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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

An HPC-Based Hydrothermal Finite Element Simulator for Modeling Underground Geothermal Behavior with Example Simulations on The Treasure Island and UC Berkeley Campus

This submission contains the source code of the Hydrothermal Finite Element Simulator used for the Treasure Island and UC Berkeley campus geothermal simulation. It contains a report that summarizes the development and validation of this Hydrothermal Finite Element Simulator, with a case study on Treasure Island site. It also contains a report that investigates the feasibility of upgrading the existing campus energy delivery system at UC Berkeley to a fifth-generation district heating and cooling system that includes geothermal heat/cold storage.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

NCS Pipeline UC Berkeley Course Overview [Slides]

The criticality safety divisions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), in partnership with Dr. Max Fratoni of UC Berkeley, taught the fourth annual nuclear criticality safety course during the fall 2021 semester at UC Berkeley. This course is part of a larger pipeline project designed to stimulate student interest in the field of criticality safety.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

FY2020 Annual Report on Subcontract B631779 with UC Berkeley: Reactive Precursors Additive Manufacturing Report

This work succeeded in reaching each of the stated milestones for developing, printing, reacting, and characterizing the uranium carbide final products. Leveraging experience gained from creating magnesium oxide inks (milestone #1) and prior reactive precursor work with boron carbide (milestone #2) a uranium carbide reactive precursor ink was developed. The chosen composition of ink utilized a mixture of wax, petrolatum, and stearic acid as the binder. The reactive precursor portion of the ink was comprised of uranium oxide and nano particle activated carbon for production of uranium carbide via carbothermal reduction. Following an in-air burnout of the binder at 160C the printed samples were reacted and sintered at 1750C in an argon environment induction furnace. The resulting product has an open porosity dense, foam-like internal structure with a calculated density of 89% in the solid fraction.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2024

Research at UC Berkeley on the SPICE and HeRALD Dark Matter Experiments (Technical Report for DE-SC0022354)

The McKinsey and Pyle groups have taken on the responsibility to complete a number of critical tasks necessary for the successful completion of the TESSERACT project planning phase. In particular: 1) Transition Edge Sensor testing, characterization, and electromagnetic noise mitigation; 2) Design and testing of the athermal phonon detectors along with vibrational noise characterization and mitigation; 3) Testing and characterization of prototype detectors using silica, sapphire, gallium arsenide, and superfluid helium as detector materials. This grant supported efforts of graduate student Roger Romani toward these goals.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Catalyst Development to Overcome Barriers for Commercialization of Synthetic High-Octane Hydrocarbons: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report)

In recent years, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) have independently developed catalysts that convert methanol and dimethyl ether into alkylate-like hydrocarbons with a high-octane value, and both have developed intellectual property around these chemical transformations. Both UC Berkeley and NREL wish to see their technologies commercialized to address a number of domestic and international energy challenges. The technologies developed by NREL and UC Berkeley are complimentary but neither have moved beyond the laboratory scale due to remaining challenges with the catalyst activity and selectivity, and/or with the reaction engineering associated with maximizing the yield of the high-value product. NREL and UC Berkeley wish to collaboratively through a shared resources CRADA to solve issues related to the scale-up and process integration of their high-octane hydrocarbon technologies, thus enabling future licensing of the technology to an industry partner.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

SIMBER: the Simula Berkeley Education and Research Collaboration (CRADA Final Report)

The SIMBER project is centered around advancing the state-of-the-art in the science of modelling of the human heart and leveraging the collaborations between leading research groups at the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley), the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), and Simula Research Laboratory (Simula). In particular, the following areas of expertise are shared and expanded through this project: “heart-on-chip” experimental systems from UC Berkeley, mathematical modelling of the heart from Simula, and supercomputing software from Simula and Berkeley Lab. This intersection of expertise is already enabling the development of novel tools and knowledge that produce more accurate models of the human heart in both health and disease, which in turn are leading to drug screening technologies that make cardiac drug development faster, cheaper and more humane.

Li, Xiaoye Sherry [Lawrence Berkeley National Labo↗
NASA NTRS2017

Space Policy Debate - On Space Privatization and Property Rights

This presentation is intended to acquaint the audience of UC Berkeley and UC Los Angeles students with the mission of NASA, core competencies at Ames, and to provide a framework for further discussion by students of aeronautics and space sciences.

