Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “consistency”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 919 records · Page 51

Self-consistent Black Hole Accretion Spectral Models and the Forgotten Role of Coronal Comptonization of Reflection Emission

Continuum and reflection spectral models have each been widely employed in measuring the spins of accreting black holes. However, the two approaches have not been implemented together in a photon-conserving, self-consistent framework. We develop such a framework using the black hole X-ray binary GX 339–4 as a touchstone source, and we demonstrate three important ramifications. (1) Compton scattering of reflection emission in the corona is routinely ignored, but is an essential consideration given that reflection is linked to the regimes with strongest Comptonization. Properly accounting for this causes the inferred reflection fraction to increase substantially, especially for the hard state. Another important impact of the Comptonization of reflection emission by the corona is the downscattered tail. Downscattering has the potential to mimic the relativistically broadened red wing of the Fe line associated with a spinning black hole. (2) Recent evidence for a reflection component with a harder spectral index than the power-law continuum is naturally explained as Compton-scattered reflection emission. (3) Photon conservation provides an important constraint on the hard state’s accretion rate. For bright hard states, we show that disk truncation to large scales R≫R{sub ISCO} is unlikely as this would require accretion rates far in excess of the observed M-dot of the brightest soft states. Our principal conclusion is that when modeling relativistically broadened reflection, spectral models should allow for coronal Compton scattering of the reflection features, and when possible, take advantage of the additional constraining power from linking to the thermal disk component.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Self-consistent Model for a Full Cycle of Recurrent Novae—Wind Mass-loss Rate and X-Ray Luminosity

An unexpectedly slow evolution in the pre-optical-maximum phase was suggested in the very short recurrence period of nova M31N 2008-12a. To obtain reasonable nova light curves we have improved our calculation method by consistently combining optically thick wind solutions of hydrogen-rich envelopes with white dwarf (WD) structures calculated by a Henyey-type evolution code. The wind mass-loss rate is properly determined with high accuracy. We have calculated light curve models for 1.2 M {sub ⊙} and 1.38 M {sub ⊙} WDs with mass accretion rates corresponding to recurrence periods of 10 yr and 1 yr, respectively. The outburst lasts 590/29 days, in which the pre-optical-maximum phase is 82/16 days, for 1.2/1.38 M {sub ⊙}, respectively. Optically thick winds start at the end of the X-ray flash and cease at the beginning of the supersoft X-ray phase. We also present supersoft X-ray light curves including a prompt X-ray flash and later supersoft X-ray phase.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Hydrodynamic Photoevaporation of Protoplanetary Disks with Consistent Thermochemistry

Photoevaporation is an important dispersal mechanism for protoplanetary disks. We conduct hydrodynamic simulations coupled with ray-tracing radiative transfer and consistent thermochemistry to study photoevaporative winds driven by ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from the host star. Most models have a three-layer structure: a cold midplane, warm intermediate layer, and hot wind, the last having typical speeds ∼40 km s{sup −1} and mass-loss rates ∼10{sup −9} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} when driven primarily by ionizing UV radiation. Observable molecules, including CO, OH, and H{sub 2}O re-form in the intermediate layer and survive at relatively high wind temperatures due to reactions being out of equilibrium. Mass-loss rates are sensitive to the intensity of radiation in energy bands that interact directly with hydrogen. Comparison with previous works shows that mass-loss rates are also sensitive to the treatment of both the hydrodynamics and thermochemistry. Divergent results concerning the efficiency of X-ray photoevaporation are traced in part to differing assumptions about dust and other coolants.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Consistent Modeling of GS 1826-24 X-Ray Bursts for Multiple Accretion Rates Demonstrates the Possibility of Constraining rp -process Reaction Rates

Type-I X-ray burst light curves encode unique information about the structure of accreting neutron stars and the nuclear reaction rates of the rp-process that powers bursts. Using the first model calculations of hydrogen/helium-burning bursts for a large range of astrophysical conditions performed with the code MESA, this work shows that simultaneous model–observation comparisons for bursts from several accretion rates $\dot{M}$ are required to remove degeneracies in astrophysical conditions that otherwise reproduce bursts for a single $\dot{M}$ and that such consistent multi-epoch modeling could possibly limit the 15 O(α, γ) 19 Ne reaction rate. Comparisons to the 1998, 2000, and 2007 bursting epochs of the neutron star GS 1826-24 show that $\dot{M}$ must be larger than previously inferred and that the shallow heating in this source must be below 0.5 MeV/u, providing a new method to constrain the shallow heating mechanism in the outer layers of accreting neutron stars. Lastly, features of the light curve rise are used to demonstrate that a lower limit could likely be placed on the 15 O(α, γ) reaction rate, demonstrating the possibility of constraining nuclear reaction rates with X-ray burst light curves.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Effects of Preionization in Radiative Shocks. I. Self-consistent Models

