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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 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

A phononic interface between a superconducting quantum processor and quantum networked spin memories

We introduce a method for high-fidelity quantum state transduction between a superconducting microwave qubit and the ground state spin system of a solid-state artificial atom, mediated via an acoustic bus connected by piezoelectric transducers. Applied to present-day experimental parameters for superconducting circuit qubits and diamond silicon-vacancy centers in an optimized phononic cavity, we estimate quantum state transduction with fidelity exceeding 99% at a MHz-scale bandwidth. By combining the complementary strengths of superconducting circuit quantum computing and artificial atoms, the hybrid architecture provides high-fidelity qubit gates with long-lived quantum memory, high-fidelity measurement, large qubit number, reconfigurable qubit connectivity, and high-fidelity state and gate teleportation through optical quantum networks.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Commissioning of the large-scale lead tungstate scintillating calorimeter

Here, we report on the installation and initial commissioning of a large-scale lead tungstate (PbWO4) scintillating crystal calorimeter developed for high-rate photon detection and precise energy measurement. The calorimeter comprises 1596 high-granularity, high-resolution scintillating crystals optimized for electromagnetic-shower detection over a wide energy range. Scintillation light from each crystal is read out by Hamamatsu R4125 photomultiplier tubes equipped with a custom voltage divider and front-end amplifier to ensure stable gain at high rates. All calorimeter modules were fabricated and characterized using a light-emitting diode–based optical test system prior to installation to verify uniformity and photodetector performance. After installation, the electromagnetic calorimeter was fully integrated into the experiment data acquisition and energy-based trigger systems. The optical response of the modules was equalized using the light-monitoring system, cosmic-ray muons, and photons from Compton-scattering events. Commissioning results demonstrate a reliably calibrated optical response and stable detector performance during the first run. These results validate the calorimeter design and commissioning methodology for large-scale scintillator-based photonic instrumentation.

Analog to digital converters↗
DOE OSTI2021

Millisecond-long suppression of spectroscopic optical signals using laser filamentation

Ultrashort laser pulse filamentation in air can extend the delivery of focused laser energy to distances greatly exceeding the Rayleigh length. In this way, remote measurements can be conducted using many standard methods of analytical spectroscopy. The performance of spectroscopic techniques can be enhanced by temporal gating, which rejects the unwanted noise and background. In the present work, we investigate the thermal relaxation of air in the wake of single-filament plasmas using shadowgraphy. Here, we demonstrate that the transient change in refractive index associated with relaxation of the gas can be used to reject both continuous and time-varying spectroscopic signals, including emission from laser-produced plasmas. This method can augment temporal gating of simple optical detectors.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Grating-Based Imaging-Scattering with Portable Neutron Generator

Company: Adelphi Technology, Inc. Title: Grating-Based Imaging-Scattering with Portable Neutron Generator PI: Dr. Jay Theodore Cremer, Jr. Topic: 26a Statement of the problem or situation that is being addressed. Successful plant growth depends upon an efficient and robust root system. The plant root is part of a larger system of water and microbial flows in the soil system. While much effort has been exerted to develop an imaging system for water, microbes, and roots, the problem is challenging, and no widely accepted imaging method currently exists. The optical solutions use a highly modified soil system. X-ray imaging methods are insensitive to the soft tissues in the presence of sand. Thermal neutron imaging has been often tested, but found inadequate, due to limited access and low image resolution. This project will develop a new strategy for neutron imaging of plant/soil systems. The project will allow long duration experiments in greenhouse environments and increase the image information content to the micron scale. General statement of how this problem is being addressed. Portable, rugged thermal and fast neutron sources are being developed where portable means a two-soldier team can carry the source and power unit to survey rough terrain for explosives. In the past decade, microfabrication of X-ray and thermal/cold neutron optics has opened a new imaging strategy. The standard transmission image is now supplemented with simultaneous acquisition of a phase contrast image and an image revealing scattering features. In materials science, the interferometric neutron scattering image has been used to detect early crack formation in stressed additive manufacturing test samples. The detection requires sensitivity to scattering features at the 1-micron scale. By addition of our proposed grating-optic to Adelphi Technology’s radiographic/tomographic imaging system, which is based on portable thermal neutron source, the resulting thermal neutron scatter image of the plant/soil system, will reveal details at 1-micron. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits Neutron interferometry imaging has greater penetration through large metal components compared to industrial X-ray imaging. The low-cost, large area optics developed for greenhouse applications, combined with the robust, portable neutron generator, can then be marketed as a system for inspection of additive manufactured components. In the aerospace industry, all freshly printed components are validated with X-ray CT. Scheduled maintenance again requires X-ray CT as the ability to predict aerospace component lifetime does not yet exist. Large aerospace components are only partially observed with X-ray imaging. Key Words Neutron radiography/tomography, grating interferometry, thermal neutron generator imaging, plant root and soil imaging, rhizosphere imaging, deployable neutron imaging systems Summary for Members of Congress A rugged, portable source of thermal neutrons is adapted for neutron interferometry imaging with the addition of low-cost, 3D printed optics. The first application of our proposed deployable, compact thermal neutron generator imaging system, using a grating optic, is plant root/soil science in greenhouse settings and agricultural laboratories.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multispectral and thermal surface imagery and surface elevation mosaics - Pendleton Feb 2023

