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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Planck intermediate results: XVII. Emission of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium from the far-infrared to microwave frequencies

The dust-Hi correlation is used to characterize the emission properties of dust in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) from far infrared wavelengths to microwave frequencies. The field of this encompasses the part of the southern sky best suited to study the cosmic infrared and microwave backgrounds. We cross-correlate sky maps from Planck , the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP ), and the diffuse infrared background experiment ( DIRBE ), at 17 frequencies from 23 to 3000 GHz, with the Parkes survey of the 21 cm line emission of neutral atomic hydrogen, over a contiguous area of 7500 deg 2 centred on the southern Galactic pole. We present a general methodology to study the dust-Hi correlation over the sky, including simulations to quantify uncertainties. Our analysis yields four specific results. (1) We map the temperature, submillimetre emissivity, and opacity of the dust per H-atom. The dust temperature is observed to be anti-correlated with the dust emissivity and opacity. We interpret this result as evidence of dust evolution within the diffuse ISM. The mean dust opacity is measured to be (7.1 ± 0.6) × 10 -27 cm 2 H -1 × (v/353 GHz) 1.53 ± 0.03 for 100 ≤ v ≤ 353 GHz. This is a reference value to estimate hydrogen column densities from dust emission at submillimetre and millimetre wavelengths. (2) We map the spectral index β mm of dust emission at millimetre wavelengths (defined here as v ≤ 353 GHz), and find it to be remarkably constant at β mm = 1.51 ± 0.13. We compare it with the far infrared spectral index β FIR derived from greybody fits at higher frequencies, and find a systematic difference, β mm -β FIR = -0.15, which suggests that the dust spectral energy distribution (SED) flattens at v ≤ 353 GHz. (3) We present spectral fits of the microwave emission correlated with Hi from 23 to 353 GHz, which separate dust and anomalous microwave emission (AME). We show that the flattening of the dust SED can be accounted for with an additional component with a blackbody spectrum. This additional component, which accounts for (26 ± 6)% of the dust emission at 100GHz, could represent magnetic dipole emission. Alternatively, it could account for an increasing contribution of carbon dust, or a flattening of the emissivity of amorphous silicates, at millimetre wavelengths. These interpretations make different predictions for the dust polarization SED. (4) We analyse the residuals of the dust-Hi correlation. We identify a Galactic contribution to these residuals, which we model with variations of the dust emissivity on angular scales smaller than that of our correlation analysis. This model of the residuals is used to quantify uncertainties of the CIB power spectrum in a companion Planck paper.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2011

Components of the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background

We present new theoretical estimates of the relative contributions of unresolved blazars and star-forming galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) and discuss constraints on the contributions from alternative mechanisms such as dark matter annihilation and truly diffuse gamma-ray production. We find that the Fermi source count data do not rule out a scenario in which the EGB is dominated by emission from unresolved blazars, though unresolved star-forming galaxies may also contribute significantly to the background, within order-of-magnitude uncertainties. In addition, we find that the spectrum of the unresolved star-forming galaxy contribution cannot explain the EGB spectrum found by EGRET at energies between 50 and 200 MeV, whereas the spectrum of unresolved flat spectrum radio quasars, when accounting for the energy-dependent effects of source confusion, could be consistent with the combined spectrum of the low-energy EGRET EGB measurements and the Fermi-Large Area Telescope EGB measurements.

