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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Simulation and experimental study of proton bunch self-modulation in plasma with linear density gradients

We present numerical simulations and experimental results of the self-modulation of a long proton bunch in a plasma with linear density gradients along the beam path. Simulation results agree with the experimental results reported [F. Braunmller, T. Nechaeva et al. (AWAKE Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 264801 (2020)]: with negative gradients, the charge of the modulated bunch is lower than with positive gradients. In addition, the bunch modulation frequency varies with gradient. Simulation results show that dephasing of the wakefields with respect to the relativistic protons along the plasma is the main cause for the loss of charge. The study of the modulation frequency reveals details about the evolution of the self-modulation process along the plasma. In particular for negative gradients, the modulation frequency across time-resolved images of the bunch indicates the position along the plasma where protons leave the wakefields. Simulations and experimental results are in excellent agreement.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental demonstration of coupled multi-peak Bragg coherent diffraction imaging with genetic algorithms

Bragg coherent diffraction imaging has the potential to provide significant insight into the structure-properties relationship for crystalline materials by imaging, with nanoscale resolution, three-dimensional strain fields within individual grains and nanoparticles. The capability of present-day synchrotrons to locate and measure a multiplicity of Bragg reflections from a single grain makes it possible to recover the full strain tensor with nanometer resolution. Recent methods for coupling reconstructions from several peaks to determine the strain tensor have been developed and applied to synthetic data, but have not been applied to experimental data. Here, using a coupled genetic reconstruction algorithm, we reconstruct an experimental data set and demonstrate improvements in the ability to resolve vector-valued displacement fields internal to the particle as compared to what is achieved with a noncoupled approach. The coupled approach developed in this work was also validated on simulated data sets. In both simulated and experimental data, reconstructions from our coupled Bragg peak algorithm show improvements over the noncoupled independent reconstruction method of 5% in terms of accuracy and 53% in terms of consistency.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Experimental evidence of the Frenkel line in supercritical neon

Recent research suggests that the supercritical state consists of liquidlike and gaslike states where particle dynamics and key system properties are qualitatively different. We report experimental evidence of the structural crossover in supercritical neon at pressure and temperature conditions significantly exceeding the critical point values: 250 P c and 6.6 T c . The experimental results show a crossover of the medium-range order structure evidenced by the change of the structure factor with pressure. We also observe the crossover of the short-range order structure indicated by changes in the coordination number. The relative width of the crossover is fairly narrow and is smaller than 10–12% in pressure and temperature. Here, by comparing our experimental results with molecular dynamics simulations, we suggest that the observed crossover can be attributed to the Frenkel line and discuss the relationship between the structural crossover and qualitative changes of dynamical and thermodynamic properties of supercritical matter.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental identification of the T = 1 , J π = 6 + state of Co 54 and isospin symmetry in A = 54 studied via one-nucleon knockout reactions

In this paper, new experimental data obtained from γ-ray tagged one-neutron and one-proton knockout from 55 Co are presented. A candidate for the sought-after T = 1, T z = 0, J π = 6 + state in 54 Co is proposed based on a comparison to the new data on 54 Fe, the corresponding observables predicted by large-scale-shell-model (LSSM) calculations in the full fp-model space employing charge-dependent contributions, and isospin-symmetry arguments. Furthermore, possible isospin-symmetry breaking in the A = 54, T = 1 triplet is studied by calculating the experimental c coefficients of the isobaric mass multiplet equation (IMME) up to the maximum possible spin J = 6 expected for the (1f 7/2 ) -2 two-hole configuration relative to the doubly magic nucleus 56 Ni. Lastly, the experimental quantities are compared to the theoretically predicted c coefficients from LSSM calculations using two-body matrix elements obtained from a realistic chiral effective field theory potential at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N 3 LO).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Exploring experimental conditions to reduce uncertainties in the optical potential

