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At least 307 records · Page 17

Dispersion curve regression – assisted wideband local wavenumber analysis for characterizing three-dimensional (3D) profile of hidden corrosion damage

Corrosion as common damage in civil, petrochemical, nuclear, and aerospace structures affects the integrity and safety of the structures and may lead to catastrophic failures. This paper presents dispersion curve regression-assisted local wavenumber analysis method, which can analyze the time–space wavefield containing wideband information of wave-damage interaction and further extract the structural information carried by such wavefield for characterizing hidden corrosion damage in an isotropic plate. To acquire the time–space wavefield, a noncontact scanning laser Doppler vibrometer is used. In our analysis method, the acquired time–space wavefield is firstly processed to generate a local wavenumber function. The derived wavenumber function is further analyzed with a dispersion curve regression step, which searches in a set of theoretical frequency-wavenumber dispersion curves for different plate thicknesses and identifies the optimal plate thickness whose theoretical curve best matches the frequency-wavenumber relation contained in the local wavenumber function. By this means, a 3D profile including both in plane and thickness dimensions of the structure can be constructed for corrosion visualization and quantification. The experimental study demonstrates that our method can quantify the profile of hidden uniform corrosion in metal plates in terms of its in-plane shape and size as well as its out-of-plane depth in the subwavelength scale. Moreover, compared to previous Lamb wave-based corrosion inspection methods, our technique allows for noncontact 3D characterization of hidden corrosion from a far distance to the structure. Finally, we believe this work will inspire new 3D damage quantification methods that are based on wavefield analysis as well as enable potential applications for the quantification of hidden corrosion in civil, petrochemical, nuclear, and aerospace structures.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Arbitrary electro-optic bandwidth and frequency control in lithium niobate optical resonators

In situ tunable photonic filters and memories are important for emerging quantum and classical optics technologies. However, most photonic devices have fixed resonances and bandwidths determined at the time of fabrication. Here we present an in situ tunable optical resonator on thin-film lithium niobate. By leveraging the linear electro-optic effect, we demonstrate widely tunable control over resonator frequency and bandwidth on two different devices. We observe up to ∼50 × tuning in the bandwidth over ∼50 V with linear frequency control of ∼230 MHz/V. We also develop a closed-form model predicting the tuning behavior of the device. This paves the way for rapid phase and amplitude control over light transmitted through our device.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Low thermal conductivity in Bi 8 CsO 8 SeX 7 (X = Cl, Br) by combining different structural motifs

Understanding the structure–property relationships of materials in order to supress thermal conductivity is crucial for developing efficient thermoelectric generators and thermal barrier coatings. Low thermal conductivity materials can often contain a single dominant phonon scattering mechanism. Here, we highlight how combining different structural features into one material can aid in the design and identification of new materials with low thermal conductivities. We synthesise two new mixed-anion materials, Bi 8 CsO 8 SeX 7 (X = Cl and Br), with low thermal conductivities of 0.27(2) and 0.22(2) W m -1 K -1 respectively, measured along their c-axes at room temperature. The Bi 8 CsO 8 SeX 7 materials possess a combination of bond strength hierarchies, Cs + vacancies, and low frequency Cs + rattling. These different features significantly inhibit phonon transport along different crystallographic directions. Due to sharp bond strength contrast between the van der Waals gaps and [Bi 2 O 2 ] 2+ layers, the Bi 8 CsO 8 SeX 7 materials exhibit thermal conductivities <50% of the theoretical minimum when measured along the stacking direction. Conversely, the thermal conductivity associated with the ab-plane is reduced by Cs + rattling when compared to the structurally and compositionally related BiOCl.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Origins of heat transport anisotropy in MoTe2 and other bulk van der Waals materials

