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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

A RAPIDLY SPINNING BLACK HOLE POWERS THE EINSTEIN CROSS

Observations over the past 20 yr have revealed a strong relationship between the properties of the supermassive black hole lying at the center of a galaxy and the host galaxy itself. The magnitude of the spin of the black hole will play a key role in determining the nature of this relationship. To date, direct estimates of black hole spin have been restricted to the local universe. Herein, we present the results of an analysis of ∼0.5 Ms of archival Chandra observations of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q 2237+305 (aka the {sup E}instein-cross{sup )}, lying at a redshift of z = 1.695. The boost in flux provided by the gravitational lens allows constraints to be placed on the spin of a black hole at such high redshift for the first time. Utilizing state of the art relativistic disk reflection models, the black hole is found to have a spin of a{sub ∗}=0.74{sub −0.03}{sup +0.06} at the 90% confidence level. Placing a lower limit on the spin, we find a {sub *} ≥ 0.65 (4σ). The high value of the spin for the ∼10{sup 9} M {sub ☉} black hole in Q 2237+305 lends further support to the coherent accretion scenario for black hole growth. This is the most distant black hole for which the spin has been directly constrained to date.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Model-independent discovery prospects for primordial black holes at LIGO

ABSTRACT Primordial black holes may encode the conditions of the early Universe, and may even constitute a significant fraction of cosmological dark matter. Their existence has yet to be established. However, black holes with masses below ${\sim}{1}{\, \mathrm{M}_\odot }$ cannot form as an endpoint of stellar evolution, so the detection of even one such object would be a smoking gun for new physics, and would constitute evidence that at least a fraction of the dark matter consists of primordial black holes. Gravitational wave detectors are capable of making a definitive discovery of this kind by detecting mergers of light black holes. But since the merger rate depends strongly on the shape of the black hole mass function, it is difficult to determine the potential for discovery or constraint as a function of the overall abundance of black holes. Here, we directly maximize and minimize the merger rate to connect observational results to the actual abundance of observable objects. We show that LIGO can discover mergers of light primordial black holes within the next decade even if such black holes constitute only a very small fraction of dark matter. A single merger event involving such an object would (i) provide conclusive evidence of new physics, (ii) establish the nature of some fraction of dark matter, and (iii) probe cosmological history at scales far beyond those observable today.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Black hole phase transitions in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

We study black hole phase transitions in (deformed) Horava-Lifshitz (H-L) gravity, including the charged/uncharged topological black holes and KS black hole. Stability analysis and state space geometry are both used. We find interesting phase structures in these black holes, some of the properties are never observed in Einstein gravity. Particularly, the stability properties of black holes in H-L gravity with small radius change dramatically, which can be considered as a leak of information about the small scale behavior of spacetime. A new black hole local phase transition in H-L gravity which cannot be revealed by thermodynamical metrics has been found. There is an infinite discontinuity at the specific heat curve for charged black hole in H-L gravity with hyperbolic event horizon. However, this discontinuity does not have a corresponding curvature singularity of thermodynamical metrics. Our results may provide new insights towards a better understanding of the H-L gravity, as well as black hole thermodynamics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Event Horizon Image within Black Hole Shadow

We argue that a genuine image of the black hole viewed by a distant observer is not its shadow, but a more compact event horizon image probed by the luminous matter plunging into black hole. The external border of the black hole shadow is washed out by radiation from matter plunging into black hole and approaching the event horizon. This effect will crucially influence the results of future observations by the Event Horizon Telescope. We show that gravitational lensing of the luminous matter plunging into black hole provides the possibility for visualization of the event horizon. The lensed image of the event horizon is formed by the highly red-shifted photons emitted by the plunging matter very near the black hole event horizon and detected by a distant observer. The resulting event horizon image is a gravitationally lensed projection on the celestial sphere of the whole black hole event horizon sphere. Seemingly, black holes are the unique objects in the Universe which may be viewed by distant observers at once from both the front and back sides.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Machining Elimination through Application of Thread Forming Fasteners in Net-Shaped Cast Holes