Uncertainty quantification for nuclear theories has gained a more prominent role in the field, with more groups attempting to understand the uncertainties in their calculations. However, recent studies have shown that the uncertainties on the optical potentials are too large for the theory to be useful. The goal of this work is to explore possible experimental conditions that may reduce the uncertainties on elastic scattering and single-nucleon transfer cross sections that come from the fitting of the optical model parameters to experimental data. Using Bayesian methods, we explore the effect of the uncertainties of optical model parameters on the angular grid of the differential cross section, including cross-section data at nearby energies, and changes in the experimental error bars. We also study the effect on the resulting uncertainty when other observables are included in the fitting procedure, particularly the total (reaction) cross sections. We study proton and neutron elastic scattering on 48 Ca and 208 Pb. We explore the parameter space with the Markov-chain Monte Carlo method, produce posterior distributions for the optical model parameters, and construct the corresponding 95% confidence intervals on the elastic-scattering cross sections. We also propagate the uncertainties on the optical potentials to the 48 Ca(d,p) 49 Ca(g.s.) and 208 Pb(d,p) 209 Pb(g.s.) cross sections. We find little sensitivity to the angular grid and an improvement of up to a factor of 2 on the uncertainties by including data at a nearby energy. Although reducing the error bars on the data does reduce the uncertainty, the gain is often considerably smaller than one would naively expect. We also find that the inclusion of total reaction cross section can improve the uncertainty although the magnitude of the effect depends strongly on the cases considered.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental study of Cl 35 excited states via S 32 ( α , p )

The presolar grains originating in oxygen-neon novae may be identified more easily than those of other stellar sources if their sulfur isotopic ratios ($^{33}\mathrm{S}/^{32}\mathrm{S}$ and $^{34}\mathrm{S}/^{32}\mathrm{S}$) are compared with the theoretical ones. The accuracy of such a comparison depends on reliable $^{33}\mathrm{S}(p,{\gamma})^{34}\mathrm{Cl}$ and $^{34}\mathrm{S}(p,{\gamma})^{35}\mathrm{Cl}$ reaction rates at the nova temperature regime. The latter rate has recently been computed based on experimental input, and many new excited states in $^{35}\mathrm{Cl}$ were discovered above the proton threshold. As a result, the experimental $^{34}\mathrm{S}(p,{\gamma})^{35}\mathrm{Cl}$ rate was found to be less uncertain and 2–5 times smaller than the theoretical one. Consequently, the simulated $^{34}\mathrm{S}/^{32}\mathrm{S}$ isotopic ratio for nova presolar grains was predicted to be smaller than that of type II supernova grains by a factor of 1.5 to 3.7. The present study was performed to confirm the existence of these new resonances, and to improve the remaining uncertainties in the S 34 ( p , γ ) Cl 35 reaction rate. Energies and spin-parities of the Cl 35 excited levels were investigated via high-resolution charged-particle spectroscopy with an Enge split-pole spectrograph using the S 32 ( α , p ) Cl 35 reaction. Differential cross sections of the outgoing protons were measured at E α = 21 MeV. Distorted-wave Born approximation calculations were carried out to constrain the spin-parity assignments of observed levels, with special attention to those significant in determination of the S 34 ( p , γ ) Cl 35 reaction rate over the nova temperature regime. The existence of these newly discovered states are largely confirmed, although a few states were not observed in this study. The spins and parities of a few Cl 35 states were assigned tentatively for the first time. The present S 34 ( p , γ ) Cl 35 experimental thermonuclear reaction rate at 0.1–0.4 GK is consistent within 1 σ with the previous evaluation. However, our rate uncertainty is larger than before due to a more realistic treatment of the uncertainties in the rate input. In comparison with the previous rate evaluation, where the high and low rates differed by less than a factor of 2 over the nova temperature regime, the ratio of the present limit rates is at most a factor of 3.5 at 0.12 GK. At temperatures above 0.2 GK, we recommend the future work to focus on determination of the unknown properties of four excited states of Cl 35 : 6643, 6761, 6780, and 6800 keV.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Experimental determination of shock speed versus exciter speed in a two-dimensional dusty plasma

