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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 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Progress from ASDEX Upgrade experiments in preparing the physics basis of ITER operation and DEMO scenario development

An overview of recent results obtained at the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is given. A work flow for predictive profile modelling of AUG discharges was established which is able to reproduce experimental H-mode plasma profiles based on engineering parameters only. In the plasma center, theoretical predictions on plasma current redistribution by a dynamo effect were confirmed experimentally. For core transport, the stabilizing effect of fast ion distributions on turbulent transport is shown to be important to explain the core isotope effect and improves the description of hollow low-Z impurity profiles. The L–H power threshold of hydrogen plasmas is not affected by small helium admixtures and it increases continuously from the deuterium to the hydrogen level when the hydrogen concentration is raised from 0 to 100%. One focus of recent campaigns was the search for a fusion relevant integrated plasma scenario without large edge localised modes (ELMs). Results from six different ELM-free confinement regimes are compared with respect to reactor relevance: ELM suppression by magnetic perturbation coils could be attributed to toroidally asymmetric turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the separatrix. Stable improved confinement mode plasma phases with a detached inner divertor were obtained using a feedback control of the plasma β. The enhanced D α H-mode regime was extended to higher heating power by feedback controlled radiative cooling with argon. The quasi-coherent exhaust regime was developed into an integrated scenario at high heating power and energy confinement, with a detached divertor and without large ELMs. Small ELMs close to the separatrix lead to peeling-ballooning stability and quasi continuous power exhaust. Helium beam density fluctuation measurements confirm that transport close to the separatrix is important to achieve the different ELM-free regimes. Based on separatrix plasma parameters and interchange-drift-Alfvén turbulence, an analytic model was derived that reproduces the experimentally found important operational boundaries of the density limit and between L- and H-mode confinement. Feedback control for the X-point radiator (XPR) position was established as an important element for divertor detachment control. Stable and detached ELM-free phases with H-mode confinement quality were obtained when the XPR was moved 10 cm above the X-point. Investigations of the plasma in the future flexible snow-flake divertor of AUG by means of first SOLPS-ITER simulations with drifts activated predict beneficial detachment properties and the activation of an additional strike point by the drifts.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Radio fossils, relics, and haloes in Abell 3266: cluster archaeology with ASKAP-EMU and the ATCA

ABSTRACT Abell 3266 is a massive and complex merging galaxy cluster that exhibits significant substructure. We present new, highly sensitive radio continuum observations of Abell 3266 performed with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (0.8–1.1 GHz) and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (1.1–3.1 GHz). These deep observations provide new insights into recently reported diffuse non-thermal phenomena associated with the intracluster medium, including a ‘wrong-way’ relic, a fossil plasma source, and an as-yet unclassified central diffuse ridge, which we reveal comprises the brightest part of a large-scale radio halo detected here for the first time. The ‘wrong-way’ relic is highly atypical of its kind: it exhibits many classical signatures of a shock-related radio relic, while at the same time exhibiting strong spectral steepening. While radio relics are generally consistent with a quasi-stationary shock scenario, the ‘wrong-way’ relic is not. We study the spectral properties of the fossil plasma source; it exhibits an ultrasteep and highly curved radio spectrum, indicating an extremely aged electron population. The larger scale radio halo fills much of the cluster centre, and presents a strong connection between the thermal and non-thermal components of the intracluster medium, along with evidence of substructure. Whether the central diffuse ridge is simply a brighter component of the halo, or a mini-halo, remains an open question. Finally, we study the morphological and spectral properties of the multiple complex radio galaxies in this cluster in unprecedented detail, tracing their evolutionary history.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2024

X-Ray Polarization Measurement of the Gold Standard of Radio-Quiet Active Galactic Nuclei: NGC 1068

Context.NGC 1068 is the most observed radio-quiet active galactic nucleus (AGN) in polarimetry, yet its high-energy polarization has never been probed before due to a lack of dedicated polarimeters.Aims.Using the first X-ray polarimeter sensitive enough to measure the polarization of AGNs, we want to probe the orientation and geometric arrangement of (sub)parsec-scale matter around the X-ray source. Methods. We used the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) satellite to measure, for the first time, the 2–8 keV polarization of NGC 1068.We pointed IXPE at the target for a net exposure time of 1.15 Ms, in addition to using two Chandra snapshots of∼10 ks each in order to account for the potential impact of several ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) within IXPE’s field of view. Results. We measured a 2–8 keV polarization degree of 12.4%±3.6% and an electric vector polarization angle of 101◦±8◦at a 68% confidence level. If we exclude the spectral region containing bright Fe K lines and other soft X-ray lines where depolarization occurs, the polarization fraction rises to 21.3%±6.7% in the 3.5–6.0 keV band, with a similar polarization angle. The observed polarization angle is found to be perpendicular to the parsec-scale radio jet. Using a combined Chandra and IXPE analysis plus multiwavelength constraints, we estimated that the circum nuclear“torus” may sustain a half-opening angle of 50–55◦(from the vertical axis of the system). Conclusions. Thanks to IXPE, we have measured the X-ray polarization of NGC 1068 and found comparable results, both in terms of the polarization angle orientation with respect to the radio jet and the torus half-opening angle, to the X-ray polarimetric measurement achieved for the other archetypal Compton-thick AGN: the Circinus galaxy. Probing the geometric arrangement of parsec-scale matter in extragalactic objects is now feasible thanks to X-ray polarimetry

