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At least 289 records · Page 16

Measurement of the Medium Energy NuMI Flux Using the Low-$\nu$ and High-$\nu$ Methods at MINERvA

As we continue to improve our experimental capabilities, the measurements we make of accelerator-based neutrino phenomena are becoming increasingly limited by systematic, rather than statistical uncertainties. Among these are uncertainties corresponding to our understanding of the neutrino flux and to the models that we use to simulate neutrino interactions. These already are significant for currently-running neutrino experiments, and will become more important for next-generation neutrino experiments such as DUNE. Dedicated efforts at experiments such as MINERvA are pursuing improved comprehensive modeling of neutrino cross sections and improving our understanding of how to precisely measure neutrino fluxes. This thesis discusses these themes in the context of MINERvA, a neutrino scattering experiment which was located on-axis in the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. A pair of \textit{in situ} measurements of the flux are presented which utilize Medium Energy $\nu_{\mu}$ data colle cted at MINERvA between 2013 and 2017. The low-$\nu$ technique is used to make a direct measurement of the flux from low-inelasticity events, and that flux is used to measure the total charged-current inclusive cross section. The novel ``high-$\nu$'' technique is used to make a second direct measurement of the flux from a complementary selection of high-inelasticity events, and that flux is used to measure a double-differential cross section of charged-current quasielastic-like events.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A New Post‐Hoc Method to Reduce the Energy Imbalance in Eddy Covariance Measurements

Abstract Latent and sensible heat flux observations are essential for understanding land–atmosphere interactions. Measurements from the eddy covariance technique are widely used but suffer from systematic energy imbalance problems, partly due to missing large eddies from sub‐mesoscale transport. Because available energy drives the development of large eddies, we propose an available energy based correction method for turbulent flux measurements. We apply our method to 172 flux tower sites and show that we can reduce the energy imbalance from −14.99 to −0.65 W m −2 on average, together with improved consistency between turbulent fluxes and available energy and associated increases inr 2 at individual sites and across networks. Our results suggest that our method is conceptually and empirically preferable over the method implemented in the ONEFlux processing. This can contribute to the efforts in understanding and addressing the energy imbalance issue, which is crucial for the evaluation and calibration of land surface models.

Geology↗

New Grids of Pure-hydrogen White Dwarf NLTE Model Atmospheres and the HST/STIS Flux Calibration

Nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) calculations of hot white dwarf (WD) model atmospheres are the cornerstone of modern flux calibrations for the Hubble Space Telescope and for the CALSPEC database. These theoretical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) provide the relative flux versus wavelength, and only the absolute flux level remains to be set by reconciling the measured absolute flux of Vega in the visible with the Midcourse Space Experiment values for Sirius in the mid-IR. The most recent SEDs calculated by the tlusty and tmap NLTE model atmosphere codes for the primary WDs G191-B2B, GD 153, and GD 71 show improved agreement to 1% from 1500 Å to 30 μm, in comparison to the previous 1% consistency only from 2000 Å to 5 μm. These new NLTE models of hot WDs now provide consistent flux standards from the far UV to the mid-IR.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Systems and methods for determining flux distribution

Provided are systems and methods for accurately determining flux distribution in organisms or cells without use of metabolic flux analysis data. The methods include estimating flux distributions in multiple reference strains (variants of a parental strain) using experimentally determined extracellular flux data from the reference strains, and determining a flux distribution for the parental strain from the estimated flux distributions for the reference strains and from experimentally measured extracellular fluxes for the parental strain. The systems are configured for carrying out the methods.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Comprehensive Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum and Flux at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the precise measurement of the reactor antineutrino spectrum and flux based on the full dataset of 4.7 ×10 6 inverse-beta-decay candidates collected at Daya Bay near detectors. Expressed in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield per fission, the antineutrino spectra from all reactor fissile isotopes and the specific 235 U and 239 Pu isotopes are measured with 1.3%, 3%, and 8% uncertainties, respectively, near the 3 MeV spectrum peak in reconstructed energy, reaching the best precision in the world. The total antineutrino flux and isotopic 235 U and 239 Pu fluxes are precisely measured to be 5.84 ± 0.07, 6.16 ± 0.12, and 4.16 ± 0.21 in units of 10 −43 cm 2 /fission. These measurements are compared with the Huber-Mueller model, the reevaluated conversion model based on the Kurchatov Institute measurement, and the latest summation model (SM2023). Furthermore, the Daya Bay flux shows good consistency with the Kurchatov Institute and SM2023 models but disagrees with the Huber-Mueller model. The Daya Bay spectrum, however, disagrees with all model predictions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

First in operando transient grating spectroscopy measurements on tungsten during high flux plasma operation in PISCES-RF

