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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 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of proton-induced damage in thick, p-channel skipper-CCDs

Here, in this work, we characterize the radiation-induced damage in two thick, p-channel skipper-CCDs irradiated unbiased and at room temperature with 217-MeV protons. We evaluate the overall performance of the sensors and demonstrate their single-electron/single-photon sensitivity after receiving a fluence on the order of 10 10 protons/cm 2 . Using the pocket-pumping technique, we quantify and characterize the proton-induced defects from displacement damage. We report an overall trap density of 0.134 traps/pixel for a displacement damage dose of 2.3 × 10 7 MeV/g. Three main proton-induced trap species were identified, V 2 , C i O i and V n O m , and their characteristic trap energies and cross sections were extracted. We found that while divacancies are the most common proton-induced defects, C i O i defects have a greater impact on charge integrity at typical operating temperatures because their emission-time constants are comparable or larger than typical readout times. To estimate ionization damage, we measure the characteristic output transistor curves. We found no threshold voltage shifts after irradiation. Our results highlight the potential of skipper-CCDs for applications requiring high-radiation tolerance and can be used to find the operating conditions in which effects of radiation-induced damage are mitigated.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

The ballad of LLM agents: philosophical reasoning for chemistry

Large language models (LLMs) show remarkable potential for scientific reasoning but often produce unreliable or scientifically unactionable outputs when faced with multi-step logic, domain grounding, and interpretability challenges, especially in complex fields like chemistry and materials science. Here, we introduce a framework of philosophical reasoning agents, inspired by canonical thinkers such as Socrates, Descartes, Kant, and Hume, to guide LLM behavior via structured prompt engineering. These agents embody distinct reasoning paradigms (dialectical inquiry, deductive logic, rule-based judgment, and empirical validation) and are evaluated across multiple chemistry subdomains, physical, analytical, general, inorganic, and organic chemistry, using the ChemBench benchmark. Our agentic prompting approach yields substantial accuracy gains on open-ended numerical chemistry questions, with gains of +11.5 percentage points for GPT-4o with Hume, +4.5 percentage points for GPT-5 with Kant, and +21.8 percentage points for GPT-5.1 with Socrates at the strict 1% error threshold, relative to the corresponding base models. Beyond accuracy, we observe benchmark-level model–agent performance patterns, suggesting that different prompting styles interact differently with each base model. These findings demonstrate that embedding philosophy-of-science principles into multi-agent frameworks can improve and produce interpretable, adaptive, and domain-aligned scientific LLMs.

Harb, Hassan [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), A↗
DOE OSTI2025

How Interface Evolution at the Nanoscale Dictates Protonic Ceramic Cell Behavior

Understanding the effects of heterointerfaces in nanodevices remains a challenge in interface engineering for systems applied in solid oxide fuel cells, catalysis, sensors, and memristors [1]. Previous studies have shown that the presence of interfaces in ceramic oxide nanodevices affects their impedance properties compared to bulk systems [2]. In this work, we analyze a thin-film model system designed to study the interfaces between representative electrode and electrolyte materials employed in protonic ceramic electrochemical cells for the reversible conversion of hydrogen o electricity. The investigated device features a 21-layer architecture that alternates between an electrode material PBSCF (PrBa 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 1.5 Fe 0.5 O 5+ϵ ) and a proton-conducting electrolyte BZY (BaZr 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3-δ ), with uniform 20 nm thickness for each layer. Here, the device was fabricated using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and supported on a conductive Nb-doped STO (Nb-SrTiO 3 ) substrate.

dos Santos, Gabriel T. [Northwestern University, E↗
DOE OSTI2025

Breaking the barrier of human-annotated training data for machine learning-aided plant research using aerial imagery

