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At least 883 records · Page 49

Size and Structure Effects of Carbon-Supported Ruthenium Nanoparticles on Waste Polypropylene Hydrogenolysis Activity, Selectivity, and Product Microstructure

Hydrogenolysis of plastic waste using Ru-based catalysts is promising for deconstructing polyolefins into lower molecular weight products. Yet, the effect of catalyst atomic structure and size on activity and product selectivity is poorly understood. Herein, we expose the effect of metal particle size and atomic structure on isotactic-polypropylene (i-PP) hydrogenolysis over Ru supported on carbon. Despite similar molecular weight distributions of solid and liquid products, their physical properties are distinct due to different chain regio-irregular CH3 sequences of steric pentads containing racemo configurations. We propose that i-PP hydrogenolysis entails an interplay of C–C bond scission and stereoisomerization. The active site’s local electronic environment and structure dictate the former, whereas polymer–catalyst surface interactions creating suitable polymer conformations control the latter. C–C scission and stereoisomerization are structure-sensitive. Small, disordered nanoclusters are effective in C–C bond scission, whereas larger metal nanoparticles promote stereoisomerization. Finally, we hypothesize that a heterogeneous distribution of metal active sites is essential for deconstruction and product (lubricant base oil) quality control.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Measuring spin correlation between quarks during QCD confinement

The vacuum is now understood to have a rich and complex structure, characterized by fluctuating energy fields and a condensate of virtual quark–antiquark pairs. The spontaneous breaking of the approximate chiral symmetry, signalled by the nonvanishing quark condensate $\langle$$q\bar{q}$$\rangle$, is dynamically generated through topologically nontrivial gauge configurations such as instantons. The precise mechanism linking the chiral symmetry breaking to the mass generation associated with quark confinement remains a profound open question in quantum chromodynamics (QCD)—the fundamental theory of strong interaction. High-energy proton–proton collisions could liberate virtual quark–antiquark pairs from the vacuum that subsequently undergo confinement to form hadrons, whose properties could serve as probes into QCD confinement and the quark condensate. Here we report evidence of spin correlations in $Λ\bar{Λ}$ hyperon pairs inherited from spin-correlated strange quark–antiquark virtual pairs. Measurements by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory reveal a relative polarization signal of (18 ± 4)% that links the virtual spin-correlated quark pairs from the QCD vacuum to their final-state hadron counterparts. Crucially, this correlation vanishes when the hyperon pairs are widely separated in angle, consistent with the decoherence of the quantum system. Our findings provide a new experimental model for exploring the dynamics and interplay of quark confinement and entanglement.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Polarizabilities of neutral atoms and atomic ions with a noble gas electron configuration

Atomic polarizabilities play an important role in the development of force fields for molecular simulations, as well as for the development of qualitative concepts of atomic and molecular behavior. Coupled cluster theory at the coupled cluster singles doubles triples level with very large correlation-consistent basis sets with extended diffuse functions has been used to predict the polarizabilities of the atomic neutrals, mono-cations and mono-anions with a noble gas configuration. Additional corrections for scalar relativistic and spin–orbit effects were also included for the electron configurations of Kr, Xe, and Rn. The results are in excellent agreement with experiment or with other high level calculations where available. The current results for most of these species represent the best available values for the polarizabilities. The results show that the polarizability of H - is very difficult to calculate without extremely diffuse functions. The polarizability of H - is the largest value, 34.05 Å 3 , calculated for all species in the current study. The polarizabilities of the remaining halogen anions are also the best available values. The polarizabilities of the halogen anions (excluding F - ) and H - have a linear correlation with the electron affinity of the neutral atom. Spin– orbit effects, even for closed shell species, cannot be ignored for quantitative accuracy, and the inclusion of spin–orbit effects for Fr + , Rn, and At - increases the polarizability by 4%, 6%, and 15%, respectively.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Atomic Coherence of 2 Minutes and Instability of 1.5 × 10 −18 at 1 s in a Wannier-Stark Lattice Clock

