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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

A simple model of multiphoton micromachining in silk hydrogels

High resolution three-dimensional voids can be directly written into transparent silk fibroin hydrogels using ultrashort pulses of near-infrared (NIR) light. Here, we propose a simple finite-element model that can be used to predict the size and shape of individual features under various exposure conditions. We compare predicted and measured feature volumes for a wide range of parameters and use the model to determine optimum conditions for maximum material removal. The simplicity of the model implies that the mechanism of multiphoton induced void creation in silk is due to direct absorption of light energy rather than diffusion of heat or other photoproducts, and confirms that multiphoton absorption of NIR light in silk is purely a 3-photon process.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Study on air ingress phenomena during a depressurization accident of a VHTR - 18632

A depressurization accident is the one of the design-basis accidents of a Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR). When a depressurization accident occurs, air is expected to enter into the reactor pressure vessel from the breach and oxidize in-core graphite structures. Therefore, it is important to understand the mixing processes of different kinds of gases in the stable and unstable stratified fluid layers. In particular, it is also important to examine the influence of localized natural convection and molecular diffusion on the mixing process from a safety viewpoint. Therefore, in order to predict or analyze the air ingress phenomena during a depressurization accident, it is important to develop a method for the prevention of air ingress during an accident. We carried out experiments and numerical analysis using three-dimensional (3D) CFD code to obtain the mixing process of two-component gases and the flow characteristics of localized natural convection. This study also investigated a control method for the natural circulation of air through the injection of helium gas. The numerical model consists of a storage tank and a reverse U-shaped vertical rectangular passage. They are separated by a horizontal partition plate. One sidewall of the high-temperature side vertical passage is heated and the other sidewall is cooled. The low-temperature vertical passage is cooled by ambient air. The experimental procedures and numerical analysis process are as follows. Firstly, the storage tank is filled with heavy gas and the reverse U-shaped vertical passage is filled with a light gas. In the vertical passage of the high-temperature side, localized natural convection is generated by the temperature difference between the vertical walls. These flow characteristics were obtained from the experiments and steady-state analysis. The experiment and analysis began after the partition plate was opened. The results obtained from the experiments were quantitatively simulated using 3D numerical analysis. The two component gases were mixed via molecular diffusion and natural convection. After some time elapsed, natural circulation occurred through the reverse U-shaped vertical passage. These flow characteristics are the same as those of phenomena generated in the passage between a permanent reflector and a pressure vessel wall of the VHTR. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Conditional guided generative diffusion for particle accelerator beam diagnostics

Abstract Advanced accelerator-based light sources such as free electron lasers (FEL) accelerate highly relativistic electron beams to generate incredibly short (10s of femtoseconds) coherent flashes of light for dynamic imaging, whose brightness exceeds that of traditional synchrotron-based light sources by orders of magnitude. FEL operation requires precise control of the shape and energy of the extremely short electron bunches whose characteristics directly translate into the properties of the produced light. Control of short intense beams is difficult due to beam characteristics drifting with time and complex collective effects such as space charge and coherent synchrotron radiation. Detailed diagnostics of beam properties are therefore essential for precise beam control. Such measurements typically rely on a destructive approach based on a combination of a transverse deflecting resonant cavity followed by a dipole magnet in order to measure a beam’s 2D time vs energy longitudinal phase-space distribution. In this paper, we develop a non-invasive virtual diagnostic of an electron beam’s longitudinal phase space at megapixel resolution (1024 × 1024) based on a generative conditional diffusion model. We demonstrate the model’s generative ability on experimental data from the European X-ray FEL.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Electrospun Conjugated Polymer/Fullerene Hybrid Fibers: Photoactive Blends, Conductivity through Tunneling-AFM, Light Scattering, and Perspective for Their Use in Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells

Hybrid conjugated polymer/fullerene filaments based on MEH-PPV/PVP/PCBM were prepared by electrospinning, and their properties were assessed by scanning electron, atomic and lateral-force, tunneling, and confocal microscopies, as well as by attenuated-total-reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence quantum yield, and spatially resolved fluorescence. Highlighted features include the ribbon shape of the realized fibers and the persistence of a network serving as a template for heterogeneous active layers in solar cell devices. A set of favorable characteristics is evidenced in this way in terms of homogeneous charge-transport behavior and formation of effective interfaces for diffusion and dissociation of photogenerated excitons. The interaction of the organic filaments with light, exhibiting specific light-scattering properties of the nanofibrous mat, might also contribute to spreading incident radiation across the active layers, thus potentially enhancing photovoltaic performance. Finally, this method might be applied to other electron donor–electron acceptor material systems for the fabrication of solar cell devices enhanced by nanofibrillar morphologies embedding conjugated polymers and fullerene compounds.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Diffuse γ-ray emission from unresolved BL Lac objects

