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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 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Examination of the observability of a chiral magnetically driven charge-separation difference in collisions of the Ru 44 96 + Ru 44 96 and Zr 40 96 + Zr 40 96 isobars at energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

Here, anomalous viscous fluid dynamics model calculations for Ru 44 96 + Ru 44 96 and Zr 40 96 + Zr 40 96 collisions ( s N N = 200 GeV) are used in concert with a charge-sensitive correlator to test its ability to detect and characterize the charge separation difference expected from the chiral magnetic effect (CME) in these isobaric collisions. The tests indicate a larger charge separation for Ru 44 96 + Ru 44 96 than for Zr 40 96 + Zr 40 96 collisions and a discernible CME-driven difference of ~ 10 % in the presence of realistic non-CME backgrounds. Furthermore, they suggest a strategy for evaluating the relative influence of the background correlations, present for each isobar. These results suggest that charge-separation measurements for these isobaric species could serve to further constrain unambiguous identification and characterization of the CME in upcoming measurements at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Collision-energy dependence of p t correlations in Au + Au collisions at energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

We present two-particle $p_{\rm t}$ correlations as a function of event centrality for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider using the STAR detector. These results are compared to previous measurements from CERES at the Super Proton Synchrotron and from ALICE at the Large Hadron Collider. The data are compared with UrQMD model calculations and with a model based on a Boltzmann-Langevin approach incorporating effects from thermalization. The relative dynamical correlations for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV show a power law dependence on the number of participant nucleons and agree with the results for Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76~ {\rm TeV}$ from ALICE. As the collision energy is lowered from $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV to 7.7 GeV, the centrality dependence of the relative dynamical correlations departs from the power law behavior observed at the higher collision energies. In central collisions, the relative dynamical correlations increase with collision energy up to $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 200 GeV in contrast to previous measurements that showed little dependence on the collision energy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Strangeness production via resonances in heavy-ion collisions at energies available at the GSI Schwerionensynchrotron

Production of strange hadrons in elementary and heavy-ion reactions is studied with the hadronic transport approach called simulating many accelerated strongly interacting hadrons. The poorly known branching ratios of the relevant hadronic resonances are constrained from the known elementary hadronic cross sections and from invariant mass spectra of dileptons. The constrained model is employed as a baseline to compare to heavy-ion-collision experiments at low energies [E kin = (1-2) A GeV] and to predict some of the upcoming pion-beam results at the High-Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer, which are expected to be sensitive to the resonance properties. The employed vacuum-resonance approach proves to be viable for small systems at these energies, but for large systems additional in-medium effects might be required.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

First Measurement of Antideuteron Number Fluctuations at Energies Available at the Large Hadron Collider

The first measurement of event-by-event antideuteron number fluctuations in high energy heavy-ion collisions is presented. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (|η|<0.8) as a function of collision centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{^sNN}$=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector. A significant negative correlation between the produced antiprotons and antideuterons is observed in all collision centralities. The results are compared with a state-of-the-art coalescence calculation. While it describes the ratio of higher order cumulants of the antideuteron multiplicity distribution, it fails to describe quantitatively the magnitude of the correlation between antiproton and antideuteron production. On the other hand, thermal-statistical model calculations describe all the measured observables within uncertainties only for correlation volumes that are different with respect to those describing proton yields and a similar measurement of net-proton number fluctuations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Coordinated Power and Energy Management Using Cluster of Microgrids to Improve Grid Availability and Resiliency

A coordinated power and energy management concept for a cluster of microgrids is presented in this paper. Distributed generation and storage resources at the low voltage end of the power distribution grid can be operated together as microgrids. These microgrids can operate in grid-connected mode and in islanded mode, thereby serving the loads within them during loss-of-service from the transmission network. In the proposed coordinated microgrid management scheme, multiple microgrids, operated as a cluster, can be connected using tie reclosers or through auxiliary distribution lines as a retrofit operation, which are activated during transmission system failure, and power generated or energy stored are shared between microgrids with different power demands. The operation can be achieved with no modified power inverter controls, and minimal changes to the supervisory / dispatch control and communications systems. In this paper, the cluster of microgrids presented include solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and loads. A demonstration cluster with two microgrids is operated using a real-time hardware-in-loop platform to show power and energy management during transmission system failure.

