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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 OSTI2020

Interpreting Tafel behavior of consecutive electrochemical reactions through combined thermodynamic and steady state microkinetic approaches

Assessing the reaction pathway of multi-electron-transfer reactions is an essential yet difficult task for the rational design of electrocatalysts. In this work, we develop a heuristic approach that combines thermodynamic adsorption energetics calculated through density functional theory with microkinetic modeling using the steady state approximation to interpret the potential-dependent Tafel behavior of consecutive electrochemical reactions. In doing so, we introduce a kinetic framework for ab initio calculations that ensures self-consistent adsorption energetics based on kinetically limited adsorbate coverages. The approach is applied to experimental results on CoO x (OH) 2-x single crystal electrocatalyst particles yielding coverage dependent mechanistic information and identification of the rate-limiting step with standard rate constants for the oxygen evolution reaction on the ($11\bar{2}0$) surfaces of the β-Co(OH) 2 , β-CoOOH, and CoO 2 bulk phases. Finally, this generalizable method enables catalyst benchmarking based on determining the active species involved and associated intrinsic reaction rate constants in consecutive multi-electron-transfer reactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Applying the Euclidean-signature semi-classical method to the quantum Taub models with a cosmological constant and aligned electromagnetic field

We prove the existence of a countably infinite number of “excited” states for the Lorentzian-signature Taub–Wheeler–DeWitt (WDW) equation when a cosmological constant is present using the Euclidean-signature semi-classical method. We also find a “ground” state solution when both an aligned electromagnetic field and cosmological constant are present; as a result, conjecture that the Euclidean-signature semi classical method can be used to prove the existence of a countably “infinite” number of “excited” states when the two aforementioned matter sources are present. Afterward, we prove the existence of asymptotic solutions to the vacuum Taub–WDW equation using the “no boundary” and “wormhole” solutions of the Taub Euclidean-signature Hamilton–Jacobi equation and compare their mathematical properties. We then discuss the fascinating qualitative properties of the wave functions we have computed. By utilizing the Euclidean-signature semi-classical method in the above manner, we further show its ability to prove the existence of solutions to Lorentzian-signature equations without having to invoke a Wick rotation. This feature of not needing to apply a Wick rotation makes this method potentially very useful for tackling a variety of problems in bosonic relativistic field theory and quantum gravity

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

High intensity x-ray interaction with a model bio-molecule system: double-core-hole states and fragmentation of formamide

Formamide, a simple model bio-molecule (HCONH 2 ), is irradiated with high intensity, ultrashort pulses from an x-ray free electron laser. Ionic fragments resulting from photoionization and subsequent decay processes are recorded, as well as the electronic signature of the different inner shell ionization events that can take place during the x-ray pulses. Additionally, the formation of double-core-hole states, where a second inner shell electron is removed before the first core hole has been refilled is observed in the electron spectra, recorded at all three sites (C, N, O) of the molecule. The individual ionization potentials are compared with results of ab initio calculations at different level of theory. Based on our results, future opportunities for advanced studies of inner-shell-induced electronic and nuclear dynamics are explored.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Towards Practical Quantum Simulation for High Energy Physics (Final report for DE-SC0019452)

Quantum computing offers the potential of transformative improvements in our ability to simulate strongly interacting quantum systems. Each application area of quantum simulation requires careful study and new insights to determine the potential advantages of quantum computation. In particular, high energy physics and quantum field theory present specific challenges to existing approaches. In this project we studied quantum simulation in the light-front formulation of quantum field theory. In this formulation, quantum field theory more closely resembles other many-body quantum systems such as quantum chemistry, which are well studied from the perspective of quantum computation. We considered applications suitable for both near term and future error-corrected quantum computers.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A new method of studying the fundamental mechanisms involved in pigment liberation from recycle papers

Deinking flotation is the most efficient and widely used method of removing ink particles from printed papers to improve the recyclability. A prerequisite for successful deinking flotation is detachment of pigments from paper fibers, a subprocess known as liberation. The degree of liberation is usually determined via hyperwashing tests, which are costly and time consuming. Furthermore, they provide no information on the fundamental mechanisms controlling liberation. In the present work, we developed a new method in which ?-potentials of the particles in a pulp are measured and analyzed. If pigments are not liberated from paper fibers, a frequency distribution plot gives a single peak, while two peaks appear when they are liberated. One can readily determine the degrees of liberation from the peak positions and peak heights. In addition, the ?-potential data can be used to construct disjoining pressure isotherms using the DLVO theory that are useful to better understand the fundamental mechanisms involved and the roles of different reagents used to improve pigment liberation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phase Boundaries, Isotope Effect and Superconductivity of Lithium Under Hydrostatic Conditions

