probe is supposed to be negatively charged throughout and the ensuing region of positive space charge about it differs fundamentally from the plasma region beyond in the sense that the former represents a region in which deterministic trajectories dominate while the lattice is a region dominated by statistical interactions largely controlled by the collisionless stationary Boltzmann equation. A general solution of this Boltzmann equation is given and its relationship to the problem of saturation current density in 3D is elucidated.

Kyrala, A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Understanding Strong Scaling on GPUs Using Empirical Performance Saturation Size

The roofline model provides a concise overview of the maximum performance capabilities of a given computer system through a combination of peak memory bandwidth and compute performance rates. The increasing complexity of scheduling and cache in recent GPUs, however, has introduced complicated performance variability that is not captured by arithmetic intensity alone. This work examines the effect of problem size and GPU launch configurations on roofline performance for V100, A100, MI100, and MI250X graphics processing units. We introduce an extended roofline model that takes problem size into account, and find that strong scaling on GPUs can be characterized by saturation problem sizes as additional key metrics. Saturation problem sizes break up a plot of GPU performance vs. problem size into three distinct performance regimes– size-limited, cache-bound, and DRAM-bound. With our extended roofline model, we are able to provide a robust view of these performance regimes across recent GPU architectures.

Eberius, David↗
NASA NTRS1993

Moisture Content and Migration Dynamics in Unsaturated Porous Media

Fundamental studies of fluid mechanics and transport in partially saturated soils are presented. Solution of transient diffusion problems in support of the development of probes for the in-situ measurement of moisture content is given. Numerical and analytical methods are used to study the fundamental problem of meniscus and saturation front propagation in geometric models of porous media.

Homsy, G. M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biased degenerate ground-state sampling of small Ising models with converged quantum approximate optimization algorithm

The quantum alternating operator ansatz, a generalization of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA), is a quantum algorithm used for approximately solving combinatorial optimization problems. QAOA typically uses the transverse field mixer as the driving Hamiltonian. One of the interesting properties of the transverse field driving Hamiltonian is that it results in nonuniform sampling of degenerate ground states of optimization problems. In this study, we numerically examine the fair sampling properties of the transverse field mixer QAOA, and Grover mixer QAOA (GM-QAOA), which provides theoretical guarantees of fair sampling of degenerate optimal solutions, up to a large enough p such that the mean expectation value converges to an optimal approximation ratio of 1. This comparison is performed with high-quality heuristically computed, but not necessarily optimal, QAOA angles, which give strictly monotonically improving solution quality as p increases. These angles are computed using the Julia based numerical simulation software JuliQAOA. Fair sampling of degenerate ground states is quantified using the Shannon entropy of the ground-state amplitudes distribution. The fair sampling properties are reported on several quantum signature Hamiltonians from previous quantum annealing fair sampling studies. Small random fully connected spin glasses are shown, which exhibit exponential suppression of some degenerate ground states with transverse field mixer QAOA. The transverse field mixer QAOA simulations show that some problem instances clearly saturate the Shannon entropy of 0 with a maximally biased distribution that occurs when the learning converges to an approximation ratio of 1 while other problem instances never deviate from a maximum Shannon entropy (uniform distribution) at any p step. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Geomagnetic Induced Current Neutral Blocking Devices on Distance Relays in Sub-transmission Networks with IBR

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) can flow through transmission lines during geomagnetic disturbances, such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections. These currents can cause problems like transformer saturation and equipment damage. The most common method of mitigating GICs involves installing GIC neutral blocking devices (NBDs) in transformer neutrals. However, the wide application of capacitive GIC blocking devices may have unintended adverse effects on other devices, such as distance protection relays. As the number of inverter-based resources being connected to the transmission and sub-transmission systems increases, the likelihood of a sub-transmission line protected by a distance relay connected to a transformer with NBDs is increasing. Therefore, distance relays fed by IBRs and transmission lines with GIC-NBDs must be studied. This paper studies the effect of GIC-NBDs on a 69kV sub-transmission line of various lengths fed by a 25 MVA IBR and synchronous source. This work focused on the behavior of the GIC-NBDs using the measured apparent phase-to-ground and phase-to-phase impedance calculated by the relay and the source impedance ratio (SIR) during various electrical faults.

Patel, Trupal R [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL↗
NASA NTRS1982

The interstellar carbon abundance toward Delta Scorpii

Observations are presented of a semiforbidden transition of C II at lambda 2325 toward Delta Scorpii. This line is intrinsically so weak that saturation and blending problems are completely absent, allowing the C II column density to be determined unambiguously. Furthermore, since C II is the dominant ionization state of carbon in H I regions, the total carbon abundance follows directly. While the detection of weak, semiforbidden interstellar lines requires high resolution and high photometric accuracy, observations of these lines promise substantial improvements concerning the knowledge of gas-phase abundances and, consequently, of the composition and structure of grains. The reported results represent the first direct evidence from absorption measurements that carbon is depleted from the interstellar gas by amounts sufficient to provide a substantial fraction of the mass of interstellar grains.

