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At least 307 records · Page 17

Nonlinear particle acceleration and thermal particles in GRB afterglows

The standard model for GRB afterglow emission treats the accelerated electron population as a simple power law, N(E)∝E{sup −p} for p≳2. However, in standard Fermi shock acceleration, a substantial fraction of the swept-up particles do not enter the acceleration process at all. Additionally, if acceleration is efficient, then the nonlinear back-reaction of accelerated particles on the shock structure modifies the shape of the nonthermal tail of the particle spectra. Both of these modifications to the standard synchrotron afterglow impact the luminosity, spectra, and temporal variation of the afterglow. To examine the effects of including thermal particles and nonlinear particle acceleration on afterglow emission, we follow a hydrodynamical model for an afterglow jet and simulate acceleration at numerous points during the evolution. When thermal particles are included, we find that the electron population is at no time well fitted by a single power law, though the highest-energy electrons are; if the acceleration is efficient, then the power-law region is even smaller. Our model predicts hard–soft–hard spectral evolution at X-ray energies, as well as an uncoupled X-ray and optical light curve. Additionally, we show that including emission from thermal particles has drastic effects (increases by factors of 100 and 30, respectively) on the observed flux at optical and GeV energies. This enhancement of GeV emission makes afterglow detections by future γ-ray observatories, such as CTA, very likely.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A GPU accelerated mixed-precision Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics framework with cell-based relative coordinates

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is essential for modeling complex large-deformation problems across various applications, requiring significant computational power. A major portion of SPH computation time is dedicated to the Nearest Neighboring Particle Search (NNPS) process. While advanced NNPS algorithms have been developed to enhance SPH efficiency, the potential efficiency gains from modern computation hardware remain underexplored. Here, this study investigates the impact of GPU parallel architecture, low-precision computing on GPUs, and GPU memory management on NNPS efficiency. Our approach employs a GPU-accelerated mixed-precision SPH framework, utilizing low precision float-point 16 (FP16) for NNPS while maintaining high precision for other components. To ensure FP16 accuracy in NNPS, we introduce a Relative Coordinated-based Link List (RCLL) algorithm, storing FP16 relative coordinates of particles within background cells. Our testing results show three significant speedup rounds for CPU-based NNPS algorithms. The first comes from parallel GPU computations, with up to a 1000x efficiency gain. The second is achieved through low-precision GPU computing, where the proposed FP16-based RCLL algorithm offers a 1.5x efficiency improvement over the FP64-based approach on GPUs. By optimizing GPU memory bandwidth utilization, the efficiency of the FP16 RCLL algorithm can be further boosted by 2.7x, as demonstrated in an example with 1 million particles. Our code is released at https://github.com/pnnl/lpNNPS4SPH.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Asymptotic behavior of the mixed mass in Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov instability induced flows

Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) and Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) are serious practical issues in inertial confinement fusion research, and also have relevance to many cases of astrophysical fluid dynamics. So far, much of the attention has been paid to the late-time scaling of the mixed width, which is used as a surrogate to how well the fluids have been mixed. Yet, the actual amount of mixed mass could be viewed as a more direct indicator on the evolution of the mixing layers due to hydrodynamic instabilities. Despite its importance, there is no systematic study as yet on the scaling of the mixed mass for either the RTI or the RMI induced flow. In this article, the normalized mixed mass (Ψ) is introduced for measuring the efficiency of the mixed mass. Six large numerical simulation databases have been employed: the RTI cases with heavy-to-light fluid density ratios of 1.5, 3, and 9; the single shock RMI cases with density ratios of 3 and 20; and a reshock RMI case with density ratio of 3. Using simulated flow fields, the normalized mixed mass Ψ is shown to be more sensitive in discriminating the variation with Atwood number for the RTI flows. Moreover, Ψ is demonstrated to provide more consistent results for both the RTI and RMI flows when compared with the traditional mixedness parameters, Ξ and Θ.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Modeling The Effects of Shock Pressure and Pore Morphology on Hot Spot Mechanisms in HMX

