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DOE OSTI2024

Demonstrating the β-Ga 2 O 3 Schottky diodes for alpha radiation detection

Schottky barrier diodes were fabricated on (001) monoclinic β-Ga 2 O 3 wafers with low doped epitaxial layers of 7.0 × 10 15 cm −3 . Circular Ni Schottky contacts with area 2 mm 2 were deposited by electron beam evaporation. Devices were characterized electrically by performing forward and reverse current-voltage sweeps with a range of −100 V–2 V, as well as capacitance-voltage sweeps to −30 V. The breakdown voltage was also determined to be −180 V for the devices. Experiments measuring the electrical response from incident X-ray radiation was performed. A response time to X-ray radiation of less than 1 s was recorded and a decay time of approximately 2 s after removing X-ray source, which primarily attribute to X-ray switching on and off time. Energy spectra of alpha particles from a 0.9 μCi 241 Am button source was collected at various voltage biases using devices with the lowest measured leakage current while reverse biased. The total count rate was observed to increase linearly with increasing device bias. In conclusion, the peak channel number was observed to increase with increasing bias with the best resolution of 9.5% at −100 V reverse bias.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2024

In-situ two-dimensional temperature measurements using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy in laminar flames with high silica particle concentrations

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) was used to measure temperatures and study mixing, for the first time in silica particle synthesis flames. Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and trimethylsilanol (TMSO) were the particle precursors. A multi-element diffusion burner was used to produce a flat methane flame, and the precursors, dilute in inert gas, were injected via a central jet. Krypton was the fluorescent medium at 3.2 % concentration by volume. Scans with Kr in the central flow and not in the main flow were made to assess the mixing effects between the central and main gas flows. When HMDSO or TMSO were added, a secondary diffusion flame formed between the jet and the main methane flame. The results revealed a dramatic change in the centerline temperature profile of the jet gases when HMDSO or TMSO were added. The main methane flame stoichiometry also affected the temperature profiles. The results show HMDSO and TMSO reactions are initiated in a lowtemperature and low-oxygen concentration region of the jet where thermal decomposition is not expected to be significant. Reaction of the particle precursors is therefore attributed to radical transport from the main methane flame. In the current work, particle number densities of up to 270 g/m 3 locally are estimated. Thus, the study also demonstrates the capability of the XRF technique for high spatial fidelity measurements in flames with high concentrations of condensed-phase particles, leveraging the attribute that the XRF signal is generally not impacted by condensed-phase interferences. In conclusion, the observations and data obtained in this study inform likely reaction pathways for this important class of siloxane compounds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS2004

Intra-seasonal Oscillations (ISO) of Zonal-Mean Meridional Winds and Temperatures as Measured by UARS

Based on an empirical analysis of measurements with the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) on the UARS spacecraft in the upper mesosphere (95 km), persistent and regular intra-seasonal oscillations (ISO) with periods of about 2 to 4 months have recently been reported in the zonal-mean meridional winds. Similar oscillations have also been discussed independently in a modeling study, and they were attributed to wave-mean-flow interactions. The observed and modeled meridional wind ISOs were largely confined to low latitudes. We report here an analysis of concurrent temperature measurements on UARS, which produces oscillations similar to those seen in the meridional winds. Although the temperature oscillations are observed at lower altitudes (55 km), their phase variations with latitude are qualitatively consistent with the inferred properties seen in the meridional winds and thus provide independent evidence for the existence of ISOs in the mesosphere.

Huang, Frank T.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hyperspectral leaf reflectance of grasses varies with evolutionary lineage more than with site

