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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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At least 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Imaging Analysis of the Hard X-Ray Telescope ProtoEXIST2 and New Techniques for High-Resolution Coded-Aperture Telescopes

Wide-field (greater than or approximately equal to 100 degrees squared) hard X-ray coded-aperture telescopes with high angular resolution (greater than or approximately equal to 2 minutes) will enable a wide range of time domain astrophysics. For instance, transient sources such as gamma-ray bursts can be precisely localized without the assistance of secondary focusing X-ray telescopes to enable rapid followup studies. On the other hand, high angular resolution in coded-aperture imaging introduces a new challenge in handling the systematic uncertainty: the average photon count per pixel is often too small to establish a proper background pattern or model the systematic uncertainty in a timescale where the model remains invariant. We introduce two new techniques to improve detection sensitivity, which are designed for, but not limited to, a high-resolution coded-aperture system: a self-background modeling scheme which utilizes continuous scan or dithering operations, and a Poisson-statistics based probabilistic approach to evaluate the significance of source detection without subtraction in handling the background. We illustrate these new imaging analysis techniques in high resolution coded-aperture telescope using the data acquired by the wide-field hard X-ray telescope ProtoEXIST2 during a high-altitude balloon flight in fall 2012. We review the imaging sensitivity of ProtoEXIST2 during the flight, and demonstrate the performance of the new techniques using our balloon flight data in comparison with a simulated ideal Poisson background.

balloons - instrumentation: detectors - techniques↗
NASA NTRS2017

Radiation and Temperature Hard Multi-Pixel Avalanche Photodiodes

The structure and method of fabricating a radiation and temperature hard avalanche photodiode with integrated radiation and temperature hard readout circuit, comprising a substrate, an avalanche region, an absorption region, and a plurality of Ohmic contacts are presented. The present disclosure provides for tuning of spectral sensitivity and high device efficiency, resulting in photon counting capability with decreased crosstalk and reduced dark current.

Bensaoula, Abdelhak↗
NASA NTRS2018

Inorbit Performance of the Hard X-ray Telescope (HXT) on Board the Hitomi (ASTRO-H) Satellite

Hitomi (ASTRO-H) carries two Hard X-ray Telescopes (HXTs), which can focus x-rays up to 80 keV. Combined with the hard x-ray imagers (HXIs) that detect the focused x-rays, imaging spectroscopy in the high energy band from 5 to 80 keV is made possible. We studied characteristics of HXTs after the launch, such as the encircled energy function (EEF) and the effective area using the data of a Crab observation

Masumoto, Hironori↗
NASA NTRS2018

Su Lyn: Diagnosing the Boundary Layer with UV and Hard X-Ray Data

Symbiotic stars in which the symbiotic phenomenon is powered solely by accretion, often at an average rate that is higher than in cataclysmic variable stars, provide an important opportunity to diagnose boundary layers around disk-accreting white dwarfs. Here, we investigate SU Lyncis (SU Lyn), a recently discovered example of a purely accretion-powered symbiotic star, using the first reliable X-ray spectroscopy, obtained with NuSTAR, and ultraviolet (UV) photometry obtained with Swift. SU Lyn has hard, thermal, X-ray emission that is strongly affected by a variable local absorber that has little impact on the UV emission. Its X-ray spectrum is described well using a plasma cooling from kT ≈ 21 keV, with a 3-30 keV luminosity of approximately 4.9 × 10(exp 32) erg s(exp -1). The spectrum is also consistent with the presence of reflection with an amplitude of 1.0, although in that case, the bestfit plasma temperature is 20%-25% lower. The UV to X-ray luminosity ratio of SU Lyn changed significantly between 2015 and 2016. We interpret this as a consequence of a drop by almost 90% in the accretion rate. Whereas the UV luminosity of the disk responded linearly, the luminosity of the optically thin (hard X-ray) emission from the boundary layer remained roughly constant because the boundary layer changed from partially optically thick to almost completely optically thin. Under this interpretation, we place a lower limit on the white dwarf mass of 0.7 solar mass (0.8 solar mass if we neglect reflection).

