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At least 1,081 records · Page 60

A Space-Based Observational Strategy for Characterizing the First Stars and Galaxies Using the Redshifted 21cm Global Spectrum

The redshifted 21 cm monopole is expected to be a powerful probe of the epoch of the first stars and galaxies(10 less than z less than 35). The global 21 cm signal is sensitive to the thermal and ionization state of hydrogen gas and thusprovides a tracer of sources of energetic photonsprimarily hot stars and accreting black holeswhich ionize andheat the high redshift intergalactic medium (IGM). This paper presents a strategy for observations of the globalspectrum with a realizable instrument placed in a low-altitude lunar orbit, performing night-time 40120 MHzspectral observations, while on the farside to avoid terrestrial radio frequency interference, ionospheric corruption,and solar radio emissions. The frequency structure, uniformity over large scales, and unpolarized state of theredshifted 21 cm spectrum are distinct from the spectrally featureless, spatially varying, and polarized emissionfrom the bright foregrounds. This allows a clean separation between the primordial signal and foregrounds. Forsignal extraction, we model the foreground, instrument, and 21 cm spectrum with eigenmodes calculated viaSingular Value Decomposition analyses. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to explore the parameterspace defined by the coefficients associated with these modes, we illustrate how the spectrum can be measured andhow astrophysical parameters (e.g., IGM properties, first star characteristics) can be constrained in the presence offoregrounds using the Dark Ages Radio Explorer (DARE).

Burns, Jack O.↗

A new paradigm for the molecular basis of rubber elasticity

The molecular basis for rubber elasticity is arguably the oldest and one of the most important questions in the field of polymer physics. The theoretical investigation of rubber elasticity began in earnest almost a century ago with the development of analytic thermodynamic models, based on simple, highly-symmetric configurations of so-called Gaussian chains, i.e. polymer chains that obey Markov statistics. Numerous theories have been proposed over the past 90 years based on the ansatz that the elastic force for individual network chains arises from the entropy change associated with the distribution of end-to-end distances of a free polymer chain. There are serious philosophical objections to this assumption and others, such as the assumption that all network nodes undergo affine motion and that all of the network chains have the same length. Recently, a new paradigm for elasticity in rubber networks has been proposed that is based on mechanisms that originate at the molecular level. Using conventional statistical mechanics analyses, quantum chemistry, and molecular dynamics simulations, the fundamental entropic and enthalpic chain extension forces for polyisoprene (natural rubber) have been determined, along with estimates for the basic force constants. Concurrently, the complex morphology of natural rubber networks (the joint probability density distributions that relate the chain end-to-end distance to its contour length) has also been captured in a numerical model. When molecular chain forces are merged with the network structure in this model, it is possible to study the mechanical response to tensile and compressive strains of a representative volume element of a polymer network. As strain is imposed on a network, pathways of connected taut chains, that completely span the network along strain axis, emerge. Although these chains represent only a few percent of the total, they account for nearly all of the elastic stress at high strain. Here we provide a brief review of previous elasticity theories and their deficiencies, and present a new paradigm with an emphasis on experimental comparisons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Almost sure convergence in quantum spin glasses

Recently, Keating, Linden, and Wells [Markov Processes Relat. Fields 21(3), 537-555 (2015)] showed that the density of states measure of a nearest-neighbor quantum spin glass model is approximately Gaussian when the number of particles is large. The density of states measure is the ensemble average of the empirical spectral measure of a random matrix; in this paper, we use concentration of measure and entropy techniques together with the result of Keating, Linden, and Wells to show that in fact the empirical spectral measure of such a random matrix is almost surely approximately Gaussian itself with no ensemble averaging. We also extend this result to a spherical quantum spin glass model and to the more general coupling geometries investigated by Erdős and Schröder [Math. Phys., Anal. Geom. 17(3-4), 441–464 (2014)].

