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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 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibition With Rapamycin Mitigates Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Murine Model

Purpose: Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a late toxicity of therapeutic radiation. Signaling of the mammalian target of rapamycin drives several processes implicated in RIPF, including inflammatory cytokine production, fibroblast proliferation, and epithelial senescence. We sought to determine if mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition with rapamycin would mitigate RIPF. Methods and Materials: C57BL/6NCr mice received a diet formulated with rapamycin (14 mg/kg food) or a control diet 2 days before and continuing for 16 weeks after exposure to 5 daily fractions of 6 Gy of thoracic irradiation. Fibrosis was assessed with Masson trichrome staining and hydroxyproline assay. Cytokine expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Senescence was assessed by staining for β-galactosidase activity. Results: Administration of rapamycin extended the median survival of irradiated mice compared with the control diet from 116 days to 156 days (P=.006, log-rank test). Treatment with rapamycin reduced hydroxyproline content compared with the control diet (irradiation plus vehicle, 45.9 ± 11.8 μg per lung; irradiation plus rapamycin, 21.4 ± 6.0 μg per lung; P=.001) and reduced visible fibrotic foci. Rapamycin treatment attenuated interleukin 1β and transforming growth factor β induction in irradiated lungs compared with the control diet. Type II pneumocyte senescence after irradiation was reduced with rapamycin treatment at 16 weeks (3-fold reduction at 16 weeks, P<.001). Conclusions: Rapamycin protected against RIPF in a murine model. Rapamycin treatment reduced inflammatory cytokine expression, extracellular matrix production, and senescence in type II pneumocytes.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Influence of mechanical alloying and extrusion conditions on the microstructure and tensile properties of Low-Cr ODS FeCrAl alloys

Low-chromium (<10%Cr) high strength oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys are considered promising candidates for accident tolerant fuel cladding in light water fission reactors. These alloys are designed to combine the beneficial high temperature mechanical properties of ODS materials with the exceptionally high temperature oxidation resistance of FeCrAl in comparison to conventional Zr-containing cladding materials, while also providing good mechanical and aqueous corrosion behavior under normal light water reactor operating conditions. The initial (1st generation) ODS FeCrAl alloys combined gas atomized FeCrAl powders with yttria and other oxides for alloying element additions using the mechanical alloying approach. These alloys exhibited low ductility but excellent high temperature tensile strength while maintaining good oxidation resistance at temperatures up to 1400 °C. In an attempt to improve alloy ductility for accident tolerant fuel cladding applications, new low-Cr ODS FeCrAl alloys with decreased oxygen content were developed with the Zr alloying solute already gas atomized into the powder prior to mechanical alloying. The resultant Fe-10Cr-6.1Al-0.3Zr+0.3Y 2 O 3 (106ZY) powders were ball milled for 10, 20, and 40hr followed by consolidation via hot extrusion at temperatures ranging from 900 to 1050 °C. Increasing the mechanical alloying time decreased the resultant grain size and improved high temperature tensile properties. Decreasing the extrusion temperature refined the grain size and subsequently strengthened the ODS FeCrAl 106ZY alloys while lowering the ductility. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) demonstrated the Zr solute addition effectively sequestered impurity C and N within the matrix. The root mean square (RMS) hardening superposition model for yield strength shows good agreement with experimental results. Errors between predicted and experimental values are discussed within the scope of processing parameters. As a result, these 2nd generation 106ZY alloys show a distinct increase in alloy ductility without sacrificing the high temperature tensile properties characteristic of legacy or 1st generation ODS FeCrAl alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigation of δ zirconium hydride morphology in a single crystal using quantitative phase field simulations supported by experiments