This data set contains high-resolution image products (orthomosaics) acquired from midsized uncrewed aerial systems that have been processed for value-added quality. The instrument Altum multispectral imager by Micasense, captures in six bands (blue - 475nm, green - 560nm, red - 668nm, red edge - 717nm, near-infrared - 840 and LWIR/thermal - 11000nm. The optical bands are converted to reflectance via custom code using the instantaneous band horizontal irradiance ratio to the radiance of the pixel. The code used to develop these images first uses tools from the Micasense Python library to apply dark level corrections, row gradient corrections, and radiometric corrections. Next, it uses the processing API from Agisoft Metashape software to align and mosaic the processed imagery, following the processes developed by the USGS' structure from motion workflow documentation. Captures from different altitudes are used to produce an orthomosaic at each height. A tif image containing information related to the six spectral bands, and a digital elevation model (DEM), a tif image containing information related to the elevation of the surveyed terrain. 1 https://www.arm.gov/publications/tech_reports/handbooks/doe-sc-arm-tr-281.pdf 2 https://micasense.github.io/imageprocessing/MicaSense%20Image%20Processing%20Setup.html 3 https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2021/1039/ofr20211039.pdf

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Broadband Stability of the Habitable Zone Planet Finder Fabry–Pérot Etalon Calibration System: Evidence for Chromatic Variation

The comblike spectrum of a white light–illuminated Fabry–Pérot etalon can serve as a cost-effective and stable reference for precise Doppler measurements. Understanding the stability of these devices across their broad (hundreds of nanometers) spectral bandwidths is essential to realizing their full potential as Doppler calibrators. However, published descriptions remain limited to small bandwidths or short time spans. We present an ∼6 month broadband stability monitoring campaign of the Fabry–Pérot etalon system deployed with the near-infrared Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) spectrograph. We monitor the wavelengths of each of ∼3500 resonant modes measured in HPF spectra of this Fabry–Pérot etalon (free spectral range = 30 GHz, bandwidth = 820–1280 nm), leveraging the accuracy and precision of an electro-optic frequency comb reference. These results reveal chromatic structure in the Fabry–Pérot mode locations and their evolution with time. We measure an average drift on the order of 2 cm s{sup –1} day{sup −1}, with local departures up to ±5 cm s{sup –1} day{sup −1}. We discuss these behaviors in the context of the Fabry–Pérot etalon mirror dispersion and other optical properties of the system and the implications for the use of similar systems for precise Doppler measurements. Our results show that this system supports the wavelength calibration of HPF at the ≲10 cm s{sup −1} level over a night and the ≲30 cm s{sup −1} level over ∼10 days. Our results also highlight the need for long-term and spectrally resolved study of similar systems that will be deployed to support Doppler measurement precision approaching ∼10 cm s{sup −1}.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

