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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Tautomerism induces bending and twisting of biogenic crystals

Understanding and exploiting material flexibility through phenomena such as the bending and twisting of molecular crystals has been a subject of increased interest owing to the number of applications that benefit from these properties, such as optoelectronics, mechanophotonics, soft robotics, and smart sensors. Here, we report the growth of spontaneously bent and twisted ammonium urate crystals induced by the keto–enol tautomerism of the urate molecule. The major tautomer is native to biogenic crystals, whereas the minor tautomer functions as an effective crystal growth modifier to induce naturally bent and twisted ammonium urate crystals. We show that the degree of curvature can be tailored based on the judicious selection of growth conditions. A combination of state-of-the-art microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are used to characterize the origin of bending. Spatially resolved nano-electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy of naturally bent crystals show nearly single crystallinity with local lattice deformations generated by a combination of screw and edge dislocations. These observations are consistent with photoinduced force microscopy and contact resonance atomic force microscopy, which confirmed spatially resolved changes in the intermolecular interactions and the mechanical properties throughout the cross-sectional and axial regions of bent crystals. A mechanism of bending involving the generation of regionally specific dislocations is proposed as an alternative to more commonly reported models. These findings highlight a unique characteristic of tautomeric crystals that may have broader implications for other biogenic materials.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2012

Neutron and X-ray Detectors

The Basic Energy Sciences (BES) X-ray and neutron user facilities attract more than 12,000 researchers each year to perform cutting-edge science at these state-of-the-art sources. While impressive breakthroughs in X-ray and neutron sources give us the powerful illumination needed to peer into the nano- to mesoscale world, a stumbling block continues to be the distinct lag in detector development, which is slowing progress toward data collection and analysis. Urgently needed detector improvements would reveal chemical composition and bonding in 3-D and in real time, allow researchers to watch “movies” of essential life processes as they happen, and make much more efficient use of every X-ray and neutron produced by the source The immense scientific potential that will come from better detectors has triggered worldwide activity in this area. Europe in particular has made impressive strides, outpacing the United States on several fronts. Maintaining a vital U.S. leadership in this key research endeavor will require targeted investments in detector R&D and infrastructure. To clarify the gap between detector development and source advances, and to identify opportunities to maximize the scientific impact of BES user facilities, a workshop on Neutron and X-ray Detectors was held August 1-3, 2012, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Participants from universities, national laboratories, and commercial organizations from the United States and around the globe participated in plenary sessions, breakout groups, and joint open-discussion summary sessions. Sources have become immensely more powerful and are now brighter (more particles focused onto the sample per second) and more precise (higher spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution). To fully utilize these source advances, detectors must become faster, more efficient, and more discriminating. In supporting the mission of today’s cutting-edge neutron and X-ray sources, the workshop identified six detector research challenges (and two computing hurdles that result from the corresponding increase in data volume) for the detector community to overcome in order to realize the full potential of BES neutron and X-ray facilities. Resolving these detector impediments will improve scientific productivity both by enabling new types of experiments, which will expand the scientific breadth at the X-ray and neutron facilities, and by potentially reducing the beam time required for a given experiment. These research priorities are summarized in the table below. Note that multiple, simultaneous detector improvements are often required to take full advantage of brighter sources. High-efficiency hard X-ray sensors: The fraction of incident particles that are actually detected defines detector efficiency. Silicon, the most common direct-detection X-ray sensor material, is (for typical sensor thicknesses) 100% efficient at 8 keV, 25%efficient at 20 keV, and only 3% efficient at 50 keV. Other materials are needed for hard X-rays. Replacement for 3He for neutron detectors: 3He has long been the neutron detection medium of choice because of its high cross section over a wide neutron energy range for the reaction 3He + n —> 3H + 1H + 0.764 MeV. 3He stockpiles are rapidly dwindling, and what is available can be had only at prohibitively high prices. Doped scintillators hold promise as ways to capture neutrons and convert them into light, although work is needed on brighter, more efficient scintillator solutions. Neutron detectors also require advances in speed and resolution. Fast-framing X-ray detectors: Today’s brighter X-ray sources make time-resolved studies possible. For example, hybrid X-ray pixel detectors, initially developed for particle physics, are becoming fairly mature X-ray detectors, with considerable development in Europe. To truly enable time-resolved studies, higher frame rates and dynamic range are required, and smaller pixel sizes are desirable. High-speed spectroscopic X-ray detectors: Improvements in the readout speed and energy resolution of X-ray detectors are essential to enable chemically sensitive microscopies. Advances would make it possible to take images with simultaneous spatial and chemical information. Very high-energy-resolution X-ray detectors: The energy resolution of semiconductor detectors, while suitable for a wide range of applications, is far less than what can be achieved with X-ray optics. A direct detector that could rival the energy resolution of optics could dramatically improve the efficiency of a multitude of experiments, as experiments are often repeated at a number of different energies. Very high-energy-resolution detectors could make these experiments parallel, rather than serial. Low-background, high-spatial-resolution neutron detectors: Low-background detectors would significantly improve experiments that probe excitations (phonons, spin excitations, rotation, and diffusion in polymers and molecular substances, etc.) in condensed matter. Improved spatial resolution would greatly benefit radiography, tomography, phase-contrast imaging, and holography. Improved acquisition and visualization tools: In the past, with the limited variety of slow detectors, it was straightforward to visualize data as it was being acquired (and adjust experimental conditions accordingly) to create a compact data set that the user could easily transport. As detector complexity and data rates explode, this becomes much more challenging. Three goals were identified as important for coping with the growing data volume from high-speed detectors: Facilitate better algorithm development. In particular, algorithms that can minimize the quantity of data stored. Improve community-driven mechanisms to reduce data protocols and enhance quantitative, interactive visualization tools. Develop and distribute community-developed, detector-specific simulation tools. Aim for parallelization to take advantage of high-performance analysis platforms. Improved analysis work flows: Standardize the format of metadata that accompanies detector data and describes the experimental setup and conditions. Develop a standardized user interface and software framework for analysis and data management. The diversity of detector improvements required is necessarily as broad as the range of scientific experimentation at BES facilities. This workshop identified a variety of avenues by which detector R&D can enable enhanced science at BES facilities. The Research Directions listed above will be addressed by focused R&D and detector engineering, both of which require specialized infrastructure and skills. While U.S. leadership in neutron and X-ray detectors lags behind other countries in several areas, significant talent exists across the complex. A forum of technical experts, facilities management, and BES could be a venue to provide further definition.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2011

