Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “sampling statistics”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 829 records · Page 46
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

QM/MM investigation of the concentration effects on the second-order nonlinear optical responses of solutions

A multiscale approach combining quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics methods has been employed to investigate the effects of solute-solute interactions and therefore of concentration on the first hyperpolarizability of solutions of nitrobenzene in benzene. First, spatial distributions of solute and solvent molecules are generated using Monte Carlo simulations where the intermolecular interactions are described using the Lennard-Jones potentials and Coulomb terms. Then, a reduced number of statistically-uncorrelated configurations are sampled and submitted to time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations of the first hyperpolarizability. When only one molecule is described quantum-mechanically and is embedded in the electrostatic polarization field of the solution described by point charges, β{sub HRS} and β{sub //} as well as the depolarization ratio increase in parallel with the concentration in nitrobenzene. This effect is attributed to the increase of the polarization field associated with the presence of polar nitrobenzene molecules in the surrounding. Then, the first solvation shell is considered explicitly in the QM calculation to address solute-solute interactions effects. When the number of nitrobenzenes in the first solvation shell increases, β{sub HRS} and β{sub //} normalized to the number of nitrobenzene molecules decrease and this decrease attains roughly 50% when there are 3 nitrobenzene molecules in the first solvation shell. These drastic reductions of the first hyperpolarizability result from (partial) centro-symmetric arrangements between the nitrobenzene molecules, as supported by the relationship between β and the angle between the nitrobenzene charge transfer axes. Moreover, these β decreases originate mostly from the reduction of the dipolar β component, whereas the octupolar one is rather constant as a function of the nitrobenzene concentration.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

STATISTICAL STUDY OF 2XMMi-DR3/SDSS-DR8 CROSS-CORRELATION SAMPLE

Cross-correlating the XMM-Newton 2XMMi-DR3 catalog with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8, we obtain one of the largest X-ray/optical catalogs and explore the distribution of various classes of X-ray emitters in the multidimensional photometric parameter space. Quasars and galaxies occupy different zones while stars scatter in them. However, X-ray active stars have a certain distributing rule according to spectral types. The earlier the type of stars, the stronger its X-ray emitting. X-ray active stars have a similar distribution to most stars in the g - r versus r - i diagram. Based on the identified samples with SDSS spectral classification, a random forest algorithm for automatic classification is performed. The result shows that the classification accuracy of quasars and galaxies adds up to more than 93.0% while that of X-ray emitting stars only amounts to 45.3%. In other words, it is easy to separate quasars and galaxies, but it is difficult to discriminate X-ray active stars from quasars and galaxies. If we want to improve the accuracy of automatic classification, it is necessary to increase the number of X-ray emitting stars, since the majority of X-ray emitting sources are quasars and galaxies. The results obtained here will be used for the optical spectral survey performed by the Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST, also named the Guo Shou Jing Telescope), which is a Chinese national scientific research facility operated by the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Young stellar object variability (YSOVAR): Long timescale variations in the mid-infrared

The YSOVAR (Young Stellar Object VARiability) Spitzer Space Telescope observing program obtained the first extensive mid-infrared (3.6 and 4.5 μm) time series photometry of the Orion Nebula Cluster plus smaller footprints in 11 other star-forming cores (AFGL 490, NGC 1333, Mon R2, GGD 12-15, NGC 2264, L1688, Serpens Main, Serpens South, IRAS 20050+2720, IC 1396A, and Ceph C). There are ∼29,000 unique objects with light curves in either or both IRAC channels in the YSOVAR data set. We present the data collection and reduction for the Spitzer and ancillary data, and define the 'standard sample' on which we calculate statistics, consisting of fast cadence data, with epochs roughly twice per day for ∼40 days. We also define a 'standard sample of members' consisting of all the IR-selected members and X-ray-selected members. We characterize the standard sample in terms of other properties, such as spectral energy distribution shape. We use three mechanisms to identify variables in the fast cadence data—the Stetson index, a χ{sup 2} fit to a flat light curve, and significant periodicity. We also identified variables on the longest timescales possible of six to seven years by comparing measurements taken early in the Spitzer mission with the mean from our YSOVAR campaign. The fraction of members in each cluster that are variable on these longest timescales is a function of the ratio of Class I/total members in each cluster, such that clusters with a higher fraction of Class I objects also have a higher fraction of long-term variables. For objects with a YSOVAR-determined period and a [3.6]-[8] color, we find that a star with a longer period is more likely than those with shorter periods to have an IR excess. We do not find any evidence for variability that causes [3.6]-[4.5] excesses to appear or vanish within our data set; out of members and field objects combined, at most 0.02% may have transient IR excesses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Star formation properties in barred galaxies. III. Statistical study of bar-driven secular evolution using a sample of nearby barred spirals

