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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 829 records · Page 46
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

The TAMUTRAP facility: A Penning trap facility at Texas A&M University for weak interaction studies

The Texas A&M University Penning Trap (TAMUTRAP) facility aims to test the standard model of the electroweak interaction by measuring the β-ν correlation parameter, a βν , for β-delayed proton emitters in the atomic mass range 20 < A < 40. Precision measurements of this correlation parameter and, inextricably, the Fierz interference parameter, are a sensitive probe of physics beyond the standard model. Here, using off-line ion sources, the TAMUTRAP facility has been commissioned by demonstrating the ability to manipulate the trapped-ion motions as well as to perform precision mass measurements. Our novel cylindrical Penning trap – the world's largest – differs from typical designs in two key aspects: the electrode structure has an 180-mm inner diameter and an overall length of 334.89 mm leading to a uniquely small length/radius ratio l/r = 3.72; and we do not use the long end cap approximation, instead our short endcap electrodes are closed and capable of being placed at an arbitrary potential. This geometry is optimized for observing β-delayed proton decays, but is also well suited for other in-trap and post-trap precision decay experiments. In addition to presenting an overview of the TAMUTRAP facility, we demonstrate that our unique Penning trap is able to measure masses with a precision similar to typical trap designs.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Talbot-Lau x-ray deflectometer: Refraction-based HEDP imaging diagnostic

Talbot-Lau x-ray interferometry has been implemented to map electron density gradients in High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) experiments. X-ray backlighter targets have been evaluated for Talbot-Lau X-ray Deflectometry (TXD). Cu foils, wires, and sphere targets have been irradiated by 10–150 J, 8–30 ps laser pulses, while two pulsed-power generators (∼350 kA, 350 ns and ∼200 kA, 150 ns) have driven Cu wire, hybrid, and laser-cut x-pinches. A plasma ablation front generated by the Omega EP laser was imaged for the first time through TXD for densities >1023 cm−3. Backlighter optimization in combination with x-ray CCD, image plates, and x-ray film has been assessed in terms of spatial resolution and interferometer contrast for accurate plasma characterization through TXD in pulsed-power and high-intensity laser environments. The results obtained thus far demonstrate the potential of TXD as a powerful diagnostic for HEDP.

Valdivia, M. P.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design of an epithermal neutron velocity selection system for the Penn State Breazeale Reactor

A series of mechanical neutron choppers to operate as a velocity selection system have been developed for the Pennsylvania State Breazeal Reactor (PSBR). This chopper system will provide pulsed epithermal neutrons in the energy range of 0.5–40 eV with 2% or better energy resolution, and with a transmission of 1E-6 or better. Four different chopper geometries have been evaluated for their utility as mechanical neutron choppers. Specifically, Fermi, ring, piston, and disc choppers have been evaluated to assess their potential neutronics performance and mechanical constructability. A series of high-speed disc choppers were selected for the final design, and optimization work was performed to maximize the neutron pulse intensity. It is estimated that the optimized system will produce an epithermal neutron intensity of approximately 96 n/s. This system can also be operated in a time of flight (TOF) configuration such that the neutrons arriving at the source have a white spectrum. This operation can be accomplished by leaving the second stage of choppers in the open position, or by removing it from the beam completely. Such unique source of epithermal neutrons produced by this chopper system will have applications in both prompt and delayed epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA), as well as in neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultra: Underwater Laser Telecommunications & Remote Access (Final Report)

High speed wireless communication has proven elusive in subsea environments due to the inherent bandwidth limitations of acoustics and range limitations of other transmission modalities. A truly connected subsea system necessitates a high-speed, resilient architecture that can enable the integration of new sensor technologies and edge analytics and allow closed-loop monitoring and control of subsea operations for integrity monitoring and optimization. Like terrestrial Internet of Things applications, the realization of this “digital subsea” vision requires the application of high speed, point-to-point wireless technologies to complement rather than replace “hard-wired” communications such as optical fiber or acoustic systems. This work addresses the development of ULTRA (Underwater LASER Telemetry and Remote Access), an ultra-long range underwater laser communications system for use in critical points of the subsea communications architecture to increase reliability, operational flexibility, and reduce communication system maintenance associated with physical subsea connections.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2020

Appendix Q: Recommendations for Developing Molecular Assays for Microbial Pathogen Detection Using Modern In Silico Approaches

