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At least 91 records · Page 5

A New Proposal Generalized Predictive Control Algorithm With Polynomial Reference Tracking Applied for Sodium Fast Reactors

This paper proposes a generalized predictive control (GPC) with constraints and orthonormal Laguerre functions using the simplified model of the primary system (reactor core and intermediate heat exchanger (IHX)) of a prototypical sodium fast reactor (SFR). This paper develops a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) GPC with input constraints able to track polynomial references of any degree applied in coolant temperature difference across the core and fractional power. The manipulated variables of the GPC-SFR are the reactivity and the sodium flow rate of the primary and secondary pipes. Moreover, orthonormal Laguerre functions and step down condition number techniques were also applied to avoid the numerical ill-conditioning issue in quadratic programming of large systems. Thus, a GPC type-2 was designed to control fractional power, coolant temperature difference across the core and sodium tank temperature of the SFR primary system when temperature references change according to a linear ramp after reaching their steady-state operation, sustaining 100% power operation on the reactor. In order to analyze the load tracking capability of the GPC-SFR type-2, the load following from 100% fractional power (FP) to 60% FP at 0.8% FP/min rate is simulated. Constraints on the rate of coolant temperature difference across the core and reactivity were applied for the design safety. For comparison criteria, this paper compares the GPC-SFR type-2 with the GPC-SFR type-1, i.e., standard model predictive control (MPC), to verify the viability and superior performance of the proposal regarding: (a) ramp-tracking capability of temperature and load; (b) the rejections of a reactivity disturbance of -1 cent and a secondary sodium inlet temperature disturbance of +10°F; and (c) a simulation with uncertainty in reactor design. The simulations show that the GPC-SFR type-2 overcome the GPC-SFR type-1 robustness and performance.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Discriminating Accretion States via Rotational Symmetry in Simulated Polarimetric Images of M87

In 2017 April, the Event Horizon Telescope observed the shadow of the supermassive black hole at the core of the elliptical galaxy Messier 87. While the original image was constructed from measurements of the total intensity, full polarimetric data were also collected, and linear polarimetric images are expected in the near future. We propose a modal image decomposition of the linear polarization field into basis functions with varying azimuthal dependence of the electric vector position angle. We apply this decomposition to images of ray traced general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the Messier 87 accretion disk. Furthermore, for simulated images that are physically consistent with previous observations, the magnitude of the coefficient associated with rotational symmetry, β2, is a useful discriminator between accretion states. We find that at 20 μas resolution, $| {\beta }_{2}| $ is greater than 0.2 only for models of disks with horizon-scale magnetic pressures large enough to disrupt steady accretion. We also find that images with a more radially directed electric vector position angle correspond to models with higher black hole spin. Our analysis demonstrates the utility of the proposed decomposition as a diagnostic framework to improve constraints on theoretical models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Linear and Nonlinear Solvers for Simulating Multiphase Flow within Large-Scale Engineered Subsurface Systems

