Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “attenuation correction”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Establishing robust correction schemes for improved and reliable ARM-AOS aerosol optical data products

Aerosol light absorption and scattering of solar radiation play an important role in the earth’s atmosphere in terms of direct and semi-direct radiative forcing. Optical parameters of importance to the US Department of Energy (DOE) climate models include absorption and scattering coefficients, single scattering albedo (SSA), absorption Angstrom exponents (AAE), and the asymmetry parameter (g). These parameters depend on aerosol size, shape and composition (refractive index), and are spectrally sensitive in the shortwave region. Additionally, these parameters have a complex dependency on the emission source, especially for carbonaceous aerosols. The DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility has deployed aerosol observing systems (AOS) containing several filter-based instruments to measure and constrain aerosol optical properties and related parameters at multiple sites worldwide. For measurement of aerosol light absorption, the AOS includes filter-based instruments (particle soot absorption photometer and tricolor absorption photometer) that infer particle-phase aerosol absorption coefficients at nominal red, green, and blue wavelength bands from the attenuation (ATN) of light passing through a particulate filter on which aerosols are deposited. Measurement of aerosol scattering is done in situ using nephelometers. By combining inferred absorption coefficients from filter-based ATN measurements and in situ scattering coefficients, value-added products (VAPs) such as SSA, AAE, and g are derived.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Pair Fluctuation Effects on Quasiparticle Transport in Fermi Systems

The leading corrections to Fermi liquid theory for non-equilibrium quasiparticle transport near a Cooper instability arise from the virtual emission and absorption of incipient Cooper pairs. We formulate the corrections to the Landau-Boltzmann transport equation starting from Keldysh's field theory for non-equilibrium, strongly interacting Fermions. The theory is applicable to quasiparticle transport in conventional and unconventional superconductors, dense nuclear matter and the low temperature phases of liquid $^3$He. Validation of the theory is provided by our analysis, and quantitative agreement between theory and experiment, of the excess attenuation of zero sound in liquid $^3$He near the superfluid transition. We propose an additional experimental test of the theory based on the effects of a Zeeman field on the spectrum of pairing fluctuations for the Cooper instability in spin-triplet superfluids.

Lin, Wei-Ting↗
DOE OSTI2022

Improving Rare-Earth Mineral Separation with Insights from Molecular Recognition: Functionalized Hydroxamic Acid Adsorption onto Bastnäsite and Calcite

Enhancing the separation of rare-earth elements (REEs) from gangue materials in mined ores requires an understanding of the fundamental interactions driving the adsorption of collector ligands onto mineral interfaces. In this work, we examine five functionalized hydroxamic acid ligands as potential collectors for the REE-containing bastnäsite mineral in froth flotation using density functional theory calculations and a suite of surface-sensitive analytical spectroscopies. These include vibrational sum frequency generation, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Differences in the chemical makeup of these ligands on well-defined bastnäsite and calcite surfaces allow for a systematic relationship connecting the structure to adsorption activity to be framed in the context of interfacial molecular recognition. Here we show how the intramolecular hydrogen bonding of adsorbed ligands requires the inclusion of explicit water solvent molecules to correctly map energetic and structural trends measured by experiments. We anticipate that the results and insights from this work will motivate and inform the design of improved flotation collectors for REE ores.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Doppler Lidar Motion-Correction Wind Profiles (DLMCPROF-WIND) Value-Added Product Report

Wind speed and direction, together with pressure, temperature, and relative humidity, are the most fundamental atmospheric state parameters. Accurate measurement of these parameters is crucial for numerical weather prediction. Vertically resolved wind measurements in the atmospheric boundary layer are particularly important for modeling pollutant and aerosol transport. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility currently operates several scanning coherent Doppler lidar (DL) systems that provide accurate height-resolved measurements of wind speed and direction. These instruments operate in the near infrared (IR;1.5 microns) and provide range-resolved measurements of radial velocity, attenuated aerosol backscatter, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The systems are operated using a fixed scan schedule consisting of plan position indicator (PPI) or Doppler Beam-Swing (DBS) scans. PPI scans are performed by scanning the beam in azimuth while maintaining a fixed elevation angle, and DBS scans are similar but typically also include a vertical beam. Radial velocity data from these scans are processed to yield profiles of wind speed direction. For stationary ground-based deployments, the Doppler Lidar Horizontal Wind Profiles (DLPROF-WIND) Value-Added-Product (VAP) provides height- and time-resolved measurements of the winds (Newsom and Krishnamurthy 2022). For operation on a moving platform, modifications to the existing DLPROF-WIND VAP are required to compensate for the effects of the platform motion. This report describes a parallel VAP, DLMCPROF-WIND, that was developed for computing motion-compensated wind profiles from ARM Doppler lidar data acquired during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) campaign, when the lidar was deployed on the German icebreaker Polarstern.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scatter and Blur Corrections for High-Energy X-Ray Radiography

