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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 OSTI2024

Code Benchmark of Depressurized Conduction Cooldown Transient in the High Temperature Test Facility

This paper presents results from modeling of a depressurized conduction cooldown (DCC) transient at the High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) as part of the OECD-NEA Thermal Hydraulics Code Validation Benchmark for High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors using HTTF Data . This paper briefly describes the benchmark and the models being used. It then presents a comparison of steady state and transient results based on the Problem 2 Exercise 1A and 1B definitions. We compare block and helium temperature distributions, mass flow distribution, and energy balance in steady state. All models show comparable mass flow distributions and energy balances. The temperatures within the core and outer regions are comparable in all models too, but inner reflector temperatures can vary significantly. Despite that, we find that the models are in good agreement for the full-power steady state. In the DCC, we look at block temperature at the core midplane and RCCS water exit temperature. The INL and ANL models are found to be in excellent agreement with one another on block temperature over time, while the agreement when the KAERI and NRG models are added into consideration is good. Differences in the transient heat removal from the RCCS cause the differences in block temperature over time in these models. The CNL models show similar trends to the INL, ANL, KAERI, and NRG models, but the temperatures are high because the volumes used in calculating the average temperature include the heater rods in the CNL models only. The HUN-REN model shows results that suggest significantly lower heat removal in the RCCS which merit further investigation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing the limits of genetic recoding using multi-omics-guided evolution

Engineering the genetic code—by reassigning multiple of the 64 natural codons—enables making organisms resistant to all viruses, preventing genetic information exchange, and allowing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded unnatural polymers. However, synonymous codon replacement—recoding—is frequently lethal, and how recoding impacts fitness remains poorly explored. Here, we explore these effects using genome synthesis, directed evolution, and genome-transcriptome-translatome-proteome co-profiling on multiple synthetic Escherichia coli genomes. We construct six partially recoded E. coli strains bearing up to 45.8% of a synthetic genome with a deleterious 57-codon genetic code. As our analyses revealed widespread defects—including unassigned codons in Syn61 and Syn57—we apply multi-omics to revise our genome design and mitigate defects. Using multi-omics, we show that recoding induces transcriptional and translational changes leading to fitness defects under hundreds of conditions. Finally, we develop a multi-omics-guided evolution strategy that rapidly restores fitness, enabling genome synthesis with radical changes.

Nyerges, Akos [Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spontaneous Strain Buffer Enables Superior Cycling Stability in Single-Crystal Nickel-Rich NCM Cathode

The capacity degredation in layered Ni-rich LiNixCoyMnzO2 (x >= 0.8) cathode largely originated from drastic surface reactions and intergranular cracks in polycrystalline particles. Herein, we report a highly stable single- crystal LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2 cathode material, which can deliver a high specific capacity (similar to 209 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 C, 2.8-4.3 V) and meanwhile display excellent cycling stability (>96% retention for 100 cycles and >93% for 200 cycles). By a combination of in situ X-ray diffraction and in situ pair distribution function analysis, an intermediate monoclinic distortion and irregular H3 stack are revealed in the single crystals upon charging-discharging processes. These structural changes might be driven by unique Li-intercalation kinetics in single crystals, which enables an additional strain buffer to reduce the cracks and thereby ensure the high cycling stability.

in situ synchrotron characterization↗
DOE OSTI2026

Overview of Wendelstein 7-X high-performance operation

The Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator has completed two consecutive experimental campaigns OP 2.2 (Sep.-Dec. 2024) and OP 2.3 (Feb.-May 2025) under a new operational strategy enabling more than one year of uninterrupted device availability. This approach, supported by exceptionally high subsystem reliability, allowed sustained high-efficiency plasma operations with up to 80–100 discharges per day across a broad range of magnetic configurations. Several key technical upgrades-most notably the first operation of a 1.5 MW class steady-state gyrotron, a new steady-state pellet injector, and advanced real-time feedback control systems significantly enhanced heating, fueling, and plasma control capabilities. Together, these improvements enabled major advances in long-pulse performance, high-β operation, and confinement optimization. Long-pulse discharges achieved 1.8 GJ of injected energy under fully detached divertor conditions, while reduced-field scenarios facilitated record volume-averaged β values approaching 3%. High-performance plasmas with centrally peaked density profiles, created via neutral beam injection (NBI) or sustained pellet fueling, demonstrated strongly reduced turbulent transport and stellarator-record fusion triple products. Complementary studies of power exhaust and divertor heat loads revealed the role of scrape-off-layer drift physics in shaping strike-line patterns under attached conditions. Together, the results from OP 2.2 and OP 2.3 significantly expand the operational space of W7-X and strengthen its role as a leading platform for steady-state stellarator research and reactor-relevant plasma scenarios.

