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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

Estimating and Forecasting Time-Varying Groundwater Recharge in Fractured Rock: A State-Space Formulation with Preferential and Diffuse Flow to the Water Table

Rapid infiltration following precipitation may result in groundwater contamination from surface contaminants or pathogens. In fractured rock, contaminants can migrate rapidly to points of groundwater withdrawals. In contrast to the temporal availability of groundwater quality chemical indicators, meteorological and groundwater level observations are available in real-time to estimate time-varying recharge, which can act as a surrogate to identify periods of rapid infiltration that may indicate contamination susceptibility. Estimating recharge using methods, such as base-flow recession, unsaturated infiltration models, or Water-Table Fluctuations (WTF), cannot capitalize on currently available technologies and telecommunication infrastructure to conduct real-time recharge estimation at scales relevant to characterizing rapid infiltration. We present a linear, physics-based State-Space (SS) model of one-dimensional infiltration to estimate recharge, which includes preferential and diffuse-flow to the water table. The model can take advantage of real-time data for water-table altitude, precipitation, and evapotranspiration. Model parameters are calibrated over an observation period, and the Kalman Filter (KF) is subsequently applied to continuously update the observed (water-table altitude) and unobserved (groundwater recharge) system states and predict future states as new data become available. The SS/KF algorithm is demonstrated at the Masser Groundwater Recharge Site in Pennsylvania, USA and comparisons are made with recharge estimates from WTF methods. Model results indicate that the frequency of observations (daily versus sub-daily) dictates the allocation between preferential and diffuse flow. Additionally, because infiltration processes encompass many nonlinearities, model parameters estimated from observation periods need to be updated at least seasonally to account for changing recharge conditions.

groundwater, Recharge, infiltration, recursive est↗

Forecasting and modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA with a timed intervention model

We propose a novel Timed Intervention S, P, E, I, Q, R, D model for projecting the possible futures of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. The proposed model introduces a series of timed interventions that can account for the influence of real time changes in government policy and social norms. We consider three separate types of interventions: (i) Protective interventions: Where population moves from susceptible to protected corresponding to mask mandates, stay-at-home orders and/or social distancing. (ii) Release interventions: Where population moves from protected to susceptible corresponding to social distancing mandates and practices being lifted by policy or pandemic fatigue. (iii) Vaccination interventions: Where population moves from susceptible, protected, and exposed to recovered (meaning immune) corresponding to the mass immunization of the U.S. Population. By treating the pandemic with timed interventions, we are able to model the pandemic extremely effectively, as well as directly predicting the course of the pandemic under differing sets of intervention schedules. We show that without prompt effective protective/vaccination interventions the pandemic will be extended significantly and result in many millions of deaths in the U.S.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Temporally-consistent koopman autoencoders for forecasting dynamical systems

Absence of sufficiently high-quality data often poses a key challenge in data-driven modeling of high-dimensional spatio-temporal dynamical systems. Koopman Autoencoders (KAEs) harness the expressivity of deep neural networks (DNNs), the dimension reduction capabilities of autoencoders, and the spectral properties of the Koopman operator to learn a reduced-order feature space with simpler, linear dynamics. However, the effectiveness of KAEs is hindered by limited and noisy training datasets, leading to poor generalizability. To address this, we introduce the Temporally-Consistent Koopman Autoencoder (tcKAE), designed to generate accurate long-term predictions even with limited and noisy training data. This is achieved through a consistency regularization term that enforces prediction coherence across different time steps, thus enhancing the robustness and generalizability of tcKAE over existing models. We provide analytical justification for this approach based on Koopman spectral theory and empirically demonstrate tcKAE’s superior performance over state-of-the-art KAE models across a variety of test cases, including simple pendulum oscillations, kinetic plasma, and fluid flow data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Catalytic Resonance Theory: Forecasting the Flow of Programmable Catalytic Loops