Abstract To predict ecological responses at broad environmental scales, grass species are commonly grouped into two broad functional types based on photosynthetic pathway. However, closely related species may have distinctive anatomical and physiological attributes that influence ecological responses, beyond those related to photosynthetic pathway alone. Hyperspectral leaf reflectance can provide an integrated measure of covarying leaf traits that may result from phylogenetic trait conservatism and/or environmental conditions. Understanding whether spectra‐trait relationships are lineage specific or reflect environmental variation across sites is necessary for using hyperspectral reflectance to predict plant responses to environmental changes across spatial scales. We measured hyperspectral leaf reflectance (400–2400 nm) and 12 structural, biochemical, and physiological leaf traits from five grass‐dominated sites spanning the Great Plains of North America. We assessed if variation in leaf reflectance spectra among grass species is explained more by evolutionary lineage (as captured by tribes or subfamilies), photosynthetic pathway (C 3 or C 4 ), or site differences. We then determined whether leaf spectra can be used to predict leaf traits within and across lineages. Our results using redundancy analysis ordination (RDA) show that grass tribe identity explained more variation in leaf spectra (adjusted R 2 = 0.12) than photosynthetic pathway, which explained little variation in leaf spectra (adjusted R 2 = 0.00). Furthermore, leaf reflectance from the same tribe across multiple sites was more similar than leaf reflectance from the same site across tribes (adjusted R 2 = 0.12 and 0.08, respectively). Across all sites and species, trait predictions based on spectra ranged considerably in predictive accuracies ( R 2 = 0.65 to <0.01), but R 2 was >0.80 for certain lineages and sites. The relationship between Vc max , a measure of photosynthetic capacity, and spectra was particularly promising. Chloridoideae, a lineage more common at drier sites, appears to have distinct spectra‐trait relationships compared with other lineages. Overall, our results show that evolutionary relatedness explains more variation in grass leaf spectra than photosynthetic pathway or site, but consideration of lineage‐ and site‐specific trait relationships is needed to interpret spectral variation across large environmental gradients.

Pau, Stephanie [Department of Geography University↗

DOE OSTI2025

Identifying Nuclear Data Correlated Through Predicting Bias in Integral Experiments via Applying Principal Component Analysis to Random Forest

ABSTRACT Nuclear data (ND) are the input data for neutron‐transport simulations to answer questions related to nuclear technologies. Subsets of ND, here > 20,000 data points, are validated with respect to thousands of criticality experiments that represent various applications on a small scale. The aim of validation with these experiments is to find errors in ND or methods. The key challenge here is that several hundreds of ND are used to simulate one integral value. Hence, one cannot clearly identify what ND are leading to bias in criticality measurements. In fact, a mistake in one nuclear‐data observable can be compensated with an error in another, and the predicted criticality value would still be predicted in agreement with experimental data. Random forest (RF) was previously employed to predict bias in criticality measurements using sensitivities of simulated criticality experiments to ND. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) metric was then applied to attribute the importance of each ND experiment and observable to bias prediction. This, however, did not highlight what ND were jointly related to predicting bias. This is important as it could inform us about where compensating errors in ND could hide. We tackle this shortcoming here by first decomposing the ND sensitivities to integral‐experiment simulations into principal components. Then we use principal component projections to predict bias via the RF and SHAP. The SHAP values and principal components are employed to reconstruct detailed SHAP values for each ND observable. We demonstrate that these extended SHAP bias predictions are more robust, less noisy, and more efficient. In addition, we show that this approach accounts for covariance in ND sensitivities and automates the identification of where compensating errors could hide in ND.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Comparison of unirradiated and irradiated AGR-2 TRISO fuel particle oxidation response

The silicon carbide (SiC) coating in a tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle acts as a barrier to fission product release during reactor operation and accident scenarios. Oxidation and subsequent failure of the SiC layer during a rare air ingress event is a proposed mechanism for fission product release in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). Although previous oxidation studies have analyzed unirradiated TRISO particle response, this study compared the oxidation behavior of irradiated and unirradiated TRISO particles from the second Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program irradiation experiment (AGR-2). Particles with exposed SiC were subjected to six varying oxidizing tests in the Furnace for Irradiated TRISO Testing (FITT), examined for failure fraction with the Irradiated Microsphere Gamma Analyzer (IMGA) and characterized with focused ion beam and scanning/transmission electron microscopy techniques to analyze the oxide layer. Uncorrelated unirradiated particle failures throughout the series of exposures suggests that external factors inherent to the experiment increased particle failure sensitivity. However, irradiated particle observations indicated an increased failure response at 400 h 1400 °C in both 2% and 21% O 2 atmospheres above failure associated with external factors. Oxide thickness measurements after 400 h at 1400 °C revealed a greater oxidation rate than predicted by parabolic growth, which was attributed to the increased complexity of the oxide structure at longer exposure times. Altering the atmosphere from 21% to 2% O 2 reduced the average oxide thickness by approximately 12%–14% in both irradiated and unirradiated particles at 400 h 1400 °C. Altogether, the minor variations observed between irradiated and unirradiated particles in this study led to the conclusion that unirradiated TRISO particles can be used to approximate irradiated TRISO oxidation kinetics.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Boron Nitride-Driven Strengthening of Aluminum Composites via Friction Stir Processing

