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At least 757 records · Page 42

Expanded Understanding of the Western Antarctic Peninsula Sea‐Ice Environment Through Local and Regional Observations at Palmer Station

Abstract The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) has been experiencing rapid regional warming since at least the 1950s, however, the impacts of this warming at the local scale are variable and nuanced. Previous studies that have linked sea‐ice variability to biogeochemical cycles and food web dynamics often combine local‐scale biogeochemical data with coarse‐resolution regional satellite sea‐ice data, which may not adequately capture local sea‐ice conditions. In this study, we analyzed local‐scale in situ sea‐ice observations collected as part of a 28‐year record (1992–2020) from the Palmer Long‐Term Ecological Research site at Anvers Island, mid‐WAP, in conjunction with isotopically‐derived sea‐ice meltwater (SIM) fractions and satellite‐derived sea‐ice motion and concentration, to quantify the variability and long‐term trends in local sea‐ice behavior. In situ sea ice observations at Palmer Station displayed higher variability than satellite observations and showed no significant declines over this time, despite region‐wide declines identified in prior studies. Higher spring SIM fractions were attributed to strong northward sea‐ice motion throughout the winter. Applying these local‐scale sea‐ice insights to similarly scaled stratification and chlorophyll‐ a measurements, we found that a longer‐lasting, more consistent sea‐ice pack led to greater water column stratification following the spring sea‐ice retreat. Greater sea‐ice persistence and stronger stratification led to larger peaks in chlorophyll‐ a , though sea‐ice metrics did not explain the positive temporal trends in either stratification strength or chlorophyll‐ a . Through this study, we identify how local sea‐ice observations and meltwater data can enhance satellite data to build an understanding of the intricate connections between ice, water column dynamics, and phytoplankton.

Goodell, E.↗

Bayesian inference of nuclear incompressibility from collective flow in mid-central Au+Au collisions at 400–1500 MeV/nucleon

The incompressibility K of symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) is determined through a Bayesian analysis of collective flow data from Au + Au collisions at beam energies $E = 400 -1500$ MeV/nucleon. This analysis utilizes a Gaussian process (GP) emulator applied to the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics (IQMD) model for heavy-ion collisions, both with and without incorporating the momentum dependence of the single-nucleon potentials. Specifically, at the 68% confidence level, using rapidity and transverse velocity dependence of proton elliptic flow data with and without consideration of the momentum dependence, the inferred incompressibility values are $K=188.9^{+2.9}_{-4.5}$ MeV and $256.1^{+8.2}_{-8.7}$ MeV at $E = 400$ MeV/nucleon, respectively. When the transverse momentum dependence of proton-like directed flow data is included, the inferred incompressibility values become $K=222.3^{+9.0}_{-9.9}$ MeV and $K=285.5^{+6.7}_{-7.3}$ MeV, respectively. Furthermore, we found that the value of K derived from observables of proton elliptic flow increases with beam energy. Finally, this indicates that the equation of state (EoS) of nuclear matter hardens at higher densities and temperatures in reactions with higher beam energies.

Bayesian inference↗

Analytic Chromaticity Formulas for the Muon g -2 experiment at fermilab

The Muon g-2 Experiment (E989) at Fermilab measured the muon anomalous magnetic moment aμ with unprecedented precision of 127 ppb using a storage ring. The experiment pushed the limits in terms of accuracy and systematic errors. Achieving the 78-ppb total systematic uncertainty required precise beam dynamics modeling and corrections for effects on the measured muon precession frequency. Here, we derived the first analytic aberration formulas up to the second order for the muon g-2 storage ring’s combined-function electrostatic quadrupoles (superimposed magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole fields) using an order-by-order perturbation method. From these, we obtained the exact chromaticity formulas for three ring models of different granularity and validated them against numerical calculations using COSY INFINITY, achieving analytic-numerical agreement to ⁠$\mathscr{O}(10^{-10})$. This work resolved discrepancies between previous approximate derivations and provided essential beam dynamics results for Runs 4-6 analyses. We also calculated nonlinear chromaticities up to ninth order. The experiment completed its final Run 6 in July 2023, collecting 21 times more data than the previous muon g-2 experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory, with the final result announced in June 2025.

aberrations↗

Numerical simulation of airfoil ice accretion

A mathematical model of glaze and rime ice accretion on a two-dimensional airfoil is presented. The model employs standard methods for calculating the flow field and cloud droplet trajectories. This data is used as input to a thermodynamic analysis of the ice accretion process which includes liquid runback. The structure of the model allows for dynamic updating of the droplet collection efficiency and heat and mass transfer processes as the accreted ice shape changes. This results in the improved shape prediction over previously described methods. Simulations made with the model are compared to experimental results obtained for a NACA 0012 airfoil in the NASA/Lewis Icing Research Tunnel. The agreement with experiment is found to be generally satisfactory for some cases, but a need for improvements is indicated by others. Suggestions for improvements are made.

