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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancements and Deployment of the TDAQ System for the Mu2e Experiment

The Real Time Processing Systems Division at Fermilab has deployed new features to the Off-The-Shelf Data Acquisition framework (otsdaq) for the Mu2e experiment. The Mu2e experiment will search for the coherent neutrino-less conversion of a muon into an electron in the field of an aluminum nucleus with a sensitivity improvement of 10,000 times over existing limits. Such a charged lepton flavor-violating reaction probes new physics at a scale unavailable at present or planned high-energy colliders. The Mu2e Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system uses otsdaq as its online Data Acquisition System (DAQ) framework. otsdaq integrates the artdaq and art frameworks for event transfer, filtering, and processing. otsdaq is a web-based DAQ software suite focusing on flexibility and scalability and provides a multi-user interface accessible through a web browser. artdaq handles the entire data stream, which is read over the peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus to a software filter algorithm that selects events combined with the data flux coming from a cosmic-ray veto (CRV) system. Detector front-ends are configured through the PCIe bus by customized otsdaq plugins. The otsdaq slow controls infrastructure has been further developed using the experimental physics and industrial control system (EPICS) open-source platform for monitoring, controlling, alarming, and archiving. The detector control system (DCS) for Mu2e has been integrated into otsdaq. The production TDAQ and DCS system has been deployed at the experimental hall and is being debugged and optimized for experiment operations. We report on the feature enhancements and deployment of otsdaq for Mu2e.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1974

Solar gamma ray monitor for OSO-H (0.3-10 MeV)

A gamma ray experiment to be flown aboard the OSO-7 spacecraft is described along with a history of the development of the experiment, a description of the gamma ray detector and its operation, and a short preliminary review of the scientific information obtained during the instruments' lifetime. The gamma ray detector operated an average of 18 hours a day for approximately 15 months. The majority of the data was collected in the solar and antisolar direction, but data at right angles to the spacecraft-sun line was also accumulated. In all, at least two full scans of the celestial sphere were completed.

Chupp, E. L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

A novel liquid argon purity monitor based on 207 Bi

A novel liquid argon purity monitor based on a 207 Bi radioactive source, emitting monochromatic internal-conversion electrons, is presented. This new monitor allows for a very precise and fast measurement of the electronegative impurities concentration in liquid argon. It can be operated continuously in liquid argon TPC experiments without interfering with the main detector operation. Different drift lengths can be assembled for the proposed device, to assess a large range of liquid argon purities while minimizing systematic uncertainties. Two prototypes have been built and successfully operated in dedicated test stands. The results and performance are reported.

double-phase↗
NASA NTRS1985

Nuclear Science Symposium, 31st and Symposium on Nuclear Power Systems, 16th, Orlando, FL, October 31-November 2, 1984, Proceedings

Topics related to physics instrumentation are discussed, taking into account cryostat and electronic development associated with multidetector spectrometer systems, the influence of materials and counting-rate effects on He-3 neutron spectrometry, a data acquisition system for time-resolved muscle experiments, and a sensitive null detector for precise measurements of integral linearity. Other subjects explored are concerned with space instrumentation, computer applications, detectors, instrumentation for high energy physics, instrumentation for nuclear medicine, environmental monitoring and health physics instrumentation, nuclear safeguards and reactor instrumentation, and a 1984 symposium on nuclear power systems. Attention is given to the application of multiprocessors to scientific problems, a large-scale computer facility for computational aerodynamics, a single-board 32-bit computer for the Fastbus, the integration of detector arrays and readout electronics on a single chip, and three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation of the electron avalanche in a proportional counter.

Biggerstaff, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Lightweight Video-Camera Head

Compact, lightweight video camera head constructed by remounting lens and charge-coupled-device image detector from small commercial video camera in separate assembly. Useful in robotics, artificial vision, and vision guidance systems. Designed to be mounted on visor of helmet to monitor motions of eyes in experiments on vestibulo-ocular reflexes.

