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Li, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Li, S..

At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Combinatorial geometry domain decomposition strategies for Monte Carlo simulations

Analysis and modeling of nuclear reactors can lead to memory overload for a single core processor when it comes to refined modeling. A method to solve this problem is called 'domain decomposition'. In the current work, domain decomposition algorithms for a combinatorial geometry Monte Carlo transport code are developed on the JCOGIN (J Combinatorial Geometry Monte Carlo transport INfrastructure). Tree-based decomposition and asynchronous communication of particle information between domains are described in the paper. Combination of domain decomposition and domain replication (particle parallelism) is demonstrated and compared with that of MERCURY code. A full-core reactor model is simulated to verify the domain decomposition algorithms using the Monte Carlo particle transport code JMCT (J Monte Carlo Transport Code), which has being developed on the JCOGIN infrastructure. Besides, influences of the domain decomposition algorithms to tally variances are discussed. (authors)

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development status of the lattice physics code in COSINE project

LATC is an essential part of COSINE code package, which stands for Core and System Integrated Engine for design and analysis. LATC performs 2D multi-group assembly transport calculation and generates few group constants and the required cross-section data for CORE, the core simulator code. LATC is designed to have the capability of modeling the API 000 series assemblies. The development is a continuously improved process. Currently, LATC uses well-proven technology to achieve the key functions. In the next stage, more advanced methods and modules will be implemented. At present, WIMS and WIMS improved format library could be read in LATC code. For resonance calculation, equivalent relation with rational approximations is utilized. For transport calculation, two options are available. One choice is collision probability method in cell homogenization while discrete coordinate method in assembly homogenization, the other is method of characteristics in assembly homogenization directly. For depletion calculation, an improved linear rate 'constant power' depletion method has been developed. (authors)

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Magnetic properties of gadolinium substituted Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films

Thin film GdBiTe{sub 3} has been proposed as a candidate material in which to observe the quantum anomalous Hall effect. As a thermal non-equilibrium deposition method, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has the ability to incorporate large amounts of Gd into Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} crystal structures. High-quality rhombohedral (Gd{sub x}Bi{sub 1-x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} films with substitutional Gd concentrations of x {<=} 0.4 were grown by MBE. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows that the topological surface state remains intact up to the highest Gd concentration. Magnetoresistance measurements show weak antilocalization, indicating strong spin orbit interaction. Magnetometry reveals that the films are paramagnetic with a magnetic moment of 6.93 {mu}{sub B} per Gd{sup 3+} ion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Two-step growth of high quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) by molecular beam epitaxy

Large-area topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films were grown on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) using a two-temperature step molecular beam epitaxy growth process. By depositing a low temperature nucleation layer to serve as a template for high temperature epitaxial film growth, a high quality terrace-step surface morphology with a significant reduction in three-dimensional defect structures was achieved. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that high crystalline quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} layers were grown incoherently by van der Waals epitaxy using this technique. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements verified the integrity of this growth method by confirming the presence of metallic surface states on cleaved two-step Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} samples.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Toxicodynamics of rigid polystyrene microparticles on pulmonary gas exchange in mice: Implications for microemboli-based drug delivery systems

The toxicodynamic relationship between the number and size of pulmonary microemboli resulting from uniformly sized, rigid polystyrene microparticles (MPs) administered intravenously and their potential effects on pulmonary gas exchange were investigated. CD-1 male mice (6–8 weeks) were intravenously administered 10, 25 and 45 μm diameter MPs. Oxygen hemoglobin saturation in the blood (SpO{sub 2}) was measured non-invasively using a pulse oximeter while varying inhaled oxygen concentration (F{sub I}O{sub 2}). The resulting data were fit to a physiologically based non-linear mathematical model that estimates 2 parameters: ventilation–perfusion ratio (V{sub A}/Q) and shunt (percentage of deoxygenated blood returning to systemic circulation). The number of MPs administered prior to a statistically significant reduction in normalized V{sub A}/Q was dependent on particle size. MP doses that resulted in a significant reduction in normalized V{sub A}/Q one day post-treatment were 4000, 40,000 and 550,000 MPs/g for 45, 25 and 10 μm MPs, respectively. The model estimated V{sub A}/Q and shunt returned to baseline levels 7 days post-treatment. Measuring SpO{sub 2} alone was not sufficient to observe changes in gas exchange; however, when combined with model-derived V{sub A}/Q and shunt early reversible toxicity from pulmonary microemboli was detected suggesting that the model and physical measurements are both required for assessing toxicity. Moreover, it appears that the MP load required to alter gas exchange in a mouse prior to lethality is significantly higher than the anticipated required MP dose for effective drug delivery. Overall, the current results indicate that the microemboli-based approach for targeted pulmonary drug delivery is potentially safe and should be further explored. -- Highlights: ► Murine pulmonary gas exchange after microembolization was non-invasively studied. ► A physiologically based model quantified impairment of pulmonary gas exchange. ► Number and size of microemboli determine severity of impaired gas exchange. ► Pulmonary gas exchange returns to baseline within 7 days.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Complexes with mixed primary and secondary cellulose synthases are functional in Arabidopsis thaliana plants

