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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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NASA NTRS1981

Detectors for energies less than 10 MeV

In the energy domain 100 keV to 10 MeV, both crystal scintillations and semiconductors are widely used for gamma ray detectors in spectrometer systems. These detectors' operation depend on the fact that gamma rays lose energy by ionization in these materials and electrons and holes are produced. In the case of semiconductors, these electrons and holes are collected by an electric field, and they provide an electric signal that is a direct measure of the energy lost by the gamma ray in the material. Scintillation detectors depend on a further conversion of the energy lost in electron hole pair production to the production of photons. A photomultiplier tube measures the intensity of the photon flux, and an electrical pulse proportional to the photon intensity is produced at the photomultiplier output.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1986

Measuring interstellar dust grains from the haloes of binary X-ray sources

A method for determining the location, size distribution, and composition of interstellar dust grains from the haloes of binary X-ray sources is described. The method is based on the time dependence of the halo X-ray emission during an eclipse of the point source. The distance of the dust cloud is inferred directly from observations of the growth of the dark circle around the eclipsed point source. Grain size distribution in the interstellar dust clouds is derived from the halo brightness profile at a given photon energy. The composition of the grains is obtained by observing the spectral features in the total optical depth due to X-ray scattering near the photoionization thresholds of the elements in the grains. The haloes become dim just below the ionization threshold, and sharply increase in function brightness as the photon energy increases beyond the absorption edge of the relevant atom. The method makes it possible to observe and analyze the halo emission during eclipse even without imaging the source. It is suggested that haloes probably account for the soft X-rays observed during eclipses and dips observed in sources including 4U1915-05 and X1755-338.

Xu, Y.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A comparison of Doppler lidar wind sensors for Earth-orbit global measurement applications

Now, there are four Doppler lidar configurations which are being promoted for the measurement of tropospheric winds: (1) the coherent CO2 Lidar, operating in the 9 micrometer region using a pulsed, atmospheric pressure CO2 gas discharge laser transmitter, and heterodyne detection; (2) the coherent Neodymium doped YAG or Glass Lidar, operating at 1.06 micrometers, using flashlamp or diode laser optical pumping of the solid state laser medium, and heterodyne detection; (3) the Neodymium doped YAG/Glass Lidar, operating at the doubled frequency (at 530 nm wavelength), again using flashlamp or diode laser pumping of the laser transmitter, and using a high resolution tandem Fabry-Perot filter and direct detection; and (4) the Raman shifted Xenon Chloride Lidar, operating at 350 nm wavelength, using a pulsed, atmospheric pressure XeCl gas discharge laser transmitter at 308 nm, Raman shifted in a high pressure hydrogen cell to 350 nm in order to avoid strong stratospheric ozone absorption, also using a high resolution tandem Fabry-Perot filter and direct detection. Comparisons of these four systems can include many factors and tradeoffs. The major portion of this comparison is devoted to efficiency. Efficiency comparisons are made by estimating the number of transmitted photons required for a single pulse wind velocity estimate of + or - 1 m/s accuracy in the middle troposphere, from an altitude of 800 km, which is assured to be reasonable for a polar orbiting platform.

Menzies, Robert T.↗

NASA NTRS2019

PERISCOPE: PERIapsis Subsurface Cave OPtical Explorer

In this NIAC report we present a new technique enabling a practical option for mapping these structures at a relatively low cost: Photon Time-of-Flight (PTOF) imaging. Consider a scene with a surface that is in a camera's line of sight, with unknown geometry beyond the line of sight. PTOF works by directing laser pulses onto the visible surface and detecting the returned light after it reflects off the visible surface, onto the hidden surfaces, and back to the detector. An algorithm then reconstructs a 3d model of the hidden surface. The information gained has a wide variety of applications across NASA, the scientific community, the burgeoning commercial space industry, and in commercial and industrial use here on Earth.

Exploration↗

NASA NTRS1988

Readout techniques for photon-counting microchannel image systems

A comparative evaluation is made of such readout methods for the microchannel plates that are commonly used in EUV, FUV, and X-ray low light level image systems as the (1) phosphor-video, (2) phosphor and binary-mask encoder, (3) direct discrete-position encoder, (4) direct analog amplitude position-encoder systems, and (5) delay-line encoders. Relative advantages and limitations are discussed in the context of low light level space-based astronomy applications. The delay-line technique offers great promise for high-resolution applications where oversampling is mandatory, as in spectroscopy.

