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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 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Cometary Activity Begins at Kuiper Belt Distances: Evidence from C/2017 K2

We study the development of activity in the incoming long-period comet C/2017 K2 over the heliocentric distance range 9 ≲ r {sub H} ≲ 16 au. The comet continues to be characterized by a coma of submillimeter-sized and larger particles ejected at low velocity. In a fixed co-moving volume around the nucleus we find that the scattering cross section of the coma, C, is related to the heliocentric distance by a power law, C∝r{sub H}{sup -s}, with heliocentric index s = 1.14 ± 0.05. This dependence is significantly weaker than the r {sub H} {sup -2} variation of the insolation as a result of two effects. These are, first, the heliocentric dependence of the dust velocity and, second, a lag effect due to very slow-moving particles ejected long before the observations were taken. A Monte Carlo model of the photometry shows that dust production beginning at r {sub H} ~ 35 au is needed to match the measured heliocentric index, with only a slight dependence on the particle size distribution. Mass-loss rates in dust at 10 au are of order 10{sup 3} kg s{sup -1}, while loss rates in gas may be much smaller, depending on the unknown dust to gas ratio. Consequently, the ratio of the nongravitational acceleration to the local solar gravity, α', may, depending on the nucleus size, attain values of ~10{sup -7} ≲ α' ≲ 10{sup -5}, comparable to values found in short-period comets at much smaller distances. Nongravitational acceleration in C/2017 K2 and similarly distant comets, while presently unmeasured, may limit the accuracy with which we can infer the properties of the Oort cloud from the orbits of long-period comets.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Demonstration of plasma mirror capability for the OMEGA Extended Performance laser system

A plasma mirror platform was developed for the OMEGA-EP facility to redirect beams, thus enabling more flexible experimental configurations as well as a platform that can be used in the future to improve laser contrast. The plasma mirror reflected a short pulse focusing beam at 22.5° angle of incidence onto a 12.5 μm thick Cu foil, generating Bremsstrahlung and k α x rays, and accelerating ions and relativistic electrons. By measuring these secondary sources, the plasma mirror key performance metrics of integrated reflectivity and optical quality are inferred. It is shown that for a 5 ± 2 ps, 310 J laser pulse, the plasma mirror integrated reflectivity was 62 ± 13% at an operating fluence of 1670 J cm –2 , and that the resultant short pulse driven particle acceleration and x-ray generation indicate that the on target intensity was 3.1 × 10 18 W cm –2 , which is indicative of a good post-plasma mirror interaction beam optical quality. By deriving the plasma mirror performance metrics from the secondary source scalings, it was simultaneously demonstrated that the plasma mirror is ready for adoption in short pulse particle acceleration and high energy photon generation experiments using the OMEGA-EP system.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Neural network methods for radiation detectors and imaging

Recent advances in image data proccesing through deep learning allow for new optimization and performance-enhancement schemes for radiation detectors and imaging hardware. This enables radiation experiments, which includes photon sciences in synchrotron and X-ray free electron lasers as a subclass, through data-endowed artificial intelligence. We give an overview of data generation at photon sources, deep learning-based methods for image processing tasks, and hardware solutions for deep learning acceleration. Most existing deep learning approaches are trained offline, typically using large amounts of computational resources. However, once trained, DNNs can achieve fast inference speeds and can be deployed to edge devices. A new trend is edge computing with less energy consumption (hundreds of watts or less) and real-time analysis potential. While popularly used for edge computing, electronic-based hardware accelerators ranging from general purpose processors such as central processing units (CPUs) to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are constantly reaching performance limits in latency, energy consumption, and other physical constraints. These limits give rise to next-generation analog neuromorhpic hardware platforms, such as optical neural networks (ONNs), for high parallel, low latency, and low energy computing to boost deep learning acceleration (LA-UR-23-32395).

edge computing↗
DOE OSTI2026

Microsecond-latency feedback at a particle accelerator by online reinforcement learning on hardware

