Results for “range decomposition” — Page 49

DOE OSTI2022

Implementing the three-particle quantization condition for π + π + K + and related systems

Recently, the formalism needed to relate the finite-volume spectrum of systems of nondegenerate spinless particles has been derived. In this work we discuss a range of issues that arise when implementing this formalism in practice, provide further theoretical results that can be used to check the implementation, and make available codes for implementing the three-particle quantization condition. Specifically, we discuss the need to modify the upper limit of the cutoff function due to the fact that the left-hand cut in the scattering amplitudes for two nondegenerate particles moves closer to threshold; we describe the decomposition of the three-particle amplitude K df,3 into the matrix basis used in the quantization condition, including both s and p waves, with the latter arising in the amplitude for two nondegenerate particles; we derive the threshold expansion for the lightest three-particle state in the rest frame up to O(1/L 5 ); and we calculate the leading-order predictions in chiral perturbation theory for K df,3 in the π + π + K + and π + K + K + systems. We focus mainly on systems with two identical particles plus a third that is different (“2+1” systems). We describe the formalism in full detail, and present numerical explorations in toy models, in particular checking that the results agree with the threshold expansion, and making a prediction for the spectrum of π + π + K + levels using the two- and three-particle interactions predicted by chiral perturbation theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Template Synthesis of Monodisperse Submicrometer Spherical Nanoporous Silicon Particles

Monodisperse spherical nanoporous silicon (np-Si) particles of submicrometer size are fabricated with mesoporous silica particles as a template. Silicon is synthesized within the mesopores of monodisperse silica particles by the thermal decomposition of monosilane. Then, the template material (a-SiO{sub 2}) is removed by wet etching. The particles obtained have a small root-mean-square size scatter (no more than 10%) and large specific surface area (250 m{sup 2} g{sup –1}) and pore volume (0.5 cm{sup 3} g{sup –1}). It is shown that np-Si particles exhibit photoluminescence in the visible and near-IR (infrared) spectral ranges.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

A Surrogate-Based Asynchronous Decomposition Technique for Realistic Security-Constrained Optimal Power Flow Problems

Here we present a decomposition approach for obtaining good feasible solutions for the security-constrained, alternating-current, optimal power flow (SC-AC-OPF) problem at an industrial scale and under real-world time and computational limits. The approach was designed while preparing and participating in ARPA-E’s Grid Optimization Competition (GOC) Challenge 1. The challenge focused on a near-real-time version of the SC-AC-OPF problem, where a base operating point is optimized, taking into account possible single-element contingencies, after which the system adapts its operating point following the response of automatic frequency droop controllers and voltage regulators. Our solution approach for this problem relies on state-of-the-art nonlinear programming algorithms, and it employs nonconvex relaxations for complementarity constraints, a specialized two-stage decomposition technique with sparse approximations of recourse terms and contingency ranking and prescreening. The paper describes and justifies our approach and outlines the features of its implementation, including functions and derivatives evaluation, warm-starting strategies, and asynchronous parallelism. We discuss the results of the independent benchmark of our approach by ARPA-E’s GOC team in Challenge 1, where it was found to consistently produce high-quality solutions across a wide range of network sizes and difficulty, and conclude by outlining future extensions of the approach.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA NTRS2012

An Iterated Global Mascon Solution with Focus on Land Ice Mass Evolution

Land ice mass evolution is determined from a new GRACE global mascon solution. The solution is estimated directly from the reduction of the inter-satellite K-band range rate observations taking into account the full noise covariance, and formally iterating the solution. The new solution increases signal recovery while reducing the GRACE KBRR observation residuals. The mascons are estimated with 10-day and 1-arc-degree equal area sampling, applying anisotropic constraints for enhanced temporal and spatial resolution of the recovered land ice signal. The details of the solution are presented including error and resolution analysis. An Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) adaptive filter is applied to the mascon solution time series to compute timing of balance seasons and annual mass balances. The details and causes of the spatial and temporal variability of the land ice regions studied are discussed.