Lampton, Michael↗

DOE OSTI2026

Electrically tunable nonlinear light generation in plasmonic tunnel junctions

Active and efficient control of nonlinear optical processes is essential for integrated photonics, with applications in signal processing, ultrafast switching, and quantum light manipulation. While nanophotonic structures are powerful for enhancing nonlinearities, achieving wide-range electrical tunability has remained a challenge. Plasmonic tunnel junctions offer a unique path to bridge this gap because they combine extreme optical field confinement with direct electrical control in a single nanoscale device. Here, we report the first, to our knowledge, demonstration of electrically tunable second-harmonic generation (SHG) in plasmonic tunnel junctions. Using ultra-stable epitaxial heterostructures, we achieve reproducible modulation of SHG with depths up to ∼500% and magnitudes above 1.3V −1 . We identify two mechanisms, electric-field-induced SHG (EFISH) and ion migration, that can either compete or cooperate depending on junction thickness and bias, enabling both broad tunability and ferroelectric-like hysteretic switching. These findings establish plasmonic tunnel junctions as a platform for electrically controlled nonlinear optics, with potential for nanoscale light sources, reconfigurable modulators, and neuromorphic photonic devices..

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Fluorescence-mediated postcollision interaction in x-ray photoionization of the Xe 𝐾 edge

Postcollision interaction (PCI) in near-threshold photoionization of the K shell of atomic Xe is investigated with hard-x-ray synchrotron radiation. Applying Auger electron spectroscopy, line-shape distortion is monitored in the K-L 2 → L 2 M 4,5 M 4,5 decay channel, where the initial K-L 2 (Kα 2 ) x-ray-emission step mediates the emission of the two continuum electrons. The K-edge result is compared to similar data obtained on direct L 2 M 4,5 M 4,5 decay at the L 2 edge without x-ray-emission. In conclusion, it is found that the evolution of the PCI shift with excess photon energy is very similar at both edges, but a subtle decrease in the PCI shift is observable at the K edge due to the effect of the ultrafast x-ray emission step delaying the PCI energy exchange by a few attoseconds.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing direct detection of Higgsino dark matter

While much supersymmetric weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) parameter space has been ruled out, one remaining important candidate is Higgsino dark matter. The Higgsino can naturally realize the “inelastic dark matter” scenario, where the scattering off a nucleus occurs between two nearly-degenerate states, making it invisible to WIMP direct detection experiments if the splitting is too large to be excited. It was realized that a “luminous dark matter” detection process, where the Higgsino upscatters in the Earth and subsequently decays into a photon in a large neutrino detector, offers the best sensitivity to such a scenario. We consider the possibility of adding a large volume of a heavy element, such as Pb or U, around the detector. We also consider the presence of U and Th in the Earth itself, and the effect of an enhanced high-velocity tail of the dark matter distribution due to the presence of the Large Magellanic Cloud. These effects can significantly improve the sensitivity of detectors such as JUNO, SNO + , KamLAND, and Borexino, potentially making it possible in the future to cover much of the remaining parameter space for this classic supersymmetric WIMP dark matter. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Graham, Peter W. (ORCID:0000000216001601)↗

DOE OSTI2022

Second-harmonic and linear spectroscopy of $\textit{α}$-In 2 Se 3

We report spectroscopic measurements of optical transmission, ellipsometry, and second-harmonic generation (SHG) from as-grown vapor-deposited $\textit{α}$-In 2 Se 3 nanoflakes ranging in thickness from a single quintuple layer (QL) to bulk material. In this work, we compare these measurements with ab initio calculations of structural and optical properties. Linear optical measurements yield thickness-dependent band gaps and dielectric functions, while SHG diagnoses microscopic film structure and ferroelectric polarization. The rotational anisotropy of SHG for s-polarized incident photons of energy 1.4 eV reveals crystalline symmetry and orientation of individual QLs. Peak SHG intensity increases from one to three QLs, then decreases for larger numbers, tracking thickness-dependent trends in the second-order susceptibility components $χ^{xxx}$ and $χ^{zxx}$. Comparison of measured and calculated SHG spectra for s-polarized photons of energies between 1.2 and 1.7 eV incident upon two QL samples discriminates among candidate stacking arrangements, and favors an arrangement with electric polarization vectors of the two QLs pointing outward in opposite directions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1974

Vacuum UV photolysis of N2O

Emission from N2 B (3 Pi g) and O(1 S) produced during vacuum UV irradiation of N2O was studied as a function of the wavelength of the incident radiation. Two different processes were responsible for producing N2(B 3 Pi g) close to its production threshold. One process formed B 3 Pi g molecules directly and one indirectly via an unidentified precursor having a lifetime about 27 microsec. The quantum yield of O(1 S) atoms produced by photodissociation of N2O was determined as a function of incident photon energy. This yield is near 100% at 129 nm.

