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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 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Three-Qubit Encoding in Ytterbium-171 Atoms for Simulating 1+1D Quantum Chromodynamics

Simulating nuclear matter described by quantum chromodynamics using quantum computers is notoriously inefficient because of the assortment of quark degrees of freedom such as matter/antimatter, flavor, color, and spin. Here, we propose to address this resource efficiency challenge by encoding three qubits within individual ytterbium-171 atoms of a neutral atom quantum processor. The three qubits are encoded in three distinct sectors: an electronic “clock” transition, the spin-1/2 nucleus, and the lowest two motional states in one radial direction of the harmonic trapping potential. We develop a family of composite sideband pulses and demonstrate a universal gate set and readout protocol for this three-qubit system. We then apply it to single-flavor quantum chromodynamics in 1+1D axial gauge for which the three qubits directly represent the occupancy of quarks in the three colors. We show that two atoms are sufficient to simulate both vacuum persistence oscillations and a screened hadron-number transition. We consider resource requirements and connections to error detection/correction. Our work is a step toward resource-efficient digital simulation of nuclear matter and opens new opportunities for versatile qubit encoding in neutral atom quantum processors.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparative analysis of plasmon modes in layered Lindhard metals and strange metals

The enigmatic strange metal remains one of the central unsolved problems of 21st century science. Understanding this phase of matter requires knowledge of the momentum- and energy-resolved dynamic charge susceptibility 𝜒⁡(𝑞,𝜔), especially at finite momentum. Inelastic electron scattering (EELS), performed in either transmission or reflection geometry, is a powerful probe of 𝜒⁡(𝑞,𝜔). For the prototypical strange metal Bi 2 ⁢Sr 2 ⁢CaCu 2 ⁢O 8+𝑥 , transmission- and reflection EELS, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy agree at 𝑞∼0, all revealing a highly damped plasmon near 1 eV. At larger 𝑞, however, EELS results show unresolved discrepancies. Since IR data are highly reproducible, it is advantageous to use IR data to calculate what the expected EELS response should be at modest 𝑞. Building on prior momentum-resolved reflection geometry M-EELS work [Chen et al., Phys. Rev. B 109, 045108 (2024)], we extend this approach to transmission EELS for finite stacks of metallic layers, comparing a “textbook” Lindhard metal to a strange metal. In the Lindhard case, the low-𝑞 response is dominated by long-lived, standing wave plasmon modes arising from interlayer Coulomb coupling, with in-plane dispersions that resemble the well-known Fetter modes of layered metals. This behavior depends only on the geometry and the long-range nature of the Coulomb interaction and is largely insensitive to layer details. At larger 𝑞, the response reflects the microscopic properties of individual layers. For the strange metal, calculations based on IR data predict a highly damped plasmon with weak dispersion and no distinct surface mode. While our results match IR and M-EELS at low 𝑞, they do not reproduce any published EELS spectra at large 𝑞, highlighting unresolved discrepancies that demand further experimental investigation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-dynamic-range quantum sensing of magnons and their dynamics using a superconducting qubit

Magnons, the quanta of collective spin excitations in magnetic materials, may enable functionalities, such as nonreciprocity and transduction in hybrid quantum devices. To assess the potential of such applications, it is necessary to understand magnon dynamics beyond the simple harmonic oscillator regime, where theory predicts effects like population-dependent damping and quantum fluctuations in the form of magnon shot noise. Probing these phenomena requires sensors with high sensitivity and the ability to resolve magnon properties across different excitation regimes. Here, we demonstrate accurate and sensitive detection of magnon population and decay over a wide range of occupation numbers. We use a superconducting qubit to probe magnons in a ferrimagnet over approximately 2000 excitations. Using qubit control and parametrically induced qubit-magnon interactions, we demonstrate few-excitation sensitive detection of magnons with a dynamic range of approximately 30 dB, and are able to accurately resolve their decay with few-ns sensitivity. These capabilities offer a powerful and practical technique for probing magnon dynamics in or beyond the linear regime over a wide range of excitations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of single- and double-differential cross sections for mesonless charged-current muon neutrino interactions on argon with final-state protons using the MicroBooNE detector