Blazars, active galactic nuclei with a jet pointing toward the Earth, represent the most abundant class of high-energy extragalactic γ-ray sources. The subset of blazars known as BL Lac objects is on average closer to Earth (i.e., younger) and characterized by harder spectra at high energy than the whole sample. The fraction of BL Lacs that is too dim to be detected and resolved by current γ-ray telescopes is therefore expected to contribute to the high-energy isotropic diffuse γ-ray background (IGRB). The IGRB has been recently measured over a wide energy range by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi). We present a new prediction of the diffuse γ-ray flux due to the unresolved BL Lac blazar population. The model is built upon the spectral energy distribution and the luminosity function derived from the fraction of BL Lacs detected (and spectrally characterized) in the γ-ray energy range. We focus our attention on the O(100) GeV energy range, predicting the emission up to the TeV scale and taking into account the absorption on the extragalactic background light. In order to better shape the BL Lac spectral energy distribution, we combine the Fermi-LAT data with Imaging Atmospheric Cerenkov Telescope measurements of the most energetic sources. Our analysis is carried on separately for low- and intermediate-synchrotron-peaked BL Lacs on the one hand and high-synchrotron-peaked BL Lacs on the other hand: we find in fact statistically different features for the two. The diffuse emission from the sum of both BL Lac classes increases from about 10% of the measured IGRB at 100 MeV to ∼100% of the data level at 100 GeV. At energies greater than 100 GeV, our predictions naturally explain the IGRB data, accommodating their softening with increasing energy. Uncertainties are estimated to be within of a factor of two of the best-fit flux up to 500 GeV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A Post-Occupancy Monitored Evaluation of the Dimmable Lighting, Automated Shading, and Underfloor Air Distribution System in The New York Times Building

With aggressive goals to reduce national energy use and carbon emissions, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be looking to exemplary buildings that have already invested in new approaches to achieving the energy performance goals now needed at a national level. The New York Times Building, in New York, New York, incorporates a number of innovative technologies, systems and processes and could become model for widespread replication in new and existing buildings. A year-long monitored study was conducted to verify energy performance, assess occupant comfort and satisfaction with the indoor environment, and evaluate impact on maintenance and operations. Lessons learned were derived from the analysis; these lessons could help identify and shape policy, financial, or supporting strategies to accelerate diffusion in the commercial building market.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Correlating hydrodynamic radii with that of two-dimensional nanoparticles

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is one of the most adapted methods to measure the size of nanoparticles, as referred to the hydrodynamic radii (R{sub h}). However, the R{sub h} represents only that of three-dimensional spherical nanoparticles. In the present research, the size of two-dimensional (2D) nanoparticles of yttrium oxide (Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and zirconium phosphate (ZrP) was evaluated through comparing their hydrodynamic diameters via DLS with lateral sizes obtained using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We demonstrate that the hydrodynamic radii are correlated with the lateral sizes of both square and circle shaped 2D nanoparticles. Two proportional coefficients, i.e., correcting factors, are proposed for the Brownian motion status of 2D nanoparticles. The correction is possible by simplifying the calculation of integrals in the case of small thickness approximation. The correcting factor has great significance for investigating the translational diffusion behavior of 2D nanoparticles in a liquid and in effective and low-cost measurement in terms of size and morphology of shape-specific nanoparticles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Time-resolved single-photon detection module based on silicon photomultiplier: A novel building block for time-correlated measurement systems

We present the design and preliminary characterization of the first detection module based on Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) tailored for single-photon timing applications. The aim of this work is to demonstrate, thanks to the design of a suitable module, the possibility to easily exploit SiPM in many applications as an interesting detector featuring large active area, similarly to photomultipliers tubes, but keeping the advantages of solid state detectors (high quantum efficiency, low cost, compactness, robustness, low bias voltage, and insensitiveness to magnetic field). The module integrates a cooled SiPM with a total photosensitive area of 1 mm{sup 2} together with the suitable avalanche signal read-out circuit, the signal conditioning, the biasing electronics, and a Peltier cooler driver for thermal stabilization. It is able to extract the single-photon timing information with resolution better than 100 ps full-width at half maximum. We verified the effective stabilization in response to external thermal perturbations, thus proving the complete insensitivity of the module to environment temperature variations, which represents a fundamental parameter to profitably use the instrument for real-field applications. We also characterized the single-photon timing resolution, the background noise due to both primary dark count generation and afterpulsing, the single-photon detection efficiency, and the instrument response function shape. The proposed module can become a reliable and cost-effective building block for time-correlated single-photon counting instruments in applications requiring high collection capability of isotropic light and detection efficiency (e.g., fluorescence decay measurements or time-domain diffuse optics systems).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

