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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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DOE OSTI2023

Advanced Turbulence Models for Large-Scale Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flows

We present high-fidelity large-eddy-simulation (LES) modeling approaches for the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows. Wind energy is a prime example of an application driven by ABL. Generation of electrical energy from farms of wind turbines at night in the stable ABL is a particularly interesting situation. In this report, we consider the well-known GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment) Atmospheric Boundary Layer Study (GABLS) stably stratified benchmark LES case. We use a high-order spectral element code Nek5000/RS, which is supported under the DOE's Exascale Computing Project (ECP) Center for Efficient Exascale Discretizations (CEED) project, targeting application simulations on various acceleration-device based exascale computing platforms. In our earlier ANL report, we demonstrated our newly developed subgrid-scale (SGS) models based on high-pass filter (HPF), mean-field eddy viscosity (MFEV), and Smagorinsky (SMG) with no-slip and traction boundary conditions, provided with low-order statistics, convergence and turbulent structure analysis. In this report, we extend the range of our SGS modeling approaches in the context of the mean-field eddy viscosity (MFEV), to include the solution of an SGS turbulent kinetic energy equation (TKE). We demonstrate the model fidelity of Nek5000/RS in comparison to that of AMR-Wind, a block-structured second-order finite-volume code with adaptive-mesh-refinement capabilities, with which we studied scaling performance for both codes in comparison on DOE's leadership computing platforms.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Status of the experimental studies on DVMP and transversity GPDs

The cross section of the exclusive $\pi^0$ and $\eta$ electroproduction reaction $ep\to e^\prime p^\prime \pi^0/\eta$ was measured at Jefferson Lab with a 5.75-GeV electron beam and the CLAS detector. Differential cross sections $d^4\sigma/dtdQ^2dx_Bd\phi$ and structure functions $\sigma_U = \sigma_T+\epsilon\sigma_L, \sigma_{TT}$ and $\sigma_{LT}$, as functions of $t$ were obtained over a wide range of $Q^2$ and $x_B$. At low $t$, both $\pi^0$ and $\eta$ are described reasonably well by Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) in which chiral-odd transversity GPDs are dominant. Generalized form factors of the transversity GPDs $\langle H_T \rangle^{\pi,\eta}$ and $\langle \bar{E}_T \rangle^{\pi,\eta}$ were directly extracted from the experimental observables. The combined $\pi^0$ and $\eta$ data opens the way for the flavor decomposition of the transversity GPDs. The first ever demonstration of this decomposition was done for the transversity GPDs $H_T$ and $\bar E_T$. GPD $\bar E_T$ is connected with the density of the polarized quarks in an unpolarized nucleon in the impact parameter space. The spin density of polarized $u$ and $d$-quarks was evaluated for different values of Feynman $x$ from the GPD model tuned to described the experimental data.

Kubarovsky, Valery↗

DOE OSTI2014

Enamel Matrix Derivative has No Effect on the Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Background: Treatment of large bone defects due to trauma, tumor resection, or congenital abnormalities is challenging. Bone tissue engineering using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represents a promising treatment option. However, the quantity and quality of engineered bone tissue are not sufficient to fill large bone defects. The aim of this study was to determine if the addition of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) improves in vitro chondrogenic priming of MSCs to ultimately improve in vivo MSC mediated endochondral bone formation. Methods: MSCs were chondrogenically differentiated in 2.0 × 10{sup 5} cell pellets in medium supplemented with TGFβ3 in the absence or presence of 1, 10, or 100 μg/mL EMD. Samples were analyzed for gene expression of RUNX2, Col II, Col X, and Sox9. Protein and glycoaminoglycan (GAG) production were also investigated via DMB assays, histology, and immunohistochemistry. Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity were also assessed. Results: The addition of EMD did not negatively affect chondrogenic differentiation of adult human MSCs. EMD did not appear to alter GAG production or expression of chondrogenic genes. Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation were also unaffected though a trend toward decreased adipogenic gene expression was observed. Conclusion: EMD does not affect chondrogenic differentiation of adult human MSCs. As such the use of EMD in combination with chondrogenically primed MSCs for periodontal bone tissue repair is unlikely to have negative effects on MSC differentiation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of Bacterial Inoculant Delivery Methods for Cereal Crops

