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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 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Ellerman bombs—evidence for magnetic reconnection in the lower solar atmosphere

The presence of photospheric magnetic reconnection has long been thought to give rise to short and impulsive events, such as Ellerman bombs (EBs) and Type II spicules. In this article, we combine high-resolution, high-cadence observations from the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectrometer and Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere instruments at the Dunn Solar Telescope, National Solar Observatory, New Mexico, with co-aligned Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and Hinode Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) data to observe small-scale events situated within an active region. These data are then compared with state-of-the-art numerical simulations of the lower atmosphere made using the MURaM code. It is found that brightenings, in both the observations and the simulations, of the wings of the Hα line profile, interpreted as EBs, are often spatially correlated with increases in the intensity of the Fe I λ6302.5 line core. Bipolar regions inferred from Hinode/SOT magnetic field data show evidence of flux cancellation associated, co-spatially, with these EBs, suggesting that magnetic reconnection could be a driver of these high-energy events. Through the analysis of similar events in the simulated lower atmosphere, we are able to infer that line profiles analogous to the observations occur co-spatially with regions of strong opposite-polarity magnetic flux. These observed events and their simulated counterparts are interpreted as evidence of photospheric magnetic reconnection at scales observable using current observational instrumentation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The eighth q-bio conference: meeting report and special issue preface

This Special Issue, edited by Ilya Nemenman, celebrates the Eighth q-bio Conference, which took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico from August 13 to 16, 2014. Here, it consists of a commentary, two reviews, and five primary reports, which represent ideas and work discussed at the meeting.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

An x-ray absorption spectroscopy study of Cd binding onto a halophilic archaeon

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and cadmium (Cd) isotherm experiments determine how Cd adsorbs to the surface of halophilic archaeon Halobacterium noricense. This archaeon, isolated from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico could be involved with the transport of toxic metals stored in the transuranic waste in the salt mine. The isotherm experiments show that adsorption is relatively constant across the tolerable pH range for H. noricense. The XAS results indicate that Cd adsorption occurs predominately via a sulfur site, most likely sulfhydryl, with the same site dominating all measured pH values.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mars Extant Life: What's Next? Conference Report

On November 5–8, 2019, the ‘‘Mars Extant Life: What’s Next?’’ conference was convened in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The conference gathered a community of actively publishing experts in disciplines related to habitability and astrobiology. Primary conclusions are as follows: A significant subset of conference attendees concluded that there is a realistic possibility that Mars hosts indigenous microbial life. A powerful theme that permeated the conference is that the key to the search for martian extant life lies in identifying and exploring refugia (‘‘oases’’), where conditions are either permanently or episodically significantly more hospitable than average. Based on our existing knowledge of Mars, conference participants highlighted four potential martian refugium (not listed in priority order): Caves, Deep Subsurface, Ices, and Salts. The conference group did not attempt to reach a consensus prioritization of these candidate environments, but instead felt that a defensible prioritization would require a future competitive process. Within the context of these candidate environments, we identified a variety of geological search strategies that could narrow the search space. Additionally, we summarized a number of measurement techniques that could be used to detect evidence of extant life (if present). Again, it was not within the scope of the conference to prioritize these measurement techniques—that is best left for the competitive process. We specifically note that the number and sensitivity of detection methods that could be implemented if samples were returned to Earth greatly exceed the methodologies that could be used at Mars. Finally, important lessons to guide extant life search processes can be derived both from experiments carried out in terrestrial laboratories and analog field sites and from theoretical modeling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Book Review: Monitoring compliance with the comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Contributions by the German national data centre edited by Christoph Pilger, Lars Ceranna and Christian Bönnemann

For decades, the nuclear weapons capability of different countries was tracked in part via the interpretation of signals from more than 2000 nuclear test explosions that were conducted in programs of weapons development. The first such explosion took place in July 1945 (in New Mexico, USA, prior to the use of nuclear weapons in World War 2 against Japan). The last nuclear test, prior to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) becoming open for signature in September 1996, was in July 1996 (in China). This treaty, which took nearly forty years to negotiate, has been signed by 184 states as of December 2018, but a few key additional signatures and ratifications are still needed before nuclear tests are banned under international law. The evidence that a nuclear test explosion has occurred can come from electromagnetic, seismic, hydroacoustic, and infrasonic waves; and from unusual radionuclides— which can be present in particulate matter and/or as noble gases. Of course there is a vast infrastructure associated with military programs of nuclear weapons development in a limited number of countries. Less well-known, is the existence of a large infrastructure involving national and international efforts to monitor for the possible occurrence of nuclear test explosions, and thus to support CTBT verification. This book does a very good job of explaining much of that work, as it is conducted in practice by a western nation with sophisticated facilities.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2019