Charged-current neutrino interactions with final states containing zero mesons and at least one proton are of high interest for current and future accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. Using the Booster Neutrino Beam and the MicroBooNE detector at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, we have obtained the first double-differential cross-section measurements of this channel for muon neutrino scattering on an argon target with a leading proton momentum threshold of 0.25 GeV/𝑐. We also report a flux-averaged total cross section of 𝜎 = (11.8±1.2) × 10 −38 cm 2 /Ar and several single-differential measurements which extend and improve upon previous results. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are quantified with a full treatment of correlations across 359 kinematic bins, including correlations between distributions describing different observables. The resulting dataset provides the most detailed information obtained to date for testing models of mesonless neutrino-argon scattering.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the transverse energy density in Measurement of the transverse energy density in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠_{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 200 GeV with the sPHENIX detector

Here, this paper reports measurements of the transverse energy per unit pseudorapidity (𝑑⁢𝐸 𝑇 /𝑑⁢𝜂) produced in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠_{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 200 GeV, performed with the sPHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The results cover the pseudorapidity range |𝜂| < 1.1 and constitute the first such measurement performed using a hadronic calorimeter at RHIC. Measurements of 𝑑⁢𝐸 𝑇 /𝑑⁢𝜂 are presented for a range of centrality intervals and the average 𝑑⁢𝐸 𝑇 /𝑑⁢𝜂 as a function of the number of participating nucleons, 𝑁 part , is compared to a variety of Monte Carlo heavy-ion event generators. The results are in agreement with previous measurements at RHIC, and feature an improved granularity in 𝜂 and improved precision in low-𝑁 part events.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Monoatomic orbital-based one-dimensional topological crystalline insulator

The bulk-boundary correspondence in topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) links the topological properties of the bulk to robust observables on the edges, e.g., the existence of robust edge modes or fractional charge. In one dimension, TCIs protected by reflection symmetry have been realized in a variety of systems in which each unit cell has spatially distributed degrees of freedom (SDOF). However, these realizations exhibit sensitivity of the resulting edge modes to variations in edge termination and to the local breaking of the protective spatial symmetries by inhomogeneity. Here we demonstrate topologically protected edge states in a monoatomic, orbital-based TCI that mitigates both of these issues. By collapsing all SDOF within the unit cell to a singular point in space, we eliminate the ambiguity in unit-cell definition and hence remove a prominent source of boundary termination variability. The topological observables are also more tolerant to disorder in the orbital energies. To validate this concept, we experimentally realize a lattice of mechanical resonators where each resonator acts as an “atom” that harbors two key orbital degrees of freedom having opposite reflection parity. Finally, our measurements of this system provide direct visualization of the sp-hybridization between orbital modes that leads to a nontrivial band inversion in the bulk.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

First Double-Differential Cross Section Measurement of Neutral-Current 𝜋 0 Production in Neutrino-Argon Scattering in the MicroBooNE Detector

We report the first double-differential cross section measurement of neutral-current neutral pion (NC⁢𝜋 0 ) production in neutrino-argon scattering, as well as single-differential measurements of the same channel in terms of final states with and without protons. The kinematic variables of interest for these measurements are the 𝜋 0 momentum and the 𝜋 0 scattering angle with respect to the neutrino beam. A total of 4971 candidate NC⁢𝜋 0 events fully contained within the MicroBooNE detector are selected using data collected at a mean neutrino energy of ∼0.8 GeV from 6.4 ×10 20 protons on target from the Booster Neutrino Beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. After extensive data-driven model validation to ensure unbiased unfolding, the Wiener-singular-value-decomposition method is used to extract nominal flux-averaged cross sections. The results are compared to predictions from commonly used neutrino event generators, which tend to overpredict the measured NC⁢𝜋 0 cross section, especially in the 0.2–0.5 GeV/c 𝜋 0 momentum range and at forward scattering angles. Events with at least one proton present in the final state are also underestimated. This data will help improve the modeling of NC⁢𝜋 0 production, which represents a major background in measurements of charge-parity violation in the neutrino sector and in searches for new physics beyond the standard model.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Magnetostriction and temperature dependent Gilbert damping in boron doped Fe 80 ⁢Ga 20 thin films