Here, we investigate the effects of shock pressure and pore morphology on the formation and growth of hot spots in HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine). Both non-reactive and reactive ALE3D simulations are used in these studies. Our non-reactive simulations show a viscous-dominated pore collapse mode at lower shock pressures (2–10 GPa) with shear band formation and a hydrodynamic-dominated mode at higher shock pressures (20-40 GPa) due to bulk melting. When normalized by bulk shock heating, viscous-dominated pore collapse modes are more efficient at generating hot spots. Pore morphology influences the post-collapse temperature distributions and reaction rate for a fixed pore area and shock pressure. We find that multiple surface pores at the binder-grain interface tend to react the fastest. Due to their upstream location in the HMX grain, the surface pores collapse sooner than interior pores; thus, the extent of reaction will generally favor these morphologies because they have more time to grow. In general, multiple smaller hot spots tend to react faster than a single larger hot spot because they accelerate one another's burning. The rank order of morphology effects, however, is not the same for non-reactive and reactive simulations. For example, while multiple surface pores produce the highest reaction rates they do not produce the highest (non-reactive) hot spot temperatures. In conclusion, our numerical studies provide insights on hot spot mechanisms in lieu of direct measurements and can be used to develop advanced shock initiation models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Optimized beryllium target design for indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion experiments on the National Ignition Facility

For indirect drive inertial confinement fusion, Beryllium (Be) ablators offer a number of important advantages as compared with other ablator materials, e.g., plastic and high density carbon. In particular, the low opacity and relatively high density of Be lead to higher rocket efficiencies giving a higher fuel implosion velocity for a given X-ray drive; and to higher ablation velocities providing more ablative stabilization and reducing the effect of hydrodynamic instabilities on the implosion performance. Be ablator advantages provide a larger target design optimization space and can significantly improve the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [J. D. Lindl et al., Phys. Plasmas 11, 339 (2004)] ignition margin. Herein, we summarize the Be advantages, briefly review NIF Be target history, and present a modern, optimized, low adiabat, Revision 6 NIF Be target design. This design takes advantage of knowledge gained from recent NIF experiments, including more realistic levels of laser-plasma energy backscatter, degraded hohlraum-capsule coupling, and the presence of cross-beam energy transfer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Planet-induced Vortices with Dust Coagulation in Protoplanetary Disks

In this work, we study how the dust coagulation/fragmentation will influence the evolution and observational appearances of vortices induced by a massive planet embedded in a low-viscosity disk by performing global 2D high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations. Within the vortex, due to its higher gas surface density and steeper pressure gradients, dust coagulation, fragmentation, and drift (to the vortex center) are all quite efficient, producing dust particles ranging from 1 μm to ~1.0 cm, as well as an overall high dust-to-gas ratio (above unity). In addition, the dust size distribution is quite nonuniform inside the vortex, with the mass-weighted average dust size at the vortex center (~4.0 mm) being a factor of ~10 larger than other vortex regions. Both large (~millimeter) and small (tens of microns) particles contribute strongly to affect the gas motion within the vortex. As such, we find that the inclusion of dust coagulation has a significant impact on the vortex lifetime and the typical vortex lifetime is about 1000 orbits. Furthermore, after the initial gaseous vortex is destroyed, the dust spreads into a ring with a few remaining smaller gaseous vortices with a high dust concentration and a large maximum size (~millimeter). At late time, the synthetic dust continuum images for the coagulation case show as a ring inlaid with several hot spots at the 1.33 mm band, while only distinct hot spots remain at 7.0 mm.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Fully Explicit Integrator for Modeling Astrophysical Reactive Flows

Simulating complex astrophysical reacting flows is computationally expensive—reactions are stiff and typically require implicit integration methods. The reaction update is often the most expensive part of a simulation, which motivates the exploration of more economical methods. In this research note, we investigate how the explicit Runge–Kutta–Chebyshev (RKC) method performs compared to an implicit method when applied to astrophysical reactive flows. These integrators are applied to simulations of X-ray bursts arising from unstable thermonuclear burning of accreted fuel on the surface of neutron stars. We show that the RKC method performs with similar accuracy to our traditional implicit integrator, but is more computationally efficient when run on CPUs.