Stellar bars are important internal drivers of secular evolution in disk galaxies. Using a sample of nearby spiral galaxies with weak and strong bars, we explore the relationships between the star formation feature and stellar bars in galaxies. We find that galaxies with weak bars tend coincide with low concentrical star formation activity, while those with strong bars show a large scatter in the distribution of star formation activity. We find enhanced star formation activity in bulges toward stronger bars, although not predominantly, consistent with previous studies. Our results suggest that different stages of the secular process and many other factors may contribute to the complexity of the secular evolution. In addition, barred galaxies with intense star formation in bars tend to have active star formation in their bulges and disks, and bulges have higher star formation densities than bars and disks, indicating the evolutionary effects of bars. We then derived a possible criterion to quantify the different stages of the bar-driven physical process, while future work is needed because of the uncertainties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

DISCOVERY OF 'WARM DUST' GALAXIES IN CLUSTERS AT z {approx} 0.3: EVIDENCE FOR STRIPPING OF COOL DUST IN THE DENSE ENVIRONMENT?

Using far-infrared imaging from the 'Herschel Lensing Survey', we derive dust properties of spectroscopically confirmed cluster member galaxies within two massive systems at z {approx} 0.3: the merging Bullet Cluster and the more relaxed MS2137.3-2353. Most star-forming cluster sources ({approx}90%) have characteristic dust temperatures similar to local field galaxies of comparable infrared (IR) luminosity (T{sub dust} {approx} 30 K). Several sub-luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG; L{sub IR} < 10{sup 11} L{sub Sun }) Bullet Cluster members are much warmer (T{sub dust} > 37 K) with far-infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) shapes resembling LIRG-type local templates. X-ray and mid-infrared data suggest that obscured active galactic nuclei do not contribute significantly to the infrared flux of these 'warm dust' galaxies. Sources of comparable IR luminosity and dust temperature are not observed in the relaxed cluster MS2137, although the significance is too low to speculate on an origin involving recent cluster merging. 'Warm dust' galaxies are, however, statistically rarer in field samples (>3{sigma}), indicating that the responsible mechanism may relate to the dense environment. The spatial distribution of these sources is similar to the whole far-infrared bright population, i.e., preferentially located in the cluster periphery, although the galaxy hosts tend toward lower stellar masses (M{sub *} < 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }). We propose dust stripping and heating processes which could be responsible for the unusually warm characteristic dust temperatures. A normal star-forming galaxy would need 30%-50% of its dust removed (preferentially stripped from the outer reaches, where dust is typically cooler) to recover an SED similar to a 'warm dust' galaxy. These progenitors would not require a higher IR luminosity or dust mass than the currently observed normal star-forming population.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

DETECTION OF IRON K{alpha} EMISSION FROM A COMPLETE SAMPLE OF SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES

We present an X-ray stacking analysis of a sample of 38 submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with (z) = 2.6 discovered at {>=}4{sigma} significance in the Lockman Hole North with the MAMBO array. We find a 5{sigma} detection in the stacked soft band (0.5-2.0 keV) image, and no significant detection in the hard band (2.0-8 keV). We also perform rest-frame spectral stacking based on spectroscopic and photometric redshifts and find a {approx}4{sigma} detection of Fe K{alpha} emission with an equivalent width of EW {approx}> 1 keV. The centroid of the Fe K{alpha} emission lies near 6.7 keV, indicating a possible contribution from highly ionized Fe XXV or Fe XXVI; there is also a slight indication that the line emission is more spatially extended than the X-ray continuum. This is the first X-ray analysis of a complete, flux-limited sample of SMGs with statistically robust radio counterparts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Discovery of a visual T-dwarf triple system and binarity at the L/T transition

We present new high contrast imaging of eight L/T transition brown dwarfs (BDs) using the NIRC2 camera on the Keck II telescope. One of our targets, the T3.5 dwarf 2MASS J08381155+1511155, was resolved into a hierarchal triple with projected separations of 2.5 ± 0.5 AU and 27 ± 5 AU for the BC and A(BC) components, respectively. Resolved OSIRIS spectroscopy of the A(BC) components confirms that all system members are T dwarfs. The system therefore constitutes the first triple T-dwarf system ever reported. Using resolved photometry to model the integrated-light spectrum, we infer spectral types of T3 ± 1, T3 ± 1, and T4.5 ± 1 for the A, B, and C components, respectively. The uniformly brighter primary has a bluer J – K{sub s} color than the next faintest component, which may reflect a sensitive dependence of the L/T transition temperature on gravity, or alternatively divergent cloud properties among components. Relying on empirical trends and evolutionary models we infer a total system mass of 0.034-0.104 M {sub ☉} for the BC components at ages of 0.3-3 Gyr, which would imply a period of 12-21 yr assuming the system semimajor axis to be similar to its projection. We also infer differences in effective temperatures and surface gravities between components of no more than ∼150 K and ∼0.1 dex. Given the similar physical properties of the components, the 2M0838+15 system provides a controlled sample for constraining the relative roles of effective temperature, surface gravity, and dust clouds in the poorly understood L/T transition regime. For an age of 3 Gyr we estimate a binding energy of ∼20 × 10{sup 41} erg for the wide A(BC) pair, which falls above the empirical minimum found for typical BD binaries, and suggests that the system may have been able to survive a dynamical ejection during formation. Combining our imaging survey results with previous work we find an observed binary fraction of 4/18 or 22{sub −8}{sup +10}% for unresolved spectral types of L9-T4 at separations ≳ 0.''1. This translates into a volume-corrected frequency of 13{sub −6}{sup +7}%, which is similar to values of ∼9%-12% reported outside the transition. Our reported L/T transition binary fraction is roughly twice as large as the binary fraction of an equivalent L9-T4 sample selected from primary rather than unresolved spectral types (6{sub −4}{sup +6}%); however, this increase is not yet statistically significant and a larger sample is required to settle the issue.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CANDELS: THE COSMIC ASSEMBLY NEAR-INFRARED DEEP EXTRAGALACTIC LEGACY SURVEY

The Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) is designed to document the first third of galactic evolution, over the approximate redshift (z) range 8-1.5. It will image >250,000 distant galaxies using three separate cameras on the Hubble Space Telescope, from the mid-ultraviolet to the near-infrared, and will find and measure Type Ia supernovae at z > 1.5 to test their accuracy as standardizable candles for cosmology. Five premier multi-wavelength sky regions are selected, each with extensive ancillary data. The use of five widely separated fields mitigates cosmic variance and yields statistically robust and complete samples of galaxies down to a stellar mass of 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} to z Almost-Equal-To 2, reaching the knee of the ultraviolet luminosity function of galaxies to z Almost-Equal-To 8. The survey covers approximately 800 arcmin{sup 2} and is divided into two parts. The CANDELS/Deep survey (5{sigma} point-source limit H = 27.7 mag) covers {approx}125 arcmin{sup 2} within Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS)-N and GOODS-S. The CANDELS/Wide survey includes GOODS and three additional fields (Extended Groth Strip, COSMOS, and Ultra-deep Survey) and covers the full area to a 5{sigma} point-source limit of H {approx}> 27.0 mag. Together with the Hubble Ultra Deep Fields, the strategy creates a three-tiered 'wedding-cake' approach that has proven efficient for extragalactic surveys. Data from the survey are nonproprietary and are useful for a wide variety of science investigations. In this paper, we describe the basic motivations for the survey, the CANDELS team science goals and the resulting observational requirements, the field selection and geometry, and the observing design. The Hubble data processing and products are described in a companion paper.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey: extended and remastered data release

