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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Czochralski Growth and Characterization of a Compositionally Complex Rare Earth Aluminum Garnet Scintillator: (Gd 1/4 Y 1/4 Tb 1/4 Lu 1/4 ) 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce

Compositionally complex oxides have garnered increasing interest for their enhanced phase stability and tunable functional properties, yet their development as bulk single crystal scintillators remains limited. Herein, we report the Czochralski growth and characterization of (Gd 1/4 Y 1/4 Tb 1/4 Lu 1/4 ) 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce (GYTLAG), a compositionally complex garnet incorporating four dodecahedrally coordinated principal rare earth elements. The garnet phase was confirmed by powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction, and macroscopic defects are described. X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements confirm the 3+ oxidation state of all rare earths and support their occupation of the same crystallographic site; white line intensity variations correlate with the anticipated segregation behavior. Elemental segregation is quantified by SEM/EDS and ICP-OES, and a linear trend was established between the segregation coefficient and the difference between each rare earth’s ionic radius (r) and the average ionic radius (AIR) of the dodecahedral site. This trend offers a predictive framework for compositional control in future REAG crystals grown by the Czochralski method. Photoluminescence and radioluminescence measurements reveal both Ce 3+ and Tb 3+ emission. Scintillation pulses exhibit four-component decay with dominant ~230 µs and ~1.2 ms components, and the light yield is estimated to be up to 43,000 ph/MeV under 137Cs γ-ray excitation. GYTLAG also demonstrates a strong radioluminescence efficiency and 50% lower afterglow at 20 ms compared to a LuAG:Ce reference, underscoring its promise for scintillator applications.

Compositionally complex oxide, high entropy oxide,↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark matter in X-rays: revised XMM-Newton limits and new constraints from eROSITA

We investigate two classes of dark matter (DM) candidates, sub-GeV particles and primordial black holes (PBHs), that can inject low-energy electrons and positrons into the Milky Way and leave observable signatures in the X-ray sky. In the case of sub-GeV DM, annihilation or decay into e + e - contributes to the diffuse sea of cosmic-ray (CR) leptons, which can generate bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton (IC) emission on Galactic photon fields, producing a broad spectrum from X-rays to γ-rays detectable by instruments such as eROSITA and XMM-Newton. For PBHs with masses below ∼10 17 g, Hawking evaporation similarly yields low-energy e ± , leading to comparable diffuse emission. Using the first data release from eROSITA and incorporating up-to-date CR propagation and diffusion parameters, we derive new constraints on both scenarios. For sub-GeV DM, we exclude thermally averaged annihilation cross sections in the range ∼ 10 -27 –10 -25 cm 3 /s and decay lifetimes of ∼ 10 24 –10 25 s for masses between 1 MeV and 1 GeV, with eROSITA outperforming previous X-ray constraints below ∼ 30 MeV. For asteroid-mass PBHs, we set new bounds on the DM fraction based on their Hawking-induced emission. Finally, we revisit previous constraints in 10.1088/1475-7516/2023/07/026JCAP 07 (2023) 026 and consequently 10.3847/1538-4357/ad41e0Astrophys. J. 968 (2024) 46 derived from XMM-Newton, finding that they were approximately four orders of magnitude too stringent due to the use of the instrument's geometric solid angle rather than its exposure-weighted solid angle. Upon using the exposure-weighted solid angle, we show that the revised XMM-Newton limits are slightly weaker than those from eROSITA.

