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At least 415 records · Page 23

CALET Search for Electromagnetic Counterparts of Gravitational Waves during the LIGO/Virgo O3 Run

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) on the International Space Station consists of a high-energy cosmic-ray CALorimeter (CAL) and a lower-energy CALET Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (CGBM). CAL is sensitive to electrons up to 20 TeV, cosmic-ray nuclei from Z = 1 through Z ~ 40, and gamma rays over the range 1 GeV–10 TeV. CGBM observes gamma rays from 7 keV to 20 MeV. The combined CAL-CGBM instrument has conducted a search for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) since 2015 October. We report here on the results of a search for X-ray/gamma-ray counterparts to gravitational-wave events reported during the LIGO/Virgo observing run O3. No events have been detected that pass all acceptance criteria. We describe the components, performance, and triggering algorithms of the CGBM—the two Hard X-ray Monitors consisting of LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillators sensitive to 7 keV–1 MeV gamma rays and a Soft Gamma-ray Monitor BGO scintillator sensitive to 40 keV–20 MeV—and the high-energy CAL consisting of a charge detection module, imaging calorimeter, and the fully active total absorption calorimeter. The analysis procedure is described and upper limits to the time-averaged fluxes are presented.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Analysis of data from Viking RPA's

Measurements of the martian ionosphere performed by Viking Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) are reported. Viking RPA measurements of low energy electron fluxes out to 16,000 km above the Mars surface are discussed including both energy spectra and periods of continuous monitoring of the total flux above 15 ev. The mean electron current at energies greater than ev increases montonically by nearly two orders of magnitude from about 9000 km down to 700 km, but no clear signature of the bow shock is seen. The total wave power in the 2 sec measurement intervals for this current does, however, show a broad peak near 1700 km altitude. These variations in the low energy electron fluxes are related to whistler mode oscillations in the solar wind plasma. It is concluded that there may be a highly turbulent shock structure that masks a clear signature of the bow shock in the time averaged data.

Hanson, W. B.↗

Energy expenditure and balance during spaceflight on the space shuttle

The objectives of this study were as follows: 1) to measure human energy expenditure (EE) during spaceflight on a shuttle mission by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method; 2) to determine whether the astronauts were in negative energy balance during spaceflight; 3) to use the comparison of change in body fat as measured by the intake DLW EE, 18O dilution, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to validate the DLW method for spaceflight; and 4) to compare EE during spaceflight against that found with bed rest. Two experiments were conducted: a flight experiment (n = 4) on the 16-day 1996 life and microgravity sciences shuttle mission and a 6 degrees head-down tilt bed rest study with controlled dietary intake (n = 8). The bed rest study was designed to simulate the flight experiment and included exercise. Two EE determinations were done before flight (bed rest), during flight (bed rest), and after flight (recovery). Energy intake and N balance were monitored for the entire period. Results were that body weight, water, fat, and energy balance were unchanged with bed rest. For the flight experiment, decreases in weight (2.6 +/- 0.4 kg, P < 0.05) and N retention (-2. 37 +/- 0.45 g N/day, P < 0.05) were found. Dietary intake for the four astronauts was reduced in flight (3,025 +/- 180 vs. 1,943 +/- 179 kcal/day, P < 0.05). EE in flight was 3,320 +/- 155 kcal/day, resulting in a negative energy balance of 1,355 +/- 80 kcal/day (-15. 7 +/- 1.0 kcal. kg-1. day-1, P < 0.05). This corresponded to a loss of 2.1 +/- 0.4 kg body fat, which was within experimental error of the fat loss determined by 18O dilution (-1.4 +/- 0.5 kg) and DEXA (-2.4 +/- 0.4 kg). All three methods showed no change in body fat with bed rest. In conclusion, 1) the DLW method for measuring EE during spaceflight is valid, 2) the astronauts were in severe negative energy balance and oxidized body fat, and 3) in-flight energy (E) requirements can be predicted from the equation: E = 1.40 x resting metabolic rate + exercise.

Non-NASA Center↗

Orbital Observatory GLAST - New Step in the Study of Cosmic Gamma-Radiation

The new Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is scheduled for launch in the middle of 2008. It contains the high energy gamma-ray telescope LAT (Large Area Telescope) which covers the energy range from 20 MeV to >300 GeV and the GMB (GLAST Burst Monitor), covering 8 keV - 30 MeV energy range. The GLAST science objectives include understanding the mechanism of charged particle acceleration in active galactic nuclei, pulsars and supernova remnants, determining the nature of the still-unidentified EGRET sources, detailed study of gamma-ray diffuse emission, high-energy emission from gamma-ray bursts and transient sources, and probing dark matter. A brief overview of the mission is given.