Despite growing evidence that plant growth-promoting bacteria can be used to improve crop vigor, a comparison of the different methods of delivery to determine which is optimal has not been published. An optimal inoculation method ensures that the inoculant colonizes the host plant so that its potential for plant growth-promotion is fully evaluated. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of three seed coating methods, seedling priming, and soil drench for delivering three bacterial inoculants to the sorghum rhizosphere and root endosphere. The methods were compared across multiple time points under axenic conditions and colonization efficiency was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Two seed coating methods were also assessed in the field to test the reproducibility of the greenhouse results under non-sterile conditions. In the greenhouse seed coating methods were more successful in delivering the Gram-positive inoculant (Terrabacter sp.) while better colonization from the Gram-negative bacteria (Chitinophaga pinensis and Caulobacter rhizosphaerae) was observed with seedling priming and soil drench. This suggested that Gram-positive bacteria may be more suitable for the seed coating methods possibly because of their thick peptidoglycan cell wall. We also demonstrated that prolonged seed coating for 12 h could effectively enhance the colonization of C. pinensis, an endophytic bacterium, but not the rhizosphere colonizing C. rhizosphaerae. In the field only a small amount of inoculant was detected in the rhizosphere. This comparison demonstrates the importance of using the appropriate inoculation method for testing different types of bacteria for their plant growth-promotion potential.

Terrabacter↗

DOE OSTI2020

Active Experiments in Space: Past, Present, and Future

Between 1958 and 1962 the United States and the Soviet Union performed several nuclear detonation tests in the atmosphere, including the Starfish Prime event which involved a 1.4 Mt explosion at 400 km altitude over Johnston island on July 9, 1962 (Gombosi et al., 2017). These tests can be considered as the beginning of active experiments in space (i.e., experiments that deliberately perturb the local environment). They demonstrated the potential destructive power of high-altitude nuclear explosions, both in terms of the resulting electromagnetic pulse as well as for the creation of a potentially long-lasting artificial radiation belt from the radioactive fission debris. For instance,one of the unintended consequences of Starfish Prime was to cripple at least seven spacecraft in low-Earth orbit (LEO), about a third of the LEO spacecraft of the time (Gombosi et al., 2017).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Multiple Disk Gaps and Rings Generated by a Single Super-Earth

We investigate the observational signatures of super-Earths (i.e., planets with Earth-to-Neptune mass), which are the most common type of exoplanet discovered to date, in their natal disks of gas and dust. Combining two-fluid global hydrodynamics simulations with a radiative transfer code, we calculate the distributions of gas and of submillimeter-sized dust in a disk perturbed by a super-Earth, synthesizing images in near-infrared scattered light and the millimeter-wave thermal continuum for direct comparison with observations. In low-viscosity gas ($\alpha \lesssim {10}^{-4}$), a super-Earth opens two annular gaps to either side of its orbit by the action of Lindblad torques. This double gap and its associated gas pressure gradients cause dust particles to be dragged by gas into three rings: one ring sandwiched between the two gaps, and two rings located at the gap edges farthest from the planet. Depending on the system parameters, additional rings may manifest for a single planet. A double gap located at tens of au from a host star in Taurus can be detected in the dust continuum by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) at an angular resolution of ~$0\buildrel{\prime\prime}\over{.} 03$ after two hours of integration. Ring and gap features persist in a variety of background disk profiles, last for thousands of orbits, and change their relative positions and dimensions depending on the speed and direction of planet migration. Candidate double gaps have been observed by ALMA in systems such as HL Tau (D5 and D6) and TW Hya (at 37 and 43 au); we submit that each double gap is carved by one super-Earth in nearly inviscid gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Joint Strong and Weak Lensing Analysis of the Massive Cluster Field J0850+3604