NuSTAR↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Next-Generation Hard X-ray Missions: SuperHERO and HEROIX

High-energy X-ray observations have transformed our understanding of astrophysical systems where non-thermal processes dominate, from shock-accelerated particles in supernova remnants to relativistic jets and hot coronae in active galactic nuclei. NuSTAR’s pioneering focusing images of the hard X-ray sky have demonstrated the immense scientific potential of this band, while also highlighting how limited angular resolution constrains our ability to fully characterize complex physical processes in faint extended sources and resolving faint sources in crowded sky regions. In this presentation, I will discuss a pathway to overcome these challenges through NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s replicated NiCo full-shell X-ray mirror technology. Specifically, I will discuss the SuperHERO hard X-ray telescope to achieve better than 10-arcsecond half-power diameter (HPD) angular resolution on a balloon flight observing the Crab Nebula, and the High EneRgy Observatory for Imaging X-rays (HEROIX) Medium-Class Mission concept to achieve an integrated effective area of 570 cm2 at 30 keV with 5 arcsec HPD angular resolution.

AGN↗
DOE OSTI2012

High aspect ratio hard x-ray (> 100 keV) imager to measure hot electron preheat for indirectly driven capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility

We have fielded a multi-pinhole, hard x-ray (> 100 keV) imager to measure the spatially-resolved bremsstrahlung emission from energetic electrons slowing in a plastic ablator shell during indirectly driven implosions at the National Ignition Facility. These electrons are generated in laser plasma interactions, and are a source of preheat to the deuterium-tritium fuel that could limit the compressibility required for ignition and burn. Our hard x-ray imaging measurements allow to set an upper limit to the DT fuel preheat, which we find is acceptable in current capsule implosions on the NIF.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Experimental search for two-hard-photon exchange in elastic ep experiments

A remarkable change of paradigm was precipitated by the results, obtained in the last 12 years, of new measurements of the proton form factor ratio; the two form factors, G{sub Ep} and G{sub Mp}, are not in a constant ratio, as had been concluded from previous cross section experiments, and would be the case if charge and magnetization spatial distributions were the same. Rather, as the series of polarization measurements at JLab shows, the ratio {mu}{sub p}G{sub Ep}/G{sub Mp} decreases smoothly from 1 at Q{sup 2} = 0, to about 0.15 at Q{sup 2} = 8.5 GeV{sup 2}, with Q{sup 2} the negative of the four-momentum transfer squared. The interesting question is then: how can the results using two methods both related through the Born approximation, be found to lead to a different form factor ratio? The short answer is that cross sections require large radiative corrections, which tend to mask G{sub Ep} for increasing Q{sup 2}, whereas recoil polarization experiments measure the ratio of two components of the recoil polarization, which tends to cancel the effect of radiative corrections. Radiative corrections to the cross section of ep scattering have a long history. They may just not be accurate enough when the ratio G{sub Ep}/G{sub Mp} {approx} 0.05 and {tau} = Q{sup 2}/4m{sub p}{sup 2} {approx} 2.5, as is the case for the largest Q{sup 2} for which we have double-polarization data, 8.5 GeV{sup 2}. For this Q{sup 2} and with the Born cross section given by d{sigma} {approx} G{sub Ep}{sup 2} + ({tau}/{var_epsilon})G{sub Mp}{sup 2}, with {var_epsilon} the kinematic factor, the contribution to the cross section of G{sub Ep} becomes smaller than 0.1%, i.e. non-measurable in cross section experiments. The other hypothesis, is that the radiative corrections are incomplete, and that the exchange of two hard photons is the source of the discrepancy; the idea has been pursued in numerous works, but to this day there is no direct, experimental evidence that two-hard-photons exchange is the major source of the discrepancy.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Critical Configurations of Hard Disks on the Torus

CCHDT constructs and classifies various arrangements of hard disks of a single radius places on the unit square with periodic boundary conditions. Specifially, a given configuration is evolved to the nearest critical point on a smoothed hard disk energy fuction, and is classified by the adjacency matrix of the canonically labelled contact graph.