Magnetic thin films with strong magnetoelastic coupling and low Gilbert damping are key materials for many magnetoelectric devices. Here, we investigated the effects of boron doping concentration on magnetostriction and temperature dependent Gilbert damping in magnetron sputtered (Fe 80 ⁢Ga 20 ) 1−𝑥 ⁢B 𝑥 films. A crystalline to amorphous structural transition was observed for a boron content near 8% and coincided with a decrease in coercivity from 76 Oe to 3 Oe. A 10% doping concentration is optimal for achieving both large magnetostriction of 48.8 ppm and low Gilbert damping of 6×10 −3 . The temperature dependence of the damping shows an increase at low temperatures with a peak around 40 K, and we associate the relative increase Δ⁢𝛼/𝛼 RT with magnetoelastic contributions to the damping, which has a maximum of 55.7% at 8% boron. An increase in the inhomogeneous linewidth broadening was observed in the structural transition regime at about 8% boron concentration. Furthermore, this study suggests that incorporation of glass forming elements, in this case boron, into Fe 80 ⁢Ga 20 is a practical pathway for simultaneously achieving enhanced magnetoelastic coupling and reduced Gilbert damping.

Cryogenics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Capacities of Entanglement Distribution From a Central Source

Distribution of entanglement is an essential task in quantum information processing and the realization of quantum networks. In our work, we theoretically investigate the scenario where a central source prepares an N -partite entangled state and transmits each entangled subsystem to one of N receivers through noisy quantum channels. The receivers are then able to perform local operations assisted by unlimited classical communication to distill target entangled states from the noisy channel output. In this operational context, we define the EPR distribution capacity and the GHZ distribution capacity of a quantum channel as the largest rates at which Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) states and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states can be faithfully distributed through the channel, respectively. We establish lower and upper bounds on the EPR distribution capacity by connecting it with the task of assisted entanglement distillation. We also construct an explicit protocol consisting of a combination of a quantum communication code and a classical-post-processing-assisted entanglement generation code, which yields a simple achievable lower bound for generic channels. As applications of these results, we give an exact expression for the EPR distribution capacity over two erasure channels and bounds on the EPR distribution capacity over two generalized amplitude damping channels. We also bound the GHZ distribution capacity, which results in an exact characterization of the GHZ distribution capacity when the most noisy channel is a dephasing channel.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Yield From Iowa's First Commercial Miscanthus Fields: Implications of Spatial Variability for Productivity and Sustainability Beyond Research Plots

The cultivation of sterile giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus, M × g) for bioenergy and bioproducts has expanded into grain-cropped land in the United States (US) as local markets developed for this high-yielding perennial grass (10–30 Mg DM ha −1 ). However, the magnitude of spatial and temporal variability in yield within US Corn Belt fields, along with impacts on economic return and sustainable land management, is poorly understood. This study established a diagnostic model relating remote sensing-derived vegetation indices to ground truth data from 105 hand-harvested stem biomass samples, which were strategically selected to represent the full range of vegetation index observations. The high-resolution satellite-sensed vegetation indices captured > 90% of the yield variation measured within fields. This model was then used to predict yield variability and assess economic performance across four of the first commercial M × g fields in the Corn Belt state of Iowa, US. Significant spatial variability in biomass dry matter (DM) yields (9.3–18.1 Mg DM ha −1 ) and net profits ($\$$83 to $\$$1211.5 ha −1 ) was observed. All fields were profitable in all site-years. When low profit occurred, it was explained by limited management experience of the crop in Iowa. The breakeven yield at a selling price of $\$$130 Mg −1 varied from 9.0–12.1 Mg ha −1 at 15% moisture content (7.6–10.3 Mg DM ha −1 ). Breakeven prices ranged from $\$$73 to $\$$122.4 Mg −1 , matching ranges used in the Department of Energy Billion Ton Report (US Department of Energy, 2023). Notably, M × g yield and profits were commensurate with grain crops particularly with favorable precipitation. This study provides insight on the M × g management “learning curve”, performance on marginal land and in drought conditions, and demonstrates that addressing yield gaps, reducing costs, and implementing precision agriculture strategies can enhance profitability. These findings emphasize the value of remote sensing technologies in guiding sustainable and competitive commercial-scale M × g production.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Brachypodium SPEECHLESS2 Promoter Drives Expression of a Synthetic EPF to Reduce Stomatal Density in Sugarcane Without Pleiotropic Effects