The ultimate objective of this work was to eliminate approximately 30% of the machining performed in typical automotive engine and transmission plants by using thread forming fasteners in as-cast holes of aluminum and magnesium cast components. The primary issues at the source of engineers reluctance to implementing thread forming fasteners in lightweight castings are: • Little proof of consistency of clamp load vs. input torque in either aluminum or magnesium castings. • No known data to understand the effect on consistency of clamp load as casting dies wear. The clamp load consistency concern is founded in the fact that a portion of the input torque used to create clamp load is also used to create threads. The torque used for thread forming may not be consistent due to variations in casting material, hole size and shape due to tooling wear and process variation (thermal and mechanical). There is little data available to understand the magnitude of this concern or to form the basis of potential solutions if the range of clamp load variation is very high (> +/- 30%). The range of variation that can be expected in as-cast hole size and shape over the full life cycle of a high pressure die casting die was established in previous work completed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, (PNNL). This established range of variation was captured in a set of 12 cast bosses by designing core pins at the size and draft angles identified in the sited previous work. The cast bosses were cut into nuts that could be used in the Ford Fastener Laboratory test-cell to measure clamp load when a thread forming fastener was driven into a cast nut. There were two sets of experiments run. First, a series of cast aluminum nuts were made reflecting the range of shape and size variations to be expected over the life cycle of a die casting die. Taptite thread forming fasteners, (a widely used thread forming fastener suitable for aluminum applications), were driven into the various cored, as-cast nuts at a constant input torque and resulting clamp loads were recorded continuously. The clamp load data was used to determine the range of clamp loads to be expected. The bolts were driven to failure. The clamp load corresponding to the target input of 18.5 Nm was recorded for each fastener. In a like fashion, a second set of experiments were run with cast magnesium nuts and ALtracs thread forming fasteners, (a widely used thread forming fastener suitable for magnesium applications). Again all clamp loads were recorded and analyzed similarly to the Taptites in aluminum cast nuts. Results from previous work performed on the same test cell for a Battelle project using standard M8 bolts into standard M8 nuts were included as a comparator for a standard bolt and nut application. The results for the thread forming fasteners in aluminum cast holes were well within industry expectations of +/- 30% for out of the box and robustness range testing. The results for the dry and lubed extreme conditions were only slightly higher than industry expectations at +/- 35.6%. However, when compared to the actual Battelle results (+/- 40%) for a standard bolt and nut the tread forming fasteners performed slightly better. The results for the thread forming fasteners in magnesium cast holes were all well within industry expectations of +/- 30% for all three conditions. The robustness range (.05mm larger and smaller holes than the expected wear pattern of a die casting die at full life cycle) results also fell within the industry expectations for standard threaded fasteners. These results were very encouraging. It was concluded that this work showed that clamp load variation with thread forming fasteners is consistent with industry expectations for standard steel bolts and nuts at +/- 30%. There does not appear to be any significant increase in clamp load variation due to the application of thread forming fasteners in as-cast holes of aluminum or magnesium over the effective life of a die casting mold. The fully implemented potential benefit of thread forming fasteners in as-cast holes of aluminum and magnesium is estimated to be 6 trillion Btu per year for North America. Economic benefit is estimated to be nearly $800 million per year. Environmental benefits and quality improvements will also result from full implementation of this technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Shining Light on Quantum Gravity with Pulsar–Black hole Binaries

Pulsars are some of the most accurate clocks found in nature, while black holes offer a unique arena for the study of quantum gravity. As such, pulsar–black hole (PSR–BH) binaries provide ideal astrophysical systems for detecting the effects of quantum gravity. With the success of aLIGO and the advent of instruments like SKA and eLISA, the prospects for the discovery of such PSR–BH binaries are very promising. We argue that PSR–BH binaries can serve as ready-made testing grounds for proposed resolutions to the black hole information paradox. We propose using timing signals from a pulsar beam passing through the region near a black hole event horizon as a probe of quantum gravitational effects. In particular, we demonstrate that fluctuations of the geometry outside a black hole lead to an increase in the measured root mean square deviation of the arrival times of pulsar pulses traveling near the horizon. This allows for a clear observational test of the nonviolent nonlocality proposal for black hole information escape. For a series of pulses traversing the near-horizon region, this model predicts an rms in pulse arrival times of ∼30 μs for a 3M{sub ⊙} black hole, ∼0.3 ms for a 30M{sub ⊙} black hole, and ∼40 s for Sgr A*. The current precision of pulse time-of-arrival measurements is sufficient to discern these rms fluctuations. This work is intended to motivate observational searches for PSR–BH systems as a means of testing models of quantum gravity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigation of the Impedance Characteristics of Perforate Sheet Hole Clustering Over an Array of Uniform Depth Chambers