Machine learning (ML) can accelerate biological research. However, the adoption of such tools to facilitate phenotyping based on sensor data has been limited by (i) the need for a large amount of human-annotated training data for each context in which the tool is used and (ii) phenotypes varying across contexts defined in terms of genetics and environment. This is a major bottleneck because acquiring training data is generally costly and time-consuming. This study demonstrates how a ML approach can address these challenges by minimizing the amount of human supervision needed for tool building. A case study was performed to compare ML approaches that examine images collected by an uncrewed aerial vehicle to determine the presence/absence of panicles (i.e. “heading”) across thousands of field plots containing genetically diverse breeding populations of 2 Miscanthus species. Automated analysis of aerial imagery enabled the identification of heading approximately 9 times faster than in-field visual inspection by humans. Leveraging an Efficiently Supervised Generative Adversarial Network (ESGAN) learning strategy reduced the requirement for human-annotated data by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude compared to traditional, fully supervised learning approaches. The ESGAN model learned the salient features of the data set by using thousands of unlabeled images to inform the discriminative ability of a classifier so that it required minimal human-labeled training data. This method can accelerate the phenotyping of heading date as a measure of flowering time in Miscanthus across diverse contexts (e.g. in multistate trials) and opens avenues to promote the broad adoption of ML tools.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Study of Key 57 Ni ⁢(𝑝,𝛾)⁢ 58 Cu Resonances to Understand 44 Ti Nucleosynthesis in Supernovae

An important validation of nucleosynthesis models of core-collapse supernovae is the comparison of radioisotope predictions to abundances inferred from observations of 𝛾 rays emitted in remnants. One such isotope, 44 Ti, is especially sensitive to the 57 Ni ⁢(𝑝,𝛾)⁢ 58 Cu reaction rate. Despite this importance, no experimentally constrained rate exists for this reaction. It is thus crucial to determine this rate. GRETINA ORRUBA: Dual Detectors for Experimental Structure Studies (GODDESS) was used along with the first use of the Enge split-pole spectrograph at Notre Dame to measure structure properties of 58 Cu via the 58 Ni ⁢( 3 He,𝑡)⁢ 58 Cu reaction. Here, the combined analysis of these complementary data sets allows for precise determination of 58 Cu level energies, and spins are constrained from analysis of the 𝛾-ray decay. 44 Ti yields were found to change by over 25% compared to previous estimates in model calculations using the new experimentally constrained reaction rate.

energy levels↗
DOE OSTI2025

Valence 1⁢𝑠−0⁢𝑑 proton vacancy of the 32 Si ground state

The 32 Si( 3 He,d) 33 P reaction was studied in inverse kinematics at 6.3 MeV/u. States in 33 P corresponding to the proton 1s-0d single-particle orbitals were identified up to ≈ 4.5 MeV in excitation energy. The ( 3 He,d) spectroscopic factors were determined from distorted-wave Born approximation calculations. When combined with complementary neutron-adding data, the 1s-0d proton vacancies in the 32 Si ground state were extracted. In conjunction with a reanalysis of data from previous single-particle measurements, the trends in proton and neutron vacancy were explored across the 28,30,32,34 Si isotopes. Both proton and neutron vacancy data show gradual changes in their occupancies. The proton 1s 1/2 orbitals in 32 Si and 34 Si are both consistent with being empty. In conclusion, the ground-state nucleon distributions are described by shell-model calculations constrained to the 1s-0d model space.

Watwood, N. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Ar↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fingerprints of Triaxiality in the Charge Radii of Neutron-Rich Ruthenium

We present the first measurements with a new collinear laser spectroscopy setup at the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System, utilizing its unique capability to deliver neutron-rich refractory metal isotopes produced by the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf. We measured isotope shifts from optical spectra for nine radioactive ruthenium isotopes 106–114 Ru, reaching deep into the mid-shell region. The extracted charge radii are in excellent agreement with predictions from the Brussels-Skyrme-on-a-Grid models that account for the triaxial deformation of nuclear ground states. We show that triaxial deformation impacts charge radii in models that feature shell effects, in contrast to what could be concluded from a liquid drop analysis. This indicates that this exotic type of deformation should not be neglected in regions where it is known to occur, even if its presence cannot be unambiguously inferred through laser spectroscopy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of structural distortions on the correlated electronic structure of orbital-selective Mott insulating Na 3 ⁢Co 2 ⁢SbO 6 under strain

