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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Photon counting with intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) – II. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) spectral measurement

This study explores the application of photon counting (PC) to enhance the resolution of spectra acquired by an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) detector, with a focus on analytical atomic emission spectrometry using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a use-case example. It demonstrates that, for spectra obtained with the same spectrometer–ICCD system, PC provides higher spectral resolution compared to conventional analog detector readout. This enhancement is particularly evident in the line wings of spectral peaks, facilitating better discrimination of isotopic peaks in the measured spectra. Although PC does not improve the resolution of an optical spectrometer directly, it rectifies the resolution lost caused by signal spreading in conventional ICCD analog measurement. However, similar to other counting techniques, excessive photons compromise detector linearity due to signal pileup. A correction model is proposed to mitigate the pileup effect, resulting in improved linearity and dynamic range in PC measurements. Additionally, the study reveals unexpected periodic structures in the flatfield image of the ICCD, which cause non-uniform detector gain in conventional analog as well as PC measurement modes and must be addressed for high-precision measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Star formation rate and stellar mass calibrations based on infrared photometry and their dependence on stellar population age and extinction

The stellar mass (M $\star$ ) and the star formation rate (SFR) are among the most important features that characterize galaxies. Measuring these fundamental properties accurately is critical for understanding the present state of galaxies, their history, and future evolution. Infrared (IR) photometry is widely used to measure the M $\star$ and SFR of galaxies because the near-IR traces the continuum emission of the majority of their stellar populations (SPs), and the mid/far-IR traces the dust emission powered by star-forming activity. This work explores the dependence of the IR emission of galaxies on their extinction, and the age of their SPs. It aims to provide accurate and precise IR-photometry SFR and M $\star$ calibrations that account for SP age and extinction while providing quantification of their scatter. We used the CIGALE spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code to create model SEDs of galaxies with a wide range of star formation histories, dust content, and interstellar medium properties. We fit the relations between M $\star$ and SFR with IR and optical photometry of the model-galaxy SEDs with the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. As an independent confirmation of the MCMC fitting method, we performed a machine-learning random forest (RF) analysis on the same data set. The RF model yields similar results to the MCMC fits, thus validating the latter. This work provides calibrations for the SFR using a combination of the WISE bands 1 and 3, or the JWST NIR-F200W and MIRI-F2100W. It also provides mass-to-light ratio calibrations based on the WISE band-1, the JWST NIR-F200W, and the optical u - r or g - r colors. These calibrations account for the biases attributed to the SP age, while they are given in the form of extinction-dependent and extinction-independent relations. The proposed calibrations show robust estimations while minimizing the scatter and biases throughout a wide range of SFRs and stellar masses. The SFR calibration offers better results, especially in dust-free or passive galaxies where the contributions of old SPs or biases from the lack of dust are significant. Similarly, the M $\star$ calibration yields significantly better results for dusty and high-SFR galaxies where dust emission can otherwise bias the estimations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved control of atomic layering in perovskite-related homologous series

Homologous series are layered phases that can have a range of stoichiometries depending on an index n. Examples of perovskite-related homologous series include (ABO 3 )nAO Ruddlesden–Popper phases and (Bi 2 O 2 ) (A n-1 B n O 3n+1 ) Aurivillius phases. It is challenging to precisely control n because other members of the homologous series have similar stoichiometry and a phase with the desired n is degenerate in energy with syntactic intergrowths among similar n values; this challenge is amplified as n increases. To improve the ability to synthesize a targeted phase with precise control of the atomic layering, we apply the x-ray diffraction (XRD) approach developed for superlattices of III–V semiconductors to measure minute deviations from the ideal structure so that they can be quantitatively eradicated in subsequent films. We demonstrate the precision of this approach by improving the growth of known Ruddlesden–Popper phases and ultimately, by synthesizing an unprecedented n = 20 Ruddlesden–Popper phase, (ATiO 3 ) 20 AO where the A-site occupancy is Ba 0.6 Sr 0.4 . We demonstrate the generality of this method by applying it to Aurivillius phases and the Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca n–1 Cu n O 2n+4 series of high-temperature superconducting phases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Prototype design and experimental tests of a zoom mirror system for the APS upgrade