Proctor, David R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spectroscopic Online Monitoring: Using a Multi-Track Visible Spectrometer to Facilitate a Mass Balance Study in a Simulated TALSPEAK Process

Nuclear energy is a promising low-carbon energy candidate to meet the increased demand for green energy, where the integration of fuel recycling can have significant benefits for material usage and waste reduction. Utilizing in situ monitoring tools can provide ample opportunities to better control and safeguard nuclear material recycle processes while also offering knowledge and insight into real-time solution properties. The simultaneous measurement of analytical targets in multiple process locations can enable real-time mass balance and material accountancy calculations. This is demonstrated here with a mass balance study of Nd 3+ on countercurrent aqueous/organic metal extraction within a single centrifugal contactor. The Nd 3+ concentration was simultaneously monitored at the inlets and outlets of both aqueous and organic phases using a visible absorbance detector that allowed for the simultaneous measurement of up to six locations. The Nd 3+ concentration was calculated by using chemical data science algorithms, where model training sets were collected on a single track of the detector. The discussion includes addressing the challenges of using a model collected on a single track and applying it as a model across the other tracks on the detector. Each track of the detector corresponds to one measurement location on the contactor. The difference in the integrated moles of Nd 3+ between the inlet and outlet at the end of the experiment was near zero, indicating that the mass balance of this experiment was maintained. Overall, the online spectroscopic monitoring was able to follow changing solution conditions and accurately measure the concentration of Nd 3+ in different locations within the contactor system.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2000

Hydrogen Sensors Demonstrated on the Shuttle

Microelectromechanical-systems- (MEMS-) based hydrogen sensor technology developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field and Case Western Reserve University was demonstrated on shuttle missions STS-95 (Senator Glenn s mission) and STS-96. These smart sensors, commercialized by Makel Engineering Inc., were part of an "Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring HEDS Technology Demonstration" series conducted at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. The experiments were designed to demonstrate the effect of technological upgrades on shuttle performance. The hydrogen sensors were micro-fabricated for minimal size, weight, and power consumption. A temperature detector and heater were included on the sensor for temperature control. Two palladium chrome (PdCr) hydrogen detection devices were included in each sensor package: a Schottky diode for low concentrations and a resistor for high concentrations. These sensor designs allow operation in inert environments. "Smart" electronics developed by Makel Engineering were integrated with the sensors to control the sensor temperature and process the output of the various sensors. This complete hydrogen detection system (two sensors on a chip with smart electronics) flew on STS-95 (launched October 1998) and STS-96 (launched May 1999). It was installed in the aft compartment of the shuttle and used to monitor the hydrogen concentration in that region. Up to this time, a mass spectrometer had monitored the hydrogen concentration in the aft compartment before launch, and "grab" bottles had been used after launch. The inside of these bottles is at vacuum. During flight, the grab bottles are pyrotechnically opened for a brief period, and the gas in the aft compartment is captured in the bottle. Several of these bottles are opened at different times during takeoff, and their contents are used to determine the time profile of the gases in the aft chamber. However, this information is not available until after the flight. On the launch pad, results from the new sensor technology paralleled the responses of the mass spectrometer with, in some cases, a quicker response time. In flight, data from the new sensors agreed with those derived from analyzing the contents of the grab bottles. Moreover, this microsensor can monitor the aft compartment continuously and, in principle, could monitor the health of the vehicle in real time during flight.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beam-induced backgrounds measured in the ATLAS detector during local gas injection into the LHC beam vacuum