Luthcke, S. B.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementation of an Unsteady PSP System in the NASA Transonic Dynamics Tunnel

An unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP) system has been developed to provide time-resolved pressure measurements in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). Obtaining these measurements necessitated the development of environmental enclosures to protect the high-speed camera and ultraviolet lights required for uPSP from the harsh environment present during tunnel operation. Since the facility main drive was non-functioning during the testing window, performance of the uPSP system was demonstrated using an impinging jet with a passive oscillator attachment to provide unsteady flow with a known frequency independent of amplitude. Measurements were obtained for tunnel pressures ranging from 565 to 2116 psf, and model angles of attack between -4 degrees and 4 degrees. Results indicate that the system is capable of measuring surface pressure differentials on the order of 0.01 psi at full scale with a camera frame rate of at least 10 kHz. Spectral analysis shows that the fundamental frequency of the oscillating jet is captured by the uPSP system, as are the second and third harmonics. Dynamic mode decomposition highlights the dominant coherent spatial structures of the surface pressure, along with the associated frequency and growth rate of each mode, allowing for a de-noised reconstruction of the uPSP measurements. The experimental campaign outlined within this report also confirmed compatibility of the uPSP system with the TDT facility data acquisition system, and verified the successful integration with existing processing capabilities within the NASA advanced supercomputing environment.

unsteady pressure-sensitive paint↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementation of an Unsteady PSP System in the NASA Transonic Dynamics Tunnel

An unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP) system has been developed to provide time-resolved pressure measurements in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). Obtaining these measurements necessitated the development of environmental enclosures to protect the high-speed camera and ultraviolet lights required for uPSP from the harsh environment present during tunnel operation. Since the facility main drive was non-functioning during the testing window, performance of the uPSP system was demonstrated using an impinging jet with a passive oscillator attachment to provide unsteady flow with a known frequency independent of amplitude. Measurements were obtained for tunnel pressures ranging from 565 to 2116 psf, and model angles of attack between -4 degrees and 4 degrees. Results indicate that the system is capable of measuring surface pressure differentials on the order of 0.01 psi at full scale with a camera frame rate of at least 10 kHz. Spectral analysis shows that the fundamental frequency of the oscillating jet is captured by the uPSP system, as are the second and third harmonics. Dynamic mode decomposition highlights the dominant coherent spatial structures of the surface pressure, along with the associated frequency and growth rate of each mode, allowing for a de-noised reconstruction of the uPSP measurements. The experimental campaign outlined within this report also confirmed compatibility of the uPSP system with the TDT facility data acquisition system, and verified the successful integration with existing processing capabilities within the NASA advanced supercomputing environment.

unsteady pressure-sensitive paint↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementation of an Unsteady PSP System in the NASA TDT

An unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP) system has been developed to provide time-resolved pressure measurements in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). Obtaining these measurements necessitated the development of environmental enclosures to protect the high-speed camera and ultraviolet lights required for uPSP from the harsh environment present during tunnel operation. Since the facility main drive was non-functioning during the testing window, performance of the uPSP system was demonstrated using an impinging jet with a passive oscillator attachment to provide unsteady flow with a known frequency independent of amplitude. Measurements were obtained for tunnel pressures ranging from 565 to 2116 psf, and model angles of attack between -4 degrees and 4 degrees. Results indicate that the system is capable of measuring surface pressure differentials on the order of 0.01 psi at full scale with a camera frame rate of at least 10 kHz. Spectral analysis shows that the fundamental frequency of the oscillating jet is captured by the uPSP system, as are the second and third harmonics. Dynamic mode decomposition highlights the dominant coherent spatial structures of the surface pressure, along with the associated frequency and growth rate of each mode, allowing for a de-noised reconstruction of the uPSP measurements. The experimental campaign outlined within this report also confirmed compatibility of the uPSP system with the TDT facility data acquisition system, and verified the successful integration with existing processing capabilities within the NASA advanced supercomputing environment. Note: this presentation is an MP4 video with sound, color with a run time of 10 minutes 37 seconds.

unsteady pressure-sensitive paint↗

DOE OSTI2022

Extension of the high-resolution thermal-hydraulics code ESCOT to hexagonal core geometries for multi-physics calculations

