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DOE OSTI2024

Current potential patches

A novel form of the current potential, a mathematical tool for the design of stellarators and stellarator coils, is developed. Specifically, these are current potentials with a finite-element basis, called current potential patches. Current potential patches leverage the relationship between distributions of magnetic dipoles and current potentials to explore limits of the access properties of stellarator coil sets. An example calculation is shown using the Helically Symmetric Experiment (HSX) equilibrium, demonstrating the method's use in coil design and understanding the limits of the access properties of coil sets. Current potential patches have additional desirable properties such as of promoting sparse current sheet solutions and identifying crucial locations of shaping current placement. A result is found for the HSX equilibrium that shaping currents covering only 22% of the winding surface are sufficient to produce the equilibrium to a good accuracy, provided a toroidal field is generated by an exterior coil set.

Elder, Todd↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE SCUBA-2 COSMOLOGY LEGACY SURVEY: MULTIWAVELENGTH COUNTERPARTS TO 10{sup 3} SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES IN THE UKIDSS-UDS FIELD

We present multiwavelength identifications for the counterparts of 1088 submillimeter sources detected at 850 μm in the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey study of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey-Ultra-Deep Survey (UDS) field. By utilizing an Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) pilot study on a subset of our bright SCUBA-2 sample as a training set, along with the deep optical–near-infrared (OIR) data available in this field, we develop a novel technique, Optical–IR Triple Color (OIRTC), using z − K, K − [3.6], [3.6] − [4.5] colors to select the candidate submillimeter galaxy (SMG) counterparts. By combining radio identification and the OIRTC technique, we find counterpart candidates for 80% of the Class = 1 ≥ 4σ SCUBA-2 sample, defined as those that are covered by both radio and OIR imaging and the base sample for our scientific analyses. Based on the ALMA training set, we expect the accuracy of these identifications to be 82% ± 20%, with a completeness of 69% ± 16%, essentially as accurate as the traditional p-value technique but with higher completeness. We find that the fraction of SCUBA-2 sources having candidate counterparts is lower for fainter 850 μm sources, and we argue that for follow-up observations sensitive to SMGs with S{sub 850} ≳ 1 mJy across the whole ALMA beam, the fraction with multiple counterparts is likely to be >40% for SCUBA-2 sources at S{sub 850} ≳ 4 mJy. We find that the photometric redshift distribution for the SMGs is well fit by a lognormal distribution, with a median redshift of z = 2.3 ± 0.1. After accounting for the sources without any radio and/or OIRTC counterpart, we estimate the median redshift to be z = 2.6 ± 0.1 for SMGs with S{sub 850} > 1 mJy. We also use this new large sample to study the clustering of SMGs and the far-infrared properties of the unidentified submillimeter sources by stacking their Herschel SPIRE far-infrared emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of CLARA-A2 and ISCCP-H Cloud Cover Climate Data Records over Europe with ECA&D Ground-Based Measurements

Clouds are of high importance for the climate system but they still remain one of its principal uncertainties. Remote sensing techniques applied to satellite observations have assisted tremendously in the creation of long-term and homogeneous data records; however, satellite data sets need to be validated and compared with other data records, especially ground measurements. In the present study, the spatiotemporal distribution and variability of Total Cloud Cover (TCC) from the Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) Cloud, Albedo And Surface Radiation dataset from AVHRR data—edition 2 (CLARA-A2) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project H-series (ISCCP-H) is analyzed over Europe. The CLARA-A2 data record has been created using measurements of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument onboard the polar orbiting NOAA and the EUMETSAT MetOp satellites, whereas the ISCCP-H data were produced by a combination of measurements from geostationary meteorological satellites and the AVHRR instrument on the polar orbiting satellites. An intercomparison of the two data records is performed over their common period, 1984 to 2012. In addition, a comparison of the two satellite data records is made against TCC observations at 22 meteorological stations in Europe, from the European Climate Assessment & Dataset (ECA&D). The results indicate generally larger ISCCP-H TCC with respect to the corresponding CLARA-A2 data, in particular in the Mediterranean. Compared to ECA&D data, both satellite datasets reveal a reasonable performance, with overall mean TCC biases of 2.1 and 5.2% for CLARA-A2 and ISCCP-H, respectively. This, along with the higher correlation coefficients between CLARA-A2 and ECA&D TCC, indicates the better performance of CLARA-A2 TCC data.