We explore the limits of atomic coherence and measurement precision in a 87 Sr optical lattice clock. We perform a detailed characterization of key effects, including lattice Raman scattering and atomic collisions in a shallow lattice configuration, determining a 174(28) s 3 𝑃 0 clock state lifetime. Investigation of atomic coherence across a range of lattice depths and atomic densities reveals decoherence mechanisms related to photon scattering and atomic interaction. At a reduced density, we observe a coherence time of 118(9) s, approaching the fundamental limit set by spontaneous emission. Guided by this coherence understanding, we demonstrate a clock instability for an atomic ensemble of 1.5 × 10 −18 at 1 s in fractional frequency units. Our results are important for further advancing the state of the art of an optical lattice clock for fundamental physics applications.

atomic, optical, & lattice clocks↗

Elastic Stacker

Stacker is a library and command-line tool for interacting with components of the Elastic Stack remotely using their APIs. For example, Stacker allows the user to persist API resources to disk and re-create them using the same APIs, potentially allowing configuration to be kept in sync across multiple Elastic Stack instances.

Taliaferro, JamesP.↗

Probing the core of the strong nuclear interaction

The strong nuclear interaction between nucleons (protons and neutrons) is the effective force that holds the atomic nucleus together. This force stems from fundamental interactions between quarks and gluons (the constituents of nucleons) that are described by the equations of quantum chromodynamics. However, as these equations cannot be solved directly, nuclear interactions are described using simplified models, which are well constrained at typical inter-nucleon distances but not at shorter distances. This limits our ability to describe high-density nuclear matter such as that in the cores of neutron stars. Here we use high-energy electron scattering measurements that isolate nucleon pairs in short-distance, high-momentum configurations, accessing a kinematical regime that has not been previously explored by experiments, corresponding to relative momenta between the pair above 400 mega electron volts per c (c, speed of light in vacuum). As the relative momentum between two nucleons increases and their separation thereby decreases, we observe a transition from a spin-dependent tensor force to a predominantly spin-independent scalar force. These results demonstrate the usefulness of using such measurements to study the nuclear interaction at short distances and also support the use of point-like nucleon models with two- and three-body effective interactions to describe nuclear systems up to densities several times higher than the central density of the nucleus.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Interactions of πK, ππK and KKπ systems at maximal isospin from lattice QCD

We study the interactions of systems of two and three nondegenerate mesons composed of pions and kaons at maximal isospin using lattice QCD, specifically $π^+K^+, π^+π^+K^+$ and $K^+K^+π^+$. Utilizing the stochastic LapH method, we determine the spectrum of these systems on two CLS $N_f$ = 2 + 1 ensembles with pion masses of 200 MeV and 340 MeV, and include many levels in different momentum frames. We constrain the K matrices describing two- and three-particle interactions by fitting the spectrum to the results predicted by the finite-volume formalism, including up to p waves. This requires also results for the $π^+π^+$ and $K^+K^+$ spectrum, which have been obtained previously on the same configurations. We explore different fitting strategies, comparing fits to energy shifts with fits to energies boosted to the rest frame, and also comparing simultaneous global fits to all relevant two- and three-particle channels to those where we first fit twoparticle channels and then add in the three-particle information. We provide the first determination of the three-particle K matrix in $π^+π^+K^+$ and $K^+K^+π^+$ systems, finding statistically significant nonzero results in most cases. We include s and $\textit{p}$ waves in the K matrix for $π^+K^+$ scattering, finding evidence for an attractive p-wave scattering length. We compare our results to Chiral Perturbation Theory, including an investigation of the impact of discretization errors, for which we provide the leading order predictions obtained using Wilson Chiral Perturbation Theory.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Coupling-dependent antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic ordering in a pinwheel artificial spin ice

