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At least 415 records · Page 23

Filling-in of Far-Red and Near-Infrared Solar Lines by Terrestrial and Atmospheric Effects: Simulations and Space-Based Observations from SCHIAMACHY and GOSAT

Mapping of terrestrial vegetation fluorescence from space is of interest because it can potentially provide global information on the functional status of vegetation including light use efficiency and global primary productivity that can be used for global carbon cycle modeling. Space-based measurement of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence is challenging, because its signal is small as compared with the much larger reflectance signal. Ground- and aircraft-based approaches have made use of the dark and spectrally-wide 02-A (approx 760 nm) and O2-B (approx 690 nm) atmospheric features to detect the weak fluorescence signal. More recently, Joiner et a1. and Frankenberg et a1. focused on longer-wavelength solar Fraunhofer lines that can be observed with space-based instruments such as the currently operational GOSAT. They showed that fluorescence can be detected using Fraunhofer lines away from the far-red chlorophyll-a fluorescence peak even when the surface is relatively bright. Here, we build on that work by developing methodology to correct for instrumental artifacts that produce false filling-in signals that can bias fluorescence retrievals. We also examine other potential sources of filling-in at far-red and NIR wavelengths. Another objective is to explore the possibility of making fluorescence measurements from space with lower spectral resolution instrumentation than the GOSAT interferometer. We focus on the 866 nm Ca II solar Fraunhofer line. Very few laboratory and ground-based measurements of vegetation fluorescence have been reported at wavelengths longer than 800 mn. Some results of fluorescence measurements of corn leaves acquired in the laboratory using polychromatic excitation at wavelengths shorter than 665 nm show that at 866 nm, the measured signal is of the order of 0.1-0.2 mw/sq m/nm/sr. In this work we use the following satellite observations: We use SCIAMACHY channel 5 in nadir mode that covers wavelengths between 773 and 1063 nm at a spectral resolution of 0.54 nm. GOSAT has two instrument packages: the Thermal And Near-infrared Sensor for carbon Observation-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) and the Cloud and Aerosol Imager (CAI). We use TANSO-FTS band 1, which extends from approximately 758 to 775 mn and we use cloud fraction derived from the CAL We compare satellite-derived fluorescence with the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), an Aqua/MODIS-derived vegetation reflectance-based index that indicates relative greenness and is used to infer photosynthetic function.

Joiner, J.↗

Thermodynamic constraints on the textural evolution of eucrite, EET 90020

Basaltic eucrites, which are possibly parts of the Vestan crust, formed as either lava flows or intrusions, and can offer insights into early crust formation. However most eucrites have experienced thermal metamorphism, which exacerbates the challenges of understanding these samples. A variety of petrogenetic models such as, partial melting of a primitive source, fractional crystallization of magmas emplaced in a primitive crust, and/or partial melting of a eucritic source coupled with melt mixing and assimilation have been proposed in order to explain observed petrologic and chemical characteristics of eucrites. EET 90020 is an unbrecciated eucrite that has experienced significant thermal metamorphism, with temperatures of metamorphic equilibration calculated to be ~840-1040°C. Its petrologic history remains contentious, in part due to differences in trace element analyses [10,17, this work], which has led to multiple metamorphic interpretations [8,10-11]. Here, we combined petrologic observations, chemical analyses, and thermodynamic modeling, to interpret micro-domain textures identified in EET 90020 and better constrain its petrologic history. Ultimately, the development of such textures is a direct result of the geologic processes operating on a young Vesta or similar asteroid. Sample description: We identified three textural domains in EET 90020 (Figure 1); (I) A coarse grain domain with granoblastic plagioclase and pyroxene, (II) a medium grain domain with curved grain boundaries between plagioclase and pyroxene, and (III) a fine grain domain dominated by tridymite that fills in interstitial space between spherical plagioclase. Major element chemistry in phases is consistent across domains. Pyroxene have distinctive high Ca lamellae (Wo40.92En28.1Fs31.0) forming from the low-Ca pigeonite host (Wo3.5En33.7Fs62.8). There are small amounts of fayalitic olivine along pyroxene/oxide grain boundaries, where pyroxenes have reacted with ilmenite/chromite clasts. Plagioclase is anorthitic (Avg ~An88), with little variation (An86-92.5). Trace element bulk rock analyses were collected via ICP-MS and individual mineral analyses with LA-ICP-MS (Figure 2). The bulk sample has an observable enrichment in light rare earth elements, with a notable depletion in Eu. Plagioclase is enriched in LREEs, depleted in HREEs, and has a positive Eu anomaly while pyroxene is enriched in HREEs with a negative Eu anomaly. Variations in trace element analyses is likely influenced by the presence of phosphates because are highly enriched in REEs and have a dramatic effect on the bulk domain compositions. Thermodynamic modeling: The software package, Perple_X, was used to calculate mineral phase equilibria over a range of conditions using a Gibbs free energy minimization approach [12]. Models used all major/minor elements except P2O5. Thermodynamic properties from [13] were used to constrain endmember phase stabilities. Activity models were used to describe mixing in phases with solid solution. Isochemical P-T phase diagrams were constructed for the bulk thin section, and the coarse, medium and fine grain domain compositions. Domain compositions were determined using microprobe analyses of phases identified in each domain and observed modal mineral abundancies. Thermodynamically stable pyroxene compositions were extracted from model results and compared to pyroxene compositions collected via EMPA, allowing us to calculate temperatures for metamorphic equilibrium. Results: Results that use the coarse domain composition (Fig. 3a) demonstrate overlap at T ~ 1020°C indicating high T equilibration. There was no overlap for the medium and fine grain domains, or the bulk composition (e.g., Fig. 3b) indicating that these are not equilibrium assemblages. These results were replicated using data from [8,20]. Discussion: The disequilibrium results from the bulk rock, fine grain and medium grain models imply that EET 90020 was modified during and/or after peak metamorphism (open system behavior). However, this is in contrast to the coarse domain where it appears as if equilibrium was maintained. We suggest that this conflict is explained by highly localized equilibrium occurring at millimeter length-scales, which has been observed in terrestrial metamorphism where aqueous fluid infiltrate [14] or melt loss occurs [15]. It is unlikely that aqueous alteration was significant in modifying the bulk composition of EET 90020, because it lacks hydrated minerals. However, the presence of melt is supported by the presence of an abundance of curved grain boundaries and spherical grains in the medium and fine grain domains This contrasts the coarse domain, where grain boundaries are angular. Given the evidence for disequilibrium in the medium and fine grain domains, it would be inappropriate to draw additional conclusions about textural evolution using thermodynamic models of those domains. However, modeling results of the coarse grain domain, where equilibrium was maintained, can provide useful insights into the geologic evolution of EET 90020. We approximate maximum metamorphic temperatures, using the Ca component in pyroxene, at ~1020°C (Fig. 4), which is consistent with previous two-pyroxene thermometry [11]. At this temperature, up to 10 vol % melt can be produced in the coarse grain domain, which is at the boundary of minimum melt needed in order to segregate and form a melt network [16]. Tridymite and plagioclase would be the first minerals to melt out during heating starting ~990°C. This is consistent with the observed melt textures formed by tridymite and plagioclase in the fine grain domain. We suggest that a partial melting model best explains the textural development of EET 90020. Upon heating, melt generated was either trapped, resulting in no net change in the localized rock composition, or migrated, resulting in disequilibrium between pyroxene and the surrounding matrix. A positive Eu anomaly in plagioclase indicates that all of the plagioclase was melted previously. This is consistent with previous studies that have suggested that EET 90020 represents a residual eucrite that experienced partial melting and subsequent melt loss [8]. We speculate that partial melting could have occurred when EET 90020 was heated in the asteroid’s lower crust or adjacent to an intrusion [7]. Future work will study other, texturally heterogeneous samples to see if EET 90020 presents a unique circumstance or whether crustal partial melting was ubiquitous on the eucrite asteroid.