Photon Detector For Inverse Photoemission Spectroscopy With Improved Energy Resolution

We present the results from newly designed and fabricated double window photon detector to improve the overall energy resolution for inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES). This simple design allows us to introduce an absorption gas (Krypton) to decrease the band-width of the energy selective photon detector and thus improve the resolution. Resonance absorption line of Kr of wavelength of 123.6 nm was used. By fitting the Fermi edge of the IPES spectrum of silver, we find an overall energy resolution improved by 73 meV. The design is modular and ensures ease and safety of handling.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Magnetic triggering — time-resolved characterisation of silicon strip modules in the presence of switching DC-DC converters

Modules for the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk) strip tracker include a DC-DC converter circuit glued directly to the silicon sensor which converts the 11 V supplied to the module to the 1.5 V required for the operation of the readout chips. The DC-DC converter unit, consisting of a copper solenoid and custom ASIC, is located directly above the silicon strip sensor and therefore needs to be shielded to protect the sensor from EMI noise created during the operation of the circuit. Despite dedicated shielding, consisting of an aluminium shield box with continuous solder seams encompassing the surface components and a copper layer in the PCB beneath it, module channels connected to sensor strips located beneath the converter circuit were found to show a noise increase. While the DC-DC converter unit causing the underlying EMI noise operates at a frequency of 2 MHz, module characterisation measurements for ITk strip tracker modules are typically performed asynchronously to the DC-DC switching and are therefore averaged over the full range of time bins with respect to the converter frequency. In order to investigate the time dependence of the noise injection relative to the DC-DC switching frequency, a dedicated setup to understand the time-resolved performance change in modules was developed. By using a magnetic field probe to measure the field leaking through the shield box and triggering on its rising edge, data taking could be synchronised with the DC-DC switching. This paper illustrates the concept and setup of such time-resolved performance measurements using magnetic triggering and presents results for the observed effects on signal and noise for ATLAS ITk strip modules from both laboratory and beam tests.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design and calibration of an optically segmented single volume scatter camera for neutron imaging

