ICESat‐2 Observations of Blowing Snow Over Arctic Sea Ice During the 2019–2020 MOSAiC Expedition
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Not Available
In the framework of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate Polarstern expedition, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany, operated the shipborne OCEANET-Atmosphere facility for cloud and aerosol observations throughout the whole year. OCEANET-Atmosphere comprises, amongst others, a multiwavelength Raman lidar, a microwave radiometer, and an optical disdrometer. A cloud radar was operated aboard Polarstern by the US Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program. These measurements were processed by applying the so-called Cloudnet methodology to derive cloud properties. To gain a comprehensive view of the clouds, lidar and cloud radar capabilities for low- and high-altitude observations were combined. Cloudnet offers a variety of products with a spatiotemporal resolution of 30 s and 30 m, such as the target classification, and liquid and ice microphysical properties. Additionally, a lidar-based low-level stratus retrieval was applied for cloud detection below the lowest range gate of the cloud radar. Based on the presented dataset, e.g., studies on cloud formation processes and their radiative impact, and model evaluation studies can be conducted.
The proposed system is written in the hardware description language (HDL) verilog targeting an FPGA board. It is intended as a testbed to explore architecture tradeoffs in multi-tiled heterogeneous architectures. Although we target FPGAs, the system can be implemented as a monolithic SoC or a package comprised of many chiplets that are interconnected in the same package using a NoC. The proposed NoC is lightweight and follows an axi-lite interface. The endpoints of the NoC are a heterogeneous mix of "tiles" as endpoints that are general purpose processors, fixed function accelerators, and programmable accelerators. We assume that the network interfaces for the NoC endpoints are all addressable in a global name-space in that they represent an address range (for memory addresses) or a range of unique identifiers that are associated with each individual tile. This makes the functionality abstract from the standpoint of the NoC design details. Message queues offer a direct inter-processor interface between peer general purpose cores and diverse accelerators that comprise an SoC. Although they share the same NoC infrastructure for inter-tile communication within an SoC or SiP, the hardware message queues bypass the memory hierarchy and thus do not pollute the memory state or invoke the cache coherence mechanism.
A total of 24 chromosome-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization probes for interphase nucleus analysis were developed to determine the chromosomal content of individual human invasive cytotrophoblasts derived from in vitro cultured assays. At least 75% of invasive cytotrophoblasts were hyperdiploid and the total number of chromosomes ranged from 47 to 61. The results also demonstrated that these hyperdiploid invasive cytotrophoblasts showed significant heterogeneity. The most copy number gains were observed for chromosomes 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, and 22 with average copy number greater than 2.3. A parallel study using primary invasive cytotrophoblasts also showed a similar trend of copy number changes. Conclusively, 24-chromosome analysis of human non-proliferating cytotrophoblasts (interphase nuclei) was achieved. Hyperdiploidy and chromosomal heterogeneity without endoduplication in invasive cytotrophoblasts may suggest a selective advantage for invasion and short lifespan during normal placental development.
Neuromorphic architectures have seen a resurgence of interest in the past decade owing to 100x-1000x efficiency gain over conventional Von Neumann architectures. Digital neuromorphic chips like Intel's Loihi have shown efficiency gains compared to GPUs and CPUs and can be scaled to build larger systems. Analog neuromorphic architectures promise even further savings in energy efficiency, area, and latency than their digital counterparts. Neuromorphic analog and digital technologies provide both low-power and configurable acceleration of challenging artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. We present a hybrid analog-digital neuromorphic architecture that can amplify the advantages of both high-density analog memory and spike-based digital communication while mitigating each of the other approaches' limitations.