Eucrites↗

A Multi-Sensor Unoccupied Aerial System Improves Characterization of Vegetation Composition and Canopy Properties in the Arctic Tundra

Changes in vegetation distribution, structure, and function can modify the canopy properties of terrestrial ecosystems, with potential consequences for regional and global climate feedbacks. In the Arctic, climate is warming twice as fast as compared to the global average (known as ‘Arctic amplification’), likely having stronger impacts on arctic tundra vegetation. In order to quantify these changes and assess their impacts on ecosystem structure and function, methods are needed to accurately characterize the canopy properties of tundra vegetation types. However, commonly used ground-based measurements are limited in spatial and temporal coverage, and differentiating low-lying tundra plant species is challenging with coarse-resolution satellite remote sensing. The collection and processing of multi-sensor data from unoccupied aerial systems (UASs) has the potential to fill the gap between ground-based and satellite observations. To address the critical need for such data in the Arctic, we developed a cost-effective multi-sensor UAS (the ‘Osprey’) using off-the-shelf instrumentation. The Osprey simultaneously produces high-resolution optical, thermal, and structural images, as well as collecting point-based hyperspectral measurements, over vegetation canopies. In this paper, we describe the setup and deployment of the Osprey system in the Arctic to a tundra study site located in the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. We present a case study demonstrating the processing and application of Osprey data products for characterizing the key biophysical properties of tundra vegetation canopies. In this study, plant functional types (PFTs) representative of arctic tundra ecosystems were mapped with an overall accuracy of 87.4%. The Osprey image products identified significant differences in canopy-scale greenness, canopy height, and surface temperature among PFTs, with deciduous low to tall shrubs having the lowest canopy temperatures while non-vascular lichens had the warmest. The analysis of our hyperspectral data showed that variation in the fractional cover of deciduous low to tall shrubs was effectively characterized by Osprey reflectance measurements across the range of visible to near-infrared wavelengths. Therefore, the development and deployment of the Osprey UAS, as a state-of-the-art methodology, has the potential to be widely used for characterizing tundra vegetation composition and canopy properties to improve our understanding of ecosystem dynamics in the Arctic, and to address scale issues between ground-based and airborne/satellite observations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Beagle 2: Mission to Mars - Current Status