The commissioning and operation of future large-scale scientific experiments will challenge current tuning and control methods. Reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms are a promising solution due to their ability to dynamically adapt to changing environments and consider delayed consequences. In many real-world applications, RL policies must produce actions in real time, often within microseconds to milliseconds, imposing significant constraints on system latency and computational overhead that conventional machine learning libraries are not designed to handle. To control phenomena in real time at these timescales, RL needs to be deployed on-the-edge, namely on dedicated hardware located near the system it controls, without relying on a host CPU or cloud-based inference. In this work we present the design and deployment of an experience accumulator system in a particle accelerator. In this system, deep-RL algorithms run using hardware acceleration and act within a few microseconds, enabling the use of RL for control of phenomena like beam instabilities. The training uses the collected data offline to reduce the number of operations carried out on the acceleration hardware. The proposed architecture was tested in real experimental conditions at the Karlsruhe research accelerator, a synchrotron light source, where the system was used to control artificially induced horizontal betatron oscillations in real-time, with a control loop period of just 2.7 μs. The results showed a performance comparable to the commercial feedback system available at the accelerator, demonstrating the viability and potential of this approach. Due to the self-learning and reconfiguration capability of this implementation, a seamless application to other control problems is possible. Applications range from particle accelerators to large-scale research and industrial facilities.

FPGA↗
DOE OSTI2024

Invariant amplitudes, unpolarized cross sections, and polarization asymmetries in neutrino-nucleon and antineutrino-nucleon elastic scattering

At leading order in weak and electromagnetic couplings, cross sections for (anti)neutrino-nucleon elastic scattering are determined by four nucleon form factors that depend on the momentum transfer Q 2 . Including radiative corrections in the Standard Model and potential new physics contributions beyond the Standard Model, eight invariant amplitudes are possible, depending on both Q 2 and the (anti)neutrino energy E ν . We review the definition of these amplitudes and use them to compute both unpolarized and polarized observables including radiative corrections. We show that unpolarized accelerator neutrino cross-section measurements can probe new physics parameter space within the constraints inferred from precision beta decay measurements. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1988

Magnetospheric ULF waves observed during the major magnetospheric compression of November 1, 1984

The magnetospheric ULF waves observed during the magnetospheric compression event of November 1, 1984, were investigated using the magnetic field and medium-energy ion data obtained by the AMPTE Charge Composition Explorer. The electric field of ULF waves was inferred from the particle data, using a method developed on the basis of the gyration acceleration mechanism. Three types of waves were found: (1) a 10-15-min wave with perturbations in the magnetic field intensity and in the flux of ions; (2) a 3-5-min standing Alfven wave with perturbations in the azimuthal magnetic field component and in the radial component of the electric field; and (3) a 2-5-min irregular disturbance near the magnetopause, which involves all components of the magnetic field and the intensity of the ion flux. The origins of these waves are discussed.

Takahashi, K.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Physical Properties of a Coronal Hole from a Coronal Diagnostics Spectrometer, Mauna Loa Coronagraph, and LASCO Observations during the Whole Sun Month

Until recently, inference of electron density distribution in the solar corona was limited by the field of view of white-light coronagraphs (typically out to 6 Rs). Now, for the first time we have a series of white- light coronagraphs (SOHO/LASCO) whose combined field of view extends from 1.1 - 30 Rs. Quantitative information on electron density distribution of coronal hole and coronal plumes/rays are estimated by using white-light, polarized brightness (pB) observations from the SOHO/LASCO/C2 and C3 and HAO/Mauna Loa Mark III coronagraphs from 1.15 to 8.0 Rs. Morphological information on the boundary of the polar coronal hole and streamer interface is determined from the white-light observations in a manner similar to the Skylab polar coronal hole boundary estimate. The average coronal hole electron density in the region 1 - 1.15 Rs is estimated from the density-sensitive EUV line ratios of Si IX 3501342 A observed by the SOHO/coronal diagnostic spectrometer (CDS). We combine these numbers with the estimate from white-light (WL) observations to obtain a density profile from 1 to 8 Rs for the plumes and the polar coronal hole. We find that white light and spectral analysis produce consistent density information. Extrapolated densities inferred from SOHO observations are compared to Ulysses in situ observations of density. Like the density inferred from the Spartan 201-03 coronagraph, the current SOHO density profiles suggest that the acceleration of the fast solar wind takes place very close to the Sun, within 10-15 Rs. The density information is used to put constraints on solar wind flow velocities and effective temperatures. Finally, these results are compared to the recent analysis of the Spartan 201-03 white-light observations.

