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NASA NTRS2021

The Deep-Time Digital Earth program: data-driven discovery in geosciences

Current barriers hindering data-driven discoveries in deep-time Earth (DE) include: substantial volumes of DE data are not digitized; many DE databases do not adhere to FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles; we lack a systematic knowledge graph for DE; existing DE databases are geographically heterogeneous; a significant fraction of DE data is not in open-access formats; tailored tools are needed. These challenges motivate the Deep-Time Digital Earth (DDE) program initiated by the International Union of Geological Sciences and developed in cooperation with national geological surveys, professional associations, academic institutions and scientists around the world. DDE’s mission is to build on previous research to develop a systematic DE knowledge graph, a FAIR data infrastructure that links existing databases and makes dark data visible, and tailored tools for DE data, which are universally accessible. DDE aims to harmonize DE data, share global geoscience knowledge and facilitate data-driven discovery in the understanding of Earth’s evolution.

Chengshan Wang↗

DOE OSTI2025

Diffuse boosted cosmic neutrino background

Energetic cosmic rays scatter off the cosmic neutrino background throughout the history of the Universe, yielding a diffuse flux of cosmic relic neutrinos boosted to high energies. We calculate this flux under different assumptions of the cosmic-ray flux spectral slope and redshift evolution. The nonobservation of the diffuse flux of boosted relic neutrinos with current high-energy neutrino experiments already excludes an average cosmic neutrino background overdensity larger than ∼10 4 over cosmological distances. We discuss the future detectability of the diffuse flux of boosted relic neutrinos in light of neutrino overdensity estimates and cosmogenic neutrino backgrounds.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2025

Advection algorithms for quantum neutrino moment transport

Neutrino transport in compact objects is an inherently challenging multidimensional problem. Here, this difficulty is compounded if one includes flavor transformation—an intrinsically quantum phenomenon requiring one to follow the coherence between flavors and thus necessitating the introduction of complex numbers. To reduce the computational burden, simulations of compact objects that include neutrino transport often make use of momentum-angle-integrated moments (the lowest order ones being commonly referred to as the energy density and flux) and these quantities can be generalized to include neutrino flavor, i.e., they become quantum moments. Numerous finite-volume approaches to solving the moment evolution equations for classical neutrino transport have been developed based on solving a Riemann problem at cell interfaces. In this paper we describe our generalization of a Riemann solver for quantum moments, specifically decomposing complex numbers in terms of a (signed) magnitude and phase instead of real and imaginary parts. We then test our new algorithm in numerous cases showing a neutrino fast flavor instability, varying from toy models with analytic solutions to snapshots from neutron star merger simulations. Compared to previous algorithms for neutrino transport with flavor mixing, we find uniformly smaller growth rates of the flavor transformation along with concomitantly larger length-scales, and that the results are a better match with the growth rates seen from multiangle codes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1985

Search for the Universal Ancestors

By its nature, the study of the origins of life is multidisciplinary, requiring contributions from astronomers, biologists, chemists, geologists, physicists, and many others. Partial answers are provided to many questions about organic chemical evolution and the origin of life. It is observed that the gaps in our knowledge concerning the steps from the nonliving to the living are numerous. Among these gaps are: (1) a solar system formation with its accumulation of raw materials; (2) the synthesis of the life forming monomers, such as the amino acids, nucleotides, and lipids; (3) the condensation of these monomers into useful polymers, such as proteins and nucleic acids; (4) the sequestering of these materials into droplets of proteinoid or membrane-like structures; and (5) the development of a chemical memory (the genetic code) to pass on to the progeny the information acquired.

Hartman, H.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Chemical Evolution in the Interstellar Medium: From Astrochemistry to Astrobiology

Great strides have been made in our understanding of interstellar material thanks to advances in infrared astronomy and laboratory astrophysics. Ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), shockingly large molecules by earlier astrochemical standards, are widespread and very abundant throughout much of the Universe. In cold molecular clouds, the birthplace of planets and stars, interstellar molecules freeze onto dust and ice particles forming mixed molecular ices dominated by simple species such as water, methanol, ammonia, and carbon monoxide. Within these clouds, and especially in the vicinity of star and planet forming regions, these ices and PAHs are processed by ultraviolet light and cosmic rays forming hundreds of far more complex species, some of biogenic interest. Eventually, these are delivered to primordial planets by comets and meteorites. Astrochemical evolution, highlights of this field from a chemist's perspective, and the astronomer's infrared toolbox will be reviewed.

