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DOE OSTI2015

Pulsed laser generation of ultrasound in a metal plate between the melting and ablation thresholds

The generation of ultrasound in a metal plate exposed to nanosecond pulsed laser heating, sufficient to cause melting but not ablation, is treated. Consideration is given to the spatial and temporal profiles of the laser pulse, penetration of the laser beam into the sample, the evolution of the melt pool, and thermal conduction in the melt and surrounding solid. The excitation of the ultrasound takes place over a few nanoseconds, and occurs predominantly within the thermal diffusion length of a micron or so beneath the surface. Because of this, the output of the thermal simulations can be represented as axially symmetric transient radial and normal surface force distributions. The epicentral displacement response at the opposite surface to these forces is obtained by two methods, the one based on the elastodynamic Green’s functions for plate geometry determined by the Cagniard generalized ray method, and the other using a finite element numerical method. The two approaches are in very close agreement. Numerical simulations are reported of the epicentral displacement response of a 3.12mm thick tungsten plate irradiated with a 4 ns pulsed laser beam with Gaussian spatial profile, at intensities below and above the melt threshold. Comparison is made between results obtained using available temperature dependent thermophysical data, and room temperature materials constants except near the melting point.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Energetic-particle-modified global Alfven eigenmodes

Fully self-consistent hybrid MHD/particle simulations reveal strong energetic particle modifications to sub-cyclotron global Alfvén eigenmodes (GAEs) in low-aspect ratio, NSTX-like conditions. Key parameters defining the fast ion distribution function—the normalized injection velocity v 0 /v A and central pitch—are varied in order to study their influence on the characteristics of the excited modes. It is found that the frequency of the most unstable mode changes significantly and continuously with beam parameters, in accordance with the Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonances which drive the modes, and depending most substantially on v 0 /v A . This unexpected result is present for both counter-propagating GAEs, which are routinely excited in NSTX, and high frequency co-GAEs, which have not been previously studied. Large changes in frequency without clear corresponding changes in the mode structure are signatures of an energetic particle mode, referred to here as an energetic-particle-modified GAE. In conclusion, additional simulations conducted for a fixed MHD equilibrium demonstrate that the GAE frequency shift cannot be explained by the equilibrium changes due to energetic particle effects.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

A reduced model of neutral-plasma interactions in the edge and scrape-off-layer: Verification comparisons with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations

The 2D scrape-off-layer turbulence code (SOLT) is extended to include neutral-plasma interactions. A Boltzmann equation is derived for the evolution of the bi-normally-averaged neutral distribution function, G( x ,vx,t), in the radial dimension, and this evolution is included in the new code (nSOLT). Neutral-plasma interactions are mediated by charge-exchange (CX) and ionization rates based on poloidally-averaged plasma density and temperature. Good agreement is obtained between asymptotically stationary neutral density profiles from nSOLT simulations and those previously obtained from the Monte Carlo neutral transport code DEGAS 2, for time-averaged NSTX H-mode plasma profiles. The sensitivity of the nSOLT neutral profiles to atomic physics parameters, with and without CX physics, is included in the comparison. In addition, nSOLT simulations that evolve the plasma in 1D, using radial diffusion as a proxy for turbulent (blob) transport, illustrate the convergence to a self-consistent neutral-plasma equilibrium sustained by a neutral source at the far-SOL boundary and plasma heating in the core; equilibria consistent with typical NSTX Ohmic L-mode plasmas are described.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2013

SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF SN 2012fr: A LUMINOUS, NORMAL TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA WITH EARLY HIGH-VELOCITY FEATURES AND A LATE VELOCITY PLATEAU

We present 65 optical spectra of the Type Ia SN 2012fr, 33 of which were obtained before maximum light. At early times, SN 2012fr shows clear evidence of a high-velocity feature (HVF) in the Si II {lambda}6355 line that can be cleanly decoupled from the lower velocity ''photospheric'' component. This Si II {lambda}6355 HVF fades by phase -5; subsequently, the photospheric component exhibits a very narrow velocity width and remains at a nearly constant velocity of {approx}12,000 km s{sup -1} until at least five weeks after maximum brightness. The Ca II infrared triplet exhibits similar evidence for both a photospheric component at v Almost-Equal-To 12,000 km s{sup -1} with narrow line width and long velocity plateau, as well as an HVF beginning at v Almost-Equal-To 31,000 km s{sup -1} two weeks before maximum. SN 2012fr resides on the border between the ''shallow silicon'' and ''core-normal'' subclasses in the Branch et al. classification scheme, and on the border between normal and high-velocity Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the Wang et al. system. Though it is a clear member of the ''low velocity gradient'' group of SNe Ia and exhibits a very slow light-curve decline, it shows key dissimilarities with the overluminous SN 1991T or SN 1999aa subclasses of SNe Ia. SN 2012fr represents a well-observed SN Ia at the luminous end of the normal SN Ia distribution and a key transitional event between nominal spectroscopic subclasses of SNe Ia.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Implementation of a Portable HPGe for Field Contamination Assay

