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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

Primary results from the Berkeley EUV airglow rocket spectrometer: O I and N2 FUV/EUV dayglow in the thermosphere and lower exosphere

The Berkeley extreme-ultraviolet airglow rocket spectrometer (BEARS) made spectroscopic measurements of far and extreme UV, atomic oxygen emissions from a Black Brandt XII (12.041 WT) sounding rocket launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, on September 30, 1988. BEARS' primary instrument, a near-normal Rowland mount spectrometer, measured several atomix oxygen and molecular nitrogen dayglow features at high spectral resolution (1.5 A): O I (989, 1027, 1304, and 1356 A); and N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (4, 0) and (3, 0) bands at 1325 and 1354 A. The instrument collected over 800 s of data spanning altitudes of 150 - 963 km with look directions between 95 deg and 125 deg from zenith. We have analyzed the data using electrons and radiative transport models in a forward modeling approach. The model and data are generally in good agreement. However, there are some discrepancies, which are discussed in terms of remote sensing capabilities and improvements to the models.

Cotton, Daniel M.↗

Multi-sensor agent devices

Apparatus, methods, and systems implementing multi-sensor agent devices are described herein. The agent devices can each include a plurality of sensors for measuring parameters of interest to an entity such as an electric power utility. The sensors can be organized in individually-IP-addressable sensor clusters, with each sensor cluster including an associated microcontroller. The agent devices can be controlled by a control center of the entity to operate in a coordinated manner, such as to gather and transmit data regarding parameters of interest. The agent devices can be transported to desired areas for data collection by unmanned aerial systems such as drones, and the collected data can be stored in a distributed blockchain ledger.

Fuhr, Peter L.↗

2013-2014 Greater Fairbanks, Alaska, Transportation Survey

The 2013-2014 Greater Fairbanks Transportation Survey obtained behavior data for regional travel demand modeling. The planning region in Alaska comprised the North Star Borough—known as the PM2.5 nonattainment region—and included the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities sponsored the survey, which was conducted by Westat. Data collection occurred in two phases: fall 2013 and winter 2014. The first phase employed address-based sampling to recruit more than 1,700 households for a one-day personal travel survey and a subsample participated with global position system (GPS) and on-board diagnostic (OBD) loggers installed in their vehicles (282 vehicles) for one week. The purpose of phase one was to better understand the impact of vehicle emissions on air quality in the PM2.5 nonattainment region. Many of the households participating in the vehicle GPS/OBD portion of phase one were asked to participate in phase two.

1Hz data↗

Completion of Transport Property Measurements on Multiple Actinide Fluoride Mixtures

One of the missions of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) Campaign under the Advanced Reactor Technology program has been to experimentally measure thermophysical properties of MSR-relevent salt systems, with the intent of supporting the development of the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database (MSTDB). This database is jointly funded by the DOE-NE Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation Program and the MSR Campaign. Multiple DOE national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have been conducting measurements of thermophysical properties to support MSTDB development and provide MSR developers with access to new data that has been measured using modern methodologies and more advanced sample characterization techniques. These data may either fill gaps in the database or provide updated higher quality data to replace legacy data. Researchers at ORNL have recognized significant gaps in the transport property data of actinide-bearing fluoride salt systems of MSR industry interest. Moreover, for the data present in MSTDB in this category, the uncertainty margins are generally high, leading to questionability in our current understanding of the thermophysical characterization of actinide fluoride mixtures. As such, the focus of this study has been to generate new transport property data of actinide fluoride mixtures that are of immediate interest to MSR developers. Specifically, the mixtures NaF-UF 4 (78 - 22 mol%) and NaF-KF-UF 4 (57-16.04-26.91 mol%) have been studied—NaF-UF 4 for thermal conductivity and viscosity and NaF-KF-UF 4 for viscosity. Thermal conductivity measurements have been conducted with a variable gap apparatus, whereas viscosity has been measured with a rolling ball viscometer. Methodological and calibration details are provided for both measurement processes, along with measurement system updates that have enabled easier manufacturing of components and fewer challenges associated with conducting the measurements themselves. The resultant data collected for NaF-UF 4 (78–22 mol%) and NaF-KF-UF 4 (57-16.04-26.91 mol%) have been compared with relevant mixture data within the thermophysical arm of the MSTDB (MSTDB-TP).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

