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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 217 records · Page 12

Plasma flow and fast particles in a hypervelocity accelerator - A color presentation

A new concept for particle acceleration for micrometeoroid simulation was developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, using a high-density self-luminescent fast plasma flow to accelerate glass beads (with a diameter up to 1.0 mm) to velocities between 15-20 km/sec. After a short introduction to the operation of the hypervelocity range, the eight-converter-camera unit used for the photographs of the plasma flow and the accelerated particles is described. These photographs are obtained with an eight-segment reflecting pyramidal beam splitter. Wratten filters were mounted between the beam splitter and the converter tubes of the cameras. The photographs, which were recorded on black and white film, were used to make the matrices for the dye-color process, which produced the prints shown.

Igenbergs, E. B.↗

Aircraft concepts for advanced short haul systems

The results of recent NASA-sponsored high-density and medium-density short-haul (less than 500 miles) air transportation systems studies are summarized. Trends in vehicle characteristics, in particular of RTOL and STOL concepts, are noted, and their economic suitability and impact on the community are examined.

Galloway, T. L.↗

Automatic categorization of land-water cover types of the Green Swamp, Florida, using Skylab multispectral scanner (S-192) data

The techniques used and the results achieved in the successful application of Skylab Multispectral Scanner (EREP S-192) high-density digital tape data for the automatic categorizing and mapping of land-water cover types in the Green Swamp of Florida were summarized. Data was provided from Skylab pass number 10 on 13 June 1973. Significant results achieved included the automatic mapping of a nine-category and a three-category land-water cover map of the Green Swamp. The land-water cover map was used to make interpretations of a hydrologic condition in the Green Swamp. This type of use marks a significant breakthrough in the processing and utilization of EREP S-192 data.

Coker, A. E.↗

Quantum principles and free particles

The quantum principles that establish the energy levels and degeneracies needed to evaluate the partition functions are explored. The uncertainty principle is associated with the dual wave-particle nature of the model used to describe quantized gas particles. The Schroedinger wave equation is presented as a generalization of Maxwell's wave equation; the former applies to all particles while the Maxwell equation applies to the special case of photon particles. The size of the quantum cell in phase space and the representation of momentum as a space derivative operator follow from the uncertainty principle. A consequence of this is that steady-state problems that are space-time dependent for the classical model become only space dependent for the quantum model and are often easier to solve. The partition function is derived for quantized free particles and, at normal conditions, the result is the same as that given by the classical phase integral. The quantum corrections that occur at very low temperatures or high densities are derived. These corrections for the Einstein-Bose gas qualitatively describe the condensation effects that occur in liquid helium, but are unimportant for most practical purposes otherwise. However, the corrections for the Fermi-Dirac gas are important because they quantitatively describe the behavior of high-density conduction electron gases in metals and explain the zero point energy and low specific heat exhibited in this case.

Source record↗

Equation of state at ultrahigh densities. II

Theoretical research into the behavior of matter in the high-density region (at least 2 by 10 to the 14th power g/cu cm) is reviewed. Results of work concerning the appearance of hyperons in the neutron fluid at densities higher than nuclear density are summarized, and it is shown that the presence of hyperons does not severely alter the equation of state from that for a pure neutron gas provided that hyperonic potentials are almost identical to the nucleon-nucleon case. Computations to determine whether neutrons can solidify at a high enough density are described. It is shown that the solidification density is well within the range of values expected in the interior of neutron stars. Several unrelated attempts to analyze the behavior of matter in the relativistic or superhigh-density region (in excess of 10 to the 16th power gm/cu cm) are summarized. It is noted that available data on neutron stars are insufficient to determine a specific value for the speed of sound at superhigh densities.