In this work, we present a combined strong and weak lensing analysis of the J085007.6+360428 (J0850) field, which contains the massive cluster Zwicky 1953. This field was selected for its high projected concentration of luminous red galaxies. Using Subaru/Suprime-Cam ${{BVR}}_{c}{I}_{c}{i}^{\prime }{z}^{\prime }$ imaging and MMT/Hectospec spectroscopy, we first perform a weak lensing shear analysis to constrain the mass distribution in this field, including the cluster at z = 0.3774 and a smaller foreground halo at z = 0.2713. We then add a strong lensing constraint from a multiply imaged galaxy in the imaging data with a photometric redshift of z ≈ 5.03. Unlike previous cluster-scale lens analyses, our technique accounts for the full three-dimensional mass structure in the beam, including galaxies along the line of sight. In contrast with past cluster analyses that used only lensed image positions as constraints, we use the full surface brightness distribution of the images. This method predicts that the source galaxy crosses a lensing caustic, such that one image is a highly magnified "fold arc" that could be used to probe the source galaxy's structure at ultra-high spatial resolution (<30 pc). We calculate the mass of the primary cluster to be ${M}_{\mathrm{vir}}={2.93}_{-0.65}^{+0.71}\times {10}^{15}\,{M}_{\odot }$ with a concentration of ${c}_{\mathrm{vir}}={3.46}_{-0.59}^{+0.70}$, consistent with the mass–concentration relation of massive clusters at a similar redshift. Finally, the large mass of this cluster makes J0850 an excellent field for leveraging lensing magnification to search for high-redshift galaxies, competitive with and complementary to that of well-studied clusters such as the HST Frontier Fields.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2018

The Clustering of High-redshift (2.9 ≤ $z$ ≤ 5.1) Quasars in SDSS Stripe 82

We present a measurement of the two-point autocorrelation function of photometrically selected high-$z$ quasars over ~100 deg 2 on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 field. Selection is performed using three machine-learning algorithms in a six-dimensional optical/mid-infrared color space. Optical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are combined with overlapping deep mid-infrared data from the $Spitzer$ IRAC Equatorial Survey and the $Spitzer$-HETDEX Exploratory Large-Area survey. Our selection algorithms are trained on the colors of known high-$z$ quasars. The selected quasar sample consists of 1378 objects and contains both spectroscopically confirmed quasars and photometrically selected quasar candidates. These objects span a redshift range of 2.9 ≤ $z$ ≤ 5.1 and are generally fainter than $i$ = 20.2, a regime that has lacked sufficient number density to perform autocorrelation function measurements of photometrically classified quasars. We compute the angular correlation function of these data, marginally detecting quasar clustering. We fit a single power law with an index of $δ$ = 1.39 ± 0.618 and amplitude of $θ_0$ = 0$^{\prime}_{.}$71 ± 0$^{\prime}_{.}$546 . A dark matter model is fit to the angular correlation function to estimate the linear bias. At the average redshift of our survey ($\langle z\rangle =3.38$), the bias is $b$ = 6.78 ± 1.79. Using this bias, we calculate a characteristic dark matter halo mass of 1.70–9.83$\times {10}^{12}{h}^{-1}\,{M}_{\odot }$. Our bias estimate suggests that quasar feedback intermittently shuts down the accretion of gas onto the central supermassive black hole at early times. If confirmed, these results hint at a level of luminosity dependence in the clustering of quasars at high-$z$.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

RELICS: Strong Lensing Analysis of MACS J0417.5–1154 and Predictions for Observing the Magnified High-redshift Universe with JWST