Inelastic beam-gas collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), within a few hundred metres of the ATLAS experiment, are known to give the dominant contribution to beam backgrounds. These are monitored by ATLAS with a dedicated Beam Conditions Monitor (BCM) and with the rate of fake jets in the calorimeters. These two methods are complementary since the BCM probes backgrounds just around the beam pipe while fake jets are observed at radii of up to several metres. In order to quantify the correlation between the residual gas density in the LHC beam vacuum and the experimental backgrounds recorded by ATLAS, several dedicated tests were performed during LHC Run 2. Local pressure bumps, with a gas density several orders of magnitude higher than during normal operation, were introduced at different locations. The changes of beam-related backgrounds, seen in ATLAS, are correlated with the local pressure variation. In addition the rates of beam-gas events are estimated from the pressure measurements and pressure bump profiles obtained from calculations. Using these rates, the efficiency of the ATLAS beam background monitors to detect beam-gas events is derived as a function of distance from the interaction point. These efficiencies and characteristic distributions of fake jets from the beam backgrounds are found to be in good agreement with results of beam-gas simulations performed with theFluka Monte Carlo programme.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1999

High Resolution Triple Axis X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of II-VI Semiconductor Crystals

The objective of this research program is to develop methods of structural analysis based on high resolution triple axis X-ray diffractometry (HRTXD) and to carry out detailed studies of defect distributions in crystals grown in both microgravity and ground-based environments. HRTXD represents a modification of the widely used double axis X-ray rocking curve method for the characterization of grown-in defects in nearly perfect crystals. In a double axis rocking curve experiment, the sample is illuminated by a monochromatic X-ray beam and the diffracted intensity is recorded by a fixed, wide-open detector. The intensity diffracted by the sample is then monitored as the sample is rotated through the Bragg reflection condition. The breadth of the peak, which is often reported as the full angular width at half the maximum intensity (FWHM), is used as an indicator of the amount of defects in the sample. This work has shown that high resolution triple axis X-ray diffraction is an effective tool for characterizing the defect structure in semiconductor crystals, particularly at high defect densities. Additionally, the technique is complimentary to X-ray topography for defect characterization in crystals.

Volz, H. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

A Concept for the Inclusion of Analytical and Computational Capability in Existing Systems for Measurement of Neutron Flux

For approximately two decades, efforts have been sponsored by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to make possible high-speed, automated classification and quantification of constituent materials in various harsh environments. MSFC, along with the Air Force/Arnold Engineering Development Center, has led the work, developing and implementing systems that employ principles of emission and absorption spectroscopy to monitor molecular and atomic particulates in gas plasma of rocket engine flow fields. One such system identifies species and quantifies mass loss rates in H2/O2 rocket plumes. Other gases have been examined and the physics of their detection under numerous conditions were made a part of the knowledge base for the MSFC/USAF team. Additionally, efforts are being advanced to hardware encode components of the data analysis tools in order to address real-time operational requirements for health monitoring and management. NASA has a significant investment in these systems, warranting a spiral approach that meshes current tools and experience with technological advancements. This paper addresses current systems - the Optical Plume Anomaly Detector (OPAD) and the Engine Diagnostic Filtering System (EDIFIS) - and discusses what is considered a natural progression: a concept for migrating them towards detection of high energy particles, including neutrons and gamma rays. The proposal outlines system development to date, basic concepts for future advancements, and recommendations for accomplishing them.

Patrick, Clinton↗
NASA NTRS1985

Gas chromatography: Possible application of advanced instrumentation developed for solar system exploration to space station cabin atmospheres

Gas chromatography (GC) technology was developed for flight experiments in solar system exploration. The GC is a powerful analytical technique with simple devices separating individual components from complex mixtures to make very sensitive quantitative and qualitative measurements. It monitors samples containing mixtures of fixed gases and volatile organic molecules. The GC was used on the Viking mission in support of life detection experiments and on the Pioneer Venus Large Probe to determine the composition of the venusian atmosphere. A flight GC is under development to study the progress and extent of STS astronaut denitrogenation prior to extravehicular activity. Advanced flight GC concepts and systems for future solar system exploration are also studied. Studies include miniature ionization detectors and associated control systems capable of detecting from ppb up to 100% concentration levels. Further miniaturization is investigated using photolithography and controlled chemical etching in silicon wafers. Novel concepts such as ion mobility drift spectroscopy and multiplex gas chromatography are also developed for future flight experiments. These powerful analytical concepts and associated hardware are ideal for the monitoring of cabin atmospheres containing potentially dangerous volatile compounds.