Simulation of multiphase flow in the subsurface is well-known to be computationally challenging. While there have been many studies that have explored approaches to overcoming these challenges, they often utilize relatively simple case studies. In this paper, we focus on the unique numerical challenges posed by modeling large-scale engineered subsurface systems, characterized by discrete features embedded in a heterogeneous natural subsurface setting. The man-made features such as shafts, tunnels, and barriers often cause multiple challenges in modeling the domain for multiphase porous media flow. This flow scenario can have a wide range of applications such as nuclear waste repositories, enhanced recovery of a petroleum reservoir, geothermal engineering, and carbon sequestration. An example of these severe numerical challenges is the case of performance assessment (PA) for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the only operating deep geological repository in the US, which simulates extreme material properties of bedded salt rock formation and extreme contrast due to open excavation next to the formation. The models have extremes not only of permeability and porosity but also of the constitutive models needed for multiphase flow; additionally, they have process models like salt creep closure reducing porosity over time, fracturing in clay and anhydrite interbeds of the bedded salt, gas generation from the waste materials, and unintentional human borehole intrusions in some scenarios. Numerical simulations require the solution of coupled systems of nonlinear PDEs; in our work, we use the open-source simulator PFLOTRAN which is based on Finite Volume discretization. The solution of the nonlinear equations requires use of the Newton-Raphson iteration at each time step, which entails the solution of the linearized Jacobian system at each iteration. The effects of all the processes (i.e., large number of unknowns, highly nonlinear constitutive relations, large contrasts in material properties in short distances) lead to an ill-conditioned Jacobian matrix that severely challenges traditional linear solver, i.e., stabilized biconjugate gradient with block Jacobi incomplete LU preconditioner (BCGS-ILU) leading to non-convergence for traditional Newton-Raphson nonlinear solver causing unacceptably long computation time for each model. This paper presents linear solvers such as constrained pressure residual (CPR) two-stage preconditioner with alternate-block-factorization (ABF) and quasi- implicit pressure and explicit saturation (QIMPES) decouplers and flexible generalized residual solver (FGMRES). The new general-purpose nonlinear solver, Newton trust-region dogleg Cauchy (NTRDC), is also introduced to resolve extreme nonlinearities in the models. We demonstrate the effectiveness of each method relative to the default BCGS-Newton solver. The two best cases had nearly 50 times speed-up and achieved completion of a simulation in 14 hours that never completed due to non-convergence with the default solver. We also investigate the strong scalability of each method and discuss some of the deficiencies found for Block Jacobi preconditioner using parallel domain decomposition, and node packing effects of modern processor architecture.

Preconditioner, Nonlinear, Porous media, Multiphas↗

Linearized Pair-Density Functional Theory for Vertical Excitation Energies

Multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT) is a computationally efficient method that computes the energies of electronic states in a state specific or state average framework via an on-top functional. However, MC-PDFT does not include state interaction among these states since the final energies do not come from the diagonalization of an effective model-space Hamiltonian. Recently, multistate extensions such as linearized PDFT (L-PDFT) have been developed to accurately model the potentials near conical intersections and avoided crossings. However, there has not been any systematic study evaluating their performance for predicting vertical excitations at the equilibrium geometry of a molecule, when the excited states are generally well separated. In this paper, we report the performance of L-PDFT on the extensive QUESTDB data set of vertical excitations using a database of automatically selected active spaces. We show that L-PDFT performs well on all these excitations and successfully reproduces the performance of MC-PDFT. These results further demonstrate the potential of L-PDFT, as its scaling is constant with the number of states included in the state-average manifold, whereas MC-PDFT scales linearly in this regard.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Near-infrared chemical abundances of stars in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy

Owing to the recent identification of major substructures in our Milky Way (MW), the astronomical community has started to reevaluate the importance of dissolved and existing dwarf galaxies. In this work, we investigate up to 13 elements in 43 giant stars of the Sculptor dwarf galaxy (Scl) using high-signal-to-noise-ratio near-infrared (NIR) APOGEE spectra. Thanks to the strong feature lines in the NIR, we were able to determine high-resolution O, Si, and Al abundances for a large group of sample stars for the first time in Scl. By comparing the [α/Fe] (i.e., O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti) of the stars in Scl, Sagittarius, and the MW, we confirm the general trend that less massive galaxies tend to show lower [α/Fe]. The low [Al/Fe] (~ - 0.5) in Scl demonstrates the value of this ratio as a discriminator with which to identify stars born in dwarf galaxies (from MW field stars). A chemical-evolution model suggests that Scl has a top-light initial mass function (IMF), with a high-mass IMF power index of ~ - 2.7, and a minimum Type Ia supernovae delay time of ~100 Myr. Furthermore, a linear regression analysis indicates a negative radial metallicity gradient and positive radial gradients for [Mg/Fe] and [Ca/Fe], in qualitative agreement with the outside-in formation scenario.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Finch: Toxicity Dose Response Curve Prediction of Chemical Compounds and Mixtures