active galaxies↗
DOE OSTI2021

Correlations of azimuthal anisotropy Fourier harmonics with subevent cumulants in p Pb collisions at s N N = 8.16 TeV

Event-by-event long-range correlations of azimuthal anisotropy Fourier coefficients ($v_n$) in 8.16 TeV p Pb data, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, are extracted using a subevent four-particle cumulant technique applied to very low multiplicity events. Each combination of four charged particles is selected from either two, three, or four distinct subevent regions of a pseudorapidity range from -2.4 to 2.4 of the CMS tracker, and with transverse momentum between 0.3 and 3.0 GeV. Using the subevent cumulant technique, correlations between $v_n$ of different orders are measured as functions of particle multiplicity and compared to the standard cumulant method without subevents over a wide event multiplicity range. At high multiplicities, the $v_2$ and $v_3$ coefficients exhibit an anticorrelation; this behavior is observed consistently using various methods. The $v_2$ and $v_4$ correlation strength is found to depend on the number of subevents used in the calculation. As the event multiplicity decreases, the results from different subevent methods diverge because of different contributions of noncollective or few-particle correlations. Correlations extracted with the four-subevent method exhibit a tendency to diminish monotonically toward the lowest multiplicity region (about 20 charged tracks) investigated. These findings extend previous studies to a significantly lower event multiplicity range and establish the evidence for the onset of long-range collective multiparticle correlations in small system collisions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Strange hadron production in $pp$ and $p$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum ( p T ) distributions of Λ , Ξ - , and Ω - baryons, their antiparticles, and K S 0 mesons are measured in proton-proton ( p p ) and proton-lead ( p Pb ) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV over a broad rapidity range. The data, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 40.2 nb - 1 and 15.6 μ b - 1 for p p and p Pb collisions, respectively, were collected by the CMS experiment. The nuclear modification factor R p Pb , which is defined as the ratio of the particle yield in p Pb collisions and a scaled p p reference, is measured for each particle. A strong dependence on particle species is observed in the p T range from 2 to 7 GeV, where R p Pb for K S 0 is consistent with unity, while an enhancement ordered by strangeness content and/or particle mass is observed for the three baryons. In p Pb collisions, the strange hadron production is asymmetric about the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass rapidity. Enhancements, which depend on the particle type, are observed in the direction of the Pb beam. The results are compared with predictions from epos lhc , which includes parametrized radial flow. The model is in qualitative agreement with the R p Pb data, but fails to describe the dependence on particle species in the yield asymmetries measured away from midrapidity in p Pb collisions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

First graded metal pushered single shell capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility

Graded metal pushered single shell (PSS) capsules are predicted to be a viable alternative to low-Z capsule indirect drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions for achieving high fusion yields [MacLaren et al., Phys. Plasmas 28, 122710 (2021)]. The first experiments with Be/Cr-graded metal PSS capsules indicate that the implementation of the principle design feature, the graded density inner metal layer, has succeeded in producing a stable implosion with performance in agreement with predictions. With 50% Cr concentration in the pusher, PSS capsules have greater than ~2× higher shell densities during stagnation for enhanced core confinement and radiation trapping at ~35% lower shell implosion velocities than low-Z capsules. High-energy >30 keV inflight shell radiography recorded 215 km/s implosion velocities and show that implosion Legendre mode P 2 asymmetry can be tuned via inner-to-outer beam wavelength separation, similar to other implosions. Shell radiographs and neutron core images show similar P 2 asymmetry, suggesting no symmetry swings between peak implosion velocity and stagnation times. Despite the modest implosion velocities, gas-filled deuterium–tritium capsule implosions generate 10 15 neutron yields at relatively modest core ion temperatures of 2.75 keV, indicating that in spite of the high-density inner layer, the implosions have been stabilized by the design density gradient. When compared with hydrodynamic simulations, the measured yield-over-simulated is 35% due to fuel–pusher mix and other perturbations such as the capsule fill tube. Finally, simple analytical scalings of hot spot pressure and neutron yield show that PSS implosions reach similar performance at lower implosion velocities and higher shell densities to low-Z ICF capsules.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Kangaroo’s First Hop: The Early Fast Cooling Phase of EP250108a/SN 2025kg