Beagle 2 is a 72 kg probe (with a 32 kg lander) developed in the United Kingdom for inclusion on the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express. Beagle 2 was launched on June 2, 2003 with Mars Express on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Beagle 2 landed on Mars on December 25th, 2003 in Isidis Planitia (approx. 10.7 N and 268.6 W), a large sedimentary basin that overlies the boundary between ancient highlands and northern plains. Isidis Planitia, the third largest impact basin on Mars, which is possibly filled with sediment deposited at the bottom of long-standing lakes or seas, offers an ideal environment for preserving traces of life. The team is awaiting signals from the Beagle 2 lander at the time when this abstract was written. Current status of the mission will be reported. Beagle 2 was developed to search for organic material and other volatiles on and below the surface of Mars in addition to the study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy. Several fundamental properties can be used to determine the existence of an active or past biology on any planet, Earth or Mars. Beagle 2's targets for investigation included: (a) The presence of water, or the existence of minerals deposited from water to show that water was present, even if only transiently; (b) The detection of carbonaceous debris, the remains of organisms that might have lived in water or were washed to a final resting place by the action of water; (c) The structure of organic matter, to demonstrate that it might have been synthesized for a biological purpose; (d) The recognition of isotopic fractionation between carbonaceous phases (organic vs inorganic carbon phases), a condition which on Earth suggests that life emerged nearly 4 billion years ago.

Gibson, E. K., Jr.↗

Raman-shifting an ArF excimer laser to generate new lines for obtaining optical diagnostic based information in flow fields

The application of tunable excimer lasers in combustion and flow diagnostics is almost routine nowadays. The properties of this laser system that enable density and temperature measurements in supersonic and hypersonic flow fields to be conducted are its high power, high repetition rate, and high spectral brightness. The limitation imposed by this system on these measurements is the paucity of lines in the wavelength region, the vacuum-ultraviolet, where species of interest, such as OH, N2, O2, H2, H2O, CO, NO, etc., are susceptible to electronic excitation to high-lying states. To circumvent this problem one normally resorts to nonlinear optical techniques such as frequency conversion via stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), more commonly known as Raman shifting or Raman mixing, to extend these nonintrusive and nonperturbing techniques to the shorter wavelengths in the VUV region and, for that matter, to longer wavelengths in the infrared region, if the need arises. The theoretical basis of SRS and its application are well documented in the literature. In essence, the Raman shift is a consequence of the inelastic scattering of the incident radiation by the sample. Most of the scattered radiation from the molecules of the sample is unchanged in frequency. However, a small fraction of the incident radiation is changed in frequency. This shift is a result of the fact that some of the incident photons on colliding with the molecules of the sample give up some of their energy and emerge with a lower energy resulting in the lower-frequency Stokes radiation. Other incident photons may increase their energy by colliding with the vibrationally excited molecules of the medium and emerge as higher-frequency antistokes radiation. The generation of the latter is the main objective of this project. The process, however, depends on several factors, including the beam quality of the pump laser, the cross-section of the gaseous medium, the gas pressure, and the ambient temperature of the gas near the focal region. Furthermore, since the Raman shifting process is polarization sensitive, it is necessary to have all of the laser energy in a single polarization. These factors were taken into consideration in the execution of the project. The implementation of the Raman shift was accomplished by focusing the 193 nm output of an ArF excimer laser (Lamda-Physik LPX 150) into a 1-meter long high pressure recirculating Raman cell filled with H2 gas. The laser system was modified in order to improve the mode quality of the pump beam to enhance the Raman shifting. To accomplish this feat, a prism beam expander and grating on the oscillator discharge provided wavelength tuning over the excimer gain profile. Furthermore, a triple-pass configuration, as opposed to unstable resonator optics, was employed in the operation of the amplifier cavity so that when the oscillator output radiation, focused by a 51-cm focal length fused silica lens through a 50 micron pinhole (serving as a spatial filter) and recollimated with a 25-cm focal length lens, was fed into the amplifier, it was injection locked, thereby providing tunable radiation with relatively low divergence. The forward scattered radiation emanating from the impingement of the modified pump beam on the Raman cell was detected using an energy meter after the latter had been separated from it using a dispersing prism.

Koker, Edmond B.↗

TropiRoot 1.0: Database of tropical root characteristics across environments

Tropical ecosystems contain the world's largest biodiversity of vascular plants. Yet, our understanding of tropical functional diversity and its contribution to global diversity patterns is constrained by data availability. This discrepancy underscores an urgent need to bridge data gaps by incorporating comprehensive tropical root data into global datasets. Here, we provide a database of tropical root characteristics. This new database, TropiRoot 1.0, will be instrumental in evaluating an array of hypotheses pertaining to root functional ecology and plant biogeography, both within the tropics and relative to other global biomes. The data compilation was conducted by the TropiRoot Initiative, in partnership with the Fine-Root Ecology Database (FRED) and the Global Root Trait (GRooT) database, Colorado State University (CSU) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Literature search and data extraction were conducted between 2020 and 2024. Literature was identified using Web of Science, Scopus, and complemented using the expert knowledge of members of TropiRoot. To provide broad environmental and geographical distributions, literature searches included root characteristics (traits) across global change drivers, natural gradients, and from different continents. We adopted FRED standardized data columns and streamlined the format to enhance accessibility for data extraction across various user groups. This optimized framework resulted in a smaller, yet comprehensive datasheet. To make the database compatible with other global root trait initiatives, column identification was standardized following the codes provided by FRED. These efforts culminated in data extracted from 104 new sources, resulting in more than 8000 rows of data (either species or community data). Most of the data in TropiRoot 1.0 include root characteristics such as root biomass, morphology, root dynamics, mass fraction, architecture, anatomy, physiology, and root chemistry. This initiative represents a 30% increase in the currently available data for tropical roots in FRED. TropiRoot 1.0 contains root characteristics from 25 different countries, where seven are located in Asia, six in South America, five in Central America and the Caribbean, four in Africa, two in North America, and 1 in Oceania. Due to the volume of data, when ancillary data were available, including soil data, these data were either extracted and included in the database or its availability was recorded in an additional column. Multiple contributors checked the entries for outliers during the collation process to ensure data quality. For text-based observations, we examined all cells to ensure that their content relates to their specific categories. For numerical observations, we ordered each numerical value from least to greatest and plotted the values, checking apparent outliers against the data in their respective sources and correcting or removing incorrect or impossible values. Some data (soil and aboveground) have different columns for the same variable presented in different units, including originally published units, but root characteristics data had units converted to match those reported in FRED. By filling a gap from global databases, TropiRoot 1.0 expands our knowledge of otherwise so far underrepresented regions and our ability to assess global trends. This advancement can be used to improve tropical forest representation in vegetation models. The data are freely available and should be cited when used.

