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Results for “uranium”

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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Measurements of n-p correlations in the reaction of relativistic neon with uranium

We report a preliminary measurement of coincident neutron-proton pairs emitted at 45 degrees in the interaction of 400, 530, and 650 MeV/A neon beams incident on uranium. Charged particles were identified by time of flight and momentum, as determined in a magnetic spectrometer. Neutral particles were detected using a thick plastic scintillator, and their time of flight was measured between an entrance scintillator, triggered by a charged particle, and the neutron detector. The scatter plots and contour plots of neutron momentum vs. proton momentum appear to show a slight correlation ridge above an uncorrelated background. The projections of this plane on the n-p momentum difference axis are essentially flat, showing a one standard deviation enhancement for each of the three beams energies. At each beam energy, the calculated momentum correlation function for the neutron-proton pairs is enhanced near zero neutron-proton momentum difference by approximately one standard deviation over the expected value for no correlation. This enhancement is expected to occur as a consequence of the attractive final state interaction between the neutron and proton (i.e., virtual or "singlet" deuterons). The implications of these measurements are discussed.

NASA Program Space Medicine↗
DOE OSTI2025

Phonon-Spin Scattering from Unpaired f-electrons in U atoms and It’s Influence on Thermal Transport in Uranium-doped Thorium Dioxide Single Crystals

In this work, impact of low level of uranium (U) atom substitution on thermal conductivity of thorium dioxide (ThO2) is investigated. ThO2 is an electronic insulator with a wide optical band-gap and no unpaired electrons whose thermal transport is governed by phonons. U-substitution introduces unpaired f-electrons resulting in paramagnetic behavior of U-ThO2 at room temperature, which significantly suppresses its thermal conductivity. A single crystal of U-ThO2 with graded composition of U is grown using a hydrothermal synthesis method, and thermal conductivity measurements are performed in regions with uniform composition of U at levels of 0%, 6%, 9% and 16%. Measured thermal conductivity profiles over 77–300 K temperature range are analyzed using an analytical expression for phonon-mediated thermal transport based on Klemens-Callaway model. Temperature dependent thermal conductivity is found to deviate significantly from the Rayleigh scattering trend expected for a simple substitutional point defect with a small perturbation to mass and interatomic forces. With the resonant scattering term, observed large suppression of thermal conductivity at low temperatures can be closely reproduced. Additionally, the extracted phonon-spin coupling constants imply a nonlinear relation of phonon-spin interaction intensity with respect to U doping percentage. Our study reveals how phonon-spin scattering contributed by unpaired f-electrons in U atoms influences thermal transport in the U-ThO2 system.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Grazing Duration and Environment on Soil Carbon in Reclaimed Uranium Mines Tailings: A Region Specific Study

ABSTRACT Grassland ecosystems, which cover over one‐third of the Earth's land area, store 10%–30% of global soil carbon (C). However, these ecosystems face substantial impacts from human activities, including mining. This study investigates the spatial distribution of soil C and related environmental factors in reclaimed grasslands on former uranium mine sites in Wyoming. We hypothesized that grazing duration and environmental factors would influence soil C levels. Interactions between topography, vegetation diversity, soil properties, and soil C in the context of grazing management in both natural and reclaimed grasslands from a wide range of periods from 1 year to 100 years were analyzed using geographically weighted regression models. Data collected from 2022 to 2023 showed that total carbon was consistently higher in natural grasslands (1.2%–4.9%) than in reclaimed grasslands (0.8%–1.3%). Additionally, soil C was significantly higher in natural grasslands grazed for 1 year compared to those grazed for 100 years. In contrast, reclaimed grasslands had lower soil C in areas grazed for 1 year compared to those grazed for 7 or 14 years. The absolute values of coefficients from environmental covariates indicated that areas grazed for a shorter duration (~1 year) were more influenced by biotic and abiotic factors than areas grazed for longer periods (> 7 years). Our findings show moderate grazing increases the resiliency of grassland ecosystems when grazed 7 years or longer and acknowledge the roles of topographic, soil, and vegetative factors in enhancing soil C concentration and developing sustainable land management practices in rangeland conditions.

Shilpakar, Chandan [Department of Plant Sciences U↗