The extension of the capabilities of the pin-level nuclear reactor core thermal-hydraulics (T/H) code ESCOT to analyze hexagonal fueled cores and its performance are presented. ESCOT is an accurate yet fast core thermal-hydraulics solution aiming at high-fidelity and high-resolution multi-physics core analysis in the framework of massively parallel computing platforms. Its algorithm solution is based on the four-equation drift-flux model for two-phase calculations, these are numerically solved by applying the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and the Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equation (SIMPLE)-like algorithm in a staggered grid system. Constitutive models such as turbulent mixing, pressure drop, and vapor generation are employed to simulate key phenomena in subchannel-scale analysis. ESCOT is parallelized by a double (radial and axial) domain decomposition that enables its highly parallelized execution. The coupling of the code with the neutronics whole core solver for hexagonal geometries nTRACER is described. The newly implemented ESCOT features are validated by comparing single assembly and full core steady state nTRACER-ESCOT solutions with nTRACER standalone internal one-dimensional T/H solver results. The validation problems are based on the VVER 440 and VVER 1000 cores. ESCOT results show differences within an acceptable range with respect to the simple 1D nTRACER built-in solver. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Atomic-Scale Chemical Imaging and Quantification of Metallic Alloy Structures by Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy

Determination of atomic-scale crystal structure for nanostructured intermetallic alloys, such as magnetic alloys containing Al, Ni, Co (alnico) and Fe, is crucial for understanding physical properties such as magnetism, but technically challenging due to the small interatomic distances and the similar atomic numbers. By applying energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping to the study of two intermetallic phases of an alnico alloy resulting from spinodal decomposition, we have determined atomic-scale chemical composition at individual lattice sites for the two phases: one is the B2 phase with Fe0.76Co0.24 -Fe0.40Co0.60 ordering and the other is the L21 phase with Ni0.48Co0.52 at A-sites, Al at BΙ-sites and Fe0.20Ti0.80 at BΙΙ-sites, respectively. The technique developed through this study represents a powerful real-space approach to investigate structure chemically at the atomic scale for a wide range of materials systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Novel plasma actuator for mitigation of dynamic stall

A novel plasma actuator, the Linear Counter-flow using a Point Embedded Electrode (LCPEE), is developed for the prevention of dynamic stall for a sinusoidal pitching movement between α = 4° and α = 18°. The LCPEE is implemented on a NACA0012 airfoil and tested at a Reynolds Number of Re c = 2 × 105 and reduced frequency of k = π/16. Prior investigations using a standard linear actuator showed that the exposed electrode introduced perturbations passively which delayed dynamic stall when the actuator was off. For the LCPEE actuator, when turned off, there is least passive delay. When the LCPEE is turned on at St f = 50, the dynamic stall is prevented for the sinusoidal pitching motion of the airfoil. The LCPEE actuator is also tested for the same sinusoidal motion between α = 6° and α = 20°. Four cases are considered for the higher α range of motion: actuator off, actuator on at St f = 50 with a sinusoidal input waveform, actuator on at St f = 50 with a triangular input waveform, and actuator on at Stf = 100 with a sinusoidal input waveform. Specifically for the last case, experiment shows no flow reversal demonstrating the efficacy of LCPEE in controlling the dynamic stall. The effects of LCPEE on the flow energy distribution have also been studied by using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2014

Neutron spin structure with polarized deuterons and spectator proton tagging at EIC

The neutron's deep-inelastic structure functions provide essential information for the flavor separation of the nucleon parton densities, the nucleon spin decomposition, and precision studies of QCD phenomena in the flavor-singlet and nonsinglet sectors. Thus, traditional inclusive measurements on nuclear targets are limited by dilution from scattering on protons, Fermi motion and binding effects, final-state interactions, and nuclear shadowing at x << 0.1. An Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) would enable next-generation measurements of neutron structure with polarized deuteron beams and detection of forward-moving spectator protons over a wide range of recoil momenta (0 < pR << several 100 MeV in the nucleus rest frame). The free neutron structure functions could be obtained by extrapolating the measured recoil momentum distributions to the on-shell point. The method eliminates nuclear modifications and can be applied to polarized scattering, as well as to semi-inclusive and exclusive final states. We review the prospects for neutron structure measurements with spectator tagging at EIC, the status of R&D efforts, and the accelerator and detector requirements.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