FRED↗

Probing Supraglacial Debris on Mars 1: Sources, Thickness, and Stratigraphy

Geomorphic and geophysical evidence supports a debris-covered glacier origin for a suite of landforms at themid-latitudes of Mars, including lobate debris aprons (LDA), lineated valley fill (LVF), and concentric crater fill (CCF). These large reservoirs of ice and their near-surface structure provide a rich record for understanding the planet's climate and history of global volatile exchange over the past billion years. LDA, LVF, and CCF are also potential sites for future robotic and human missions but the accessibility of glacial ice for direct sampling and in situ resource utilization depends largely on the geotechnical properties of the surface debris ("supraglacial debris"), including its thickness, grain sizes, and density structure. The physical properties of this supraglacial debris layer have been poorly constrained. We use images of morphology, digital elevation models, thermal inertia data, and radar sounding data to probe the near surface of LDA, LVF, and CCF in Deuteronilus Mensae in order to place constraints on the sources, grain sizes, thickness, and stratigraphy of supraglacial debris. We find evidence for at least a two-layer stratigraphy. Layered mantle consisting of atmospherically emplaced dust and ice superposes boulder-rich sediment sourced by rockfalls glacially transported downslope. High thermal inertia, boulder-rich termini and debris bands reminiscent of medial moraines are found throughout the study region, supporting a rockfall origin for at least a fraction of the debris exposed at the surface. This supraglacial debris layer would have thickened with time from sublimation of glacial ice and liberation of englacial sediment and dust. At present, the entire supraglacial debris package is a minimum of a few meters in thickness and is likely tens of meters in thickness in many locations, possibly thinning regionally at lower latitudes and locally thinning toward the headwalls. The lack of terracing or interior structures in craters formed within LDA, LVF, and CCF and the absence of near-surface reflectors in SHARAD radar data further suggest that no strong contrasts in

Supraglacial↗

The Atmosphere-Space Transition Region Explorer (ASTRE) – A Low Perigee Satellite to Investigate the Coupling of the Earth’s Upper Atmosphere and Magnetosphere

The Atmosphere-Space Transition Region Explorer (ASTRE) is a mission concept designed to carry out an unprecedented study of the interaction between the Earth’s atmosphere and the ionized gases of space within the atmosphere-space transition region. By gathering direct measurements of the coupling of ion and neutral gases in this region, ASTRE provides the critical missing link in our knowledge of the transfer, dissipation, and regulation of energy and momentum between the sun and the upper atmosphere. ASTRE provides the first detailed, systematic investigation of this important unexplored region, vastly improves and constrains models of the upper atmosphere, and fills a critical gap in our understanding of how the coupled lower ionosphere/upper atmosphere “works” as a system. To achieve its science objectives, ASTRE gathers accurate measurements of plasma and neutral gases, electric and magnetic fields, and energetic particles using well-proven, in situ instruments with excellent flight heritage. Furthermore, as described herein, all the instruments have been designed to perform well in the low perigee environment, including altitudes of 150 km and lower. ASTRE utilizes a three-axis stabilized satellite that uses on-board propulsion to carry out systematic, low perigee measurements at high latitudes. The satellite design incorporates a “form follows function” approach with a cylindrical shape and conductive body-mounted solar arrays to minimize drag and perturbations to the space environment. Atomic-oxygen resistant materials are utilized and a passive thermal design with heat pipes and radiator panels minimizes the impact of aero-heating. ASTRE launches into a 250 km × 1500 km elliptical insertion orbit with an inclination of 83°. Perigee precesses from its highest northern latitude to its highest southern latitude every ~60 days. Hydrazine propulsion provides over 2000 orbits with perigee below 200 km, with a significant fraction as low as 150 km, during high latitude, two-week campaigns when perigee precesses to either the northern or southern high latitude region. At mid and low latitudes, the perigee is near 225 km. Because very conservative assumptions were made with respect to the orbital analysis and drag, including continuous 3-sigma “worst-case” solar flux and atmospheric density, when additional propellant is included (accommodated in the current design) and some of the stringent assumptions are relaxed, the ASTRE mission described herein may be expected to include repeated excursions to altitudes of ~130 km or even lower. This paper presents an overview of the ASTRE mission, its science motivation, and objectives. It includes a discussion of the science-driven requirements and traceability, followed by a “proof-of concept” implementation that includes notional instruments and a straightforward spacecraft design. Three key points are demonstrated: 1) There is a critical knowledge gap in the high latitude, atmosphere-space transition region below 250 km; 2) The instrument and measurement techniques needed to obtain the ASTRE measurements are well-proven and function well in the low-altitude environment; and 3) A mature spacecraft design, flight dynamics analysis, and concept of operations have been developed that demonstrate that the ASTRE mission can be achieved in a straightforward manner using current technologies.

