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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Enter the AHU (36th Chamber of ASHRAE): A Multi-site Field Study of ASHRAE G36

Despite being recognized as the best practice for advanced building controls, ASHRAE Guideline 36 (G36) has seen slow adoption in retrofit cases. Decisionmakers lack credible field evidence to justify the time and person-power investment. Most prior analyses have relied on software simulations, which overlook implementation challenges and fail to persuade owners to move from models to real-world deployment. This paper presents a multi-site field study of G36 performance, drawing on measured results from 17 projects across diverse building types and climate zones. The analysis disaggregates outcomes by the most widely adopted air handling unit (AHU) based G36 strategies, including trim-and-respond approaches to supply air temperature (SAT) and duct static pressure (DSP) reset, and economizer controls. Results for controls re programming implementations are encouraging, with HVAC savings ranging from 2% - 49%, with a median of 18%. The range aligns with simulation study findings showing 1% - 46% savings through these three strategies. These findings show that even without capital investment in control infrastructure upgrades, existing building owners are reaping significant benefits from updating HVAC sequences of operation to industry best-practice solutions. The results give practitioners and decisionmakers a reference point on what to expect, which strategies deliver, and how field performance may compare to simulation.

Deshpande, Reva↗
DOE OSTI2026

TRACE Input Modernization

This work presents a Tom’s Obvious Minimal Language (TOML)-based representation of input for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) thermal hydraulics code. Implemented using the Workbench Analysis Sequence Processor (WASP), the approach maps traditional TRACE input structures to a hierarchical format composed of named parameters, typed values, and native data collections. The resulting representation preserves TRACE’s existing modeling capabilities while providing a modern, structured interface for model development and management. WASP further extends TOML through a file import directive that supports modular model composition and reusable input organization. In addition, WASP provides extended array data entry convenience with various data repeat and interpolation capabilities. Examples of the new TOML syntax are provided for major TRACE input categories, including hydraulic components, heat structures, control systems, and trip logic. The TOML representation establishes a foundation for improved validation, tooling, automation, and model maintainability while remaining compatible with existing TRACE workflows. To facilitate migration to the TOML-based input format, the TRACE executable now supports conversion of native TRACE input into an intermediate JSON representation. A Python utility subsequently transforms the JSON data into an equivalent TOML model. Lastly, the TRACE executable now supports execution using TOML-formatted input.

Lefebvre, Robert A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2026

Peptoid-Based Nanosheets Exhibiting Broad Antiviral Activity Against Enveloped RNA Viruses

Enveloped RNA viruses, such as Influenza A (H1N1) and Sindbis virus, pose persistent global health threats due to their high mutation rates, efficient transmission, and frequent drug resistance. By mimicking host cell membrane receptors, multivalent virus inhibitors can block viral attachment, making them promising broad-spectrum antiviral agents. However, most of existing antivirals are often limited by strain specificity, short-lived efficacy, and toxicity. Here, we introduce a broad-spectrum antiviral platform based on highly tunable and biocompatible two-dimensional nanomembranes (2DNMs) self-assembled from amphiphilic peptoids, operating via a non-genomic, mutation-insensitive mechanism. By varying peptoid sequence, we design and synthesize over twenty different 2DNMs with various surface charge and high density of viral-attachment ligands (VALs). The self-assembled architecture of these stable 2DNMs provides cooperative noncovalent multivalent binding to virus particles that result in effective inhibition of viral infection. Screening of variants identified three leads that potently suppressed Influenza A (H1N1) and Sindbis virus infection across median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50), plaque, RT–qPCR, and immunofluorescence assays, while maintaining >90% cell viability. These nanosheets significantly reduced infectious titers, viral RNA replication, and intracellular viral protein expression, indicating inhibition at early stages of viral entry and propagation. The sequence programmability, chemical robustness, and mutation-insensitive antiviral activity distinguish 2DNMs from traditional antivirals and positions them as a versatile materials platform for antiviral coatings, protective barriers, and prophylactic biomedical applications.