A shock that is continuously driven by a moving exciter will propagate at a speed that depends on the exciter speed. We obtained this dependence experimentally, in a strongly coupled dusty plasma that was prepared as a single two-dimensional layer of charged microparticles. Attaining this result required an experimental advance, developing a method of driving a shock continuously, which we did using an exciter moving at a constant supersonic speed, analogous to a piston in a cylinder. The resulting compressional pulse was a shock that propagated steadily without weakening, ahead of the moving exciter. In this work, we compare our experimental results to an empirical form $M_{\text{shock}} = 1 + sM_{\text{exciter}}$, and to the prediction of a recent simulation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Experimental Constraint on an Exotic Spin- and Velocity-Dependent Interaction in the Sub-meV Range of Axion Mass with a Spin-Exchange Relaxation-Free Magnetometer

Here, we conducted a search for an exotic spin- and velocity-dependent interaction for polarized electrons with an experimental approach based on a high-sensitivity spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometer, which serves as both a source of polarized electrons and a magnetic-field sensor. The experiment aims to sensitively detect magnetic-fieldlike effects from the exotic interaction between the polarized electrons in a SERF vapor cell and unpolarized nucleons of a closely located solid-state mass. We report experimental results on the interaction with 82 h of data averaging, which sets an experimental limit on the coupling strength around 10 –19 for the axion mass m a ≲ 10 –3 eV, within the important axion window.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Unifying first-principles theoretical predictions and experimental measurements of size effects in thermal transport in SiGe alloys

We demonstrate the agreement between first-principles calculations and experimental measurements of size effects in thermal transport in SiGe alloys without fitting parameters. Transient thermal grating (TTG) is used to measure the effect of the grating period on the temperature decay. The virtual crystal approximation under the density-functional-theory framework combined with impurity scattering is used to determine the phonon properties for the exact alloy composition of the measured samples. With these properties, classical size effects are calculated for the experimental geometry of reflection mode TTG using the recently developed variational solution to the phonon Boltzmann transport equation, which is verified against established Monte Carlo simulations. Here, we find agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental measurements in the reduction of thermal conductivity (as much as fourfold of the bulk value) across grating periods spanning one order of magnitude. This paper provides a framework for the study of size effects in thermal transport in opaque materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Complex Structure of Molten FLiBe (2 Li F – Be F 2 ) Examined by Experimental Neutron Scattering, X-Ray Scattering, and Deep-Neural-Network Based Molecular Dynamics

The use of molten salts as coolants, fuels, and tritium breeding blankets in the next generation of fission and fusion nuclear reactors benefits from furthering the characterization of the molecular structure of molten halide salts, paving the way to predictive capability of the chemical and thermophysical properties of molten salts. Due to its neutronic, chemical, and thermochemical properties, 2 Li F - Be F 2 is a candidate molten salt for several fusion- and fission-reactor designs. We performed neutron and x-ray total-scattering measurements to determine the atomic structure of liquid 2 Li F - Be F 2 . We also performed and neural-network molecular-dynamics simulations to predict the structure obtained by neutron- and x-ray-diffraction experiments. The use of machine learning provides improvements to the efficiency in predicting the structure at a longer length scales than is achievable with simulations at significantly lower computational expense while retaining near accuracy. We found that the NNMD simulations accurately predicted the Be F 4 2 − oligomer formations seen in the experimental first-structure-factor peak. Our combination of high-resolution measurements with large-scale molecular dynamics provided an avenue to explore and experimentally verify the intermediate-range ordering beyond the first-nearest neighbor that has posed too many experimental and computational challenges in previous works. With a deeper understanding of the salt structure and ion ordering, the evolution of salt chemistry over the lifetime of a reactor can be better predicted, which is crucial to the licensing and operation of advanced fission and fusion reactors that employ molten salts. To this end, this work will serve as a reference for future studies of salt structure and macroscopic properties with and without the addition of solutes. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Considerations for three-dimensional image reconstruction from experimental data in coherent diffractive imaging