X-rays↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multimessengers from the Radioactive Decay of r -process Nuclei

The radioactive β-decay of nuclei synthesized in the rapid neutron capture process (r-process) releases a variety of particles, including electrons, γ-rays, neutrinos, and neutrons. These particles provide a rich set of multimessenger signals that carry information about the astrophysical environments where neutron-rich nucleosynthesis occurs. In this work, we calculate from first principles the emission spectra resulting from the β-decay of r-process nuclei. Our approach incorporates detailed nuclear structure and decay data to model the energy distributions of each particle species. We couple the spectra with a nuclear reaction network simulation to obtain the temporal evolution of these distributions. We find that the emission distributions vary significantly in time and are nonthermal, with substantial average energies. We investigate these nuclear signals as a direct probe of heavy element formation and show that they are complementary observables to kilonova.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improved decay data for the long-lived fission products 147 Nd, 111 Ag, and 156 Eu

We have completed the successful campaign on improving the branching ratios following the decay of 147 Nd with the publication of our manuscript titled “Precise measurements of the γ-ray intensities following the β decay of 144 Ce and 147 Nd” in Phys Rev C. Continuing the work this collaboration, we have results on the decay of 156 Eu that report updated intensities with reduced uncertainties of most intense emissions by an order of magnitude or more. We expect to submit our manuscript to Phys Rev C with these results on 156 Eu in the upcoming weeks.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

A New Measurement of the Extragalactic Background Light Using 15 yr of Fermi-large Area Telescope Data

The extragalactic background light (EBL) from ultraviolet to infrared comprises the emission from all stars, galaxies, and actively accreting black holes in the observable Universe. A precise measurement of the EBL is critically important to probe models of star formation and galaxy evolution. The EBL can be measured via the absorption imprint left on the spectra of γ-ray blazars. In this work, we rely on 15 yr of Fermi-LAT data and 1576 blazars to measure the EBL optical depth in the 0 < z < 4.3 range. We detect the EBL attenuation with ≅23σ significance and measure the optical depth in 19 redshift bins, extending the coverage and improving on our previous results. This allows us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and find general consistency with recent EBL models. These results represent the most precise determination of the EBL with GeV γ rays to date.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Suppression of pair beam instabilities in a laboratory analogue of blazar pair cascades

The generation of dense electron–positron pair beams in the laboratory can enable direct tests of theoretical models of γ-ray bursts and active galactic nuclei. We have successfully achieved this using ultrarelativistic protons accelerated by the Super Proton Synchrotron at (CERN). In the first application of this experimental platform, the stability of the pair beam is studied as it propagates through a meter-length plasma, analogous to TeV γ-ray-induced pair cascades in the intergalactic medium. It has been argued that pair beam instabilities disrupt the cascade, thus accounting for the observed lack of reprocessed GeV emission from TeV blazars. If true, this would remove the need for a moderate strength intergalactic magnetic field to explain the observations. We find that the pair beam instability is suppressed if the beam is not perfectly collimated or monochromatic, hence the lower limit to the intergalactic magnetic field inferred from γ-ray observations of blazars is robust.

blazar jets↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pre-Equilibrium De-Excitations in Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions

Pre-equilibrium de-excitation is a well-established stage of nucleon-induced nuclear reactions but has not previously been incorporated into neutrino event generators. This work implements the Koning-Duijvestijn exciton model within the MARLEY neutrino event generator to simulate energy redistribution and particle emission before compound nucleus equilibrium. The implementation includes modular calculations of particle-hole state densities, internal transition rates, emission rates, and Monte Carlo cascade sampling, and is validated against the TALYS-2.2 nuclear reaction code. A new event record is also proposed to enable future uncertainty reweighting studies. This work establishes the first framework for studying pre-equilibrium effects in neutrino-induced reactions, with the goal of improving predictions of particle multiplicities, γ-ray production, and MeV-scale detector signals relevant to experiments such as DUNE.

Visser, Erin [Michigan State U., East Lansing (mai↗
NASA NTRS2020

Multiwavelength Variability and Correlation Studies of Mrk 421 During Historically Low X-ray and Y-ray Activity in 2015–2016