Mcewan, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

IUE observations of oxygen-rich supernova remnants

The IUE observations were used to determine the composition of the ejecta (especially C and Si abundances) and to test models for the ionization and excitation of the ejecta of two oxygen-rich supernova remnants (N132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud and 1E 0102-7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud). Time-dependent photoionization by the EUV and X-ray radiation from 1E 0102-7219 can qualitatively explain its UV and optical line emission, but the density and ionization structures are complex and prevent a unique model from being specified. Many model parameters are poorly constrained, including the time dependence and shape of the ionizing spectrum. Moreover, the models presented are not self-consistent in that the volumes and densities of the optically emitting gas imply optical depths of order unity in the EUV, but absorption of the ionizing radiation was ignored. It is possible that these shortcomings reflect a more fundamental limitation of the model assumptions. It is assumed that the electron velocity distribution is Maxwellian and that the energy deposited by photoionization heats the electrons directly. The 500 eV electrons produced by the Auger process may excite or ionize other ions before they slow down enough to share their energy with other electrons. Many of the excitations would produce photons that could ionize lower ionization stages.

Blair, W. P.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Exclusive dielectron production in ultraperipheral Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV with ATLAS

Exclusive production of dielectron pairs, γγ → e + e – , is studied using $\mathcal{L}_{int}$ = 1.72 nb –1 of data from ultraperipheral collisions of lead nuclei at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The process of interest proceeds via photon–photon interactions in the strong electromagnetic fields of relativistic lead nuclei. Dielectron production is measured in the fiducial region defined by following requirements: electron transverse momentum $p^{e}_{T}$ > 2.5 GeV, absolute electron pseudorapidity |η e | < 2.5, dielectron invariant mass m ee > 5 GeV, and dielectron transverse momentum $p^{ee}_{T}$ < 2 GeV. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of m ee , average $p^{e}_{T}$, absolute dielectron rapidity |y ee |, and scattering angle in the dielectron rest frame, |cos θ*|, in the inclusive sample, and also with a requirement of no activity in the forward direction. The total integrated fiducial cross-section is measured to be 215 ± 1 (stat) $^{+23}_{-20}$ (syst.) ± 4 (lumi.) μ b. Within experimental uncertainties the measured integrated cross-section is in good agreement with the QED predictions from the Monte Carlo programs STARLIGHT and SUPERCHIC, confirming the broad features of the initial photon fluxes. The differential cross-sections show systematic differences from these predictions which are more pronounced at high |y ee | and |cos θ*| values.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Triplet Fusion Upconversion for Photocuring 3D-Printed Particle-Reinforced Composite Networks

High energy photons (λ < 400 nm) are frequently used to initiate free radical polymerizations to form polymer networks, but are only effective for transparent objects. This phenomenon poses a major challenge to additive manufacturing of particle-reinforced composite networks since deep light penetration of short-wavelength photons limits the homogeneous modification of physicochemical and mechanical properties. Herein, the unconventional, yet versatile, multiexciton process of triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) is employed for curing opaque hydrogel composites created by direct-ink-write (DIW) 3D printing. TTA-UC converts low energy red light (λ max = 660 nm) for deep penetration into higher-energy blue light to initiate free radical polymerizations within opaque objects. Further, as proof-of-principle, hydrogels containing up to 15 wt.% TiO 2 filler particles and doped with TTA-UC chromophores are readily cured with red light, while composites without the chromophores and TiO 2 loadings as little as 1–2 wt.% remain uncured. Importantly, this method has wide potential to modify the chemical and mechanical properties of complex DIW 3D-printed composite polymer networks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Kinetic studies of excited singlet oxygen atom O( 1 D) reactions with ethanol

In this work, themultichannel reaction of excited singlet oxygen atom with ethanol, O( 1 D) + C 2 H 5 OH (1), was studied in a photolysis flow reactor coupled with mid-infrared Faraday rotation spectroscopy (FRS) and UV-IR direct absorption spectroscopy (DAS) at 297 K with reactor pressures of 60, 120, and 150 Torr (bath He). The excited singlet oxygen atom was generated through the photolysis of O 3 at 266 nm. The photon flux and O( 1 D) concentrations were determined by in situ actinometry based on O 3 depletion. Temporal profiles of OH and H 2 O were monitored via DAS signals at ca. 3568.62 and 3568.29 cm –1 , while temporal profiles of HO 2 were measured via FRS signals at ca. 1396.90 cm –1 . The branching ratios of the target reaction (1) were determined by fitting temporal profiles to simulations from an in-house reaction mechanism. Two major reaction channels were identified as CH 3 CHOH + OH and CH 3 O + CH 2 OH, and their branching ratios were determined as 0.46 ± 0.12 and 0.42 ± 0.11, respectively. A specific HO 2 + RO 2 reaction between HO 2 and O 2 CH 2 CH 2 OH (β-RO 2 ) at the low-temperature range is estimated in this work as HO 2 + O 2 CH 2 CH 2 OH → products with a rate constant of 7 × 10 –12 cm 3 molecule –1 s –1 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Solvent Processing and Ionic Liquid-Enabled Long-Range Vertical Ordering in Block Copolymer Films with Enhanced Film Stability