We present theoretical and experimental studies of superconductivity and low temperature structural phase boundaries in lithium. We mapped the structural phase diagram of 6Li and 7Li under hydrostatic conditions between 5 – 55 GPa and within the temperature range of 15 – 75 K, observing the FCC → hR1 → cI16 phase transitions. 6Li and 7Li show some differences at the structural boundaries, with a potential shift of the phase boundaries of 6Li to lower pressures. Density functional theory calculations and topological analysis of the electron density elucidates the superconducting properties and interatomic interactions within these phases of lithium.

Deemyad, Shanti↗
DOE OSTI2021

Uranium (VI) Adsorbate Structures on Portlandite [Ca(OH)2] Type Surfaces Determined by Computational Modelling and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Portlandite [Ca(OH) 2 ] is a potentially dominant solid phase in the high pH fluids expected within the cementitious engineered barriers of Geological Disposal Facilities (GDF). This study combined X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy with computational modelling in order to provide atomic-scale data which improves our understanding of how a critically important radionuclide (U) will be adsorbed onto this phase under conditions relevant to a GDF environment. Such data are fundamental for predicting radionuclide mass transfer. Surface coordination chemistry and speciation of uranium with portlandite [Ca(OH) 2 ] under alkaline groundwater conditions (ca. pH 12) were determined by both in situ and ex situ grazing incidence extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (EXAFS) and by computational modelling at the atomic level. Free energies of sorption of aqueous uranyl hydroxides, [UO 2 (OH) n ] 2–n (n = 0–5) with the (001), (100) and (203) or (101) surfaces of portlandite are predicted from the potential of mean force using classical molecular umbrella sampling simulation methods and the structural interactions are further explored using fully periodic density functional theory computations. Although uranyl is predicted to only weakly adsorb to the (001) and (100) clean surfaces, there should be significantly stronger interactions with the (203/101) surface or at hydroxyl vacancies, both prevalent under groundwater conditions. The uranyl surface complex is typically found to include four equatorially coordinated hydroxyl ligands, forming an inner-sphere sorbate by direct interaction of a uranyl oxygen with surface calcium ions in both the (001) and (203/101) cases. In contrast, on the (100) surface, uranyl is sorbed with its axis more parallel to the surface plane. The EXAFS data are largely consistent with a surface structural layer or film similar to calcium uranate, but also show distinct uranyl characteristics, with the uranyl ion exhibiting the classic dioxygenyl oxygens at 1.8 Å and between four and five equatorial oxygen atoms at distances between 2.28 and 2.35 Å from the central U absorber. These experimental data are wholly consistent with the adsorbate configuration predicted by the computational models. These findings suggest that, under the strongly alkaline conditions of a cementitious backfill engineered barrier, there would be significant uptake of uranyl by portlandite to inhibit the mobility of U(VI) from the near field of a geological disposal facility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

