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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 OSTI2025

The Baby Universe is Fine and the CFT Knows It: On Holography for Closed Universes

Big bang/big crunch closed universes can be realized in AdS/CFT, even though they lack asymptotically AdS boundaries. With enough bulk entanglement, the bulk Hilbert space of a closed universe can be holographically encoded in the CFT. We clarify the relation of this encoding to observer-clone proposals and refute recent arguments about the breakdown of semiclassical physics in such spaces. In the limit of no bulk entanglement, the holographic encoding breaks down. The oft-cited one-dimensional nature of the closed universe Hilbert space represents the limitation of the external (CFT) Hilbert space to access the quantum information in the closed universe, similar to the limitations imposed on observers outside a perfectly isolated quantum lab. We advocate that the CFT nevertheless continues to determine the physical properties of the closed universe in this regime, showing how to interpret this relationship in terms of a final state projection in the closed universe. We provide a dictionary between the final state wavefunction and CFT data. We propose a model of the emergence of an arrow of time in the universe with a given initial or final state projection. Finally, we show that the conventional EFT in the closed universe, without any projection, can be recovered as a maximally ignorant description of the final state. This conventional EFT is encoded in CFT data, and it can be probed by computing coarse-grained observables. We provide an example of one such observable. Taken together, these results amount to a clean bill of health for baby universes born of AdS/CFT.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
DOE OSTI2016

OBSERVABLE DEVIATIONS FROM HOMOGENEITY IN AN INHOMOGENEOUS UNIVERSE

How does inhomogeneity affect our interpretation of cosmological observations? It has long been wondered to what extent the observable properties of an inhomogeneous universe differ from those of a corresponding Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) model, and how the inhomogeneities affect that correspondence. Here, we use numerical relativity to study the behavior of light beams traversing an inhomogeneous universe, and construct the resulting Hubble diagrams. The universe that emerges exhibits an average FLRW behavior, but inhomogeneous structures contribute to deviations in observables across the observer’s sky. We also investigate the relationship between angular diameter distance and the angular extent of a source, finding deviations that grow with source redshift. These departures from FLRW are important path-dependent effects, with implications for using real observables in an inhomogeneous universe such as our own.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Beyond the universal Dyson singularity for 1-D chains with hopping disorder

We study a simple non-interacting nearest neighbor tight-binding model in one dimension with disorder, where the hopping terms are chosen randomly. This model exhibits a well-known singularity at the band center both in the density of states and localization length. If the probability distribution of the hopping terms is well-behaved, then the singularities exhibit universal behavior, the functional form of which was first discovered by Freeman Dyson in the context of a chain of classical harmonic oscillators. We show here that this universal form can be violated in a tunable manner if the hopping elements are chosen from a divergent probability distribution. We also demonstrate a connection between a breakdown of universality in this quantum problem and an analogous scenario in the classical domain — that of random walks and diffusion with anomalous exponents.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Beginning inflation in an inhomogeneous universe

Using numerical solutions of the full Einstein field equations coupled to a scalar inflaton field in 3+1 dimensions, we study the conditions under which a universe that is initially expanding, highly inhomogeneous and dominated by gradient energy can transition to an inflationary period. If the initial scalar field variations are contained within a sufficiently flat region of the inflaton potential, and the universe is spatially flat or open on average, inflation will occur following the dilution of the gradient and kinetic energy due to expansion. This is the case even when the scale of the inhomogeneities is comparable to the initial Hubble length, and overdense regions collapse and form black holes, because underdense regions continue expanding, allowing inflation to eventually begin. This establishes that inflation can arise from highly inhomogeneous initial conditions and solve the horizon and flatness problems, at least as long as the variations in the scalar field do not include values that exceed the inflationary plateau.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Terrestrial radiative cooling: Using the cold universe as a renewable and sustainable energy source

Photonic materials designed at wavelength scales have enabled a range of emerging energy technologies, from solid-state lighting to efficient photovoltaics that have transformed global energy landscapes. Daytime passive radiative cooling materials shed heat from the ground to the cold universe by taking advantage of the terrestrial thermal radiation that is as large as the renewable solar energy. Newly developed photonic materials permit subambient cooling under direct sunshine, and their applications are expanding rapidly enabled by scalable manufacturing. We review here the recent advancement of daytime subambient radiative cooling materials, which allow energy-efficient cooling and are paving the way toward technologies that harvest the coldness from the universe as a new renewable energy source.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2022

AmeriFlux US-UiC University of Illinois Maize-Soy

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-UiC University of Illinois Maize-Soy. Site Description - Agricultural field planted with maize in a three year rotation with soy (maize-maize-soy). The first soy rotation year was 2010. This field is typically planted in May and harvested in October. This site is located at an experimental farm approximately 2 miles south of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is colocated with (500-1000m distance) all other Us-Ui sites.