The Optically Segmented Single Volume Scatter Camera (OS-SVSC) aims to image neutron sources for non-proliferation applications using the kinematic reconstruction of elastic double-scatter events. Our prototype system consists of 64 EJ-204 organic plastic scintillator bars, each measuring 5mm × 5mm × 200mm and individually wrapped in Teflon tape. The scintillator array is optically coupled to two silicon photomultiplier ArrayJ-60035 64P-PCB arrays, each comprised of 64 individual 6x6mm J-Series sensors arranged in an 8 × 8 array. We report on the design details, including component selections, mechanical design and assembly, and the electronics system. The described design leveraged existing off-the-shelf solutions to support the rapid development of a phase 1 prototype. Several valuable lessons were learned from component and system testing, including those related to the detector's mechanical structure and electrical crosstalk that we conclude originates in the commercial photodetector arrays and the associated custom breakout cards. We detail our calibration efforts, beginning with calibrations for the electronics, based on the IRS3D application-specific integrated circuits, and their associated timing resolutions, ranging from 3090ps. With electronics calibrations applied, energy and position calibrations were performed for a set of edge bars using 22 Na and 90 Sr, respectively, reporting an average resolution of 12.07±0.03mm for energy depositions between 900keVee and 1000keVee. We further demonstrate a position calibration method for the internal bars of the matrix using cosmic-ray muons as an alternative to emission sources that cannot easily access these bars, with an average measured resolution of 14.86+-0.29mm for depositions between 900keVee and 1000keVee. The coincident time resolution reported between pairs of bars measured up to 400ps from muon acquisitions. Energy and position calibration values measured with muons are consistent with those obtained using particle emission sources.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development of a Multi-Robot System for Autonomous Inspection of Nuclear Waste Tank Pits

This paper introduces the overall design plan, development timeline, and preliminary progress of the Autonomous Pit Exploration System project. This project aims to develop an advanced multi-robot system for the efficient inspection of nuclear waste-storage tank pits. The project is structured into three phases: Phase 1 involves data collection and interface definition in collaboration with Hanford Site experts and university partners, focusing on tank riser geometry and hardware solutions. Phase 2 includes the selection of sensors and robot components, detailed mechanical design, and prototyping. Phase 3 integrates all components into a cohesive system managed by a master control package which also incorporates digital twin and surrogate models, and culminates in comprehensive testing and validation at a simulated tank pit at the Idaho National Laboratory. Additionally, the system’s communication design ensures coordinated operation through shared data, power, and control signals. For transportation and deployment, an electric vehicle (EV) is chosen to support the system for a full 10 h shift with better regulatory compliance for field deployment. A telescopic arm design is selected for its simple configuration and superior reach capability and controllability. Preliminary testing utilizes an educational robot to demonstrate the feasibility of splitting computational tasks between edge and cloud computers. Successful simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) tasks validate our distributed computing approach. More design considerations are also discussed, including radiation hardness assurance, SLAM performance, software transferability, and digital twinning strategies.

Nuclear waste management↗
NASA NTRS2017

An Integrated Examination of AMSR2 Products over Ocean

Integrated processing and analysis are presented for oceanic retrievals of precipitation, sea ice concentration, columnar water vapor and cloud water, sea surface temperature, and near surface wind from the advanced microwave scanning radiometer-2 (AMSR2) sensor. By developing a common algorithmic framework and permitting iterative interaction between historically separate science algorithms, ambiguous and contradictory retrieval results are minimized. The integration also serves to improve each algorithm individually, decreasing reliance on ancillary datasets. Case studies are presented that exemplify both ongoing challenges for these retrievals and potential research uses of such an integrated satellite product. Two cases are presented each for precipitation at high latitudes and marginal sea ice detection, with analysis supplemented by satellite data from CloudSat profiles and Himawari-8 imagery. Detection and retrieval of snowfall remains a challenge, while light rainfall detection can be aided by a variational algorithm. Sea ice concentrations below 20% cause disagreements, but the algorithms otherwise agree well on the sea ice edge. Potential mitigation strategies for ambiguous areas of light rainfall and marginal sea ice are discussed. The analysis demonstrates potential avenues for future algorithm development, but also some physical limitations of remote sensing with the AMSR2 frequencies.

