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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2025

Studies of Quark Transport and Hadronization in Nuclei

In this project, we conducted the first measurement of di‑hadron azimuthal correlations in deep inelastic scattering (DIS) off nuclei using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. Using 5 GeV electron‑beam data collected on deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets, we extracted di‑pion correlation functions over a broad kinematic range. The results show a monotonic broadening of the correlation peak with increasing nuclear mass, along with pronounced dependencies on the pions’ kinematics. Separately, we implemented an algorithm based on the Kalman filter that achieved the first complete alignment of the CLAS12 central tracking system. In parallel, we developed simulations, algorithms, and performance studies that informed the conceptual designs of the forward hadronic calorimeter Insert and the Zero Degree Calorimeter, both of which are now included in the ePIC detector baseline for the forthcoming Electron Ion Collider.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

NASA NTRS2009

Proton Upset Monte Carlo Simulation

The Proton Upset Monte Carlo Simulation (PROPSET) program calculates the frequency of on-orbit upsets in computer chips (for given orbits such as Low Earth Orbit, Lunar Orbit, and the like) from proton bombardment based on the results of heavy ion testing alone. The software simulates the bombardment of modern microelectronic components (computer chips) with high-energy (.200 MeV) protons. The nuclear interaction of the proton with the silicon of the chip is modeled and nuclear fragments from this interaction are tracked using Monte Carlo techniques to produce statistically accurate predictions.

O'Neill, Patrick M.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Tracking ultrafast non-adiabatic dissociation dynamics of the deuterated water dication molecule

Here, we applied reaction microscopy to elucidate fast non-adiabatic dissociation dynamics of deuterated water molecules after direct photo-double ionization at 61 eV with synchrotron radiation. For the very rare D + + O + + D breakup channel, the particle momenta, angular, and energy distributions of electrons and ions, measured in coincidence, reveal distinct electronic dication states and their dissociation pathways via spin–orbit coupling and charge transfer at crossings and seams on the potential energy surfaces. Notably, we could distinguish between direct and fast sequential dissociation scenarios. For the latter case, our measurements reveal the geometry and orientation of the deuterated water molecule with respect to the polarization vector that leads to this rare 3-body molecular breakup channel. Aided by multi-reference configuration-interaction calculations, the dissociation dynamics could be traced on the relevant potential energy surfaces and particularly their crossings and seams. This approach also unraveled the ultrafast time scales governing these processes.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Influence of Methylammonium Chloride on Wide-Bandgap Halide Perovskites Films for Solar Cells

Wide-bandgap perovskites are of paramount importance as the photoactive layer of the top cell in high-efficiency tandem solar cells. Comparably high Br contents are required to widen the perovskite bandgap. However, the increase in Br content causes heterogeneous halide distribution and photoinstability. Here, in this study, the positive effect of the additive methylammonium chloride (MACl) on the optical and electronic properties of Br-rich perovskite, deposited using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as co-solvent and the gas quenching method, is investigated. Simultaneous in situ grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering and photoluminescence spectroscopy are used to track the evolution of the structural and optoelectronic properties of the perovskites with different amounts of Br and MACl during the spin-coating and thermal annealing steps. The formation mechanism is elucidated in the presence of MACl. It is observed that chloride ions inhibit the intermediate phases, favoring the formation of a perovskite phase with higher crystallinity. Nano X-ray fluorescence mapping recognizes Br-richer and poorer nanometric domains, whose average sizes reduce for samples with MACl. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that adding MACl affects the formation of wide-bandgap perovskites via destabilization of the intermediate phases and acts on the homogenization of the halide distribution, leading to improved solar cell performances.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1992

Heavy Ions In Space (HIIS) experiment

The Heavy Ions In Space (HIIS) experiment has two primary objectives: (1) to measure the elemental composition of ultraheavy Galactic cosmic rays, beginning in the tin-barium region of the periodic table; and (2) to study heavy ions which arrive at LDEF below the geomagnetic cutoff, either because they are not fully stripped of electrons or because their source is within the magnetosphere. Both have practical as well as astrophysical consequences. The HIIS experiment used eight thick stacks of plastic track detectors mounted in two trays on the space facing end of LDEF. Since the last LDEF symposium, the statistics were increased of the observations and have extended the analysis to a second stack and to detector sheets near the top of a stack. New results are reported on the detector resolution and on the observations of both stopping and relativistic particles.