Bernacchi, Carl J↗
DOE OSTI2023

Universal Passive Synchronization Method for Grid-Forming Inverters Without Mode Transition

Power systems are transforming with increasing levels of inverter-based resources (IBRs). This transformation requires critical roles of grid-forming (GFM) inverters replacing synchronous generators for bulk power system stabilization and ancillary services, also allowing flexible power system operation, such as microgrid that is operated by multiple GFM IBRs to achieve system resilience against contingencies. To realize the resilient power systems allowing flexible in-and-out operation of GFM IBRs potentially programmed with different primary controls, a synchronization method universally applicable, i.e., independent of control types, would be beneficial to ease the integration process, but it has not been actively studied. To fill the gap, this paper proposes a universal synchronization method that achieves a passive synchronization to enable a smooth transition in a grid with off-nominal system parameters, i.e., voltage and frequency. The logic proposed requires no modification on the primary control, thus applicable to any type of GFMs with a voltage reference input. To validate the concept, a simulation of an IEEE 13-bus benchmark system modified with 3 GFM inverters is presented. It simulates an inverter-driven black start scenario in which GFM inverters autonomously turn on and connect to the grid under heavy loading, using the synchronization logic. The case study demonstrates that GFM inverters can tune their voltage reference to smoothly synchronize without severe transients, and contribute to a seamless black start of the grid under unbalanced load conditions. Two GFM methods - Droop and dispatchable virtual oscillator control - are used for the demo to validate feasibility and interoperability of the passive synchronization.

black start↗
DOE OSTI2017

When the universe expands too fast: relentless dark matter

Here we consider a modification to the standard cosmological history consisting of introducing a new species φ whose energy density red-shifts with the scale factor a like ρ φ ∝ a -(4+n) . For 0n>, such a red-shift is faster than radiation, hence the new species dominates the energy budget of the universe at early times while it is completely negligible at late times. If equality with the radiation energy density is achieved at low enough temperatures, dark matter can be produced as a thermal relic during the new cosmological phase. Dark matter freeze-out then occurs at higher temperatures compared to the standard case, implying that reproducing the observed abundance requires significantly larger annihilation rates. Here, we point out a completely new phenomenon, which we refer to as relentless dark matter: for large enough n, unlike the standard case where annihilation ends shortly after the departure from thermal equilibrium, dark matter particles keep annihilating long after leaving chemical equilibrium, with a significant depletion of the final relic abundance. Relentless annihilation occurs for n ≥ 2 and n ≥ 4 for s-wave and p-wave annihilation, respectively, and it thus occurs in well motivated scenarios such as a quintessence with a kination phase. We discuss a few microscopic realizations for the new cosmological component and highlight the phenomenological consequences of our calculations for dark matter searches.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Universal Utility Data Exchange (UUDEX) – Protocol Design - Rev 1

This design document describes protocol related aspects of Universal Utility Data Exchange (UUDEX). The focus of the design is to describe the interactions between UUDEX Clients and UUDEX Servers in the UUDEX Infrastructure. This design is purposely transport and programming language agnostic.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cryogenic tracer irradiation facility at the university of Texas at Austin

We report on a cryogenic gas irradiation facility in the 1.1 MW TRIGA reactor at The University of Texas at Austin. The system was designed to produce radioactive xenon and argon for environmental studies, and it can be applied to produce other gaseous radiotracers. The system design includes modeling accident scenarios to ensure operation does not risk damage to the reactor and minimizes risk of release of radioactive material. In conclusion, the SCALE code was used to model a 30-day irradiation of one liter of Xe-126 and the predicted activity is 0.9 Ci of Xe-127 at irradiation end.