Friction stir welding and processing (FSW/P) has emerged as an effective solid-state joining technique for fabricating metal matrix composites (MMCs), offering improved mechanical properties through refined microstructural evolution. In this study, an aluminum-boron nitride nanoparticle (Al-BNNP) composite was synthesized via FSW, and its indentation-based mechanical properties were systematically evaluated. Microhardness mapping across the weld cross-section revealed a progressive increase in hardness toward the stir zone (SZ), attributed to severe plastic deformation, dynamic recrystallization (DRX), and the reinforcing effect of BNNPs. Profilometry-based indentation plastometry (PIP) inferred yield strength (YS) demonstrates a 47.8% increase compared to the base metal (BM) and a 75% improvement compared to FSP pure aluminum reported in literature. This enhancement is attributed to strengthening mechanisms, including grain boundary pinning, load transfer, and increased dislocation density. The strain rate sensitivity (SRS) measurements at the nanoscale demonstrated a substantial decrease in the SZ, correlated with ultrafine grain structures and strong BNNP-matrix interactions. Activation volume analysis revealed a significant reduction in the SZ, suggesting that dislocation motion is increasingly restricted by dislocation-dislocation and dislocation-particle interactions. These findings suggest that incorporating BNNPs in FSW/P enables tailoring the microstructure without thermal degradation of the secondary particles, thereby significantly enhancing the mechanical performance of aluminum composites, particularly for structural applications in aerospace and automotive industries.

Aluminum↗

DOE OSTI2022

Long-Term Aging in Miscible Polymer Nanocomposites

Here we find that the initial, solvent-cast state of nanoparticles (NPs) in a polymer matrix temporally evolves during thermal annealing such that, at steady state, NPs maximize their distance from each other subject to mass balance constraints. The observed timescales for this unexpected structural reorganization, as probed by small-angle X-ray scattering, are temperature-dependent and can be prohibitively large, especially at temperatures around and below 1.2Tg. X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy measurements during reorganization reveal that the collective NP dynamics slow down with annealing at constant temperature; this is accompanied by changes in the low-frequency regime in macroscopic viscoelastic measurements in equilibrated materials. By ruling out other potential sources for these effects (i.e., electrostatic interactions, adsorbed layers), we attribute these results to a long-ranged repulsive force between the NPs caused by fluctuations in the polymer phase, i.e., the "anti-Casimir" effect proposed by Obhukhov and Semenov [Long-range interactions in polymer melts: The anti-Casimir effect. Phys Rev Lett 2005, 95 (3), 038305]. Thus, our results highlight the important role of long-term, slow NP reorganization on the structure and, subsequently, the properties of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), even in the case of nominally miscible polymer nanoparticle hybrids.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Biomimetic Control over Bimetallic Nanoparticle Structure and Activity via Peptide Capping Ligand Sequence

Here, the controlled design of bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) is a key goal in tailoring their catalytic properties. Recently, biomimetic pathways demonstrated potent control over the distribution of different metals within BNPs, but a direct understanding of the peptide effect on the compositional distribution at the interparticle and intraparticle levels remains lacking. We synthesized two sets of PtAu systems with two peptides and correlated their structure, composition, and distributions with the catalytic activity. Structural and compositional analyses were performed by a combined machine learning-assisted refinement of X-ray absorption spectra and Z-contrast measurements by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The difference in the catalytic activities between nanoparticles synthesized with different peptides was attributed to the details of interparticle distribution of Pt and Au across these markedly heterogeneous systems, comprising Pt-rich, Au-rich, and Au core/Pt shell nanoparticles. The total amount of Pt in the shells of the BNPs was proposed to be the key catalytic activity descriptor. This approach can be extended to other systems of metals and peptides to facilitate the targeted design of catalysts with the desired activity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Ultrafast laser triggered electron emission from ultrananocrystalline diamond pyramid tip cathode

