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At least 217 records · Page 12

Effect of Part Size, Displacement Rate, and Aging on Compressive Properties of Elastomeric Parts of Different Unit Cell Topologies Formed by Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing

Due to its ability to achieve geometric complexity at high resolution and low length scales, additive manufacturing (AM) has increasingly been used for fabricating cellular structures (e.g., foams and lattices) for a variety of applications. Specifically, elastomeric cellular structures offer tunability of compliance as well as energy absorption and dissipation characteristics. However, there are limited data available on compression properties for printed elastomeric cellular structures of different designs and testing parameters. In this work, the authors evaluate how unit cell topology, part size, the rate of compression, and aging affect the compressive response of polyurethane-based simple cubic, body-centered, and gyroid structures formed by vat photopolymerization AM. Finite element simulations incorporating hyperelastic and viscoelastic models were used to describe the data, and the simulated results compared well with the experimental data. Of the designs tested, only the parts with the body-centered unit cell exhibited differences in stress–strain responses at different part sizes. Of the compression rates tested, the highest displacement rate (1000 mm/min) often caused stiffer compressive behavior, indicating deviation from the quasi-static assumption and approaching the intermediate rate response. The cellular structures did not change in compression properties across five weeks of aging time, which is desirable for cushioning applications. This work advances knowledge on the structure–property relationships of printed elastomeric cellular materials, which will enable more predictable compressive properties that can be traced to specific unit cell designs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamical Complexity of Non-Gaussian Many-Body Systems with Dissipation

We characterize the dynamical state of many-body bosonic and fermionic many-body models with intersite Gaussian couplings, on-site non-Gaussian interactions, and local dissipation comprising incoherent particle loss, particle gain, and dephasing. We first establish that, for fermionic systems, if the dephasing noise is larger than the non-Gaussian interactions, irrespective of the Gaussian coupling strength, the system state is a convex combination of Gaussian states at all times. Furthermore, for bosonic systems, we show that if the particle loss and particle gain rates are larger than the Gaussian intersite couplings, the system remains in a separable state at all times. Building on this characterization, we establish that at noise rates above a threshold, there exists a classical algorithm that can efficiently sample from the system state of both the fermionic and bosonic models. Finally, we show that, unlike fermionic systems, bosonic systems can evolve into states that are not convex Gaussian even when the dissipation is much higher than the on-site non-Gaussianity. Similarly, unlike bosonic systems, fermionic systems can generate entanglement even with noise rates much larger than the intersite couplings.

Computational complexity↗

Positive- and negative-frequency noise from an ensemble of two-level fluctuators

The analysis of charge noise based on the Bloch-Redfield treatment of an ensemble of dissipative two-level fluctuators generally results in a violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. The standard Markov approximation (when applied to the two-level fluctuators coupled to a bath) can be identified as the main origin of this failure. The resulting decoherence rates only involve the bath response at the fluctuator frequency, and thus completely neglect the effects of frequency broadening. A systematic and computationally convenient way to overcome this issue is to employ the spectator-qubit method: by coupling an auxiliary qubit to the two-level fluctuator ensemble, an analytical approximation for S(ω) fully consistent with the fluctuation-dissipation theorem can be obtained. We discuss the resulting characteristics of the noise which exhibits distinct behavior over several frequency ranges, including a 1/f to 1/f2 crossover with a T3 temperature dependence of the crossover frequency.

2-dimensional systems↗

Modeling and Optimal Design of a Desalination System Integrated Between a Glass-Covered Solar Collection Water Chamber and a Heat Dissipating Chimney

Abstract Solar thermal energy is trapped in a glass-covered water chamber/basin to provide the heat for evaporation of brackish water in a novel desalination system. To harvest clean water, a chimney is integrated with the water basin, which draws air into the chamber to be humidified by the vapor and then being ventilated via buoyance force. Uniquely, thermal conductive metal sheet is recommended to make the chimney, which allows the vapor in the humid air condenses easily when flowing up. The condensate at the inner wall of the chimney flows down to be collected as clean water. Mathematical modeling and numerical computation have been carried out to delineate the coupling of the buoyance-force-driven flow with the heat and mass transfer of air and water in the solar collection chamber and the condensation of vapor in the heat-dissipating chimney. The objective of the simulation and optimization of the system is to find the best match of the dimensions of the water chamber with a chimney to maximize the production of clean water and energy efficiency. The model has been used to simulation several cases (of water from 40 °C to 50 °C) with available experimental data from the authors’ previous work, and the agreement was satisfactory. The optimization studies found that there is a maximum air flowrate corresponding to a critical chimney height due to the requirement that the chimney is designated to dissipate heat as much as possible to condense water vapor. With the chimney height greater than the critical height, the airflow rate will have a slight decrease. Nevertheless, higher than a critical height is still needed for a chimney to condense more moisture. Optimized chamber diameters at different chimney heights are provided for reference of optimal system designs.

