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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 OSTI2015

Analysis of Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect mass–observable relations using South Pole Telescope observations of an X-ray selected sample of low-mass galaxy clusters and groups

We use microwave observations from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) to examine the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) signatures of a sample of 46 X-ray selected groups and clusters drawn from similar to 6 deg(2) of the XMM-Newton Blanco Cosmology Survey. These systems extend to redshift z = 1.02 and probe the SZE signal to the lowest X-ray luminosities (>= 10(42) erg s(-1)) yet; these sample characteristics make this analysis complementary to previous studies. We develop an analysis tool, using X-ray luminosity as a mass proxy, to extract selection-bias-corrected constraints on the SZE significance and Y-500 mass relations. The former is in good agreement with an extrapolation of the relation obtained from high-mass clusters. However, the latter, at low masses, while in good agreement with the extrapolation from the high-mass SPT clusters, is in tension at 2.8 sigma with the Planck constraints, indicating the low-mass systems exhibit lower SZE signatures in the SPT data. We also present an analysis of potential sources of contamination. For the radio galaxy point source population, we find 18 of our systems have 843 MHz Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey sources within 2 arcmin of the X-ray centre, and three of these are also detected at significance >4 by SPT. Of these three, two are associated with the group brightest cluster galaxies, and the third is likely an unassociated quasar candidate. We examine the impact of these point sources on our SZE scaling relation analyses and find no evidence of biases. We also examine the impact of dusty galaxies using constraints from the 220 GHz data. The stacked sample provides 2.8 sigma significant evidence of dusty galaxy flux, which would correspond to an average underestimate of the SPT Y-500 signal that is (17 +/- 9) per cent in this sample of low-mass systems. Finally, we explore the impact of future data from SPTpol and XMM-XXL, showing that it will lead to a factor of 4 to 5 tighter constraints on these SZE mass-observable relations.

Liu, J.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modeling and Qualification of a Modified Emission Unit for Radioactive Air Emissions Stack Sampling Compliance

A planned laboratory space and exhaust system modification to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Material Science and Technology Building indicated a new evaluation of the mixing at the air sampling system location would be required for compliance to ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011. The modified exhaust system would add a third fan thereby increasing the overall exhaust rate out the stack thus voiding the previous mixing study. Prior to modifying the radioactive air emissions exhaust system, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics computer model was used to evaluate the mixing at the sampling system location. Modeling of the new original three-fan system indicated that not all mixing criteria could be met. A second modeling effort was conducted with the addition of an air blender downstream of the confluence of the three fans which then showed satisfactory mixing results. The final installation included an air blender, and the exhaust system underwent full-scale tests to verify velocity, cyclonic flow, gas, and particulate uniformity. The modeling results and those of the full-scale tests show agreement between each of the evaluated criteria. The use of a computational fluid dynamics code was an effective aid in the design process and allowed the sampling system to remain in its original location while still meeting the requirements for sampling at a well-mixed location.

atmospheric emissions, air monitoring, environment↗
DOE OSTI2017

Quantitating morphological changes in biological samples during scanning electron microscopy sample preparation with correlative super-resolution microscopy

Sample preparation is critical to biological electron microscopy (EM), and there have been continuous efforts on optimizing the procedures to best preserve structures of interest in the sample. However, a quantitative characterization of the morphological changes associated with each step in EM sample preparation is currently lacking. Using correlative EM and superresolution microscopy (SRM), we have examined the effects of different drying methods as well as osmium tetroxide (OsO 4 ) post-fixation on cell morphology during scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sample preparation. Here, SRM images of the sample acquired under hydrated conditions were used as a baseline for evaluating morphological changes as the sample went through SEM sample processing. We found that both chemical drying and critical point drying lead to a mild cellular boundary retraction of ~60 nm. Post-fixation by OsO 4 causes at least 40 nm additional boundary retraction. We also found that coating coverslips with adhesion molecules such as fibronectin prior to cell plating helps reduce cell distortion from OsO 4 post-fixation. These quantitative measurements offer useful information for identifying causes of cell distortions in SEM sample preparation and improving current procedures.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Sample Results From Tank 48H Samples HTF-48-14-158, -159, -169, and -170