GPU computing↗

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF AN ENGINEERING SCALE HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM

This work evaluates the Modular Hydrothermal Liquefaction System (MHTLS), an engineering-scale, integrated continuous HTL plant operated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), for converting realistic wet wastes into energy-dense biocrudes. The production campaigns discussed here processed algae, sewage sludges, lignocellulosic blends, Industrial food waste, and engineered food-waste slurries at 350?°C and around 200?bar, with nominal feed rates of ~12?L?h?¹. We report biocrude yields and composition, establish mass and elemental (C, N) balances, and quantify energy performance via heater duties, heat-exchanger behavior, and system-level efficiencies. Biocrudes contained 76–80?wt?% C (dry, ash-free) with HHVs of 38-41?MJ?kg?¹, substantially higher than feed materials HHVs of 16.6–26.1?MJ?kg?¹ and approaching petroleum fuels. Dry, ash-free biocrude yields of 32–53?wt?% corresponded to 43–71?wt?% carbon yields, with 18–40?wt?% of feed carbon routed to the aqueous phase. Thermal efficiencies were 50-65%, and total energy efficiencies, including reactor heat input, were 35-55%. A counter-current tube-in-tube heat exchanger delivered U values of 200–450?W?m?²?K?¹, with fouling-induced declines impacting heat recovery and heater duty. The analysis highlights three priorities for the process intensification of HTL: robust, fouling-resistant heat recovery, hydrodynamically suitable reactor and heat-exchanger designs, simplified and predictable solids management, and biocrude-water separation.

Biocrude production↗

Cool core cycles: cold gas and AGN jet feedback in cluster cores

Using high-resolution 3D and 2D (axisymmetric) hydrodynamic simulations in spherical geometry, we study the evolution of cool cluster cores heated by feedback-driven bipolar active galactic nuclei (AGNs) jets. Condensation of cold gas, and the consequent enhanced accretion, is required for AGN feedback to balance radiative cooling with reasonable efficiencies, and to match the observed cool core properties. A feedback efficiency (mechanical luminosity ≈ ϵ M-dot {sub acc}c{sup 2}; where M-dot {sub acc} is the mass accretion rate at 1 kpc) as small as 6 × 10{sup −5} is sufficient to reduce the cooling/accretion rate by ∼10 compared to a pure cooling flow in clusters (with M{sub 200}≲7×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙}). This value is much smaller compared to the ones considered earlier, and is consistent with the jet efficiency and the fact that only a small fraction of gas at 1 kpc is accreted onto the supermassive black hole (SMBH). The feedback efficiency in earlier works was so high that the cluster core reached equilibrium in a hot state without much precipitation, unlike what is observed in cool-core clusters. We find hysteresis cycles in all our simulations with cold mode feedback: condensation of cold gas when the ratio of the cooling-time to the free-fall time (t{sub cool}/t{sub ff}) is ≲10 leads to a sudden enhancement in the accretion rate; a large accretion rate causes strong jets and overheating of the hot intracluster medium such that t{sub cool}/t{sub ff}>10; further condensation of cold gas is suppressed and the accretion rate falls, leading to slow cooling of the core and condensation of cold gas, restarting the cycle. Therefore, there is a spread in core properties, such as the jet power, accretion rate, for the same value of core entropy or t{sub cool}/t{sub ff}. A smaller number of cycles is observed for higher efficiencies and for lower mass halos because the core is overheated to a longer cooling time. The 3D simulations show the formation of a few-kpc scale, rotationally supported, massive (∼10{sup 11} M{sub ⊙}) cold gas torus. Since the torus gas is not accreted onto the SMBH, it is largely decoupled from the feedback cycle. The radially dominant cold gas (T < 5 × 10{sup 4} K; |v{sub r}|>|v{sub ϕ}|) consists of fast cold gas uplifted by AGN jets and freely infalling cold gas condensing out of the core. The radially dominant cold gas extends out to 25 kpc for the fiducial run (halo mass 7×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙} and feedback efficiency 6 × 10{sup −5}), with the average mass inflow rate dominating the outflow rate by a factor of ≈2. We compare our simulation results with recent observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Impact of in situ nuclear networks and atomic opacities on neutron star merger ejecta dynamics, nucleosynthesis, and kilonovae