Strong gravitational lensing by clusters of galaxies probes the mass distribution at the core of each cluster and magnifies the universe behind it. MACS J0417.5–1154 at z = 0.443 is one of the most massive clusters known based on weak lensing, X-ray, and Sunyaev–Zel'dovich analyses. In this work we compute a strong lens model of MACS J0417 based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging observations collected, in part, by the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS), and recently reported spectroscopic redshifts from the MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We measure an Einstein radius of ${\theta }_{E}\simeq 36^{\prime\prime} $ at z = 9 and a mass projected within 200 kpc of ${M}_{(200\mathrm{kpc})}={1.78}_{-0.03}^{+0.01}\times {10}^{14}$ M ${}_{\odot }$. Using this model, we measure a ratio between the mass attributed to cluster-member galaxy halos and the main cluster halo of order 1:100. We assess the probability to detect magnified high-redshift galaxies in the field of this cluster, both for comparison with RELICS HST results and as a prediction for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Guaranteed Time Observations upcoming for this cluster. Our lensing analysis suggests that this cluster has similar lensing strength to other clusters in the RELICS program. Our lensing analysis predicts a detection of at least a few z ~ 6–8 galaxies behind this cluster, at odds with a recent analysis that yielded no such candidates in this field. Reliable strong lensing models are important for accurately predicting the intrinsic properties of lensed galaxies. As part of the RELICS program, our strong lensing model produced with the Lenstool parametric method is publicly available through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Strong Lensing Model of SPT-CL J0356–5337, a Major Merger Candidate at Redshift 1.0359

We present an analysis of the mass distribution inferred from strong lensing by SPT-CL J0356-5337, a cluster of galaxies at redshift $z=1.0359$ revealed in the follow-up of the SPT-SZ clusters. The cluster has an Einstein radius of ${\theta }_{{\rm{E}}}\simeq $ 14'' for a source at z = 3 and a mass within 500 kpc of ${M}_{500\mathrm{kpc}}=4.0\pm 0.8\times {10}^{14}\,$ ${M}_{\odot }$ . Our spectroscopic identification of three multiply imaged systems ($z=2.363$, $z=2.364$, and $z=3.048$), combined with HSTF606W-band imaging allows us to build a strong lensing model for this cluster with an rms of $\leqslant 0\buildrel{\prime\prime}\over{.} 3$. Our modeling reveals a two-component mass distribution in the cluster. One mass component is dominated by the brightest cluster Galaxy and the other component, separated by ~170 kpc, contains a group of eight red elliptical galaxies confined in a ~9'' (~70 kpc) diameter circle. We estimate the mass ratio between the two components to be between 1:1.25 and 1:1.58. In addition, spectroscopic data reveal that these two near-equal mass cores have only a small velocity difference of ~300 km s-1 between the two components. This small radial velocity difference suggests that most of the relative velocity takes place in the plane of the sky, and implies that SPT-CL J0356-5337 is a major merger with a small impact parameter seen face-on. We also assess the relative contributions of Galaxy-scale halos to the overall mass of the core of the cluster and find that within 800 kpc from the brightest cluster Galaxy about 27% of the total mass can be attributed to visible and dark matter associated with galaxies, whereas only 73% of the total mass in the core comes from cluster-scale dark matter halos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

The X-Ray Luminosity Function Evolution of Quasars and the Correlation between the X-Ray and Ultraviolet Luminosities

We explore the evolution of the X-ray luminosity function of quasars and the intrinsic correlation between the X-ray and 2500 Å ultraviolet luminosities, utilizing techniques verified in previous works and a sample of over 4000 quasars detected with Chandra and XMM-Newton in the range 0 < z < 5. We find that quasars have undergone significantly less evolution with redshift in their total X-ray luminosity than in other wave bands. We then determine that the best-fit intrinsic power-law correlation between the X-ray and ultraviolet luminosities, of the form ${L}_{{\rm{X}}}^{{\prime} }\propto {({L}_{\mathrm{UV}}^{{\prime} })}^{\gamma }$, is γ = 0.28 ± 0.03, and we derive the luminosity function and density evolution in the X-ray band. We discuss the implications of these results for models of quasar systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