Mason, J.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Mechanical design of multiple zone plates precision alignment apparatus for hard X-ray focusing in twenty-nanometer scale

An enhanced mechanical design of multiple zone plates precision alignment apparatus for hard x-ray focusing in a twenty-nanometer scale is provided. The precision alignment apparatus includes a zone plate alignment base frame; a plurality of zone plates; and a plurality of zone plate holders, each said zone plate holder for mounting and aligning a respective zone plate for hard x-ray focusing. At least one respective positioning stage drives and positions each respective zone plate holder. Each respective positioning stage is mounted on the zone plate alignment base frame. A respective linkage component connects each respective positioning stage and the respective zone plate holder. The zone plate alignment base frame, each zone plate holder and each linkage component is formed of a selected material for providing thermal expansion stability and positioning stability for the precision alignment apparatus.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Hard carbon composite for alkali metal-ion batteries

A method is provided for fabricating a graphene-doped, carbohydrate-derived hard carbon (G-HC) composite material for alkali metal-ion batteries. The method provides graphene oxide (GO) dispersed in an aqueous solution. A carbohydrate is dissolved into the aqueous solution and subsequently the water is removed to create a precipitate. In one aspect, the carbohydrate is sucrose. The precipitate is dehydrated and exposed to a thermal treatment of less than 1200 degrees C. to carbonize the carbohydrate. The result is the formation of a graphene-doped, carbohydrate-derived hard carbon (G-HC) composite. Typically, the G-HC composite is made up of graphene in the range of 0.1 and 20% by weight (wt %), and HC in the range of 80 to 99.9 wt %. The G-HC composite has a specific surface area of less than 10 square meters per gram (m2/g). A G-HC composite suitable for use in alkali metal-ion batteries electrodes is also provided.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Generation of High Peak Power Hard X-Rays at LCLS-II with Double Bunch Self-seeding

We propose to use existing LCLS copper S-band linac double bunch infrastructure to significantly improve LCLS-II hard X-ray performance. In our setup, we use the first bunch to generate a strong seeding X-ray signal, and the second bunch, initially traveling off-axis, to interact with the seed in the amplifier undulator and generate a near TW, 15 fs duration X-ray pulse in the 4 to 8 keV photon energy range. We investigate, via numerical simulations, the required transverse beam dynamics and the four crystals X-ray monochromator to be added to the existing LCLS-II beamline and discuss the final properties of the hard X-ray pulses and their potential application in high intensity, high-field physics experiments, including QED above the Schwinger critical field.

Halavanau, A.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Relativistic Hard-Scattering and Tsallis Fits to pT Spectra in pp Collisions at the LHC

Motivated by the good Tsallis fits to the high-pT spectra in pp collisions at the LHC, we study the relativistic hard-scattering model and obtain an approximate analytical expression for the differential hard-scattering cross section at \eta~0. The power-law behavior of the transverse spectra, in the form of d\sigma/ dpT^2 ~ 1/pT^n, gives a power index n in the range of 4.5-5.5 for jet production as predicted by pQCD, after the dependencies of the structure functions and the running coupling constant are properly taken into account. The power indices for hadron production n are slightly greater than those for jet production.

Wong, Cheuk-Yin↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multilayer iron nitride hard magnetic materials

The disclosure describes multilayer hard magnetic materials including at least one layer including α″-Fe16N2 and at least one layer including α″-Fe16(NxZ1-x)2 or a mixture of α″-Fe16N2 and α″-Fe16Z2, where Z includes at least one of C, B, or O, and x is a number greater than zero and less than one. The disclosure also describes techniques for forming multilayer hard magnetic materials including at least one layer including α″-Fe16N2 and at least one layer including α″-Fe16(NxZ1-x)2 or a mixture of α″-Fe16N2 and α″-Fe16Z2 using chemical vapor deposition or liquid phase epitaxy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hard x-ray standing-wave photoemission study of the interfaces in a BiFeO$_3$/La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ superlattice

Hybrid multiferroics such as BiFeO$_3$ (BFO) and La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ (LSMO) heterostructures are highly interesting functional systems due to their complex electronic and magnetic properties. One of the key parameters influencing the emergent properties is the quality of interfaces, where varying interdiffusion lengths can give rise to different chemistry and distinctive electronic states. Here we report high-resolution depth resolved chemical and electronic investigation of BFO/LSMO superlattice using standing-wave hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy in the first-order Bragg as well as near-total-reflection geometry. Our results show that the interfaces of BFO on top of LSMO are atomically abrupt, while the LSMO on top of BFO interfaces show an interdiffusion length of around 1.2 unit cells. The two interfaces also exhibit different chemical gradients, with the BFO/LSMO interface being Sr-terminated by a spectroscopically distinctive high binding energy component in Sr 2p core-level spectra, which is spatially contained within 1 unit cell from the interface. From the electronic point of view, unique valence band features were observed for bulk-BFO, bulk-LSMO and their interfaces. Our X-ray optical analysis revealed a unique electronic signature at the BFO/LSMO interface, which we attribute to the coupling between those respective layers. Valence band decomposition based on the Bragg-reflection standing-wave measurement also revealed the band alignment between BFO and LSMO layers. Our work demonstrates that standing-wave hard x-ray photoemission is a reliable non-destructive technique for probing depth-resolved electronic structure of buried layers and interfaces with sub-unit-cell resolution. Equivalent investigations can be successfully applied to a broad class of material such as perovskite complex oxides with emergent interfacial phenomena.

