Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “information barrier”

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 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Enabling Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FPV) Deployment: Exploring the Operational Benefits of Floating Solar-Hydropower Hybrids

The Southeast (SE) Asia region is undergoing rapid energy sector transitions and exploring the potential role of renewables - including solar photovoltaics (PV) - as it becomes increasingly competitive as a result of technological advances and falling capital costs. Low-cost solar PV provides countries in the region with an option to meet increasing energy demand and diversify generation portfolios, complementing hydropower and thermal-dominant systems and strengthening energy security throughout the region. Floating solar PV (FPV) has emerged as an attractive application of solar PV that allows for systems to be floated on water bodies. Pairing FPV in hybrid systems with hydropower may also provide significant value for power systems in the region, beyond oft-cited co-benefits of stand-alone FPV. Despite growing interest in FPV systems, few applications of hybrid FPV-hydropower systems exist in SE Asia, and limited information is available about the co-benefits these systems may provide for potential adopters. This work, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia, explores the value that hybrid FPV-hydropower systems may provide to the power systems of SE Asian countries. This work on the value of hybrid FPV-hydropower systems is accompanied by a recent report, Creating an Enabling Policy and Regulatory Environment for Floating Solar Photovoltaics: Review of Barriers to FPV Deployment in Southeast Asia, also focused on SE Asia.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Simple Data-Centric Methodology for Producible Geothermal Well Determinations: Preprint

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has traditionally lacked a standardized methodology for determining if a newly drilled geothermal well is "producible," a designation essential for deciding whether a lease should be "held by production." This is a straightforward problem to solve in oil and gas: Demonstrate that a well is economically viable, meaning it produces sufficient oil or gas to exceed direct operating costs and lease-related expenses, such as rentals or minimum royalties. In geothermal, the problem is more complex: Geothermal wells are tightly coupled with the downstream infrastructure - specifically, the power plant, which is often not designed until well after a lease is deemed as "held by production." Although this designation is critical for advancing geothermal power plant development on BLM-managed lands, current geothermal well assessments often rely on ad hoc approaches that can be complex, operator-biased, and heavy in assumptions related to economic viability. To address this, we have developed two complementary methodologies: a minimum power requirement-based approach and a productivity index (PI)-based approach. These methods leverage key flow test data - pressure, temperature, flow rate, and specific enthalpy - to provide reliable and standardized producible well determinations. The minimum power requirement-based approach evaluates wells against specific power output thresholds informed by reservoir experts and the associated temperature requirements. The PI-based approach assesses well productivity using widely accepted reservoir engineering metrics, proposing a threshold of 2.5 kg/s/bar. Both methods are data-driven and grounded in empirical production data from operational geothermal wells, avoiding uncertain economic assumptions while maintaining decision-making accuracy. Wells falling below key performance thresholds (i.e., PI, specific power) are deemed non-producible. These methodologies aim to streamline BLM's decision-making process, reduce nontechnical barriers to geothermal energy adoption, and enable regulatory expansion into states lacking geothermal expertise. Preliminary results indicate clear trends and thresholds in production data that provide actionable insights for evaluating well producibility. Validation using well completion report (WCR) data is ongoing, with promising results demonstrating the potential for these standardized methodologies to impact geothermal development significantly.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reliable operation of Cr 2 O 3 :Mg/ $β$-Ga 2 O 3 p–n heterojunction diodes at 600 °C

Beta gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 )-based semiconductor heterojunctions have recently demonstrated improved performance at high voltages and elevated temperatures and are, thus, promising for applications in power electronic devices and harsh environment sensors. However, the long-term reliability of these ultra-wideband gap (UWBG) semiconductor devices remains barely addressed and may be strongly influenced by chemical reactions at the p–n heterojunction interface. Here, we experimentally demonstrate operation and evaluate the reliability of Cr 2 O 3 :Mg/β-Ga 2 O 3 p–n heterojunction diodes during extended operation at 600 °C, as well as after 30 repeated cycles between 25 and 550 °C. The calculated pO 2 -temperature phase stability diagram of the Ga-Cr-O material system predicts that Ga 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 should remain thermodynamically stable in contact with each other over a wide range of oxygen pressures and operating temperatures. The fabricated Cr 2 O 3 :Mg/β-Ga 2 O 3 p–n heterojunction diodes show room-temperature on/off ratios >104 at ±5 V and a breakdown voltage (V Br ) of -390 V. The leakage current increases with increasing temperature up to 600 °C, which is attributed to Poole–Frenkel emission with a trap barrier height of 0.19 eV. Over the course of a 140-h thermal soak at 600 °C, both the device turn-on voltage and on-state resistance increase from 1.08 V and 5.34 mΩ cm 2 to 1.59 V and 7.1 mΩ cm 2 , respectively. This increase is attributed to the accumulation of Mg and MgO at the Cr 2 O 3 /Ga 2 O 3 interface as observed from the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis. These findings inform future design strategies of UWBG semiconductor devices for harsh environment operation and underscore the need for further reliability assessments for β-Ga 2 O 3 -based devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1975

