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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Fabrication of anodic aluminum oxide on silica optical fiber with nanopore channels oriented off surface normal

Abstract Aluminum coating on silica optical fiber was anodized by applying an electric field off‐axis to surface normal of the fiber coating with simulation of the electric field lines between angularly positioned anode and cathode as a guide. The nanostructure features, including nanopore orientation, of the resultant anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. This unique off‐axis electric field arrangement enabled the formation of AAO with uniformly tilted nanopore channel arrays. Nanopore channels with tilting angles around 10°–20° relative to surface normal of AAO were obtained. These results are in general agreement with the simulated electric field lines between the anode and cathode.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-501: Normal Tissue Toxicities of Pulsed Low Dose Rate Radiotherapy and Conventional Radiotherapy: An in Vivo Total Body Irradiation Study

Purpose: Pulsed low dose rate radiotherapy (PLDR) is a re-irradiation technique for therapy of recurrent cancers. We have previously shown a significant difference in the weight and survival time between the mice treated with conventional radiotherapy (CRT) and PLDR using total body irradiation (TBI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo effects of PLDR on normal mouse tissues.Materials and Methods: Twenty two male BALB/c nude mice, 4 months of age, were randomly assigned into a PLDR group (n=10), a CRT group (n=10), and a non-irradiated control group (n=2). The Siemens Artiste accelerator with 6 MV photon beams was used. The mice received a total of 18Gy in 3 fractions with a 20day interval. The CRT group received the 6Gy dose continuously at a dose rate of 300 MU/min. The PLDR group was irradiated with 0.2Gyx20 pulses with a 3min interval between the pulses. The mice were weighed thrice weekly and sacrificed 2 weeks after the last treatment. Brain, heart, lung, liver, spleen, gastrointestinal, urinary and reproductive organs, and sternal bone marrow were removed, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and stained with H and E. Morphological changes were observed under a microscope. Results: Histopathological examination revealed atrophy in several irradiated organs. The degree of atrophy was mild to moderate in the PLDR group, but severe in the CRT group. The most pronounced morphological abnormalities were in the immune and hematopoietic systems, namely spleen and bone marrow. Brain hemorrhage was seen in the CRT group, but not in the PLDR group. Conclusions: Our results showed that PLDR induced less toxicity in the normal mouse tissues than conventional radiotherapy for the same dose and regimen. Considering that PLDR produces equivalent tumor control as conventional radiotherapy, it would be a good modality for treatment of recurrent cancers.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-78: Establishing a Protocol for Quick Estimation of Thyroid Internal Contamination with 131I in Normal and Emergency Situations

Purpose: I-131 is one of the most frequent radionuclides used in nuclear medicine departments. The radiation workers, who manipulate the unsealed radio-toxic iodine, should be monitored for internal contamination. In this study a protocol was established for estimating I-131 activity absorbed in the thyroid glands of the nuclear medicine staff in normal working condition and also in accidents. Methods: I-131 with the activity of 10 μCi was injected inside the thyroid gland of a home-made anthropomorphic neck phantom. The phantom is made up of PMMA as soft tissue, and Aluminium as bone. The dose rate at different distances from the surface of the neck phantom was measured using a scintillator detector for duration of two months. Then, calibration factors were obtained, for converting the dose rate at each distance to the iodine activity inside the thyroid. Results: According to the results of this study, the calibration factors for converting the dose rates (nSv/h) at distances of 0cm, 1cm, 6cm, 11cm, and 16cm to the activity (kBq) inside the thyroid were found to be 0.03, 0.04, 0.14, 0.29, and 0.49 . Conclusion: This method can be effectively used for quick estimation of the I-131 concentration inside the thyroid of the staff for daily checks in normal working conditions and also in accidents.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-J-230: Evaluation of ViewRay 0.35 T MRI Normal Structure Segmentation