In this paper we treat the preionization problem in shocks over the velocity range 10 < v {sub s} < 1500 km s{sup −1} in a self-consistent manner. We identify four distinct classes of solutions controlled by the value of the shock-precursor parameter, Ψ=Q/v{sub s}, where Q is the ionization parameter of the UV photons escaping upstream. This parameter determines both the temperature and the degree of ionization of the gas entering the shock. In increasing velocity, the shock solution regimes are cold neutral precursors (v {sub s} ≲ 40 km s{sup −1}), warm neutral precursors (40 ≲ v {sub s} ≲ 75 km s{sup −1}), warm partly ionized precursors (75 ≲ v {sub s} ≲ 120 km s{sup −1}), and fast shocks in which the preshock gas is in photoionization equilibrium and is fully ionized. The main effect of a magnetic field is to push these velocity ranges to higher values and to limit the postshock compression. In order to facilitate comparison with observations of shocks, we provide a number of convenient scaling relationships for parameters, such as postshock temperature, compression factors, cooling lengths, and Hβ and X-ray luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Hard X-Ray to Radio Multiwavelength SED Analysis of Local U/LIRGs in the GOALS Sample with a Self-consistent AGN Model including a Polar-dust Component

We conduct hard X-ray to radio multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) decomposition for 57 local luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies observed with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array and/or Swift/Burst Alert Telescope in the GOALS sample. We modify the latest SED-fitting code X-CIGALE by implementing the infrared (IR) CLUMPY model, allowing us to conduct the multiwavelength study with the X-ray torus model XCLUMPY self-consistently. Adopting the torus parameters obtained by the X-ray fitting, we estimate the properties of the host galaxies, active galactic nucleus (AGN) tori, and polar dust. The star formation rates (SFRs) become larger with merger stage and most of them are above the main sequence. The SFRs are correlated with radio luminosity, indicating starburst emission is dominant in the radio band. Although polar-dust extinction is much smaller than torus extinction, the UV-to-IR (mainly IR) polar dust luminosities are ~2 times larger than the torus ones. The polar-dust temperature decreases while the physical size, estimated by the temperature and dust sublimation radius, increases with AGN luminosity from a few tens of parsec (early mergers) to kiloparsec scales (late mergers), where the polar dust likely comes from expanding (i.e., evolving) dusty outflows. A comparison between the SFRs and intrinsic AGN luminosities suggests that starbursts occur first and AGNs arise later, and overall their growth rates follow the simultaneous coevolution local galaxy–SMBH mass relation. We confirm the coexistence of intense starbursts, AGNs, and large-scale outflows in late mergers, supporting a standard AGN feedback scenario.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Supernova Siblings: Assessing the Consistency of Properties of Type Ia Supernovae that Share the Same Parent Galaxies

While many studies have shown a correlation between properties of the light curves of SNe Ia and properties of their host galaxies, it remains unclear what is driving these correlations. We introduce a new direct method to study these correlations by analyzing "parent" galaxies that host multiple SNe Ia "siblings." In this study, we search the Dark Energy Survey SN sample, one of the largest samples of discovered SNe, and find eight galaxies that hosted two likely SNe Ia. Comparing the light-curve properties of these SNe and recovered distances from the light curves, we find no better agreement between properties of SNe in the same galaxy as any random pair of galaxies, with the exception of the SN light-curve stretch. We show at 2.8 σ significance that at least one-half of the intrinsic scatter of SNe Ia distance modulus residuals is not from common host properties. We also discuss the robustness with which we could make this evaluation with LSST, which will find 100 &#x00d7; more pairs of galaxies, and pave a new line of study on the consistency of SNe Ia in the same parent galaxies. Finally, we argue that it is unlikely that some of these SNe are actually single, lensed SN with multiple images.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Ducted Fuel Injection Provides Consistently Lower Soot Emissions in Sweep to Full-Load Conditions