Mirror-based zoom optics systems can offer variable focal spot sizes over a wide range, which is essential for coherent nanoprobe beamlines, such as the proposed Atomic beamline in the Advanced Photon Source (APS) upgrade project. The success of the zoom mirror system in the nano-focusing regime requires the development of high-precision deformable mirrors, in-situ surface profilers and wavefront sensors, and advanced feedback control system. A prototype 1-D zoom mirror system consists of two vertical focusing mirrors was designed, assembled, and tested at the APS 1-BM beamline. The system consists of a bender-based mirror with a capacitive-sensorarray-based real-time mirror profiler, a bimorph adaptive mirror, and a grating interferometer for the wavefront monitoring. In this work, we present the design and test results of the prototype system demonstrating its zoom focusing capability.

adaptive optics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Conformal Pressure and Fast-Charging Li-Ion Batteries

Batteries capable of extreme fast-charging (XFC) are a necessity for the deployment of electric vehicles. Material properties of electrodes and electrolytes along with cell parameters such as stack pressure and temperature have coupled, synergistic, and sometimes deleterious effects on fast-charging performance. We develop a new experimental testbed that allows precise and conformal application of electrode stack pressure. We focus on cell capacity degradation using single-layer pouch cells with graphite anodes, LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 (NMC532) cathodes, and carbonate-based electrolyte. In the tested range (10–125 psi), cells cycled at higher pressure show higher capacity and less capacity fading. Additionally, Li plating decreases with increasing pressure as observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical imaging. While the loss of Li inventory from Li plating is the largest contributor to capacity fade, electrochemical and SEM examination of the NMC cathodes after XFC experiments show increased secondary particle damage at lower pressure. We infer that the better performance at higher pressure is due to more homogeneous reactions of active materials across the electrode and less polarization through the electrode thickness. Our study emphasizes the importance of electrode stack pressure in XFC batteries and highlights its subtle role in cell conditions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lens alignment system and method

A lens alignment system and method is disclosed. The disclosed system/method integrates one or more lens retaining members/tubes (LRM/LRT) and focal length spacers (FLS) each comprising a metallic material product (MMP) specifically manufactured to have a thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) in a predetermined range via selection of the individual MMP materials and an associated MMP manufacturing process providing for controlled TEC. This controlled LRM/LRT TEC enables a plurality of optical lenses (POL) fixed along a common optical axis (COA) by the LRM/LRT to maintain precise interspatial alignment characteristics that ensure consistent and/or controlled series focal length (SFL) within the POL to generate a thermally neutral optical system (TNOS). Integration of the POL using this LRM/LRT/FLS lens alignment system reduces the overall TNOS implementation cost, reduces the overall TNOS mass, reduces TNOS parts component count, and increases the reliability of the overall optical system.

Monroe, James Alan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scintillating glass for precision calorimetry in nuclear physics

High-performance scintillator materials are needed for particle identification and measurements of energy and momentum of electromagnetic particles in modern nuclear physics experiments. As an example, the US Electron-Ion Collider, a unique collider with diverse physics topics, requires electromagnetic calorimetry enabling high-quality electron identification and detection in the momentum range of 0.3 to tens of GeV. The highest resolution in electromagnetic calorimeters can be provided by homogeneous materials, e.g., lead tungstate crystals. Inorganic glass scintillators have been investigated as an attractive and cost-effective alternative to crystals, that is also easier and faster to manufacture in mass production. In this paper, we discuss progress in the fabrication and characterization of recent scintillating glass samples on both test bench and beam tests. Further, the results are well-reproduced by simulation and are discussed in the context of the Electron-Ion Collider experimental requirements and bench-marked against lead tungstate crystals.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-precision measurement of U-Pu-Np-Am concentrations and isotope ratios in environmental reference materials by mass spectrometry

Herein, we report results of precise and sensitive mass spectrometric measurements of uranium, plutonium, neptunium, and americium concentrations and isotope ratios in a variety of environmental reference materials. Most of our work has been done on NIST SRM 4350b, River Sediment, but we also present results for NIST SRM 4354, Lake Sediment; NIST SRMs 4355 and 4355a, Peruvian Soil; NIST SRM 4357, Ocean Sediment; NIST SRM 1648a, Urban Particulate Material; NIST SRM 1649b, Urban Dust; IAEA CRM 385, Ocean Sediment; USGS BCR-2, Columbia River Basalt; and USGS BHVO-2, Hawaiian Volcanic Observatory Basalt. These materials reflect a wide range in long-lived actinide concentrations (e.g. 1E4 to 1E10 atoms 239 Pu/g) and isotope ratios. Measurements were performed in a clean laboratory by isotope dilution, multi-collector thermal ionization and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In general, our results are in agreement with, but lower the uncertainty of, literature or certificate values for these reference materials. Our uranium results for the basalts also confirm previously reported high-precision mass spectrometric results from our laboratory. In many cases our measurements of U-Pu-Np-Am nuclides appear to be novel.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