LensWatch. I. Resolved HST Observations and Constraints on the Strongly Lensed Type Ia Supernova 2022qmx (“SN Zwicky”)

Supernovae (SNe) that have been multiply imaged by gravitational lensing are rare and powerful probes for cosmology. Each detection is an opportunity to develop the critical tools and methodologies needed as the sample of lensed SNe increases by orders of magnitude with the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The latest such discovery is of the quadruply imaged Type Ia SN 2022qmx (aka, "SN Zwicky") at z = 0.3544. SN Zwicky was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility in spatially unresolved data. Here we present follow-up Hubble Space Telescope observations of SN Zwicky, the first from the multicycle "LensWatch (www.lenswatch.org)" program. We measure photometry for each of the four images of SN Zwicky, which are resolved in three WFC3/UVIS filters (F475W, F625W, and F814W) but unresolved with WFC3/IR F160W, and present an analysis of the lensing system using a variety of independent lens modeling methods. We find consistency between lens-model-predicted time delays (≲1 day), and delays estimated with the single epoch of Hubble Space Telescope colors (≲3.5 days), including the uncertainty from chromatic microlensing (~1–1.5 days). Our lens models converge to an Einstein radius of ${\theta }_{{\rm{E}}}=({0.168}_{-0.005}^{+0.009})^{\prime\prime} $, the smallest yet seen in a lensed SN system. The "standard candle" nature of SN Zwicky provides magnification estimates independent of the lens modeling that are brighter than predicted by $\sim {1.7}_{-0.6}^{+0.8}$ mag and $\sim {0.9}_{-0.6}^{+0.8}$ mag for two of the four images, suggesting significant microlensing and/or additional substructure beyond the flexibility of our image-position mass models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Comparisons Between Resolved Star Formation Rate and Gas Tracers in the Strongly Lensed Galaxy SDSS J0901+1814 at Cosmic Noon

We report new radio observations of SDSS J090122.37+181432.3, a strongly lensed star-forming galaxy at $z=2.26$. We image 1.4 GHz (L-band) and 3 GHz (S-band) continuum using the VLA and 1.2 mm (band 6) continuum with ALMA, in addition to the CO(7-6) and CI(${\rm ^3P_2\rightarrow ^3\!P_1}$) lines, all at $\lesssim1.^{\prime\prime}7$ resolution. Based on the VLA integrated flux densities, we decompose the radio spectrum into its free-free (FF) and non-thermal components. The infrared-radio correlation (IRRC) parameter $q_{\rm TIR}=2.65_{-0.31}^{+0.24}$ is consistent with expectations for star forming galaxies. We obtain radio continuum-derived SFRs that are free of dust extinction, finding $\rm {620}_{-220}^{+280}\,M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$, $\rm {230}_{-160}^{+570}\,M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$, and $\rm {280}_{-120}^{+460}\,M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$ from the FF emission, non-thermal emission, and when accounting for both emission processes, respectively, in agreement with previous results. We estimate the gas mass from the CI(${\rm ^3P_2\rightarrow ^3\!P_1}$) line as $M_{\rm gas}=(1.2\pm0.2)\times10^{11}\,M_\odot$, which is consistent with prior CO(1-0)-derived gas masses. Using our new IR and radio continuum data to map the SFR, we assess the dependence of the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation on choices of SFR and gas tracer for $\sim{\rm kpc}$ scales. The different SFR tracers yield different slopes, with the IR being the steepest, potentially due to highly obscured star formation in J0901. The radio continuum maps have the lowest slopes and overall fidelity for mapping the SFR, despite producing consistent total SFRs. We also find that the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation slope is flattest when using CO(7-6) or CI(${\rm ^3P_2\rightarrow ^3\!P_1}$) to trace gas mass, suggesting that those transitions are not suitable for tracing the bulk molecular gas in galaxies like J0901.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2018

The DECam Plane Survey: Optical Photometry of Two Billion Objects in the Southern Galactic Plane