High-energy X-ray radiography is useful as a highly penetrating method for imaging through dense materials. However, the primary modes of interaction of X-rays at these energies involve scattering or the production of secondary high-energy photons, which can interfere with the image. In addition, detector blurring, often resulting from scatter within the detector, can reduce image sharpness. Both of these processes can be mitigated with the use of convolution kernels, with the main challenge being that the proper kernel to use is not known, particularly for the scatter contribution. By radiographing solid slabs of uniform attenuation, we show that point spread functions and material-specific point scatter functions can be determined to significantly reduce the effect of detector blurring and object scatter. Constraining the fits to the slabs and uniform transmission within the slabs is sufficient to recover these functions. A functional form that reproduces the angular distribution of high-energy bremsstrahlung X-rays is presented for recovering point scatter functions. In conclusion, the method is applied to radiographs of objects from bremsstrahlung X-ray sources operating at 4- and 7.5-MV endpoint energies and a significant increase in sharpness is observed.

Blind deconvolution↗
DOE OSTI2023

Extending quantum key distribution through proxy re-encryption

Modern quantum key distribution (QKD) network designs are based on sending photons from one node to another and require free-space or dedicated fiber optic cables between nodes. The purpose of this is to co-generate secret key material on both sides of the quantum channel. In addition to this quantum link, there are several insecure classical channels that allow QKD algorithms to exchange book-keeping information and send symmetrically encrypted data. The attenuation of photons transmitted through fiber becomes too high to practically generate key material over fiber at distances of more than 100 km. Free-space transmission through the atmosphere or the vacuum of space can reduce attenuation, but at the cost of system complexity and sensitivity to other impairments, such as weather. To extend the effective range of QKD networks, we present a method that combines QKD algorithms with post-quantum, homomorphic key-switching to allow multiple parties to effectively share secret key material over longer distances through semi-trusted relay nodes. We define how such a system should work for arbitrary network topologies and provide proofs that our scheme is both correct and secure. We assess the feasibility of this solution by building and evaluating two implementations based on lattice-based cryptography: learning with errors.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analysis of Seismic Signals Generated by Vehicle Traffic with Application to Derivation of Subsurface Q-Values

Correct identification and modeling of anthropogenic sources of ground motion are of considerable importance for many studies, including detection of small earthquakes and imaging seismic properties below the surface. Here, to understand signals generated by common vehicle traffic, we use seismic data recorded by closely spaced geophones normal to roads at two sites on San Jacinto fault zone. To quantify the spatiotemporal and frequency variations of the recorded ground motions, we develop a simple analytical solution accounting for propagation and attenuation of surface waves. The model reproduces well-observed bell-shaped spectrograms of car signals recorded by geophones close to roads, and it can be used to estimate frequency-dependent Q-values of the subsurface materials. The data analysis indicates Q-values of 3–40, for frequencies up to 150 Hz for road-receiver paths at the two examined sites. The derived Q-values are consistent with attenuation factors of surface waves previously obtained with other methods. The analytical results and analysis procedure provide a highly efficient method for deriving Q-values of shallow subsurface materials.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Probing the evolution of fault properties during the seismic cycle with deep learning

We use seismic waves that pass through the hypocentral region of the 2016 M6.5 Norcia earthquake together with Deep Learning (DL) to distinguish between foreshocks, aftershocks and time-to-failure (TTF). Binary and N-class models defined by TTF correctly identify seismograms in test with > 90% accuracy. We use raw seismic records as input to a 7 layer CNN model to perform the classification. Here we show that DL models successfully distinguish seismic waves pre/post mainshock in accord with lab and theoretical expectations of progressive changes in crack density prior to abrupt change at failure and gradual postseismic recovery. Performance is lower for band-pass filtered seismograms (below 10 Hz) suggesting that DL models learn from the evolution of subtle changes in elastic wave attenuation. Tests to verify that our results indeed provide a proxy for fault properties included DL models trained with the wrong mainshock time and those using seismic waves far from the Norcia mainshock; both show degraded performance. Our results demonstrate that DL models have the potential to track the evolution of fault zone properties during the seismic cycle. If this result is generalizable it could improve earthquake early warning and seismic hazard analysis.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Humidified single-scattering albedometer (H-CAPS-PM SSA ): Design, data analysis, and validation