Joint inversion of gravity and cosmic ray muon flux at a well-characterised site for shallow subsurface density prediction

Estimating subsurface density is important for imaging various geologic structures such as volcanic edifices, reservoirs, and aquifers. Muon tomography has recently been used to complement traditional gravity measurements as a powerful method for probing shallow subsurface density structure beneath volcanoes. Gravity and muon data have markedly different spatial sensitivities and, as a result, the combination is useful for imaging structures on spatial scales that are larger than the area encompassed by crossing muon trajectories. Here we explore and test a joint inversion of gravity and muon data in a study area where there is an independently-characterised target anomaly: a regionally extensive, high-density layer beneath Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. We resolve the nearly flat-lying structure using a unique experimental set-up wherein surface and subsurface gravity and muon measurements are obtained above and below the target volume. Our results show that with minimal geologic (prior) constraints, the joint inversion correctly recovers salient features of the expected density structure. The results of our study illustrate the potential of combining surface and subsurface (e.g., borehole) gravity and muon measurements to invert for shallow geologic structures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-gradient performance of a prototype accelerator cavity for a 3 GeV proton radiography booster

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and results of the high-gradient conditioning and testing for a two-cell, π -mode, standing wave normal-conducting prototype booster cavity for the proposed 3 GeV proton linac upgrade at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Increasing the energy of proton beam from the existing 800 MeV to 3 GeV will improve resolution of the proton radiography by up to 10 times. The proposed energy boost can be achieved with a compact normal-conducting high-gradient radio-frequency (rf) linac section. The C-band section of the booster linac was designed with optimized-shaped copper accelerator cavities with distributed rf coupling. A short two-cell test prototype structure was designed for the frequency of 5.712 GHz, fabricated, and tested at the C-band Engineering Research Test Facility in New Mexico (CERF-NM) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The maximum klystron power coupled into the test structure was 8.3 MW with 1 μ s pulse length and 100 Hz repetition rate. The breakdown probabilities were recorded as functions of the accelerating gradient and peak surface fields. Operation of the test cavity at accelerating gradients of up to 100 MV / m was demonstrated. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

High stereographic resolution texture and residual stress evaluation using time-of-flight neutron diffraction

Neutron diffraction texture measurements provide bulk averaged textures with excellent grain orientation statistics, even for large-grained materials, owing to the probed volume being of the order of 1 cm 3 . Furthermore, crystallographic parameters and other valuable microstructure information such as phase fraction, coherent crystallite size, root-mean-square microstrain, macroscopic or intergranular strain and stress, etc. can be derived from neutron diffractograms. A procedure for combined high stereographic resolution texture and residual stress evaluation was established on the pulsed-neutron-source-based engineering materials diffractometer TAKUMI at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Center, through division of the neutron detector panel regions. Pole figure evaluation of a limestone standard sample with a well known texture suggested that the precision obtained for texture measurement is comparable to that of the established neutron beamlines utilized for texture measurement, such as the HIPPO diffractometer at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (New Mexico, USA) and the D20 angle-dispersive neutron diffractometer at the Institut Laue–Langevin (Grenoble, France). A high-strength martensite–austenite multilayered steel was employed for further verification of the reliability of simultaneous Rietveld analysis of multiphase textures and macro stress tensors. By using a texture-weighted geometric mean micromechanical (BulkPathGEO) model, a macro stress tensor analysis with a plane stress assumption showed a rolling direction–transverse direction (RD–TD) in-plane compressive stress (about –330 MPa) in the martensite layers and an RD–TD in-plane tensile stress (about 320 MPa) in the austenite layers. The phase stress partitioning was ascribed mainly to the additive effect of the volume expansion during martensite transformation and the linear contraction misfit between austenite layers and newly transformed martensite layers during the water quenching process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

PV Lifetime Project: Measuring PV Module Performance Degradation: 2018 Indoor Flash Testing Results

Photovoltaic (PV) module and system performance degradation is being measured by periodic flash testing of fielded PV modules at three sites. As of early 2018, results from modules fielded in New Mexico and Colorado are now available. These data indicate that module degradation varies significantly between module types and can also vary between modules of the same model. In addition, degradation rates for some module types appear to vary over time. Great care is made to control for stability and repeatability in the measurements over time, but there is still a +/-0.5% uncertainty in flash test stability. Therefore, it will take several more years for degradation rate results to be known with higher confidence.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Validation of Synthetic U.S. Electric Power Distribution System Data Sets