We describe the use of in silico approaches to improve the process of molecular assay development and reduce time and cost by utilizing available databases of whole genome pathogen sequences combined with modern bioinformatics and physical modeling tools. Well-characterized assays are needed for accurately detecting pathogens in environmental and patient samples and also for evaluation of the efficacy of a medical countermeasure that may be administered to patients. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) remains the gold standard for pathogen detection due to the simplicity of its instrumentation, low cost of reagents, and outstanding limit of detection (LOD), sensitivity, and specificity. However, creation of such PCR assays often involves iterations of design, preliminary testing, and thorough validation with clinical isolates and testing in relevant matrices, which can be time consuming, costly, and result in suboptimal assays. Since formal validation (e.g., for Emergency Use Authorization [EUA] or Food and Drug Administration [FDA] licensure) of an infectious disease assay can be very expensive and can require extensive time of development, having a well-designed assay up front is a critical first step. Yet, many assays described in the literature utilized limited design capabilities and many initially promising assays fail the validation process, resulting in increased costs and timelines for successful product development. While the computational approaches outlined in this document by no means obviate the need for wet lab testing, they can reduce the amount of effort wasted on empirical optimization and iterative redesigns and also guide validation studies. The proposed computational approaches also result in higher performing assays with better sensitivity, specificity, and lower LOD and reduce the possibility of assay failure due to signature erosion. To provide clarity, an extensive glossary of defined terms is provided.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Reconstructions from randomly generated longitudinal electron bunch profiles with Gaussian envelopes using the Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm

Knowledge of longitudinal electron bunch profiles is vital to optimize the performance of plasma wakefield accelerators and x-ray free electron laser linacs. Because of their importance to these novel applications, noninvasive frequency domain techniques are often employed to reconstruct longitudinal bunch profiles from coherent synchrotron, transition, or undulator radiation measurements. In this paper, we detail several common reconstruction techniques involving the Kramers–Kronig phase relationship and Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm. Additionally, through statistical analysis, we draw general conclusions about the accuracy of these reconstruction techniques and the most suitable candidate for reconstructing well-isolated longitudinal bunch profiles from spectroscopic data.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Experimental exploration of compressed beam dynamics in an energy recovery linac with comparison to simulations

The compact energy recovery linac (cERL) has been developed for industrial applications since 2017. Applications such as free electron laser require a compressed beam with a small energy spread and transverse emittance. The typical operation energy of cERL is an intermediate energy region close to 17.5 MeV; therefore, the electron bunch is easily affected by the longitudinal space-charge effects and the coherent synchrotron radiation wakefield effects. Bunch compression is demonstrated by optimizing a combination of a longitudinally chirped electron bunch and the arcs with nonzero R 56 parameters. When the bunch compression procedure is applied for a bunch charge of 60 pC, an increase in energy spread is observed at the short bunch length. We systematically explored the chirp phase to determine the best condition. The measurement results of the energy spread, bunch length, and transverse emittance were compared with the tracking simulation results to understand the compressed beam dynamics.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

First survey of centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We present the first beam test results with centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors, using the Fermilab Test Beam Facility and sensors manufactured by the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Sensors of this type are envisioned for applications that require large-area precision 4D tracking coverage with economical channel counts, including timing layers for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC), and space-based particle experiments. A survey of sensor designs is presented, with the aim of optimizing the electrode geometry for spatial resolution and timing performance. Several design considerations are discussed towards maintaining desirable signal characteristics with increasingly larger electrodes. The resolutions obtained with several prototypes are presented, reaching simultaneous 18 micron and 32 ps resolutions from strips of 1 cm length and 500 micron pitch. With only slight modifications, these sensors would be ideal candidates for a 4D timing layer at the EIC.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

3-D Radiological Data Acquisition, Visualization and Modeling - 20211

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was tasked to investigate and remediate low activity radiological contamination from research and production of the nation's first nuclear weapons at the former DuPont Chambers Works Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) site (DuPont). The DuPont site had several buildings used for the Manhattan project that were demolished in the 1940's and 1950's apparently using heavy earthmoving equipment. Some of the contaminated rubble from the demolition appears to have been spread out by this equipment resulting in somewhat random scattering of radiologically contaminated soil and debris along with aqueous spills. Traditional investigative methods such as soil borings, test pits and 2-dimensional gamma walkovers were only partially successful in delineating the radiological contamination at the site. It was feared that even 'chasing' the contamination during remediation would miss contamination if the demolition resulted in discontinuous trails of radiologically contaminated soils. In evaluating the data generated over the interceding decades, the USACE determined that a better method to collect and process the remedial action radiological data was needed to enable the project team to optimize predictive planning and meet documentation expectations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the effort and progress to combine and organize radiological survey methods into a highly flexible sampling, modeling, and decision analysis approach that emphasizes the quality of decision-making during remediation. This innovative system blends multiple tools to develop a methodology that can extend MARRSIM [1] into the subsurface and provide tools that can be applied to other sites. (authors)

