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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 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Two-dimensional correlation analysis for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measures the binding energy of core-level electrons, which are well-localised to specific atomic sites in a molecular system, providing valuable information on the local chemical environment. The technique relies on measuring the photoelectron spectrum upon x-ray photoionisation, and the resolution is often limited by the bandwidth of the ionising x-ray pulse. This is particularly problematic for time-resolved XPS, where the desired time resolution enforces a fundamental lower limit on the bandwidth of the x-ray source. In this work, we report a novel correlation analysis which exploits the correlation between the x-ray and photoelectron spectra to improve the resolution of XPS measurements. We show that with this correlation-based spectral-domain ghost imaging method we can achieve sub-bandwidth resolution in XPS measurements. This analysis method enables XPS for sources with large bandwidth or spectral jitter, previously considered unfeasible for XPS measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Intrinsic operators for the translationally-invariant many-body problem

Abstract The need to enforce fermionic antisymmetry in the nuclear many-body problem commonly requires use of single-particle coordinates, defined relative to some fixed origin. To obtain physical operators which nonetheless act on the nuclear many-body system in a Galilean-invariant fashion, thereby avoiding spurious center-of-mass contributions to observables, it is necessary to express these operators with respect to the translational intrinsic frame. Several commonly-encountered operators in nuclear many-body calculations, including the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole operators (in the impulse approximation) and generators of U(3) and Sp ( 3 , R ) symmetry groups, are bilinear in the coordinates and momenta of the nucleons and, when expressed in intrinsic form, become two-body operators. To work with such operators in a second-quantized many-body calculation, it is necessary to relate three distinct forms: the defining intrinsic-frame expression, an explicitly two-body expression in terms of two-particle relative coordinates, and a decomposition into one-body and separable two-body parts. We establish the relations between these forms, for general (non-scalar and non-isoscalar) operators bilinear in coordinates and momenta.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2017

Better band gaps for wide-gap semiconductors from a locally corrected exchange-correlation potential that nearly eliminates self-interaction errors

Here, this work constitutes a comprehensive and improved account of electronic-structure and mechanical properties of silicon-nitride (${\rm Si}_{3}$ ${\rm N}_{4}$ ) polymorphs via van Leeuwen and Baerends (LB) exchange-corrected local density approximation (LDA) that enforces the exact exchange potential asymptotic behavior. The calculated lattice constant, bulk modulus, and electronic band structure of ${\rm Si}_{3}$ ${\rm N}_{4}$ polymorphs are in good agreement with experimental results. We also show that, for a single electron in a hydrogen atom, spherical well, or harmonic oscillator, the LB-corrected LDA reduces the (self-interaction) error to exact total energy to ~10%, a factor of three to four lower than standard LDA, due to a dramatically improved representation of the exchange-potential.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Foundations of plasma standards

Abstract The field of low-temperature plasmas (LTPs) excels by virtue of its broad intellectual diversity, interdisciplinarity and range of applications. This great diversity also challenges researchers in communicating the outcomes of their investigations, as common practices and expectations for reporting vary widely in the many disciplines that either fall under the LTP umbrella or interact closely with LTP topics. These challenges encompass comparing measurements made in different laboratories, exchanging and sharing computer models, enabling reproducibility in experiments and computations using traceable and transparent methods and data, establishing metrics for reliability, and in translating fundamental findings to practice. In this paper, we address these challenges from the perspective of LTP standards for measurements, diagnostics, computations, reporting and plasma sources. This discussion on standards, or recommended best practices, and in some cases suggestions for standards or best practices, has the goal of improving communication, reproducibility and transparency within the LTP field and fields allied with LTPs. This discussion also acknowledges that standards and best practices, either recommended or at some point enforced, are ultimately a matter of judgment. These standards and recommended practices should not limit innovation nor prevent research breakthroughs from having real-time impact. Ultimately, the goal of our research community is to advance the entire LTP field and the many applications it touches through a shared set of expectations.