Essakiappan, Somasundaram↗
DOE OSTI2020

Demographic analysis of invasible habitat fraction identifies context‐dependent roles of resource availability and biotic resistance in determining invasion success

Abstract Theories of plant invasions predict that plant communities should be more easily invaded when resources increase and/or competition decreases. We tested this with an experimentally introduced plant population by manipulating precipitation and resident community biomass. We used a spatially explicit demographic approach to develop a new population‐level metric of invasibility that quantifies the invasible habitat fraction (IHF) across the landscape. The existing community was essentially uninvasible (median IHF ≈ 0%), but experimental manipulations greatly increased the range of outcomes, with maximum observed IHF values over 50%. However, changes in invasibility were often context‐dependent, resulting in some outcomes that aligned with existing theory, and others that were not readily predicted. Moreover, variation in invasibility was often driven by specific sets of invader demographic vital rates. Removing competitors revealed the capacity for strong biotic resistance, but this interacted with precipitation such that little biotic resistance was detected under drought conditions. Adding precipitation typically had little positive effect on invasibility, and moderate drought relief led to relatively high invasibility. However, the latter was driven to a large extent by interactions with mammal herbivory that otherwise inhibited invasion in one year. Synthesis . Our findings show that interactions between abiotic and biotic factors, as well as legacy effects, can strongly mediate invasibility. This study also highlights the importance of incorporating spatial heterogeneity into population‐level assessments of invasion, as initial population declines do not necessarily indicate resistance to invasion.

Griffith, Alden B.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater Availability and Spring Flows: Observations from the Highly Productive Medicine Lake Highlands/Fall River Springs Aquifer System

Medicine Lake Highlands/Fall River Springs Aquifer System, located in northeastern California, is home to some of the largest first-order springs in the United States. This work assesses the likely effects of projected climate change on spring flow. Four anticipated climate futures (GFDL A2, GFDL B1, CCSM4 rcp 8.5, CNRM rcp 8.5) for California, which predict a range of conditions (generally warming and transitioning from snow to rain with variable amounts of total precipitation), are postulated to affect groundwater recharge primarily by changing evapotranspiration. The linkages between climate variables and spring flow are evaluated using a water balance model that represents the physics of evapotranspiration and recharge, the Basin Characterization Model. Three of the four climate scenarios (GFDL A2, GFDL B1, CCSM4 rcp 8.5) project that by the year 2100, groundwater recharge (and consequently decreased spring flow) will decrease by 27%, 21%, and 9%, respectively. The fourth scenario (CNRM rcp 8.5) showed an increase in recharge of 32% due to a significant increase in precipitation (27%). Evapotranspiration increases due to a shift in the type of precipitation and a longer growing season. While the likelihood of each scenario is outside the scope of this work, unless total precipitation increases dramatically in the future, increased temperatures and decreasing precipitation will likely result in reduced spring flows, along with warmer water temperatures in downstream habitats.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Informing Nature-based Climate Solutions for the United States with the best-available science

Nature-based Climate Solutions (NbCS) are managed alterations to ecosystems designed to increase carbon sequestration or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While they have growing public and private support, the realizable benefits and unintended consequences of NbCS are not well understood. At regional scales where policy decisions are often made, NbCS benefits are estimated from soil and tree survey data that can miss important carbon sources and sinks within an ecosystem, and do not reveal the biophysical impacts of NbCS for local water and energy cycles. The only direct observations of ecosystem-scale carbon fluxes, for example, by eddy covariance flux towers, have not yet been systematically assessed for what they can tell us about NbCS potentials, and state-of-the-art remote sensing products and land-surface models are not yet being widely used to inform NbCS policymaking or implementation. As a result, there is a critical mismatch between the point- and tree-scale data most often used to assess NbCS benefits and impacts, the ecosystem and landscape scales where NbCS projects are implemented, and the regional to continental scales most relevant to policymaking. Here, we propose a research agenda to confront these gaps using data and tools that have long been used to understand the mechanisms driving ecosystem carbon and energy cycling, but have not yet been widely applied to NbCS. Furthermore, we outline steps for creating robust NbCS assessments at both local to regional scales that are informed by ecosystem-scale observations, and which consider concurrent biophysical impacts, future climate feedbacks, and the need for equitable and inclusive NbCS implementation strategies. We contend that these research goals can largely be accomplished by shifting the scales at which pre-existing tools are applied and blended together, although we also highlight some opportunities for more radical shifts in approach.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tree root nutrient uptake kinetics vary with nutrient availability, environmental conditions, and root traits: a global analysis

Summary: Root nutrient uptake by trees is a critical process that couples carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Yet, root nutrient uptake traits are poorly constrained, and the dynamics of this process are often not represented in models reflecting sparse measurements and understanding of root nutrient uptake physiology that lags those of aboveground physiology in forest ecosystems. Here, we present a global dataset of published nutrient uptake capacity and affinity values for tree species, with the goal of describing global patterns and evaluating responses to environmental drivers and associations with root traits. Furthermore, the dataset contains observations for ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate uptake spanning 77 tree species. Nutrient uptake capacity and affinity varied by more than an order of magnitude for each nutrient. Notably, tropical forests are underrepresented in these observations. Nutrient uptake capacity was generally diminished under nutrient enrichment but enhanced with soil warming and root–mycorrhizal colonization. The magnitude and direction of these effects can depend on the duration of exposure to a given treatment. Species with thinner roots had a tendency toward greater uptake capacity and affinity. Overall, root nutrient uptake traits are highly variable across tree species, yet they depend on environmental drivers and life-history strategies.