There is a strong need for synthetic yet realistic distribution system test data sets that are as diverse, large, and complex to solve as real systems. Such data sets can facilitate the development of advanced algorithms and the assessment of emerging distributed energy resources while avoiding the need to acquire proprietary critical infrastructure or private data. Such synthetic data sets, however, are useful only if they are realistic enough to look and behave similarly to actual systems. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for validating synthetic distribution data sets using a three-pronged statistical, operational, and expert validation approach. Furthermore, it also presents a set of statistical and operational metric targets for achieving realistic data sets based on detailed characterization of more than 10,000 real U.S. utility feeders. The paper demonstrates the use of the proposed validation approach to validate three large-scale synthetic data sets developed by the authors representing Santa Fe, New Mexico; Greensboro, North Carolina; and the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Surface Deformation and Seismicity Linked to Fluid Injection in the Raton Basin

Abstract It is suggested that in addition to seismicity deep fluid injection may cause surface uplift and subsidence in oil and gas‐producing regions. This study uses the Raton Basin as an example to investigate the hydromechanical processes of surface uplift and subsidence during wastewater injection. The Raton Basin, in southern central Colorado and northern central New Mexico, has experienced wastewater injection related to coalbed methane and gas production starting in 1994. In this study, we estimate the extent and magnitude of total vertical deformation in the Raton Basin from 1994 to 2020 and incremental deformation between the years 2017 to 2020. Results indicate a modeled uplift as much as 15 cm occurring between 1994 and 2020. Between 2017 and 2020, up to 3 cm of uplift occurred, largely near the northwestern injection wells. Most modeled uplift between 1994 and 2020 occurred near the southern wells, where the greatest cumulative volume of wastewater was injected. However, modeled subsidence occurred around the southern and eastern wells between 2017 and 2020, after the rate of injection decreased. Modeling indicates that while the magnitude of modeled uplift corresponds to cumulative injection volume and maximum rate in the long‐term, short‐term incremental deformation (uplift or subsidence) is controlled by changes in the rate of injection. The number of yearly earthquake events follows periods of rapid modeled uplifting throughout the Basin, suggesting that measurable surface deformation may be caused by the same injection‐induced pore pressure perturbations that initiate seismicity.

Geology↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Algae Foundation® and Algae Technology Educational Consortium

Abstract The Algae Foundation established in February 2013 has developed a diverse portfolio of algal‐based education and workforce development programs covering education levels from kindergarten through college, aquaculture extension, and free online courses. The Algae Foundation created the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) with five major foci including community college certificate program in algae cultivation; community college curriculum adopted for algal biotechnology degree programs; Algal Massive Open Online Courses (Algal MOOCs); Algae Academy, a kindergarten to 12th grade STEM curriculum initiative; and aquaculture extension education through the Algae Cultivation Extension Short courses (ACES). The results include the education and training of over 102,000 students, aquaculturists, entrepreneurs, and bioeconomy‐based professionals aged 8–75 years in all 50 U.S. states and 66 countries. ATEC has completed agreements with 21 community colleges and universities located in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. The first ATEC‐sponsored certificate degree program graduation was in May 2018. The Algae MOOC #1 has had over 15,752 students enrolled. ATEC initiated the Algae Academy in spring 2016 in Carlsbad, CA, and expanded to serving over 34,000 students in 46 states during the academic year 2019–2020. ACES has enrolled over 1,550 students from 66 countries.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Separating Oil-Water Mixtures Using Bump Arrays

Particle separation is an important process step across many fields. One technique being applied for separating solids such as blood components or sand particles from carrier fluids is the use of arrays of aligned posts called deterministic lateral arrays to bump particles to one side in the flow stream to enhance separation. This technique may be useful for separation of deformable particles. The ability to efficiently separate two-phase industrial (oil/water) mixtures is key for future use of valuable resources. Over 1 trillion gallons of petroleum production water could be reclaimed annually for reuse in the drought-ridden western US states. The ability to reclaim this petroleum production water may be critical for the Central High Plains (Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico). Trends in just the High Plains area already lost 20 to 25% of the irrigated farming area due to insufficient ground water storage to irrigate, and farmland losses are expected to grow to 40%. Proving this technology is key to reuse of petroleum production water for crop irrigation or to replace water from currently failing aquifers in rich agricultural lands of the Central High Plains. We conducted experiments applying mesofluidic separation for flowing two-phase (oil/water) mixtures. Experiments were conducted using oils of differing viscosities with water as the carrier fluid; separation was achieved over a range of oil-water concentrations. We describe the results of these experiments in this paper.