Influenza A virus↗
DOE OSTI2026

Topographic effects on reflected acoustic waves from the OSIRIS-REx reentry observed from stratospheric balloons

During long-distance sound propagation in planetary atmospheres, acoustic waves may reflect off the air/surface interface one or more times. For low sound frequencies and flat interfaces, the incident and reflected wave tend to be nearly identical. However, this may not be the case when the downgoing acoustic wave encounters topography. Here, we describe a set of direct and reflected acoustic signals recorded on free-flying balloons during the hypersonic entry of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule (SRC). In two of the three cases presented here, an impulsive reflected arrival similar in form to the direct sonic boom of the SRC is observed, followed by a diffuse coda. In contrast, one of the floating stations lacked an impulsive reflection entirely, with only the coda present. We use full waveform modeling to show how reflection in the presence of complex topography can explain coda seen in all three examples as well as the lack of impulsive arrival on the third. Our results indicate that the complex signals often observed in long range acoustic propagation could be due, in part, to interactions with topography during transmission.

Lees, Jonathan M. [University of North Carolina, C↗
DOE OSTI2026

From Bricks to Clicks: Mapping the White Space in Building Innovation

It is a critical national imperative to transform the buildings sector, yet innovation is impeded by deployment failures that leave promising technologies stranded. Conventional market reports and techno-economic analysis provide an insufficient understanding of markets and resource allocation for emerging building technologies. They omit crucial commercialization factors such as ecosystem maturity and adoption friction, where the coordinated participation of a network of suppliers, contractors, financiers, regulators, and integrators is required to scale solutions. This study addresses these gaps by introducing an evaluation framework grounded in front-line data from six years of the DOE's IMPEL incubator, comprising experience from 300 building-sector innovators and the adjacent, complex ecosystem. Our methodology synthesizes top-down market analysis with bottom-up, practitioner-level data across five megatrends: (M1) Affordable materials and industrialized construction; (M2) Healthy and efficient mechanical systems; (M3) Intelligent building operations; (M4) Buildings as grid assets; and (M5) High-density power and cooling for data centers and therein identify twelve "white space" technology opportunities. Next, we develop a multi-criteria scoring rubric to rank these opportunities based on parameters, i.e., Affordability, Quality of Life, Reliability, and Security, yielding composite ‘Demand’ and ‘Maturity’ indices. Our results indicate that the most significant white spaces may not be incremental products but a new class of ‘Ecosystem Enablers’, such as logistics platforms, orchestration layers, and automated compliance software that solve structural deployment gaps. This paper summarizes this transparent, evidence-based, practitioner-informed evaluation framework for policymakers and investors to re-evaluate policy and resource allocation and unlock scalable market transformation.

Singh, Reshma↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multi-sensor Observations of a High-velocity Fireball over the South Atlantic on 2026 April 1

A high-velocity fireball was detected over the South Atlantic (41.9°S, 54.7°W) on 2026 April 1 at 02:13:14 UTC by U.S. Government (USG) sensors, with peak brightness at 90.5 km altitude. The event was well-observed from geostationary orbit by two civilian lightning imagers with near-orthogonal geometry, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-East Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites Meteosat Third Generation Imager 1 Lightning Imager, and it produced low-frequency acoustic signatures. The GLM measured a total radiated energy of 2.4 × 10 10 J, corresponding to a calculated impact energy of 0.086 kt TNT equivalent. Stereoscopic triangulation of the imager tracks yields an independent pre-atmospheric velocity of ~57 km s −1 , some 18% below the USG-reported value. Because orbital provenance is acutely sensitive to the entry velocity, whose reported uncertainty could be substantial, this discrepancy is notable. We document the multi-sensor record and identify the analysis required to assess provenance, which a subsequent study will present.