Hobbs, L. M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Studies of Solar Helicity Using Vector Magnetograms

observations of photospheric magnetic fields made with vector magnetographs have been used recently to study solar helicity. In this paper we indicate what can and cannot be derived from vector magnetograms, and point out some potential problems in these data that could affect the calculations of 'helicity'. Among these problems are magnetic saturation, Faraday rotation, low spectral resolution, and the method of resolving the ambiguity in the azimuth.

Hagyard, Mona J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Passive dosimetry aboard the Mir Orbital Station: external measurements

This paper reports results from the first measurements made on the exterior of a LEO spacecraft of mean dose equivalent rate and average quality factor as functions of shielding depth for shielding less than 1 g/cm2 Al equivalent. Two sets of measurements were made on the outside of the Mir Orbital Station; one near solar maximum in June 1991 and one near solar minimum in 1997. Absorbed dose was measured using stacks of TLDs. LET spectrum from charged particles of LET infinity H2O > o r= 5keV/micrometers was measured using stacks of CR-39 PNTDs. Results from the TLD and PNTD measurements at a given shielding depth were combined to yield mean total dose rate, mean dose equivalent rate, and average quality factor. Measurements made near solar maximum tend to be greater than those made during solar minimum. Both mean dose rate and mean dose equivalent rate decrease by nearly four orders of magnitude within the first g/cm2 shielding illustrating the attenuation of both trapped electrons and low-energy trapped protons. In order to overcome problems with detector saturation after standard chemical processing, measurement of LET spectrum in the least shielded CR-39 PNTD layer (0.005 g/cm2 Al) was carried out using an atomic force microscope. c2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

manned↗
NASA NTRS2006

Analysis of Leaf Area Index and Fraction of PAR Absorbed by Vegetation Products from the Terra MODIS Sensor: 2000-2005

The analysis of two years of Collection 3 and five years of Collection 4 Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) data sets is presented in this article with the goal of understanding product quality with respect to version (Collection 3 versus 4), algorithm (main versus backup), snow (snow-free versus snow on the ground), and cloud (cloud-free versus cloudy) conditions. Retrievals from the main radiative transfer algorithm increased from 55% in Collection 3 to 67% in Collection 4 due to algorithm refinements and improved inputs. Anomalously high LAI/FPAR values observed in Collection 3 product in some vegetation types were corrected in Collection 4. The problem of reflectance saturation and too few main algorithm retrievals in broadleaf forests persisted in Collection 4. The spurious seasonality in needleleaf LAI/FPAR fields was traced to fewer reliable input data and retrievals during the boreal winter period. About 97% of the snow covered pixels were processed by the backup Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-based algorithm. Similarly, a majority of retrievals under cloudy conditions were obtained from the backup algorithm. For these reasons, the users are advised to consult the quality flags accompanying the LAI and FPAR product.

Yang, Wenze↗
DOE OSTI2020

The role of turbulent fluctuations in aerosol activation and cloud formation

Aerosol indirect effects are one of the leading contributors to cloud radiative properties relevant to climate. Aerosol particles become cloud droplets when the ambient relative humidity (saturation ratio) exceeds a critical value, which depends on the particle size and chemical composition. In the traditional formulation of this problem, only average, uniform saturation ratios are considered. Using experiments and theory, we examine the effects of fluctuations, produced by turbulence. Our measurements, from a multiphase, turbulent cloud chamber, show a clear transition from a regime in which the mean saturation ratio dominates to one in which the fluctuations determine cloud properties. The laboratory measurements demonstrate cloud formation in mean-subsaturated conditions (i.e., relative humidity <100%) in the fluctuation-dominant activation regime. The theoretical framework developed to interpret these measurements predicts a transition from a mean- to a fluctuation-dominated regime, based on the relative values of the mean and standard deviation of the environmental saturation ratio and the critical saturation ratio at which aerosol particles activate or become droplets. The theory is similar to the concept of stochastic condensation and can be used in the context of the atmosphere to explore the conditions under which droplet activation is driven by fluctuations as opposed to mean supersaturation. Overall, it provides a basis for future development of cloud droplet activation parameterizations that go beyond the internally homogeneous parcel calculations that have been used in the past.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1983

Effects of control saturation on the command response of statically unstable aircraft

Hanson and Stengel (1981) have described the effects of saturating controls on the initial-condition response of statically unstable aircraft. In an analysis of the stability augmentation system, consideration was given to maximizing the region of stable response. The present investigation is concerned with an extension of the control saturation analysis to the problem of command response, taking into account the main problem of control design for satisfactory flying qualities (as perceived by the pilot). A model for examining the effects of control saturation on longitudinal stability and command response is developed and applied to an aircraft with a static instability. Three parameters prescribing longitudinal flying qualities are examined with respect to their ability to identify proper flying qualities in the presence of control saturation. The presented analysis provides also satisfactory guidelines for establishing command saturation/stability boundaries.

Hanson, G. D.↗