oil-water separation, micelle, droplet separation,↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-P-06: Moving From Computed Radiography to Digital Radiography: A Collaborative Approach to Improve Image Quality

Purpose: To bring together radiologists, technologists, and physicists to utilize post-processing techniques in digital radiography (DR) in order to optimize image acquisition and improve image quality. Methods: Sub-optimal images acquired on a new General Electric (GE) DR system were flagged for follow-up by radiologists and reviewed by technologists and medical physicists. Various exam types from adult musculoskeletal (n=35), adult chest (n=4), and pediatric (n=7) were chosen for review. 673 total images were reviewed. These images were processed using five customized algorithms provided by GE. An image score sheet was created allowing the radiologist to assign a numeric score to each of the processed images, this allowed for objective comparison to the original images. Each image was scored based on seven properties: 1) overall image look, 2) soft tissue contrast, 3) high contrast, 4) latitude, 5) tissue equalization, 6) edge enhancement, 7) visualization of structures. Additional space allowed for additional comments not captured in scoring categories. Radiologists scored the images from 1 – 10 with 1 being non-diagnostic quality and 10 being superior diagnostic quality. Scores for each custom algorithm for each image set were summed. The algorithm with the highest score for each image set was then set as the default processing. Results: Images placed into the PACS “QC folder” for image processing reasons decreased. Feedback from radiologists was, overall, that image quality for these studies had improved. All default processing for these image types was changed to the new algorithm. Conclusion: This work is an example of the collaboration between radiologists, technologists, and physicists at the University of New Mexico to add value to the radiology department. The significant amount of work required to prepare the processing algorithms, reprocessing and scoring of the images was eagerly taken on by all team members in order to produce better quality images and improve patient care.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Noble Gas Release from Bedded Rock Salt during Deformation

Geogenic noble gases are contained in crustal rocks at inter- and intracrystalline sites. In this study, bedded rock salt from southern New Mexico was deformed in a variety of triaxial compression states while measuring the release of naturally contained helium and argon utilizing mass spectrometry. Noble gas release is empirically correlated to volumetric strain and acoustic emissions. At low confining pressures, rock salt deforms primarily by microfracturing, rupturing crystal grains, and releasing helium and argon with a large amount of acoustic emissions, both measured real-time. At higher confining pressure, microfracturing is reduced and the rock salt is presumed to deform more by intracrystalline flow, releasing less amounts of noble gases with fewer acoustic emissions. Our work implies that geogenic gas release during deformation may provide an additional signal which contains information on the type and amount of deformation occurring in a variety of earth systems.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2010

Upper Rio Grande Simulation Model (URGSIM)

URGSIM estimates the location of surface water and groundwater resources in the upper Rio Grande Basin between the Colorado-New Mexico state line, and Caballo Reservoir from 1975 - 2045. It is a mass balance hydrology model of the Upper Rio Grande surface water, groundwater, and water demand systems which runs at a monthly timestep from 1975-1999 in calibration mode, 2000-2004 in validation mode, and 2005-2045 in scenario analysis mode.

Roach, Jesse↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advancing Marine Arctic Science through Facilitating International Collaborations

The Consortium for the Advancement of Marine Arctic Science (CAMAS) held its inaugural Workshop and Early Career School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from 13 to 16 February 2024. The event brought together 80 Arctic marine scientists from around the world to discuss current research and to develop ideas for collaborative research projects that can be executed in the next few years to advance our understanding of the marine Arctic system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Introduction to special section: Induced seismicity

Induced seismicity refers to earthquakes related to anthropogenic activities such as wastewater disposal, hydraulic fracturing, and geothermal energy production. In Oklahoma, wastewater disposal is considered to have caused more than 100 earthquakes of magnitude 4 and above (M4+) since 2010. Similarly, over 50 such events have been recorded in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. Additionally, some of these earthquakes have magnitudes exceeding 5.0, including a magnitude 5.8 event in Pawnee, Oklahoma, in a magnitude 5.6 event in the Peace River Oil Sands Area in Alberta, and a magnitude 5.4 event in the Delaware Basin of Texas.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