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DOE OSTI2021

Uranium Carbide and Uranium-Metal Thermal Scattering Law Evaluations and Cross Sections [Slides]

New Uranium Carbide and Uranium Metal evaluations have been developed using the FLASSH platform. Ab initio LD/MD models converged electronic, magnetic, and dynamical properties and demonstrate good agreement with experimental data. Thermal scattering cross sections generate inelastic and elastic thermal neutron scattering libraries in FLASSH . New TSL evaluations occurred in the production of ENDF File 7 data for Uranium Carbide and Uranium Metal submitted to NNDC for ENDF/B-VIII.1 release.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Thermal expansion and phonon anharmonicity of cuprite studied by inelastic neutron scattering and ab initio calculations

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements were performed with a time-of-flight chopper spectrometer to observe phonons in all parts of the Brillouin zone of a single crystal of cuprite Cu 2 O. We reduced the experimental data to phonon dispersions in the high-symmetry directions, and changes between 10 and 300 K are reported. In this paper, we show ab initio quasiharmonic (QH) and anharmonic (AH) calculations of phonon dispersions. We performed all AH calculations with a temperature-dependent effective potential method. Both QH and AH calculations account for the small negative thermal expansion of cuprite at low temperatures. However, the measured temperature-dependent phonon behavior was predicted more accurately with the AH calculations than the QH ones. Nevertheless, at 300 K, the cubic AH used in this paper did not entirely account for the experimental phonon dispersions in cuprite.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2019

Perspective on ab initio phonon thermal transport

Coupling of the Peierls-Boltzmann equation with density functional theory paved the way for predictive thermal materials discovery and a variety of new physical insights into vibrational transport behaviors. Here, rapid theoretical and numerical developments have generated a wealth of thermal conductivity data and understanding of a wide variety of materials—1D, 2D, and bulk—for thermoelectric and thermal management applications. Nonetheless, modern ab initio descriptions of phonon thermal transport face challenges regarding the effects of defects, disorder, structural complexity, strong anharmonicity, quasiparticle couplings, and time and spatially varying perturbations. Highlighting recent research on these issues, this perspective explores opportunities to expand current ab initio phonon transport techniques beyond the paradigm of weakly perturbed crystals, to the wider variety of materials possible. Recent developments in phonon-defect interactions, complexity, disorder and anharmonicity, hydrodynamic transport, and the rising roles of molecular dynamics simulations, high throughput, and machine learning tools are included in this perspective. Lastly, as more sophisticated theoretical and computational methods continue to advance thermal transport predictions, novel vibrational physics and thermally functional materials will be discovered for improved energy technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

Molecular electric moments calculated by using natural orbital functional theory

The molecular electric dipole, quadrupole, and octupole moments of a selected set of 21 spin-compensated molecules are determined employing the extended version of the Piris natural orbital functional 6 (PNOF6), using the triple-ζ Gaussian basis set with polarization functions developed by Sadlej, at the experimental geometries. The performance of the PNOF6 is established by carrying out a statistical analysis of the mean absolute errors with respect to the experiment. The calculated PNOF6 electric moments agree satisfactorily with the corresponding experimental data and are in good agreement with the values obtained by accurate ab initio methods, namely, the coupled-cluster single and doubles and multi-reference single and double excitation configuration interaction methods.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Solid-State Calcium-Ion Diffusion in Ca 1.5 Ba 0.5 Si 5 O 3 N 6

Rechargeable batteries based on multivalent working ions are promising candidates for next-generation high-energy-density batteries. Development of these technologies, however, is largely limited by the low diffusion rate of multivalent ions in solid-state materials, thereby necessitating a better understanding of the design principles that control multivalent-ion mobility. We report Ca 1.5 Ba 0.5 Si 5 O 3 N 6 as a potential calcium solid-state conductor and investigate its Ca migration mechanism by means of ab initio computations and neutron diffraction. This compound contains partially occupied Ca sites in close proximity to each other, providing a unique mechanism for Ca migration. Nuclear density maps obtained with the maximum entropy method from neutron powder diffraction data provide strong evidence for low-energy percolating one-dimensional pathways for Ca-ion migration. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations further support a low Ca-ion migration barrier of ~400 meV when Ca vacancies are present and reveal a unique "vacancy-adjacent"concerted ion migration mechanism. This work provides a new understanding of solid-state Ca-ion diffusion and insights into the future design of novel cation configurations that utilize the interactions between mobile ions to enable fast multivalent-ion conduction in solid-state materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Cellular Phosphate Sensing and Anion Binding by an Azacrown‐Calixpyrrole Hybrid