In light water nuclear reactors, waterside corrosion of the cladding material leads to the production of hydrogen, a fraction of which is picked up by the zirconium cladding and precipitates into brittle hydride particles. These nanoscale hydride particles aggregate into mesoscale hydride clusters. The principal stacking direction of the nanoscale hydrides precipitated in the cladding tube changes from circumferential in the absence of applied stress to radial under circumferential applied stress. A quantitative phase field model has been developed to predict the hydride morphology observed experimentally and identify the mechanisms responsible for nanoscale hydride stacking. The model focuses on nanoscale hydride precipitation in a single zirconium grain with a detailed description of the anisotropic elastic contribution. The model predictions concerning the shape, orientation, and stacking behavior of nanoscale hydride are analyzed and compared with experimental observations. The model accurately accounts for the experimentally observed elongated nanoscale hydride shape and the stacking of hydrides along the basal plane of the hexagonal zirconium matrix. When investigating the role of applied stress in hydride morphology, the model challenges some of the mechanisms previously proposed to explain hydride reorientation. Finally, although hydride reorientation has been hypothesized to be caused by a change in nanoscale hydride shape, the current study shows that these mechanisms are unlikely to occur.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Inhibition of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter prevents IL-13 and allergen-mediated airway epithelial apoptosis and loss of barrier function

Highlights: • IL-13 promotes mitochondrial matrix Ca{sup 2+} uptake, ROS production and apoptosis in respiratory epithelium. • MCU inhibition blocks mitochondrial ROS production and membrane depolarization. • MCU inhibition prevents apoptosis and epithelial barrier dysfunction. • Inhibition of MCU reduces allergen-mediated epithelial cell death in vivo. Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as key mediators of acute cellular stress responses in asthma. However, the distinct roles of regulators of mitochondrial physiology on allergic asthma phenotypes are currently unknown. The mitochondrial Ca{sup 2+} uniporter (MCU) resides in the inner mitochondrial membrane and controls mitochondrial Ca{sup 2+} uptake into the mitochondrial matrix. To understand the function of MCU in models of allergic asthma, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed using models of functional deficiency or knockout of MCU. In primary human respiratory epithelial cells, MCU inhibition abrogated mitochondrial Ca{sup 2+} uptake and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, preserved the mitochondrial membrane potential and protected from apoptosis in response to the pleiotropic Th2 cytokine IL-13. Consequently, epithelial barrier function was maintained with MCU inhibition. Similarly, the endothelial barrier was preserved in respiratory epithelium isolated from MCU-/- mice after exposure to IL-13. In the ovalbumin-model of allergic airway disease, MCU deficiency resulted in decreased apoptosis within the large airway epithelial cells. Concordantly, expression of the tight junction protein ZO-1 was preserved, indicative of maintenance of epithelial barrier function. These data implicate mitochondrial Ca{sup 2+} uptake through MCU as a key controller of epithelial cell viability in acute allergic asthma.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Superconductivity in the doped quantum spin liquid on the triangular lattice

Abstract Broad interest in quantum spin liquid (QSL) phases was triggered by the notion that they can be viewed as insulating phases with preexisting electron pairs, such that upon light doping they might automatically yield high temperature superconductivity. Yet despite intense experimental and numerical efforts, definitive evidence showing that doping QSLs leads to superconductivity has been lacking. We address the problem of a lightly doped QSL through a large-scale density-matrix renormalization group study of the t - J model on finite-circumference triangular cylinders with a small but nonzero concentration of doped holes. We provide direct evidences that doping QSL can naturally give rise to d -wave superconductivity. Specifically, we find power-law superconducting correlations with a Luttinger exponent, K s c ≈ 1, which is consistent with a strongly diverging superconducting susceptibility, $${\chi }_{sc} \,\sim\, {T}^{-(2\,-\,{K}_{sc})}$$ χ s c ~ T − ( 2 − K s c ) as the temperature T → 0. The spin–spin correlations—as in the undoped QSL state—fall exponentially which suggests that the superconducting pair-pair correlations evolve smoothly from the insulating parent state.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Quantum-ring spin interference device tuned by quantum point contacts

