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DOE OSTI2023

Precision test of gauge/gravity duality in D0-brane matrix model at low temperature

We test the gauge/gravity duality between the matrix model and type IIA string theory at low temperatures with unprecedented accuracy. To this end, we perform lattice Monte Carlo simulations of the Berenstein-Maldacena-Nastase (BMN) matrix model, which is the one-parameter deformation of the Banks-Fischler-Shenker-Susskind (BFSS) matrix model, taking both the large N and continuum limits. We leverage the fact that sufficiently small flux parameters in the BMN matrix model have a negligible impact on the energy of the system while stabilizing the flat directions so that simulations at smaller N than in the BFSS matrix model are possible. Hence, we can perform a precision measurement of the large N continuum energy at the lowest temperatures to date. The energy is in perfect agreement with supergravity predictions including estimations of α'-corrections from previous simulations. At the lowest temperature where we can simulate efficiently (T = 0.25λ 1/3 , where λ is the ’t Hooft coupling), the difference in energy to the pure supergravity prediction is less than 10%. Furthermore, we can extract the coefficient of the 1/N 4 corrections at a fixed temperature with good accuracy, which was previously unknown.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Mitigating Injection‐Induced Seismicity Along Basement Faults by Extraction: Application to 2016–2018 Pohang Earthquakes

Abstract The risk of induced earthquake is considered as the major obstacle for sustainable subsurface energy activities. As a mitigation approach, mechanistic risk assessment can be essential to minimize the potential of seismic hazard. Coupled hydro‐mechanical modeling approach is integrated with geomechanical analysis to better assess the occurrence of seismicity induced by injection and/or extraction, which will provide a basis to update operational conditions (e.g., number and location of mitigating wells, rate and duration of operations) for mitigating earthquake nucleation. The Coulomb stability analysis and seismicity rate estimates from this generic study indicate that simultaneous extraction can relieve injection‐induced pore‐pressure buildup, but also transfer and accumulate elastic energy along the faults. Field‐scale simulation with variation in well design for the Pohang EGS site, South Korea, show that multiple wells aligned across a preexisting fault form gradients of pressure and stress fields normal to the fault, which can enhance the direct impact of diffusion process and poroelastic stressing on the fault stability perturbation. Our mechanistic study suggests multiphysics‐oriented mitigation strategies that consider (1) possible mechanical deformation, caused by hydro‐mechanical coupling effects, and (2) proper configuration of well operations based on site‐specific geological characteristics.

Chang, K. W.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Design and Modeling of the Off-Axis Parabolic Deformable (OPD) Mirror Laboratory

Coronagraph-equipped direct imaging missions need an active wavefront control system to cancel out the optical aberrations that degrade the performance of the coronagraphs. A fast steering mirror is used to control Line-of-Sight (LoS) pointing error caused by the telescope jitter. In addition to controlling other low-order aberrations such as astigmatism and coma, high stroke, high actuator density deformable mirrors (DMs) are also used to control the electric field at the required high spatial frequencies. We are designing a testbed to verify a different deformable architecture, where the powered optic in the optical train are controllable and have lower actuator count compared to the existing DMs with flat nominal surfaces. This simplifies the packaging issue for space missions and reduces both cost and risk of having the entire coronagraph instrument's performance depending on one or two high-actuator count DMs. The testbed would also be capable of testing different low-order wavefront sensing algorithms, which focuses in the near-term on a new adaptive Kalman filtering and gradient decent method to estimate the harmonic LoS errors that affect space telescopes. In long run, we would test different machine learning techniques to estimate low-order aberrations and non-linear algorithms for digging the region of high contrast called the dark holes (DH).

