IPO Tech Transfer Annual Report FY25 Content Final 7.29.26
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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.
Using AI to Reproduce Neutrino Cross Section Analysis - Prototyping the Neutrino Discovery Platform
The Neutrino Discovery Platform (NDP) aims to accelerate DUNE-era science by making the neutrino program's existing datasets analyzable through fast, reproducible, and auditable workflows. We report a working version of two of its layers, data curation and agentic orchestration, built and tested end to end on MINERvA open data. The guiding lesson throughout is that a cross section is a measurement, and not just a plotted shape, only if it carries a defensible systematic-uncertainty budget, a trustworthy unfolding, and a reproducible record. Using a single medium-energy playlist pair from the MINERvA open-data release (about $2.05\times10^{17}$ protons on target of data), we first reproduced the shapes of two published charged-current inclusive $\nu_\mu$ measurements through a complete extraction ladder: selection, background subtraction, D'Agostini unfolding, efficiency correction, and flux normalization. These shape-level reproductions ran and tracked the published results, but they lacked the systematic-uncertainty machinery that defines a MINERvA cross section. To supply it, we vendored and built the MINERvA Analysis Toolkit and developed a many-universe systematic-uncertainty tool that produces a portable covariance artifact, a parallel event-loop runner, and a per-run auditability harness. Validated against a published covariance release, the toolchain reproduces the released statistical, flux, and muon-energy-scale terms and shows that they account for roughly 63\% of the total variance, with the remainder unreleased. Using this same infrastructure, we then performed a measurement of our own design, the hadronic recoil-energy distribution of low-energy ($E_\nu<2.5$~GeV) charged-current inclusive events, and found data/simulation shape agreement of $\chi^2/\mathrm{ndf}=1.26$. Together these results show that the platform supports original physics and not only reproductions.
Breaux, Auto [Tulane U. (main)]↗
Port scanner and Testing Suite
This project addresses the challenge of identifying and managing open network ports across physical and virtual hosts. The current form of verifying ports in use required manually searching individual ports - a process that was both time- consuming and a potential bottleneck for deployment timelines. To resolve this, an automated port scanning tool was developed in Python. The tool supports simultaneous multiple port scans. To ensure functionality and long-term maintainability, a comprehensive testing suite was implemented using Python’s unittest framework. Edge cases, including valid port numbers, reversed ranges, and closed ports, were explicitly tested to ensure robust handling of real-world scenarios. The resulting tool reduces the time required to verify port security across a network, supporting both targeted and host checks and broader Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) -based network scans. This work demonstrates the value of automation and test-driven development in strengthening network security practices, and provides a foundation for future enhancements.
Rivera, Linda [Fermilab]↗
Wasserstein Normalized Autoencoder for Anomaly Detection in ProtoDUNE Vertical-Drift Detector
ProtoDUNE Vertical Drift needs a selective triggering algorithm. The detector sits on Earth's surface, so cosmic activity dominates its data. Our goal in this paper is to trigger on neutrino events more robustly than the current deployed Analog-to-Digital Converter Simple Window (ADCSW) model and, eventually, search for signals of Beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics at DUNE as our ultimate North Star objective. As a step towards this goal, we evaluate a Wasserstein Normalized Autoencoder (WNAE) on simulated collection-plane only windows of shape $1\times10\times10$ where Neutrinos act as our BSM-proxy and Cosmic-ray Muons serve as our learned background. The network parameters are fitted using only cosmic-ray muon events as background in order to maintain an unsupervised pipeline. Training uses finite-step Langevin $x^-$ samples, positive-sample reconstruction energy, and an empirical sliced $2$-Wasserstein objective to learn a normalized Boltzmann energy model. We then calibrate on a nominal $5\,\mathrm{Hz}$ operating threshold calculated from cosmic validation data. Both WNAE and ADCSW accept 311 of 194,083 held-out cosmic background events at this $5\,\mathrm{Hz}$ threshold. We found that WNAE accepts 9,677 of 34,634 neutrino-proxy events $(27.9\pm0.24)\%$, compared with 10,076 $(29.1\pm0.24)\%$ for ADCSW, an observed WNAE-minus-ADCSW difference of $-1.15\%$. At another nominal $2\,\mathrm{Hz}$ target threshold, the corresponding efficiencies are $(20.5\pm0.22)\%$ and $(22.6\pm0.22)\%$, respectively. Of the WNAE-selected neutrino proxies at $5\,\mathrm{Hz}$, $(20.8\pm0.4)\%$ of the classified neutrino-proxy events are unique to WNAE, where the uncertainty is an absolute binomial standard error of $0.4\%$.