Fast X-ray transients are a rare and poorly understood population of events. Previously difficult to detect in real time, the launch of the Einstein Probe with its Wide-field X-ray Telescope has led to a rapid expansionof the sample and allowed the exploration of these transients across the electromagnetic spectrum. EP250108a is a recently detected example linked to an optical counterpart, SN 2025kg, or “the kangaroo.” Together with a companion Letter we present our observing campaign and analysis of this event. In this letter, we focus on the early evolution of the optical counterpart over the first 6 days, including our measurement of the redshift of z = 0.17641. We compare to other supernovae and fast transients showing similar features, finding significant similarities with SN 2006aj and SN 2020bvc, and show that the source is well modelled by a rapidly expanding cooling blackbody. We show the observed X-ray and radio properties are consistent with a collapsar-powered jet that is low energy (≲10 51 erg) and/or fails to break out of the dense material surrounding it. While we examine the possibility that the optical emission emerges from the shock produced as the supernova ejecta expand into a dense shell of circumstellar material, due to our X-ray and radio inferences, we favour a model where it arises from a shocked cocoon resulting from a trapped jet. This makes SN 2025 one of the few examples of this currently observationally rare event.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Search for lepton-flavor-violating tau-lepton decays to ℓγ at Belle

Charged lepton flavor violation is forbidden in the Standard Model but possible in several new physics scenarios. In many of these models, the radiative decays τ ± → ℓ ± γ (ℓ = e, μ) are predicted to have a sizeable probability, making them particularly interesting channels to search at various experiments. An updated search via τ ± → ℓ ± γ using full data of the Belle experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 988 fb –1 , is reported for charged lepton flavor violation. No significant excess over background predictions from the Standard Model is observed, and the upper limits on the branching fractions, B(τ ± → μ ± γ) ≤ 4.2 × 10 –8 and B(τ ± → e ± γ) ≤ 5.6 × 10 –8 , are set at 90% confidence level.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Influence of CO 2 -Regenerative Film Properties in Enhancing C 2+ Products Selectivity While Mitigating CO 2 Crossover

Zero-gap anion-exchange membrane electrode assembly (AEMEA) electrolyzers operating in alkaline media face challenges such as CO 2 crossover and salting-out. The bipolar membrane electrode assembly (BPMEA) electrolyzer, using DI water as the electrolyte, addresses both CO 2 crossover and salting-out issues. As cations, which are crucial in stabilizing the CO 2 R intermediates, are absent in the electrolyte, cations embedded in the AEM play an important role in dictating the CO 2 R selectivity and activity in BPMEA systems. So far, no systematic study has been conducted on the influence of cations embedded in AEMs on CO 2 selectivity and activity in BPMEA systems. Moreover, BPMEA systems impose an additional challenge: low stability due to delamination of the bipolar membrane caused by CO 2 regeneration at the membrane-membrane interface. To enhance the stability of the electrolyzer, a simple yet highly reproducible strategy for coating a porous CO 2 regenerative film on smooth Nafion 117 is demonstrated in this work, along with a systematic study of four different commercially available AEMs, composed of different cations and cation densities, for use in combination with Nafion 117 and copper catalyst at the cathode. We found that the PiperION membrane delivers selectivity and activity comparable to those of alkali-metal cations, owing to the enhanced local electric field resulting from the combined effects of a high positive charge on the N atom of the piperidinium cation and the high ion-exchange capacity. Further, we studied the influence of the thickness of the PiperION porous layer over Nafion 117 on CO 2 R selectivity and found that 70 μm is the minimum thickness to achieve maximum C 2+ products selectivity, reduced the CO 2 crossover to 5% from 25% at 4 SCCM and 150 mA cm –2 , and was stable for operation beyond 100 h. The selectivity of this system, compared with AEMEA, and stability outperformed both AEMEA and BPMEA. This study helps design more effective BPMs to inhibit CO 2 crossover while enabling stable and selective electrochemical CO 2 reduction to C 2+ hydrocarbons.