A paradigm shift in chemical risk assessment is emphasizing mixture testing over single compound analysis, eliminating animal testing, and adopting advanced modeling approaches to understand mixture activity profiles. However, existing computational models largely focus on single chemicals, with few effective solutions for modeling complex mixtures that account for synergistic or antagonistic effects and multiple Modes of Action (MoA). Conventional methods like concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) are insufficient for this task as they are designed for simplistic interactions and struggle to account for the dynamic and multifaceted nature of chemical mixtures, such as overlapping MoA and non-linear interactions. Finch offers a novel approach utilizing deep learning (DL) embeddings and multi-task quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models to improve chemical exposure prediction. By leveraging molecular descriptors, physiochemical properties, and large language model (LLM) embeddings from SMILES inputs, Finch preserves critical information in a latent space thereby enhancing predictive accuracy. The multi-task learning aspect of Finch is highly advantageous, as it simultaneously optimizes multiple loss functions, leveraging all available data across tasks to develop generalized representations that effectively capture complex ingredient interactions within mixtures.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Reciprocal swimming at intermediate Reynolds number

In Stokes flow, Purcell's scallop theorem forbids objects with time-reversible (reciprocal) swimming strokes from moving. In the presence of inertia, this restriction is eased and reciprocally deforming bodies can swim. A number of recent works have investigated dimer models that swim reciprocally at intermediate Reynolds numbers Re≈1–1000. These show interesting results (e.g. switches of the swim direction as a function of inertia) but the results vary and seem to be case specific. Here, in this work, we introduce a general model and investigate the behaviour of an asymmetric spherical dimer of oscillating length for small-amplitude motion at intermediate Re. In our analysis we make the important distinction between particle and fluid inertia, both of which need to be considered separately. We asymptotically expand the Navier–Stokes equations in the small-amplitude limit to obtain a system of linear partial differential equations. Using a combination of numerical (finite element) and analytical (reciprocal theorem, method of reflections) methods we solve the system to obtain the dimer's swim speed and show that there are two mechanisms that give rise to motion: boundary conditions (an effective slip velocity) and Reynolds stresses. Each mechanism is driven by two classes of sphere–sphere interactions, between one sphere's motion and (1) the oscillating background flow induced by the other's motion, and (2) a geometric asymmetry induced by the other's presence. We can thus unify and explain behaviours observed in other works. Our results show how sensitive, counterintuitive and rich motility is in the parameter space of finite inertia of particles and fluid.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Assessing variation in faecal glucocorticoid concentrations in gray whales exposed to anthropogenic stressors

Understanding how individual animals respond to stressors behaviourally and physiologically is a critical step towards quantifying long-term population consequences and informing management efforts. Glucocorticoid (GC) metabolite accumulation in various matrices provides an integrated measure of adrenal activation in baleen whales and could thus be used to investigate physiological changes following exposure to stressors. In this study, we measured GC concentrations in faecal samples of Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) collected over seven consecutive years to assess the association between GC content and metrics of exposure to sound levels and vessel traffic at different temporal scales, while controlling for contextual variables such as sex, reproductive status, age, body condition, year, time of year and location. We develop a Bayesian Generalized Additive Modelling approach that accommodates the many complexities of these data, including non-linear variation in hormone concentrations, missing covariate values, repeated samples, sampling variability and some hormone concentrations below the limit of detection. Estimated relationships showed large variability, but emerging patterns indicate a strong context-dependency of physiological variation, depending on sex, body condition and proximity to a port. Our results highlight the need to control for baseline hormone variation related to context, which otherwise can obscure the functional relationship between faecal GCs and stressor exposure. Therefore, extensive data collection to determine sources of baseline variation in well-studied populations, such as PCFG gray whales, could shed light on cetacean stress physiology and be used to extend applicability to less-well-studied taxa. GC analyses may offer greatest utility when employed as part of a suite of markers that, in aggregate, provide a multivariate measure of physiological status, better informing estimates of individuals’ health and ultimately the consequences of anthropogenic stressors on populations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A comprehensive conductivity model for drift and micro-tearing modes