Competencies↗
DOE OSTI2026

Full calibration of the tomographic redshift distribution from the HSC PDR3 Shape Catalog with DESI

The calibration of tomographic redshift distributionsis essential for cosmological analysis of weak lensing data.In this work, we calibrate all four tomographic bins of the Hyper Suprime Camera (HSC) weak lensing catalog with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1 and 2 using the clustering redshifts technique. We include z > 1.2 redshift sources such as emission line galaxies (ELG) and quasars (QSO) sources in our calibration, which were not available in the previous HSC calibration (Rau et al. (2022), Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 524 (2023) 5109), allowing a complete calibration of all the redshift bins. We find the first tomographic bin exhibits a small shift towards low redshifts. The second bin is in good agreement with the photometric calibration, while third and fourth bin exhibit a shift towards higher redshifts. However, these shifts are considerably smaller than the shifts obtained in the HSC Year 3 cosmic shear analyses. We evaluate the impact of galaxy bias and magnification effects from all the samples on the measurements, finding them to be small, and we propose corrections to reduce them further. Specifically, we relax the assumption of linear bias and only assume no redshift evolution of the cross-correlation coefficient, allowing us to leverage smaller clustering scales. We model the redshift distributions with splines and compare our results to previous analyses as well as to other parameterizations found in literature. For the two high-redshift tomographic bins, we find the shifts to higher redshifts with respect to the measurements performed in Rau+2022 to be Δz$_{3}$ =-0.039$^{+0.020}$$_{-0.021}$ and Δz$_{4}$ = -0.048$^{+0.012}$$_{-0.012}$.

Choppin de Janvry, J. [LBL, Berkeley; UC, Berkeley↗
DOE OSTI2026

Unified and Consistent Structure Growth Measurements from Joint ACT, SPT, and Planck CMB Lensing

We present the tightest cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing constraints to date on the growth of structure by combining CMB lensing measurements from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), the South Pole Telescope (SPT), and Planck. Each of these surveys individually provides lensing measurements with similarly high statistical power, achieving signal-to-noise ratios of approximately 40. The combined lensing band powers represent the most precise CMB lensing power spectrum measurement to date with a signal-to-noise ratio of 61 and an amplitude of A lens recon = 1.025 ± 0.017 with respect to the theory prediction from the best-fit CMB Planck-ACT cosmology. The band powers from all three lensing datasets, analyzed jointly, yield a 1.6% measurement of the parameter combination S 8 CMBL ≡ σ 8 ( Ω m / 0.3 ) 0.25 = 0.82 5 - 0.013 + 0.015 . Including dark energy spectroscopic instrument baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data improves the constraint on the amplitude of matter fluctuations to σ 8 = 0.829 ± 0.009 (a 1.1% determination). When combining with uncalibrated supernovae from Pantheon+, we present a 4% sound-horizon-independent estimate of H 0 = 66.4 ± 2.5 km s - 1 Mpc - 1 . The joint lensing constraints on structure growth and present-day Hubble rate are fully consistent with a Λ CDM model fit to the primary CMB data from Planck and ACT. While the precise upper limit is sensitive to the choice of data and underlying model assumptions, when varying the neutrino mass sum within the Λ CDM cosmological model, the combination of primary CMB, BAO, and CMB lensing drives the probable upper limit for the mass sum towards lower values, comparable to the minimum mass prior required by neutrino oscillation experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electron temperature relations and the direct N, O, Ne, S, and Ar abundances of 49 959 star-forming galaxies in DESI data release 2

We present the largest direct-method abundance catalogue of galaxies to date, containing measurements of 49 959 star-forming galaxies at z<0.96 from DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) data release 2. By directly measuring electron temperatures across multiple ionization zones, we provide constraints on a number of electron temperature relations. Using the temperature measurements, we derive reliable abundances for N, O, Ne, S, and Ar, and measure the evolution of abundances and abundance ratios of as a function of metallicity and other galaxy properties. Our measurements include direct oxygen abundances for 49 507 galaxies, leading to the discovery of the two most metal-poor galaxies in the nearby Universe, with oxygen abundances of 12+log⁡(O/H)=6.77−0.03+0.03 dex (1.2 per cent Z⊙⁠) and 12+log⁡(O/H)=6.81−0.04+0.04 dex (1.3 per cent Z⊙⁠). We identify a rare outlier population of 24 galaxies with high-N/O ratios at low metallicity, reminiscent of galaxy abundances observed in the early Universe. We find the Ne/O ratio is constant at low metallicity but increases gradually at 12+log(O/H)>8.105±0.004 dex. We show that the S/O and Ar/O abundance ratios are strongly correlated, consistent with the expected additional Type Ia enrichment channel for S and Ar. In this work, we present an initial survey of the key properties of the sample, with this data set serving as a foundation for extensive future work on galaxy abundances at low redshift.