Context. Binary neutron star merger (BNSM) ejecta are key sites of rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis and they produce kilonovae powered by the radioactive decay of freshly synthesized nuclei. Modeling their evolution requires multi-physics simulations involving hydrodynamics, nuclear reactions, and radiative processes. The impact of nuclear burning and atomic opacity is poorly understood and often treated with simplified prescriptions. Aims. We systematically investigate different treatments of nuclear heating, particle thermalization, and atomic opacities in radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of BNSM ejecta and kilonova light curves. Methods. Ejecta profiles from long-term numerical-relativity simulations of asymmetric neutron star binaries with a massive neutron star remnant were evolved to ∼30 days using a 2D ray-by-ray approach. We compared simplified heating-rate and thermalization prescriptions with in situ Nuclear reaction Network (NN) calculations that track nuclear energy deposition and include a composition-dependent thermalization scheme. We also contrasted various gray opacity models with a frequency-dependent treatment based on atomic calculations. Results. Coupling NN and hydrodynamics significantly affects nucleosynthesis and kilonova emission. Assuming homologous expansion alters abundance evolution and produces a narrower, less populated second r-process peak and a third peak shifted to higher mass numbers. The back-reaction of nuclear heating affects the temperature evolution enough to delay and redden the early (t∼ hours) kilonova peaks. A constant thermalization efficiency underestimates and reddens the early emission while overestimating the late-time luminosity compared to the composition-dependent treatment. Analytical opacity prescriptions yield a more extended, colder photosphere, resulting in dimmer, redder kilonovae at early times (t≲ hour), while the delayed recession of the photosphere prolongs the red emission at t ≳ 5 days. Conclusions. Coupling hydrodynamics to an in situ NN is crucial for reliable nucleosynthesis and kilonova predictions. Resolving the first several hundred milliseconds of the hydrodynamics is essential for robust nucleosynthesis calculations. Composition-dependent thermalization and frequency-dependent, atomic-physics-based opacities are needed to accurately capture the temperature evolution of the ejecta and the brightness and color evolution of the kilonova. Calibrated analytic nuclear-power fits with simplified thermalization and opacity prescriptions can still reproduce the density and temperature evolution of the ejecta.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Massive Galaxies Impede Massive Outflows

A set of 66 3D hydrodynamical simulations explores how galactic stellar mass affects three-phase, starburst-driven outflows. Simulated velocities are compared to two basic analytic models: with and without a gravitational potential. For stellar mass <1010 M ⊙, simulated velocities match those of both analytical models and are unaffected by the potential; above they reduce significantly as expected from the analytic model with gravity. Gravity also affects total outflow mass and each of the three phases differently. Outflow masses in the hot, warm, and cold phases each scale with stellar mass as $\mathrm{log}{M}_{* }\,=$ −0.25, −0.97, and −1.70, respectively. Thus, the commonly used Chevalier & Clegg analytic model should be modified to include gravity when applied to higher-mass galaxies. In particular, using M82 as the canonical galaxy to interpret hydrodynamical simulations of starburst-driven outflows from higher-mass galaxies will underestimate the retarding effect of gravity. Using the analytic model of Johnson & Axford with realistic thermalization efficiency and mass loading, I find that only galaxy masses lesssim10(exp 11.5) M(⊙) can outflow.