Subedi, Hari↗

NASA NTRS2019

Design and Modeling of the Off-Axis Parabolic Deformable Mirror Laboratory

Communication↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling Uprighting of the Orion Crew Module using a Finite Element Method with Wave Coupling and Structural Deformability

The Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS) for the Orion Crew Module (CM) includes five bags that inflate after splashdown to rotate and upright the CM as necessary. Wave conditions can be severe enough to damage the bags and tethers, which could make the recovery operation hazardous. The CMUS therefore has design limits that ultimately constrain where the CM can land based upon sea conditions. This manuscript describes a full fluid-structure interaction computational model being used for the CMUS. It is a finite element model that uses explicit time integration to directly simulate uprighting, a computational approach usually reserved for short duration, highly transient phenomena and novelly applied here. The goal of this current effort is to determine the feasibility of this approach for CMUS uprighting, and to estimate the loads the CMUS bags experience in different wave conditions. The results from this work will be used to supplement other experimental and computational data in support of NASA’s Artemis program.

John Puryear↗

NASA NTRS1995

Application of impact dampers in vibration control of flexible structures

Impact dampers belong to the category of passive vibration devices used to attenuate the vibration of discrete and continuous systems. An impact damper generally consists of a mass which is allowed to travel freely between two defined stops. Under the right conditions, the vibration of the structure to which the impact damper is attached will cause the mass of the impact damper to strike the structure. Previous analytical and experimental research work on the effect of impact dampers in attenuating the vibration of discrete and continuous systems have demonstrated their effectiveness. It has been shown in this study that impact dampers can increase the intrinsic damping of a lightly-damped flexible structure. The test structure consists of a slender flexible beam supported by a pin-type support at one end and supported by a linear helical flexible spring at another location. Sinusoidal excitation spanning the first three natural frequencies was applied in the horizontal plane. The orientation of the excitation and the test structure in the horizontal plane minimizes the effect of gravity on the behavior of the test structure. The excitation was applied using a linear sine sweep technique. The span of the test structure, the mass of the impact damper, the distance of travel, and the location of the impact damper along the span of the test structure were varied. The damping ratio are estimated for sixty test configurations. The results show that the impact damper significantly increases the damping ratio of the test structure. Statistical analysis of the results using the method of multiple linear regression indicates that a reasonable fit has been accomplished. It is concluded that additional experimental analysis of flexible structures in microgravity environment is needed in order to achieve a better understanding of the behavior of impact damper under conditions of microgravity. Numerical solution of the behavior of flexible structures equipped with impact dampers is also needed to predict stresses and deformations under operating conditions of microgravity in space applications.

Akl, Fred A.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Stress Dependency of Brittle Creep in Granite: Insights into Source Mechanisms and Parameters

Creep in rocks refers to the gradual deformation of rock material over time under the influence of constant stress. Characterizing these deformations is of great importance for engineering design, geotechnical assessment, mining operations, geological studies, and understanding natural hazards. While laboratory experiments and a variety of numerical approaches have offered explanations for microcrack interaction and damage accumulation under the three stages of creep (primary, secondary and tertiary) in conventional creep experiments, the micromechanisms of the fractures produced in brittle creep and its dependency on the applied stress have not been explored in detail. The present study focused on investigating the fracturing mechanisms that occur during creep-induced fracturing at different stress levels and estimation of the source parameters and energy budget components. A series of uniaxial compression creep experiments have been conducted at different stress level ratios (70%, 75%, 80% and 85%), to the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of double-flawed Barre granite specimen. Creep measurements were complemented with the Acoustic Emission (AE) measurements. The creep-induced fractures were classified into double-couple (DC), compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) and isotropic (ISO) components using the AE moment tensor decomposition technique. The results show that non-double-couple sources dominated during creep at all the specified stress levels; however, their proportions decreased as the stress level was increased. The source parameters estimation indicated a significant increase in the magnitude of the events and the radiated seismic energy with increasing levels of stress and a slight increase in the evaluated source radius and stress drop with increasing stress levels. Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing knowledge of creep-induced fracturing by providing insights into the fracturing mechanisms and the radiated seismic energy produced, which can be helpful for the development of improved models and strategies for rock engineering and geoscience applications.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2020

Prediction and Evaluation of the Image of the WFIRST Coronagraph Pupil at the Shaped-Pupil Mask