We introduce a spin-interference device that comprises a quantum ring (QR) with three embedded quantum point contacts (QPCs) and study theoretically its spin transport properties in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interaction. Two of the QPCs conform the lead-to-ring junctions while a third one is placed symmetrically in the upper arm of the QR. Using an appropriate scattering model for the QPCs and the S-matrix scattering approach, we analyze the role of the QPCs on the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) and Aharonov-Casher (AC) conductance oscillations of the QR-device. Exact formulas are obtained for the spin-resolved conductances of the QR-device as a function of the confinement of the QPCs and the AB/AC phases. Conditions for the appearance of resonances and anti-resonances in the spin-conductance are derived and discussed. We predict very distinctive variations of the QR-conductance oscillations not seen in previous QR proposals. In particular, we find that the interference pattern in the QR can be manipulated to a large extend by varying electrically the lead-to-ring topological parameters. The latter can be used to modulate the AB and AC phases by applying gate voltage only. We have shown also that the conductance oscillations exhibits a crossover to well-defined resonances as the lateral QPC confinement strength is increased, mapping the eigenenergies of the QR. In addition, unique features of the conductance arise by varying the aperture of the upper-arm QPC and the Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Our results may be of relevance for promising spin-orbitronics devices based on quantum interference mechanisms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Parallel computation safety analysis irradiation targets fission product molybdenum in neutronic aspect using the successive over-relaxation algorithm

One of the research activities in support of commercial radioisotope production program is a safety research on target FPM (Fission Product Molybdenum) irradiation. FPM targets form a tube made of stainless steel which contains nuclear-grade high-enrichment uranium. The FPM irradiation tube is intended to obtain fission products. Fission materials such as Mo{sup 99} used widely the form of kits in the medical world. The neutronics problem is solved using first-order perturbation theory derived from the diffusion equation for four groups. In contrast, Mo isotopes have longer half-lives, about 3 days (66 hours), so the delivery of radioisotopes to consumer centers and storage is possible though still limited. The production of this isotope potentially gives significant economic value. The criticality and flux in multigroup diffusion model was calculated for various irradiation positions and uranium contents. This model involves complex computation, with large and sparse matrix system. Several parallel algorithms have been developed for the sparse and large matrix solution. In this paper, a successive over-relaxation (SOR) algorithm was implemented for the calculation of reactivity coefficients which can be done in parallel. Previous works performed reactivity calculations serially with Gauss-Seidel iteratives. The parallel method can be used to solve multigroup diffusion equation system and calculate the criticality and reactivity coefficients. In this research a computer code was developed to exploit parallel processing to perform reactivity calculations which were to be used in safety analysis. The parallel processing in the multicore computer system allows the calculation to be performed more quickly. This code was applied for the safety limits calculation of irradiated FPM targets containing highly enriched uranium. The results of calculations neutron show that for uranium contents of 1.7676 g and 6.1866 g (× 10{sup 6} cm{sup −1}) in a tube, their delta reactivities are the still within safety limits; however, for 7.9542 g and 8.838 g (× 10{sup 6} cm{sup −1}) the limits were exceeded.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optimization of ultrasonic array inspections using an efficient hybrid model and real crack shapes

Models which simulate the interaction of ultrasound with cracks can be used to optimize ultrasonic array inspections, but this approach can be time-consuming. To overcome this issue an efficient hybrid model is implemented which includes a finite element method that requires only a single layer of elements around the crack shape. Scattering Matrices are used to capture the scattering behavior of the individual cracks and a discussion on the angular degrees of freedom of elastodynamic scatterers is included. Real crack shapes are obtained from X-ray Computed Tomography images of cracked parts and these shapes are inputted into the hybrid model. The effect of using real crack shapes instead of straight notch shapes is demonstrated. An array optimization methodology which incorporates the hybrid model, an approximate single-scattering relative noise model and the real crack shapes is then described.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Residual entropy and waterlike anomalies in the repulsive one dimensional lattice gas

The thermodynamics and kinetics of the one dimensional lattice gas with repulsive interaction are investigated using transfer matrix technique and Monte Carlo simulations. This simple model is shown to exhibit waterlike anomalies in density, thermal expansion coefficient, and self-diffusion. An unified description for the thermodynamic anomalies in this model is achieved based on the ground state residual entropy which appears in the model due to mixing entropy in a ground state phase transition.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Maxwell consideration of polaritonic quasi-particle Hamiltonians in multi-level systems