Ionosphere↗

Data from TropiRoot 1.0 database: tropical root characteristics across environments

TropiRoot 1.0 is a new tropical root database with root characteristics across environment gradients. It has data extracted from 104 new sources, resulting in more than 8000 rows of data (either species or community data). Most of the data in TropiRoot 1.0 includes root characteristics such as root biomass, morphology, root dynamics, mass fraction, architecture, anatomy, physiology and root chemistry. This initiative represents an approximately 30% increase in the currently available data for tropical roots in the Fine Root Ecology Database (FRED). TropiRoot 1.0, contains root characteristics from 25 different countries where seven are located in Asia, six in South America, five in Central America and the Caribbean, four in Africa, two in North America, and 1 in Oceania. Due to the volume of data, when ancillary data was available, including soil data, these data was either extracted and included in the database or their availability was recorded in an additional column. Multiple contributors checked the entries for outliers during the collation process to ensure data quality. For text-based observations, we examined all cells to ensure that their content relates to their specific categories. For numerical observations, we ordered each numerical value from least to greatest and plotted the values, checking apparent outliers against the data in their respective sources and correcting or removing incorrect or impossible values. Some data (soil and aboveground) have different columns for the same variable presented in different units, including originally published units, but root characteristics data had units converted to match the ones reported in FRED. By filling a gap from global databases, TropiRoot 1.0 expands our knowledge of otherwise so far underrepresented regions, and our ability to assess global trends. This advancement can be used to improve tropical forest representation in vegetation models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

One-Step Ahead Prediction of Thermal Mixing Tee Sensors with Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Networks

High-temperature advanced reactors under development, such as sodium fast reactors (SFR) and molten salt cooled reactors (MSCR), are expected to offer lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE) compared to existing light water reactor (LWR’s). In the existing light water reactors (LWR’s), operation and maintenance (O&M) expenses constitute the largest fraction of the total operating cost. Some of the O&M costs are related maintenance of sensors which can fail due to exposure to harsh environment in a reactor. The O&M costs of Advanced Reactor (AR)’s are expected to constitute a significant fraction of the total cost as well, because of high temperature and radiation level in AR are likely to cause material fatigue and premature failure of sensors and components. The O&M costs in AR’s could be reduced through integration of advanced informatics of performance-related sensors into a digital twin designed for reactor monitoring. For example, machine learning (ML) could be employed for real-time validation and correction of performance-related sensors, and reducing the number of performance-related physical sensor units through virtual sensing. As part of the effort, we investigate real-time validation of thermal hydraulic sensors through one-step ahead forecasting of sensor values using long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks (RNN). The sensors are installed in a flow loop containing a thermal mixing tee, which is a common experimental model to study thermal fatigue in a thermal hydraulic loop. In addition, nonlinear transients generated in a thermal mixing tee constitute a good challenge data set for training and validation of ML algorithms. Sensors in this study include thermocouples, flow meters, and optical fibers for distributed temperature sensing. In one experiment, measurement data sets were obtained for a loop was filled with water, and in another experiment, measurements were performed on a loop filled with liquid metal Galinstan. We have also conducted preliminary investigation of one-step ahead prediction of fiber optics-based distributed temperature sensing with LSTM networks. In predicting fiber-based temperature measurements, we treated each gauge pitch of the fiber as an independent sensor. Accuracy of one-step ahead forecasting was estimated by calculating root mean square error (RMSE) for the test segment of time series of each sensor. RMSE’s for temperature sensors in water loop were, for the most part, lower than for the same sensors in Galinstan loop. The RMSE’s for flow meters were similar for both loops. The RMSE’s for distributed temperature measured with the fiber optic sensor were similar to those of the point sensors. Results of this study demonstrated the capability of LSTM one-step ahead forecasting with RMSE comparable to uncertainty in sensor measurements.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Partons as unique ground states of quantum Hall parent Hamiltonians: The case of Fibonacci anyons