To create a high contrast field of view with a shaped pupil coronagraph (SPC), the telescope pupil is imaged onto the shaped pupil mask, the shaped pupil mask is designed and fabricated through a design optimization based on a given pupil wavefront, and deformable mirrors (DM) in the coronagraph are modulated according to a nonlinear optimization procedure. Both the mask design optimization and the DM optimization require accurate knowledge of the image of the pupil at the shaped pupil plane for the calculation of Jacobians, and the evaluation of alignment tolerances. The shaped pupil coronagraphs demonstrated in the high contrast imaging testbed (HCIT) at JPL has heretofore assumed perfect imaging of the pupil onto the shaped pupil mask. Similarly, the design and performance modeling of the WFIRST CGI instrument makes the same assumption. In this paper we estimate and compare the image of the pupil mask at the shaped pupil plane in the case of the coronagraph testbed, and the image of the telescope pupil at the shaped pupil plane for the WFIRST CGI instrument. The estimated pupil images include field curvature and aberrations resulting from the layout of the parabolic mirror imaging system, which is optimized for the source image, not the image of the pupil. We also show the results of direct measurement of the image of the pupil mask at the shaped pupil plane in the coronagraph testbed.

Crowther, Blake↗

DOE OSTI2024

The MOSAiC Distributed Network: Observing the coupled Arctic system with multidisciplinary, coordinated platforms

Central Arctic properties and processes are important to the regional and global coupled climate system. The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) Distributed Network (DN) of autonomous ice-tethered systems aimed to bridge gaps in our understanding of temporal and spatial scales, in particular with respect to the resolution of Earth system models. By characterizing variability around local measurements made at a Central Observatory, the DN covers both the coupled system interactions involving the ocean-ice-atmosphere interfaces as well as three-dimensional processes in the ocean, sea ice, and atmosphere. The more than 200 autonomous instruments (“buoys”) were of varying complexity and set up at different sites mostly within 50 km of the Central Observatory. During an exemplary midwinter month, the DN observations captured the spatial variability of atmospheric processes on sub-monthly time scales, but less so for monthly means. They show significant variability in snow depth and ice thickness, and provide a temporally and spatially resolved characterization of ice motion and deformation, showing coherency at the DN scale but less at smaller spatial scales. Ocean data show the background gradient across the DN as well as spatially dependent time variability due to local mixed layer sub-mesoscale and mesoscale processes, influenced by a variable ice cover. The second case (May–June 2020) illustrates the utility of the DN during the absence of manually obtained data by providing continuity of physical and biological observations during this key transitional period. We show examples of synergies between the extensive MOSAiC remote sensing observations and numerical modeling, such as estimating the skill of ice drift forecasts and evaluating coupled system modeling. The MOSAiC DN has been proven to enable analysis of local to mesoscale processes in the coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean system and has the potential to improve model parameterizations of important, unresolved processes in the future.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1993

Guide to Magellan image interpretation

An overview of Magellan Mission requirements, radar system characteristics, and methods of data collection is followed by a description of the image data, mosaic formats, areal coverage, resolution, and pixel DN-to-dB conversion. The availability and sources of image data are outlined. Applications of the altimeter data to estimate relief, Fresnel reflectivity, and surface slope, and the radiometer data to derive microwave emissivity are summarized and illustrated in conjunction with corresponding SAR image data. Same-side and opposite-side stereo images provide examples of parallax differences from which to measure relief with a lateral resolution many times greater than that of the altimeter. Basic radar interactions with geologic surfaces are discussed with respect to radar-imaging geometry, surface roughness, backscatter modeling, and dielectric constant. Techniques are described for interpreting the geomorphology and surface properties of surficial features, impact craters, tectonically deformed terrain, and volcanic landforms. The morphologic characteristics that distinguish impact craters from volcanic craters are defined. Criteria for discriminating extensional and compressional origins of tectonic features are discussed. Volcanic edifices, constructs, and lava channels are readily identified from their radar outlines in images. Geologic map units are identified on the basis of surface texture, image brightness, pattern, and morphology. Superposition, cross-cutting relations, and areal distribution of the units serve to elucidate the geologic history.