Earlier studies have proven how ducted fuel injection (DFI) substantially reduces soot for low- and mid-load conditions in heavy-duty engines, without significant adverse effects on other emissions. Nevertheless, no comprehensive DFI study exists showing soot reductions at high- and full-load conditions. This study investigated DFI in a single-cylinder, 1.7-L, optical engine from low- to full-load conditions with a low-net-carbon fuel consisting of 80% renewable diesel and 20% biodiesel. Over the tested load range, DFI reduced engine-out soot by 38.1–63.1% compared to conventional diesel combustion (CDC). This soot reduction occurred without significant detrimental effects on other emission types. Thus, DFI reduced the severity of the soot–NO x tradeoff at all tested conditions. While DFI delivered considerable soot reductions in thepresent study, previous DFI studies at low- and mid-load conditions delivered larger soot reductions (>90%) compared to CDC operation at the same conditions. Therefore, the DFI configuration used here has been deemed nonoptimal (in terms of parameters such as the injector-spray and piston geometries), and several improvements are recommended for future studies with high-load DFI. Further, these improvements include employing better spray-duct alignment, a deeper piston bowl with a smaller injector umbrella angle, and a fuel injector that opens and closes faster. The study also suggests future research to make DFI ready for commercialization, such as metal-engine tests to ensure desirable DFI performance over an engine’s complete speed/load map. Overall, this study supports the continued development and commercialization of DFI to meet upcoming emissions regulations for heavy-duty vehicles. Specifically, multicylinder engine experiments and CFD simulations should be utilized to optimize the performance and clarify the full potential of DFI.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Unified and consistent structure growth measurements from joint ACT, SPT and \textit{Planck} CMB lensing

We present the tightest cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing constraints to date on the growth of structure by combining CMB lensing measurements from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and \textit{Planck}. Each of these surveys individually provides lensing measurements with similarly high statistical power, achieving signal-to-noise ratios of approximately 40. The combined lensing bandpowers represent the most precise CMB lensing power spectrum measurement to date with a signal-to-noise ratio of 61 and an amplitude of $A_\mathrm{lens}^\mathrm{recon} = 1.025 \pm 0.017$ with respect to the theory prediction from the best-fit CMB \textit{Planck}-ACT cosmology. The bandpowers from all three lensing datasets, analyzed jointly, yield a $1.6\%$ measurement of the parameter combination $S_8^\mathrm{CMBL} \equiv σ_8\,(Ω_m/0.3)^{0.25} = 0.825^{+0.015}_{-0.013}$. Including Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) data improves the constraint on the amplitude of matter fluctuations to $σ_8 = 0.829 \pm 0.009$ (a $1.1\%$ determination). When combining with uncalibrated supernovae from \texttt{Pantheon+}, we present a $4\%$ sound-horizon-independent estimate of $H_0=66.4\pm2.5\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}} $. The joint lensing constraints on structure growth and present-day Hubble rate are fully consistent with a $Λ$CDM model fit to the primary CMB data from \textit{Planck} and ACT. While the precise upper limit is sensitive to the choice of data and underlying model assumptions, when varying the neutrino mass sum within the $Λ\mathrm{CDM}$ cosmological model, the combination of primary CMB, BAO and CMB lensing drives the probable upper limit for the mass sum towards lower values, comparable to the minimum mass prior required by neutrino oscillation experiments.

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.C↗

Development of an in situ dual-channel thermal desorption gas chromatography instrument for consistent quantification of volatile, intermediate-volatility and semivolatile organic compounds

Abstract. Aerosols are a source of great uncertainty in radiative forcing predictions and have poorly understood health impacts. Most aerosol mass is formed in the atmosphere from reactive gas-phase organic precursors, forming secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) (effective saturation concentration, C*, of 10−1–103 µg m−3) comprise a large fraction of organic aerosol, while intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) (C* of 103–106 µg m−3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (C* ≥ 106 µg m−3) are gas-phase precursors to SOA and ozone. The Comprehensive Thermal Desorption Aerosol Gas Chromatograph (cTAG) is the first single instrument simultaneously quantitative for a broad range of compound-specific VOCs, IVOCs and SVOCs. cTAG is a two-channel instrument which measures concentrations of C5–C16 alkane-equivalent-volatility VOCs and IVOCs on one channel and C14–C32 SVOCs on the other coupled to a single high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer, achieving consistent quantification across 15 orders of magnitude of vapor pressure. cTAG obtains concentrations hourly and gas–particle partitioning for SVOCs every other hour, enabling observation of the evolution of these species through oxidation and partitioning into the particle phase. Online derivatization for the SVOC channel enables detection of more polar and oxidized species. In this work we present design details and data evaluating key parameters of instrument performance such as I/VOC collector design optimization, linearity and reproducibility of calibration curves obtained using a custom liquid evaporation system for I/VOCs and the effect of an ozone removal filter on instrument performance. Example timelines of precursors with secondary products are shown, and analysis of a subset of compounds detectable by cTAG demonstrates some of the analytical possibilities with this instrument.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Consistent evaluation of GOSAT, SCIAMACHY, carbontracker, and MACC through comparisons to TCCON