In this work, we report the development and validation of a new humidified aerosol single-scattering albedometer to quantify the effects of water uptake on submicrometer particle optical properties. The instrument simultaneously measures in situ aerosol light extinction ( σ ep ) and scattering ( σ sp ) using a cavity-attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter (PM) monitor (CAPS-PM SSA , Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA). It retrieves by difference aerosol light absorption ( σ ap ) and directly quantifies aerosol single-scattering albedo (SSA), the aerosol “brightness.” We custom built a relative humidity (RH) control system using a water vapor-permeable membrane humidifier and coupled it to the CAPS-PM SSA to enable humidified aerosol observations. Our humidified instrument (H-CAPS-PM SSA ) overcomes problems with noise caused by mirror purge-flow humidification, heating, and characterizing cell RH. Careful angular truncation corrections in scattering, particularly for larger particles, were combined with empirical observations. Results show that the optimal operational size to be D p < 400 nm. The H-CAPS-PM SSA was evaluated with several pure single-component aerosols including ammonium sulfate ((NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ), absorbing nigrosin, and levoglucosan, an organic biomass smoke tracer. The measured σ ep , σ sp , and the derived optical hygroscopicity parameter ( κ ) for size-selected ammonium sulfate are in good agreement with literature values. For dry size-selected nigrosin in the 100 < D p < 400 nm range, SSA values increased from ~0.3 to 0.65 with increasing D p . The enhancement in nigrosin σ ap at RH = 80% was a factor of 1.05–1.20 relative to dry conditions, with the larger particles showing greater enhancement. SSA increased with RH with the largest fractional enhancement measured for the smallest particles. For polydisperse levoglucosan, we measured an optical κ of 0.26 for both light extinction and scattering and negligible absorption. Our new instrument enables reliable observations of the effects of ambient humidity on mixed aerosol optical properties, particularly for light-absorbing aerosols whose climate forcing is uncertain due to measurement gaps.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program results: type Ia supernova brightness correlates with host galaxy dust

ABSTRACT Cosmological analyses with type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) often assume a single empirical relation between colour and luminosity (β) and do not account for varying host-galaxy dust properties. However, from studies of dust in large samples of galaxies, it is known that dust attenuation can vary significantly. Here, we take advantage of state-of-the-art modelling of galaxy properties to characterize dust parameters (dust attenuation AV, and a parameter describing the dust law slope RV) for 1100 Dark Energy Survey (DES) SN host galaxies. Utilizing optical and infrared data of the hosts alone, we find three key aspects of host dust that impact SN cosmology: (1) there exists a large range (∼1–6) of host RV; (2) high-stellar mass hosts have RV on average ∼0.7 lower than that of low-mass hosts; (3) for a subsample of 81 spectroscopically classified SNe there is a significant (>3σ) correlation between the Hubble diagram residuals of red SNe Ia and the host RV that when corrected for reduces scatter by $\sim 13{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and the significance of the ‘mass step’ to ∼1σ. These represent independent confirmations of recent predictions based on dust that attempted to explain the puzzling ‘mass step’ and intrinsic scatter (σint) in SN Ia analyses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

CFD modeling of pre-spark heat release in a boosted direct-injection spark-ignition engine

Accurate predictions of low-temperature heat release (LTHR) are critical for modeling auto-ignition processes in internal combustion engines. While LTHR is typically obscured by deflagration, extremely late ignition phasing can lead to LTHR prior to the spark, a behavior known as pre-spark heat release (PSHR). In this research, PSHR in a boosted direct-injection spark-ignition engine was studied using 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and detailed chemical kinetics. The turbulent combustion was modeled via a hybrid approach that incorporates the G-equation model for tracking the turbulent flame front, and the well-stirred reactor model with detailed chemistry for assessing the low-temperature reactions in unburnt gas. Simulations were conducted using Co-Optima alkylate and E30 fuels at operating conditions characterized by different PSHR intensities. The predicted in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate were found to agree well with experiments. It was found the estimate of previous-cycle trapped residuals is of utmost importance for capturing PSHR correctly. A simulation best practice was developed which keeps the detailed chemistry solver active throughout the entire simulation, allowing to track the evolution of intermediate species from one cycle to the next. Following the validation, the dynamics of PSHR were analyzed in detail employing the pressure-temperature (P-T) trajectory framework. It was shown that PSHR correlated with the first-stage ignition delay of the fuel, hence showing close relation to the in-cylinder P-T trajectory and the chemical kinetics. Besides, it was indicated that LTHR is a self-limiting process that has the effect of attenuating the thermal stratification in the combustion chamber. Furthermore, it was observed the occurrence of PSHR caused the P-T trajectory of end-gas to overlap with the negative temperature coefficient region of the fuel’s ignition-delay maps. This effect was more significant in the fuel-rich regions where engine knock tendency would be generally higher, with potential implications on knock control and mitigation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Radiological Source Term Estimation and Isotopic Identification with Parallel Log Domain Particle Filters