Stomata are microscopic pores that regulate the exchange of CO 2 and water vapour, making them a major target for engineering plants with improved intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). Proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated the potential to increase iWUE by reducing stomatal density (SD) and stomatal conductance (g sw ) by ubiquitously expressing EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR (EPF) family genes. However, unwanted effects on leaf, stem and reproductive traits are often observed when EPFs are misexpressed in this fashion. We sought to test if these effects result from pleiotropy and to identify a targeted promoter that can circumvent the side effects while retaining the desired reduction in SD. A previously reported synthetic EPF (EPF syn ) was expressed in sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) using two putatively tissue-specific promoters from Brachypodium distachyon (BdCESA7p and BdSPCH2p) and a ubiquitous control from Zea mays (ZmUBI4p). BdSPCH2p control reduced SD to statistically equivalent levels as ZmUBI4p on the abaxial (23%) and adaxial (23%) leaf surfaces. ZmUB4p and BdCESA7p induce expression in four tissue types often associated with pleiotropic effects in EPF-expressing low SD plants. Transgenic plants carrying either the BdCESA7p or ZmUBI4p EPF syn cassettes displayed leaf chlorosis, reduced leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll content, and altered stem architecture. However, transgenic events harboring the BdSPCH2p EPF syn cassette restricted EPF syn expression to the stomatal development zone and leaf nodal tissues and produced transgenic plants without the associated pleiotropic effects. These results represent an important step toward engineering low-SD crops since they show that targeted gene expression can engineer stomatal patterning without impairing agronomically important traits.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Digital Twin for U.S. Cities

Over 50 participants—including national laboratory researchers, academic scholars, industry representatives, and stakeholders from the City of Chicago—convened in person and online to assess the readiness and potential of an Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Digital Twin (AIDT) for urban systems, with the Greater Chicago area serving as the benchmark location. The workshop underscored that the Chicago Urban Integrated Field Laboratory provides an unparalleled testbed for developing and validating urban DTs—combining dense, multiscale observations, advanced physics-based and AI modeling capabilities, and strong stakeholder and industry engagement. Discussions highlighted available datasets, AI architectures for high resolution, multipurpose urban DTs, key applications, and near- and long-term priorities for scaling this framework within Chicago and to other U.S. and global cities.

AIDT↗
DOE OSTI2025

Stage-resolved gene regulatory network analysis reveals developmental reprogramming and genes with robust stem-preferred expression in sorghum

Sorghum bicolor is a deep-rooted, heat- and drought-tolerant crop that thrives on marginal lands and is increasingly valued for its applications in biofuel, bioenergy, and biopolymer production. The sorghum stem, which can reach 4–5 m in length, serves as the primary reservoir of both lignocellulosic biomass and soluble sugars, making it a promising bioenergy feedstock. Although recent advances in genetic, genomic, and transcriptomic resources have improved our understanding of sorghum biology, comprehensive genome-wide analyses of functional dynamics across diverse organ types and developmental stages remain limited. In particular, candidate genes with stem preferred expression pattern or their associated cis-regulatory elements, which may program key stem-related functions and enable organ- or tissue-specific engineering, have not yet been identified.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Data for Adapting C4 Photosynthesis to Atmospheric Change and Increasing Productivity by Elevating Rubisco Content in Sorghum and Sugarcane

This repository includes data sets and R scripts that were used to perform analysis and produce figures for the following publication: Salesse-Smith, C. E. et al. “Adapting C4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122, e2419943122 (2025) doi:10.1073/pnas.2419943122.