A series of normal incidence impedance tube tests are conducted to characterize the facesheet impedance differences between uniformly distributed and nonuniformly tightly packed hole layout patterns, defined here as "hole clustering." These hole clustered samples contain the same number of holes as their uniformly distributed counterparts but target edge to edge distances between holes down to 0.01". Resonant frequency shifts between uniformly distributed and hole clustered samples are presented to demonstrate potential design benefits. Mass end correction differences between samples are also shown to better quantify differences in designs, including the effect of acoustic particle velocity. It is found that hole clustered facesheets over an array of uniform depth chambers can provide significant reactance increases at minimal expense to resistance, thereby lowering resonant frequencies. Additionally, moving these hole clustered layouts toward common chamber corners provides additional resonance shifts to lower frequencies.

acoustic liner impedance hole clustering perforate↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Stress-Activated Positive Holes on the Redox Timing in Organisms Living at the Surface of Rocks: Unlocking Nature's Secrets

Stressing and deforming igneous and/or high-grade metamorphic rocks activates electronic charge carriers known as positive holes, h•, that are defect electrons in the O2–sublattice, e.g. O-states. Like h•in semiconductors, the h•in rocks affect electrical and thermal properties. They produce electrochemical reactions, localized electrical signals, and currents. In this study, we explore the effects of positive holes on the electron flow in the electron transport chain (ETC) of organisms living at the surface of rocks such as gabbro or granite. We found that positive holes, h•, disrupt the in vivotemporal coordination governed by oscillating reduction-oxidation reactions, known as the redox cycle. Positive holes affect the timing of the redox cycle by interacting with essentialmolecules in vivo, leading to the formation of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions. We observed that positive holes significantly impede the growth of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae(i.e., colony size) and delay the sprouting of broccoli seeds. Additionally, positive holes were found to exert discernible impacts on plant development such as stem length and leaf size. Our findings highlight the intricate interplay between positive holes, redox timing, and biological processes, shedding light on the potentially significant role of positive holes in influencing the growth and development of organisms in tectonically stressed crustal environments. Understanding these effects has implications for a broader understanding of redox biology and of how environmental factors can influence cellular development in natural settings.

hypermutation↗
DOE OSTI2012

Stability of Horava-Lifshitz Black Holes in the Context of AdS/CFT

The anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence is a powerful tool that promises to provide new insights toward a full understanding of field theories under extreme conditions, including but not limited to quark-gluon plasma, Fermi liquid, and superconductor. In many such applications, one typically models the field theory with asymptotically AdS black holes. These black holes are subjected to stringy effects that might render them unstable. Horava-Lifshitz gravity, in which space and time undergo different transformations, has attracted attention due to its power-counting renormalizability. In terms of AdS/CFT correspondence, Horava-Lifshitz black holes might be useful to model holographic superconductors with Lifshitz scaling symmetry. It is thus interesting to study the stringy stability of Horava-Lifshitz black holes in the context of AdS/CFT. We find that uncharged topological black holes in {lambda} = 1 Horava-Lifshitz theory are nonperturbatively stable, unlike their counterparts in Einstein gravity, with the possible exceptions of negatively curved black holes with detailed balance parameter {epsilon} close to unity. Sufficiently charged flat black holes for {epsilon} close to unity, and sufficiently charged positively curved black holes with {epsilon} close to zero, are also unstable. The implication to the Horava-Lifshitz holographic superconductor is discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

Microstructure, Morphology, and Nanomechanical Properties Near Fine Holes Produced by Electro-Discharge Machining

Fine holes in metal alloys are employed for many important technological purposes, including cooling and the precise atomization of liquids. For example, they play an important role in the metering and delivery of fuel to the combustion chambers in energy-efficient, low-emissions diesel engines. Electro-discharge machining (EDM) is one process employed to produce such holes. Since the hole shape and bore morphology can affect fluid flow, and holes also represent structural discontinuities in the tips of the spray nozzles, it is important to understand the microstructures adjacent to these holes, the features of the hole walls, and the nanomechanical properties of the material that was in some manner altered by the EDM hole-making process. Several techniques were used to characterize the structure and properties of spray-holes in a commercial injector nozzle. These include scanning electron microscopy, cross-sectioning and metallographic etching, bore surface roughness measurements by optical interferometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy of recast EDM layers extracted with the help of a focused ion beam.

electro-discharge machining↗
DOE OSTI2016

ChemCam investigation of the John Klein and Cumberland drill holes and tailings, Gale crater, Mars

