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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 109 records · Page 6

Handing off the outcome of binary neutron star mergers for accurate and long-term postmerger simulations

In this work, we perform binary neutron star (BNS) merger simulations in full dynamical general relativity with IllinoisGRMHD, on a Cartesian grid with adaptive-mesh refinement. After the remnant black hole has become nearly stationary, the evolution of the surrounding accretion disk on Cartesian grids over long timescales (~1s) is suboptimal, as Cartesian coordinates over-resolve the angular coordinates at large distances, and the accreting plasma flows obliquely across coordinate lines dissipating angular momentum artificially from the disk. To address this, we present the HandOff, a set of computational tools that enables the transfer of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) and spacetime data from IllinoisGRMHD to harm3d, a GRMHD code that specializes in modeling black hole accretion disks in static spacetimes over long timescales, making use of general coordinate systems with spherical topology. We demonstrate that the handoff allows for a smooth and reliable transition of GRMHD fields and spacetime data, enabling us to efficiently and reliably evolve BNS dynamics well beyond merger. We also discuss future plans, which involve incorporating advanced equations of state and neutrino physics into BNS simulations using the HandOff approach.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Symbolic pregression: Discovering physical laws from distorted video

In this work, we present a method for unsupervised learning of equations of motion for objects in raw and optionally distorted unlabeled synthetic video (or, more generally, for discovering and modeling predictable features in time-series data). We first train an autoencoder that maps each video frame into a low-dimensional latent space where the laws of motion are as simple as possible, by minimizing a combination of nonlinearity, acceleration, and prediction error. Differential equations describing the motion are then discovered using Pareto-optimal symbolic regression. We find that our pre-regression (“pregression”) step is able to rediscover Cartesian coordinates of unlabeled moving objects even when the video is distorted by a generalized lens. Using intuition from multidimensional knot theory, we find that the pregression step is facilitated by first adding extra latent space dimensions to avoid topological problems during training and then removing these extra dimensions via principal component analysis. An inertial frame is autodiscovered by minimizing the combined equation complexity for multiple experiments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Theoretical Assessment of the Transition Between Electron Emission Mechanisms for Nonplanar Diodes

Theoretically and computationally describing the operation of nanodiodes requires characterizing the transitions between multiple electron emission mechanisms for nanodiodes with complicated geometries. This motivates our development of techniques to determine when simplified theories for individual mechanisms suffice compared to more complete, but more computationally expensive, models. Leveraging recent theories that define a canonical gap distance to translate planar theory to nonplanar diodes, we derive the conditions for the transitions among thermal emission, field emission, and space-charge-limited current density (SCLCD) in vacuum and with collisions for non-Cartesian coordinate systems, including spherical, cylindrical, and prolate spheroidal coordinate systems. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the current density as a function of applied voltage for a tip-to-plate geometry in vacuum agreed qualitatively with the asymptotes for thermal emission at low voltage and SCLCD at higher voltage using the canonical gap distance. As a result, this demonstrates the utility of this approach for guiding system design and suggests future extensions to save simulation time for more realistic geometries that are more computationally expensive.

Conformal mapping↗

AEVmod – Atomic Environment Vector Module Documentation

This report outlines the mathematical formulation for the atomic environment vector (AEV) construction used in the aevmod software package. The AEV provides a summary of the geometry of a molecule or atomic configuration. We also present the formulation for the analytical Jacobian of the AEV with respect to the atomic Cartesian coordinates. The software provides functionality for both the AEV and AEV-Jacobian, as well as the AEV-Hessian which is available via reliance on the third party library Sacado.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Study of Quadrupole Fringe Fields in the Interaction Region of the Hadron Storage Ring of the Electron Ion Collider