Na 3 Co 2 SbO 6 is a promising candidate to realize the Kitaev spin liquid phase since the large Kitaev spin exchange interaction is tunable via the change in electronic structure, such as the trigonal crystal field splitting (Δ TCF ). Here, in this study, we show that the uncorrelated electronic structure of Na 3 Co 2 SbO 6 is rather insensitive to the strain effect due to the low crystal symmetry accompanied by oxygen displacements and the presence of Sb s orbitals. Using density functional theory plus dynamical mean field theory, we find that the correlated electronic structure of Na 3 Co 2 SbO 6 is an orbital-selective Mott insulating state where the trigonal a 1g orbital is insulating due to the nearly full occupation, while other d orbitals behave as typical Mott insulators, resulting in the effective tunability of Δ TCF under the strain effect. The sign change of Δ TCF can occur as the in-plane tensile strain is applied, and the Kitaev spin liquid phase could possibly be realized due to the strongly suppressed Δ TCF under tensile strain. Our results show that the local Co-site symmetry and dynamical correlation effects will play an important role in engineering the novel magnetic phase in this and related materials.

Nguyen, Nam [Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (Unite↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transmission spectroscopy of CF 4 molecules in intense x-ray fields

The nonlinear interaction of x rays with matter is at the heart of understanding and controlling ultrafast molecular dynamics from an atom-specific viewpoint, providing new scientific and analytical opportunities to explore the structure and dynamics of small quantum systems. At increasingly high x-ray intensity, the sensitivity of ultrashort x-ray pulses to specific electronic states and emerging short-lived transient intermediates is of particular relevance for our understanding of fundamental multiphoton absorption processes. In this work, intense x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses at the European XFEL are combined with a gas cell and grating spectrometer for a high-intensity transmission spectroscopy study of multiphoton-induced ultrafast molecular fragmentation dynamics in CF 4 . This approach unlocks the direct intrapulse observation of transient fragments, including neutral atoms, by their characteristic absorption lines in the transmitted broadband x-ray spectrum. The dynamics with and without initially producing fluorine 𝐾-shell holes are studied by tuning the central photon energy. The absorption spectra are measured at different FEL intensities to observe nonlinear effects. Transient isolated fluorine atoms and ions are spectroscopically recorded within the ultrashort pulse duration of a few tens of femtoseconds. An isosbestic point that signifies the correlated transition between intact neutral CF 4 molecules and charged atomic fragments is observed near the fluorine 𝐾 edge. The dissociation dynamics and the multiphoton absorption-induced dynamics encoded in the spectra are theoretically interpreted. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of high-intensity x-ray transmission spectroscopy to study ultrafast molecular dynamics with sensitivity to specific intermediate species and their electronic structure.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Floquet-engineered fast SNAP gates in weakly coupled circuit-QED systems

Superconducting cavities with high quality factors, coupled to a fixed-frequency transmon, provide a state-of-the-art platform for quantum information storage and manipulation. The commonly used selective number-dependent arbitrary phase ( SNAP ) gate faces significant challenges in ultrahigh-coherence cavities, where the weak dispersive shifts necessary for preserving high coherence typically result in prolonged gate times. Here, in this work, we propose a protocol to achieve high-fidelity SNAP gates that are orders of magnitude faster than the standard implementation, surpassing the speed limit set by the bare dispersive shift. We achieve this enhancement by dynamically amplifying the dispersive coupling via sideband interactions, followed by quantum optimal control on the Floquet-engineered system. We also present a unified perturbation theory that explains both the gate acceleration and the associated benign drive-induced decoherence, corroborated by Floquet-Markov simulations. These results pave the way for the experimental realization of high-fidelity, selective control of weakly coupled, high-coherence cavities, and expanding the scope of optimal control techniques to a broader class of Floquet quantum systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Error-Free and Current-Driven Synthetic Antiferromagnetic Domain Wall Memory Enabled by Channel Meandering

We propose a new type of energy-efficient multi-bit magnetic memory based on current-driven, field-free, controlled domain wall motion. A meandering domain wall channel with precisely interspersed pinning regions provides the multi-bit capability of a magnetic tunnel junction memory. The magnetic free layer of the memory device has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) so that spin-orbit torques (SOTs) induce efficient domain wall motion. Using micromagnetic simulations, we find two different cell designs: two-way switching and four-way switching. The memory cell design choices and the physics of pinning mechanisms are discussed in detail. Furthermore, we show that switching reliability and speed may be significantly improved by replacing the ferromagnetic free layer with a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer. Switching behavior and material choices will be discussed for the two memory implementations.