Tzallas, Vasileios↗
DOE OSTI2012

Characterization of the liquid sodium spray generated by a pipework hole

Due to its advantageous thermodynamic characteristics at high temperature (550 deg. C), liquid sodium is the main candidate to be the cooling fluid for Generation TV nuclear reactors SFR (Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors). Now, sodium reacts very violently, both with the water and the oxygen of the air. Only few data were known about the liquid sodium behaviour when spread in the environment through micro defects. These are often present in a cooling circuit in welded or sealed joints and more rarely in the pipes. Micro defects, on the other hand, can be also generated in a cooling circuit because of the vibrations always present in a circuit into which a fluid runs. A new set-up, named LISOF, was built for testing high temperature liquid sodium when passing through micro defects and generating sprays or jets. Sprays and jets were generated by means of nozzles embedding sub milli-metric holes the diameter of which was: 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm. Tests were performed by pressurizing liquid sodium (550 deg. C) at: 3, 6 and 9 barg. Normal and high speed cinematography were used for the direct observation of the liquid sodium sprays while Phase Doppler Interferometry was used for the measurement of the droplets characteristics and velocity. Tests concerning the behaviour of the high temperature liquid sodium firing in air or in contact with the cement cover applied to a scaled down core catcher simulacrum were also performed. The paper presents the built set-up and the collected results. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Microclimatic performance of a free-air warming and CO₂ enrichment experiment in windy Wyoming, USA

In order to plan for global changing climate experiments are being conducted in many countries, but few have monitored the effects of the climate change treatments (warming, elevated CO₂) on the experimental plot microclimate. During three years of an eight year study with year-round feedback-controlled infra-red heater warming (1.5/3.0°C day/night) and growing season free-air CO₂ enrichment (600 ppm) in the mixed-grass prairie of Wyoming, USA, we monitored soil, leaf, canopy-air, above-canopy-air temperatures and relative humidity of control and treated experimental plots and evaluated ecologically important temperature differentials. Leaves were warmed somewhat less than the target settings (1.1 & 1.5°C day/night) but soil was warmed more creating an average that matched the target settings extremely well both during the day and night plus the summer and winter. The site typically has about 50% bare or litter covered soil, therefore soil heat transfer is more critical than in dense canopy ecosystems. The Wyoming site commonly has strong winds (5 ms⁻¹ average) and significant daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations (as much as 30°C daily) but the warming system was nearly always able to maintain the set temperatures regardless of abiotic variation. The within canopy-air was only slightly warmed and above canopy-air was not warmed by the system, therefore convective warming was minor. Elevated CO₂ had no direct effect nor interaction with the warming treatment on microclimate. Relative humidity within the plant canopy was only slightly reduced by warming. Soil water content was reduced by warming but increased by elevated CO₂. This study demonstrates the importance of monitoring the microclimate in manipulative field global change experiments so that critical physiological and ecological conclusions can be determined. Highly variable energy demand fluctuations showed that passive IR heater warming systems will not maintain desired warming for much of the time.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

The ABC of RPV: classification of R-parity violating signatures at the LHC for small couplings

We perform a classification of all potential supersymmetric R-parity violating signatures at the LHC to address the question: are existing bounds on supersymmetric models robust, or are there still signatures not covered by existing searches, allowing LHC scale supersymmetry to be hiding? We analyze all possible scenarios with one dominant RPV trilinear coupling at a time, allowing for arbitrary LSPs and mass spectra. We consider direct production of the LSP, as well as production via gauge-cascades, and find 6 different experimental signatures for the $LL\overline{E}$-case, 6 for the $LQ\overline{D}$-case, and 5 for the $\overline{U}$ $\overline{D}$ $\overline{D}$-case; together these provide complete coverage of the RPV-MSSM landscape. This set of signatures is confronted with the existing searches by ATLAS and CMS. We find all signatures have been covered at the LHC, although not at the sensitivity level needed to probe the direct production of all LSP types. For the case of a dominant $LL\overline{E}$-operator, we use CheckMATE to quantify the current lower bounds on the supersymmetric masses and find the limits to be comparable to or better than the R-parity conserving case. Our treatment can be easily extended to scenarios with more than one non-zero RPV coupling.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Searches for anisotropies in the arrival directions of the highest energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory

We analyze the distribution of arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory in 10 years of operation. The data set, about three times larger than that used in earlier studies, includes arrival directions with zenith angles up to 80°, thus covering from −90{sup ∘} to +45{sup ∘} in declination. After updating the fraction of events correlating with the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the Véron-Cetty and Véron catalog, we subject the arrival directions of the data with energies in excess of 40 EeV to different tests for anisotropy. We search for localized excess fluxes, self-clustering of event directions at angular scales up to 30°, and different threshold energies between 40 and 80 EeV. We then look for correlations of cosmic rays with celestial structures both in the Galaxy (the Galactic Center and Galactic Plane) and in the local universe (the Super-Galactic Plane). We also examine their correlation with different populations of nearby extragalactic objects: galaxies in the 2MRS catalog, AGNs detected by Swift-BAT, radio galaxies with jets, and the Centaurus A (Cen A) galaxy. None of the tests show statistically significant evidence of anisotropy. The strongest departures from isotropy (post-trial probability ∼1.4%) are obtained for cosmic rays with E>58 EeV in rather large windows around Swift AGNs closer than 130 Mpc and brighter than 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1} (18° radius), and around the direction of Cen A (15° radius).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Three-Flavor Neutrino Oscillations with MINOS+

This dissertation presents the analysis of the last two years of data from the MINOS+ long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. The analysis explores the data above the first oscillation maximum for neutrinos in the standard three-flavor neutrino oscillation model, adding significantly more neutrino events and constraining the model with increased precision. The analysis of the high-energy region of the MINOS+ data set, where previously there has been limited study, can help constrain alternative models or possibly show evidence of new phenomena. The predecessor to MINOS+, the MINOS experiment, measured $\nu_\mu$ disappearance and $\nu_{e}$ appearance using Fermilab's NuMI $\nu_\mu$ beam from 2005 to 2012. During this period the neutrino beam's energy spectrum was focused to peak near the first oscillation maximum. In addition to measuring accelerator beam neutrinos, the MINOS Far Detector collected a sample of atmospheric neutrinos from 2003 to 2011. With the se two samples, MINOS measured the atmospheric mass splitting, $\Delta{m}^2_{32}$, at the 5\% level and the value of $\sin^2\theta_{23}$ at the 15\% level. The data also constrained the CP violating parameter $\delta_{\rm CP}$. The MINOS+ experiment exposed the MINOS detectors to a neutrino beam peaked at energies above the oscillation maximum from 2013 to 2016. With this higher energy neutrino beam, MINOS+ measures the shape of the $\nu_\mu$ survival probability away from the oscillation maximum with unprecedented precision. Measuring the shape of the oscillation probability as a function of neutrino energy is an essential test of the three-flavor oscillation model. At these higher energies where the standard oscillation probability decreases, the neutrino energy spectrum is sensitive to potential perturbations from mixing with additional sterile neutrinos or non-standard neutrino interactions. This analysis of the complete data set from MINOS+ finds no significant deviatio ns from the three-flavor oscillation probability in the ener! gy region of 4 to 10\,GeV covered by the neutrino beam. This provides increased confidence in the three-flavor model in this region and provides new constraints of the atmospheric oscillation parameters, $\Delta{m}^2_{32}$ and $\sin^2\theta_{23}$, by combining the MINOS and MINOS+ data sets. The hierarchy of the neutrino masses is related to the sign of $\Delta{m}^2_{32}$. When $\Delta{m}^2_{32} > 0$, the mass hierarchy is classified as normal. When $\Delta{m}^2_{32} < 0$, the mass hierarchy is classified as inverted. This analysis cannot rule out either of the mass hierarchies. For the normal mass hierarchy, the combined analysis measures $\lvert{\Delta{m}^2_{32}}\rvert = 2.41\pm 0.09 \times 10^{-3}\,{\mathrm{eV}^2}$ at 68\% C.L. and $\sin^2\theta_{23} = 0.42_{-0.06}^{+0.23}$ at 90\% C.L. For the inverted mass hierarchy, this analysis measures $\lvert{\Delta{m}^2_{32}}\rvert = 2.47_{-0.10}^{+0.08} \times 10^{-3}\,{\mathrm{eV}^2}$ at 68\% C.L. and $\sin^2\theta_{23} = 0.42_{ -0.06}^{+0.23}$ at 90\% C.L. In addition to the analysis and measurement of the atmospheric oscillation parameters using MINOS+, this work updates the constraint on $\delta_{\rm CP}$ from MINOS and performs an exploratory combination using $\nu_\mu$ disappearance data from the NOvA experiment. The NOvA experiment uses the NuMI beam in an off-axis strategy that results in a narrow flux of muon neutrinos at the first oscillation maximum and allows precision measurements of the three-flavor parameters. Since NOvA and MINOS+ shared the same neutrino beam, their data can be combined taking advantage of common beam related uncertainties. Combined, the data from the MINOS, MINOS+, and NOvA experiments precisely map $\nu_\mu$ oscillation probabilities using the same neutrino beam in a way that could not be attempted before.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Long-Term Merged Global Ozone Data Set