TRT Compton Scattering Data: Comparisons between LLNL and LANL: Multigroup

This memo is one of a pair of reports comparing Compton scattering data in the context of thermal radiation transport (TRT). This document focuses on Multigroup (MG) data while the other report focuses on Pointwise (PW) data. These complementary analyses, via PW comparisons, show if the same physics are used and if fundamental bugs are present, and, via MG comparisons, quantify macroscopic Compton effects such as mean amplification factors. No averaging of Compton data over photon energy is done for the PW comparisons, while lab-dependent numerical resolution choices become relevant for the MG comparisons. For this MG-comparison report, we make and document the numerical assumptions we use to convert LLNL PW data into MG data. This document plots and quantifies differences in Compton scattering data between MG LANL and LLNL for four disparate temperatures on a logarithmically-spaced photon-energy grid. In addition to LANL and LLNL data, we add a third and fourth independent vote from data generated by Brooks Kinch (LANL postdoc). For the purposes of these comparisons, we neglect induced scattering.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Synthesis and Systematic Trends in Structure and Electrical Properties of [(SnSe) 1.15 ] m (VSe 2 ) 1 , m = 1, 2, 3, and 4

Four compounds [(SnSe)1.15]m(VSe2)1, where m = 1–4, were synthesized to explore the effect of increasing the distance between Se–V–Se dichalcogenide layers on electrical transport properties. These kinetically stable compounds were prepared using designed precursors that contained a repeating pattern of elemental layers with the nanoarchitecture of the desired product. XRD and STEM data revealed that the precursors self-assembled into the desired compounds containing a Se–V–Se dichalcogenide layer precisely separated by a SnSe layer. The 00l diffraction data are used to determine the position of the Sn, Se, and V planes along the c-axis, confirming that the average structure is similar to that observed in the STEM images, and the resulting data agrees well with results obtained from calculations based on density functional theory and a semiempirical description of van der Waals interactions. The in-plane diffraction data contains reflections that can be indexed as hk0 reflections coming from the two independent constituents. The SnSe layers diffract independently from one another and are distorted from the bulk structure to lower the surface free energy. All of the samples showed metallic-like behavior in temperature-dependent resistivity between room temperature and about 150 K. The electrical resistivity systematically increases as m increases. Below 150 K the transport data strongly indicates a charge density wave transition whose onset temperature systematically increases as m increases. This suggests increasing quasi-two-dimensional behavior as increasingly thick layers of SnSe separate the Se–V–Se layers. This is supported by electronic structure calculations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Computations of ozone transport using Nimbus 7 solar backscatter ultraviolet and NOAA/National Meteorological Center data

The ozone fluxes and flux convergences within the region between 30 and 0.4 mbar for the Northern Hemisphere are investigated for the period January 1 to March 31, 1979, using Nimbus 7 solar backscatter ultraviolet ozone profiles and the meteorological data derived from NOAA satellites. The results indicate that large contributions to the ozone transport and the transport convergence are due to mean vertical advection and horizontal eddy processes. The contribution from the vertical eddies is insignificant. The transport of ozone into the polar latitudes during winter and early spring is mainly accomplished by the large-scale horizontal eddies. The results also show that more ozone is transported into the polar region by the large-scale eddies on disturbed days than on quiet days.

Wu, M.-F.↗

Quantifying the Influence of Size, Shape, and Density of Microplastics on Their Transport Modes: A Modeling Approach

Microplastics (MPs) pose significant risks to marine ecosystems and human health, necessitating accurate predictions of their distributions in aquatic environments for effective risk mitigation. However, understanding MP transport dynamics is challenging because of the inadequate representation of MP characteristics such as size, shape, and density in numerical models. Further, the accuracy of the MP vertical profiles in existing models has not been thoroughly validated. Thus, we developed an MP transport model within the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model framework (FVCOM-MP) by integrating MP characteristics. We validated FVCOM-MP against experimental and analytical data, focusing on various MP transport modes and transitions. FVCOM-MP successfully replicates MP profiles in different transport modes, including the bedload, surface-load, suspended-load, and mixed-load modes. Additionally, we introduce phase diagrams for classifying MP transport modes based on particle characteristics, enhancing our understanding of MP dynamics in aquatic systems. The transport modes for a number of real-world MP particles, including fishing line, plastic bag/bottle fragments, synthetic fibers, tire wear particles, polyvinyl chloride and expanded polystyrene pellets, were analyzed with these phase diagrams.