Carle, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

First results from Spacelab 2

Preliminary results of physical experiments carried out during the Spacelab 2 Shuttle mission are summarized. Attention is given to experiments in the fields of plasma dynamics; solar physics; high-energy astrophysics; and astronomy. Plasma experiments included an ejectable plasma diagnosics package and measurements of the passive charging of the Shuttle vehicle in the surrounding space plasma. The solar physics instrument package consisted of a solar spectral irradiance monitor; a solar optical universal polarimeter (SOUP); and a solar helium abundance high-resolution telescope and spectrograph (HRTS). Astronomical observations were performed using a scanning infrared telescope (IRT) which consisted of a highly baffled herschelian telescope and 10 detectors covering wavelengths from 2 to 120 microns. Cosmic-ray nuclei were detected and analyzed using gas Cerenkov counters and a transition radiation detector. Addition experiments included a thin film fluid dynamics payload and analysis of blood samples taken from the mission specialists. Complete data records from the experiments have now been distributed for an analysis period which will take at least a year. A table listing the Spacelab 2 experiments and their principal investigators is provided.

Urban, E. W.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Study of Heavy Flavor Mesons and Flavor-Tagged Jets with the CMS Detector

The goal of this research program is to implement heavy flavor meson triggers in heavy-ion collisions for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, including algorithm design, timing studies, offline validation, and online performance monitoring. The physics analyses which can be achieved by data from these new triggers is to address one of the most important questions in the field: parton flavor dependence of jet-quenching for the understanding of the transport properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma. This program will allow CMS to collect the highest statistics heavy flavor meson and jet data ever recorded in heavy-ion colliders. The program includes two objectives: (1) Build and maintain the heavy flavor meson and jet triggers for heavy-ion collisions and deploy the trigger algorithms for 2015-2018 PbPb and pPb run at the LHC; (2) Perform heavy flavor meson and jet physics analyses, which can be used to study the parton flavor dependence of jet quenching, to extract the elastic energy loss coefficient of the QGP, and to test whether massive quarks also participate in collective expansion dynamics in heavy-ion collisions. With the heavy flavor physics trigger developed in this project, a competitive heavy flavor physics program in heavy-ion collisions has been established in CMS. This program allows studies of the fully reconstructed and flavor identified charm, beauty, and exotic hadrons that cover the widest transverse momentum range. The novel measurements supported by the award provide new constraints on the size of the flavor dependence of parton energy loss, the value of the in-medium charm quark diffusion coefficient, the mechanism of charm and beauty quark hadronization, and provide new insights to the nature of the X(3872) hadron.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

AI-assisted detector design for the EIC (AID(2)E)

Artificial Intelligence is poised to transform the design of complex, large-scale detectors like ePIC at the future Electron Ion Collider. Featuring a central detector with additional detecting systems in the far forward and far backward regions, the ePIC experiment incorporates numerous design parameters and objectives, including performance, physics reach, and cost, constrained by mechanical and geometric limits. This project aims to develop a scalable, distributed AI-assisted detector design for the EIC (AID(2)E), employing state-of-the-art multiobjective optimization to tackle complex designs. Supported by the ePIC software stack and using G EANT 4 simulations, our approach benefits from transparent parameterization and advanced AI features. The workflow leverages the PanDA and iDDS systems, used in major experiments such as ATLAS at CERN LHC, the Rubin Observatory, and sPHENIX at RHIC, to manage the compute intensive demands of ePIC detector simulations. Tailored enhancements to the PanDA system focus on usability, scalability, automation, and monitoring. Ultimately, this project aims to establish a robust design capability, apply a distributed AI-assisted workflow to the ePIC detector, and extend its applications to the design of the second detector (Detector-2) in the EIC, as well as to calibration and alignment tasks. Additionally, we are developing advanced data science tools to efficiently navigate the complex, multidimensional trade-offs identified through this optimization process.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