X-ray optics for the cavity-based X-ray free-electron laser

A cavity-based X-ray free-electron laser (CBXFEL) is a possible future direction in the development of fully coherent X-ray sources. CBXFELs consist of a low-emittance electron source, a magnet system with several undulators and chicanes, and an X-ray cavity. The X-ray cavity stores and circulates X-ray pulses for repeated FEL interactions with electron pulses until the FEL reaches saturation. CBXFEL cavities require low-loss wavefront-preserving optical components: near-100%-reflectivity X-ray diamond Bragg-reflecting crystals, outcoupling devices such as thin diamond membranes or X-ray gratings, and aberration-free focusing elements. In the framework of the collaborative CBXFEL research and development project of Argonne National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and SPring-8, we report here the design, manufacturing and characterization of X-ray optical components for the CBXFEL cavity, which include high-reflectivity diamond crystal mirrors, a diamond drumhead crystal with thin membranes, beryllium refractive lenses and channel-cut Si monochromators. All the designed optical components have been fully characterized at the Advanced Photon Source to demonstrate their suitability for the CBXFEL cavity application.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Raman Spectroscopy Based On-Line, Real-Time Monitoring to Reduce Composition Uncertainties: Enhanced sensitivity through optimization of Raman Parameters

Optical spectroscopy-based on-line monitoring of Hanford processing streams can enable real-time characterization of chemical composition of process streams and batches, ultimately enabling and enhancing process control. It can provide immediate feedback on process conditions and has the potential to reduce the needed number of grab sample collections, thereby reducing times and costs associated with laboratory processing. Here we discuss the utilization of Raman spectroscopy to quantify multiple target analytes that are common within Hanford tanks and waste processing streams. Analytes include: nitrate, nitrite, carbonate, chromate, sulfate, phosphate, hydroxide, oxalate, ammonia, and aluminate. Most notably in this work, Raman applications to low-concentration streams are explored and optimized. Raman instrument specifications are compared; specifically, the impact of utilizing three different Raman excitation wavelengths, 405, 532, and 671 nm, is discussed. Also, Raman data collection parameters such as collection time and spectral averaging are measured and discussed. Finally, optical libraries of chemical targets were collected using optimized collection parameters and chemometric models were built to automate quantification of chemical targets. These models were validated through application to simulants and real Hanford process samples. Chemometric models performed well on both training and validation sets, suggesting these approaches can be successfully applied to on-line and real-time monitoring of low concentration Hanford processing streams. The use of the combine Raman wave lengths with the enhanced chemometric models for the low concentration streams significantly improved the chemical detection levels and significantly reduced uncertainties of those measurements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Self-calibration strategies for reducing systematic slope measurement errors of autocollimators in deflectometric profilometry

Deflectometric profilometers are used to precisely measure the form of beam shaping optics of synchrotrons and X-ray free-electron lasers. They often utilize autocollimators which measure slope by evaluating the displacement of a reticle image on a detector. Based on our privileged access to the raw image data of an autocollimator, novel strategies to reduce the systematic measurement errors by using a set of overlapping images of the reticle obtained at different positions on the detector are discussed. It is demonstrated that imaging properties such as, for example, geometrical distortions and vignetting, can be extracted from this redundant set of images without recourse to external calibration facilities. This approach is based on the fact that the properties of the reticle itself do not change – all changes in the reticle image are due to the imaging process. Firstly, by combining interpolation and correlation, it is possible to determine the shift of a reticle image relative to a reference image with minimal error propagation. Secondly, the intensity of the reticle image is analysed as a function of its position on the CCD and a vignetting correction is calculated. Thirdly, the size of the reticle image is analysed as a function of its position and an imaging distortion correction is derived. It is demonstrated that, for different measurement ranges and aperture diameters of the autocollimator, reductions in the systematic errors of up to a factor of four to five can be achieved without recourse to external measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Powerful Radio Sources in the Southern Sky. I. Optical Identifications