data and reaction mechanisms↗
DOE OSTI2012

Measuring the neutrino mass from future wide galaxy cluster catalogues

We present forecast errors on a wide range of cosmological parameters obtained from a photometric cluster catalogue of a future wide-field Euclid-like survey. We focus in particular on the total neutrino mass as constrained by a combination of the galaxy cluster number counts and correlation function. For the latter we consider only the shape information and the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), while marginalising over the spectral amplitude and the redshift space distortions. In addition to the cosmological parameters of the standard ΛCDM+ν model we also consider a non-vanishing curvature, and two parameters describing a redshift evolution for the dark energy equation of state. For completeness, we also marginalise over a set of ''nuisance'' parameters, representing the uncertainties on the cluster mass determination. We find that combining cluster counts with power spectrum information greatly improves the constraining power of each probe taken individually, with errors on cosmological parameters being reduced by up to an order of magnitude. In particular, the best improvements are for the parameters defining the dynamical evolution of dark energy, where cluster counts break degeneracies. Moreover, the resulting error on neutrino mass is at the level of σ(M{sub ν}) ∼ 0.9 eV, comparable with that derived from present Lyα forest measurements and Cosmic Microwave background (CMB) data in the framework of a non-flat Universe. Further adopting Planck priors and reducing the number of free parameters to a ΛCDM+ν cosmology allows to place constraints on the total neutrino mass of σ(M{sub ν}) ∼ 0.08 eV, close to the lower bound enforced by neutrino oscillation experiments. Finally, in the optimistic case where uncertainties in the calibration of the mass-observable relation were so small to be neglected, the combination of Planck priors with cluster counts and power spectrum would constrain the total neutrino mass down to σ(M{sub ν}) ∼ 0.034 eV, i.e. the minimum neutrino mass predicted by oscillation experiments would be detected in a ΛCDM framework. We thus show that galaxy clusters from future wide galaxy surveys will be an excellent tool for studying cosmology and fundamental physics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Affleck-Dine dynamics and the dark sector of pangenesis

Pangenesis is the mechanism for jointly producing the visible and dark matter asymmetries via Affleck-Dine dynamics in a baryon-symmetric universe. The baryon-symmetric feature means that the dark asymmetry cancels the visible baryon asymmetry and thus enforces a tight relationship between the visible and dark matter number densities. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the general dynamics of this scenario in more detail and to construct specific models. After reviewing the simple symmetry structure that underpins all baryon-symmetric models, we turn to a detailed analysis of the required Affleck-Dine dynamics. Both gravity-mediated and gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking are considered, with the messenger scale left arbitrary in the latter, and the viable regions of parameter space are determined. In the gauge-mediated case where gravitinos are light and stable, the regime where they constitute a small fraction of the dark matter density is identified. We discuss the formation of Q-balls, and delineate various regimes in the parameter space of the Affleck-Dine potential with respect to their stability or lifetime and their decay modes. We outline the regions in which Q-ball formation and decay is consistent with successful pangenesis. Examples of viable dark sectors are presented, and constraints are derived from big bang nucleosynthesis, large scale structure formation and the Bullet cluster. Collider signatures and implications for direct dark matter detection experiments are briefly discussed. The following would constitute evidence for pangenesis: supersymmetry, GeV-scale dark matter mass(es) and a Z' boson with a significant invisible width into the dark sector.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

The covariance of multi-field perturbations, pseudo-susy and f{sub NL}

We reconsider cosmological perturbation theory for multi-component scalars, enforcing covariance in field-space, and ensuring that phyical observations are independent of field re-definitions. We use the formalism to clarify some issues in the literature, and use pseudo-supersymmetry to derive various quantities without relying on the slow-roll approximation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cosmic bubble and domain wall instabilities I: parametric amplification of linear fluctuations

This is the first paper in a series where we study collisions of nucleated bubbles taking into account the effects of small initial (quantum) fluctuations in a fully 3+1-dimensional setting. In this paper, we consider the evolution of linear fluctuations around highly symmetric though inhomogeneous backgrounds. In particular, we demonstrate that a large degree of asymmetry develops over time from tiny initial fluctuations superposed upon planar and SO(2,1) symmetric backgrounds. These fluctuations are inevitable consequences of zero-point vacuum oscillations, so excluding them by enforcing a high degree of spatial symmetry is inconsistent in a quantum treatment. To simplify the analysis we consider the limit of two colliding planar walls, with mode functions for the fluctuations characterized by the wavenumber transverse to the collision direction and a longitudinal shape along the collision direction x, which we solve for. In the linear regime, the fluctuations obey a linear wave equation with a time- and space-dependent mass m{sub eff}(x,t). In situations where the walls collide multiple times, m{sub eff} oscillates in time. We use Floquet theory to study the evolution of the fluctuations and generalize the calculations familiar from the preheating literature to the case with many coupled degrees of freedom. The inhomogeneous case has bands of unstable transverse wavenumbers k{sub ⊥} whose corresponding mode functions grow exponentially. By examining the detailed spatial structure of the mode functions in x, we identify both broad and narrow parametric resonance generalizations of the homogeneous m{sub eff}(t) case of preheating. The unstable k{sub ⊥} modes are longitudinally localized, yet can be described as quasiparticles in the Bogoliubov sense. We define an effective occupation number and show they are created in bursts for the case of well-defined collisions in the background. The transverse-longitudinal coupling accompanying nonlinearity radically breaks this localized particle description, with nonseparable 3D modes arising that will be studied in subsequent papers.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Galaxy bias and primordial non-Gaussianity