Knowledge of how heat flows anisotropically in van der Waals (vdW) materials is crucial for thermal management of emerging 2D materials devices and design of novel anisotropic thermoelectric materials. Despite the importance, anisotropic heat transport in vdW materials is yet to be systematically studied and is often presumably attributed to anisotropic speeds of sound in vdW materials due to soft interlayer bonding relative to covalent in-plane networks of atoms. In this work, we investigate the origins of the anisotropic heat transport in vdW materials, through time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) measurements and first-principles calculations of anisotropic thermal conductivity of three different phases of MoTe 2 . MoTe 2 is ideal for the study due to its weak anisotropy in the speeds of sound. We find that even when the speeds of sound are roughly isotropic, the measured thermal conductivity of MoTe 2 along the c-axis is 5–8 times lower than that along the in-plane axes. We derive meaningful characteristic heat capacity, phonon group velocity, and relaxation times from our first principles calculations for selected vdW materials (MoTe 2 , BP, h-BN, and MoS 2 ), to assess the contributions of these factors to the anisotropic heat transport. Interestingly, we find that the main contributor to the heat transport anisotropy in vdW materials is anisotropy in heat capacity of the dominant heat-carrying phonon modes in different directions, which originates from anisotropic optical phonon dispersion and disparity in the frequency of heat-carrying phonons in different directions. Further, the discrepancy in frequency of the heat-carrying phonons also leads to ~2 times larger average relaxation times in the cross-plane direction, and partially explains the apparent dependence of the anisotropic heat transport on the anisotropic speeds of sound. This work provides insight into understanding of the anisotropic heat transport in vdW materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fluid and gyrokinetic turbulence in open field-line, helical plasmas

Two-fluid Braginskii codes have simulated open-field line turbulence for over a decade, and only recently, it has become possible to study these systems with continuum gyrokinetic codes. This work presents a first-of-its-kind comparison between fluid and (long-wavelength) gyrokinetic models in open field-lines, using the GDB and Gkeyll codes to simulate interchange turbulence in the Helimak device at the University of Texas [T. N. Bernard et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 042301 (2019)]. Partial agreement is attained in a number of diagnostic channels when the GDB sources and sheath boundary conditions (BCs) are selected carefully, especially the heat-flux BCs that can drastically alter the temperature. The radial profile of the fluctuation levels is qualitatively similar and quantitatively comparable on the low-field side, although statistics such as moments of the probability density function and the high-frequency spectrum show greater differences. This comparison indicates areas for future improvement in both simulations, such as sheath BCs, and improvements in GDB like particle conservation and spatially varying thermal conductivity, in order to achieve better fluid-gyrokinetic agreement and increase fidelity when simulating experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Controlled skyrmion ratchet in linear protrusion defects

Using atomistic simulations, we investigate the dynamical behavior of a single skyrmion interacting with an asymmetric linear protrusion array under external ac driving. The linear protrusion array is placed in the xy plane and is composed of magnetic walls near the edge of the nanotrack that have angled linear protrusions into the nanotrack. The structure forms a hard axis for –x direction motion and an easy axis for +x direction motion. When the ac drive is applied along the x direction, the skyrmion moves along the hard direction of the substrate asymmetry in three phases: a pinned phase with localized skyrmion orbits, a constant velocity phase where the orbits become delocalized, and a reentrant pinned phase with larger localized orbits. We measure the dependence of the skyrmion velocity on the frequency and amplitude of the ac drive. All three phases appear for all frequency values simulated here, and in the constant velocity phase the skyrmion velocity depends only on the frequency and not on the amplitude of the ac drive. When ac driving is applied in the y direction, the skyrmion moves along the easy direction of the substrate asymmetry and exhibits the same three phases as for x-direction driving along with a fourth phase which, at high driving frequencies, consists of a series of constant velocity phases, each with different average skyrmion velocities. For low frequencies, the constant velocity phase is lost and the skyrmion speed increases linearly with increasing ac drive amplitude due to a Magnus boost effect. Finally, our findings suggest new ways to create reliable data transport for spintronic devices using skyrmions as information carriers, where the skyrmion direction and speed can be controlled by varying only the ac drive amplitude and frequency.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Analysis of Seismic Wave Amplification in Sedimentary Basins Using 3D Wavefield Simulations: Nenana Basin, Central Alaska