In this work, using MCNP to construct a detector model based initially on x-ray images of a portable high purity germanium (HPGe) detector followed by normalizing covering material values to also agree with check source responses, a validation of the model was attained. By calibrating the detector parameters using large count spectra, rigorous reproducibility is attained for high activity measurements but does not prevent deviations from normality in error distributions at the very low count events where spectral peaks are not always identifiable. The resulting model was created to allow operational assay of contamination over large areal distributions that could not otherwise be measured, such as the exhaust shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Results indicate that contamination levels of activity in the exhaust shaft can be assayed to within a factor of 2. Lastly, detection limits are evaluated to be well below the contamination levels, which would constitute a legal environmental release if unfiltered ventilation of the underground facility were used.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

W$^+$W$^-$ boson pair production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

A measurement of the W+W- boson pair production cross section in proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV is presented. The data used in this study are collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb-1. The W+W- candidate events are selected by requiring two oppositely charged leptons (electrons or muons). Two methods for reducing background contributions are employed. In the first one, a sequence of requirements on kinematic quantities is applied allowing a measurement of the total production cross section, 117.6±6.8 pb, which agrees well with the theoretical prediction. Fiducial cross sections are also reported for events with zero or one jet, and the change in the zero-jet fiducial cross section with the jet transverse momentum threshold is measured. Normalized differential cross sections are reported within the fiducial region. A second method for suppressing background contributions employs two random forest classifiers. The analysis based on this method includes a measurement of the total production cross section and also a measurement of the normalized jet multiplicity distribution in W+W- events. Finally, a dilepton invariant mass distribution is used to probe for physics beyond the standard model in the context of an effective field theory, and constraints on the presence of dimension-6 operators are derived.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Universal Statistics of Topological Defects Formed in a Quantum Phase Transition

We report when a quantum phase transition is crossed in finite time, critical slowing down leads to the breakdown of adiabatic dynamics and the formation of topological defects. The average density of defects scales with the quench rate following a universal power law predicted by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. We analyze the full counting statistics of kinks and report the exact kink number distribution in the transverse-field quantum Ising model. Kink statistics is described by the Poisson binomial distribution with all cumulants exhibiting a universal power law scaling with the quench rate. Lastly, in the absence of finite-size effects, the distribution approaches a normal one, a feature that is expected to apply broadly in systems described by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2014

TU-C-BRE-03: Aggregation of Linac Measurement Data

Purpose: Accurate data of linear accelerator radiation characteristics is important for treatment planning system commissioning as well as regular quality assurance of the machine. The RPC has performed site visits of numerous machines . Data gathered from Varian machines from the past 15 years are presented. The data collected can be used as a secondary check or when commissioning a new machine to verify that values are reasonable. Methods: Data from the past 15 years of RPC site visits was compiled and analyzed. Data was composed from measurements from approximately 400 Varian machines. Each dataset consists of several point measurements at various locations in a water phantom to measure percentage depth dose, output factors, including small MLC fields, off-axis factors, and wedge factors if applicable. Common statistical values are presented for each machine type. Where applicable, data was compared to other reference data given by the vendor or a select number of previous researchers. Results: Data is separated by energy and parameter and then analyzed by machine class. Data distributions of the parameter data were normal except occasionally at the tails. Distributions of the data for each class and parameter are tabulated to give not simply a singular reference value, but metrics about the distribution: 5th and 95th percentile values and the standard deviation as well as the median. Conclusion: The RPC has collected numerous data on Varian linacs and presented the finding of the past 15 years. The data can be used as a reference data set for physicists to compare against. A linac that deviates from the values does not necessarily indicate there is a problem as long as the treatment planning system correlates to the machine. Comparison of linac and treatment planning system data to external reference data can prevent serious treatment errors.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-J-87: Ventilation Weighting Effect On Mean Doses of Both Side Lungs for Patients with Advanced Stage Lung Cancer