Engineering↗

Toroidal modeling of runaway avalanche in DIII-D discharges

Abstract A toroidal modeling tool is developed to study the runaway electron (RE) avalanche production process in tokamak plasmas, by coupling the Rosenbluth–Putvinski avalanche model (Rosenbluth and Putvinski 1997 Nucl. Fusion 37 1355) with an n = 0 magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) solver. Initial value numerical simulations are carried out for two DIII-D discharges with different plasma shapes (one near circular, and the other with high elongation). It is found that, assuming the same level of about 1% seed current level, the Rosenbluth–Putvinski model somewhat underestimates the RE plateau current for the circular-shaped plasma, as compared with that measured in DIII-D experiments. For an elongated, higher current plasma, simulations find strong runaway current avalanche production despite the lack of measured plateau RE current in experiments. A possible reason for this discrepancy is a lack of additional RE dissipation physics in the present two-dimensional model. Systematic scans of the plasma boundary shape, at fixed pre-disruption plasma current, find that the plasma elongation helps to reduce the RE avalanche production, confirming recent results obtained with an analytic model (Fülöp et al 2020 J. Plasma Phys. 86 474860101). The effect of the plasma triangularity (either positive or negative), on the other hand, has a minor effect. On the physics side, the avalanche process involves two competing mechanisms associated with the electric field. On the one hand, a stronger electric field produces a higher instantaneous avalanche growth rate. On the other hand, a fast growing RE current quickly reduces the fraction of the conduction current together with the electric field, and hence a faster dissipation of the poloidal flux. As a final result of these two dynamic processes, the runaway plateau current is not always the largest with the strongest initial electric field. These results lay the foundation for future self-consistent inclusion of the MHD dynamics and the RE amplification process.

Physics↗

Causes of Reduced Climate Sensitivity in E3SM From Version 1 to Version 2

The effective climate sensitivity in the Department of Energy's Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) has decreased from 5.3 K in version 1 to 4.0 K in version 2. This reduction is mainly due to a weaker positive cloud feedback that leads to a stronger negative radiative feedback. Present-day atmosphere-only experiments with uniform 4 K sea surface temperature warming are used to separate the contributions of individual model modifications to the reduced cloud feedback. We find that the reduced cloud feedback is mostly driven by changes over the tropical marine low cloud regime, mainly related to a new trigger function for the deep convection scheme and modifications in the cloud microphysics scheme. The new trigger function helps weaken the low cloud reduction by increasing the cloud water detrainment at low levels from deep convection under warming. Changes to the formula of autoconversion rate from liquid to rain and an introduced minimum cloud droplet number concentration threshold in cloud microphysical calculations help sustain clouds against dissipation by suppressing precipitation generation with warming. In the midlatitudes, the increased Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen (WBF) efficiency strongly reduces present-day liquid water and leads to a stronger negative cloud optical depth feedback. The reduced trade cumulus cloud feedback in v2 is closer to estimates from recent observational and large-eddy modeling studies but might not be due to the right physical reasons. The reduced mid-latitude cloud feedback may be more plausible because more realistic present-day mixed-phase clouds are produced through the change in the WBF efficiency.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Polarization-type potential-induced degradation in bifacial PERC modules in the field

This study examines the susceptibility of bifacial glass/glass passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) modules to potential-induced degradation-polarization (PID-p) in the field. While there are several studies showing PID-p occurring on both front and back faces of bifacial PERC in accelerated tests, we address the yet unclarified behavior in fielded modules. We examine the effects of mounting configuration; specifically, comparing modules mounted near ground and in elevated ground rack configurations. Modules with the cell circuit in -1500 V system voltage configuration, whether mounted on racks about 30 cm above the ground or elevated 2 m high showed mean degradation of 4.5% to 6% in power under standard test conditions over about 2.5 weeks as measured from the front side of the module. This extent of degradation remained sustained for a duration of about 6 months analyzed. Average daytime temperatures of modules in the various mounting configurations were similar and therefore judged to be insufficient to be a primary influence for the modest PID-p rate differences that we observed among mounting configurations. Increased leakage current in the morning suggests morning dew was sustained longer on modules near the ground measured over six months which would be expected to increase the PID-p rate over the long term. However, the main difference seen between the modules on the various mountings during the initial period with up to 6% mean degradation by PID-p was the approximately two times the irradiance from albedo on the rear of modules mounted in elevated ground rack compared to those on the near ground rack. This difference in incident albedo led to a modestly reduced rate of the development of PID-p of the modules on the elevated ground rack. The difference is attributed to the dissipation of PID-p-causing electrical charge by the albedo incident on the module rear. The behavior could be modeled by a sigmoidal equation with consideration of the differences in the insolation on the module rear.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Observations on the fourth-power scaling of high-pressure shock waves in solids