3D-printed micro ion trap technology for quantum information applications

Trapped-ion applications, such as in quantum information processing1, precision measurements, optical clocks and mass spectrometry, rely on specialized high-performance ion traps. The last three of these applications typically use traditional machining to customize macroscopic 3D Paul traps, whereas quantum information processing experiments usually rely on photolithographic techniques to miniaturize the traps and meet scalability requirements. Using photolithography, however, it is challenging to fabricate the complex 3D electrode structures required for optimal confinement. Here, in this work, we demonstrate a high-resolution 3D printing technology based on two-photon polymerization (2PP) that is capable of fabricating large arrays of high-performance miniaturized 3D traps. We show that 3D-printed ion traps combine the advantages, such as strong radial confinement, of traditionally machined 3D traps with on-chip miniaturization. We trap calcium ions in 3D-printed ion traps with radial trap frequencies ranging from 2 MHz to 24 MHz. The tight confinement eases ion cooling requirements and allows us to implement high-quality Rabi oscillations with Doppler cooling only. Also, we demonstrate a two-qubit gate with a Bell-state fidelity of 0.978 ± 0.012. With 3D printing technology, the design freedom is greatly expanded without sacrificing scalability and precision, so that ion trap geometries can be optimized for higher performance and better functionality.

quantum information↗
DOE OSTI2021

Radiation damage of a two-dimensional carbon fiber composite (CFC)

Carbon fiber composites (CFC) are, among other applications, already in use as low-impedance collimating elements for intercepting TeV-level protons machines, like the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Towards a comprehensive understanding of these materials’ properties and behavior, a series of radiation damage campaigns have been undertaken in order to quantitively investigate the response of AC-150 K CFC to high proton fluences. The CFCs dimensional changes, stability, micro-structural evolution, and structural integrity below and above 5 × 10 20 p/cm 2 fluence threshold were studied. The irradiating particles were protons of kinetic energies in the range of 130–200 MeV. The effects of the irradiation temperature (~90–180°C and 280–500°C) combined with the proton fluence on the dimensional stability and the microstructural evolution of this anisotropic two-dimensional composite structure were studied using precision dilatometry and X-ray diffraction. Our results shed light on the fluence-based limitations for these composite materials. Furthermore, we compare these results with reference unirradiated graphite, and we discuss the similarities and differences in the dimensional changes and post-irradiation annealing properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparison of the earliest NC and CC planetesimals: Evidence from ungrouped iron meteorites

Isotope anomalies in meteorites reveal a fundamental dichotomy between Non-Carbonaceous- (NC) and Carbonaceous-type (CC) planetary bodies. Until now, this dichotomy is established for the major meteorite groups, representing about 36 distinct parent bodies. Ungrouped meteorites represent an even larger number of additional parent bodies, but whether they conform to the overall NC-CC dichotomy is unknown. Here, the genetics and chronology of 26 ungrouped iron meteorites are considered through nucleosynthetic Mo and radiogenic W isotopic compositions. Secondary cosmic ray-induced modifications of these isotope compositions are corrected using Pt isotope measurements on the same samples. We find that all of the ungrouped irons have Mo isotope anomalies within the range of the major meteorite groups and confirm the NC-CC dichotomy for Mo, where NC and CC meteorites define two distinct, subparallel s-process mixing lines. All ungrouped NC irons fall on the NC-line, which is now precisely defined for 41 distinct parent bodies. The ungrouped CC irons show scatter around the CC-line indicative of small r-process Mo heterogeneities among these samples. These r-process Mo isotope variations correlate with O isotope anomalies, most likely reflecting mixing of CI chondrite-like matrix, chondrule precursors, and Ca-Al-rich inclusions. This implies that CC iron meteorite parent bodies accreted the same nebular components as the later-formed carbonaceous chondrites. The Hf-W model ages of core formation for the ungrouped irons overlap with those of the iron meteorite groups from each reservoir and reveal a narrow age peak at ∼3.3 Ma after Ca-Al-rich inclusions for the CC irons. By contrast, the NC irons display more variable ages, including younger ages indicative of impact-induced melting events, which seem absent among the CC irons. This is attributed to the more fragile and porous nature of the CC bodies, making impact-induced melting on their surfaces difficult. The chemical characteristics of all iron meteorites together reveal slightly more oxidizing conditions during core formation for CC compared to NC irons. More strikingly, strong depletions in moderately volatile elements, typical of many iron meteorite parent bodies, predominantly occur among CC irons, for reasons that remain unclear at present.