Allamandola, Louis J.↗

DOE OSTI2021

The oscillatory anisotropy in the spatially flat cosmological models

Highlights: • Relations among asymptotic anisotropy and matter content. • A new scheme for obtaining physically motivated exact solutions. • The process of isotropization/anisotropization in cosmology. • The conversion among the anisotropy and the energy density into one another. In this manuscript, we investigate the oscillatory behaviour of the anisotropy in the diagonal Bianchi-I spacetimes. Our starting point is a simplification of Einstein’s equations using only observable or physical variables. As a consequence, we are able to: (a) Prove general results concerning the existence of oscillations of the anisotropy in the primordial and the late-time universe. For instance, in the expanding scenario, we show that a past weakly mixmaster behaviour (oscillations as we approach the Kasner solutions) might appear even with no violation of the usual energy conditions, while in the future, the pulsation (oscillations around isotropic solutions) seems to be most favoured; (b) Determine a large scheme for deriving classes of physically motivated exact solutions, and we give some (including the general barotropic perfect fluid and the magnetic one); (c) Understand the physical conditions for the occurrence of the isotropization or anisotropization during the cosmological evolution; (d) Understand how anisotropy and energy density are converted one into another. In particular, we call attention to the presence of a residue in the energy density in a late-time isotropic universe coming from its past anisotropic behaviour.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS2003

New Type of the Interface Evolution in the Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability

We performed systematic theoretical and numerical studies of the nonlinear large-scale coherent dynamics in the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability for fluids with contrast densities. Our simulations modeled the interface dynamics for compressible and viscous uids. For a two-fluid system we observed that in the nonlinear regime of the instability the bubble velocity decays and its surface attens, and the attening is accompanied by slight oscillations. We found the theoretical solution for the system of conservation laws, describing the principal influence of the density ratio on the motion of the nonlinear bubble. The solution has no adjustable parameters, and shows that the attening of the bubble front is a distinct property universal for all values of the density ratio. This property follows from the fact that the RM bubbles decelerate. The theoretical and numerical results validate each other, describe the new type of the bubble front evolution in RMI, and identify the bubble curvature as important and sensitive diagnostic parameter.

Abarzhi, S. I.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Synchronizing the consistency relation

We study the N-point function of the density contrast to quadratic order in the squeezed limit during the matter-dominated (MD) and radiation-dominated (RD) eras in synchronous gauge. Since synchronous gauge follows the free-fall frame of observers, the equivalence principle dictates that in the gradient approximation for the long-wavelength mode there is only a single, manifestly time-independent consistency relation for the N-point function. This simple form is dictated by the initial mapping between synchronous and local coordinates, unlike Newtonian gauge and its correspondingly separate dilation and Newtonian consistency relations. Dynamical effects only appear at quadratic order in the squeezed limit and are again characterized by a change in the local background, also known as the separate universe approach. We show that for the 3-point function the compatibility between these squeezed-limit relations and second-order perturbation theory requires both the initial and dynamical contributions to match, as they do in single-field inflation. This clarifies the role of evolution or late-time projection effects in establishing the consistency relation for observable bispectra, which is especially important for radiation acoustic oscillations and for establishing consistency below the matter-radiation equality scale in the MD era. Defining an appropriate angle and time average of these oscillations is also important for making separate universe predictions of spatially varying local observables during the RD era, which can be useful for a wider range of cosmological predictions beyond N-point functions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Disentangling multiple gas kinematic drivers in the Perseus galaxy cluster

Galaxy clusters, the Universe’s largest halo structures, are filled with an X-ray-emitting gas with a temperature between 10 million and 100 million degrees. Their evolution is shaped by energetic processes such as feedback from supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and mergers with other cosmic structures. The imprints of these processes on gas kinematics remain largely unknown, restricting our understanding of energy conversion within clusters4. High-resolution spectral mapping with the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) observatory offers a way forward. Here we present XRISM kinematic measurements of the Perseus cluster, radially covering the extent of its cool core. We find direct evidence for at least two dominant drivers of gas motions operating on distinct physical scales: a small-scale driver in the inner approximately 60 kpc, probably associated with the SMBH feedback; and a large-scale driver in the outer core, powered by mergers. This finding suggests that, during the active phase, SMBH feedback drives gas motions, which, if fully dissipated into heat, could have a substantial role in offsetting radiative cooling losses in the Perseus core. Furthermore, our study underscores the necessity of kinematic mapping observations of extended sources to robustly characterize the velocity fields and their role in the evolution of massive halos. It further offers a kinematic diagnostic for SMBH feedback models.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗

NASA NTRS1978

Application of Remote Sensing to the Chesapeake Bay Region. Volume 1: Executive summary

The proceedings are presented of a conference, jointly sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the University of Maryland. The purpose of the Conference was to assemble representatives of federal and state government agencies engaged in research on the condition and evolution of the Chesapeake Bay to compose a status report, to present current activities and future plans, and to recommend a long-range future course of policies and programs.

Chen, W. T.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Clusters of galaxies

Observational properties of clusters of galaxies and some theoretical interpretations are reviewed. The major subjects of the review include catalogs of clusters, the static properties of rich clusters, cluster dynamics, X-ray emission from clusters of galaxies, and cluster radio emission. Observed static properties discussed are: richness, classification schemes, galactic content, cD galaxies, density profiles, sizes, and the optical luminosity function. Several characteristic time scales of clusters of galaxies are examined along with mass segregation, the dynamical evolution of clusters, cluster masses, mass-to-light ratios, the missing-mass problem, and the mean galactic and cluster mass densities in the universe. The main characteristics of clusters that contain X-ray emission are summarized, emphasizing the relation of the X-ray emission to optical properties. The most important properties of cluster radio emission are outlined, the relation of this emission to the other cluster properties studied is indicated, and evidence suggesting the influence of an intracluster gas on the radio galaxies and their relativistic electrons is noted.

Bahcall, N. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Causal compensated perturbations in cosmology

A theoretical framework is developed to calculate linear perturbations in the gravitational and matter fields which arise causally in response to the presence of stiff matter sources in a FRW cosmology. It is shown that, in order to satisfy energy and momentum conservation, the gravitational fields of the source must be compensated by perturbations in the matter and gravitational fields, and the role of such compensation in containing the initial inhomogeneities in their subsequent evolution is discussed. A complete formal solution is derived in terms of Green functions for the perturbations produced by an arbitrary source in a flat universe containing cold dark matter. Approximate Green function solutions are derived for the late-time density perturbations and late-time gravitational waves in a universe containing a radiation fluid. A cosmological energy-momentum pseudotensor is defined to clarify the nature of energy and momentum conservation in the expanding universe.

Veeraraghavan, Shoba↗

NASA NTRS2011

X-Ray Binary Populations in a Cosmological Context, Including NuSTAR Predictions

The new ultradeep 4 Ms Chandra Deep Field South has afforded the deepest view ever of X-ray binary populations. We report on the latest results on both LMXB and HMXB evolution out to redshifts of approximately four, including comparison with the latest theoretical models, using this deepest-ever view of the X-ray universe with Chandra. The upcoming NuSTAR mission will open up X-ray binary populations in the hard X-ray band, similar to the pioneering work of Fabbiano et al. in the Einstein era. We report on plans to study both Local Group and starburst galaxies as well as the implications those observations may have for X-ray binary populations in galaxies contributing to the Cosmic X-ray Background.

Cardiff, Ann Hornschemeier↗

NASA NTRS2014

Microstructure and Macrosegregation Study of Directionally Solidified Al-7Si Samples Processed Terrestrially and Aboard the International Space Station

This talk reports research that has been carried out under the aegis of NASA as part of a collaboration between ESA and NASA for solidification experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). The focus has been on the effect of convection on the microstructural evolution and macrosegregation in hypoeutectic Al‐Si alloys during directional solidification (DS). The DS‐experiments have been carried out under 1‐g at Cleveland State University (CSU) and under low‐g on the International Space Station (ISS). The thermal processing‐history of the experiments is well defined for both the terrestrially‐processed samples and the ISS‐processed samples. We have observed that the primary dendrite arm spacings of two samples grown in the low‐g environment of the ISS show good agreement with a dendrite‐growth model based on diffusion controlled growth. The gravity‐driven convection (i.e., thermosolutal convection) in terrestrially grown samples has the effect of decreasing the primary dendrite arm spacings and causes macrosgregation. In order to process DS‐samples aboard the ISS, dendritic‐seed crystals have to partially remelted in a stationary thermal gradient before the DS is carried out. Microstructural changes and macrosegregation effects during this period are described.