Purpose: To study ventilation weighting effect on radiation doses to both side lungs for patients with advanced stage lung cancer. Methods: Fourteen patients with advanced stage lung cancer were included in this retrospective study. Proprietary software was developed to calculate the lung ventilation map based on 4DCT images acquired for radiation therapy. Two phases of inhale (0%) and exhale (50%) were used for the lung ventilation calculations. For each patient, the CT images were resampled to the same dose calculation resolution of 3mmx3mmx3mm. The ventilation distribution was then normalized by the mean value of the ventilation. The ventilation weighted dose was calculated by applying linearly weighted ventilation to the dose of each pixel. The lung contours were automatically delineated from patient CT image with lung window, excluding the tumor and high density tissues. For contralateral and ipsilateral lungs, the mean lung doses from the original plan and ventilation weighted mean lung doses were compared using two tail t-Test. Results: The average of mean dose was 6.1 ±3.8Gy for the contralateral lungs, and 26.2 ± 14.0Gy for the ipsilateral lungs. The average of ventilation weighted dose was 6.3± 3.8Gy for the contralateral lungs and 24.6 ± 13.1Gy for the ipsilateral lungs. The statistics analysis shows the significance of the mean dose increase (p<0.015) for the contralateral lungs and decrease (p<0.005) for the ipsilateral lungs. Conclusion: Ventilation weighted doses were greater than the un-weighted doses for contralateral lungs and smaller for ipsilateral lungs. This Result may be helpful to understand the radiation dosimetric effect on the lung function and provide planning guidance for patients with advance stage lung cancer.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-JeP2-10: On the Need for a Dynamic Model for Patient-Specific Distortion Corrections for MR-Only Pelvis Treatment Planning

Purpose: Patient-specific distortions, particularly near tissue/air interfaces, require assessment and possible corrections for MRI-only radiation treatment planning (RTP). However, patients are dynamic due to changes in physiological status and motion during imaging sessions. This work investigated the need for dynamic patient-specific distortion corrections to support pelvis MR-only RTP. Methods: The pelvises of healthy volunteers were imaged at 1.0T, 1.5T, and 3.0T. Patient-specific distortion field maps were generated using a dual-echo gradient-recalled echo (GRE) sequence with B0 field maps obtained from the phase difference between the two echoes acquired at two timepoints: empty and full bladders. To quantify changes arising from respiratory state, end-inhalation and end-expiration data were acquired. Distortion map differences were computed between the empty/full bladder and inhalation/expiration to characterize local changes. The normalized frequency distortion distributions in T2-weighted TSE images were characterized, particularly for simulated prostate planning target volumes (PTVs). Results: Changes in rectal and bowel air location were observed, likely due to changes in bladder filling. Within the PTVs, displacement differences (mean ± stdev, range) were −0.02 ± 0.02 mm (−0.13 to 0.07 mm) for 1.0T, −0.1 ± 0.2 mm (−0.92 to 0.74 mm) for 1.5T, and −0.20 ± 0.03 mm (−0.61 to 0.38 mm) for 3.0T. Local changes of ∼1 mm at the prostate-rectal interface were observed for an extreme case at 1.5T. For end-inhale and end-exhale scans at 3.0T, 99% of the voxels had Δx differences within ±0.25mm, thus the displacement differences due to respiratory state appear negligible in the pelvis. Conclusion: Our work suggests that transient bowel/rectal gas due to bladder filling may yield non-negligible patient-specific distortion differences near the prostate/rectal interface, whereas respiration had minimal effect. A temporal patient model for patient-specific distortion corrections may be advantageous for MR-only RTP, although further investigations in larger cohorts are needed to fully characterize distortion magnitude. The submitting institution has research agreements with Philips Healthcare. Research sponsored by a Henry Ford Health System Internal Mentored Grant.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Determination of the direction to a source of antineutrinos via inverse beta decay in Double Chooz

To determine the direction to a source of neutrinos (and antineutrinos) is an important problem for the physics of supernovae and of the Earth. The direction to a source of antineutrinos can be estimated through the reaction of inverse beta decay. We show that the reactor neutrino experiment Double Chooz has unique capabilities to study antineutrino signal from point-like sources. Contemporary experimental data on antineutrino directionality is given. A rigorous mathematical approach for neutrino direction studies has been developed. Exact expressions for the precision of the simple mean estimator of neutrinos’ direction for normal and exponential distributions for a finite sample and for the limiting case of many events have been obtained.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Energetic-particle-modified global Alfven eigenmodes

