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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 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Analytical and numerical studies of dark current in radiofrequency structures for short-pulse high-gradient acceleration

High-gradient acceleration is a key research area that could enable compact linear accelerators for future colliders, light sources, and other applications. In the pursuit of high-gradient operation, rf breakdown limits the attainable accelerating gradient in normal-conducting rf structures. Recent experiments at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator suggest a promising approach: using short rf pulses with durations of a few nanoseconds. Experimental studies show that these 𝒪⁡(1⁢ ⁢ns) rf pulses can mitigate breakdown limitations, resulting in higher gradients. For example, an electric field of nearly 400 MV/m was achieved in an 𝑋-band photoemission gun driven by 6-ns-long rf pulses, with rapid rf conditioning and low dark current observed. Despite these promising results, the short-pulse regime remains an underexplored parameter space, and rf breakdown physics under nanosecond-long pulses requires further investigation. In this paper, we present analytical and numerical simulations of dark current dynamics in accelerating cavities operating in the short-pulse regime. We study breakdown-associated processes spanning different time scales, including field emission, multipacting, and plasma formation, using simulations of the 𝑋-band photogun cavities. The results reveal the advantages of using short rf pulses to reduce dark current and mitigate rf breakdown, offering a path toward a new class of compact accelerators with enhanced performance and reduced susceptibility to breakdown.

Linear accelerators↗
NASA NTRS1989

Rarefied-flow aerodynamics measurement experiment on the aeroassist flight experiment

The rarefied-flow aerodynamics measurement experiment, which is expected to measure the rarefied-flow flight regime with an accelerometer on the aeroassist flight experiment, is discussed. The experiment concept and mission plans are examined and the experiment configuration is illustrated. The experiment plans include flight measurements of aerodynamic force and moment coefficients throughout the rarefied regime to verify ground-to-flight extrapolation techniques. In addition, the experiment includes the study of acceleration rates and the effects of attitude variation. The experiment is also expected to evaluate the determination of vehicle mass properties to study robust control theory formulations which are applicable to special return aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle payloads.

Blanchard, R. C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Single-shot measurements of pulse-front tilt in intense ps laser pulses and its effect on accelerated electron and ion beam characteristics (invited)

Here we report recent single-shot spatiotemporal measurements of laser pulses, including pulse-front tilt (PFT) and spatial chirp, taken at the Compact Multipulse Terawatt laser at the Jupiter Laser Facility in Livermore, CA. STRIPED FISH, a device that measures the complete 3D electric field of fs to ps laser pulses on a single shot, was adapted to near infrared for these measurements. We present the design of the instrument used for these experiments, the on-shot measurements of systematic high-order PFT, and shot-to-shot variations in the measurements of spatiotemporal couplings. Finally, we simulate the effect of PFT in target normal sheath acceleration experiments. These simulations showed that pulse front tilt can steer hot electrons, shape the distribution of the accelerating sheath field, and increase the variability of cutoff energy in the resulting proton spectra. While these effects may be detrimental to experimental accuracy if the pulse front tilt is left unmeasured, hot electron steering shows promise for precision manipulation of the particle source for a range of applications, including irradiation of secondary targets for opacity measurements, radiography, or neutron generation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tau tridents at accelerator neutrino facilities

We present the first detailed study of Standard Model neutrino tridents involving tau leptons at the near detectors of accelerator neutrino facilities. The rates of these processes were previously thought to be negligible, even at future facilities. Our full 2 → 4 calculation, including both coherent and incoherent scatterings, reveals that the DUNE near detector could observe a considerable number of tau tridents—an important background to new physics searches. We identify promising kinematic features that may allow distinction of tau tridents from the usual neutrino charged-current background at DUNE, and thus establish the observation of tau tridents for the first time. We also comment on the detection prospects at other accelerator and collider neutrino experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2002

Reynolds Number Effects on the Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability

This presentation compares the results of two very different experimental studies of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability: shock tube experiments in which an air/SF6 interface is accelerated by a weak shock wave; and incompressible experiments in which a box containing two different density miscible liquids is impulsively accelerated by bouncing it off of a fixed coil spring. Both experiments are initiated with sinusoidal initial perturbations. The interface perturbation initially remains sinusoidal as it grows in amplitude, but eventually the interfacial vorticity concentrates into points, forming a row of line vortices of alternating sign. The Reynolds number based on vortex circulation ranges from 1,000 to 45,000 in these experiments. It is found that viscous effects have a large, quantifiable effect on the evolution of the individual vortices. The effects of viscosity on the overall perturbation amplitude, however, are small and will be compared to theory.