Diffraction before destruction using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has the potential to determine radiation-damage-free structures without the need for crystallization. This article presents the three-dimensional reconstruction of the Melbournevirus from single-particle X-ray diffraction patterns collected at the LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) as well as reconstructions from simulated data exploring the consequences of different kinds of experimental sources of noise. The reconstruction from experimental data suffers from a strong artifact in the center of the particle. This could be reproduced with simulated data by adding experimental background to the diffraction patterns. In those simulations, the relative density of the artifact increases linearly with background strength. This suggests that the artifact originates from the Fourier transform of the relatively flat background, concentrating all power in a central feature of limited extent. We support these findings by significantly reducing the artifact through background removal before the phase-retrieval step. Large amounts of blurring in the diffraction patterns were also found to introduce diffuse artifacts, which could easily be mistaken as biologically relevant features. Other sources of noise such as sample heterogeneity and variation of pulse energy did not significantly degrade the quality of the reconstructions. Larger data volumes, made possible by the recent inauguration of high repetition-rate XFELs, allow for increased signal-to-background ratio and provide a way to minimize these artifacts. The anticipated development of three-dimensional Fourier-volume-assembly algorithms which are background aware is an alternative and complementary solution, which maximizes the use of data.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental 3D coherent diffractive imaging from photon-sparse random projections

The routine atomic resolution structure determination of single particles is expected to have profound implications for probing structure–function relationships in systems ranging from energy-storage materials to biological molecules. Extremely bright ultrashort-pulse X-ray sources – X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) – provide X-rays that can be used to probe ensembles of nearly identical nanoscale particles. When combined with coherent diffractive imaging, these objects can be imaged; however, as the resolution of the images approaches the atomic scale, the measured data are increasingly difficult to obtain and, during an X-ray pulse, the number of photons incident on the 2D detector is much smaller than the number of pixels. This latter concern, the signal `sparsity', materially impedes the application of the method. An experimental analog using a conventional X-ray source is demonstrated and yields signal levels comparable with those expected from single biomolecules illuminated by focused XFEL pulses. The analog experiment provides an invaluable cross check on the fidelity of the reconstructed data that is not available during XFEL experiments. Using these experimental data, it is established that a sparsity of order 1.3 × 10 −3 photons per pixel per frame can be overcome, lending vital insight to the solution of the atomic resolution XFEL single-particle imaging problem by experimentally demonstrating 3D coherent diffractive imaging from photon-sparse random projections.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experimental Validation of a 40kW, 480V Point-to-Point DC Interlinks for Controller-Agnostic, Interoperable Networked Microgrids

This paper presents the experimental validation of point-to-point dc-interlinks for interconnecting two solar-based, laboratory-scale AC microgrids. DC interlinks provide a solution to numerous technical and operational challenges encountered in networked microgrids, including precise power flow control, stable and fast synchronization, enhanced stability, and improved voltage and frequency regulation. By decoupling microgrids through power converters, dc-interlinks enable power exchange among microgrids that can be owned by different entities (such as communities, utilities, or universities) and managed by diverse microgrid controller vendors. This characteristic makes this dc-interlinks a promising solution for networking real-world microgrids. The presented point-to-point dc interlink utilizes two four-quadrant converters: a 40kW 3-phase ac/dc regulating the dc-link voltage to 800V, and a 3-phase dc/ac controlling power flow. These converters, connected via a 20-foot dc cable, interconnect two ac microgrids operating at 480V, each featuring energy storage, photovoltaic generation, and load emulation. Experimental validation employs commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) converters and real-world data from solar-powered microgrids in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. To the authors’ knowledge, this work provides the first at-scale experimental validation of dc-interlinks for networked ac microgrids using COTS inverters, demonstrating their practicality and effectiveness in addressing real-world operational challenges.