Ford, John P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

New Alloys for Electroformed Replicated X-Ray Optics

The process of electroforming x-ray mirror shells off a superpolished mandrel has been widely used. The recently launched XMM mission is a good example of this, containing 174 such mirror shells of diameters ranging from 0.3-0.7 m and thicknesses of 0.47-1.07 mm. To continue to utilize this technique for the next generation of x-ray observatories, where ever-larger collecting areas will be required within the constraints of tight weight budgets, demands that new alloys be developed that can withstand the large stresses imposed on very thin shells by the replication and handling processes. Towards this end, we began a development program in late 1997 to produce a high-strength alloy suitable for electroforming very thin high-resolution x-ray optics. The requirements for this task are quite severe; not only must the electroformed deposit be very strong, it must also have extremely low residual stresses to prevent serious figure distortions in large thin-walled shells. Further, the electroforming must be performed at near room temperature, as large temperature changes will modify the figure of the mandrel, in an environment that is not corrosive for the mandrel. The figure of merit for the strength of the electroformed deposit is its Precision Elastic Limit (PEL). This is a measure of permanent strain, at the few parts per million level, under applied stress. Pure nickel is very ductile and will permanently deform, at the parts-per-million level under loads of a few x 10(exp 7) Pa. These stresses are easily exceeded when thin-walled shells (150 micron thick) are replicated. Our goal was to develop an alloy an order of magnitude stronger than this. We will present the results of our development program, showing the evolution of our plating baths through to our present 'glassy' nickel alloy that satisfies the goals above. For each we will show the electroforming characteristics of the bath and the PEL measurements for the resulting alloys. We estimate the ultimate limit on shell thickness and mass for x-ray mirrors produced in these baths.

Engelhaupt, D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Using a focal-plane array to estimate antenna pointing errors

The use of extra collecting horns in the focal plane of an antenna as a means of determining the Direction of Arrival (DOA) of the signal impinging on it, provided it is within the antenna beam, is considered. Our analysis yields a relatively simple algorithm to extract the DOA from the horns' outputs. An algorithm which, in effect, measures the thermal noise of the horns' signals and determines its effect on the uncertainty of the extracted DOA parameters is developed. Both algorithms were implemented in software and tested in simulated data. Based on these tests, it is concluded that this is a viable approach to the DOA determination. Though the results obtained are of general applicability, the particular motivation for the present work is their application to the pointing of a mechanically deformed antenna. It is anticipated that the pointing algorithm developed for a deformed antenna could be obtained as a small perturbation of the algorithm developed for an undeformed antenna. In this context, it should be pointed out that, with a deformed antenna, the array of horns and its associated circuitry constitute the main part of the deformation-compensation system. In this case, the pointing system proposed may be viewed as an additional task carried out by the deformation-compensation hardware.

Zohar, S.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Pavement condition and climatic data in southeast Texas: A dataset for evaluating flood impacts on pavement performance

Effective pavement maintenance is essential for economic stability, optimal network performance, and roadway safety. Achieving this requires thorough evaluation of pavement conditions, including structural integrity, surface roughness, and distress characteristics. Pavement performance indicators play a critical role in influencing vehicle safety and ride quality. Recent advances have emphasized the use of data-driven modeling to anticipate pavement behavior, with the goal of optimizing resource allocation and refining Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) strategies through accurate condition assessment. A foundational requirement for these modeling efforts is the availability of standardized, high-quality datasets that can support robust and reproducible infrastructure analysis. This data article presents a comprehensive dataset assembled to facilitate pavement performance prediction, with a geographic focus on Southeast Texas, particularly the flood-vulnerable area of Beaumont. The dataset encompasses pavement and traffic attributes, meteorological records, flood simulation outputs, ground deformation measurements, and topographic indices, enabling detailed examination of both load-associated and non-load-associated degradation mechanisms. Data preprocessing was performed using ArcGIS Pro, Microsoft Excel, and Python to ensure consistency and usability in data-driven modeling applications, including machine learning workflows. Key contributions of this dataset include its utility in analyzing the climatic and environmental factors affecting pavement conditions, identifying critical predictive features, and enabling in-depth correlation analysis across diverse variables. By filling existing gaps in input variable selection resources, this dataset supports the development of predictive tools for estimating future maintenance demand and enhancing the resilience of pavement networks in flood-impacted areas. The resource highlights the importance of standardized datasets for advancing pavement management practices and provides a robust foundation for ongoing infrastructure performance modeling.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Fathoming the anisotropic magnetoelasticity and magnetocaloric effect in GdNi