Biomass Analytics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data for Quantifying the Impact of Surfactants on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity Using a Particle-Resolved Model

This dataset contains simulation results from PartMC-MOSAIC and WRF-PartMC that used in the journal article: Quantifying the Impact of Surfactants on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity Using a Particle-Resolved Model. Two compressed folder are uploaded here, one is for the data that used in this article, the other folder is the python scripts to process the data. For more details of the uploaded files, please check the README file.

CCN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data for Genetic Variation in Zea mays Influences Microbial Nitrification and DeNitrification in Conventional Agroecosystems

Nitrogenous fertilizers provide a short-lived benefit to crops in agroecosystems, but stimulate nitrification and denitrification, processes that result in nitrate pollution, N2O production, and reduced soil fertility. Recent advances in plant microbiome science suggest that genetic variation in plants can modulate the composition and activity of rhizosphere N-cycling microorganisms. Here we attempted to determine whether genetic variation exists in Zea mays for the ability to influence the rhizosphere nitrifier and denitrifier microbiome under “real-world” conventional agricultural conditions. To capture an extensive amount of genetic diversity within maize we grew and sampled the rhizosphere microbiome of a diversity panel of germplasm that included ex-PVP inbreds ( Z. mays ssp. mays ), ex-PVP hybrids ( Z. mays ssp. may s), and teosinte ( Z. mays ssp. mexicana and Z. mays ssp. parviglumis ). From these samples, we characterized the microbiome, a suite of microbial genes involved in nitrification and denitrification and carried out N-cycling potential assays. Here we are showing that populations/genotypes of a single species can vary in their ecological interaction with denitrifers and nitrifers. Some hybrid and teosinte genotypes supported microbial communities with lower potential nitrification and potential denitrification activity in the rhizosphere, while inbred genotypes stimulated/did not inhibit these N-cycling activities. These potential differences translated to functional differences in N2O fluxes, with teosinte plots producing less GHG than maize plots. Taken together, these results suggest that Zea genetic variation can lead to changes in N-cycling processes that result in N leaching and N2O production, and thereby are selectable targets for crop improvement. Understanding the underlying genetic variation contributing to belowground microbiome N-cycling into our conventional agricultural system could be useful for sustainability.

Nitrogen↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data for Filling the Cellulosic Bio-economy Gap by Utilizing a Wedge Approach Combined with Stakeholder Collaboration

The price gap between the market and breakeven prices of cellulosic biomass for farmers represents a significant barrier to the development of a low-carbon cellulosic bioeconomy. Using a bottom-up, agent-based modeling tool that replicates the behaviors and interactions of key stakeholders, this study analyzes the emergence of a cellulosic bioeconomy at the local scale through a wedge approach that examines an integrated portfolio of multiple policy options, including subsidies for small-scale bioproducts and environmental credits. The role of collaboration among multiple stakeholders, such as biomass producers (farmers), bio-refinery industry, government, and society, is assessed for filling the price gap. Using the Sangamon River Basin as a case study site, we evaluate the effectiveness of the wedge approach by comparing simulation results from multiple scenarios, each incorporating different combinations of bioeconomy wedges, with and without stakeholder collaboration. Results underscore that active collaboration among stakeholders acts as a catalyst enlarging the effectiveness of bioeconomy wedges. Including the carbon credits and environmental value in the policy portfolio is found to bridge the price gap through collective contributions from diverse stakeholders, where the cellulosic biofuel and bioproduct industry plays a pivotal role. Although this study is conducted at the local watershed scale, the methodology and findings offer valuable insights for market development in other watersheds and the potential scaling of local markets to regional and national levels.

Economics↗