Fringe fields in quadrupole magnets are usually neglected in studies of beam dynamics at accelerators. However, the extreme optical parameters present in the final focus of a collider such as the Electron–Ion Collider (EIC) may give rise to effects that should not be overlooked. The calculation of quadrupole fringe fields presented in this study follows the procedure outlined in Ref. [1], specialized to the case of a straight reference orbit (i.e., with no dipole field component). A right-handed Cartesian coordinate system is employed, with the $z$-axis aligned with the quadrupole axis and $x$ and $y$ denoting the horizontal and vertical transverse coordinates, respectively. The magnetic quadrupole field gradient, $G = \partial B_y / \partial x$, transitions from its peak value inside the quadrupole—where it is nearly independent of the longitudinal coordinate $z$—to zero at some distance beyond the magnet edge. Consequently, $G$ is treated as a function of $z$. The region over which this variation occurs is defined as the quadrupole fringe field region. The study begins with the development of a description of the magnetic field in the fringe region using a power-series expansion in the transverse coordinates $x$and $y$, consistent with the longitudinally varying gradient. A model for the $z$-dependence of the gradient is then proposed and adjusted to reproduce magnetic field data obtained from three-dimensional field calculations. To evaluate the impact of the fringe fields on beam dynamics, the corresponding vector potential is derived and incorporated into a Hamiltonian formulation of particle motion. The significance of the fringe fields is quantified by calculating the amplitude-dependent tune shift from the Hamiltonian. Using linear beam optics parameters of the Hadron Storage Ring (HSR) of the EIC, the tune shift due to the fringe fields of all quadrupole magnets in the IR-6 interaction region is evaluated. Finally, the resulting tune shifts are compared with those arising from other nonlinear field components present in the HSR.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Pressurized expulsion of nonisothermal single-phase cryogen

The performance of single-phase storage and expulsion systems as affected by temperature variations within the stored cryogen which are generated during heat transfer is discussed. Peculiar operating responses are indicated by spontaneous changes in fluid pressure which accompany g level changes, increased heater surface temperature, and durations of pressure cycles which differ considerably from that which is computed for an isothermal cryogen. The nonisothermal characteristics are predicted with a numerical model which includes the simultaneous solution of the time dependent conservation equations of mass, energy, and momentum in two space dimensions of Cartesian coordinates for boundary conditions which approximate those of the flight cryogenic system. The methodology of the numerical method and some comparisons between the predictions and the Apollo 12 flight data are included.

Forester, C. K.↗

A numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for supercritical fluid thermodynamic analysis

An explicit numerical solution of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations is applied to the thermodynamic analysis of supercritical oxygen in the Apollo cryogenic storage system. The wave character is retained in the conservation equations which are written in the basic fluid variables for a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. Control-volume cells are employed to simplify imposition of boundary conditions and to ensure strict observance of local and global conservation principles. Non-linear real-gas thermodynamic properties responsible for the pressure collapse phenomonon in supercritical fluids are represented by tabular and empirical functions relating pressure and temperature to density and internal energy. Wall boundary conditions are adjusted at one cell face to emit a prescribed mass flowrate. Scaling principles are invoked to achieve acceptable computer execution times for very low Mach number convection problems. Detailed simulations of thermal stratification and fluid mixing occurring under low acceleration in the Apollo 12 supercritical oxygen tank are presented which model the pressure decay associated with de-stratification induced by an ordinary vehicle maneuver and heater cycle operation.

Heinmiller, P. J.↗

Conjugate gradient optimization programs for shuttle reentry

Two computer programs for shuttle reentry trajectory optimization are listed and described. Both programs use the conjugate gradient method as the optimization procedure. The Phase 1 Program is developed in cartesian coordinates for a rotating spherical earth, and crossrange, downrange, maximum deceleration, total heating, and terminal speed, altitude, and flight path angle are included in the performance index. The programs make extensive use of subroutines so that they may be easily adapted to other atmospheric trajectory optimization problems.

Powers, W. F.↗

Numerical interactive controller

Device allows interaction of operator with data in computer central processor in order to shift frame of data in Cartesian coordinates and slew desired data into view. ''Cursor generator program,'' in conjunction with device, provides light pen with sufficient resolving power to identify any particular set of coordinates with single-cell accuracy.