Nanopatterned magnetic thin films offer a platform for exploration of tailored magnetic properties such as emergent long-range order. A prominent example is artificial spin ice (ASI), where an arrangement of nanoscale magnetic elements, acting as macrospins, interact via their dipolar fields. In this study, we discuss the transition from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) long-range order in a square lattice ASI as the magnetic elements are gradually rotated through 45⁢° to a “pinwheel” configuration. The AFM-FM transition is observed experimentally using synchrotron radiation x-ray spectromicroscopy and occurs for a certain rotation angle of the nanomagnets, dependent on the dipolar coupling strength determined by the separation of the magnets in the lattice. Large-scale magnetic dipole simulations show that the point-dipole approximation fails to capture the correct AFM-FM transition angle. However, excellent agreement with experimental data is obtained using a dumbbell-dipole model, which better reflects the actual dipolar fields of the magnets. This model also explains the coupling dependence of the transition angle, another feature not captured by the point-dipole model. Our findings resolve a discrepancy between measurement and theory in previous work on “pinwheel” ASIs and establish the coupling dependence of the AFM-FM transition. The revised dipole model, with a more accurate representation of the stray field, offers more precise control of magnetic order in artificial spin systems.

Artificial spin ice↗

Cation Disordered Anti-Perovskite Cathode Materials with Enhanced Lithium Diffusion and Suppressed Phase Transition

Recently, a new family of anti-perovskite Li 2 TMSO was discovered as promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) with superiorities in high specific capacity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the applications of these anti-perovskite materials meet severe challenges in the cyclability and rate performance. In this work, a cation-disordered anti-perovskite type solid solution Li 2 Fe 1– x Mn x SO (LFMSO, x = 0, 0.2, 0.5) with excellent electrochemical performance is reported. On the basis of comprehensive structural characterizations, the role of the cation disordering in LFMSO is clarified. In comparison with Li 2 FeSO (LFSO), the reduced Li-ion diffusion barrier and the increased Li-rich octahedral configurations in LFMSO with higher configurational entropy imply the facilitated long-range Li-ion diffusion and the suppressed phase transition, which favor the high-rate capability and cycling stability. In addition, the large lattice distortion and Coulombic interaction between the anions and cations lead to the breathing of the unit cell during charge/discharge. The variation of the unit cell volume decreases to 2.5% upon Li-ion delithiation. A superstructure is observed in LFMSO for the first time. These findings help to pave the way for the research and development of novel cathode materials for the next generation LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

The HypA and HypB metallochaperones from Methanococcus maripaludis have unique metal-binding properties and a distinct nickel transfer mechanism

[NiFe] hydrogenases are widespread microbial metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible conversion of hydrogen (H2) to protons and electrons, playing key roles in energy metabolism. The biosynthesis of the NiFe(CN) 2 CO cofactor involves a suite of maturation proteins, including the HypA and HypB nickel metallochaperones. Here, we define the metal-binding properties, nucleotide-dependent behavior, and functional interplay of HypA and HypB from the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaeon, Methanococcus maripaludis . Methanogens have multiple essential nickel-dependent enzymes, so they require efficient systems for nickel delivery that remain largely unexplored. Purified M. maripaludis HypA binds zinc or mononuclear iron at the C-terminal metal binding site, the latter of which has not been reported in other HypA proteins and may serve a unique regulatory role in methanogens. The G-protein metallochaperone HypB binds nickel at the G-domain, which stimulates GTPase activity. Size exclusion chromatography experiments reveal that HypA and HypB form complexes in the presence of nickel, and zinc-bound HypA is optimized for nickel transfer from HypB. The identity of the nucleotide bound to HypB (GDP or GTP) alters the oligomeric state of HypA-HypB complexes, supporting a GTPase-mediated nickel delivery pathway. The HypA-HypB 2 complex configuration is enriched and stable in the presence of GDP and nickel, indicating that this complex delivers nickel to the hydrogenase as opposed to HypA alone. Interestingly, affinity purification-mass spectrometry revealed that HypB interacts with several nickel-dependent proteins, suggesting that HypB may play a broader role in nickel homeostasis in M. maripaludis . Together, this work establishes a biochemical framework for HypAB-mediated nickel trafficking in methanogens.