A hybrid receptor-sensor for anions originating from the merging of positively charged ammonium moieties for electrostatic attraction/stronger binding of azacrowns with directionality of calixpyrrole hydrogen bond donors for selectivity is investigated. As demonstrated this hybrid receptor-sensor shows a remarkable selectivity for orthophosphate even in the presence of other phosphates and anions found in cellular materials (K assoc H 2 PO 4 − >H 2 P 2 O 7 2− >AMP − ≫ADP 2− or ATP 3− over halides, nitrate, or hydrogen sulfate; all Na + salts in water) but also cellular polyphosphate or phospholipids. This selectivity is harnessed in a real-time monitoring of cell lysis by lysozyme, which releases orthophosphate and other phosphates and anions from the cells. This sensitive (LOD 0.4 μM) fluorescence-based microscale method compares favorably with the state-of-the-art techniques but can easily be practiced in a high-throughput screening (HTS) manner. The anion binding and selectivity in aqueous solutions were investigated by NMR and put in context with phosphate binding of the parent calix[4]pyrrole. The microscopic understanding of anion binding by the hybrid receptor was then obtained from a combination of density functional theory (DFT), classical molecular dynamics (MD) with explicit water solvation, and ab initio MD (AIMD) simulations. Correlating the NMR and fluorescence binding data with studies of solvation of the receptor, phosphate anion, and the resulting complex confirms the binding is largely driven by entropic component (TΔS) associated with receptor and anion desolvation.

Anions↗

DOE OSTI2018

Simulation tools for atom probe tomography: A path for diagnosis and treatment of image degradation

The ideal picture of a near-perfect 3D microscope often presented regarding Atom Probe Tomography faces several issues. These issues degrade the metrological performance of the instrument and find their roots in the phenomena acting at the atomic to the mesoscopic level in the vicinity of the surface of a field emitter. From the field evaporation process at the atomic scale, to the macroscopic scale of the instrument, the path to model the imaging process and to develop more accurate and reliable reconstruction algorithms is not a single lane road. This paper focused on the numerical methods used to understand, treat, and potentially heal imaging issues commonly affecting the data in atom probe experiments. A lot of room for improvement exists in solving accuracy problems observed in complex materials by means of purely electrostatic models describing the image formation in a classical approach. Looking at the sample at the atomic scale, the phenomena perturbing the imaging process are subtle. An examination of atomic scale modifications of the sample surface in the presence of a high surface electric field is therefore mandatory. Atomic scale molecular dynamic models integrating the influence of the high surface electric are being developed with this aim. It is also demonstrated that the complex behavior of atoms and molecules in high fields, and consequences on collected data, can be understood through the use of accurate ab-initio models modified to include the impact of the extreme surface electric field.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Evolution and Degradation Patterns of Electrochemical Cells Based on the Analysis of Interfacial Phenomena at Li Metal Anode/Electrolyte Interfaces

In this work, we report the results of a theoretical–computational analysis of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth and degradation dynamics occurring in lithium metal batteries during cycling. We use ab initio-kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to generate a synthetic data set, which is analyzed by machine learning methods. We aim to determine: (i) how modifications in interfacial interaction energies between solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) blocks and between Li ions and SEI facets impact the Coulombic efficiency (CE) of the battery and (ii) what factors, including reactions, microscopic transport, and other interfacial events, may lead to cell performance “failure” during prolonged charge and discharge cycles, signaled as a sharp decay in the CE over cycling. The demonstration of our approach is done on a cell including a Li metal surface interfacing with a previously introduced state-of-the-art electrolyte, and the idea can be applied to any electrochemical system. Outcomes include the identification of the leading chemical, physical, and structural variables causing cell failure and relating them to the electrolyte formulation, thus paving the way to future more refined analysis and electrolyte design.

batteries↗

DOE OSTI2017

Atomic-Scale Quantification of Interfacial Binding between Peptides and Inorganic Crystals: The Case of Calcium Carbonate Binding Peptide on Aragonite

