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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

Preparation of a high concentration of lithium-7 atoms in a magneto-optical trap

This study is aimed at obtaining high concentration of optically cooled lithium-7 atoms for preparing strongly interacting ultracold plasma and Rydberg matter. A special setup has been constructed, in which two high-power semiconductor lasers are used to cool lithium-7 atoms in a magneto-optical trap. At an optimum detuning of the cooling laser frequency and a magnetic field gradient of 35 G/cm, the concentration of ultracold lithium-7 atoms reaches about 10{sup 11} cm{sup −3}. Additional independent information about the concentration and number of ultracold lithium-7 atoms on different sublevels of the ground state was obtained by using of an additional probing laser.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Concentration dependence of the wings of a dipole-broadened magnetic resonance line in magnetically diluted lattices

The singularities of the time autocorrelation functions (ACFs) of magnetically diluted spin systems with dipole–dipole interaction (DDI), which determine the high-frequency asymptotics of autocorrelation functions and the wings of a magnetic resonance line, are studied. Using the self-consistent fluctuating local field approximation, nonlinear equations are derived for autocorrelation functions averaged over the independent random arrangement of spins (magnetic atoms) in a diamagnetic lattice with different spin concentrations. The equations take into account the specificity of the dipole–dipole interaction. First, due to its axial symmetry in a strong static magnetic field, the autocorrelation functions of longitudinal and transverse spin components are described by different equations. Second, the long-range type of the dipole–dipole interaction is taken into account by separating contributions into the local field from distant and near spins. The recurrent equations are obtained for the expansion coefficients of autocorrelation functions in power series in time. From them, the numerical value of the coordinate of the nearest singularity of the autocorrelation function is found on the imaginary time axis, which is equal to the radius of convergence of these expansions. It is shown that in the strong dilution case, the logarithmic concentration dependence of the coordinate of the singularity is observed, which is caused by the presence of a cluster of near spins whose fraction is small but contribution to the modulation frequency is large. As an example a silicon crystal with different {sup 29}Si concentrations in magnetic fields directed along three crystallographic axes is considered.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Approximately 2400-Year Cycle in the Concentration of Cosmogenic Radionuclides: Sources of Variations

Cosmogenic isotopes, including {sup 14}C, {sup 10}Be, and {sup 7}Be, are produced in the Earth’s atmosphere under the effect of cosmic rays. The rate of their production is determined by several factors, such as the intensity of primary galactic cosmic rays, the level of solar activity, and the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field. Changes in the isotope concentrations and distributions receive contributions from mixing processes proceeding in the surrounding medium: the atmosphere, biosphere, and oceans. The isotopes {sup 14}C and {sup 10}Be are the most important for studying solar activity and climate. Investigation of isotope concentrations reveal that there are both long-term trends and cyclic components. As for {sup 14}C, the long-term component caused by the change in the magnetic dipole moment of the Earth with a characteristic time of about 10{sup 4} years is the most commonly known. It is well known that the concentrations of cosmogenic isotopes change cyclically with time. The ~2400-year cycle (Hallstatt cycle) and the ~210-year cycle (de Vries cycle) are the most famous. In the present article, we discuss the possible origin of the ~2400-year cycle.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Determination of a brass alloy concentration composition using calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a technique that can provide qualitative and quantitative measurements of the characteristics of irradiated metals. In the present work, we have calculated the parameters of the plasma produced from a brass alloy sample under the action of a pulsed Nd: YAG laser operating at 1064 nm. The emission lines of copper atoms (Cu I), zinc atoms (Zn I), and lead atoms (Pb I), which are elements of a brass alloy composition, were used to investigate the parameters of the brass plasma. The spectral profiles of Cu, Zn, and Pb lines have been used to extract the electron temperature and density of the brass alloy plasma. The characteristics of Cu, Zn, and Pb were determined quantatively by the calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS) method considering for accurate analysis that the laser-induced ablated plasma is optically thin in local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions and the plasma ablation is stoichiometric. The Boltzmann plot method was used to evaluate the plasma temperature, and the Stark broadened profiles were used to determine the electron density. An algorithm based on the experimentally measured values of the intensity of spectral lines and the basic laws of plasma physics was developed for the determination of Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrations in the brass sample. The concentrations C{sub CF-LIBS} calculated by CF-LIBS and the certified concentrations C{sub certified} were very close.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Effects of Magnetic Ordering in Conductivity and Magnetization of GaAs-Based Semiconductor Heterostructures upon Changing the Concentration of the Delta-Layer of Manganese Admixture