Consistent validation of satellite CO 2 estimates is a prerequisite for using multiple satellite CO 2 measurements for joint flux inversion, and for establishing an accurate long-term atmospheric CO 2 data record. We focus on validating model and satellite observation attributes that impact flux estimates and CO 2 assimilation, including accurate error estimates, correlated and random errors, overall biases, biases by season and latitude, the impact of coincidence criteria, validation of seasonal cycle phase and amplitude, yearly growth, and daily variability. We evaluate dry air mole fraction (X CO 2 ) for GOSAT (ACOS b3.5) and SCIAMACHY (BESD v2.00.08) as well as the CarbonTracker (CT2013b) simulated CO 2 mole fraction fields and the MACC CO 2 inversion system (v13.1) and compare these to TCCON observations (GGG2014). We find standard deviations of 0.9 ppm, 0.9, 1.7, and 2.1 ppm versus TCCON for CT2013b, MACC, GOSAT, and SCIAMACHY, respectively, with the single target errors 1.9 and 0.9 times the predicted errors for GOSAT and SCIAMACHY, respectively. When satellite data are averaged and interpreted according to error 2 = a 2 &plus; b 2 / n (where n are the number of observations averaged, a are the systematic (correlated) errors, and b are the random (uncorrelated) errors), we find that the correlated error term a = 0.6 ppm and the uncorrelated error term b = 1.7 ppm for GOSAT and a = 1.0 ppm, b = 1.4 ppm for SCIAMACHY regional averages. Biases at individual stations have year-to-year variability of ~ 0.3 ppm, with biases larger than the TCCON predicted bias uncertainty of 0.4 ppm at many stations. Using fitting software, we find that GOSAT underpredicts the seasonal cycle amplitude in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) between 46–53° N. In the Southern Hemisphere (SH), CT2013b underestimates the seasonal cycle amplitude. Biases are calculated for 3-month intervals and indicate the months that contribute to the observed amplitude differences. The seasonal cycle phase indicates whether a dataset or model lags another dataset in time. We calculate this at a subset of stations where there is adequate satellite data, and find that the GOSAT retrieved phase improves substantially over the prior and the SCIAMACHY retrieved phase improves substantially for 2 of 7 sites. The models reproduce the measured seasonal cycle phase well except for at Lauder125 (CT2013b), Darwin (MACC), and Izana (+ 10 days, CT2013b), as for Bremen and Four Corners, which are highly influenced by local effects. We compare the variability within one day between TCCON and models in JJA; there is correlation between 0.2 and 0.8 in the NH, with models showing 10–100 % the variability of TCCON at different stations (except Bremen and Four Corners which have no variability compared to TCCON) and CT2013b showing more variability than MACC. This paper highlights findings that provide inputs to estimate flux errors in model assimilations, and places where models and satellites need further investigation, e.g. the SH for models and 45–67° N for GOSAT

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Consistent responses of vegetation gas exchange to elevated atmospheric CO 2 emerge from heuristic and optimization models

Elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration is expected to increase leaf CO 2 assimilation rates, thus promoting plant growth and increasing leaf area. It also decreases stomatal conductance, allowing water savings, which have been hypothesized to drive large-scale greening, in particular in arid and semiarid climates. However, the increase in leaf area could reduce the benefits of elevated CO 2 concentration through soil water depletion. The net effect of elevated CO 2 on leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange remains uncertain. To address this question, we compare the outcomes of a heuristic model based on the Partitioning of Equilibrium Transpiration and Assimilation (PETA) hypothesis and three model variants based on stomatal optimization theory. Predicted relative changes in leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange rates are used as a metric of plant responses to changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Both model approaches predict reductions in leaf-level transpiration rate due to decreased stomatal conductance under elevated CO 2 , but negligible (PETA) or no (optimization) changes in canopy-level transpiration due to the compensatory effect of increased leaf area. Leaf- and canopy-level CO 2 assimilation is predicted to increase, with an amplification of the CO 2 fertilization effect at the canopy level due to the enhanced leaf area. The expected increase in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) under warmer conditions is generally predicted to decrease the sensitivity of gas exchange to atmospheric CO 2 concentration in both models. The consistent predictions by different models that canopy-level transpiration varies little under elevated CO 2 due to combined stomatal conductance reduction and leaf area increase highlight the coordination of physiological and morphological characteristics in vegetation to maximize resource use (here water) under altered climatic conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A consistent dataset for the net income distribution for 190 countries and aggregated to 32 geographical regions from 1958 to 2015