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

Accelerating detector simulations with Celeritas: profiling and performance optimizations

Celeritas is a GPU-optimized MC particle transport code designed to meet the growing computational demands of next-generation HEP experiments. It provides efficient simulation of EM physics processes in complex geometries with magnetic fields, detector hit scoring, and seamless integration into Geant4-driven applications to offload EM physics to GPUs. Recent efforts have focused on performance optimizations and expanding profiling capabilities. This paper presents some key advancements, including the integration of the Perfetto system profiling tool for detailed performance analysis and the development of track-sorting methods to improve computational efficiency.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

DRiFT current mode, trigger settings and flexible detector specifications applied to scintillator arrays

MCNP radiation transport output is post-processed by DRiFT, a Detector Response Function Toolkit to simulate detailed nuclear instrumentation response. DRiFT can be used to assess the performance and potential limitations of scintillator, gas, and semiconductor detectors under a variety of simulated conditions not easily achievable in a laboratory setting. This work describes new updates in DRiFT for scintillator simulations which focus on the capability to simulate scintillators in current mode, an expansion of trigger options, and the ability to customize individual detector properties in a simulation. These improvements are designed to facilitate the ability to model large arrays of scintillator detectors with higher fidelity than was previously possible and are demonstrated in three examples. The first shows the difference between operating DRiFT in current and pulse mode. In the second example, which is intended to demonstrate deviations in individual detector performance, each detector has properties (PMT gain, optical transport, scintillation yield, etc.) that vary between detectors and are specified in DRiFT. A final example examines how DRiFT could be used to optimize digitizer settings in high rate measurements with split signals using the new common trigger option.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nozzle-Free Printing of CNT Electronics Using Laser-Generated Focused Ultrasound

Printed electronics have made remarkable progress in recent years and inkjet printing (IJP) has emerged as one of the leading methods for fabricating printed electronic devices. However, challenges such as nozzle clogging, and strict ink formulation constraints have limited their widespread use. To address this issue, a novel nozzle-free printing technology is explored, which is enabled by laser-generated focused ultrasound, as a potential alternative printing modality called Shock-wave Jet Printing (SJP). Specifically, the performance of SJP-printed and IJP-printed bottom-gated carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film transistors (TFTs) is compared. While IJP required ten print passes to achieve fully functional devices with channel dimensions ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers, SJP achieved comparable performance with just a single pass. For optimized devices, SJP demonstrated six times higher maximum mobility than IJP-printed devices. Furthermore, the advantages of nozzle-free printing are evident, as SJP successfully printed stored and unsonicated inks, delivering moderate electrical performance, whereas IJP suffered from nozzle clogging due to CNT agglomeration. Moreover, SJP can print significantly longer CNTs, spanning the entire range of tube lengths of commercially available CNT ink. The findings from this study contribute to the advancement of nanomaterial printing, ink formulation, and the development of cost-effective printable electronics.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Deep learning-based noise filtering toward millisecond order imaging by using scanning transmission electron microscopy

Application of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to in situ observation will be essential in the current and emerging data-driven materials science by taking STEM’s high affinity with various analytical options into account. As is well known, STEM’s image acquisition time needs to be further shortened to capture a targeted phenomenon in real-time as STEM’s current temporal resolution is far below the conventional TEM’s. However, rapid image acquisition in the millisecond per frame or faster generally causes image distortion, poor electron signals, and unidirectional blurring, which are obstacles for realizing video-rate STEM observation. Here we show an image correction framework integrating deep learning (DL)-based denoising and image distortion correction schemes optimized for STEM rapid image acquisition. By comparing a series of distortion corrected rapid scan images with corresponding regular scan speed images, the trained DL network is shown to remove not only the statistical noise but also the unidirectional blurring. This result demonstrates that rapid as well as high-quality image acquisition by STEM without hardware modification can be established by the DL. The DL-based noise filter could be applied to in-situ observation, such as dislocation activities under external stimuli, with high spatio-temporal resolution.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Novel dual-reflection design applied for ITER core x-ray spectrometer