Guhathakurta, M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Building Scalable Knowledge Graphs for Earth Science

Knowledge Graphs link key entities in a specific domain with other entities via relationships. From these relationships, researchers can query knowledge graphs for probabilistic recommendations to infer new knowledge. Scientific papers are an untapped resource which knowledge graphs could leverage to accelerate research discovery. Goal: Develop an end-to-end (semi) automated methodology for constructing Knowledge Graphs for Earth Science.

Ramachandran, Rahul↗
NASA NTRS2023

Solar Energetic-Particle-Associated Coronal Mass Ejections Observed by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory Mk3 and Mk4 Coronameters

We report on the first comprehensive study of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) associated with ~25 MeV solar energetic-proton (SEP) events in 1980 – 2013 observed in the low/inner corona by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) Mk3 and Mk4 coronameters. Where possible, these observations are combined with space-based observations from the Solar Maximum Mission C/P, P78-1 SOLWIND, or SOHO/LASCO coronagraphs. The aim of the study is to understand directly measured (rather than inferred from proxies) CME motions in the low to midcorona and their association with SEP acceleration, and hence attempt to identify early signatures that are characteristic of SEP acceleration in ground-based CME observations that may be used to warn of impending SEP events. Although we find that SEP events are associated with CMEs that are on average faster and wider than typical CMEs observed by MLSO, a major challenge turns out to be determining reliable estimates of the CME dynamics in the low corona from the 3-min cadence Mk3/4 observations since different analysis techniques can produce inconsistent results. This complicates the assessment of what early information on a possible SEP event is available from these low-coronal observations.

I. G. Richardson↗
DOE OSTI2020

Accelerating Radiation Computations for Dynamical Models With Targeted Machine Learning and Code Optimization

Abstract Atmospheric radiation is the main driver of weather and climate, yet due to a complicated absorption spectrum, the precise treatment of radiative transfer in numerical weather and climate models is computationally unfeasible. Radiation parameterizations need to maximize computational efficiency as well as accuracy, and for predicting the future climate many greenhouse gases need to be included. In this work, neural networks (NNs) were developed to replace the gas optics computations in a modern radiation scheme (RTE+RRTMGP) by using carefully constructed models and training data. The NNs, implemented in Fortran and utilizing BLAS for batched inference, are faster by a factor of 1–6, depending on the software and hardware platforms. We combined the accelerated gas optics with a refactored radiative transfer solver, resulting in clear‐sky longwave (shortwave) fluxes being 3.5 (1.8) faster to compute on an Intel platform. The accuracy, evaluated with benchmark line‐by‐line computations across a large range of atmospheric conditions, is very similar to the original scheme with errors in heating rates and top‐of‐atmosphere radiative forcings typically below 0.1 K day −1 and 0.5 W m −2 , respectively. These results show that targeted machine learning, code restructuring techniques, and the use of numerical libraries can yield material gains in efficiency while retaining accuracy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2009

Insights into the Galactic Cosmic-ray Source from the TIGER Experiment

We report results from 50 days of data accumulated in two Antarctic flights of the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (TIGER). With a detector system composed of scintillators, Cherenkov detectors, and scintillating optical fibers, TIGER has a geometrical acceptance of 1.7 sq m sr and a charge resolution of 0.23 cu at Iron. TIGER has obtained abundance measurements of some of the rare galactic cosmic rays heavier than iron, including Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, and Sr, as well as the more abundant lighter elements (down to Si). The heavy elements have long been recognized as important probes of the nature of the galactic cosmic-ray source and accelerator. After accounting for fragmentation of cosmic-ray nuclei as they propagate through the Galaxy and the atmosphere above the detector system, the TIGER source abundances are consistent with a source that is a mixture of about 20% ejecta from massive stars and 80% interstellar medium with solar system composition. This result supports a model of cosmic-ray origin in OB associations previously inferred from ACE-CRIS data of more abundant lighter elements. These TIGER data also support a cosmic-ray acceleration model in which elements present in interstellar grains are accelerated preferentially compared with those found in interstellar gas.