Wendelstein 7-X↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurements of hadron production in 90 GeV/𝑐 proton-carbon interactions

This paper presents the multiplicity of neutral and charged hadrons produced in 90 GeV/𝑐 proton-carbon interactions from a dataset taken by the NA61/SHINE experiment in 2017. Particle identification via d⁢𝐸/d⁢𝑥 was performed for the charged hadrons 𝜋 ± , 𝐾 ± , and $p/\bar{p}$; the neutral hadrons $K^0_S$, $Λ$, and $\bar{Λ}$ were identified via an invariant mass analysis of their decays to charged hadrons. Double-differential multiplicity results as a function of laboratory momentum and polar angle are presented for each particle species; these results provide vital constraints on the predicted neutrino beam flux for current and future long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the mass-changing, charge-changing, and production cross sections of 11 C, 11 B, and 10 B nuclei in 12 C + p interactions at 13.5 GeV/𝑐 per nucleon

A good knowledge of nuclear fragmentation cross sections is important to interpret the fluxes of secondary cosmic rays from the Galaxy. Here we report new measurements of nuclear fragmentation with the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS. The specific focus is on cross sections important for the production of boron in the Galaxy from the interactions of 12 C nuclei with hydrogen in the interstellar medium, including the contribution from the decay of the short-lived 11 C fragments. The data were taken with the secondary 12 C beam at beam momentum of 13.5 GeV/𝑐per nucleon and two fixed targets, polyethylene (CH 2 ) and graphite (C), from which we derive the cross sections of carbon on hydrogen. We present the measurement of the fragmentation cross sections of 11 C, 11 B, and 10 B as well as the mass- and charge-changing cross sections.

nuclear fragmentation↗
DOE OSTI2025

Light field–controlled PHz currents in intrinsic metals

Oriented electric currents in metals are routinely driven by applying an external electric potential. Although the response of electrons to the external electric fields occurs within attoseconds, conventional electronics do not use this speed potential. Ultrashort laser pulses with controlled shapes of electric fields that switch direction at petahertz frequencies open perspectives for driving currents in metals. Light field–driven currents were demonstrated in various media including dielectrics, semiconductors, and topological insulators. Now, our research question is whether we can drive and control orders of magnitude more charge carriers in metals enabling ultrafast switching with practically low-energy, picojoule-level pulses. Here, we demonstrate the interaction of light with nanometer-thick metallic layers, which leads to a generation of light field–controlled electric currents. We show that the implantation of metallic layers into a dielectric matrix leads to up to 40 times increase of the sensitivity in contrast to a bare dielectric, decreasing the intensity threshold for lightwave electronics.

Fehér, Beatrix [HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for↗
DOE OSTI2025

Erratum to: Measurements of higher-order cumulants of multiplicity and net-electric charge distributions in inelastic proton-proton interactions by NA61/SHINE

This Erratum replaces, due to a discovery of coding mistakes, the following quantities: κ 3 /κ 1 of the h + − h − distribution presented in Fig. 6 and Table 6, κ 4 listed in Table 4, and $\hat{C}$ 4 presented in Fig. 7 and Table 5. All mentioned figures and tables were updated.

High-Energy Particle Collision Data Analysis↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiplicity and net-electric charge fluctuations in central Ar+Sc interactions at 13 A , 19 A , 30 A , 40 A , 75 A , and 150 A GeV/c beam momenta measured by NA61/SHINE at the CERN SPS

This paper presents results on multiplicity fluctuations of positively and negatively charged hadrons as well as net-electric charge fluctuations measured in central Ar+Sc interactions at beam momenta 13 A , 19 A , 30 A , 40 A , 75 A , and 150 A GeV/c. The fluctuation analysis is one of the tools to search for the predicted critical point of strongly interacting matter. Results are corrected for the experimental biases and quantified using cumulant ratios. In most instances, multiplicity and net-charge distributions appear narrower than the corresponding Poisson or Skellam distributions. Cumulant ratios are compared with the EPOS1.99 model predictions, which provide a qualitative description that aligns with observations for positively and negatively charged particles. The obtained results are also compared to earlier NA61/SHINE results from inelastic p+p interactions in the same analysis acceptance.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Updated Picture of Presolar History from Short-lived Radioactive Isotopes and Inferences on the Birth of the Sun

