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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 91 records · Page 5

Toward more-robust, AI-enabled subsurface seismic imaging for geotechnical applications

Non-invasive seismic imaging has the potential to cost-effectively evaluate large volumes of subsurface material to inform geotechnical site investigation. However, seismic imaging using full waveform inversion (FWI) requires significant computational time and is dependent on an initial starting model. As a result, FWI has not yet been widely adopted into geotechnical practice. Previous efforts, on relatively simple two-layered models, indicate that data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) models may be as effective as FWI at predicting 2D images of shear wave velocity (V s ). Furthermore, the AI model predictions can be made almost instantaneously after data acquisition and do not require an initial starting model. We examine the generality of these findings by developing a new AI model for subsurface seismic imaging, whereby we make several notable contributions. First, we architect a multimodal AI model that combines time- and frequency-domain representations of the seismic wavefield to predict a 50 m by 20 m subsurface image of V s . Second, we developed a new diverse dataset of 100,000 images with their corresponding seismic wavefields to train the AI model. Third, we propose four physics-informed data augmentations for data-driven seismic imaging. Fourth, we develop two prediction consistency tests to evaluate the model’s performance when the true subsurface is unknown. Our final model, which has been made publicly available, is capable of predicting a subsurface V s image from a single seismic wavefield with an average, mean absolute percent error (MAPE) of 24 %. The predictive model is applied to a field dataset and shown to be consistent with local geology and shear-wave refraction measurements from the same location.

Artificial intelligence↗

AI Improves the Accuracy, Reliability, and Economic Value of Continental‐Scale Flood Predictions

Accurate flood early warnings are critical to minimize damage and loss of life. Current large‐scale operational forecasting systems, however, have limited accuracy, description of uncertainty, and computational efficiency. While Artificial intelligence (AI) can address these limitations in principle, the accuracy and reliability of AI forecasts have thus far proven insufficient. Here we present a novel hybrid framework that integrates AI‐based machinery termed Errorcastnet (ECN) with the National Water Model (NWM) to showcase the potential of ensemble AI flood forecasts over the contiguous U.S. ECN boosts prediction accuracy four‐ to six‐fold across lead times of 1–10 days, while providing uncertainty quantification. It also outperforms Google's state‐of‐the‐art global AI model. ECN‐based forecasts offer superior economic value (up to four‐fold) for decision‐making as compared to those from NWM alone. ECN performs well in varied ecoregions, physiography, and land management conditions. The framework is computationally efficient, enabling national‐scale ensemble forecasts in minutes.

artificial intelligence↗

Brochure for the DOE Office of Science Workshop on Envisioning Frontiers in AI and Computing for Biological Research

In February of 2025 a joint ASCR/BER workshop was held to identify key transformational research directions for understanding biology using artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins and high-performance (HPC) computational methods to facilitate scientific discovery and innovation in support of the Department of Energy mission. AI technologies offer exciting new groundbreaking methods to analyze large volumes of complex biological data, thereby greatly accelerating the ability to understand, predict, and design biological processes for beneficial purposes. In the laboratory, the bridging of AI-enabled automated experimental technologies, HPC and digital twins will provide potent tools for researchers to explore the fundamental nature of biology and harness its inherent metabolic potential for a variety of beneficial purposes. The focus of this workshop was on how high-performance computational methods can impact this objective by exploring digital twins, foundational models, and data-driven approaches with applications to advance automated laboratory experiments, modeling of complex living systems and engineering new functions into plants and microbial systems relevant to DOE mission. Workshop attendees with expertise in plant science, microbiology, mathematics, computer science, and AI assessed the current state of the science, trends, and AI challenges at the interface of plant and microbial systems biology and computational science to identify opportunities for high-impact research. This collaborative effort capitalized on ASCR's advancements in applied mathematics, computer science, and Exascale systems, and BER's expertise in basic genomics-enabled research on DOE relevant plant and microbial systems. The workshop culminated in four key priority research directions to guide future research and development within DOE Office of Science programs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Bridging the Gap Between Astronomical Datasets: From Proof-of-Concept to AI Model Deployment with Domain Adaptation

Artificial Intelligence is transforming astrophysics, from studying stars and galaxies to analyzing cosmic large-scale structures. However, a critical challenge arises when AI models trained on simulations or past observational data are applied to new observation— leading to domain shifts, reduced robustness, and increased uncertainty of model predictions. This talk will explore these issues, highlighting examples such as galaxy morphology classification and cosmological parameter inference, where AI struggles to adapt across different datasets. We will discuss domain adaptation as a strategy to improve model generalization and mitigate biases—essential for making AI-driven discoveries reliable. Notably, these challenges extend beyond astrophysics, affecting AI applications across physics and other scientific domains. Addressing them is essential for maximizing AI’s impact in advancing scientific research.