Link, Jason T.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analysis and mitigation of parasitic resistance effects for analog in-memory neural network acceleration

To support the increasing demands for efficient deep neural network processing, accelerators based on analog in-memory computation of matrix multiplication have recently gained significant attention for reducing the energy of neural network inference. However, analog processing within memory arrays must contend with the issue of parasitic voltage drops across the metal interconnects, which distort the results of the computation and limit the array size. This work analyzes how parasitic resistance affects the end-to-end inference accuracy of state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks, and comprehensively studies how various design decisions at the device, circuit, architecture, and algorithm levels affect the system's sensitivity to parasitic resistance effects. Here, a set of guidelines are provided for how to design analog accelerator hardware that is intrinsically robust to parasitic resistance, without any explicit compensation or re-training of the network parameters.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Whistler Waves Associated With Electron Beams in Magnetopause Reconnection Diffusion Regions

Abstract Whistler waves are often observed in magnetopause reconnection associated with electron beams. We analyze seven MMS crossings surrounding the electron diffusion region (EDR) to study the role of electron beams in whistler excitation. Waves have two major types: (a) Narrow‐band waves with high ellipticities and (b) broad‐band waves that are more electrostatic with significant variations in ellipticities and wave normal angles. While both types of waves are associated with electron beams, the key difference is the anisotropy of the background population, with perpendicular and parallel anisotropies, respectively. The linear instability analysis suggests that the first type of wave is mainly due to the background anisotropy, with the beam contributing additional cyclotron resonance to enhance the wave growth. The second type of broadband waves are excited via Landau resonance, and as seen in one event, the beam anisotropy induces an additional cyclotron mode. The results are supported by particle‐in‐cell simulations. We infer that the first type occurs downstream of the central EDR, where background electrons experience Betatron acceleration to form the perpendicular anisotropy; the second type occurs in the central EDR of guide field reconnection. A parametric study is conducted with linear instability analysis. A beam anisotropy alone of above ∼3 likely excites the cyclotron mode waves. Large beam drifts cause Doppler shifts and may lead to left‐hand polarizations in the ion frame. Future studies are needed to determine whether the observation covers a broader parameter regime and to understand the competition between whistler and other instabilities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1983

Milgrom's revision of cosmic dynamics: Amending Newton's laws or Keplers?

Milgrom's recent revision of Newtonian dynamics was introduced to eliminate the inference that large quantities of invisible mass exist in galaxies. Simple examples show that a Milgrom acceleration, in the form presented so far, imply other far-reaching changes in dynamics. The momentum of an isolated system is not conserved, and the usual theorem for center-of-mass motion of any system does not hold. Naive applications require extreme caution. The model fails to provide a complete description of particle dynamics and should be thought of as a revision of Kepler's laws rather than Newton's. The Milgrom acceleration also implies fundamental changes in cosmology. A quasi-Newtonian calculation adapted from Newtonian cosmology suggests that a Milgrom universe will recollapse even if the classical closure parameter theta is less than 1. The solution, however, fails to satisfy the cosmological principle. Reasons for the breakdown of this calculation are examined. A theory of gravitation needed before the behavior of a Milgrom universe can be predicted.

Felten, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Shuttle high resolution accelerometer package experiment results - Atmospheric density measurements between 60-160 km

Indirect or inferred values of atmospheric density encountered by the Shuttle Orbiter during reentry have been calculated from acceleration measurements made by the High Resolution Accelerometer Package (HiRAP) and the Orbiter Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) liner accelerometers. The atmospheric density data developed from this study represent a significant gain with respect to the body of data collected to date by various techniques in the altitude range of 60 to 160 km. The data are unique in that they cover a very wide horizontal range during each flight and provide insight into the actual density variations encountered along the reentry flight path. The data, which were collected over about 3 years, are also characterized by variations in solar activity, geomagnetic index, and local solar time. Comparison of the flight-derived densities with various atmospheric models have been made, and analyses have attempted to characterize the data and to show correlation with selected physical variables.