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quantification of early nonpharmaceutical interventions aimed at slowing transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the Navajo Nation and surrounding states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah)

During an early period of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Navajo Nation, much like New York City, experienced a relatively high rate of disease transmission. Yet, between January and October 2020, it experienced only a single period of growth in new COVID-19 cases, which ended when cases peaked in May 2020. The daily number of new cases slowly decayed in the summer of 2020 until late September 2020. In contrast, the surrounding states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all experienced at least two periods of growth in the same time frame, with second surges beginning in late May to early June. Here, we investigated these differences in disease transmission dynamics with the objective of quantifying the contributions of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) (e.g., behaviors that limit disease transmission). We considered a compartmental model accounting for distinct periods of NPIs to analyze the epidemic in each of the five regions. We used Bayesian inference to estimate region-specific model parameters from regional surveillance data (daily reports of new COVID-19 cases) and to quantify uncertainty in parameter estimates and model predictions. Our results suggest that NPIs in the Navajo Nation were sustained over the period of interest, whereas in the surrounding states, NPIs were relaxed, which allowed for subsequent surges in cases. Our region-specific model parameterizations allow us to quantify the impacts of NPIs on disease incidence in the regions of interest.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Fast matrix algebra for Bayesian model calibration

In Bayesian model calibration, evaluation of the likelihood function usually involves finding the inverse and determinant of a covariance matrix. When Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are used to sample from the posterior, hundreds of thousands of likelihood evaluations may be required. In this paper, we demonstrate that the structure of the covariance matrix can be exploited, leading to substantial time savings in practice. Here, we also derive two simple equations for approximating the inverse of the covariance matrix in this setting, which can be computed in near-quadratic time. The practical implications of these strategies are demonstrated using a simple numerical case study and the "quack" R package. For a covariance matrix with 1000 rows, application of these strategies for a million likelihood evaluations leads to a speedup of roughly 4000 compared to the naive implementation

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Impact of cosmic variance on the galaxy-halo connection for Lyα emitters

In this paper we study the impact of cosmic variance and observational uncertainties in constraining the mass and occupation fraction, f{sub occ}, of dark matter (DM) halos hosting Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs) at high redshift. To this end, we construct mock catalogs from an N-body simulation to match the typical size of observed fields at z = 3.1 (∼1 deg{sup 2}). In our model a DM halo with mass in the range M{sub min}<M{sub h}<M{sub max} can only host one detectable LAE at most. We proceed to explore the parameter space determined by M{sub min}, M{sub max}, and f{sub occ} with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm using the angular correlation function and the LAEs’ number density as observational constraints. We find that the preferred minimum and maximum masses in our model span a wide range 10{sup 10.0}h{sup −1}M{sub ⊙}⩽M{sub min}⩽10{sup 11.1}h{sup −1}M{sub ⊙}, 10{sup 11.0}h{sup −1}M{sub ⊙}⩽M{sub max}⩽10{sup 13.0}h{sup −1}M{sub ⊙}, followed by a wide range in the occupation fraction 0.02⩽f{sub occ}⩽0.30. As a consequence, the median mass, M {sub 50}, of all the consistent models has a large uncertainty M{sub 50}=3.16{sub −2.37}{sup +9.34}×10{sup 10} h{sup −1}M{sub ⊙}. However, we find that the same individual models have a relatively tight 1σ scatter around the median mass ΔM{sub 1σ}=0.55{sub −0.31}{sup +0.11} dex. We are also able to show that f{sub occ} is uniquely determined by M{sub min}, regardless of M{sub max}. We argue that upcoming large surveys covering at least 25 deg{sup 2} should be able to put tighter constraints on M{sub min} and f{sub occ} through the LAE number density distribution width constructed over several fields of ∼1 deg{sup 2}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Distributional Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Emergency Frequency Control

Emergency frequency control is one of the most critical approaches to maintain power system stability after major disturbances. With the increasing number of grid-connected renewable energy sources, existing model-based methods of frequency control are facing up with challenges of computational speed and scalability for large-scale systems. In this paper, the emergency frequency control problem is formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) and solved through a novel Distributional Deep Reinforcement Learning (DDRL) method, namely the distributional soft actor critic (DSAC) method. Compared with other RL methods that only estimate the mean value, the proposed DSAC model estimates the distribution of value function over returns. This advancement can lead to more insights and knowledge for the agent, with the benefit of a much faster and more stable learning process, and the improved frequency control performance. Here, the simulation results on IEEE 39-bus and IEEE 118-bus systems demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of proposed models, as well as the advantage compared to other state-of-the-art DRL algorithms.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