Microplastic transport, Settling velocity, Rising ↗

Hanford Waste Physical and Rheological Properties: Data and Gaps

The retrieval, transport, treatment and disposal operations associated with Hanford Tank Wastes involve the handling of a wide range of slurries. Knowledge of the physical and rheological properties of the waste is a key component to the success of the design and implementation of the waste processing facilities. Previous efforts to compile and analyze the physical and rheological properties were updated with new results including information on solids composition and density, particle size distributions, slurry rheology, and particle settling behavior. The primary source of additional data is from a recent series of tests sponsored by the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. These tests involved an extensive suite of characterization and bench-scale process testing of 8 waste groups representing approximately 75% of the high-level waste mass expected to be processed through the WTP. Additional information on the morphology of the waste solids was also included. Based on the updated results, a gap analysis to identify gaps in characterization data, analytical methods and data interpretation was completed.

Hanford Site↗

High Speed Vortex Flows

A review of the research conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Langley Research Center (LaRC) into high-speed vortex flows during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s is presented. The data reviewed is for flat plates, cavities, bodies, missiles, wings, and aircraft. These data are presented and discussed relative to the design of future vehicles. Also presented is a brief historical review of the extensive body of high-speed vortex flow research from the 1940s to the present in order to provide perspective of the NASA LaRC's high-speed research results. Data are presented which show the types of vortex structures which occur at supersonic speeds and the impact of these flow structures to vehicle performance and control is discussed. The data presented shows the presence of both small- and large scale vortex structures for a variety of vehicles, from missiles to transports. For cavities, the data show very complex multiple vortex structures exist at all combinations of cavity depth to length ratios and Mach number. The data for missiles show the existence of very strong interference effects between body and/or fin vortices and the downstream fins. It was shown that these vortex flow interference effects could be both positive and negative. Data are shown which highlights the effect that leading-edge sweep, leading-edge bluntness, wing thickness, location of maximum thickness, and camber has on the aerodynamics of and flow over delta wings. The observed flow fields for delta wings (i.e. separation bubble, classical vortex, vortex with shock, etc.) are discussed in the context of' aircraft design. And data have been shown that indicate that aerodynamic performance improvements are available by considering vortex flows as a primary design feature. Finally a discussing of a design approach for wings which utilize vortex flows for improved aerodynamic performance at supersonic speed is presented.

Wood, Richard M.↗

Vortex Flows at Supersonic Speeds

A review of research conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) into high-speed vortex flows during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s is presented. The data are for flat plates, cavities, bodies, missiles, wings, and aircraft with Mach numbers of 1.5 to 4.6. Data are presented to show the types of vortex structures that occur at supersonic speeds and the impact of these flow structures on vehicle performance and control. The data show the presence of both small- and large-scale vortex structures for a variety of vehicles, from missiles to transports. For cavities, the data show very complex multiple vortex structures exist at all combinations of cavity depth to length ratios and Mach number. The data for missiles show the existence of very strong interference effects between body and/or fin vortices. Data are shown that highlight the effect of leading-edge sweep, leading-edge bluntness, wing thickness, location of maximum thickness, and camber on the aerodynamics of and flow over delta wings. Finally, a discussion of a design approach for wings that use vortex flows for improved aerodynamic performance at supersonic speeds is presented.