The Arctic is rapidly changing, and these changes have substantial societal relevance. First, arctic change is a leading sign of global change, as the warming observed in the Arctic is 2-3 times faster than observed across the rest of the globe. This so-called arctic amplification is due to numerous feedbacks, including those linked to the declining sea ice. Broad arctic changes are also hypothesized to be related to shifts in large-scale circulation patterns that may have implications for mid-latitude weather and ocean circulation. Arctic change is further affecting the oceans through acidification that threatens food supplies. Declining sea ice also opens the Arctic for new resource development, shipping routes, tourism, and other commercial activities. Lastly, the changing Arctic is a hotbed for geopolitical challenges as nations vie for influence and control of this resource-rich and newly accessible region. Clearly the Arctic and its changes are playing a huge role in our Earth both from a geophysical and socio-political standpoint. To navigate, manage, and respond to the challenges associated with arctic change requires a vastly improved understanding of the coupled arctic system, and the drivers and implications of these changes. It is essential to better understand the physical basis for why the arctic sea ice is declining, the associated feedbacks that work to amplify or modulate this decline, and the myriad ways that the Earth system is responding. As a result of these changes and uncertainties, there are increasing societal needs for improved model predictive skill in the Arctic, to address pressing gaps in global climate prediction, to advance forecast skills for regional and hemispheric weather and sea ice, and to ensure robust ecosystem models that realistically link physical and biological systems. To fulfill these core needs requires new, sophisticated, and cross-cutting observations within the rapidly changing arctic ice pack.
The Arctic represents a unique region to study global climate change in that it exhibits pronounced sensitivity towards aerosol radiative forcing, referred to as arctic amplification. Of the aerosol species that are expected to contribute to this aerosol forcing, black carbon (BC) is arguably at the top of the list. Black carbon has this distinction because it exerts two radiative forcing influences that can be characterized as atmospheric and non-atmospheric. As an atmospheric forcer, BC behaves much as it does in the mid-latitudes – through the direct effect and semi-direct effects – collectively causing surface dimming with subsequent surface cooling and mid-altitude warming affecting cloud cover. As a terrestrial forcer, which is unique to the cryosphere, the deposition of BC on the surface can readily decrease polar surface albedo that, in turn, can activate a positive feedback wherein the increased surface absorption leads to further snow melt causing still further reduction in surface albedo.
The accelerated rate of warming in the Arctic is of great concern due to potential impacts that include release of greenhouse gases from permafrost, melting glacial ice contributing to sea level rise, and declining sea ice cover exposing the darker ocean surface. These processes induce positive feedbacks and contribute to further warming that affects climate globally. Clouds play a crucial role in regulating the energy reaching the sea ice and snow surfaces, but the magnitude of their effects on surface temperature is not well constrained in the Arctic. Aerosols are an important contributor by serving as seeds for cloud particle formation, but even less is known about their overall impact and origin. In particular, aerosols that serve as ice nucleating particles (INPs) are vastly understudied, especially above the central Arctic Ocean. However, INPs likely play a significant role in arctic mixed-phase cloud (AMPC) microphysics and the resulting impacts of such clouds on the surface energy budget over the sea ice.
Despite being passive components, concrete structures represent a major capital investment in nuclear power plants. However, some concrete components are critical for the safety and long-term operation of the reactors: the concrete containment building protects the reactors from external aggression. The concrete biological shield (CBS) contains the radiation exiting the reactor to protect equipment and personnel. Depending on the design, the CBS also has a function for supporting the reactor’s systems. This function needs to be ensured in-service and during accident scenarios. After several decades of use, the CBS is exposed to high-energy irradiation over an extended operation time, exceeding the fluence level currently considered detrimental for the concrete’s structural properties. Such conditions occur at different times depending on the reactor’s operation and design. Nevertheless, from the perspective of subsequent license application, it is mandatory to assess the potential effects of prolonged irradiation on concrete. Unlike steel components, concrete structures are built with local constituents (cement, sand, and coarse aggregates) to avoid prohibitive transportation costs. Thus, concrete performance is determined by the tolerance or the susceptibility of its constituents against any aging mechanism. The tolerance against irradiation of the CBSs may vary greatly among the 56 nuclear power plants and 93 nuclear power reactors that form the current US light-water reactor fleet. Irradiation-induced degradation is mainly a result of amorphization-induced expansions of the silicated minerals present in the aggregates. The neutron irradiation–induced expansion varies from one rock-forming mineral to another: well framework–structured silicates (e.g., quartz and feldspars) exhibit higher swelling than chained (e.g., pyroxene) or isolated silicates (e.g., garnet). Silicates make up nearly 90% of the Earth’s crust. Other common minerals present in construction aggregates are carbonates found, for example, in limestone. Irradiated carbonates exhibit only very minor expansions.