This work details the construction and first in operando transient grating spectroscopy measurements conducted on PISCES-RF during plasma operation. A preliminary study on a tungsten sample with varied plasma species (Ar and D 2 ), ion flux (4 × 10 21 to 6 × 10 22 ion/m 2 /s), ion energy (5 to 80 eV), and surface temperature (20 to 200 °C) is presented. Prior to plasma exposure, the thermal diffusivity and surface acoustic wave (SAW) speed, (6.9 ± 0.2) × 10 −5 m 2 /s and (2.66 ± 0.02) km/s, were measured in situ with a thermal grating period of 12.5 μm. During Ar plasma exposure, these two quantities vary according to the sample surface temperature. At low flux and varied ion energy, D 2 plasma exposure also results in thermal diffusivity and SAW speed varying with surface temperature alone. At high flux, D 2 plasma exposure results in no convincing change to the thermal diffusivity, but the SAW speed is reduced. After returning to 20 °C, post plasma exposures, the thermal diffusivity and SAW speed almost recover to the initial value prior to exposure.

Surface acoustic wave SAW↗

High-Resolution Spatio-Temporal Estimation of Net Ecosystem Exchange in Ice-Wedge Polygon Tundra Using In Situ Sensors and Remote Sensing Data

Land-atmosphere carbon exchange is known to be extremely heterogeneous in arctic ice-wedge polygonal tundra regions. In this study, a Kalman filter-based method was developed to estimate the spatio-temporal dynamics of daytime average net ecosystem exchange (NEEday) at 0.5-m resolution over a 550 m by 700 m study site. We integrated multi-scale, multi-type datasets, including normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVIs) obtained from a novel automated mobile sensor system (or tram system) and a greenness index map obtained from airborne imagery. We took advantage of the significant correlations between NDVI and NEEday identified based on flux chamber measurements. The weighted average of the estimated NEEday within the flux-tower footprint agreed with the flux tower data in term of its seasonal dynamics. We then evaluated the spatial variability of the growing season average NEEday, as a function of polygon geomorphic classes; i.e., the combination of polygon types—which are known to present different degradation stages associated with permafrost thaw—and microtopographic features (i.e., troughs, centers and rims). Our study suggests the importance of considering microtopographic features and their spatial coverage in computing spatially aggregated carbon exchange.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Estimating turbulent energy flux vertical profiles from uncrewed aircraft system measurements: exemplary results for the MOSAiC campaign

This study analyzes turbulent energy fluxes in the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) using measurements with a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS). Turbulent fluxes constitute a major part of the atmospheric energy budget and influence the surface heat balance by distributing energy vertically in the atmosphere. However, only few in situ measurements of the vertical profile of turbulent fluxes in the Arctic ABL exist. The study presents a method to derive turbulent heat fluxes from DataHawk2 sUAS turbulence measurements, based on the flux gradient method with a parameterization of the turbulent exchange coefficient. This parameterization is derived from high-resolution horizontal wind speed measurements in combination with formulations for the turbulent Prandtl number and anisotropy depending on stability. Measurements were taken during the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition in the Arctic sea ice during the melt season of 2020. For three example cases from this campaign, vertical profiles of turbulence parameters and turbulent heat fluxes are presented and compared to balloon-borne, radar, and near-surface measurements. The combination of all measurements draws a consistent picture of ABL conditions and demonstrates the unique potential of the presented method for studying turbulent exchange processes in the vertical ABL profile with sUAS measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Performance Demonstration of Self-Powered Neutron Detectors for Steady-State Reactor Operations

The irradiation testing of sensors in reactors is a crucial step towards calibrating and qualifying sensors prior to their deployment in experiments. This report details the process toward qualifying and calibrating custom-designed rhodium-based self-power neutron detectors (Rh-SPNDs) for steady-state reactor irradiations. This process serves to both demonstrate the performance capabilities of Rh-SPNDs as well as to provide experimental data for development of a sensor sensitivity model. Two designs of Rh-SPNDs were tested in various reactors to demonstrate: detection resolution in a low neutron flux environment, a delayed-response compensation technique, output linearity in a large range of neutron flux, and measurement accuracy verified with dosimetry. The detection resolution and compensation technique was demonstrated in the AGN-201m reactor at Idaho State University. The irradiation confirmed the sensors’ capability to perform steady-state operations in a low neutron flux of ~2E8 n/cm 2 -sec. Sensor output linearity coupled with the delayed-response compensation was investigated at the neutron radiography reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. A Rh-SPND was irradiated to neutron fluxes ranging from 2E8 to 2E13 n/cm2-sec range. The measured data demonstrated a wide and linear range of operation with a measured linear sensitivity of 1.0129 ×10 -13 A/W with a correlation-squared value of r 2 =0.9927. The measurement accuracy was investigated at the Advanced Test Reactor Critical reactor. The SPNDs were inserted into a test vehicle with collocated flux wires. Two irradiations with different flux levels were performed, and the SPNDs relative measurement between the two irradiations was calculated to be 1.2613 ± 0.0153 for the small SPND design and 1.1809 ± 0.0108 for the large SPND design. Both SPND measurements fell between the co-axial dosimetry result, which reported 1.218 ± 0.047. Additionally, the preliminary MCNP model for calculating SPND sensitivity was developed in parallel to this work. Modeled neutron spectrum with measured magnitude was used for inputs to determine the simulated SPND output. The results showed an overestimation of signal strength by a factor of 5, which was expected because of model simplification. This leads to future modeling work to account for signal losses from additional physical properties, including high temperature environments for FY-21.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