VARI3D & PERSENT: Perturbation and Sensitivity Analysis

The nodal diffusion method is one of the most widely used approaches in modern reactor analysis. In the nodal diffusion method, a coarse multi-group set of “homogenized” parameters is constructed such that the complex geometry of a reactor core along with the energy dependence of neutron and gamma ray cross sections in a nuclear reactor are conserved in the simpler geometry. The homogenization is typically done on a fuel assembly level as is the case in the DIF3D code developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The nodal methodology is used primarily to predict fuel cycle behavior of nuclear systems of which there is a substantial amount of validation in the literature. Another use of the nodal method is to obtain reactivity coefficients and kinetics parameters for use in a safety analysis of a given nuclear reactor. While there are many ways to obtain reactivity worth and kinetics parameters, the work presented in this manuscript is unique as it provides the user with the ability to compute reactivity worths, kinetics parameters, and cross section sensitivities with a Cartesian and hexagonal geometry based transport code. This manuscript serves as a single manual for two separate codes: VARI3D and PERSENT. The VARI3D code (VARIational 3D) is based upon the classic finite difference diffusion theory solver available in DIF3D. The PERSENT code (PERturbation and SENitivity for Transport) is based upon the variational nodal method employed in DIF3D termed VARIANT. The VARIANT solver was added to DIF3D in 1995 and has seen continued development and use for the last 18 years. Because VARI3D primarily uses deprecated coding practices, rather than incorporating the perturbation and sensitivity treatments for transport within VARI3D, a new coding development was built using modern Fortran coding. The primary purpose of this manual is to describe the theory behind PERSENT (and by convenience, that of VARI3D) and discuss the input and output of PERSENT along with giving potential users an idea of how to use it. While this manuscript does describe the input and output of VARI3D, the PERSENT code is intended to be the replacement capability of VARI3D as PERSENT can generate nearly identical (if not superior) diffusion theory results. In this manuscript, the relevant aspects of generalized perturbation theory and exact perturbation theory that apply to both VARI3D and PERSENT are covered. The input and output of VARI3D is displayed by excerpting several of the example problems. Similarly, the input and output of PERSENT is displayed along with tips on how best to use the code. Note that the input and output of the inhomogeneous solver wrapped around DIF3D (DIF3D_IFS) is also discussed as it is needed to carry out some of the sensitivities in PERSENT such as reaction rate ratios. This manuscript describes several perturbation and sensitivity problems, and the results computed using PERSENT. From these sections, potential users should find that PERSENT provides not only the typical tables of numbers desired in perturbation and sensitivity analysis work, but also can visually plot the result for a more thorough understanding of the space and energy distribution (Section 5). Overall, PERSENT is observed to produce accurate reactivity worths and sensitivities for the displayed set of test problems and clearly demonstrates the need to have a transport-based sensitivity capability as evident from the thousands of percent errors observed in the 21-group hexagonal fast reactor problem (covered in Section 7). The uncertainty calculation capability is described in Section 3 and demonstrated in Section 7.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

RG-stable parameter relations of a scalar field theory in absence of a symmetry

Abstract The stability of tree-level relations among the parameters of a quantum field theory with respect to renormalization group (RG) running is typically explained by the existence of a symmetry. We examine a toy model of a quantum field theory of two real scalars in which a tree-level relation among the squared-mass parameters of the scalar potential appears to be RG-stable without the presence of an appropriate underlying symmetry. The stability of this relation with respect to renormalization group running can be explained by complexifying the original scalar field theory. It is then possible to exhibit a symmetry that guarantees the relations of relevant beta functions of squared-mass parameters of the complexified theory. Among these relations, we can identify equations that are algebraically identical to the corresponding equations that guarantee the stability of the relations among the squared-mass parameters of the original real scalar field theory where the symmetry of the complexified theory is no longer present.

Haber, Howard E. (ORCID:0000000173388104)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Density-Functional Tight-Binding Parameters for Bulk Zirconium: A Case Study for Repulsive Potentials

Density-functional tight-binding (DFTB) parameters are presented for the simulation of the bulk phases of zirconium. Electronic parameters were obtained using a band structure fitting strategy, while two-center repulsive potentials were created by particle swarm optimization. As objective functions for the repulsive potential fitting, we employed the Birch–Murnaghan equations of state for hexagonal close-packed (HCP), body-centered cubic (BCC) and ω phases of Zr from density-functional theory (DFT). When fractional atomic coordinates are not allowed to change in the generation of the equation-of-state curves, long-range repulsive DFTB potentials are able to almost perfectly reproduce equilibrium structures, relative DFT energies of the bulk phases, and bulk moduli. However, the same potentials lead to artifacts in the DFTB potential energy surfaces when atom positions in the unit cell are allowed to fully relax during the change of unit cell parameters. Finally, conventional short-range repulsive DFTB potentials, while inferior in their ability to reproduce DFT bulk energetics, are able to correctly reproduce the qualitative shape of the DFT potential energy surfaces, including the location of global minima, and can therefore be considered more transferable.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chromium isotope fractionation during reduction of Chromium(VI) by Iron(II/III)-bearing clay minerals