Ryan Tanner↗

Fragmentation of Kozai-Lidov disks

We analyze the gravitational instability (GI) of a locally isothermal inclined disk around one component of a binary system. Such a disk can undergo global Kozai–Lidov (KL) cycles if the initial disk tilt is above the critical KL angle (of about 40{sup ◦}). During these cycles, an initially circular disk exchanges its inclination for eccentricity, and vice versa. Self-gravity may suppress the cycles under some circumstances. However, with hydrodynamic simulations that include self-gravity, we show that for a sufficiently high initial disk tilts and for certain disk masses, disks can undergo KL oscillations and fragment due to GI, even when the Toomre Q value for an equivalent undisturbed disk is well within the stable regime (Q>2). We suggest that KL triggered disk fragmentation provides a mechanism for the efficient formation of giant planets in binary systems and may enhance the fragmentation of disks in massive black hole binaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Computational Relativistic Astrophysics Using the Flow Field-Dependent Variation Theory

We present our method for solving general relativistic nonideal hydrodynamics. Relativistic effects become pronounced in such cases as jet formation from black hole magnetized accretion disks which may lead to the study of gamma-ray bursts. Nonideal flows are present where radiation, magnetic forces, viscosities, and turbulence play an important role. Our concern in this paper is to reexamine existing numerical simulation tools as to the accuracy and efficiency of computations and introduce a new approach known as the flow field-dependent variation (FDV) method. The main feature of the FDV method consists of accommodating discontinuities of shock waves and high gradients of flow variables such as occur in turbulence and unstable motions. In this paper, the physics involved in the solution of relativistic hydrodynamics and solution strategies of the FDV theory are elaborated. The general relativistic astrophysical flow and shock solver (GRAFSS) is introduced, and some simple example problems for computational relativistic astrophysics (CRA) are demonstrated.

Richardson, G. A.↗

The AGORA High-Resolution Galaxy Simulations Comparison Project

Context. Satellite galaxies experience multiple physical processes when interacting with their host halos, often leading to the quenching of star formation. In the Local Group, satellite quenching has been shown to be highly efficient, affecting nearly all satellites except the most massive ones. While recent surveys study Milky Way-analogs to assess how representative our Local Group is, the dominant physical mechanisms behind satellite quenching in Milky Way-mass halos remain under debate. Aims. We analyze satellite quenching within the same Milky Way-mass halo simulated using various widely used astrophysical codes, each using different hydrodynamic methods and implementing different supernovae feedback recipes. The goal is to determine whether quenched fractions, quenching timescales, and the dominant quenching mechanisms are consistent across codes or if they show sensitivity to the specific hydrodynamic method and supernovae feedback physics employed. Methods. We used a subset of high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations of a Milky Way-mass halo from the multiple-code AGORA CosmoRun suite. Our analysis focuses on comparing satellite quenching across the different models and against observational data. We also analyzed the dominant mechanisms driving satellite quenching in each model. Results. We find that the quenched fraction is consistent with the latest SAGA Survey results within its 1σ host-to-host scatter across all the models. Regarding quenching timescales, all the models reproduce the trend observed in the ELVES survey, Local Group observations, and previous simulations: The less massive the satellite, the shorter its quenching timescale. All of our models converge on the dominant quenching mechanisms: Strangulation halts cold gas accretion in all satellites, while ram pressure stripping is the predominant mechanism for gas removal, and it is particularly effective in satellites with M * <10 8 M ⊙ . Nevertheless, the efficiency of the stripping mechanisms differs among the codes, showing a strong sensitivity to the different supernovae feedback implementations and/or hydrodynamic methods employed.