Martins, HP↗
DOE OSTI2022

Forming iron nitride hard magnetic materials using chemical vapor deposition or liquid phase epitaxy

The disclosure describes techniques for forming hard magnetic materials including α″-Fe16N2 using chemical vapor deposition or liquid phase epitaxy and hard materials formed according to these techniques. A method comprises heating an iron source to form a vapor comprising an iron-containing compound; depositing iron from the vapor comprising the iron-containing compound and nitrogen from a vapor comprising a nitrogen-containing compound on a substrate to form a layer comprising iron and nitrogen; and annealing the layer comprising iron and nitrogen to form at least some crystals comprising α″-Fe16N2.

Wang, Jian-Ping↗
DOE OSTI2014

Studies of Chiral-Odd GPDs in Hard Exclusive Pseudoscalar Me- son Production

Deeply virtual exclusive electroproduction of pseudoscalar mesons in hard scattering processes provides a unique avenue to access chiral-odd GPDs. The latter enter the soft matrix elements in transverse virtual photon-proton scattering. Transverse photon polarization dominates ?0, ?, and K production in the multi GeV region owing to the fact that t-channel meson pole contribution either does not occur (?0 and ?), or is predicted to be relatively small (K+,Ko). We will present ongoing studies of spin and azimuthal asymmetries in hard exclusive production of pseudoscalar mesons at Jefferson Lab, and proposed future measurements to study chiral-odd GPDs at JLab and Electron Ion Collider. Combination of measurements of cross sections, spin and azimuthal asymmetries with a longitudinally polarized beam and both unpolarized and longitudinally polarized proton targets for ?o, ? and K+,Ko electroproduction will provide a detailed test of the mechanism for pseudoscalar meson electroproduction including strangeness, and allow to perform flavor decomposition of underlying chiral-odd GPDs.

Avagyan, Harutyun↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measuring the Beam-Spin Asymmetry of Hard Exclusive ¿0 Production off the Neutron with CLAS12

Over the course of the last couple of decades, Generalised Parton Distributions (GPDs) have become a compelling area of focus in both theoretical and experimental research in the ?eld of hadronic structure. GPDs can be indirectly accessed via observables in hard exclusive reactions such as Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) and Deeply Virtual Meson Production (DVMP). In these reactions, an incident lepton scatters o? an individual quark within the target nucleon via the exchange of a virtual photon, and a real photon (DVCS) or a meson (DVMP) are emitted as a result. This thesis presents an analysis of Deeply Virtual ?0 Meson Production o? the neutron in the deuteron (nDV?0P). The data were taken with the CLAS12 detector, which is housed in the experimental Hall B at the Je?erson National Laboratory (JLab) in Virginia, USA. A longitudinally polarised electron beam delivered by JLab?s Continuous Electron Beam accelerator Facility (CEBAF), at an energy of 10.2 and 10.6 GeV, was incident on a liquid deuterium target housed within the CLAS12 detector assembly. The nDV?0P channel is sensitive to the lesser-studied chiral-odd transversity GPDs. GPDs are accessed indirectly via observables related to the cross-sections of hard exclusive processes. One such example is the beam-spin asymmetry (?LU) as a function of Trento-?, the angle between the leptonic plane and the hadronic plane which are de?ned with the beam and scattered electron, and with the recoiling neutron and reconstructed ?0, respectively. Despite the limited statistics, the observable ?LU was successfully extracted for eight kinematic bins (four in Mandelstam ?, and two in ??). This is a ?rst measurement for nDV?0P in the phase-space which is now available with CLAS12 in the 12 GeV era of JLab.

Naidoo, Paul↗