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 48H in support of determining the cause for the unusually high dose rates at the sampling points for this tank. A set of two samples was taken from the quiescent tank, and two additional samples were taken after the contents of the tank were mixed. The results of the analyses of all the samples show that the contents of the tank have changed very little since the analysis of the previous sample in 2012. The solids are almost exclusively composed of tetraphenylborate (TPB) salts, and there is no indication of acceleration in the TPB decomposition. The filtrate composition shows a moderate increase in salt concentration and density, which is attributable to the addition of NaOH for the purposes of corrosion control. An older modeling simulation of the TPB degradation was updated, and the supernate results from a 2012 sample were run in the model. This result was compared to the results from the 2014 recent sample results reported in this document. The model indicates there is no change in the TPB degradation from 2012 to 2014. SRNL measured the buoyancy of the TPB solids in Tank 48H simulant solutions. It was determined that a solution of density 1.279 g/mL (~6.5M sodium) was capable of indefinitely suspending the TPB solids evenly throughout the solution. A solution of density 1.296 g/mL (~7M sodium) caused a significant fraction of the solids to float on the solution surface. As the experiments could not include the effect of additional buoyancy elements such as benzene or hydrogen generation, the buoyancy measurements provide an upper bound estimate of the density in Tank 48H required to float the solids.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

Sampling Report for May-June, 2014 WIPP Samples

This report outlines the first attempted sampling of materials in the Panel 7 area that were exposed to the contents of the breached drum identified as Drum 68660. When Drum 68660 breached, the incident appeared to affect a very wide area in Panel 7, evidenced by the destruction of the outer containment of the MgO bags in various rows and columns. The first part of the sampling was to establish the extent of the effect by swiping various areas and monitoring the swipes for radioactivity. After these samples were taken, efforts were made to retrieve solid samples for analysis to determine the cause of the incident. Due to inadequate knowledge of how to sample under a rushed effort into unknown conditions, the sampling process was only partially successful. From the lessons learned, a future sampling (August 15, 2014) was implemented with new sampling devices and more focused location.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Solvent Hold Tank Sample Results For MCU-15-710-711-712: June 2015 Monthly Sample

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) received one set of Solvent Hold Tank (SHT) samples (MCU-15-710, MCU-15-711, and MCU-15-712), pulled on 06/15/2015 for analysis. The samples were combined and analyzed for composition. Analysis of the composite sample MCU-15-710-711-712 indicated a low concentration (~ 55 % of nominal) of the suppressor (TiDG) and concentrations of the extractant (MaxCalix), and of the modifier (Cs-7SB) in the solvent that were slightly lower than nominal. This analysis confirms the addition of TiDG, MaxCalix, and modifier (92 % of nominal) to the solvent in February 2015. Based on the current monthly sample, the levels of TiDG, MaxCalix, and modifier were sufficient when this solvent sample was collected from MCU. A higher cesium concentration (9.3 E6 dpm/mL) was observed in this sample relative to recent samples. In the past, this level of cesium appeared to correlate with upsets in the MCU operation. It is not known at this time the reason for the higher cesium level in this solvent. No impurities above the 1000 ppm level were found in this solvent by the Semi-Volatile Organic Analysis (SVOA). In addition, the sample contains up to 10.4 micrograms of mercury per gram of solvent (or 8.7 µg/mL). A relatively large cesium concentration (9.3 E 6 dpm/mL) was measured in this solvent and it may indicate poor cesium stripping. The laboratory will continue to monitor the quality of the solvent in particular for any new impurities or degradation of the solvent components.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Soil Gas Sample Handling: Evaluation of Water Removal and Sample Ganging

Soil gas sampling is currently conducted in support of Nuclear Test Ban treaty verification. Soil gas samples are collected and analyzed for isotopes of interest. Some issues that can impact sampling and analysis of these samples are excess moisture and sample processing time. Here we discuss three potential improvements to the current sampling protocol; a desiccant for water removal, use of molecular sieve to remove CO 2 from the sample during collection, and a ganging manifold to allow composite analysis of multiple samples.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Radio observations of a sample of broad-line type Ic supernovae discovered by PTF/IPTF: a search for relativistic explosions