We present microscopic, multiple Landau level, (frustration-free and positive semi-definite) parent Hamiltonians whose ground states, realizing different quantum Hall fluids, are parton-like and whose excitations display either Abelian or non-Abelian braiding statistics. We prove ground state energy monotonicity theorems for systems with different particle numbers in multiple Landau levels, demonstrate S-duality in the case of toroidal geometry, and establish complete sets of zero modes of special Hamiltonians stabilizing parton-like states, specifically at filling factor \nu=2/3 ν = 2 / 3 . The emergent Entangled Pauli Principle (EPP), introduced in [Phys. Rev. B 98, 161118(R) (2018)] and which defines the “DNA” of the quantum Hall fluid, is behind the exact determination of the topological characteristics of the fluid, including charge and braiding statistics of excitations, and effective edge theory descriptions. When the closed-shell condition is satisfied, the densest (i.e., the highest density and lowest total angular momentum) zero-energy mode is a unique parton state. We conjecture that parton-like states generally span the subspace of many-body wave functions with the two-body M M -clustering property within any given number of Landau levels, that is, wave functions with M M th-order coincidence plane zeroes and both holomorphic and anti-holomorphic dependence on variables. General arguments are supplemented by rigorous considerations for the M=3 M = 3 case of fermions in four Landau levels. For this case, we establish that the zero mode counting can be done by enumerating certain patterns consistent with an underlying EPP. We apply the coherent state approach of [Phys. Rev. X 1, 021015 (2011)] to show that the elementary (localized) bulk excitations are Fibonacci anyons. This demonstrates that the DNA associated with fractional quantum Hall states encodes all universal properties. Specifically, for parton-like states, we establish a link with tensor network structures of finite bond dimension that emerge via root level entanglement.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The Fermi paradox: An approach based on percolation theory

If even a very small fraction of the hundred billion stars in the galaxy are home to technological civilizations which colonize over interstellar distances, the entire galaxy could be completely colonized in a few million years. The absence of such extraterrestrial civilizations visiting Earth is the Fermi paradox. A model for interstellar colonization is proposed using the assumption that there is a maximum distance over which direct interstellar colonization is feasible. Due to the time lag involved in interstellar communications, it is assumed that an interstellar colony will rapidly develop a culture independent of the civilization that originally settled it. Any given colony will have a probability P of developing a colonizing civilization, and a probability (1-P) that it will develop a non-colonizing civilization. These assumptions lead to the colonization of the galaxy occuring as a percolation problem. In a percolation problem, there will be a critical value of percolation probability, P(sub c). For P less than P(sub c), colonization will always terminate after a finite number of colonies. Growth will occur in 'clusters', with the outside of each cluster consisting of non-colonizing civilizations. For P greater than P(sub c), small uncolonized voids will exist, bounded by non-colonizing civilizations. For P approximately = to P(sub c), arbitrarily large filled regions exist, and also arbitrarily large empty regions.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗

Optimal surface-tension isotropy in the Rothman-Keller color-gradient lattice Boltzmann method for multiphase flow

The Rothman-Keller color-gradient (CG) lattice Boltzmann method is a popular method to simulate two-phase flow because of its ability to deal with fluids with large viscosity contrasts and a wide range of interfacial tensions. Here, two fluids are labeled red and blue, and the gradient in the color difference is used to compute the effect of interfacial tension. It is well known that finite-difference errors in the color-gradient calculation lead to anisotropy of interfacial tension and errors such as spurious currents. Here, we investigate the accuracy of the CG calculation for interfaces between fluids with several radii of curvature and find that the standard CG calculations lead to significant inaccuracy. Specifically, we observe significant anisotropy of the color gradient of order 7% for high curvature of an interface such as when a pinchout occurs. We derive a second order accurate color gradient and find that the diagonal nearest neighbors can be weighted differently than in the usual color-gradient calculation such that anisotropy is minimized to a fraction of a percent. The optimal weights that minimize anisotropy for the smallest radius of curvature interface are found to be w = (0.298, 0.284, 0.275) for diagonal nearest neighbors for the cases of the interface smoothing parameter β = (0.5, 0.7, 0.99), somewhat higher than the w = 0.25 value derived by Leclaire et al. [Leclaire, Reggio, and Trepanier, Computers and Fluids 48, 98 (2011)] based on obtaining isotropic errors to second order. We find that use of these optimal w values yields over a factor of 10 decrease in anisotropy and over a factor of 30 decrease in mean anisotropy relative to using the standard w = 1 value. And we find a factor of about 2 decrease in the anisotropic error and up to factor 15 decrease in mean anisotropic error relative to the choice of w = 0.25 for small radius of curvature interfaces. The improved CG calculations will allow the method to be more reliably applied to studies of phenomenology and pore scale processes such as viscous and capillary fingering, and droplet formation where surface-tension isotropy of narrow fingers and small droplets plays a crucial role in correctly capturing phenomenology. We present an example illustrating how different phenomena can be captured using the improved color-gradient method. Namely, we present simulations of a wetting fluid invading a fluid filled pipe where the viscosity ratio of fluids is unity in which droplets form at the transition to fingering using the improved CG calculations that are not captured using the standard CG calculations. We present an explanation of why this is so which relates to anisotropy of the surface tension, which inhibits the pinchouts needed to form droplets.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Review of the Effects of Polymer Binder Properties on Microstructure and Irreversible Volume Growth of Plastic Bonded Explosives Formulations