We examine the origin of the short-lived radionuclides (SLRs; defined as having half-lives between 0.1 and 100 Ma) present in the early solar system (ESS) by investigating how predictions of their abundances in the interstellar medium (ISM) from steady-state equilibrium relate to their ESS values. For this, we take into account the non-negligible time t iso elapsed between the isolation of the presolar molecular cloud and the formation of the ESS, during which the SLRs decayed freely. We also consider the alternative scenario in which the presolar molecular cloud remained partially mixed with the ISM, with a mixing timescale t mix . We find that the ESS abundances of 107 Pd and 182 Hf produced by slow neutron captures (s-process) and of 53 Mn and 60 Fe produced by explosive nucleosynthesis can be consistently explained within these scenarios. Their required tiso is 9–12 Ma and their required tmix is 11–14 Ma (with one potential exception of t mix = 38 Ma), depending on galactic uncertainties, such as the galactic star formation history and efficiency and the star-to-gas mass ratio. Another s -process SLR, 205 Pb, has a more uncertain ESS value and falls within only some of these time values. The same applies to the SLRs produced by the p -process ( 92 Nb and 146 Sm), depending on the latter’s half-life. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the ESS abundances of the rapid neutron-capture isotopes ( 129 I, 244 Pu, and 247 Cm) and of the most short-lived radionuclides ( 26 Al, 36 Cl, and 41 Ca) cannot be explained by assuming steady-state equilibrium in the ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cyanobacteria dynamically regulate phycobilisome-to-photosystem excitation energy transfer

In cyanobacteria and red algae, the phycobilisome (PBS) absorbs light and transfers its energy to the chlorophylls in photosystems II (PSII) and I (PSI). With the help of target analysis of time-resolved emission spectra measured at room temperature (RT) and at 77 K, we establish a general kinetic scheme for excitation energy transfer (EET) and trapping based upon a PBS-PSII-PSI megacomplex. At RT it is found that in the dark-adapted cells (State II), the terminal emitter of PBS, allophycocyanin APC680, transfers energy to PSII and PSI with equal rates of ≈50 ns −1 , and that spillover from PSII to PSI is present with rate ≈6 ns −1 . At 77 K, upon transition from State I to State II the EET rate from APC680 to PSII is constant, whereas the rate to PSI increases by 67%. This indicates that a structural change in EET distance in the PBS-PSII-PSI megacomplex underlies the state transition.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Strontium-84 Enrichments in Presolar Grains Provide First Evidence of p -process Nucleosynthesis in Core-collapse Supernovae

This study reports detection of rare p-process isotopes within presolar grains. Presolar grains are relic dust grains from dying stars. These microscopic dust particles are found in primitive solar system materials. Their distinct isotopic compositions record the nucleosynthetic processes in their parent stars and the Galactic chemical environment in which these stars formed. We studied presolar graphite grains of high-density type from the Murchison meteorite and found five grains with subgrains that show enrichments in 84 Sr compared to the solar abundance. 84 Sr is the neutron-deficient isotope of strontium that can be produced in the deep oxygen-rich interior of high-mass stars that end their lives as core-collapse supernovae. The observed 84 Sr excesses cannot be produced in low-mass asymptotic giant branch stars, the source of most high-density presolar graphites found in meteorites. High-density graphites with embedded 84 Sr excesses are, instead, compatible with a core-collapse supernovae origin. The graphite subgrains condensed from carbon-rich materials in the outer layers of core-collapse supernovae, where 84 Sr was destroyed by neutron captures during hydrostatic evolution of the stars and their final explosion. Based on current theoretical stellar models, a few percent of contribution from the inner regions of core-collapse supernovae, which are enriched in p-process nuclides, to the outer carbon-rich regions is the most likely explanation for the observed enrichment of 84 Sr in the subgrains of the high-density graphites. In this study, we present the first observational evidence that core-collapse supernovae produce and eject isotopes made by the p-process.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermal Stability and Lattice Strain Evolution of High-Nb-Containing TiAl Alloy under Low-Cycle-Fatigue Loading

The micromechanical behavior and the effect of temperature on the micromechanical mechanism of high-Nb-containing TiAl alloy during low-cycle fatigue still remain uncertain. Herein, in situ and ex situ synchrotron-based high-energy X-ray (HEXRD) experiment results reveal that the gamma and omega(o) phases suffer compressive lattice strains but the lattice strain in the alpha(2) phase evolves from tensile to compressive during low-cycle fatigue at 900 degrees C. In addition, the three phases suffer compressive lattice strains during cooling to room temperature, which could result in larger compressive lattice strains in gamma and omega(o) phases and the change of the lattice strain state in the alpha(2) phase. The peak-broadening results show gamma recrystallization is dominant in the interrupted low-cycle-fatigue samples, whereas inhomogeneous deformation occurs in the failed low-cycle-fatigue samples. The performed synchrotron diffraction experiments offer a deeper insight into the phase transformations and micromechanism of TiAl alloy during low-cycle fatigue.