Zheng, Jake [U. Chicago (main)] (ORCID:00090002189↗
Mechanics and Cooling of the CMS Phase-II Tracker Barrel
The CMS upgrade for the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) era will allow for an incredibly high rate of data collection, to be used in the next generation of precision measurements and searches for beyond the standard model physics. A key element of this upgrade is the full replacement of the silicon strip tracker to enable level-1 triggering on track level primitives, produced by pixel-strip (PS) and strip-strip (2S) modules, tiled together to form the new detector. Mechanically supporting and cooling these modules is not trivial, as material budget in the tracker volume is highly constrained, and as the modules accrue radiation damage they risk becoming entirely non-functional if the silicon sensors are not sufficiently cooled. To address this, each region of the tracker has a bespoke solution for housing and cooling their modules, mostly depending on carbon-fiber and carbon-foam structures, with dual phase CO2 cooling. For the most central part of the tracker, the Flat Barrel with PS modules (Flat TBPS) covers the pseudorapidity range out to $|\eta|=0.4$, and the mechanical structures are manufactured, assembled, and tested entirely by Fermilab and UC Davis. This presentation will describe the intense design and testing requirements for these components, and how they will ensure strong performance of the tracker through the HL-LHC era.
Cosby, Christopher [Fermilab]↗
Longitudinal Phase Space Tomography for the Booster Synchrotron (Abstract Only)
Efforts in the study of the longitudinal behavior of charged particles in the Fermilab Booster can be catalyzed with an image of the two-dimensional phase space distribution. In the past, tomography has been extensively employed in the reconstruction of the phase space in accelerators such as the Recycler at Fermilab and the Proton Synchrotron Booster at CERN. However, such a capability had yet to realize for the Fermilab Booster synchrotron. In this work, the first successful tomographic phase space reconstruction of a low-energy Booster bunch is presented along with validation metrics. A numerical turn-by-turn model of the longitudinal particle dynamics in the Booster has been implemented, which utilizes a fast, map-based particle transport algorithm. Using a sinogram generated from the Wall Current Monitor, the iterative reconstruction algorithm recovers a discretized image of the original phase space distribution at variable resolution. The reconstruction result shows low root-mean-square error and a rapid convergence toward the solution, providing strong evidence of accuracy. Future and ongoing work includes modeling high-energy bunches above transition and using tomography to infer certain machine parameters such as synchronous phase, peak gap voltage, and synchronous energy in addition to the phase space distribution.
Ebeid, Safi [Unlisted, US]↗
Machine Learning for Slow Extraction Uniformity at the Fermilab Delivery Ring
This poster presents preliminary investigations into beam spill quality at the Fermilab Delivery Ring using real commissioning data to better understand extraction uniformity for the Mu2e experiment. Analysis explores spill intensity structure, spill-to-spill variation, and system response to injected impulses across multiple run conditions. These findings aim to contribute to ongoing efforts toward surrogate model development for real-time spill regulation.
Prescott, Matthew J. [Purdue U., West Lafayette]↗
Analysis of Slow Spill Data for Mu2e
The Mu2e experiment requires a constant, relatively low intensity muon beam to produce data with high clarity, which can be achieved using slow extraction. Slow spills/extractions in the Delivery Ring involve contracting and expanding the stable region, which is bordered by the separatrix, of the beam pipe. While this does lower the beam intensity, it is very inconsistent. To help mitigate future inconsistencies, data from many trial spills (some including various magnet impulses to influence the beam intensity) was examined. This involved cutting low quality spills that have abnormal peak and integrated intensities, as well as spills with unusually low magnet ramping. Then, the remaining spills in the datasets were analyzed for trends within spills and across many spills. The findings from this analysis were then given to the FAN-C team to help them develop their simulations, as well as provide training data for their machine learning models that will use beam and impulse data to apply corrective impulses during future slow extractions.
Osborn, Thomas [Purdue U., West Lafayette]↗
Quality Control of Silicon Sensor Modules for Particle Detectors
The High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) will produce a higher rate of particle collisions than the current Large Hadron Collider (LHC), requiring important upgrades to the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) to handle an increased amount of data. An important upgrade is the Phase-2 Outer Tracker Upgrade, which consists of 13,000 silicon sensor modules made of two parallel silicon sensors and readout electronics. These modules undergo careful quality control checks both during and after module assembly to ensure precise and reliable detector performance. This project focuses on precision testing for quality control of silicon sensor modules at Fermilab. Hands-on work includes visual inspection, current-voltage testing, module testing, and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure of modules showing abnormal current-voltage behavior. The ultraviolet exposure process improves the abnormal sensor readout data by placing the selected sensor side of the module directly under the UV light inside a controlled box. In addition to laboratory testing and ultraviolet experiments, I developed a Python-based data tool that connects to a module database and allows selected testing conditions and module information to be retrieved and displayed efficiently. These different testing procedures, experimental processes, and computational tools support the broader goal of identifying module issues and improving modules that will be used in the CMS Outer Tracker Phase-2 Upgrade.