The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover analyzed the rock surface, drill hole walls, tailings, and unprocessed and sieved dump piles to investigate chemical variations with depth in the first two martian drill holes and possible fractionation or segregation effects of the drilling and sample processing. Furthermore, the drill sites are both in Sheepbed Mudstone, the lowest exposed member of the Yellowknife Bay formation. Yellowknife Bay is composed of detrital basaltic materials in addition to clay minerals and an amorphous component. The drill tailings are a mixture of basaltic sediments and diagenetic material like calcium sulfate veins, while the shots on the drill site surface and walls of the drill holes are closer to those pure end members. The sediment dumped from the sample acquisition, processing, and handling subsystem is of similar composition to the tailings; however, due to the specifics of the drilling process the tailings and dump piles come from different depths within the hole. This then allows the ChemCam instrument to analyze samples representing the bulk composition from different depths. On the pre-drill surfaces, the Cumberland site has a greater amount of CaO and evidence for calcium sulfate veins, than the John Klein site. But, John Klein has a greater amount of calcium sulfate veins below the surface, as seen in mapping, drill hole wall analysis, and observations in the drill tailings and dump pile. In addition, the Cumberland site does not have any evidence of variations in bulk composition with depth down the drill hole, while the John Klein site has evidence for a greater amount of CaO (calcium sulfates) in the top portion of the hole compared to the middle section of the hole, where the drill sample was collected.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Non-Markovian Hole Excess Noise in Avalanche Amorphous Selenium Thin Films

Enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio in avalanche photodiodes by utilizing impact ionization gain requires materials exhibiting low excess noise factors. Amorphous selenium (a-Se) as a wide bandgap at ~2.1 eV, a solid-state avalanche layer, demonstrates single-carrier hole impact ionization gain and manifests ultralow thermal generation rates. A comprehensive study of the history dependent and non-Markovian nature of hot hole transport in a-Se was modeled using a Monte Carlo (MC) random walk of single hole free flights, interrupted by instantaneous phonon, disorder, hole–dipole, and impact-ionization scattering interactions. The hole excess noise factors were simulated for 0.1–15 μm a-Se thin-films as a function of mean avalanche gain. The hole excess noise factors in a-Se decreases with an increase in electric field, impact ionization gain, and device thickness. The history dependent nature of branching of holes is explained using a Gaussian avalanche threshold distance distribution and the dead space distance, which increases determinism in the stochastic impact ionization process. An ultralow non-Markovian excess noise factor of ~1 was simulated for 100 nm a-Se thin films corresponding to avalanche gains of 1000. Future detector designs can utilize the nonlocal/non-Markovian nature of the hole avalanche in a-Se, to enable a true solid-state photomultiplier with noiseless gain.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Hole Transfer Dynamics from a CdSe/CdS Quantum Rod to a Tethered Ferrocene Derivative

Hole transfer between a CdSe/CdS core/shell semiconductor nanorod and a surface-ligated alkyl ferrocene is investigated by a combination of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations and electrochemical and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements. The calculated driving force for hole transfer corresponds well with electrochemical measurements of nanorods partially ligated by 6-ferrocenylhexanethiolate. The calculations and the experiments suggest that single step hole transfer from the valence band to ferrocene is in the Marcus inverted region. Additionally, time-resolved photoluminescence data suggest that two-step hole transfer to ferrocene mediated by a deep trap state is unlikely. However, the calculations also suggest that shallow surface states of the CdS shell could play a significant role in mediating hole transfer as long as their energies are close enough to the nanorod highest occupied molecular orbital energy. Regardless of the detailed mechanism of hole transfer, our results suggest that holes may be extracted more efficiently from well-passivated nanocrystals by reducing the energetic driving force for hole transfer, thus minimizing energetic losses.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2023

Photon rings around warped black holes

Abstract The black hole photon ring is a prime target for upcoming space-based VLBI missions seeking to image the fine structure of astrophysical black holes. The classical Lyapunov exponents of the corresponding nearly bound null geodesics control the quasinormal ringing of a perturbed black hole as it settles back down to equilibrium, and they admit a holographic interpretation in terms of quantum Ruelle resonances of the microstate dual to the Kerr black hole. Recent work has identified a number of emergent symmetries related to the intricate self-similar structure of the photon ring. Here, we explore this web of interrelated phenomena in an exactly soluble example that arises as an approximation to the near-extremal Kerr black hole. The self-dual warped AdS 3 geometry has a photon ring as well as S L ( 2 , R ) isometries and an exactly calculable quasinormal mode (QNM) spectrum. We show explicitly that the geometric optics approximation reproduces the eikonal limit of the exact scalar QNM spectrum, as well as the approximate ‘near-ring’ wavefunctions. The S L ( 2 , R ) isometries are directly related to the emergent conformal symmetry of the photon ring in black hole images but are distinct from a recently discussed conformal symmetry of the eikonal QNM spectrum. The equivalence of the classical QNM spectrum—and thus the photon ring—to the quantum Ruelle resonances in the context of a spacetime with a putative holographic dual suggests that the photon ring of a warped black hole is indeed part of the black hole hologram.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Primordial black hole formation by vacuum bubbles. Part II