magnetic domain wall↗
DOE OSTI2025

A 13‐Year Record Indicates Differences in the Duration and Depth of Soil Carbon Accrual Among Potential Bioenergy Crops

Six years after replacing a maize/soybean cropping system, perennial grasses miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and a 28-species restored prairie increased particulate organic carbon in surface soils without increasing soil organic carbon (SOC). To resolve potential changes in the quantity and distribution of SOC, soils were resampled after seven to thirteen years to measure bulk density, carbon (C) content, and stable C isotopes to a depth of 1 m. SOC stocks increased between 1.75 and 2.5 Mg ha −1 year −1 in all perennial crops between 2008 and 2016 (nine growing seasons). Despite relatively low litter inputs and belowground biomass, the highest rate of SOC accrual was in restored prairie (2.5 Mg ha −1 year −1 ), followed by miscanthus (2.0 Mg ha −1 year −1 ) and switchgrass (1.75 Mg ha −1 year −1 ). The change in SOC in maize/soybean was not significant. After 2016, total SOC decreased in maize/soybean and miscanthus, resulting in slower overall rates of SOC accumulation over the full sampling period for miscanthus (0.8 Mg ha −1 year −1 ). The rate of SOC accumulation was greatest below 50 cm depth for restored prairie and switchgrass but in the top 10 cm for miscanthus. Stable isotope analysis showed 13 C enrichment in all depths of switchgrass soils, an indication of new organic C accumulation, but mixed results in all other crops. Planting perennial crops on land formerly in an annual maize/soybean cropping system can slow or reverse soil carbon losses, with the greatest increases in SOC from species-rich prairie.

agriculture↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impacts of Pasture Conversion to Sugarcane on Water Fluxes and Water Use Efficiency in the Southeastern US

The expansion of sugarcane (cane), a high-yielding perennial crop, will likely reshape the bioenergy landscape in the Southeastern US. However, its ecohydrological implications, particularly following conversion from grazed pastures, a dominant land use in the region, remain highly uncertain. We investigated the impact of cane expansion on evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning, and the mechanisms influencing both ET components and water use efficiency (WUE) across multiple scales and growth cycles in subtropical Florida. We combined eddy covariance, biometric measurements, and process-based stomatal conductance (g s ) models. ET was 1.7% lower in cane than in improved pasture (IMP) but exceeded that in semi-native pasture (SN) by 21%. Transpiration (T) followed a similar pattern, consistent with lower g s in cane relative to IMP. Cane had more conservative water use and greater sensitivity of g s to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) compared to IMP pasture, suggesting cane may be more tolerant of increasing atmospheric water demand. In contrast, SN showed lower g s and weaker stomatal sensitivity to VPD compared to cane, resulting in lower T. In cane, stomatal regulation and T varied across growth cycles, with stomata becoming less water conservative as stands matured, highlighting the importance of incorporating stand age-dependent stomatal regulation into hydrological models. Evaporation (E) was higher in cane than pastures (19%–26%), partially offsetting WUE gains. Cane exhibited higher intrinsic WUE (GPP/g s ; Gross Primary Productivity), ecosystem WUE (GPP/ET), and harvest WUE (harvest/ET) than both pasture types. Large-scale pasture-to-cane conversion could produce widely contrasting hydrological outcomes. The net regional impact will depend on the proportion of each pasture type converted and on cane's high g s sensitivity to VPD, which triggers tight stomatal regulation and conservative water use, both of which will become increasingly consequential under intensifying atmospheric water demand.

bioenergy↗
DOE OSTI2026

PPT1-mediated plastidic phospho enol pyruvate import enhances fatty acid biosynthesis in sugar-rich tissues