Chemical transformations on catalyst surfaces occur through series and parallel reaction pathways. These complex networks and their behavior can be most simply evaluated through a three-species surface reaction loop (A* to B* to C* to A*) that is internal to the overall chemical reaction. Application of an oscillating dynamic catalyst to this reactive loop has been shown to exhibit one of three types of behavior: (1) a positive net flux of molecules about the loop in the clockwise direction, (2) a negative net flux of molecules about the loop in the counterclockwise direction, or (3) negligible flux of molecules about the loop at the limit cycle of reaction. Three-species surface loops were simulated with microkinetic modeling to assess the reaction loop behavior resulting from a catalytic surface oscillating between two or more catalyst surface energy states. Selected input parameters for the simulations spanned an 11-dimensional parameter space using 127 688 different parameter combinations. Their converged limit cycle solutions were analyzed for their loop turnover frequencies, the majority of which were found to be approximately zero. Classification and regression machine learning models were trained to predict the sign and magnitude of the loop turnover frequency and successfully performed above accessible baselines. Notably, the classification models exhibited a baseline weighted F1 score of 0.49, whereas trained models achieved weighted F1 scores of 0.94 and 0.96 when trained on the parameters used to define the simulations and derived rate constants, respectively. The trained models successfully predicted catalytic loop behavior, and interpretation of these models revealed all input parameters to be important for the prediction and performance of each model.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tensor-to-scalar ratio forecasts for extended LiteBIRD frequency configurations

LiteBIRD is a planned JAXA-led cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode satellite experiment aiming for launch in the late 2020s, with a primary goal of detecting the imprint of primordial inflationary gravitational waves. Its current baseline focal-plane configuration includes 15 frequency bands between 40 and 402 GHz, fulfilling the mission requirements to detect the amplitude of gravitational waves with the total uncertainty on the tensor-to-scalar ratio, δr, down to δr < 0.001. A key aspect of this performance is accurate astrophysical component separation, and the ability to remove polarized thermal dust emission is particularly important. In this paper we note that the CMB frequency spectrum falls off nearly exponentially above 300 GHz relative to the thermal dust spectral energy distribution, and a relatively minor high frequency extension can therefore result in even lower uncertainties and better model reconstructions. Specifically, we compared the baseline design with five extended configurations, while varying the underlying dust modeling, in each of which the High-Frequency Telescope (HFT) frequency range was shifted logarithmically toward higher frequencies, with an upper cutoff ranging between 400 and 600 GHz. In each case, we measured the tensor-to-scalar ratio r uncertainty and bias using both parametric and minimum-variance component-separation algorithms. When the thermal dust sky model includes a spatially varying spectral index and temperature, we find that the statistical uncertainty on r after foreground cleaning may be reduced by as much as 30–50% by extending the upper limit of the frequency range from 400 to 600 GHz, with most of the improvement already gained at 500 GHz. We also note that a broader frequency range leads to higher residuals when fitting an incorrect dust model, but also it is easier to discriminate between models through higher χ 2 sensitivity. Even in the case in which the fitting procedure does not correspond to the underlying dust model in the sky, and when the highest frequency data cannot be modeled with sufficient fidelity and must be excluded from the analysis, the uncertainty on r increases by only about 5% for a 500 GHz configuration compared to the baseline.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Forecast for a growth-rate measurement using peculiar velocities from LSST supernovae

We investigate whether the cosmic growth-rate parameter fσ 8 can be measured using peculiar velocities (PVs) derived from type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). We produced simulations of different SN types using a realistic LSST observing strategy that incorporated noise, a photometric detection from the difference-image analysis (DIA) pipeline, and a PV field modeled from the Uchuu universe machine simulations. We tested three different observational scenarios that ranged from ideal conditions with spectroscopic host galaxy redshifts and spectroscopic SN typing to realistic photometric typing that resulted in a contamination with non-Ia SNe. Using a maximum likelihood technique, we showed that the LSST can measure fσ 8 with a precision of 10% in the redshift range 0.02 < z < 0.14 for our most realistic scenario. In three tomographic bins, the LSST will be able to constrain the growth-rate parameter with errors below 18% up to redshift z = 0.14. We also tested the contamination effect on the maximum likelihood method and found that for a contamination fraction below ∼2%, we recovered unbiased measurements. The results of this analysis highlight that the LSST SN sample is expected to complement traditional redshift-space distortion measurements at high redshift. This will provide a novel avenue for testing general relativity and different dark energy models.