Niederhaus, Charles↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Common Tracking Software Project

Abstract The reconstruction of the trajectories of charged particles, or track reconstruction, is a key computational challenge for particle and nuclear physics experiments. While the tuning of track reconstruction algorithms can depend strongly on details of the detector geometry, the algorithms currently in use by experiments share many common features. At the same time, the intense environment of the High-Luminosity LHC accelerator and other future experiments is expected to put even greater computational stress on track reconstruction software, motivating the development of more performant algorithms. We present here A Common Tracking Software (ACTS) toolkit, which draws on the experience with track reconstruction algorithms in the ATLAS experiment and presents them in an experiment-independent and framework-independent toolkit. It provides a set of high-level track reconstruction tools which are agnostic to the details of the detection technologies and magnetic field configuration and tested for strict thread-safety to support multi-threaded event processing. We discuss the conceptual design and technical implementation of ACTS, selected applications and performance of ACTS, and the lessons learned.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1992

The effectiveness of Coriolis dampening of convection during aircraft high-g arcs

Directional solidification data for metal samples in KC-135 parabolic maneuvers are examined to determine evidence for Coriolis dampening of convection. Microstructural and materials properties data are examined for iron carbon, immiscible, and superalloy systems. By comparison of low-g data and high-g data with those of one-g control samples, it is determined that there is no evidence that Coriolis dampening of convective flow is effective during the 1.8 g KC-135 high-g maneuvers. A first approximation model for the high-g arc is proposed. The model yields a centrifugal radius of 20,480 ft and an angular speed of 0.397 RPM. Comparison to centrifugal solidification experiments (for an equal acceleration) where Coriolis melt growth stabilization is significant indicates that the KC-135 high-g arc is less effective in dampening convection by a factor of 100. This large difference in Coriolis dampening of convection might be taken advantage of for experiments where separation of centrifugal acceeration and Coriolis acceleration is desirable.

Curreri, Peter A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Numerical studies of collinear laser-assisted injection from a foil for plasma wakefield accelerators

We present a laser-assisted electron injection scheme for beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. The laser is collinear with the driver and triggers the injection of hot electrons into the plasma wake by interaction with a thin solid target. We present a baseline case using the AWAKE Run 2 parameters and then perform variations on key parameters to explore the scheme. It is found that the trapped witness electron charge may be tuned by altering laser parameters, with a strong dependence on the phase of the wake upon injection. Normalized emittance settles at the order of micrometres and varies with witness charge. The scheme is robust to misalignment, with a 1/10th plasma skin-depth offset ( 20 μ m for the AWAKE case) having a negligible effect on the final beam. The final beam quality is better than similar existing schemes, and several avenues for further optimization are indicated. The constraints on the AWAKE experiment are very specific, but the general principles of this mechanism can be applied to future beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator experiments. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physics↗
NASA NTRS2001

Simulation of the Effect of Realistic Space Vehicle Environments on Binary Metal Alloys

Simulations that assess the effect of space vehicle acceleration environments on the solidification of Pb-Sb alloys are reported. Space microgravity missions are designed to provide a near zero-g acceleration environment for various types of scientific experiments. Realistically. these space missions cannot provide a perfect environment. Vibrations caused by crew activity, on-board experiments, support systems stems (pumps, fans, etc.), periodic orbital maneuvers, and water dumps can all cause perturbations to the microgravity environment. In addition, the drag on the space vehicle is a source of acceleration. Therefore, it is necessary to predict the impact of these vibration-perturbations and the steady-state drag acceleration on the experiments. These predictions can be used to design mission timelines. so that the experiment is run during times that the impact of the acceleration environment is acceptable for the experiment of interest. The simulations reported herein were conducted using a finite element model that includes mass, species, momentum, and energy conservation. This model predicts the existence of "channels" within the processing mushy zone and subsequently "freckles" within the fully processed solid, which are the effects of thermosolutal convection. It is necessary to mitigate thermosolutal convection during space experiments of metal alloys, in order to study and characterize diffusion-controlled transport phenomena (microsegregation) that are normally coupled with macrosegregation. The model allows simulation of steady-state and transient acceleration values ranging from no acceleration (0 g). to microgravity conditions (10(exp -6) to 10(exp -3) g), to terrestrial gravity conditions (1 g). The transient acceleration environments simulated were from the STS-89 SpaceHAB mission and from the STS-94 SpaceLAB mission. with on-orbit accelerometer data during different mission periods used as inputs for the simulation model. Periods of crew exercise, quiet (no crew activity), and nominal conditions from STS-89 were used as simulation inputs as were periods of nominal. overboard water-dump, and free-drift (no orbit maneuvering operations) from STS-94. Steady-state acceleration environments of 0.0 and 10(exp -6) to 10(exp -1) g were also simulated, to serve as a comparison to the transient data and to assess an acceptable magnitude for the steady-state vehicle drag

Westra, Douglas G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Enhancement of chronic acceleration tolerance by selection

A review is presented of experiments concerning the physiological consequences of chronic acceleration and of studies of selection for acceleration tolerance over many generations. It is shown that acceleration selection is effective in improving chronic acceleration tolerance. However, it is determined that the variable selection procedure employed in developing this acceleration-tolerant line limits the confidence in the quantitative evaluation of the procedure.