Brokl, S. S.↗

Robot computer problem solving system

A robot computer problem solving system which represents a robot exploration vehicle in a simulated Mars environment is described. The model exhibits changes and improvements made on a previously designed robot in a city environment. The Martian environment is modeled in Cartesian coordinates; objects are scattered about a plane; arbitrary restrictions on the robot's vision have been removed; and the robot's path contains arbitrary curves. New environmental features, particularly the visual occlusion of objects by other objects, were added to the model. Two different algorithms were developed for computing occlusion. Movement and vision capabilities of the robot were established in the Mars environment, using LISP/FORTRAN interface for computational efficiency. The graphical display program was redesigned to reflect the change to the Mars-like environment.

Merriam, E. W.↗

Parabolic cylinder antennas

Some of the features of single and dual parabolic-cylinder reflector antenna systems are discussed in terms of wave conversions, field divergence, and wavefronts in Fresnel and Fraunhofer regions. Beam-squinting, by mechanical displacement and electrical phase gradient methods, is introduced together with the combination of these methods. In the case of dual parabolic cylinders there is also a discussion of surface-truncation, parametric representation of surface intersections, main-aperture blockage by the subsystem, and beam squinting. A few diffraction patterns are presented to illustrate the type of data available via a formulation equivalent to the complex-vector Kirchhoff-Kottler formulation. Main and cross-polarization components of the solution are available as they are inherently part of the field solution in the Cartesian coordinate system. A means of displaying main and cross-polarization components for arbitrary beam-scanning in space is outlined. Extensions to monopulse tracking with variable-beamwidth (zooming) capability are introduced.

Schmidt, R. F.↗

A method for the measurement and the statistical analysis of atmospheric turbulence

The instantaneous values of output voltages representing the wind velocity vector and the temperature at different elevations of the 250-foot meteorological tower located at NASA Wallops Flight Center are provided with the three dimensional split-film TSI Model 1080 anemometer system. The output voltages are sampled at a rate of one every 5 milliseconds, digitized and stored on digital magnetic tapes for a time period of approximately 40 minutes, with the use of a specially designed data acqusition system. A new calibration procedure permits the conversion of the digital voltages to the respective values of the temperature and the velocity components in a Cartesian coordinate system connected with the TSI probe with considerable accuracy. Power, cross, coincidence and quadrature spectra of the wind components and the temperature are obtained with the use of the fast Fourier transform. The cosine taper data window and ensemble and frequency smoothing techniques are used to provide smooth estimates of the spectral functions.

Tieleman, H. W.↗

Time-split finite-volume method for three-dimensional blunt-body flow

An efficient numerical method for calculating plane, axisymmetric, and fully three-dimensional blunt-body flow is presented. It is a second-order-accurate, time-dependent finite-volume procedure that solves the Euler equations in integral conservation-law form. These equations are written with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system in which an embedded mesh adjusts in time to the motion of the bow shock that is automatically captured as part of the weak solution. With such an adjusting mesh, oscillations in flow properties near the shock are shown to be virtually eliminated. The scheme uses a time-splitting concept that accelerates the convergence appreciably. Comparisons are made between computed and experimental results.

Rizzi, A. W.↗

Thermal-radiation model

Central Cartesian coordinate system calculates thermal environment around rocket plume. Radiative heat exchange between surfaces is calculated by Monte Carlo method.

Claunch, W. C.↗

Biostereometric analysis of body form - The second manned Skylab mission

Results of biostereometric analyses of the body form of the Skylab 3 crew before and after flight. The Cartesian coordinates of numerous points on the body surface were derived by stereophotogrammetry, and mathematical analysis of the coordinate description allowed computation of the surface area and volume of the body, the volume of body segments, and the area and shape of cross sections. The weight loss in all three crew members was accompanied by a loss in volume distributed between the trunk and legs, with the legs showing the greatest proportional loss. The observed loss of volume apparently resulted from a combined loss of fluid in the abdomen and legs, of muscle in the legs and paraspinal region, and of fat in the abdomen and buttocks.

Whittle, M. W.↗