Ćiprijanović, Aleksandra [Fermilab]↗

From Data to Discovery: AI's Transformative Role in Thin Film Research

The advancement of thin film technologies is pivotal for progress in numerous fields, including energy, electronics, and quantum computing. However, the traditional trial-and-error approach to materials discovery is inherently slow and inefficient. This presentation will showcase how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming thin film research by enabling a data-driven paradigm shift. We will highlight our past successes in applying AI to understand radiation damage in thin film oxides, demonstrating how graph analytics can unravel complex material behavior. Additionally, we will provide insights into our current work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where we are leading the charge in autonomous materials science. Backed by a $14M investment in our characterization facility, we are developing AI-guided workflows that seamlessly integrate experimentation and AI-guided decision-making. By harnessing the power of AI, we aim to accelerate the discovery and design of high-performance thin films, propelling innovation across a multitude of industries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Genesis Mission-Enabled Secure AI to Fortify Energy Process Safety (Genesis-SAFE)

Argonne National Laboratory is supporting the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) with collaborative research on development and application of privacy preserving AI frameworks that leverage unmatched AI expertise and secure computing resources made available through the U.S. Genesis Mission1 . This research advances U.S. energy security goals by supporting a safe offshore energy industry with secure, domain-specific AI tools to analyze confidential industry datasets collected by BTS to rapidly improve identification of hazards, precursors, and systemic safety risks in high-risk operational environments. The staged, security-first approach begins with development and testing of Argonne’s Genesis Mission-enabled Secure AI to Fortify Energy Process Safety (Genesis-SAFE) framework within Argonne’s accredited secure computing enclave (ABLE) leveraging Argonne’s AI scientific assistant substrate (AISAC). Methods to build synthetic datasets were developed together with BTS for use in preparing synthetic datasets that can be used to validate data containment, governance, and security controls in the ABLE environment. Future research directions would focus on applying the Genesis-SAFE framework to CIPSEA-protected datasets entirely within ABLE to support confidentiality-preserving analysis of safety risks, trends, and contributing factors.

Kim, Hyekyung [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), ↗

A Comparison of Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Soil Dust Aerosols Over the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred by the Toms AI and AVHRR AOT Retrievals

The seasonal cycle and interannual variability of two estimates of soil (or 'mineral') dust aerosols are compared: Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aerosol index (AI), Both data sets, comprising more than a decade of global, daily images, are commonly used to evaluate aerosol transport models. The present comparison is based upon monthly averages, constructed from daily images of each data set for the period between 1984 and 1990, a period that excludes contamination from volcanic eruptions. The comparison focuses upon the Northern Hemisphere subtropical Atlantic Ocean, where soil dust aerosols make the largest contribution to the aerosol load, and are assumed to dominate the variability of each data set. While each retrieval is sensitive to a different aerosol radiative property - absorption for the TOMS AI versus reflectance for the AVHRR AOT - the seasonal cycles of dust loading implied by each retrieval are consistent, if seasonal variations in the height of the aerosol layer are taken into account when interpreting the TOMS AI. On interannual time scales, the correlation is low at most locations. It is suggested that the poor interannual correlation is at least partly a consequence of data availability. When the monthly averages are constructed using only days common to both data sets, the correlation is substantially increased: this consistency suggests that both TOMS and AVHRR accurately measure the aerosol load in any given scene. However, the two retrievals have only a few days in common per month so that these restricted monthly averages have a large uncertainty. Calculations suggest that at least 7 to 10 daily images are needed to estimate reliably the average dust load during any particular month, a threshold that is rarely satisfied by the AVHRR AOT due to the presence of clouds in the domain. By rebinning each data set onto a coarser grid, the availability of the AVHRR AOT is increased during any particular month, along with its interannual correlation with the TOMS AI The latter easily exceeds the sampling threshold due to its greater ability to infer the aerosol load in the presence of clouds. Whether the TOMS AI should be regarded as a more reliable indicator of interannual variability depends upon the extent of contamination by sub-pixel clouds.