[NiFe] hydrogenase↗

Atomistic Insight into Cation Effects on Binding Energies in Cu-Catalyzed Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Electrolyte properties in general and electrolyte ions in particular have been shown to have significant effects on the kinetics of electrochemical CO 2 and CO reduction at metal electrodes, but these effects have not yet been fully understood. Here, we investigate the effects of cations at the aqueous electrolyte–Cu(211) interface on adsorbate binding energies and the electrolyte structure using density functional theory (DFT). Charging the interface via explicit Na + has systematic effects on adsorbate–electrolyte interactions and conformations. We describe specific local adsorbate–ion interactions, including direct alkali ion–adsorbate coordination and hydrogen bonding via ion-coordinated water molecules. The relative importance of these specific interactions and purely electrostatic field–adsorbate interactions is investigated by comparing the DFT-calculated ion effects to those predicted by purely electrostatic models of the interface and the adsorbates. We find that the trend in ion effects among different adsorbates at constant surface charge density is well explained by a purely electrostatic interaction model. The binding energy of OCCHO is found to depend strongly on the surface charge density as well as the spatial distribution of ions at constant surface charge density. These effects are also explained by a purely electrostatic local electrostatic field–adsorbate model. This indicates that alkali ion effects can be mainly attributed to purely electrostatic field interactions and that the local field at ion-stabilized active sites can depend significantly on both the overall charge density and on the spatial distribution of ions at constant charge density. This work provides new insight on alkali ion effects on a variety of adsorbates relevant to the CO 2 and CO reduction reactions by describing specific local ion–adsorbate interactions, systematic changes in adsorbate–electrolyte interactions induced by explicit surface charge, and comparisons of the calculated effects on binding energies to simple electrostatic field–adsorbate models to explain trends among various adsorbates and at varying surface charge densities and supercell configurations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Comparison of modular analytical wake models to the Lillgrund wind plant

Efficient and accurate wake models are required for wind plant performance modeling and the suite of engineering processes that support wind plant layout, control, and monitoring. Although many analytical and engineering wake models with low computational costs have been proposed, their ability to represent the power production of large wind plants in a wide range of atmospheric conditions is not completely understood. The following validation study reviews the underlying theory for analytical wake models, outlines quality control procedures for observational data, and compares model results with observational data from the Lillgrund Wind Plant. Lillgrund makes a valuable case study for wake modeling because of its regular arrangement and the relatively close spacing of constituent wind turbines, which lead to regular and significant wake interactions within the wind plant and the development of deep array flow conditions. Formulations for the velocity deficit, wake-added turbulence, and wake superposition methods are considered in a modular sense, yielding many possible configurations to represent wind turbine wakes, of which seven are examined in detail. Velocity deficit models that account for flow conditions in the near wake are better able to reproduce power production for wind turbines in the transitional region of the wind plant, where wind turbines experience as many as five wakes from upstream turbines. Finally, in the deep array, where power production reaches asymptotic values and wake statistics become quasi-periodic, wake superposition schemes become the largest driver in error reduction; using the linear or maximum wake superposition methods can reduce the relative root mean square error by as much as 40% in the deep array.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Measurement report: Role of organic coating and chemical composition on ice nucleation potential of atmospheric particles in European Arctic