Regional inventories and mapping of land resources and environmental geology using remotely sensed data

Black-and-white stereoscopic aerial photographs at a scale of 1:20,000, 1:40,000, and 1:65,000 and controlled aerial photo mosaics at a scale of 1:24,000 were the basic data utilized for most mapping. Color and color infrared aerial photography (1:20,000) was employed to man the barrier islands, and color infrared photography (1:120,000) was used to map sand and mud units of the coastal plain north of Houston. LANDSAT-1 imagery in Bands 4, 5, and 7 (1:250,000) was utilized to examine land use and certain resource units statewide. Side scanning radar and LANDSAT imagery were studied experimentally toward mapping land suitability units in carbonate terranes with high relief and certain other terranes. Large-scale color and color infrared aerial stereoscopic photographs supply the most information for regional mapping. black-and-white photography is the most practical data for mapping because of scale, complete coverage, availability, and relatively low cost.

Wermund, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Computational Inference of Vibratory System with Incomplete Modal Information Using Parallel, Interactive and Adaptive Markov Chains

Inverse analysis of vibratory system is an important subject in fault identification, model updating, and robust design and control. It is challenging subject because 1) the problem is oftentimes underdetermined while the measurements are limited and/or incomplete; 2) many combinations of parameters may yield results that are similar with respect to actual response measurements; and 3) uncertainties inevitably exist. The aim of this research is to leverage upon computational intelligence through statistical inference to facilitate an enhanced, probabilistic framework using incomplete modal response measurement. This new framework is built upon efficient inverse identification through optimization, whereas Bayesian inference is employed to account for the effect of uncertainties. To overcome the computational cost barrier, we adopt Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to characterize the target function/distribution. Instead of using single Markov chain in conventional Bayesian approach, we develop a new sampling theory with multiple parallel, interactive and adaptive Markov chains and incorporate it into Bayesian inference. This can harness the collective power of these Markov chains to realize the concurrent search of multiple local optima. The number of required Markov chains and their respective initial model parameters are automatically determined via Monte Carlo simulation-based sample pre-screening followed by K-means clustering analysis. These enhancements can effectively address the aforementioned challenges in finite element inverse analysis. The validity of this framework is systematically demonstrated through case studies.

K Zhou↗
DOE OSTI2026

First Solar Thermal Energy Planner (STEP 1) and Nationwide Industrial Heat and Power Analysis

The First Solar Thermal Energy Planner (STEP 1) and Nationwide Industrial Heat and Power Analysis (aka the STEP 1 Project or the Project) aimed to (1) developed a brand-new web tool that could provide decision support through free, rapid techno-economic analysis of behind-the-meter solar+storage systems for industrial process heat and (2) conduct high-level analyses of the cost-competitiveness of the same systems across the US in key sectors. The STEP 1 web tool collects key location, land availability, thermal load profile, proccess heat temperature and media, and other key parameters through an easy-to-use user interface (UI). The UI was designed to meet the user at their level of understanding by minimizing the number of required inputs as much as possible while including options for more nuanced inputs if the user desires. STEP 1 advises users on which solar thermal tehcnologies that could fit their needs based on the inputs provided (namely process media and temperature). The tool can model a wide range of solar thermal technologies including flat plate collectors, evacuated tubes, parabolic troughs, linear Fresnel, and molten salt towers all with corresponding thermal energy storage (TES) - solar PV with resistive heating and TES is also included. Once the parameters are collected, a nominal thermal energy production profile for the facility's location is generated using NREL's System Advisory Model (SAM) and then passed to a modified version of NREL's REopt platform to optimize the size (capacity) and dispatch of the solar+storage system to minimize lifecycle costs subject to energy balance, fuel and electricity rates, emission reductions goals, and other constraints. This entire process takes less than 20 minutes, is completely free, requires zero coding skills, and provides the user with a high-level assessment on the techno-economic feasability of deploying solar+storage systems for their energy needs. In addition to the development of the STEP 1 web tool, the project completed two complementary analyses focused on leveraging the backend code of STEP 1, public industrial facility locations and fuel consumption data, and key sector information to assess the economic opportunity of reducing fuel costs at various levels of capacity factor around the US. Both analyses found that there are key markets, locations, industrial sectors (namely food and beverage), and degrees of offset where solar thermal technologies could be cost-effectively deployed, highlighting a key market entry point for these technologies, and assessing deployment potential. In summary, the STEP 1 project improved the opportunities for solar+storage systems to expand into the industrial process heat market through breaking down barriers to assessing these technologies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2015