We report a characterization of the multiband flux variability and correlations of the nearby (z=0.031) blazar Markarian 421(Mrk 421) using data from Mets ̈ahovi, Swift, Fermi-LAT, MAGIC, FACT, and other collaborations and instruments from 2014November till 2016 June. Mrk 421 did not show any prominent flaring activity, but exhibited periods of historically low activity above 1 TeV (F>1TeV<1.7×10−12ph cm−2s−1) and in the 2–10 keV (X-ray) band (F2−10 keV<3.6×10−11erg cm−2s−1),during which the Swift-BAT data suggest an additional spectral component beyond the regular synchrotron emission. The highest flux variability occurs in X-rays and very high-energy (E>0.1 TeV)γ-rays, which, despite the low activity, show a significant positive correlation with no time lag. The HRkeV and HRTeV show the harder-when-brighter trend observed in many blazars, but the trend flattens at the highest fluxes, which suggests a change in the processes dominating the blazar variability. Enlarging our dataset with data from years 2007 to 2014, we measured a positive correlation between the optical and the GeV emission over a range of about 60 d centred at time lag zero, and a positive correlation between the optical/GeV and the radio emission over a range of about 60 d centred at a time lag of 43+9−6d. This observation is consistent with the radio-bright zone being located about 0.2 parsec downstream from the optical/GeV emission regions of the jet. The flux distributions are better described with a lognormal function in most of the energy bands probed, indicating that the variability in Mrk 421 is likely produced by a multiplicative process.

Mrk 421↗
NASA NTRS2022

Measurement of Galactic 26Al with the Compton Spectrometer and Imager

The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a balloon-borne compact Compton telescope de-17signed to survey the 0.2–5 MeV sky. COSI’s energy resolution of ∼0.2% at 1.8 MeV, single-photon reconstruction, and wide field of view make it capable of studying astrophysical nuclear lines, particularly the 1809 keVγ-ray line from decaying Galactic 26Al. Most 26Al originates in massive stars and core-collapse supernova nucleosynthesis, but the path from stellar evolution models to Galaxy-wide emission remains unconstrained. In 2016, COSI had a successful 46-day flight on a NASA super pressure balloon. Here, we detail the first search for the 1809 keV26Al line in the COSI 2016 balloon flight using a maximum likelihood analysis. We find a Galactic 26Al flux of (8.6±2.5) ×10−4ph cm−2s−124 within the Inner Galaxy (|ℓ|≤30◦,|b|≤10◦) with 3.7σ significance above background. Within uncertainties, this flux is consistent with expectations from previous measurements by SPI and COMPTEL. This analysis demonstrates COSI’s powerful capabilities for studies of γ-ray lines and underscores the scientific potential of future compact Compton telescopes. In particular, the next iteration of COSI as a NASA Small Explorer satellite has recently been approved for launch in 2025.

Gamma-ray lines↗
DOE OSTI2025

EP 250108a/SN 2025kg: Observations of the Most Nearby Broad-line Type Ic Supernova Following an Einstein Probe Fast X-Ray Transient

With a small sample of fast X-ray transients (FXTs) with multiwavelength counterparts discovered to date, their progenitors and connections to γ-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae (SNe) remain ambiguous. Here, we present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2025kg, the SN counterpart to the FXT EP 250108a. At z = 0.17641, this is the closest known SN discovered following an Einstein Probe (EP) FXT. We show that SN 2025kg’s optical spectra reveal the hallmark features of a broad-lined Type Ic SN. Its light-curve evolution and expansion velocities are comparable to those of GRB-SNe, including SN 1998bw, and two past FXT-SNe. We present JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy taken around SN 2025kg’s maximum light, and find weak absorption due to He I 1.0830 μm and 2.0581 μm and a broad, unidentified emission feature at ∼4–4.5 μm. Further, we observe broadened Hα in optical data at 42.5 days that is not detected at other epochs, indicating interaction with H-rich material. From its light curve, we derive a 56 Ni mass of 0.2–0.6 M ⊙ . Together with our companion Letter, our broadband data are consistent with a trapped or low-energy (≲10 51 erg) jet-driven explosion from a collapsar with a zero-age main-sequence mass of 15–30 M ⊙ . Finally, we show that the sample of EP FXT-SNe supports past estimates that low-luminosity jets seen through FXTs are more common than successful (GRB) jets, and that similar FXT-like signatures are likely present in at least a few percent of the brightest Type Ic-BL SNe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2023