Wood, Richard M.↗

Use of MODIS Satellite Images and an Atmospheric Dust Transport Model to Evaluate Juniperus spp. Pollen Phenology and Dispersal

Pollen can be transported great distances. Van de Water et. al. reported Juniperus spp. pollen was transported 200-600 km. Hence local obse rvations of plant phenology may not be consistent with the timing and source of pollen collected by pollen sampling instruments. The DREAM (Dust REgional Atmospheric Model, Nickovic et al. 2001) is a verified model for atmospheric dust transport modeling using MODIS data produ cts to identify source regions and quantities of dust. We are modifyi ng the DREAM model to incorporate pollen transport. Pollen release wi ll be estimated based on MODIS derived phenology of Juniperus spp. communities. Ground based observations records of pollen release timing and quantities will be used as verification. This information will be used to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?s Nat ional Environmental Public Health Tracking Program and the State of New Mexico environmental public health decision support for asthma and allergies alerts.

Luvall, Jeffrey C.↗

Supporting Global Air Quality Management Needs With A Flexible Data Fusion Tool for Estimation and Forecasting in Google Earth Engine

High spatial and temporal resolution air quality estimation and forecasting can be enhanced by combining global data sources, like chemical transport models and satellite remote sensing, with local information from regulatory and low-cost air quality monitors. Successful integration of data from these diverse sources is complicated by many factors, however, including differences in spatial and temporal resolution, data availability and latency issues, varying data quality, and large computational and data storage requirements. This presentation will provide an overview of a NASA-funded effort to develop the foundation for future operationalization of air quality forecasting for world-wide end-users and integration into their air quality management decision processes, which will be achieved in future phases of this multi-year project. We will summarize our progress in developing a data fusion system using the Google Earth Engine platform which can integrate model, satellite, and surface-level monitoring datasets to enhance estimation and forecasting of air-quality-relevant pollutants at sub-daily and sub-city scales. The tool is being developed in close cooperation with several city- and regional-level air quality managers in the USA and around the world. Our end-goal is to provide these air quality managers with the information they need to assess and anticipate the impacts of poor air quality, track changes in air quality due to ongoing mitigation efforts and land use changes, and identify ways to improve their air quality monitoring strategies. This presentation will focus on recent advances achieved through the project, including integration of multiple air quality datasets in a prototype data fusion system in Google Earth Engine, the quantification of uncertainties associated with our data fusion approach, and the development of user interfaces and visualization tools to convey air quality information in a way which best meets end-user needs.

Carl Malings↗

Supporting Global Air Quality Management Needs With A Flexible Data Fusion Tool for Estimation and Forecasting in Google Earth Engine

High spatial and temporal resolution air quality estimation and forecasting can be enhanced by combining global data sources, like chemical transport models and satellite remote sensing, with local information from regulatory and low-cost air quality monitors. Successful integration of data from these diverse sources is complicated by many factors, however, including differences in spatial and temporal resolution, data availability and latency issues, varying data quality, and large computational and data storage requirements. This presentation will provide an overview of a NASA-funded effort to develop the foundation for future operationalization of air quality forecasting for world-wide end-users and integration into their air quality management decision processes, which will be achieved in future phases of this multi-year project. We will summarize our progress in developing a data fusion system using the Google Earth Engine platform which can integrate model, satellite, and surface-level monitoring datasets to enhance estimation and forecasting of air-quality-relevant pollutants at sub-daily and sub-city scales. The tool is being developed in close cooperation with several city- and regional-level air quality managers in the USA and around the world. Our end-goal is to provide these air quality managers with the information they need to assess and anticipate the impacts of poor air quality, track changes in air quality due to ongoing mitigation efforts and land use changes, and identify ways to improve their air quality monitoring strategies. This presentation will focus on recent advances achieved through the project, including integration of multiple air quality datasets in a prototype data fusion system in Google Earth Engine, the quantification of uncertainties associated with our data fusion approach, and the development of user interfaces and visualization tools to convey air quality information in a way which best meets end-user needs.