The parallel electrical conductivity is a crucial parameter in the study of the linear stability of drift-modes like the micro-tearing mode (MTM). The conductivity enters by closing the electromagnetic tearing layer equations. Recent progress in the understanding of the pedestal suggests that the MTM could play an important role in its structure and evolution. For this reason, we revisit and improve previous model conductivities. This parameter is generally derived from the linearized drift kinetic equation. In the past literature, it has been computed using either simplified collision operators or neglecting the spatial dependence away from the rational surface. Here, a fully consistent expression for the conductivity that would accurately model the pedestal has not been available. By applying a novel variational procedure and with the full Fokker Plank collision operator, including electron–electron collisions, we compute a closed expression for the parallel electrical conductivity in the form of a rational function.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Quantum tensor network algorithms for evaluation of spectral functions on quantum computers

We investigate quantum algorithms derived from tensor networks to simulate the static and dynamic properties of quantum many-body systems. Using a sequentially prepared quantum circuit representation of a matrix product state (MPS) that we call a quantum tensor network (QTN), we demonstrate algorithms to prepare ground and excited states on a quantum computer and apply them to molecular nanomagnets (MNMs) as a paradigmatic example. In this setting, we develop two approaches for extracting the spectral correlation functions measured in neutron-scattering experiments: (a) a generalization of the SWAP test for computing wave function overlaps and, (b) a generalization of the notion of matrix product operators to the QTN setting which generates a linear combination of unitaries. The latter method is discussed in detail for translationally invariant spin-half systems, where it is shown to reduce the qubit resource requirements compared with the SWAP method and may be generalized to other systems. We demonstrate the versatility of our approaches by simulating spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 MNMs, with the latter being an experimentally relevant model of a Cr$^{3+}_{8}$ ring. Here, our approach has qubit requirements that are independent of the number of constituents of the many-body system and scale only logarithmically with the bond dimension of the MPS representation, making them appealing for implementation on near-term quantum hardware with mid-circuit measurement and reset.

Neutron scattering↗

A parametric approach to identify synergistic domains of process intensification for reactive separation

Process intensification aims to combine multiple tasks within multi-functional units to drastically improve economic, energy or sustainability metrics of a chemical process. Limited work exists to systematically identify the synergistic domains where intensification outperforms its nonintensified counterpart. In this work, we computationally derive the synergistic domains of a reactive separation system. Specifically, we first postulate general models for both intensified and nonintensified systems. We use these models to generate data to train a ReLU-type artifical neural network (ANN). Further, the trained ReLU-NN model is formulated as a multi-parametric mixed-integer linear program (mp-MILP), and the critical regions of this mp-MILP define the synergistic feasible domains of intensification. We have derived these synergistic domains of vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE)-based reactive separation for several industrial applications. These synergistic domains enable quick screening of properties that favor intensification.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

LASSO for CALPHAD Model Selection Enables Data-Efficient Thermodynamic Modeling: An Application in Thermochemical Hydrogen Production Materials

Phenomenological CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) models, widely used for multicomponent materials, often contain a considerable number of parameters and require fitting using data from a relatively small number of experimental measurements or theoretical calculations. Sometimes these parameters are introduced for the purpose of improving model fits but without clear physical justification, which leads to overparametrized models with poor generalization performance. Automated approaches for optimal model selection based on the available data therefore become critical. Here, in this work, a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-based approach is developed for model selection by leveraging the linearity of the CALPHAD model with respect to its parameters to convert the model selection and fitting to a LASSO minimization problem. We demonstrate its utility for thermodynamic modeling of thermochemical hydrogen (TCH) production materials using lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) as an example. Various TCH-relevant properties, including oxygen stoichiometry as a function of oxygen partial pressure, enthalpy of reduction, and entropy of reduction, are successfully predicted with reasonable accuracy using a minimal set of model parameters. Importantly, the model selection and fitting involve minimal human decision; it can therefore be applied to high-throughput DFT defect calculations and yield efficient workflows for TCH material modeling and optimization.