Siddiqui, Hooriya [DuPage Coll.] (ORCID:0009000151↗
How Do You Hear a Quantum Computer Whisper?
Quantum transduction is the process of upconverting microwave quantum signals into optical signals to develop quantum networks through optical fibers outside the dilution refrigerator, enabling connections between quantum technologies on the quantum internet. In this project, upconversion is achieved by directing an optical laser and the microwave quantum signal into an electro-optic bulk crystal. The crystal is housed within a Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavity designed to maximize the overlap between the microwave field and the crystal volume. In the presence of microwaves, the refractive index of the crystal changes through the Pockels effect. This change in refractive index modifies the propagation of the optical field within the crystal, allowing the quantum information carried by the microwave field to be transferred to the optical field. This study focuses on coupling laser light from suspended waveguide chips into the whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) of the crystal to enable transduction. The coupling efficiency between the optical field in the suspended waveguide and the WGM depends on the position of the laser spot on the crystal. To address this challenge, a feedback-based algorithm is being developed to fine-tune the waveguide position so that the optical signal is coupled efficiently into the crystal. After passing through the crystal, the optical signal is detected by a photodiode connected to an oscilloscope. The algorithm evaluates the coupling quality and iteratively adjusts the waveguide position to maximize coupling efficiency. The expected outcome is an automated waveguide alignment method that improves optical coupling and enables more efficient microwave-to-optical quantum transduction.
Karanastasis, Mihael [Fermilab]↗
Real-Time Inference For MI/RR Deblending
The Fermilab Main Injector (MI) and Recycler Ring (RR) share a common beam loss monitor (BLM) system, making loss events difficult to attribute to their source machine when beam is present in both simultaneously. The Real-time Edge AI for Distributed Systems (READS) project addresses this by deblending BLM readings in real time using machine learning (ML). The current FPGA based implementation meets the sub-3 ms latency requirement but carries a resource intensive hls4ml development cycle, motivating exploration of GPU based deployment. This paper characterizes inference latency on an NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and introduces a packet organization scheme for assembling synchronized event frames from seven distributed BLM DAQ streams. Using a Python based DAQ simulation with injected timing jitter in place of unavailable live beam data, the pipeline achieved an average end to end latency of 0.456 ms (σ = 0.122 ms) across 167,000 test frames, comfortably meeting the timing constraint. Early outliers were attributed to TensorRT warm-up rather than steady state limitations, suggesting GPU based inference is a viable alternative to the existing FPGA implementation.
Yu, Kellen [Cornell U.]↗
Short Circuit Detection and Voltage Sense for High Voltage Ionization Tube Power Supplies
Fermilab's PIP-II upgrade requires new rack-mounted power supplies for Beam Loss Monitor (BLM) ionization tubes compatible with the microTCA 4.1 standard, supporting high-side current measurement for short circuit detection, voltage sense telemetry, and low-side current measurement for beam loss readout. This work presents the design and preliminary schematic of such a supply. A resistive current sensing approach was chosen over inductive, optical, and Hall-effect alternatives for its independence from cable length and component availability. A 500 mΩ inline shunt steps the 2 kV common mode voltage down to roughly 70 V, producing a ~27 μV pulse during a short, which is amplified 500x, compared against a 14-bit DAC threshold, and latched to drive a fault line. Voltage sense steps the 2 kV output down at a 1V/1000V ratio, buffers it with a low bias current amplifier, and digitizes it via a 24-bit ADC over SPI. Onboard power is regulated from 12 V down to isolated 5 V and 3.3 V rails, with capacitive isolation on FPGA communication lines. Lumped parameter models were developed for the ionization tube (0.327 nF, 20 to 200 GΩ dynamic resistance) and the RG-58 coaxial cable to support the design. Component selection is complete and a preliminary schematic has been drawn in Altium Designer, forming the foundation for future prototyping and validation.
Yu, Kellen [Cornell U.]↗
Investigating Interference Term in DUNE & SBND Neutrino Interactions with ACHILLES
Understanding neutrino oscillations can help us answer some of the universe’s most fundamental questions like: Why is there more matter than antimatter? Neutrino-nucleus cross-sections (probability of neutrino interactions with nuclei) are a leading uncertainty in the measurements of neutrino oscillations. To meaningfully determine scattering parameters, measurements must be supported by robust theoretical modeling, which can be provided via event generators. In this poster, we use ACHILLES to investigate the interference term of neutrino interactions with both DUNE-ND and SBND flux configurations [1] [2]. The interference term is the quantum amplitude interference resulting from 1p1h or 2p2h neutrino-nucleon interactions, and isn't modeled in current industry standard event generators.
