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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Black Hole Mergers as Probes of Structure Formation

Intense structure formation and reionization occur at high redshift, yet there is currently little observational information about this very important epoch. Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole (MBH) mergers can provide us with important clues about the formation of structures in the early universe. Past efforts have been limited to calculating merger rates using different models in which many assumptions are made about the specific values of physical parameters of the mergers, resulting in merger rate estimates that span a very wide range (0.1 - 104 mergers/year). Here we develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model of MBH mergers that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters, which we then turn around to determine how well observations with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z 5 - 30 structure formation era. We do this by generating synthetic LISA observable data (total BH mass, BH mass ratio, redshift, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. This allows us to constrain the physical parameters of the mergers. We find that our methodology works well at estimating merger parameters, consistently giving results within 1- of the input parameter values. We also discover that the number of merger events is a key discriminant among models. This helps our method be robust against observational uncertainties. Our approach, which at this stage constitutes a proof of principle, can be readily extended to physical models and to more general problems in cosmology and gravitational wave astrophysics.

Alicea-Munoz, E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Large-scale structure formation and cosmic microwave anisotropy in a cold plus hot dark matter universe

Several particle physics models suggest the simultaneous existence of both cold and hot forms of dark matter particles. Assuming a Harrison-Zel'dovich spectrum of primordial density fluctuations and Omega = 1, the formation of structure in a universe dominated by a combination of cold dark matter and massive neutrinos is explored. It is found that the presence of the hot dark matter component can cause enough power on large scales to explain some recent observations, while there is still sufficient power on small scales to allow galactic structure formation. Spatial anisotropies in the microwave background radiation are computed and found to be compatible with observational limits.

Schaefer, Robert K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Cosmological structure formation

A summary of the current forefront problem of physical cosmology, the formation of structures (galaxies, clusters, great walls, etc.) in the universe is presented. Solutions require two key ingredients: (1) matter; and (2) seeds. Regarding the matter, it now seems clear that both baryonic and non-baryonic matter are required. Whether the non-baryonic matter is hot or cold depends on the choice of seeds. Regarding the seeds, both density fluctuations and topological defects are discussed. The combination of isotropy of the microwave background and the recent observations indicating more power on large scales have severly constrained, if not eliminated, Gaussian fluctuations with equal power on all scales, regardless of the eventual resolution of both the matter and seed questions. It is important to note that all current structure formation ideas require new physics beyond SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1).

Schramm, David N.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structure Formation Through Magnetohydrodynamical Instabilities in Primordial Disks

The shear flow instabilities under the presence of magnetic fields in the primordial disk can greatly facilitate the formation of density structures that serve as seeds prior to the onset of the gravitational Jeans instability. We evaluate the effects of the Parker, magnetorotational and kinematic dynamo instabilities by comparing the properties of these instabilities. We calculate the mass spectra of coagulated density structures by the above mechanism in the radial direction for an axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) torus equilibrium and power density profile models. Our local three-dimensional MHD simulation indicates that the coupling of the Parker and magnetorotational instability creates spiral arms and gas blobs in an accretion disk, reinforcing the theory and model. Such a mechanism for the early structure formation may be tested in a laboratory. The recent progress in experiments involving shear flows in rotating tokamak, field reversed configuration (FRC) and laser plasmas may become a key element to advance in nonlinear studies.

Noguchi, Koichi↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cosmological structure formation and soliton phase transition in fuzzy dark matter with axion self-interactions

Herein we investigate cosmological structure formation in fuzzy dark matter (FDM) with the attractive self-interaction (SI) with numerical simulations. Such a SI would arise if the FDM boson were an ultra-light axion, which has a strong CP symmetry-breaking scale (decay constant). Although weak, the attractive SI may be strong enough to counteract the quantum ‘pressure’ and alter structure formation. We find in our simulations that the SI can enhance small-scale structure formation, and soliton cores above a critical mass undergo a phase transition, transforming from dilute to dense solitons.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Investigation of crossed-twin structure formation in magnesium and magnesium alloys