Blanchard, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Synchrotron emission as a tracer of the outflow in M82

The discovery of radio synchrotron emission from the outflow in M82 is reported. It is found that the outflow in M82 is visible in synchrotron radiation. IC losses are evident in the steepening of the radio spectrum, though this process is not a major contributor to the observed halo X-ray emission. Particle acceleration and/or diffusion in the wind may be important. Outflow speeds of 1000-3000 km/s are inferred from the spectral index profiles, which significantly exceeds the optically determined values. The fraction of the wind energy in the form of relativistic particles is consistent with a supernova origin. A termination shock produced by the intergalactic medium may be shaping the observed halo of M82.

Seaquist, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Lunar Potential Determination Using Apollo-Era Data and Modern Measurements and Models

Since the Apollo era the electric potential of the Moon has been a subject of interest and debate. Deployed by three Apollo missions, Apollo 12, Apollo 14 and Apollo 15, the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE) determined the sunlit lunar surface potential to be about +10 Volts using the energy spectra of lunar ionospheric thermal ions accelerated toward the Moon. More recently, the Lunar Prospector (LP) Electron Reflectometer used electron distributions to infer negative lunar surface potentials, primarily in shadow. We will present initial results from a study to combine lunar surface potential measurements from both SIDE and the LP/Electron Reflectometer to calibrate an advanced model of lunar surface charging which includes effects from the plasma environment, photoemission, secondaries ejected by ion impact onto the lunar surface, and the lunar wake created downstream by the solar wind-lunar interaction.

Collier, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

High-Energy Pulsar Models: Developments and New Questions

The past few years have seen a major advance in observational knowledge of high-energy (HE) pulsars. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and AGILE have increased the number of known gamma-ray pulsars by an order of magnitude, its members being divided roughly equally among millisecond pulsars (MSPs), young radio-loud pulsars, and young radio-quiet pulsars. Many new and diverse emission characteristics are being measured, while radio and X-ray follow-up observations increase the pulsar detection rate and enrich our multiwavelength picture of these extreme sources. The wealth of new data has provided impetus for further development and improvement of existing theoretical pulsar models. Geometric light curve (LC) modelling has uncovered three broad classes into which HE pulsars fall: those where the radio profile leads, is aligned with, or lags the gamma-ray profile. For example, the original MSP and original black widow system are members of the second class, requiring co-located emission regions and thereby breaking with traditional notions of radio emission origin. These models imply narrow accelerator gaps in the outer magnetosphere, indicating copious pair production even in MSP magnetospheres that were previously thought to be pair-starved. The increased quality and variety of the LCs necessitate construction of ever more sophisticated models. We will review progress in global magnetosphere solutions which specify a finite conductivity on field lines above the stellar surface, filling the gap between the standard vacuum and force-free (FF; plasma-filled) models. The possibility of deriving phase-resolved spectra for the brightest pulsars, coupled with the fact that the HE pulsar population is sizable enough to allow sampling of various pulsar geometries, will enable much more stringent testing of future radiation models. Reproduction of the observed phase-resolved behavior of this disparate group will be one of the next frontiers in pulsar science, impacting on our understanding of particle acceleration, emission, and magnetosphere geometry. One may now also study evolutionary trends of the measured or inferred quantities, and probe pulsar visibility and population properties such as radiation beam sizes of different pulsar classes, as well as the distribution of spin-down power, gamma-ray luminosity, conversion efficiency, spectral index, and cutoff energy across the population. Lastly, the recent detection of very-high-energy (VHE) pulsations from the Crab pulsar generated quite a few ideas to explain this emission, leading to an extension of standard models and possibly even a bridge between the physics of pulsars and pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe).

gamma rays:↗