Stecker, Floyd W.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measurements of SNAC2 area dosimeters placed in different configurations around the PROSPERO reactor and comparison with TRIPOLI-4 calculations

In the context of criticality accident alarm system tests, several experiments were carried out in 2013 on the PROSPERO reactor to study the response to neutron and gamma of different devices and dosimeters, particularly on the SNAC2 dosimeter. This article presents the results of this criticality dosimeter in different configurations, and compares the experimental measurements with the results of calculation performed with the TRIPOLI-4 Monte-Carlo Neutral Particles transport code. PROSPERO is a metallic critical assembly managed by the Criticality, Neutron Science and Measurement Department located at the French CEA Research Center of Valduc. The core, surrounded by a reflector of depleted uranium, is composed of 2 horizontal cylindrical blocks made of a highly enriched uranium alloy which can be placed in contact, and of 4 depleted uranium control rods which allow the reactor to be driven. This reactor, placed in a cell 10 m x 8 m x 6 m high, with 1.4-meter-thick concrete walls, is used as a fast neutron spectrum source and is operated at stable power level in delayed critical state, which can vary from 3 mW to 3 kW. PROSPERO is extensively used for electronic hardening or to study the effect of the neutrons on various materials. The SNAC2 criticality dosimeter is a zone dosimeter allowing the off line measurement of criticality accident neutron doses. This dosimeter consists of the pile up of seven activation foils embedded into a 23 mm diameter x 21 mm height cadmium container. The activation measurement of each foil, using a gamma spectroscopy technique, gives information about the neutron reaction rates. The SNAC2 software allows the spectrum unfolding from these values, taking into account the hypothesis of a particular spectrum shape, in three components: a Maxwell spectrum component for the thermal range, a 1/E component for the epithermal range, and a Watt spectrum component for the high energy range. Moreover, from the neutron spectrum, the SNAC software can calculate the neutron fluence integrated by the dosimeter and the neutron dose. During the 3 weeks measurement campaign many radioprotection devices were used. To modify the spectrum seen by these devices, several shields of various thicknesses made of concrete or polyethylene, with or without cadmium covers, were placed in the PROSPERO cell. These devices allow the study of criticality accident spectra in several environments: from metal to pseudo liquid. The fluxes measured by the SNAC2 devices were compared with TRIPOLI-4 calculations. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1984

Pristine rocks (8th Foray) - 'Plagiophile' element ratios, crustal genesis, and the bulk composition of the moon

Eu/Al, Sr/Al, Eu/Sr, and similar ratios among pristine lunar nonmare lithologies with implications for nonmare petrogenesis and for the bulk composition of the moon are examined. On a plot of Eu/Al versus mg, ferroan anorthosites are separated from all other pristine nonmare rocks by a considerable gap. A nonrandom process must be invoked to account for the gap in the spectrum of ratios. A single magma probably cannot account for even the Mg-rich pristine rocks subset, based on diversity of plagiophile ratios among samples with similar mg ratios. Plagiophile ratios also constrain the bulk composition of the moon. Plagiophile ratios among ferroan anorthosites exactly match those expected under a model in which ferroan anorthosites formed by flotation of plagioclase cumulates over a primordial 'magmasphere'. Ratios among nonvolatile elements confirm that the moon formed out of materials akin to chondritic meteorites.

Warren, P. H.↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE RADIO–GAMMA CORRELATION IN STARBURST GALAXIES

We present a systematic study of non-thermal electron–proton plasma and its emission processes in starburst galaxies in order to explain the correlation between the luminosity in the radio band and the recently observed gamma luminosity. In doing so, a steady state description of the cosmic-ray (CR) electrons and protons within the spatially homogeneous starburst is considered where continuous momentum losses are included as well as catastrophic losses due to diffusion and advection. The primary source of the relativistic CRs, e.g., supernova remnants, provides a quasi-neutral plasma with a power-law spectrum in momentum where we account for rigidity-dependent differences between the electron and proton spectrum. We examine the resulting leptonic and hadronic radiation processes by synchrotron radiation, inverse Compton scattering, Bremsstrahlung, and hadronic pion production. Finally, the observations of NGC 253, M82, NGC 4945, and NGC 1068 in the radio and gamma-ray bands as well as the observed supernova rate are used to constrain a best-fit model. In the case of NGC 253, M82, and NGC 4945 our model is able to accurately describe the data, showing that: (i) supernovae are the dominant particle accelerators for NGC 253, M82, and NGC 4945, but not for NGC 1068; (ii) all considered starburst galaxies are poor proton calorimeters in which for NGC 253 the escape is predominantly driven by the galactic wind, whereas the diffusive escape dominates in NGC 4945 and M82 (at energies >1 TeV); and (iii) secondary electrons from hadronic pion production are important to model the radio flux, but the associated neutrino flux is below the current observation limit.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Possible evidence for the stochastic acceleration of secondary antiprotons by supernova remnants