Macarthur, C. D.↗

Simultaneous measurements of carbon monoxide and ozone in the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP)

It is noted that the Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP) was intended to establish global baseline values of selected atmospheric constituents that could be used for studies of the dynamics of the sampled region as well as for modeling purposes. Instrument packages were carried on four Boeing 747 aircraft in routine commercial service. Carbon monoxide and ozone data were collected simultaneously from early 1977 to early 1979 when GASP terminated. CO was measured with an infrared absorption analyzer using dual isotope fluorescence. Ozone was measured via absorption of UV light. Correlations between the CO and the O3 are tabulated; they are clearly negative for both troposphere and stratosphere in middle latitudes, indicating that transport processes between the stratosphere and troposphere (discussed) dominate. But in the low latitude troposphere the correlations are positive, indicating the possible influence of photochemical effects.

Newell, R. E.↗

Tethered Dynamics Explorer and Tethered Atmospheric Probe - A low-cost, low-risk tethered satellite program

A tethered satellite flight program to test theoretical studies of tether concepts is proposed. The program consists of multiple flights of an ELV such as the Delta II, using the Small Expendable Deployment System (SEDS) to deploy two instrumented satellite payloads, the Tethered Dynamics Explorer (TDE) and the Tethered Atmospheric Probe (TAP). The applications and characteristics of the TDE and the TAP are described, including verification of the SEDS, the validation of the dynamics and control model for low-tension deployment and the force and moment instrumentation, the demonstration of tether initiated reentry, the collection of in-situ atmospheric and aerothermodynamic data, and the study of long-term tether exposure.

Deloach, R.↗

SPADE H2O measurements and the seasonal cycle of statospheric water vapor

We present measurements of lower statospheric water vapor obtained during the Stratospheric Phototchemistry, Aerosols and Dynamics Expedition (SPADE) mission with a new high precision, fast response, Lyman-alpha hygrometer. The H2O data show a distinct seasonal cycle. For air that recently entered the statosphere, data collected during the fall show much more water vapor than data from the spring. Fast quasi-horizontal mixing causes compact relationships between water and N2O to be established on relatively short time scales. The measurements are consistent with horizontal mixing times of a few months or less. Vertical mixing appears to cause the seasonal variations in water vapor to propagate up to levels corresponding to air that has been in the stratosphere approximately one year.

Hintsa, Eric J.↗

Simulation of Acoustics for Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Tests

The Ares I Scale Model Acoustics Test (ASMAT) is a series of live-fire tests of scaled rocket motors meant to simulate the conditions of the Ares I launch configuration. These tests have provided a well documented set of high fidelity acoustic measurements useful for validation including data taken over a range of test conditions and containing phenomena like Ignition Over-Pressure and water suppression of acoustics. To take advantage of this data, a digital representation of the ASMAT test setup has been constructed and test firings of the motor have been simulated using the Loci/CHEM computational fluid dynamics software. Results from ASMAT simulations with the rocket in both held down and elevated configurations, as well as with and without water suppression have been compared to acoustic data collected from similar live-fire tests. Results of acoustic comparisons have shown good correlation with the amplitude and temporal shape of pressure features and reasonable spectral accuracy up to approximately 1000 Hz. Major plume and acoustic features have been well captured including the plume shock structure, the igniter pulse transient, and the ignition overpressure.