BayFlux: A Bayesian method to quantify metabolic Fluxes and their uncertainty at the genome scale

Metabolic fluxes, the number of metabolites traversing each biochemical reaction in a cell per unit time, are crucial for assessing and understanding cell function. 13 C Metabolic Flux Analysis ( 13 C MFA) is considered to be the gold standard for measuring metabolic fluxes. 13 C MFA typically works by leveraging extracellular exchange fluxes as well as data from 13 C labeling experiments to calculate the flux profile which best fit the data for a small, central carbon, metabolic model. However, the nonlinear nature of the 13 C MFA fitting procedure means that several flux profiles fit the experimental data within the experimental error, and traditional optimization methods offer only a partial or skewed picture, especially in “non-gaussian” situations where multiple very distinct flux regions fit the data equally well. Here, we present a method for flux space sampling through Bayesian inference (BayFlux), that identifies the full distribution of fluxes compatible with experimental data for a comprehensive genome-scale model. This Bayesian approach allows us to accurately quantify uncertainty in calculated fluxes. We also find that, surprisingly, the genome-scale model of metabolism produces narrower flux distributions (reduced uncertainty) than the small core metabolic models traditionally used in 13 C MFA. The different results for some reactions when using genome-scale models vs core metabolic models advise caution in assuming strong inferences from 13 C MFA since the results may depend significantly on the completeness of the model used. Based on BayFlux, we developed and evaluated novel methods (P- 13 C MOMA and P- 13 C ROOM) to predict the biological results of a gene knockout, that improve on the traditional MOMA and ROOM methods by quantifying prediction uncertainty.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Carbon Organisms Rhizosphere and Protection in Soil Environment model script and input data for soil moisture-respiration responses in tropical forests

Objectives: Climatic drying is predicted for many tropical forests, yet models remain poorly parameterized for tropical forests, hampering predictions of forest-climate feedbacks. We applied an integrated model–experiment approach, parameterizing an ecosystem model Carbon Organisms Rhizosphere and Protection in the Soil Environment (CORPSE) with tropical forest observational data, and comparing model predictions with a field drying manipulation. We hypothesized that drying would suppress soil CO2 fluxes (i.e., respiration) in already-drier tropical forests, but increases CO2 fluxes in wetter tropical forests by alleviating anaerobiosis. We measured soil CO2 fluxes, soil moisture, soil temperature, and forest floor biomass during wet-dry cycles (2015 – 2022) in four Panamanian forests that vary in rainfall and soil fertility. We used the field data to parameterize and run tests in the model.Results: Measured CO2 fluxes declined in the dry season and peaked in the early wet season ahead of peak soil moisture, resulting in a lower soil moisture optimum for respiration than previously modeled. We used this data to parameterize the model, which then predicted increased soil CO2 fluxes in wetter and fertile forests with drying, and decreased fluxes in drier, infertile forests. In contrast to model predictions, a chronic throughfall exclusion experiment in the forests initially suppressed soil CO2 fluxes across forests, with sustained suppression after four years in the wettest forest only (-28 ± 4% during the dry season), but elevated soil CO2 fluxes in a fertile forest after four years (+75 ± 28% during the late wet season), as predicted by the model. The unexpected negative drying effect in the wettest, most infertile forest could have resulted from reduced vertical flushing of nutrients into soils. Including hydro-nutrient interactions in ecosystem models could improve predictions of tropical forest-climate feedbacks (results presented in Cusack et al. 2023). Datasets included: Code files:CORPSE_array.py: Defines the equations of the CORPSE modelCORPSE_solvers: Functions for running the CORPSE model using either iterative or ordinary differential equation (ODE) solversrun_Panama_sims.py: Read in datasets and run the model simulations for this studyInput data:PanamaGradientEcosystemChem_BT_CPools_20152016CO2_DC_20190615.xlsx: Plot characteristics used in running model simulationsLiCor compiled surface flux only to 2020_03 DC_20200825.xlsx: Surface gas exchange fluxes used in model-data comparisonsPARCHED litterfall data for Ben Sulman LD 20200902.xlsx: Litterfall data used to drive model simulationsInitialization data:state_500y_20190823.csv: Initial state of model pools based on previous spinup runsOutput data:Outputs/prev_moisture_response.csv: Simulations of multiple sites using original model moisture response function.Outputs/updated_moisture_response.csv: Simulations of multiple sites using updated model moisture response function.Outputs/dry15_prev_moisture_response.csv: Simulations with soil moisture reduced by 15%, using original moisture response function.Outputs/dry15_updated_moisture_response.csv: Simulations with soil moisture reduced by 15%, using updated moisture response function.Outputs/dry30_prev_moisture_response.csv: Simulations with soil moisture reduced by 30%, using original moisture response function.Outputs/dry30_updated_moisture_response.csv: Simulations with soil moisture reduced by 30%, using updated moisture response function.Outputs/latestart_prev_moisture_response.csv: Simulations with extended dry season, using original moisture response function.Outputs/latestart_updated_moisture_response.csv: Simulations with extended dry season, using updated moisture response function.Outputs/[site name]_oneyear.csv: One-year simulation for each site in expanded site list using original moisture response function.Outputs/[site name]_oneyear_dried.csv: One-year simulation for each site in expanded site list using original moisture response function, with soil moisture reduced by 25%.Outputs/[site name]_oneyear_updated_moisture_response.csv: One-year simulation for each site in expanded site list using updated moisture response function.Outputs/[site name]_oneyear_updated_moisture_response_dried.csv: One-year simulation for each site in expanded site list using updated moisture response function, with soil moisture reduced by 25%.Field plot location data:There is also a .kml file that includes coordinates for all 32 plots included in the study of four forests (n = 4 throughfall reduction and n = 4 control plots per site).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Using an Isotope Enabled Mass Balance to Evaluate Existing Land Surface Models