Intermetallic GdNi adopts a CrB type of crystal structure (space group Cmcm), and it orders ferromagnetically via a second-order phase transition at 70 K, exhibiting unusually strong spontaneous striction along the three independent crystallographic axes in the ferromagnetically ordered state. Here we introduce a microscopic model to describe anisotropic changes of lattice parameters and elastic contribution to magnetocaloric effect of GdNi. In the model, results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used as inputs into a Hamiltonian that includes elastic energy of an anisotropic crystal lattice, exchange interactions, and Zeeman effect. The magnetic and elastic Hamiltonians are coupled through an anisotropic Bean-Rodbell model of magnetoelastic interactions. This coupling gives rise to anisotropic changes in the lattice parameters observed experimentally, and the model reveals good to reasonable agreements between the current theoretical results and earlier experimental data, thus validating the model within the limits of assumptions made. We also show that DFT calculations with 4f electrons of Gd treated as core electrons lead to a more adequate estimate of elastic constants of GdNi in comparison with the LDA + U method where 4f electrons are treated as valence electrons.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA NTRS2012

Aeroelastic Modeling of Elastically Shaped Aircraft Concept via Wing Shaping Control for Drag Reduction

Lightweight aircraft design has received a considerable attention in recent years as a means for improving cruise efficiency. Reducing aircraft weight results in lower lift requirements which directly translate into lower drag, hence reduced engine thrust requirements during cruise. The use of lightweight materials such as advanced composite materials has been adopted by airframe manufacturers in current and future aircraft. Modern lightweight materials can provide less structural rigidity while maintaining load-carrying capacity. As structural flexibility increases, aeroelastic interactions with aerodynamic forces and moments become an increasingly important consideration in aircraft design and aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, aeroelastic interactions with flight dynamics can result in issues with vehicle stability and control. Abstract This paper describes a recent aeroelastic modeling effort for an elastically shaped aircraft concept (ESAC). The aircraft model is based on the rigid-body generic transport model (GTM) originally developed at NASA Langley Research Center. The ESAC distinguishes itself from the GTM in that it is equipped with highly flexible wing structures as a weight reduction design feature. More significantly, the wings are outfitted with a novel control effector concept called variable camber continuous trailing edge (VCCTE) flap system for active control of wing aeroelastic deflections to optimize the local angle of attack of wing sections for improved aerodynamic efficiency through cruise drag reduction and lift enhancement during take-off and landing. The VCCTE flap is a multi-functional and aerodynamically efficient device capable of achieving high lift-to-drag ratios. The flap system is comprised of three chordwise segments that form the variable camber feature of the flap and multiple spanwise segments that form a piecewise continuous trailing edge. By configuring the flap camber and trailing edge shape, drag reduction could be achieved. Moreover, some parts of the flap system can be made to have a high frequency response for roll control, gust load alleviation, and aeroservoelastic (ASE) modal suppression control. Abstract The aeroelastic model of the ESAC is based on one-dimensional structural dynamic theory that captures the aeroelastic deformation of a wing structure in a combined motion that involves flapwise bending, chordwise bending, and torsion. The model includes the effect of aircraft propulsion due to wing flexibility which causes the propulsive forces and moments to couple with the wing elastic motion. Engine mass is also accounted in the model. A fuel management model is developed to describe the wing mass change due to fuel usage in the main tank and wing tanks during cruise. Abstract The model computes both static and dynamic responses of the wing structures. The static aeroelastic deflections are used to estimate the effect of wing flexibility on induced drag and the potential drag reduction by the VCCTE flap system. A flutter analysis is conducted to estimate the flutter speed boundary. Gust load alleviation via adaptive control has been recently investigated to address flexibility of aircraft structures. A multi-objective flight control approach is presented for drag reduction control. The approach is based on an optimal control framework using a multi-objective cost function. Future studies will demonstrate the potential benefits of the approach.