Using data from a series of space-based ozone measurement systems we are producing a consistent, calibrated ozone time series that can be used for trend analyses and other studies. To produce the total column ozone time series we use data from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments on Nimbus 7 and Earth Probe, and data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) flying on the Aura spacecraft. Both total column ozone and the ozone vertical profile data are produced from the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instruments on Nimbus 7 and SBUV/2 instruments on a series of NOAA spacecraft. A global zonal mean merged ozone data time series covering the period from 1970-1972 and 1978-2010 has been produced for total column ozone. A similar profile data set has been constructed, but is still in preliminary form due to uncertainty in calibration adjustments as a function of latitude and altitude.

McPeters, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Reevaluation of Stratospheric Ozone Trends From SAGE II Data Using a Simultaneous Temporal and Spatial Analysis

This paper details a new method of regression for sparsely sampled data sets for use with time-series analysis, in particular the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II ozone data set. Non-uniform spatial, temporal, and diurnal sampling present in the data set result in biased values for the long-term trend if not accounted for. This new method is performed close to the native resolution of measurements and is a simultaneous temporal and spatial analysis that accounts for potential diurnal ozone variation. Results show biases, introduced by the way data is prepared for use with traditional methods, can be as high as 10%. Derived long-term changes show declines in ozone similar to other studies but very different trends in the presumed recovery period, with differences up to 2% per decade. The regression model allows for a variable turnaround time and reveals a hemispheric asymmetry in derived trends in the middle to upper stratosphere. Similar methodology is also applied to SAGE II aerosol optical depth data to create a new volcanic proxy that covers the SAGE II mission period. Ultimately this technique may be extensible towards the inclusion of multiple data sets without the need for homogenization.