Km↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inoculated biocrust cover and functions diverged over a gradient of soil textures and water availability

Restoring biological crust (biocrust) in disturbed drylands is challenging due to the difficult environmental conditions, such as limited soil moisture, low soil nutrients, and extreme temperatures, that impede growth. Understanding how the key components of biocrust—mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria—react to different environmental factors informs the optimal timing, locations, and species composition for biocrust reintroduction, thereby increasing the likelihood of establishment. Here, we inoculated soils with a diverse range of biocrust organisms, analogous to seeding an area with diverse vascular plant seeds, and varied environmental conditions to observe how these changes influenced the development and functions of reintroduced biocrust. We found that by manipulating soil texture and time spent wet, we can change the proportional cover of biocrust within a restoration‐like setting. Specifically, we found that 4 months after inoculation, finer textured soils that received more water become dominated by moss cover, while coarser textured soils with less water remained dominated by cyanobacteria cover, and the interactions between texture and time spent wet strongly influenced cover. We found biocrust morphological group cover had a small, but detectable, effect on ecosystem functions (soil stability and nitrogenase activity, a proxy for nitrogen fixation), but that environmental conditions had a stronger impact on the functions we measured. Manipulative experiments in controlled environments, like this one, can help elucidate the mechanisms underlying the establishment rate and patterns of biocrusts post‐inoculation, and inform implementation of inoculations in the field.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-J-140: Availability of Using Diaphragm Matching in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) at the Time in Breath-Holding SBRT for Liver Cancer

Purpose: IGRT based on the bone matching may produce a larger target positioning error in terms of the reproducibility of the expiration breath hold. Therefore, the feasibility of the 3D image matching between planning CT image and pretreatment CBCT image based on the diaphragm matching was investigated. Methods: In fifteen-nine liver SBRT cases, Lipiodol, uptake after TACE was outlined as the marker of the tumor. The relative coordinate of the isocenter obtained by the contrast matching was defined as the reference coordinate. The target positioning difference between diaphragm matching and bone matching were evaluated by the relative coordinate of the isocenter from the reference coordinate obtained by each matching technique. In addition, we evaluated PTV margins by van Herk setup margin formula. Results: The target positioning error by the diaphragm matching and the bone matching was 1.31±0.83 and 3.10±2.80 mm in the cranial-caudal(C-C) direction, 1.04±0.95 and 1.62±1.02 mm in the anterior-posterior(A-P) direction, 0.93±1.19 and 1.12±0.94 mm in the left-right(L-R) direction, respectively. The positioning error by the diaphragm matching was significantly smaller than the bone matching in the C-C direction (p<0.05). The setup margin of diaphragm matching and bone matching that we had calculated based on van Herk margin formula was 4.5mm and 6.2mm(C-C), and 3.6mm and 6.3mm(A-P), and 2.6mm and 4.5mm(L-R), respectively. Conclusion: IGRT based on a diaphragm matching could be one alternative image matching technique for the positioning of the patients with liver tumor.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-492: Implementing a Method for Brain Irradiation in Rats Utilizing a Commercially Available Radiosurgery Irradiator

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to implement a method for accurate rat brain irradiation using the Gamma Knife Perfexion unit. The system needed to be repeatable, efficient, and dosimetrically and spatially accurate. Methods: A platform (“rat holder”) was made such that it is attachable to the Leskell Gamma Knife G Frame. The rat holder utilizes two ear bars contacting bony anatomy and a front tooth bar to secure the rat. The rat holder fits inside of the Leskell localizer box, which utilizes fiducial markers to register with the GammaPlan planning system. This method allows for accurate, repeatable setup.A cylindrical phantom was made so that film can be placed axially in the phantom. We then acquired CT image sets of the rat holder and localizer box with both a rat and the phantom. Three treatment plans were created: a plan on the rat CT dataset, a phantom plan with the same prescription dose as the rat plan, and a phantom plan with the same delivery time as the rat plan. Results: Film analysis from the phantom showed that our setup is spatially accurate and repeatable. It is also dosimetrically accurate, with an difference between predicted and measured dose of 2.9%. Film analysis with prescription dose equal between rat and phantom plans showed a difference of 3.8%, showing that our phantom is a good representation of the rat for dosimetry purposes, allowing for +/- 3mm diameter variation. Film analysis with treatment time equal showed an error of 2.6%, which means we can deliver a prescription dose within 3% accuracy. Conclusion: Our method for irradiation of rat brain has been shown to be repeatable, efficient, and accurate, both dosimetrically and spatially. We can treat a large number of rats efficiently while delivering prescription doses within 3% at millimeter level accuracy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-106: An Institutional Review of Using Commercially Available Software to Evaluate Treatment Plan Quality for Various Treatment Sites and Beam Deliveries