Purpose: In order to take advantage of the high resolution soft tissue imaging available in MR images, we investigated 3D images obtained with the low field 0.35 T MR in ViewRay to serve as an alternative to CT scans for radiotherapy treatment planning. In these images, normal and target structure delineation can be visualized. Assessment is based upon comparison with the CT images and the ability to produce comparable contours. Methods: Routine radiation oncology CT scans were acquired on five patients. Contours of brain, brainstem, esophagus, heart, lungs, spinal cord, and the external body were drawn. The same five patients were then scanned on the ViewRay TrueFISP-based imaging pulse sequence. The same organs were selected on the MR images and compared to those from the CT scan. Physical volume and the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) were used to assess the contours from the two systems. Image quality stability was quantitatively ensured throughout the study following the recommendations of the ACR MR accreditation procedure. Results: The highest DSC of 0.985, 0.863, and 0.843 were observed for brain, lungs, and heart respectively. On the other hand, the brainstem, spinal cord, and esophagus had the lowest DSC. Volume agreement was most satisfied for the heart (within 5%) and the brain (within 2%). Contour volume for the brainstem and lung (a widely dynamic organ) varied the most (27% and 19%). Conclusion: The DSC and volume measurements suggest that the results obtained from ViewRay images are quantitatively consistent and comparable to those obtained from CT scans for the brain, heart, and lungs. MR images from ViewRay are well-suited for treatment planning and for adaptive MRI-guided radiotherapy. The physical data from 0.35 T MR imaging is consistent with our geometrical understanding of normal structures.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

MO-F-CAMPUS-I-04: Characterization of Fan Beam Coded Aperture Coherent Scatter Spectral Imaging Methods for Differentiation of Normal and Neoplastic Breast Structures

Purpose: This study intends to characterize the spectral and spatial resolution limits of various fan beam geometries for differentiation of normal and neoplastic breast structures via coded aperture coherent scatter spectral imaging techniques. In previous studies, pencil beam raster scanning methods using coherent scatter computed tomography and selected volume tomography have yielded excellent results for tumor discrimination. However, these methods don’t readily conform to clinical constraints; primarily prolonged scan times and excessive dose to the patient. Here, we refine a fan beam coded aperture coherent scatter imaging system to characterize the tradeoffs between dose, scan time and image quality for breast tumor discrimination. Methods: An X-ray tube (125kVp, 400mAs) illuminated the sample with collimated fan beams of varying widths (3mm to 25mm). Scatter data was collected via two linear-array energy-sensitive detectors oriented parallel and perpendicular to the beam plane. An iterative reconstruction algorithm yields images of the sample’s spatial distribution and respective spectral data for each location. To model in-vivo tumor analysis, surgically resected breast tumor samples were used in conjunction with lard, which has a form factor comparable to adipose (fat). Results: Quantitative analysis with current setup geometry indicated optimal performance for beams up to 10mm wide, with wider beams producing poorer spatial resolution. Scan time for a fixed volume was reduced by a factor of 6 when scanned with a 10mm fan beam compared to a 1.5mm pencil beam. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the utility of fan beam coherent scatter spectral imaging for differentiation of normal and neoplastic breast tissues has successfully reduced dose and scan times whilst sufficiently preserving spectral and spatial resolution. Future work to alter the coded aperture and detector geometries could potentially allow the use of even wider fans, thereby making coded aperture coherent scatter imaging a clinically viable method for breast cancer detection. United States Department of Homeland Security; Duke University Medical Center - Department of Radiology; Carl E Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories; Duke University Medical Physics Graduate Program.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-C-BRC-01: A Monte Carlo Study of Out-Of-Field Doses From Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Units Intended for Historical Correlations of Dose to Normal Tissue