Damadeo, R. P.↗
DOE OSTI2021

PELICAN Design, Test Planning, and Commissioning Results

To support design efforts for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) core assemblies, an experimental facility has been designed and constructed at Argonne National Laboratory to match the hydraulic flow conditions within the VTR’s primary heat transport system (PHTS). This facility, the Pressure drop Experimental Loop for Investigations of Core Assemblies in advanced Nuclear reactors, PELICAN, provides the ability to measure pressure drop across a full-scale fuel assembly containing prototypic axial reflectors, fuel, and plena components. The PELICAN facility was designed and built to offer maximum flexibility, allowing testing from short sub-sections all the way to the full-length core fuel assemblies. The report presents the high-level program objectives, a summary of the facility design, instrumentation, and control systems, and the testing procedure. The outcomes from facility characterization efforts and first test matrix results are then presented and then, finally, the conclusion contains a summary of the future work to be performed. This test facility was designed to match the hydraulic conditions of the flowing sodium in the VTR using water as a surrogate fluid. To do so, the water is elevated to a temperature of 110°C where its viscosity matches that of sodium, and with a 50-HP centrifugal pump, is capable of generating full scale flow rates to achieve prototypic Reynolds and Euler number flow conditions. To prevent boiling, the system is maintained at elevated pressure of at least 2.7-3.0 bar (40-44 psig). A set of 15 tests have been used to perform checkout activities in order to commission the device, survey the capabilities of PELICAN, and generate experimental data at isothermal conditions and over a range of flow rates up to 44 kg/s (700 GPM) to produce datasets used in the verification and validation of VTR design and modeling efforts. Initial testing focused on facility characterization, which assessed the operational capabilities of various control systems. The thermal control system was qualified, including the thermal response of the loop to the heat added by self- and auxiliary heaters, the chiller and heat exchanger systems for removing excess heat, and their coupled ability to maintain steady-state isothermal conditions as desired. Additionally, the pressure control system was verified to ensure necessary operating environments that promote pump health and prevent boiling of loop inventory at high temperatures could be met. With these systems in place, the first set of matrix tests have been carried out using orifice plates with inner diameters of 2.25-inches and 2.5-inches. Orifice plate flow behavior is well covered in scientific literature, and the results find good agreement with the measured pressure drop vs flow rate and those of theoretical predictions. This initial testing not only helps to validate the experiment, but it also produces a high quality data set for a geometry that is easily reproducible for simulations. Finally, the report is concluded with a discussion of the work to come and provides a snapshot of the test articles in the experimental pipeline whose designs are being inspired by the current designs from the VTR.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Physics of the Accelerating Universe Camera

The Physics of the Accelerating Universe (PAU) Survey goal is to obtain photometric redshifts (photo-z) and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of astronomical objects with a resolution roughly one order of magnitude better than current broadband (BB) photometric surveys. To accomplish this, a new large field-of-view (FoV) camera (PAUCam) has been designed, built, and commissioned and is now operated at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT). With the current WHT prime focus corrector, the camera covers an ∼1° diameter FoV, of which only the inner ∼40′ diameter is unvignetted. The focal plane consists of a mosaic of 18 2k × 4k Hamamatsu fully depleted CCDs, with high quantum efficiency up to 1 μm in wavelength. To maximize the detector coverage within the FoV, filters are placed in front of the CCDs inside the camera cryostat (made out of carbon fiber) using a challenging movable tray system. The camera uses a set of 40 narrowband filters ranging from ∼4500 to ∼8500 Å complemented with six standard BB filters, ugrizY. The PAU Survey aims to cover roughly 100 deg{sup 2} over fields with existing deep photometry and galaxy shapes to obtain accurate photometric redshifts for galaxies down to i {sub AB} ∼ 22.5, also detecting galaxies down to i {sub AB} ∼ 24 with less precision in redshift. With this data set, we will be able to measure intrinsic alignments and galaxy clustering and perform galaxy evolution studies in a new range of densities and redshifts. Here we describe the PAU camera, its first commissioning results, and its performance.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Ultra-short and broadband polarization splitter based on PCF and metal surface plasmons resonance

An ultra-short and broadband polarization splitter based on PCF and metal surface plasmons resonance is proposed by designing a new structure and filling gold wire into certain air holes. The introducing of gold wire aims to couple with the basic modes. Then high birefringence is obtained to improve the splitter’s performances including length, bandwidth and maximal extinction ratio. The numerical results demonstrate that the splitter can be the shortest length of 100 μm (to our knowledge) and the broad bandwidth is 470 nm simultaneously. And when the splitter’s length is set as 104 μm, the widest bandwidth reaches the maximum 575 nm (to our knowledge) which covers almost all the E, S, C, L, and U communication band. In addition, the structure is relatively simple, so it is easy to fabricate using available methods. These properties will help designing splitter in the optical communication and sensing system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Aerosol remote sensing in polar regions