Since the early sixties, our view of radio galaxies and quasars has been drastically shaped by discoveries made thanks to observations of radio sources listed in the Third Cambridge Catalog and its revised version (3CR). However, the largest fraction of data collected to date on 3CR sources was performed with relatively old instruments, rarely repeated and/or updated. Importantly, the 3CR contains only objects located in the Northern Hemisphere, thus having limited access to new and innovative astronomical facilities. To mitigate these limitations, we present a new catalog of powerful radio sources visible from the Southern Hemisphere, extracted from the GLEAM 4 Jy (G4Jy) catalog and based on equivalent selection criteria as the 3CR. This new catalog, named G4Jy-3CRE, where the E stands for “equivalent,” lists a total of 264 sources at decl. below -5° and with 9 Jy limiting sensitivity at ~178 MHz. We explored archival radio maps obtained with different surveys and compared them with optical images available in the Pan-STARRS, DES, and DSS databases to search for optical counterparts of their radio cores. We compared mid-infrared counterparts, originally associated in the G4Jy, with the optical ones identified here, and we present results of a vast literature search carried out to collect redshift estimates for all G4Jy-3CRE sources resulting in a total of 145 reliable z measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of readout electronics for the CMS ME0 muon detector

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the High Luminosity (HL-LHC) era will be upgraded to deliver instantaneous luminosities up to 5 X 10 34 cm -2 s -1 , five times more than the original design value. In order to maintain performance of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment under these conditions, ME0 is one of the new muon detectors to be added, along with GE1/1, GE2/1, RE3/1 and RE4/1. ME0 uses the triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) technology and is designed to cover the far-forward region of 2.0 < |η| < 2.8. Further, the readout electronics for ME0 must be designed to deal with high data rates and be sufficiently radiation hard to operate very close to the beamline. The design and development status of the readout electronics for ME0 are presented, along with recent results from integration tests performed using the latest electronics prototypes with GEM chambers.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

A scintillator attenuation spectrometer for intense gamma-rays

A new type of compact high-resolution high-sensitivity gamma-ray spectrometer for short-pulse intense gamma-rays (250 keV to 50 MeV) has been developed by combining the principles of scintillators and attenuation spectrometers. The first prototype of this scintillator attenuation spectrometer (SAS) was tested successfully in Trident laser experiments at LANL. Later versions have been used extensively in the Texas Petawatt laser experiments in Austin, TX, and more recently in OMEGA-EP laser experiments at LLE, Rochester, NY. The SAS is particularly useful for high-repetition-rate laser applications. Furthermore, we give a concise description of the design principles, capabilities, and sample preliminary results of the SAS.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

High speed ultraviolet digital image correlation (UV-DIC) for dynamic strains at extreme temperatures

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a camera-based method of measuring full-field displacements and strains from the surface of a deforming object. It can be applied at any length scale (determined by the lenses) and any time scale (determined by the camera), and because it is non-contacting, it can also be used at temperatures much higher than can be withstood by bonded strain gauges. At extreme temperatures, materials emit light in the form of blackbody radiation, which can saturate the camera sensor. It has previously been shown that the emitted light can be effectively screened by using ultraviolet (UV) cameras, lenses, and filters; however, commercially available UV cameras are relatively slow, which limits the speed of combined UV-DIC measurements. In this study, a UV intensifier was paired with a high-speed camera, and its ability to perform UV-DIC at high temperature and high speed was investigated. The system was compared over three different experiments: (A) a quasi-static thermal expansion test at high temperature, (B) a vibration test at room temperature, and (C) the same vibration test repeated at high temperature. The system successfully performed DIC up to at least 1600 °C at frame rates of 5000 fps, which is more than 100 times faster than other examples of UV-DIC in the literature. In all cases, measurements made using the UV intensifier were much noisier than those made without the intensifier, but the intensifier enabled measurements at temperatures well above those which an unfiltered high-speed camera otherwise saturates.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Absolute calibration of the conical crystal configuration of the zinc spectrometer (ZSPEC) at the OMEGA laser facility