A Preliminary Evaluation of Supersonic Transport Category Vehicle Operations in the National Airspace System

Several public sector businesses and government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are currently working on solving key technological barriers that must be overcome in order to realize the vision of low-boom supersonic flights conducted over land. However, once these challenges are met, the manner in which this class of aircraft is integrated in the National Airspace System may become a potential constraint due to the significant environmental, efficiency, and economic repercussions that their integration may cause. Background research was performed on historic supersonic operations in the National Airspace System, including both flight deck procedures and air traffic controller procedures. Using this information, an experiment was created to test some of these historic procedures in a current-day, emerging Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) environment and observe the interactions between commercial supersonic transport aircraft and modern-day air traffic. Data was gathered through batch simulations of supersonic commercial transport category aircraft operating in present-day traffic scenarios as a base-lining study to identify the magnitude of the integration problems and begin the exploration of new air traffic management technologies and architectures which will be needed to seamlessly integrate subsonic and supersonic transport aircraft operations. The data gathered include information about encounters between subsonic and supersonic aircraft that may occur when supersonic commercial transport aircraft are integrated into the National Airspace System, as well as flight time data. This initial investigation is being used to inform the creation and refinement of a preliminary Concept of Operations and for the subsequent development of technologies that will enable overland supersonic flight.

Underwood, Matthew C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

How Autonomous Intelligent Systems Can Facilitate Earth-independent Medical Care: Going Beyond Telepresence

During the last decade, teleoperated robotic systems have extended humans’ sensorimotor competence to digitally fly beyond the physical barrier of distance and scale and thus transmit sensorimotor skills of the human through direct communication. Telepresence capabilities have enabled tele-physical remote access at small scales thanks to telerobotic mediums. Although the concept was initially motivated by space applications, such technologies quickly have expanded into the medical domain and resulted in teleoperated medical robots, including telerobotic surgical systems (such as the da Vinci surgical system). Effective telepresence fundamentally depends on an agile, reliable, and secure communication medium that can transmit real-time information between the operator and a remote device. However, direct telepresence may not be achievable for long-duration exploration spaceflight missions. Thus, autonomous systems and local intelligence represent potential solutions to the aforementioned issues. One example solution employs demonstration systems which enable learning from the pre-captured inputs of a skilled human operator. These will be computationally modeled and later probabilistically replicated toward the completion of remote physical tasks when direct telepresence is not viable - such as under communication blackout conditions. In other words, trained autonomous systems (e.g., robots) can perform remote operations that mimic the physical performance of experts during remote operations/training. Beyond learning the physics of the task, autonomous agents can also be used to conduct algorithmic decision-making that mimics the higher-level cognition of the expert. Thus, using an autonomous system, pre-trained cognitive and manipulation-based skills can be leveraged (acquired during pre-mission events) to produce digital twins of an intelligent operator. Such systems can be used for the real-time conduction of intricate tasks in complex and unstructured environments. Such systems will operationalize “cognitive digital twins” and can expand the reach of human cognition and manipulation through the power of data-driven learning from demonstration algorithms. This system category will be discussed as a fully autonomous operation in this talk. In addition to the above, we will also propose and discuss the possibility of partial-automation using remote intelligence and remote sensing. In contrast to full automation, partial automation can close the loop through a local operator equipped with augmented sensory awareness through wearable systems. Such technologies will allow the local operator to conduct delicate tasks while being guided using sensory augmentation and being monitored to gauge her/his level of cognitive focus and performance. The difference with the previous category is that a remote human will conduct the task. Further, rather than making a digital twin of human cognition, we will augment the control inputs of the local human to match those of the skilled expert operator who is not accessible in real-time. Going beyond classic telepresence and thus approaching intelligent telepresence, our vision is that autonomous agents will eventually enable the safe, consistent and efficient delivery of complex, remote and smart medical care during space exploration across operators in an Earth-independent fashion. We will discuss our collective vision from NASA and MERIIT@NYU lab in this talk.