Chondrite components↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cryogenic probe for low-noise, high-frequency electronic measurements

The design and performance of a low-noise, modular cryogenic probe, which is applicable to a wide range of measurements over a broad range of working frequencies, temperatures, and magnetic fields, is presented. The design of the probe facilitates the exchange of sample holders and sample-stage amplifiers, which, combined with its characteristic low transmission and reflection loss, make this design suitable for high precision or low sensitivity measurements. The specific example of measuring the shot noise of magnetic tunnel junctions is discussed. We highlight various design characteristics chosen specifically to expand the applicability of the probe to measurement techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nonfuel antineutrino contributions in the ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)

Reactor neutrino experiments have seen major improvements in precision in recent years. With the experimental uncertainties becoming lower than those from theory, carefully considering all sources of $\bar{ν}$ e is important when making theoretical predictions. One source of νe that is often neglected arises from the irradiation of the nonfuel materials in reactors. The $\bar{ν}$ e rates and energies from these sources vary widely based on the reactor type, configuration, and sampling stage during the reactor cycle and have to be carefully considered for each experiment independently. In this article, we present a formalism for selecting the possible $\bar{ν}$ e sources arising from the neutron captures on reactor and target materials. We apply this formalism to the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the $\bar{ν}$ e source for the the Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Measurement (PROSPECT) experiment. Overall, we observe that the nonfuel $\bar{ν}$ e contributions from HFIR to PROSPECT amount to 1% above the inverse beta decay threshold with a maximum contribution of 9% in the 1.8–2.0 MeV range. Nonfuel contributions can be particularly high for research reactors like HFIR because of the choice of structural and reflector material in addition to the intentional irradiation of target material for isotope production. We show that typical commercial pressurized water reactors fueled with low-enriched uranium will have significantly smaller nonfuel $\bar{ν}$ e contribution.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dispersive and nondispersive 𝐾-matrix formalisms

The modeling of coupled-channel effects has become increasingly important due to the availability of highly precise data for a large variety of hadronic (re)scattering processes. The 𝐾-matrix is a powerful, yet comparatively simple, method to describe scattering amplitudes, including coupled-channel effects, with the aim of interpreting experimental data. Throughout the literature, a range of dispersive and nondispersive 𝐾-matrix methods are employed. Here, we compare the dispersive and nondispersive formulations in the context of the N/D method. It is shown that the methods are equivalent in the physical region under 𝐾-matrix reparametrization. Differences away from the physical region are examined. Applications to synthetic data are used to illustrate the effects of model choices concerning form factors and the application of dispersion relations, with the goal of clarifying best practices. We find no clear preference with regard to dispersive modeling. In contrast, we find that interpretational ambiguity of the bare model parameters—and even of the form of the bare model—is endemic, and recommend a thorough sampling of data and model spaces to assess conclusion robustness.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reducing heat load density with asymmetric and inclined double-crystal monochromators: principles and requirements revisited

Asymmetric double-crystal monochromators (aDCMs) and inclined DCMs (iDCMs) can significantly expand the X-ray beam footprint and consequently reduce the heat load density and gradient. Based on rigorous dynamical theory calculations, the major principles and properties of aDCMs and iDCMs are presented to guide their design and development, particularly for fourth-generation synchrotrons. In addition to the large beam footprint, aDCMs have very large bandwidths (up to ∼10 eV) and angular acceptance, but the narrow angular acceptance of the second crystal requires precise control of the relative orientations and strains. Based on Fourier coupled-wave diffraction theory calculations, it is rigorously proved that the iDCM has almost the same properties as the conventional symmetric DCM, including the efficiency, angular acceptance, bandwidth, tuning energy range and sensitivity to misalignment. The exception is that, for the extremely inclined geometry that can achieve very large footprint expansion, the iDCM has (beneficially) a larger bandwidth and wider angular acceptance. Inclined diffraction has the `rho-kick effect' that can be cancelled by the second reflection of the iDCM (even with misalignment), except that inhomogeneous strains may cause non-uniform rho-kick angles. At present, fabrication/mounting-induced strains pose low risk since they can be controlled to <0.5 µrad over large areas. The only uncertain challenge is the thermally induced strains, yet it is estimated that these strains are naturally lowered by the large footprint and may be further mitigated by optimized cryogenic cooling to the 1–2 µrad level. Overall, aDCMs and iDCMs have more stringent requirements than normal DCMs, but they are feasible schemes in practice.