In this paper, the antiproton-to-proton ratio in the cosmic-ray spectrum is a sensitive probe of new physics. Using recent measurements of the cosmic-ray antiproton and proton fluxes in the energy range of 1–1000 GeV, we study the contribution to the $\bar{p}$/p ratio from secondary antiprotons that are produced and subsequently accelerated within individual supernova remnants. We consider several well-motivated models for cosmic-ray propagation in the interstellar medium and marginalize our results over the uncertainties related to the antiproton production cross section and the time-, charge-, and energy-dependent effects of solar modulation. We find that the increase in the $\bar{p}$/p ratio observed at rigidities above ~100 GV cannot be accounted for within the context of conventional cosmic-ray propagation models, but is consistent with scenarios in which cosmic-ray antiprotons are produced and subsequently accelerated by shocks within a given supernova remnant. In light of this, the acceleration of secondary cosmic rays in supernova remnants is predicted to substantially contribute to the cosmic-ray positron spectrum, accounting for a significant fraction of the observed positron excess.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1994

An accreting black hole model for Sagittarius A(*). 2: A detailed study

Sgr A(*) is a unique, compact radio source at the Galactic center whose characteristics suggest that it may be a massive (i.e., approximately 10(exp 6) solar mass) black hole accreting from an ambient wind in that region. Earlier (simplified) calculations suggested that its 10(exp 8) - 10(exp 20) Hz spectrum could be derived from bremsstrahlung and magnetic bremsstrahlung emission from plasma descending toward the event horizon at a rate of roughly 10(exp 22) g/s. Here, we introduce several significant improvements to the model, including (1) an exact treatment of the cyclotron/synchrotron emissivity that is valid for all temperatures, (2) the actual determination of the temperature distribution in the inflow, and (3) the effect on the spectrum should the accreting plasma have a residual angular momentum, possibly forming a disk at small radii. We find that the most likely value of the mass in this improved model is approximately equals 2 +/- 1 x 10(exp 6) solar mass, close to the range inferred earlier, but about a factor of 2 greater than the previous 'best-fit' number. The main reason for this difference is that the more realistic (new) formulation of the magnetic bremsstrahlung emissivity has fluctuations with frequency that decrease the overall line-of-sight intensity, thereby pointing to a slightly larger mass in order to account for the observed spectrum. We also find that a slight excess of angular momentum in the accreting gas may be necessary in order to account for the IR luminosity from this source. Such an excess is consistent with the results of ongoing three-dimensional simulations that will be reported elsewhere.