Ferrari Maglia, Max [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experimental Validation of a Module Cell Cracking Model

The What's Cracking app can predict how changes in crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) module materials, design, and mounting affect its susceptibility for cell fracture under uniform loading. This work has experimentally validated the app. A set of commercial crystalline silicon PV modules was obtained for this study. The modules were uniformly loaded at three different mounting points, and their subsequent cell fractures were recorded. A large sample size allowed for the development of an experimental statistical model for cell fracture. Here, the comparison of the experiment to predictions from the app is in excellent agreement. Both experimental and modeling results also elucidate how moving the module mounting points toward the center of the module increases the probability of cell fracture.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Software-defined Radio Based Wireless Tomography: Experimental Demonstration and Verification

This letter presents an experimental demonstration of software-defined-radio-based wireless tomography using computer-hosted radio devices called Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP). This experimental brief follows our vision and previous theoretical study of wireless tomography that combines wireless communication and RF tomography to provide a novel approach to remote sensing. Automatic data acquisition is performed inside an RF anechoic chamber. Semidefinite relaxation is used for phase retrieval, and the Born iterative method is utilized for imaging the target. Experimental results are presented, validating our vision of wireless tomography.

Bonior, Jason D↗
DOE OSTI2026

From Reproducible Edge–Cloud Experimentation to Real-World Practice: The E2Clab Experience

Reproducibility is already difficult in distributed systems; on the computing continuum, it becomes substantially harder. Applications that span sensing devices, edge and fog resources, and cloud platforms must be evaluated across heterogeneous hardware, variable network conditions, cross-layer orchestration decisions, and long-running workflow lifecycles. We use E2Clab as a case study to examine these challenges and their implications for experimental methodology. We explain why reproducible experimentation is harder on the continuum, then revisit E2Clab as an initial response based on explicit modeling of infrastructure, workflow lifecycle, and artifacts. Lastly, we discuss how its evolution toward more realistic application settings can be understood through the lens of Translational Computer Science. We argue that reproducible continuum experimentation requires methods that are rigorous enough for research while remaining adaptable to real-world practice.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comparison of simulated and experimentally measured detector impulse responses to pulsed x-rays

The Gamma Array Simulation Toolkit (GAST) is a multi-physics software stack comprised of Geant4, MATLAB, and experimentally measured photomultiplier tube (PMT) impulse response waveforms that is used to model and inform the end-toend performance of radiation detector systems. In order to validate the ability of GAST to predict the impulse response of a modeled detector configuration operated in current mode, experimental measurements using the Nevada National Security Site Transformational Diagnostics and Imaging 2 MeV endpoint energy electron linear accelerator (linac) with a tungsten target were performed. Seven different detector configurations consisting of unique combinations of scintillator material, size, reflectivity conditions, presence or absence of light guide, and PMT were evaluated. The resultant impulse response of each detector configuration was recorded and compared to a GAST simulation that emulated the respective linac experiment conditions. The comparison of the experimental and simulated detector impulse responses indicated that GAST can reliably predict detector impulse responses.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Experimental and computational studies of load ratio effect on fatigue crack growth rates in Alloy 709 at elevated temperatures

Abstract Experimental testing and finite element simulations of fatigue crack growth were performed in austenitic 20Cr‐25Ni (Alloy 709) steel at different load ratios and elevated temperatures. The experimental tests were performed using compact tension specimens, and crack growth rates were measured at stress intensity factors ranging between 5 and 35 MPa√m. Fractographic analysis using scanning electron microscopy indicated crack surface roughness and secondary cracking depending on testing temperature and load ratio. Finite element simulations of fatigue crack growth were performed to compute plasticity‐induced crack opening loads and predict crack growth rates. Predictions of fatigue crack growth rates using finite element simulations were performed using the computed crack‐tip opening loads, and they are shown to match well the experimental measurements.

Engineering↗