ABSTRACT This paper describes the extended data release (eDR) of the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey. It comprises science-grade quality data for 895 galaxies obtained with the Potsdam Multi Aperture Spectograph/PPak instrument at the 3.5-m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory along the last 12 yr, using the V500 setup [3700–7500 Å, 6 Å/full-width at half-maximum (FWHM)] and the CALIFA observing strategy. It includes galaxies of any morphological type, star formation stage, a wide range of stellar masses (∼107–1012 M⊙), at an average redshift of ∼0.015 (90 per cent within 0.005 < z < 0.05). Primarily selected based on the projected size and apparent magnitude, we demonstrate that it can be volume corrected resulting in a statistically limited but representative sample of the population of galaxies in the nearby Universe. All the data were homogeneous re-reduced, introducing a set of modifications to the previous reduction. The most relevant is the development and implementation of a new cube-reconstruction algorithm that provides with an (almost) seeing-limited spatial resolution (FWHMPSF ∼ 1.0 arcsec). To illustrate the usability and quality of the data, we extracted two aperture spectra for each galaxy (central 1.5 arcsec and fully integrated), and analyse them using pyFIT3D. We obtain a set of observational and physical properties of both the stellar populations and the ionized gas, that have been compared for the two apertures, exploring their distributions as a function of the stellar masses and morphologies of the galaxies, comparing with recent results in the literature.

Sánchez, S. F. (ORCID:0000000164449307)↗
DOE OSTI2014

Data analysis techniques, differential cross sections, and spin density matrix elements for the reaction γp → Φp

High-statistics measurements of differential cross sections and spin density matrix elements for the reaction γ p → Φp have been made using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. We cover center-of-mass energies (√s) from 1.97 to 2.84 GeV, with an extensive coverage in the Φ production angle. The high statistics of the data sample made it necessary to carefully account for the interplay between the Φ natural lineshape and effects of the detector resolution, that are found to be comparable in magnitude. We study both the charged- (Φ → K⁺K⁻) and neutral- (Φ → K 0 S K 0 L ) $K\bar{K}$ decay modes of the Φ. Further, for the charged mode, we differentiate between the cases where the final K⁻ track is directly detected or its momentum reconstructed as the total missing momentum in the event. The two charged-mode topologies and the neutral-mode have different resolutions and are calibrated against each other. Extensive usage is made of kinematic fitting to improve the reconstructed Φ mass resolution. Our final results are reported in 10- and mostly 30-MeV-wide √s bins for the charged- and the neutral-mode, respectively. Possible effects from K⁺Λ* channels with p$K\bar{K}$ final-states are discussed. These present results constitute the most precise and extensive Φ photoproduction measurements to date and in conjunction with the ω photoproduction results recently published by CLAS, will greatly improve our understanding of low energy vector meson photoproduction.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Assessment of Dimensional Integrity and Spatial Defect Localization in Additive Manufacturing Using Spectral Graph Theory