Putnam, Gabriel↗

Overview of Heat Addition and Efficiency Predictions for an Advanced Stirling Convertor

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) have been developing the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) for use as a power system for space science missions. This generator would use two high-efficiency Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASCs), developed by Sunpower Inc. and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The ASCs convert thermal energy from a radioisotope heat source into electricity. As part of ground testing of these ASCs, different operating conditions are used to simulate expected mission conditions. These conditions require achieving a particular operating frequency, hot end and cold end temperatures, and specified electrical power output for a given net heat input. Microporous bulk insulation is used in the ground support test hardware to minimize the loss of thermal energy from the electric heat source to the environment. The insulation package is characterized before operation to predict how much heat will be absorbed by the convertor and how much will be lost to the environment during operation. In an effort to validate these predictions, numerous tasks have been performed, which provided a more accurate value for net heat input into the ASCs. This test and modeling effort included: (a) making thermophysical property measurements of test setup materials to provide inputs to the numerical models, (b) acquiring additional test data that was collected during convertor tests to provide numerical models with temperature profiles of the test setup via thermocouple and infrared measurements, (c) using multidimensional numerical models (computational fluid dynamics code) to predict net heat input of an operating convertor, and (d) using validation test hardware to provide direct comparison of numerical results and validate the multidimensional numerical models used to predict convertor net heat input. This effort produced high fidelity ASC net heat input predictions, which were successfully validated using specially designed test hardware enabling measurement of heat transferred through a simulated Stirling cycle. The overall effort and results are discussed.

Wilson, Scott D.↗

Dynamic Assurance of Autonomous Systems through Ground Control Software

Assurance cases are being increasingly acknowledged as a way to build trust in complex systems with autonomous capabilities [1]. An assurance case is a comprehensive, defensible, and valid justification that a system will function as intended for the specific mission and operating environment. Such justifications for systems with autonomous capabilities are often based on various probabilistic quantifications [2]. Due to the dynamic nature of the environmental conditions in which these systems operate, as well as the changing nature of the autonomous systems themselves, these probabilistic quantifications cannot be simply estimated once during design time. Rather, they need to be continually evaluated during systems operations to ensure that the assurance case justifications are valid. We refer to the assurance case that combines both the static and dynamic elements as a Dynamic Assurance Case (DAC). Such complex systems with autonomous capabilities are often deployed with a Ground Control Software (GCS) component to enable remote operation. Whether the system is composed of a single unit or a fleet of units, deployed distributed or in remote environments, GCS acts as a window into the behavior of the deployed system. It receives telemetry from the system, issues commands to the system and provides various functionalities to visualize the system performance. We propose a dynamic assurance framework where the GCS acts as a relay between the autonomous system and its DAC. GCS can be used to measure both unit-specific as well as system-wide probabilistic quantifications using the incoming telemetry. We embed these quantifications throughout the DAC as variables that can be updated by external sources. We use the GCS to periodically update these variables, which allows us to continually evaluate the formally defined assurance case justifications. We demonstrate our dynamic assurance framework in the NASA Ames project Troupe1 that aims at developing a fleet of rovers capable of au- tonomously mapping their environment. The rovers work cooperatively, each collecting data for different parts of the environment. Each rover runs an identical core Flight System (cFS) [4] application. Troupe1 uses OpenC3 Cosmos [5] as the ground system, and AdvoCATE [3] to capture the system DAC. We show how we can measure both rover-specific and system-wide quantifications in Cosmos using its Ruby scripting editor and pass them into the DAC modelled in AdvoCATE. Then, we show how these incoming variables can be embedded in different parts of the DAC and how effects of their updates can be observed

Irfan Sljivo↗

Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation: Rail Conveyance Transmissibility

Equipos Nucleares, S.A. (ENSA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) are preparing a full scale Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) transportation test. This transportation testing will include road, rail, coastal, and trans-Atlantic shipments. The test campaign will use a full scale commercial transportation package and cradle. The package will be loaded with two instrumented fuel assemblies to measure strains at cladding locations and accelerations on the fuel assemblies, and thirty “dummy” assemblies. This testing is designed to closely match an actual SNF shipment. Accelerometers will also be used at various locations throughout the full conveyance system (i.e. rail car/truck, cask, transport cradle, and basket) to study the transmission of loads through the system and to provide validation for numerical models. Previous testing and modeling work has shown how the structural transmissibility of the transport system can affect the magnitude of these loads, and the importance of modeling all aspects of the transport system (i.e. rail car/truck, transport cradle, cask, basket, and fuel) (Ref 1, 2). This paper describes preliminary models that were constructed to estimate load transmission during rail transport, from the bottom of the cradle to an individual fuel rod within the package. The modeling studies in this paper evaluate the system response to postulated shock pulses and random vibration loads. These models describe the transmissibility of the conveyance, and demonstrate how loads can be amplified or attenuated as they are transmitted through the structure. This is done by coupling the rail vehicle dynamics code NUCARS, to the general finite element modeling code ANSYS, and the explicit dynamics code LS-DYNA. Models such as the ones presented herein will be used during the test campaign to help analyze and evaluate the test data as it is collected.