Fully self-consistent hybrid MHD/particle simulations reveal strong energetic particle modifications to sub-cyclotron global Alfven eigenmodes (GAE) in low-aspect ratio, NSTX-like conditions. Key parameters defining the fast ion distribution function -- the normalized injection velocity v_0/v_A and central pitch -- are varied in order to study their influence on the characteristics of the excited modes. It is found that the frequency of the most unstable mode changes significantly and continuously with beam parameters, in accordance with the Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonances which drive the modes, and depending most substantially on v_0/v_A. This unexpected result is present for both counter-propagating GAEs, which are routinely excited in NSTX, and high frequency co-GAEs, which have not been previously studied. Large changes in frequency without clear corresponding changes in mode structure could indicate the existence of a new energetic particle mode, referred to here as an energetic-particle-modified GAE (EP-GAE). Additional simulations conducted for a fixed MHD equilibrium demonstrate that the GAE frequency shift cannot be explained by the equilibrium changes due to energetic particle effects.

Lestz, J B↗

DOE OSTI2018

Primary Modes of Global Drop Size Distributions

Understanding drop size distribution (DSD) variability has important implications for remote sensing and numerical modeling applications. Twelve disdrometer datasets across three latitude bands are analyzed in this study, spanning a broad range of precipitation regimes: light rain, orographic, deep convective, organized midlatitude, and tropical oceanic. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reveal comprehensive modes of global DSD spatial and temporal variability. Although the locations contain different distributions of individual DSD parameters, all locations are found to have the same modes of variability. Based on PCA, six groups of points with unique DSD characteristics emerge. The physical processes that underpin these groups are revealed through supporting radar observations. Group 1 (group 2) is characterized by high (low) liquid water content (LWC), broad (narrow) distribution widths, and large (small) median drop diameters D 0 . Radar analysis identifies group 1 (group 2) as convective (stratiform) rainfall. Group 3 is characterized by weak, shallow radar echoes and large concentrations of small drops, indicative of warm rain showers. Group 4 identifies heavy stratiform precipitation. The low latitudes exhibit distinct bimodal distributions of the normalized intercept parameter N w , LWC, and D 0 and are found to have a clustering of points (group 5) with high rain rates, large N w , and moderate D 0 , a signature of robust warm rain processes. A distinct group associated with ice-based convection (group 6) emerges in the midlatitudes. Although all locations exhibit the same covariance of parameters associated with these groups, it is likely that the physical processes responsible for shaping the DSDs vary as a function of location.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Multi-physics Computational Investigation of Droplet Pathogen Transport Eminating from Synthetic Coughs and Breathing

In response to the global SARS-CoV-2 transmission pandemic, Sandia National Laboratories Rapid Lab-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) COVID-19 initiative has deployed a multi-physics, droplet-laden, turbulent low-Mach simulation tool to model pathogen-containing water droplets that emanate from synthetic human coughing and breathing. The low-Mach turbulent Eulerian/point-particle Lagrangian methodology directly couples mass, momentum, energy, and species to capture droplet evaporation physics that supports the ability to distinguish between droplets that deposit and those that persist in the environment. Additionally, the cough mechanism is modeled as a pulsed-spray with a prescribed log-normal droplet size distribution. Simulations demonstrate direct droplet deposition lengths in excess of three meters while the persistence of a droplet nuclei entrained within a buoyant plume is noted. Including the effect of protective barriers demonstrates effective mitigation of large-droplet transport. For coughs into a protective barrier, jet impingement and large-scale re-circulation can drive droplets vertically and back towards the subject while supporting persistence of droplet nuclei. Simulations in quiescent conditions demonstrate droplet preferential concentrations due to the coupling between vortex ring shedding and the subsequent advection of a series of three-dimensional rings that tilt and rise vertically due to a misalignment between the initial principle vortex trajectory and gravity. These resolved coughing simulations note vortex ring formation, roll-up and breakdown, while entraining droplet nuclei for large distances and time scales.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2014