Silber, Elizabeth Allaryce [Sandia National Lab. (↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effect of the Nature of Both Cation and Anion Substitution on the Structural Symmetry of Li‐Rich 3 d ‐Metal Chalcogenide Electrodes

Abstract Li‐rich layered chalcogenides have recently led to better understanding of the anionic redox process and its associated high capacity while providing ways to overcome its practical limitations of voltage fade and irreversibility. This study reports on the feasibility of triggering anionic activity in Li 2 TiS 3 , through anionic substitution (Se for S) or cationic substitution (Fe for Ti). Herein, the chalcogenide chemical space is further explored to prepare mono‐substituted Li 1.7 Ti 0.85 Mn 0.45 Ch 3 (Ch = S/Se) and doubly substituted cationic and anionic phases (Li 1.7 Ti 0.85 Fe 0.45 S 3‐z Se z ) which crystallize either in the O3‐ or O1‐type structures depending upon substituents. All series show a bell‐shape capacity variation as function of the transition metal (TM) substitution degree with values up to 240 mAh g −1 . For specific compositions, a structural O3 to O1 phase transition is observed upon Li removal, which is not reversible upon Li re‐insertion due to kinetic limitations and negatively affects long‐term cycling performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm the O3/O1 relative stability along the different series and point subtle electronic differences in the TM‐doping, rationalizing the structural and electrochemical behaviors of these phases upon cycling. These findings provide further insights into the link between structural and electronic stability, which is of key importance for designing chalcogenide‐based anionic redox compounds.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Studies of laser stimulated photodetachment from nanoparticles for particle charge measurements

Determining nanoparticle charge is more challenging than that for microparticles due to change in the particle size during the synthesis substantial plasma property variations, and difficulties in visualizing individual particles, rendering conventional microparticle charge diagnostics ineffective in dusty plasma. In this work, we utilized laser-stimulated photodetachment (LSPD) to deduce the mean charge of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were grown in an Ar/C 2 H 2 mixture using a capacitively coupled RF discharge and the LSPD induced changes in the electron current monitored by a cylindrical Langmuir probe. LSPD signals were obtained and analyzed across different dust growth phases. The prolonged decay of electron current pulses was attributed to the presence of residual negative ions, caused by the effective electrostatic trapping of these ions and the potential post—LSPD re-formation of new ones. The particle charge was estimated by combining the laser-stimulated photodetachment signal from the probe with the dust density obtained from laser-light extinction using the measured nanoparticle size distribution. For a nanoparticles size range of approximately 100–250 nm and mean diameter of $d$ p ∼154.37 nm, the effective mean charge was estimated to be $\langle$$Q$$\rangle$ d $≈$ 37 elementary charge units. The measured charge values are lower than those predicted by orbital motion limited theory, which may be attributed to significant electron depletion in the nanodusty plasma. LSPD results in Ar/C 2 H 2 nano-dusty plasma confirm the applicability of this method for estimating individual nanoparticle charges. However, it has also been demonstrated that electron detachment from residual background negative ions can influence the detachment current decay and must be carefully considered.

dust particle charge↗
DOE OSTI2026

Structure of Self-Generated Magnetic Fields in Laser-Solid Interaction from Proton Tomography

Self-generated magnetic fields in laser-solid interactions are experimentally characterized to reveal the 3D location and local field strength, rather than path-integrated quantities, using multi-view proton radiography and tomographic inversion. We infer magnetic fields that extend several millimeters off the target into the hot, rarefied corona, sufficient to strongly magnetize the plasma (Ω e τ e ≫ 1). The data are compared to MHD simulations incorporating recent improvements in modeling magnetic field generation and transport; the volume-averaged coronal field strength and magnetic flux agree to within 25% using a model with magnetic re-localization of transport, although the near-target morphology is not reproduced. This work demonstrates tomographic proton radiography as a valuable tool for investigating magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas.