Melia, Fulvio↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development and validation of a measurement-based source model for kilovoltage cone-beam CT Monte Carlo dosimetry simulations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to adapt an equivalent source model originally developed for conventional CT Monte Carlo dose quantification to the radiation oncology context and validate its application for evaluating concomitant dose incurred by a kilovoltage (kV) cone-beam CT (CBCT) system integrated into a linear accelerator.Methods: In order to properly characterize beams from the integrated kV CBCT system, the authors have adapted a previously developed equivalent source model consisting of an equivalent spectrum module that takes into account intrinsic filtration and an equivalent filter module characterizing the added bowtie filtration. An equivalent spectrum was generated for an 80, 100, and 125 kVp beam with beam energy characterized by half-value layer measurements. An equivalent filter description was generated from bowtie profile measurements for both the full- and half-bowtie. Equivalent source models for each combination of equivalent spectrum and filter were incorporated into the Monte Carlo software package MCNPX. Monte Carlo simulations were then validated against in-phantom measurements for both the radiographic and CBCT mode of operation of the kV CBCT system. Radiographic and CBCT imaging dose was measured for a variety of protocols at various locations within a body (32 cm in diameter) and head (16 cm in diameter) CTDI phantom. The in-phantom radiographic and CBCT dose was simulated at all measurement locations and converted to absolute dose using normalization factors calculated from air scan measurements and corresponding simulations. The simulated results were compared with the physical measurements and their discrepancies were assessed quantitatively.Results: Strong agreement was observed between in-phantom simulations and measurements. For the radiographic protocols, simulations uniformly underestimated measurements by 0.54%–5.14% (mean difference =−3.07%, SD = 1.60%). For the CBCT protocols, simulations uniformly underestimated measurements by 1.35%–5.31% (mean difference =−3.42%, SD = 1.09%).Conclusions: This work demonstrates the feasibility of using a measurement-based kV CBCT source model to facilitate dose calculations with Monte Carlo methods for both the radiographic and CBCT mode of operation. While this initial work validates simulations against measurements for simple geometries, future work will involve utilizing the source model to investigate kV CBCT dosimetry with more complex anthropomorphic phantoms and patient specific models.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
NASA NTRS1985

On muon energy spectrum in muon groups underground

A method is described which was used to measure muon energy spectrum characteristics in muon groups underground using mu-e decays recording. The Baksan Telescope's experimental data on mu-e decays intensity in muon groups of various multiplicities are analyzed. The experimental data indicating very flat spectrum does not however represent the total spectrum in muon groups. Obviously the muon energy spectrum depends strongly on a distance from the group axis. The core attraction effect makes a significant distortion, making the spectrum flatter. After taking this into account and making corrections for this effect the integral total spectrum index in groups has a very small depencence on muon multiplicity and agrees well with expected one: beta=beta (sub expected) = 1.75.

Bakatanov, V. N.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Unresolved Blazar Component of the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background

We present new theoretical estimates of the relative contribution of unresolved blazars and star forming galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background and discuss constraints on the contributions from other possible components. We find that the Fermi data do not rule out a scenario in which the extragalactic gamma-ray background is dominated by emission from unresolved blazars. The spectrum of unresolved FSRQs, when accounting for the energy dependent effects of source confusion, could be consistent with the combined spectrum of the low energy EGRET extragalactic gamma-ray background measurements and the Fermi-LAT measurements above 200 MeV.

Stecker, Floyd W.↗
DOE OSTI2014

GRB 131231A: IMPLICATIONS OF THE GeV EMISSION

GRB 131231A was detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Space Gamma-ray Telescope. The high-energy gamma-ray (>100 MeV) afterglow emission spectrum is F {sub ν}∝ν{sup –0.54} {sup ±} {sup 0.15} in the first ∼1300 s after the trigger and the most energetic photon has an energy of ∼62 GeV, arriving at t ∼ 520 s. With reasonable parameters of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) outflow as well as the density of the circum-burst medium, the synchrotron radiation of electrons or protons accelerated at an external forward shock have difficulty accounting for the data. Rather, the synchrotron self-Compton radiation of the forward shock-accelerated electrons can account for both the spectrum and temporal behavior of the GeV afterglow emission. We also show that the prospect for detecting GRB 131231A-like GRBs with the Cherenkov Telescope Array is promising.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2003

On the Scaling Laws for Jet Noise in Subsonic and Supersonic Flow

The scaling laws for the simulation of noise from subsonic and ideally expanded supersonic jets are examined with regard to their applicability to deduce full scale conditions from small-scale model testing. Important parameters of scale model testing for the simulation of jet noise are identified, and the methods of estimating full-scale noise levels from simulated scale model data are addressed. The limitations of cold-jet data in estimating high-temperature supersonic jet noise levels are discussed. It is shown that the jet Mach number (jet exit velocity/sound speed at jet exit) is a more general and convenient parameter for noise scaling purposes than the ratio of jet exit velocity to ambient speed of sound. A similarity spectrum is also proposed, which accounts for jet Mach number, angle to the jet axis, and jet density ratio. The proposed spectrum reduces nearly to the well-known similarity spectra proposed by Tam for the large-scale and the fine-scale turbulence noise in the appropriate limit.