Cakmur, R. V.↗

Overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at NASA Goddard

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a collection of advanced technologies that allows machines to think and act, both humanly and rationally, through sensing, comprehending, acting and learning. AI's foundations lie at the intersection of several traditional fields Philosophy, Mathematics, Economics, Neuroscience, Psychology and Computer Science. Although the inception of AI started in the 1950's, it has recently made a strong comeback in all aspects of society and all over the world; this is mainly due to the timely combination of increased data volumes, advanced and mature algorithms, and improvements in computing power and storage. Current AI applications include big data analytics, robotics, intelligent sensing, assisted decision making, and speech recognition just to name a few. During the Tour, we will show a few examples of the current AI activities at NASA Goddard.

Le Moigne, Jacqueline↗

TruePAL – An AI Assistant for First Responder Safety

This paper presents the development of an AI assistant, Trusted and Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Saving Lives (TruePAL), to provide real-time warning of risks of potential crashes to the first responders. The TruePAL system employs an AI and deep learning technology for saving first responders and roadside crews lives in and around active traffic. A deep neural network (DNN) and a Non-Axiomatic Reasoning System (NARS) are implemented as an AI system. A mobile app with AI interface is developed to perform verbal communication with the first responders. The TruePAL team has developed an explainable AI approach by opening up the DNN blackbox to extract the activation filters of various features and parts of the targeted objects. The combination of DNN and NARS makes the TruePAL system explainable to the users. TruePAL ingests on-board cameras, radar, and other sensor signals, analyzes the environment and traffic patterns to generate timely warning to drivers and roadside crews to avoid crashes. The TruePAL team, in collaboration with the Miami/Dade Police Dept., has designed five use cases and multiple sub-scenarios in a CARLA driving simulator to test the capability of TruePAL in timely warning to the first responder drivers in potential crash scenarios. We have successfully demonstrated its capability of timely warning in over a dozen scenarios based on the use cases. The preliminary test simulation results show that TruePAL could provide the drivers and crew members advanced warning before a crash occurs.

Chow, Edward↗

Towards Content Authenticity: Multimodal Fake News Detection and AI-Generated Text Identification

In today’s digital world, the spread of fake news and the rise of AI-generated text have become major threats to content authenticity and public trust. This thesis addresses both challenges through two complementary research directions: detecting fake news using multimodal features, and identifying AI-generated text using semantic and structural reasoning. The first part of the work focuses on fake news detection by introducing a novel model that combines text and image features through a unique rotational attention mechanism. Unlike traditional attention methods, this approach rotates the roles of query, key, and value across modalities to capture deeper interactions. Additionally, the model incorporates external domain information by linking news posts to top-ranked websites from Google search results, which helps assess the credibility of content based on its broader web context. This results in a more reliable and accurate fake news detection system that outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods. The second part presents SGG-ATD, a new framework for detecting AI-generated text. It uses masked language modeling to measure sentence coherence, followed by constructing a graph where keywords—both original and predicted—are connected based on semantic and contextual similarity. A Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) is then used to learn structural relationships within the text for final classification. Experimental results demonstrate that SGG-ATD achieves high F1-scores and consistently outperforms strong baselines. This method contributes to robust AI text detection, supporting accountability and resilience against AI-driven misinformation.

Gupta, Nidhi↗

Trustworthiness and Trust: Identifying Factors that Drive Successful Human-AI Interaction in Nuclear Power Plant Applications