A Sensitive Search for Supernova Emission Associated with the Extremely Energetic and Nearby GRB 221009A

We report observations of the optical counterpart of the long gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A. Due to the extreme rarity of being both nearby (z = 0.151) and highly energetic (E ϒ,iso ≥ 10 54 erg), GRB 221009A offers a unique opportunity to probe the connection between massive star core collapse and relativistic jet formation across a very broad range of γ-ray properties. Adopting a phenomenological power-law model for the afterglow and host galaxy estimates from high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we use Bayesian model comparison techniques to determine the likelihood of an associated supernova (SN) contributing excess flux to the optical light curve. Though not conclusive, we find moderate evidence (K Bayes =10 1.2 for the presence of an additional component arising from an associated SN, SN 2022xiw, and find that it must be substantially fainter (<67% as bright at the 99% confidence interval) than SN 1998bw. Given the large and uncertain line-of-sight extinction, we attempt to constrain the SN parameters (M Ni , M ej and E KE ) under several different assumptions with respect to the host galaxy's extinction. We find properties that are broadly consistent with previous GRB-associated SNe: M Ni = 0.05–0.25 M ⊙ , M ej = 3.5–11.1 M ⊙ , and E KE = (1.6–5.2) × 10 52 erg. We note that these properties are weakly constrained due to the faintness of the SN with respect to the afterglow and host emission, but we do find a robust upper limit on M Ni of M Ni < 0.36 M ⊙ . Given the tremendous range in isotropic gamma-ray energy release exhibited by GRBs (seven orders of magnitude), the SN emission appears to be decoupled from the central engine in these systems.

Core-collapse supernovae↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-isospin multiplets in 𝐴=15 and 16 nuclei

Isospin quartets (T=3/2) and quintets (T=2) have been investigated for A=15 and A=16 nuclei, respectively. Data from an invariant-mass experiment, with a 17 Ne beam, were reanalyzed and the T=3/2 and T=2 states in 15 O and 16 F, associated with p+ 14 N and 2p+ 14 N exit channels respectively, were found. In some cases, γ-ray gating was used to tag on events that decay to the excited 0 + , T=1 state in 14 N rather than the ground state. With the new states, the lowest-energy 1/2 + and 5/2 + quartets for A=15 and the 0 + and 2 + quintets for A=16 are completed. In addition, members of these multiplets in 15 F and 16 Ne decaying to the p+ 14 O and 2p+ 14 O channels are reevaluated by gating on events where the 14 O fragment recoils perpendicular to beam axis in the parent reference frame. Such transverse-decay events have the best invariant-mass resolution. No evidence for deviations from a quadratic dependence of the mass on the isospin projection was found for the A=15 quartets. However for the A=16 0 + and 2 + quintets, evidence for deviations were found.

Coulomb energies↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impact of the continuum on the γ decay of the lowest 2 + states in 14 C

The half-life, T 1/2 =14.6(33) fs, of the 7012-keV 2$^{+}_{1}$ state in 14 C was measured in an experiment employing the 9 Be( 6 Li,pγ) fusion-evaporation reaction and the GODDESS setup. The γ decay from the 2$^{+}_{2}$ near-threshold resonance, located 142 keV above the 8176-keV neutron-emission threshold, was also investigated. An upper limit of 4.0 × 10 –5 was established for the γ-decay branching ratio with respect to the neutron-decay channel. The B(E2) transition probabilities for these 2$^{+}_{1}$ and 2$^{+}_{2}$ states were compared to predictions from the Shell Model Embedded in the Continuum (SMEC). Significant modifications of these B(E2) probabilities, with respect to the standard shell model, are expected due to the coupling to the continuum. For calculations using the YSOX interaction, agreement was found for large negative values of V 0 , the coupling constant to the continuum. The central value V 0 = −645 MeV fm 3 results in a retardation by a factor ∼ 3.5 for the 2$^{+}_{1}$ → 0$^{+}_{1}$ transition, and an enhanced probability by a factor ∼ 2.5 for the γ-decay out of the 2$^{+}_{2}$ state. The latter factor reflects the effect of collectivization of the 2$^{+}_{2}$ excitation when the coupling to the continuum is taken into account.