Chromium stable isotope ratios are used to trace the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in both ancient and modern systems. However, quantitative interpretation of Cr isotopic signatures has been stymied by the large variability in isotopic fractionation factors for Cr(VI) reduction by different reductants. Here we determine Cr isotope fractionation factors during Cr(VI) reduction by Fe(II/III)-bearing clay minerals, which are abundant in subsurface environments. Several variables were tested: pH, total Fe content of the clay, and the fraction of reduced Fe within the clay (Fe(II)/Fe(total)). The latter controls the standard reduction potential of the clay. Our results demonstrate that neither pH nor total Fe content of the clay have major effects on isotopic fractionation. In contrast, as the effective standard reduction potential of the clay and thus the standard free energy of Cr(VI) reduction become more negative, Cr isotope fractionation factors decrease in magnitude from - 4.9 to -1.3‰ according to a linear free energy relationship. This linear free energy relationship can be predicted from Marcus electron transfer theory and allows first-order predictions of Cr isotope fractionation factors to be made from the standard reduction potential or Fe(II)/Fe(total) of a clay, potentially improving our ability to model Cr isotope signatures in geochemical systems. Chromium is the first isotope system to show such a linear free energy relationship over a diverse range of reductants, including both aqueous and solid-phase reductants, and may provide a model for determining other redox-driven kinetic isotope effects in environmentally important isotope systems.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2023

Excitons in periodic potentials

The energy band structure of excitons is studied in periodic potentials produced by the short-range interaction between the exciton and electrons of Wigner lattices. Treating the exciton as a pointlike dipole that interacts with the periodic potential, we can solve a simple one-body problem that provides valuable information on excitons in many-body problem settings. By employing group theory, we identify the excitonic energy bands that can couple to light and then quantify their energy shifts in response to a change in the period of the potential. This approach allows us to emulate the response of optically active exciton and trion states to a change in electron density. In agreement with experimental results, the exciton (trion) state shows a relatively strong (weak) energy shift when the electron density increases. This behavior stems from the difficulty of exciton states to remain extended, whereas the trion state remains largely the same as long as its radius is smaller than the average distance between resident electrons. Here, we identify an important relation between the energy blueshift of bright excitons and the presence of a Wigner crystal, where the blueshift magnitude is proportionate to the symmetry of the electron lattice.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ab initio translationally invariant nucleon-nucleus optical potentials

We combine the ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM) with the single-particle Green's function approach to construct optical potentials rooted in first principles. Specifically, we show that total cross sections and phase shifts for neutron elastic scattering from a 4 He target with projectile energies between 0.5 and 10 MeV closely reproduce the experiment. In addition, we discuss an important new development that resolves a long-standing issue with spurious center-of-mass motion in the Green's function formalism for many-body approaches. Furthermore, the new development opens a path for first-principle predictions of cross sections for elastic scattering of single-nucleon projectiles, nucleon capture, and deuteron breakup reactions, feasible for a broad range of open-shell spherical and deformed nuclei in the SA-NCSM approach.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigating 3,4-bis(3-nitrofurazan-4-yl)furoxan detonation with a rapidly tuned density functional tight binding model

In this work, we describe a machine learning approach to rapidly tune density functional tight binding models for the description of detonation chemistry in organic molecular materials. Resulting models enable simulations on the several 10s of ps scales characteristic to these processes, with “quantum-accuracy.” We use this approach to investigate early shock chemistry in 3,4-bis(3-nitrofurazan-4-yl)furoxan, a hydrogen-free energetic material known to form onion-like nanocarbon particulates following detonation. We find that the ensuing chemistry is significantly characterized by the formation of large C x N y O z species, which are likely precursors to the experimentally observed carbon condensates. Beyond utility as a means of investigating detonation chemistry, the present approach can be used to generate quantum-based reference data for the development of full machine-learned interatomic potentials capable of simulation on even greater time and length scales, i.e., for applications where characteristic time scales exceed the reach of methods including Kohn–Sham density functional theory, which are commonly used for reference data generation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Semiclassical transition state theory through the lens of the restricted partition function

The wide adoption of transition state theory in resolving the rates of molecular processes relies on the simplification from reducing the formal and numerical expense of dynamics by a geometric constraint. Such a reduction is at odds with the uncertainty in localization that the uncertainty principle requires. While many forms of semiclassical transition state theory (SCTST) have been aimed at addressing this challenge, a popular approach has relied on resolving the underlying phase space structure of the exact rate formula to leverage Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization. Here, the Hernandez–Miller SCTST reframed the thermal rate formula into an integral of the so-called restricted partition function (RPF) over the action associated with the reaction. The density-of-state SCTST has reframed the rate formula in terms of the instanton’s density of states (DoS). Here, we show the relationship between the RPF-SCTST and the DoS-SCTST and derive the latter from the former. In this way, we help unify these branches of SCTST and provide a clearer formalism for future advances.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Constrained nuclear–electronic orbital method for periodic density functional theory: Application to H 2 chemisorption on Si(001) surfaces