The ability of additive manufacturing (AM) to produce components with virtually any ge-ometry presents a unique challenge in terms of quantifying the quality of the part. In this paper, a novel spectral graph theory (SGT) approach is proposed for resolving two critical quality assurance concerns in AM: (1) how to quantify the dimensional integrity of complex AM components; and (2) how to isolate specific spatial locations on a component that deviate significantly from their normal condition. Here, the SGT approach is demonstrated for classifying the dimensional integrity of standardized test components produced from three different AM processes. The SGT-based topological invariant Fiedler number ( λ 2 ) was calculated from 3D point cloud coordinate measurements and used to quantify the dimensional integrity of test components. The Fiedler number was found to differ significantly for parts originating from different AM processes (statistical significance p-val. < 1%). By comparison, traditional statistical quantifiers (such as mean and standard deviation) and examination of specific facets/landmarks failed to capture these variations and proved incapable of quantifying the quality of the component in a consistent manner. The SGT approach was verified to consistently rank the quality of the AM components with a high degree of statistical confidence independent of sampling technique used (pooled standard deviation ~ 3% 10% of mean). Finally, from a practical standpoint, the SGT approach can be a powerful tool for quantifying and monitoring the dimensional integrity and overall quality of AM components, and thus encourage wider adoption of AM capabilities.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Robust measurement of microbial reduction of graphene oxide nanoparticles using image analysis

ABSTRACT Shewanella oneidensis ( S. oneidensis ) has the capacity to reduce electron acceptors within a medium and is thus used frequently in microbial fuel generation, pollutant breakdown, and nanoparticle fabrication. Microbial fuel setups, however, often require costly or labor-intensive components, thus making optimization of their performance onerous. For rapid optimization of setup conditions, a model reduction assay can be employed to allow simultaneous, large-scale experiments at lower cost and effort. Since S. oneidensis uses different extracellular electron transfer pathways depending on the electron acceptor, it is essential to use a reduction assay that mirrors the pathways employed in the microbial fuel system. For microbial fuel setups that use nanoparticles to stimulate electron transfer, reduction of graphene oxide provides a more accurate model than other commonly used assays as it is a bulk material that forms flocculates in solutions with a large ionic component. However, graphene oxide flocculates can interfere with traditional absorbance-based measurement techniques. This study introduces a novel image analysis method for quantifying graphene oxide reduction, showing improved performance and statistical accuracy over traditional methods. A comparative analysis shows that the image analysis method produces smaller errors between replicates and reveals more statistically significant differences between samples than traditional plate reader measurements under conditions causing graphene oxide flocculation. Image analysis can also detect reduction activity at earlier time points due to its use of larger solution volumes, enhancing color detection. These improvements in accuracy make image analysis a promising method for optimizing microbial fuel cells that use nanoparticles or bulk substrates. IMPORTANCE Shewanella oneidensis ( S. oneidensis ) is widely used in reduction processes such as microbial fuel generation due to its capacity to reduce electron acceptors. Often, these setups are labor-intensive to operate and require days to produce results, so use of a model assay would reduce the time and expenses needed for optimization. Our research developed a novel digital analysis method for analysis of graphene oxide flocculates that may be utilized as a model assay for reduction platforms featuring nanoparticles. Use of this model reduction assay will enable rapid optimization and drive improvements in the microbial fuel generation sector.

Bennett, Danielle T. (ORCID:0009000188748827)↗
DOE OSTI2019

Cloud Phase and Relative Humidity Distributions over the Southern Ocean in Austral Summer Based on In Situ Observations and CAM5 Simulations