Rosselli, D↗

A shared-mobility-based framework for evacuation planning and operations under forecast uncertainty

To meet evacuation needs from carless populations who need personalized assistance to evacuate safely, in this article we propose a ridesharing-based evacuation program that recruits volunteer drivers before a disaster strikes, and then matches volunteer drivers with evacuees once demand is realized. Here we optimize resource planning and evacuation operations under uncertain spatiotemporal demand, and construct a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer program to ensure high demand fulfillment rates. We consider three formulations to improve the number of evacuees served, by minimizing an expected penalty cost, imposing a probabilistic constraint, and enforcing a constraint on the conditional value at risk of the total number of unserved evacuees, respectively. We discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the different risk measures used in the three formulations, given certain carless population sizes and the variety of evacuation modes available. We also develop a heuristic approach to provide quick, dynamic and conservative solutions. We demonstrate the performance of our approaches using five different networks of varying sizes based on regions of Charleston County, South Carolina, an area that experienced a mandatory evacuation order during Hurricane Florence, and utilize real demographic data and hourly traffic count data to estimate the demand distribution.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Cosmology with persistent homology: a Fisher forecast

Abstract Persistent homology naturally addresses the multi-scale topological characteristics of the large-scale structure as a distribution of clusters, loops, and voids. We apply this tool to the dark matter halo catalogs from theQuijotesimulations, and build a summary statistic for comparison with the joint power spectrum and bispectrum statistic regarding their information content on cosmological parameters and primordial non-Gaussianity. Through a Fisher analysis, we find that constraints from persistent homology are tighter for 8 out of the 10 parameters by margins of 13–50%. The complementarity of the two statistics breaks parameter degeneracies, allowing for a further gain in constraining power when combined. We run a series of consistency checks to consolidate our results, and conclude that our findings motivate incorporating persistent homology into inference pipelines for cosmological survey data.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

The Simons Observatory: science goals and forecasts for the enhanced Large Aperture Telescope

We describe updated scientific goals for the wide-field, millimeter-wave survey that will be produced by the Simons Observatory (SO). Significant upgrades to the 6-meter SO Large Aperture Telescope (LAT) are expected to be complete by 2028, and will include a doubled mapping speed with 30,000 new detectors and an automated data reduction pipeline. In addition, a new photovoltaic array will supply most of the observatory's power. The LAT survey will cover about 60% of the sky at a regular observing cadence, with five times the angular resolution and ten times the map depth of the Planck satellite. The science goals are to: (1) determine the physical conditions in the early universe and constrain the existence of new light particles; (2) measure the integrated distribution of mass, electron pressure, and electron momentum in the late-time universe, and, in combination with optical surveys, determine the neutrino mass and the effects of dark energy via tomographic measurements of the growth of structure at redshifts z ≲ 3; (3) measure the distribution of electron density and pressure around galaxy groups and clusters, and calibrate the effects of energy input from galaxy formation on the surrounding environment; (4) produce a sample of more than 30,000 galaxy clusters, and more than 100,000 extragalactic millimeter sources, including regularly sampled AGN light-curves, to study these sources and their emission physics; (5) measure the polarized emission from magnetically aligned dust grains in our Galaxy, to study the properties of dust and the role of magnetic fields in star formation; (6) constrain asteroid regoliths, search for Trans-Neptunian Objects, and either detect or eliminate large portions of the phase space in the search for Planet 9; and (7) provide a powerful new window into the transient universe on time scales of minutes to years, concurrent with observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory of overlapping sky.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Tianlai dish array low-z surveys forecasts