variational methods↗
NASA NTRS2021

Boundary Layer Instabilities Over a Cone-Cylinder-Flare Model at Mach 6

Computations are performed to investigate the boundary-layer instabilities over a sharp cone-cylinder-flare model at zero degrees angle of attack. The model geometry and the flow conditions are selected to match the experiments conducted in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) at Purdue University. The geometry consists of a nominally sharp 5-degree half-angle cone, followed by a cylindrical segment and then a 10-degree flare. An axisymmetric separation bubble is generated as a result of the laminar shock/boundary-layer interaction in the cylinder-flare region. The comparison of the laminar flow solution and the schlieren images shows a remarkable agreement between the respective locations of both the boundarylayer edge and the reattachment shock. The predicted heat flux distribution is also in agreement with the measured values downstream of the reattachment location. The analysis of convective and global instabilities is performed for flare half angles equal to 8, 10, and 12 degrees and nosetip radii equal to 0.1, 1, and 5 mm. The linear amplification of first and second Mack mode instabilities that begin to amplify in the cone region are computed with a combination of the parabolized stability equations (PSE) and the harmonic linearized Navier-Stokes equations (HLNSE). The predicted frequency spectra of the surface pressure fluctuations associated with both planar and oblique instability waves are compared with the measured spectra at the various locations of the PCB and Kulite sensors. The comparison shows that the computational analysis captures the distinct lobes within the disturbance amplification spectra measured in the experiments, but some differences in amplification characteristics are noted at low frequencies. Overall, the oblique disturbances are found to be more amplified than the planar disturbances. To our knowledge, this represents the first successful comparison between convective instability analysis and measured surface pressure fluctuations for a hypersonic configuration with a separation bubble. Finally, the global instability analysis shows that the laminar flow becomes supercritical for flare half angles larger than 8 degrees. The unstable global mode for the experimental configuration of a 10 degrees flare and a sharp nosetip cone corresponds to a stationary three-dimensional disturbance that is concentrated in the recirculation region and achieves its maximum growth rate for an azimuthal wavenumber of 5.

Boundary layer transition↗
NASA NTRS2022

Boundary Layer Instabilities Over a Cone-Cylinder-Flare Model at Mach 6

Computations are performed to investigate the boundary-layer instabilities over a sharp cone-cylinder-flare model at zero degrees angle of attack. The model geometry and the flow conditions are selected to match the experiments conducted in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) at Purdue University. The geometry consists of a nominally sharp 5-degree half-angle cone, followed by a cylindrical segment and then a 10-degree flare. An axisymmetric separation bubble is generated as a result of the laminar shock/boundary-layer interaction in the cylinder-flare region. The comparison of the laminar flow solution and the schlieren images shows a remarkable agreement between the respective locations of both the boundarylayer edge and the reattachment shock. The predicted heat flux distribution is also in agreement with the measured values downstream of the reattachment location. The analysis of convective and global instabilities is performed for flare half angles equal to 8, 10, and 12 degrees and nosetip radii equal to 0.1, 1, and 5 mm. The linear amplification of first and second Mack mode instabilities that begin to amplify in the cone region are computed with a combination of the parabolized stability equations (PSE) and the harmonic linearized Navier-Stokes equations (HLNSE). The predicted frequency spectra of the surface pressure fluctuations associated with both planar and oblique instability waves are compared with the measured spectra at the various locations of the PCB and Kulite sensors. The comparison shows that the computational analysis captures the distinct lobes within the disturbance amplification spectra measured in the experiments, but some differences in amplification characteristics are noted at low frequencies. Overall, the oblique disturbances are found to be more amplified than the planar disturbances. To our knowledge, this represents the first successful comparison between convective instability analysis and measured surface pressure fluctuations for a hypersonic configuration with a separation bubble. Finally, the global instability analysis shows that the laminar flow becomes supercritical for flare half angles larger than 8 degrees. The unstable global mode for the experimental configuration of a 10 degrees flare and a sharp nosetip cone corresponds to a stationary three-dimensional disturbance that is concentrated in the recirculation region and achieves its maximum growth rate for an azimuthal wavenumber of 5.

