Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “angle control”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 487 records · Page 27

Moduli stabilisation and the statistics of axion physics in the landscape

String theory realisations of the QCD axion are often said to belong to the anthropic window where the decay constant is around the GUT scale and the initial misalignment angle has to be tuned close to zero. In this paper we revisit this statement by studying the statistics of axion physics in the string landscape. We take moduli stabilisation properly into account since the stabilisation of the saxions is crucial to determine the physical properties of the corresponding axionic partners. We focus on the model-independent case of closed string axions in type IIB flux compactifications and find that their decay constants and mass spectrum feature a logarithmic, instead of a power-law, distribution. In the regime where the effective field theory is under control, most of these closed string axions are ultra-light axion-like particles, while axions associated to blow-up modes can naturally play the role of the QCD axion. Hence, the number of type IIB flux vacua with a closed string QCD axion with an intermediate scale decay constant and a natural value of the misalignment angle is only logarithmically suppressed. In a recent paper we found that this correlates also with a logarithmic distribution of the supersymmetry breaking scale, providing the intriguing indication that most, if not all, of the phenomenologically interesting quantities in the string landscape might feature a logarithmic distribution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Unraveling the structural dependency of Weyl nodes in Co 2 MnGa

Conventionally, the modulation of the intrinsic Weyl nodes in Weyl semimetals is challenging, due to topological protection. Here we report the structural dependence of the Weyl nodes in a Co2⁢MnGa Heusler thin film via a temperature-dependent tetragonal distortion. The ability to manipulate these Weyl nodes allows for the control of the intrinsic electromagnetic properties. Temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements identify a compressive tetragonal distortion with decreasing temperature from 300 to 20 K. The calculated Weyl properties can be directly compared with experimental parameters through the temperature-dependent XRD measurements which show the intrinsic correlation between Weyl properties and important magnetic parameters. Further, the microscopic momentum space properties of Weyl nodes such as the distance (d W ), solid angle (Ω W ), tilt (φ W ), and nodal point energy (E W ) directly affect the macroscopic observable properties such as exchange stiffness (A), magnetization (M), and effective anisotropy field $H^{eff}_{K}$, as shown via structure-dependent density functional theory calculations. These predictions are experimentally observed as large variations in the bulk magnetization and effective anisotropy field as a function of temperature. These results highlight a unique degree of freedom in the control of macroscopic magnetic properties via the modulation of the intrinsic properties of Weyl nodes through structural distortions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Nucleation and Antiphase Twin Control in Bi 2 Se 3 via Step‐Terminated Al 2 O 3 Substrates

The epitaxial synthesis of high-quality 2D layered materials is an essential driver of both fundamental physics studies and technological applications. Bi 2 Se 3 , a prototypical 2D layered topological insulator, is sensitive to defects imparted during the growth, either thermodynamically or due to the film-substrate interaction. Here, in this study, it is shown that step-terminated Al 2 O 3 substrates with a high miscut angle (3°) can effectively suppress a particular hard-to-mitigate defect, the antiphase twin. Systematic investigations across a range of growth temperatures and substrate miscut angles confirm that atomic step edges act as preferential nucleation sites, stabilizing a single twin domain. First-principles calculations suggest that there is a significant energy barrier for twin boundary formation at step edges, supporting the experimental observations. Detailed structural characterization indicates that this twin-selectivity is lost through the mechanism of the 2D layers overgrowing the step edges, leading to higher twin density as the thickness increases. These findings highlight the complex energy landscape unique to 2D materials that is driven by the interplay between substrate properties, nucleation dynamics, and defect formation, and overcoming and controlling these are critical to improve material quality for quantum and electronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

In situ investigation of conducting interface formation in $\mathrm{LaAlO_3}$/$\mathrm{SrTiO_3}$ heterostructure