The burrell schmidt deep virgo survey: tidal debris, galaxy halos, and diffuse intracluster light in the virgo cluster

We present the results of a deep imaging survey of the Virgo cluster of galaxies, concentrated around the cores of Virgo subclusters A and B. The goal of this survey was to detect and study very low surface brightness features present in Virgo, including discrete tidal features, the faint halos of luminous galaxies, and the diffuse intracluster light (ICL). Our observations span roughly 16 degrees{sup 2} in two filters, reaching a 3σ limiting depth of μ{sub B} = 29.5 and μ{sub V} = 28.5 mag arcsec{sup −2}. At these depths, our limiting systematic uncertainties are astrophysical: variations in faint background sources as well as scattered light from galactic dust. We show that this dust-scattered light is well traced by deep far-infrared imaging, making it possible to separate it from true diffuse light in Virgo. We use our imaging to trace and measure the color of the diffuse tidal streams and ICL in the Virgo core near M87, in fields adjacent to the core including the M86/M84 region, and to the south of the core around M49 and subcluster B, along with the more distant W{sup ′} cloud around NGC 4365. Overall, the bulk of the projected ICL is found in the Virgo core and within the W{sup ′} cloud; we find little evidence for an extensive ICL component in the field around M49. The bulk of the ICL we detect is fairly red in color (B − V = 0.7–0.9), indicative of old, evolved stellar populations. Based on the luminosity of the observed ICL features in the cluster, we estimate a total Virgo ICL fraction of 7%–15%. This value is somewhat smaller than that expected for massive, evolved clusters, suggesting that Virgo is still in the process of growing its extended ICL component. We also trace the shape of M87's extremely boxy outer halo out to ∼150 kpc, and show that the current tidal stripping rate from low luminosity galaxies is insufficient to have built M87's outer halo over a Hubble time. We identify a number of previously unknown low surface brightness structures around galaxies projected close to M86 and M84. The extensive diffuse light seen in the infalling W{sup ′} cloud around NGC 4365 is likely to be subsumed in the general Virgo ICL component once the group enters the cluster, illustrating the importance of group infall in generating ICL. Finally, we also identify another large and extremely low surface brightness ultradiffuse galaxy, likely in the process of being shredded by the cluster tidal field. With the survey complete, the full imaging data set is now available for public release.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Experimental and computational results on exciton/free-carrier ratio, hot/thermalized carrier diffusion, and linear/nonlinear rate constants affecting scintillator proportionality

Models of nonproportional response in scintillators have highlighted the importance of parameters such as branching ratios, carrier thermalization times, diffusion, kinetic order of quenching, associated rate constants, and radius of the electron track. For example, the fraction ηeh of excitations that are free carriers versus excitons was shown by Payne and coworkers to have strong correlation with the shape of electron energy response curves from Compton-coincidence studies. Rate constants for nonlinear quenching are implicit in almost all models of nonproportionality, and some assumption about track radius must invariably be made if one is to relate linear energy deposition dE/dx to volume-based excitation density n (eh/cm3) in terms of which the rates are defined. Diffusion, affecting time-dependent track radius and thus density of excitations, has been implicated as an important factor in nonlinear light yield. Several groups have recently highlighted diffusion of hot electrons in addition to thermalized carriers and excitons in scintillators. However, experimental determination of many of these parameters in the insulating crystals used as scintillators has seemed difficult. Subpicosecond laser techniques including interband z scan light yield, fluence-dependent decay time, and transient optical absorption are now yielding experimental values for some of the missing rates and ratios needed for modeling scintillator response. First principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations can fill in additional parameters still unavailable from experiment. As a result, quantitative modeling of scintillator electron energy response from independently determined material parameters is becoming possible on an increasingly firmer data base. This paper describes recent laser experiments, calculations, and numerical modeling of scintillator response.