In this work, the effect of alloying addition on the propensity for twin-twin interactions to transform into crossed-twin structures in magnesium alloys is investigated. A full-field elasto-viscoplastic fast Fourier transform (EVP-FFT) framework combined with a discrete twin model and dislocation density-based hardening law for slip strengths is used to calculate the micromechanical fields in the crystalline matrix around the interacting twins. AZ31 and MgLi alloys are selected along with pure Mg to study the influence of plastic anisotropy in connection with alloying elements. These alloys were selected since their plastic anisotropy measure, which is defined as the ratio between the critical resolved shear stress for pyramidal $\langle$c +a$\rangle$ and basal $\langle$a$\rangle$ slip modes, spanned a wide range. To quantify the role of twin thicknesses, we probe a range of impinging twin thicknesses while fixing the recipient twin thickness. The analysis reveals that: (i) the local driving stress for crossed twin structure formation generated from the interaction of the two twins is lower in a low plastically anisotropic material, like a MgLi alloy, than a high plastically anisotropic material like pure Mg and (ii) the critical impinging twin thickness needed to form the crossed twin structure in pure Mg, AZ31 and MgLi alloys is ~0.5, ~0.75 and ~1.5 times the recipient twin thickness. We propose a relationship between the tendency for crossed twin structure formation and the experimentally observed higher ductility in MgLi alloys compared to pure Mg. Finally, one key implication of the findings is that crossed- twin structure formation can be hindered and the ductility of magnesium alloy thereby improved by properly choosing alloying elements that lower the slip strength for pyramidal $\langle$c + a$\rangle$ slip.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2008

Black Hole Mergers as Probes of Structure Formation

Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole (MBH) mergers can provide us with important clues about the era of structure formation in the early universe. Previous research in this field has been limited to calculating merger rates of MBHs using different models where many assumptions are made about the specific values of physical parameters of the mergers, resulting in merger rate estimates that span 5 to 6 orders of magnitude. We develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters involved in the mergers. which we then turn around to determine how well LISA observations will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z approximately equal to 5-30 structure formation era. We do this by generating synthetic LISA observable data (masses, redshifts, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. This allows us to constrain the physical parameters of the mergers.

Alicea-Munoz, Emily↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structure Formation Limits on Axion-Like Dark Matter

We derive structure formation limits on dark matter (DM) composed of keV-scale axion-like particles (ALPs), produced via freeze-in through the interactions with photons and Standard Model (SM) fermions. We employ Lyman-alpha (Ly-α) forest data sets as well as the observed number of Milky Way (MW) subhalos. We compare results obtained using Maxwell-Boltzmann and quantum statistics for describing the SM bath. It should be emphasized that the presence of logarithmic divergences complicates the calculation of the production rate, which can not be parameterized with a simple power law behaviour. The obtained results, in combination with X-ray bounds, exclude the possibility for a photophilic “frozen-in” ALP DM with mass below ~ 19. For the photophobic ALP scenario, in which DM couples primarily to SM fermions, the ALP DM distribution function is peaked at somewhat lower momentum and hence for such realization we find weaker limits on DM mass. Future facilities, such as the upcoming Vera C. Rubin observatory, will provide measurements with which the current bounds can be significantly improved to ~ 80.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Signatures of Light Massive Relics on non-linear structure formation

ABSTRACT Cosmologies with Light Massive Relics (LiMRs) as a subdominant component of the dark sector are well-motivated from a particle physics perspective, and can also have implications for the σ8 tension between early and late time probes of clustering. The effects of LiMRs on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and structure formation on large (linear) scales have been investigated extensively. In this paper, we initiate a systematic study of the effects of LiMRs on smaller, non-linear scales using cosmological N-body simulations; focusing on quantities relevant for photometric galaxy surveys. For most of our study, we use a particular model of non-thermal LiMRs but the methods developed generalizing to a large class of LiMR models – we explicitly demonstrate this by considering the Dodelson–Widrow velocity distribution. We find that, in general, the effects of LiMR on small scales are distinct from those of a ΛCDM universe, even when the value of σ8 is matched between the models. We show that weak lensing measurements around massive clusters, between ∼0.1 h−1Mpc and ∼10 h−1Mpc, should have sufficient signal-to-noise in future surveys to distinguish between ΛCDM and LiMR models that are tuned to fit both CMB data and linear scale clustering data at late times. Furthermore, we find that different LiMR cosmologies indistinguishable by conventional linear probes can be distinguished by non-linear probes if their velocity distributions are sufficiently different. LiMR models can, therefore, be best tested by jointly analyzing the CMB and late-time structure formation on both large and small scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Cosmic structure formation