Nitrogen-incorporated ultrananocrystalline diamond [(N)UNCD] pyramid tip cathode has been considered as a next-generation high peak current electron source for dielectric laser accelerators as well as other high peak current particle accelerator applications. In this work, we study non-linear photoemission from an (N)UNCD pyramid tip cathode using an ultrafast laser with the pulse length of 150 fs with the central wavelength of 800 nm in the peak intensity range of 10 9 –10 10 W/cm 2 . We demonstrated that as the incident laser intensity increases, the current emitted from the nano-tip first increases as a power function with an exponent of about 5 and then starts to roll over to an exponent of 3. This roll over is attributed to the Coulomb interaction between electrons emitted from the tip also known as the space charge. We also measured the photoemission electron energy spectra that show electrons with energies as high as ~10 eV. Based on the shape of the electron energy spectra, we conclude that the high-energy electrons are thermally emitted electrons due to ultrafast laser heating at the tip of the (N)UNCD pyramid tip cathode.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

The Second Radio Synchrotron Background Workshop: Conference Summary and Report

We summarize the second radio synchrotron background workshop, which took place on 2022 June 15–17 in Barolo, Italy. This meeting was convened because available measurements of the diffuse radio zero level continue to suggest that it is several times higher than can be attributed to known Galactic and extragalactic sources and processes, rendering it the least well-understood electromagnetic background at present and a major outstanding question in astrophysics. The workshop agreed on the next priorities for investigations of this phenomenon, which include searching for evidence of the radio Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, carrying out cross-correlation analyses of radio emission with other tracers, and supporting the completion of the 310 MHz absolutely calibrated sky map project.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Attosecond XUV probing of vibronic quantum superpositions in Br 2 +

Ultrafast laser excitation can create coherent superpositions of electronic states in molecules and trigger ultrafast flow of electron density on a few femtosecond timescale. While recent attosecond experiments have addressed real-time observation of these primary photochemical processes, the underlying roles of simultaneous nuclear motions and how they modify and disturb the valence electronic motion remain uncertain. In this work, we investigate coherent electronic-vibrational dynamics induced among multiple vibronic levels of ionic bromine (Br 2 + ), including both spin-orbit (X 2 Π 3/2,g – X 2 Π 1/2,g ) and valence (A 2 Π 3/2,u – 4 Σ 3/2,u ) electronic superpositions, using attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Decay, revival, and apparent frequency shifts of electronic coherences are measured via characteristic quantum beats on the Br-3d core-level absorption signals. Quantum-mechanical simulations attribute the observed electronic decoherence to broadened phase distributions of nuclear wave packets on anharmonic potentials. Molecular vibronic structure is further revealed to be imprinted as discrete progressions in electronic beat frequencies. These results provide a future basis to interpret complex charge-migration dynamics in polyatomic systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2020

SRNL Analysis of ICCWR LCM and WAMS data for Corrosion and Cracking (FY2020 Progress Report)

3013 corrosion↗

DOE OSTI2021

FY21 Progress Report: SRNL Analysis of ICCWR LCM and WAMS data for Corrosion and Cracking

The development of algorithms for machine learning and data analysis for the 3013 Surveillance Program is a collaborative effort by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the University of South Carolina (USC). For corrosion detection, Laser Confocal Microscope (LCM) or Wide Area 3D Measurement System (WAMS) data is extracted from large binary files, with software written to convert the data to physical attributes (e.g., height, color and grayscale values; all as functions of a location in a plane projection). A user-friendly Matlab Graphical User Interface (GUI) that reads data from either LCM or WAMS files was developed to integrate input data with software developed for processing and evaluation. The GUI can selectively download binary data, interrogate data attributes, label data, flag significant features, execute Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, output parameters for trained ML algorithms, report ML model accuracy with respect to labeled data, and generate graphical representations for various analyses. Features can be called out by user-specified thresholds, manual labeling or machine learning algorithms when they have been completed. The ability to rapidly label data is important because of the volume of data required for training machine learning algorithms. The GUI has the flexibility to allow addition of improved ML algorithms, methods for data visualization, and statistical computations. Statistical analyses via the GUI include areas of pits within a defined range of pit depths, correlations between Red-Green-Blue (RGB) or grayscale intensity and relative surface height, covariances between values associated with features, and feature histograms. The development of supervised machine learning algorithms, however, has been hindered by a lack of training data. The machine learning algorithms for crack identification are being refined but require improvements to the true positive rate for crack detection. This shortcoming is an artifact of the limited training data currently available, perhaps more so than the structure of the neural networks. At present, the best results are had from a consensus over an ensemble of randomly generated Deep Neural Network (DNN) or Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithms. Although the consensus accuracy method has yielded optimum true positive and true negative rates in excess of 80%, additional validation testing is necessary. In addition to the suite of LCM data that was initially used, and which represents the majority of the work presented in this report, WAMS image data was also reviewed at a preliminary level. The review included a comparison between image resolution and dynamic range for each method. WAMS (ZON file) image data was found to have a pixel pitch of 3.69μm compared to 1 μm for the LCM (vk4 file) data, which implies a lower resolution for the WAMS images. Conversely, the ratio of dynamic range of the WAMS data to the LCM data was approximately 41:20 for height data, suggesting that information from WAMS should more accurately determine the depth of pits. At present, the significance of the greater dynamic range of the WAMS data relative to the LCM data has not yet been evaluated.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