We address the problem of the correct description of light-matter coupling for excitons and cavity photons in the case of systems with multiple photon modes or excitons, respectively. In the literature, two different approaches for the phenomenological coupling Hamiltonian can be found: Either one single Hamiltonian with a basis whose dimension equals the sum of photonic modes and excitonic resonances is used. Or a set of independent Hamiltonians, one for each photon mode, is chosen. Both are usually used equivalently for the same kind of multi-photonic systems which cannot be correct. However, identifying the suitable Hamiltonian is difficult when modeling experimental data. By means of numerical transfer matrix calculations, we demonstrate the scope of application of each approach: The first one holds only for the coupling of a single photon state to several excitons, while in the case of multiple photon modes, separate Hamiltonians must be used for each photon mode.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rephasing invariants of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi- Maskawa matrix

The paper is motivated by the importance of the rephasing invariance of the CKM (Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa) matrix observables. These observables appear in the discussion of the CP violation in the standard model (Jarlskog invariant) and also in the renormalization group equations for the quark Yukawa couplings. Our discussion is based on the general phase invariant monomials built out of the CKM matrix elements and their conjugates. We show that there exist 30 fundamental phase invariant monomials and 18 of them are a product of 4 CKM matrix elements and 12 are a product of 6 CKM matrix elements. In the main theorem we show that a general rephasing invariant monomial can be expressed as a product of at most five factors: four of them are fundamental phase invariant monomials and the fifth factor consists of powers of squares of absolute values of the CKM matrix elements. We also show that the imaginary part of any rephasing invariant monomial is proportional to the Jarlskog’s invariant J or is 0.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale Modeling of the Mechanical Response of Silicon Carbide Composite Within the Accelerated Fuel Qualification Framework

The accelerated fuel qualification (AFQ) framework has been used for the initial development of multiscale modeling of silicon carbide (SiC) fiber reinforced composite (SiC-SiC). The AFQ framework provides a methodology to leverage physics-informed multiscale modeling along with a reduced set of empirical test data to reduce the time and cost of licensing and qualification of new nuclear fuel systems while maintaining the overall nuclear power plant safety case. SiC-SiC is being proposed for in-core applications, most notably fuel cladding, for current and next-generation nuclear reactors because of its high temperature stability, irradiation tolerance, and ability to withstand many accident conditions. As these composites exhibit multiscale architectures and complex microstructure-based fracture mechanics, it is an appealing use case for the AFQ methodology. While the end goal of this work is a single multiscale model that can be used for predictive in-core performance, current focus is on the individual various length scale models. Four individual models have been initially developed from microscale to engineering system level to capture key physics-based effects across different length scales. These models include a microscale homogenized tow model, a mesoscale fast Fourier transform–based weave model that integrates the homogenized tow model, a mesoscale finite element–based weave model, and a system-level BISON fuel performance model. Results of these models have undergone an initial comparison with separate-effects test data showing a good match to experimental results. By using the AFQ framework during model development, several near-term benefits have been secured including a reduction in development time for the SiC-SiC cladding, more targeted irradiation testing, and a better understanding of uncertainty.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

WEIGHING NEUTRINOS WITH COSMIC NEUTRAL HYDROGEN

We investigate the signatures left by massive neutrinos on the spatial distribution of neutral hydrogen (H i) in the post-reionization era by running hydrodynamic simulations that include massive neutrinos as additional collisionless particles. We find that halos in massive/massless neutrino cosmologies host a similar amount of neutral hydrogen, although for a fixed halo mass, on average, the H i mass increases with the sum of the neutrino masses. Our results show that H i is more strongly clustered in cosmologies with massive neutrinos, while its abundance, Ω{sub H} {sub i}(z), is lower. These effects arise mainly from the impact of massive neutrinos on cosmology: they suppress both the amplitude of the matter power spectrum on small scales and the abundance of dark matter halos. Modeling the H i distribution with hydrodynamic simulations at z > 3 and a simple analytic model at z < 3, we use the Fisher matrix formalism to conservatively forecast the constraints that Phase 1 of the Square Kilometre Array will place on the sum of neutrino masses, M{sub ν} ≡ Σ m{sub ν}. We find that with 10,000 hr of interferometric observations at 3 ≲ z ≲ 6 from a deep and narrow survey with SKA1-LOW, the sum of the neutrino masses can be measured with an error σ(M{sub ν}) ≲ 0.3 eV (95% CL). Similar constraints can be obtained with a wide and deep SKA1-MID survey at z ≲ 3, using the single-dish mode. By combining data from MID, LOW, and Planck, plus priors on cosmological parameters from a Stage IV spectroscopic galaxy survey, the sum of the neutrino masses can be determined with an error σ(M{sub ν}) ≃ 0.06 eV (95% CL)