Camuto, V.↗

Four years experience in APMS star plate processing - Results and future plans

The present paper describes an automated system for measuring stellar proper motions on the basis of information contained in photographic plates. In this system, the images on a star plate are digitized by a scanning microdensitometer using light from a He-Ne gas laser, and a special-purpose computer arranges the measurements in computer-compatible form on magnetic tape. The scanning and image-reconstruction processes are briefly outlined, and the image-evaluation techniques are discussed. It is shown that the present system has been especially successful in measuring the proper motions of low-luminosity stars, including 119 stars with less than 1/10,000 of the solar bolometric luminosity. Plans for measurements of high-density Milky Way star plates are noted.

Newcomb, J. S.↗

Direct photography of the Gum Nebula

The paper discusses a series of wide-angle photographs taken of the Gum Nebula in the traditional region including H-alpha with the aid of a 40-cm and an 80-cm lens in both the red and the green. The photographs support the large dimensions (75 deg in galactic longitude by 40 deg in galactic latitude) of the Gum Nebula suggested earlier, and the appearance is consistent with an origin due to photons from a supernova outburst. The relatively high-density gas has cooled and is visible on the red plates. The low-density gas has remained at a high temperature and may be visible as diffuse emission on the green plates.

Brandt, J. C.↗

Shield volcanism and lithospheric structure beneath the Tharsis plateau, Mars

The heights of four great shield volcanoes, when interpreted as reflecting the local hydrostatic head on a common source of upwelling magma, provide significant constraints on models of lithospheric structure beneath the Tharsis plateau. If Bouguer gravity anomalies are modeled in terms of a variable thickness crust, and a two-component (crust/mantle) earth-like structure is assumed for the Martian lithosphere, the derived model lithosphere beneath the Tharsis plateau has the following properties: (1) the upper low-density 'crustal' component is thickened beneath the Tharsis plateau; (2) the lower high-density 'mantle' component is thinned beneath the Tharsis plateau; and (3) there is a net gradient on the base of the Martian lithosphere directed downward away from beneath the summit of the Tharsis plateau. A long history of magmatic intrusion is hypothesized to have been the cause of the updoming of the Tharsis plateau and the maintenance of the plateau in a state of only partial compensation.

Blasius, K. R.↗

Growth and characterization of single crystal insulators on silicon

An overview of the growth and characterization of epitaxial insulators on semiconductors is presented. The potential applications include semiconductor-on-insulator structures, three-dimensional and/or high-density integrated circuits, optoelectronic applications such as integrated waveguides and improved gate insulators. The growth and physical characterization of epitaxial fluorides on semiconductors are discussed. Consideration is also given to the epitaxial overgrowth of epitaxial metal layers with CaF2 as well as to the formation of a novel superlattice of Ca particles in epitaxial CaF2.

Schowalter, Leo J.↗

Bending-torsion flutter calculations modified by subsonic compressibility corrections

A number of calculations of bending-torsion wing flutter are made at two Mach numbers, m=0 (incompressible case) and m=0.7, and results are compared. The air forces employed for the case of m=0.7 are based on Frazer's recalculation of Possio's results, which are derived on the assumption of small disturbances to the main flow. For ordinary wings of normal density and of low bending frequency in comparison with torsion frequency, the compressibility correction to the flutter speed appears to be of the order of a few percent; whereas the correction to flutter speed for high-density wing sections, such as propeller sections, and to the wing-divergence speed in general, may be based on a rule using the (1 - m(2))1/4 factor and, for m=0.7, represents a decrease of the order of 17 percent.

Garrick, I E↗

Correlation of physical properties with molecular structure for some dicyclic hydrocarbons having high thermal-energy release per unit volume

As part of a program to study the correlation between molecular structure and physical properties of high-density hydrocarbons, the net heats of combustion, melting points, boiling points, densities, and kinematic viscosities of some hydrocarbons in the 2-n-alkylbiphenyl, 1,1-diphenylalkane, diphenylalkane, 1,1-dicyclohexylalkane, and dicyclohexylalkane series are presented.