Serumaga, Peera [UC, San Diego (main); Fermilab]↗
DECAL MDN Resolution Calibration
The simulated pixelated calorimeter uses 0.1 mm × 0.1 mm silicon pixels (0.0001 cm²) silicon pixels as active layers — far finer than current concepts like HGCAL (~0.5 cm²) — improving energy resolution through much finer segmentation. While the standard resolution formalism fits three numbers to a handful of discrete test-beam energies, this work is a first try at a more data-efficient alternative: learning the full response shape continuously in energy with a mixture density network. This continuous, differentiable surrogate is a natural building block for fast simulation of extremely complex calorimeters.
Wang, Peter [U. Chicago (main)]↗
Effect of Magnetic Fields on LArTPCs, ArCS
ArCS is implementing magnetic fields to LarTPC detectors in order to develope their ability to do charge separation. This poster shows two algorithms that take simulated LarTPC detectors with magnetic fields, and compares their performance as a function of magnetic field and momentum in order to establish what field is needed for charge separation to work well.
Lopez, Alex [U. Chicago (main)]↗
PIP-II LLRF Master Oscillator and Precision Reference Line - Station Level Design and Testing
The PIP-II superconducting linac at Fermilab requires a highly stable RF Reference Line to maintain phase syn- chronization throughout the accelerator. Temperature- induced changes in the electrical length of long coaxial cables can introduce phase drift and measurement errors. The reference-line architecture mitigates these effects by phase averaging the forward and reflected RF signals, while a phase-locked loop anchors the system to the mas- ter oscillator. This work focuses on the characterization, validation, and mechanical integration of station-level RF assemblies using CAD modeling, vector network analyzer measurements, and spectrum analyzer testing. PID-controlled thermal plates will stabilize critical RF components and further reduce temperature-dependent phase and amplitude variations. These methods sup- port repeatable, standardized designs that can be reliably integrated across the different reference-line stations.
Mosher, Alexander [U. Illinois, Chicago]↗
Localized Interactions in Neutrino Simulations
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) requires precise modeling of neutrino--nucleus interactions to achieve its neutrino-oscillation measurement goals. GENIE, the Monte Carlo event generator used by DUNE, exhibits a known discrepancy with MicroBooNE measurements of transverse kinematic imbalance (TKI): the data display a larger high-TKI tail while maintaining a peak similar to that predicted by the baseline GENIE model. Previous variations of final-state interaction (FSI) strength affected both the peak and the tail and therefore did not resolve the discrepancy. This work investigates whether inconsistencies between local and global treatments of intranuclear physics contribute to the observed mismodeling. The GENIE FSI routines were modified to use the particle position when generating nucleons, thereby introducing a local-density treatment in the hA and hN intranuclear models for their 2018 and 2025 implementations. Meson-exchange-current (MEC) localization was also tested for the hN 2018 model. Comparisons of the intranuclear scattering-center momentum and its radial dependence confirm that the localization was implemented as intended. Localization produces modest changes in the proton momentum spectrum, primarily at low momentum, but only a small change in the TKI distribution between approximately \SI{0.25}{\giga\electronvolt} and \SI{0.40}{\giga\electronvolt}. These changes are insufficient to account for the discrepancy with MicroBooNE data. Although a localized treatment improves the internal consistency of the GENIE model, the origin of the TKI discrepancy remains unresolved.
Bulla, Braden [Unlisted, US, IL]↗
Modeling of a Four-Stage Linear Ionization Cooling Channel for a Muon Collider in g4Beamline
A previous study of an eight-stage rectilinear ionization cooling channel in the ICOOL software demonstrated a five-order-of-magnitude reduction in a muon beam’s 6D emittance. In this study, we look to compare the ways ICOOL and Muons, Inc.’s g4Beamline software model ionization cooling by comparing their modeling of the first four stages of this optimized cooling channel constructed in ICOOL. We begin by identifying the parameters used to construct the optimized ionization cooling channel in ICOOL. We then reconstruct this beam in g4Beamline with identical parameter specifications and simulate the cooling of an identical input beam. Finally, we compare the two simulations based on their beam transmission, longitudinal emittance, and transverse emittance along the channel length. Through this process, we demonstrate that G4Beamline accurately reproduces transverse cooling results but predicts systematically different longitudinal emittance evolution while maintaining similar overall cooling performance, reproducing a 97.9% reduction in 6D emittance over four stages.
Keeler, Dominic [Purdue U., West Lafayette] (ORCID↗