High-energy-density plasmas↗
DOE OSTI2023

Oxidation Chemistry of Bicarbonate and Peroxybicarbonate: Implications for Carbonate Management in Energy Storage

Carbonate formation presents a major challenge to energy storage applications based on low-temperature CO 2 electrolysis and recyclable metal–air batteries. While direct electrochemical oxidation of (bi)carbonate represents a straightforward route for carbonate management, knowledge of the feasibility and mechanisms of direct oxidation is presently lacking. Herein, we report the isolation and characterization of the bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium salts of bicarbonate and peroxybicarbonate, thus enabling the examination of their oxidation chemistry. Infrared spectroelectrochemistry combined with time-resolved infrared spectroscopy reveals that the photoinduced oxidation of HCO 3 – by an Ir(III) photoreagent results in the generation of the short-lived bicarbonate radical in less than 50 ns. The highly acidic bicarbonate radical undergoes proton transfer with HCO 3 – to furnish the carbonate radical anion and H 2 CO 3 , leading to the eventual release of CO 2 and H 2 O, thus accounting for the appearance of H 2 O and CO 2 in both electrochemical and photochemical oxidation experiments. Here, the back reaction of the carbonate radical subsequently oxidizes the Ir(II) photoreagent, leading to carbonate. In the absence of this back reaction, dimerization of the carbonate radical provides entry into peroxybicarbonate, which we show undergoes facile oxidation to O 2 and CO 2 . Together, the results reported identify tangible pathways for the design of catalysts for the management of carbonate in energy storage applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Monitoring Depolymerization in Mesopores Using Dynamic Properties of Polymeric Melt Accessed via Dielectric Spectroscopy

Traditional design principles for heterogeneous catalysis guide the use of catalytic particles with mesosized (∼2–50 nm) pores to increase the number of surface-active sites by way of an increased surface area. However, the entry of long-chain polymers into such pores may be significantly limited by the size and entanglement of polymers in the melt state, thereby decreasing the number of accessible sites. Assessment of catalyst performance from traditional reactor-based studies averages over intrapore reaction events as well as reactions on the surface of a particle, resulting in an inability to distinguish between differences in site accessibility and activity. Techniques that assess the intrapore performance can inform the design of future heterogeneous catalysts for polymer upcycling. In this work, we demonstrate the use of broadband dielectric spectroscopy to monitor depolymerization of a polymer melt within mesopores via changes in the segmental relaxation time scale of amorphous polymer chains. In particular, we highlight the use of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane as a readily available model for catalyst pores with a well-characterized pore morphology. The decrease in the segmental relaxation (α-relaxation) time of the melt with increasing chain scission emerges as a measure of the extent of polymer deconstruction inside mesopores. To demonstrate the utility of this technique, we demonstrate the decomposition of two commercial poly(propylene carbonate) polymers with different decomposition rates within mesopores. As the polymers depolymerize, their segmental relaxation time decreases as the molecular weight decreases (as predicted by the Fox–Flory equation). The BDS-measured change in segmental relaxation time mirrors the expected trend based on change in molecular weight measured by size exclusion chromatography.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cr plasma-material-interaction in PISCES-RF: D thermal release, retention, and erosion

Pure chromium (Cr) targets were exposed to high-flux deuterium (D) plasmas in the Pisces-RF linear plasma device, and measurements of D retention, release, and erosion were subsequently performed. Post-exposure D retention was quantified using temperature-programmed desorption on Cr targets irradiated by 50 eV ions over a broad range of exposure temperatures (423–873 K) and ion fluences (3 × 10 24 – 3 × 10 26 m −2 ). The retained D inventory was observed to decrease rapidly with increased exposure temperature, from approximately ∼7 × 10 20 m −2 at ∼ 420 K, to then saturate near ∼ 10 20 m −2 for exposure temperatures above ∼550 K. Separately, at fixed exposure temperature (∼450 K), D retention was found to have only a weak dependence on increasing ion fluence. Lastly, the erosion of Cr in D plasma was investigated for ion impact energies in the range 40 ≤ E i ≤ 250 eV. Erosion was inferred using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) from the ratio of emission lines (Cr I (425.4 nm)/D I (656.1 nm)) measured close to the target. Conversion of the OES yield data to net erosion yield was made with singular ion energy target mass-loss measurements. These net erosion yield data were then further corrected to obtain gross erosion yield by accounting for a re-deposition factor, computed using a simple model. The gross erosion yield is found to be 2–4 times lower than predicted by SDTrimSP, consistent with that typically observed for light-ion sputtering under high-flux plasma conditions.