Abstract. Data on income distributions within and across countries are becoming increasingly important for informing analysis of income inequality and understanding the distributional consequences of climate change. While datasets on income distribution collected from household surveys are available for multiple countries, these datasets often do not represent the same concept of inequality (or income concept) and therefore make comparisons across countries, over time and across datasets difficult. Here, we present a consistent dataset of income distributions across 190 countries from 1958 to 2015 measured in terms of net income. We complement the observed values in this dataset with values imputed from a summary measure of the income distribution, specifically the Gini coefficient. For the imputation, we use a recently developed nonparametric principal-component-based approach that shows an excellent fit to data on income distributions compared to other approaches. We also present another version of this dataset aggregated from the country level to 32 geographical regions. Our dataset is developed for the purpose of calibrating models such as integrated human–Earth system models with detailed data on income distributions. This dataset will enable more robust analysis of income distribution at multiple scales. The latest version of our data are available on Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7093997 (Narayan et al., 2022b).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Integrating CVMix into GOTM (v6.0): a consistent framework for testing, comparing, and applying ocean mixing schemes

Abstract. The General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM) is a one-dimensional water column model, including a set of state-of-the-art turbulence closure models, and has widely been used in various applications in the ocean modeling community. Here, we extend GOTM to include a set of newly developed ocean surface vertical mixing parameterizations of Langmuir turbulence via coupling with the Community Vertical Mixing Project (CVMix). A Stokes drift module is also implemented in GOTM to provide the necessary ocean surface waves information to the Langmuir turbulence parameterizations, as well as to facilitate future development and evaluation of new Langmuir turbulence parameterizations. In addition, a streamlined workflow with Python and Jupyter notebooks is also described, enabled by the newly developed and more flexible configuration capability of GOTM. The newly implemented Langmuir turbulence parameterizations are evaluated against theoretical scalings and available observations in four test cases, including an idealized wind-driven entrainment case and three realistic cases at Ocean Station Papa, the northern North Sea, and the central Baltic Sea, and compared with the existing general length scale scheme in GOTM. The results are consistent with previous studies. This development extends the capability of GOTM towards including the effects of ocean surface waves and provides useful toolsets for the ocean modeling community to further study the effects of Langmuir turbulence in a broader scope.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Novel Relaxation Time Approximation: A Consistent Calculation of Transport Coefficients with QCD-inspired Relaxation Times

We use a novel formulation of the relaxation time approximation to consistently calculate the bulk and shear viscosity coefficients using QCDinspired energy-dependent relaxation times and phenomenological thermal masses obtained from fits to lattice QCD thermodynamics. The matching conditions are conveniently chosen to simplify the computations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Recommendations for Improving Consistency in the Radiation Fields Used During Testing of Radiation Detection Instruments for Homeland Security Applications

Several measurements and calculations were performed to illustrate the differences that can be observed in the determination of exposure rate or ambient dose equivalent rate used for testing radiation detection systems against consensus standards. The large variations observed support our recommendation that better consistency in the test radiation fields can be achieved by specifying the source activity and testing distance instead of the field strength.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DMTN-190: Consistent galaxy colors with Gaussian-Aperture and PSF photometry

Gaussian-Aperture and PSF photometry algorithm measures consistent colors for extended sources such as galaxies that are largely independent of seeing. This technote briefly presents the mathematical description of the algorithm and focuses on its implementation in the Rubin Science Pipelines. This document also serves as a reference for several of the analytical calculations that are tested in the unit tests.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Magnetorotational stability in a self-consistent three dimensional axisymmetric magnetized warm plasma equilibrium with a gravitational field

Magnetorotational stability is revisited for self-consistent three-dimensional magnetized hot plasma equilibria in a gravitational field. The eikonal analysis presented finds that magnetorotational stability analysis must be performed with some care to retain compressibility and density gradient effects, and departures from strict Keplerian motion. Indeed, retaining these effects highlights differences between the magnetorotational instability found in the absence of gravity [Velikhov 1959 Sov. Phys. JETP 36, 995-998] and that found the presence of gravity [Balbus and Hawley 1991 Astrophys. J. 376, 214- 222]. In the non-gravitational case, compressibility and density variation alter the stability condition, while these effects only enter for departures from strict Keplerian motion in a gravitational field. The conditions for instability are made more explicit by employing recent magnetized equilibrium results [Catto, Pusztai and Krasheninnikov 2015 J. Plasma Phys. 81, 515810603], rather than employing a hydrodynamic equilibrium. We focus on the stability of the β > 1 limit for which equilibria were found in the absence of a toroidal magnetic field, where β = plasma/magnetic pressure.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