A ground-based optical transmission spectrum of WASP-6b

We present a ground-based optical transmission spectrum of the inflated sub-Jupiter-mass planet WASP-6b. The spectrum was measured in 20 spectral channels from 480 nm to 860 nm using a series of 91 spectra over a complete transit event. The observations were carried out using multi-object differential spectrophotometry with the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph on the Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We model systematic effects on the observed light curves using principal component analysis on the comparison stars and allow for the presence of short and long memory correlation structure in our Monte Carlo Markov Chain analysis of the transit light curves for WASP-6. The measured transmission spectrum presents a general trend of decreasing apparent planetary size with wavelength and lacks evidence for broad spectral features of Na and K predicted by clear atmosphere models. The spectrum is consistent with that expected for scattering that is more efficient in the blue, as could be caused by hazes or condensates in the atmosphere of WASP-6b. WASP-6b therefore appears to be yet another massive exoplanet with evidence for a mostly featureless transmission spectrum, underscoring the importance that hazes and condensates can have in determining the transmission spectra of exoplanets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Kriging-Based Inverse Uncertainty Quantification of BISON Fission Gas Release Model

Nuclear reactor fuel performance analysis studies the thermo-mechanical behavior of fuel rods and verify their compliance with safety criteria under both normal operation and accidental conditions. One of the major concerns in fuel performance analysis is the behavior of the fission gases xenon and krypton in uranium dioxide fuel, which significantly affect the thermo-mechanical performance of the nuclear fuel rods employed in current LWRs. Previously, the modeling of fission gas release (FGR) in nuclear fuel performance codes have been relying on empirical models which are not applicable beyond their range of calibration. Recently a more efficient and flexible physics-based FGR and swelling model that can describe a wider range of reactor operation conditions have been implemented in fuel performance code BISON. In this work, we performed Bayesian calibration to inversely quantify the uncertainties associated with the 5 tuning parameters in BISON FGR model, based on the time-dependent FGR measurement data from Riso-AN3 benchmark. It takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes for BISON to simulate the Riso-AN3 benchmark with a moderate mesh size using 32 processors. As hundreds of thousands of BISON simulations are needed during Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling, running BISON directly is not a viable solution. Therefore we propose to use Kriging-based metamodels to replace BISON during MCMC sampling. Surrogate model is an approximation of the input/output relation of a computer code/model. It is also called metamodel, response surface, emulator. Surrogate models usually take much less computational time than the original model (like BISON) while maintaining the input/output relation of the original model to a desirable accuracy. Constructing the metamodels normally requires small number of executions of the original model. Once validated, metamodels can be used to perform uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, Bayesian calibration, optimization, etc.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Operation Optimization Using Reinforcement Learning with Integrated Artificial Reasoning Framework

In large and complex systems, operational decision-making requires a systematic analysis with a vast amount of data from both process parameters and component status monitoring. In this paper, we present an integrated artificial reasoning approach for system state transition models that can help operational decision-making with explainable and traceable reasoning. The integrated artificial reasoning framework is a physics-based approach of defining the system structure in a Bayesian network, so we leveraged it in a Markov decision process (MDP) for finding optimal operational solutions. In our proposed framework, the MDP is implemented on a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN), which represents causalities in a system. The multilevel flow modeling was utilized in order to extract these causalities in a more efficient and objective manner. Since multilevel flow modeling is based on the fundamental energy and mass conservation laws, the target system is decomposed into several mass, energy, and information structures, which serve as the basis for a DBN. The MDP consists of the processes of finding a solution for the Bellman equation, which can be derived from the conditional probability equations of the constructed DBN. System operators can capture stochastic system dynamics as multiple subsystem state transitions based on their physical relations and uncertainties coming from the component degradation process or random failures. We analyzed a simplified example system to illustrate finding an optimal operational policy with this approach.

Kim, Junyung↗

Multiscale models and stochastic simulation methods for computing rare but key binding events in cell biology

The main difficulty in simulating diffusion processes at a molecular level in cell microdomains is due to the multiple scales involving nano- to micrometers. Few to many particles have to be simulated and simultaneously tracked while there are exploring a large portion of the space for binding small targets, such as buffers or active sites. Bridging the small and large spatial scales is achieved by rare events representing Brownian particles finding small targets and characterized by long-time distribution. These rare events are the bottleneck of numerical simulations. A naive stochastic simulation requires running many Brownian particles together, which is computationally greedy and inefficient. Solving the associated partial differential equations is also difficult due to the time dependent boundary conditions, narrow passages and mixed boundary conditions at small windows. We present here two reduced modeling approaches for a fast computation of diffusing fluxes in microdomains. The first approach is based on a Markov mass-action law equations coupled to a Markov chain. The second is a Gillespie's method based on the narrow escape theory for coarse-graining the geometry of the domain into Poissonian rates. The main application concerns diffusion in cellular biology, where we compute as an example the distribution of arrival times of calcium ions to small hidden targets to trigger vesicular release.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Bayesian Cloud Property Retrievals from ARM Active and Passive Measurements