We present a systematic study of galaxy biasing in the presence of primordial non-Gaussianity. For a large class of non-Gaussian initial conditions, we define a general bias expansion and prove that it is closed under renormalization, thereby showing that the basis of operators in the expansion is complete. We then study the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity on the statistics of galaxies. We show that the equivalence principle enforces a relation between the scale-dependent bias in the galaxy power spectrum and that in the dipolar part of the bispectrum. This provides a powerful consistency check to confirm the primordial origin of any observed scale-dependent bias. Finally, we also discuss the imprints of anisotropic non-Gaussianity as motivated by recent studies of higher-spin fields during inflation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Constraints on alternate universes: stars and habitable planets with different fundamental constants

This paper develops constraints on the values of the fundamental constants that allow universes to be habitable. We focus on the fine structure constant α and the gravitational structure constant α{sub G}, and find the region in the α-α{sub G} plane that supports working stars and habitable planets. This work is motivated, in part, by the possibility that different versions of the laws of physics could be realized within other universes. The following constraints are enforced: [A] long-lived stable nuclear burning stars exist, [B] planetary surface temperatures are hot enough to support chemical reactions, [C] stellar lifetimes are long enough to allow biological evolution, [D] planets are massive enough to maintain atmospheres, [E] planets are small enough in mass to remain non-degenerate, [F] planets are massive enough to support sufficiently complex biospheres, [G] planets are smaller in mass than their host stars, and [H] stars are smaller in mass than their host galaxies. This paper delineates the portion of the α-α{sub G} plane that satisfies all of these constraints. The results indicate that viable universes—with working stars and habitable planets—can exist within a parameter space where the structure constants α and α{sub G} vary by several orders of magnitude. These constraints also provide upper bounds on the structure constants (α,α{sub G}) and their ratio. We find the limit α{sub G}/α ∼< 10{sup −34}, which shows that habitable universes must have a large hierarchy between the strengths of the gravitational force and the electromagnetic force.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Bubbles of nothing and supersymmetric compactifications

We investigate the non-perturbative stability of supersymmetric compactifications with respect to decay via a bubble of nothing. We show examples where this kind of instability is not prohibited by the spin structure, i.e., periodicity of fermions about the extra dimension. However, such “topologically unobstructed” cases do exhibit an extra-dimensional analog of the well-known Coleman-De Luccia suppression mechanism, which prohibits the decay of supersymmetric vacua. We demonstrate this explicitly in a four dimensional Abelian-Higgs toy model coupled to supergravity. The compactification of this model to M{sub 3}×S{sub 1} presents the possibility of vacua with different windings for the scalar field. Away from the supersymmetric limit, these states decay by the formation of a bubble of nothing, dressed with an Abelian-Higgs vortex. We show how, as one approaches the supersymmetric limit, the circumference of the topologically unobstructed bubble becomes infinite, thereby preventing the realization of this decay. This demonstrates the dynamical origin of the decay suppression, as opposed to the more familiar argument based on the spin structure. We conjecture that this is a generic mechanism that enforces stability of any topologically unobstructed supersymmetric compactification.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nonlocal cosmology II. Cosmic acceleration without fine tuning or dark energy

Here, we present an improved version of our original cosmological model to explain the current phase of cosmological acceleration without resorting to a cosmological constant or any other mass scale. Like the original, this phenomenological approach is based on an effective quantum gravitational action, but now depends on the original nonlocal dimensionless scalar X = $\square$ -1 R only through Y = $\square$ -1 g μν X ,μ X ,ν . Both X and Y are quiescent during the radiation-dominated (R=0) era, both only grow logarithmically during matter dominance, and neither affects the propagation of gravitational radiation. However, while X has the same sign for gravitationally bound systems as for cosmology, we show that the sign of Y differs for the two cases: it is positive for cosmology and negative for strongly gravitationally bound systems. We can therefore enforce the ΛCDM expansion history by making a suitable choice of the nonlocal distortion function f(Y) for Y > 0, while ensuring that there is no change in the heavily constrained solar system phenomenology simply by making f vanish for Y < 0 without discontinuity. The required f(Y>0) is determined numerically to have a strikingly simple exponential form.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

What is flat ΛCDM, and may we choose it?