CALPHAD↗

A data-driven peridynamic continuum model for upscaling molecular dynamics

Nonlocal models, including peridynamics, often use integral operators that embed lengthscales in their definition. However, the integrands in these operators are difficult to define from the data that are typically available for a given physical system, such as laboratory mechanical property tests. In contrast, molecular dynamics (MD) does not require these integrands, but it suffers from computational limitations in the length and time scales it can address. To combine the strengths of both methods and to obtain a coarse-grained, homogenized continuum model that efficiently and accurately captures materials’ behavior, we propose a learning framework to extract, from MD data, an optimal Linear Peridynamic Solid (LPS) model as a surrogate for MD displacements. To maximize the accuracy of the learnt model we allow the peridynamic influence function to be partially negative, while preserving the well-posedness of the resulting model. To achieve this, we provide sufficient well-posedness conditions for discretized LPS models with sign-changing influence functions and develop a constrained optimization algorithm that minimizes the equation residual while enforcing such solvability conditions. This framework guarantees that the resulting model is mathematically well-posed, physically consistent, and that it generalizes well to settings that are different from the ones used during training. We illustrate the efficacy of the proposed approach with several numerical tests for single layer graphene. Our two-dimensional tests show the robustness of the proposed algorithm on validation data sets that include thermal noise, different domain shapes and external loadings, and discretizations substantially different from the ones used for training.

homogenization↗

Accretion of matter and spectra of binary X-ray sources in massive gravity

We study low-mass binary X-ray sources involving stellar mass black holes within massive gravity. Regarding the accretion disk, we adopt the standard model for an optically thick, cool, and geometrically thin disk by Shakura–Sunyaev. For the gravitational field generated by the black hole, we consider the analogue of the Schwarzschild–de Sitter space–time of Einstein’s theory in massive gravity, for which we found an additional term linear in the radial coordinate. Then, we compute the radial velocity, the energy density and the pressure as a function of the radial coordinate, and the X-ray emission’s soft spectral component expected from the disk. We also investigated in detail the impact of this new geometry. Our result indicates that by using observed spectra from confirmed X-ray binaries involving astrophysical black holes, we can put strong constraints on alternative theories of gravity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Low-Energy Ion Scattering Intensities from Supported Nanoparticles: The Spherical Cap Model

Supported nanoparticles are of great importance to many technologies like fuel processing and chemical synthesis using catalysts and electrocatalysts, energy storage and generation using fuel cells and batteries, electrochemistry, magnetic information storage, and more. Low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEIS) with noble gas ions like He+ is a powerful tool for the characterization of nanoparticles dispersed across flat support surfaces due to its ability to probe the elemental composition in the topmost atomic layer of a surface, providing quantitative information regarding the size and number density of nanoparticles. In this work, we present a derivation of the LEIS intensities expected from nanoparticles and the support material as a function of the average particle size, their number per unit area, and their contact angle with the support when modeled as spherical caps of the nanoparticle material dispersed over the surface of a flat support. The model assumes that the ion intensities are determined only by the physical blocking of linear ion trajectories and independent of the tilt angle of the local surface relative to the incident and scattered ion directions, an assumption we support by quantitative modeling of published data which tested tilt-angle effects. The model is a generalization to arbitrary contact angles of the hemispherical cap model, which assumes 90° contact angle and has been widely used to model spectroscopic signals in LEIS (and also in Auger and photoelectron spectroscopies) during nanoparticle growth. Here, this new model quantitatively reveals how LEIS signals are sensitive not only to the diameter and number density of the nanoparticle but also to their contact angle (or height/diameter ratio). With the use of additional data (e.g., from microscopy or adsorption microcalorimetry), the model presented here will enable more accurate determination of the average size, shape, and number density of supported nanoparticles based on LEIS intensity measurements.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Scaling Analysis of Two–Phase Flow in Fractal Permeability Fields