Purpose: Innovations in radiotherapy treatments, such as dynamic IMRT, VMAT, and SBRT/SRS, result in larger proportions of low-dose regions where normal tissues are exposed to low doses levels. Low doses of radiation have been linked to secondary cancers and cardiac toxicities. The AAPM TG Committee No.158 entitled, ‘Measurements and Calculations of Doses outside the Treatment Volume from External-Beam Radiation Therapy’, has been formed to review the dosimetry of non-target and out-of-field exposures using experimental and computational approaches. Studies on historical patients can provide comprehensive information about secondary effects from out-of-field doses when combined with long-term patient follow-up, thus providing significant insight into projecting future outcomes of patients undergoing modern-day treatments. Methods: We present a Monte Carlo model of a Theratron-1000 cobalt-60 teletherapy unit, which historically treated patients at the University of Florida, as a means of determining doses located outside the primary beam. Experimental data for a similar Theratron-1000 was obtained at the University of Wisconsin’s ADCL to benchmark the model for out-of-field dosimetry. An Exradin A12 ion chamber and TLD100 chips were used to measure doses in an extended water phantom to 60 cm outside the primary field at 5 and 10 cm depths. Results: Comparison between simulated and experimental measurements of PDDs and lateral profiles show good agreement for in-field and out-of-field doses. At 10 cm away from the edge of a 6×6, 10×10, and 20×20 cm2 field, relative out-of-field doses were measured in the range of 0.5% to 3% of the dose measured at 5 cm depth along the CAX. Conclusion: Out-of-field doses can be as high as 90 to 180 cGy assuming historical prescription doses of 30 to 60 Gy and should be considered when correlating late effects with normal tissue dose.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-I-01: Normalized Mean Glandular Dose Values for Dedicated Breast CT Using Realistic Breast-Shaped Phantoms

Purpose: To estimate normalized mean glandular dose values for dedicated breast CT (DgN-CT) using breast CT-derived phantoms and compare to estimations using cylindrical phantoms. Methods: Segmented breast CT (bCT) volume data sets (N=219) were used to measure effective diameter profiles and were grouped into quintiles by volume. The profiles were averaged within each quintile to represent the range of breast sizes found clinically. These profiles were then used to generate five voxelized computational phantoms (V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 for the small to large phantom sizes, respectively), and loaded into the MCNP6 lattice geometry to simulate normalized mean glandular dose coefficients (DgN-CT) using the system specifications of the Doheny-prototype bCT scanner in our laboratory. The DgN-CT coefficients derived from the bCT-derived breast-shaped phantoms were compared to those generated using a simpler cylindrical phantom using a constant volume, and the following constraints: (1) Length=1.5*radius; (2) radius determined at chest wall (Rcw), and (3) radius determined at the phantom center-of-mass (Rcm). Results: The change in Dg-NCT coefficients averaged across all phantom sizes, was - 0.5%, 19.8%, and 1.3%, for constraints 1–3, respectively. This suggests that the cylindrical assumption is a good approximation if the radius is taken at the breast center-of-mass, but using the radius at the chest wall results in an underestimation of the glandular dose. Conclusion: The DgN-CT coefficients for bCT-derived phantoms were compared against the assumption of a cylindrical phantom and proved to be essentially equivalent when the cylinder radius was set to r=1.5/L or Rcm. While this suggests that for dosimetry applications a patient’s breast can be approximated as a cylinder (if the correct radius is applied), this assumes a homogenous composition of breast tissue and the results may be different if the realistic heterogeneous distribution of glandular tissue is considered. Research reported in this paper was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award R01CA181081. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institue of Health.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-J-174: A Series of Computational Human Phantoms in DICOM-RT Format for Normal Tissue Dose Reconstruction in Epidemiological Studies