Telepresence↗
DOE OSTI2022

Atomistic thermodynamics and kinetics of dicalcium silicate dissolution

Low-temperature cement manufacturing has garnered academic and industrial attention for its low environmental footprints. However, the sluggish hydration kinetics of the resultant cement affects their early-age strength development. This motivates fundamental studies to unravel the mechanistic picture of the dissolution process and discover science-informed pathways to accelerate hydration. Standard atomistic simulations seldomly exceed a microsecond making them impractical to study slow dissolution processes. We are using rare event sampling techniques, we provide the mechanistic picture of Ca 2+ ion dissolution from a kink site on the dicalcium silicate surface. The Ca 2+ ion dissolution is comprised of two sequential stages: breaking restraints from the kink sites to form a ledge adatom and detaching from the ledge/terrace adatom sites into the solution. The first and second stages feature free energy barriers of ~63 kJ/mol and ~ 29 kJ/mol respectively, making the first stage the rate-limiting step of the entire Ca 2+ dissolution kinetics. Using the reactive flux method, the rate and equilibrium constants for each reaction step are calculated, which yield the Ca 2+ ion activity of ~1.03 × 10 -5 . The diffusion calculations indicate that the surface effects lower the self-diffusion coefficient of Ca 2+ ions at the solid-water interface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modeling–Experiment–Theory Analysis of Reactions Initiated from Cl + Methyl Formate

Methyl formate (MF; CH 3 OCHO) is the smallest representative of esters, which are common components of biodiesel. The present study characterizes the thermal dissociation kinetics of the radicals formed by H atom abstraction from MF—CH 3 OCO and CH 2 OCHO—through a combination of modeling, experiment, and theory. For the experimental effort, excimer laser photolysis of Cl 2 was used as a source of Cl atoms to initiate reactions with MF in the gas phase. Time-resolved species profiles of MF, Cl 2 , HCl, CO 2 , CH 3 , CH 3 Cl, CH 2 O, and CH 2 ClOCHO were measured and quantified using photoionization mass spectrometry at temperatures of 400–750 K and 10 Torr. The experimental data were simulated using a kinetic model, which was informed by ab initio-based theoretical kinetics calculations and included chlorine chemistry and secondary reactions of radical decomposition products. Here, we calculated the rate coefficients for the H-abstraction reactions Cl + MF → HCl + CH 3 OCO (R1a) and Cl + MF → HCl + CH 2 OCHO (R1b): k 1a,theory = 6.71 × 10 –15 ·T 1.14 ·exp(—606/T) cm 3 /molecule·s; k 1b,theory = 4.67 × 10 –18 ·T 2.21 ·exp(—245/T) cm 3 /molecule·s over T = 200–2000 K. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the barriers to CH 3 OCO and CH 2 OCHO dissociation are 13.7 and 31.6 kcal/mol and lead to CH 3 + CO 2 (R3) and CH 2 O + HCO (R5), respectively. The master equation-based theoretical rate coefficients are k 3,theory (P = ∞) = 2.94 × 10 9 ·T 1.21 ·exp(—6209/T) s –1 and k 5,theory (P = ∞) = 8.45 × 10 8 ·T 1.39 ·exp(—15132/T) s –1 over T = 300–1500 K. The calculated branching fractions into R1a and R1b and the rate coefficient for R5 were validated by modeling of the experimental species time profiles and found to be in excellent agreement with theory. Additionally, we found that the bimolecular reactions CH 2 OCHO + Cl, CH 2 OCHO + Cl 2 , and CH 3 + Cl 2 were critical to accurately model the experimental data and constrain the kinetics of MF-radicals. Inclusion of the kinetic parameters determined in this study showed a significant impact on combustion simulations of larger methyl esters, which are considered as biodiesel surrogates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1979

Tests of NASA ceramic thermal barrier coating for gas-turbine engines

A NASA ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC) system was tested by industrial and governmental organizations for a variety of aeronautical marine, and ground-based gas-turbine engine applications. This TBC is a two-layer system with a bond coating of nickel-chromium-aluminum-yttrium (Ni-16Cr-6Al-0.6Y, in wt %) and a ceramic coating of yttria stabilized zirconia (ZrO2-12Y2O3, in wt %). Tests (Liebert and Stenka, 1979) have been conducted to determine corrosion resistance, thermal protection, durability, thermal conductivity, and fatigue characteristics. The information presented covers some of the significant test results obtained on the first three items. The information also includes photographs of coated parts after tests, measurements of coating loss, amount of metal wall temperature reduction when the TBC is used, and extent of base metal corrosion.