Ar-37↗
DOE OSTI2021

Learning nonlinear operators via DeepONet based on the universal approximation theorem of operators

It is widely known that neural networks (NNs) are universal approximators of continuous functions. However, a less known but powerful result is that a NN with a single hidden layer can accurately approximate any nonlinear continuous operator. This universal approximation theorem of operators is suggestive of the structure and potential of deep neural networks (DNNs) in learning continuous operators or complex systems from streams of scattered data. Here, in this work, we thus extend this theorem to DNNs. We design a new network with small generalization error, the deep operator network (DeepONet), which consists of a DNN for encoding the discrete input function space (branch net) and another DNN for encoding the domain of the output functions (trunk net). We demonstrate that DeepONet can learn various explicit operators, such as integrals and fractional Laplacians, as well as implicit operators that represent deterministic and stochastic differential equations. We study different formulations of the input function space and its effect on the generalization error for 16 different diverse applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

AmeriFlux US-UiB University of Illinois Miscanthus

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-UiB University of Illinois Miscanthus. Site Description - Diammonium phosphate, potash & lime fertilizer applied before planting in 2008. Prowl & 2,4-D herbicide used. 2,4-D & accent herbicide applied in 2009. No fertilizer applied. Bicep herbicide applied in 2010 & 2011. 56 kg/ha nitrogen applied in 2014, 2015 & 2016. 45 kg/ha nitrogen applied in 2017.

Bernacchi, Carl J↗
DOE OSTI2023

AmeriFlux US-UiD University of Illinois Restored Native Prairie

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-UiD University of Illinois Restored Native Prairie. Site Description - Site harvested annually with a mower during winters starting 2009. No fertilizer was applied, and not irrigated. Measurements were paused on March 23, 2016 and resumed in June 2024.

Bernacchi, Carl↗
DOE OSTI2023

Abstract for CRADA among NETL, Mälardalen University, University College Cork (acting through its Tyndall National Institute), and Micro Electricity Generation Association

GeoCoHorT aims to accelerate the transition to 4 th generation district heating and cooling (4GDHC) in Europe and globally, by assessing, optimizing, and demonstrating the integration of shallow geothermal heat extraction with other renewable sources and smart buildings. The target geo-source is ground water from River Shannon (Limerick, Ireland), which will provide both an efficiency and noise-reduction benefit to the micro-district and a method of combatting climate-change-warming of the Shannon Estuary. The heat from this low-temperature source will be recycled and supplied to a smart district located in Limerick, Ireland, through heat pumps powered by renewable electricity and by means of a suitable DH network design. The mandate is to find solutions that work for entire communities in a fair and sustainable manner, with the involvement of the communities themselves to highlight their needs. The project brings together four partners from Ireland, Sweden, and the U.S.A. with strong multi-disciplinary competencies. The Tyndall Institute at University of Cork (UCC) and Mälardalen University (MDU) will design and optimize the 4GDH micro-district system, and the Micro Electricity Generation Association (MEGA) will work with the community to build a sense of ownership of the Climate Challenge and ensure close community involvement. The National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (NETL) will design the prospective geo-fluid loop to optimize heat-extraction effectiveness with ecological safety and assess the environmental benefits of the proposed solutions. Industrial advisors (Eskilstuna Strängnäs Energi och Miljö (ESEM) and Mimer in Sweden, and Smart MPOWER in Ireland) will steer the technology development to meet the needs of public utilities and consumers. Current infrastructure in the smart district in Limerick (demonstration site of an EU Lighthouse project) will be exploited and modified with support of MEGA, UCC, and MPOWER to integrate micro-DH from low-temperature heat sources, such as the river heat, and to allow increasing penetration of prosumers in the grid. Additional case studies will be developed with the help of industrial advisors to extend the results to other regions (e.g., Sweden and USA) and provide valuable insights for the development of 4GDH worldwide.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Was the Universe actually radiation dominated prior to nucleosynthesis?

Maybe not. String theory approaches to both beyond the Standard Model and Inflationary model building generically predict the existence of scalars (moduli) that are light compared to the scale of quantum gravity. Furthermore, these moduli become displaced from their low energy minima in the early universe and lead to a prolonged matter-dominated epoch prior to BBN. In this paper, we examine whether non-perturbative effects such as parametric resonance or tachyonic instabilities can shorten, or even eliminate, the moduli condensate and matter-dominated epoch. Such effects depend crucially on the strength of the couplings, and we find that unless the moduli become strongly coupled the matterdominated epoch is unavoidable. In particular, we find that in string and M-theory compactifications where the lightest moduli are near the TeV-scale that a matter-dominated epoch will persist until the time of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