Understanding the ice nucleation (IN) potential of Arctic aerosols is critical for predicting their influence on cloud formation and water cycles in this vulnerable region. This study investigates the role of particle composition, organic coatings, and aerosol sources in modulating ice nucleating particle (INPs) abundance across five aerosol samples collected at the Gruvebadet Observatory Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The IN potential of Arctic aerosol particles was studied by investigating chemical, morphological, and INP abundance measurements. Single-particle analyses revealed distinct differences in mixing state, organic volume fraction (OVF), and organic coating morphology across samples. OVF distributions were linked to particle origin, with marine-influenced Na-rich particles often exhibiting thin organic coatings, while long-range transported particles showed thicker organic coatings. Biogenic contributions, though variable, were linked to heat-sensitive INPs, suggesting a role for labile biological macromolecules under certain meteorological conditions. Spearman rank correlation analysis between particle composition and immersion-mode INP concentrations at two freezing temperatures indicated that organic-rich and Na-rich particles were positively associated with enhanced INP abundance. However, discrepancies in INP abundance were observed for particles with thicker organic coatings, where the morphological configuration of the organic material may play a role. The results highlight that Arctic INP variability is governed not only by chemical composition but also by the morphological configuration of organic material, which can either enhance or inhibit ice nucleation depending on its abundance, distribution, thickness, and mixing state. These findings underscore the combined influence of source regions, atmospheric processing, and organic–inorganic interactions in shaping Arctic aerosol freezing behavior.

Lata, Nurun Nahar [Pacific Northwest National Labo↗

Description for N = 126 Isotones 210 Po and 212 Rn with Particle-Hole Excited Nucleon-Pair Approximation and Realistic Effective Interaction

In this paper, we study yrast states of two N=126 isotones 210 Po and 212 Rn using the nucleon-pair approximation with particle–hole excitations and using a low-momentum interaction V low–k renormalized from the free CD-Bonn NN potential. An overall good agreement with experimental level structures, B(E2)s, and B(E3)s, is achieved. We also calculate the probabilities of neutron particle–hole excitations in these yrast states, with a focus on negative-parity states, which reflect the roles played by the neutron negative-parity configurations of one-particle-one-hole excitations across the N=126 shell gap and the negative-parity configurations of valence proton particles involving the 0i 13/2 orbit. The N=126 shell gap is discussed in terms of energies of neutron one-particle-one-hole excitations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Datasets for Custom-trained Machine-learning Interatomic Potentials: Nitric Acid Aqueous Solution

This dataset was generated using an iterative active learning strategy with the ArcaNN software package (https://github.com/arcann-chem/arcann_training) to train machine-learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) for aqueous nitric acid. Each active-learning cycle consisted of three stages: (1) training, (2) exploration, and (3) labeling. The initial training set comprised approximately 800 randomly selected configurations from a previous study by Lewis et al. (https://doi.org/10.1021/jp205510q), which investigated nitric acid solutions at 2, 3, 4, and 5 mol/L. For all configurations, single-point calculations of atomic forces and total energies were performed at the quantum density functional theory BLYP-D2 and PBE-D3 levels of theory using the CP2K Quickstep module. Valence electrons were treated explicitly, while core electrons on all atoms were represented by norm-conserving Goedecker–Teter–Hutter (GTH) pseudopotentials. Long-range dispersion interactions were accounted for using Grimme dispersion corrections. Wave functions were expanded in a mixed Gaussian-and-plane-wave scheme using TZV2P-MOLOPT basis sets for all elements and an 800 Ry auxiliary plane-wave cutoff for the electron density. Self-consistent field convergence was accelerated using orbital transformation and Direct Inversion in the Iterative Subspace, with a convergence threshold of 10^{-6}. All single-point calculations were carried out in periodic orthorhombic cells whose dimensions match those of the molecular configurations sampled from earlier trajectories. The CELL_REF keyword in CP2K was used to define a fixed reference cell, ensuring consistency in the reference data used for MLIP training, particularly when cell fluctuations are present in NpT simulations. The resulting high-fidelity energies and forces constitute the ground-truth labels used to train the MLIPs contained in this dataset.