Multi-year sets of ground-based sun-photometer measurements conducted at 12 Arctic sites and 9 Antarctic sites were examined to determine daily mean values of aerosol optical thickness τ(λ) at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, from which best-fit values of Ångström's exponent α were calculated. Analysing these data, the monthly mean values of τ(0.50 μm) and α and the relative frequency histograms of the daily mean values of both parameters were determined for winter–spring and summer–autumn in the Arctic and for austral summer in Antarctica. The Arctic and Antarctic covariance plots of the seasonal median values of α versus τ(0.50 μm) showed: (i) a considerable increase in τ(0.50 μm) for the Arctic aerosol from summer to winter–spring, without marked changes in α; and (ii) a marked increase in τ(0.50 μm) passing from the Antarctic Plateau to coastal sites, whereas α decreased considerably due to the larger fraction of sea-salt aerosol. Good agreement was found when comparing ground-based sun-photometer measurements of τ(λ) and α at Arctic and Antarctic coastal sites with Microtops measurements conducted during numerous AERONET/MAN cruises from 2006 to 2013 in three Arctic Ocean sectors and in coastal and off-shore regions of the Southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Lidar measurements were also examined to characterise vertical profiles of the aerosol backscattering coefficient measured throughout the year at Ny-Ålesund. Satellite-based MODIS, MISR, and AATSR retrievals of τ(λ) over large parts of the oceanic polar regions during spring and summer were in close agreement with ship-borne and coastal ground-based sun-photometer measurements. An overview of the chemical composition of mode particles is also presented, based on in-situ measurements at Arctic and Antarctic sites. Fourteen log-normal aerosol number size-distributions were defined to represent the average features of nuclei, accumulation and coarse mode particles for Arctic haze, summer background aerosol, Asian dust and boreal forest fire smoke, and for various background austral summer aerosol types at coastal and high-altitude Antarctic sites. The main columnar aerosol optical characteristics were determined for all 14 particle modes, based on in-situ measurements of the scattering and absorption coefficients. Diurnally averaged direct aerosol-induced radiative forcing and efficiency were calculated for a set of multimodal aerosol extinction models, using various Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function models over vegetation-covered, oceanic and snow-covered surfaces. These gave a reliable measure of the pronounced effects of aerosols on the radiation balance of the surface–atmosphere system over polar regions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Clouds and Radiation Processes in Regional Climate Models Evaluated Using Observations Over the Ice‐free Arctic Ocean

Abstract The presence of clouds in the Arctic regulates the surface energy budget (SEB) over the sea‐ice surface and the ice‐free ocean. Following several previous field campaigns, the cloud‐radiation relationship, including cloud vertical structure and phase, has been elucidated; however, modeling of this relationship has matured slowly. In recognition of the recent decline in the Arctic sea‐ice extent, representation of the cloud system in numerical models should consider the effects of areas covered by sea ice and ice‐free areas. Using an in situ stationary meteorological observation data set obtained over the ice‐free Arctic Ocean by the Japanese Research Vessel Mirai (September 2014), coordinated evaluation of six regional climate models (RCMs) with nine model runs was performed by focusing on clouds and the SEB. The most remarkable findings were as follows: (1) reduced occurrence of unstable stratification with low‐level cloud water in all models in comparison to the observations, (2) significant differences in cloud water representations between single‐ and double‐moment cloud schemes, (3) extensive differences in partitioning of hydrometeors including solid/liquid precipitation, and (4) pronounced lower‐tropospheric air temperature biases. These issues are considered as the main sources of SEB uncertainty over ice‐free areas of the Arctic Ocean. The results from a coupled RCM imply that the SEB is constrained by both the atmosphere and the ocean (and sea ice) with considerable feedback. Coordinated improvement of both stand‐alone atmospheric and coupled RCMs would promote a more comprehensive and improved understanding of the Arctic air‐ice‐sea coupled system.

Inoue, Jun↗
DOE OSTI2018

A collection of model stellar spectra for spectral types B to early-M

Context. Models of stellar spectra are necessary for interpreting light from individual stars, planets, integrated stellar populations, nebulae, and the interstellar medium. Aims. We provide a comprehensive and homogeneous collection of synthetic spectra for a wide range of atmospheric parameters and chemical compositions. Methods. We compile atomic and molecular data from the literature. We adopt the largest and most recent set of ATLAS9 model atmospheres, and use the radiative code ASSϵT. Results. The resulting collection of spectra is made publicly available at medium and high-resolution (R ≡ λ/δλ = 10 000, 100 000 and 300 000) spectral grids, which include variations in effective temperature between 3500 K and 30 000 K, surface gravity (0 ≤ log g ≤ 5), and metallicity (-5 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ +0:5), spanning the wavelength interval 120–6500 nm. A second set of denser grids with additional dimensions, [α/Fe] and micro-turbulence, are also provided (covering 200–2500 nm). We compare models with observations for a few representative cases.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