This paper presents a parallel log-domain particle filtering algorithm combined with gamma spectrum unfolding to perform localization, identification, and evaluation of multiple point sources of various isotopes in an environment with attenuating obstacles. The method uses sets of precomputed attenuation kernels that map the attenuation characteristics of the environment. These kernels are specific to the energy level of a photopeak of interest. The spectral measurements are deconvolved into count measurements of each photopeak. These count measurements are fed into a set of parallel particle filters using attenuation kernels computed for that photopeak’s energy level. The individual regularized particle filters perform all likelihood calculations in the logarithmic domain to mitigate the effects of particle degeneracy. The output of each particle filter is combined to estimate which isotopes are present as well as their positions and strengths. The performance of the algorithm is characterized in a lab-scale environment using a mobile robot equipped with a gamma ray spectrometer in the presence of up to three different radioactive isotopes simultaneously. The sources were localized to within 10 cm, and their strengths were estimated within 10% of their true values. Furthermore, the isotopes were all correctly identified, and no spurious sources were reported.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Compensating attenuation effects in full-waveform inversion with dissipation-dispersion decoupling

Seismic attenuation poses challenges to velocity model building from acoustic/elastic full-waveform inversion (FWI). In particular, when constructing the FWI gradient for velocity inversion, recent studies have indicated that the high-attenuation structure could distort the gradient by damping the amplitudes and shifting the kinematic phases, resulting in an imbalanced update and thus unreliable velocity model. These Q effects are particularly significant in the reflection acquisition geometry due to the “double-damping” issue. Here, we develop a Q-compensated FWI algorithm for constructing a Q-free FWI gradient. By using a recently developed viscoacoustic wave propagator, this compensation can be done conveniently by keeping the dispersion term and flipping the dissipation term in the wave equation when we simulate the forward and time-reversed adjoint wavefields. The resultant gradient obtained by interacting these two wavefields has correct kinematics and Q-free amplitudes. This Q-compensated FWI can balance the update between Q- and no- Q-areas, which we determine using synthetic examples. In addition, we illustrate how to take advantage of the dissipation-dispersion decoupling to determine the anomalous Q value in the Q model building workflow via Q-compensated reverse time migration.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

In situ estimation of ice crystal properties at the South Pole using LED calibration data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory instruments about 1 km 3 of deep, glacial ice at the geographic South Pole. It uses 5160 photomultipliers to detect Cherenkov light emitted by charged relativistic particles. An unexpected light propagation effect observed by the experiment is an anisotropic attenuation, which is aligned with the local flow direction of the ice. We examine birefringent light propagation through the polycrystalline ice microstructure as a possible explanation for this effect. The predictions of a first-principles model developed for this purpose, in particular curved light trajectories resulting from asymmetric diffusion, provide a qualitatively good match to the main features of the data. This in turn allows us to deduce ice crystal properties. Since the wavelength of the detected light is short compared to the crystal size, these crystal properties include not only the crystal orientation fabric, but also the average crystal size and shape, as a function of depth. By adding small empirical corrections to this first-principles model, a quantitatively accurate description of the optical properties of the IceCube glacial ice is obtained. In this paper, we present the experimental signature of ice optical anisotropy observed in IceCube light-emitting diode (LED) calibration data, the theory and parameterization of the birefringence effect, the fitting procedures of these parameterizations to experimental data, and the inferred crystal properties.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Detailed Characterization of CZT Detector Response for Improved Coded-Aperture Imaging Performance

Gamma-ray imaging is a powerful method for locating and quantifying sources of radiation. The coded-aperture technique demonstrates superior angular resolution in comparison to other methods (e.g., Compton reconstruction). In this method, a mask constructed of highly attenuating material encodes the scene as a shadow pattern on a position-sensitive detector; this pattern can then be used to recreate the origin(s) of incident radiation. This is typically done through convolution of the mask and shadow patterns. Iterative methods which attempt to reconstruct the observed shadow pattern using a weighted combination of simulated patterns may also be employed. In either case, errors in event position reconstruction due to detector imperfections alter the shadow pattern and will therefore degrade system performance and may introduce imaging artifacts. These effects can be mitigated with a detailed understanding of such errors – allowing for the generation of representative simulations that include the errors and/or correction of raw imager data to remove the errors. We present a calibration process for a commercially available cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) gamma imager which provides a comprehensive characterization of the spatial and energy dependence of event reconstruction. By illuminating a mask featuring a regular grid of pinholes with a calibration source, the localized response of the detector can be measured with fine granularity. These local responses are combined to generate a full detector response map which can be used to distort simulations in a manner that is representative of the observed detector data. Details of the calibration procedure and an assessment of the impact of its end products on the performance of iterative imaging methods will be presented.

