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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 OSTI2016

WE-C-TOUR-T-01: Microdosimeters for Therapy

Tour Leader: Indra Das, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY Tour Guides: Hsui Ai, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN Paulina Galvis, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY Olga Volotoskova, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY Participating Vendors: IBA PTW – New York RTI Electronics, Inc. Standard Imaging, Inc. Sun Nuclear Corporation Small fields are increasing used in specialized radiation treatments such as Gammaknife, Cyberknife, Tomotherapy, IMRT, VMAT, SRS and SBRT. Due to small field size electron transport creates lateral electronic disequilibrium and thus dosimetry could be very difficult. Microdetectors are used for small field dosimetry which will be discussed in preface of this tour as below: Understanding small field e.g. meaning and definition of small field IAEA definition and approach Characteristics of microdetectors in terms of perturbation, recombination, correction Suitability of microdetectors in small field dosimetry.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

TH-AB-202-05: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY): First Online Ultrasound-Guided MLC Tracking for Real-Time Motion Compensation in Radiotherapy

Purpose: While MLC tracking has been successfully used for motion compensation of moving targets, current real-time target localization methods rely on correlation models with x-ray imaging or implanted electromagnetic transponders rather than direct target visualization. In contrast, ultrasound imaging yields volumetric data in real-time (4D) without ionizing radiation. We report the first results of online 4D ultrasound-guided MLC tracking in a phantom. Methods: A real-time tracking framework was installed on a 4D ultrasound station (Vivid7 dimension, GE) and used to detect a 2mm spherical lead marker inside a water tank. The volumetric frame rate was 21.3Hz (47ms). The marker was rigidly attached to a motion stage programmed to reproduce nine tumor trajectories (five prostate, four lung). The 3D marker position from ultrasound was used for real-time MLC aperture adaption. The tracking system latency was measured and compensated by prediction for lung trajectories. To measure geometric accuracy, anterior and lateral conformal fields with 10cm circular aperture were delivered for each trajectory. The tracking error was measured as the difference between marker position and MLC aperture in continuous portal imaging. For dosimetric evaluation, 358° VMAT fields were delivered to a biplanar diode array dosimeter using the same trajectories. Dose measurements with and without MLC tracking were compared to a static reference dose using a 3%/3 mm γ-test. Results: The tracking system latency was 170ms. The mean root-mean-square tracking error was 1.01mm (0.75mm prostate, 1.33mm lung). Tracking reduced the mean γ-failure rate from 13.9% to 4.6% for prostate and from 21.8% to 0.6% for lung with high-modulation VMAT plans and from 5% (prostate) and 18% (lung) to 0% with low modulation. Conclusion: Real-time ultrasound tracking was successfully integrated with MLC tracking for the first time and showed similar accuracy and latency as other methods while holding the potential to measure target motion non-invasively. SI was supported by the Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Science, German Excellence Initiative [grant DFG GSC 235/1].

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

The Expanding Universe: Dark Energy

In 1998, observations of distant supernovae led physicists that not only was the universe expanding, but the expansion was speeding up. In this article, we describe the evidence for an expanding universe and describe what physicists and cosmologists have learned in the intervening years. The target audience for this article is high school physics teachers and college physics professors at teaching institutions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Plasma generation by household microwave oven for surface modification and other emerging applications

A simple and inexpensive method to generate plasma using a kitchen microwave oven is described in this paper. The microwave-generated plasma is characterized by spectroscopic analysis and compared with the absorption spectra of a gas discharge tube. A Paschen-like curve is observed as the microwave plasma initiation time is plotted as a function of the pressure of the plasma chamber. We have also demonstrated that this microwave-generated air plasma can be used in a multitude of applications such as: (a) surface modification of a substrate to change its wettability; (b) surface modification to change electrical/optical properties of a substrate; and (c) enhancement of adhesive forces for improved bonding of polymeric microfluidic molds, such as bonding polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips to glass covers. These simple techniques of plasma generation and subsequent surface treatment and modification applications may bring new opportunities leading to new innovations not only in advanced labs, but also in undergraduate and even high school research labs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Isolation and Characterization of Bacterial Cellulase Producers for Biomass Deconstruction: A Microbiology Laboratory Course.

The conversion of biomass to biofuels presents a solution to one of the largest global challenges of our era, climate change. A critical part of this pipeline is the process of breaking down cellulosic sugars from plant matter to be used by microbes containing biosynthetic pathways that produce biofuels or bioproducts. In this inquiry-based course, students complete a research project that isolates cellulase-producing bacteria from samples collected from the environment. After obtaining isolates, the students characterize the production of cellulases. Students then amplify and sequence the 16S rRNA genes of confirmed cellulase producers and use bioinformatic methods to identify the bacterial isolates. Throughout the course, students learn about the process of generating biofuels and bioproducts through the deconstruction of cellulosic biomass to form monosaccharides from the biopolymers in plant matter. The program relies heavily on active learning and enables students to connect microbiology with issues of sustainability. In addition, it provides exposure to basic microbiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology laboratory techniques and concepts. The described activity was initially developed for the Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM) program, a research-based immersive laboratory course at the US Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute. Originally designed as an accelerated program for high-potential, low-income, high school students (11th–12th grade), this curriculum could also be implemented for undergraduate coursework in a research-intensive laboratory course at a two- or four-year college or university.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Early-Career Systems Microbiology Scientists