Characteristic effects of magnetic ordering and conduction in semiconductor heterostructures with a GaAs : Be/Ga{sub 0.84}In{sub 0.16}As/GaAs quantum well and manganese δ-layers of different thickness (from 0.4 to 2 monolayers) were studied based on analysis of magnetic field and temperature dependences, galvanomagnetic effects, and magnetization. An anomalous dependence of the conductivity on the manganese atoms concentration in the δ-layer was observed, which was due to a strong scattering of charge carriers in the structures with the low content of magnetic impurities. Magnetic properties of the heterostructures clearly indicated the magnetic ordering of the impurity system (saturation and hysteresis of the magnetization and fulfillment of the Curie–Weiss law at increasing temperature). Parameters of the magnetic subsystem allowed revealing different types of ordering in the systems with different concentrations of the magnetic impurity. Changing the concentration of the Mn admixture in the δ-layer was shown to influence significantly the conductivity and magnetism in the studied structures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

New Cluster Secondary Ions for Quantitative Analysis of the Concentration of Boron Atoms in Diamond by Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectrometry

A new approach to quantitative analysis of the concentration of boron atoms in diamond using secondary- ion mass spectrometers with time-of-flight mass analyzers is proposed. Along with the known boron-containing lines (B, BC, BC{sub 2}), many lines related to cluster secondary ions BC{sub N} have been found in the mass spectrum; their intensity increases by one or two orders of magnitude when Bi{sub 3} probe ions are used. Lines BC{sub 4}, BC{sub 6}, BC{sub 2}, and BC{sub 8} have the highest intensity (in the descending order); when they are summed, the sensitivity increases by an order of magnitude in comparison with the known mode of detecting BC{sub 2}. The parameters of the boron δ-layer in single-crystal diamond films grown under optimal conditions have been measured to be unprecedented: the δ-layer width is about 2 nm, and the concentration is 6.4 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup –3} (the boron concentrations for doped and undoped diamonds differ by four orders of magnitude).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Hybrid Solar Cells with a Sunlight Concentrator System

Hybrid solar cells based on InGaP/Ga(In)As/Ge multijunction structures integrated into crystalline Si heat-removal base and provided with sunlight concentrator system based on linear Fresnel lenses and carboplastic mount structure have been developed and investigated. The hybrid solar cells with sunlight concentrators in the photovoltaic module provide a specific electric power of 390 W/m{sup 2} (AM0, 1367 W/m{sup 2}) at a photoconverter unit specific weight reduced to 1.0 kg/m{sup 2}. Improved photovoltaic characteristics and high radiation resistance allow using the proposed hybrid solar modules with sunlight concentrators in space solar batteries and autonomous power supply facilities.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Concentrated Solar Thermoelectric Power