Scholte, D. [Edinburgh U., Inst. Astron.] (ORCID:0↗
DOE OSTI2026

DESI Data Release 2 ELGs: Property-dependent subsamples, imaging systematics, and clustering

Using emission-line galaxies (ELGs) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 2, we evaluate a property-dependent correction to imaging systematics. We derive systematic weights following the same linear regression method used for other DESI tracers, but do so separately on ELG subsamples to provide a physically-informed alternative to the fiducial, neural-network-based approach. In doing so, we show that the deeper imaging in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) footprint leads to a higher overall number density but a lack of targets with extreme $g-r$ and $r-z$ colors. ELGs in the DES region also show a distinct redshift distribution when subsampled by position in the $g-r$ vs. $r-z$ plane. To address these effects, we implement a separate treatment of the DES footprint within the DESI catalog production pipeline, which is generally well-motivated and, in some cases, imperative for accurate clustering measurements. With DES treated separately, we find that property-dependent systematic weights further mitigate spurious clustering signal in $\sim$10% of subsamples, while the fiducial scheme remains optimal for the full sample.

Hagen, T. [Utah U.]↗
NASA NTRS2013

Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Mission

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Small Explorer mission that carried the first focusing hard X-ray (6-79 keV) telescope into orbit. It was launched on a Pegasus rocket into a low-inclination Earth orbit on June 13, 2012, from Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll. NuSTAR will carry out a two-year primary science mission. The NuSTAR observatory is composed of the X-ray instrument and the spacecraft. The NuSTAR spacecraft is three-axis stabilized with a single articulating solar array based on Orbital Sciences Corporation's LEOStar-2 design. The NuSTAR science instrument consists of two co-aligned grazing incidence optics focusing on to two shielded solid state CdZnTe pixel detectors. The instrument was launched in a compact, stowed configuration, and after launch, a 10-meter mast was deployed to achieve a focal length of 10.15 m. The NuSTAR instrument provides sub-arcminute imaging with excellent spectral resolution over a 12-arcminute field of view. The NuSTAR observatory will be operated out of the Mission Operations Center (MOC) at UC Berkeley. Most science targets will be viewed for a week or more. The science data will be transferred from the UC Berkeley MOC to a Science Operations Center (SOC) located at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In this paper, we will describe the mission architecture, the technical challenges during the development phase, and the post-launch activities.

Telescope↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development of CDZNTE Detectors for Low-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Under this grant the UC Berkeley PI, K. Hurley, joined a Goddard-led effort to develop large area, multi-pixel Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CdZnTe, or CZT) detectors for gamma-ray astronomy. His task was to advise the project of new developments in the area of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, in order to focus the detector development effort on the construction of an instrument which could be deployed on a spacecraft to localize and measure the energy spectra of bursts with good angular and energy resolution, respectively. UC Berkeley had no hardware role in this proposal. The result of this effort was the production, at Goddard, of five CZT prototype modules. A proposal was written for SWIFT, a MIDEX mission to study cosmic gamma-ray bursts. One experiment aboard SWIFT is the Burst Arcminute Telescope (BAT), which consists of a 5200 sq cm hard X-ray detector and a coded mask. The detector comprises 256 CZT modules, each containing 128 4 x 4 x 2 mm CZT detectors. Each detector is read out using an ASIC. The angular resolution achieved with this mask/array combination is 22 arcminutes, and a strong gamma-ray burst can be localized to an accuracy of 4 arcminutes in under 10 seconds. The energy resolution is typically 5 keV FWHM at 60 keV, and the energy range is 10 - 150 keV. The BAT views 2 steradians, and its sensitivity is such that the instrument can detect 350 gamma-ray burst/year, localizing 320 of them to better than 4 arcminute accuracy. The BAT concept therefore met the science goals for gamma-ray bursts. The UCB effort in the SWIFT proposal included the scientific objectives for gamma-ray bursts, and the assembly of a team of optical and radio observers who would use the BAT data to perform rapid multi-wavelength searches for the counterparts to bursts. This proposal was submitted to NASA and peer-reviewed. In January 1999 it was one of five such proposals selected for a Phase A study. This study was completed in June, and SWIFT was formally presented to NASA in September. It appeared that a final selection of two MIDEX missions for flight was imminent. However, the final selection was deferred at the last minute due to the uncertainty in NASA's OSS budget.