Chromium↗
DOE OSTI2026

BISON analyses of TRISO fuel performance, its dependence on time-at-temperature, and possible implications for fuel design and qualification

The Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) program has established a substantial technical foundation to support private entry into the U.S. high-temperature gas-cooled reactor market. However, emerging tristructural isotropic (TRISO)-fueled reactor applications include small modular reactors and microreactors with longer fuel residence times, which may expose fuels to higher time-at-temperature (TAT) values than were explored by the AGR program. Increased TAT could affect diffusive and thermomechanical behaviors such as Pd penetration, fission gas release, creep, and fission product transport. In this work, we applied multiscale best-estimate BISON fuel performance modeling to assess these effects within a representative design space based on the AGR-5/6/7 experiment and analyzed trends in predicted particle and compact fuel performance metrics with possible implications for near-term fuel design and qualification. BISON unambiguously predicted that TRISO fuel performance is sensitive to TAT. Increasing TAT was not predicted to increase the magnitude of failure-inducing tangential stresses in particle coating layers. Predictions obtained using a mechanistic model for Pd penetration indicated that penetration depth does not depend strongly on TAT. While these observations suggest that AGR testing provides a conservative upper bound for the steady-state operation of TRISO particles at lower powers and higher residence times, BISON also predicted that the release of poorly retained Ag would increase with TAT. Because these analyses applied models to extrapolate beyond the available experimental data, the authors recommend performing targeted experiments to confirm these predictions. Nevertheless, these predictions may provide reactor developers with enough confidence to make near-term design decisions associated with the potential fuel performance trade-offs of increasing TAT.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

First measurement of polarized spin-density matrix elements and differential cross sections dσ/dt in ω photoproduction off the proton for 2.7 < Eγ < 5.2 GeV using CLAS at Jefferson Lab

We report on the differential cross sections dσ/dt, the unpolarized spin-density matrix elements ρ 00 0 , ρ 1 − 1 0 , Re ρ 10 0 , and the first extraction of the polarized elements Im ρ 10 3 , Im ρ 1 − 1 3 for the reaction γp → pω using the CLAS spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. The ω mesons were detected in their dominant charged decay mode, ω → π + π − π 0 , and all t-dependent results are presented in a fine binning for incident photon energies between 2.73 and 5.16 GeV (corresponding to the center-of-mass energy range W ∈ [ 2.45, 3.25 ] GeV). All matrix elements are first measurements for − t > 0.6 GeV2. Moreover, differential cross sections dσ/d(cos Θ c . m . ω ) and the corresponding angle-dependent unpolarized spin-density matrix elements in the Adair frame are presented for the incident photon energy range 1.56–3.80 GeV (corresponding to W ∈ [ 1.95, 2.83 ] GeV). These new ω photoproduction data are consistent with earlier CLAS results but extend the energy range well beyond the nucleon resonance region into the Regge regime. The comparison with Regge-theory-based model predictions shows that the new data impose more stringent constraints on our understanding of ω photoproduction.