Carl Malings↗

Impact of data assimilation on Eulerian versus Lagrangian estimates of upper ocean transport

Using four-dimensional variational analysis, we produce an estimate of the state of a coastalregion in Northern Norway during the late winter and spring in 1984. We use satellite sea surface tempera-ture and in situ observations from a series of intensive field campaigns, and obtain a more realistic distribu-tion of water masses both in the horizontal and the vertical than a pure downscaling approach can achieve.Although the distribution of Eulerian surface current speeds are similar, we find that they are more variableand less dependent on model bathymetry in our reanalysis compared to a hindcast produced using thesame modeling system. Furthermore, Lagrangian drift currents on the other hand are significantly changed, with overallhigher kinetic energy levels in the reanalysis than in the hindcast, particularly in the superinertial frequencyband.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Fusing Edge Computing with Transport Security by Leveraging the Controller Area Network Transport Security Tracking and Reporting (C-STAR) Unit

Rapid advances in embedded system complexity and capability provides exciting opportunities for transportation security deployment. Manufacturers and developers of these embedded systems continue to provide lower cost and more powerful solutions that can be leveraged by researchers and engineers. Furthermore, deploying these devices at the “edge” of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) infrastructure provides opportunities for highly capable applications in transport security. In an edge computation architecture, the device is co-located at the source of the data in the larger IoT structure – this provides computational capability at the location directly where the data is collected. For shipment transport security, this provides a direct compute node for digestion of data and mitigation actions in real-time. In our application, the vehicle provides a significant amount of this data that can be processed in real-time via the Controller Area Network Transport Security Tracking and Reporting (C-STAR) edge device. Utilization of a computational node located on the vehicle, such as the C-STAR, capitalizes on previously discussed opportunities of edge architectures. In this paper, we will discuss this security solution’s usability, current deployments, and scalability to further applications in transport security. First, we will cover the supported vehicle platforms that can leverage the C-STAR technology. This will be particularly relevant to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles transporting high-risk shipments. Second, we will speak to current deployments of the C-STAR that are ongoing. Finally, we will discuss additional areas for expansion such as maturing the onboard algorithms through continuing collaborations.

Cook, Adian [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000160825395)↗

Coriolis force compensation and laser beam delivery for 100-m baseline atom interferometry

The Coriolis force is a significant source of systematic phase errors and dephasing in atom interferometry and is often compensated by counter-rotating the interferometry laser beam against Earth's rotation. We present a novel method for performing Coriolis force compensation for long-baseline atom interferometry, which mitigates atom-beam misalignment due to beam rotation, an effect which is magnified by the long lever arm of the baseline length. The method involves adjustment of the angle of the interferometer beam prior to a magnifying telescope, enabling the beam to pivot around a tunable position along the interferometer baseline. By tuning the initial atom kinematics and adjusting the angle with which the interferometer beam pivots about this point, we can ensure that the atoms align with the center of the beam during the atom optics laser pulses. This approach will be used in the MAGIS-100 atom interferometer and could also be applied to other long-baseline atom interferometers. An additional challenge associated with long baseline interferometry is that since long-baseline atom interferometers are often located outside of typical laboratory environments, facilities constraints may require lasers to be housed in a climate-controlled room a significant distance away from the main experiment. Nonlinear effects in optical fibers restrict the use of fiber-based transport of the high-power interferometry beam from the laser room to the experiment. We present the design of and prototype data from a laser transport system for MAGIS-100 that maintains robustness against alignment drifts despite the absence of a long fiber.

Glick, Jonah↗

NASA Hitchhiker Program Customer Payload Requirements (CPR)

The mission objective is to demonstrate each of the three types of technology intended for future small-satellite communications system design. Each experiment in the overall package is designed to exercise a different technology objective that may be found in the overall satellite communications and telemetry system design. The data communications through TORSS portion is designed to demonstrate that low-power communications systems with non-gimbaled antenna systems can transport significant quantities of data through TDRSS to the ground based on only transmitting through a TDRS when the experiment is near the TDRS subsatellite point. The remaining time. the payload communications system is not active. The demand access experiment is to demonstrate that the request for a demand access service can be transmitted through TDRS and received and decoded at the ground station. In this mode, the TDRS does not track the experiment but signal processing components at the White Sands Complex are used to detect and track the transmitted request. The laser communications experiment is designed to demonstrate passive transmission of telemetry data from the experiment. This mode uses a ground-based laser source to illuminate the experiment and modulate the beam with the data. Ground-based reception recovers the data from the reflected beam back to the ground station.

Horan, Stephen↗