14C↗
DOE OSTI2026

Experimental observation and integrated modelling of proton-beryllium fusion in He and D plasmas at JET

Validated integrated modelling of JET ITER-like wall experiments in which fusion performance is driven by reactions between fast ions and intrinsically present metal wall impurities is presented. A steady-state L-mode plasma with dominant proton-beryllium fusion and neutron yields of up to ≈ 6·10 13 s -1 is developed in He and D, via radiofrequency heating of a H minority. The fusion drive is unambiguously confirmed by the neutral particle analyser, fast ion loss detector, and γ-ray diagnostics. Experiments are analysed via an integrated modelling framework, developed to model the two-stage proton beryllium-fusion chain and produce high-fidelity fusion product source terms. The modelling chain comprises TRANSP and JETTO for plasma core modelling, LOCUST for full orbit product tracking and collisional slowing-down, DRESS to resolve two- and three-body fusion kinematics, and MCNP for neutron transport calculations. Modelling shows that the primary 9 Be(p,n) 9 B reaction is the dominant neutron emitter at naturally present concentrations of beryllium in these experiments. The yield contribution of secondary reactions between fusion products and beryllium, 9 Be(d,n) 10 B and 9 Be(α,n) 12 C, is found to be negligible. The proton-deuteron knock-on effect in D plasmas is modelled, which is calculated to contribute ≈ 25% to the total neutron yield. For both He and D discharges the total computed neutron rates match fission chamber (FC) measurements within the combined experimental and computational uncertainty, with an average discrepancy of ≈ ± 20%. Realistic proton-beryllium neutron sources are propagated through JET’s MCNP neutron transport model which shows that 235 U FCs’ response is sensitive to p–Be source changes, with up to ≈ 10% variation compared to a D–D neutron source. We show that the high-energy tail of the fast proton minority can be studied with multi-foil neutron activation. The framework is also applied to the study of interactions between fast protons and boron impurities, of relevance to ITER. We calculate that in JET conditions a significant alpha source with DT-like energies could be generated through 11 B(p, α)2α fusion, and detected via γ-emission in secondary interactions between fast alphas and boron. The work represents an important step towards validating predictive integrated modelling capabilities for non-standard fusion reactions.

JET↗
DOE OSTI2026

Photonuclear cross sections for the 197 Au ⁢(𝛾, 𝑝⁢𝑛)⁢ 195⁢𝑚 Pt reaction near threshold

Platinum radioisotopes are of growing interest for targeted cancer therapy and diagnostic imaging because their decay delivers highly localized radiation doses in tissue, herewith enabling precise DNA damage through Auger-electron emission. Developing production technologies that provide platinum isotopes with high specific activity is essential in radioisotope therapy. Photonuclear reactions on stable nuclei offer a viable accelerator-based route for isotope production when supported by reliable cross-section data. We report photonuclear cross-section measurements for the 197 Au(γ, pn) 195m Pt reaction at incident γ-ray energies of 27, 29, and 31 MeV using the activation method. The measurements were performed by irradiating a stack of concentric-ring gold targets with a quasi-monoenergetic γ-ray beam provided by the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HI γS). The induced 195m Pt activity was quantified using off-line γ-ray spectroscopy. These data provide the first experimental constraints on the 197 Au(γ, pn) 195m Pt cross section in the near-threshold region. Furthermore, the comparison of the measured excitation function to PHITS and TALYS calculations indicates that the reaction becomes measurable only near 30 MeV and that substantially higher bremsstrahlung end-point energies are required for practically meaningful production.