Hu, T.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fabrication and test of a 6-tesla-class high-temperature superconducting dipole magnet at 4.2 K

Superconducting magnets enable energy-frontier accelerators by generating strong magnetic fields to steer and focus the particles. Although high-temperature superconductors such as REBa 2 Cu 3 O x (, RE = rare earth) hold a strong potential for generating a higher magnetic field than Nb-Ti and Nb 3 Sn , the associated magnet and conductor technology for accelerator applications is still in its infancy. The U.S. Magnet Development Program is developing magnet technology in collaboration with industry. Here we report an experiment of making a dipole magnet called C3 using commercial high-temperature superconducting wires. The magnet, following a canted cos θ design, generated a dipole field of 5.99 T at 4.2 K in its clear aperture of 65 mm at 6.795 kA when a resistive voltage of 105 μ V appeared across one of the coils in the magnet. The stored energy was 53 kJ at the peak field. The magnet showed no degradation in the current-carrying capability at 4.2 K after the thermal cycle. We report on the detailed design, fabrication, and performance of the C3 magnet that can be of interest to potential users of this emerging technology. We also discuss issues and research needs to inform future magnet development. The experiment represented another step to addressing if the high-temperature superconducting accelerator magnet technology can increase the discovery capability of future particle accelerators.

Abraimov, Dmytro [National High Magnetic Field Lab↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dielectric Spectroscopy Cable NDE for Unequal Aging Over Different Lengths

This Pacific Northwest National Laboratory milestone report assesses the effect of unequal aging over different lengths of cable on dielectric spectroscopy (DS) bulk impedance measurements from the cable end. DS measurements can indicate the remaining useful life of cables; however, most benchmark tests are based on accelerated aging of the entire cable. If only a portion of the cable is exposed to a harsh environment (as is frequently the case), the DS measurement will indicate a significantly less-aged cable than if the entire cable were exposed to a uniform environmental stress. The DS measurement is primarily related to the intrinsic insulation material relative permittivity—typically between 1.5 and 3.0. Insulation aging increases permittivity and, correspondingly, the cable’s overall capacitance measured from the cable end. To judge the health of the overall cable system, operators are primarily interested in the condition of the most severely aged section since that is where a failure is most likely to occur. This can be expressed as the dimensionless relative permittivity of the severely aged section divided by the permittivity of a pristine cable. This relative permittivity is an intrinsic material parameter independent of cable length and can serve as a quantitative indication of the insulation condition. If the relative percentages of cable exposed to a harsh and benign environment are known, the DS measurement of the entire cable length, including both pristine and aged sections, can be compensated to predict the relative permittivity (relative to pristine permittivity) of the most severly aged segment. A test was performed on three 50 ft (16 m) cables with 10%, 50%, and 90% of the cable inside a thermal aging oven. Predictably, the aging effect on the DS response was greatest in the 90% sample, followed by the 50% sample, and then the 10% sample. The more interesting result is the ratio of the aged insulation permittivity to the pristine insulation permittivity. Based on prior work, an end-of-life cable has a value of approximately 1.35. If the relative percentages of pristine and severely aged cable lengths are known, and the total cable-length capacitance of the initial pristine cable and the combined pristine plus aged cable are known, the relative aged permittivity (ratio of aged section permittivity / pristine section permittivity) can be estimated. The relative cable lengths exposed to a harsh environment may be known or estimated based on plant layout drawings or cable reflectometry tests that can locate the oven entry and exit points. The compensation was verified using a lumped-parameter model to predict the aged-segment permittivity e2/e1, where e2 is the aged-segment permittivity and e1 is the pristine-segment permittivity. For all three percentages of aged cable lengths, the ratio was quite similar, as would be expected since all cable segments were exposed to the same aging environment. This ratio of aged permittivity to pristine permittivity can be compared to other damage indicating tests, including elongation at break, to assess cable condition.