Here. a novel dual-reflection configuration is introduced for the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) core x-ray spectrometer to fit the allocated space where it will be placed accompanied by moving the detectors backward to reduce the incident radiation dose. The highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, which has a mosaic structure of microscopic crystallites, is chosen for the front reflector motivated by higher x-ray throughput and stronger misalignment tolerance compared to the perfect crystal reflector. In the ITER core x-ray spectrometer, a combination of several reflector-deflected Lines of Sight (LOSs) and a direct LOS is proposed for the first time named X-Ray Crystal Spectroscopy Core (XRCS-Core). The system is optimized to observe lines from externally seeded xenon and the intrinsic tungsten impurity, meeting both port integration needs and measurement requirements. Its spectral performance is simulated using an analytical-raytracing mixed code——XRSA, showing good imaging quality with a spectral resolution higher than 8000. The XRCS-Core system is thought to be applicable in various ITER scenarios through the assessment taking into account the spectrometers’ specifications and the chosen lines’ emissivity in different plasma parameters.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

First survey of centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We present the first beam test results with centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors, using the Fermilab Test Beam Facility and sensors manufactured by the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Sensors of this type are envisioned for applications that require large-area precision 4D tracking coverage with economical channel counts, including timing layers for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC), and space-based particle experiments. A survey of sensor designs is presented, with the aim of optimizing the electrode geometry for spatial resolution and timing performance. Several design considerations are discussed towards maintaining desirable signal characteristics with increasingly larger electrodes. The resolutions obtained with several prototypes are presented, reaching simultaneous 18 μm and 32 ps resolutions from strips of 1 cm length and 500 μm pitch. With only slight modifications, these sensors would be ideal candidates for a 4D timing layer at the EIC.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterization of BNL and HPK AC-LGAD sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We present measurements of AC-LGADs performed at the Fermilab's test beam facility using 120 GeV protons. We studied the performance of various strip and pad AC-LGAD sensors that were produced by BNL and HPK. The measurements are performed with our upgraded test beam setup that utilizes a high precision telescope tracker, and a simultaneous readout of up to 7 channels per sensor, which allows detailed studies of signal sharing characteristics. These measurements allow us to assess the differences in designs between different manufacturers, and optimize them based on experimental performance. We then study several reconstruction algorithms to optimize position and time resolutions that utilize the signal sharing properties of each sensor. We present a world's first demonstration of silicon sensors in a test beam that simultaneously achieve better than 6-10 micron position and 30 ps time resolution. This represents a substantial improvement to the spatial resolution than would be obtained with binary readout of sensors with similar pitch.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Performance of 8 × 8 × 32 and 10 × 10 × 32 mm 3 CdZnTe position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors for high-energy gamma ray cameras

CdZnTe (CZT) crystals with thicknesses up to 20 mm and diameters up to 75 mm have become available from Redlen Technologies, Inc. for making large-volume gamma-ray detectors. The modified growth and optimized annealing conditions allowed Redlen to minimize the dark current and improve the uniformity of CZT crystals. Two detector designs, pixelated (H3D) and position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG), have greatly benefitted from the availability of such big crystals. Encouraging results from testing of 40×40×15 mm 3 pixelated detectors were recently reported by the University of Michigan. In this work, we evaluated the spectroscopic properties of 8×8×32 and 10×10×32 mm 3 crystals configured as position-sensitive VFG detectors. Both digitized waveforms and an analog ASIC were used to read and process the signals from the detectors and test their spectral- and spatial-resolution. The VFG design provides the flexibility to scale-up the dimensions of the detectors for the desired efficiency, while the position information allows for correcting the detectors' response non-uniformity caused by crystal defects and devices geometry, thereby reducing the instrument cost and making them more feasible for emerging applications in gamma-ray astronomy, nonproliferation, portal screening and nuclear safeguards, where large detector arrays are often required.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterization of BNL and HPK AC-LGAD sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We present measurements of AC-LGADs performed at the Fermilab's test beam facility using 120 GeV protons. Here we studied the performance of various strip and pad AC-LGAD sensors that were produced by BNL and HPK. The measurements are performed with our upgraded test beam setup that utilizes a high precision telescope tracker, and a simultaneous readout of up to 7 channels per sensor, which allows detailed studies of signal sharing characteristics. These measurements allow us to assess the differences in designs between different manufacturers, and optimize them based on experimental performance. We then study several reconstruction algorithms to optimize position and time resolutions that utilize the signal sharing properties of each sensor. We present a world's first demonstration of silicon sensors in a test beam that simultaneously achieve better than 6–10 μm position and 30 ps time resolution. This represents a substantial improvement to the spatial resolution than would be obtained with binary readout of sensors with similar pitch.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