Moiseev, A. A.↗

CALET Search for Electromagnetic Counterparts of Gravitational Waves During the LIGO/Virgo O3 Run

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET)on the International Space Station consists of a high-energy cosmic-ray CALorimeter (CAL)and a lower-energy CALET Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (CGBM). CAL is sensitive to electrons up to 20 TeV, cosmic-ray nuclei from Z=1 throughZ∼40, and gamma rays over the range1 GeV–10 TeV. CGBM observes gamma rays from 7 keV to 20 MeV. The combined CAL-CGBM instrument has conducted a search for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)since 2015 October. We report here on the results of a search for X-ray/gamma-ray counterparts to gravitational-wave events reported during the LIGO/Virgo observing run O3. No events have been detected that pass all acceptance criteria. We describe the components, performance, and triggering algorithms of the CGBM—the two Hard X-ray Monitors consisting of LaBr3(Ce)scintillators sensitive to 7 keV–1 MeV gamma rays and a Soft Gamma-ray Monitor BGO scintillator sensitive to 40 keV–20 MeV—and the high-energy CAL consisting of a charge detection module, imaging calorimeter, and the fully active total absorption calorimeter. The analysis procedure is described and upper limits to the time-averaged fluxes are presented.

Gamma-ray astronomy↗

Time Sequence Machine Learning-Based Data Intrusion Detection for Smart Voltage Source Converter-Enabled Power Grid

Smart inverters of distributed energy resources can enable cloud computing, condition monitoring, result visualization, remote control, and peer-to-peer energy trading in advanced power systems. However, the advent of data injection attacks in the communication architecture can alter measurement characteristics of power grids and have devastating consequences. In this article, we propose a time sequence machine learning-based anomaly detection methodology for detecting cyber intrusion into control signal setpoints and dc voltage signal measurement bias of the voltage source converter (VSC) in wind generators. We first investigated the effects of four types of denial of service, tampering signal, and stealthy-type data intrusion attacks on smart VSCs and overall wind farms. We then proposed a novel time sequence machine learning-based intrusion detection framework that can be implemented to detect different cyberattacks in the VSCs. The performance of the proposed framework has been compared with that of autoencoder and clustering-based intrusion detection framework. The proposed framework was validated by using the IEEE 39 bus power system in the presence of four wind farms in different locations. Using several metrics for intrusion detection performance, we validated the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A Three-Year Program of Micro- and Nano-System Technology Development for X-Ray Astronomy

For many years the work at MIT aimed at the development of new concepts and technologies for space experiments in high-energy astrophysics, but not explicitly supported by flight programs, has been supported. This work has yielded new devices and techniques for X-ray astronomy, primarily low-noise, deep-depletion charge-coupled devices (CCDS) for spectrally-resolved X-ray imaging, and high-performance transmission gratings for high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy. Among the most significant recent achievements have been the development by G. Ricker and associates of the X-ray CCD camera flying on ASCA, and currently in development for AXAF and Astro-E, and the development by C. Canizares and associates of thick, 200 nm-period transmission gratings employing the phenomenon of phase shifting for high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy up to energies of 8- 1 0 keV that is essential for the operation of the AXAF High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS). Through the current SR&T grant, the latter technology is now being extended successfully to the fabrication of 100 nm-period transmission gratings, which have twice the dispersion of the AXAF gratings. We note that, among other outcomes, the modest investments of past SR&T Grants at MIT resulted in the development of the key technologies for fully one-half of the scientific instrumentation on AXAF. In addition, NASA flight programs that have benefited from previous SR&T support at MIT include the SAS 3 X-ray Observatory, which carried the first rotation modulation collimator, the Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer (FPCS) on the Einstein Observatory, the CCD cameras on ASCA and planned for Astro-E, the High Energy Transient Experiment (HETE), the Solar EUV Monitor on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the Medium Energy Neutral Atom imager (MENA) on the Image for Magnetopause-to-aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) mission, and the recently-approved Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) Mission of Opportunity.