Cloud phase and relative humidity (RH) distributions at -67° to 0°C over the Southern Ocean during austral summer are compared between in situ airborne observations and global climate simulations. A scale-aware comparison is conducted using horizontally averaged observations from 0.1 to 50 km. Cloud phase frequencies, RH distributions, and liquid mass fraction are found to be less affected by horizontal resolutions than liquid and ice water content (LWC and IWC, respectively), liquid and ice number concentrations (Nc liq and Nc ice , respectively), and ice supersaturation (ISS) frequency. At -10° to 0°C, observations show 27%–34% and 17%–37% of liquid and mixed phases, while simulations show 60%–70% and 3%–4%, respectively. Simulations overestimate (underestimate) LWC and Nc liq in liquid (mixed) phase, overestimate Nc ice in mixed phase, underestimate IWC in ice and mixed phases, and underestimate (overestimate) liquid mass fraction below (above) -5°C, indicating that observational constraints are needed for different cloud phases. RH frequently occurs at liquid saturation in liquid and mixed phases for all datasets, yet the observed RH in ice phase can deviate from liquid saturation by up to 20%–40% at -20° to 0°C, indicating that the model assumption of liquid saturation for coexisting ice and liquid is inaccurate for low liquid mass fractions (<0.1). Simulations lack RH variability for partial cloud fractions (0.1–0.9) and underestimate (overestimate) ISS frequency for cloud fraction <0.1 (≥0.6), implying that improving RH subgrid-scale parameterizations may be a viable path to account for small-scale processes that affect RH and cloud phase heterogeneities. Lastly, two sets of simulations (nudged and free-running) show very similar results (except for ISS frequency) regardless of sample sizes, corroborating the statistical robustness of the model–observation comparisons.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Graphite Characterization: Baseline Variability Analysis Report

The Idaho National INL’s Baseline Material Property program provides many measurements of different material properties on a variety of nuclear graphite grades being investigated for irradiation-induced changes in material properties. The baseline material properties provide an unirradiated reference for comparison with measurements of those properties after irradiation. This study describes how uncertainty, or variance, in estimates of important material properties, like compressive strength, may depend on sample size, sample distribution and parameter estimation methods. Compressive strength data from two large collections of specimens from a billet of PCEA graphite (sample size = 230) and a billet of IG-110 graphite (sample size = 48) are used to illustrate these dependencies. The grades of graphite used represent approximate end members in terms of relative variability in strength measurements. Monte Carlo simulation and bootstrapping methods were used to examine variance in Weibull-parameter estimates as a function of sample size. Results were consistent with what previous statistical analyses have shown about the relationship between sample size and width of the confidence interval for maximum likelihood (ML) estimated parameters when samples are repeatedly drawn from a Weibull distribution. As a function of sample size, the precision of the modulus estimate increases faster than that of the characteristic strength. The modulus maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) are biased for low sample sizes. The American Society for Testing and Materials document ASTM D7846-16 provides equations that describe the dependence of the variance of parameter MLEs on sample size. Using the same methodology, we show that the polynomials provided for variance dependence on sample size are inaccurate for sample sizes greater than ~120. We provide approximations to that relationship that illustrate relative constancy for sample size > ~10, in the logspace relationship of the modulus variance and the log transformed characteristic strength variance. Bootstrapping provided a means of comparing Weibull parameters obtained using ASME’s guidance for specimen collection to those obtained using different weighting in a case where strength is related to position in a billet and to grain orientation and a single distribution is used to characterize the billet. ASME specifies that samples be collected with equal representation in all locations and grain orientations. Parameter values obtained using ASME’s method were different from those obtained using random sampling of the complete data sets, and this was particularly true for the PCEA data. In addition, while the ASME approach yielded more conservative parameters for the PCEA data, the opposite was true for the IG-110 data. The difference observed for the PCEA data set likely reflects the larger number of against-grain specimens collected, which had generally higher strength than the with-grain specimens. This emphasizes the importance of the dependence of strength on location or grain orientation and suggests that it may be prudent to weight specimen collection toward the weaker subgroups if a conservative estimate as desired, as the equal weighting method recommended by ASME would will not always provide the most conservative Weibull parameters. Because spatial correlations commonly exist in certain grades of graphite, future work may involve developing a methodology for parameter inference that relaxes the assumption of independent specimens. ASTM and ASME codes recommend different parameter estimation methods and models of the Weibull distribution in different situations. Descriptions of the effects on parameter estimates for the example billets used in this study provide an example of how the method may affect the parameter estimate, and how—in this case—that compares to differences due to other factors, such as sample size and dependence on grain orientation or sample location.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A consistent, Bayesian, approach to the cross section probability distribution in the unresolved resonance region