asymmetric monochromator↗
DOE OSTI2022

Lossy checkpoint compression in full waveform inversion: a case study with ZFPv0.5.5 and the overthrust model

This paper proposes a new method that combines checkpointing methods with error-controlled lossy compression for large-scale high-performance full-waveform inversion (FWI), an inverse problem commonly used in geophysical exploration. This combination can significantly reduce data movement, allowing a reduction in run time as well as peak memory. In the exascale computing era, frequent data transfer (e.g., memory bandwidth, PCIe bandwidth for GPUs, or network) is the performance bottleneck rather than the peak FLOPS of the processing unit. Like many other adjoint-based optimization problems, FWI is costly in terms of the number of floating-point operations, large memory footprint during backpropagation, and data transfer overheads. Past work for adjoint methods has developed checkpointing methods that reduce the peak memory requirements during backpropagation at the cost of additional floating-point computations. Combining this traditional checkpointing with error-controlled lossy compression, we explore the three-way tradeoff between memory, precision, and time to solution. We investigate how approximation errors introduced by lossy compression of the forward solution impact the objective function gradient and final inverted solution. Empirical results from these numerical experiments indicate that high lossy-compression rates (compression factors ranging up to 100) have a relatively minor impact on convergence rates and the quality of the final solution.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

HopBox: An image analysis pipeline to characterize hop cone morphology

Abstract Hop cone morphology can influence picking and drying ability, and color can impact consumer preference and may be indicative of quality. However, these characteristics are not generally evaluated in hop breeding programs due to the tedious nature of trait quantification and the extensive variation among cones within a genotype. We developed the HopBox, which is a simply constructed light box with a camera mount, and a publicly available image processing pipeline that identifies hop cones within color‐corrected images, reads a QR code within the image, and outputs data on hop cone length, width, area, perimeter, openness, weight, color, and density. The trained model was applied to images of 500 cones each from 15 replicated advanced hop genotypes from the USDA‐ARS breeding program in Prosser, Washington. Analysis of variance revealed significant ( p < 0.001) differences between genotypes for all traits measured, enabling breeders to discriminate between genotypes for selection purposes. Broad sense heritability for all traits ranged from 0.23 to 0.59. A random sampling of hop cones from the complete dataset revealed that imaging only 5–10 cones adequately captured genotypic variation and provided acceptable rank correlations ( r s > 0.75); however, increasing the sample size to 30 provided optimal precision. Instructions for constructing a HopBox and the code for the analysis pipeline are publicly available online and have wide applicability for hop breeding and research.

Altendorf, Kayla R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Direct laser writing of volumetric gradient index lenses and waveguides

Abstract Direct laser writing (DLW) has been shown to render 3D polymeric optical components, including lenses, beam expanders, and mirrors, with submicrometer precision. However, these printed structures are limited to the refractive index and dispersive properties of the photopolymer. Here, we present the subsurface controllable refractive index via beam exposure (SCRIBE) method, a lithographic approach that enables the tuning of the refractive index over a range of greater than 0.3 by performing DLW inside photoresist-filled nanoporous silicon and silica scaffolds. Adjusting the laser exposure during printing enables 3D submicron control of the polymer infilling and thus the refractive index and chromatic dispersion. Combining SCRIBE’s unprecedented index range and 3D writing accuracy has realized the world’s smallest (15 µm diameter) spherical Luneburg lens operating at visible wavelengths. SCRIBE’s ability to tune the chromatic dispersion alongside the refractive index was leveraged to render achromatic doublets in a single printing step, eliminating the need for multiple photoresins and writing sequences. SCRIBE also has the potential to form multicomponent optics by cascading optical elements within a scaffold. As a demonstration, stacked focusing structures that generate photonic nanojets were fabricated inside porous silicon. Finally, an all-pass ring resonator was coupled to a subsurface 3D waveguide. The measured quality factor of 4600 at 1550 nm suggests the possibility of compact photonic systems with optical interconnects that traverse multiple planes. SCRIBE is uniquely suited for constructing such photonic integrated circuits due to its ability to integrate multiple optical components, including lenses and waveguides, without additional printed supports.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