Canizares, Claude R.↗

Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Mission and Synergies with LISA and LIGO-Virgo

The Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is a NASA space mission in study for launch in 2024. It has a 2.4 m telescope, wide-field IR instrument operating in the 0.7 - 2.0 micron range and an exoplanet imaging coronagraph instrument operating in the 400 - 1000 nm range. The observatory will perform galaxy surveys over thousands of square degrees to J=27 AB for dark energy weak lensing and baryon acoustic oscillation measurements and will monitor a few square degrees for dark energy SN Ia studies. It will perform microlensing observations of the galactic bulge for an exoplanet census and direct imaging observations of nearby exoplanets with a pathfinder coronagraph. The mission will have a robust and wellfunded guest observer program for 25% of the observing time. WFIRST will be a powerful tool for time domain astronomy and for coordinated observations with gravitational wave experiments. Gravitational wave events produced by mergers of nearby binary neutron stars (LIGO-Virgo) or extragalactic supermassive black hole binaries (LISA) will produce electromagnetic radiation that WFIRST can observe.

Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Miss↗

Vegetation Change Detection in Southern California Solar Energy Developments

Change detection from satellite sensor vegetation indices (VIs) presents an opportunity to monitor trends and disturbances at the regional scale for southern California's Mojave and Lower Colorado Deserts. Renewable energy sites are being constructed in this region on public lands under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). We have developed a framework for VI change detection over the past two decades, with initial focus on three sites, Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave National Preserve, and a proximal group of Development Focus Areas (DFAs), for comparison between protected and development-targeted lands. Three Terra MODIS VIs (normalized difference [NDVI], enhanced [EVI], soil-adjusted [SAVI]) were evaluated in the Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) setting for the regional MODIS 250-m resolution grid to estimate significant time series shifts (breakpoints) from February 2000 to May 2018. All three VIs tended to detect the maximum number of breakpoints at a grid location, but cross-correlations with precipitation and comparison with timing of wildfire burns near the study sites for breakpoint density (proportion of area with a breakpoint) showed that NDVI had the strongest response to these major disturbances, supporting its use for subsequent analysis. Time series of NDVI breakpoint change densities for individual solar energy sites did not have a consistent vegetation response following construction. Bootstrapping showed that the DFAs had significantly larger kurtosis and variance in the positive NDVI breakpoint distribution than did the protected sites, but there was no significant difference in the negative distribution for all three sites. The inconsistent post-construction NDVI signal and the large number of breakpoints overall suggested that the largest changes in vegetation cover density were tied to seasonal precipitation amounts. The distributional results indicated that existing site-specific conditions were the main control on VI responses, given the history of human disturbances in the DFAs. Although the results do not support persistent VI disturbances resulting from recent solar energy development, continued monitoring and examination of other ecological variables and surface temperatures will be vital to the long-term protection of this desert environment.

Potter, Christopher S.↗

Empowering Energy Efficiency in Existing Big-Box Retail/Grocery Stores (Final Optimization Report)

The Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), TRC Energy Services, P2S Engineering Inc, Walmart, and five innovative technology providers, are to demonstrate the impact of an integrated suite of pre-commercial energy efficiency (EE) technologies in a large, existing, retail building located within an inland disadvantaged community. Proposed technology packages include three categories of advanced EE solutions: heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigerating (HVAC/R); lighting; and integrated system and building level controls. The project is designed to impact Walmart’s future store specifications, which can be replicated and deployed in other buildings across California with similar end-use and system characteristics. The following lists the technologies considered for this project: DualCool (HVAC evaporative cooling); Software Motor Company (SMC) (HVAC and refrigeration fan motor); I2S: DC LED lighting; LocBit: building energy management and optimization; Saya: water monitoring.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Boride-based Ceramic Super-high Temperature Thermocouples in Harsh Environments (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