The discoveries of LIGO/Virgo black holes in recent years have revitalized the study of primordial black holes. In this work we investigate a mechanism where primordial black holes are formed by vacuum bubbles that randomly nucleate during inflation through quantum tunneling. After inflation, these bubbles typically run into the ambient radiation fluid with a large Lorentz factor. In our previous work, we assumed the bubble fields are strongly coupled to the standard model particles so that the bubble wall is impermeable. Here we complete this picture by considering bubbles interacting with the fluid only through gravity. By studying the scenario in several limits, we found that black holes could form in the either subcritical or supercritical regime. Depending on the model parameters, the resulting mass spectrum of the black holes could be wide or narrow, and may develop two peaks separated by a large mass range. Finally, with different spectra, these black holes may account for the LIGO/Virgo black holes, supermassive black holes, and may play an important role in dark matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dark black holes in the mass gap

Abstract In the standard picture of stellar evolution, pair-instability — the energy loss in stellar cores due to electron-positron pair production — is predicted to prevent the collapse of massive stars into black holes with mass in the range between approximately 50 and 130 solar masses — a range known as the “black hole mass gap”. LIGO and Virgo detection of black hole binary mergers containing one or both black holes with masses in thismass gapthus challenges the standard picture, possibly pointing to an unexpected merger history, unanticipated or poorly understood astrophysical mechanisms, or new physics. Here, we entertain the possibility that a “dark sector” exists, consisting of dark electrons, dark protons, and electromagnetic-like interactions, but no nuclear forces. Dark stars would inevitably form given such dark sector constituents, possibly collapsing into black holes with masses within the mass gap. We study in detail the cooling processes necessary for successful stellar collapse in the dark sector and show that for suitable choices of the particle masses, we indeed predict populating the mass gap with dark sector black holes. In particular, we numerically find that the heavier of the two dark sector massive particles cannot be lighter than, approximately, the visible sector proton for the resulting dark sector black holes to have masses within the mass gap. We discuss constraints on this scenario and how to test it with future, larger black hole merger statistics.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2023

G objects and primordial black holes

We suggest that "G objects" recently discovered in the Galactic Center may be clouds of gas bound by the gravitational field of stellar-mass black holes produced in the interactions of sublunar primordial black holes with neutron stars. If dark matter is composed of primordial black holes with masses (10 –16 –10 –10 )M ⊙ , these black holes can be captured by neutron stars in the Galactic Center, where the dark matter density is high. After the capture, the neutron star is consumed by the black hole, resulting in a population of (1–2)M ⊙ black holes. Furthermore, these stellar-mass black holes, accompanied by gaseous atmospheres, can account for the observed properties of the G objects, including their resilience to tidal disruption by the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center while also producing emission consistent with inferred luminosities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Detecting axion dark matter with black hole polarimetry

The axion, as a leading dark matter candidate, is the target of many ongoing and proposed experimental searches based on its coupling to photons. Ultralight axions that couple to photons can also cause polarization rotation of light which can be probed by the cosmic microwave background. In this work, we show that a large axion field is inevitably developed around black holes due to the Bose-Einstein condensation of axions, enhancing the induced birefringence effects. Therefore, measuring the modulation of supermassive black hole imaging polarization angles is a strong probe to the axion-photon coupling due to the formation of the axion condensation (axion star) which enhances the axion field. The oscillating axion field around black holes induces polarization rotation on the black hole image, which is detectable and distinguishable from astrophysical effects on the polarization angle, as it exhibits distinctive temporal variability and frequency invariability. In this work, we perform the theoretical calculation on the axion star formation rate and correspondingly the enhanced axion field value near supermassive black holes. Then, we present the range of axion-photon couplings within the axion mass range 10 − 21 – 10 − 16 eV that can be probed by the Event Horizon Telescope. The axion parameter space probed by black hole polarimetry will expand with the improvement in sensitivity on the polarization measurement and more black hole polarimetry targets with determined black hole masses. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