ARENA Test Bed↗
DOE OSTI2026

UCB-GLOBES: An open-access mass spectral database of identified and unidentified atmospheric organic compounds

Chemical characterization of atmospheric organic aerosols using gas chromatography with 70 eV electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS) has been used for decades in advancing molecular marker detection and identification, though primarily through suspect screening and/or targeted analyses. To advance non-targeted analyses of environmental samples, we have catalogued approximately 27 000 mass spectra (MS) of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of semi-volatile organic aerosol (OA) analytes in the open-access University of California Berkeley Goldstein Library of Organic Biogenic Environmental Spectra (UCB-GLOBES). Analytes were observed in ambient samples from the U.S. and the Central Amazon and/or laboratory simulations of secondary OA (SOA) formation. These samples are representative of OA under urban and biomass burning influences as well as SOA derived from biogenic precursors (e.g., isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes) and biomass burning intermediates. MS are documented in UCB-GLOBES without regard to known chemical identity, annotated with extensive metadata such as sample source/experimental conditions, any structural information gained from MS analyses, and predicted chemical properties such as average carbon oxidation state and carbon number. UCB-GLOBES MS are compatible for importing into the NIST MS Search program, and we have also provided a Jupyter Notebook for MS visualization and comparisons. We demonstrate the utility of UCB-GLOBES through MS reanalyses of prior analytes observed in ambient data, finding a 20 % reduction in the number of analytes assigned to OA source categories reliant solely on time series correlation and an overall 11 % increase in new MS-based OA source categorization for the Southeast U.S. For 1513 analytes observed previously in the Central Amazon, we found 375 MS matches using UCB-GLOBES vs. 136 MS matches during prior analyses, representing a 14 % gain in newly confirmed or newly categorized OA species. While OA from laboratory oxidation experiments in UCB-GLOBES are highly diverse chemically, on average only 29 % of UCB-GLOBES MS have a mass spectral match to another MS entry in UCB-GLOBES and/or in databases of known compounds (i.e. NIST MS Database, Adams Essential Oil, MANE Flavor and Fragrance Company). This indicates that roughly 70 % of UCB-GLOBES MS are unique thus far, not observed more than once among the laboratory oxidation samples and ambient data in UCB-GLOBES MS. Further, only 18 % can be positively identified using these databases or known authentic standards. This points to a large gap between these laboratory simulations and ambient OA. Overall, the UCB-GLOBES database can be utilized for improving confidence in OA source categorization and/or identification, novel chemical marker discovery, tracking chemical diversity, de novo structure and properties prediction, and improving MS search and matching algorithms. This can ultimately inform future research priorities for the chemical characterization of atmospheric organic samples.

Mass spectrometry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Toward Trustworthy Autonomous Science: A Two-Year Community Roadmap

One year ago, the AISLE roadmap argued that autonomous laboratories operated as isolated islands and proposed a grassroots network organized around five critical dimensions. The field has since moved faster than that roadmap anticipated: multi-agent systems have produced experimentally validated hypotheses, self-driving laboratories have grown more interoperable and orchestrated, reasoning-trained and domain foundation models have raised the capability ceiling, and the Genesis Mission has placed autonomous experimentation at the center of U.S. federal science strategy, with industry emerging as a primary actor. Progress has met a sobering counter-current, including a corrected flagship discovery result, benchmarks showing that agents which rival experts on closed-ended questions still complete only a fraction of open-ended research, and fabricated citations surfacing at leading venues. We read this as the defining tension of the field: producing a candidate discovery is no longer the hard part, but verifying it is, and this asymmetry now limits autonomous science more than raw model capability. Accordingly, we update the roadmap around seven dimensions, revisiting the original five and elevating two former cross-cutting concerns, trust, verification, and reproducibility, and safety, security, and governance, to first-class status. We assess the original milestones (M1 through M14) as achieved, partially achieved, reframed, or open, add four new milestones (M15 through M18) for the elevated dimensions, and scope the path forward to a two-year horizon, with the first year concentrating on interfaces, protocol adoption, and the scaffolding of verification, and the second targeting federation, zero-trust coordination, and governance. Throughout, we position the grassroots network as the interoperability fabric that lets national programs, international initiatives, and commercial platforms connect rather than re-silo.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