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly evolving and considered a promising tool for efficient and continued safe operations of the U.S. nuclear power plants (NPPs). Emerging AI techniques like large language models (LLMs) are one such technology that may support personnel at existing NPPs perform work more efficiently. For example, operators may query the current operational status of a power plant via a chat interface leveraging LLMs to access plant-related information in an interactive manner rather than manually collecting various sensor data for tasks such as surveillances or completing work orders. This is a fundamental shift in the way operators currently perform their tasks today. The literature of human-automation interaction indicates that trust is a crucial factor that drives successful interaction between a human operator and an automated system, like an AI-infused NPP application. This work presents the results of a literature review on key factors that relate to trust in AI/LLM technologies for NPP applications. The relevant literature of human factors and cognitive engineering has identified various factors related to trust including trustworthiness, performance characteristics, operator skill and perceived risk. This preliminary literature review will guide development and evaluation of models involving the identified factors influencing trust in AI and develop a framework for human-centered design for interface between humans and AI. By addressing trust, this work supports developing a technical basis for designing key characteristics of AI/LLM to support calibrated trust, which will ultimately support wide-scale adoption of AI/LLM technologies, as well as ensure safe, effective, and reliable use.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Explainable AI for Multivariate Time Series Pattern Exploration: Latent Space Visual Analytics With Temporal Fusion Transformer and Variational Autoencoders in Power Grid Event Diagnosis

Detecting and analyzing complex patterns in multivariate time-series data is crucial for decision-making in urban and environmental system operations. However, challenges arise from the high dimensionality, intricate complexity, and interconnected nature of complex patterns, which hinder the understanding of their underlying physical processes. Existing AI methods often face limitations in interpretability, computational efficiency, and scalability, reducing their applicability in real-world scenarios. This paper proposes a novel visual analytics framework that integrates two generative AI models, Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), to reduce complex patterns into lower-dimensional latent spaces and visualize them in 2D using dimensionality reduction techniques such as PCA, t-SNE, and UMAP with DBSCAN. These visualizations, presented through coordinated and interactive views and tailored glyphs, enable intuitive exploration of complex multivariate temporal patterns, identifying patterns’ similarities and uncover their potential correlations for a better interpretability of the AI outputs. The framework is demonstrated through a case study on power grid signal data, where it identifies multi-label grid event signatures, including faults and anomalies with diverse root causes. Additionally, novel metrics and visualizations are introduced to validate the models and assess the performance, efficiency, and consistency of latent maps generated by VAE, which have been utilized in prior studies for latent space cartography and used as a benchmark in this study, and the emerging TFT architecture under various configurations. These analyses provide actionable insights for model parameter tuning and reliability improvements. Comparative results highlight that TFT achieves shorter run times and superior scalability to diverse time-series data shapes compared to VAE. This work advances fault diagnosis in multivariate time series, fostering explainable AI to support critical system operations.

Explainable AI↗

Dataset of Generative AI Workload Power Profiles

This dataset provides a collection of high-resolution (5/10 Hz or every 0.2/0.1 seconds) power consumption profiles for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) workloads executed on NLR's High Performance Computing (HPC) platform Kestrel. The dataset also includes examples of representative whole-facility power profiles generated using a bottom-up, event-driven, data center energy model . This dataset is designed to support research in energy modeling, infrastructure planning, energy system integration, and sustainability analysis for AI-driven computing systems. The dataset captures time-resolved electrical power measurements across a diverse set of configurations, including variations in job type (inference vs. training), workload (LLM vs. image generation), datasets, and number of compute nodes. Power traces are provided in a standardized format and include both raw/instantaneous and aggregated files. Each profile is accompanied by metadata describing workload parameters, enabling reproducibility and cross-study comparison. The dataset is intended for use in applications such as data center infrastructure planning, energy modeling, demand response and grid impact studies, and development and validation of system-level simulation tools. By making these workload-specific power profiles publicly available, this dataset aims to address the current lack of open, empirical energy data for generative AI systems and to facilitate transparent, reproducible research on the energy and environmental impacts of large-scale AI deployment. If you use this dataset, please cite the associated publication: Vercellino et al., “Measurement of Generative AI Workload Power Profiles for Whole-Facility Data Center Infrastructure Planning,” arXiv:2604.07345 (2026).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Ecosystems for Scientific Computing in the Age of AI

Scientific computing is at an inflection point. Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how scientific software is developed, how teams collaborate, how projects are governed, and how the next generation is trained. Drawing on insights from a 2025 workshop report, this article argues that the future of discovery will depend on agile, robust ecosystems built through socio-technical co-design—the intentional integration of technical and human systems. This perspective is essential for ensuring that future scientific computing remains trustworthy, sustainable, and scalable. It combines advances in AI, high-performance computing, and software with new models for cross-disciplinary collaboration, education, and workforce development. Key recommendations include building modular, trustworthy AI-enabled software ecosystems; enabling teams to integrate AI into scientific workflows while preserving human creativity, integrity, and rigor; and developing adaptive training pathways that keep pace with rapid technological change. By sharing these perspectives, we hope to stimulate broader community dialogue and encourage coordinated action.