Metabolic engineering of vegetative tissues for lipid production holds transformative potential for sustainable biofuels, yet achieving sufficient yields remains challenging. Here, we present a strategy to enhance fatty acid synthesis by redirecting cytosolic phospho enol pyruvate (PEP) into plastids through overexpression of the plastidial phospho enol pyruvate/phosphate translocator ( PPT1 ) in vegetative tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana . Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that AtPPT1 overexpression alleviated metabolite overaccumulation in high-sugar tissues, consistent with enhanced carbon flux coordination between the cytosol and chloroplast. Notably, phosphofructokinase activity, a key step in glycolysis, was elevated, linking plastidic PEP import to increased glycolytic throughput. In Arabidopsis, overexpression of AtPPT1 increased fatty acid content and lipid droplet accumulation in the sugar-accumulating sweet11;12;13 mutant, but not in wild-type Col-0. Together, these findings establish PEP redirection as an effective strategy to boost fatty acid and lipid production in sugar-rich vegetative tissues and provide a complementary metabolic module for future lipid-engineering efforts.

Arabidopsis thaliana↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lost and found: Rediscovering microbiome-associated phenotypes that reshape agricultural sustainability

Modern agriculture faces an urgent need to improve nutrient use efficiency while reducing environmental impacts. Here, we show that ancestral traits controlling rhizosphere microbiome functions can be reintroduced into elite maize through targeted teosinte introgressions. Using near-isogenic lines, we mapped microbiome-associated phenotypes (MAPs) derived from teosinte that suppress nitrification and denitrification—key microbial processes contributing to nitrogen loss. These introgressions altered root exudate chemistry, resulting in distinct microbial assemblies and enhanced nitrogen retention. We identified candidate loci and exudate metabolites responsible for suppressive activity and demonstrated their functional effects in vitro. These findings reveal a genetic and biochemical basis for rewilding microbiome-mediated ecosystem services in crops, offering a scalable path toward sustainable nutrient management in global agriculture.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dynamic asymmetric strain imprinted into substrates by an oxide thin film

In film-substrate systems, the substrate role is often considered to be limited to providing static mechanical constraints. Dynamic film-substrate interactions when a structural change in the film modifies the substrate are generally disregarded. Here, using combined x-ray and electron microscopies, we observed that an electrically induced filament in a vanadium dioxide film created strong asymmetric strain in an underlying sapphire substrate. This asymmetric substrate strain fed back into the film and defined the filament expansion direction, revealing the importance of film-substrate dynamic interactions in determining film functionality. Furthermore, the strain imprint propagated at least tens of micrometers deep into the substrate, exceeding the film thickness by more than 200-fold, potentially enabling substrate functionalization as an active mechanical coupling media in three-dimensional integrated microelectronic architectures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

A high-resolution molecular spin-photon interface at telecommunication wavelengths

Optically addressable electronic spins in polyatomic molecules are a promising platform for quantum information science, with the potential to enable scalable qubit design and integration through atomistic tunability and nanoscale localization. However, optical state- and site-selection are an open challenge. Here, in this work, we introduce an organo-erbium spin qubit in which narrow (megahertz-scale) optical and spin transitions couple to provide high-resolution access to spin degrees of freedom with telecommunication-frequency light. This spin-photon interface enables demonstration of optical spin polarization and readout that distinguishes between spin states and magnetically inequivalent sites in a molecular crystal. Operation at frequencies compatible with mature photonic and microwave devices provides an opportunity for engineering scalable, integrated molecular spin-optical quantum technologies.

Weiss, Leah R. [University of Chicago, IL (United ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electrolyte Compatible Separator Materials for Sodium-Ion Battery

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) have emerged as an alternative electrochemical energy storage to replace lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Separator is one of the key components that dictates the cell performance of NIB. Significant progress has been made in electrolyte research, however for most cases glass fiber has been used as separator due to its remarkable electrolyte wettability despite its many disadvantages. In this study, we evaluated commercially available porous materials as separator material for NIB. Porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane stands out as a universal separator which exhibits high compatibility with a wide range of electrolytes and electrodes and demonstrates high electrochemical stability evaluated in hard carbon/Na half cells and NaNi 1/3 Fe 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NFM111)/hard carbon full cells. This research highlights the PVDF membrane as a viable separator for advancing NIB research, enabling the development of new electrolyte materials without the separator constraints of wetting limitations or excessive electrolyte consumption.

Wostoupal, Owen S. [Argonne National Laboratory (A↗