Purpose: Epidemiological studies of second cancer risk in radiotherapy patients often require individualized dose estimates of normal tissues. Prior to 3D conformal radiation therapy planning, patient anatomy information was mostly limited to 2D radiological images or not even available. Generic patient CT images are often used in commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system (TPS) to reconstruct normal tissue doses. The objective of the current work was to develop a series of reference size computational human phantoms in DICOM-RT format for direct use in dose reconstruction in TPS. Methods: Contours of 93 organs and tissues were extracted from a series of pediatric and adult hybrid computational human phantoms (newborn, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-year-old, and adult males and females) using Rhinoceros software. A MATLAB script was created to convert the contours into the DICOM-RT structure format. The simulated CT images with the resolution of 1×1×3 mm3 were also generated from the binary phantom format and coupled with the DICOM-structure files. Accurate volumes of the organs were drawn in the format using precise delineation of the contours in converted format. Due to complex geometry of organs, higher resolution (1×1×1 mm3) was found to be more efficient in the conversion of newborn and 1-year-old phantoms. Results: Contour sets were efficiently converted into DICOM-RT structures in relatively short time (about 30 minutes for each phantom). A good agreement was observed in the volumes between the original phantoms and the converted contours for large organs (NRMSD<1.0%) and small organs (NRMSD<7.7%). Conclusion: A comprehensive series of computational human phantoms in DICOM-RT format was created to support epidemiological studies of second cancer risks in radiotherapy patients. We confirmed the DICOM-RT phantoms were successfully imported into the TPS programs of major vendors.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-187: Quantifying Normal Tissue Sparing with 4D Robust Optimization of Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy

Purpose: To report an approach to quantify the normal tissue sparing for 4D robustly-optimized versus PTV-optimized IMPT plans. Methods: We generated two sets of 90 DVHs from a patient’s 10-phase 4D CT set; one by conventional PTV-based optimization done in the Eclipse treatment planning system, and the other by an in-house robust optimization algorithm. The 90 DVHs were created for the following scenarios in each of the ten phases of the 4DCT: ± 5mm shift along x, y, z; ± 3.5% range uncertainty and a nominal scenario. A Matlab function written by Gay and Niemierko was modified to calculate EUD for each DVH for the following structures: esophagus, heart, ipsilateral lung and spinal cord. An F-test determined whether or not the variances of each structure’s DVHs were statistically different. Then a t-test determined if the average EUDs for each optimization algorithm were statistically significantly different. Results: T-test results showed each structure had a statistically significant difference in average EUD when comparing robust optimization versus PTV-based optimization. Under robust optimization all structures except the spinal cord received lower EUDs than PTV-based optimization. Using robust optimization the average EUDs decreased 1.45% for the esophagus, 1.54% for the heart and 5.45% for the ipsilateral lung. The average EUD to the spinal cord increased 24.86% but was still well below tolerance. Conclusion: This work has helped quantify a qualitative relationship noted earlier in our work: that robust optimization leads to plans with greater normal tissue sparing compared to PTV-based optimization. Except in the case of the spinal cord all structures received a lower EUD under robust optimization and these results are statistically significant. While the average EUD to the spinal cord increased to 25.06 Gy under robust optimization it is still well under the TD50 value of 66.5 Gy from Emami et al. Supported in part by the NCI U19 CA021239.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-681: Does the Biophysical Modeling for Immunological Aspects in Radiotherapy Precisely Predict Tumor and Normal Tissue Responses?

Purpose: Recent advances in immunotherapy make possible to combine with radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to assess the TCP/NTCP model with immunological aspects including stochastic distribution as intercellular uncertainties. Methods: In the clinical treatment planning system (Eclipse ver.11.0, Varian medical systems, US), biological parameters such as α/β, D50, γ, n, m, TD50 including repair parameters (bi-exponential repair) can be set as any given values to calculate the TCP/NTCP. Using a prostate cancer patient data with VMAT commissioned as a 6-MV photon beam of Novalis-Tx (BrainLab, US) in clinical use, the fraction schedule were hypothesized as 70–78Gy/35–39fr, 72–81Gy/40–45fr, 52.5–66Gy/16–22fr, 35–40Gy/5fr of 5–7 fractions in a week. By use of stochastic biological model applying for Gaussian distribution, the effects of the TCP/NTCP variation of repair parameters of the immune system as well as the intercellular uncertainty of tumor and normal tissues have been evaluated. Results: As respect to the difference of the α/β, the changes of the TCP/NTCP were increased in hypo-fraction regimens. The difference between the values of n and m affect the variation of the NTCP with the fraction schedules, independently. The elongation of repair half-time (long) increased the TCP/NTCP twice or much higher in the case of hypo-fraction scheme. For tumor, the repopulation parameters such as Tpot and Tstart, which is immunologically working to the tumor, improved TCP. Conclusion: Compared to default fixed value, which has affected by the probability of cell death and cure, hypo-fractionation schemes seemed to have advantages for the variations of the values of m. The possibility of an increase of the α/β or TD50 and repair parameters in tumor and normal tissue by immunological aspects were highly expected. For more precise prediction, treatment planning systems should be incorporated the complicated biological optimization in clinical practice combined with basic experiments data.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-AB-207B-05: Correlation of Normal Lung Density Changes with Dose After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for Early Stage Lung Cancer