NMF-Based Anomaly Detection in CMS 2D Tracking Occupancy Histograms

The CMS experiment relies on Data Quality Monitoring (DQM) to ensure that recorded collision data are suitable for physics analysis. During LHC Run 3, each run contains many lumisections and tracking monitoring elements, making offline inspection challenging, especially for localized detector effects that may appear only for short periods of time. This poster presents an unsupervised machine-learning approach to identify anomalous lumisections in CMS tracking occupancy histograms using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). The workflow uses offline CMS DQMIO tracking histograms retrieved with the CMS DIALS API and organized as two-dimensional occupancy maps for each lumisection. After selecting stable lumisections, the occupancy maps are normalized and arranged into a non-negative data matrix. The NMF model learns a compact set of basis patterns describing normal tracking occupancy. Each lumisection is then reconstructed from these learned components, and the reconstruction error is used as an anomaly score. Large residuals indicate occupancy patterns that deviate from normal detector behavior and are flagged for further inspection. This NMF-based approach provides a fast and interpretable way to flag lumisections whose tracking occupancy patterns differ from normal detector behavior. Preliminary studies show sensitivity to known tracking anomalies, and ongoing work is focused on validating the method across additional Run 3 Pixel and Strip detector issues.

Rodríguez Ramos, Iliomar [Puerto Rico U., Mayaguez↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measuring the Aerosol Collection Efficiency and Detector Face Deposition of the Bladewerx KatanaGBM™ (Glove Box Monitor) Continuous Air Monitor

To assist Bladewerx LLC (the Requestor) in testing their new CAM (continuous air monitor) sampler model Bladewerx™ KatanaGBM™ (Glove Box Monitor), the Laboratory (LANL, i.e. Los Alamos National Laboratory) measured the aerosol particle collection efficiency and detector face deposition for several experimental test conditions. Bladewerx LLC provided a prototype KatanaGBM with a set of requested tests. According to these parameters, LANL designed and performed a series of experiments to (A.) Measure the aerosol particle collection efficiency and detector face deposition of the KatanaGBM at three air flow rates of 5, 42, and 70 ALPM (ambient liters per minute), (B.) Measure the collection efficiency and detector face deposition using two sizes of oil droplet particles: 3±1 and 10±1 µm (micron) AED (aerodynamic equivalent diameter), and (C.) Test the KatanaGBM for aerosol collection efficiency and detector face deposition with the wind tunnel’s air flow at three different angles 0°, 45° and 90° (compared to the KatanaGBM’s filter face).

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2020

MARTA’s (Muon Array with RPC for Tagging Air showers) DAQ system

The successful development of a low-power and standalone DAQ system to be used with RPCs is presented. These will be used to measure the muonic component of cosmic-ray’s air showers. The system includes a front-end, high voltage, detector monitoring and a Central Unit to manage the different components of the system. The front-end is based on the MAROC ASIC coupled to an FPGA respecting the strict demands of field operations in cosmic-ray experiments. Prototypes were produced and deployed, performing as expected. An engineering array will be installed at the Pierre Auger Observatory.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1971

A gamma ray monitor for the OSO-7 spacecraft

A 3 in. x 3 in. NaI(Tl) gamma ray (0.3 to 10 MeV) spectrometer with a CsI(Na) charged particle and anti-Compton shield has been developed for the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO-7) which was launched September 30, 1971. The instrument, designed for a rotating wheel compartment, utilizes a 377 channel quadratic PHA with accumulation times of 3, 1, or 0.5 minutes. Quick look and calibration data obtained via a direct data link to a minicomputer allows near real time monitoring and control of the experiment. Various commands changing the operating mode can be executed. The functions which can be commanded include: rotation of the quadrants in which data is collected by 90 deg; gain adjustment of the central detector over a 6:1 range; manual or automatic sequencing of calibrations; variations of accumulation times by telemetering selected channels; and selection of reference directions. A small X-ray detector covering the range 7.5 to 120 keV is also included.

Higbie, P. R.↗