We investigate seismic wave amplification in Nenana basin, central Alaska, using 3D seismic wavefield simulations. We quantify frequency-dependent amplification by comparing synthetic seismograms among four different seismic velocity models: (a) a tomographic model, (b) a tomographic model with the uppermost 6.5 km replaced by a 1D basin profile, (c) a tomographic model with an embedded ellipsoidal basin, and (d) a tomographic model with an embedded realistic basin. For each model we perform wavefield simulations accurate up to 2 Hz for a set of 10 different earthquakes, which provide a range of frequencies and incident angles for waves interacting with the basin. Average amplification ratios are four on the horizontal components and seven on the vertical component. The dominant influence of the amplification is the 3D geometry of the basin, not the slow-velocity profile near the surface. Our synthetic amplification ratios are in general agreement with amplification estimates obtained from 14 stations that recorded the same set of earthquakes. Our approach offers a general strategy for documenting frequency-dependent basin amplification for a region with realistic basin structures and local earthquakes.

Geosciences↗

Acoustic Data Analytics For Predictive Technologies

The software utilizes frequency, amplitude, and phase features from sensor signals (either raw or processed) that are extracted using recursive frequency analysis, enabling (1) understanding of reactor operations under different operating conditions, (2) identifying of quiescent frequency ranges for sensor development, (3) system controls (4) predictive analytics, (5) structural health monitoring, and (6) loose part monitoring.

Smith, JamesA.↗

What Technical Choices Matter to Characterize Heat Wave and Cold Snap Events in Support of Bulk Power Grid Reliability Studies?

Extreme weather events, such as Heat Waves (HW) and Cold Snaps (CS), pose significant risks to the power grid. The United States (U.S.) Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order No. 896 mandates regional coordination standards that account for extreme thermal events. However, the lack of a universal definition for extreme thermal events may lead to inconsistent compliance efforts among neighboring entities, undermining the reliability of the transmission system. This study directly addresses this challenge by systematically evaluating how varying technical choices in defining HW and CS fundamentally impact the characterization and ranking of extreme events for power grid reliability studies. We used 12 event definitions and multiple temperature spatial aggregation approaches to construct historical (1980–2024) regional extreme thermal event libraries across North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) subregions in the conterminous U.S. We examined the sensitivity of event characteristics (e.g., duration, frequency, intensity, and spatial coverage) to different definitions. While some definitions produced similar libraries and top event rankings, definitions based on moving-window-averaged temperatures yielded markedly different characteristics. Spatial aggregation methods had minimal impact on heat wave or cold snap intensity, frequency and duration but significantly influenced spatial coverage. The top events identified across different aggregation methods were consistent, but their ranking order varied. These findings offer critical insights for characterizing and selecting extreme thermal events and for supporting local and cross-regional coordination as required by reliability standards.

Wan, Heng [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (↗

Optomechanical ring resonator for efficient microwave-optical frequency conversion

Phonons traveling in solid-state devices are emerging as a universal excitation for coupling different physical systems. Phonons at microwave frequencies have a similar wavelength to optical photons in solids, enabling optomechanical microwave-optical transduction of classical and quantum signals. It becomes conceivable to build optomechanical integrated circuits (OMIC) that guide both photons and phonons and interconnect photonic and phononic devices. Here, we demonstrate an OMIC including an optomechanical ring resonator (OMR), where co-resonant infrared photons and GHz phonons induce significantly enhanced interconversion. The platform is hybrid, using wide bandgap semiconductor gallium phosphide (GaP) for waveguiding and piezoelectric zinc oxide (ZnO) for phonon generation. The OMR features photonic and phononic quality factors of >1 × 10 5 and 3.2 × 10 3 , respectively. The optomechanical interconversion between photonic modes achieved an internal conversion efficiency $η_i$ = (2.1 ± 0.1)% and a total device efficiency $η_{tot}$ = 0.57 x 10 -6 at a low acoustic pump power of 1.6 mW. The efficient conversion in OMICs enables microwave-optical transduction for quantum information and microwave photonics applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Large Enhancements in Optical and Piezoelectric Properties in Ferroelectric Zn 1- x Mg x O Thin Films through Engineering Electronic and Ionic Anharmonicities