The optimum use of the continuous measurements of thermodynamics, radiation, aerosols, clouds and precipitation from the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program is key to achieve the DOE Atmospheric System Research (ASR)’s objectives. One of the key mission requirements is to retrieve cloud and precipitation properties, as well as vertical motion parameters, along the vertical cross- section defined by the profiling active sensors. Such retrievals are challenging to perform continuously in the entire spectrum of cloud and precipitation conditions due to the large natural microphysical and dynamical variability, the often-limited information content in the measurements, and the lack of proper characterization of measurement quality and uncertainty. Today, the acquisition of new remote and in-situ sensors by the ARM program creates opportunities to address the microphysical retrieval problem by exploiting new, more robust retrieval techniques and integrating various scattered advancements in both sensor techniques and retrieval algorithms. During this project, we constructed a robust Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) cloud property retrieval algorithm that includes a state of the art radar forward model. Our MCMC-based retrieval produces both the best estimate of height-resolved cloud and precipitation properties in the radar profile, as well as an estimate of the in-cloud vertical motion and turbulence. In addition, the MCMC algorithm automatically produces robust and flexible estimates of retrieval uncertainty. We tested the algorithm on several synthetic cloud profiles obtained from large eddy simulation (LES) models with bin-resolved microphysics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Space-based Observational Strategy for Characterizing the First Stars and Galaxies Using the Redshifted 21 cm Global Spectrum

The redshifted 21 cm monopole is expected to be a powerful probe of the epoch of the first stars and galaxies (10<z<35). The global 21 cm signal is sensitive to the thermal and ionization state of hydrogen gas and thus provides a tracer of sources of energetic photons—primarily hot stars and accreting black holes—which ionize and heat the high redshift intergalactic medium (IGM). This paper presents a strategy for observations of the global spectrum with a realizable instrument placed in a low-altitude lunar orbit, performing night-time 40–120 MHz spectral observations, while on the farside to avoid terrestrial radio frequency interference, ionospheric corruption, and solar radio emissions. The frequency structure, uniformity over large scales, and unpolarized state of the redshifted 21 cm spectrum are distinct from the spectrally featureless, spatially varying, and polarized emission from the bright foregrounds. This allows a clean separation between the primordial signal and foregrounds. For signal extraction, we model the foreground, instrument, and 21 cm spectrum with eigenmodes calculated via Singular Value Decomposition analyses. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to explore the parameter space defined by the coefficients associated with these modes, we illustrate how the spectrum can be measured and how astrophysical parameters (e.g., IGM properties, first star characteristics) can be constrained in the presence of foregrounds using the Dark Ages Radio Explorer (DARE).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Bayesian Approach to the Joint Inversion of Gravity and Magnetic Data, with Application to the Ismenius Area of Mars

This viewgraph presentation reviews a Bayesian approach to the inversion of gravity and magnetic data with specific application to the Ismenius Area of Mars. Many inverse problems encountered in geophysics and planetary science are well known to be non-unique (i.e. inversion of gravity the density structure of a body). In hopes of reducing the non-uniqueness of solutions, there has been interest in the joint analysis of data. An example is the joint inversion of gravity and magnetic data, with the assumption that the same physical anomalies generate both the observed magnetic and gravitational anomalies. In this talk, we formulate the joint analysis of different types of data in a Bayesian framework and apply the formalism to the inference of the density and remanent magnetization structure for a local region in the Ismenius area of Mars. The Bayesian approach allows prior information or constraints in the solutions to be incorporated in the inversion, with the "best" solutions those whose forward predictions most closely match the data while remaining consistent with assumed constraints. The application of this framework to the inversion of gravity and magnetic data on Mars reveals two typical challenges - the forward predictions of the data have a linear dependence on some of the quantities of interest, and non-linear dependence on others (termed the "linear" and "non-linear" variables, respectively). For observations with Gaussian noise, a Bayesian approach to inversion for "linear" variables reduces to a linear filtering problem, with an explicitly computable "error" matrix. However, for models whose forward predictions have non-linear dependencies, inference is no longer given by such a simple linear problem, and moreover, the uncertainty in the solution is no longer completely specified by a computable "error matrix". It is therefore important to develop methods for sampling from the full Bayesian posterior to provide a complete and statistically consistent picture of model uncertainty, and what has been learned from observations. We will discuss advanced numerical techniques, including Monte Carlo Markov

data analysis↗

Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Numerical Solution (CMBAns) I: An Introduction to $C_l$ Calculation