Here, we present the science case for surveys with the Tianlai dish array interferometer tuned to the [1300, 1400] MHz frequency range. Starting from a realistic generation of mock visibility data according to the survey strategy, we reconstruct maps of the sky and perform foreground subtraction. We estimate the level of residuals from imperfect subtraction, mostly due to mode mixing, i.e. distortions in the reconstructed 3D maps due to frequency-dependent instrument response. We show that a survey of the North Celestial Polar cap during a year of observations, covering an area of 150 deg 2 , would reach a sensitivity of $1.5-2 mK per 1 MHz x 0.25 2 deg 2 voxel and be marginally impacted by mode mixing. Tianlai would be able to detect ~10 nearby massive H i clumps as well as a very strong cross-correlation signal of 21 cm intensity maps with the North Celestial Cap Survey optical galaxies. We also studied the performance of a mid-latitude survey, covering ~ 1500 deg 2 overlapping the SDSS footprint. Despite a higher noise level for the mid-latitude survey, as well as significant distortions due to mode mixing, Tianlai would be able to detect a highly significant cross-correlation between the 21 cm signal and the Sloan spectroscopic galaxy sample. Using the extragalactic signals measured from either or both of these surveys, and comparing them with simulations such as those presented here will make it possible to assess the impact of various instrumental imperfections on the Tianlai dish array performance. This would pave the way for future intensity mapping surveys with higher sensitivity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Polarization fraction of Planck Galactic cold clumps and forecasts for the Simons Observatory

ABSTRACT We measure the mean-squared polarization fraction of a sample of 6282 Galactic cold clumps at 353 GHz, consisting of Planck Galactic cold clump (PGCC) catalogue category 1 objects [flux densities measured with signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) > 4]. At 353 GHz, we find the mean-squared polarization fraction, which we define as the mean-squared polarization divided by the mean-squared intensity, to be (4.79 ± 0.44) × 10−4 equation to an $11\, \sigma$ detection of polarization. We test if the polarization fraction depends on the clumps’ physical properties, including flux density, luminosity, Galactic latitude, and physical distance. We see a trend towards increasing polarization fraction with increasing Galactic latitude, but find no evidence that polarization depends on the other tested properties. The Simons Observatory, with angular resolution of order 1 arcmin and noise levels between 22 and $54\, \mu$K−arcmin at high frequencies, will substantially enhance our ability to determine the magnetic field structure in Galactic cold clumps. At $\ge 5\, \sigma$ significance, we predict the Simons Observatory will detect at least ∼12 000 cold clumps in intensity and ∼430 cold clumps in polarization. This number of polarization detections would represent a two orders of magnitude increase over the current Planck results. We also release software that can be used to mask these Galactic cold clumps in other analyses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DESI and DECaLS (D&D): galaxy–galaxy lensing measurements with 1 per cent survey and its forecast

The shear measurement from the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) provides an excellent opportunity for galaxy–galaxy lensing study with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) galaxies, given the large (~9000 deg 2 ) sky overlap. We explore this potential by combining the DESI 1 per cent survey and DECaLS Data Release 8 (DR8). With ~106 deg 2 sky overlap, we achieve significant detection of galaxy–galaxy lensing for Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS) and luminous red galaxy (LRG) as lenses. Scaled to the full BGS sample, we expect the statistical errors to improve from 18(12)per cent to a promising level of 2(1.3)per cent at θ > 8arcmin(< 8 arcmin) ⁠. This brings stronger requirements for future systematics control. To fully realize such potential, we need to control the residual multiplicative shear bias |m| < 0.006 and the bias in the mean redshift |Δz| < 0.008, requiring the introduced bias in the measurement is <0.31σ. We also expect significant detection of galaxy–galaxy lensing with DESI LRG/emission line galaxy (ELG) full samples as lenses, and cosmic magnification of ELG through cross-correlation with low-redshift DECaLS shear. If such systematical error control can be achieved, we find the advantages of DECaLS, comparing with the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) and the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), are at low redshift, large scale, and in measuring the shear ratio (to σ R ~ 0.04) and cosmic magnification.

(cosmology:) large-scale structure of Universe↗