Liebert, C. H.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Overview of Base Model in Parametric Studies Specific to Performance of U-Mo Plates

This paper provides an overview of the base model specifically developed to perform parametric sensitivity studies on the U-10Mo monolithic fuel system. U-Mo monolithic fuels are being considered for the conversion of test reactors into high-performance research reactors that operate using proliferation-resistant, low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuels. These plate-type fuels contain a high-density, low-enrichment fuel sandwiched between zirconium diffusion barriers and encapsulated in aluminum claddings. All U.S. high-performance research reactors have released the designs of their LEU monolithic fuel reactor cores. These designs include nearly 50 distinct fuel plate geometries with different operational parameters. Consequently, a single generic plate geometry representing all the extreme points in this design matrix is unrealistic. To evaluate the performance for various parameters, a set of sensitivity studies was performed. These studies considered various input parameters (i.e., geometric, operational, and material property-related). The results revealed valuable information about plate performance and the sensitivity of this performance to various modeling inputs. To establish a reference state for comparing these result, base model featuring representative irradiation conditions was developed. To capture in-reactor behavior accurately, incorporation of representative constitutive models capable of evolving properties with respect to temperature, irradiation time, and burnup was needed. The behavioral models considered burnup-dependent properties, swelling, creep, and degradation. This paper introduces the base model created for the parametric sensitivity studies. The detailed description of the procedure includes the model geometry, model discretization, thermo-mechanical coupling, material properties and behavioral models. This paper also provides selected results and assesses the performance of the base model.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

National Fire Protection Association Spurs the Safe Adoption of EVs Through Education and Outreach

As electric vehicles (EV) and their charging infrastructure steadily increase in popularity across the U.S., growing pains still exist, impeding their true potential for growth. The barriers include a general lack of knowledge around EV systems, range anxiety, electrical workplace safety practices, code compliance and inspection for charging stations, maintenance garages and workers, insurance concerns, and the potential risks associated with damaged lithium-ion batteries (fires, re-ignition, water immersion, and stranded energy).NFPA partnered with SMEs, training development organizations, and Clean City Coalitions to create a series of common online trainings for each EV ecosystem sector, educating communities on the realities of EV proliferation, myths, facts, statistics, codes, and basic information for each sector to become versed in EV knowledge. We also constructed a workshop program for the many EV stakeholders who should be involved in setting up a strategic, cohesive outlook for the participating towns and cities.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS2001

Stratospheric Age Spectra and Mean Ages From In Situ Observations of Carbon Dioxide

Tropospheric CO2 mixing ratios exhibit latitudinally varying seasonal and interannual oscillations superimposed on the long-term positive trend due to fossil fuel combustion. In situ observations of CO2 obtained from 1992-2000 using the NASA ER-2 aircraft and high-altitude balloons show that these time-varying signals propagate into the stratosphere, providing information about the transport history of sampled air. We have used these data to derive age spectra and mean ages that can be compared with results from models of the stratospheric circulation. Age spectra have been derived for altitudes below approximately 20 km for the tropics and for northern midlatitudes, where there is sufficient data and where the amplitudes of the seasonal and interannual oscillations are large enough to be detected. The midlatitude CO2 data are consistent with bimodal age spectra, which may result from a subtropical "barrier" to horizontal exchange. Seasonally resolved mean ages are available with nearly pole-to-pole coverage below 20 km and in the tropics and at middle and high northern latitudes up to the maximum altitude reached by the balloons (approximately 30 km). The oldest air sampled was in the Arctic polar vortex with a mean age of 6.5 +/- 0.5 years.