cyclic stress-strain behavior↗
DOE OSTI2020

TiO2 Nanocrystal-Framed Li 2 TiSiO 5 Platelets for Low-Voltage Lithium Battery Anode

Titanium-based anode materials are attracting considerable attention for use in high-performance lithium-ion batteries, but the compromised energy density caused by high voltage plateaus and unsatisfactory capacities severely retards their practical applications. Herein, a molten-salt synthesis of Li 2 TiSiO 5 crystalline platelets and a subsequent selective facet modification by in situ growth of TiO 2 nanocrystal frames are facilely achieved. The discharge voltage plateau at around 0.5 V renders the Li 2 TiSiO 5 anode safe compared with graphite and confers a high energy density compared with zero-strain Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 anode. With the optimized size, structure, and content of modified TiO2 nanocrystals associated with the exposed (001) plane of Li 2 TiSiO 5 , the Li 2 TiSiO 5 -based anodes can deliver a capacity of above 300 mAh g -1 , enhanced rate performance, and a capacity retention of 66% after 10 000 cycles. In situ X-ray diffraction and ex situ transmission electron microscopy have demonstrated the structural stability of the anodes upon charge/discharge. Further theoretical calculation reveals 3D migration paths of Li + ions in Li 2 TiSiO 5 . The selective modification of in situ grown TiO2 nanocrystals on certain facets of crystallites opens a new door for the development of electrode materials possessing superior electrochemical properties.

anodes↗
DOE OSTI2022

Elastic Lattice Enabling Reversible Tetrahedral Li Storage Sites in a High-Capacity Manganese Oxide Cathode

The key to breaking through the capacity limitation imposed by intercalation chemistry lies in the ability to harness more active sites that can reversibly accommodate more ions (e.g., Li + ) and electrons within a finite space. However, excessive Li-ion insertion into the Li layer of layered cathodes results in fast performance decay due to the huge lattice change and irreversible phase transformation. Here, in this study, an ultrahigh reversible capacity is demonstrated by a layered oxide cathode purely based on manganese. Through a wealth of characterizations, it is clarified that the presence of low-content Li 2 MnO 3 domains not only reduces the amount of irreversible O loss; but also regulates Mn migration in LiMnO 2 domains, enabling elastic lattice with high reversibility for tetrahedral sites Li-ion storage in Li layers. This work utilizes bulk cation disorder to create stable Li-ion-storage tetrahedral sites and an elastic lattice for layered materials, with a reversible capacity of 600 mA h g –1 , demonstrated in th range 0.6–4.9 V versus Li/Li + at 10 mA g –1 . Admittedly, discharging to 0.6 V might be too low for practical use, but this exploration is still of great importance as it conceptually demonstrates the limit of Li-ions insertion into layered oxide materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Strong‐Yet‐Ductile Eutectic Alloys Employing Cocoon‐Like Nanometer‐Sized Dislocation Cells

Abstract Eutectic alloys (EAs) with superior fluidity are known to be the easiest to cast into high‐quality ingots, making them the alloys of choice for making large‐sized structural parts. However, conventional EAs (CEAs) have never reached strength–ductility combinations on par with the best in other alloy categories. Via thermomechanical processing of cast Ni‐32.88wt%Fe‐9.53wt%Al CEAs, a cocoon‐like nano‐meshed (as fine as 26 nm) network of dislocations (CNN‐D) is produced via recovery annealing, through the rearrangement of cold‐work‐accumulated dislocations anchored by dense pre‐existing nanoprecipitates. In lieu of traditional plasticity mechanisms, such as TWIP and TRIP, the CNN‐D is particularly effective in eutectic lamellae with alternating phases, as it instigates nanometer‐spaced planar slip bands that not only dynamically refine the microstructure but also transmit from the FCC (face‐centered‐cubic) layers into the otherwise brittle B2 layers. These additional mechanisms for strengthening and strain hardening sustain stable tensile flow, resulting in a striking elevation of both strength and ductility to outrank not only all previous CEAs, but also the state of the art—additively manufactured eutectic high‐entropy alloys. The CNN‐D thus adds a novel microstructural strategy for performance enhancement, especially for compositionally complex alloys that increasingly make use of nanoprecipitates or local chemical order.

Chemistry↗