Smith, A. H.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Accelerating catalytic advancements through the precision of high-throughput experiments & calculations

The growing demand for energy-efficient processes to support a sustainable future drives the need for research to rapidly explore chemical and material space through accelerated catalyst discovery initiatives. Recent breakthroughs in high-throughput experimental and computational methods are transforming the catalysis field, surpassing traditional approaches to manipulating variables in catalytic processes. Key advancements in innovation include the integration of machine learning for efficient catalyst screening, high-throughput experimentation, data-driven methodologies employing comprehensive databases, and in situ and in operando techniques for realistic observations. This progress has undoubtedly been intertwined with a collaborative framework across disciplines, reshaping catalyst discovery methods in both industry and academia. This Opinion article presents a multifaceted perspective from coauthors with expertise spanning various stages of the Technology Readiness Level spectrum, highlighting both opportunities and persistent challenges in integrating computational and experimental approaches in catalysis. These challenges span from obtaining high-quality experimental data, scaling simulations to industrially relevant materials and process conditions to navigating the complexity and predictive accuracy of computational models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impact of new physics on the JUNO-long-baseline synergy in the neutrino mass ordering determination

The determination of the neutrino mass ordering is one of the flagship goals in particle physics. A well-known and powerful synergy emerges when combining high-precision measurements of the effective atmospheric mass-squared splitting from electron antineutrino disappearance in reactor experiments with that from muon (anti)neutrino disappearance in accelerator-based long-baseline experiments. To fully exploit this synergy, percent-level precision in the atmospheric mass splitting is required—a target that JUNO is expected to achieve within a few months of data taking. This motivated the formulation of a mass ordering sum rule for neutrino disappearance channels, which shows that by combining data from T2K and NOvA with JUNO after one year of operation, the neutrino mass ordering can be determined at the 3⁢𝜎 confidence level. Since JUNO has recently started taking data, it is timely to ask whether this sum rule remains robust in the presence of new physics. We identify the necessary conditions for new physics to affect the sum rule and demonstrate that, in some cases, such effects could lead to an incorrect inference of the mass ordering. As concrete examples, we consider scalar nonstandard interactions (SNSI) and neutrinos coupled to an ultralight scalar field. We find that, for SNSI, current constraints render any modification of the sum rule negligible, whereas in the latter case, the inference of the ordering requires caution. Nevertheless, these effects can be disentangled, illustrating how the sum rule can also be used to search for new physics.

Alves, Gustavo F. S. [Fermi National Accelerator L↗
DOE OSTI2023

Extending the distributed computing infrastructure of the CMS experiment with HPC resources

Particle accelerators are an important tool to study the fundamental properties of elementary particles. Currently the highest energy accelerator is the LHC at CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland. Each of its four major detectors, such as the CMS detector, produces dozens of Petabytes of data per year to be analyzed by a large international collaboration. The processing is carried out on the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, that spans over more than 170 compute centers around the world and is used by a number of particle physics experiments. Recently the LHC experiments were encouraged to make increasing use of HPC resources. While Grid resources are homogeneous with respect to the used Grid middleware, HPC installations can be very different in their setup. In order to integrate HPC resources into the highly automatized processing setups of the CMS experiment a number of challenges need to be addressed. For processing, access to primary data and metadata as well as access to the software is required. At Grid sites all this is achieved via a number of services that are provided by each center. However at HPC sites many of these capabilities cannot be easily provided and have to be enabled in the user space or enabled by other means. At HPC centers there are often restrictions regarding network access to remote services, which is again a severe limitation. The paper discusses a number of solutions and recent experiences by the CMS experiment to include HPC resources in processing campaigns.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1992

A Microgravity Science and Applications Program overview

The Microgravity Science and Space Applications Program (MSSAP) is described in terms of the research it supports in fields related to physical processes and materials. Three primary fields are reviewed which include fundamental sciences such as transport phenomena, materials science, and biotechnology issues such as macromolecular crystal growth. The program strategy is to begin with MSSAP studies in ground-based facilities such as drop towers and to evolve to flight experiments as the research achieves technical maturity. Ground-based experiments in progress include the Acceleration Characterization and Analysis Project and the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE). Several furnace experiments for materials studies are described including flight tests for the SSCE, and reference is given to a flight for the Protein-Crystal Growth Experiment.