Purpose: To investigate correlation of normal lung CT density changes with dose accuracy and outcome after SBRT for patients with early stage lung cancer. Methods: Dose distributions for patients originally planned and treated using a 1-D pencil beam-based (PB-1D) dose algorithm were retrospectively recomputed using algorithms: 3-D pencil beam (PB-3D), and model-based Methods: AAA, Acuros XB (AXB), and Monte Carlo (MC). Prescription dose was 12 Gy × 4 fractions. Planning CT images were rigidly registered to the followup CT datasets at 6–9 months after treatment. Corresponding dose distributions were mapped from the planning to followup CT images. Following the method of Palma et al .(1–2), Hounsfield Unit (HU) changes in lung density in individual, 5 Gy, dose bins from 5–45 Gy were assessed in the peri-tumor region, defined as a uniform, 3 cm expansion around the ITV(1). Results: There is a 10–15% displacement of the high dose region (40–45 Gy) with the model-based algorithms, relative to the PB method, due to the electron scattering of dose away from the tumor into normal lung tissue (Fig.1). Consequently, the high-dose lung region falls within the 40–45 Gy dose range, causing an increase in HU change in this region, as predicted by model-based algorithms (Fig.2). The patient with the highest HU change (∼110) had mild radiation pneumonitis, and the patient with HU change of ∼80–90 had shortness of breath. No evidence of pneumonitis was observed for the 3 patients with smaller CT density changes (<50 HU). Changes in CT densities, and dose-response correlation, as computed with model-based algorithms, are in excellent agreement with the findings of Palma et al. (1–2). Conclusion: Dose computed with PB (1D or 3D) algorithms was poorly correlated with clinically relevant CT density changes, as opposed to model-based algorithms. A larger cohort of patients is needed to confirm these results. This work was supported in part by a grant from Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Anomalous normal-state gap in an electron-doped cuprate

In the underdoped n-type cuprate Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 , long-range antiferromagnetic order reconstructs the Fermi surface, resulting in a putative antiferromagnetic metal with small Fermi pockets. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, here we observe an anomalous energy gap, an order of magnitude smaller than the antiferromagnetic gap, in a wide portion of the underdoped regime and smoothly connecting to the superconducting gap at optimal doping. After considering all the known ordering tendencies in tandem with the phase diagram, we hypothesize that the normal-state gap in the underdoped n-type cuprates originates from Cooper pairing. In conclusion, the high temperature scale of the normal-state gap raises the prospect of engineering higher transition temperatures in the n-type cuprates comparable to those of the p-type cuprates.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Nonlinear normal modes in electrodynamic systems: A nonperturbative approach

We consider electromagnetic nonlinear normal modes in cylindrical cavity resonators filled with a nonlinear nondispersive medium. The key feature of the analysis is that exact analytic solutions of the nonlinear field equations are employed to study the mode properties in detail. Based on such a nonperturbative approach, we rigorously prove that the total energy of free nonlinear oscillations in a distributed conservative system, such as that considered in our work, can exactly coincide with the sum of energies of the normal modes of the system. This fact implies that the energy orthogonality property, which has so far been known to hold only for linear oscillations and fields, can also be observed in a nonlinear oscillatory system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Two-dimensional electrodynamic structure of the normal glow discharge in an axial magnetic field