The rational design of effective polymeric binders for the formulation of plastic-bonded explosives (PBX) is challenging due to their inherent compositional complexity. The composites comprise irregularly shaped energetic material (EM) powders coated with low weight fractions of polymer via non-equilibrium processes such as slurry coating. Defects can deleteriously affect PBX stability and performance: nano- to micrometer-scale voids can act as loci for hot spots, lowering deflagration and detonation temperatures in unpredictable ways. Furthermore, some nominally desirable polymer properties are at odds with each other: e. g. good flow characteristics are desirable for coating and adhesion, but mechanical stiffness is needed to prevent deformation and cracking of PBX under mechanical stress. Good binder adhesion is critical, but the best means to predict and measure adhesion in PBX is not obvious. Experimental methods of determining binder adhesion on model surfaces may not capture polymer structural configurations relevant to deposition during coating. Molecular dynamics-based computational models have predicted key observables in PBX formulation, suggesting that they may be powerful tools for binder selection. In this review, primarily recent (~2006 and later) literature on polymeric binders for insensitive HE (IHE) is surveyed. We focus on how binder properties influence observable PBX properties as resistance to irreversible volume growth and void formation in PBX formulations mainly (but not exclusively) featuring 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) as the EM (e. g. PBX 9502, LX-17 and others). Conclusions from these studies yield useful guidelines for choosing HE binder candidates, as well as for the general design of highly-filled polymer composite materials. Finally, studies describing challenges in PBX formulation with the newer and more energetically dense high explosive, LLM-105, will be discussed.

adhesion↗

Lithological controls on soil geochemistry and clay mineralogy across Spodosols in the coastal temperate rainforest of southeast Alaska

The interaction of similar soil forming factors with different parent materials determines soil chemical weathering, influencing soil processes and properties. In the coastal temperate rainforests of southeast Alaska, Spodosols is the dominant soil order in well-drained parent materials regardless of the lithology. Yet, the role of lithology on chemical weathering, base cation depletion, and mineral transformation during pedogenesis remains elusive. Here, we established a lithosequence comprised of soils derived from tonalite, phyllite, slate, and metavolcanic rocks to test the hypothesis that despite the soils in southeast Alaska presenting similar taxonomy and morphology, the influence of lithology in chemical weathering intensity and mineralogy can be detected. We evaluated physicochemical properties, clay mineralogy, Fe-Al oxides, chemical weathering, and elemental mass balance on eleven Spodosols sampled along the lithosequence. We also propose a new weathering index, the Weathering Index for Spodosols (WISP), suitable to evaluate the weathering degree of soils with Al mobility and base-rich parent materials. This index fills a gap in traditional weathering indices that uses Al as an immobile element and/or does not evaluate the leaching of main base cations. We found the pedons across the lithosequence expressed similar physicochemical properties, with predominantly thick profiles, presenting andic properties, relatively thick spodic horizons, and thin E horizons. Podzolization imposed similar mineral transformation trends, mainly dissolution of chlorite, mica alteration to interstratified mica-vermiculite, and formation of smectite in E horizons. Kaolinite was detected in the soils from all lithologies, but only in trace amounts in phyllite soils. Fe oxides depth distribution was similar but with a higher concentration in the slate (44.5 ± 4.2 g/kg), followed by metavolcanic (31.6 ± 4.0 g/kg), phyllite (27.9 ± 3.8 g/kg), and tonalite soils (19.9 ± 5.7 g/kg) and predominantly as organometallic complexes (extracted by Na-pyrophosphate). The stronger weathering of chlorite and mica in the E horizons was reflected in larger losses of Mg and K, while Ca and Na were more depleted in the spodic horizons, suggesting plagioclase weathering. Slate soils were the most depleted in base cations, followed by phyllite, tonalite, and metavolcanic soils. The more depleted status of slate soils was supported by the higher WISP values (WISP = 62), followed by phyllite (WISP = 55), tonalite (WISP = 53), and metavolcanic soils (WISP = 45). Our results demonstrated that lithology controlled elemental depletion intensities, Fe oxide concentrations, and partially the clay fraction mineralogy in addition to podzolization acting as a dominant pedogenic process across all sites. These findings advance our understanding of the role of lithology on soil mineralogy/geochemistry that impacts critical soil functions, such as the soil carbon cycle, elemental fluxes, organo-mineral interactions, and solid-solution reactions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Development of Advanced, Radiation Resistant, Optical-based Detector Technology for Future Experiments.