Purpose: Use Sun Nuclear Quality Reports™ with PlanIQ™ to evaluate different treatment delivery techniques for various treatment sites. Methods: Fifteen random patients with different treatment sites were evaluated. These include the Head/Neck, prostate, pelvis, lung, esophagus, axilla, bladder and abdomen. Initially, these sites were planned on the Pinnacle {sup 3} V9.6 treatment planning system and utilized nine 6MV step-n-shoot IMRT fields. The RT plan, dose and structure sets were sent to Quality Reports™ where a DVH was recreated and the plans were compared to a unique Plan Algorithm for each treatment site. Each algorithm has its own plan quality metrics and objectives, which include the PTV coverage, PTV maximum dose, the prescription dose outside the target, doses to the critical structures, and the global maximum dose and its location. Each plan was scored base on meeting each objective. Plans may have been reoptimized and reevaluated with Quality Reports™ based on the initial score. PlanIQ™ was used to evaluate if any objective not met was achievable or difficult to obtain. A second plan using VMAT delivery was created for each patient and scored with Quality Reports™. Results: There were a wide range of scores for the different treatment sites with some scoring better for IMRT plans and some better for the VMAT deliveries. The variation in the scores could be attributed to the treatment site, location, and shape of the target. Most deliveries were chosen for the VMAT due to the short treatment times and quick patient throughput with acceptable plan scores. Conclusion: The tools are provided for both physician and dosimetrist to objectively evaluate the use of VMAT delivery versus the step-n-shoot IMRT delivery for various sites. PlanIQ validates if objectives can be met. For the physicist, a concise pass/fail report is created for plan evaluation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-371: Evaluating the Convolution Algorithm of a Commercially Available Radiosurgery Irradiator Using a Novel Phantom

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and use a novel phantom to evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of the Leskell Gamma Plan convolution-based dose calculation algorithm compared with the current TMR10 algorithm. Methods: A novel phantom was designed to fit the Leskell Gamma Knife G Frame which could accommodate various materials in the form of one inch diameter, cylindrical plugs. The plugs were split axially to allow EBT2 film placement. Film measurements were made during two experiments. The first utilized plans generated on a homogeneous acrylic phantom setup using the TMR10 algorithm, with various materials inserted into the phantom during film irradiation to assess the effect on delivered dose due to unplanned heterogeneities upstream in the beam path. The second experiment utilized plans made on CT scans of different heterogeneous setups, with one plan using the TMR10 dose calculation algorithm and the second using the convolution-based algorithm. Materials used to introduce heterogeneities included air, LDPE, polystyrene, Delrin, Teflon, and aluminum. Results: The data shows that, as would be expected, having heterogeneities in the beam path does induce dose delivery error when using the TMR10 algorithm, with the largest errors being due to the heterogeneities with electron densities most different from that of water, i.e. air, Teflon, and aluminum. Additionally, the Convolution algorithm did account for the heterogeneous material and provided a more accurate predicted dose, in extreme cases up to a 7–12% improvement over the TMR10 algorithm. The convolution algorithm expected dose was accurate to within 3% in all cases. Conclusion: This study proves that the convolution algorithm is an improvement over the TMR10 algorithm when heterogeneities are present. More work is needed to determine what the heterogeneity size/volume limits are where this improvement exists, and in what clinical and/or research cases this would be relevant.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

A novel approach to background subtraction in contrast-enhanced dual-energy digital mammography with commercially available mammography devices: Polychromaticity correction

Purpose: Contrast-enhanced digital mammography is an image subtraction technique that is able to improve the detectability of lesions in dense breasts. One of the main sources of error, when the technique is performed by means of commercial mammography devices, is represented by the intrinsic polychromaticity of the x-ray beams. The aim of the work is to propose an iterative procedure, which only assumes the knowledge of a small set of universal quantities, to take into account the polychromaticity and correct the subtraction results accordingly. Methods: In order to verify the procedure, it has been applied to an analytical simulation of a target containing a contrast medium and to actual radiographs of a breast phantom containing cavities filled with a solution of the same medium. Results: The reconstructed densities of contrast medium were compared, showing very good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the experimental results already after the first iteration. Furthermore, the convergence of the iterative procedure was studied, showing that only a small number of iterations is necessary to reach limiting values. Conclusions: The proposed procedure represents an efficient solution to the polychromaticity issue, qualifying therefore as a viable alternative to inverse-map functions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