The goal of this project is to demonstrate in the lab that solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) can exceed 10% solar-to-electricity efficiency, and STEGs can be integrated with phase-change materials (PCM) for thermal storage, providing operation beyond daylight hours. This project achieved significant progress in many tasks necessary to achieving the overall project goals. An accurate Themoelectric Generator (TEG) model was developed, which included realistic treatment of contact materials, contact resistances and radiative losses. In terms of fabricating physical TEGs, high performance contact materials for skutterudite TE segments were developed, along with brazing and soldering methods to assemble segmented TEGs. Accurate measurement systems for determining device performance (in addition to just TE material performance) were built for this project and used to characterize our TEGs. From the optical components’ side, a spectrally selective cermet surface was developed with high solar absorptance and low thermal emittance, with thermal stability at high temperature. A measurement technique was also developed to determine absorptance and total hemispherical emittance at high temperature, and was used to characterize the fabricated spectrally selective surfaces. In addition, a novel reflective cavity was designed to reduce radiative absorber losses and achieve high receiver efficiency at low concentration ratios. A prototype cavity demonstrated that large reductions in radiative losses were possible through this technique. For the overall concentrating STEG system, a number of devices were fabricated and tested in a custom built test platform to characterize their efficiency performance. Additionally, testing was performed with integration of PCM thermal storage, and the storage time of the lab scale system was evaluated. Our latest testing results showed a STEG efficiency of 9.6%, indicating promising potential for high performance concentrated STEGs.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Evaluation of Maximum Radionuclide Groundwater Concentrations for Basement Fill Model. Zion Station Restoration Project

The objectives of this report are; To present a simplified conceptual model for release from the buildings with residual subsurface structures that can be used to provide an upper bound on contaminant concentrations in the fill material; Provide maximum water concentrations and the corresponding amount of mass sorbed to the solid fill material that could occur in each building for use in dose assessment calculations; Estimate the maximum concentration in a well located outside of the fill material; and Perform a sensitivity analysis of key parameters.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Assessing rare earth element concentrations in geothermal and oil and gas produced waters: A potential domestic source of strategic mineral commodities (Final Report)

The project team collected and analyzed 224 water samples and 101 matching rock samples. INL's improved method of measuring aqueous REEs allows study of samples previously thought too volume limited to measure. The study found that aqueous REEs occur at trace levels in all analyzed samples, and sometimes exceed ocean REE concentrations by a factor of 1,000. No significant predictive relationship to lithology, reservoir temperature, nor salinity was discovered, but aqueous REE concentration appears spatially controlled. Future work is needed to find the spatially-dependent variable that controls aqueous REE concentration.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

SiC Receiver/Reactor by Additive Manufacturing for Concentrated Solar Thermocatalysis with Thermal Energy Storage (Final Technical Report - Public)

The direct use of solar thermal energy provides opportunities for low-cost heating sources for a variety of applications. Ultra-high temperatures around 1000°C are high value and highly useful for energy-demanding industries. Many materials cannot withstand these conditions. In the area of Sustainable Chemicals, further limitations on material stability exist. Combining state-of-the-art materials with new designs provides a promising pathway for harvesting solar thermal energy and performing high temperature chemical processes. However, conventional manufacturing limits the potential for design flexibility. In this project, Additive Manufacturing was combined with advanced materials and new chemical reactor designs. In addition, 24/7 energy is necessary for chemical processing, and designs for ultra-high temperature thermal storage were devised. Specifically, preliminary design of a novel solar thermal receiver was developed in this project and designed to work with thermocatalytic reactors for producing sustainable chemicals and fuels. An ultra-high temperature particle storage system and heat exchangers were proposed to transport ultra-hot air as thermal fluid for the system. On a broader scale, this system could be used to tap solar thermal energy for a centralized facility with capability of transferring that heat to various segments at a full range of temperatures to 1000°C. The project pushed the temperature boundaries past those in current use, and Additive Manufacturing was envisaged for fabricating the receiver to meet requirements of extreme environments. An extensive analysis of silicon carbide additive manufacturing was performed to compare the thermal and mechanical properties of complex geometries compared to conventional material and those manufactured via other methods. The Additive Manufacturing via Binder-Jet printing was optimized and characterized to provide high quality and reproducible components capable of withstanding the proposed extreme environments. The designs for the concentrating solar thermal cavity with ultra-hot air thermal fluid showed high performance in simulations, attributable to the complex optimized geometries of the 3D printed systems. The bright future of Additive Manufacturing with advanced materials developments should provide more options and even higher quality as the technology further develops. Current costs for Additive Manufacturing of advanced ceramics is relatively low, however post-processing of the materials for extreme environments is currently high. There is little industrial-scale infrastructure for these, but it is growing as niche applications become more mainstream. The results of the project can be translated into similar extreme environments for concentrating solar thermal energy as well as its integration with ultra-hot air thermal fluids. A number of industries that require ultra-high temperatures need to electrify or otherwise decarbonize for climate goals, and this project showed that theoretically there is a pathway to do so with direct concentrated solar thermal power.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