The primary objective of this project has been to advance the design of high-performance electromagnetic (EM) calorimeters for future particle physics experiments, to identify and measure the timing, position and energy of electrons, positrons and gamma rays, particularly in high-luminosity environments with intense radiation and pileup conditions. To meet such challenges, the proposed research has focused on the development of ultra-compact, radiation-hard calorimeter modules, to provide excellent timing, spatial, and energy resolution. The work aligns with the DOE’s Basic Research Needs (BRN) for High Energy Physics (HEP) Instrumentation and the research team contributes actively to the Coordinating Panel on Advanced Detectors (CPAD) RDC9 calorimetry collaboration in the USA and the European Committee on Future Accelerators (ECFA) DRD-CALO calorimetry collaboration at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics located in Geneva, Switzerland. The research builds on the RADiCAL (radiation-hard, ultra-compact) modular sampling calorimeter approach, developed by the research team, which employs dense and very bright optical materials such as LYSO:Ce scintillator plates that are interleaved with very dense tungsten plates to minimize detector size while optimizing performance. The modules are comparable in size to a human index finger, dimensionally 14 mm x 14 mm in cross section and 135 mm in length. And despite the small size, the structure is capable of providing excellent timing and energy resolution. This is facilitated through the use of specialized quartz capillaries filled with wavelength-shifting filaments, positioned at various depths along the length of a module, to collect and guide light signals to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) which detect and convert the optical signals to electronic signals for analysis. The primary goals of this project have been: (1) Achieve a timing resolution to σ t ≤ 30 ps for high-energy electrons and photons, important for their association with specific events produced in colliding-beam experiments and for the detection of decays-in-flight of long-lived particles. The project has achieved this goal in beam tests of a single RADiCAL module at CERN, during which a timing resolution of σ t = 27 ps was measured for electrons of energy E = 150 GeV. Based upon a mathematical fit to the data measured over a broad energy range from low energy to high energy, a resolution of σ t ≤ 18 ps has been estimated for electrons of very high (TeV) energy. From these measurements and with further expected technical improvements, the timing resolution should reach σ t ≤ 10 ps, important for searches for discovery physics in upcoming and future experiments. (2) Achieve an energy resolution of σ E / E ≤ 10% / $\sqrt{E}$. The project has yet to achieve this goal, but is close to it, having measured a value of σ E / E ≤ 15.9% / $\sqrt{E}$ using a modular array. Ultimately, the resolution goal is expected to be reached by adjustments to material thicknesses within the modules, which will improve the sampling fraction to measure more precisely the shower energy for lower energy particles. The versatility of the modular RADiCAL approach enables the testing of advanced materials, photosensors and electronics, developed in collaboration with CPAD RDC and ECFA DRD-CALO groups. The structure can distinguish electrons, positrons and gamma rays from hadrons and muons and beam-induced backgrounds, making it a valuable tool in a variety of detector environments, including future circular colliders (FCC-ee, FCC-hh) proposed for the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the muon-collider proposed for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), and searches for new physics in beam-dump, fixed target and forward-physics experiments. And, while designed with particle physics applications in mind, the technologies developed in this project have the potential for application more broadly in particle and nuclear physics, materials science, and medical physics, underscoring the far-reaching potential of this line of instrumentation research and development.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Diffusion and Solvation Dynamics of Ions in Water: Beyond the Brownian Approximation

The coupled dynamics of ions and water molecules in their first hydration shell impact a variety of processes including ion diffusion, selective ion transport in water-filled nanopores, and the kinetics of ion-pairing, ion adsorption, and metal-ligand binding reactions. In this work, we study these coupled dynamics for alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs), alkaline Earth metals (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba), and chloride through the lens of their dependence on ion isotopic mass. Results are validated against previous measurements of the isotopic mass-dependence of ion diffusion coefficients in water and previous ab initio calculations of ion high-frequency dynamics in water. We find that the vibrational power spectra of ions in water consistently exhibit either two or three peaks, i.e., ions have several rattling frequencies within their solvations shells as previously reported for a subset of the species examined here. These frequencies have different sensititivies to isotopic mass that may serve as signatures of ion solvation processes (such as the tendency of ions to orient their first-shell water molecules) and that also may relate to Hofmeister-like effects including the relative affinity of different metals for ribonucleic acid (RNA).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

CFD Predictions of Boiling Regime Transitions during Line Chilldown validated against a 1G LN2 Experiment

Introduction Before filling a propellant tank on the ground or in Space, the transfer line between the donor and receiver tanks must be cooled down preferably by sacrificing a minimum amount of the cryogenic fluid. The cryogenic line chill-down process involves a transition between different flow boiling regimes, namely, film boiling, transition film boiling, and nucleate boiling which are complex and may be quite gravity-dependent. Capturing these boiling phenomena and predicting the transition between them in a CFD framework is new and challenging both for 1g and microgravity applications. Materials & Methods The present work addresses this challenge by employing a two-phase Eulerian approach in the context of a homogeneous fluid mixture together with the Lee phase change model to capture the film boiling regime of the chill-down process using ANSYS Fluent®. The nucleate boiling regime is predicted by incorporating an in-house developed sub-grid model that accounts for bubble nucleation, bubble growth, bubble departure diameter, and their shedding frequency. The sub-grid model is encoded and implemented into Fluent via a user-defined function for the wall-fluid heat flux calculations. The mathematical formulation and numerical implementation of the CFD model are described in detail. The coupled CFD-Subgrid model is validated against published experimental data for liquid nitrogen chill-down of a heated stainless-steel pipe in 1g. Results Numerical simulation results show good agreements between the CFD predictions of the wall temperature evolution, rewetting temperature, and transition between film and nucleate boiling, with the experimental measurements published by Darr et al [2] for several different LN2 flowrates in the vertical pipe orientation. The CFD predictions for the wall temperature distribution indicate a rapid quenching of the wall at two upstream and downstream temperature sensing locations as compared to the experimental measurement. The only tuning parameter in the CFD model is the Lee mass transfer coefficient. The CFD Model predicts the Liedenfrost rewetting temperature in close agreement with the experiment. This marks a transition between stable and transitionary flow boiling regimes. The CFD-predicted boiling curve for the downstream sensor location is also compared against its experimental counterpart and indicates that the model is able to predict all the key temperature and heat flux parameters during the transitions from stable to transitionary film boiling to nucleate boiling in close agreement with the experiment. A sequence of predicted volume fraction, and temperature contours depicting these transitions will be presented.

Evaporation Condensation↗