Results are presented from numerical simulations of an axisymmetric normal glow discharge in molecular hydrogen and molecular nitrogen in an axial magnetic field. The charged particle densities and averaged azimuthal rotation velocities of electrons and ions are studied as functions of the gas pressure in the range of 1–5 Torr, electric field strength in the range of 100–600 V/cm, and magnetic field in the range of 0.01–0.3 T. It is found that the axial magnetic field does not disturb the normal current density law.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

AlN/GaN heterostructures for normally-off transistors

The structure of AlN/GaN heterostructures with an ultrathin AlN barrier is calculated for normally-off transistors. The molecular-beam epitaxy technology of in situ passivated SiN/AlN/GaN heterostructures with a two-dimensional electron gas is developed. Normally-off transistors with a maximum current density of ~1 A/mm, a saturation voltage of 1 V, a transconductance of 350 mS/mm, and a breakdown voltage of more than 60 V are demonstrated. Gate lag and drain lag effects are almost lacking in these transistors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dynamic Model of Elastoplastic Normal Collision of Spherical Particles under Nonlocal Plasticity

The problem of normal collision of a spherical particle with a half-space is considered with allowance for nonlocal plastic deformation in the case where the strength limit depends on the contact radius, as well as for the strengthening effect in the deformed material. The dimensionless coefficient of normal velocity restitution has been calculated numerically as a function of the initial velocity of the spherical particle. The obtained data coincide well with experimental results available in the literature.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Quantified fracture (joint) clustering in Archean basement, Wyoming: application of the normalized correlation count method

We demonstrate statistically significant self-organized clustering over a length scale range from 10 -2 to 10 1 m for north-striking opening-mode fractures (joints) in Late Archean Mount Owen Quartz Monzonite. Spatial arrangement is a critical fracture network attribute that until recently has only been assessed qualitatively. We use normalized fracture intensity plots and the normalized correlation count (NCC) method of Marrett et al. to discriminate clustered from randomly placed or evenly spaced patterns quantitatively over a wide range of length scales and to test the statistical significance of the resulting patterns. We propose a procedure for interpreting cluster patterns on NCC diagrams generated by the freely available spatial analysis software CorrCount. Results illustrate the efficacy of NCC to measure fracture clustering patterns in texturally homogeneous Archean granitic rock in a setting distant (>2 km) from folds or faults. In their current geological setting, these regional fractures are conduits for water flow and their patterns – and the NCC approach to defining clusters – may be useful guides to the spatial arrangement style and clustering magnitude of conductive fractures in other, less accessible fractured basement rocks.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2017

Experimental development of low-frequency shear modulus and attenuation measurements in mated rock fractures: Shear mechanics due to asperity contact area changes with normal stress

Reservoir core measurements can help guide seismic monitoring of fluid-induced pressure variations in tight fractured reservoirs including those targeted for supercritical CO 2 injection. We present the first seismic-frequency ‘room-dry’ measurements of fracture specific shear stiffness, using artificially fractured standard granite samples with different degrees of mating, a well-mated tensile fracture from a dolomite reservoir core, as well as simple roughened polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surfaces. We have adapted a low-frequency (0.01 to 100 Hz) shear modulus and attenuation apparatus to explore the seismic signature of fractures and understand the mechanics of asperity contacts under a range of normal stress conditions. Our instrument is unique in its ability to measure at low normal stresses (0.5 – 20 MPa), simulating 'open' fractures in shallow or high fluid pressure reservoirs. The accuracy of our instrument is demonstrated by calibration and comparison to ultrasonic measurements and low-frequency direct shear measurements of intact samples from the literature. Pressure sensitive film was used to measure real contact area of the fracture surfaces. The fractured shear modulus for the majority of the samples shows an exponential dependence on real contact area. A simple numerical model, with one bonded circular asperity, predicts this behavior and matches the data for the simple PMMA surfaces. The rock surfaces reach their intact moduli at lower contact area than the model predicts, likely due to more complex geometry. Lastly, we apply our results to a Linear-Slip Interface Model to estimate reflection coefficients and calculate shear wave time delays due to the lower wave velocities through the fractured zone. We find that cross-well surveys could detect even well-mated hard rock fractures assuming the availability of high repeatability acquisition systems.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