CHIPFoam Modification to Allow for Modelling SWIFT Foams

SWIFT (Silicon-water in Familiar Template) foams are silicone foams that have a continuous porosity without having any obvious spherical or ellipsoidal pore shapes. Like other foamed rubber, SWIFT foams can experience large reversible deformations. Because of their microstructure, SWIFT foams have a stiffering behavior in compression that is very abrupt compared to most other foamed rubbers. Work by Benedikt reported by Miller showed that fitting compressive test data with the CHIPFoam model in its current form is impractical and inaccurate. This report describes an extension made to CHIPFoam to allow the modeling of SWIFT foams. While the extension allows the modeling of SWIFT foams, it also extends the range of porosity of foams that can be modelled with CHIPFoam to include very high porosity (>99%) foamed rubber. The previous model was unstable for porosities greater than 70%. The changes made to CHIPFoam include the introduction of a critical porosity at which the compressible Danielsson strain energy function that couples volumetric and deviatoric mechanical behavior begins to increase with compression. This new feature also required the introduction of a third term in the multiplicative decomposition of the relative volume, J . The organization of this report is described here. The first section, SWIFT Foam Structure and Mechanical Behavior, describes the structure of SWIFT foams as contrasted to other foamed rubbers. It also contrasts the mechanical behavior of SWIFT foams to other more traditional foamed rubbers. The second section, CHIPFoam Modifications, describes the specific modifications done to be able to modify the delayed rapid compressive stiffening seen in SWIFT foams. The third section, Results, demonstrates the use of the modified model to fit compressive loading response data from a SWIFT foam sample. The fourth section, Conclusions and Further Work, puts the work in perspective and presents likely further work.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Polarized light ions and spectator nucleon tagging at EIC

The neutron's deep-inelastic structure functions provide essential information for the flavor separation of the nucleon parton densities, the nucleon spin decomposition, and precision studies of QCD phenomena in the flavor-singlet and nonsinglet sectors. Traditional inclusive measurements on nuclear targets are limited by dilution from scattering on protons, Fermi motion and binding effects, final-state interactions, and nuclear shadowing at x ll 0.1. An Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) would enable next-generation measurements of neutron structure with polarized deuteron beams and detection of forward-moving spectator protons over a wide range of recoil momenta (0 < p(R) < several 100MeV in the nucleus rest frame). The free neutron structure functions could be obtained by extrapolating the measured recoil momentum distributions to the on-shell point. The method eliminates nuclear modifications and can be applied to polarized scattering, as well as to semi-inclusive and exclusive final states. We review the prospects for neutron structure measurements with spectator tagging at EIC, the status of R&D efforts, and the accelerator and detector requirements.

Guzey, Vadim↗

DOE OSTI2014

A divide-conquer-recombine algorithmic paradigm for large spatiotemporal quantum molecular dynamics simulations

We introduce an extension of the divide-and-conquer (DC) algorithmic paradigm called divide-conquer-recombine (DCR) to perform large quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations on massively parallel supercomputers, in which interatomic forces are computed quantum mechanically in the framework of density functional theory (DFT). In DCR, the DC phase constructs globally informed, overlapping local-domain solutions, which in the recombine phase are synthesized into a global solution encompassing large spatiotemporal scales. For the DC phase, we design a lean divide-and-conquer (LDC) DFT algorithm, which significantly reduces the prefactor of the O(N) computational cost for N electrons by applying a density-adaptive boundary condition at the peripheries of the DC domains. Our globally scalable and locally efficient solver is based on a hybrid real-reciprocal space approach that combines: (1) a highly scalable real-space multigrid to represent the global charge density; and (2) a numerically efficient plane-wave basis for local electronic wave functions and charge density within each domain. Hybrid space-band decomposition is used to implement the LDC-DFT algorithm on parallel computers. A benchmark test on an IBM Blue Gene/Q computer exhibits an isogranular parallel efficiency of 0.984 on 786 432 cores for a 50.3 × 10{sup 6}-atom SiC system. As a test of production runs, LDC-DFT-based QMD simulation involving 16 661 atoms is performed on the Blue Gene/Q to study on-demand production of hydrogen gas from water using LiAl alloy particles. As an example of the recombine phase, LDC-DFT electronic structures are used as a basis set to describe global photoexcitation dynamics with nonadiabatic QMD (NAQMD) and kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods. The NAQMD simulations are based on the linear response time-dependent density functional theory to describe electronic excited states and a surface-hopping approach to describe transitions between the excited states. A series of techniques are employed for efficiently calculating the long-range exact exchange correction and excited-state forces. The NAQMD trajectories are analyzed to extract the rates of various excitonic processes, which are then used in KMC simulation to study the dynamics of the global exciton flow network. This has allowed the study of large-scale photoexcitation dynamics in 6400-atom amorphous molecular solid, reaching the experimental time scales.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS2012