Andrews, Arlyn E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

AI Benchmark Democratization and Carpentry

Benchmarks are a cornerstone of modern machine learning, enabling reproducibility, comparison, and scientific progress. However, AI benchmarks are increasingly complex, requiring dynamic, AI-focused workflows. Rapid evolution in model architectures, scale, datasets, and deployment contexts makes evaluation a moving target. Large language models often memorize static benchmarks, causing a gap between benchmark results and real-world performance. Beyond traditional static benchmarks, continuous adaptive benchmarking frameworks are needed to align scientific assessment with deployment risks. This calls for skills and education in AI Benchmark Carpentry. From our experience with MLCommons, educational initiatives, and programs like the DOE's Trillion Parameter Consortium, key barriers include high resource demands, limited access to specialized hardware, lack of benchmark design expertise, and uncertainty in relating results to application domains. Current benchmarks often emphasize peak performance on top-tier hardware, offering limited guidance for diverse, real-world scenarios. Benchmarking must become dynamic, incorporating evolving models, updated data, and heterogeneous platforms while maintaining transparency, reproducibility, and interpretability. Democratization requires both technical innovation and systematic education across levels, building sustained expertise in benchmark design and use. Benchmarks should support application-relevant comparisons, enabling informed, context-sensitive decisions. Dynamic, inclusive benchmarking will ensure evaluation keeps pace with AI evolution and supports responsible, reproducible, and accessible AI deployment. Community efforts can provide a foundation for AI Benchmark Carpentry.

von Laszewski, Gregor [Virginia U.]↗
NASA NTRS2018

PA51C-0786 Informing NASA's Indigenous Peoples Capacity Building Pilot Project Through Collaborative Storytelling and Systems Mapping

NASA's Capacity Building Program (CBP) aims to empower communities to use NASA Earth Observations for environmental decision-making. A new project, the Indigenous Peoples Pilot Project, focuses on building relationships across NASA and indigenous communities through remote sensing training, community engagement, and research opportunities. A recent workshop, held on the lands of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin, focused on understanding indigenous knowledge systems and comparisons with western science, and more specifically, NASA Earth Science. In order to meet the workshop goals, North American tribal members and NASA managers participated in storytelling and systems mapping. The storytelling portion focused on personal narratives to understand the barriers, challenges, and pathways to incite change in the context of western scientists working with tribal nations. This was based on the traditional model of oral history and allowed participants to share their unique experiences of failures and successes. The systems mapping portion of the workshop focused on finding leverage points within the "NASA Ecosystem" for creating sustained instrumental change. This included (1) dedicating time and resources to explore how to recognize western science and indigenous knowledge as equal, (2) supporting innovation in communication and knowledge system frameworks, and (3) identifying new partners, allies, and champions for the western science/indigenous relationship. These leverage points were then used to generate recommendations for NASA which included (1) an awareness phase (for NASA and for indigenous communities) for NASA/Indigenous work, (2) creating a cultural immersion for NASA managers, (3) developing a protocol for working with indigenous groups, (4) creating a NASA tribal liaison office, (5) acknowledging and accepting indigenous knowledge systems in funding solicitations and proposals, and (6) incorporation of indigenous knowledge into capacity building activities.

Mccullum, Amber Jean Kuss↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Double Chooz antineutrino detectors

This article describes the setup and performance of the near and far detectors in the Double Chooz experiment. The electron antineutrinos of the Chooz nuclear power plant were measured in two identically designed detectors with different average baselines of about 400 m and 1050 m from the two reactor cores. Over many years of data taking the neutrino signals were extracted from interactions in the detectors with the goal of measuring a fundamental parameter in the context of neutrino oscillation, the mixing angle $\theta _{13}$. The central part of the Double Chooz detectors was a main detector comprising four cylindrical volumes filled with organic liquids. From the inside towards the outside there were volumes containing gadolinium-loaded scintillator, gadolinium-free scintillator, a buffer oil and, optically separated, another liquid scintillator acting as veto system. Above this main detector an additional outer veto system using plastic scintillator strips was installed. The technologies developed in Double Chooz were inspiration for several other antineutrino detectors in the field. The detector design allowed implementation of efficient background rejection techniques including use of pulse shape information provided by the data acquisition system. The Double Chooz detectors featured remarkable stability, in particular for the detected photons, as well as high radiopurity of the detector components.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

2021 CMH-17 Vol 5 Virtual Meeting CMC M&P Brief Overview

This overview (several slides) describes 1) the overall Goals of the CMH-17 Vol 5 CMC M&P (Materials and Processes) Working Group, 2) M&P sections in the existing CMH-17 Vol 5A that have been targeted for updating, 3) challenges to updating that content for the next edition of Vol 5, and 4) M&P plans for updating CMH-17 Vol 5A. M&P Working Group chairs Kiser and Lehman are leading a group of technical experts to address the sections that require the most attention in terms of updating information. A virtual meeting is providing an opportunity to recruit CMC, fiber, and EBC technical experts to address those sections. Goals will be defined for completing the updating of those sections, taking into account the need to have the updated content reviewed by SME (subject matter experts) well in advance of the publishing date.

Environmental Barrier Coating (EBC)↗