The high-mobility conducting interface (CI) between LaAlO 3 (LAO) and SrTiO 3 (STO) has revealed many fascinating phenomena, including exotic magnetism and superconductivity. But, the formation mechanism of the CI has not been conclusively explained. Here, using in situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we elucidated the mechanisms for the CI formation. In as-grown samples, we observed a built-in potential (V bi ) proportional to the polar LAO thickness starting from the first unit cell (UC) with CI formation appearing above 3 UCs. However, we found that the V bi is removed by synchrotron ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation; The built-in potential is recovered by oxygen gas (O 2 (g))-exposure. Furthermore, after UV-irradiation, the CI appears even below 3UC of LAO. Here, our results demonstrate not only the V bi -driven CI formation in as-grown LAO/STO, but also a new route to control of the interface state by UV lithographic patterning or other surface modification.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Engineering Supramolecular Polymer Conformation for Efficient Carbon Nanotube Sorting

Supramolecular polymer sorting is a promising approach to separating single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by electronic type. Unlike conjugated polymers, they can be easily removed from the CNTs after sorting by breaking the supramolecular bonds, allowing for isolation of electronically pristine CNTs as well as facile recycling of the sorting polymer. However, little is understood about how supramolecular polymer properties affect CNT sorting. Herein, chain stoppers are used to engineer the conformation of a supramolecular sorting polymer, thereby elucidating the relationship between sorting efficacy and polymer conformation. Through NMR and UV–vis spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and thermodynamic modeling, it is shown that this supramolecular polymer exhibits ring–chain equilibrium, and that this equilibrium can be skewed toward chains by the addition of chain stoppers. Furthermore, by controlling the stopper–monomer ratio, the sorting yield can be doubled from 7% to 14% without compromising the semiconducting purity (>99%) or properties of sorted CNTs.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Graphite crystals in catalytically-graphitized glass-like carbon

Catalytic graphitization of glass-like carbon leads to enhanced growth of micro-sized graphitic crystals with unusual shapes of wires, filaments, tubes, rods, whiskers, and spirals. Similar particles with axial symmetry are also found in pure glass-like carbon heat-treated at high temperatures. Nonetheless, the presence of a graphitization catalyst, Si in this case, in the heat-treatment process supports the transformation of porous, disordered carbon structure towards the graphitic atomic order and the formation of manifold peculiar polyhedral wires and particles of geometry distinct from the plate-like shape typical for conventional graphite. In contrast to conventional carbon nanotubes and fibers, the graphene layers are stacked perpendicular to the tube axis, while the size of the most common tube fibers can reach up to 10 μm in diameter and 100 μm in length. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering combined with complementary techniques have been used to characterize the structure of the glass-like carbon derived from furfuryl alcohol catalytically-graphitized using Si particles at 3000 °C. Finally, since control of graphite shape is vital to achieving the level of performance required in contemporary applications, the obtained results demonstrate that the catalytic graphitization method may be employed to produce filamentous graphite crystals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Substrate effects on spin relaxation in two-dimensional Dirac materials with strong spin-orbit coupling

Understanding substrate effects on spin dynamics and relaxation is of key importance for spin-based information technologies. However, the key factors that determine such effects, in particular for materials with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), have not been well understood. Here we performed first-principles real-time density-matrix dynamics simulations with SOC and the electron phonon and electron-impurity scattering for spin lifetimes (τ s ) of supported/free-standing germanene, a prototypical strong SOC 2D Dirac material. We show that the effects of different substrates on τ s can surprisingly differ by two orders of magnitude. We find that substrate effects on τ s are closely related to substrate-induced modifications of the SOC-field anisotropy, which changes the spin flip scattering matrix elements. We propose a new electronic quantity, named spin-flip angle θ ↑↓ , to characterize spin relaxation through intervalley spin-flip scattering. We find that $τ^{-1}_s$ is approximately proportional to the averaged value of sin 2 (θ ↑↓ /2), which serves as a guiding parameter of controlling spin relaxation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of hydrogen on sputter-deposited boron carbide films