The Role of (Delta)C-13 in the Search for Reduced Organics on the Surface of Mars

The capabilities of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) to detect trace amounts of organic carbon compounds are unprecedented, and MSL may be the first mission to reveal the presence of organic carbon on Mars. The search for reduced organic carbon on Mars is inextricably tied to: a) the preservation potential of the environment from which we take a solid sample, and b) the evolved gas analysis (EGA) techniques used by SAM to release volatiles from this solid sample. Several prospective targets have been identified for sample analysis at Gale Crater. Stratigraphic sequences of phyllosilicates and sulfates at Gale are thought to represent a period of global climate transition from a moderate pH lacustrine environment to an evaporitic environment, both of which could sequester organic carbon (Thomson et al. 2011). The sediment mound in Gale Crater contains a range of lithologies suggesting changes in redox conditions, and evidence of both lacustrine and fluvial depositional processes, which may have transported organic carbon from the layer in which it formed and resulted in its preservation elsewhere within the crater (Anderson and Bell, 2010). Inverted channel fills suggest erosion resistant material that could serve to preserve organics originally deposited in a low energy aqueous environment. The lithology sampled will affect not only the preservation of organics, but also our ability to detect organics during our evolved gas analysis, based on the sample matrix. For example, reduced organics may be trapped in the mineral structure, and thermal evolution of these organics will occur during thermal decomposition of the host mineral. If organics are occluded in minerals that have very high thermal decomposition temperatures, they may be, in effect, "too well preserved," and difficult to detect during EGA. Alternatively, the possible presence of perchlorate, or other strong oxidants in surface regolith, may result in destruction of structural information identifying organic molecules before reaching the QMS on SAM via oxidation to C02 during heating. If this is the case, the stable carbon isotopic composition (delta 13C) of the C02 evolved and measured by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) on SAM may help identify the presence of organics. On Earth, biological activity can cause large fractionations of 13C/12C, which can preserved in sedimentary deposits and distinguish the organic products of biotic processes from inorganic atmospheric and geological reservoirs. It is plausible that similar fractionations could occur on Mars and be preserved in reduced organic matter in sediments. Bulk delta 13C measurements alone may not reveal a signature of trace organic carbon that may be present along with inorganic carbon. If both organic and inorganic carbon compounds are present, it may be possible to detect the organic carbon by comparing the 013C of pyrolysis and combustion experiments. The TLS on SAM is capable of obtaining high precision measurements of delta13C from C02 evolved during pyrolysis and combustion of solid regolith samples. Because carbonates are expected to be present at abundances of 0.1-1 % in Martian soil, and organics in the ppb range (Webster and Mahaffy, 2011), analog samples must represent this mix of reduced organic carbon and carbonate. The work presented here will examine the use of delta13C of C02 produced during combustion of bulk Mars analog samples as a proxy for detection of reduced organic carbon.