Evaluating Pretreatment Strategies with Modeling for Reducing Scaling Potential of Reverse Osmosis Concentrate: Insights from Ion Exchange and Activated Alumina

Reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) treatment is critical for enhancing water recovery and minimizing concentrate volume for disposal, especially in regions facing water scarcity. This study investigates the application of ion exchange (IX) resins and activated alumina (AA) as pretreatment strategies to mitigate scaling in ROC due to high concentrations of total dissolved solids, hardness (Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ), and silica. Through a series of Langmuir isotherms, continuous column experiments, and model simulation, two types of strong acid cation IX resins and three types of strong base anion IX resins alongside three types of AA were evaluated. Results indicate that AA exhibits superior performance in silica removal, achieving up to a 65% reduction and maintaining performance for up to 800 bed volume without reaching saturation. Model simulation of a secondary reverse osmosis treating ROC after the IX and AA pretreatment indicated an additional water recovery of ~70% using antiscalants. This study demonstrates the potential for achieving higher water recovery while also identifying opportunities for pretreatment improvement. Challenges such as the limited IX capacity treating ROC, which requires frequent regeneration and increases operational costs, along with the restricted regeneration capacity of AA, underscore the importance of innovation. These findings emphasize the critical need for developing advanced materials and optimized strategies to further enhance the efficiency of ROC treatment processes.

activated alumina↗

Fluorescent bioaerosol particle concentrations measured by the DU WIBS during the AGINSGP field experiment

Real-time, immersion mode ambient fluorescent bioaerosol concentrations were measured at ARM’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) site during the AGINSGP field experiment using a Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (DMT Inc.; WIBS-4A). The WIBS-4A is an optical particle counter that also measures single particle fluorescence in three channels, along with particle asymmetry. Particles are grouped into different types depending on which channels they fluoresce in. The instrument was located in the guest instrument facility (GIF) and measured fluorescent particle concentrations from April 7th to April 29th. Data presented here are the concentrations for each particle type, binned in 5 minute increments. Air was drawn into the GIF through custom aluminum stack inlets (6” inner diameter) attached vertically to the outer GIF wall and the GIF outside platform. A blower pulled air through the stacks at a velocity of 1 m/s. Aerosol instruments subsampled via wall ports, through either 3/8” or 1/4" copper lines, depending on sample flow of the instrument. Particles were dried using a silica diffusion dryer prior to analysis.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Space Photovoltaic Concentrator Using Robust Fresnel Lenses, 4-Junction Cells, Graphene Radiators, and Articulating Receivers

At the 42nd PVSC, our team presented recent advances in our space photovoltaic concentrator technology. These advances include more robust Fresnel lenses for optical concentration, more thermally conductive graphene radiators for waste heat rejection, improved color-mixing lens technology to minimize chromatic aberration losses with 4-junction solar cells, and an articulating photovoltaic receiver enabling single-axis sun-tracking, while maintaining a sharp focal line despite large beta angles of incidence. In the past year, under a NASA Phase II SBIR program, our team has made much additional progress in the development of this new space photovoltaic concentrator technology, as described in this paper.

photovoltaic↗

Non-Classical Stress Concentration Behavior in a Radically Stretched Hyperelastic Sheet Containing a Circular Hole