NASA NTRS1977

Femur-bending properties as influenced by gravity. I - Ultimate load and moment for 3-G rats

Fresh experimental bones can withstand greater bending forces and moments after 1.0 to 2.5 weeks of 3-G exposure. This appears more attributable to a 50% greater strength of bone material than to effects upon size or shape, and is most measurable for animals of 5 to 8 weeks of age. Experimental bone material seems to grow to its mature level at a younger age rather then there being so marked an effect upon the mature level itself. We simulated 3.1 G by chronic centrifugation of 66 albino rats and compared them to 63 1-G controls. Extrapolation of the simplest mathematical description of the present results to weaker, zero-G bones could be tested by a total of 60 space-based control and experimental animals. A flight of only 15 animals would be necessary for comparison to ground-based control animals. This is consistent with reports of bone demineralization during space-flight. In light of the differences in bone histology, however, extrapolation of these results to humans would be premature and, if at all applicable, are most likely to be so for children rather than adults.

Wunder, C. C.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Correlation of predicted and measured thermal stresses on an advanced aircraft structure with dissimilar materials

Additional information was added to a growing data base from which estimates of finite element model complexities can be made with respect to thermal stress analysis. The manner in which temperatures were smeared to the finite element grid points was examined from the point of view of the impact on thermal stress calculations. The general comparison of calculated and measured thermal stresses is guite good and there is little doubt that the finite element approach provided by NASTRAN results in correct thermal stress calculations. Discrepancies did exist between measured and calculated values in the skin and the skin/frame junctures. The problems with predicting skin thermal stress were attributed to inadequate temperature inputs to the structural model rather than modeling insufficiencies. The discrepancies occurring at the skin/frame juncture were most likely due to insufficient modeling elements rather than temperature problems.

Jenkins, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a fighter model undergoing large-amplitude pitching motions at high angles of attack

The effects of harmonic or constant-rate-ramp pitching motions (giving angles of attack from 0 to 75 deg) on the aerodynamic performance of a fighter-aircraft model with highly swept leading-edge extensions are investigated experimentally in the NASA Langley 12-ft low-speed wind tunnel. The model configuration and experimental setup are described, and the results of force and moment measurements and flow visualizations are presented graphically and discussed in detail. Large force overshoots and hysteresis are observed and attributed to lags in vortical-flow development and breakup. The motion variables have a strong influence on the persistence of dynamic effects, which are found to affect pitch-rate capability more than flight-path turning performance.

Brandon, Jay M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Technology needs for high-speed rotorcraft

A study to determine the technology development required for high-speed rotorcraft development was conducted. The study begins with an initial assessment of six concepts capable of flight at, or greater than 450 knots with helicopter-like hover efficiency (disk loading less than 50 pfs). These concepts were sized and evaluated based on measures of effectiveness and operational considerations. Additionally, an initial assessment of the impact of technology advances on the vehicles attributes was made. From these initial concepts a tilt wing and rotor/wing concepts were selected for further evaluation. A more detailed examination of conversion and technology trade studies were conducted on these two vehicles, each sized for a different mission.

Rutherford, John↗