Using a specific explicitly solvated interface model between a calcium carbonate binding peptide and crystalline aragonite, we investigate the electronic structure, atomic bonding, solvation effect, and the role of hydrogen bonding on the cohesion, stability, and functionality of this complex hybrid system using density functional calculation. The large interface model is strategically constructed using a stepwise procedure followed by ab initio molecular dynamics to obtain the optimal conformation. The calculated data on the electronic structure and bonding are analyzed in terms of three structural parts: aragonite, peptide, and water. Next, we focus on the binding between aragonite (001) surface and the peptide mediated by water. Finally, specific interatomic bonding between the amino acids in peptide and the (001) surface of aragonite is quantified. A single quantum mechanical metric, the total bond order density (TBOD), infers the dynamic interplay of different competing interactions. Four amino acids HIS1, ARG6, MET7, and TRP11 in the peptide sequence have strong interfacial Ca–O bonding and O···H hydrogen bonding between aragonite and peptide. The calculated Young’s modulus 33.37 GPa is in line with the measured value for nacre. Our approach for interfacial study between aragonite and a calcium carbonate binding peptide offers a broad perspective for probing complex interactions between the biomimetic interfaces. Finally, TBOD can be used as an effective parameter in ranking the efficacy of peptide–surface interactions and in providing a programmable design for bio-inspired material interfaces based on computational means.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Trion Formation Resolves Observed Peak Shifts in the Optical Spectra of Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides

Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (ML-TMDs) have the potential to unlock novel photonic and chemical technologies if their optoelectronic properties can be understood and controlled. Yet, recent work has offered contradictory explanations for how TMD absorption spectra change with carrier concentration, fluence, and time. Here, we test our hypothesis that the large broadening and shifting of the strong band-edge features observed in optical spectra arise from the formation of negative trions. We do this by fitting an ab initio based, many-body model to our experimental electrochemical data. Our approach provides an excellent, global description of the potential-dependent linear absorption data. We further leverage our model to demonstrate that trion formation explains the nonmonotonic potential dependence of the transient absorption spectra, including through photoinduced derivative line shapes for the trion peak. Our results motivate the continued development of theoretical methods to describe cutting-edge experiments in a physically transparent way.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

High-resolution infrared spectroscopy of jet cooled CH 2 Br radicals: The symmetric CH stretch manifold and absence of nuclear spin cooling

Direct laser absorption of a slit supersonic discharge expansion provides the first high-resolution spectroscopic results on the symmetric CH stretch excitation (ν 1 ) of the bromomethyl (CH 2 Br) radical in the ground electronic state. Narrowband (<1 MHz) mid-infrared radiation is produced by difference-frequency generation of two visible laser beams, with the open shell halohydrocarbon radical generated by electron dissociative attachment of CH 2 Br 2 in a discharge and rapidly cooled to T rot = 18 ± 1 K in the subsequent slit-jet supersonic expansion. A rovibrational structure in the radical spectrum is fully resolved, as well as additional splittings due to spin-rotation effects and 79 Br/ 81 Br isotopologues in natural abundance. Spectroscopic constants and band origins are determined by fitting the transition frequencies to a non-rigid Watson Hamiltonian, yielding results consistent with a vibrationally averaged planar radical and an unpaired electron in the out-of-plane p π orbital. Additionally, extensive satellite band structure from a vibrational hot band is observed and analyzed. The hot band data is compared to CFOUR/VPT2 (CCSD(T)cc-pVQZ) ab initio anharmonic predictions of the vibration rotation alpha matrix, which permits unambiguous assignment to CH 2 symmetric-stretch excitation built on the singly excited CH 2 out-of-plane bending mode (ν 1 + ν 4 ← ν 4 ). Longitudinal cooling of the Doppler width in the slit-jet expansion geometry also reveals partially resolved hyperfine structure on transitions out of the lowest angular momentum states in excellent agreement with predictions based on microwave studies. High level ab initio MOLPRO calculations [CCSD(T)-f12b/VnZ-f12 (n = 3, 4, CBS)] are also performed with explicitly correlated f12 electron methods for the out-of-plane CH 2 bending mode over the halogen series CH 2 X (X = F, Cl, Br, I), which clearly reveals a non-planar geometry for X = F (with a ΔE ≈ 0.3 kcal/mol barrier) and yet planar equilibrium geometries for X = Cl, Br, and I. Finally, a detailed Boltzmann analysis of the transition intensities provides support for negligible collisional equilibration of the entangled H atom nuclear spin states on the few hundred microsecond time scale and high collision densities of a slit supersonic expansion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2018