Aeroelasticity↗

DOE OSTI2021

On the correlation between plastic strain and misorientation in polycrystalline body-centered-cubic microstructures with an emphasis on the grain size, loading history, and crystallographic orientation

In this work, the correlation between plastic strain and crystallographic misorientation, grain size, grain orientation, distance from grain boundary, and loading history were investigated experimentally and numerically for body-centered-cubic (BCC) polycrystalline microstructures based on a misorientation deviation (MD) approach. Nine monotonic tensile experiments were performed on two BCC titanium alloys inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The influence of reference orientation was explored both at the grain scale and at the mesoscale using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The correlation between global plastic strain and the MD was quantified. The tendency for orientation change was quantified as a function of plastic strain and grain orientation for three crystallographic orientations (i.e., [100], [110], and [111]) with respect to tensile direction. The subpopulation of small grains exhibited a lower level of misorientation dispersion compared with larger grains, and this discrepancy became more pronounced at higher strains. An empirical equation was proposed to estimate the level of misorientation dispersion for individual grains as a function of grain size and global plastic strain level. Two interrupted in-situ SEM experiments were performed, and this resulted in a significantly increased misorientation compared with uninterrupted tests performed to similar plastic strain levels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1979

Surface accuracy measurement system deployable reflector antennas

Conceptual optical sensor configurations for measuring the surface deformations of large, deployable space antennas are described. These antennas include precision deployable reflectors up to 30 meters diameter and 1000 GHz frequency and mesh deployable reflectors up to 100 meters diameter and 30 GHz frequency. For each representative antenna configuration, the surface deformation sensor provides continuous, real-time measurements at a sufficient number of sample points to be compatible with active surface control. Moreover, the sensor system does not interfere with the mechanical or microwave characteristics of either the antenna surface or the feed. For the applications considered, the sensor system consists of a central receiver ring containing six to ten long focal length, angle measuring instruments, each viewing a dedicated set of bright point targets at the antenna. The targets, either light emitting diodes or illuminated retroreflectors, are modulated to eliminate errors from spurious backgrounds. Very preliminary performance estimates indicate that the sensor system, using commerical grade components, can produce a 20th to a 30th wavelength accuracy (3 sigma).

Neiswander, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, November 2013

Topics include: Cryogenic Liquid Sample Acquisition System for Remote Space Applications; 5 Spatial Statistical Data Fusion (SSDF); GPS Estimates of Integrated Precipitable Water Aid Weather Forecasters; Integrating a Microwave Radiometer into Radar Hardware for Simultaneous Data Collection Between the Instruments; Rapid Detection of Herpes Viruses for Clinical Applications; High-Speed Data Recorder for Space, Geodesy, and Other High-Speed Recording Applications; Datacasting V3.0; An All-Solid-State, Room-Temperature, Heterodyne Receiver for Atmospheric Spectroscopy at 1.2 THz; Stacked Transformer for Driver Gain and Receive Signal Splitting; Wireless Integrated Microelectronic Vacuum Sensor System; Fabrication Method for LOBSTER-Eye Optics in <110> Silicon; Compact Focal Plane Assembly for Planetary Science; Fabrication Methods for Adaptive Deformable Mirrors; Visiting Vehicle Ground Trajectory Tool; Workflow-Based Software Development Environment; Mobile Thread Task Manager; A Kinematic Calibration Process for Flight Robotic Arms; Magnetostrictive Alternator; Bulk Metallic Glasses and Composites for Optical and Compliant Mechanisms; Detection of Only Viable Bacterial Spores Using a Live/Dead Indicator in Mixed Populations; and Intravenous Fluid Generation System.

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