This paper is concerned with the bounds and approximations that are found in the original derivation of the fourth-power scaling of shock waves in solids [D. Grady, Appl. Phys. Lett. 38, 825 (1981)]. The analysis is focused on the framework of the derivation and is independent of constitutive assumption, such as visco-plastic behavior. Results include an upper bound for the shock pressure and a restriction on the range of power coefficient for materials having a power-type function for the shock velocity–particle velocity relation. Relaxation of this restriction is proposed based on the idea that the rise time along the Rayleigh line is strain dependent. The idea led to the application of the Onsager relation to strain rate calculation that in turn resulted in a quadratic function for the strain rate–shock pressure relation. The fourth-power relation is obtained by generalizing the Onsager relation through the introduction of a quadratic dissipative potential in analogy to Rayleigh's dissipative potential.

Horie, Yasuyuki (ORCID:0000000245207246)↗

Uniformly decaying subspaces for error-mitigated quantum computation

Here, we present a general condition to obtain subspaces that decay uniformly in a system governed by the Lindblad master equation and use them to perform error-mitigated quantum computation. The expectation values of dynamics encoded in such subspaces are unbiased estimators of noise-free expectation values. In analogy to the decoherence free subspaces which are left invariant by the action of Lindblad operators, we show that the uniformly decaying subspaces are left invariant (up to orthogonal terms) by the action of the dissipative part of the Lindblad equation. We apply our theory to a system of qubits and qudits undergoing relaxation with varying decay rates and show that such subspaces can be used to eliminate bias up to first-order variations in the decay rates without requiring full knowledge of noise. Since such a bias cannot be corrected through standard symmetry verification, our method can improve error mitigation in dual-rail qubits and, given partial knowledge of noise, can perform better than probabilistic error cancellation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Phase transitions in high-purity zirconium under dynamic compression

In this work, we present results from ramp compression experiments on high-purity Zr that show the α → ω, ω → β, as well as reverse β → ω phase transitions. Simulations with a multi-phase equation of state and phenomenological kinetic model match the experimental wave profiles well. While the dynamic α ! ! transition occurs ~ 9 GPa above the equilibrium phase boundary, the ω → β transition occurs within 0.9 GPa of equilibrium. We estimate that the dynamic compression path intersects the equilibrium ω – β line at P = 29:2 GPa, and T = 490 K. The thermodynamic path in the interior of the sample lies ~ 100 K above the isentrope at the point of the ω → β transition. Approximately half of this dissipative temperature rise is due to plastic work, and half is due to the non-equilibrium α → ω transition. The inferred rate of the α → ω transition is several orders of magnitude higher than that measured in dynamic diamond anvil cell (DDAC) experiments in an overlapping pressure range. We discuss a model for the influence of shear stress on the nucleation rate. We find that the shear stress s ji has the same effect on the nucleation rate as a pressure increase δP = cϵ ij s ji /(ΔV/V); where c is a geometric constant ~ 1 and, ϵ ij are the transformation shear strains. The small fractional volume change ΔV/V ≈ 0:1 at the α → ω transition amplifies the effect of shear stress, and we estimate that for this case δP is in the range of several GPa. Correcting our transition rate to a hydrostatic rate brings it approximately into line with the DDAC results, suggesting that shear stress plays a significant role in the transformation rate.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Enhancing quantum memory lifetime with measurement-free local error correction and reinforcement learning

Reliable quantum computation requires systematic identification and correction of errors that occur and accumulate in quantum hardware. To diagnose and correct such errors, standard quantum error-correcting protocols utilize global error information across the system obtained by mid-circuit readout of ancillary qubits. We investigate circuit-level error-correcting protocols that are measurement-free and based on local error information. Such a local error correction (LEC) circuit consists of faulty multi-qubit gates to perform both syndrome extraction and ancilla-controlled error removal. We develop and implement a reinforcement learning framework that takes a fixed set of faulty gates as inputs and outputs an optimized LEC circuit. To evaluate this approach, we quantitatively characterize an extension of logical qubit lifetime by a noisy LEC circuit. For the two-dimensional (2D) classical Ising model and four-dimensional toric code, our optimized LEC circuit performs better at extending a memory lifetime compared with a conventional LEC circuit based on Toom's rule in a subthreshold gate error regime. We further show that such circuits can be used to reduce the rate of mid-circuit readouts to preserve a 2D toric code memory. Lastly, we discuss the application of the LEC protocol on dissipative preparation of quantum states with topological phases.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Coupled effects of electronic and nuclear energy deposition on damage accumulation in ion-irradiated SiC