Sputter deposition of B 4 C films requires precise control over the microstructure and the nucleation and growth of nodular defects. Here, we study the properties of B 4 C films deposited with substrate holder temperatures of 250, 450, or 510 °C and different substrate tilt angles by direct-current magnetron sputtering in either pure Ar or a mixture of 4% H 2 in Ar as the working gas. Results show that the addition of H 2 reduces the impedance of the plasma discharge, resulting in larger discharge currents at constant power, which is attributed to a lower ionization potential of H 2 than Ar. More importantly, films deposited with the H 2 containing plasma exhibit lower oxygen impurity incorporation, a lower density of nodular defects, and suppressed columnar microstructure. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of such a plasma doping approach to improve the properties of B 4 C films.

Wong, M. S. [Lawrence Livermore National Laborator↗

Injection of electron beams into two laser wakefields and generation of electron rings

Throughout this work, mutual injection of electron beams into two laser plasma wakefields was observed experimentally when driving laser pulses interfered in plasma at a small crossing angle and were slightly relatively delayed, approximately by one pulse duration. Particle-in-cell simulations revealed that the mutual injection was sensitive to the spatial overlap of the laser pulses, which therefore could be used to control the mutual injection. The dual synchronized, femtosecond electron beams are potentially useful for pump-probe experiments in ultrafast science. In addition, out-of-axis ring-shaped electron beams were detected in both experiments and simulations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Toroidal modeling of runaway electron loss due to 3-D fields in DIII-D and COMPASS

The 3-D field induced relativistic runaway electron (RE) loss has been simulated for DIII-D, COMPASS and ITER plasmas, utilizing the MARS-F code incorporated with the recently developed and updated RE orbit module (REORBIT). Modeling shows effectively 100% loss of a post-disruption, high-current runaway beam in DIII-D, due to the 1 kG level of magnetic field perturbation produced by a fast growing n = 1 resistive kink instability. The RE loss is shown to be independent of the particle energy or the initial location of particles in the configuration space. Applied resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields from in-vessel coils are not effective for RE beam mitigation in DIII-D, but do produce finite (>10%) RE loss in COMPASS, consistent with experimental observations in above two devices. The major reasons for this difference in RE control by RMP between these two devices are (i) the coil proximity to the RE beam and (ii) the effective coil current scaling versus the machine size and the toroidal magnetic field. About 10% RE loss fraction is also predicted for an ITER 15 MA scenario with pre-disruption plasma, highlighting the role of the plasma response. Up to 30% loss is computed, however, by artificially scaling the equilibrium pressure to zero. This is due to the more resistive plasma response and stronger resulting field line stochasticity. Distributions of the lost REs to the limiting surface show poloidally peaked profile near the high-field-side in both DIII-D and COMPASS, covering about 100o poloidal angle. Higher perturbation field level and/or higher particle energy also result in REs being lost to the low-field-side of the limiting surface of these two devices, increasing the effective wetted area. Finally, for the modeled ITER plasmas, the applied RMP field, with optimal poloidal spectrum that maximizes the edge localized mode control, leads to REs being lost to the lower divertor region of the limiting surface within a narrow poloidal band.

3-D field↗

Large-Signal Stability of Phase-Balanced Equilibria in Single-Phase Grid-Forming Inverter Systems

This article explores the setup where large numbers of single-phase grid-forming inverters with droop control across distribution networks self-organize into a stable and balanced system with 120° phase offsets across aggregates in the absence of balanced three-phase generating resources or external communication. A suite of circuit- and system-theoretic notions are leveraged to derive a dynamical model for phase-angle differences across aggregates of inverters connected in the three phases. Focusing on this model, large-signal stability is established and the region of attraction of the phase-balanced equilibria is determined with the aid of a Lyapunov function. Experimental validation for a bench-top prototype network is included to support the analytical developments. Altogether, the effort supports the vision of facilitating balanced operation of distribution networks with grid-forming inverters during service disruptions at the bulk transmission network.