Cosmological Boltzmann codes are often used by researchers for calculating the CMB angular power spectra from different theoretical models, for cosmological parameter estimation, etc. Therefore, the accuracy of a Boltzmann code is of utmost importance. Different Markov Chain Monte Carlo based parameter estimation algorithms typically require 10^3 - 10^4 iterations of Boltzmann code. This makes the time complexity of such codes another critical factor. In the last two decades, several Boltzmann packages, such as CMBFAST, CAMB, CMBEasy, CLASS etc., have been developed. In this paper, we present a new cosmological Boltzmann code, CMBAns, that can be used for accurate calculation of the CMB power spectrum. At present, CMBAns is developed for a flat background matrix. It is mostly written in the C language. However, we borrowed the concept of class from C++. This gives researchers the flexibility to develop their own independent package based on CMBAns, without an in-depth understanding of the source code. We also develop multiple stand-alone facilities which can be directly compiled and run on a given parameter set. In this paper, we discuss all the mathematical formulation, approximation schemes, integration methods etc., that are used in CMBAns. The package will be made available through github for public use in the near future.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Crystal Orientation-Dependent Reactivity of Oxide Surfaces in Contact with Lithium Metal

Understanding ionic transport across interfaces between dissimilar materials and the intrinsic chemical stability of such interfaces is a fundamental challenge spanning many disciplines and is of particular importance for designing conductive and stable solid electrolytes for solid-state Li-ion batteries. In this work, we establish a surface science-based approach for assessing the intrinsic stability of oxide materials in contact with Li metal. Through a combination of experimental and computational insights, using Nb-doped SrTiO3 (Nb/STO) single crystals as a model system, we were able to understand the impact of crystallographic orientation and surface morphology on the extent of the chemical reactions that take place between surface Nb, Ti, and Sr upon reaction with Li. By expanding our approach to investigate the intrinsic stability of the technologically relevant, polycrystalline Nb-doped lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (Li6.5La3Zr1.5Nb0.5O12) system, we found that this material reacts with Li metal through the reduction of Nb, similar to that observed for Nb/STO. These results clearly demonstrate the feasibility of our approach to assess the intrinsic (in)stability of oxide materials for solid-state batteries and point to new strategies for understanding the performance of such systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Development of Unsteady Aerodynamic State-Space Models from CFD-Based Pulse Responses

A method for computing discrete-time state-space models of linearized unsteady aerodynamic behavior directly from aeroelastic CFD codes is presented. The method involves the treatment of CFD-based pulse responses as Markov parameters for use in a system identification /realization algorithm. Results are presented for the AGARD 445.6 Aeroelastic Wing with four aeroelastic modes at a Mach number of 0.96 using the EZNSS Euler/Navier-Stokes flow solver with aeroelastic capability. The System/Observer/Controller Identification Toolbox (SOCIT) algorithm, based on the Ho-Kalman realization algorithm, is used to generate 15th- and 32nd-order discrete-time state-space models of the unsteady aerodynamic response of the wing over the entire frequency range of interest.

Silva, Walter A.↗

Plug & play directed evolution of proteins with gradient-based discrete MCMC

Abstract A long-standing goal of machine-learning-based protein engineering is to accelerate the discovery of novel mutations that improve the function of a known protein. We introduce a sampling framework for evolving proteins in silico that supports mixing and matching a variety of unsupervised models, such as protein language models, and supervised models that predict protein function from sequence. By composing these models, we aim to improve our ability to evaluate unseen mutations and constrain search to regions of sequence space likely to contain functional proteins. Our framework achieves this without any model fine-tuning or re-training by constructing a product of experts distribution directly in discrete protein space. Instead of resorting to brute force search or random sampling, which is typical of classic directed evolution, we introduce a fast Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler that uses gradients to propose promising mutations. We conduct in silico directed evolution experiments on wide fitness landscapes and across a range of different pre-trained unsupervised models, including a 650 M parameter protein language model. Our results demonstrate an ability to efficiently discover variants with high evolutionary likelihood as well as estimated activity multiple mutations away from a wild type protein, suggesting our sampler provides a practical and effective new paradigm for machine-learning-based protein engineering.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