Multifunctionality as a paradigm requires materials exhibiting multiple superior properties. Integrating second-order optical nonlinearity and large bandgap with piezoelectricity can, for example, enable broadband, strain-tunable photonics. Though very different phenomena at distinct frequencies, both second-order optical nonlinearity and piezoelectricity are third-rank polar tensors present only in acentric crystal structures. However, simultaneously enhancing both phenomena is highly challenging since it involves competing effects with tradeoffs. Recently, a large switchable ferroelectric polarization of ≈80 μC cm –2 was reported in Zn 1-x Mg x O films. Here, ferroelectric Zn 1-x Mg x O is demonstrated to be a platform that hosts simultaneously a 30% increase in the electronic bandgap, a 50% enhancement in the second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients, and a near 200% improvement in the piezoelectric coefficients over pure ZnO. These enhancements are shown to be due to a 400% increase in the electronic anharmonicity and a ≈200% decrease in the ionic anharmonicity with Mg substitution. Precisely controllable periodic ferroelectric domain gratings are demonstrated down to 800 nm domain width, enabling ultraviolet quasi-phase-matched optical harmonic generation as well as domain-engineered piezoelectric devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Extremely Large Response of Phonon Coherence in Twisted Penta‐NiN 2 Bilayer

Abstract Twisting has recently been demonstrated as an effective strategy for tuning the interactions between particles or quasi‐particles in layered materials. Motivated by the recent experimental synthesis of pentagonal NiN 2 sheet [ACS Nano2021, 15, 13539], for the first time, the response of phonon coherence to twisting in bilayer penta‐NiN 2 , going beyond the particle‐like phonon transport is studied. By using the unified theory of phonon transport and high order lattice anharmonicity, together with the self‐consistent phonon theory, it is found that the lattice thermal conductivity is reduced by 80.6% from 33.35 to 6.47 W m −1 K −1 at 300 K when the layers are twisted. In particular, the contribution of phonon coherence is increased sharply by an order of magnitude, from 0.21 to 2.40 W m −1 K −1 , due to the reduced differences between the phonon frequencies and enhanced anharmonicity after the introduction of twist. The work provides a fundamental understanding of the phonon interaction in twisted pentagonal sheets.

Chemistry↗

Identifying Differential Equations in Fourier Domain (FourierIdent)

We investigate identifying differential equations in the frequency domain. Fourier analysis is an important tool in theoretical analysis and numerical solvers of differential equations, yet there is limited work in exploring this connection in the identification of differential equations. This paper aims to identify the underlying differential equation in the frequency domain, from a given single realization of the differential equation perturbed by noise. Such setting imposes difficulties which are different from other identification methods where computation is carried out in the physical domain. We propose several ways to mitigate the challenges arising from noise in data and large differences in the magnitudes of frequency responses. The main takeaways are that identifying differential equations solely in the frequency domain is challenging, the method we propose is based on a form of domain partitions in the frequency domain, and this method shows benefits for complex data even with high level of noise. We introduce a Fourier feature denoising, and define the meaningful data region and the core regions of features to reduce the effect of noise in the frequency domain and to enhance the accuracy in coefficient identification. The proposed method is tested on various differential equations with linear, nonlinear, and high-order derivative feature terms, and shows advantages on complex data with many frequency modes, even under high level of noise.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Performance characterization and modeling of an oscillating surge wave energy converter

Abstract Testing wave energy converters in the ocean could be expensive and complex, which necessitates the use of numerical modeling. However, accurately modeling the response of wave energy converters with high-fidelity simulations can be computationally intensive in the design stage where different configurations must be considered. Reduced-order models based on simplified equations of motion can be very useful in the design, optimization, or control of wave energy converters. Given the complex dynamics of wave energy converters, accurate representation, and evaluation of relative contributions by different forces are required. This effort is concerned with a performance characterization of the hydrodynamic response of an oscillating surge wave energy converter that is based on a reduced-order model. A state-space model is used to represent the radiation damping term. Morison’s representation of unsteady forces is used to account for the nonlinear damping. Wave tank tests are performed to validate simulations. A free response simulation is used to determine the coefficients of the state-space model. Torque-forced simulations are used to identify the coefficients of the nonlinear damping term for different amplitudes and wave frequencies. The impact of varying these coefficients on the response is investigated. An assessment of the capability of the model in predicting the hydrodynamic response under irregular forcing is performed. The results show that the maximum error is 3% when compared with high-fidelity simulations. It is determined that the nonlinear damping is proportional to the torque amplitude and its effects are more pronounced as the amplitude of the flap oscillations increases.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Low-stress creep behavior of multiple salt caverns under cyclic operations