The nuclear–electronic orbital (NEO) method provides a powerful computational framework for incorporating nuclear quantum effects (NQE) in electronic structure calculations beyond the Born–Oppenheimer approximation. By incorporating additional constraints to the position operator on quantum particles like protons, the NEO method enables calculation of effective potential that accounts for NQE. Here, in this work, we present a new constrained NEO (cNEO) formulation for density functional theory (cNEO-DFT) calculations in the context of extended periodic systems. Using the nudged elastic band method, we discuss an application of the cNEO-DFT approach to studying the adsorption of a hydrogen molecule on the Si(001) surfaces. The calculation shows how NQE impacts the reaction energetics. The proton density changes are computed along the reaction pathways. This work demonstrates the capability of the new cNEO-DFT method to study a wide range of chemical processes, such as surface reactions where the quantum nature of light atoms like protons is non-negligible.

Chemical processes↗
DOE OSTI2025

First-principles investigation of cerium and neodymium diffusion in BCC chromium and vanadium via vacancy-mediated transport

Lanthanide transport plays a crucial role in the performance and longevity of metallic nuclear fuels. This study examines the diffusion behavior of Ce and Nd—two major fission products—in body-centered cubic (BCC) Cr and V, which are potential liner or coating materials for mitigating fuel-cladding chemical interactions (FCCI). Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) analysis, the vacancy-mediated diffusion coefficients are evaluated. Our findings reveal that Ce and Nd act as oversized solutes and are strongly bound to vacancies in BCC Cr and V, with diffusivities in Cr significantly lower than in V and in hexagonal closed-packed (HCP) Zr, as investigated in our previous work. The activation energies for Ce and Nd diffusion are 3.39 and 3.32 eV, respectively, in BCC Cr, and 2.56 and 2.33 eV, respectively, in BCC V. Analysis of vacancy drag and partial diffusion coefficient ratios indicates a strong tendency for lanthanide enrichment at vacancy sinks in BCC Cr, and to a lesser extent in BCC V, with this effect persisting up to the melting point in Cr and remaining substantial for Nd in V at high temperatures. Under irradiation, the increase in vacancy concentration is expected to enhance lanthanide transport, potentially accelerating interactions at liner-cladding interfaces. Although BCC Cr exhibits relatively low lanthanide diffusivities under equilibrium conditions, the expected segregation tendencies under irradiation suggest that Zr liners may be a more favorable option. Further investigations using rate theory, cluster dynamics, and phase-field modeling are required to quantitatively assess the performance of these materials in reactor environments.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessment of Performance of Density Functionals for Predicting Potential Energy Curves in Hydrogen Storage Applications

We report the availability of accurate computational tools for modeling and simulation is vital to accelerate the discovery of materials capable of storing hydrogen (H 2 ) under given parameters of pressure swing and temperature. Previously, we compiled the H2Bind275 data set consisting of equilibrium geometries and assessed the performance of 55 density functionals over this data set (Veccham, S. P.; Head-Gordon, M. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2020, 16, 4963-4982). As it is crucial for computational tools to accurately model the entire potential energy curve (PEC), in addition to the equilibrium geometry, we extended this data set with 389 new data points to include two compressed and three elongated geometries along 78 PECs for H 2 binding, forming the H2Bind78 × 7 data set. By assessing the performance of 55 density functionals on this significantly larger and more comprehensive H2Bind78 × 7 data set, we identified the best performing density functionals for H 2 binding applications: PBE0-DH, ωB97X-V, ωB97M-V, and DSD-PBEPBE-D3(BJ). The addition of Hartree-Fock exchange improves the performance of density functionals, albeit not uniformly throughout the PEC. We recommend the usage of ωB97X-V and ωB97M-V density functionals as they offer good performance for both geometries and energies. In addition, we also identified B97M-V and B97M-rV as the best semilocal density functionals for predicting H 2 binding energy at its equilibrium geometry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