Statistics of particle time-temperature histories

Particles in non-isothermal turbulent flow are subject to a stochastic environment that produces a distribution of particle time-temperature histories. This distribution is a function of the dispersion of the non-isothermal (continuous) gas phase and the distribution of particles relative to that gas phase. In this work we extend the one-dimensional turbulence (ODT) model to predict the joint dispersion of a dispersed particle phase and a continuous phase. The ODT model predicts the turbulent evolution of continuous scalar fields with a model for the cascade of fluctuations to smaller scales (the ‘triplet map’) at a rate that is a function of the fully resolved one-dimensional velocity field. Stochastic triplet maps also drive Lagrangian particle dispersion with finite Stokes numbers including inertial and eddy trajectory-crossing effects included. Two distinct approaches to this coupling between triplet maps and particle dispersion are developed and implemented along with a hybrid approach. An ‘instantaneous’ particle displacement model matches the tracer particle limit and provides an accurate description of particle dispersion. A ‘continuous’ particle displacement model translates triplet maps into a continuous velocity field to which particles respond. Particles can alter the turbulence, and modifications to the stochastic rate expression are developed for two-way coupling between particles and the continuous phase. Each aspect of model development is evaluated in canonical flows (homogeneous turbulence, free-shear flows and wall-bounded flows) for which quality measurements are available. ODT simulations of non-isothermal flows provide statistics for particle heating. These simulations show the significance of accurately predicting the joint statistics of particle and fluid dispersion. Inhomogeneous turbulence coupled with the influence of the mean flow fields on particles of varying properties alters particle dispersion. The joint particle-temperature dispersion leads to a distribution of temperature histories predicted by the ODT. Predictions are shown for the lower moments and the full distributions of the particle positions, particle-observed gas temperatures and particle temperatures. An analysis of the time scales affecting particle-temperature interactions covers Lagrangian integral time scales based on temperature autocorrelations, rates of temperature change associated with particle motion relative to the temperature field and rates of diffusional change of temperatures. These latter two time scales have not been investigated previously; they are shown to be strongly intermittent having peaked distributions with long tails. The logarithm of the absolute value of these time scales exhibits a distribution closer to normal.

Hewson, John C.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Low-Cost HTS Based Magnet System with an Inductively Coupled Pulsed Energy Extraction Protection System

In this project, RadiaBeam Technologies was tasked with developing a novel solution for a cost effective quench protection based on fast expansion of the normal zone. By inductively coupling a strong electromagnetic pulse via a resonant LC circuit, we attempted to demonstrate accelerated normal zone propagation. The AC field induces currents in the superconducting layer with the current density exceeding that of the critical current density, J c . This creates a large normal zone, uniformly distributing the dissipation through the magnet body. The method does not rely on thermal heating of the conductor, thus enabling nearly instantaneous protection. Through the course of the Phase II project, RadiaBeam Technologies continued extensive numerical modeling of the inductive quench system, re-designed and built several iterations of the POC system for testing and observed evidence of a transient partial quench being induced. However the final device was not fabricated. This was a consequence of the fundamentally complex nature of the energy extraction process and the challenges associated even with demonstrating the proof of concept in a bench top device.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2020

A software package for modeling and simulating fault graphs

This report describes a novel fault graph modeling language and a simulation tool for executing models specified in the language. The modeling language has three primary features that distinguish it from similar reliability analysis tools. These are (1) a random variable modeling several distinct outcomes of a single fault; (2) chains of faults in which one fault triggers another; and (3) time to fail sampled from probability distributions including positive normal, exponential, Weibull with a minimum, or immediate. These features are motivated by their use in a historical analysis of centrifuge reliability.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2018

The 2.4 μ m Galaxy Luminosity Function as Measured Using WISE . III. Measurement Results

The Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite surveyed the entire sky multiple times in four infrared wavelengths (3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 μm). The unprecedented combination of coverage area and depth gives us the opportunity to measure the luminosity function (LF) of galaxies, one of the fundamental quantities in the study of them, at 2.4 μm to an unparalleled level of formal statistical accuracy in the near-infrared. The big advantage of measuring LFs at wavelengths in the window of ≈2–3.5 μm is that it correlates more closely to the total stellar mass in galaxies than others. In this paper we report on the parameters of the 2.4 μm LF of galaxies obtained from applying the spectro-luminosity-functional-based methods to datasets from the previous papers in this series using the mean and covariance of 2.4 μm normalized spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from our previous work. In terms of the single Schechter function parameters evaluated at the present epoch, the combined result is: ${\phi }_{\star }=5.8\,\pm [{0.3}_{\mathrm{stat}},{0.4}_{\mathrm{sys}}]\times {10}^{-3}\,{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{-3}$, ${L}_{\star }=6.4\pm [{0.1}_{\mathrm{stat}},{0.3}_{\mathrm{sys}}]\times {10}^{10}\,{L}_{2.4\mu {\rm{m}}\odot }$ (M$_{\star}$ = -21.67 ± [0.02 stat , 0.05 sys ] AB mag), and $α$ = -1.050 ± [0.004 stat , 0.04 sys ]. The high statistical accuracy comes from combining public redshift surveys with the wide coverage from WISE, and the unevenness in statistical accuracy is a result of our efforts to work around biases of uncertain origin that affect resolved and marginally resolved galaxies. With further refinements, the techniques applied in this work promise to advance the study of the SED of the universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