This article reviews the prevailing paradigm for how galaxies and larger structures formed in the universe: gravitational instability. Basic observational facts are summarized to motivate the standard cosmological framework underlying most detailed investigations of structure formation. The observed univers approaches spatial uniformity on scales larger than about 10(exp 26) cm. On these scales gravitational dynamics is almost linear and therefore relatively easy to relate to observations of large-scale structure. On smaller scales cosmic structure is complicated not only by nonlinear gravitational clustering but also by nonlinear nongravitational gas dynamical processes. The complexity of these phenomena makes galaxy formation one of the grand challenge problems of the physical sciences. No fully satisfactory theory can presently account in detail for the observed cosmic structure. However, as this article summarizes, significant progress has been made during the last few years.

Bertschinger, Edumund↗
NASA NTRS2001

Mechanistic Studies of Combustion and Structure Formation During Synthesis of Advanced Materials

Combustion in a variety of heterogeneous systems, leading to the synthesis of advanced materials, is characterized by high temperatures (2000-3500 K) and heating rates (up to 10(exp 6) K/s) at and ahead of the reaction front. These high temperatures generate liquids and gases which are subject to gravity-driven flow. The removal of such gravitational effects is likely to provide increased control of the reaction front, with a consequent improvement in control of the microstructure of the synthesized products. Thus, microgravity (mu-g) experiments lead to major advances in the understanding of fundamental aspects of combustion and structure formation under the extreme conditions of the combustion synthesis (CS) wave. In addition, the specific features of microgravity environment allow one to produce unique materials, which cannot be obtained under terrestrial conditions. The current research is a logic continuation of our previous work on investigations of the fundamental phenomena of combustion and structure formation that occur at the high temperatures achieved in a CS wave. Our research is being conducted in three main directions: 1) Microstructural Transformations during Combustion Synthesis of Metal-Ceramic Composites. The studies are devoted to the investigation of particle growth during CS of intermetallic-ceramic composites, synthesized from nickel, aluminum, titanium, and boron metal reactants. To determine the mechanisms of particle growth, the investigation varies the relative amount of components in the initial mixture to yield combustion wave products with different ratios of solid and liquid phases, under 1g and mu-g conditions; 2) Mechanisms of Heat Transfer during Reactions in Heterogeneous Media. Specifically, new phenomena of gasless combustion wave propagation in heterogeneous media with porosity higher than that achievable in normal gravity conditions, are being studied. Two types of mixtures are investigated: clad powders, where contact between reactants occurs within each particle, and mixtures of elemental powders, where interparticle contacts are important for the reaction; and 3) Mechanistic Studies of Phase Separation in Combustion of Thermite Systems. Studies are devoted to experiments on thermite systems (metal oxide-reducing metal) where phase separation processes occur to produce alloys with tailored compositions and properties. The separation may be either gravity-driven or due to surface forces, and systematic studies to elucidate the true mechanism are being conducted. The knowledge obtained will be used to find the most promising ways of controlling the microstructure and properties of combustion-synthesized materials. Low-gravity experiments are essential to create idealized an environment for insights into the physics and chemistry of advanced material synthesis processes.