In higher plants, cellulose is synthesized by so-called rosette protein complexes with cellulose synthases (CESAs) as catalytic subunits of the complex. The CESAs are divided into two distinct families, three of which are thought to be specialized for the primary cell wall and three for the secondary cell wall. In this article, the potential of primary and secondary CESAs forming a functional rosette complex has been investigated. The membrane-based yeast two-hybrid and biomolecular fluorescence systems were used to assess the interactions between three primary (CESA1, CESA3, CESA6), and three secondary (CESA4, CESA7, CESA8) Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CESAs. The results showed that all primary CESAs can physically interact both in vitro and in planta with all secondary CESAs. Although CESAs are broadly capable of interacting in pairwise combinations, they are not all able to form functional complexes in planta. Analysis of transgenic lines showed that CESA7 can partially rescue defects in the primary cell wall biosynthesis in a weak cesa3 mutant. Green fluorescent protein-CESA protein fusions revealed that when CESA3 was replaced by CESA7 in the primary rosette, the velocity of the mixed complexes was slightly faster than the native primary complexes. CESA1 in turn can partly rescue defects in secondary cell wall biosynthesis in a cesa8ko mutant, resulting in an increase of cellulose content relative to cesa8ko. These results demonstrate that sufficient parallels exist between the primary and secondary complexes for cross-functionality and open the possibility that mixed complexes of primary and secondary CESAs may occur at particular times.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

The 3-D Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code MCMG and its algorithms

The 3-D Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport parallel code MCMG is developed. A new collision mechanism based on material but not nuclide is added in the code. Geometry cells and surfaces can be dynamically extended. Combination of multigroup and continuous cross-section transport is developed. The multigroup scattering is expansible to P5 and upper scattering is considered. Various multigroup libraries can be easily equipped in the code. The same results with the experiments and the MCNP code are obtained for a series of modes. The speedup of MCMG is a factor of 2-4 relative to the MCNP code in speed. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Research on Fast-Doppler-Broadening of neutron cross sections

A Fast-Doppler-Broadening method is developed in this work to broaden Continuous Energy neutron cross-sections for Monte Carlo calculations. Gauss integration algorithm and parallel computing are implemented in this method, which is unprecedented in the history of cross section processing. Compared to the traditional code (NJOY, SIGMA1, etc.), the new Fast-Doppler-Broadening method shows a remarkable speedup with keeping accuracy. The purpose of using Gauss integration is to avoid complex derivation of traditional broadening formula and heavy load of computing complementary error function that slows down the Doppler broadening process. The OpenMP environment is utilized in parallel computing which can take full advantage of modern multi-processor computers. Combination of the two can reduce processing time of main actinides (such as {sup 238}U, {sup 235}U) to an order of magnitude of 1{approx}2 seconds. This new method is fast enough to be applied to Online Doppler broadening. It can be combined or coupled with Monte Carlo transport code to solve temperature dependent problems and neutronics-thermal hydraulics coupled scheme which is a big challenge for the conventional NJOY-MCNP system. Examples are shown to determine the efficiency and relative errors compared with the NJOY results. A Godiva Benchmark is also used in order to test the ACE libraries produced by the new method. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Calculation of natural convection test at Phenix using the NETFLOW++ code

The present paper describes modeling and analyses of a natural convection of the pool-type fast breeder reactor Phenix. The natural convection test was carried out as one of the End of Life Tests of the Phenix. Objective of the present study is to assess the applicability of the NETFLOW++ code which has been verified thus far using various water facilities and validated using the plant data of the loop-type FBR 'Monju' and the loop-type experimental fast reactor 'Joyo'. The Phenix primary heat transport system is modeled based on the benchmark documents available from IAEA. The calculational model consists of only the primary heat transport system with boundary conditions on the secondary-side of IHX. The coolant temperature at the primary pump inlet, the primary coolant temperature at the IHX inlet and outlet, the secondary coolant temperatures and other parameters are calculated by the code where the heat transfer between the hot and cold pools is explicitly taken into account. A model including the secondary and tertiary systems was prepared, and the calculated results also agree well with the measured data in general. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A Low-Power, Radiation-Resistant, Silicon-Drift-Detector Array for Extraterrestrial Element Mapping

We are developing a modular Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS) for measuring the abundances of light surface elements (C to Fe) fluoresced by ambient radiation on remote airless bodies. The value of fluorescence spectrometry for surface element mapping is demonstrated by its inclusion on three recent lunar missions and by exciting new data that have recently been announced from the Messenger Mission to Mercury. The SDD-XRS instrument that we have been developing offers excellent energy resolution and an order of magnitude lower power requirement than conventional CCDs, making much higher sensitivities possible with modest spacecraft resources. In addition, it is significantly more radiation resistant than x-ray CCDs and therefore will not be subject to the degradation that befell recent lunar instruments. In fact, the intrinsic radiation resistance of the SDD makes it applicable even to the harsh environment of the Jovian system where it can be used to map the light surface elements of Europa. In this paper, we first discuss our element-mapping science-measurement goals. We then derive the necessary instrument requirements to meet these goals and discuss our current instrument development status with respect to these requirements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