Coupling between electronic and nuclear energy dissipation in ion-irradiated, single crystal 4H-SiC has been investigated using Si, Ti, and Ni ions over a range of energies at 300 K, and irradiation damage accumulation is characterized using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy in channeling geometry. The damage production rate from nuclear energy loss (S n ) is observed to decrease with increasing electronic energy loss (S e ) of the incident ions. A dynamic threshold (S e,th ) in electronic energy loss is determined for each ion species, which defines two regions: i) S e > S e,th , where electronic energy dissipation fully suppresses damage production due to nuclear energy loss along incident ion paths, and ii) S e < S e,th , where simultaneous damage recovery due to Se competes with damage production processes. Here, the electronic energy loss threshold (S e,th ) increases sublinearly with incident ion atomic number. Here, the assessment of S e,th and how it affects damage accumulation is important to advance the understanding of complex processes occurring under ion-solid interactions, as well as in the design of functional materials for opto-electronics and novel structural materials and devices tolerant to harsh thermal and radiation environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

What Can Plastic Flow Fields Tell Us About Heat Sources in Deformation Processing?

We characterize primary (shape-change) and secondary (friction) deformation, and associated temperature fields, in metal cutting and forming processes, using in situ imaging and simulation. The experimental configurations enable access to the deformation zones and die contact-interfaces, for measuring deformation, temperature, and frictional drag. Infra-red thermography reveals that the plastic strain-rate field is an excellent proxy for the deformation-induced heat sources. Both spatially confined and diffuse strain-rate fields occur, depending on the initial workpiece deformation state. When the strain rate is confined, as in pre-hardened material, the temperature modeling is much simplified, as the heat source is also now localized. However complex, microstructure-driven deformation modes, like sinuous flow in annealed metals, result in spatially diffuse strain-rate and body heat sources, more challenging to analyze. Furthermore, our unified measurements should be of value for accurately estimating the fraction of plastic dissipation that is converted into heat in large-strain deformation processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Assessing parallel path cooling tower performance via artificial neural networks

Real-time monitoring of a research nuclear reactor, a system in which all generated power is dissipated to the environment, can be performed via analysis of the heat rejection from the cooling system. Given an inlet water temperature and flow rate, the reactor power can be well-approximated from the outlet water temperature; however, the instrumentation to measure outlet conditions may not be robust or accurate. If we know how a cooling tower performs from historical data, but cannot measure the outlet temperature, a mathematical representation of the system can be inverted to obtain the outlet water temperature that describes the cooling capacity. Unfortunately, model inversion processes are computationally expensive. To address this, an artificial neural network (ANN) is implemented to assess the performance of a multi-cell cooling tower for a nuclear reactor. This approach leverages the Merkel model to obtain an extensive data set describing performance of the cooling tower cells throughout a wide array of potential operating conditions. The Merkel model is expressed as a function of four parameters: the inlet and outlet water temperatures, inlet air wet bulb temperature, and ratio of liquid-to-gas mass flow rates (L/G), which together provide a non-dimensional number indicative of cooling tower performance, called the Merkel integral. Computing a 4-dimensional data structure that describes finite combinations of the Merkel integral, an inverse model is then generated using an ANN to determine the cell outlet water temperature from the other three model parameters along with the computed Merkel integral. Compared to traditional model inversion methods, the ANN reduces the computational time by approximately 4 orders of magnitude, with effectively no sacrifice to solution accuracy, and could be applied for different cooling towers in the event the performance curve is known. Finally, three use cases of the ANN are then reviewed: (1) determining the cell outlet water temperatures when gas flow at rated conditions (GFRC) is known, (2) performing the prior case without knowledge of the GRFC, and (3) assessing performance differences between the individual tower cells.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Motion of a viscous slug on heterogeneous surfaces: crossover from stick–slip to steady sliding

We present a theoretical study of viscous slug motion inside a microscopically rough capillary tube, where pronounced stick–slip motion can emerge at slow displacement rates. The mathematical description of this intermittent motion can be reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations, which also describe the motion of a pendulum inside a fluid-filled rotating drum. We use this analogy to show that the stick–slip motion transitions to steady sliding at high displacement rates. We characterize this crossover with a simple scaling relation and show that the crossover is accompanied by a shift in the dominant energy dissipation mechanisms within the system.