Adams, James H., Jr.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Performance of the Particle-Identification Silicon-Telescope Array coupled with the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer

The Particle-Identification Silicon-Telescope Array (PISTA) is a new detection system designed for high-resolution studies of fission process induced by multi-nucleon transfer in inverse kinematics. It is specifically optimized for experiments with the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer at GANIL (Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds). The array comprises eight trapezoidal ΔE-E silicon telescopes arranged in a lamp shade configuration. Each telescope integrates two single-sided stripped silicon detectors, enabling target-like recoil identification, energy loss measurements, and trajectory reconstruction. Positioned in close proximity to the target, PISTA’s compact geometry achieves high-efficiency tracking of target-like recoils produced in multi-nucleon transfer reactions at Coulomb barrier energies. The spatial segmentation of the array allows precise determination of the mass and charge of the target-like nucleus, and excitation energy of fissioning systems. This work presents the particle identification and excitation energy reconstruction performances for the interactions of 238 U beam with 12 C target. An excitation energy resolution of 800 keV (FWHM) was determined together with mass resolution of 1.1% (FWHM). The combination of PISTA and VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer enables unprecedented investigations of the fission process as a function of the excitation energy of the fissioning nucleus, particularly for exotic systems produced in transfer-induced reactions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

NASA NTRS2004

Computation Molecular Kinetics Model of HZE Induced Cell Cycle Arrest

Cell culture models play an important role in understanding the biological effectiveness of space radiation. High energy and charge (HZE) ions produce prolonged cell cycle arrests at the G1/S and G2/M transition points in the cell cycle. A detailed description of these phenomena is needed to integrate knowledge of the expression of DNA damage in surviving cells, including the determination of relative effectiveness factors between different types of radiation that produce differential types of DNA damage and arrest durations. We have developed a hierarchical kinetics model that tracks the distribution of cells in various cell phase compartments (early G1, late G1, S, G2, and M), however with transition rates that are controlled by rate-limiting steps in the kinetics of cyclin-cdk's interactions with their families of transcription factors and inhibitor molecules. The coupling of damaged DNA molecules to the downstream cyclin-cdk inhibitors is achieved through a description of the DNA-PK and ATM signaling pathways. For HZE irradiations we describe preliminary results, which introduce simulation of the stochastic nature of the number of direct particle traversals per cell in the modulation of cyclin-cdk and cell cycle population kinetics. Comparison of the model to data for fibroblast cells irradiated photons or HZE ions are described.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗

DOE OSTI2021

On the dissolution of a borosilicate glass with the use of isotopic tracing – Insights into the mechanism for the long-term dissolution rate

An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for controlling the long-term corrosion rate of nuclear waste glass is paramount if reliable glass dissolution models are to be used to calculate the controlled release of radionuclides from nuclear waste glass under geologic disposal conditions. Additionally, understanding silicate glass dissolution is also important for natural glasses to understand the role from the dissolution of these glasses has on the composition of natural aquatic systems. Two general mechanisms appear to be responsible for the elemental release from glass to the surrounding biosphere - ion exchange (release principally of alkalis) and matrix dissolution (release of the structural components of the glass). Key unknowns related to these mechanisms are the impact of surface layers on the altered glass and how these layers participate in corrosion. To better understand the impact of these layers on glass corrosion, we made two glasses of the same elemental composition, but with selected elements enriched in specific isotopes, e.g. more 10 B than 11 B. We reacted these glasses for 1 y then the solutions from each were exchanged and the chemistry of the solutions and the solids were followed for another 2 y and in some cases 3 y. This allowed us to follow changes in the glasses with respect to these elements and how these elements were transported through the alteration layers with time and, for at least one element, into the glass. Results from these experiments demonstrate that the release behavior of different elements is strongly dependent on their structural role in the glass (e.g. network formers and modifiers), but, more importantly, the role of water transport and subsequent ion exchange has in the long-term dissolution of the glass studied here. In this article, we highlight the behavior of four elements: lithium, sodium, silicon, and boron. Lithium and sodium, network modifying elements, have similar chemistries. The behavior of Li could be tracked in more detail by following both 6 Li and 7 Li; Li penetrates through the gel layer in both directions without hinderance and into and released from the glass deeper than sodium. Silicon, a network forming element, reacts with the silica-rich alteration layer. Boron, a network forming element, does not accumulate in the gel or the pristine glass and has a very sharp elemental profile between the pristine glass and alteration layer. Boron, lithium, and sodium elemental profiles suggest that there is little if any transport control within the alteration layer. The correlation between the Li and Na profiles and that of a water species suggest that the limiting release is a steady state between the diffusion of a water species and matrix dissolution that results in a low release rate for alkali and this provides a steady driving force for the long-term dissolution of glass.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2026

In-situ observations of cyclic deformation in an extruded Mg-2Nd-1Y-0.1Zr-0.1Ca alloy