An electromotive force (emf) can be generated along a temperature gradient between the cold end and hot end of a thermoelectric material, termed the Seebeck effect. Based on the Seebeck effect, metallic alloys have been extensively employed to detect temperatures for centuries, named thermocouples. However, commercially available thermocouple alloys suffer from limitations, such as oxidation, chemical degradation, and poor long-term stability under high-temperature harsh environments. This DOE-funded project aimed to develop high-temperature, chemically tolerant thermocouples suitable for operation in extreme environments relevant to semiconducting thermoelectric materials. The research focused on boride-based semiconducting thermoelectric compounds as candidates for next-generation thermocouples with enhanced oxidation resistance, chemical stability, and thermal robustness under conditions representative of charcoal-fired electricity facilities. During the funded years, boride materials were synthesized using an arc-plasma technique under ambient air and argon atmospheres, enabling scalable and cost-effective production compared with conventional boride fabrication methods. The synthesized borides were processed into nanostructured powders, followed by consolidation into dense bulk materials using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) bottom-up approach. Comprehensive characterization was performed, including microstructural analysis, electrical transport measurements, and optical and thermal property evaluation. Both p-type and n-type boride electric legs were fabricated and integrated into boride-based thermocouples. The thermal and irradiation stabilities of the boride nanomaterials and bulk thermoelectric materials were systematically evaluated to assess suitability for long-term operation in harsh environments. Additionally, 12 students were broadly hands-on trained spanning the full research workflow, including word processing and technical editing (e.g., LATEX for manuscript and poster preparation), data collection and analysis (using Python and related libraries and hardware interfaces), sample preparation (including arc-plasma synthesis and spark plasma sintering), and advanced characterization techniques (such as X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and Seebeck coefficient measurements, etc). Overall, this project demonstrated the feasibility of boride-based thermoelectric materials as durable high-temperature thermocouples, providing a promising pathway toward robust temperature sensing technologies aligned with DOE energy infrastructure and extreme-environment monitoring needs.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Numerical Modeling of Anisotropic Elastic-Wave Sensitivity Propagation for Optimal Design of Time-Lapse Seismic Surveys

Reliable subsurface time-lapse seismic monitoring is crucial for many geophysical applications, such as enhanced geothermal system characterization, geologic carbon utilization and storage, and conventional and unconventional oil/gas reservoir characterization, etc. In this work, we develop an elastic-wave sensitivity propagation method for optimal design of cost-effective time-lapse seismic surveys considering the fact that most of subsurface geologic layers and fractured reservoirs are anisotropic instead of isotropic. For anisotropic media, we define monitoring criteria using qP- and qS-wave sensitivity energies after decomposing qP- and qS-wave components from the total elastic-wave sensitivity wavefield using a hybrid time- and frequency-domain approach. Geophones should therefore be placed at locations with significant qP- and qS-wave sensitivity energies for cost-effective time-lapse seismic monitoring in an anisotropic geology setting. Our numerical modeling results for a modified anisotropic Hess model demonstrate that, compared with the isotropic case, subsurface anisotropy changes the spatial distributions of elastic-wave sensitivity energies. Consequently, it is necessary to consider subsurface anisotropies when designing the spatial distribution of geophones for cost-effective time-lapse seismic monitoring. This finding suggests that it is essential to use our new anisotropic elastic-wave sensitivity modeling method for optimal design of time-lapse seismic surveys to reliably monitor the changes in subsurface reservoirs, fracture zones or target monitoring regions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Triton Field Trials Changes in Habitat 360-degree Underwater Videos

This dataset contains the underwater 360-degree video files recorded with a Boxfish 360 camera in La Jolla, CA, near a gravity base anchor of the CalWave xWave wave energy converter in December 2021 over three days, at dawn, noon, and dusk. It was generated to test the ability of using this type of camera mounted on an aluminum frame as a video lander to monitor the artificial reef effect of marine energy devices and associated seafloor structures. The Boxfish 360 is made of 3 cameras each recording its own set of videos. The videos are MOV files that can be viewed individually with any video reader but need to be stitched together to create the 360-degree footage. This dataset contains all the raw video files collected at dawn, noon and dusk on 11/30/2021, 12/01/2021 and 12/02/2021, for about 1h each time. This dataset is associated with the journal manuscript below (linked in resources): Hemery, L.G.; Mackereth, K.F.; Gunn, C.M.; Pablo, E.B. Use of a 360-Degree Underwater Camera to Characterize Artificial Reef and Fish Aggregating Effects around Marine Energy Devices. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10, 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10050555

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Correlative Analysis of GRBs Detected by Swift and Suzaku- WAM