Droop control↗

Impact of breech geometry and propellant flow on the release of large pellets for the ITER disruption mitigation system

Studies have been performed on the release mechanism for large pellets using high pressure gas in a shattered pellet injector. Typically, pellets are dislodged from the cryogenic surface and accelerated down a barrel using high pressure gas delivered by a fast-acting propellant valve. The pellets impact an angled surface which shatters the pellet into many small fragments before entering the plasma. This technique was initially demonstrated on DIII-D (Commaux et al 2016 Nucl. Fusion 56 046007) and is now deployed on JET, KSTAR, ASDEX-Upgrade, and other tokamaks around the world in support of ITER's disruption mitigation system design and physics basis. The large hydrogen, 28.5 mm diameter, 2 length-to-diameter ratio, pellets foreseen for ITER SPI operation have low material strength and low heat of sublimation, which cause the pellets to be fragile and highly reactive to the impact of warm propellant gas. Due to the size of the pellets, significantly more propellant gas is required to dislodge and accelerate them. This creates a potentially significant propellant gas removal issue as 2–6 bar-L of gas is expected to be required for release and speed control. The research presented in this paper is an in-depth exploration of the parameters that are keys to reliable pellet release and speed control. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of propellant flows through various breech designs was conducted to determine the force generated on the back surface of a pellet. These simulations assumed the use of the ORNL designed flyer plate valve. CFD modeling combined with experimental measurements provide adequate insight to determine a path to an optimal valve and breech design for ITER SPI pellet release and speed control while minimizing propellant gas usage.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

MODELING AND PARAMETRIC STUDY OF END-GAS AUTOIGNITION TO ALLOW THE REALIZATION OF ULTRA-LOW EMISSIONS, HIGH-EFFICIENCY HEAVY-DUTY SPARK-IGNITED NATURAL GAS ENGINES

Engine knock and misfire are barriers to pathways leading to high-efficiency Spark-Ignited (SI) Natural Gas (NG) engines. The general tendency to knock is highly dependent on engine operating conditions and the fuel reactivity. The problem is further complicated by the low emission limits and the wide range of chemical reactivity in pipeline-quality natural gas. Depending on the region and the source of the natural gas, its reactivity, described by its Methane Number (MN), which is analogous to the Octane Number for liquid SI fuels, can span from 65 to 95. In order to realize diesel-like efficiencies, SI NG engines must be designed to operate at high Brake Mean Effective Pressures (BMEP), near or beyond knock limits, over a wide range of fuel reactivity. This requires a deep understanding of the combustion-engine interactions pertaining to flame propagation and End-Gas Autoignition (EGAI), i.e., the autoignition of the unburned gas (end gas) ahead of the flame front. However, EGAI, if controlled, provides an opportunity to increase SI NG engine efficiency by increasing the combustion rate and the total fraction of burned fuel, mitigating the effects of the slow flame speeds characteristic of natural gas fuels, which generally reduce BMEP and increase unburned hydrocarbon emissions. For this reason, to realize diesel-like efficiencies and ultra-low emissions on SI NG engines, this work proposes the study of the main parameters influencing the modeling and prediction of NG EGAI to allow for its control. In this work, a novel EGAI detection and onset determination method was developed to reliably quantify EGAI for data analysis and engine control. The new method allowed the prediction of EGAI on SI NG engines without the need to use engine- and operating-condition-dependent thresholds and reduced the error in quantifying the fraction of the total energy released by the EGAI event by up to 40%pts. One- and three-dimensional engine models were then developed to study the engine/fuel interactions that lead to NG EGAI and its performance benefits. These models, although having decent agreement with experimental data, showed the need to account for NOx chemistry when predicting NG EGAI due to a consistently later prediction of the EGAI onset (~1.65 crank-angle degrees) and thus, a new reduced chemical mechanism for real NG fuels was developed containing NOx chemistry. The new reduced mechanism improved the EGAI onset prediction agreement to within ±0.5 crank-angle degrees and decreased simulation time during combustion by nearly 50% when using the further reduced AREIS50NOx chemical mechanism. These models were then used to study the role of NG composition on EGAI, evaluate the engine/fuel interactions leading to NG EGAI, and perform engine optimization while leveraging EGAI to increase thermal efficiency. Piston design optimization combined with a Controlled EGAI (C-EGAI) combustion mode allowed a Heavy-Duty (HD) SI NG engine to operate at diesel-like efficiencies, i.e., Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) ≥44%. Experimental and modeling data analysis revealed that earlier and faster heat release increases combustion efficiency by an average of 1%pts, increases work transferred to the piston resulting in a decrease in exhaust losses by 50% depending on the engine operating condition while slightly increasing heat losses. Finally, the simulation results revealed an opportunity to further enhance the BTE (up to 50%) by enabling C-EGAI combustion at leaner conditions, λ=1.4-1.6.