Long duration γ-ray bursts are a rare subclass of stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae (SNe) that launch collimated relativistic outflows (jets). All γ-ray-burst-associated SNe are spectroscopically Type Ic, with broad-lines, but the fraction of broad-lined SNe Ic harboring low-luminosity γ-ray bursts remains largely unconstrained. Some SNe should be accompanied by off-axis γ-ray burst jets that initially remain invisible, but then emerge as strong radio sources (as the jets decelerate). However, this critical prediction of the jet model for γ-ray bursts has yet to be verified observationally. Here, we present K. G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of 15 broad-lined SNe of Type Ic discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory in an untargeted manner. Most of the SNe in our sample exclude radio emission observationally similar to that of the radio-loud, relativistic SN 1998bw. We constrain the fraction of 1998bw-like broad-lined SNe Ic to be ≲41% (99.865% confidence). Most of the events in our sample also exclude off-axis jets similar to GRB 031203 and GRB 030329, but we cannot rule out off-axis γ-ray bursts expanding in a low-density wind environment. Three SNe in our sample are detected in the radio. PTF11qcj and PTF14dby show late-time radio emission with average ejecta speeds of ≈0.3–0.4 c, on the dividing line between relativistic and “ordinary” SNe. The speed of PTF11cmh radio ejecta is poorly constrained. We estimate that ≲85% (99.865% confidence) of the broad-lined SNe Ic in our sample may harbor off-axis γ-ray bursts expanding in media with densities in the range probed by this study.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Searching For Transiting Planets Around Halo Stars. I. Sample Selection and Validation

By measuring the elemental abundances of a star, we can gain insight into the composition of its initial gas cloud—the formation site of the star and its planets. Planet formation requires metals, the availability of which is determined by the elemental abundance. In the case where metals are extremely deficient, planet formation can be stifled. To investigate such a scenario requires a large sample of metal-poor stars and a search for planets therein. This paper focuses on the selection and validation of a halo star sample. We select ~17,000 metal-poor halo stars based on their Galactic kinematics, and confirm their low metallicities ([Fe/H] < -0.5), using spectroscopy from the literature. Furthermore, we perform high-resolution spectroscopic observations using LBT/PEPSI and conduct detailed metallicity ([Fe/H]) analyses on a sample of 13 previously-known halo stars that also have hot kinematics. We can use the halo star sample presented here to measure the frequency of planets and to test planet formation in extremely metal-poor environments. The result of the planet search and its implications will be presented and discussed in a companion paper by Boley et al.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Solvent hold tank sample results for MCU-15-815-816-817-818-819-820 November monthly sample

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) received one set of Solvent Hold Tank (SHT) samples (MCU-15-815-816-817-818-819-820), pulled on 11/29/2015 for analysis. The samples were inspected, combined, and analyzed for composition. Chemical analysis of the composite sample MCU-15-815-816-817-818-819-820 indicated the TiDG, Isopar™L, and MaxCalix are at nominal levels. The modifier concentration is 3% below its nominal concentration. This analysis confirms the addition of TiDG, MaxCalix, and modifier to the solvent on November 28, 2015. Based on the current monthly sample, the levels of TiDG, Isopar™L, MaxCalix, and modifier are sufficient for continuing operation but are expected to decrease with time. Periodic characterization and trimming additions to the solvent are recommended. No impurities above the 1000 ppm level were found in this solvent by the Semi-Volatile Organic Analysis (SVOA). No impurities were observed in the Hydrogen Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (HNMR). However, up to 12.5 ± 3 micrograms of mercury per gram of solvent (or 10.4 μg/mL) was detected in this sample. The solids residues found at the bottom of the p-nut vial from sample MCU-15-815 were determined to be left-over pipe residues that were flushed into the sample and they were found to have no impact on the solvent purity or on the chemical and physical properties of the solvent. The laboratory will continue to monitor the quality of the solvent in particular for any new impurities or degradation of the solvent components.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Improvements to sample processing and measurement to enable more widespread environmental application of tritium

Previous measurements have demonstrated the wealth of information that tritium (T) can provide on environmentally relevant processes. We present modifications to sample preparation approaches that enable T measurement by proportional counting on small sample sizes equivalent to 120 mg of water and demonstrate the accuracy of these methods on a suite of standardized water samples. This enhanced method should provide the analytical flexibility needed to address persistent knowledge gaps in our understanding of T behavior in the environment.

low background↗
DOE OSTI2014

Experiments and modeling of variably permeable carbonate reservoir samples in contact with CO₂-acidified brines