It is now well known that a complete understanding of the energetics of the prompt phase of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) requires full knowledge of the spectrum, extending at least as high as the peak energy (Epeak) of the vF(v) spectrum. Since most gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have Epeak above the energy range (15-150 keV) of the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on Swift, a full understanding of the prompt emission from Swift GRBs requires spectral fits over as broad an energy range as possible. This can be completed for bursts which are simultaneously detected by Swift BAT and the Suzaku Wide-band All-Sky Monitor (WAM), which covers the energy range from 50-5000 keV. Between the launch of Suzaku in July 2005 and the end of 2008, there were 44 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) which triggered both Swift and WAM and an additional 41 bursts which triggered Swift and were detected by WAM, but did not trigger. A joint BAT-WAM team has cross-calibrated the two instruments using GRBs, and we are now able to perform joint fits on these bursts to determine spectral parameters including Epeak. The results of broad spectral fits allows us to understand the distribution of Epeak for Swift bursts and to calibrate Epeak estimators when Epeak is within the BAT energy range. For those bursts with spectroscopic redshifts, we can calculate the isotropic energy and study various correlations between Epeak and other global burst parameters. Here we present the results of joint Swift/BAT-Suzaku/WAM spectral fits for 77 of the bursts jointly detected by the two instruments. We show that the distribution of spectral fit parameters is consistent with distributions from earlier missions and confirm that Swift bursts are consistent with earlier reported relationships between Epeak and isotropic energy. We show through time-resolved spectroscopy that individual burst pulses are also consistent with this relationship.

Krimm, H.A.↗

Field Insights: Strengthening Digital Assurance Through On-Site Network Monitoring

The accelerating deployment of digital energy infrastructure, ranging from inverter-based resources (IBRs), battery energy storage systems (BESS), to advanced grid control platforms, has brought unprecedented visibility, flexibility, and efficiency to the electric grid. However, this digital transformation also introduces new cybersecurity challenges, particularly in the form of supply chain risks and operational blind spots at the grid edge. Over the past year, the Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), through its Rapid Risk Assessment initiative, along with the Grid Deployment Office (GDO), through its Technical Assistance for Digital Assurance (TADA) initiative, have supported a series of on-site network engagements led by Idaho National Laboratory (INL). These engagements, conducted in partnership with asset owners across the country, have focused on identifying real-world vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in operational environments, many of which are not detectable through remote assessments or traditional compliance audits. The goal of this report is to distill key findings and lessons learned during network hunt engagements from INL’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 - 2025. It is intended to help asset owners—regardless of their participation in the program—better understand the evolving threat landscape and adopt practical measures to secure their digital energy infrastructure.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

STRV RADMON: An integrated high-energy particle detector

The RADMON (Radiation Monitor) was developed as a compact device with a 4-kbit SRAM particle detector and two p-FET total dose monitors. Thus it can be used as a spacecraft radiation alarm and in situ total dose monitor. This paper discusses the design and calibration of the SRAM for proton, alpha, and heavy ion detection. Upset rates for the RADMON, based on a newly developed space particle flux algorithm, are shown to vary over eight orders of magnitude. On the STRV (Space Technology Research Vehicle) the RADMON's SRAM will be used to detect trapped protons, solar flares, and cosmic rays and to evaluate our ability to predict space results from ground tests.

Buehler, Martin↗

STRV RADMON: An Integrated High-Energy Particle Detector

The RADMON (Radiation Monitor) was developed as a compact device with a 4-kbit SRAM particle detector and two p-FET total dose monitors. Thus it can be used as a spacecraft radiation alarm and in situ total dose monitor. This paper discusses the design and calibration of the SRAM for proton, alpha, and heavy ion detection. Upset rates for the RADMON, based on a newly developed space particle flux algorithm, are shown to vary over eight orders of magnitude.

RADMON↗

Sensors with Intelligent Measurement Platform and Low-cost Equipment (SIMPLE) for Monitoring and Control of Medium Voltage Distribution Systems with High Penetration of Intermittent Distributed Energy Resources

The primary focus of the SIMPLE project was to develop, commission, test and introduce intelligent voltage and current sensor platform with enhanced characteristics (accuracy, bandwidth and harmonic range) and high measurement granularity for medium voltage distribution system monitoring, protection and control. The enhancements incorporated existing (commercially available) sensors and made them suitable for applications such as voltage regulation, frequency support, fault detection and location, distribution system state estimation, power quality measurements and electrical distribution network topology processing. The development of the intelligent sensor platform was driven by the need for high-fidelity monitoring and control of medium voltage distribution feeder to enable higher penetration of renewable resources and microgrid operation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