Ziock, Klaus-Peter↗
DOE OSTI2024

Elimination LArTPC Simulation Uncertainty

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPC) are essential for detecting muons and neutrinos by capturing electrons released during particle collisions, which drift toward wire planes under an electric field and induce currents measured to reconstruct particle paths. However, LArTPCs face challenges from effects such as electron-ion recombination, electron diffusion, and electron attenuation, complicating data simulation. The Short Baseline Neutrino (SNB) detector aims to measure neutrinos before oscillation occurs. To bridge the gap between simulation and actual data, we propose modifying the amplitude and width of signals on the TPC wires, addressing uncertainties by adjusting signal characteristics to better match observed data. A Gaussian fit to current waveforms produces hits with associated charge and width, and by comparing data and simulated values, discrepancies highlight areas where the model fails. Initial results indicate the current modification algorithm may increase divergence between simulation and data, necessitating further refinement. A discovered bug in the WireModMakeHist_plug.cpp file, which incorrectly computed simulation and data ratios, underscores the need for precise algorithm adjustments. Future work involves correcting code errors, fine-tuning the model, and conducting multiple simulation runs to enhance statistical confidence and reduce uncertainties, ultimately aiming for accurate LArTPC operation and reliable neutrino detection.

Mkrtchyan, Ka'ren↗
DOE OSTI2022

CLARION2-TRINITY: A Compton-suppressed HPGe and GAGG:Ce-Si-Si array for absolute cross-section measurements with heavy ions

The design and performance of a new Compton-suppressed HPGe and charged-particle array, CLARION2-TRINITY, are described. The TRINITY charged-particle array is comprised of 64 Cerium-doped Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet (GAGG:Ce) crystals configured into five rings spanning 7–54 degrees, and two annular silicon detectors that can shadow or extend the angular coverage to backward angles with minimal $\gamma$-ray attenuation. GAGG:Ce is a non-hygroscopic, bright, and relatively fast scintillator with a light distribution well matched to SiPMs. Count rates up to 40 kHz per crystal are sustainable. Fundamental characteristics of GAGG:Ce are measured and presented, including light- and heavy-ion particle identification (PID) capability, pulse-height defects, radiation hardness, and emission spectra. The CLARION2 array consists of up to 16 Compton-suppressed HPGe Clover detectors (efficiency at 1 MeV) configured into four rings (eight HPGe crystal rings) using a non-Archimedean geometry that suppresses back-to-back coincident 511-keV gamma rays. The entire array is instrumented with 100- and 500-MHz (14 bit) waveform digitizers which enable triggerless operation, pulse-shape discrimination, fast timing, and pileup correction. Lastly, two examples of experimental data taken during the commissioning of the CLARION2-TRINITY system are given: a PID spectrum from 16 O + 18 O fusion-evaporation, and PID and Doppler-corrected -ray spectra from 48 Ti + 12 C Coulomb excitation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phase imaging of irradiated foils at the OMEGA EP facility using phase-stepping X-ray Talbot–Lau deflectometry

Abstract Diagnosing the evolution of laser-generated high energy density (HED) systems is fundamental to develop a correct understanding of the behavior of matter under extreme conditions. Talbot–Lau interferometry constitutes a promising tool, since it permits simultaneous single-shot X-ray radiography and phase-contrast imaging of dense plasmas. We present the results of an experiment at OMEGA EP that aims to probe the ablation front of a laser-irradiated foil using a Talbot–Lau X-ray interferometer. A polystyrene (CH) foil was irradiated by a laser of 133 J, 1 ns and probed with 8 keV laser-produced backlighter radiation from Cu foils driven by a short-pulse laser (153 J, 11 ps). The ablation front interferograms were processed in combination with a set of reference images obtained ex situ using phase-stepping. We managed to obtain attenuation and phase-shift images of a laser-irradiated foil for electron densities above ${10}^{22}\;{\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$ . These results showcase the capabilities of Talbot–Lau X-ray diagnostic methods to diagnose HED laser-generated plasmas through high-resolution imaging.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