Hydrodynamic instability↗
NASA NTRS1980

Analytical and experimental study of mean flow and turbulence characteristics inside the passages of an axial flow inducer

The inviscid and viscid effects existing within the passages of a three bladed axial flow inducer operating at a flow coefficient of 0.065 are investigated. The blade static pressure and blade limiting streamline angle distributions were determined and the three components of mean velocity, turbulence intensities, and turbulence stresses were measured at locations inside the inducer blade passage utilizing a rotating three sensor hotwire probe. Applicable equations were derived for the hotwire data reduction analysis and solved numerically to obtain the appropriate flow parameters. The three dimensional inviscid flow in the inducer was predicted by numerically solving the exact equations of motion, and the three dimensional viscid flow was predicted by incorporating the dominant viscous terms into the exact equations. The analytical results are compared with the experimental measurements and design values where appropriate. Radial velocities are found to be of the same order as axial velocities within the inducer passage, confirming the highly three dimensional characteristic of inducer flow. Total relative velocity distribution indicate a substantial velocity deficiency near the tip at mid-passage which expands significantly as the flow proceeds toward the inducer trailing edge. High turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses are concentrated within this core region. Considerable wake diffusion occurs immediately downstream of the inducer trailing edge to decay this loss core. Evidence of boundary layer interactions, blade blockage effects, radially inward flows, annulus wall effects, and backflows are all found to exist within the long, narrow passages of the inducer.

Gorton, C. A.↗
DOE OSTI2014

A new ion sensing deep atomic force microscope

Here we describe a new deep atomic force microscope (AFM) capable of ion sensing. A novel probe assembly incorporates a micropipette that can be used both for sensing ion currents and as the tip for AFM imaging. The key advance of this instrument over previous ion sensing AFMs is that it uses conventional micropipettes in a novel suspension system. This paper focuses on sensing the ion current passively while using force feedback for the operation of the AFM in contact mode. Two images are obtained simultaneously: (1) an AFM topography image and (2) an ion current image. As an example, two images of a MEMS device with a microchannel show peaks in the ion current as the pipette tip goes over the edges of the channel. This ion sensing AFM can also be used in other modes including tapping mode with force feedback as well as in non-contact mode by utilizing the ion current for feedback, as in scanning ion conductance microscopy. The instrument is gentle enough to be used on some biological samples such as plant leaves.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1997

Three Dimensional Viscous Flow Field in an Axial Flow Turbine Nozzle Passage

The objective of this investigation is experimental and computational study of three dimensional viscous flow field in the nozzle passage of an axial flow turbine stage. The nozzle passage flow field has been measured using a two sensor hot-wire probe at various axial and radial stations. In addition, two component LDV measurements at one axial station (x/c(sum m) = 0.56) were performed to measure the velocity field. Static pressure measurements and flow visualization, using a fluorescent oil technique, were also performed to obtain the location of transition and the endwall limiting streamlines. A three dimensional boundary layer code, with a simple intermittency transition model, was used to predict the viscous layers along the blade and endwall surfaces. The boundary layers on the blade surface were found to be very thin and mostly laminar, except on the suction surface downstream of 70% axial chord. Strong radial pressure gradient, especially close to the suction surface, induces strong cross flow components in the trailing edge regions of the blade. On the end-walls the boundary layers were much thicker, especially near the suction corner of the casing surface, caused by secondary flow. The secondary flow region near the suction-casing surface corner indicates the presence of the passage vortex detached from the blade surface. The corner vortex is found to be very weak. The presence of a closely spaced rotor downstream (20% of the nozzle vane chord) introduces unsteadiness in the blade passage. The measured instantaneous velocity signal was filtered using FFT square window to remove the periodic unsteadiness introduced by the downstream rotor and fans. The filtering decreased the free stream turbulence level from 2.1% to 0.9% but had no influence on the computed turbulence length scale. The computation of the three dimensional boundary layers is found to be accurate on the nozzle passage blade surfaces, away from the end-walls and the secondary flow region. On the nozzle passage endwall surfaces the presence of strong pressure gradients and secondary flow limit the validity of the boundary layer code.