Dinpajooh, Mohammadhasan [Pacific Northwest Nation↗

Impacts of Sub‐Grid Topographic Representations on Surface Energy Balance and Boundary Conditions in the E3SM Land Model: A Case Study in Sierra Nevada

Abstract Sub‐grid topographic heterogeneity has large impacts on surface energy balance and land‐atmosphere interactions. However, the impacts of representing sub‐grid topographic effects in land surface models (LSMs) on surface energy balance and boundary conditions remain unclear. This study analyzed and evaluated the impacts of sub‐grid topographic representations on surface energy balance, turbulent heat flux, and scalar (co‐)variances in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) land model (ELM). Three sub‐grid topographic representations in ELM were compared: (a) the default sub‐grid structure (D), (b) the recently developed sub‐grid topographic structure (T), and (c) high spatial resolution (1KM). Additionally, two different solar radiation schemes in ELM were compared: (a) the default plane‐parallel radiative transfer scheme (PP) and (b) the parameterization scheme (TOP) that accounts for sub‐grid topographic effects on solar radiation. A series of offline simulations with the three grid discretization structures (D, T, and 1KM) and two schemes of solar radiation (TOP and PP) were carried out using the Sierra Nevada, California. 1KM simulations with TOP well capture the spatial heterogeneity of surface fluxes compared to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer remote sensing data. There are significant differences between TOP and PP in the 1‐km simulated surface energy balance, but the differences in mean values and standard deviations become small when aggregated to the grid scale (i.e., 0.5°). The T configuration better mimics the 1KM simulations with TOP than the D configuration and better captures the sub‐grid topographic effects on surface energy balance and boundary conditions. These results underline the importance of representing sub‐grid topographic heterogeneities in LSMs and motivate future research to understand the sub‐grid topographic effects on land‐atmosphere interactions over mountainous areas.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Measurement of temperature of a dusty plasma from its configuration

A new concept called “configurational temperature” is introduced in the context of dusty plasma, where the temperature of the dust particles submerged in the plasma can be measured directly from the positional information of the individual dust particles and the interaction potential between the dust grains. This method does not require the velocity information of individual particles, which is a key parameter to measure the dust temperature in the conventional method. The technique is initially tested using two-dimensional (2D) OpenMP parallel molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation and then compared with the temperature evaluated from experimental data. The experiment have been carried out in the Dusty Plasma Experimental (DPEx) device, where a 2D stationary plasma crystal of melamine formaldehyde particles is formed in the cathode sheath of a DC glow discharge argon plasma. The kinetic temperature of the dust is calculated using the standard particle image velocimetry technique at different pressures. An extended simulation result for the three-dimensional case is also presented, which can be employed for the temperature measurement of a three-dimensional dust crystal in laboratory devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Hydrodynamic expansion and near-infrared absorption of x-ray heated aluminum plasmas

We use x-ray pulses from dense argon plasmas at the Z Machine (Sandia National Laboratories) to generate hypersonic aluminum plasmas akin to material ejecta during proposed planetary defense missions, fusion reactor wall excursions, and other high-energy density processes. Near-infrared absorption is used to diagnose the controlled expansion of the plasmas through cylindrical cavities following their generation from x-ray heating of solid aluminum 7075 alloy. The data are compared to multidimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations utilizing the ALEGRA multiphysics code, accounting for the dynamics of radiation scattering, material phase change, plasma expansion, thermal re-irradiation, and interactions with the cavity and with the infrared beams. To allow for accurate simulation, density functional theory is used to apply the Hagen–Rubens relation for the far-infrared and is adjoined with a detailed configuration accounting model using the Propaceos code, producing opacities spanning 10 −1 –10 4 eV photon energy for aluminum 7075 alloy, and in comparison with pure aluminum. The model is found to agree with experimental data in the higher-fluence regime when the Hagen–Rubens relation is applied. The ejected material, which is observed to travel up to 55 km/s, is comprised of a strongly ionized, non-LTE plasma front at ∼10 eV temperature followed by a weakly ionized LTE gas at higher density. The present findings lend some confidence to the broad-range equation of state and infrared opacity models for weakly ionized aluminum plasmas while demonstrating an approach to their future refinement, with potential application to astrophysical plasmas and other extreme processes.

Adiabatic process↗