Williams, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2013

MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF THE PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION IN GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

We studied the decoupling of photons from ultra-relativistic spherically symmetric outflows expanding with constant velocity by means of Monte Carlo simulations. For outflows with finite widths we confirm the existence of two regimes: photon-thick and photon-thin, introduced recently by Ruffini et al. (RSV). The probability density function of the last scattering of photons is shown to be very different in these two cases. We also obtained spectra as well as light curves. In the photon-thick case, the time-integrated spectrum is much broader than the Planck function and its shape is well described by the fuzzy photosphere approximation introduced by RSV. In the photon-thin case, we confirm the crucial role of photon diffusion, hence the probability density of decoupling has a maximum near the diffusion radius well below the photosphere. The time-integrated spectrum of the photon-thin case has a Band shape that is produced when the outflow is optically thick and its peak is formed at the diffusion radius.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Environmental controls on the light use efficiency of terrestrial gross primary production

Abstract Gross primary production (GPP) by terrestrial ecosystems is a key quantity in the global carbon cycle. The instantaneous controls of leaf‐level photosynthesis are well established, but there is still no consensus on the mechanisms by which canopy‐level GPP depends on spatial and temporal variation in the environment. The standard model of photosynthesis provides a robust mechanistic representation for C 3 species; however, additional assumptions are required to “scale up” from leaf to canopy. As a consequence, competing models make inconsistent predictions about how GPP will respond to continuing environmental change. This problem is addressed here by means of an empirical analysis of the light use efficiency (LUE) of GPP inferred from eddy covariance carbon dioxide flux measurements, in situ measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and remotely sensed estimates of the fraction of PAR (fAPAR) absorbed by the vegetation canopy. Focusing on LUE allows potential drivers of GPP to be separated from its overriding dependence on light. GPP data from over 100 sites, collated over 20 years and located in a range of biomes and climate zones, were extracted from the FLUXNET2015 database and combined with remotely sensed fAPAR data to estimate daily LUE. Daytime air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, diffuse fraction of solar radiation, and soil moisture were shown to be salient predictors of LUE in a generalized linear mixed‐effects model. The same model design was fitted to site‐based LUE estimates generated by 16 terrestrial ecosystem models. The published models showed wide variation in the shape, the strength, and even the sign of the environmental effects on modeled LUE. These findings highlight important model deficiencies and suggest a need to progress beyond simple “goodness of fit” comparisons of inferred and predicted carbon fluxes toward an approach focused on the functional responses of the underlying dependencies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

In situ estimation of ice crystal properties at the South Pole using LED calibration data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory instruments about 1 km 3 of deep, glacial ice at the geographic South Pole. It uses 5160 photomultipliers to detect Cherenkov light emitted by charged relativistic particles. An unexpected light propagation effect observed by the experiment is an anisotropic attenuation, which is aligned with the local flow direction of the ice. We examine birefringent light propagation through the polycrystalline ice microstructure as a possible explanation for this effect. The predictions of a first-principles model developed for this purpose, in particular curved light trajectories resulting from asymmetric diffusion, provide a qualitatively good match to the main features of the data. This in turn allows us to deduce ice crystal properties. Since the wavelength of the detected light is short compared to the crystal size, these crystal properties include not only the crystal orientation fabric, but also the average crystal size and shape, as a function of depth. By adding small empirical corrections to this first-principles model, a quantitatively accurate description of the optical properties of the IceCube glacial ice is obtained. In this paper, we present the experimental signature of ice optical anisotropy observed in IceCube light-emitting diode (LED) calibration data, the theory and parameterization of the birefringence effect, the fitting procedures of these parameterizations to experimental data, and the inferred crystal properties.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Suppression of external quantum efficiency roll-off of nanopatterned organic-light emitting diodes at high current densities

We developed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with nanopatterned current flow regions using electron-beam lithography with the aim of suppressing singlet–polaron annihilation (SPA). Nanopatterns composed of lines and circles were used in the current flow regions of nano-line and nano-dot OLEDs, respectively. Excitons partially escape from the current flow regions where SPA takes place. As such, current densities where external quantum efficiencies were half of their initial values (J{sub 0}) increased as line width and circle diameter were decreased to close to the exciton diffusion length. Circles were more efficient at enhancing exciton escape and increasing J{sub 0} than lines. The J{sub 0} increase in the nano-dot OLEDs containing nanopatterned circles with a diameter of 50 nm was approximately 41-fold that of a conventional OLED with a current flow region of 4 mm{sup 2}. The dependence of J{sub 0} on the size and shape of the nanopatterns was well explained by an SPA model that considered exciton diffusion. Nanopatterning of OLEDs is a feasible method of obtaining large J{sub 0}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