In this study, the evolution of deformation mechanisms during cyclic loading in an extruded, solution-treated Mg–2Nd–1Y–0.1Zr–0.1Ca alloy was investigated using a combination of in-situ loading, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and focused ion beam (FIB) nanofabrication. The initial microstructure exhibited a random crystallographic texture with no preferred grain orientation. Flat, rectangular dog-bone specimens were subjected to load-controlled, fully reversed fatigue for 50 cycles, during which the same region was sequentially mapped to track microstructural changes. After 10 cycles of loading deformation twins were observed. During tensile reloading detwinning or narrowing of those twinned regions occurred. After 20 cycles, detwinning ceased and residual twins remained in the material. SEM imaging revealed numerous surface slip traces after cyclic loading. EBSD-assisted slip trace analysis identified the activation of prismatic and pyramidal < c+a> slip systems during low-cycle fatigue. Site-specific scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) further revealed that deformation was also accommodated by basal < a> slip and the dissociation of < c+a> dislocations. Center-of-symmetry (COS) analysis confirmed that the dissociation of < c+a> dislocations resulted in the formation of I₁ intrinsic stacking faults after cyclic loading. These findings provide new insights into the complex interplay of dislocation mechanisms governing fatigue deformation in rare-earth-containing Mg alloys.

Cyclic deformation↗

DOE OSTI2022

Properties and microstructure evolution of silicon nitride and zirconium nitride following Ni ion irradiation

We report that silicon nitride and zirconium nitride have been proposed as potential materials for multiple nuclear applications (inert matrix fuels, accident tolerant fuels, space nuclear power, fusion reactor design), yet knowledge on their behavior under irradiation remains limited. Ion irradiations were performed using 15 MeV Ni 5+ ions on Si 3 N 4 and ZrN samples, with midrange doses (around 3 µm) from 1 to 50 dpa and temperatures from 300 to 700°C. Volumetric lattice swelling was determined by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, defect production and evolution were tracked using Transmission Electron Microscopy, and nanoindentation was performed to quantify the ceramics’ mechanical properties evolution. The results from these irradiation studies on nitride ceramics help fill the current gap present in the literature. Behavior consistent with past work on irradiated Si 3 N 4 was observed with respect to mechanical properties and defect formation up to 15 dpa and 500°C. Failure of the grain boundary sintering aid in Si 3 N 4 was observed above these conditions. Different behavior was observed in both nitrides at 50 dpa and 700°C, where lattice swelling increased past potential saturation values. Unreported cavity formation was witnessed in both materials under all irradiation conditions, with stable number density and slight size increase above 15 dpa. The mechanism for the cavity formation remains to be determined.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Structural Damage and Recrystallization Response of Garnet Crystals to Intense Electronic Excitation

Here, the susceptibility to irradiation-induced damage, the fundamental mechanism of the relaxation kinetics, and the corresponding recrystallization effect related to the cation radius ratio are comprehensively investigated for Y 3 Al 5 O 12 and Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 garnet crystals under 645 MeV Xe 35+ irradiation with different fluences of 5 × 10 11 –3 × 10 12 ions cm –2 . Regarding different lattice distortion and swelling levels, the observed microstructure transformations to disordered and amorphous phases, and corresponding hillock dimensions, consistently confirm that Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 has a higher susceptibility to radiation damage than Y 3 Al 5 O 12 . Combined with iTS model calculations, although Y 3 Al 5 O 12 has higher atomic temperature and energy deposition than Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 under the same ion velocity and electronic energy loss, the relatively high thermal conductivity and specific heat coefficient of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 crystals enhance the conduction and dissipation of deposition energy, and Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 , with a higher cation-radius-ratio (r A /r B ), is more easily damaged to amorphous phase due to the less favorable kinetics of ordering and recovery of a melted track region to the crystalline phase. Additionally, the significant bandgap modification in spectral ranges of 5.88–6.75 eV for Y 3 Al 5 O 12 and 4.83–5.41 eV for Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 , and the enhancement of defect-assisted-related luminescence are achieved, providing a basis to design novel optoelectronic devices in microelectronics fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1993

Widths of transverse momentum distributions in intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions

The need to include dynamical collision momentum transfer contributions, arising from interacting nuclear and Coulomb fields, to estimates of fragment momentum distributions is discussed. Methods based upon an optical potential model are presented. Comparisons with recent experimental data of the Siegen group for variances of transverse momentum distributions for gold nuclei at 980 A MeV fragmenting on silver foil and plastic nuclear track detector targets are made. The agreement between theory and experiment is good.