Early-career scientists, especially those just stepping into their first independent roles, represent the tenacity of our creed to continue exploring the microbial world through structured questioning, testing, and observation. While sometimes confused with the epithet “young scientist,” which may represent people with either considerable or limited experience, those in their early career are just starting to craft their professional reputation. This is a most exciting time; all of us can remember that first time we sat down at a desk or bench and realized that for all intents and purposes we were now responsible for our own fate. Let loose from the comparative shackles of graduate school and postdoctoral martyrdom, this period in our growth as professional scientists often presents so many opportunities that it can be bewildering.

Gilbert, Jack A.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Experimental study of the performance of a very small repetitive plasma focus device in different working conditions

SORENA-1 is a very small repetitive Mather-type plasma focus device (20 J) that can operate at frequencies up to 1 Hz. This device has been designed and constructed in the Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran. In this article, the structure of SORENA-1 is described and results of experiments with Ar, Ne, and D{sub 2} working gases at several discharge voltages and initial pressures are presented and analyzed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dose Measurements in a 20-J Repetitive Plasma Focus

In this article, the results of X-ray dose measurements executed using thermoluminescent dosimeters in experiments with a very small (20 J) repetitive plasma focus device named SORENA-1 are presented and analyzed. The working gas in these experiments was Argon. Also, pinch formation in experiments with this device has been observed. This device has been designed and constructed in Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School of Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran. From these results, it is concluded that we can do experiments with this device using Ar as working gas all over the working days of year, and a good symmetry for measured dose around the device has been seen.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2026

IPPOG: a global network for particle physics outreach and education

We present the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), a global network dedicated to connecting students, educators, and the general public with the world of particle physics. In this paper, we outline the need to bridge the existing gap between the particle physics community and the wider audience, and we present the solutions that IPPOG has implemented to overcome it through three pillar Activities: the International Masterclasses and the Global Cosmics hands-on activities network, which have engaged together over 200,000 high-school students to date, and the curation of an Outreach Resource Database and web portal.

Abreu, Pedro [University of Lisboa (Portugal); IPP↗
DOE OSTI2016

Understanding Roles of Social Media in Academic Engagement and Satisfaction for Graduate Students

Research indicates positive effects of social media in academia and education. However its main populations have been faculty, teachers, high school or college students, and its primary contexts have been course or classroom settings. We realized there exists a lack of studies on how Ph.D. (broadly graduate) students use social media for academic purposes and how its use is associated with academic motivation, engagement, and satisfaction, which are salient factors for the success of their graduate degrees and life. Based on the survey responses from 91 current Ph.D. students, our study results highlight that (1) students mainly use social media for broadcasting and keeping up with up-to-date academic and research information; yet, making connections and developing professional networks is one of the primary reasons, and (2) social media use is positively associated with their academic engagement and satisfaction. We discuss implications and future work of our study.

social media↗
DOE OSTI2017

Neuromorphic data microscope

In 2016, Lewis Rhodes Labs, (LRL), shipped the first commercially viable Neuromorphic Processing Unit, (NPU), branded as a Neuromorphic Data Microscope (NDM). This product leverages architectural mechanisms derived from the sensory cortex of the human brain to efficiently implement pattern matching. LRL and Sandia National Labs have optimized this product for streaming analytics, and demonstrated a 1,000x power per operation reduction in an FPGA format. When reduced to an ASIC, the efficiency will improve to 1,000,000x. Additionally, the neuromorphic nature of the device gives it powerful computational attributes that are counterintuitive to those schooled in traditional von Neumann architectures. The Neuromorphic Data Microscope is the first of a broad class of brain-inspired, time domain processors that will profoundly alter the functionality and economics of data processing.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cantera and Cantera Electrolyte Thermodynamics Objects