Bestel, Diego Bernardi↗

Spin-orbit-controlled metal–insulator transition in Sr 2 IrO 4

In the context of correlated insulators, where electron–electron interactions (U) drive the localization of charge carriers, the metal–insulator transition is described as either bandwidth- or filling-controlled. Motivated by the challenge of the insulating phase in Sr 2 IrO 4 , a new class of correlated insulators has been proposed, in which spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is believed to renormalize the bandwidth of the half-filled j eff = 1/2 doublet, allowing a modest U to induce a charge-localized phase. Although this framework has been tacitly assumed, a thorough characterization of the ground state has been elusive. Furthermore, direct evidence for the role of SOC in stabilizing the insulating state has not been established, because previous attempts at revealing the role of SOC have been hindered by concurrently occurring changes to the filling. Here, we overcome this challenge by employing multiple substituents that introduce well-defined changes to the signatures of SOC and carrier concentration in the electronic structure, as well as a new methodology that allows us to monitor SOC directly. Specifically, we study Sr 2 Ir 1-x T x O 4 (T = Ru, Rh) by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, combined with ab initio and supercell tight-binding calculations. This allows us to distinguish relativistic and filling effects, thereby establishing conclusively the central role of SOC in stabilizing the insulating state of Sr 2 IrO 4 . Most importantly, we estimate the critical value for SOC in this system to be λ c = 0.42 ± 0.01 eV, and provide the first demonstration of a spin–orbit-controlled metal–insulator transition.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multimorphic Materials: Spatially Tailoring Mechanical Properties via Selective Initiation of Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

Access to multimaterial polymers with spatially localized properties and robust interfaces is anticipated to enable new capabilities in soft robotics, such as smooth actuation for advanced medical and manufacturing technologies. Here, orthogonal initiation is used to create interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) with spatial control over morphology and mechanical properties. Base catalyzes the formation of a stiff and strong polyurethane, while blue LEDs initiate the formation of a soft and elastic polyacrylate. IPN morphology is controlled by when the LED is turned “on”, with large phase separation occurring for short time delays (≈1–2 min) and a mixed morphology for longer time delays (>5 min), which is supported by dynamic mechanical analysis, small angle X-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy. Through tailoring morphology, tensile moduli and fracture toughness can be tuned across ≈1–2 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, a simple spring model is used to explain the observed mechanical behavior. Photopatterning produces “multimorphic” materials, where morphology is spatially localized with fine precision (<100 µm), while maintaining a uniform chemical composition throughout to mitigate interfacial failure. As a final demonstration, the fabrication of hinges represents a possible use case for multimorphic materials in soft robotics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hierarchical Self-Assembly Pathways of Peptoid Helices and Sheets