INSIGHTS INTO PRE-ENRICHMENT OF STAR CLUSTERS AND SELF-ENRICHMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES FROM THEIR INTRINSIC METALLICITY DISPERSIONS

Star clusters are known to have smaller intrinsic metallicity spreads than dwarf galaxies due to their shorter star formation timescales. Here we use individual spectroscopic [Fe/H] measurements of stars in 19 Local Group dwarf galaxies, 13 Galactic open clusters, and 49 globular clusters to show that star cluster and dwarf galaxy linear metallicity distributions are binomial in form, with all objects showing strong correlations between their mean linear metallicity Z-bar and intrinsic spread in metallicity {sigma}(Z){sup 2}. A plot of {sigma}(Z){sup 2} versus Z-bar shows that the correlated relationships are offset for the dwarf galaxies from the star clusters. The common binomial nature of these linear metallicity distributions can be explained with a simple inhomogeneous chemical evolution model, where the star cluster and dwarf galaxy behavior in the {sigma}(Z){sup 2}- Z-bar diagram is reproduced in terms of the number of enrichment events, covering fraction, and intrinsic size of the enriched regions. The inhomogeneity of the self-enrichment sets the slope for the observed dwarf galaxy {sigma}(Z){sup 2}- Z-bar correlation. The offset of the star cluster sequence from that of the dwarf galaxies is due to pre-enrichment, and the slope of the star cluster sequence represents the remnant signature of the self-enriched history of their host galaxies. The offset can be used to separate star clusters from dwarf galaxies without a priori knowledge of their luminosity or dynamical mass. The application of the inhomogeneous model to the {sigma}(Z){sup 2}- Z-bar relationship provides a numerical formalism to connect the self-enrichment and pre-enrichment between star clusters and dwarf galaxies using physically motivated chemical enrichment parameters. Therefore we suggest that the {sigma}(Z){sup 2}- Z-bar relationship can provide insight into what drives the efficiency of star formation and chemical evolution in galaxies, and is an important prediction for galaxy simulation models to reproduce.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE X-RAY VARIABILITY OF A LARGE, SERENDIPITOUS SAMPLE OF SPECTROSCOPIC QUASARS

We analyze the X-ray variability of 264 Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic quasars using the Chandra public archive. This data set consists of quasars with spectroscopic redshifts out to z Almost-Equal-To 5 and covers rest-frame timescales up to {Delta}t{sub sys} Almost-Equal-To 2000 days, with three or more X-ray observations available for 82 quasars. It therefore samples longer timescales and higher luminosities than previous large-scale analyses of active galactic nucleus (AGN) variability. We find significant ({approx}>3{sigma}) variation in Almost-Equal-To 30% of the quasars overall; the fraction of sources with detected variability increases strongly with the number of available source counts up to Almost-Equal-To 70% for sources with {>=}1000 counts per epoch. Assuming that the distribution of fractional variation is Gaussian, its standard deviation is Almost-Equal-To 16% on {approx}>1 week timescales, which is not enough to explain the observed scatter in quasar X-ray-to-optical flux ratios as being due to variability alone. We find no evidence in our sample that quasars are more variable at higher redshifts (z > 2), as has been suggested in previous studies. Quasar X-ray spectra vary similarly to some local Seyfert AGNs in that they steepen as they brighten, with evidence for a constant, hard spectral component that is more prominent in fainter stages. We identify one highly variable Narrow Line Seyfert 1-type spectroscopic quasar in the Chandra Deep Field-North. We constrain the rate of kilosecond-timescale flares in the quasar population using Almost-Equal-To 8 months of total exposure and also constrain the distribution of variation amplitudes between exposures; extreme changes (>100%) are quite rare, while variation at the 25% level occurs in <25% of observations. [O III] {lambda}5007 A emission may be stronger in sources with lower levels of X-ray variability; if confirmed, this would represent an additional link between small-scale (corona) and large-scale (narrow-line region) AGN properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