Wise, P H↗

The Hot-Pressing of Hafnium Carbide (Melting Point, 7030 F)

An investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of the hot-pressing variables (temperature, pressure, and time) on the density and grain size of hafnium carbide disks. The purpose was to provide information necessary for the production of high-density test shapes for the determination of physical and mechanical properties. Hot-pressing of -325 mesh hafnium carbide powder was accomplished with a hydraulic press and an inductively heated graphite die assembly. The ranges investigated for each variable were as follows: temperature, 3500 to 4870 F; pressure, 1000 to 6030 pounds per square inch; and time, 5 to 60 minutes. Hafnium carbide bodies of approximately 98 percent theoretical density can be produced under the following minimal conditions: 4230 F, 3500 pounds per square inch, and 15 minutes. Further increases in temperature and time resulted only in greater grain size.

Sanders, William A.↗

The Slow Demise of the Long-Lived Sn 2005ip

The Type IIn supernova (SN IIn) 2005ip is one of the most well-studied and long-lasting examples of an SN interacting with its circumstellar environment. The optical light curve plateaued at a nearly constant level for more than five years, suggesting ongoing shock interaction with an extended and clumpy circumstellar medium (CSM). Here, we present continued observations of the SN from ∼1000 to 5000 d post-explosion at all wavelengths, including X-ray, ultraviolet, near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared. The UV spectra probe the pre-explosion mass loss and show evidence for CNO processing. From the bolometric light curve, we find that the total radiated energy is in excess of 10 50 erg, the progenitor star’s pre-explosion mass-loss rate was >~ 1 × 10 −2 Mꙩ yr −1 , and the total mass lost shortly before explosion was >~1Mꙩ, though the mass lost could have been considerably larger depending on the efficiency for the conversion of kinetic energy to radiation. The ultraviolet through NIR spectrum is characterized by two high-density components, one with narrow high-ionization lines, and one with broader low-ionization H I, He I, [OI], Mg II, and Fe II lines. The rich Fe II spectrum is strongly affected by Lyα fluorescence, consistent with spectral modelling. Both the Balmer and He I lines indicate a decreasing CSM density during the late interaction period. We find similarities to SN 1988Z, which shows a comparable change in spectrum at around the same time during its very slow decline. These results suggest that, at long last, the shock interaction in SN 2005ip may finally be on the decline.

stars↗

Measurement of the Neutron Electromagnetic Form Factors at High Momentum Transfer Using a Polarized 3He Target at Jefferson Lab

Ever since the composite structure of nucleons was uncovered, many experiments have been commissioned with the purpose of extracting parameters that shape our understanding of this structure. Form factors are powerful tools that rest at the forefront of the nucleon structure study. In the non-relativistic limit, they describe the magnetic and charge distributions inside the nucleon. The GEn-II experiment, which ran in Hall A of Jefferson Lab as a part of the SuperBigbite Spectrometer (SBS) program, aimed to extract the ratio of the neutron’s electric to magnetic Sachs form factors (GnE/GnM. This was accomplished using the double polarization technique: scattering polarized electrons with initial energies up to 8.45 GeV off high-density polarized 3He targets. The experiment was a coincidence measurement, with the scattered electrons detected in the BigBite Spectrometer and the recoil nucleons in a hadron calorimeter, a part of the SuperBigbite Spectrometer. The convection-style target cells used in this experiment have a 60cm long target chamber, an increase from the 40 cm cell used in the most recent polarized 3He target experiment. In addition, the cells were optically pumped from two sides of the pumping chamber. These improvements in design and functionality introduced world-record-breaking luminosity. This thesis presents preliminary results of the GEn-II experiment for the following 4-momentum transfer (Q2) values: 2.93, 6.76, and 9.78 GeV2, in addition to target performance and preliminary polarimetry results.