Stern, J. C.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Review on modeling of the anode solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) for lithium-ion batteries

A passivation layer called the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is formed on electrode surfaces from decomposition products of electrolytes. The SEI allows Li + transport and blocks electrons in order to prevent further electrolyte decomposition and ensure continued electrochemical reactions. The formation and growth mechanism of the nanometer thick SEI films are yet to be completely understood owing to their complex structure and lack of reliable in situ experimental techniques. Significant advances in computational methods have made it possible to predictively model the fundamentals of SEI. This review aims to give an overview of state-of-the-art modeling progress in the investigation of SEI films on the anodes, ranging from electronic structure calculations to mesoscale modeling, covering the thermodynamics and kinetics of electrolyte reduction reactions, SEI formation, modification through electrolyte design, correlation of SEI properties with battery performance, and the artificial SEI design. Multi-scale simulations have been summarized and compared with each other as well as with experiments. Computational details of the fundamental properties of SEI, such as electron tunneling, Li-ion transport, chemical/mechanical stability of the bulk SEI and electrode/(SEI/) electrolyte interfaces have been discussed. This review shows the potential of computational approaches in the deconvolution of SEI properties and design of artificial SEI. We believe that computational modeling can be integrated with experiments to complement each other and lead to a better understanding of the complex SEI for the development of a highly efficient battery in the future.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2015

Prediction of new thermodynamically stable aluminum oxides

Recently, it has been shown that under pressure, unexpected and counterintuitive chemical compounds become stable. Laser shock experiments (A. Rode, unpublished) on alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) have shown non-equilibrium decomposition of alumina with the formation of free Al and a mysterious transparent phase. Inspired by these observations, we have explored the possibility of the formation of new chemical compounds in the system Al-O. Using the variable-composition structure prediction algorithm USPEX, in addition to the well-known Al 2 O 3 , we have found two extraordinary compounds Al 4 O 7 and AlO 2 to be thermodynamically stable in the pressure ranges 330-443 GPa and above 332 GPa, respectively. Both of these compounds at the same time contain oxide O 2- and peroxide O 2 2- ions and both are insulating. Peroxo-groups are responsible for gap states, which significantly reduce the electronic band gap of both Al 4 O 7 and AlO 2 .

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

NASA NTRS1994

Peroxy radical measurements with NCAR's chemical amplifier

The present NCAR instrument for HO2/RO2 measurements has been described previously. It is based on the reactions involving HO2, RO2, and HO radicals with CO and NO. Since (HO2) + (RO2) + (HO) is much greater than (HO) for most atmospheres, it is useful as a peroxy radical detector. Operation of the instrument depends on the creation of a chemical chain reaction which is initiated as HO2 and RO2 radicals in ambient air encounter added NO gas; this forms an NO2 molecule and an HO or RO radical: HO2(RO2) + NO yields HO(RO) + NO2. RO radicals react relatively efficiently with O2 to form an HO2 radical, and subsequently an HO-radical, by reaction with NO. CO gas added to the reaction chamber during part of the operating cycle, recycles the HO to HO2; HO + CO (+O2) yields HO2 + CO2. The reaction sequence may form several hundred NO2 molecules per HO2 (RO2) originally present, before chain termination occurs. The added CO is replaced by N2 addition periodically so that the chain reaction is suppressed, and a 'blank' signal resulting from NO2, O3 and possibly other NO2-forming species (non-chain processes) in ambient air is recorded. The difference between the signal with and without CO is proportional to the peroxy radical concentration. The NO2 produced is monitored using a sensitive luminol chemiluminescence detector system. In the NCAR instrument the length of the amplification chain is determined using a stable source of HO2 radicals (H2O2 thermal decomposition); the ratio of the signal seen with CO present to that with N2 present gives the sensitivity of the instrument to HO2 (molecules of NO2 formed/peroxy radical). The instrument is automated to carry out in hourly repeated cycles: (1) chain length determination; (2) NO2 calibration; and (3) linearity check on the response of signals. One minute averages of signals are normally recorded. The sensitivity of the instrument to detect peroxy radicals is in the pptv range. The present instrument has operated continuously (24 hr/day) in the field studies which extended over a period of several weeks. The major advantages of this instrument are as follows: (1) its relative simplicity; (2) low power requirements; and (3) its rapid response to all types of peroxy radicals--HO2, CH3O2 and the higher alkyl and acyl peroxy radicals; however not all RO2 species generate HO2 radicals with perfect efficiency and hence have somewhat lower response/molecule than HO2 radicals.

Cantrell, Christopher↗