Varma, A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Effects of Gravity on Combustion and Structure Formation During Synthesis of Advanced Materials

Combustion in a variety of heterogeneous systems, leading to the synthesis of advanced materials, is characterized by high temperatures (2000-3500 K) and heating rates (up to 10(exp 6) K/s) at and ahead of the reaction front. These high temperatures generate liquids and gases which are subject to gravity-driven flow. The removal of such gravitational effects is likely to provide increased control of the reaction front, with a consequent improvement in control of the microstructure of the synthesized products. Thus, microgravity experiments can lead to major advances in the understanding of fundamental aspects of combustion and structure formation under the extreme conditions of the combustion synthesis wave. In addition, the specific features of microgravity environment allow one to produce unique materials, which cannot be obtained under terrestrial conditions. The general goals of the current research are: 1) to improve the understanding of fundamental phenomena taking place during combustion of heterogeneous systems, 2) to use low-gravity experiments for insight into the physics and chemistry of materials synthesis processes, and 3) based on the obtained knowledge, to optimize processing conditions for synthesis of advanced materials with desired microstructures and properties. This research follows logically from the results of investigations we have conducted in the framework of our previous grant on gravity influence on combustion synthesis (CS) of gasless systems. Prior work, by others and by us, has clearly demonstrated that gravity plays an important role during combustion synthesis of materials. The immediate tasks for the future are to quantitatively identify the nature of observed effects, and to create accurate local kinetic models of the processes, which can lead to a control of the microstructure and properties of the synthesized materials. In summary, this is the value of the proposed research. Based on our prior work, we focus on the fundamental aspects of combustion and structure formation under the unique condition of microgravity.

Varma, A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Nonlinear structure formation in flat cosmological models

This paper describes the formation of nonlinear structure in flat (zero curvature) Friedmann cosmological models. We consider models with two components: the usual nonrelativistic component that evolves under gravity and eventually forms the large-scale structure of the universe, and a uniform dark matter component that does not clump under gravity, and whose energy density varies with the scale factor a(t) like a(t)(sup -n), where n is a free parameter. Each model is characterized by two parameters: the exponent n and the present density parameter Omega(sub 0) of the nonrelativistic component. The linear perturbation equations are derived and solved for these models, for the three different cases n = 3, n is greater than 3, and n is less than 3. The case n = 3 is relevant to model with massive neutrinos. The presence of the uniform component strongly reduces the growth of the perturbation compared with the Einstein-de Sitter model. We show that the Meszaros effect (suppression of growth at high redshift) holds not only for n = 4, radiation-dominated models, but for all models with n is greater than 3. This essentially rules out any such model. For the case n is less than 3, we numerically integrate the perturbation equations from the big bang to the present, for 620 different models with various values of Omega(sub 0) and n. Using these solutions, we show that the function f(Omega(sub 0), n) = (a/delta(sub +))d(delta)(sub +)/da, which enters in the relationship between the present density contrast delta(sub 0) and peculiar velocity field u(sub 0) is essentially independent of n. We derive approximate solutions for the second-order perturbation equations. These second-order solutions are tested against the exact solutions and the Zel'dovich approximation for spherically symmetric perturbations in the marginally nonlinear regime (the absolute value of delta is less than or approximately 1). The second-order and Zel'dovich solutions have comparable accuracy, significantly higher than the accuracy of the linear solutions. We then investigate the dependence of the delta(sub 0) - u(sub 0) relationship upon the value of n in the nonlinear regime using the second-order solutions for marginally nonlinear, general perturbations, and the exact solutions for strongly nonlinear, spherically symmetric perturbations. In both cases, we find that the delta(sub 0) - u(sub 0) relationship remains independent of n. We speculate that this result extends to strongly nonlinear, general perturbations as well. This eliminates any hope to determine the presence of the uniform component or the value of n using dynamical methods. Finally, we compute the nonlinear evolution of the skewness of the distribution of values of delta, assuming Gaussian initial conditions. We find that the skewness is not only independent of n, but also of Omega(sub 0). Thus the skewness cannot be used to discriminate among various models with Gaussian initial conditions. However, it can be used for testing the Gaussianity of the initial conditions themselves. We conclude that the uniform component leaves no observable signature in the present large-scale structure of the universe. To determine its presence and nature, we must investigate the relationship between the past and present universe, using redshift-dependent tests.