Vu, Bruce↗
DOE OSTI2018

Resummed photon spectra for WIMP annihilation

We construct an effective field theory (EFT) description of the hard photon spectrum for heavy WIMP annihilation. This facilitates precision predictions relevant for line searches, and allows the incorporation of non-trivial energy resolution effects. Our framework combines techniques from non-relativistic EFTs and soft-collinear effective theory (SCET), as well as its multi-scale extensions that have been recently introduced for studying jet substructure. We find a number of interesting features, including the simultaneous presence of SCET I and SCET II modes, as well as collinear-soft modes at the electroweak scale. We derive a factorization formula that enables both the resummation of the leading large Sudakov double logarithms that appear in the perturbative spectrum, and the inclusion of Sommerfeld enhancement effects. Consistency of this factorization is demonstrated to leading logarithmic order through explicit calculation. Our final result contains both the exclusive and the inclusive limits, thereby providing a unifying description of these two previously-considered approximations. We estimate the impact on experimental sensitivity, focusing for concreteness on an SU(2) W triplet fermion dark matter — the pure wino — where the strongest constraints are due to a search for gamma-ray lines from the Galactic Center. Here, we find numerically significant corrections compared to previous results, thereby highlighting the importance of accounting for the photon spectrum when interpreting data from current and future indirect detection experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The effect of stochastic re-acceleration on the energy spectrum of shock-accelerated protons

The energy spectra of particles in gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events do not always have a power-law form attributed to the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. In particular, the observed spectra in major SEP events can take the form of a broken (double) power law. In this paper, we study the effect of a process that can modify the power-law spectral form produced by the diffusive shock acceleration: the stochastic re-acceleration of energetic protons by enhanced Alfvénic turbulence in the downstream region of a shock wave. There are arguments suggesting that this process can be important when the shock propagates in the corona. We consider a coronal magnetic loop traversed by a shock and perform Monte Carlo simulations of interactions of shock-accelerated protons with Alfvén waves in the loop. The wave-particle interactions are treated self-consistently, so the finiteness of the available turbulent energy is taken into account. The initial energy spectrum of particles is taken to be a power law. The simulations reveal that the stochastic re-acceleration leads either to the formation of a spectrum that is described in a wide energy range by a power law (although the resulting power-law index is different from the initial one) or to a broken power-law spectrum. The resulting spectral form is determined by the ratio of the energy density of shock-accelerated protons to the wave energy density in the shock's downstream region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Practical considerations in using a binary pseudorandom array for instrument transfer function calibration

Binary pseudo-random array (BPRA) artifacts are useful devices for calibrating the instrument transfer function (ITF) of interferometric microscopes and other optical and non-optical surface and wavefront measurement instruments. The intrinsic white noise character of the power spectral density function of the artifact simplifies the deconvolution of the ITF from the measured power spectral density (PSD). However, resampling of the BPRA intrinsic artifact features with the measurement tool's specific sampling pattern modifies the white noise character of the intrinsic spectrum and needs to be accounted for in the ITF-based data deconvolution process. We have developed an analytic solution to the spectrum of a resampled one- and two- dimensional BPRA. The resultant nominal PSD function is a simple twoparameter cosine function with a period equal to the resampled pixel width. A transfer function model for interferometric microscopes that incorporates this function, along with an ITF that includes aliasing effects and variable numerical aperture (NA), wavelength, and obscuration factor, is used to fit to the BPRA PSDs measured by an interference microscope for a range of objective and zoom lens magnification combinations.