190 ≤ A ≤ 219↗
NASA NTRS2012

Energy-dependent Orbital Modulation of X-rays and Constraints on Emission of the Jet in Cyg X-3

We study orbital modulation of X-rays from Cyg X-3, using data from Swift, INTEGRAL and RXTE. Using the wealth of the presently available data and an improved averaging method, we obtain energy-dependent folded and averaged light curves with unprecedented accuracy. We find that above ∼5 keV, the modulation depth decreases with the increasing energy, which is consistent with the modulation being caused by both bound-free absorption and Compton scattering in the stellar wind of the donor, with minima corresponding to the highest optical depth, which occurs around the superior conjunction. We find a decrease of the depth below ∼3 keV, which appears to be due to re-emission of the absorbed continuum by the wind in soft X-ray lines. Based on the shape of the folded light curves, any X-ray contribution from the jet in Cyg X-3, which emits γ-rays detected at energies > 0.1 GeV in soft spectral states, is found to be minor up to ∼100 keV. This implies the presence of a rather sharp low-energy break in the jet MeV-range spectrum.We also calculate phase-resolved RXTE X-ray spectra, and show the difference between the spectra corresponding to phases around the superior and inferior conjunctions can indeed be accounted for by a combined effect of bound-free absorption in an ionized medium and Compton scattering.

Energy-dependent Orbital↗
NASA NTRS2012

Radio-to-Gamma-Ray Monitoring of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy PMN J0948+0022 from 2008 to 2011

We present more than three years of observations at different frequencies, from radio to high-energy γ-rays, of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) Galaxy PMN J0948+0022 (z = 0.585). This source is the first NLS1 detected at energies above 100 MeV and therefore can be considered the prototype of this emerging new class of γ-ray emitting active galactic nuclei (AGN). The observations performed from 2008 August 1 to 2011 December 31 confirmed that PMN J0948+0022 generates a powerful relativistic jet, which is able to develop an isotropic luminosity at gamma-rays of the order of 1048 erg per second, at the level of powerful quasars. The evolution of the radiation emission of this source in 2009 and 2010 followed the canonical expectations of relativistic jets with correlated multiwavelength variability (gamma-rays followed by radio emission after a few months), but it was difficult to retrieve a similar pattern in the light curves of 2011. The comparison of gamma-ray spectra before and including 2011 data suggested that there was a softening of the highenergy spectral slope. We selected five specific epochs to be studied by modelling the broad-band spectrum, which are characterised by an outburst at gamma-rays or very low/high flux at other wavelengths. The observed variability can largely be explained by changes in the injected power, the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet, or the electron spectrum. The characteristic time scale of doubling/halving flux ranges from a few days to a few months, depending on the frequency and the sampling rate. The shortest doubling time scale at gamma-rays is 2.3 +/- 0.5 days. These small values underline the need of highly sampled multiwavelength campaigns to better understand the physics of these sources.

monitoring↗
NASA NTRS2022

X-Ray Imaging Observations of the High-Mass γ-Ray Binary HESS J0632+057

The Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO)imaged the high-massγ-ray binary (HMGB) HESS8J0632+057 with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). We analyzed the CXO data to-9gether with 967 ks of archival imaging Swift-XRT observations. On arcsecond scales we find a hint10of asymmetric extended emission. On arcminute scales, there is a region of extended emission (“the11blob”) which is located≈5.5′east of the binary. The blob is seen in both the CXO-ACIS and the12Swift-XRT images but it does not have a counterpart in the radio, NIR, IR, or optical images. The13ACIS spectrum of the blob fits either an absorbed power-law model with Γ'2.6, or a thermal plasma14model withkT'3 keV. Since the blob’s NH is significantly larger than that of the binary we conclude15that the blob and binary are not directly related. The somewhat larger very deep XRT image suggests16that the binary may be located within a shell (or cavity). The four ACIS spectra taken within the∼2017day interval near the light curve minimum suggests that the NH is varying on timescales of days, pos-18sibly due to the inhomogenous circumbinary environment. The XRT spectra extracted from the wider19orbital phase intervals support significant changes in NH near the light curve maximum/minimum,20which may be responsible for the substantial systematic residuals seen near 1 keV, and provide tenta-21tive evidence for a Fe line at 6.4 keV. We find no significant periodic signal in the ACIS data up to 0.156 Hz.

O Kargaltsev↗