RADIATION TRANSPORT FOR EXPLOSIVE OUTFLOWS: OPACITY REGROUPING

Implicit Monte Carlo (IMC) and Discrete Diffusion Monte Carlo (DDMC) are methods used to stochastically solve the radiative transport and diffusion equations, respectively. These methods combine into a hybrid transport-diffusion method we refer to as IMC-DDMC. We explore a multigroup IMC-DDMC scheme that in DDMC, combines frequency groups with sufficient optical thickness. We term this procedure ''opacity regrouping''. Opacity regrouping has previously been applied to IMC-DDMC calculations for problems in which the dependence of the opacity on frequency is monotonic. We generalize opacity regrouping to non-contiguous groups and implement this in SuperNu, a code designed to do radiation transport in high-velocity outflows with non-monotonic opacities. We find that regrouping of non-contiguous opacity groups generally improves the speed of IMC-DDMC radiation transport. We present an asymptotic analysis that informs the nature of the Doppler shift in DDMC groups and summarize the derivation of the Gentile-Fleck factor for modified IMC-DDMC. We test SuperNu using numerical experiments including a quasi-manufactured analytic solution, a simple 10 group problem, and the W7 problem for Type Ia supernovae. We find that opacity regrouping is necessary to make our IMC-DDMC implementation feasible for the W7 problem and possibly Type Ia supernova simulations in general. We compare the bolometric light curves and spectra produced by the SuperNu and PHOENIX radiation transport codes for the W7 problem. The overall shape of the bolometric light curves are in good agreement, as are the spectra and their evolution with time. However, for the numerical specifications we considered, we find that the peak luminosity of the light curve calculated using SuperNu is ∼10% less than that calculated using PHOENIX.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ideal square quantum wells achieved in AlGaN/GaN superlattices using ultrathin blocking-compensation pair

A technique for achieving square-shape quantum wells (QWs) against the intrinsic polar discontinuity and interfacial diffusion through self-compensated pair interlayers is reported. Ultrathin low-and-high % pair interlayers that have diffusion-blocking and self-compensation capacities is proposed to resist the elemental diffusion at nanointerfaces and to grow the theoretically described abrupt rectangular AlGaN/GaN superlattices by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Light emission efficiency in such nanostructures is effectively enhanced and the quantum-confined Stark effect could be partially suppressed. This concept could effectively improve the quality of ultrathin QWs in functional nanostructures with other semiconductors or through other growth methods.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modelling the flux distribution function of the extragalactic gamma-ray background from dark matter annihilation

The one-point function (i.e., the isotropic flux distribution) is a complementary method to (anisotropic) two-point correlations in searches for a gamma-ray dark matter annihilation signature. Using analytical models of structure formation and dark matter halo properties, we compute the gamma-ray flux distribution due to annihilations in extragalactic dark matter halos, as it would be observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Combining the central limit theorem and Monte Carlo sampling, we show that the flux distribution takes the form of a narrow Gaussian of 'diffuse' light, with an 'unresolved point source' power-law tail as a result of bright halos. We argue that this background due to dark matter constitutes an irreducible and significant background component for point-source annihilation searches with galaxy clusters and dwarf spheroidal galaxies, modifying the predicted signal-to-noise ratio. A study of astrophysical backgrounds to this signal reveals that the shape of the total gamma-ray flux distribution is very sensitive to the contribution of a dark matter component, allowing us to forecast promising one-point upper limits on the annihilation cross-section. We show that by using the flux distribution at only one energy bin, one can probe the canonical cross-section required for explaining the relic density, for dark matter of masses around tens of GeV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL ANTINEUTRINO SOURCES WITH THE KamLAND DETECTOR

We present the results of a search for extraterrestrial electron antineutrinos ({nu}-bar{sub e}'s) in the energy range 8.3 MeV < E{sub {nu}}-bar{sub e} < 31.8 MeV using the KamLAND detector. In an exposure of 4.53 kton-year, we identify 25 candidate events. All of the candidate events can be attributed to background, most importantly neutral current atmospheric neutrino interactions, setting an upper limit on the probability of {sup 8}B solar {nu}{sub e}'s converting into {nu}-bar{sub e}'s at 5.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} (90% CL), if we assume an undistorted {nu}-bar{sub e} shape. This limit corresponds to a solar {nu}-bar{sub e} flux of 93 cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} or an event rate of 1.6 events (kton - year){sup -1} above the energy threshold (E{sub {nu}}-bar{sub e}>=8.3 MeV). The present data also allows us to set more stringent limits on the diffuse supernova neutrino flux and on the annihilation rates for light dark matter particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