Presley, Hunter [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesvill↗

Developing New Fuels for High Performance Research Reactors

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Material Management and Minimization (M3) program works globally to minimize the civilian use of highly enriched uranium (HEU), a weapon-usable nuclear material. Supporting this effort, M3’s Office of Reactor Conversion and Uranium Supply is developing new fuels capable of converting research reactors from HEU fuel to high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. Some of the remaining research and test reactors (RTRs) operating on HEU today have unique designs, fuel configurations, and demanding performance requirements that cannot be met with an existing regulatory-approved low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. M3, DOE’s national laboratories, and other industry partners are qualifying new high-density LEU fuels to convert these RTRs while maintaining their unique capabilities supporting a wide variety of science and technology research in areas such as medicine, industry, defense, education, and training. Current efforts are focused on two options for the remaining US high-performance research reactor conversions: a monolithic uranium 10wt% molybdenum (U-10Mo) fuel form and a dispersion uranium silicide fuel form. This paper reviews the history and status of M3’s fuel qualification efforts for the U-10Mo LEU fuel form.

Montgomery, Rose [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000286038936)↗

LC-Opt: Benchmarking Reinforcement Learning and Agentic AI for End-to-End Liquid Cooling Optimization in Data Centers

Liquid cooling is critical for thermal management in high-density data centers with the rising AI workloads. However, machine learning-based controllers are essential to unlock greater energy efficiency and reliability, promoting sustainability. We present LC-Opt, a Sustainable Liquid Cooling (LC) benchmark environment, for reinforcement learning (RL) control strategies in energy-efficient liquid cooling of high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Built on the baseline of a high-fidelity digital twin of Oak Ridge National Lab's Frontier Supercomputer cooling system, LC-Opt provides detailed Modelica-based end-to-end models spanning site-level cooling towers to data center cabinets and server blade groups. RL agents optimize critical thermal controls like liquid supply temperature, flow rate, and granular valve actuation at the IT cabinet level, as well as cooling tower (CT) setpoints through a Gymnasium interface, with dynamic changes in workloads. This environment creates a multi-objective real-time optimization challenge balancing local thermal regulation and global energy efficiency, and also supports additional components like a heat recovery unit (HRU). We benchmark centralized and decentralized multi-agent RL approaches, demonstrate policy distillation into decision and regression trees for interpretable control, and explore LLM-based methods that explain control actions in natural language through an agentic mesh architecture designed to foster user trust and simplify system management. LC-Opt democratizes access to detailed, customizable liquid cooling models, enabling the ML community, operators, and vendors to develop sustainable data center liquid cooling control solutions.

Naug, Avisek [Hewlett Packard Enterprise]↗

Study of Epoxy Sealant Layer for Use in Tank Bottom Refurbishment for the DOE EM Tank Waste R&D Program

This study addresses the DOE National Laboratory Program on Hanford Tank Waste Cleanup Research and Development, focusing on tank waste retrieval, transport, and closure. Millions of gallons of high-level waste are stored in the double shell tanks (DSTs) at Hanford site. The waste is stored in the primary tank, while the secondary shell acts as a buffer between the primary tank and environment. The DSTs’ bottoms could be corroded due to the corrosive waste properties and contents. Therefore, they are being emptied, and refurbishment is needed before waste storage continues. SRNL addresses the refurbishment of still operational DSTs bottoms with a two-layer refurbishment approach. We propose that the bottom layer consists of a high-density cementitious material to shield the epoxy top layer from radioactive residuals, while the top layer serves as an epoxy sealant. This work focuses on the experimental evaluation on the formulation and testing of the epoxy layer.

Blue, Kareen [Savannah River National Laboratory (↗

Integrating Cybersecurity Risk Assessment with Process Safety in Chemical Process Industries

This dissertation bridges the gap between industrial cybersecurity and traditional process safety by introducing an integrated Cyber-LOPA framework that combines the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture, Cyber Kill Chain, and CVSS v4.0 metrics. Demonstrated on a High-Density Polyethylene slurry process, the work illustrates how cyber threats targeting automation systems can bypass physical protection layers, proving the necessity of unified risk assessments to prevent cyber-induced physical incidents in chemical manufacturing plants.

Cyber-LOPA (CLOPA)↗