Cladding, Spent Fuel and Radiactive Waste, Used Fu↗

THE NANOGRAV NINE-YEAR DATA SET: MONITORING INTERSTELLAR SCATTERING DELAYS

We report on an effort to extract and monitor interstellar scintillation parameters in regular timing observations collected for the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves pulsar timing array. Scattering delays are measured by creating dynamic spectra for each pulsar and observing epoch of wide-band observations centered near 1500 MHz and carried out at the Green Bank Telescope and the Arecibo Observatory. The ∼800 MHz wide frequency bands imply dramatic changes in scintillation bandwidth across the bandpass, and a stretching routine has been included to account for this scaling. For most of the 10 pulsars for which the scaling has been measured, the bandwidths scale with frequency less steeply than expected for a Kolmogorov medium. We find estimated scattering delay values that vary with time by up to an order of magnitude. The mean measured scattering delays are similar to previously published values and are slightly higher than predicted by interstellar medium models. We investigate the possibility of increasing the timing precision by mitigating timing errors introduced by the scattering delays. For most of the pulsars, the uncertainty in the time of arrival of a single timing point is much larger than the maximum variation of the scattering delay, suggesting that diffractive scintillation remains as only a negligible part of their noise budget.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Beam dynamics corrections to the Run-1 measurement of the muon anomaly $a_{\mu}$ at Fermilab

The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) Muon $g\!-\!2$ Experiment has measured the positive muon magnetic anomaly $a_{\mu} \equiv (g_{\mu}-2)/2$ with a precision of 0.46 parts per million, with data collected during its first physics run in 2018. The experimental result combined with the measurement from the former experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory increases the tension with the Standard Model expectation to $4.2\sigma$, thus strengthening evidence for new physics.The magnetic anomaly is determined from the precision measurements of the muon spin precession frequency, relative to the muon momentum, and the average magnetic field seen by the beam. In an ideal case with muons orbiting in a horizontal plane with a uniform vertical magnetic field, the anomalous precession frequency $\omega_a$ is given by the difference between the spin ($s$) and cyclotron ($c$) frequencies, $\omega_a = \omega_s - \omega_c$. The observable $\omega_a$ is proportional to $a_{\mu}$.This proceeding presents the beam dynamics systematic corrections that are required to adjust the measured muon precession frequency $\omega^{m}_{a}$ to its true physical value $\omega_{a}$.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Spatial and temporal metagenomics of river compartments reveals viral community dynamics in an urban impacted stream

Although river ecosystems constitute a small fraction of Earth’s total area, they are critical modulators of microbially and virally orchestrated global biogeochemical cycles. However, most studies either use data that is not spatially resolved or is collected at timepoints that do not reflect the short life cycles of microorganisms. To address this gap, we assessed how viral and microbial communities change over a 48-hour period by sampling surface water and pore water compartments of the wastewater-impacted River Erpe in Germany. We sampled every 3 hours resulting in 32 samples for which we obtained metagenomes along with geochemical and metabolite measurements. From our metagenomes, we identified 6,500 viral and 1,033 microbial metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) and found distinct community membership and abundance associated with each river compartment (e.g., Competibacteraceae in surfacewater and Sulfurimonadaceae in pore water). We show that 17% of our viral MAGs clustered to viruses from other ecosystems like wastewater treatment plants and rivers. Our results also indicated that 70% of the viral community was persistent in surface waters, whereas only 13% were persistent in the pore waters taken from the hyporheic zone. Finally, we predicted linkages between 73 viral genomes and 38 microbial genomes. These putatively linked hosts included members of the Competibacteraceae, which we suggest are potential contributors to river carbon and nitrogen cycling via denitrification and nitrogen fixation. Together, these findings demonstrate that members of the surface water microbiome from this urban river are stable over multiple diurnal cycles. These temporal insights raise important considerations for ecosystem models attempting to constrain dynamics of river biogeochemical cycles.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Simulation of high-frequency dissolved oxygen dynamics in a shallow estuary, the Corsica River, Chesapeake Bay