Non-classical stress concentration behavior in a stretched circular hyperelastic sheet (outer radius b = 10 in., thickness t = 0.0625 in.) containing a central hole (radius a = 0.5 in.) was analyzed. The hyperelastic sheet was subjected to different levels of remote radial stretchings. Nastran large-strain large-deformation analysis and the Blatz-Ko large deformation theory were used to calculate the equal-biaxial stress concentration factors K. The results show that the values of K calculated from the Blatz-Ko theory and Nastran are extremely close. Unlike the classical linear elasticity theory, which gives the constant K = 2 for the equal-biaxial stress field, the hyperelastic K values were found to increase with increased stretching and can exceed the value K = 6 at a remote radial extension ratio of 2.35. The present K-values compare fairly well with the K-values obtained by previous works. The effect of the hole-size on K-values was investigated. The values of K start to decrease from a hole radius a = 0.125 in. down to K = 1 (no stress concentration) as a shrinks to a = 0 in. (no hole). Also, the newly introduced stretch and strain magnification factors {K(sub λ),K(sub ε) } are also material- and deformation-dependent, and can increase from linear levels of {1.0, 4.0} and reaching {3.07, 4.61}, respectively at a remote radial extension ratio of 2.35.

stress concentration↗

Polarimetric Retrievals of Cloud Droplet Number Concentrations

Cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) is an important parameter of liquid clouds and is crucial to understanding aerosol-cloud interactions. It couples boundary layer aerosol composition, size and concentration with cloud reflectivity. It affects cloud evolution, precipitation, radiative forcing, global climate and, through observation, can be used to partially monitor the first indirect effect. With its unique combination of multi-wavelength, multi-angle, total and polarized reflectance measurements, the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) retrieves Nd with relatively few assumptions. The approach involves measuring cloud optical thickness, mean droplet extinction cross-section and cloud physical thickness. Polarimetric observations are capable of measuring the effective variance, or width, of the droplet size distribution. Estimating cloud geometrical thickness is also an important component of the polarimetric Nd retrieval, which is accomplished using polarimetric measurements in a water vapor absorption band to retrieve the amount of in-cloud water vapor and relating this to physical thickness. We highlight the unique abilities and quantify uncertainties of the polarimetric approach. We validate the approach using observational data from the North Atlantic and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). NAAMES targets specific phases in the seasonal phytoplankton lifecycle and ocean-atmosphere linkages. This study provides an excellent opportunity for the RSP to evaluate its approach of sensing Nd over a range of concentrations and cloud types with in situ measurements from a Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP). The RSP and CDP, along with an array of other instruments, are flown on the NASA C-130 aircraft, which flies in situ and remote sensing legs in sequence. Cloud base heights retrieved by the RSP compare well with those derived in situ (R=0.83) and by a ceilometer aboard the R.V. Atlantis (R=0.79). Comparing geometric mean values from 12 science flights throughout the NAAMES-1 and NAAMES-2 campaigns, we find a strong correlation between Nd retrieved by the RSP and CDP (R=0.96). A linear least squares fit has a slope of 0.92 and an intercept of 0.3 cm−3. Uncertainty in this comparison can be attributed to cloud 3D effects, nonlinear liquid water profiles, multilayered clouds, measurement uncertainty, variation in spatial and temporal sampling, and assumptions used within the method. Radiometric uncertainties of the RSP measurements lead to biases on derived optical thickness and cloud physical thickness, but these biases largely cancel out when deriving Nd for most conditions and geometries. We find that a polarimetric approach to sensing Nd is viable and the RSP is capable of accurately retrieving Nd for a variety of cloud types and meteorological conditions.