Mechanics↗

Solar Wind Turbulence from 1 to 45 au. I. Evidence for Dissipation of Magnetic Fluctuations Using Voyager and ACE Observations

As part of a published effort to study low-frequency magnetic waves excited by newborn interstellar pickup ions seen by the Voyager spacecraft, we developed a set of control intervals that represent the background turbulence when the observations are not dominated by wave excitation. This paper begins an effort to better understand solar wind turbulence from 1 to 45 au while spanning greater than one solar cycle. Here, we first focus on the diagnostics marking the onset of dissipation. This includes an expected break in the power spectrum at frequencies greater than the proton cyclotron frequency and a resultant steepening of the spectrum at higher frequencies. Contrary to what is established at 1 au, we only see the spectral break in rare instances. The expected scaling of the spectral index with the turbulence rate is seen, but it is not as clearly established as it was at 1 au. We also find that both Voyager data from 1 to 45 au and Advanced Composition Explorer data from 1 au show significant bias of the magnetic helicity at dissipation scales when the dissipation-range power-law spectral index steepens. We conclude that dissipation dynamics are similar throughout the heliosphere in so far as we have examined to date.

Pine, Zackary B.↗

Shallow- and deep-convection characteristics in the greater Houston, Texas, area using cell tracking methodology

The convective lifecycle, from initiation to maturity and dissipation, is driven by a combination of kinematic, thermodynamic, microphysical, and radiative processes that are strongly coupled and variable in time and space. Weather radars have been traditionally used to provide various convective-cloud characteristics. Here, we analyzed climatological convective-cell radar characteristics to obtain and assess the diurnal cycles of three convective-cell types – shallow, modest deep, and vigorous deep convective cells – that formed in the greater Houston area, using the National Weather Service radar from Houston, Texas, and a multi-cell identification and tracking algorithm. The examined dataset spans 4 years (2018–2021) and covers the warm-season months (June to September) in those years. The analysis showed clear diurnal cycles in cell initiation (CI) consistent with the sea breeze circulation and showed diurnal and normalized lifetime relationships in cell evolution parameters (e.g., maximum reflectivity, echo-top height, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16) channel 13 brightness temperature, and the height of maximum reflectivity). The cell evolution is well represented by relationships between (1) the height and value of the maximum radar reflectivity, (2) the minimum GOES-16 channel 13 brightness temperature and the maximum vertically integrated liquid, (3) the maximum reflectivity and columnar-average reflectivity, and (4) the echo-top ascent rate and cell lifetime. The relationships presented herein help to identify the cell lifecycle stages such as early shallow convection, vigorous vertical development, anvil development, and convective core dissipation. GOES-16 Aerosol Optical Depth values are also used as a proxy for cell initiation aerosol concentrations to investigate any potential relationships between initiation location and aerosol concentration. Overall, no significant relationships between initiation location and aerosol concentration were found for the three cell types investigated, but there are some minor differences in the pre-CI aerosol optical depth for vigorous deep convective cells.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Simulations of divertor designs that spatially separate power and particle exhaust using mid-leg divertor particle pumping

Predictive design modeling of a Dissipation-Focused Divertor for future operation in DIII-D reveals that increasing the poloidal distance of the pump duct entrance from the target surface along the low-field side divertor baffle increases neutral compression and modifies the spatial distribution of power dissipation. With a divertor pump located mid-leg between the target and the X-point, SOLPS-ITER boundary plasma simulations without drifts predict the formation of a dense neutral cloud near the target with > 30x higher neutral compression in detachment, a more stable detachment front located further from the target, and ~25% lower outer midplane separatrix density required for detachment onset, compared to a pump located in the scrape-off layer at the target surface. Up to 19 MW of power flowing into the divertors is modeled using the following two numerical implementations for particle pumping: a specified fraction of particles incident on variable wall sections of the plasma grid is removed from the computational domain (so-called albedo pumping), and a pump duct is modeled which includes dynamics of kinetic neutrals in the duct. The simulations show that the detachment front is located between the divertor target and the X-point and is relatively stable near the pump entrance, without a strong dependence on gas puff rate or injected power. The mid-leg pump design spatially separates the two primary functions of a divertor (power handling and particle exhaust), with the majority of power dissipation occurring near the target plate and particle exhaust taking place further upstream. The benefit of enhanced dissipation using mid-leg pumping comes at the cost of a higher outer midplane separatrix density for a given amount of particle injection.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