Ristic, D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A robust line extraction and matching algorithm

This paper presents an algorithm for extracting straight lines from intensity mages and describes a line matching algorithm for solving the line correspondence problem. The line extraction process begins by detecting edges in the intensity image. Next, line support regions are formed where image points (pixels) have similar gradient orientation. A line fitting algorithm is then used to fit a line to the points in the line support region based on a least means square fitting algorithm. Finally, line segments are linked together to form the final lines by using an adaptive line linking method; this results in much stronger lines and a smaller set of lines to be considered. Once the lines are detected in a sequence of images, a line matching algorithm is used to match lines in one image to the lines in the other image. The images are either from a motion or stereo sequence. The matched lines may then be used with the sensor position and orientation data to estimate range to objects corresponding to the lines. We present results based on applying the line extraction and line matching algorithms to a synthetic image and an outdoor scene captured by a camera on a helicopter.

Hussien, B.↗
NASA NTRS1999

A LIS Validation Study at the KSC-ER using LDAR and Field Mill Data

The chance of having the TRMM satellite pass over east central Florida when there is lightning over the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and USAF Eastern Range (ER) is small; however, such a condition did occur on September 21, 1998 (Day 264). Starting at about 20:40 GMT, the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) reported 5 flashes during a 90 second interval that the KSC-ER was within the sensor field of view. Ground-based instrumentation, the Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) system and a network of electric field mills (FM), detected 6 flashes in the same interval. In this paper, we will compare the times and locations of the optical pulses that were detected by LIS with the times and locations of RF sources (LDAR) and the charges that were deposited by the flash (FM network). We will show that LIS responded to all flashes that the LDAR and FM network detected; however, two discharges that were separated by less than 1 second in time and by about 10 km in space were grouped as one flash by the LIS data processing algorithm. In spite of the fact that all flashes occurred near the edge of the LIS field of view, the locations of the LIS events were consistent with both the LDAR and FM locations (the latter are usually within 1-2 kilometers of each other and often are co-located). Two of the 5 flashes reported by LIS were shifted north by about 8 km from the corresponding LDAR and FM locations. The LIS flash times tended to be after the first LDAR pulse was detected and before the last, and the integrated light signal (per LIS event) was surprisingly constant over the 5 flashes that were detected by LIS. In the future, we plan to study more correlated events and will try to determine whether and how the LIS light signal is related to the charge transfer in the flash and/or the number and spatial extent of RF sources.

Koshak, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Lightning Reporting at 45th Weather Squadron: Recent Improvements

The 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) provides daily lightning reports to space launch customers at CCAFS/KSC. These reports are provided to assess the need to inspect the electronics of satellite payloads, space launch vehicles, and ground support equipment for induced current damage from nearby lightning strokes. The 45 WS has made several improvements to the lightning reports during 2008-2009. The 4DLSS, implemented in April 2008, provides all lightning strokes as opposed to just one stroke per flash as done by the previous system. The 45 WS discovered that the peak current was being truncated to the nearest kilo amp in the database used to generate the daily lightning reports, which led to an up to 4% underestimate in the peak current for average lightning. This error was corrected and led to elimination of this underestimate. The 45 WS and their mission partners developed lightning location error ellipses for 99% and 95% location accuracies tailored to each individual stroke and began providing them in the spring of 2009. The new procedure provides the distance from the point of interest to the best location of the stroke (the center of the error ellipse) and the distance to the closest edge of the ellipse. This information is now included in the lightning reports, along with the peak current of the stroke. The initial method of calculating the error ellipses could only be used during normal duty hours, i.e. not during nights, weekends, or holidays. This method was improved later to provide lightning reports in near real-time, 24/7. The calculation of the distance to the closest point on the ellipse was also significantly improved later. Other improvements were also implemented. A new method to calculate the probability of any nearby lightning stroke. being within any radius of any point of interest was developed and is being implemented. This may supersede the use of location error ellipses. The 45 WS is pursuing adding data from nine NLDN sensors into 4DLSS in real-time. This will overcome the problem of 4DLSS missing some of the strong local strokes. This will also improve the location accuracy, reduce the size and eccentricity of the location error ellipses, and reduce the probability of nearby strokes being inside the areas of interest when few of the 4DLSS sensors are used in the stroke solution. This will not reduce 4DLSS performance when most of the 4DLSS sensors are used in the stroke solution. Finally, several possible future improvements were discussed, especially for improving the peak current estimate and the error estimate for peak current, and upgrading the 4DLSS. Some possible approaches for both of these goals were discussed.