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electronic conductivity in metal-graphene composites: the role of disordered carbon structures, defects, and impurities

Abstract This paper explores the transport properties of aluminum-carbon composite material via ab initio methods. Interfacial and electronic dynamics of the aluminum-graphene interface structure were investigated using models of amorphous graphene added to an aluminum matrix. We examine the impact on electronic conduction caused by the presence of nitrogen impurities within the interfacial amorphous graphene layer. We elucidate the conduction mechanisms by using a projection of the electronic conductivity into space.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Galaxy–galaxy lensing estimators and their covariance properties

Here, we study the covariance properties of real space correlation function estimators – primarily galaxy–shear correlations, or galaxy–galaxy lensing – using SDSS data for both shear catalogues and lenses (specifically the BOSS LOWZ sample). Using mock catalogues of lenses and sources, we disentangle the various contributions to the covariance matrix and compare them with a simple analytical model. We show that not subtracting the lensing measurement around random points from the measurement around the lens sample is equivalent to performing the measurement using the lens density field instead of the lens overdensity field. While the measurement using the lens density field is unbiased (in the absence of systematics), its error is significantly larger due to an additional term in the covariance. Therefore, this subtraction should be performed regardless of its beneficial effects on systematics. Comparing the error estimates from data and mocks for estimators that involve the overdensity, we find that the errors are dominated by the shape noise and lens clustering, which empirically estimated covariances (jackknife and standard deviation across mocks) that are consistent with theoretical estimates, and that both the connected parts of the four-point function and the supersample covariance can be neglected for the current levels of noise. While the trade-off between different terms in the covariance depends on the survey configuration (area, source number density), the diagnostics that we use in this work should be useful for future works to test their empirically determined covariances.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Double copy root of Hawking thermality

The Hawking radiation spectrum from a collapsing null shell can be derived via the double copy of a simpler gauge theory calculation. Analyzing the non-abelian Yang-Mills root of this process, we demonstrate that the radiation spectrum is thermal in the color charge eigenvalue 𝜆, not energy. Considering the 𝑆⁢𝑈⁡(𝑁 𝑐 ) gauge theory in the large 𝑁 𝑐 limit, we find the differential spectrum ⅆ⁢𝑁/ⅆ⁢𝜆 is a product of the gravitationally familiar Planck-like factor and the color phase space density, modeled here as the Wigner semicircle from random matrix theory. This reveals that apparent energy thermality in gravity is the direct dual of charge thermality in its underlying non-abelian gauge theory.

Carrasco, John Joseph M. [Northwestern University,↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dirac $R$-matrix calculations for the electron-impact excitation of neutral tungsten providing noninvasive diagnostics for magnetic confinement fusion

Neutral tungsten is the primary candidate as a wall material in the divertor region of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The efficient operation of ITER depends heavily on precise atomic physics calculations for the determination of reliable erosion diagnostics, helping to characterize the influx of tungsten impurities into the core plasma. The following paper presents detailed calculations of the atomic structure of neutral tungsten using the multiconfigurational Dirac-Fock method, drawing comparisons with experimental measurements where available, and includes a critical assessment of existing atomic structure data. We investigate the electron-impact excitation of neutral tungsten using the Dirac R-matrix method, and by employing collisional-radiative models, we benchmark our results with recent Compact Toroidal Hybrid measurements. The resulting comparisons highlight alternative diagnostic lines to the widely used 400.88-nm line.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