Gehrels, N.↗
DOE OSTI2025

AmeriFlux US-DBk Berkeley Way West

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-DBk Berkeley Way West. Site Description - This tower is located in dowtown Berkeley, CA on the roof of Berkeley Way West, an 8 story building. The surrounding area is urbanized and includes a major commercial corridor, residential areas, and the UC Berkeley campus within 1 km of the site. Multi-unit residential construction activities took place near the site on an intermittent basis throughout tower operation.

Goldstein, Allen [UC Berkeley]↗
DOE OSTI2025

DESI 2024: Constraints on physics-focused aspects of dark energy using DESI DR1 BAO data

Baryon acoustic oscillation data from the first year of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) provide near percent-level precision of cosmic distances in seven bins over the redshift range z=0.1–4.2. Here, this paper is the follow-up to the original DESI BAO cosmology paper [A. G. Adame et al. (DESI Collaboration), arXiv:2404.03002], which considered the conventional w 0 w a cold dark matter (CDM) model. We use the novel DESI data, together with other cosmic probes, to constrain the background expansion history using some well-motivated physical classes of dark energy. In particular, we explore three physics-focused behaviors of dark energy from the equation of state and energy density perspectives: the thawing class (matching many simple quintessence potentials), emergent class (where dark energy comes into being recently, as in phase transition models), and mirage class [where phenomenologically the distance to cosmic microwave background (CMB) last scattering is close to that from a cosmological constant Λ despite dark energy dynamics]. All three classes fit the data at least as well as Λ ⁢CDM, and indeed can improve on it by Δ⁢χ 2 ≈ –5 to –17 for the combination of DESI BAO with CMB and supernova data while having one more parameter. The mirage class does essentially as well as w 0 ⁢w a CDM and exhibits moderate to strong Bayesian evidence preference with respect to Λ⁢ CDM. These classes of dynamical behaviors highlight worthwhile avenues for further exploration into the nature of dark energy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-Frequency Gravitational Wave Search with ABRACADABRA-10 cm

ABRACADABRA-10 cm has had great success as a pathfinder lumped-element axion dark matter experiment, setting limits on axion dark matter at the GUT scale. Now, using the interaction of gravitational waves with electrodynamics and a change in readout strategy, we use the ABRA-10 cm detector for the first search for high-frequency gravitational waves using a modified axion detector. Potential sources at these high frequencies (10 kHz to 5 MHz) include merging primordial black hole binaries or superradiance, among other beyond the standard model phenomena. This paper presents the design, results, and challenges from the ABRA-10 cm high-frequency gravitational wave search, showing it is possible to simultaneously look for axions and high-frequency gravitational waves with both searches matching theoretical expectations for sensitivity. Additionally, we conducted the first time series transient search with data from an axion experiment, achieving sensitivity to $10^{-4}$ in strain. Scaled directly to the next generation axion experiment, DMRadio-GUT, this sensitivity would imply a reach to 0.01 $M_{\odot}$ primordial black hole mergers at distances around 3 pc, with prospects to go significantly further with modifications to the readout.

Pappas, Kaliroë M.W. [MIT, LNS] (ORCID:00000003425↗
DOE OSTI2023

Monsoon Extremes: Impacts, Metrics, and Synoptic-Scale Drivers

This project was led by UC Berkeley with a subcontract to UC Davis and collaborative funding at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL). It produced new understanding of transient atmospheric disturbances in monsoon regions, the precipitation extremes they produce, and the sensitivity of precipitation and monsoon winds to fine-scale orography (i.e., the narrow mountain ranges that are difficult to represent in conventional Earth system models). Fundamental research undertaken as part of this project led to discovery of new mechanisms that control the generation of extreme weather events and that govern the spatial patterns of intense precipitation in monsoon climates—including the North American monsoon. These research accomplishments are summarized below and documented in a series of 23 publications, 20 of which were led by project personnel (the others were collaborative work led by staff of other projects). One of the publications produced by this project was in Nature, where it was selected for the main cover image, and another was in PNAS. The project also produced two datasets and a tracking algorithm, both of which are publicly available and listed below. The project trained three Ph.D. students and four postdoctoral scientists, the vast majority of whom have progressed to more advanced positions in their scientific careers. Although the university funding for this project ended in 2022, the LBNL component of the project proceeded for almost one year longer; this report is being provided after completion of all components of the project.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