Droplet concentration↗

Performance of JAXA’s SGLI standard ocean color products for oceanic to coastal waters: chlorophyll a concentration and light absorption coefficients of colored dissolved organic matter

We present the performance of JAXA’s SGLI standard algorithms for estimating chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration and the light absorption coefcients of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) using recently compiled high-quality data obtained from oceanic to coastal waters. Prior to the evaluation of the algorithms, we frst compare two forward models (Gordon et al. in J Geophys Res 93(D9):10909-10924, 1988: G88 and Park and Ruddick in Appl Opt 44(7):1236–1249, 2005: PR05) using a wide range of inherent optical properties (IOPs) to (1) examine if the water refectance is appropriately reproduced and (2) correct measured refectance in terms of its bidirectionality. Based on a good reproducibility of water refectance using the PR05, the optimized IOPs are further used for explaining errors in estimates of chl a concentration and CDOM absorption when using the SGLI, the GSM (Maritorena et al. in Appl Opt 41:2705–2714, 2002), and the QAA (Lee et al. in Appl Opt 41:5755, 2002) inversion algorithms. Results show that the mean error for estimating chl a concentration using the SGLI algorithm is 110% for our dataset. Although this error is lower than that of the GSM and the QAA algorithms, a signifcant underestimate at chl a higher than 2.0 mg m−3 is observed, which is further shown by independent match-up analyses. Another SGLI CDOM product includes the mean error of 50% and shows deviation at high CDOM range (>1.0 per m). A similar trend is observed for the GSM but not for the QAA when a global relationship of CDOM to colored detrital matter is applied. The sources of errors are discussed for potentially improving the retrievals

Second-generation GLobal Imager (SGLI)↗

Future CH4 Budgets as Modelled By A Fully Coupled Earth System Model Using Prescribed GHG Concentrations vs. Interactive CH4 Sources and Sinks

We have used the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Earth system model GISS-E2.1 to study the future budgets and trends of global and regional CH4 under different emission scenarios. GISS-E2.1 is one of the few ESMs that can be driven by anthropogenic CH4 emissions, as well as interactive natural sources such as wetlands, and can simulate the tropospheric CH4 chemistry. In frame of the recent short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) assessment by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), we used the GISS-E2.1 model with prescribed long-lived greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations. In the present study, we have supplemented these simulations using the interactive CH4 sources and sinks in order to quantify the model performance and the sensitivity to CH4 sources and sinks. We have used the Current Legislation (CLE) and the Maximum Feasible Reduction (MFR) emission scenarios from the Eclipse V6b emission database to simulate the future chemical composition and climate impacts from 2015 to 2050. We have also simulated 1995-2014 in order to evaluate the model performance following the AMAP-SLCF protocol. The prescribed GHG version underestimates the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) surface CH4 observations during the period between 1995 and 2023 by 1% [-8.4%-2.0%], with a correlation (r) of 0.71 [-0.41 0.99]. The largest underestimations are over the continental emission regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia, while biases are smallest over oceans. On the other hand, the simulation with interactive sources and sinks underestimates the GAW observations more than the prescribed simulation, by 18.5% [-25% -10.4%], with a lower r of 0.36 [-0.82 0.93]. Opposite to the prescribed simulation, the biases are largest over oceans and smaller over the continents, however they are still larger over land than the prescribed simulation. The interactive simulation, with large sources virtually over land and strong sink over oceans, has a land/ocean ratio larger than 1 while the prescribed simulation has this ratio equal to 1 as it distributes the global prescribed CH4 concentration equally in longitude over a given latitude. This clearly shows that the interactive sources and sinks should be represented in models in order to realistically simulate the chemical composition and the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. As expected, the MFR scenario simulates lower global surface CH4 concentrations and burdens compared to the CLE scenario, however in both cases, global surface CH4 and burden continue to increase through 2050 compared to present day. In the CLE scenario, increases are largest over the equatorial belt, in particular over India and East China, while the MFR scenario shows increases over the whole Southern Hemisphere, however much smaller compared to CLE. Finally, the interactive simulation shows that the chemical CH4 sink increases in the CLE scenario, while it slightly decreases in the MFR, leading to a larger CH4 lifetime in the MFR scenario compared to in the CLE scenario.

CH4↗