Averievite: A copper oxide kagome antiferromagnet

Averievite, Cu 5 V 2 O 10 (CsCl) , is an oxide mineral composed of Cu 2+ kagome layers sandwiched by Cu 2+ -V 5+ honeycomb layers. We have synthesized this oxide and investigated its properties from ab initio calculations along with susceptibility and specific heat measurements. The data imply a Curie-Weiss temperature of 185K as well as long-range magnetic order at 24 K due to the significant interlayer coupling from the honeycomb copper ions. This order is suppressed by substituting copper by isoelectronic zinc, suggesting that Zn-substituted averievite is a promising spin liquid candidate. A further proposed substitution that replaces V 5+ by Ti 4+ not only dopes the material but is predicted to give rise to a two-dimensional electronic structure featuring Dirac crossings. Thus, averievite is an attractive platform for S =1/2 kagome physics with the potential for realizing novel electronic states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Proton Spectra from He 3 + T and He 3 + He 3 Fusion at Low Center-of-Mass Energy, with Potential Implications for Solar Fusion Cross Sections

Few-body nuclear physics often relies upon phenomenological models, with new efforts at the ab initio theory reported recently; both need high-quality benchmark data, particularly at low center-of-mass energies. We use high-energy-density plasmas to measure the proton spectra from 3 He + T and 3 He + 3 He fusion. The data disagree with R -matrix predictions constrained by neutron spectra from T + T fusion. Here, we present a new analysis of the 3 He + 3 He proton spectrum; these benchmarked spectral shapes should be used for interpreting low-resolution data, such as solar fusion cross-section measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

High-resolution spectroscopy of barium monofluoride: Odd isotopologues, hyperfine structure, and isotope shifts

Barium monofluoride (BaF) is a promising molecular species for precision tests of fundamental symmetries and interactions. We present a combined theoretical and experimental study of BaF spectra and isotope shifts, focusing in particular on the poorly understood odd isotopologues 137 BaF and 135 BaF. By comparing state-of-the-art ab initio calculations with high-resolution fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy data, we provide a benchmark for electronic structure theory and disentangle the hyperfine and rovibrational spectra of the five most abundant isotopologues, from 138 BaF to 134 BaF. The comprehensive knowledge gained enables a King plot analysis of the isotope shifts that reveals the odd-even staggering of the barium nuclear charge radii. It also paths the way for improved laser cooling of rare BaF isotopologues and crucially supports future measurements of nuclear anapole and Schiff moments.

Kogel, Felix [Univ. of Stuttgart (Germany)] (ORCID↗

DOE OSTI2017

Computational Thermodynamics of Materials Zi-Kui Liu and Yi Wang

This authoritative volume introduces the reader to computational thermodynamics and the use of this approach to the design of material properties by tailoring the chemical composition. The text covers applications of this approach, introduces the relevant computational codes, and offers exercises at the end of each chapter. The book has nine chapters and two appendices that provide background material on computer codes. Chapter 1 covers the first and second laws of thermodynamics, introduces the spinodal as the limit of stability, and presents the Gibbs-Duhem equation. Chapter 2 focuses on the Gibbs energy function. Starting with a homogeneous system with a single phase, the authors proceed to phases with variable compositions, and polymer blends. The discussion includes the contributions of external electric and magnetic fields to the Gibbs energy. Chapter 3 deals with phase equilibria in heterogeneous systems, the Gibbs phase rule, and phase diagrams. Chapter 4 briefly covers experimental measurements of thermodynamic properties used as input for thermodynamic modeling by Calculation of Phase Diagrams (CALPHAD). Chapter 5 discusses the use of density functional theory to obtain thermochemical data and fill gaps where experimental data is missing. The reader is introduced to the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP) for density functional theory and the YPHON code for phonon calculations. Chapter 6 introduces the modeling of Gibbs energy of phases with the CALPHAD method. Chapter 7 deals with chemical reactions and the Ellingham diagram for metal-oxide systems and presents the calculation of the maximum reaction rate from equilibrium thermodynamics. Chapter 8 is devoted to electrochemical reactions and Pourbaix diagrams with application examples. Chapter 9 concludes this volume with the application of a model of multiple microstates to Ce and Fe3Pt. CALPHAD modeling is briefly discussed in the context of genomics of materials. The book introduces basic thermodynamic concepts clearly and directs readers to appropriate references for advanced concepts and details of software implementation. The list of references is quite comprehensive. The authors make liberal use of diagrams to illustrate key concepts. The two Appendices at the end discuss software requirements and the file structure, and present templates for special quasi-random structures. There is also a link to download pre-compiled binary files of the YPHON code for Linux or Microsoft Windows systems. The exercises at the end of the chapters assume that the reader has access to VASP, which is not freeware. Readers without access to this code can work on a limited number of exercises. However, results from other first principles codes can be organized in the YPHON format as explained in the Appendix. This book will serve as an excellent reference on computational thermodynamics and the exercises provided at the end of each chapter make it valuable as a graduate level textbook. Reviewer: Ram Devanathan is Acting Director of Earth Systems Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2008