The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth, causing glaciers to melt, frozen ground to thaw, and the Arctic Ocean's ice to shrink. These consequential changes induce feedback loops that exacerbate warming and affect weather and climate worldwide. Microscopic airborne particles called "aerosols" and clouds in the sky are crucial for regulating heat and light reaching the Arctic surface. However, the magnitude of their effects is not adequately quantified, especially in the central Arctic, where they impact temperatures directly over the sea ice. Unique aerosols called "ice nucleating particles" (INPs), which play a significant role in cloud ice production, remain understudied. Understanding how ice forms in clouds is critical in the Arctic, as it affects cloud lifespan, interactions with heat and light, and precipitation. In this project, we conducted the first-ever observations of INPs in the middle of the Arctic over a whole year, covering the entire period when sea ice grows and melts. Furthermore, these are the first observations of INPs in different size ranges throughout the year, anywhere in the world. We use DNA sequencing to evaluate the presence of various types of microorganisms, while INP measurements on seawater, sea ice, snow, and meltwater samples help assess potential local Arctic sources of INPs. The results from this work are currently being used to improve the accuracy of Arctic cloud formation in various models.
In light-water reactors (LWRs), the concrete biological shield (CBS) designates the concrete structure directly facing the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The primary function of the CBS is to protect equipment and personnel from the neutron and gamma radiation exiting the RPV. Most CBSs in operation in the United States also provide structural support to the RPV. Based on a long-term structural analysis, the structural integrity of the CBS to transfer the in-service passive load to the foundation, dynamic loading during an earthquake, and thermal loading during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) must be maintained. Based on test reactor data for accelerated conditions, the mechanical properties of irradiated concrete are affected when exposed to neutron fluence higher than ≈ 10 19 n.cm -2 (E > 0.1 MeV). At 80 years of operation, the fluence estimates at the surface of the CBS range between 1×10 19 and 7×10 19 n.cm -2 (E > 0.1 MeV): the fluence value depends mostly on the design. Although fluence attenuates through the CBS by virtue of the shielding properties of concrete, about 5% to 10% of the CBS wall depth is affected by high fluence. The main degradation mechanism is the so-called radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE) caused by the amorphization of aggregate-forming minerals. RIVE causes large deformation of up to 18% in pure quartz, and it also reduces the structural properties of concrete. The structural effects of long-term exposure to fast neutron irradiation in LWRs was studied in the report entitled “Assessment of the Effect of the Irradiation-Induced Degradation on the In-Service Structural Performance of the Concrete Biological Shields” (M3LW-23OR0403013). This report illustrates that (1) irradiation-induced damage expands further than the region subject to a cumulative fluence of 10 19 n.cm -2 (E > 0.1 MeV) to reach the steel reinforcement location, and (2) the irradiation-induced damage region shows no substantial residual bearing capacity and should not be accounted for in the integrity assessment of the CBS.
The primary objectives of this proposed project are to determine 1) to what extent dynamic and thermodynamic air‐ice interactions in the Central Arctic are driven by atmospheric synoptic and mesoscale phenomena, and 2) the key processes involved in these interactions. These phenomena include large‐scale features such as fronts, high‐ and low‐pressure systems, low‐level jets, and cloud bands, but may also include smaller‐scale phenomena such as mesoscale instabilities (e.g., symmetric instability or slantwise convection), transient meso‐lows and gravity waves. Dynamic air‐ice interactions include direct atmospheric stress and atmospheric stress divergence/deformation; thermodynamic air‐ice interactions involve the net surface energy budget, especially in association with non‐stratocumulus clouds generally occurring with stronger dynamical forcing.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Low energy electron position detection with composite surface barrier type diode, noting design, fabrication and operation
Methylating agents and nitrosoguanidine actions on polynucleotides, including ribonucleic acid
Geologic mapping of Yellowstone National Park area by interpretation of radar imagery