Here, the use of multiple salt caverns for large-scale underground hydrogen storage offers a strategic solution to the growing demand for efficient and flexible energy storage, due to the inherent low permeability, high mechanical strength, and self-healing properties of the salt formation. Despite these advantages, the long-term geomechanical response of salt caverns under cyclic injection and withdrawal remains a significant challenge for ensuring operational stability. This mechanistic study highlights the critical role of low-stress creep, also known as pressure solution creep, in governing deformation of salt caverns during cyclic operations. Unlike conventional creep mechanisms that dominate under high-stress conditions, low-stress creep becomes particularly relevant under the moderate stress changes induced by repeated injection and withdrawal, which provides a previously underexplored control on cavern closure. Our three-dimensional computational model integrates the low-stress creep mechanism into the Munson–Dawson creep equation across a spectrum of operational scenarios including variations in cavern pressure cycles, injection-withdrawal frequencies, and caprock mechanical property. The low-stress creep components accelerate the cavern creep closure, which is amplified with shorter cycle frequency and larger pressure difference. Sensitivity analyses capture the complex interactions between multiple caverns and surround formations at the field scale that allows for a quantitative assessment of deformation patterns and closure rates over time and thereby informs the design and operation of sustainable underground hydrogen storage system.

Cyclic operation↗

Tuning metal-support interactions in nickel–zeolite catalysts leads to enhanced stability during dry reforming of methane

Ni-based catalysts are highly reactive for dry reforming of methane (DRM) but they are prone to rapid deactivation due to sintering and/or coking. In this study, we present a straightforward approach for anchoring dispersed Ni sites with strengthened metal-support interactions, which leads to Ni active sites embedded in dealuminated Beta zeolite with superior stability and rates for DRM. The process involves solid-state grinding of dealuminated Beta zeolites and nickel nitrate, followed by calcination under finely controlled gas flow conditions. By combining in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ab initio simulations, it is elucidated that the efficient removal of byproducts during catalyst synthesis is conducted to strengthen Ni–Si interactions that suppress coking and sintering after 100 h of time-on-stream. Transient isotopic kinetic experiments shed light on the differences in intrinsic turnover frequency of Ni species and explain performance trends. This work constructs a fundamental understanding regarding the implication of facile synthesis protocols on metal-support interaction in zeolite-supported Ni sites, and it lays the needed foundations on how these interactions can be tuned for outstanding DRM performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Analysis of the time-of-flight neutron scattering cross-section data for light water measured at the SEQUOIA spectrometer, Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)

Thermal neutron scattering cross-section data for light water available in the major nuclear data libraries observes significant differences especially at reactor operating temperatures. During the past few years there has been a renewed interest in reviewing the existing thermal scattering models and generating more accurate and reliable thermal scattering cross sections using existing experimental data and in some cases based on Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. There is a need for performing new time-of-flight experiments at high temperatures and pressures, to have a better understanding of the physics involved in the scattering process that could help improve the existing TSL data.Lack of experimental thermal scattering data for light water at high temperatures led to a new measurement campaign within the INSIDER project at the Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire (IRSN). Double differential scattering cross section for light water have been measured at the SEQUOIA spectrometer based at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States. Several measurements have been carried out at different temperatures and pressures corresponding to liquid light water. Measurements at five different incident neutron energies Ei (8, 60, 160, 280 and 800 meV) have been carried out to help exploring different regions of the frequency spectrum. This paper presents the analysis of the dynamic structure factor and the derived frequency spectrum of light water. The analysis of the experimental data would provide one with better confidence, the behavior of thermal scattering cross sections for light water at high temperatures, knowledge of which is very important for the design of novel reactors as well as existing pressurized water reactors.

Jaiswal, V↗