Rapid and reliable processing methods for forming ordered block copolymer (BCP) materials with low defect density in a thin film geometry are required for many nanotechnology applications. Vertically aligned BCP structures, in particular, have applications ranging from nanolithography for electronics and photonics to nanoporous membranes for water remediation and novel batteries for flexible electronics. However, the attainment of nearly complete vertical orientational order of the BCP ordered phase remains challenging. Solvent-based techniques, such as direct immersion annealing (DIA) and solvent vapor annealing (SVA), have immense potential for these applications of BCP films, as it allows for tuning of their thermodynamic, structural, and chain mobility driven kinetic properties. We first demonstrate that DIA, using a judicious choice of binary solvent mixtures along with a relatively hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL), induces the rapid vertical ordering in polystyrene-b-polymethylmethacrylate (PS-PMMA) block copolymer in lamellar films. The IL establishes synergy to the binary solvent mixture of toluene and heptane to 1 create a near-neutral solvent environment for attaining the vertical microstructure of the BCP. Next, we show that IL can suppress the de-wetting of the PS-PMMA films to achieve long-range order using SVA in cylindrical films for long annealing times. Both vertical and horizontal morphology is attained in these films by selecting different solvent environments. Furthermore, attaining enhanced vertical and horizontal BCP structure with long-range defect-free order by tuning solvent quality and using additives like IL can render them useful for many nanotech applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2020

Direct-write orientation of charge-transfer liquid crystals enables polarization-based coding and encryption

Abstract Optical polarizers encompass a class of anisotropic materials that pass-through discrete orientations of light and are found in wide-ranging technologies, from windows and glasses to cameras, digital displays and photonic devices. The wire-grids, ordered surfaces, and aligned nanomaterials used to make polarized films cannot be easily reconfigured once aligned, limiting their use to stationary cross-polarizers in, for example, liquid crystal displays. Here we describe a supramolecular material set and patterning approach where the polarization angle in stand-alone films can be precisely defined at the single pixel level and reconfigured following initial alignment. This capability enables new routes for non-binary information storage, retrieval, and intrinsic encryption, and it suggests future technologies such as photonic chips that can be reconfigured using non-contact patterning.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Detection of photon statistics and multimode field correlations by Raman processes

Glauber’s g (2) -function provides a common measure of quantum field statistics through two-photon coincidence counting in Hanbury Brown–Twiss measurements. Here, we propose to use nonlinear optical signals as a tool for the characterization of quantum light. In particular, we show that Raman measurements provide an alternative direct probe for a different component of the four-point correlation function underlying the g (2) -function. We illustrate this capacity for a specific quantum state obtained from a frequency conversion process. Our work points out how the analysis of controlled optical nonlinear processes can provide an alternative window toward the analysis of quantum light sources.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

BICEP/ K e c k XIV: Improved constraints on axionlike polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background

We present an improved search for axionlike polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) with observations from the Keck Array . An all-sky, temporally sinusoidal rotation of CMB polarization, equivalent to a time-variable cosmic birefringence, is an observable manifestation of a local axion field and potentially allows a CMB polarimeter to detect axionlike dark matter directly. We describe improvements to the method presented in previous work, and we demonstrate the updated method with an expanded dataset consisting of the 2012–2015 observing seasons. We set limits on the axion-photon coupling constant for mass m in the range 10 - 23 – 10 - 18 eV , which corresponds to oscillation periods on the order of hours to years. Our results are consistent with the background model. For periods between 1 and 30 d ( 1.6 × 10 - 21 ≤ m ≤ 4.8 × 10 - 20 eV ), the 95%-confidence upper limits on rotation amplitude are approximately constant with a median of 0.27°, which constrains the axion-photon coupling constant to g φ γ < ( 4.5 × 10 - 12 GeV - 1 ) m / ( 10 - 21 eV ) , if axionlike particles constitute all of the dark matter. More than half of the collected BICEP dataset has yet to be analyzed, and several current and future CMB polarimetry experiments can apply the methods presented here to achieve comparable or superior constraints. In the coming years, oscillation measurements can achieve the sensitivity to rule out unexplored regions of the axion parameter space.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