The DECam Plane Survey is a five-band optical and near-infrared survey of the southern Galactic plane with the Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo. The survey is designed to reach past the main-sequence turn-off of old populations at the distance of the Galactic center through a reddening $E(B-V)$ of 1.5 mag. Typical single-exposure depths are 23.7, 22.8, 22.3, 21.9, and 21.0 mag (AB) in the grizY bands, with seeing around $1^{\prime\prime} $. The footprint covers the Galactic plane with $| b| \lesssim 4^\circ $, $5^\circ \gt l\gt -120^\circ $. The survey pipeline simultaneously solves for the positions and fluxes of tens of thousands of sources in each image, delivering positions and fluxes of roughly two billion stars with better than 10 mmag precision. Most of these objects are highly reddened and deep in the Galactic disk, probing the structure and properties of the Milky Way and its interstellar medium. Furthermore, the fully-processed images and derived catalogs are publicly available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Shadows in the Dark: Low-surface-brightness Galaxies Discovered in the Dark Energy Survey

We present a catalog of 23,790 extended low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) identified in $\sim 5000\,{\deg }^{2}$ from the first three years of imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Based on a single-component Sérsic model fit, we define extended LSBGs as galaxies with g-band effective radii ${R}_{\mathrm{eff}}(g)\gt 2\buildrel{\prime\prime}\over{.} 5$ and mean surface brightness ${\bar{\mu }}_{\mathrm{eff}}(g)\gt 24.2\,\mathrm{mag}\,{\mathrm{arcsec}}^{-2}$. We find that the distribution of LSBGs is strongly bimodal in (g-r) versus (g-i) color space. We divide our sample into red (g- i ≥ 0.60) and blue (g- i < 0.60) galaxies and study the properties of the two populations. Redder LSBGs are more clustered than their blue counterparts and are correlated with the distribution of nearby (z < 0.10) bright galaxies. Red LSBGs constitute ~33% of our LSBG sample, and $\sim 30 \% $ of these are located within 1° of low-redshift galaxy groups and clusters (compared to ~8% of the blue LSBGs). For nine of the most prominent galaxy groups and clusters, we calculate the physical properties of associated LSBGs assuming a redshift derived from the host system. In these systems, we identify 41 objects that can be classified as ultradiffuse galaxies, defined as LSBGs with projected physical effective radii ${R}_{\mathrm{eff}}\gt 1.5\,\mathrm{kpc}$ and central surface brightness ${\mu }_{0}(g)\gt 24.0\,\mathrm{mag}\,{\mathrm{arcsec}}^{-2}$. The wide-area sample of LSBGs in DES can be used to test the role of environment on models of LSBG formation and evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. I. Discovery of the Optical Counterpart Using the Dark Energy Camera

Here, we present the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) discovery of the optical counterpart of the first binary neutron star merger detected through gravitational-wave emission, GW170817. Our observations commenced 10.5 hr post-merger, as soon as the localization region became accessible from Chile. We imaged 70 deg 2 in the i and z bands, covering 93% of the initial integrated localization probability, to a depth necessary to identify likely optical counterparts (e.g., a kilonova). At 11.4 hr post-merger we detected a bright optical transient located $10\buildrel{\prime\prime}\over{.} 6$ from the nucleus of NGC 4993 at redshift z = 0.0098, consistent (for ${H}_{0}=70$ km s –1 Mpc –1 ) with the distance of 40 ± 8 Mpc reported by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration (LVC). At detection the transient had magnitudes of $i=17.3$ and $z=17.4$, and thus an absolute magnitude of ${M}_{i}=-15.7$, in the luminosity range expected for a kilonova. We identified 1500 potential transient candidates. Applying simple selection criteria aimed at rejecting background events such as supernovae, we find the transient associated with NGC 4993 as the only remaining plausible counterpart, and reject chance coincidence at the 99.5% confidence level. We therefore conclude that the optical counterpart we have identified near NGC 4993 is associated with GW170817. This discovery ushers in the era of multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves and demonstrates the power of DECam to identify the optical counterparts of gravitational-wave sources.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