Reactive experiments were performed to expose sample cores from the Arbuckle carbonate reservoir to CO₂-acidified brine under reservoir temperature and pressure conditions. The samples consisted of dolomite with varying quantities of calcite and silica/chert. The timescales of monitored pressure decline across each sample in response to CO₂ exposure, as well as the amount of and nature of dissolution features, varied widely among these three experiments. For all samples cores, the experimentally measured initial permeability was at least one order of magnitude or more lower than the values estimated from downhole methods. Nondestructive X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) imaging revealed dissolution features including “wormholes,” removal of fracture-filling crystals, and widening of pre-existing pore spaces. In the injection zone sample, multiple fractures may have contributed to the high initial permeability of this core and restricted the distribution of CO₂-induced mineral dissolution. In contrast, the pre-existing porosity of the baffle zone sample was much lower and less connected, leading to a lower initial permeability and contributing to the development of a single dissolution channel. While calcite may make up only a small percentage of the overall sample composition, its location and the effects of its dissolution have an outsized effect on permeability responses to CO₂ exposure. The XRCT data presented here are informative for building the model domain for numerical simulations of these experiments but require calibration by higher resolution means to confidently evaluate different porosity-permeability relationships.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Simple correction for the sample shape and radial offset effects on SQUID magnetometers: Magnetic measurements on Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3} (Ln=Gd, Dy, Er) standards

An increased focus on magnetic measurements of oriented single crystals, thin films, and magnetically dilute systems has led to a demand for the measurement of weak magnetic moments. This level of sensitivity and precision can be achieved on SQUID magnetometers by decreasing the size of the detection coils. However, the smaller detection coils can amplify two errors in the magnitude of the measured moment, the sample shape and radial offset effects, which were small and typically unaccounted for on previous magnetometers. We report a simple method to determine the radial offset of a sample by taking advantage of the two basic scan modes, DC and lock-in, typically used on magnetometers. This technique allows for the correction of the sample shape and radial offset effects in order to obtain the true moment of a sample. To show the efficacy of this technique, we report the magnetic properties of Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3} (Ln=Gd, Dy, Er). - Graphical abstract: Correction for the sample shape and radial offset effects on SQUID magnetometers using a combination of DC and VSM scan data. - Highlights: • Sample shape and radial offset effects alter the moment measured by magnetometers. • We present a simple method to correct for these sample effects on magnetometers. • We measure magnetic susceptibilities of Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3} to show the efficacy of this method.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

13 C-Isotope-Assisted Assessment of Metabolic Quenching During Sample Collection from Suspension Cell Cultures

Metabolomics and fluxomics are core approaches to directly profile and interrogate cellular metabolism in response to various genetic or environmental perturbations. In order to accurately measure the abundance and isotope enrichment of intracellular metabolites, cell culture samples must be rapidly harvested and cold-quenched to preserve the in vivo metabolic state of the cells at the time of sample collection. When dealing with suspension cultures, this process is complicated by the need to separate the liquid culture media from cellular biomass prior to metabolite extraction. Here, we examine the efficacy of several commonly used metabolic quenching methods, using the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 as an example. Multiple 13 C-labeled compounds, including 13 C-bicarbonate, 13 C-glucose and 13 C-glutamine, were used as tracers during the sample collection and cold-quenching process to assess the extent of metabolic turnover after cells were harvested from culture flasks. We show that the combination of rapid filtration followed by 100% cold (–80°C) methanol quenching exhibits the highest quenching efficiency, while mixing cell samples with a partially frozen 30% methanol slurry (–24°C) followed by centrifugation is slightly less effective at quenching metabolism but enables less laborious sample processing. By contrast, rapidly mixing the cells with a saline ice slurry (~0°C) is less effective as indicated by high isotope-labeling rates after sample harvest, while mixing the cells with 60% cold methanol (–65°C) prior to centrifugation causes significant metabolite loss. Furthermore, this study demonstrates a rigorous, quantitative, and broadly applicable method for assessing the metabolic quenching efficacy of protocols used for sample collection in metabolomics and fluxomics studies.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

A sub-sampled approach to extremely low-dose STEM

The inpainting of deliberately and randomly sub-sampled images offers a potential means to image specimens at a high resolution and under extremely low-dose conditions (≤1 e - /Å 2 ) using a scanning transmission electron microscope. We show that deliberate sub-sampling acquires images at least an order of magnitude faster than conventional low-dose methods for an equivalent electron dose. More importantly, when adaptive sub-sampling is implemented to acquire the images, there is a significant increase in the resolution and sensitivity which accompanies the increase in imaging speed. Lastly, we demonstrate the potential of this method for beam sensitive materials and in-situ observations by experimentally imaging the node distribution in a metal-organic framework.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE SL2S GALAXY-SCALE LENS SAMPLE. III. LENS MODELS, SURFACE PHOTOMETRY, AND STELLAR MASSES FOR THE FINAL SAMPLE