In this study, we present the absolute calibration of the conical crystal for the zinc spectrometer (ZSPEC), an x-ray spectrometer at the OMEGA laser facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. The ZSPEC was originally designed to measure x-ray Thomson scattering using flat or cylindrically curved highly oriented pyrolytic graphite crystals centered around Zn He-alpha emission at 9 keV. To improve the useful spectral range and collection efficiency of the ZSPEC, a conical highly annealed pyrolytic graphite crystal was fabricated for the ZSPEC. The conically bent crystal in the Hall geometry produces a line focus perpendicular to the spectrometer axis, corresponding to the detector plane of electronic detectors at large scale laser facilities such as OMEGA, extending the useful range of the spectrometer to 7–11 keV. Further, using data collected using a microfocus Mo x-ray source, we determine important characteristics of ZSPEC such as the dispersion, spatial resolution, and absolute sensitivity of the instrument. A ray-trace model of ZSPEC provides another point of agreement in calculations of the ZSPEC dispersion and crystal response.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Density measurements for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) opacity platform

The Opacity Platform on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) has been developed to measure opacities at varying densities and temperatures relevant to the solar interior and thermal cooling rates in white dwarf stars. The typical temperatures reached at NIF range between 150 and 210 eV, which allow these measurements to be performed experimentally. The captured opacities are crucial to validating radiation-hydrodynamic models that are used in astrophysics. The NIF opacity platform has a unique new capability that allows in situ measurement of the sample expansion. The sample expansion data are used to better understand the plasma conditions in our experiments by inferring the sample density throughout the duration of the laser drive. Here, we present the details of the density measurement technique, data analysis, and recent results for Fe and MgO.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

GRAPH — an readout ASIC for large MCP based detectors

We present a programmable 16 channel, mixed signal, low power readout ASIC, having the project historically named Gigasample Recorder of Analog waveforms from a PHotodetector (GRAPH). It is designed to read large aperture single photon imaging detectors using micro channel plates for charge multiplication, and measuring the detector's response on crossed strips anodes to extrapolate the incoming photon position. Each channel consists of a fast, low power and low noise charge sensitive amplifier, which provides a myriad of coarse and fine programmable options for gain and shaping settings. Further, the amplified signal is recorded using, to our knowledge novel, the Hybrid Universal sampLing Architecture (HULA) ADC. A kind of mixed signal double buffer memory, that enables concurrent waveform recording, and selected event digitized data extraction. The sampling frequency is freely adjustable between few kHz up to 125 MHz, while the chip's internal digital memory holds a history 2048 samples for each channel, with a digital headroom of 12 bits. An optimized region of interest sample-read algorithm allows to extract the information just around the event pulse peak, while selecting the next event, thus substantially reducing the operational dead time. The chip is designed in 130 nm TSMC CMOS technology, and its power consumption is around 47 mW per channel.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

DESI peculiar velocity survey – Fundamental Plane

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) peculiar velocity survey aims to measure the peculiar velocities of early- and late-type galaxies within the DESI footprint using both the Fundamental Plane and optical Tully–Fisher relations. Direct measurements of peculiar velocities can significantly improve constraints on the growth rate of structure, reducing uncertainty by a factor of approximately 2.5 at redshift 0.1 compared to the DESI Bright Galaxy Survey’s redshift space distortion measurements alone. We assess the quality of stellar velocity dispersion measurements from DESI spectroscopic data. These measurements, along with photometric data from the Legacy Survey, establish the Fundamental Plane relation and determine distances and peculiar velocities of early-type galaxies. During survey validation, we obtain spectra for 6698 unique early-type galaxies, up to a photometric redshift of 0.15. 64 per cent of observed galaxies (4267) have relative velocity dispersion errors below 10 per cent. This percentage increases to 75 per cent if we restrict our sample to galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts below 0.1. We use the measured central velocity dispersion, along with photometry from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, to fit the Fundamental Plane parameters using a 3D Gaussian maximum likelihood algorithm that accounts for measurement uncertainties and selection cuts. In addition, we conduct zero-point calibration using the absolute distance measurements to the Coma cluster, leading to a value of the Hubble constant, H 0 = 76.05 ± 0.35 (statistical) ±0.49 (systematic Fundamental Plane) ±4.86 (statistical due to calibration) km s –1 Mpc –1 ⁠. This H 0 value is within 2σ of Planck cosmic microwave background results and within 1σ of other low-redshift distance indicator-based measurements.

cosmological parameters↗