Takacs, PZ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Drifting oscillations in axion monodromy

In this paper, we study the pattern of oscillations in the primordial power spectrum in axion monodromy inflation, accounting for drifts in the oscillation period that can be important for comparing to cosmological data. In these models the potential energy has a monomial form over a super-Planckian field range, with superimposed modulations whose size is model-dependent. The amplitude and frequency of the modulations are set by the expectation values of moduli fields. We show that during the course of inflation, the diminishing energy density can induce slow adjustments of the moduli, changing the modulations. We provide templates capturing the effects of drifting moduli, as well as drifts arising in effective field theory models based on softly broken discrete shift symmetries, and we estimate the precision required to detect a drifting period. A non-drifting template suffices over a wide range of parameters, but for the highest frequencies of interest, or for sufficiently strong drift, it is necessary to include parameters characterizing the change in frequency over the e-folds visible in the CMB. Finally, we use these templates to perform a preliminary search for drifting oscillations in a part of the parameter space in the Planck nominal mission data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Position-momentum uncertainty relations in the presence of quantum memory

A prominent formulation of the uncertainty principle identifies the fundamental quantum feature that no particle may be prepared with certain outcomes for both position and momentum measurements. Often the statistical uncertainties are thereby measured in terms of entropies providing a clear operational interpretation in information theory and cryptography. Recently, entropic uncertainty relations have been used to show that the uncertainty can be reduced in the presence of entanglement and to prove security of quantum cryptographic tasks. However, much of this recent progress has been focused on observables with only a finite number of outcomes not including Heisenberg’s original setting of position and momentum observables. Here, we show entropic uncertainty relations for general observables with discrete but infinite or continuous spectrum that take into account the power of an entangled observer. As an illustration, we evaluate the uncertainty relations for position and momentum measurements, which is operationally significant in that it implies security of a quantum key distribution scheme based on homodyne detection of squeezed Gaussian states.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Photochemistry in terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres. III. Photochemistry and thermochemistry in thick atmospheres on super Earths and mini Neptunes

Some super Earths and mini Neptunes will likely have thick atmospheres that are not H{sub 2}-dominated. We have developed a photochemistry-thermochemistry kinetic-transport model for exploring the compositions of thick atmospheres on super Earths and mini Neptunes, applicable for both H{sub 2}-dominated atmospheres and non-H{sub 2}-dominated atmospheres. Using this model to study thick atmospheres for wide ranges of temperatures and elemental abundances, we classify them into hydrogen-rich atmospheres, water-rich atmospheres, oxygen-rich atmospheres, and hydrocarbon-rich atmospheres. We find that carbon has to be in the form of CO{sub 2} rather than CH{sub 4} or CO in a H{sub 2}-depleted water-dominated thick atmosphere and that the preferred loss of light elements from an oxygen-poor carbon-rich atmosphere leads to the formation of unsaturated hydrocarbons (C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and C{sub 2}H{sub 4}). We apply our self-consistent atmosphere models to compute spectra and diagnostic features for known transiting low-mass exoplanets GJ 1214 b, HD 97658 b, and 55 Cnc e. For GJ 1214 b, we find that (1) C{sub 2}H{sub 2} features at 1.0 and 1.5 μm in transmission and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and C{sub 2}H{sub 4} features at 9-14 μm in thermal emission are diagnostic for hydrocarbon-rich atmospheres; (2) a detection of water-vapor features and a confirmation of the nonexistence of methane features would provide sufficient evidence for a water-dominated atmosphere. In general, our simulations show that chemical stability has to be taken into account when interpreting the spectrum of a super Earth/mini Neptune. Water-dominated atmospheres only exist for carbon to oxygen ratios much lower than the solar ratio, suggesting that this kind of atmospheres could be rare.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