AI↗

Report of the 2026 Workshop on Next-Generation Ecosystems for Scientific Computing: Harnessing Community, Software, and AI for Cross-Disciplinary Team Science

Scientific computing is undergoing rapid transformation as advances in artificial intelligence, heterogeneous computing, automation, and data-intensive research reshape not only computational tools but also the institutions, workforce models, and collaborative practices that support scientific discovery. This report synthesizes insights from the 2026 Workshop on Next-Generation Ecosystems for Scientific Computing, the second in a three-year series focused on strengthening scientific computing ecosystems through socio-technical co-design. Workshop discussions identified four interdependent strategic themes: software ecosystems for AI-enabled scientific discovery; trust, validation, and traceability; human-AI teaming and paradigm shifts; and workforce, pedagogy, and governance. The report translates these themes into eight priorities for community action spanning shared research infrastructure, trust and traceability, user experience, human-AI teaming, workforce development, cross-sector coordination, stewardship and sustainability, and evaluation of scientific value. Together, these priorities outline directions for building scientific computing ecosystems that remain trustworthy, sustainable, innovative, and resilient as AI assumes a growing role in scientific work.

AI↗

Transforming Agricultural Productivity with AI-Driven Forecasting: Innovations in Food Security and Supply Chain Optimization

Global food security is under significant threat from climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity. This review examines how advanced AI-driven forecasting models, including machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and time-series forecasting models like SARIMA/ARIMA, are transforming regional agricultural practices and food supply chains. Through the integration of Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensing, and blockchain technologies, these models facilitate the real-time monitoring of crop growth, resource allocation, and market dynamics, enhancing decision making and sustainability. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, including systematic literature analysis and regional case studies. Highlights include AI-driven yield forecasting in European hydroponic systems and resource optimization in southeast Asian aquaponics, showcasing localized efficiency gains. Furthermore, AI applications in food processing, such as plasma, ozone and Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatments, are shown to improve food preservation and reduce spoilage. Key challenges—such as data quality, model scalability, and prediction accuracy—are discussed, particularly in the context of data-poor environments, limiting broader model applicability. The paper concludes by outlining future directions, emphasizing context-specific AI implementations, the need for public–private collaboration, and policy interventions to enhance scalability and adoption in food security contexts.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

AI for Interpreting Nuclear Power Plant Documents for Power Uprates

To reduce the cost and time needed for regulatory compliance, nuclear power plants (NPPs) can utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in interpreting complex and voluminous documents that typically span thousands of pages. Usually, the process of interpreting a plant’s technical specifications (TSs) and associated documents is labor intensive. This study aims to understand what processes state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) can automate and to identify the pitfalls associated with using LLMs to reduce human labor costs and time. This research uses a recent AI technology called retrieval augmented generation (RAG), which retrieves pages of information from TSs and associated documents to assist with NPP power uprates (cleared to produce more power). LLMs are integral to RAG because they create human-like responses based on the retrieved information, aiding in the interpretation and application processes. A baseline case demonstrates how LLMs can operate successfully for a power uprate application. Then five use cases show five types of potential failures: (1) RAG retrieving the incorrect information, (2) RAG misinterpreting the retrieved information, (3) RAG relying on knowledge not contained in the retrieved information, (4) RAG hallucinating, and (5) RAG refusing to answer. The results of the five use cases suggest that automating the human interpretation of TSs and associated documents with AI should be approached with caution. A subject-matter expert reviewed the AI outputs from the five use cases and concluded that an LLM can produce technical information that is needed to produce power uprate applications in certain instances.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

Decision Points and Practical Considerations for AI Projects

In this presentation, I will present business-relevant decisions, risks, and considerations for practical implementations of AI projects. I will use energy efficiency and renewable energy AI projects at NREL as examples and case-studies highlighting the journey from concept to implementation. First, I present challenges, questions, and trade-offs related to system inputs: the data. Next, I will examine issues with system behavior and trust, presenting examples, risks, and mitigation strategies. Finally, I will discuss challenges to effective widespread deployment of AI systems including energy, compute, and time requirements.

AI↗