The cross sections of neutron-induced reactions can be divided into three energy ranges: the resolved resonance region (RRR), the unresolved resonance region (URR), and the fast region. In general, the cross sections in the URR show significant fluctuations that cannot be predicted and cannot be experimentally resolved, thus, it is commonly assumed that the cross section at a specific energy is given by a probability distribution function (PDF) over a range of values that can span several orders of magnitude. The current methodology used to describe such behavior is to construct the PDF by stochastically generating resonance ladders and numerically measuring the PDF. The resonance ladders are sampled using known resonance statistical properties and average resonance widths and spacings extrapolated from the RRR. Although this is a standard and widely used technique, it is computationally very expensive, therefore, an alternative, analytical, approach would be preferable due to the considerable speed up of the computational time in real life applications. Moreover, the current methodology does not take into account existing experimental data, such for total and capture cross sections, that are available for many nuclei. Finally, this approach was developed to be used in reactor-scale applications and it is not suited for use in single-event applications. In this work we will rethink the entire approach to the PDF construction using a Bayesian mindset. This will allow us to provide a different definition of the PDF that allows a much faster calculation of the higher-temperature PDFs and a proper combination of theoretical and experimental PDFs following the probability theory. We will also show that our definition is well suited for single-event applications and we will make an explicit connection between our method and the standard approach. We do this by showing that the central limit theorem applies and our method leads to the same PDF obtained with the standard methodology, for a large number of events per history.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measuring Muon Antineutrino Charged-Current Interactions Without Mesons in the Final State, in the NOvA Near Detector

NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino experiment based at Fermilab in the US, with the primary aim of measuring neutrino and antineutrino oscillations. This will enhance our understanding of electroweak interactions by measuring the neutrino mixing angles, CP-violating phase and neutrino mass ordering. To measure these oscillations, we first need to have a deep understanding of how neutrinos and antineutrinos interact with matter. Antineutrino interaction cross sections are, at present, particularly poorly constrained, and processes such as meson exchange currents are not well understood in the antineutrino sector. This analysis will develop a cross-section measurement of muon antineutrino interactions without mesons (e.g. pions or kaons) in the final state, in the NOvA near detector. A high-statistics, high-purity sample is obtained through a cut-based selection process implementing machine learning techniques. The sample is dominated by quasi-elastic and meson exchange current interactions which are sensitive to nuclear effects such as Final-State Interactions. The cross section will be extracted as a function of the incoming neutrino energy and the kinematics of the outgoing particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE MUSCLES TREASURY SURVEY. II. INTRINSIC LY α AND EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA OF K AND M DWARFS WITH EXOPLANETS

The ultraviolet (UV) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of low-mass (K- and M-type) stars play a critical role in the heating and chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres, but are not observationally well-constrained. Direct observations of the intrinsic flux of the Ly α line (the dominant source of UV photons from low-mass stars) are challenging, as interstellar H i absorbs the entire line core for even the closest stars. To address the existing gap in empirical constraints on the UV flux of K and M dwarfs, the MUSCLES Hubble Space Telescope Treasury Survey has obtained UV observations of 11 nearby M and K dwarfs hosting exoplanets. This paper presents the Ly α and extreme-UV spectral reconstructions for the MUSCLES targets. Most targets are optically inactive, but all exhibit significant UV activity. We use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique to correct the observed Ly α profiles for interstellar absorption, and we employ empirical relations to compute the extreme-UV SED from the intrinsic Ly α flux in ∼100 Å bins from 100–1170 Å. The reconstructed Ly α profiles have 300 km s{sup −1} broad cores, while >1% of the total intrinsic Ly α flux is measured in extended wings between 300 and 1200 km s{sup −1}. The Ly α surface flux positively correlates with the Mg ii surface flux and negatively correlates with the stellar rotation period. Stars with larger Ly α surface flux also tend to have larger surface flux in ions formed at higher temperatures, but these correlations remain statistically insignificant in our sample of 11 stars. We also present H i column density measurements for 10 new sightlines through the local interstellar medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