Kicza, M. E.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impact of New Physics on the JUNO-Long-Baseline Synergy in Neutrino Mass Ordering Determination

The determination of the neutrino mass ordering is one of the flagship goals in particle physics. A well-known and powerful synergy emerges when combining high-precision measurements of the effective atmospheric mass-squared splitting from electron antineutrino disappearance in reactor experiments with that from muon (anti)neutrino disappearance in accelerator-based long-baseline experiments. To fully exploit this synergy, percent-level precision in the atmospheric mass splitting is required-a target that JUNO is expected to achieve within a few months of data taking. This motivated the formulation of a mass ordering sum rule for neutrino disappearance channels, which shows that by combining data from T2K and NOvA with JUNO after one year of operation, the neutrino mass ordering can be determined at the $3σ$ confidence level. Since JUNO has recently started taking data, it is timely to ask whether this sum rule remains robust in the presence of new physics. We identify the necessary conditions for new physics to affect the sum rule and demonstrate that, in some cases, such effects could lead to an incorrect inference of the mass ordering. As concrete examples, we consider Scalar Non-Standard Interactions (SNSI) and neutrinos coupled to an ultralight scalar field. We find that, for SNSI, current constraints render any modification of the sum rule negligible, whereas in the latter case, the inference of the ordering requires caution. Nevertheless, these effects can be disentangled, illustrating how the sum rule can also be used to search for new physics.

Alves, Gustavo F.S. [Fermilab; Northwestern U.; Sa↗
NASA NTRS1993

A comparison of low-gravity measurements on-board Columbia during STS-40

The first NASA Spacelab Life Sciences mission (SLS-1) flew 5 June to 14 June 1991 on the orbiter Columbia (STS-40). The purpose of the mission was to investigate the human body's adaptation to the low-gravity conditions of space flight and the body's readjustment after the mission to the 1g environment of earth. In addition to the life sciences experiments manifested for the Spacelab module, a variety of experiments in other scientific disciplines flew in the Spacelab and in Get Away Special (GAS) Canisters on the GAS Bridge Assembly. Several principal investigators designed and flew specialized accelerometer systems to better assess the results of their experiments by means of a low-gravity environment characterization. This was also the first flight of the NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) sponsored Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) and the first flight of the NASA Orbiter Experiments Office (OEX) sponsored Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment accelerometer (OARE). We present a brief introduction to seven STS-40 accelerometer systems and discuss and compare the resulting data. During crew sleep periods, acceleration magnitudes in the 10(exp -6) to 10(exp -5)g range were recorded in the Spacelab module and on the GAS Bridge Assembly. Magnitudes increased to the 10(exp -4) level during periods of nominal crew activity. Vernier thruster firings caused acceleration shifts on the order of 10(exp -4)g and primary thruster firings caused accelerations as great as 10(exp -2) g. Frequency domain analysis revealed typical excitation of Orbiter and Spacelab structural modes at 3.5, 4.7, 5.2, 6.2, 7, and 17 Hz.

Rogers, M. J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A comparison of low-gravity measurements on-board Columbia during STS-40

The first NASA Spacelab Life Sciences mission (SLS-1) flew 5 Jun. to 14 Jun. 1991 on the orbiter Columbia (STS-40). The purpose of the mission was to investigate the human body's adaptation to the low-gravity conditions of space flight and the body's readjustment after the mission to the 1 g environment of earth. In addition to the life sciences experiments manifested for the Spacelab module, a variety of experiments in other scientific disciplines flew in the Spacelab and in Get Away Special (GAS) Canisters on the GAS Bridge Assembly. Several principal investigators designed and flew specialized accelerometer systems to better assess the results of their experiments by means of a low-gravity environment characterization. This was also the first flight of the NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) sponsored Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) and the first flight of the NASA Orbiter Experiments Office (OEX) sponsored Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment accelerometer (OARE). A brief introduction to seven STS-40 accelerometer systems are presented and the resulting data are discussed and compared. During crew sleep periods, acceleration magnitudes in the 10(exp -6) to 10(exp -5) g range were recorded in the Spacelab module and on the GAS Bridge Assembly. Magnitudes increased to the 10(exp -4) g level during periods of nominal crew activity. Vernier thruster firings caused acceleration shifts on the order of 10(exp -4) g and primary thruster firings caused accelerations as great as 10(exp -2) g. Frequency domain analysis revealed typical excitation of Orbiter and Spacelab structural modes at 3.5, 4.7, 5.2, 6.2, 7, and 17 Hz.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