Martel, Hugo↗
DOE OSTI2021

A fast particle-mesh simulation of non-linear cosmological structure formation with massive neutrinos

Quasi-N-body simulations, such as FastPM, provide a fast way to simulate cosmological structure formation, but have yet to adequately include the effects of massive neutrinos. In this work, we present a method to include neutrino particles in FastPM, enabling computation of the CDM and total matter power spectra to percent-level accuracy in the non-linear regime. The CDM-neutrino cross-power can also be computed at a sufficient accuracy to constrain cosmological observables. To avoid the shot noise that typically plagues neutrino particle simulations, we employ a quasi-random algorithm to sample the relevant Fermi-Dirac distribution when setting the initial neutrino thermal velocities. We additionally develop an effective distribution function to describe a set of non-degenerate neutrinos as a single particle to speed up non-degenerate simulations. The simulation is accurate for the full range of physical interest, M ν ≲ 0.6eV, and applicable to redshifts z ≲ 2. Such accuracy can be achieved by initializing particles with the two-fluid approximation transfer functions (using the REPS package). Convergence can be reached in ~ 25 steps, with a starting redshift of z=99. Probing progressively smaller scales only requires an increase in the number of CDM particles being simulated, while the number of neutrino particles can remain fixed at a value less than or similar to the number of CDM particles. In turn, the percentage increase in runtime-per-step due to neutrino particles is between ~ 5-20% for runs with 1024 3 CDM particles, and decreases as the number of CDM particles is increased. The code has been made publicly available, providing an invaluable resource to produce fast predictions for cosmological surveys and studying reconstruction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2008

Using Black Hole Mergers to Explore Structure Formation

Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole mergers will open a new window into the era of structure formation in the early universe. Past efforts have concentrated on calculating merger rates using different physical assumptions, resulting in merger rate estimates that span a wide range (0.1 - 1 0A4 mergers/year). We develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model of massive black hole mergers that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters, which we then turn around to determine how well observations with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z approx. 5 - 30 epoch. Our approach involves generating synthetic LISA observable data (total BH masses, BH mass ratios, redshifts, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, thus finding constraints for the physical parameters of the mergers. We find that our method works well at estimating merger parameters and that the number of merger events is a key discriminant among models, therefore making our method robust against observational uncertainties. Our approach can also be extended to more physically-driven models and more general problems in cosmology.

Alicea-Munoz, E.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Using Black Hole Mergers to Explore Structure Formation

Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole mergers will open a new window into the era of structure formation in the early universe. Past efforts have concentrated on calculating merger rates using different physical assumptions, resulting in merger rate estimates that span a wide range (0.1 - 10(exp 4) mergers/year). We develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model of massive black hole mergers that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters, which we then turn around to determine how well observations with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z approximately equal to 5-30 epoch. Our approach involves generating synthetic LISA observable data (total BH masses, BH mass ratios, redshifts, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, thus finding constraints for the physical parameters of the mergers. We find that our method works well at estimating merger parameters and that the number of merger events is a key discriminant among models, therefore making our method robust against observational uncertainties. Our approach can also be extended to more physically-driven models and more general problems in cosmology. This work is supported in part by the Cooperative Education Program at NASA/GSFC.

Alicea-Munoz, E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hi-COLA: fast, approximate simulations of structure formation in Horndeski gravity

We introduce Hi-COLA, a code designed to run fast, approximate N-body simulations of non-linear structure formation in reduced Horndeski gravity. Given an input Lagrangian, Hi-COLA dynamically constructs the appropriate field equations and consistently solves for the cosmological background, linear growth, and screened fifth force of that theory. Hence Hi-COLA is a general, adaptable, and useful tool that allows the mildly non-linear regime of many Horndeski theories to be investigated for the first time, at low computational cost. In this work, we first describe the screening approximations and simulation setup of Hi-COLA for theories with Vainshtein screening. We validate the code against traditional N-body simulations for cubic Galileon gravity, finding 2.5% agreement up to k max = 1.2 h/Mpc. To demonstrate the flexibility of Hi-COLA, we additionally run the first simulations of an extended shift-symmetric gravity theory. We use the consistency and modularity of Hi-COLA to dissect how the modified background, linear growth, and screened fifth force all contribute to departures from ΛCDM in the non-linear matter power spectrum. Hi-COLA can be found at https://github.com/Hi-COLACode/Hi-COLA.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