DESI-253.2534+26.8843: A New Einstein Cross Spectroscopically Confirmed with Very Large Telescope/MUSE and Modeled with GIGA-Lens

Gravitational lensing provides unique insights into astrophysics and cosmology, including the determination of galaxy mass profiles and constraining cosmological parameters. We present spectroscopic confirmation and lens modeling of the strong lensing system DESI-253.2534+26.8843, discovered in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys data. This system consists of a massive elliptical galaxy surrounded by four blue images forming an Einstein Cross pattern. We obtained spectroscopic observations of this system using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer on ESO's Very Large Telescope and confirmed its lensing nature. The main lens, which is the elliptical galaxy, has a redshift of z L1 = 0.636 ± 0.001, while the spectra of the background source images are typical of a starburst galaxy and have a redshift of z s = 2.597 ± 0.001. Additionally, we identified a faint galaxy foreground of one of the lensed images, with a redshift of z L2 = 0.386. We employed the GIGA-Lens modeling code to characterize this system and determined the Einstein radius of the main lens to be ${\theta }_{{\rm{E}}}=2\buildrel{\prime\prime}\over{.} {520}_{-0.031}^{+0.032}$, which corresponds to a velocity dispersion of σ = 379 ± 2 km s –1 . Our study contributes to a growing catalog of this rare kind of strong lensing system and demonstrates the effectiveness of spectroscopic integral field unit observations and advanced modeling techniques in understanding the properties of these systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

The quasi-equilibrium framework revisited: analyzing long-term CO 2 enrichment responses in plant–soil models

Abstract. Elevated carbon dioxide ( CO 2 ) can increase plant growth, but themagnitude of this CO 2 fertilization effect is modified by soilnutrient availability. Predicting how nutrient availability affects plantresponses to elevated CO 2 is a key consideration for ecosystemmodels, and many modeling groups have moved to, or are moving towards,incorporating nutrient limitation in their models. The choice of assumptionsto represent nutrient cycling processes has a major impact on modelpredictions, but it can be difficult to attribute outcomes to specificassumptions in complex ecosystem simulation models. Here we revisit thequasi-equilibrium analytical framework introduced by Comins andMcMurtrie (1993) and explore the consequences of specific model assumptionsfor ecosystem net primary productivity (NPP). We review the literature applying this framework to plant–soilmodels and then analyze the effect of several new assumptions on predictedplant responses to elevated CO 2 . Examination of alternativeassumptions for plant nitrogen uptake showed that a linear function of themineral nitrogen pool or a linear function of the mineral nitrogen pool withan additional saturating function of root biomass yield similar CO 2 responses at longer timescales ( >5 years), suggesting that the addedcomplexity may not be needed when these are the timescales of interest. Incontrast, a saturating function of the mineral nitrogen pool with lineardependency on root biomass yields no soil nutrient feedback on thevery-long-term ( >500 years), near-equilibrium timescale, meaning that oneshould expect the model to predict a full CO 2 fertilization effecton production. Secondly, we show that incorporating a priming effect on slowsoil organic matter decomposition attenuates the nutrient feedback effect onproduction, leading to a strong medium-term (5–50 years) CO 2 response. Models incorporating this priming effect should thus predict astrong and persistent CO 2 fertilization effect over time. Thirdly,we demonstrate that using a “potential NPP” approach to represent nutrientlimitation of growth yields a relatively small CO 2 fertilizationeffect across all timescales. Overall, our results highlight thefact that the quasi-equilibriumanalytical framework is effective for evaluating both the consequences andmechanisms through which different model assumptions affect predictions. Tohelp constrain predictions of the future terrestrial carbon sink, werecommend the use of this framework to analyze likely outcomes of new modelassumptions before introducing them to complex model structures.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