The Universe is neither homogeneous nor isotropic, but it is close enough that we can reasonably approximate it as such on suitably large scales. The inflationary-Λ-Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) concordance cosmology builds on these assumptions to describe the origin and evolution of fluctuations. With standard assumptions about stress-energy sources, this system is specified by just seven phenomenological parameters, whose precise relations to underlying fundamental theories are complicated and may depend on details of those fields. Nevertheless, it is common practice to set the parameter that characterizes the spatial curvature, Ω K , exactly to zero. This parameter-fixed ΛCDM is awarded distinguished status as separate model, "flat ΛCDM." Ipso facto this places the onus on proponents of "curved ΛCDM" to present sufficient evidence that Ω K ≠ 0, and is needed as a parameter. While certain inflationary model Lagrangians, with certain values of their parameters, and certain initial conditions, will lead to a present-day universe well-described as containing zero curvature, this does not justify distinguishing that subset of Lagrangians, parameters and initial conditions into a separate model. Absent any theoretical arguments, we cannot use observations that suggest small Ω K to enforce Ω K = 0. Our track record in picking inflationary models and their parameters a priori makes such a choice dubious, and concerns about tensions in cosmological parameters and large-angle cosmic-microwave-background anomalies strengthens arguments against this choice. We argue that Ω K must not be set to zero, and that ΛCDM remains a phenomenological model with at least 7 parameters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Physics basis for design of 3D coils in tokamaks

Recent progress in 3D tokamak modeling is now leveraged to create a conceptual design of new external 3D field coils for the DIII-D tokamak. In this work generalized perturbed equilibrium code is used to determine optimally efficient spectrum for driving total, core, and edge neoclassical toroidal viscosity torque. These fundamental modes of 3D control are shown to have consistent outboard structures across a wide variety of plasma scenarios and machines. Given these target spectra, the currents and 3D geometry of multiple coils can be optimized to increase efficient drive for the physics of interest without undesired secondary effects. Here, this nonlinear optimization is demonstrated using the flexible optimized coils using space-curves code. The optimized coils are individually distorted in space, creating toroidal 'arrays' containing a variety of shapes that often wrap around a significant poloidal extent of the machine. Importantly, efficient coupling can be maintained even when enforcing large distances between coils and the plasma during the geometric optimization of coil designs. Finally, the physics-driven optimization presented here thus provides a practical path to utilizing coils built on the exterior of the vacuum chamber in future reactors to obtain the powerful 3D field benefits demonstrated on current machines with close, internal coils.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Machine learning assisted hybrid models can improve streamflow simulation in diverse catchments across the conterminous US

Incomplete representations of physical processes often lead to structural errors in process-based (PB) hydrologic models. Machine learning (ML) algorithms can reduce streamflow modeling errors but do not enforce physical consistency. As a result, ML algorithms may be unreliable if used to provide future hydroclimate projections where climates and land use patterns are outside the range of training data. Here we test hybrid models built by integrating PB model outputs with a ML algorithm known as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network on their ability to simulate streamflow in 531 catchments representing diverse conditions across the Conterminous United States. Model performance of hybrid models as measured by Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) improved relative to standalone PB and LSTM models. More importantly, hybrid models provide highest improvement in catchments where PB models fail completely (i.e., NSE < 0). However, all models performed poorly in catchments with extended low flow periods, suggesting need for additional research.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Overcoming persistent challenges in putting environmental flow policy into practice: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis

The implementation of environmental flows (e-flows) aims to reduce the negative impacts of hydrological alteration on freshwater ecosystems. Despite the growing attention to the importance of e-flows since the 1970s, actual implementation has lagged. Therefore, we explore the limitations in e-flows implementation, their systemic reasons, and solutions. We conducted a systematic review and a bibliometric analysis to identify peer-reviewed articles published on the topic of e-flows implementation research in the last two decades, resulting in 68 research and review papers. Co-occurrence of terms, and geographic and temporal trends were analyzed to identify the gaps in environmental water management and propose recommendations to address limitations on e-flows implementation. We identify the underlying causes and potential solutions to such challenges in environmental water management. The limitations to e-flow implementation identified were categorized into 21 classes. The most recognized limitation was the competing priorities of human uses of water (n = 29). Many secondary limitations, generally co-occurring in co-causation, were identified as limiting factors, especially for implementing more nuanced and sophisticated e-flows. The lack of adequate hydrological data (n = 24) and ecological data (n = 28) were among the most mentioned, and ultimately lead to difficulties in starting or continuing monitoring/adaptive management (n = 28) efforts. The lack of resource/capacity (n = 21), experimentation (n = 19), regulatory enforcement (n = 17), and differing authorities involved (n = 18) were also recurrent problems, driven by the deficiencies in the relative importance given to e-flows when facing other human priorities. In order to provide a clearer path for successful e-flow implementation, system mapping can be used as a starting point and general-purpose resource for understanding the sociohydrological problems, interactions, and inherited complexity of river systems. Secondly, we recommend a system analysis approach to address competing demands, especially with the use of coupled water-energy modeling tools to support decision-making when hydropower generation is involved. Such approaches can better assess the complex interactions among the hydrologic, ecological, socioeconomic, and engineering dimensions of water resource systems and their effective management. Lastly, given the complexities in environmental water allocation, implementation requires both scientific rigor and proven utility. Consequently, and where possible, we recommend a move from simplistic flow allocations to a more holistic approach informed by hydroecological principles. To ease conflicts between competing water demands, water managers can realize more 'pop per drop' by supporting key components of a flow regime that include functional attributes and processes that enhance biogeochemical cycling, structural habitat formation, and ecosystem maintenance.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermodynamically consistent semi-compressible fluids: a variational perspective

This paper presents (Lagrangian) variational formulations for single and multicomponent semi-compressible fluids with both reversible (entropy-conserving) and irreversible (entropy-generating) processes. Semi-compressible fluids are useful in describing low-Mach dynamics, since they are soundproof. These models find wide use in many areas of fluid dynamics, including both geophysical and astrophysical fluid dynamics. Specifically, the Boussinesq, anelastic and pseudoincompressible equations are developed through a unified treatment valid for arbitrary Riemannian manifolds, thermodynamic potentials and geopotentials. By design, these formulations obey the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, ensuring their thermodynamic consistency. This general approach extends and unifies existing work, and helps clarify the thermodynamics of semi-compressible fluids. To further this goal, evolution equations are presented for a wide range of thermodynamic variables: entropy density s, specific entropy η, buoyancy b, temperature T, potential temperature θ and a generic entropic variable χ; along with a general definition of buoyancy valid for all three semicompressible models and arbitrary geopotentials. Finally, the elliptic equation for the pressure perturbation (the Lagrange multiplier that enforces semi-compressibility) is developed for all three equation sets in the case of reversible dynamics, and for the Boussinesq/anelastic equations in the case of irreversible dynamics; and some discussion is given of the difficulty in formulating it for the pseudoincompressible equations with irreversible dynamics.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2013

SELF-CALIBRATION OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND POLARIZATION EXPERIMENTS

Precision measurements of the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, especially experiments seeking to detect the odd-parity 'B-modes', have far-reaching implications for cosmology. To detect the B-modes generated during inflation, the flux response and polarization angle of these experiments must be calibrated to exquisite precision. While suitable flux calibration sources abound, polarization angle calibrators are deficient in many respects. Man-made polarized sources are often not located in the antenna's far-field, have spectral properties that are radically different from the CMB's, are cumbersome to implement, and may be inherently unstable over the (long) duration these searches require to detect the faint signature of the inflationary epoch. Astrophysical sources suffer from time, frequency, and spatial variability, are not visible from all CMB observatories, and none are understood with sufficient accuracy to calibrate future CMB polarimeters seeking to probe inflationary energy scales of 10{sup 15} GeV. Both man-made and astrophysical sources require dedicated observations which detract from the amount of integration time usable for detection of the inflationary B-modes. CMB TB and EB modes, expected to identically vanish in the standard cosmological model, can be used to calibrate CMB polarimeters. By enforcing the observed EB and TB power spectra to be consistent with zero, CMB polarimeters can be calibrated to levels not possible with man-made or astrophysical sources. All of this can be accomplished for any polarimeter without any loss of observing time using a calibration source which is spectrally identical to the CMB B-modes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