Finn, Frank C.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Atomic-Scale Structure and Stress Release Mechanism in Core–Shell Nanoparticles

According to the article, core–shell nanoparticles find applications in catalysts, sensors, and theranostics. The full internal 3D atomic structure, however, cannot be resolved by current imaging and diffraction techniques. We analyzed the atomic positions and stress-release mechanism in a cubic Au–Pd core–shell nanoparticle in approximately 1000 times higher resolution than current experimental techniques using large-scale molecular dynamics simulation to overcome these limitations. The core–shell nanocube of 73 nm size was modeled similarly to solution synthesis by random epitaxial deposition of a 4 nm thick shell of Pd atoms onto a Au core of 65 nm side length using reliable interatomic potentials. The internal structure reveals specific deformations and stress relaxation mechanisms that are caused by the +4.8% lattice mismatch of gold relative to palladium and differential confinement of extended particle facets, edges, and corners by one, two, or three Au–Pd interfaces, respectively. The three-dimensional lattice strain causes long-range, arc-like bending of atomic rows along the faces and edges of the particle, especially near the Au–Pd interface, a bulging deformation of the Pd shell, and stacking faults in the Pd shell at the corners of the particle. The strain pattern and mechanism of stress release were further characterized by profiles of the atomic layer spacing in the principal crystallographic directions. Accordingly, strain in the Pd shell is several times larger in the extended facets than near the edges and corners of the nanoparticle, which likely affects adsorption, optical, and electrochemical properties. The findings are consistent with available experimental data, including 3D reconstructions of the same cubic nanoparticle by coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) and may be verified by more powerful experimental techniques in the future. The stress release mechanisms are representative for cubic core–shell nanoparticles with fcc structure and can be explored for different shapes by the same methods.

Chemistry↗
NASA NTRS2006

Ion Milling On Steps for Fabrication of Nanowires

Arrays of nanowires having controlled dimensions can now be fabricated on substrates, optionally as integral parts of multilayer structures, by means of a cost-effective, high-yield process based on ion milling on steps. Nanowires made, variously, of semiconductors or metals are needed as components of sensors and high-density electronic circuits. Unlike prior processes used to fabricate nanowires, the present process does not involve electron-beam lithography, manipulation of nanoscopic objects by use of an atomic-force microscope, or any other technique that is inherently unsuitable for scaling up to mass production. In comparison with the prior processes, this process is rapid and simple. Wires having widths as small as a few tens of nanometers and lengths as long as millimeters have been fabricated by use of this process. The figure depicts a workpiece at different stages of the process. A silicon dioxide substrate is coated with a photoresist or poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA] to a thickness of as much as 500 nm. The photoresist or PMMA is patterned to form edges where wires are to be formed. A metal - either Pt or Ti - is deposited, by sputtering, to a thickness of as much as 200 nm. By ion milling at normal incidence, the thickness of the metal deposit is reduced until the only metal that remains is in the form of wall-like nanowires along the edges of the photoresist or PMMA. Finally, an oxygen plasma is used to remove the photoresist or PMMA, leaving only the nanowires on the substrate.

Yun, Minhee↗