Abstract Land surface models (LSMs) play a crucial role in elucidating water and carbon cycles by simulating processes such as plant transpiration and evaporation from bare soil, yet calibration often relies on comparing LSM outputs of landscape total evapotranspiration ( ET ) and discharge with measured bulk fluxes. Discrepancies in partitioning into component fluxes predicted by various LSMs have been noted, prompting the need for improved evaluation methods. Stable water isotopes serve as effective tracers of component hydrologic fluxes, but data and model integration challenges have hindered their widespread application. Leveraging National Ecological Observation Network measurements of water isotope ratios at 16 US sites over 3 years combined with LSM‐modeled fluxes, we employed an isotope‐enabled mass balance framework to simulate ET isotope values ( δET ) within three operational LSMs (Mosaic, Noah, and VIC) to evaluate their partitioning. Models simulating δET values consistent with observations were deemed more reflective of water cycling in these ecosystems. Mosaic exhibited the best overall performance (Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of 0.28). For both Mosaic and Noah there were robust correlations between bare soil evaporation fraction and error (negative) as well as transpiration fraction and error (positive). We found the point at which errors are smallest ( x ‐intercept of the multi‐site regression) is at a higher transpiration fraction than is currently specified in the models. Which means that transpiration fraction is underestimated on average. Stable isotope tracers offer an additional tool for model evaluation and identifying areas for improvement, potentially enhancing LSM simulations and our understanding of land‐surface hydrologic processes.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Measurement of gas-concentration-driven permeation for the examination of permeability, solubility, and diffusivity in varying materials

This manuscript describes the development and operation of an apparatus for the measurement of steady-state and transient gas permeation through different types of solid materials with varying geometries. It is capable of operation from 293 K to 673 K and could theoretically be used with any non-corrosive gas or a mix of gases, although only hydrogen isotopes are used in the current study. A quadrupole mass spectrometer is used to measure permeation fluxes as low as 1011 molecules/s. This unique test setup allows for the simultaneous measurement of diffusivity, solubility, and permeability. Furthermore, varying the pressure in the fore-sample volume allows for tests of Sievert’s law and can give information on surface effects.

Young, Katherine T. (ORCID:0000000285845576)↗

Updates on MURAVES Project at Mt. Vesuvius

The MUon RAdiography of VESuvius (MURAVES) project aims to employ muography imaging techniques to investigate the internal structure of the summit of Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano located near Naples, Italy. This paper reports recent advancements in data analysis and simulation tools that significantly improve the quality and reliability of the experiment’s results. A new track selection method, referred to as the Golden Selection, has been developed to identify high-quality muon tracks by applying an improved χ 2 -based criterion. This method enhances the signal-to-background ratio and improves the resolution of the resulting muographic images. Moreover, the simulation framework has been upgraded through the integration of the MULDER (MUon simuLation for DEnsity Reconstruction) library, which consolidates the functionalities of previously used libraries into a single, unified platform. MULDER enables efficient and accurate modeling of muon flux variations induced by topographical features. A good agreement is observed between the simulated and measured muon flux maps, validating the effectiveness of the new analysis and simulation approaches.

Cosmic rays↗