Peptoids (N-substituted glycines) are a class of tailorable synthetic peptidomic polymers. Amphiphilic diblock peptoids have been engineered to assemble 2D crystalline lattices with applications in catalysis and molecular separations. Assembly is induced in an organic solvent/water mixture by evaporating the organic phase, but the assembly pathways remain uncharacterized. We conduct all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of Nbrpe6Nc6 as a prototypical amphiphilic diblock peptoid comprising an NH 2 -capped block of six hydrophobic N-((4-bromophenyl)ethyl)glycine residues conjugated to a polar NH 3 (CH 2 ) 5 CO tail. We identify a thermodynamically controlled assembly mechanism by which monomers assemble into disordered aggregates that self-order into 1D chiral helical rods then 2D achiral crystalline sheets. We support our computational predictions with experimental observations of 1D rods using small-angle X-ray scattering, circular dichroism, and atomic force microscopy and 2D crystalline sheets using X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, this work establishes a new understanding of hierarchical peptoid assembly and principles for the design of peptoid-based nanomaterials.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Twisted MoSe 2 Homobilayer Behaving as a Heterobilayer

Heterostructures (HSs) formed by the transition-metal dichalcogenides materials have shown great promise in next-generation (opto)electronic applications. An artificially twisted HS, allows us to manipulate the optical, and electronic properties. In this work, we introduce the understanding of the energy transfer (ET) process governed by the dipolar interaction in a twisted molybdenum diselenide (MoSe 2 ) homobilayer without any charge-blocking interlayer. We fabricated an unconventional homobilayer (i.e., HS) with a large twist angle by combining the 2 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and mechanical exfoliation (Exf.) techniques to fully exploit the lattice parameters mismatch and indirect/direct (CVD/Exf.) bandgap nature. These effectively weaken the interlayer charge transfer and allow the ET to control the carrier recombination channels. Our experimental and theoretical results explain a massive HS photoluminescence enhancement due to an efficient ET process. This work shows that the electronically decoupled MoSe 2 homobilayer is coupled by the ET process, mimicking a 'true' heterobilayer nature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Structure and Sulfur: Tuning the Viscoelastic and Surface Properties of Natural Keratin Fibers

Natural keratin fibers, such as wool, possess a complex hierarchical structure that governs their mechanical properties and surface energy. However, the extent to which these characteristics are influenced by combined contributions of structural variations (e.g., fiber diameter, intermediate filament (IF) packing) and chemical composition (e.g., disulfide bond density) remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigate wool fibers from five sheep breeds (Merino, Polwarth, Cheviot, Eider, and Devon) to elucidate how these factors influence viscoelasticity and surface interactions. Using a multimodal approach integrating interfacial and bulk characterization methods, including inverse gas chromatography (IGC), atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), uniaxial tensile testing, and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we show that the nanometer-thick 18-methyleicosanoic acid (18-MEA) layer is consistently present across all wool types and plays a key role in governing hydrophobicity and surface heterogeneity. A controlled isothermal treatment at 200 °C, designed to cleave disulfide bonds, results in a nearly 40% reduction in specific surface area across all fiber types, accompanied by a significant decrease in tensile strength and 80% reduction in elongation at break for Merino and Devon wool, but limited influence on the mechanical properties of Eider fibers. Furthermore, rate-dependent tensile testing within the elastic regime reveals distinct viscoelastic responses among the fiber types, suggesting that the sulfur-rich protein matrix surrounding IFs and its structure contribute actively to stress partitioning. Altogether, when combined with conclusions from SAXS measurements of IF spacing, our work offers compelling insights into the role of the keratin-associated protein (KAP) matrix in shaping wool fiber mechanics. Differences in mechanical behavior among wool types, despite similar IF spacing or sulfur content, highlight the importance of matrix composition and cross-linking density, suggesting that the molecular architecture of the KAP network may be a dominant factor in determining fiber performance.

X-ray scattering↗