Khan, Ferdous↗

DOE OSTI2025

Harnessing Ultra-Intense Long-Wave Infrared Lasers: New Frontiers in Fundamental and Applied Research

This review explores two main topics: the state-of-the-art and emerging capabilities of high-peak-power, ultrafast (picosecond and femtosecond) long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser technology based on CO2 gas laser amplifiers, and the current and advanced scientific applications of this laser class. The discussion is grounded in expertise gained at the Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a leading center for ultrafast, high-power CO2 laser development and a National User Facility with a strong track record in high-intensity physics experiments. We begin by reviewing the status of 9–10 μm CO2 laser technology and its applications, before exploring potential breakthroughs, including the realization of 100 terawatt femtosecond pulses. These advancements will drive ongoing research in electron and ion acceleration in plasma, along with applications in secondary radiation sources and atmospheric energy transport. Throughout the review, we highlight how wavelength scaling of physical effects enhances the capabilities of ultra-intense lasers in the LWIR spectrum, expanding the frontiers of both fundamental and applied science.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS1972

Methods for utilizing maximum power from a solar array

A preliminary study of maximum power utilization methods was performed for an outer planet spacecraft using an ion thruster propulsion system and a solar array as the primary energy source. The problems which arise from operating the array at or near the maximum power point of its 1-V characteristic are discussed. Two closed loop system configurations which use extremum regulators to track the array's maximum power point are presented. Three open loop systems are presented that either: (1) measure the maximum power of each array section and compute the total array power, (2) utilize a reference array to predict the characteristics of the solar array, or (3) utilize impedance measurements to predict the maximum power utilization. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are discussed and recommendations for further development are made.

Decker, D. K.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Jet Drift in Heavy Ion Collisions

We introduce a sub-eikonal anisotropic contribution to jetbroadening, “jet drift”, that couples to the flow of the medium, showing that this effect results in a deflection of hard partons, and thus jets, in the direction of the medium flow. Next, we study this effect in a full-fledged hybrid transport simulation of √s = 5.02 TeV PbPb collisions at the LHC, tracking trajectories of hard partons with perturbative energy loss and drift. We show that sub-eikonal anisotropic effects, including flow-mediated jet drift, are sensitive to properties of the medium that traditional eikonal isotropic effects are insensitive to, demonstrating that including these effects leads to modifications to jet and hard particle observables that survive averaging over events. We show that jet drift leads to an enhancement of the elliptic flow (v2) of hard particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Phase evolution during lithium–indium halide superionic conductor dehydration

Select rare-earth alkali halides have demonstrated high lithium ion conductivity. The conductivity appears to be related to the stability of the crystal phase, ordering of the lithium sublattice and the amount of residual H 2 O. Li 3 InCl 6 can be synthesized from concentrated aqueous solution through controlled dehydration. In this work, we track Li 3 InCl 6 dehydration using a multimodal approach that combines thermogravimetric, spectroscopic, X-ray diffraction, and neutron scattering techniques. In situ X-ray diffraction suggests a single phase transition caused by dehydration, in disagreement with spectroscopic and thermodynamic measurements. Neutron scattering, being sensitive toward the H 2 O and Li sublattices, reveals multiple phase transitions. We show that the loss of the final trace H 2 O leads to strain and grain boundary formation. Thus, controlled dehydration may be a viable strategy for high-throughput processing for roll-to-roll manufacturing of REAH solid electrolytes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

EMITTANCE GROWTH DUE TO RF PHASE NOISE IN CRAB CAVITIES

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) incorporates beam crabbing to recover geometric luminosity loss from the nonzero crossing angle at the interaction point (IP). It is well-known that crab cavity imperfections can cause growth of colliding beam emittances, thus degrading collider performance. Here we report a particle tracking study to quantify these effects. Presently the study is focused on crab cavity RF phase noise. Simulations were carried out using Bmad. Dependence of emittance growth on phase noise level was obtained which could be used for developing crab cavity phase control specifications. We also benchmarked these simulations with theory.

Huang, H.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Energy spectrum of sputtered uranium

The fission track technique for detecting uranium 235 was used in conjunction with a mechanical time-of-flight spectrometer to measure the energy spectrum in the region 1 eV to 1 keV of material sputtered from a 93% enriched U-235 foil by 80 keV Ar-40(+) ions. The spectrum was found to exhibit a peak in the region 2-4 eV and to decrease approximately as E to the -1.77 power for E is approximately greater than 100 eV. The design, construction and resolution of the mechanical spectrometer are discussed and comparisons are made between the data and the predictions of the ramdom collision cascade model of sputtering.

Weller, R. A.↗