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging data and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) near-infrared ground-based images for the final sample of 56 candidate galaxy-scale lenses uncovered in the CFHT Legacy Survey as part of the Strong Lensing in the Legacy Survey project. The new images are used to perform lens modeling, measure surface photometry, and estimate stellar masses of the deflector early-type galaxies (ETGs). Lens modeling is performed on the HST images (or CFHT when HST is not available) by fitting the spatially extended light distribution of the lensed features assuming a singular isothermal ellipsoid mass profile and by reconstructing the intrinsic source light distribution on a pixelized grid. Based on the analysis of systematic uncertainties and comparison with inference based on different methods, we estimate that our Einstein radii are accurate to ∼3%. HST imaging provides a much higher success rate in confirming gravitational lenses and measuring their Einstein radii than CFHT imaging does. Lens modeling with ground-based images, however, when successful, yields Einstein radius measurements that are competitive with space-based images. Information from the lens models is used together with spectroscopic information from companion Paper IV to classify the systems, resulting in a final sample of 39 confirmed (grade A) lenses and 17 promising candidates (grade B,C). This represents an increase of half an order of magnitude in sample size with respect to the sample of confirmed lenses studied in Papers I and II. The Einstein radii of the confirmed lenses in our sample span the range 5-15 kpc and are typically larger than those of other surveys, probing the mass in regions where the dark matter contribution is more important. Stellar masses are in the range 10{sup 11}-10{sup 12} M{sub ☉}, covering the range of massive ETGs. The redshifts of the main deflector span a range 0.3 ≤ z{sub d} ≤ 0.8, which nicely complements low-redshift samples like the Sloan Lens ACS survey and thus provides an excellent sample for the study of the cosmic evolution of the mass distribution of ETGs over the second half of the history of the universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

MPLEx: a Robust and Universal Protocol for Single-Sample Integrative Proteomic, Metabolomic, and Lipidomic Analyses

In systems biology studies, the integration of multiple omics measurements (i.e., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics) has been shown to provide a more complete and informative view of biological pathways. Thus, the prospect of extracting different types of molecules (e.g., DNAs, RNAs, proteins, and metabolites) and performing multiple omics measurements on single samples is very attractive, but such studies are challenging due to the fact that the extraction conditions differ according to the molecule type. Here, we adapted an organic solvent-based extraction method that demonstrated broad applicability and robustness, which enabled comprehensive proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics analyses from the same sample.

Nakayasu, Ernesto S.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Sample Preparation Report of the Fourth OPCW Confidence Building Exercise on Biomedical Sample Analysis

Following the successful completion of the 3rd biomedical confidence building exercise (February 2013 – March 2013), which included the analysis of plasma and urine samples spiked at low ppb levels as part of the exercise scenario, another confidence building exercise was targeted to be conducted in 2014. In this 4th exercise, it was desired to focus specifically on the analysis of plasma samples. The scenario was designed as an investigation of an alleged use of chemical weapons where plasma samples were collected, as plasma has been reported to contain CWA adducts which remain present in the human body for several weeks (Solano et al. 2008). In the 3rd exercise most participants used the fluoride regeneration method to analyze for the presence of nerve agents in plasma samples. For the 4th biomedical exercise it was decided to evaluate the analysis of human plasma samples for the presence/absence of the VX adducts and aged adducts to blood proteins (e.g., VX-butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and aged BuChE adducts using a pepsin digest technique to yield nonapeptides; or equivalent). As the aging of VX-BuChE adducts is relatively slow (t1/2 = 77 hr at 37 °C [Aurbek et al. 2009]), soman (GD), which ages much more quickly (t1/2 = 9 min at 37 °C [Masson et al. 2010]), was used to simulate an aged VX sample. Additional objectives of this exercise included having laboratories assess novel OP-adducted plasma sample preparation techniques and analytical instrumentation methodologies, as well as refining/designating the reporting formats for these new techniques.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