Scandium and Chromium in the Strontium Filament in the Homunculus of eta Carinae

We continue a systematic study of chemical abundances of the Strontium Filament found in the ejecta of eta Carinae. To this end we interpret the emission spectrum of Sc II and Cr II using multilevel non-LTE models of these systems. Since the atomic data for these ions was previously unavailable, we carry out ab initio calculations of radiative transition rates and electron impact excitation rate coefficients. The observed spectrum is emitted from a mostly neutral region with electron density of the order of 10(exp 7) cm (exp -3) and a temperature between 6000 and 7000 K. These conditions are consistent with our previous diagnostics from [Ni II], [Ti II], amd [Sr II]. The observed spectrum indicates an abundance of Sc relative Ni that more than 40 times the solar values, while the Cr/Ni abundance ratio is roughly solar. Various scenarios of depletion and dust destruction are suggested to explain such abnormal abundances.

Gull, T.R.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recommended DSMC Collision Model Parameters for Planetary Entry

Hybrid simulation frameworks combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) are frequently employed to efficiently perform high-fidelity simulations of environments consisting of both continuum and rarified flow. DSMC is a stochastic, particle-based method which solves the fundamental Boltzmann equation and is therefore necessary for high-Knudsen flow where continuum-based assumptions governing CFD break down. However, the DSMC methodology is generally computationally inefficient to model the continuum regime. In a CFD/DSMC hybrid approach, obtaining an accurate, high-fidelity solution hinges on the consistent treatment of transport properties and the thermo-chemical models employed within the two solvers. In principle, in regions where CFD and DSMC are both employed, the same gas mixture under the same conditions should have the same properties, regardless of simulation type. Observed differences should be due to non-equilibrium processes, rather than differences in physical models. The goal of this work is to provide a comprehensive DSMC transport database encompassing the vast majority of known gas species encountered during Earth or other planetary atmospheric entry. This goal is largely possible due to recently performed ab initio quantum chemistry calculations. Combined with other high-fidelity data, the planned database will consist of collision integral data for over 200 neutral and ionized species and over 20000 binary collisions. From these collision integrals, Nelder-Mead optimization is used to compute collision-specific Variable Soft Sphere (VSS) collision model parameters, fitted from 300 K to 20000 K. Initial comparisons of transport properties of relevant equilibrium gas mixtures show great agreement between CFD and DSMC-derived results. The completed database can be readily applied to model binary collisions of any gas mixture containing the included species over the specified temperature range, making it a valuable tool for future planetary probe modeling efforts. An example is shown below in Fig. 1. Equilibrium mixture transport properties for a 35-species mixture composed originally of 10% air and 90% pyrolysis species of a carbon-phenolic ablator material [4] are computed using both fitted VSS Parameters and the original CFD collision integral values. Deviations in computed properties between the two approaches are less than 5% for the entire temperature range.

M. R. Gosma↗

NASA NTRS1987

Computational chemistry research

Task 41 is composed of two parts: (1) analysis and design studies related to the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation (NAS) Extended Operating Configuration (EOC) and (2) computational chemistry. During the first half of 1987, Dr. Levin served as a member of an advanced system planning team to establish the requirements, goals, and principal technical characteristics of the NAS EOC. A paper entitled 'Scaling of Data Communications for an Advanced Supercomputer Network' is included. The high temperature transport properties (such as viscosity, thermal conductivity, etc.) of the major constituents of air (oxygen and nitrogen) were correctly determined. The results of prior ab initio computer solutions of the Schroedinger equation were combined with the best available experimental data to obtain complete interaction potentials for both neutral and ion-atom collision partners. These potentials were then used in a computer program to evaluate the collision cross-sections from which the transport properties could be determined. A paper entitled 'High Temperature Transport Properties of Air' is included.

Levin, Eugene↗