Cantera is a suite of object-oriented software tools for problems involving chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and/or transport processes. It is a multi-organizational effort to create and formulate high quality 0D and 1D constitutive modeling tools for reactive transport codes.Institutions involved with the effort include Sandia, MIT, Colorado School of Mines, U. Texas, NASA, and Oak Ridge National Labs. Specific to Sandia's contributions, the Cantera Electrolyte Thermo Objects (CETO) packages is comprised of add-on routines for Cantera that handle electrolyte thermochemistry and reactions within the overall Cantera package. Cantera is a C++ Cal Tech code that handles gas phase species transport, reaction, and thermodynamics. With this addition, Cantera can be extended to handle problems involving liquid phase reactions and transport in electrolyte systems, and phase equilibrium problemsinvolving concentrated electrolytes and gas/solid phases. A full treatment of molten salt thermodynamics and transport has also been implemented in CETO. The routines themselves consist of .cpp and .h files containing C++ objects that are derived from parent Cantera objects representing thermodynamic functions. They are linked unto the main Cantera libraries when requested by the user. As an addendum to the main thermodynamics objects, several utility applications are provided. The first is multiphase Gibbs free energy minimizer based on the vcs algorithm, called vcs_cantera. This code allows for the calculation of thermodynamic equilibrium in multiple phases at constant temperature and pressure. Note, a similar code capability exists already in Cantera. This version follows the same algorithm, but gas a different code-base starting point, and is used as a research tool for algorithm development. The second program, cttables, prints out tables of thermodynamic and kinetic information for thermodynamic and kinetic objects within Cantera. This program serves as a "Get the numbers out" utility for Cantera, and as such it is very useful as a verification tool. These add-on utilities are encapsulated into a directory structure named cantera_apps, whose installation uses autoconf and also utilizes Cantera's application environment (i.e., they utilize Cantera as a library).

John Hewson, HarryMoffat↗
DOE OSTI2017

URBANopt (Urban Renewable Building And Neighborhood Optimization) [SWR-16-33]

URBANopt is a user interface for creating and running district and city scale building energy simulations. The framework is built around the OpenStudio Urban Measures which are part of the OpenStudio project. Building footprints, building height, building type, and other data can be imported from public records or other sources. Footprints and locations for new buildings and district systems can also be specified. OpenStudio Measures are used to create starting point energy models and to model energy design features and efficiency measures for each building. URBANopt allows a user to pose several scenarios such as “what if 30% of the commercial retail buildings added roof top solar” or “what if all elementary schools converted to ground source heat pumps” and then visualize the impacts at a district or city scale. URBANopt is capable of modeling existing buildings, new construction, and district energy systems. URBANopt can be used to explore options for achieving Zero Energy across a collection of buildings (e.g., Zero Energy Districts).

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

ToyProblem-EthyleneOx

This is a toy problem intended as an example on which to test V/UQ tools for multi-physics problems (coupled sub-models). It has grown from the solution to a graduate-school homework problem that has been posted on open-source (https://github.com/PhilipSmith-Canada/EthyleneOxideHomeWork).

Smith, Sean↗
DOE OSTI2025

DEMographic MicrOSimulation (DEMOS) v2.0

DEMOS is an agent-based simulation framework used to evolve population demographic characteristics or lifecycle events such as education, marital status etc. DEMOS modules are designed to capture the interdependencies of short-term and long-term lifecycle events often influential in downstream transportation and land use modeling. An important facet of DEMOS is that it is dynamic, meaning it captures the impact of an agent's demographic characteristics in year 't' on their demographic status in year 't+1'. This has important consequences on medium- and long-term downstream modeling in different domains, such as transportation where decisions such as household vehicle transactions (i.e., buying, selling, or replacing a vehicle) depend current or past household vehicle holdings as well as household transitions. Other downstream modeling that can be enabled by DEMOS include building technology adoption or retrofit decisions, and more. DEMOS modules include: individual age progression year by year, individual mortality events, household restructuring events including marriage match-making; household birth events; individual education participation; individual labor force participation; child leaving household; household in-migration and out-migration for the region; household residence location choice and household mandatory destination choice (work and school). This version of DEMOS is tailored to be integrated with the land use simulation software UrbanSim.

Caicedo, Juan [UrbanSim, Inc.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

swss-aurora

Python code for analyzing aurora data in the LANL Space Weather Summer School (O4985)

Holmes, Rebecca↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advancing Marine Arctic Science through Facilitating International Collaborations

The Consortium for the Advancement of Marine Arctic Science (CAMAS) held its inaugural Workshop and Early Career School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from 13 to 16 February 2024. The event brought together 80 Arctic marine scientists from around the world to discuss current research and to develop ideas for collaborative research projects that can be executed in the next few years to advance our understanding of the marine Arctic system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Impact of Demographic Lifecycle States on Time to Vehicle Purchase: Insights from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics

This study examines the impact of demographic lifecycle stages on the timing of vehicle purchases, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1999 to 2021. Survival analysis was employed to model the duration until households purchase vehicles, incorporating key lifecycle variables such as age, employment status, marital status, childbirth, home ownership, and the presence of school-going children. The life table results indicate that early adulthood (ages 20–35) is the prime period for vehicle acquisition, with significant peaks around ages 25 to 30. Additionally, the instantaneous hazard of purchasing a vehicle is highest in the late 40s and early 50s. According to the Cox proportional hazards model, employment, marital status, and home ownership significantly increase the likelihood of purchasing a vehicle, while living in multi-unit dwellings decreases it. Interaction effects reveal that married individuals with employed spouses are substantially more likely to purchase vehicles. In conclusion, this study serves as a steppingstone toward integrating demographic lifecycle analysis into car ownership modeling that better reflects real-world scenarios and increases the accuracy of policy and strategic planning.

Car ownership↗