Cations↗
DOE OSTI2022

Snowmass2021 Cosmic Frontier: The landscape of low-threshold dark matter direct detection in the next decade

The search for particle-like dark matter with meV-to-GeV masses has developed rapidly in the past few years. We summarize the science case for these searches, the recent progress, and the exciting upcoming opportunities. Funding for Research and Development and a portfolio of small dark matter projects will allow the community to capitalize on the substantial recent advances in theory and experiment and probe vast regions of unexplored dark-matter parameter space in the coming decade.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Higher-order cumulants and correlation functions of proton multiplicity distributions in s N N = 3 GeV Au + Au collisions at the RHIC STAR experiment

Here, we report a measurement of cumulants and correlation functions of event-by-event proton multiplicity distributions from fixed-target Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_\text{NN}}$ = 3 GeV measured by the STAR experiment. Protons are identified within the rapidity (y) and transverse momentum ($p_T$) region –0:9 < $\textit{y}$ < 0 and 0:4 < pT < 2:0 GeV/c in the center-of-mass frame. A systematic analysis of the proton cumulants and correlation functions up to sixth-order as well as the corresponding ratios as a function of the collision centrality, $p_T$, and $\textit{y}$ are presented. The effect of pileup and initial volume fluctuations on these observables and the respective corrections are discussed in detail. The results are compared to calculations from the hadronic transport UrQMD model as well as a hydrodynamic model. In the most central 5% collisions, the value of proton cumulant ratio $C_4 = C_2$ is negative, drastically different from the values observed in Au+Au collisions at higher energies. Compared to model calculations including Lattice QCD, a hadronic transport model, and a hydrodynamic model, the strong suppression in the ratio of $C_4/C_2$ at 3 GeV Au+Au collisions indicates an energy regime dominated by hadronic interactions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integrated Operations for Nuclear: Work Reduction Opportunity Demonstration Strategy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Plant Modernization Pathway has been working with industry for a number of years to leverage digital technology to extend the life and improve the performance of the existing fleet through modernized technologies and improved processes for plant operation and power generation. This includes development of modernization solutions to improve reliability and economic performance while addressing US nuclear industry’s aging and obsolescence challenges. The objective of these efforts is to deliver a sustainable business model that enables US nuclear industry to remain competitive. Digital Infrastructure (DI) research has established a technical foundation for these efforts. This effort began with technical analysis and support for a safety-related instrumentation and control (I&C) pilot upgrade being performed at Constellation Energy Generation’s Limerick Nuclear Plant. The following publicly available reports were produced as part of this effort. • INL/EXT-20-61079, Vendor-Independent Design Requirements for a Boiling Water Reactor Safety System Upgrade [1] • INL/EXT-20-59371, Business Case Analysis for Digital Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control System Modernizations [2] • INL/EXT-20-59809, “Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Pilot Upgrade: Initial Scoping Phase Implementation Report and Lessons Learned [3] • INL/RPT-23-72105, Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Upgrade: Conceptual – Detailed Design Phase Report and Lessons Learned [4]

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2023

$K^{*0}$ production in $\text{Au} \times \text{Au}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 7.7$, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, and 39 GeV from the RHIC beam energy scan

We report the measurement of K *0 meson at midrapidity (|y|< 1.0) in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27 and 39 GeV collected by the STAR experiment during the RHIC beam energy scan (BES) program. The transverse momentum spectra, yield, and average transverse momentum of K *0 are presented as functions of collision centrality and beam energy. The K *0 /K yield ratios are presented for different collision centrality intervals and beam energies. The K *0 /K ratio in heavy-ion collisions are observed to be smaller than that in small system collisions (e+e and p+p). The K *0 /K ratio follows a similar centrality dependence to that observed in previous RHIC and LHC measurements. The data favor the scenario of the dominance of hadronic re-scattering over regeneration for K *0 production in the hadronic phase of the medium.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au + Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C 5 , C 6 ) and factorial cumulants (κ 5 , κ 6 ) of net-proton and proton distributions, from $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=3-200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The net-proton cumulant ratios generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV. C 6 /C 2 for 0-40\% centrality collisions is increasingly negative with decreasing $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$, while it is positive for the lowest $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (at baryon chemical potential, μ B ≤ 110 MeV) that include a crossover quark-hadron transition. In addition, for $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$≥ 11.5 GeV, the measured proton κ n , within uncertainties, does not support the two-component shape of proton distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyper-order proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ B ~750 MeV ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3 GeV) is starkly different from those at vanishing μ B ~20MeV ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV and higher).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au + Au Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%–60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (𝑅 𝐴⁢𝐴 ), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to 𝑝 + 𝑝 collisions, for ϒ⁡(1⁢𝑆) and ϒ⁡(2⁢𝑆) are 0.40 ± 0.03⁢(stat) ± 0.03⁢(sys) ± 0.09⁢(norm) and 0.26 ± 0.08⁢(stat) ± 0.02⁢(sys) ± 0.06⁢(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ⁡(3⁢𝑆) 𝑅 𝐴⁢𝐴 is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ⁡(3⁢𝑆) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ⁡(1⁢𝑆) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ⁡(1⁢𝑆) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. Furthermore, these results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