Angart, Samuel↗

DOE OSTI2020

Optical Wavelength Guided Self-Supervised Feature Learning For Galaxy Cluster Richness Estimate

Most galaxies in the nearby Universe are gravitationally bound to a cluster or group of galaxies. Their optical contents, such as optical richness, are crucial for understanding the co-evolution of galaxies and large-scale structures in modern astronomy and cosmology. The determination of optical richness can be challenging. We propose a self-supervised approach for estimating optical richness from multi-band optical images. The method uses the data properties of the multi-band optical images for pre-training, which enables learning feature representations from a large but unlabeled dataset. We apply the proposed method to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The result shows our estimate of optical richness lowers the mean absolute error and intrinsic scatter by 11.84% and 20.78%, respectively, while reducing the need for labeled training data by up to 60%. We believe the proposed method will benefit astronomy and cosmology, where a large number of unlabeled multi-band images are available, but acquiring image labels is costly.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Total absorption spectroscopy for the 𝛽 + decay strength distribution of 60 Ga

𝛽-decay properties play an important role in most astrophysical processes. In the absence of experimental data, astrophysical models rely on global theoretical calculations to provide the relevant properties. It is therefore important to provide strong experimental constraints when possible. In the case of 𝛽-decay, the most sensitive probe is the 𝛽-decay strength distribution. We report here on the first measurement of the latter quantity for the 𝛽 + decay of 60 Ga using the total absorption spectroscopy technique. The experimental results are compared to theoretical calculations often used in astrophysical models, namely the shell model and the quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA), as well as an extension of QRPA that includes higher-order nucleonic calculations. Both models are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results.

59 ≤ A ≤ 89↗

DOE OSTI2023

Galaxy Cruise: Deep Insights into Interacting Galaxies in the Local Universe

Abstract We present the first results from GALAXY CRUISE, a community (or citizen) science project based on data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). The current paradigm of galaxy evolution suggests that galaxies grow hierarchically via mergers, but our observational understanding of the role of mergers is still limited. The data from HSC-SSP are ideally suited to improve our understanding with improved identifications of interacting galaxies thanks to the superb depth and image quality of HSC-SSP. We launched a community science project, GALAXY CRUISE, in 2019 and have collected over two million independent classifications of 20686 galaxies at z < 0.2. We first characterize the accuracy of the participants’ classifications and demonstrate that it surpasses previous studies based on shallower imaging data. We then investigate various aspects of interacting galaxies in detail. We show that there is a clear sign of enhanced activities of super-massive black holes and star formation in interacting galaxies compared to those in isolated galaxies. The enhancement seems particularly strong for galaxies undergoing violent mergers. We also show that the mass growth rate inferred from our results is roughly consistent with the observed evolution of the stellar mass function. The second season of GALAXY CRUISE is currently underway and we conclude with future prospects. We make the morphological classification catalog used in this paper publicly available at the GALAXY CRUISE website, which will be particularly useful for machine-learning applications.

Tanaka, Masayuki↗

DOE OSTI2025

Lustre Unveiled: Evolution, Design, Advancements, and Current Trends

The Lustre filesystem serves as a vital element in high-performance parallel storage, meeting the rising demands of scientific, research, and enterprise environments. Widely deployed across HPC environments, ranging from small-scale applications in AI/ML, to domains like oil and gas, drug discovery, and meteorology, and manufacturing, Lustre addresses the universal challenge of efficiently accessing vast and ever-increasing volumes of data. Lustre is the filesystem of choice on six out of the top 10 fastest supercomputers in the world today, over 65% of the top 100, and also for over 60% of the top 500. Despite its widespread popularity, there is a lack of a complete and up-to-date reference, covering Lustre’s evolution, design, and various advancements made over the years. In this journal, we aim to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive journey of Lustre, including its history with significant contributions to HPC, detailed architecture and design elements, exploration of advancements added through its evolution, and future directions. Additionally, we present a comparison of Lustre with other prominent storage technologies of the era. To illustrate the current state of Lustre, we analyze several filesystem trends, including utilization, performance, and usage patterns on Orion, the Lustre filesystem on the first exascale supercomputer Frontier. We hope that this journal serves as a comprehensive educational reference for the current and future generations interested in HPC filesystem storage aspects.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