Understanding shallow water biogeochemical dynamics is a challenge in coastal regions, due to the presence of highly variable land-water interface fluxes, tight coupling with sediment processes, tidal dynamics, and diurnal variability in biogeochemical processes. While the deployment of continuous monitoring devices has improved our understanding of high-frequency (12 - 24 hours) variability and spatial heterogeneity in shallow regions, mechanistic modeling of these dynamics has lagged behind conceptual and empirical models. The inherent complexity of shallow water systems is represented in the Corsica River estuary, a small basin within the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, where abundant monitoring data have been collected from long-term monitoring stations, continuous monitoring sensors, synoptic sensor surveys, and measurements of sediment-water fluxes. A state-of-the-art modeling system, the Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model (SCHISM), was applied to the Corsica domain with a high-resolution grid and nutrient loads from the most recent version of the Chesapeake Bay watershed model. The Corsica SCHISM model reproduced observed high-frequency variability in dissolved oxygen, as well as seasonal variability in chlorophyll-a and sediment-water fluxes. Time-series signal analyses using Empirical Model Decomposition and spectral analysis revealed that the diurnal and M2 tide frequencies are the dominant high-frequency modes and physical transport contributes a larger share to dissolved oxygen budgets than biogeochemical processes on an hourly time scale. Heterogeneity and patchiness in dissolved oxygen resulting from phytoplankton distributions and geometry-driven eddies amplify the physical transport effect, and on longer time scales oxygen is controlled more by photosynthesis and respiration. Our simulation demonstrates that interactions among physical and biological dynamics generate complex high-frequency variability in water quality and non-linear reposes to nutrient loading and environmental forcing in shallow water systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Expected Geochemical and Mineralogical Properties of Meteorites from Mercury: Inferences from Messenger Data

Meteorites from the Moon, Mars, and many types of asteroid bodies have been identified among our global inventory of meteorites, however samples of Mercury and Venus have not been identified. The absence of mercurian and venusian meteorites could be attributed to an inability to recognize them in our collections due to a paucity of geochemical information for Venus and Mercury. In the case of mercurian meteorites, this possibility is further supported by dynamical calculations that suggest mercurian meteorites should be present on Earth at a factor of 2-3 less than meteorites from Mars [1]. In the present study, we focus on the putative mineralogy of mercurian meteorites using data obtained from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, which has provided us with our first quantitative constraints on the geochemistry of planet Mercury. We have used the MESSENGER data to compile a list of mineralogical and geochemical characteristics that a meteorite from Mercury is likely to exhibit.

McCubbin, F. M.↗

Estimation and Modeling of Enceladus Plume Density Using Attitude Control Data Collected by the Cassini Spacecraft During Low-Altitude Enceladus Flybys

The Cassini spacecraft was launched on 15 October 1997. After an interplanetary cruise of almost seven years, it arrived at Saturn on June 30, 2004. Major science objectives of the Cassini mission include investigations of the configuration and dynamics of Saturn's magnetosphere, the structure and composition of the rings, the characterization of several of Saturn's icy satellites, and Titan's atmosphere constituent abundance

Enceladus↗

PubChemLite Plus Collision Cross Section (CCS) Values for Enhanced Interpretation of Nontarget Environmental Data

Finding relevant chemicals in the vast (known) chemical space is a major challenge for environmental and exposomics studies leveraging nontarget high resolution mass spectrometry (NT-HRMS) methods. Chemical databases now contain hundreds of millions of chemicals, yet many are not relevant. This article details an extensive collaborative, open science effort to provide a dynamic collection of chemicals for environmental, metabolomics, and exposomics research, along with supporting information about their relevance to assist researchers in the interpretation of candidate hits. The PubChemLite for Exposomics collection is compiled from ten annotation categories within PubChem, enhanced with patent, literature and annotation counts, predicted partition coefficient (logP) values, as well as predicted collision cross section (CCS) values using CCSbase. Monthly versions are archived on Zenodo under a CC-BY license, supporting reproducible research, and a new interface has been developed, including historical trends of patent and literature data, for researchers to browse the collection. This article details how PubChemLite can support researchers in environmental and exposomics studies, describes efforts to increase the availability of experimental CCS values, and explores known limitations and potential for future developments. The data and code behind these efforts are openly available.

PubChem↗