Local Group↗

Chitosan Depolymerization and Nanochitosan Production Using a Single Physical Procedure

The many applications of the chitosan biopolymers in the areas of nanotechnology and nanomaterials have led to the need to develop novel techniques suitable for the production of nanochitosan. At present these typically involve the use of chemical agents to form chitosan nanoparticles. Physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods have been described for the depolymerizatiton of chitosan. In this work, evaluation was made of the efficiency of a combination of physical methods, including milling of the raw material and drying of the final chitosan, in order to obtain nanochitosan with low molar mass. The results revealed the effectiveness of the combination of milling the raw material under controlled conditions for 4.5 h and drying of the chitosan by thermal shock, which provided depolymerization of up to 10× and resulted in chitosan with M{sub v} less than 21 kDa and hydrodynamic diameter below 30 nm.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Implementation of tritium transport in a gas-liquid contactor CFD simulation of tritium extraction from lead-lithium in ANSYS fluent

Modifications to the Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software ANSYS Fluent were done to quantify and characterize tritium transport in Gas-Liquid Contactors (GLCs). A double-slit, Ergun-like equation was employed for the porous media model, with Ergun coefficients validated with Sulzer’s Sulcol software. Tritium transport from PbLi within the GLC was verified against analytical models. The geometry of the CFD model was based on the MELODIE GLC experiment. The hydrodynamic CFD pressure drop results align well with SulCol estimations and fall between the predictions of the analytical Delft-Olujic and Billet & Schultes models. In terms of mass transfer efficiency, traditional mass transfer models showed a significant deviation from experimental results when using varying values of H solubility in PbLi. A saturation phenomenon occurred when utilizing high solubility values for hydrogen in PbLi. In conclusion, a modified film theory mass transfer coefficient, incorporating either the Delft-Olujic or Billet & Schultes wettability model, yielded CFD-predicted extraction efficiencies that closely matched experimental measurements.

70 - PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

An Open-Source Frequency-Domain Model for Floating Wind Turbine Design Optimization

A new frequency-domain dynamics model has been developed that uses open-source components to efficiently represent a complete floating wind turbine system. The model, called RAFT (Response Amplitudes of Floating Turbines), incorporates quasi-static mooring reactions, strip-theory and potential-flow hydrodynamics, blade-element-momentum aerodynamics, and linear turbine control. The formulation is compatible with a wide variety of support structure configurations and no manual or time-domain preprocessing steps are required, making RAFT very practical in design and optimization workflows. The model is applied to three reference floating wind turbine designs and its predictions are compared with results from time-domain OpenFAST simulations. There is good agreement in mean offsets as well the statistics and spectra of the dynamic response, verifying RAFT’s general suitability for floating wind analysis. Follow-on work will include verification of potential-flow and turbine-control features and application to optimization problems.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) Restoration in Puget Sound: Development of a Site Suitability Assessment Process

The restoration of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), a critical ecosystem component and ‘vital sign’ indicator of ecosystem health, is a high priority in Puget Sound, Washington, United States. In 2011, the state set a restoration target to increase eelgrass area by 4,200 ha, a 20%) increase over the present 21,500 ha by 2020. In a region as large and complex as Puget Sound, locating areas to restore eelgrass effectively and efficiently is challenging. We developed a modeling and screening process to identify and test potential restoration sites. The spatially explicit analysis of habitat suitability incorporated information from predictive models of hydrodynamics and eelgrass biomass, shoreline manager input, historical and current eelgrass area, substrate, stressors, test plantings, and monitoring of light, temperature, and survival. We evaluated 2,630 sites from which we identified 6,292 ha of highly to very highly suitable conditions for potential eelgrass habitat, which provides ample area for restoring eelgrass to meet the 20% target. Test plantings were successful at four of nine areas, and indicated significant site-specific data needs to improve predictive capability. We summarized the results of our analysis on maps of habitat suitability for the majority of the ~3,220 km of shoreline in Puget Sound, which serve as a starting point for restoration site selection and planning. Overall, our approach provides a foundation for identifying and testing potential restoration sites, and highlights information needs and potential management actions to reduce stressors and increase eelgrass cover to meet the challenging restoration goal.

eelgrass model, Puget Sound, restoration sites, Zo↗