Fluid mixing in permeable media is essential in many practical applications. The mixing process is a consequence of velocity fluctuations owing to geological heterogeneities and mobility contrast of fluids. Heterogeneities in natural rocks are often spatially correlated, and their properties, such as permeability, may be described using fractal distributions. This work models the fractal characteristics of such permeability fields in which the covariance function is expressed as a power-law function. A generalized scaling relation is derived relating various fractal permeability fields using the magnitude of their fluctuations. Here, this relation reveals the self-similar behavior of two-phase flow in such permeable media. To that end, a recently developed, high-resolution numerical simulator is employed to validate the analytically derived scaling relations. Two flow problems are considered in which flow is governed by 1) a linear, and 2) a nonlinear transport equation. Due to the probabilistic representation of the fractal permeability fields, a sensitivity study is conducted for each flow scenario to determine the number of realizations required for statistical convergence. Scaling analysis is performed using ensemble averages of simulated saturation profiles and their mixing lengths. Results support the validity of the developed scaling relation across the range of investigated flow conditions at intermediate times. The dynamics of linear flow in the asymptotic regime is affected by the correlation structure of heterogeneity. In nonlinear flow, scaling behavior appears to be dominated by the degree of nonlinearity.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Density functional theory of material design: fundamentals and applications—II

Abstract This is the second and the final part of the review on density functional theory (DFT), referred to as DFT-II. In the first review, DFT-I, we have discussed wavefunction-based methods, their complexity, and basics of density functional theory. In DFT-II, we focus on fundamentals of DFT and their implications for the betterment of the theory. We start our presentation with the exact DFT results followed by the concept of exchange-correlation (xc) or Fermi-Coulomb hole and its relationship with xc energy functional. We also provide the exact conditions for the xc-hole, xc-energy and xc-potential along with their physical interpretation. Next, we describe the extension of DFT for non-integer number of electrons, the piecewise linearity of total energy and discontinuity of chemical potential at integer particle numbers, and derivative discontinuity of the xc potential, which has consequences on fundamental gap of solids. After that, we present how one obtains more accurate xc energy functionals by going beyond the LDA. We discuss the gradient expansion approximation (GEA), generalized gradient approximation (GGA), and hybrid functional approaches to designing better xc energy functionals that give accurate total energies. However, these functionals fail to predict properties like the ionization potential and the band gap. Thus, we next describe different methods of modelling these potentials and results of their application for calculation of the band gaps of different solids to highlight accuracy of different xc potentials. Finally, we conclude with a glimpse on orbital-free density functional theory and the machine learning approach.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tracing the Mott-Hubbard transition in one-dimensional Hubbard models without Umklapp scattering

Here we apply the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method to a one-dimensional Hubbard model that lacks Umklapp scattering and thus provides an ideal case to study the Mott-Hubbard transition analytically and numerically. The model has a linear dispersion and displays a metal-to-insulator transition when the Hubbard interaction U equals the bandwidth U c = W, where the single-particle gap opens linearly, Δ(U ≥ W) = U - W. The simple nature of the elementary excitations permits us to determine numerically with high accuracy the critical interaction strength and the gap function in the thermodynamic limit. The jump discontinuity of the momentum distribution $n_k$ at the Fermi wave number $k_F$ = 0 cannot be used to locate accurately U c from finite-size systems. However, the slope of $n_k$ at the band edges $k_B$ = ±π, reveals the formation of a single-particle bound state which can be used to determine U c reliably from $n_k$ using accurate finite-size data.

1-dimensional systems↗